Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 539 - 537 The Chosen One

"Of course, I know. They are the sins of this world, the malice of the World's Heart toward humanity. When humanity brings the world to the brink of destruction, the Angel Envoys will be born. They taint everything, destroy everything, devour everything. Their sole purpose is to reset everything to zero; that is the destiny of Angel Envoys. So, from the moment of their birth, Angel Envoys have stood in opposition to humanity."

Lu Luo stared at Gu Tianfeng with wide eyes. This information... was something even I had never heard before, he thought.

"The destiny of the Angel Envoys..." Lu Luo mused.

"Yes, that's the destiny of the Angel Envoys. What, is this the first time you're hearing this?"

"Indeed, it is the first time. Though I've had a few encounters with Angel Envoys before, I've never known their ultimate goal. I just feel that they keep targeting humanity, wanting to eradicate them."

The Gu Tianfeng before him clearly knew far more. Therefore, in his presence, I should also share what I know, Lu Luo decided.

"You carry the Netherflame. You must have come into contact with the Tenth Angel Envoy, the Doomsday Serpent, right?"

"You can tell that?"

Gu Tianfeng nodded, "Of course. I've read so many books over the years. If I can't even be sure of these things, then my life would have been in vain, wouldn't it?"

Lu Luo was momentarily unable to grasp Gu Tianfeng's meaning. And I don't know when it started, but somehow the initiative in our conversation always shifts to Gu Tianfeng, he realized. This sensation of the initiative being controlled by someone else made Lu Luo somewhat uncomfortable. Even with Bai Mo, I always firmly held the initiative. But now there's nothing I can do. Gu Tianfeng isn't going to give me the chance to lead the conversation; I've come to recognize that.

"Could you tell me some things about the Angel Envoys, Senior?"

"There isn't much to say about the Angel Envoys. Even if there were, those things are now beyond investigation. A thousand years have passed. Today's Angel Envoys are vastly different from those of the past. Their powers are stronger, and their wisdom has grown. Therefore, judging today's Angel Envoys based on ancient texts would be foolish. And you... Lu Luo, are you really determined to confront the Angel Envoys?"

Lu Luo looked at Gu Tianfeng, momentarily unclear about what he meant. Of course, I have to confront the Angel Envoys. What's there to question?

"Will you be going as well, Senior?"

"Me? Certainly... not."

Gu Tianfeng flatly refused Lu Luo, which left him somewhat bewildered.

"Why not?"

"Because I hate the Bai Family!"

"Is that the only reason?"

"Yes, that's the only reason. And I don't need other reasons for my actions, do I? I do what I like, and I avoid what I dislike. Those I hate can die! I don't need to justify my actions to anyone!"

Gu Tianfeng's attitude left Lu Luo feeling helpless. If that's really what he thinks, then I'm left without any recourse, he thought.

Given the circumstances, his only option was to appeal to Gu Tianfeng from the perspective of the country and its people.

"Senior, many people have gone missing from the Imperial Palace."

"I know. I am the Chief of the Inspection Department. Of course, I'd be aware of such things."

"His Majesty the Emperor has been missing for over three months."

"I'm well aware of that too."

"If you know all this, then why haven't you done anything?"

"Oh, done nothing? You think I've done nothing? Have you seen it? Or perhaps, you've been monitoring me? You've never even met me before, so how can you so brazenly claim I've done nothing? If I can't refute you, isn't what you're doing a form of moral blackmail?"

Gu Tianfeng's counter-questions left Lu Luo somewhat at a loss. In front of Gu Tianfeng, he seemed foolish, lost for words.

"I'm simply stating a fact. His Majesty the Emperor has gone missing, and Lady Nolan is in grave danger. The situation in the Imperial Palace is critical, and it requires the help of yourself, Senior, and the Inspection Department."

"These people don't necessarily need my help. Perhaps some are innocent, but others truly deserve to die. While you worry about Lady Nolan, have you ever considered how many innocent lives she took to get to where she is today? If you help her now, what about those innocent people, the hatred, and the sins? How should they be accounted for?"

This question once again stumped Lu Luo, who now had no idea how to respond to Gu Tianfeng.

"That's a separate issue..."

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Surely you don't think one life is worth less than ten, do you? Life should never be measured by quantity. Indeed, from the perspective of the state, looking after the majority is essential, but have you ever thought about what 'the majority' really means?"

Gu Tianfeng's words made Lu Luo feel a sense of unease.

"What do you mean, Senior?"

"That woman Nolan is an Eighth Order master. You're aware of that, aren't you?"

"I am. What about it?"

"Since she's an Eighth Order master, her combat strength isn't as poor as you imagine. An Eighth Order human, even faced with a powerful Angel Envoy, would still have the means to resist. She might not be able to defeat an Angel Envoy, but that doesn't mean she can't resist. If she can resist, why not let her do so? If the Angel Envoy hidden in the Imperial Palace really makes a move against Nolan, they would inevitably expose themselves. Their abilities and strength would be exposed to the Inspection Department. They won't be able to hide or escape any longer. Dealing with them then would be far more effective than searching aimlessly like a headless fly now, wouldn't it? In fact, this is the most effective approach, as the only sacrifice would be a single Eighth Order individual. Sacrificing one Nolan to eliminate one Angel Envoy significantly reduces the chance of numerous ordinary people dying. Don't you think this is a worthwhile trade? After all, Lu Luo, you too are someone who likes to measure things by the quantity of lives. My approach would save more lives than yours."

Gu Tianfeng's argument, his way of doing things... Something is subconsciously wrong with this, Lu Luo felt, but upon closer consideration, it seems to have a shred of reason. Gu Tianfeng's method would indeed prevent more deaths. But the way he talks about saving lives... It makes it sound as if he considers lives as mere goods, items with a quantity, Lu Luo thought.

"Senior, your thoughts are just as legendary as they say!"

"Oh? There are many legends about me. Which one are you referring to?"

Lu Luo pondered for a moment, considering how to regain control of the conversation. The dialogue with Gu Tianfeng was like a duel. This man, who seemed almost neurotic, had to be handled with care.

"There is a rumor that you are a very unique individual, that you uphold a might-makes-right principle. You look down on everyone, considering only Transcendents to be human, and the Gifted to be Transcendents. As for ordinary people without talent, in your eyes, they're no different from beasts. Is that really true?"

"Though somewhat skewed, that statement is generally correct!"

"What's skewed about it?"

"Ha ha ha, the skewed part is that ordinary humans are probably worse than beasts. They are less useful than livestock, which can at least provide sustenance for humans."

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes slightly. Is this really his line of thought? he wondered. No matter how you look at it, such thinking is too extreme for me.

"I don't think so. I believe that everyone is born with meaning. Every life has meaning."

"Stop playing the saint here, Lu Luo. You simply don't understand the purpose of human existence. Humans are creatures abandoned by this world, or rather, humanity itself is at enmity with the world as a whole. Human development and survival require a vast amount of resources, and ordinary people waste most of them. Those without talent possess inherently flawed genes; they have no evolutionary path. Even if they were exposed to energy radiation, they're more likely to become Aberrations than Transcendents. That's the difference between them and the new humans. Do you get it, Lu Luo? Many of these so-called ordinary people are the culprits behind this country's ruin. They have wasted too many resources, ultimately leading to the resentment of the World's Heart. The birth of the Angel Envoys is due to the vast numbers of ordinary people."

This was the second time Gu Tianfeng had brought up the 'World's Heart,' and also its resentment towards humanity! Lu Luo was a quick thinker, and this information immediately led him to connect many dots. Why the Empire turns a blind eye to many conflicts. Why doesn't the Inspection Department eradicate all the Aberrations within its territory! And the smart machine crisis! Why has the smart machine crisis never been taken seriously... So, that's the reason for everything!

"You want the population to decrease?"

"Precisely. The masses are ignorant; they don't understand the devastation that overpopulation has brought upon this world. The more people there are, the more diluted the extraction of Dark Energy becomes. If the Empire's population were halved, the number of Eighth Order experts would correspondingly increase by half. The number of Eighth Order experts directly affects the outcome of humanity's decisive battle with the Angel Envoys. It can be said that all of this stems from humanity's overconsumption of the world's resources. Initially, the world's resources were constant. But the emergence of humans broke that balance. At first, there were no major issues. But by the middle period, the world's will could no longer tolerate humanity. Thus, energy was drawn from the void, leading to the creation of the Angel Envoys. Otherwise, why do you think humans would actively create something like the smart machine heart?"

Lu Luo was left speechless by the question. About the smart machine heart, Noah told me! This thing was indeed created by humans... At the time, I couldn't understand why humans would create something that persecutes humanity!

When the smart machine crisis erupted, ordinary people were the first to be hit hard. Because smart-devices are things ordinary people can use, and ordinary people have no way to resist the slaughter by these smart machines. So, after the smart machine crisis erupted, whole swaths of ordinary people died. Even in the Inner Ring, the death toll exceeded 50% of the population. Back then, the Fourth Ring became scorched earth. Smart machines counterattacked the Inner Ring, almost eradicating the Wasteland Alliance. Ultimately, it was the power of the Dawn Disc that repelled the smart machines. These past events are all meticulously recorded in the annals of history. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

So... the smart machine heart was created to eliminate ordinary people! Lu Luo realized.

"Do you understand now? Our predecessors foresaw this. They recognized the danger posed by the existence of ordinary humans. That's why they created the smart machine heart. The smart machine heart is really just a more palatable term. Ancient humans had many, many ways to eliminate ordinary humans. Choosing the smart machine heart was merely a way to make the matter appear somewhat more respectable. Ordinary humans will never know this secret! They will only praise the Transcendents who repelled the smart machines and worship the strong. This is the ultimate outcome. Do you understand?"

Lu Luo fell silent once more. The reason, the outcome... I truly find it somewhat unacceptable. It's laughable that I previously planned to use the smart machine heart as my trump card! I was ready to use it to threaten Gu Tianfeng, yet to think… my hand has been completely seen through! This bizarre person in front of me seems to know everything!

"Senior knows so much!"

"These things are all written in books. I've simply read more of them than you, so I understand more. So, do you still plan to use the smart machine heart to threaten me?"

Lu Luo swallowed hard. Facing Gu Tianfeng, his every word was dictated by the other's rhythm. This is too passive!

Lu Luo took a deep breath and slowly walked up to Gu Tianfeng. "But I think, Senior, you still need to help the Empire."

"Why? Give me a reason."

"Because the Angel Envoys are too powerful. You can't handle them alone!"

Lu Luo's determination caused Gu Tianfeng to nod slightly. He looked at Lu Luo with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. He didn't pursue the topic, instead asking, "Has Bai Qingshuang awakened the Truth Disc?"

"Huh? She has," Lu Luo said truthfully.

"Then after her death, did you bring back the Truth Disc?"

Lu Luo frowned. If he knows about the Truth Disc, does he also know about the Doomsday Disc?

"No. When the Judgment Chief disappeared, her belongings vanished with her. The Dawn Disc disappeared along with them."

Lu Luo concealed the news about the fragment of the Dawn Disc. Once I get back, perhaps I can still find a way to reassemble it. In my heart, the Dawn Disc already belongs to Qi Xinzhu. Since it belongs to Qi Xinzhu, naturally, no one else is allowed to touch it. After all, it's my wife's possession!

"Heh, I know what you are hiding, but those things no longer hold meaning for me. Alright, I am aware of what you've said. Do you have anything else to tell me? If not, please leave. I initially summoned you to reprimand you. I didn't expect your connection to Bai Qingshuang; that's somewhat surprising. Given your relationship with Bai Qingshuang, I'll say no more."

Gu Tianfeng waved his hand dismissively, signaling Lu Luo to leave.

But at this moment, Lu Luo was still somewhat reluctant. The purpose of my visit today seems to have been unfulfilled. But now, I no longer have a reason to stay! Lu Luo was still a bit conflicted. If I leave now, what will happen to Lady Nolan in the Imperial Palace? I don't understand much about Lady Nolan's past. Nor am I clear about how many innocents she previously slaughtered. But our previous agreement… Lu Luo's thoughts were in complete disarray; he didn't know what to do. The situation is completely out of my control! This loss of control made him somewhat frantic!

"Okay, I understand."

Taking a deep breath, Lu Luo slowly exited the room.

Watching Lu Luo leave, Gu Tianfeng also let out a sigh.

"The one you chose... seems decent enough!" he murmured, seemingly to himself, yet also as if speaking to someone specific. However, the underground room was, at that moment, undeniably empty.