Chapter 1113: 100. No Choice

“How exactly did he do it?”

Theodore chewed something while staring fixedly at the stone tablet whose four corners had all been broken off, his face full of worry.

He had looked through the questions on it again and again, and they were actually... all correct?

This was truly impossible for him to understand. An outsider being able to answer all these questions completely correctly was so bizarre that how was it any different from a three-year-old child beating Bear King Theresa half to death?

“Perhaps he is a genius?”

Theresa, on the other hand, did not know anything about outsiders or not outsiders. It was only that this answering speed and this result had shocked him.

After all, even he had not been able to do this back then.

Thinking of this, he also became excited.

“President, as expected, you truly have an eye for talent. I already thought that kid was pretty good before, but I didn’t expect you to have thought even deeper than I did. I’ll go pull that kid over right now and have him work under me! Hehe, given enough time, he’ll be another outstanding Pioneer!”

Theresa rubbed his hands like a fly, already somewhat unable to wait.

“Wait.”

But Theodore directly stopped him.

“No.”

“Why not?”

Theresa widened his eyes. This kind of talent was extremely rare. What if he went too late and someone else snatched him away?

He just happened to be lacking a successor!

“Could it be that you want to steal him, President? You don’t even go to the front line. Stealing him like this would be a little too...”

“That is not what I mean.”

Theodore shook his head.

Pulling the outsider over to work under someone?

That would be looking down on him far too much.

Although Theodore still did not know the other party’s strength for the time being, someone personally designated by the Goddess of Night as an important factor would certainly not be weak.

Moreover, his original idea had only been to get a slight grip on the other party and seize the initiative, to ensure that no accidents would occur in what came afterward. He had never truly intended to control the other party. Doing that would instead make matters more complicated.

There were certain boundaries that should not be touched, and he was still clear about that.

“Speaking of strength...”

Theodore’s gaze suddenly fell on Theresa’s face, and he began to think...

Should he have this guy test him a little?

According to the rules of the Pioneers, after the theory examination was completed, as long as one could defeat a Pioneer head-on, one would be qualified to directly become a Pioneer. Because that meant whether in experience or strength, they already possessed the necessary conditions to explore a way out for Annabawei.

A test... It was reasonable and proper. It could let Theodore grasp more information for his future contact with him. And with the Bear King’s strength, he might not necessarily be at a disadvantage.

Most importantly, if it was only defined as a sparring match, it should not cause too much resistance from the other party. In fact, from the other party’s perspective, this should also be something he expected.

“Then...”

[Kill me.]

Just then, a murmur filled with endless grief and pain echoed beside Theodore’s ears. It came so suddenly that he, completely unprepared, froze in place instantly.

He felt the light moving far away from him, and his body also grew colder and colder. Even his blood seemed to have completely congealed inside his veins.

Theodore raised his head and looked out. The entire world seemed to have turned into a dead land of despair. Only he remained, standing alone in a black night filled with corpses...

“President.”

“President?”

“President!”

Theodore abruptly woke with a start. He suddenly turned his head and looked toward the desk...

Half a candle stood there perfectly fine, unlit.

It was still daytime.

“President, why are you acting so strange?”

Theodore’s attention returned to reality, and he discovered Theresa holding his arms and staring at him suspiciously with wide eyes.

“I keep feeling like you’re not carrying any good intentions, President...”

“Am I?”

“My hairs are trembling. They are very sensitive.”

“...”

Theodore fell silent for a moment, as if thinking about something.

Before long, he said,

“Forget it.”

“Huh?”

Theresa, who had already prepared to throw away his face and fight to steal the person, froze.

“What do you mean, forget it?”

Theodore shook his head. He had no intention of explaining. Instead, he looked out the window, letting the stubborn grass on top of his head be stirred by the breeze.

On the sunlit street, people came and went, bustling with activity. Yet he felt an inexplicable chill urging him to make a choice.

“Do not try to do anything stupid. Go prepare. Grant that Mr. Campbell from just now the status of Pioneer.”

“Oh, trainee, right? Although it is a little fast, in a special period, speeding up the process a little is also...”

Theresa did not find it unexpected. Talent, of course, was...

“Not trainee. A true Pioneer.”

Theodore turned his head and stared seriously at Theresa.

“The highest specification of Pioneer. The kind who can directly obtain a number.”

“Huh?”

Theresa’s eyes went round.

“What... what does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it means.”

Theodore drew out a bundle of incredibly precious parchment scrolls from the desk and handed them to Theresa.

“This is the recognition document. I have already prepared it. As for whether he receives a number in magic ink or not, that depends on his own wishes. I will not force him.”

“Wait, wait... This does not fit the rules!”

Theresa, finally reacting, nearly jumped in place, and his voice shot up by eight degrees.

“He only got a perfect score on the theory examination... Although that is amazing, it is not as if there has never been a precedent! Didn’t the little girl who brought him here also get a perfect score last year? She can only be a trainee even now. On what basis...”

“On the basis of... the reason. You will know very soon. In short, making him a Pioneer is the result of my careful consideration. You are not to delay it.”

Theodore’s expression was serious, so proper that Theresa did not even think he might be joking.

But precisely because of this, he was so shocked.

Inexplicably promoting a newcomer into a Pioneer or something...

Was this still that steady and mature president?

“President, do you know what this means? Every Pioneer needs to occupy a large amount of resources. Right now, Annabawei’s resources are shrinking rapidly, and the requirements to become a Pioneer are also constantly being raised. But at a time like this, you instead...”

“It does not matter anymore.”

Theodore said faintly,

“Those things do not matter anymore...”

“You... What do you mean by that? Don’t tell me you really want to...”

“You will know very soon, Theresa. Obey the order.”

“...”

Theresa finally stopped saying anything. He realized that nothing he said would change it. Having known the person before him for so long, he understood this president’s nature too well.

Theresa took the document and walked outside. But just before he left the room, he still could not help turning back.

“This is for Annabawei, right, President?”

Theresa asked with incomparable seriousness.

“Yes. Everything I do is for Annabawei, for the people here.”

Ocido also answered with incomparable seriousness.

“It has always been so.”

“Then that’s good.”

Theresa no longer hesitated and turned to leave.

The office door closed. In the room with the curtains tightly drawn, everything was quiet.

Theodore’s eyelids lowered. He stayed silent for a long time. Then, no one knew what he thought of, but he suddenly smiled in self-mockery.

“In the end, I was still the one who gave in first.”

“But what can be done? Everything before this was nothing more than my one-sided struggle...”

“From the very beginning, I never had a choice at all.”

“No one here has a choice.”

“It is about to begin...”

Through the gap in the curtains, Theodore once again looked outside.

Sunlight shone over the earth, bringing warmth and light. It was so beautiful.

As if it would remain this beautiful forever...