BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Uncle Benjamin took a step closer and stared into Erik's eyes, but the younger man couldn't see that because of the mask.

"If Lucius hadn't given you that biological supercomputer, wouldn't you have wished for a chance to gain another brain crystal power? With our technology, with the research we could have done if we'd gotten our hands on what your father stole... we could have changed the world. We could have given people like you a choice."

"The biological supercomputer, uh? You even know its name?"

"Of course we do. After all, that was our technology to begin with."

At those words, Erik started laughing. Laughing like he had never laughed before, laughing because of the irony.

"Your technology? So, we were actually right. The blackguards are the remnants of the Silver Line Corporation." freewebnσvel.cѳm

A tense silence fell between them.

"That's a name I didn't expect you to know. How do you know that?" Levium asked. The blackguards did everything they could to hide their relationship with the Silver Line Corporation. Yet Erik knew that name and drew a connection to the blackguards.

"I just stumbled somewhere and found something interesting to read."

But none of them said a word after that. Uncle Benjamin didn't because Erik wasn't supposed to know that, Erik because, despite the revelation, Levium's previous words struck a chord deep within him.

Erik found himself wondering.

What might have happened if he hadn't gotten the biological supercomputer? Would he have been tempted by the blackguards' offers? If the glass case holding the weird AI hadn't broken by accident, would he have given it to them? These thoughts troubled Erik, making him realize how close he had been to a very different life.

He thought about all the possible futures he could have had.

<The biological supercomputer changed everything. It gave me power but also helped me remain free from manipulation, free from having to obey others.>

Erik wasn't sure if he would have been strong enough to say no to the blackguards without it. It would have been a different history if he knew what the weird creature inside the glass did. But he couldn't see the future.

He knew that, in a different situation, because of the desperation, the hate, and the loneliness, he would have said yes. If nothing else, at least to get out of whatever predicament his father put him in.

At that point, would he have joined the blackguards, seduced by Uncle Benjamin's promises and lies?

Would he have become just another pawn in their twisted games, another soul sacrificed on the altar of their ambition?

The thought made him sick to his stomach. He shook his head, trying to banish the thoughts from his mind.

Luckily, things went differently. The biological supercomputer gave him the chance to stand for his own principles. The AI gave him the chance to make a choice.

"Erik, listen to me," Uncle Benjamin said, taking another step forward. "It's not too late. You can still come back from this and still do the right thing. Help us, work with us, and we can achieve great things together. We can change the world, make it a better place."

Erik looked at Uncle Benjamin. The promises of power and changing the world didn't tempt him at all, but he knew that someone else might have given up on their offer.

His mind was made up, and nothing could change it.

Erik was certain about who he was and what he believed in, and the last thing he wanted to be part of was an organization that wanted to control the world, that killed, kidnapped, tortured, and experimented on people behind the curtains.

An organization that hid the dust under the rug called justice. He had chosen his path already; he had chosen to antagonize the blackguards, and there was no going back.

Any doubts he might have had before were long gone. Instead, he felt sure of the choice he made. Erik gave a small, confident smile to Levium.

"There is no way for me to help anyway, and besides, after all you put me through, even at the cost of destroying the biological supercomputer, I would still say no."

Levium's face fell, a flicker of sadness crossing his features. He had genuinely hoped that Erik would see reason and join their cause. In his mind, he had envisioned a future where Erik's talents could be harnessed for what he believed was the greater good. The problem was, that wasn't possible.

The blackguards wanted to find out what the biological supercomputer exactly was. The organization was what remained of the Silver Line Corporation, but most of the specifics about the biological supercomputer had been lost on Mur.

That was the reason they were scouring the place. The blackguards were searching for their old labs, hoping to find the one where information about the AI was still present.

Since they didn't do that already, they were going to learn they would need to extract the AI from Erik, and that would lead to his death.

Levium didn't know that, and the blackguards didn't know that either. Yet, at least. For sure, though, both of them would stop at nothing to achieve their goal, whatever it was.

However, the rejection stung, not just as a tactical setback but as a personal disappointment. "I'm sorry to hear that, Erik," he said.

"I had hoped we could find a way to work together, to put the past behind us. But if this is the path you've chosen, then so be it. I won't go easy on you anymore."

"Like you did in Etrium?"

Uncle Benjamin didn't immediately reply.

"You know about that, too?"

Erik laughed. "Did you forget I had some fun time with Momentum? He sang like a bird."

"Momentum? Sing? Talk? I doubt it. You are lying."

"And yet I know about you being behind the ambush in Caelora City."

Erik's mention of the ambush in Caelora City clearly upset Levium. Even with his mask on,

Erik could tell the man was reconsidering a lot of things.

This information was supposed to be a secret, known only to a few top blackguards, especially considering that most of those implicated in the matter had been killed.

Besides, if Erik knew about Caelora City, what else did he know? What else did Momentum say

to the young man?

"That's because of some weird power you have. I'm sure about this, like I'm sure about the quality of the man you call Momentum."

Uncle Benjamin straightened up, his posture shifting into a combat stance. Around him, the blackguards and their allies tensed.

"I'll give you one last chance, Erik," Levium said, his voice cold and hard. "Surrender now, and I promise you'll be treated fairly. Resist, and we'll take you by force."

Erik laughed, a short, harsh bark of sound. "You know my answer," he said, his own body coiling like a spring. "Besides, what can you do? These are just 500 people, and I killed many more of them alone back in Frant."

The Chimaeric Demon behind him looked at the surrounding soldiers with a look of pure hatred and a will to kill.

"That? Those guys were just some new recruits, and they didn't have multiple brain crystal powers. Here, instead, we have de crème de la crème the world can offer, all equipped with Etrium's technology and Doran's brain crystals."

"It won't still be enough. 500 people are nothing to me."

Levium then laughed. "Ah, is this why you are so confident? Then let me show you how many

we really are."

Then, from windows, buildings, doors, cars, blackguards, and soldiers from various countries appeared. Levium smiled behind the mask.

"You see, Erik, I didn't bring just 500 people to deal with you. I'm not so stupid as to make the same mistake again. No, I brought an army."

As if to emphasize his point, Levium raised his hands in a grand gesture. Suddenly, a weird noise spread across the area.

It was weird, as if things snapped or got hit by something bigger. Then they appeared before him. Parked cars around the area rose from the ground, hovering in the air.

It wasn't just that; there were many other things around flying. Stones, chains, even bicycles.

<I almost forgot about that.>

Uncle Benjamin had an incredibly powerful variant of a telekinesis brain crystal power. This explained how he could fly, or better, levitate, and also explained his codename.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you this, Erik," Levium said. "Shade's brother wasn't the only one having

a parallel will kind of brain crystal power."

At that, Erik's eyes widened. "How do you know about Martin?"

"That? Once we learned you had all those powers, it wasn't hard to connect the dots about many things. Martin Hais, Nathaniel McConnell, Conal, Orson, and Logan. I remembered you talking about them sometimes. Even if you tried to hide it, a quick research about what was going on in your school, and everything became clear." "Well, you motherfucker. If you knew, why didn't you help?!"