Chapter 527

Twelve years old birthday… sudden brain disease? Faintly, it seemed like I caught something, but still lacked a layer of paper to break through. Leon could only note this piece of intel and immediately furrowed his brows, saying:

“But we did… help Princess Phelia escape Prince Andre’s control.”

After she was saved by us, she told us that the entire royal family of the Crocodile Kingdom had been killed by Prince Andre, their brains extracted to make Artefact sub-bodies. Even more, I got one.”

At this point, Leon wiped his cufflink with his hand, took out Artefact 128, and then used the Silver Knife to cut open its shell, slightly prying a small opening, revealing the brain inside enveloped in transparent gel.

“Look.”

He handed over Artefact 128, letting the scruffy man examine the contents. Leon continued: “Upon learning about the situation of the Crocodile Royal Family, I immediately dissected this sub-body, checked inside, and indeed found a living brain. Moreover, this brain does belong to the Crocodile Royal Family.”

As Leon spoke, he fought off nausea while cutting open the gel-covered brain, exposing an internal structure clearly different from an ordinary person’s.

“Though I don’t understand brain anatomy, according to her explanation, the brains of the Crocodile Royal Family are different from ordinary people’s. These areas are abnormally developed, reaching several times or even more than those of regular humans.”

Using the tip of the knife to point at the special parts of the brain, allowing the scruffy man to identify them, Leon resealed the cut with his fingertips, wiping away the slash marks, restoring Artefact 128 to its original state. He then frowned and said:

“Additionally, to help Phelia escape control, I briefly dissected her brain, removing the information chip implanted inside. Her brain’s internal structure is indeed similar to this one.

So regardless of whether the message is true or false, she is a member of the Crocodile Royal Family. Plus, with the brain in Artefact 128 as evidence, I believe her information is highly credible.”

“But… but she really died!”

Seeing the “evidence” provided by Leon, the previously adamant scruffy man who swore his info was absolutely correct became momentarily confused, muttering in bewilderment:

“Could it be… she was revived later? But if she was revived, why didn’t Fein tell me? And I haven’t seen that child appear again…”

Revived… that child…

Hearing this, it was as if a wall in front of him was suddenly pushed down. Leon finally grasped the elusive inspiration and eagerly asked:

“Mr. Bell, let me ask you, what’s the relationship between Prince Andre and Princess Phelia?”

“They’re both the Queen’s children, naturally they get along well. Andre is a few years older and always looked after his younger sister. Phelia, when she was alive, was quite attached to him.”

“I see… Then, does your Zone 1 Research Area have any technology that can resurrect someone?”

“How could that be…”

Upon hearing Leon’s words, the scruffy man couldn’t help but be speechless:

“Science isn’t omnipotent, you know. Even if the body can be replicated, what about the soul? Even Zone 1 has limited research on souls… umm… wait!”

At this point, seemingly remembering something, the scruffy man couldn’t help but hiss, his cheeks twitching slightly as he said: “While Zone 1 doesn’t have resurrection technology, we do have ways to create bodies. Just last month, we made a breakthrough, creating about ten ’empty shells’ without souls that can still live…”

Empty shells without souls… that fits! After having some vague suspicions, Leon paused for a moment before continuing to ask:

“Mr. Bell, please tell me, when were Artefacts created? Did it coincide with the time Phelia suddenly fell ill?”

“?!!!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Artefacts have been around for a long time! When Fein’s twin sister was still alive, Zone 1 already had the rudimentary technology for such things. Though not as advanced as now, the intelligence was already on par with humans. The current Artefact 01 is merely the second generation after improvements!”

“Got it.”

Leon nodded upon hearing this, then stared intently and asked: “Then when was the improved Artefact 01 made? Did it coincide with the time Phelia passed away from her brain disease?”

“…”

“Mr. Bell?”

“In terms of timing… it was rather close… About a week after Phelia passed away from her brain disease, the stalled progress of the Artefact 01 project received… received a breakthrough…”

Realizing that the truth might indeed be as Leon guessed, the scruffy man couldn’t help but open his mouth, feeling powerless as he said:

“But it shouldn’t be like this. Fein… he really cared about Phelia. That day, he cried so much, so… so I think…”

“Mr. Bell, sometimes people deceive themselves too.”

After pondering for a moment, Leon said:

“Under pressure, people make decisions they themselves don’t approve of, and to avoid being distanced by those around them, they choose to hide the truth from them. His tears may have been real, but why they flowed is uncertain.”

“Also, you can think positively. The truth might not be so cruel. Perhaps Phelia really suffered from some acute illness, and to keep his daughter, King Fein chose to do this.”

“But… if that’s the case…”

“Mr. Bell, the intel is still insufficient now, everything is just conjecture. But some things are almost certain.”

Interrupting the scruffy man’s words, amidst mixed emotions of longing and fear, Leon opened his mouth with implications:

“More than ten years ago, for some reason, the young Princess Phelia passed away, her brain extracted, becoming the core of Artefact 01, similar to these sub-bodies.

More than ten years later, Prince Andre, for some reason, killed all members of the royal family, extracting their brains to create Artefact sub-bodies, giving them the same fate as his own sister.

After doing all this, he used your Zone 1 technology to recreate Princess Phelia, gave her the treatment of a princess, arranged princess-level guards, as if making up for some regret, truly treating her as his own sister.”

“…”

“Mr. Bell.”

Glancing at the silent scruffy man, Leon said:

“In my personal judgment, the bloodbath that occurred in the Crocodile Royal Family was probably a revenge from a brother.”

(End of Chapter)