NOVPUBLegends tell of a deity beneath the seas, named Poseidon.
With powers that can shatter heavens and obliterate earth.
With a mere breath, he can summon storms and tsunamis, swallowing entire continents.
With a mere gesture, he can command legions of sea monsters, conquering all directions.
But he is a god, not the ultimate weapon Morrison speaks of.
"Are you referring to the Poseidon from myths?" Daniel inquired.
Morrison shook his head. "I don’t know for sure. It’s what the rumors say."
I see.
Perhaps the Poseidon Morrison speaks of is merely a weapon named by later generations.
After all, if it truly were the God of the Sea, Poseidon, it couldn’t possibly be possessed by humans.
Daniel further questioned, "Do you know Wes?"
Morrison looked puzzled. "A member of Rebirth Corporation. Why do you ask about him?"
Daniel casually replied, "Nothing much. I just encountered him in Isaac."
Upon hearing this, Morrison’s eyes widened in shock, looking at Daniel with disbelief, "You went to Isaac and came back alive?"
Was that so unbelievable?
Daniel frowned. They must have had their eyes on Isaac for quite some time.
Morrison suddenly scoffed, "It seems that idiot Wes failed."
"We’ve been watching the Blood-eyed Monster of Isaac for nearly a year, just to fully understand its abilities and attack patterns."
"We thought we might harness its power with some external help..."
At this, Morrison’s gaze shifted slyly to Daniel. "You managing to leave Isaac alive... you’re just lucky."
Just lucky?
Daniel didn’t see it that way.
He fixed his gaze on Morrison, his eyes emitting a faint, primate-like glow.
In the next instant, Morrison seemed to devolve into an utter fool--staring blankly, his eyes vacant, his mouth agape as drool dripped from the corner of his lips.
Morrison’s world spun into chaos.
It felt as if the entire universe was spiraling into a vast whirlpool with him trapped at its very center, unable to escape.
Having done this, Daniel immediately turned and addressed Mike, who was waiting by the door. "Release him."
Mike was puzzled by Daniel’s command. "Are you sure? He’s a Rank S criminal, personally sentenced by Martin."
"I’ll deal with Martin. Just release him, and don’t take any action against him."
Without another word, or even a backward glance, Daniel departed.
Before leaving, he called Martin.
Informed of Daniel’s request to release Morrison, Martin, without so much as a question, granted permission.
He even granted Daniel a special directive: all actions, no need to report.
And so, after bidding farewell to Sophia, Daniel left the Investigation Bureau.
A few hours later, he found himself in Mauritania, over ten thousand kilometers from Libertopia.
...
Libertopia, a remote small town.
Nestled on the edge of an expansive forest, from a distance, it seemed indistinguishable from any ordinary town.
However, on closer inspection, one would notice sentries discreetly posted everywhere, each wearing an identical white mask on their faces.
This was the headquarters of Rebirth Corporation: Riebers Town.
At that moment, a convoy of three sedans slowly made its entrance into Riebers Town.
After weaving through the town’s streets, they stopped in front of a coffee shop at the town center.
From the vehicles emerged seven or eight men dressed in black, forming a protective line behind the middle car.
When the car door opened, a young man emerged.
Surrounded by the watchful guards, he was ushered into the coffee shop.
Upon entering, he immediately spotted a figure with a distinctive mask, sitting in the middle of the hall, sipping coffee.
Approaching with a leisurely stride and a playful grin, he remarked, "So, you must be the strongest Evolver of Rebirth Corporation, Clown?"
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Samuel. I hope we can have a perfect collaboration."
Clown set down his cup, sizing up the man before him. The eyes behind the mask slightly narrowed.
Is this the President’s son?
He doesn’t seem to possess the commanding presence of his father, rather appearing somewhat... naive.
He ignored Samuel’s outstretched hand, saying indifferently, "As long as the President delivers on what he promised us, our collaboration will undoubtedly be seamless."
Samuel’s spirits lifted at Clown’s words.
Gesturing for an aide to hand over a key, he declared, "This is the key to a vault in the National Bank, vault number 99. Inside, there are precisely 20 tons of gold."
"Only 20 tons?"
Even through the mask, Samuel could detect the dissatisfaction on Clown’s face.
He hurriedly chuckled, "Don’t misunderstand. This is just the initial installment, a token of our sincerity. The rest will be continuously delivered after our collaboration is officially cemented."
Only then did Clown accept the key, casually slipping it into his pocket. He then lifted a finger, signaling.
From behind him, Wes approached, carrying a briefcase which he placed on the table.
Upon opening it, three pristinely clear vials of liquid were revealed, looking almost identical to the Genetic Enhancement Elixir previously given to Daniel.
Samuel’s eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement as he cautiously took one of the vials, handling it with utmost care.
"Is this the elixir with a one percent chance to elevate an Evolver’s rank?"
Wes interjected, "It has a one percent probability of raising a level 1 Evolver to level 2, a 0.1% chance for a level 2 Evolver to ascend to level 3, and for a level 3 Evolver to reach level 4, the odds are 0.01%, and so on."
The production of Genetic Elixir was incredibly limited.
Even this Genetic Elixir No. 5 was produced at a rate of fewer than ten vials a month.
As for the Genetic Elixir No. 6, which Clown had offered to Daniel, only one could be manufactured every six months.
Its incredibly limited production ensured its priceless market status.
Samuel carefully replaced the elixir in the briefcase, clasping it shut with a firm hand, then cradled it delicately against his chest.
These three vials had cost him ten tons of gold.
It’s worth noting that gold trading had become restricted, and its black market value had even soared beyond 2,000 StellarCoins. The value and rarity of the elixirs were evident in this trade.
"I’m quite satisfied with our collaboration this time. I hope the next batch of elixirs will be delivered promptly," Samuel remarked.
With the case in hand, he then left the café under the watchful protection of his entourage.
Once he was inside the car, the convoy sped away.
...
Mauritania.
Daniel returned to the hotel where he had previously stayed.
As he opened the door to his room, a shadow enveloped him.
Emerging from the darkness, Clown stood deferentially before Daniel, stating, "Honorable Daniel, after Nalandon sought me out and took the Genetic Elixir, everything proceeded as you planned. The Elixir I handed to him was an older model we had developed."
"However, we took the liberty to give him a fake."
Daniel regarded him coolly, "Are you sure it won’t be detected?"
Clown nodded in explanation, "Given the exceedingly low probability, if anything goes wrong, he can only blame his own misfortune."
A smirk played on the corners of Daniel’s lips.
The thrill of deception was indeed exhilarating.
With a dismissive wave, Daniel said, "I’m informed. Keep a close watch on the girl named Rachel."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Clown morphed into a shadowy liquid and vanished from sight.
Daniel surveyed the room, suddenly pondering.
Did Clown really follow him all the way to Mauritania just to deliver this bit of information?
Wasn’t that a tad excessive?
Couldn’t he have simply made a phone call?
...
The room was not pristine.
Before leaving, Daniel had instructed that no hotel staff should enter for cleaning.
It appeared they hadn’t re-rented the room in his absence.
After a brief inspection, Daniel crouched beside the bed and pulled out a metal cage from underneath.
Trapped inside was a creature the size of a puppy -- the God of the Desert, Saharak.
A prize he had won from Nine, at the staggering cost of a ton of gold, though he hadn’t paid a dime.
After nearly a month apart, Saharak’s size remained unchanged, yet it wore a palpable air of melancholy.
Understandable, for anyone would grow despondent when confined within such cramped quarters for so long.
To Daniel’s senses, this young Saharak was roughly equivalent to a level 1 Evolver, quite weak.
Conventionally, creatures of its ilk were born with earth-shattering powers.
Yet Saharak seemed so feeble.
There might be more to this than meets the eye.
Without further contemplation, Daniel placed Saharak into his personal space.
Within, he fashioned a small dune for the little being.
Saharak immediately burrowed into it. No need for food or drink; the desert was all it craved.
After some basic preparations, Daniel drove the hotel’s luxury vehicle into the eastern desert of Mauritania, in pursuit of the pyramid Clown had mentioned.
Not long after Daniel ventured into the sands, two more off-road vehicles followed his tire tracks into the desert.
Their drivers seemed unfamiliar with Daniel, yet their trajectory mirrored his.
Across the vast, boundless wasteland, the three vehicles trailed one another, heading towards the heart of the desert.
Unbeknownst to them, several hundred kilometers away, an impenetrable fog that stretched as far as the eye could see enveloped a vast expanse of the desert.
