Note: This is the start of the rough draft. We'd appreciate it if you would wait for this volume and all the others to be updated. But if you choose to continue reading, the word "Crimson Gaze" is eventually called "Tamashii."
Striding in high heels through the corridors of Elysium's HQ was none other than Dr. Kapoor.
Her mind was firm on the task ahead as she approached a door that led her into a room dominated by seven white vertical pods. Monitors lined the walls, displaying data and fluctuating waveforms that reflected the states of the subjects contained within.
Around the pods, scientists in lab coats hovered over their computers.
Dr. Kapoor walked along the second-floor railing, surveying her team with a keen eye until suddenly, a plastic water bottle clattered to the ground and rolled beneath one of the pods, disrupting the cadence of the lab.
Dr. Kapoor's rage flared in her chest.
"You clumsy fool!" she barked. The scientist who dropped it froze. "Do you have any idea how crucial this experiment is?"
"I—I'm terribly sorry, doctor—!"
"Get out of my sight! Now!"
The scientist cried her way out of the room while her colleagues quickly retreated into their workspaces.
With that incident behind her, Dr. Kapoor walked toward a glass door with a plaque that read "Ursula Von Der Leyen III". This room belonged to the CEO of Elysium, a dominant woman known for her exacting standards.
When Dr. Kapoor rapped firmly on the door, her eye was scanned by the retinal display.
"Doctor Adaline Kapoor authorized," a robotic voice intoned.
Upon entering, she found herself in a space that exuded authority: sleek furnishings and an impressive display of plants. Ursula sat behind an immaculate desk, perfectly framed by high-tech gadgets.
"Mrs. Leyen," the doctor greeted, watching Ursula sip her mug.
"Adaline... We're both busy, so I'll cut to the chase. How's the experiment going?"
"The participants are stable. Vitals are all within acceptable ranges—Ms. Schmidt, Mr. Rodriguez, Miss Dubois, Ms. Campbell, Mr. Reza, and Mr. Bennett haven't deviated from anything abnormal."
At the mention of Arthur's name, Ursula's expression shifted. "Is that all...?"
"No, ma'am. Mr. Bennett triggered the death response."
Ursula slammed her palm on her desk and stood up. "What?!"
Dr. Kapoor had to choose her words carefully. "He's still alive. His heart only stopped for a moment, which the system couldn't differentiate."
That made Ursula calm down as she slowly sat back into her chair.
"If I may," Dr. Kapoor wondered.
"Yes..."
"What is so special about him compared to the others, like your son?"
Ursula smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "Adaline... As you know, Arthur's a Christian. You're also the one that found him, to which I'm grateful."
"I see..."
Ursula rolled her eyes but seemed entertained by Dr. Kapoor's inability to grasp what that meant. "If you're so curious, you can read his file."
The folder was simple, but Dr. Kapoor felt anxious as she opened it. Inside, she found Arthur's photo in front of various documents attached to a paperclip. And as she read through the details, her heartbeat quickened.
"Mr. Bennett's IQ is measured at 190…?! And his brain waves—they've been steadily increasing. Are you telling me the others aren't the same?"
Ursula's smile faltered. "No… None of the others have matched his results without outside assistance." A drop of sweat trickled down Dr. Kapoor's face as Ursula continued, "I was ready to unplug one of them after seeing this report. What was that German girl's name again?"
"Ms. Schmidt," the doctor answered. "But since when did Mr. Bennett's IQ—"
"—From the time he escaped that prison..."
When Ursula made that statement, the doctor finally understood its implications: the longer Arthur stood inside, the more he was growing. The scientific term for this was known as 'affective modulation', while the Christian term was 'spiritual enlightenment.'
A chill settled over Dr. Kapoor. "What happens if he goes past 200?"
"Who knows?" Ursula mused. "He might live or he might die; it'll be a good test of his faith."
The doctor didn't like that answer. Ursula truly was a devil, playing with the lives of others in the name of science. She herself was no better since she was participating in this act.
Ursula studied Dr. Kapoor's features, seeming to know what she was thinking.
"Adaline," she began, "remind me again what Arthur's been through."
It didn't take much time for the doctor to explain.
From the moment Arthur had arrived in the ninja world, he had escaped prison, slaughtered an entire species of supernatural primates, and single-handedly took over an entire country. Last the doctor recalled, he was currently hosting a tournament with the finals underway.
"Would you like to know how all this is possible for one man to achieve?" Ursula asked.
"Is it his Christian faith?"
"Some might think so, but I believe it has to do with the Milo Stanfield theory..."
"I'm sorry?"
"Milo Stanfield, a man stated to manipulate an entire situation with a single ballpoint pen—setting off a chain of events leading to someone else's demise without ever being detected." That was definitely eye-catching for just a single pen. "To achieve that, he manipulates over one hundred twenty variables of differential equations, resulting in outcomes that are mathematically impossible to solve."
"So you believe Mr. Bennett can achieve levels of manipulation similar to this 'Milo Stanfield'?"
"Imagine," Ursula continued, leaning closer with a grin. "Let's say that someone, like William, decided to hunt Arthur. Arthur would predict this long before William or anyone else could consider it. And if William anticipated what he thought Arthur knew, Arthur would predict what William predicted, spawning an infinite loop of predictions that only Arthur would know what the final outcome would be."
Dr. Kapoor's eyes widened as she grasped the implications. "Mr. Bennett becomes invincible then…"
"Exactly! But..." Ursula's grin faltered. "That's only if he's aware of what Mr. William can and can't do."
That meant Arthur wasn't invincible. At least if he didn't always stay ahead of everyone else.
"What do you think, Adaline?"
"To be quite honest, ma'am... I've never seen or heard anything like this until today. Don't you think his mind might fall back?"
An abrupt laughter came from Ursula. "You mean regress? Goodness, Adaline. This isn't some playground where I'd just spill water over those pods."
Dr. Kapoor let out a chuckle as a trickle of sweat dripped down her face. Suddenly, crack! The chuckle died in her throat after Ursula hurled a mug at the wall.
"You know this well, Adaline... I won't tolerate any failures! See that no mistakes are made on your end either."
"O-of course," Dr. Kapoor managed. "I... I greatly apologize, ma'am."
An uncomfortable weight fell on her shoulders. She had wanted a calm meeting, but what was she to expect from the boss of the world's greatest tech giant?