"Civilization Ranch..."
It was the first time Han Su had heard that phrase, and he felt a trace of fear.
He wasn't interested in such things, but when he thought that the world he lived in might have a false history, that its outward prosperity and stability might be false, and that even its very meaning might be false, he felt oppressed.
"Then..."
He looked up at Grotesque Doctor, his voice heavy. "Just tell me directly!"
"What are you really pursuing?"
"Did you do all this just for that so-called... Emperor?"
"..."
Why had he devised the Divine Descent Plan? Why had he painstakingly plotted against the World Guardians?
What could possibly have made him willing to sacrifice even his own family?
"Heh..."
Hearing Han Su's questions—and noticing Ms. Shen raise her head, clearly concerned as well—Grotesque Doctor smiled and said, "Are you expecting to hear that I have some tragic secret, a difficult childhood, or a heart full of righteous indignation?"
"Actually, none of that is true."
He chuckled softly. "I was born in Azure Harbor. My father died young, and my family was poor, but I never suffered much."
"That's because I was fairly clever compared to ordinary people."
"So I stood out at school from a very young age. I caught the attention of some important people and received their support. Then, when I was fourteen, an old professor took me on as his student, and I was exposed to the true nature of this world."
"After that, because of my outstanding knowledge and a few well-written confidential papers, I became the youngest researcher ever admitted to the Tide Research Institute."
"Life at the institute was simple, too."
He smiled and glanced at Ms. Shen. "Everyone had only one goal: to study how to withstand natural disasters