The Martial Unity

It wasn’t long before Rui was discharged from the clinic after a final check-up. “What do you intend to do now?” Master Ceeran inquired. “If you’re free, then you might as well get your grade tested. I’m sure that there are many Martial Artists who would be willing to help you understand where you stand.”

Rui shook his head. “Grade evaluation is not at the top of my priority list at the moment. I have some important things to tend to.”

After bidding his friend goodbye, he surged back to the Royal Palace at top speed.

It had been more than twenty-four hours since the Divine Doctor had left.

“If I’m not wrong…”

Then, he had most likely returned. He surged to the medical wing of the Royal Palace, showing his Kandrian amulet to all the security in place as he headed to his father’s vast medical room.

CLACK He walked in, finding a familiar man arguing with Sage Sayfeel.

“…I must strongly insist that you hand over the specimen for treatment—” He paused, turning to face Rui. “Aha, well well, if it isn’t the deluded inheritor.”

He was far younger than Rui last saw him.

He was also a different person.

He was a little taller, with facial features that weren’t entirely identical to the man that Rui had known.

Yet Rui would recognize the inhuman clinical curiosity in his and the frozen smile on his face anywhere.

“Doctor Kar…?” He murmured cautiously.

“This is my latest vessel, you see.” His tone inflections were identical to those of the man with whom Rui had been familiar. “My previous one was getting old and inefficient, so I decided it was best to switch to a fresher vessel.”

He looked even younger than Rui.

“…I see.” Rui’s tone was grave.

He didn’t like what he was seeing. It only made his uncertainty about himself even greater.

“Now then,” the man urged. “Tell this oaf of a Martial Sage to hand over the specimen to me right now!”

Rui furrowed his eyebrows. “You do recall that I own it, right?”

“Yes, yes, but we agreed that I would get access to it in exchange for even more contributions.”

Rui shrugged. “I’ve already procured your services in exchange for prophecy and the Elder Tree network. What else do you have to contribute to me or the empire?”

His gaze grew pointed as a single remark escaped him.

“I am the Divine Doctor, little inheritor,” he remarked. “I have the power to change human civilization if I put my mind to it. In regards to the alien specimen, I know what your intentions with it are, and only I can make them possible; that is contribution enough, and you know it.”

Rui had to admit, he had a powerful point there. Without the Divine Doctor aiding them, Rui didn’t think it was possible for the Kandrian Empire to tame the alien lifeform without harming it in the process.

Only the Divine Doctor possessed the ability to do so.

Rui heaved a sigh, turning to Sage Sayfeel, nodding.

The man nonchalantly handed over the little orb to the doctor, who held it like it was sacred.

“I need a laboratory immediately,” the man remarked. “Quick, we don’t have time to waste.”

“Come with me.” Rui turned around after taking one last look at his father before leaving with the Divine Doctor. “I need the best of what you have to offer,” the Divine Doctor insisted, holding the orb reverently. “As much space, state of the art technology, and absolute secrecy and privacy.”

“Relax, I know just the place.” Rui calmly assured him.

BADUMP!

He activated his Heart and Mind, activating Greater Phantomind Void as he dragged the Divine Doctor by manipulating heaven.

It wasn’t too long before he arrived at an enormous research complex in Vargard stretching over many acres of land, with extremely high security.

There was an enormous board featuring the location.

[Kandrian Institute of Biotechnology]

It was a facility that fell under the control and management of the Ministry of Research and Development.

A ministry that was very much a part of his faction.

Essentially, he might as well have owned the entire place and could do whatever with it if he truly wanted.

A single flash of his royal amulet and confirmation of his identity was enough to breeze through all the security protocols.

“Your Highness.” The director of the institute kneeled before the Void Prince of the Kandrian Empire. “It is truly an honor to meet the vaunted Final Prince—”

“—Your loyalty is deeply appreciated,” Rui impatiently interjected. “I need a state-of-the-art research laboratory with an isolated environment chamber system and all cutting-edge esoteric technological instruments and artifacts right now.”

It wasn’t long before Rui and the Divine Doctor found themselves exactly where they wanted to be.

“Finally!” The Divine Doctor ecstatically exclaimed. “You cannot imagine how long I have waited for this!”

The two men stared at the glowing white flora lifeform contained within an isolated environment that the doctor carefully manipulated.

Taking a close look at it for the second time gave Rui an appreciation of the sheer significance of what he was looking at.

An alien lifeform revolutionized their perspective of the universe.

It was the answer to ‘Are we alone in the universe?’

Not even Rui could be certain despite coming from another world.

Last time, he didn’t get to appreciate the sheer significance of what the alien lifeform represented because he had been blindsided by the revelation of his ‘reincarnation.’

But now that he finally got to focus on what he saw, he couldn’t help but lose himself observing it.

It shined white light despite being transparent. It was an ephemeral existence.

A creature unlike anything else he had ever seen in his life.

Its beauty was ineffable.

It was captivating.

Hypnotizing.

“It uses visual signals to hypnotize,” the Divine Doctor broke him out of his reverie. “That’s part of how it hypnotized all the creatures in the Mellow Dungeon.”

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