Forge a path to success.

Chapter 409 Love that Protects All Beings (Part 1)

I want to give you all the love in the world.

The aging king said to her.

"I hope you can love this world."

·
Subject 987 had almost no concept of growth.

From the moment she became conscious, she possessed an exceptionally high level of intellect, capable of naturally comprehending complex concepts, interpreting the thoughts of others, and mastering advanced technologies. As a living being, she could almost be described as a complete being.

The reason I say "almost" is because her body will still grow slowly, and her mind will change with education. These changes in thinking are like a "diary" imprinted on her mind, allowing her to clearly grasp how she is different today compared to yesterday.

Most human minds are like the ever-changing Ship of Theseus, replacing the old with the new day and night. However, she could reset her state at any time by referring to her logbook; if she felt there were mistakes in her growth that day, she could revert to yesterday and start again. She told the old man about this ability, and he said it was proof of her near-perfection.

"You can recognize and correct your mistakes in time," the old man told her. "This is an extremely rare ability, because we all make mistakes all the time."

She understood, and then replied, "Then you're already making a mistake. You shouldn't be training assassins this way."

She knew she was a manufactured life, without any ethical parents. The old woman had a long production line, and each experimental subject was given a number, just like hers was 987. The old woman brought many teachers to instruct her in the skills of weapons, combat, and poison; she received a full-fledged assassin's training—perhaps the best assassin's training in the world.

However, this education was not harsh, because everyone treated her very well. The instructors were kind and attentive to her, and she could see genuine affection in their eyes. The old man never asked about her grades; he always took her to the movies, to amusement parks, to eat and drink, to walk on the grass in spring, bought her beautiful dresses and fairy tale books, and told her innocent stories by the window.

These actions seemed meaningless to her. If the old man wanted to train assassins, he should instill obedience and discipline. Making assassins mere machines would be more efficient.

"I don't think it makes sense to train killers into machines that only know how to kill," the old man said.

She tilted her head in confusion.

"Indeed, such an assassin is quick and efficient, but what is she doing? Is it merely because she must obey orders? If the orders are wrong, or if she finds it all utterly boring, will she continue?"

“I don’t think so,” she said.

The old man nodded slowly: "I think so too... because I've seen far too much. Misunderstandings breed estrangement, estrangement breeds hatred, hatred drives tragedy, and in the end, blood stains the covenant. A machine that doesn't know love is meaningless!"

He knelt down and stroked the girl's head: "So, I want to give you all the love in the world. Our world is not perfect, but I hope you can love this world."

"I hope these beautiful memories can give you the motivation to protect them."

[Meaningless]

She thought about it indifferently.

[It's nothing more than an old method of training assassins from ancient times. Give love and wealth, and you'll get a deadly blade in return.]

At the same time, her heart was subtly touched. Because there was no falsehood in the old man's eyes; he needed to nurture her, but he also loved her.

·
"I hope you can observe as many people as possible."

At the end of her assassin training, the instructors bestowed upon her a title to be passed down through generations. From then on, she was no longer Test Subject 987, but the "Dark Kingdom" of the Blood Oath.

Her first assignment was to observe humanity. This task was rather broad and vague, lacking specific requirements, so she left the base and went to a small town at the foot of the mountain to observe the lives of its inhabitants. She often conducted her missions at the hospital, because there she could see almost every kind of person. She witnessed births and deaths, people's joys and sorrows, and their anger and grief.

The old man probably hoped she could use this opportunity to integrate into human society. He had deliberately prepared some "slots" hidden in the town, ready to "accidentally" meet her at any time. But these methods were too naive for the king; the old man hadn't realized how capable the assassins he had trained were. She secretly hid, watching the "slots" frantically running around like headless flies, but she didn't find it particularly amusing, nor did she feel any guilt.

Wang Quan was confused about her condition. She continued to observe and realized that a car accident was about to happen. She rescued a child in the middle of the road and received an overwhelming gratitude from the mother.

"It's great to have you here."

The woman said this to her while crying.

"I don't know how to thank you. You are truly...you are truly an amazing person!"

She gained a sense of satisfaction, happiness, and understood the meaning of the skills she had acquired.

No.

I didn't feel anything.

She simply found herself unmoved, perhaps because all humans appeared the same to her. Beautiful people, ugly people, strong people, fragile people—none of them evoked any "different" feelings. She could easily understand the thoughts of every human being; she could easily save or end human lives.

In her eyes, all people were the same.

All human beings are fragile life forms.

She gazed at the woman weeping with gratitude and realized that the feeling she evoked in her was exactly the same as the old man's. Her cold heart began to beat again, just as it had when the old man named her. She could even flip through her old "journal" and find the exact same emotions and heartbeat.

[It's just that I like love.]

Wang Quan realized the truth. She seemed to have no feelings for humans; she only liked human "love."

As the observation mission drew to a close, she remained troubled by her conclusions. She knew the old man would be deeply disappointed if she told him the truth. A person who is extremely disappointed finds it difficult to give love, and she didn't want to lose the old man's…family love.

So, Wang Quan came up with a good idea. This method was extremely easy to implement and highly effective; the old woman had no doubt about her words and was overjoyed at her growth, shedding tears of happiness. She said, "I love all humankind."

This task was meaningful because Wang Quan learned about lies. Lies are the most effective tool in the world, yielding immediate rewards with minimal effort. As long as she could weave a clever lie, she could continuously receive love.

As she thought this, a cold sneer ran through her mind.

Using lies to obtain cheap love

·
Wang Quan was unaware of how the previous test subjects had been treated; at least she was quickly thrown into formal missions. She began a professional education, learning that she belonged to the "Blood Oath," and that the old man was the Blood Oath's king. The world contained not only humans, but also impure "others," and her mission was to slay them.

This mission is somewhat difficult for Wang Quan, because in her eyes, beings and humans are all the same; she needs to kill with love in mind. She doesn't care about that—because killing has no effect on love. She can kill those she loves, because that's how she was born.

They even find pleasure in it.

[Enthusiastic about killing each other]

[Defining love in a distorted way, and enjoying acts of cruelty]

When she realized this, she found it difficult to smile. But that would sadden and disappoint the old man. She began to adjust her expressions, occasionally flashing the smile that people expected.

She won't get hurt because of this, but she will receive more love.

·
"How have you been lately?" the old man asked her.

"Everything is in perfect condition. Shouldn't I be given a more challenging task? I won't even get hurt when dealing with aliens."

Perfect acting, a perfect smile—mixing a touch of falsehood into 9% authenticity is the best way to weave a lie. When she practices in front of the mirror, even she herself is convinced of the ease with which the person in the mirror appears.

But this lie seemed to have gone wrong, for the old woman's brow was furrowed. Sensing something amiss, she adopted a different, innocent yet cruel tone: "Please let me take on more missions against humans! I know, that's the mainstream within the Blood Alliance!"

A foolish child who revels in killing, coupled with a touch of just the right amount of cruelty—this is the mild abnormality most befitting her character. In this way, the old woman can rest assured; gentle reprimands and moderate guidance will not shake her love.

The old man knelt down and gently hugged her.

"Child, I think you are very tired."

For the first time since she became conscious, Wang Quan felt bewildered. Not because her disguise had been exposed, but because of the old man… humanity had suddenly become something she couldn't fully control. She had never experienced anything like this before; she instinctively and easily controlled everyone.

She heard the old man's gentle voice.

"If you feel tired, stop. If you feel depressed, take a rest. If you don't understand something, remember to talk to me. But don't keep everything to yourself; that will only cause you pain and is pointless."

"How do you know?" Wang Quan asked. "You shouldn't be able to tell."

"Because I love you," the old man told her. "Even if you deceive me, I will still love you."

Her heart was filled with love, and even her usually indifferent self fell silent. She told the old man the truth about her abnormality, her perception of humanity, and her feelings while on duty.

“I don’t resist killing at all. I should have killed them as normally as I would have saved people. But I…felt pleasure.”

"I felt a strong sense of pleasure and satisfaction when I broke their limbs, just like the children who tortured the ants. I enjoyed the game, but at the same time I felt... disgusted."

She pressed her hand tightly to her chest, feeling the coldness spreading from her heart into her blood.

"I feel disgusting."

The old man didn't sigh; he just hugged her even tighter.

"Don't be afraid. This is proof that you are human. When you observe humanity, you must have come to understand that everyone has an ugly side, and you and I are no exception."

"Like me, like all living beings in the world, we cannot correct our own mistakes. But you can, my child, you have this ability. When you overcome this nature, you will achieve true growth."

"But I don't know how to change it."

"Child, I'm here for you." The old man looked at her kindly. "I will help you."

·
From that day on, the royal mission was temporarily suspended. She was given time to enjoy life, while the old man spent much of his time on ancient books, burying himself in the library, investigating the remaining test subjects, and occasionally assisting her with psychological tests.

She found her situation had stabilized—as long as it didn't involve killing or fighting, she could continue to perfectly play the role of a human. But she absolutely couldn't tell the old man, because the old man needed the perfect assassin. If she could no longer engage in combat, her existence would lose its meaning.

The old man's research seemed to have hit a bottleneck. He often sat alone in his study, gazing at the moon in the night. His research had gone too far and involved too many people. Even as the king of the Blood Alliance, he could not truly and perfectly bury the secret.

It's unclear which instructor leaked the information, but the other patriarchs of the Blood Alliance came to question the plan. The old man went alone to avoid arousing the King's interest, but he always underestimated the King's abilities.

Wang Quan effortlessly infiltrated the meeting hall, where he saw the pale faces of the other family heads and heard their furious voices.

"You're insane! How could you use the flesh and blood of the Fallen!"

"You are creating a heretical path, but we are allies!"

(End of this chapter)