74 The Deal, part 2/2

The moment she closed her mouth, the scientist shouted, "Yes, a stroke of genius! Those backward stick-waving ignorants can't fathom the priceless treasure they harbor in their hands. Possibilities that challenge the very essence of physics, that go beyond the rudimentary rules governing energy—"

She raised her finger, her kinetic force shutting his mouth down. "Exactly, just imagine what we can do with this."

Tia was sure she had found a good man for her work—a man with the same grand goals as her and someone who wasn't afraid of exploring the unknown.

"Continue." Tia released the professor, who seemed to calm down.

With bewilderment in his voice, Valk repeated it once more, this time calmly: "So we will gain access to advanced science knowledge, and in exchange, you want us to research its integration with magic—"

"Yes, but I also want a small percent of all the patents this research will bring, access to all the discoveries and prototypes, and a cut from your production." Tia articulated, leaning back gracefully yet assertively in her armchair, "Finally. The man who killed this body I am using, I want him to be sentenced postmortem for that."

'Will he accept or—'

She didn't even get to finish her internal query before Valk jubilantly declared, "It's a deal!" His face was alight with an eager glow, leaving Tia momentarily stunned; she had braced herself for negotiations, not immediate acceptance.

Ding!

//

The quest was cleared!

Rewards: Recipe: 1 x WP; a new vessel; a permanent link with Riveria

//

'Am I asking so little? No, that shouldn't be the case.'

At the same moment, the door burst open, drawing her attention. A silver-haired elder, garbed in a premium black suit, walked in, flanked by a dozen guards in black suits.

"No, this man isn't authorized—"

As she spoke, an unbearable pressure erupted from her, so thick and suffocating that it seemed to swallow up all the light in the room.

The air vibrated with the force of her anger, growing heated, heavy, and dense, while the chandeliers trembled ominously, threatening to crash down at any moment. Each flicker of the lights revealed her eyes, glowing with a fierce, otherworldly luminescence that seemed to pierce the very soul of the man before her, compelling him to recoil, his face a mask of dread and realization.

'Fools, thinking they can manipulate me with their petty politics.'

The guards shook, their limbs rendered useless as they strained against the invisible force holding them, the muscles in their arms bulging painfully in their futile efforts to reach their firearms.

She was far from naive, fully aware that displaying her might was essential to avoid being deceived. 'Let them imagine the worst. Let them believe I hold the power to turn their nightmares into reality.'

The stark fear evident in the older man's eyes confirmed that her tactics were effective. 'Let them think I am more dangerous than I truly am. They don't know me, but I know them.'

With a voice suddenly dripping with saccharine sweetness, she asked, "We understand each other, don't we?"

The terror-inspiring aura retracted as swiftly as it was unleashed, leaving a chilling emptiness in its wake. The room, once shaking and stifled, regained its calm, the lights steadied, and the chandelier halted its threatening dance.

Yet the undercurrent of dread remained, hanging heavily in the room, a silent testament to the power she wielded, leaving the men rooted to the spot, their faces pallid and eyes wide with lingering fear.

"I warn you; don't mess with me. I crossed the needless void between our dimensions. Do you really think we can negotiate as equals? I have already shown you my generosity by giving you my generous offer."

POV ???:

In the midst of a server room flooded with the sterile glow of green LED lights, a young man with thick glasses and greasy dark hair sat slouched behind his desk. The mechanical hum of servers kept him company as he scrolled through a screen saturated with data, his face a canvas of frustration and melancholy.

"This is just wrong." The words seeped from him, a realization borne from deep within, acknowledging that he was now part of a hidden, dubious chapter in human history. 'First, contact with extraterrestrial life, and it's reduced to classified files and backroom deals? Unbelievable.'

The thought that the discovery of the century, perhaps the millennium, was being squandered, buried under layers of bureaucracy and greed, made him clench his fist in anger.

'Damn them all. We can save our planet, cure all the diseases, and get a source of cheap and green energy.'

The medical miracles and the boundless clean energy were being hoarded, destined to be trickled down and controlled.

"It's like they're planning to monetize the freaking moon landing," he muttered to himself, his angst building at the thought of such a vital truth being hidden from the world to be used as a tool for his country to dominate the world instead of global betterment.

He knew he stood at a crossroads of ethical dilemmas, urging him to become a whistleblower.

Yet he knew he wouldn't even get a trial, only brutal treatment from the shady part of the government.

Taking a moment to gather himself, he straightened up, feeling a pulse of adrenaline fueling his resolve. 'Okay, I need more evidence, solid proof, maybe even blueprints,' he strategized internally as he mentally prepared himself for the bold steps ahead.