The black sun hangs high

Chapter 250 Proposal of Emergency Measures
Hughes became "father".

Of course, this is not the "father" in the conventional context.

An hour after the first experiment ended, he returned to the laboratory and met the strange being who regarded him as a "family member".

Still unable to shake off its status as an experimental sample and still bound within the magical container, the jet-black liquid mass was now trembling slowly at a faint frequency. It was clearly in a dormant state, but even so, it seemed to be able to sense Hugh's arrival, so the jet-black viscous gel began to tremble gently as Hugh approached.

"Was the experiment... a success?"

"It doesn't count."

Justina stood beside Hugh, holding an experimental logbook in her hand, her gaze fixed on the black shadow inside the experimental container: "According to the initial examination, it is no longer the same as those monsters... Although the magic frequency and properties of the two are similar, there are also fundamental differences. We probably cannot regard it as the same kind as those monsters. It is now more like a new species born under human intervention."

To Hugh's surprise, Justina lost her initial enthusiasm when faced with this astonishing progress, which was absolutely remarkable in the entire magical world. She even seemed somewhat disappointed, clearly because the changes in the offspring before her did not meet her expectations.

"According to the original plan, we hoped to obtain a special individual that was basically the same as those monsters, rather than a new species that was completely different from them... Given the current situation, we probably have no way to put it back into its original group. In the eyes of those monsters, it is probably not one of their own kind, but just some kind of food that resembles itself."

At this point, Justina adjusted her demeanor slightly: "However, for us, this can be considered as taking the most important first step. Although the process was bumpy and filled with some 'unknown factors' that we could not control, the result at least shows that human beings can indeed exert influence on these monsters. It's just that the specific procedures and methods still need to be further adjusted."

Hughes nodded slightly.

This is the attitude a legal committee scholar should have when facing a difficult problem. If Justine and others become discouraged because of this first attempt, then Hugh's evaluation of them will probably drop significantly.

Regardless of what this experimental subject represents for Justina and the others, it holds extremely special significance for Hugh himself.

He could now clearly feel the subtle connection between himself and the Dark Abyss Spawn before him. When he tried to mobilize the magic within his body, the shadow imprisoned in the container before him also gave Hugh a faint response. This connection originated from the magic that Hugh "bestowed" upon it, forming a magical connection between the two that was almost like that between a spellcaster and a summoned creature.

Hugh stepped forward, raised his hand, and gently pressed it on the surface of the container. Sensing Hugh's action, the offspring also conjured a palm and slowly touched the inside.

It was still too weak. The "punishment" from the Dark Abyss Palace almost caused it to completely dissipate. Now, it can only barely survive by relying on a continuous supply of magic and alchemical potions.

Hugh withdrew his hand, moved his fingers to set up a soundproof spell, and then asked Justina, "What do you think this sample, which is currently in the container, is?"

"Ok?"

"What I mean is, in terms of its physical nature, it is similar to the monsters in the city, but it still retains a considerable amount of human memories and knowledge. If we successfully verify that it has indeed lost its hostility towards humans, then how should we deal with it?"

Hugh looked at Justina, who was deep in thought, and continued, "Or let's look at it another way. If one day, some of us, while retaining our own will and memories, become one of those monsters, do you think we should still call them our kind?"

Justina's eyes flickered slightly.

She turned her gaze to the container in front of her, where the black shadows were still slowly flickering. Because of the light and the colors of its contents, the surface of the container was exceptionally reflective, so Justina could clearly see her own face.

She lowered her head slightly, closed her eyes, and sighed.

“Mr. Ernst, my answer to your question is affirmative… I believe that as long as an individual retains a complete will and memory, then mere physical changes cannot truly alter their stance.”

"Is that really what you think?"

"May the goddess Mel bear witness, this is what I think."

After saying that, Justina turned around and walked out of the laboratory. As she walked, she said, "Sir, Hermit Genet and General Boots need you to attend a temporary meeting to discuss some action plans for the next step. We should also continue to prepare for the next experiment... Based on the experience of the first experiment, we will divide the samples into groups and verify and compare the subsequent samples... We believe that your involvement is not needed for the next few experiments."

"Is this to ensure the purity of the experimental results?"

"Yes, even if these samples containing human memories collapse on the spot for various reasons, we hope to obtain the results we need most from them."

After giving these instructions, Justina turned and went to arrange those matters without looking back, leaving Hugh alone with the experimental sample that was neither a success nor a failure.

Driven by intense curiosity, Hugh once again used the power granted to him by the Roots of Fate.

After the psychedelic colors flooded Hugh's eyes, a dilapidated laboratory immediately appeared before him. Just like the other scenes Hugh had seen before, this place was also in a sorry state due to its destruction, and most of the magical containers were severely damaged.

But strangely, Hugh couldn't see anything else.

In the illusion presented by the Roots of Destiny, the Dark Abyss offspring that had been modified by Hugh's own power did not appear. No matter how Hugh searched, he could not find any trace of it.

So Hughes sank into his own spiritual world, and the roots of destiny that sensed his arrival rose from the illusory pool. Hughes then directly asked his question: "In your past, have you ever encountered beings whose destiny could not be seen?"

Upon hearing this question, the roots in the magical pool stirred, constantly discussing and exchanging ideas with their kind using their combined power. After a moment, the root leader who had previously spoken face-to-face with Hugh came to the front and respectfully gave a rigorous answer on behalf of its people, compiled by the entire group.

"Master, since the beginning of our race, we have almost never seen an existence whose fate cannot be predicted."

The translucent roots twitched slightly, then it continued, "But as the kin and followers of the god of fate, we can also glimpse some special cases within his blessings." "For example?"

"For example, inanimate objects that have reached the end of their fate, or special creations that should not exist in this world at all."

Hughes frowned and repeated the two concepts, then asked, "Are there any other possibilities?"

"Have."

The leader of the Roots of Fate gave a very honest and direct answer.

But then it paused briefly before sending a message to Hugh: "The last possibility is those beings that we dare not and cannot discuss... They have no destiny, and even if they do, it is beyond our comprehension."

The Roots of Fate have made their point very clear, so the inanimate objects need no further explanation. The "last possibility" they mentioned should refer to the gods that existed in ancient times. Just as Theseus had warned them before, even though the Roots of Fate are special and possess amazing wisdom, they, as a kindred spirit, dare not casually utter the names of these gods or gossip about them behind their backs.

What struck Hugh as particularly meaningful was what they called "special creations that shouldn't exist in this world."

Hugh pressed for answers, but this time, the roots, which had been exceptionally good at speaking since "moving into" Hugh's mental world, suddenly became sluggish. They discussed it for a very long time before their representative finally gave an answer.

“Things that should have perished have not perished, and things that should not have been born have been forcibly born… This is the kind of existence we are talking about.”

The leader of the Roots of Fate carefully said, “Master, the defective product before you should belong to one of these categories. It should have perished completely because of its act of betrayal, but you used a special method to allow it to exist in the world in a special way… Now it is neither a member of the gods nor a natural creation of this world. It belongs only to you. You gave it new life, and it will belong only to you.”

"what do you mean……"

"You have become its supreme ruler, you are its current god, and it is the first... familiar that you created with your own hands."

……

Soon, as the subsequent experiments entered the preparation stage, even though Hugh had a high actual status in Seren, he had no choice but to leave the laboratory.

As he departed, the Dark Abyss offspring, with whom he shared a subtle connection, even used their bodies to conjure up a mutilated face and limbs, expressing reluctance and a desire to stay.

This performance further confirms the claims of the Roots of Destiny.

"I have a familia now?"

Hugh's mind was in a bit of a mess.

He was certainly self-aware. He knew very well that although his current power was enough to "run rampant" in most parts of Vaan, it was nothing compared to those truly ancient and terrifying threats. He preferred to believe that the special offspring of the Dark Abyss was a special case he had unintentionally created, rather than a clan that regarded him as a god and a believer.

This statement is so bizarre, it's as if he's elevating himself to the level of those lost gods.

When he arrived at the hall of the Legal Committee's residence, a message urgently delivered by Valery, a Legal Committee monk from outside the city, successfully distracted Hugh.

This is important intelligence that the Seren City Emergency Committee is unlikely to disclose to the city's residents.

For this intelligence, General Butz, the ruler of Iris Street, even went so far as to rush to the Legal Committee's headquarters overnight under the protection of mages.

In the intelligence, Hugh and his team saw a potential possibility that was very unfavorable to Seren City. Just as Hugh had guessed before, there were actually multiple different opinions on Seren City within this temporarily established emergency committee.

Among these opinions, some could be said to be extremely detrimental to the survivors in the city.

"This is the opinion put forward by the Highland Dharma Masters' Council!"

General Butz was a staunch Delian nationalist who had never been fond of the highland peoples or the many countries and organizations on the plateau. However, out of respect for Hugh, he dared not lash out outright. Instead, he spoke with a tone filled with rage: "Ah... these people, whether they are mages or not, always try to deal with problems in this brutal way. If they think the city is beyond redemption, then burn it down completely. If they think they can't fully understand the situation of the city's inhabitants, then kill them all! A bunch of barbarians!"

Faced with General Boots's anger and the silence of the Gent Hermit, Hugh quietly took the intelligence report and read it carefully and thoroughly.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the line that read, "The possibility of using extreme methods to completely wipe out Seren City cannot be ruled out," before Hughes looked up and asked, "When did you receive this intelligence?"

The Hermit Genet replied, "An hour and a half ago, Valery gave us some hints when he handed over the supplies today, so we adjusted the Eye of Mel's Arcane Instrument and successfully received this secret intelligence."

He then added, “Similar situations have indeed occurred in the past… In the Strait of Hein 640 years ago and in the Eastern Kingdom 430 years ago, there were special actions taken due to the severe wolf plague. In the face of magical plagues that could spread at any time, this was the most thorough and safest approach when there was no other choice.”

"Ok, I know."

Hughes nodded, then pointed to the text on the paper: “But you see, Valery emphasizes here that this proposal was urgently put forward by the Highland Council this afternoon within the committee… their previous attitude was not so intense.”

"This likely means that something unexpected happened not long ago, which is why they are behaving so aggressively and cautiously."

(End of this chapter)