Mark was completely stunned, watching as the three familiar people walked through the marble floor making Mark's world crumble.
The three individuals were none other than Mark's supposedly deceased parents and his fiancé. His father, Clark and his mother, Malinda both walked calmly, showing no trace of ever suffering from alien forces.
But the most impactful of the three was the young girl looking the same age as Mark.
The young girl walked with poised steps, her curves presented in a charming stance. Her violet hair cascading down her shoulders, her attire in an advanced style and her similar eyes looked at everyone with a proud look that made everyone feel beneath her.
Everyone recognized the girl. It was none other than the daughter of the Starlight Family, one of the renowned families on par with the same rank as the Starmaker Family, Evelyn Starlight.
Along with all the government and military officials, the members of the two families involved were shocked and glanced slightly at the crystalline orb with a hint of suspicion growing in their heart.
The three individuals who stood in front of everyone were reported to have perished in an enemy race invasion, their deaths being confirmed by the Goddess herself.
So, how are they standing here completely unharmed as if they never left the safe zone at all?
Mark looked at the three of them with red eyes and deep emotions churning in his heart. He was happy to see them alive and safe… But he also felt sad after the brief moment of realization.
He definitely wasn't stupid. His intelligence and critical thinking are only second to the goddess herself and nobody else in the entire Human Race. So he quickly understood that… he had been betrayed, by none other than the people he loved and cared for the most.
Others who also realized the truth of the situation began whispering as it filled the grand hall.
Tears poured out of his eyes as he asked, his voice hoarse with sadness, "Why…"
"tsk. tsk. tsk… If only you did what you were supposed to do, none of this would've happened." A clear voice rang out drawing everyone's gaze to it.
Where an enigmatic figure of a beautiful woman could be seen sitting on the seat of the Goddess. Her long green hairs slid down her back to scatter around the marble floor. Her golden robe gave out an elegant charm out of this world.
She stood up to get close to the railing, looking at Mark's emotional figure with an air of superiority. A smile tugged at her lips as she said, "'Why?' you ask. Then I'll be honest; we wanted the 'S.A.L.C' (Second Artificial Life Creator) technology that you had developed some years ago."
A mocking laugh escaped his lips as realization dawned at him. "So… You wanted me to improve the 'SALC' so that it could revive even Humans, not just Pet Beasts."
Her smile grew wider as she admitted, "Indeed. The 'SALC' you developed previously could revive any unintelligent beast by creating a hollow backup body beforehand. With 'SALC', our military beast tamers have gained a boost in strength, making the beasts unafraid of death.
They can now take risks and go on dangerous missions without backing down. But…"
Her eyes narrowed, "Just the survival of the beast is not enough without ensuring the tamer's survival. Not only that, if you can improve the 'SALC' to revive humans, we can utilize our strongest forces by actively sending them on missions. The overall might of the Humans will gain a tremendous leap with them being unafraid of death."
Everyone who was present at the day Mark showcased the SALC were stunned. At that time, the higher ups tried to convince Mark to improve SALC, but he expressed that the human soul is much more complicated to anchor at another body, making it a thousand times more difficult to pull off than a beast with a very simple soul.
"The reason we acted this entire play was so that you, who didn't implanted 'EAC' (Emotion Abandonment Chip) would be filled with grief. Within your grief, we could've convinced you to improve SALC." She continued
Mark was completely speechless. Eventually, he asked the question that was bugging him till now, "Why me? Yes, I developed SALC and could've improved it regardless of the difficulty. But I still lack the vast expanse of knowledge you, an actual deity possess.
With SALC as the prototype, you also could've easily developed the advanced version of 'SALC'. Maybe much better quality and at a faster pace than me. So why do all this just to make me do what you can also do with much ease?"
The latter chuckled with amusement. Her eyes narrowed as she replied, "Oh, you're overestimating me a little, boy. Indeed I can do everything you just mentioned. But…" Her eyes turned darker as she continued.
"But remember, I was born by the will of this Universe. And so, I and others have to abide by its rules. Revival is one of the taboos the universe doesn't tolerate from a god such as me.
Your Technology isn't considered a complete revival, which is why it is still functioning properly. Even if you create a technology to revive humans, you won't face any punishment from the heavens. On the other hand I, as a deity, will be punished severely by the heavens if I'm involved even a little in its development process."
Everyone in the grand hall fell silent. It was the first time in five hundred years that the goddess has admitted to her powerlessness regarding something.
"Oh, just to let you know that the entire idea of their fake death was actually suggested by your lovely fiancé. I thought her plan would be a success but I guess even she doesn't know you that well." The Goddess said, making everyone shocked to their core.
They had witnessed the young couples bond from when they were only toddlers. So, it was not unexpected for them to be shocked.
In the vast marble floor, Evelyn's figure tensed and her brow knitted together as she sensed Mark's intense gaze on her.
To be continued…