Chapter 1114 – 1%

000

Finally, the flashing signal blinked for a moment and then disappeared, and all that remained on the monitor was a meaningless light source.

Darwin would look at the scene in silence, then clenched his fist for a moment.

All 6 Type A clones, excluding the prototype that was the relay point, were hit.

Their battle data was not directly retrieved here, but is currently contained in the prototype.

What’s even worse is that even if we wanted to retrieve the prototype, the mechanical arm we just sent was the strongest model.

Therefore, Darwin sighed heavily and immediately turned off the monitor that was only distracting him.

Good timing, or would it be better to say bad timing?

When Descartes returned to his room and saw Madame acting like that, he opened his mouth.

“Well, it looks like things didn’t work out as expected.”

“Ah… The clones were wiped out.”

＂What?＂

Descartes reacted as if he was surprised, but Darwin looked up at Descartes and said nothing for a moment.

“What happened to Apsaras?”

“That’s right… I told you to get ready, so I’m ready. Just ride like this and you’ll be good to go. But what do you plan on doing? If I lost all the clones to take to the capital… My father wouldn’t forgive me.”

There is probably not enough time to cultivate new clones from scratch until the day the ritual is scheduled to begin.

“As long as you have the data and the original, anything is possible. I’ll take care of everything after this, so you get ready to intercept.”

＂Hmm.＂

In response to Darwin’s words, Descartes would make an expression as if he understood or as if he did not know.

Then, in response to Descartes’ attitude, Darwin looked up at him and asked once again.

＂What is it?＂

“No. You seem more cold-hearted than I thought.”

“… They say that people become calmer when their anger exceeds the critical point, right? That’s it.”

The mansion was robbed, and precious test subjects were lost.

Moreover, when he was faced with a situation where he had to throw away the many things he had accumulated and run away, he was beyond angry and felt dumbfounded.

At most, a group of adventurers and a few reinforcements they brought with them.

An organization called the Returners, which boasts hundreds of years of history, is on the verge of collapse…

＂… No.＂

＂Huh?＂

But soon, Darwin would shake his head.

“What’s happening now. It can’t all be said to be caused by ‘one adventurer’ named Cleon.”

＂Hoo. What does that mean?”

Descartes seemed to be interested in Darwin’s words and asked a question.

＂… It means my lack of preparation. Not only should I have called you in quickly, I should have never sent Laplace away like that. As for Maxwell… Well. Activities outside were his domain, so I can’t say anything.”

“I think it’s a little too late to regret it now.”

Descartes could have been angry at the sly old man’s answer.

She was simply asking Descartes a question.

“Descartes. “Do you still remember the oath you made hundreds of years ago when you came to me and asked to create this organization?”

＂…＂

“Unlike you, I didn’t plant the ‘reincarnation factor.’ From then until now. I took medicine whenever the time was right and forced myself to extend my lifespan… But you served your father by resurrecting from the dead… You were the ‘reincarnation factor’ for that.”

Madame’s eyes become sharp, like arrows or spears, and see through the ‘being’ in front of her.

“You… Are you really a being that contains the soul of ‘Descartes’ at that time?”

In response to that nerve-racking question, Descartes closed his mouth for a moment.

She shrugged and answered with a dandy smile that could be said to be her specialty.

“… Of course, madam. Both this soul and body are for Father Adam.”

＂… Yes. ＂

Darwin then said only that and said nothing.

Instead, he snaps his fingers.

Something crept out from the passage in the ceiling.

They are tentacles made up of huge chunks of meat.

“Ah. William…”

Darwin’s expression as he caressed it as if he loved it was full of maternal love.

Even if his son was turned alive into a monster.

Even if there is almost no will, and it is like a puppet reacting to given stimuli as planned.

Even if Darwin didn’t know that true ‘will’ still resides in only a small part of that gigantic mass of flesh.

To her, he was her unwavering love, her own son and her support.

＂I’m sorry… But just a little bit, just a little more. I can return you to your original form… And you can live with your brother again.”

Darwin apologizes to his son for being a little late.

Looking at that scene, Descartes did not say anything and just quietly adjusted the glasses he was wearing.

After a brief moment of communion with her son, Madame took William’s hand away, and only then would Descartes open his mouth again.

“Are you going to take him too?”

“Of course. Since it’s impossible to do everything, I cut out part of it… But.”

Can we really say that is him?

It was a situation where the phrase “Ship of Theseus” Naturally came to mind, but Descartes didn’t really care.

It means that she can no longer even judge such things.

“If you are leaving, it would be better to board Apsaras right now. If you use the underground elevator, it will be quick to get down here.”

“I have to do that. Take your time properly. For me… No, for ‘Adam’. Don’t neglect your precious granddaughter when she comes.”

Darwin, who says so, finally leaves the monitor room through the door through which Descartes entered.

Descartes looked at Darwin’s back in silence, and when she disappeared from his sight, he sat down on the chair she had been sitting on just a moment ago.

Then, she would take a deep breath and exhale.

Is it surprising that she doesn’t feel any guilt about deceiving her?

The root of Darwin’s behavior is her love for her family, which is just like his own.

In a way, among these returnees, he is the one closest to himself…

＂… Now?＂

After thinking that far, Descartes blamed herself for her own weakness and shook her head in self-deprecation.

He summoned the magic swordsman to the mansion and defeated his old comrade for the purpose.

And in the process, how many words did you deceive them with?

So, you can still say this.

“Everything, for the Father of all things.”

I was already accustomed to calmly saying things I didn’t even mean to say.

001

“Okay… I recovered the brain.”

As Layla said this, she waved an opaque container in her hand, the inside of which could not be clearly seen.

“Lord, is it okay to hold and shake an important organ like that?”

“Are you okay. Since it is a container designed to withstand shock to some extent, the contents will not be destroyed to this extent.”

If Cleon talks about Lila’s behavior like he’s worried, Artis will nod his head.

After processing all clones-

Ah – no, to be precise, after disposing of all the clones except for one ‘remaining clone’, Lyla succeeded in finding her wife’s brain in order to keep the contract she made with the Wyvern Wild God.

Even if we followed the traces of her magical power, there would have been limits, but fortunately, she received information about her research institute in her head in order to prepare for the battle with Cleon and his group-

＂… Well, really. Are you trusting me with this?”

It was thanks to the help of the long sword’s clone (the sword was broken).

“What. A little bit.”

Lila will answer her question.

To be honest, she probably could have found it on her own if she had just taken the time, but she couldn’t afford to waste time.

How Darwin would come up with his next move was something that even the clone didn’t know.

＂Anyway. Now, there’s no place I have to look for or stop by, right? Really, I’m going down to the last floor. Perhaps Darwin and Descartes are waiting there. … There is a high possibility that a battle will occur.”

As Cleon speaks like that, his gaze is directed at the non-combatants, including Attis.

“I would like to ask you to stay here and wait for us to return, but…”

“Under. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

Laila said that it would be better not to even dream of the girls waiting patiently.

“Yes. … I haven’t met my grandfather in person yet.”

“… I thought Fleur would say that. … And you?”

Cleon nodded his head at Fleur’s words, showing that he wanted to know more about her.

Then his gaze turned to Attis again, and she answered.

“Me too, not yet. Because I never met my distant ancestor, Darwin…”

“… Could it be that you just imitated Fleur?”

Sasha speaks in disbelief towards Artis, who speaks in a somewhat hesitant tone.

＂Wow, they don’t look alike? It’s not neat at all.”

Schrödinger said he couldn’t believe it and denied her entire performance.

Suddenly, a vein appeared on Attis’ forehead, but Cleon sighed.

＂Don’t play around.＂

“Ah, yes. I have no intention of staying. Darwin… No, the regressors are the ‘father’s’ enemies. Also, in a broader sense, they are also the enemies of the ‘comrades’ who have been harmed by the returnees.”

Considering that numerous scholars lost their lives due to terrorist acts by returnees, this is not incomprehensible.

If Artis is someone who will move for such a cause…

＂Uhm…＂

“Why are you doubting that part?”

Attis seemed to be a little dissatisfied with Cleon’s attitude, so she walked closer to him and grabbed the bottom of Cleon’s chin with her hand.

＂Ahaha… Isn’t it okay? It’s easier to protect yourself if something happens if you’re close than if you’re far away.”

If Amelia spoke as if she was trying to mediate between Attis and Cleon, Kuon would nod her head.

“There’s no way the monsters we fought earlier won’t appear again.”

“No matter what happens, we just have to protect it. It’s better to have that level of determination. Cleon.”

When even Melusin says that, Cleon nods her head as if there is nothing he can do.

＂Okay, okay. I will do that…”

In the end, when everyone goes down, everyone gets on top of another elevator.

“So. This is…”

＂I, I will operate it.＂

How are you moving? Just as I was about to ask, Longsword’s clone took the lead and pressed a button on the dashboard.

Then, the huge elevator will start moving downward, making a clunking sound.

“… It’s quite cooperative. That guy.”

Then, Artis, who was right next to Cleon, asked him a question at a volume that only Cleon could hear.

Cleon answers while scratching his cheek.

“Ah… Yes. Lila. He said, ‘If you really feel sorry, help us with all your might.'”

＂Huh… I wonder if you listen to the guy who seems to have the worst temperament.＂

＂Who says what?＂

She obviously spoke in a low voice, but Lila was sensitive to her own flaws.

Meanwhile, the elevator kept going down, and it seemed to be descending dozens, if not hundreds, of meters from its original location.

A place deep enough to make you think you’ve gone even deeper than when you went into the adamantite mine before.

Finally, when the elevator stops, the huge elevator doors will open with the sound of the machine slowly moving.

Then, what caught the eyes of the group was-

A surprisingly large, inorganic space.

Although there were lights illuminating the surroundings here and there, the amount of light was ridiculously insufficient to cover the entire scene.

And, there are several machines and chairs located relatively close together in such a large space.

Among those chairs, sitting in the middle chair is an ‘old man’.

＂!＂

Fleur, who saw that, must have looked surprised beyond her gas mask.

＂… Seondae.＂

If Kshat mutters like that, Cleon will also nod his head as if the guess he had made when he first saw him was correct.

He is Oldburn Descartes, Fleur’s grandfather and one of the important executives of the Returners.

“Welcome, young explorers. This is my first time meeting face to face like this.”

Showing a very relaxed attitude, he rubbed his handsome mustache.

“And… My lovely, proud granddaughter. Fleur. It’s been a while since I met you face to face.”

＂Grandfather…＂

Because of the sunglasses on my face, I couldn’t see my eyes clearly.

As for her voice when she sings Fleur, of course…

＂Huh?＂

At that time, Old Burn noticed one of the ‘Alvain clones’ among his group and reacted with curiosity.

“Why are the clones with you? I thought everything would have been taken care of.”

Isn’t that why Darwin judged that he had no regrets about withdrawing?

However, Cleon answers Oldburn.

“There is no need to explain the situation at length. She decided to help us. That’s it.”

“Hmm… Ah, indeed. I understand, magic swordsman.”

Old Burn would nod his head at Cleon’s attitude.

“Indeed. Is this the magic swordsman who connects the stars…”

“I don’t know what I’m trying to understand on my own… But before that, there’s one thing.”

Cleon asks him a question.

“… Where is Darwin?”

＂That question assumes that we are still in a cooperative relationship… I guess you can think of it that way, right? No matter what. On the way here, we helped and helped each other.”

Of course, I helped you a little more.

‘, Oldburn said, a little arrogantly.

Cleon was silent for a moment after hearing those words.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Yes. Rather than explaining it to you in words, it might be quicker to show it to you in person.”

Old Descartes nodded his head as if he understood.

Soon, he was operating some of the machines behind him and-

A large video was transmitted and projected in front of the eyes of his companions.

There-

There was a huge machine running on a mountain path.

It was box-shaped, had several wheels, and looked like a ‘coffin’ on the outside.

It would be absolutely impossible for a ‘horse-drawn carriage’ to drive without any problems despite the uneven terrain and steep slopes.

＂This is…?＂

“Apsaras” Are vehicles used to transport valuable items on the ground. We’re using a magic engine, and we’ll reach the royal capital in two days.”

＂Two days…?! It’s much shorter than the time it takes from the capital of an eastern country to the royal capital!”

When Laila spoke in disbelief, Descartes responded with a smile.

“That’s right, because it was made with technology from the primordial world. Moreover, it has a camouflage function, so it can become invisible to the human eye. If you’re using it to transport something secretly, there’s nothing like it.”

＂… No way.＂

Cleon thought for a moment why Oldburn showed it to him.

He looks at him as if he has decided that this is a continuation of the question he asked.

“Is Darwin in there?”

In response to Cleon’s question, Old Burn just smiled and nodded his head.

“What? Wait… Then how do you chase after me!?”

In that situation, even Artis was embarrassed and raised his voice.

“I see… I guess this is your answer.”

＂Grandpa, why?＂

Cleon draws his sword, and Fleur also reacts in disbelief.

“Wait a minute. Wait. It’s not over yet, my ‘proof’ is.”

As Oldburn said that, he took something out of his pocket and showed it.

The old man talks while looking at something that looks like a black board.

“We have the same purpose. Defeating Adam. In that case, anything that gets in the way… Even if it’s a comrade who has been with me for a long time… Is a hindrance. The magic swordsman. What you showed Laplace was very impressive. A situation where you trust the other person up to 99%, but 1% is not enough. I guess I’m in that same situation right now.”

When Old Burn says so, Cleon nods his head.

“This is ‘that 1%’.”

The next moment, Old Burn moves his finger on the black board.

That moment.

Keying-

Quang! Pow! And, several explosions sound in succession.

In the scene unfolding before the group’s eyes, ‘Apsaras’ exploded, fell over, burned, and stopped in place.

The explosion was quite large.

Moreover, the explosion didn’t happen outside, but inside.

The blazing fire did not stop, and it seemed as if nothing could survive within it.

＂…!＂

Not only Cleon but everyone watching the video was so shocked that they could not keep their mouths shut.

Oldburn said that Darwin was riding in there.

And now, Oldburn-

“With this, Darwin is dead. I became the last remaining regressor.”

He smiled comfortably and leaned back on his chair.