Chapter 421

Chapter 421: Legacy

Ji Yongxing was granted the authority to assemble his own team, on the condition that he reduce the development cycle of his current tasks.

Arthur’s arrangements for Luke were not explicitly stated, but it was clear that there was no longer a need for El to return to the Ashen Security Company.

While Luke had no objections to this, El felt a pang of reluctance. The only university-educated member of the organization was about to leave behind so many eager but uneducated individuals. Just moments ago, Dr. Lin and Arthur had pointed out that the education level of his subordinates urgently needed improvement, which was not a promising sign.

Wang Xiao and Shi Jin were assigned to form a new exploration team. Having developed a preliminary version of the theory of the biological field, Arthur needed to determine the minimum threshold for maintaining mental clarity outside the city for future plans.

Only by understanding this data could they strategize the counterattack more effectively.

Additionally, Fulan was assigned to the small team accompanying Wang Xiao. Although the structure of this world was somewhat distorted, Arthur still held a glimmer of hope for the Beast Mastery faction.

As for Lin Qingliu, seated at the far end of the long table, he received no special instructions.

This did not raise any eyebrows among the others. In their view, the Missionary and the Paster were the original two members, so it was natural for them to have their own arrangements.

Moreover, members like El, who often sought Lin Qingliu’s counsel, felt that his presence was akin to the team’s external brain. The absence of a specific task actually facilitated necessary communication.

Thus, the first offline gathering of the "Believers" concluded. Each member received a ring from "Infinite Scroll," which they adorned in various ways before departing the spire for their respective workstations.

Except for Luke.

As everyone was leaving, Arthur called out to this new member, who had some physical limitations, and soon the conference room was empty except for the two of them.

"Mr. Speaker, did you need something?"

Arthur looked at the young man, whose demeanor had grown increasingly composed, no longer as impulsive as before.

"You can call me Arthur, like everyone else.

"There is something here that your father left for you, and I will now deliver it to you."

Luke’s eyes lit up with surprise:

"Really? Thank you very much."

Arthur nodded and said:

"Sit in the chair and close your eyes."

Somewhat puzzled, Luke complied and sat down. He then felt something cold and sharp pierce his forehead, and his consciousness began to drift deeper.

He found himself walking through a gray mist, where the boundaries between reality and illusion, up and down, were indistinct.

The only thing he could sense was something in the distance calling to him.

With a thought, Luke floated effortlessly toward that direction, drawing closer to the figure waiting in the gray mist.

It was his father.

Lucas, slim and pale, stood like a statue amidst the fog.

As Luke approached, a rare smile appeared on his father’s face.

"Long time no see, son."

He stepped forward and gently patted Luke on the shoulder, his gaze resting to the right of Luke.

In this realm of consciousness, the original energy arm did not materialize, leaving his right side empty.

After a few seconds, Luke regained his composure from the shock, and tears began to flow uncontrollably down his cheeks.

“…Dad.”

His voice trembled with an emotion he had never felt before, leaving him momentarily speechless.

In Luke’s original memories, though his mother was a faint presence, he could still vaguely recall the silhouette of a familiar woman.

Yet, whether it was the Adoption Relationship Certificate he had received earlier or the clarity of thought brought by the bestowed blessing, both pointed to the fact that those memories were nothing but altered fabrications.

The more he realized this, the more Luke felt the magnitude of his father’s greatness.

Meeting in this enigmatic space, the tears he had long suppressed finally overflowed.

“You must have endured a lot recently, haven’t you?”

Lucas smiled warmly, ruffling Luke’s hair as he looked him over:

“You’ve lost some weight. It’s clear you’ve been training hard; you’ve got a bit of my old spark.”

Gathering his emotions, Luke lifted his gaze to meet his father’s eyes:

“Why are you here?”

“Hmm, it’s a long story.”

Lucas’s tone was nostalgic, like the times he used to read stories to his son.

“Though I triggered the taboo within me and ultimately met my end, given Holy Shield’s operational capacity, I likely wouldn’t have survived that summer.

“Before I died, my consciousness arrived here—though back then, there was no fog.

“There was an old man here, his name too long for me to remember. He had me do many… peculiar tasks, sometimes harnessing natural forces to aid humanity in its fragile state, other times delivering punishments or trials, like floods and such.

“In the end, I completed his requests and received a light orb from him. He could see I was nearing death and offered to preserve a fragment of my consciousness here.

“I knew the chance of you and I sharing the same dream was astronomically low, almost impossible to calculate, but I still thought it was worth a try. And here we are.”

He smiled gently at Luke:

“So, this will likely be our last meeting.

“Take this with you, and remember to keep a good sleep schedule.”

Lucas’s form began to fade as he pushed a glowing orb into Luke’s body. The fog-filled world dissolved into nothingness.

In the high-backed chair of the conference room, Luke stirred awake from the dream.

He reached up to touch his face, brushing away the tear tracks that had formed unnoticed.

Arthur still sat across from him, his expression composed, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts.

The space around them seemed saturated with an intangible substance, while Luke’s body felt like an endless vortex, hungrily absorbing it all.

Sensing a new power awakening within him, Luke looked at Arthur in astonishment:

“Mr. Arthur, what is this?”

“Consider it a parting gift from your father.”

Arthur smiled faintly:

“Take some time to adjust to it. You’ll be part of the next exploration team.”

—

After Luke left, Arthur returned to his seat.

His expression grew tense, as if facing unseen adversaries lurking in the air before him.

A faint golden glimmer appeared at his neck—a golden cross-shaped USB drive.