Li Aoz neither confirmed nor denied the professor's claims. Outwardly, he looked half-convinced and half-skeptical, but in truth, his attitude toward the professor—and the entire Netherhumanitarian Aid Organization—was far from favorable.
Before being brought to the professor, he had already been injected with various doses of drugs and interrogated for three hours. But none of that was much to Li Aoz.
Though he was not a superhuman, his Charm stat was high. After taking a few hits, putting on a sufficiently miserable act, and letting a few scraps of information slip, the other side would believe him completely.
However, Li Aoz had no answer to drugs like Truth Serum. All he could do was bite down on his tongue to keep himself from revealing the truth.
In fact, if Li Aoz opened the Faction Panel right now, he believed the professor's Favorability toward him would not be low.
The most convenient thing about Charm as an attribute was that it affected all targets indiscriminately. Even elemental creatures, mechanical lifeforms, or void nightmare hunters would prefer being around you if your Charm was high enough.
Still, in order to earn her trust, Li Aoz deliberately hesitated before asking the professor, "What exactly is Malefic Calamity?"
"To answer that question—I first need to ask how much you know about Aoneng."
"What does that have to do with it?" Li Aoz feigned confusion.
"It has everything to do with it."
The professor adjusted her glasses and patiently explained, "You should know that before the Galactic Era, during the so-called Old Era, the people of Azure Planet had no Aoneng. Nor were there superhumans such as Martial Artists or mediums. Humanity greeted one another with nuclear weapons and lived beneath the shadow and terror of nuclear war. Yet because of the principle of mutual destruction—full-scale wars between humans nearly ceased to occur."
"It was rather laughable. The most peaceful era of human civilization was actually spent on the brink of the world's destruction."
"However, all of that depended on one premise: that nuclear war would lead to the collapse of civilization."
"A historian and philosopher once said that weapons determine the form of war. At some point, humanity uncovered a power more sinful than nuclear weapons."
The professor paused, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Patient, what do you think of superhumans?"
Li Aoz's heart stirred. He immediately answered in the manner he had prepared:
"No matter what, superhumans are still individuals. They still need society to raise and support them. But once large numbers of superhumans appear, social order will face immense challenges. The class divide, which could once be balanced through knowledge and education, will become even harder to cross."
The professor nodded, somewhat surprised.
"Should I say it was only natural for a civilized person who voluntarily fled into the Outland? You truly are extraordinary."
"A superhuman's children will still be superhuman, and their bloodline will be more stable than that of plutocrats or royal families."
"Therefore, even if someone from the lower classes changes their fate through superhuman power, their descendants will still become rulers of a monopolistic class—perhaps even worse than before."
At this point, the professor looked at him.
"And the essence of all this—the change in warfare, the transformation of class, the upheaval of world order—was the emergence of superhumans."
"Superhumans can infiltrate the heart of cities at will, launch terrorist attacks, assassinate corporate executives and government officials, or even trigger natural disasters."
"Once such superhumans appeared, they overturned the old stable order. In the end, nuclear deterrence lost much of its effect. Under the assassinations and sabotage of superhumans, national leaders began waging war freely and no longer cherished peace."
"The final result—is the world we live in today."
"So what caused the emergence of superhumans?"
"I think you have already guessed."
Li Aoz said in a low voice:
"Malefic Calamity."
The professor sighed. "Yes. Everything is Malefic Calamity's fault."
"Although no one has ever identified what those red-black substances in the sky truly are, there is no doubt that from the moment they appeared on Azure Planet, superhumans also began appearing on the ground."
"Don't you find that suspiciously coincidental?"
"Those martial arts that claim to have been passed down for thousands of years were obscure during the nuclear war era. Yet now, when technology is clearly more advanced, Martial Artists who rely only on physical strength suddenly became super soldiers capable of taking an enemy general's head from amidst ten thousand troops overnight."
"There are powers that defy physics, mediums and sorcerers once dismissed as feudal superstition, and even specialized agent organizations formed to cultivate psychic potential."
"These things have existed on Azure Planet for less than three hundred years, yet people have forgotten that nearly all of them appeared overnight."
She pointed upward. "Just like... those red-black clouds. Bringing misfortune and allowing evil calamities to roam freely."
"So you call those red-black clouds Malefic Calamity?"
Li Aoz frowned. He had never personally done this mission before, and what she said surprised him.
Not because it was particularly shocking... but because her guess was almost entirely correct.
Though Li Aoz was not optimistic about whether her research methods would allow her to reach a conclusion in time, the professor's line of thought was correct.
He immediately raised the question that would trigger the mission.
"You think Malefic Calamity is a virus? Is that why it infected me?"
"Without question, Malefic Calamity is an unprecedented virus."
The professor said gravely, "It is a nanovirus. Its diameter is only a fraction of a nanometer, while conventional viruses are usually over ten nanometers."
"Malefic Calamity is unquestionably a substance originating from the atmosphere, transmitted through the air. It does not directly kill people, and patients below Level 3 infection do not display obvious pathological symptoms."
"Yes, judging from your expression, you have probably guessed it already."
"The reason the Outland can still retain most of its living population is actually because of Malefic Calamity. It does not kill its hosts. To some extent, as a virus of such small size, it chooses to coexist with the host and kills other viruses and microorganisms—so those infected with Malefic Calamity can basically be said to be immune to all illnesses."
Li Aoz nodded.
There was naturally a reason why resistance organizations like the Rose Army could still emerge in the Outland and even contend with the Four Nations, which controlled interstellar technology.
But then the professor changed the subject. "However, once the infection level rises above Level 3, things change."
"I said earlier that Malefic Calamity is extremely small. That means it can enter biological cell membranes and cell walls, directly targeting chromosomes and molecular structures."
"It kills the original chromosomal fragments, then rapidly replicates itself to fill the gaps."
"Some people have their molecular structures altered by Malefic Calamity and gain unprecedented superhuman abilities, such as jumping farther, growing scales, or consciously controlling bone growth."
"But most people are not so fortunate."
"Most Level 3 Infected suffer genetic collapse and quickly become deformed, age and die prematurely, or lose the ability to care for themselves. In the end, death is their only path."
"At Level 4, the infected undergo new changes."
"Some mutate more thoroughly, even shedding human form and degenerating into inhuman monsters. They wander the Outland as terrifying beasts."
"As for another portion of the Level 4 Infected, I boldly believe they are the most common superhumans in the world today."
"Whether it is the Internal Energy Yuanqi of martial arts, Aoneng that manipulates natural laws and differs entirely from scientific rules, spiritual power used to communicate with and command spirits, magic that communes with elements, or even Hunters who draw power from machinery—Malefic Calamity components can be detected within all of their bodies."
"No matter how one looks at it, such a virus could not have arisen naturally. After all these years of research, I have become even more convinced that this red-black Esha Virus is absolutely not nature's work."
At this point, the professor looked at Li Aoz with a grave expression. "In other words, this is a creation beyond the limits of human technology. Humanity's current technological and environmental standards are completely incapable of producing such a substance. Its source could only come from..."
The professor did not state it explicitly, as though she had some reservations.
Li Aoz had no such reservations. Seeing that the time was right, he picked up where she left off. "—From the abyss among the stars."
"The abyss among the stars... Heh, that is indeed a fitting description."
The professor gave Li Aoz a complicated look.
"You are the only existence we have observed that matches a Level 5 Infected."
"Although infected, you remain lucid, yet possess strong self-harming tendencies and hallucinations—traits never seen in Level 4 Infected. Based on our research materials and clinical data, we have always believed that Level 5 Infected existed. But until today... only you have shown the possibility of matching those criteria."
"...What do you want?"
"Mr. Li Aoz, you are very important."
The professor said, "Nethermark Humanitarian Rescue Organization is a humanitarian rescue organization. We emphasize human value and protect human dignity and rights. Likewise, we oppose all forms of restraint and coercion imposed upon human thought."
"Your identity is important. One could even say that it could change the fate of all humanity. However, what we may do to you will likely not conform to humanitarian principles in the conventional sense."
"Simply put, we need you to cooperate with our research. This holds tremendous significance for the entire world and may even save the lives of over a billion people in the Outland."
"However, I must also warn you."
"During the experiment, in order to achieve our goal, we may very well inflict irreversible psychological and physiological harm upon you. I hope to inform you of those consequences in advance."
"You may choose to leave. Nethermark is a humanitarian rescue organization, and we do not wish to use the fate and future of all humanity to hold your personal freedom of survival hostage."
"So, please make your choice."
Before her words had even faded, a system prompt immediately appeared before Li Aoz:—Join the Nethermark Humanitarian Rescue Organization?
Yes/No?
Before you continue