Responsibility

I have to take responsibility as king.

That and many other thoughts keep echoing through my mind recently. That was because Lyria, who not just worked as my guard but also as my assistance and advisor, told me that I have to enter the [Hive-mind] and complete my connection with it.

Apparently, the people only have access to around fifty or sixty percent of their Synthrexian powers due to my uncompleted connection to the [Hive-mind].

But somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. All other kings before me which tried to replace me and entered the [Hive-mind] lost their sanity in seconds before ending their own lives. Lyria said I wouldn't suffer the same since I'm their Founder and true King, but I still have a bad feeling about this.

But at the same time, I have to take responsibility as a King and enter the room. It was a state where I had to do it, no matter if I wanted to or not, which I despised even more.

"Sigh... No going back now.", I said standing in front the gate to the [Hive-mind] facility, which lays under the kingdom itself alongside the Incubation facility.

Both facilities together are as large as the kingdom itself and even more than half of the kingdom's citizen work in both facilities, keeping both perfectly functional.

However... The citizens are being pushed to their limits and will soon burn out if I don't complete my connection to the [Hive-mind]. It was painful, to watch the people suffer for me and to see how they would force themselves to smile each time they saw me.

I gulped and then went inside the facility, where I was greeted with a group of workers. They faces smiled but their body was a mass, some even struggled to just stand in front of me.

The chef instantly walked forward and bowed as she greeted me, "Welcome, your majesty. We already awaited you. Please follow me."

I was filled with sadness as I looked at her body, shivering in pain and soon about to collapse, "Yeah... We should make it quick."

She raised herself and smiled at me before we made ourselves on the way. But after we entered the second corridor, she collapsed. I instantly caught her and pulled her closer to me allowing her to wrap her arms around me and rest a little.

I could feel her, with pain filled, breath as she kept hugging me tighter, seeking for my warmth. But I just smiled at her as I hugged her.

"Poor thing... That is my fault. And yet you still try to smile. Let me help you a bit.", I pushed her head a little back and then started transferring mana into her by pressing my lips onto hers.

It was the only way I had to transfer mana to another being despite ripping her chest open and connect my core to hers.

Her tight hug became even tighter with each second that passed until she finally stopped, after receiving enough mana from me. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Welcome back.", I said smiling as I still hugged her.

I could see how her face slowly turned red as she realized what happened, "I-I-I- I'm really sorry, your majesty!!! I Was- I mean I am- I'm-"

"Calm down. You just needed a little energy. I will forgive you and keep it a secret.", I interrupted her as I patted her head.

"T-Thank you... Your majesty..."

"Now then. The [Hive mind]. The earlier I take care of it the better."

She nodded silently as she led the way once again, bringing me to the [Hive-mind].

"Here we are, your majesty.", She then announced as we finally arrived.

"I see. You can go now."

"As you wish."

Once she left the corridor I was all alone, standing in front the room to the [Hive-mind]. I already noticed it earlier, but the room radiates an immense amount of energy. According to my systems, around eighty percent were radioactive while the rest was pure magical energy, also called mana.

But that was normal, Synthrexians use a special type of mana simply called "Synthrexian mana" Which is a corrupted version of the original mana which got infused with radioactive energy. Our race is the only one which is immune to radioactive energy since it's part of our Synthrexian life-force, which floats through our body and works like blood, produced and pumped through the body by one's own core.

And therefore, was it even more terrifying to see how much energy the [Hive-mind] emitted. The energy it devoured to work was on par with the energy I and all my five titans generated together.

But that doesn't surprise me. After all, Synthrexia isn't defined by just one abnormal strong being, but as a whole force itself. Synthrexia will not only be feared because of me, it will be feared for its corruptive nature, its superior weapons, its advanced technology, and its unbeatable army.

I mean for what do I need a race which can't avenge me if I die?

With that in mind I opened the door to the [Hive-mind]. But when I entered the room, I was shocked.

The room was empty!

Nothing was inside despite its bright white walls and a bridge leading to a platform in the middle of the room.

But that doesn't make any sense! The energy I felt just a couple seconds ago was definitely real!

As I kept making theories, I was walking towards the platform hoping it will answer my questions. But once I stepped inside, I was only met with a screen.

[Do you wish to complete your connection?]

I just stood there, looking at the screen as I kept thinking about the use of such a large room with nothing inside.

"Yes...", I then muttered as I calmed down.

[User will now receive: The responsibility of a King]

Suddenly everything went black only to vanish again. But once it did, I found myself laying in mud as a knight stood in front of me piercing his sword inside me, over and over again.

I immediately opened my eyes and found myself back in the white room only to experience the same again, but this time I was running away from a group of knights which cornered me in a dead end and started cutting off my limbs one by one.

And with that my endless loop started, with me opening my eyes, losing consciousness, and dying. Each time it was something different that happened to me. Torture, murder, mass murder, enslavement, and even more.

After some time, I understood that I wasn't dreaming but experiencing the last moments of Synthrexians before they died. After I realized that, my hate and anger towards outside world reached a level where I stopped feeling a thing for them.

One could say my humanity was slowly ripped out of me with each and any death I experienced.

***

After what felt like an eternity, the loop ended. I opened my eyes and looked at the white ceiling, as black tears started to drop down my face.

The world showed no mercy to my offspring, no matter if it was a child or a woman, they were slowly terminated one after another.

And so, I will also show no mercy. I will do as I said and burn this world to its last atoms just to rebuild it anew.

Even if it is the last thing I do

Seconds after I raised myself a screen popped up again.

[Our connection has been completed!]

[The awakening of the "Father of Machines" has been proven!]

[The "Mother of Machines" will now activate herself!]

The moment the screen said that I could feel a presence within the room. Sometimes I even managed to see a glance of a person in the corner of my view. But I never managed to see it.

But after looking back at the screen two arms wrapped themselves around my neck, and slowly started analyzing my body as I kept standing still.

I just kept looking at the screen as my instincts told me not to move.

After some time, the arms stopped moving and something soft was pressed against me back as a voice whispered, "I love you, my majesty."