Chapter 511

Before the head of Zone 1 Research Area could even start complaining, His Majesty the King had already cut him off preemptively. The head couldn’t help but choke a little, secretly guessing that the king might be dissatisfied with his recent progress. With no choice, he hurriedly reported:

“Your Majesty, the fifteen main studies in Zone 1 have been relatively stable recently. However, the four projects regarding artificial souls, aging retardation, memory infusion, and materialization of spirit are still as they were before—no significant changes yet…”

“Hmm, I see.”

After listening to the report from the head of Zone 1 Research Area, Prince Andre nodded while reclining on his chair. He then continued with an aged and stern tone: “Compared to the other eleven major studies, these four are indeed more challenging. Not only do they barely relate to what you’ve learned in the past, but your research has also just begun. Only after capturing those cleaners did things start to get on track. I can understand if there’s no progress for now.”

Phew… Looks like I passed.

Just as the head of Zone 1 Research Area let out a sigh of relief, the tone of “His Majesty” shifted slightly. He knocked twice on the armrest with force and said rather discontentedly:

“But what about the other studies? Why are they merely stable? How much energy have I allocated over these years? How much budget support have I given you? Every time you tell me the progress is stable, but what are the results? Why can’t you produce anything?”

“…”

Damn… I shouldn’t have complained…

Facing the harsh questioning from “His Majesty,” the head of Zone 1 Research Area started sweating profusely on his back. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and say: “Well… As you know, these fifteen studies in Zone 1 are all grand ones. Once there’s substantial progress, we can add another celebration day to the Crocodile Kingdom’s calendar. Studies at this level aren’t something that can show results in a short period. Usually, it takes decades, or even several generations, to achieve slight results, so…”

“So by the time I die, I probably won’t see any of these studies come to fruition, right?”

“Well… It’s hard to say…”

After wiping the sweat from his forehead stealthily, the head of Zone 1 Research Area gave a sheepish response:

“Many of the studies in Zones 2 through 18, though not as important as Zone 1, are related to our research here. If those associated studies make significant breakthroughs, perhaps our progress in Zone 1 will leap forward dramatically.”

“So tell me, how many leaps do you need to make before one of these studies comes to fruition before I die?”

“This… Scientific progress isn’t that specific, so it’s hard to estimate, but I guess quite a few leaps…”

“Fine, take your time leaping!”

After tormenting the head of Zone 1 Research Area for a bit, Prince Andre felt much better. He crossed his legs again and leisurely asked:

“How’s the preparation that Andre asked you to make earlier coming along?”

“It’s all done!”

Seeing that His Majesty was finally letting go of the study progress and asking a question he could confidently answer, the head of Zone 1 Research Area breathed a sigh of relief. He then responded earnestly: “As soon as the people from the Alleson Kingdom arrived on the second day, we replaced the city sprinkler system reagent. We swapped out the original insect repellent and nutrient solution for adrenaline antidote soaked in divine flesh.

The two cleaners who kidnapped Apheta 01 came late, so their effectiveness is uncertain, but the cleaners from Alleson Kingdom have already been exposed to the sprinklers for over a week. Their reaction speeds cannot possibly reach superhuman levels anymore.

Additionally, all 864 blocks across both levels of the kingdom are equipped with stance stones extracted from anomalous items. They correspond to each position and will evenly distribute any attack’s force among all the blocks, ensuring no significant damage occurs!”

“Hmm, well done with this matter.”

“Go back to your research. Try to produce at least one or two results before I die.

If you can manage it, everything will be fine. But if you fail, when I pass away, you, as the head of Zone 1, will accompany me to the Deathscape and continue showing me your work!”

“Y-yes… Yes…”

Faced with the king’s ultimatum—”either bring results or die with me”—the head of Zone 1 Research Area felt a chill down his neck. After responding, he dared not utter another word.

Once everything went silent, Prince Andre released his grip, and the metal piece connected by copper wire snapped back into place, disappearing into the hidden compartment on the other side of the bookshelf.

This guy really is… capable, but increasingly annoying.

Glancing at the hidden compartment on the bookshelf, confirming it was completely closed and undetectable, Prince Andre sighed involuntarily. He rested his leg on the footstool and leaned back in the recliner, deep in thought.

The hardest part about dealing with cleaners isn’t their bizarre abilities; after all, except for a few rare individuals capable of destroying entire cities in a short time, most cleaners’ destructive power is manageable. And with Crocodile Kingdom’s technology far surpassing other nations, if we mobilize all military-grade equipment, destroying a city wouldn’t be too difficult either. Even facing off against a Yellow Path Division Director might not guarantee a loss.

But the problem is that these Yellow Path Division Directors wield such destructive power individually, making them far more flexible than conventional hot weapon armies.

Combine that with those bizarre anomalous items, and it becomes nearly impossible to stop them from infiltrating and causing trouble. We can’t exactly turn the cannons around and wash the entire Crocodile Kingdom clean, can we?

So either we pretend they don’t exist and ignore them altogether, or we must ensure success in one decisive strike once we’re forced to act.

As for whether we need to act now…

After pondering for a moment, Prince Andre stood up and walked to the balcony. He rummaged through a nearby shelf, pulling out a dusty black owl mask and forcefully pressing it onto his face.

Huff…

Gray mist swirled. In the strange space filled with gray fog, the familiar bone table reappeared. Unlike before, most of the seats around the table were empty, with only two figures present.

“Are you… Black Owl?”

Recognizing the mask, the hooded figure behind Prince Andre looked up, revealing a snake-faced mask.

“You never participate in Execution King Assembly matters. Why are you contacting me suddenly?”

“I need support.”

Without hesitation, the voice behind the Black Owl mask spoke: “Snow Owl has been captured by the Clearing Bureau. It’s time to act. My arrangements may not be effective against a Yellow Path Division Director, so I hope you provide me with support to ensure I can kill the Scorpio Division Director!”

(End of Chapter)