NOVEL NEXT Chapter 216: Rebels
The crimson moon hung low in place, its glow an eerie pale over the mechanical cities. It was as if the sky itself had bled, painting the celestial body a deep scarlet.
It was sharp and foreboding, illuminating the world in a sinister hue. Shadows stretched longer and darker, twisting into grotesque shapes that seemed to writhe under the blood-colored luminance.
In this shadow, there was a large form rapidly traveling across the bleeding sky, its silhouette barely remaining in place.
This shadow moved far away from all the mechanical cities operated by robots, traveling above the trees and the lush forest before finally stopping at a mountain.
The moment the shadow appeared, a loud, weary shout came from the mountains:
"Who is there?"
The shadow stood motionless in the air, tall and proud, exuding an aura of quiet dominance.
"You are trespassing on our territory. If you don't leave this place by the count of ten, you will die," a stern voice warned.
The shadow remained in the void, silent and unyielding.
"One," the voice began counting.
"As per the supreme law of the Gene Empire, there is no such thing as territory, and no one is allowed to claim any grounds. Are you openly defying the law?" the shadow asked calmly, his voice cutting through the air.
"Ten."
The voice roared, and in an instant, deafening explosions erupted. A swarm of homing rockets tore through the air, closing in on the shadow with deadly precision.
"Fools," the shadow muttered, snapping his fingers lightly.
Bang!
A resounding vibration spread out, obliterating the rockets mid-air before they could even approach him.
"What were you saying?" the figure standing in the void asked with a crackle of amusement.
"It's a superhuman! Deploy the lasers now!"
The panicked voice from the base shouted frantically as massive laser cannons emerged from the ground, their barrels glowing with a brilliant, menacing light.
"Oh, superhumans," the figure mused, nodding thoughtfully. "Quite an interesting addition to the game."
The lasers fired, beams of blinding energy hurtling toward the figure with devastating force.
"Keke, now let's see if you can survive this, you arrogant bastard!"
"Light snap."
The figure snapped his fingers once more, his tone casual.
Bang!
The void around him rippled and distorted, swallowing the laser beams effortlessly. The destructive light vanished into nothingness, leaving the figure unharmed.
The voice from the base fell silent, its panic turning to stunned disbelief as wide eyes stared at the impossible sight.
The lasers began to curve mid-air, their trajectories shifting unnaturally. One by one, they turned back toward their origin, accelerating with terrifying speed.
A deafening explosion rocked the world as the redirected beams struck the base. The laser cannons were obliterated in an instant, reduced to nothing more than smoldering ash and debris scattered like worthless trash.
The brilliant flashes of light illuminated the void, gradually revealing the shadowy figure's face. He was a tall, bulky youth with long white hair cascading down his back. His striking eyes, one with a crimson pupil and the other with a golden hue, glowed with an otherworldly intensity.
It was none other than Ray himself, standing unshaken in the void.
"Who the fuck are you, bastard?" the panicked voice from the base stammered, trembling as the monitor flickered with a clear view of Ray's face.
The man immediately collapsed to the ground, his legs curling up as he scrambled backward in sheer terror. His horrified expression grew more pronounced with every moment until he pressed himself against the corner of the wall, his hands trembling as he muttered incomprehensible words:
"Ha… ju… baju… nani…"
His panic didn't go unnoticed. The others nearby, drawn by the commotion, turned their gaze toward the monitor displaying Ray's face. Their reaction…?
Identical.
One by one, they recoiled, retreating to the edges of the room. Some slumped against the walls, others crouched in place, all stammering incoherently, their faces pale and drenched in fear.
Ray began to descend from the sky. His movements were unhurried, each step as casual as a stroll, until his feet touched the ground with quiet.
"Hmm, where are you? Get out here!" Ray's voice was calm, yet it resonated sharply, reaching everyone's ears. "I ignored you because you weren't worth my precious time. But now, you dare to try to approach my daughter? I will **destroy** your race, your bloodline, and everything you hold dear."
Though his tone remained casual, his mere presence radiated an overwhelming power, making him seem godlike.
Silence!
The only sound was the crackle of distant flames, their fiery glow illuminating the surroundings and drowning out all else.
Ray closed his eyes slowly, his expression serene. In an instant, he heard a cacophony of panicked voices reverberating throughout the base.
These were essentially people who had been rebels throughout his entire empire, and they rebelled for one singular reason: they were incapable or were driven by a hunger for power.
Ray blocked all paths for people to gain power or status through trickery or deceit.
The only way to climb the ladder was to become more skilled and knowledgeable. If they lacked these skills, it was nearly impossible for them to advance.
A rule can never be perfect, and these individuals were those who couldn't climb the ladder. They were so fed up that they started to rebel.
This rebellion was inevitable. Even though Ray fulfilled all their basic living conditions, there will always be people who oppose you, regardless of their talent.
No matter how benevolent you are, there's no shortage of foolish people.
"Ah, it reminds me of that quote: 'Imagine how stupid the average person is, then realize half of all people are stupider than that.'" Ray muttered, tuning into the voices echoing in his ears.
"William, are you sure seducing the daughter of the strongest man won't be a problem for you?"
"Relax. I've kept a clean background so far and have been laying low. Besides, that guy has countless children—would he really care about every single one of them or bother to check everything?"
"You're gambling with your life, fool."
"For our ambition, we have to take risks. That tyrant has dominated the whole world and caused chaos. If we want to end his rule, we'll have to destroy it from the inside. He's simply become too strong."
"Well, if you say so, William. I just hope you don't make the wrong mistake."
"I'll do it!" William declared, his voice firm and deliberate as he clenched his fists tightly.
"For now, let's hide. There seems to be trouble on the surface," one of his companions suggested nervously.
"What a perfect time to overhear this conversation," Ray mused, tilting his head slightly. "I wonder how my dear little daughter would react if she found out about this?"
His gaze shifted to the command room, where the occupants were huddled in the far corners, pressing themselves against the walls, too terrified to make a sound or even move.
"Open the door," Ray said softly as he touched down on the ground with a quiet grace.
The people in the room, armed with laser guns strapped to their shoulders, stood frozen in place. Despite their weapons, none of them dared to act or speak, silenced by the sheer weight of his presence.
Even if they didn't recognize him, Ray's mere presence was enough to send shivers down their spines.
"Are you not going to welcome your guest?" Ray asked, his voice dropping slightly deeper, resonating through the room.
The loud man who had shouted earlier hurriedly stood up, his legs trembling so badly that he barely managed to stay upright. Stumbling toward the door, he barked at the soldiers stationed there, spittle flying as he shouted:
"What are you doing? Open the door!"
"Y-yes!" one of the soldiers stammered, scrambling to obey as they unlocked and opened the heavy doors leading to the bunker.
The moment the soldiers caught sight of Ray's face, they froze in place, their expressions turning to stone. Even the act of breathing seemed to completely freeze for them as they stood paralyzed in fear.
"How's it going for you?" Ray asked, striding inside with unhurried steps, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
The shouting man crawled forward, sliding across the ground, leaving a trail of skin peeled off in the process. He reached Ray's knees, nearly touching them, and sobbed with tears and snot staining his face.
"Please forgive me, Lord Ray."
Ray watched the scene with an unreadable expression, his gaze cold and unmoving. The soldiers surrounding him, however, wore expressions of disgust and disdain.
"Wasn't he the one who instigated us to rebel?" one of them muttered bitterly, though the words were barely audible.
Hatred, anger, and bitterness flashed across the faces of the soldiers, their emotions a storm of confusion and resentment. They had once seen this man as their leader, their superior, but now, they stood before him, abandoned by their own so-called commander in the presence of the person they were supposedly rebelling against.
Ray slowly turned his gaze over the group, his eyes narrowing as he took in each of their faces. Then, with a deliberate pause, he opened his mouth:
"Call everyone here."
Ray spoke calmly as a throne seemed to materialize behind him, and he casually seated himself upon it.
"Yes, Lord Ray." The shouting man quickly backed away, rushing to gather everyone. Ray remained seated, saying nothing further.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as the soldiers, full of regret and bitterness, looked at Ray.
"It's too late for your realization now," Ray casually said. "I gave you proper food, health, and a roof over your heads. Yet all of you chose to turn away. I don't blame you for your decision, and I don't care."
After speaking, Ray closed his eyes, his posture indifferent.
The soldiers exchanged glances, each of them sighing in defeat. There was nothing left to do; it was already too late for them.
Soon, the leader returned, followed by thousands of people surging upward. It was an overwhelming sight.
"This guy could've been a seasoned politician in the past," Ray mused, squinting slightly. "Maybe even a prime minister or president."