The steam revolution and technological development in this world far surpass those of Wu Ming’s previous life.
The kinetic energy and efficiency of steam boilers are by no means inferior to internal combustion engines, and some technologies even blend scientific and fantastical elements.
Lucius did not express much surprise upon hearing Luther’s words, instead, he fell into thought: “Even gods fear it?”
“Yes… whether it can kill deities, we don’t know, but it can certainly destroy the world!”
Professor Luther said in a somber tone: “We citizens of the Federation are free. Even when facing difficult crises, at least we still have the freedom to choose destruction!”
Lucius immediately understood.
Perhaps that secret weapon could not kill gods or aliens, but it could definitely wipe out all life on Earth. Then, what use would a dead planet be to them?
This is the ultimate threat and trump card!
Even if I can’t beat you, I have the right to flip the table! At worst, we all perish together!
“Of course… all of this is under the worst-case scenario…”
Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Professor Luther quickly added: “Just by seeing that gods require proselytizing and need faith, we know they cannot do without us humans. The worst-case scenario likely won’t happen… and, you must believe in us. With technological advancement, our development will exceed your imagination!”
“I hope so!”
Lucius exhaled deeply.
He thought of the Reincarnation World. According to the novel, that existence did not seem to require faith at all.
…
Justin was a once-popular writer in the Crimson Clover Federation, who had once fallen into extreme poverty, though his current situation was not too bad.
In his heart, he carried a secret.
The creative concept for his previously published novel, “Reincarnation World,” had entirely come to him in dreams. Each time he wrote, it felt as if another person were using his hands to create.
This feeling both frightened and intrigued him, since the story seemed genuinely good.
Back then, when he could barely afford bread, he had no choice but to try his luck, sending the manuscript to a publishing house.
Unexpectedly, they immediately responded. A wealthy man had read his book and greatly enjoyed it, expressing interest in investing to publish it. It was like manna from heaven, and Justin accepted immediately.
Thus, with the publication of “Reincarnation World,” his life gradually improved, and now, monthly income from this alone was quite comfortable.
With purchases from many interested parties, especially reincarnators, “Reincarnation World” sold very well, and the publishing house was already preparing a second edition.
Everything was normal today as well.
Following his habit, Justin went for a half-hour morning jog after waking up, then went to a nearby café to drink coffee and eat pancakes while reading the latest newspaper.
“Werewolves appear!”
“The mystery of the Golden Oak Kingdom!”
“Ongoing coverage of the major case in Falcon City!”
…
Most of the headlines in the various newspapers were along these lines, prompting Justin to sneer: “Werewolves? What kind of joke is that? How could such things exist in the world?”
After the Golden Oak Kingdom incident, the impact of supernatural beings appearing on the general public’s worldview had finally spread to the Crimson Clover Federation.
However, most Federation citizens, proud and full of freedom, were not very convinced.
“Hmm, it could be adapted into a novel though—’Legend of the Werewolf’? That sounds like a good selling point!”
As Justin was daydreaming and brainstorming, a man in a trench coat suddenly sat across from him.
“This is my seat!”
Justin complained, glancing around. There were still many empty seats.
“I came specifically to find you!”
The man’s expression was serious, and his hooked nose gave Justin a bad feeling.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lucius, affiliated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation! Here is my identification!”
Since being assigned the title of assistant, Lucius had gained significant authority, easily forging credentials from other departments, and even if investigated, the documents would appear completely authentic.
“Federal Bureau of Investigation?”
Justin’s coffee cup trembled in his hand. If the Special Investigations Unit was an external agency, then the Bureau was an internal surveillance organization, known for its fearsome reputation.
“I’m a law-abiding taxpayer! I haven’t done anything that violates the Federation Constitution. What do you want with me?”
Justin was frustrated. In his opinion, he would have been more willing to deal with the tax bureau.
“Assisting in an investigation!”
Lucius lit a cigarette. “You know, I’ve been watching you for a long time… your birth, your resume, your driver’s license number, your bank account number, everything—I’ve studied them all no less than ten times!”
“You’re a pervert!”
Justin muttered, “What exactly do you want?”
“I want to find the answer. Unfortunately… I’ve been monitoring you for several months without any results, so I had no choice but to come in person to search!”
Lucius clapped his hands.
Immediately, Justin saw the café owner, the waiters, even the pancake vendor, and his new neighbor approach.
“Allow me to reintroduce them. They are all employees of our Bureau, assigned to monitor you twenty-four hours a day!”
Lucius shook his head. “Unfortunately… they also found nothing. Now I somewhat understand—you might just be an ordinary person!”
“I am an ordinary person!”
Justin’s voice trembled. He had originally thought Lucius was a pervert, but now it seemed the man was not only a pervert but far more extreme than he had imagined.
He was genuinely frightened!
“I… I mean… could you have made a mistake?”
Justin raised his hands in surrender. “I’ve definitely done nothing to endanger the security of the Federation!”
“You haven’t endangered the Federation’s security?”
Lucius across from him seemed to hear the funniest joke ever: “In fact… you’ve already endangered the security of the entire world!”
He pulled out a book. “This is your work, right?”
“Correct!”
Justin glanced and immediately recognized it as his novel, “Reincarnation World.”
“Back then, what exactly was your reason for writing this work?”
Lucius asked with an investigative gaze: “What influenced you?”
“This was my own idea, my own creation…”
Justin felt as if his inner secret had been pierced, struggling to reply.
The man across from him was clearly dissatisfied with his response.
“Mr. Justin, please come with me!”
Lucius stood up, hands in his pockets: “Oh, and one more thing—don’t attempt any useless resistance. Right now, ten snipers have you in their sights, and armored tanks are on standby just one street away!”
“Damn it!”
Justin wailed: “You don’t have the authority—I want to see my lawyer!”
“I can tell you another piece of news. That wealthy patron of yours, Ambrose, has already been taken into our custody. He even has a team of lawyers… and it did him absolutely no good!”
Lucius watched as Justin slumped like a gutted dog, offering no resistance or struggle. The palm holding the gun was already sweating slightly.
Although after extensive surveillance and investigation, he had largely ruled out the possibility of Justin being the mastermind behind it all, just to be safe, he had prepared many contingencies this time—even writing his own will.
But now, it seemed everything was going smoothly.
However, the clues might not be many either. A feeling of not knowing whether to be relieved or disappointed lingered in his heart.
…
Inside the interrogation room.
Lucius personally took charge, while through the monitors, countless people were nervously watching Justin’s every move.
“This isn’t real…”
Justin was the most deeply affected.
After seeing the detailed evidence and learning the truth, his entire being nearly collapsed.
“How could this be… It was just a novel…”
Justin pulled at his own hair: “I… I didn’t do it on purpose… Oh my God… What have I done?”
“Alright! I hope you can cooperate with our investigation and fulfill your duty as a citizen of the Federation!”
Lucius stared at Justin across from him, while internally weighing whether he should have used truth serum right from the start.
“The reason I had this idea… was because I had a strange dream!”
After a long period of madness, Justin finally calmed down and started talking: “In my dream, I saw that reincarnation space and many other concepts and ideas, all of which I remembered clearly upon waking, so I began writing… but during the writing process…”
As he spoke, a look of confusion reappeared on his face.
“What happened during the writing process? Don’t omit any detail!”
Lucius asked.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling. It was as if another person was using my hands to write!”
Justin finally revealed this secret.
“I see…”
Lucius asked many more questions afterward, especially about how Justin structured and defined the rules of the Reincarnation World. As the original author, his insights were extremely valuable for predicting the behavior patterns of other reincarnators and understanding the rules of that space.
…
“What do you think, Professor?”
After the interrogation, Lucius went to the central control room and saw Professor Luther deeply engrossed in reading “Reincarnation World.”
“Incredible! Absolutely incredible!”
Professor Luther’s face was solemn: “If such a space truly exists, its ruler would undoubtedly be a god!”
Even though he had confidence in the Federation’s ultimate secret weapon, that confidence was based on the assumption that the opponent existed within the same space. If that existence was truly as described in the novel, then a mere planet would likely be insignificant to it.
“All we can do now is pray that this being has an urgent need for this world…”
Luther made a religious gesture, his eyes suddenly blazing with intense fervor: “If possible, I really want to visit that space…”
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