Meanwhile…
While Tarun was facing his big sister…
At the same time…
Inside a large conference hall.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Seated at the front were Army general Kotu, Scientist Gampal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Panirao. In front of them sat dozens of reporters from across the country.
The conference began.
General Kotu adjusted the microphone before speaking.
"So… ahem… we recovered a great deal of evidence from the secret laboratory. Aside from several unknown mutant monsters, we also discovered human slaves, illegal grugs, and numerous unidentified chemical substances."
As he spoke, images from the laboratory appeared on the large screen behind him.
The reporters hurriedly wrote everything down.
Kotu continued.
"In addition to that, we discovered several underground chambers hidden beneath the laboratory. Those rooms were used to imprison human test subjects after experiments had been conducted on them. Many of those people were already dead. Some were still alive… …but they were so weak that they looked as though they could die from a single touch. They were immediately transferred to nearby hospitals. And besides that…"
General Kotu paused.
The room fell silent.
Every time he mentioned a new discovery, photographs and videos appeared on the screen behind him.
After several seconds of silence…
Chief minister Panirao gently placed a hand on Kotu's shoulder, silently telling him to reveal everything.
Kotu nodded.
"I don't think we should hide anything from the people of India. Especially if this could become a major threat in the future."
Before he could continue, one of the reporters raised his hand.
"Then what exactly is it that you're hesitating to tell us, General Kotu?"
Kotu looked toward him.
"The truth is… we found something besides those human test subjects. …Humans that can no longer be called human. Their consciousness was completely gone. But just by looking at them… …you could tell they possessed terrifying physical strength. I'll never forget that scene for as long as I live."
The screen switched again.
Several muscular humans sat motionless on the ground.
Their mouths hung open.
Their eyes were wide open.
They weren't dead…
Yet they didn't look alive either.
It was as if someone had removed the batteries from a machine.
The entire conference room became silent.
Kotu slowly exhaled.
"That's all the information I have. From here onward, scientist Gampal will explain everything.:
He stepped back. The scientist Gampal stood up.
"We've already completed the preliminary investigation. And we've confirmed that those mutant monsters were originally ordinary animals. They became what they are after undergoing numerous experiments"
The screen displayed mutated lizards…
Mutated rats…
And several other abnormal creatures.
"The shocking part is… except for the first four or five failures… …almost every experiment afterward was successful. We still don't know whether these mutant creatures are naturally hostile. But one thing is certain. Even a single one of them cannot be left unattended. If one escaped… …it wouldn't take long before an entire city was destroyed."
The atmosphere inside the conference room instantly became tense.
Gampal continued.
"The chemicals used during these experiments have never been seen before. They don't match anything recorded in modern science."
The screen displayed several strange blue and crimson chemical samples.
The reporters stared at them nervously.
"When we analyzed those substances… …we discovered something unbelievable. They contain an entirely new type of element. An element that has never been discovered anywhere on earth. For now… …our research team has given it the code name H7UI. you may simply call it… …HILDA."
The room exploded into chaos.
"What?!"
"A completely new element?!"
"Impossible!"
Whispers spread throughout the conference hall.
One reporter immediately stood up.
"So you're saying this material came from outer space?"
Another quickly followed.
"Does that mean there are planets where this material naturally exists?"
Another spoke.
"And why has nobody discovered it until now?"
The room became noisy.
General Kotu raised his hand.
"Please remain calm. All of your questions will be answered."
Scientist Gampal nodded.
"First… yes. We believe this material came from somewhere in out space. However, we cannot determine whether it originated from a planet… …or from a meteorite. As for why nobody discovered it… I cannot give a definite answer. It's possible that it landed somewhere near the scientists who were conducting these experiments. Beyond that… …I have no reliable theory."
He paused.
"But there is one thing I can say with certainty. HILDA is currently the strongest material ever discovered. And not only that… …it's also incredibly useful."
The screen displayed a strange crystal.
It resembled a rough stone with blue and crimson patterns flowing across its surface.
Scientist Gampal continued.
"It is harder than obsidian. The bacteria living inside this material appear capable of eliminating illnesses such as cancer and brain tumors. In addition… consuming just one spoonful every day significantly increases physical strength."
The reporters were already stunned.
The Gampal revealed another shocking fact.
"But the most unbelievable discovery is… this isn't actually an ordinary mineral. It's a living material. It can be cultivated. It grows. Just like vegetables. One sample can become many. So there's virtually no risk of it running out. That also explains why the laboratory possessed such an enormous quantity."
Silence filled the room once again.
After several seconds…
Scientist Gampal continued.
"We also confirmed that the same HILDA material had been injected into those human test subjects. They were forced to absorb extremely large quantities. Some died instantly. Others survived for several hours before dying. And a few… …lost their consciousness entirely."
General Kotu suddenly added,
"And that's not all. HILDA has also been sold illegally throughout India and several foreign countries as part of experimental drugs. Our investigation suggests this has continued for nearly three years. So it's reasonable to assume… …that HILDA arrived on Earth approximately three years ago."
The conference hall once again became noisy.
"Thee years…?"
"It remained hidden for that long?"
"How did nobody notice?"
Then someone suddenly asked,
"What about Aura Man? Could he be connected to this HILDA material?"
Another reporter immediately added,
"Maybe he's the one who brought it to Earth."
"No. I think he consumed HILDA. That would explain his powers."
"So if someone eats HILDA… …can they obtain abilities like Aura Man?"
Scientist Gampal calmly shook his head.
"No. That's impossible. Hilda only enhances Physical strength. If someone absorbs too much… …they'll most likely end up like those human test subjects."
Only then did chief minister Panirao finally speak.
"As far as we currently know… the only connection between Aura Man and HILDA… Have …is that he helped us uncover both this material and the criminals responsible for it. I'm sure all of you have already heard the announcement. Our respected Prime Minister wished to personally honor Aura Man. You could consider it a special commendation… …similar to the awards given to soldiers or police officers for extraordinary bravery."
The conference room became silent.
Everyone still had countless questions.
But none of them had answers.
Only one name remained in everyone's mind.
Aura Man.
The reporters wanted to ask more questions.
Unfortunately…
Nobody present could answer them.
After a brief silence….
Chief minister Panirao stood up.
"For the time being… India will use HILDA for the nation's development. With its help… India has the potential to rise from fourth place… …to second… …or perhaps even first."
With those final words…
Panirao left the conference hall.
General Kotu and scientist Gampal followed behind him.
The press conference came to an end.
World background
In this world, India experienced far fewer British invasions than in real history.
As a result, Pakistan never separated from India and remains one of its states.
Because History changed, great figures such as Mahatma Gandhi Ji and Bhagat Singh Ji were never born.
Likewise, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal do not exist as independent countries in this world. They are also states within India.
Because of this alternate history, India is currently ranked 4th in the world-not only in population, but also in technology, government, religion, and national cleanliness.