The Systemic Lands
Chapter 184: Day 399 (8) – The End Of A Long Day With More To Come

“You really butchered hybrids, cooked, and fed people their meat?” I asked Doctor Katz. There was silence at this. I was honestly surprised the good doctor had gone so far and was curious how much further he would go.

“You think you are the only one pissed off about this! You think you have a monopoly on being angry!” he shouted and was breathing heavily. “Crystals and energy are physco and bodily reactive. It was the next logical step. I know you. If I hadn’t discovered this, and the Ritualist did. I wouldn’t be in charge of the research for long and this place would be a charnel house.” I didn’t know if he meant me killing him or killing people to eat them.

He took deep breath before continuing. “It won’t take long to figure out. I am only the herald of this disaster at best. This place and you did something I didn’t think possible. You made me hate myself.”

I nodded slowly at that before speaking up. “Do you know Doctor Katz that one of my early concerns was that killing people would give points. I was happy to be proven wrong, so long ago. Now it gets worse. Killing people for power is now possible. I didn’t want this, no matter what you may think.”

Clarissa spoke up, “We know at least. That is important. But getting people to get stats and then hybridizing them and then cooking them isn’t something an individual person can do easily. It would require an entire city working together.”

I shook my head. “Clarissa, don’t underestimate the depravity of people. I can easily see an individual person with this knowledge taking advantage of it. Doctor Katz, I have an idea how I want to proceed, but I would like to hear your thoughts first.”

I was asking him for the simple reason, was that my answer to this problem would be incredibly unpleasant. I was hoping the good doctor would finally earn his title in truth and show me a better way forward.

“Can you beat the Ritualist if your stats are even?” The good doctor asked. Now that was the question.

“It isn’t a matter of winning. But of catching him. Anywhere I stand I can win. I have no doubt of that. The problem is finding him. With this boost, he will be able to control more monsters. Higher level monsters. Only the full fight of Purgatory will be able to hold him off. As for winning, I am not sure. It will be a battle of tactics and strategy on a high level to pin him down and kill him,” I explained.

“I…I was against human test subjects. The amount of people that will need to be hybridized, will not be small. But I think we should not do anything with this knowledge. We hold it in reserve,” Doctor Katz said. I shook my head.

“That won’t work. It isn’t something that can be done in seconds like pillar stat upgrades. It will take days upon days is my guess. Am I right?” I asked.

“You are.” The good doctor sounded defeated.

“That is the problem. When we are under siege it will be too late to act with this knowledge then. Our survival paramount above any other consideration. Including our morality,” I said softly.

“So, mass executions and consumption?” the good doctor asked.

“No. Between doing nothing and going all in, there is a third option. We will form a small elite strike force. I would say five people. Invest in them and give them the best gear. The best training. An elite combat team. This will keep the knowledge contained and allow me to contain them if there are issues. Clarissa?” I wanted her opinion on this idea.

“It is possible. But, will we tell them?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes. Not the process. In fact, we will say that the meat is human flesh. Don’t sugar coat it claiming it is from hybrids. Also, that there are long term risks. Doctor Katz will handle the processing to create the meat. Have someone else work on enchanted gear. They will be our test bed for ideas of powering people up, but with knowledge of the risks, but not the process,” I explained.

“Then I should be able to arrange something. If Doctor Katz can butcher the hybrids then someone else can cook the meals to reduce the strain on his time and keep the knowledge contained to us three,” Clarissa went through the technical issues of implementing this idea.

“In fact, we can buy a building and set them up in their house. Keep the information contained. Also regular mental screenings like the summoners,” she finished laying out the basics.

“One of them should be a summoner as well for a well rounded team. This will be a huge investment. I want you to arrange five candidates for when I return. The Doctor, you, and myself will interview each member. Long term, I will take them with me to improve their combat abilities and teamwork,” I added.

“I will begin screening for people. Any specific requirements besides mental stability?” Clarissa asked.

“Only that they will die horribly. Let’s not sugar coat any of this. For the public, say experimental procedures to boost strength. Once we have our five we will offer the chance to them back out first before going into details. If we lose one or two that is fine,” I explained.

“Very well, Michael. I will make the arrangements,” Clarissa said.

“I suppose this is better than what it could be,” the good doctor said while looking down at the table.

“I know. I know. But even if reality is not what we want, we must deal with what is. There is no use crying about things long term.” I was still mad, but I had cooled. Smashing that chair had helped. “This is never going to be implemented on a wide scale. Even long term, I don’t think releasing this information to the Immortal Council is a good idea.”

“I must be honest. I would have thought you have jumped on this idea yourself?” The good doctor asked.

“It is a trap. You were right that the Almighty System implements safeguards on its processes. There is a cliff that people are going to fall off from consumption. I won’t take that risk. Human testing and drugs are for other people, I am not some two bit villain salivating over every shiny that passes in front of my eyes,” I explained.

“So, you admit it at least?” The Doctor asked.

“I am a person at the end of the day. I am not some person out to butcher people and eat them for the fun of it. Why else would someone like you be willing to work for me. You know any alternative that is softer or more naïve would be ripped apart. Anyone harsher would unleash a torrent of suffering. But out there.” I gestured towards the plaza through the wall of the conference room.

“The people can live and grow. Sure, that helps me at the end of the day. But if I wanted to be really evil, I would take the crystals meant for the city, for myself. To gain so much power, everyone else below me would be slaves. At the end of the day, I am romantic and hopeful for a better tomorrow.”

The good doctor and Clarissa were staring at me. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking. They probably thought I was insane. The simple fact was, that I could be gaining power much more rapidly if I took my boot and pressed it down on everyone’s necks. Then did the same for everywhere else.

Then I could force those cities to give me crystals to live, or I would kill them. Sure, there would be a few rounds of rebellion, but eventually I would be too powerful to resist or stand against. That was the optimal path to power. This consumption was just addition to that.

I had held off. Since the moment I went down that path, it would be a lonely path. A bloody path. While I hated working with others, I still held out hope that having a stable and productive city was the best path forward. Only time would tell if I was right.

“Anything else?” I asked. There was no response. “Then this meeting is over. I still want to discuss types. So, send in Elliot.”

“Very well, I will need to see to preparations for the discussions tomorrow,” Clarissa said.

“I will get him,” the good doctor said. They both left. I went over to a table along the wall and poured myself a cup of fruit flavored water. I took long drink and poured myself another cup. I needed something very strong after that last conversation.

A short time later as I went back to my seat, a nerdy looking man with wind tossed hair and glasses came into the room. “Elliot, Champion Michael. Champion Michael, this is Elliot in charge of crafting and working out the crystal types,” Doctor Katz introduced the man.

“It is an honor, Champion Michael,” Elliot said as he came over and held out his hand. I stared at him, and his smile slowly faded away and he lowered his hand. “In the future, you should not gesture at me. It could be considered a threat. Sit.” I gestured at the seat Clarissa had been sitting in before.

Elliot took his seat. “So, you have been monitoring crystal types. Tell me what you have discovered.”

“Um, alright, yes Champion Michael.” He clearly was nervous. Why did he even have glasses with the regenerations? That was annoying me. Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴ0velFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“So, crystal types are based on the coloration of the monster. But the effects of the monster can range. There is more range in certain categories, but I have only been able to examine a limited sub-set so far, since the fastest way to learn about crystal types is destructive testing,” Elliot explained.

“Go on,” I said and waved my hand.

“In addition, I have been testing crystal combinations. There has been limited progress and I am not ready to make any conclusions there yet. But I am beginning to work out a type chart. In addition higher level of a colored crystal are the same as an upgraded crystal from a lower level.”

“So, a crafting crystal from a level 2 monster is the same as four level 1 monsters of the same type?” I asked.

“Yes. Brown generates force. Blue is acid. Yellow is-“ I cut Elliot off.

“I know most of this. In fact, I have worked out several of the colors. What I want to know is there a type chart?” I asked

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“It is about combining crystals. I used four green crystals, from the level 1 green slimes, and four blue crystals from level 1 blue slimes. The result was a level 2 crafting crystal had the property of ice. Even then the properties may not be what is implied from their effects to the underlining mechanics,” Elliot explained.

“To work out the details, I would need a lot of crystals of all different types. Eventually I would be able to work out a type chart from the combinations. But I don’t even know the rules of combinations. Since when I used a ratio of five to three or the reverse of three to five of green crystals and blue crystals, I still ended up cold crystal.”

“Then when the ratio went beyond that, the resultant crystal types were of the primary used crystal for the combination process. Blue and brown crystals don’t produce anything, but they are consumed. Combining four green, two blue, two brown crystals, produced this, a void crystal.” He carefully pulled it out and set it on the table.

I reached out and carefully picked up the dark gray crystal. “Now, this is a result. Good job. Keep investigating. Is this public knowledge?” I asked.

“Um, no. Well. Doctor Katz said I should keep my mouth shut about any results I get.” I nodded at that. The good doctor was on top of things.

“While it isn’t a critical secret, we can’t let these results fall into enemy hands. Be careful with your research and make sure to keep the developed crystals like this secure. What does it do?” I asked.

“I haven’t tested it. The Processing Rod tells me it is a combined void crystal, but testing it safely, well the level 2 crystals are quite dangerous if activated improperly.”

“I will be interested in learning.” I set the void crystal back on the table in Elliot’s direction.

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