Chapter 1882 - 1881: Divergence

"But what does that have to do with us?" Anke asked, a bit puzzled.

"In fact, my current identity is the Minister of the City Defense Department." Eric looked at him, took a sip of water, and explained. "My brother and I—Davis, you’ve met him—the one who cuffed you in front of the club."

That man who looked like a Mercenary Corps Leader?

Anke recalled for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"The two of us formed a small organization called the Mutual Aid Association." Eric looked at Anke and continued. "It’s made up of young people like us who are dissatisfied with the current Ilotan—young officers, some government staff. We want to change all of this."

Here he paused slightly. "Especially now that Dawn City has already gone to war with the Federation, and everything is changing."

"So you’ve prepared a ’rebellion’ organization?" Anke looked at him, thought for a moment, and chose his words.

"Not a rebellion organization," Eric shook his head. "An organization to change the world."

"But you still haven’t said what it has to do with me." Anke wasn’t that interested in this kind of definition; he kept asking, still puzzled.

"That’s the key point." Eric went on. "We’ve always been waiting for an opportunity."

He gazed at Anke. "We’ve already mapped out the entire structure of the city, figured out the habits and routines of those rotten City Defense Army bureaucrats, prepared everything. At any time we can take over the City Defense Army, and then take over the City Government."

"Ilotan doesn’t have many powerful Transcendents, and no dominant B-level Transcendents. Rockville Energy Group hasn’t stationed any major power here either. As for those powerful Transcendents, we have ways to keep them from making a move."

He raised his hand and switched the photo on the screen, replacing it with a stretch of archaic buildings—the club occupied by that Witch Sect. His voice slowed.

"This is the only place we haven’t figured out. We know there’s something strange here, probably some kind of terrifying thing hidden inside, but we can’t be sure what that terrifying thing is, and we have no way to deal with it."

He turned his head and looked at Anke. "Of course, now we know it’s the Witch Sect in there, carrying out shameful ’Sacrifices’ inside. But on the thirty‑fifth floor, what exactly did you see as the most terrifying thing in that building?"

Anke lifted his head and looked at the photo. In that instant, he thought again of the girl in the white dress.

Now, even when that girl’s image merely surfaced in his mind, he could barely keep hold of his Reason.

"It’s an ’Angel’." At that moment, an aged voice sounded by his ear, stabilizing his Reason.

He followed through, looking at Eric, and explained quietly, "There’s an ’Angel’ in there."

He watched Eric’s slightly dazed expression and continued, "That’s what my elder told me. I don’t know what it means either."

"Angel?" Only now did Eric recover from his shock. "There’s actually an Angel in Ilotan? An Angel of the Witch Sect?"

He leaned back on the sofa a little, with a touch of emotion. "No wonder Rockville Energy Group doesn’t station any major power in Ilotan. With an Angel here, there’s no need for any other powerhouse."

Anke finally began to catch on. "So we... my elder helped you get rid of your biggest problem? Is that Angel very strong?"

"It’s not a question of ’very strong’." Eric thought for a moment. "I’ve never seen an Angel either. I only learned about such beings from my family’s documents. Those materials say an Angel can easily annihilate a city. They’ve already left the category of human; they’re immortal Undead beings, the eternal guardians of the Federation."

"Guardians of the Federation?" Anke froze. "Does an Angel of the Witch Sect count too?"

The question made Eric pause slightly as well, then he shook his head. "I don’t know. I haven’t seen one, after all. But even the Witch Sect, if it wants to survive within the Federation, has to cooperate with certain people."

He shrugged. "For example, this club is set up right at the City Defense Army Command Center of Ilotan, and there’s very likely some kind of connection to Rockville Energy Group."

At this, he turned back to Anke. "So your elder really took care of that Angel of the Witch Sect?"

"She ran." That aged voice sounded naturally in Anke’s ear.

"I don’t know," Anke echoed naturally. "But since you haven’t been attacked so far, that should prove my elder at least drove that Angel away?"

Hearing this, Eric gave Anke a thoughtful look. "If there’s a chance, could you arrange for me to meet your elder?"

This time, Anke didn’t answer right away. He waited for a while, but He Ao said nothing; he realized He Ao didn’t really want to reveal his existence.

So he pretended to think for a bit, then shook his head. "My elder probably isn’t very keen on meeting people. If he ever wants to see you, I’ll get in touch with you, all right?"

"Of course." Eric nodded with a smile. He looked at Anke. "I came to see you today just to express my thanks. Is there anything you need my help with?"

The question made Anke pause. He raised his hand and glanced at the time on his wristband: it was already close to four in the morning.

He lifted his head again and looked at the huge screen and the photo on it. After a brief pause, he asked curiously, "Are you a Believer of ’K’?"

The question caught Eric off guard for a moment. He turned his head to Anke. "You care a lot about that?"

"Not exactly ’care’." Anke shook his head. "I’ve just heard a lot of Legends about Believers of ’K’, but I’ve never seen a true Believer of ’K’ in the proper sense.

"The people dragged in under the Witch Sect’s building—though the Witch Sect claimed they were Believers of ’K’—looked to me more like mercenaries and City Defense Army troops from other cities, innocent people captured just to extort and finish missions.

"I’m sure there were one or two real ones mixed in there."

He looked up at Eric. "But I don’t have the ability or the chance to tell who’s a true Believer."

"Honestly, even I don’t know if I count." After listening, Eric fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "I agree with many of K’s ideas, but I’ve never wanted to become that kind of devout Believer. I think K’s thought is more about leading reform than creating a religion—though in reality, that religion already exists."

He looked at the huge TV screen and went on. "I feel my thinking leans more toward Christos. Do you know Christos?"

"I know." Anke was also walking along the side of the conference table. He leaned against it and looked at Eric. "That Mayor of Dawn City? The news said he eats children."

"Ah, there really were such news reports." Eric hadn’t expected this kind of answer either. Anke seemed a bit different from his initial impression. Eric said slowly, "But those reports, including dark sacrifices, mind control and all that, were all manufactured by those media conglomerates of the Federation, used to smear Christos."

He smiled at Anke. "They cut off the truth and crafted terrifying and bizarre lies. Those lies may be absurd, but if you say them a thousand times, people will subconsciously believe them."

"Why do they want to smear ’Christos’?" Anke was startled. "Isn’t the Federation winning victory after victory on the battlefield?"

"That’s the power of Weapons. Engineering machinery and firearms can build high walls and guard against the enemy." Eric leaned on the table, smiling. "But there are some other kinds of power that even high walls can’t stop."

He raised his hand and tapped his temple with his index finger. "That’s the power of thought."

"Thought?" Anke looked at Eric in confusion.

"The conglomerates are desperately smearing ’K’ and ’Christos’, but the harder they smear, the more it shows they’re afraid." Eric smiled at Anke. "They’re afraid these ideas will spread into the cities they rule, spread throughout the entire Federation, let everyone see their ugly faces clearly, and stand up to overthrow their rule."

"So these ’ideas’ are that powerful? Even more powerful than weapons of war?" Anke froze. "What exactly are they?"

"Yeah, what exactly are they?" Eric was stumped by the question. After a brief pause, he finally smiled. "I don’t know what they are either. But I do know they told me that the injustices in Ilotan can’t be allowed to continue to exist."

"So you were ’influenced’ by them," Anke glanced at the ornate reliefs on the conference room wall, "and that’s why you did this?"

"Strictly speaking, all of us have been influenced a bit." Eric nodded. "Me, Davis, and the others in the Mutual Aid Association."

He smiled at Anke. "This is exactly what the conglomerates and the Federation least want to see."

"So that’s how it is." Vaguely, Anke started to understand the ’power’ of thought Eric was talking about. "Then this does sound pretty frightening."

"But aren’t the conglomerates, who squeeze ordinary people and burn their Lives like firewood, equally frightening?" Eric looked at him and said casually.

"Yes." Anke nodded in agreement. He looked at Eric, at the screen behind him. "So how do you plan to change all this?"

"Step by step." Eric smiled. "I’m planning to directly copy over those bills from Dawn City first, like the anti-monopoly bill, the worker protection bill, and those Medical bills."

He looked at Anke, knowing Anke didn’t understand these things, and went on to explain. "Basically, it means dismantling the discourse power of the conglomerates, raising incomes, protecting employees, increasing compensation for workplace injuries, lowering Medical prices, and protecting the bottom people’s right to eat and get treatment. They’re very basic, but very fundamental."

"Sounds great." Anke nodded slightly.

If Medical prices were lower, his mother’s treatment wouldn’t have cost so much.

If there had been compensation, his older brother’s leg could have been treated in time.

"Has Dawn City already achieved all that?" Anke asked with some curiosity.

"Of course it has." Eric sighed with feeling. "But implementing it in Ilotan is still a bit difficult. Even after the bills pass, changing the entire structure of the city will still take some time."

"That’d be really good." Anke let out a long sigh and unconsciously started to imagine it.

"How does he plan to deal with the Mercenary Corps stationed outside the city?" He Ao’s voice pulled Anke out of his reverie.

Hearing this voice, Anke turned his head to look at Eric. "We saw a huge Mercenary Corps outside earlier. That seemed to be the Mercenary Corps of the Rockville Energy Group. How are you going to deal with them?"

"Ilotan is a big city." Eric smiled. "Even though the Mercenary Corps of the Rockville Energy Group has strong firepower, it’s still hard for them to break through Ilotan in a short time."

"What if they lay siege to the city and cut off the trade routes?" He Ao continued.

Anke directly relayed He Ao’s words.

Eric glanced at Anke, feeling as if the young man in front of him had suddenly become another person. Even so, he still answered slowly, "Rockville Energy Group has stockpiled a lot of grain inside the city as supplies. That grain can also become rations for people in the city. If it comes down to a pure contest of consumption, their supply line is actually longer."

"Are you sure the entire city will follow your plan, be of one mind, and stand firm against the Mercenary Corps outside?" He Ao kept asking, and Anke relayed.

"You’re underestimating the capabilities of our Mutual Aid Association." The smile on Eric’s face faded a little, but he still spoke with a smile. "All of the city’s elites are with us, and the City Defense Army is under our control as well. We can basically represent the overall will of the city."

"Doesn’t that sound a bit absolute?" This time, He Ao didn’t speak. Even Anke himself asked the question in some doubt.

"You don’t understand our circles and our friendships." Eric looked at Anke and smiled. "We’re united together, almost like a solid iron plate."

"Will the people at the very bottom support you?" Anke (He Ao) asked again.

"Of course they will." Eric nodded and spoke earnestly. "Everything we’re doing is to change Ilotan, to fight for the interests of the majority. As long as they have a certain level of awareness, they’ll definitely support us."

"But what benefits are you giving them?" Anke (He Ao) asked.

"I just told you." Eric sighed, sounding a bit helpless. "Those bills. Those bills that can change their immediate lives."

"Those bills will take time to be implemented," Anke (He Ao) followed up. "But the threat from the Rockville Energy Group is imminent."

This question made Eric pause. He looked at Anke. "There are many smart people in the crowd. They’ll definitely see the benefits those bills will bring to their future. And I’ll also use media channels for propaganda. You don’t need to worry about that."

Anke lifted his head and glanced at Eric.

This time, He Ao did not speak again.