Chapter 767: The Third Thesis (1)

Vroooom!!

Lennok, having left the chaotic studio, immediately drove to the coordinates provided by the Balitz Corp.

Although he had come here by bike, if he was to visit the Balitz Corp. headquarters, using a company vehicle would be less conspicuous.

Since their meeting wasn’t exactly for a good cause, there was no need to attract unnecessary attention.

“The Magic Flow Recreation Module I was trying to obtain through Balitz Corp. placed a strong emphasis on mana circulation,” Lennok said, gripping the steering wheel. “If the Pontiff sought it out a long time ago, I can’t help but think it might overlap with the results of the thesis I’m about to publish…”

Regardless of the Pontiff’s own implied failure, it would be even more dangerous if the achievement was already publicly known.

Publishing the thesis without verifying this and then being suspected of appropriating the cult’s achievements was exhausting just to imagine.

“[Perhaps they really did create a life support device?]” Davi, sitting quietly in the passenger seat with her seatbelt on, asked. “[It might just be that they failed, which is why it ended up like that.]”

“Maybe. But…”

As Davi speculated, it was possible that the Pontiff had indeed ordered the module to create a life support device.

Considering the Pontiff’s poor condition during Lennok’s visit to Vulcan, preparations might have been necessary to preserve his body in this world, even if only slightly.

But if so, why would they need to order the module’s production from Balitz Corp.?

Given the Pontiff’s transcendent abilities and insights, was there any real reason to commission a corporate giant in a mega-city to produce the module?

Perhaps the answer lay precisely within that question.

Lennok momentarily set aside his thoughts and quickly checked the coordinates Davi provided.

“Not District 10. Is it the outskirts of District 20?”

“[More precisely, it’s a public parking garage located on the outskirts of District 22,]” Davi replied, immediately displaying a map with the detailed location. “[It’s quite a distance from District 10, where the Balitz headquarters are located. It seems they intend to meet somewhere secluded, don’t they?]”

“…”

To explain matters concerning the Papal Seat, yet summoning Lennok to a quiet area far from their headquarters.

As Lennok’s hand on the steering wheel paused, Davi, seemingly noticing his thoughts, asked, “[Should I try hacking the Balitz Corp. network again?]”

“…No. There’s no need.”

Lennok replied after a moment’s thought, then drove forward again. “If they intended to silence me by killing me, they wouldn’t have bothered sending another message to leave a record.”

Even if Balitz Corp. resorted to forceful means, Lennok wouldn’t be in danger, but getting embroiled in further trouble under his Evan identity was something he wanted to avoid.

This was especially true with his thesis presentation on the horizon.

If possible, it would be better to resolve and settle matters with the Balitz leadership today.

Thinking this, Lennok drove into the public parking garage building located on the outskirts of District 22.

The building looked very old from the outside, with multiple entire floors used solely for parking vehicles.

“[The coordinates are marked at stall 6BT on the 4th floor.]”

He used the auto-drive algorithm to park the car in the designated stall and turned off the ignition.

In the middle of the now-quiet parking garage, Lennok cast his gaze out the car window.

Several dust-covered cars were parked, but there was no sign of human presence.

Lennok was the only customer using this massive public parking garage. Was that even possible in District 22, which had considerable foot traffic?

Clunk!!

“…Hm?”

At that moment, the entire stall where Lennok’s car was parked suddenly dropped downward and began descending rapidly.

Rumble!!

The scenery of the lobby, moving vehicles as if an entire floor were an elevator.

Davi immediately grasped the structure and said to Lennok, “[It’s the vibration of a movable conveyor belt. These are usually used in prefabricated structures…]”

“You mean the entire parking garage is a removable, prefabricated structure?”

A systematic and precise structure, capable of detaching and moving the entire parking space.

Perhaps all facilities managed by the corporation were designed to be manipulated.

The principle of movable prefabricated buildings itself wasn’t that unusual, but what was astonishing was that such a design was implemented in District 22, an area known for its considerable land value.

Just creating a subterranean passage below here must have cost an astronomical sum.

He had heard that Vulcan’s corporate giants possessed immense technology and capital, and used their technological prowess without restraint, but…

Seeing it in person, the scale of their ideas and the scope of money they could afford were beyond imagination.

While waiting for the vibration to stop, the lobby space that had been moving underground now began to ascend.

Whoosh!!

After an elevator-like ascent, the space opened up, revealing the surrounding landscape.

“…”

In the middle of a dark corridor where not even a sliver of light could be found.

As Lennok blinked in the pervasive darkness, the rear door of the car suddenly swung open.

A young man with a smiling face, dressed in a suit, held a phone in one hand.

The young man, meeting Lennok’s gaze, bowed his head respectfully and immediately brought the phone to his ear.

“Yes, I’ve found him. I’ll bring him over right away.”

“…”

“Understood. I will personally notify the other secretariats.”

Only after ending the call did the young man smile faintly at Lennok and say, “Professor Vylun. Are you feeling a bit better?”

“…”

The young man bowed his head respectfully towards Lennok, who was silently watching him.

“I am Dante Clarkston of the Strategic Planning Office. The Vice President is waiting for you. Let’s go.”

Dante Clarkston, Team Leader of Balitz Corp.’s Strategic Planning Office Team 2.

Was this the person who had sent Lennok the message via the internal network and shown him the Pontiff’s video?

Considering he had acted on his own initiative despite knowing of Lennok’s intrusion, he must hold considerable authority within the company.

But instead of immediately getting out to follow him, Lennok pointed to the back seat.

Prescott, slumped unconscious in the back of the car.

“Are you sure this person doesn’t need to be taken care of?”

“Ah, that…” Dante said, then clapped his hands lightly. Burly men in suits appeared and dragged Prescott out of the back seat.

“The Vice President wishes to see both of you, so we intend to guide you together.”

“…”

“I understand this incident has caused you considerable displeasure, but we ask for your understanding.”

Even though they must know Lennok was the one who initiated this whole affair, there was no criticism directed at him.

The module consultation. The custom order and the conflict that occurred inside the studio. Were they planning to neatly bury all of it as if it never happened?

Lennok watched Dante for a moment, then began to walk.

The enormous cavern had a rigid, solid form, utterly devoid of any curves.

In the dense darkness, where one couldn’t see an inch ahead, only a blinding fluorescent light emanated from all directions.

Whoooooosh…!!

Massive tanks were placed all around the cavern, with all sorts of objects floating preserved within them.

Not only artifacts and relics, but also what appeared to be human remains, and bizarre collections.

Was this the kind of scene he’d witnessed when he was about to receive the Mystic Eye as a gift in Olivera Ron Maize’s lab?

The moment Lennok, recalling that memory, followed Dante and reached the end of the cavern.

Thud!!

A cliff, so deep and wide it was hard to believe it existed within the cavern, revealed itself.

“[Hiss!]”

Below the cliff, a colossal two-headed lizard looked up, flicking its tongue.

At the edge of the cliff, overlooked by the lizard, dozens of people knelt in a line.

Their eyes and ears were covered, their mouths gagged, and their wrists bound, trembling and unable to utter a sound.

And at the very end of that line of people, a man stood with his back to Lennok.

“Vice President Ykavon.”

Dante bowed respectfully to the man standing at the edge of the cliff. “Professor Vylun has arrived.”

“…”

The man called Ykavon did not reply. He simply slowly relaxed his shoulders and raised the object in his right hand.

The moment Lennok realized it was an artifact designed to artificially generate shockwaves.

Ykavon activated the artifact, unleashing a shockwave directly behind the kneeling person’s back.

“….!!!!”

The person, unable to even scream, fell straight down the cliff and was swallowed by one of the lizard’s two heads.

Gulp!

“[Hiss!!]”

The lizard, still not satisfied after receiving its meal, let out a ferocious shriek.

“Durospian, a demonic beast that inhabits the outskirts of Kundara.”

Ykavon, who had pushed a person to their death without hesitation, spoke. “They live long, though not as long as the long-lived species, and possess intelligence, but are lesser than humans. However, they have one interesting characteristic.”

“…”

“One of their two heads cannot digest what it swallows and excretes it, and the head randomly switches each time it eats.”

Whirrr!!

The man called Ykavon activated the artifact again, unleashing another shockwave.

The waiting lizard swiftly swallowed the human, but soon after, the human emerged from beneath its tail, covered in mucus but otherwise unharmed.

Surprisingly, the lizard no longer seemed to have an appetite for the living human it had excreted.

Ykavon sharply turned his head, watching the person scramble to their feet and flee down the cliff.

Staring intently at Lennok’s face, he asked, “If I’m giving them a 50/50 chance to survive, don’t you think that’s quite merciful?”

“…”

He appeared quite young, and his aura was unusually intense, as if he had trained his mana.

But the most striking feature on his face was a sharp, fierce impression, as if he might explode at any moment.

He didn’t seem angry, yet his gaze was so piercing that merely looking at him felt like a threat.

Ykavon, without waiting for Lennok’s reply, proceeded to drop the bound people off the cliff one by one.

Of the dozens of people, slightly less than half survived. Statistically, one might say they were a bit unlucky.

Only then did Ykavon speak. “It seems the Durospian was full. Normally, it would keep switching heads to try and eat more.”

“…”

“Sometimes, the process only becomes clear after the result is known.”

His voice was chilling. So cold that it imprinted itself immediately in Lennok’s mind.

Ykavon tossed aside the shockwave generator and walked towards Lennok. “It’s the same with people. Only after realizing that the secretariat acted on their own initiative does it become clear why they did it.”

His gaze was sharp and piercing, as if searching for even a hint of discomfort or awkwardness on Lennok’s face.

Was this the man, the successor to the Balitz corporation, holding the position of Vice President?

As Lennok met his gaze and pondered, Ykavon stared intently at him and said, “Coming here alone, you’re either fearless or simply reckless? Either way, you’re quite different from the rumors.”

“Is that how I appear?”

“Or is it because you’re still under Antares’s protection?”

“…”

A name he hadn’t expected popped out, and Lennok fell silent.

Did he know that Evan had entrusted his security to the Antares Mercenary Group after the anti-gravity engine presentation?

Strictly speaking, it was more like using Antares’s name to alleviate external concerns, but the fact that Ykavon knew held significant implications.

After a moment of thought, carefully choosing his words, Lennok simply nodded. “Yes, I did hire them for security once. So you know Antares.”

“They are the worst kind of diviners. That’s not how one is supposed to see the future,” Ykavon replied unhesitatingly. “It’s a power that exists to focus on the unseen future, not merely on what’s visible. You’d do well to keep your distance from lunatics who obsess only over seeing their desired outcomes.”

“…”

Not only did he confirm Antares was a diviner, but he explained their power in relatively detailed terms.

No, beyond that level, his tone was so natural it was as if he was pointing out the very essence of divination.

As if he had directly wielded that power himself, long since grasping its limits and nuances—

Only then did Lennok, realizing the identity of his interlocutor and the true nature of Balitz Corp., counter-question. “So the Balitz owner family possesses an innate talent for divination. Is that how you’ve grown and managed the corporation?”

“Growth? That’s not the goal, but rather a byproduct. The value obtained through divination isn’t limited to such things.”

Ykavon looked at Lennok with an unexpressive gaze. “Things that lost their meaning long ago. Or things that won’t retain their value even in the distant future. That’s merely the extent of what a diviner can confirm without going mad.”

“Without going mad…”

“That’s why true diviners must focus on confirming and refining what is unseen.”

A power that exists not to see what is visible, but to grope for what is unseen.

Was it because the future seen through divination was only possible within the diviner’s cognitive limits?

If so, Lennok could understand why Ykavon claimed that the unseen aspects of divination were more important.

And why he had seated the secretariat staff in this cavern and killed them without the slightest hesitation.

Ykavon pointed to the people who had survived below the cliff and said, “The secretariat staff who orchestrated this became visible in the future the moment they became entangled with you, and from that moment, they lost all value.”

“Even if I hadn’t dealt with them, they would have inevitably met an unwelcome death at some point.”

Did he mean that the secretariat staff had already lost all their value the moment they began to be foreseen by Ykavon?

Throwing them into the maw of the demonic beast without hesitation must have been based on a value judgment, rather than a consequence of incompetence or betrayal.

Ykavon didn’t seem to think highly of Antares, but his interest in the unseen was quite similar.

“I have nothing to say regarding Balitz Corp.’s internal security and disciplinary procedures,” Lennok replied calmly. “If Prescott Byner and the rest of the secretariat are to take responsibility for this matter, that will be sufficient.”

“…”

“The reason I came here is because I heard that the module I requested from Balitz Corp. had already been ordered by someone else, and that a prototype exists.”

“You’ve seen the video, haven’t you? The Papal Seat isn’t an entity one can reason with,” Ykavon countered. “They merely visited this city for their own purposes. Normal dealings with barbarians who follow the logic of the Outer Sea are impossible.”

“An interesting choice of words.”

“I have no desire to befriend them, nor to see a future that has reached the apex of fanaticism. It’s clear I’d go mad first.”

Ykavon, staring intently at Lennok, spoke again. “However, there was an attempt to interact, to recognize the essence and similarity of our respective abilities, and to explore them.”

“…Similarity, you say?”

“The similarity between the revelations possessed by the cult and the divinations we possess,” Ykavon replied. “It was part of an attempt to explore the connection between divination and revelation and to uncover their origin.”

“…”

“So, your suspicion that we joined hands with the cult is completely wrong. What was left in our hands after that interaction was—”

Click!!

As Ykavon manipulated the remote in his hand, a massive tank covered with a black cloth was pulled forward in front of the two men.

Without hesitation, Ykavon swiftly pulled off the cloth and said, “It was nothing more than an object completely unrelated to the origin of divination or revelation.”

“…”

Instead of replying, Lennok stared intently at the object floating within the tank.

Beyond the now-unveiled tank, a naked corpse floated, and on its head was a pure white helmet.

Its sharp form glowed with a noble and transparent light, as if crafted for a paladin.

It was because he realized this was the very equipment the Pontiff had attempted to create using the module.

“However, if the fact that we’ve had dealings with the cult were to leak outside, the Central Council would undoubtedly make things troublesome for us,” Ykavon said, standing behind Lennok with his arms crossed. “Therefore, in exchange for this item, let’s agree that you will keep silent about this incident.”

“…”

The reason for summoning Lennok, explaining Balitz Corp.’s secrets and its relationship with the cult, and handing over the prototype.

Was he planning to make Lennok keep silent about this incident to avoid unnecessary trouble with the Central Council?

That wouldn’t just be because Balitz Corp. feared the city government or worried about tax audits.

Wasn’t it because they were hiding a secret far more sensitive and dangerous from the Central Council than what they’d just told Lennok?

“…Alright. Let’s do that.”

But even knowing this, Lennok decided to accept Ykavon’s offer.

The moment he saw the shape of this helmet, he understood what the Pontiff had tried to create using the module.

And how it could potentially aid Lennok’s third thesis.

“Thanks to this, I too should be able to successfully present my thesis.”