I Don't Agree to the Terms

Just as he planned to find this strange middle-aged man for a clear question, he realized the man had disappeared without a trace. If it weren't for the bow and arrows in his hand, he would have suspected that it had all been his imagination.

"Since the Emperor says there is a problem with the sun, there must indeed be a problem," Xia Zhang hung the bronze bow on his body, then slung the quiver over his shoulder.

He did not believe what the middle-aged man had said, but if it could truly protect everyone, he was willing to try, even if the peculiar set of bow and arrows was fake.

"I hope there is never a need to use this set of bow and arrows." Xia Zhang thought to himself, because if it really came to that, it would mean the sun was abnormal, which would be the most formidable task he had ever faced, having been too young to remember the great desolation, thus unable to fathom that kind of despair.

...

Gu Shanhai watched Xia Zhang walk away; this was the man he had chosen, named Abnormality·Solar Shooting.

Everything was just beginning, and Xia Zhang was not yet an anomaly, just a person; that set of bow and arrows was just ordinary, without any miraculous effects.

When the sun encountered Solar Shooting, anomalies inherently intertwined.

And this was the third man-made anomaly of human civilization; if this experiment succeeded, then anomalies would be divided into two camps.

One would be the world camp, and the other would be the human camp formed through man-made anomalies.

Otherwise, relying solely on Rein and the Human Dao, failure would be inevitable someday; but if there were many human anomalies, it would provide a new safeguard for human civilization, with the Thirteen Departments being just one of them. After all, the more tricks up one's sleeve, the better.

"It's a pity; if only a true protector could be created," Gu Shanhai knew that even if Solar Shooting came into existence, it would only target the sun.

He wanted to create a dragon, yes, imitating the mutated forms of Abnormality·Qi Luck and Abnormality·Human Dao.

But that was just a thought; he knew he could not create it, this era had no dragons, even if they existed, they were nonexistent.

To create the first dragon, he feared he would not live to see that day, perhaps Rein and Human Dao might one day manage to create it.

His task was to set an example for everyone, to show them that anomalies could not only be man-made but also become a part of human civilization, able to stand against the world.

However, this would likely lead to everyone becoming semi-anomalous or highly anomalous, turning the whole dynasty into a massive anomaly.

This was both a good and bad thing.

The good was that the entire civilization became much stronger; the bad was that it could become highly entangled with anomalies.

"Is this the person you chose for Solar Shooting, teacher?" Rein appeared beside Gu Shanhai unexpectedly, looking at Xia Zhang who was growing distant, somewhat puzzled.

"You mean to say, he is just an ordinary person, not even capable of passing the Thirteen Departments' assessment, right?" Gu Shanhai knew what Rein was thinking.

"Yes, but teacher, you must have your reasons," Rein was confused but did not consider contesting Gu Shanhai's choice. In their many years together, Gu Shanhai had never dropped the ball on important matters, hence, he had to admit that he was far inferior to Gu Shanhai in aspects other than strength.

"What do you think I am doing? I am creating a miracle, a replicable miracle," Gu Shanhai knew, besides the Human Dao will and Rein the Emperor, creating a brand new man-made anomaly was an extremely difficult task.

Because both entities were extraordinary in their origins, and an ordinary person, if they could rely on certain beliefs and withstand becoming an anomaly while retaining their self in the process, it would be a significant breakthrough.

"Can a miracle still be considered a miracle if it can be replicated?" Rein hesitated. He knew about Gu Shanhai's experiments and tacitly accepted them and even supported them, but he also knew how cruel these experiments truly were.

No matter whether Xia Zhang succeeded in becoming Solar Shooting, his outcome would not be good, especially since he was the first test subject.

"Of course, miracles do not belong to just one person, but to everyone who experiences them," Gu Shanhai believed. To survive the experiment and become an anomaly with human self-awareness was, for that person, his own miracle.

"But is it possible that they do not want to possess these miracles?" Rein sighed. He knew about Gu Shanhai's heart of stone; unlike Gu Shanhai, Rein did not want to treat human lives as mere numbers or common people as just names on a page.

"Oh, and then? How do you solve the trolley problem?" Gu Shanhai was different from Rein; he was true neutral and simply did not care about such things, focusing more on the collective.

Between the death of one person and the death of most, he would choose the former unless that one person was one of his own. Otherwise, he would distribute resources based on benefit.

Therefore, he did not care about what happened to Xia Zhang; he only cared whether the Solar Crisis could be resolved.

As for if Xia Zhang failed, that didn't matter either; there were many backup plans in parallel, though the Solar Shooting plan involving Xia Zhang was just the one he favored the most.

"I will initiate the automated system." Rein did not answer directly; he knew he would choose the majority, the only difference being that unlike Gu Shanhai, he would not forsake the majority if one of his own was involved.

"This solution is good," Gu Shanhai chuckled, not pursuing the question further. How Rein would choose did not trouble him; knowing his own choice was enough.

"Did you come all this way just for this?" Gu Shanhai asked.

"No, there is new information on the anomalies," Rein continued, "The anomalies have exhibited some sort of aggregation phenomenon."

"Aggregation phenomenon?" Gu Shanhai was puzzled, then Rein sent him most of the data.

After examining it, Gu Shanhai discovered that the anomalies were indeed gathering, seemingly forming some sort of special assembly.

"I suspect it's a precursor to the Sun." Rein stated his direct suspicion.

"Do you mean that these anomalies are calibrating coordinates for the Sun?" The thought came to Gu Shanhai immediately.

"It's very likely, otherwise it wouldn't be such a coincidence. Teacher, you need to accelerate your plan." The true purpose of Rein's visit was to urge Gu Shanhai to expedite his actions, though the aggregation phenomenon was not a major issue.

"Have you tried dispersing these anomalies to slow the process?" Gu Shanhai thought, if they come to gather, take one away with each one that comes, let's see how they manage.

"That's already in progress, but the results are not promising." On discovering the situation, Rein naturally ordered the Twelve Offices to handle it immediately, though the results were merely self-consoling.

"I see." Gu Shanhai pondered, this might not be about calibrating coordinates, but possibly more like the relationship between the moon and the tides. If the Sun's anomaly succeeds, it might oust Rein and the Human Dao, becoming the strongest anomaly beneath the sea of information.

If not for Gu Shanhai's attempt to create the Abnormality·Solar Shooting specifically targeting the Sun, perhaps no one could stop it.

Even if Rein were to die and transform afterward, it would probably be too late.

However, Gu Shanhai also speculated that if Rein revived as a true anomaly after death, it might still not be salvageable, even with the help of Human Dao. More likely, he would become akin to the Witch Demon King or the Emperor, sitting on the throne as a stiff corpse.

"Let the Twelve Offices study the aggregation phenomenon themselves. If we raise soldiers for a thousand days, we use them for a moment; otherwise, what's the use in keeping them?" Gu Shanhai paid no mind to these trivial details.