NOVPUBTo the second, he was unyielding in his loyalty, even if it meant forsaking family ties.
And to the third, he was resolute in his mission to eliminate threats and safeguard humanity.
Such selflessness, such grandeur in a single person!
Fearless in the face of adversity, undeterred by the prospect of death, he was wholeheartedly committed to saving the world.
This was not just any man; this was an angel sent by God himself.
Shining the beacon of justice upon the world.
Julia’s gaze softened as she looked at Daniel, any trace of her previous animosity silently melting away.
In her eyes, Daniel now appeared larger than life, all previous negative impressions vanishing.
She even felt that, compared to such a noble spirit, any faults would be easily overlooked.
Perhaps beneath Daniel’s icy demeanor was a fiery passion for the betterment of the nation and its people.
After a brief silence, Julia posed a few more questions about human nature to Daniel.
Mike, so impressed by the responses, couldn’t help but applaud.
Such answers were beyond exemplary.
A man like this not only qualified to join the Investigation Bureau, he could easily take the role of a captain, if not the chief!
Julia found herself awed once more, her thoughts in turmoil.
This man seemed too perfect to be human.
If there were divine entities watching over humanity, Daniel would surely be an angelic presence.
Could his powers be a manifestation of an angelic avatar?
After collecting herself, Julia finally asked, "One last question, is your ability truly to foresee the future?"
Meeting Julia’s gaze head-on, Daniel responded without hesitation, "I can traverse between the present and the future, witnessing the events to come and rectifying the mistakes of now. To me, the future is but a script I can freely alter."
Upon hearing this, both Julia and Mike immediately turned their attention to the Truth Detector.
No reaction!
Was everything he said... the absolute truth?!
Both took a sharp intake of breath, realizing that Daniel truly possessed the power of foresight.
Julia’s trust in Daniel had reached its zenith, yet his manner still rankled her.
Couldn’t he have just answered with a simple ’yes’ or ’no’?
Why the need for such an elaborate response, seemingly to appear profound?
Julia and Mike slowly rose.
Holding the Truth Detector, Mike made a swift exit.
Julia turned, leaving Daniel with a curt remark, "You’ve passed the test. Follow me; we’re meeting the Minister."
With that, she hastily left the room.
Though Julia harbored some admiration for Daniel after the probing session, a larger part of her wanted to keep her distance.
It was unavoidable; Daniel’s selflessness and angelic nature highlighted her own flaws.
Being with Daniel felt like standing under a magnifying glass that brought her imperfections to light.
Soon after, Daniel was ushered into the Minister’s office.
Julia placed a folder before Martin, her voice chilly, "He’s passed the test. You’d do well to look at this report first."
Martin took the folder, perplexed.
Passing was a good thing, wasn’t it?
Why did she seem irritated?
Before diving into the report, Martin took a moment to size up Daniel.
This was his first time meeting the young man in person.
He found Daniel’s appearance pleasing, but his expression was cold, bearing an air of indifference towards life.
Smiling, Martin said, "Daniel, right? Hello, I’m Martin, the head of the Global Supernatural Phenomenon Investigation Bureau."
Daniel introduced himself curtly, "Daniel."
Martin nodded, gesturing to a seat, "Please, have a seat."
Once Daniel was seated, Martin nodded approvingly.
The young man was obedient, a rare trait among Evolvers.
He would need to be nurtured and hopefully molded into a trusted ally.
With that thought, Martin opened the folder to scan the test report.
It contained every word Daniel had spoken, as recorded by Julia.
As he turned the pages, Martin’s brows knitted in concern.
The further he read, the graver his expression became.
By the end, he couldn’t conceal his astonishment.
His eyes widened in disbelief, even rubbing them vigorously and rereading the report from start to finish.
After this repeated verification, he looked up at Daniel, visibly shocked.
Perfection!
Absolute perfection!
Could such a selfless individual truly exist in this world?
Martin then turned a skeptical gaze to Julia, questioning silently whether the test results were genuine.
Julia, expressionless, nodded in confirmation.
Witnessing her affirmation, Martin’s astonishment deepened, taking a sharp intake of breath.
As a seasoned politician, he’d seen the gamut of human nature, from the ambitions of congressmen and tycoons to the everyday struggles of common folk and even the homeless.
Their motives often teetered between good and evil.
Compared to them, Daniel’s disposition was a breath of fresh air.
This man had to join the Investigation Bureau!
Martin declared, "Mr. Daniel, on behalf of the Global Supernatural Phenomenon Investigation Bureau, I extend an invitation for you to join our ranks."
Daniel replied calmly, "There’s no rush. One test result is still pending. Let’s discuss after tonight’s lottery results are announced."
Although he was now qualified to join the Investigation Bureau, they hadn’t truly grasped the significance of his ability to foresee the future.
Just joining would provide a decent position, but it wasn’t enough for him.
Hearing this, Martin hesitated, "From the test results, it’s clear that your ability is to foresee the future. I don’t think there’s a need for further confirmation."
Daniel shook his head, unfazed. "Let’s wait."
Seeing Daniel’s resolve, Martin held his tongue, thinking to himself, Maybe I was too quick to judge. This young man isn’t as obedient as I thought.
Sensing the tension, Julia tactfully poured coffee for Daniel and Martin, preparing to leave the room.
Just then, the office door was slammed open.
A man in the standard uniform of the Investigation Bureau stormed in, leaving Martin displeased. "What’s going on?"
Before Martin could fully voice his question, the panting man exclaimed, "Sir... Minister, we have a crisis! Captain Alex has fallen at the Central Supermarket!"
The sound of a chair toppling over echoed. Martin shot up from his seat, his face a picture of shock. "What did you just say?!"
The man urgently added, "Captain Alex is gone. Captain Brooks is gravely injured and is currently under medical care."
Martin felt the room spin, almost collapsing if not for Julia’s quick reflexes.
She steadied him, whispering, "Minister, we need to keep our composure. The big picture is what matters."
After a few deep breaths to regain his composure, Martin demanded, "Explain. What happened?"
The staffer continued, "Captains Alex and Brooks entered the supermarket through the main and back entrances respectively, searching for traces of the Cthulhu monster. Not long after, Captain Alex engaged the monster. But, to our astonishment, there wasn’t just one monster — there were hundreds!"
"Captain Alex was outnumbered and soon overwhelmed by the horde of monsters. He was gravely injured when Captain Brooks arrived. Brooks tried to save him but underestimated the monsters’ ferocity and was quickly surrounded," the staffer narrated with evident dread in his voice. "In a final act of sacrifice, Captain Alex initiated the Resonance Reaction, gravely injuring most of the monsters. This gave Captain Brooks a slim chance to escape. However, the medical team has little hope for his recovery."
Martin’s composure shattered at the grim news. "Over a hundred monsters? What was our intelligence department doing?!"
His voice trembled with rage.
"Where did these monsters come from? When? Why? Why didn’t we get any intel beforehand?"
The staff member answered fearfully, "Minister, our intelligence team scoured the supermarket just yesterday, and there wasn’t a single sign of this many creatures. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air."
Stunned, Martin waved the worker away, not pressing any further.
The Investigation Bureau already had a limited number of Evolvers, with Alex and Brooks being among their strongest.
One was gone, and the other’s fate hung by a thread. It was a devastating blow to the bureau.
After a moment to gather himself, Martin firmly ordered, "Julia, call in all the Evolvers nearest to Golden Shores. I want a complete cleansing of Golden Shores in one sweep."
Julia immediately responded, "Understood."
As she was about to leave, Martin added, "One more thing. Put up a bounty on the Evolver forum. Gather all civilian Evolvers. The Investigation Bureau is willing to offer 1000 grams of gold and a Gene Magnet for each Evolver."
Julia looked taken aback. "That many Gene Magnets? Can we afford that?"
Martin’s voice was almost a roar, "Whether we can or can’t, we must find a way! With Alex gone and Brooks’s uncertain fate, Golden Shores will be left vulnerable. We must ensure the city’s safety and that no monsters resurface for months."
Understanding the urgency, Julia dashed out.
Hearing the reward of a Gene Magnet for each Evolver, a thought stirred in Daniel’s heart.
Perhaps I should join in? n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
A single Gene Magnet was priceless, worth more than tens of millions of StellarCoins.
