Man on the ark, forced to become king

However, because he only has theories and no tangible results, his life has been unhappy in recent years. He urgently needs experimental results to support his theories in order to gain more resources and a higher status.

Thanks to Columbia University's almost pathological privileged support in scientific research, he successfully attracted the attention of the military and established the Loken Tank Laboratory to conduct research on artificial infected organs.

Initially, almost no one paid attention to the Loken Tank because it was so small that it could only be compared to some of the subordinate laboratories of the Rhine Life Structural Division. No one thought that such a place could be capable of conducting any in-depth research.

However, Loken Williams' performance exceeded everyone's expectations. He truly transformed theory into results on his own and quickly produced sufficiently satisfactory experimental data, successfully attracting the attention of the military... and his colleagues as well.

As we all know, scientific research requires a lot of financial investment. Without sufficient funding, it is impossible to research new technologies or to turn theories into physical products. Therefore, some companies that cooperate with the military on experimental projects also have the intention of obtaining funding support.

However, Colombia is only so big, and the pie is finite. Every additional person who comes to share means that the share of others will shrink.

Therefore, acquiring and controlling small laboratories that have yielded results has always been something that large companies do, and RheinLife is no exception.

The reason why Commander Christen collected information on the Loken Water Tank was for this very reason.

However, just as the intelligence was being gathered and the plan was still on paper, Rhine Labs encountered an unprecedented crisis, and the information and plan naturally fell into Lin Lu's hands.

Lin Lu didn't care whether the size of the Loken water tank was large or small. This trip to Columbia had already brought along Saria, a great general... although she could also be considered a researcher?

Then there are three top researchers: Himer, Joyce, and Muirsey, as well as several other Rhine Lab researchers who are familiar with them.

In short, it was a very fruitful experience, and even if we went back now, it would be a huge profit.

The purpose of the Loken tank was simply to rescue the experimental subjects who had suffered human experimentation and allow them to return to their normal lives.

Although doing so would inevitably lead to a direct confrontation with Colombia, Lin Lu wasn't too concerned. He simply needed some time and didn't want to expose the Golden Tree entirely to the world's attention for the time being.

He doesn't care whether he gets any benefits or not.

The most important thing in life is to be happy; you don't need a reason for everything you do.

Sometimes, "I'm willing" is the biggest reason.

Moreover, Lin Lu felt happy to see those children who were suffering able to smile, such as Ifrit.

"Uncle Lin?"

The little girl blinked her big eyes, hesitated as she approached, and stammered, as if she had something to say but dared not say it.

Lin Lu, who was standing by the window, bent down and touched her hair.

Ifrit squinted and subconsciously leaned her head forward, her slightly tense face relaxing considerably.

Because of the golden power within her, she has a natural affinity for those who also use the golden power, and therefore does not object to Lin Lu's close contact.

"What's wrong, Eve? Is there something you want to say?"

"Um, thank you."

Young children are carefree and say whatever comes to mind. The little girl blushed and bowed, imitating what Hermer had done. She looked so cute that you wanted to hold her in your arms.

Lin Lu thought this and did this. He picked Ifrit up from the ground, causing a small gasp. Seeing the little girl's flustered expression, he felt very satisfied. He also kicked the Flame Demon, which had shrunk to the size of a shoebox and was lying at Theresa's feet.

Flames surged around the Balrog Pistos, furious but unable to utter a word. After the series of events that had transpired, she had come to realize that this seemingly ordinary man was in essence a powerful being comparable to the Demon King, or even... above the Demon King.

Moreover, even disregarding that, his relationship with His Majesty the Demon King seems quite unusual.

The look in his eyes confirmed that he was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

"Stop bullying Pistos."

Theresa, who was standing next to her, turned around and couldn't help but complain.

Pistos was, after all, an ancestor of the Sarkaz royal court. How could he be treated like a football, being kicked around like that?

Can't you at least give her some face?

"Okay, okay, I won't play anymore, I won't play anymore."

Lin Lu smiled awkwardly and quickly made a promise. He was just doing it on a whim, since this guy looked so good to kick.

"Should I bring Ifrit back with me when I go back later?"

Theresa reached out and touched Ifrit's little face, causing the little girl to shrink back.

"Hemer, Joyce, Ifrit, and their friends, take them all back with you. Ifrit and Amiya can keep each other company. The Doctor has been very busy lately and hasn't had much time to play with her. I feel like the two of them should get along very well."

Lin Lu had already made a plan for this matter. She answered casually, and then added, "When you go back, please give Lao Wei a message and send him these materials. Also, tell the Emperor that the dirt he collected on Rhine Lab can be released now."

"I expect to cause quite a stir on my end. How much they get out of it depends on their own abilities. I only ask one thing: Rhine Lab cannot continue to exist."

This was planned long ago. Within Colombia, Rhine Life Sciences is not the largest company, but it has the most laboratories in the field of human experimentation and receives a lot of funding from the military every year.

While not all experiments are illegal, it's better to destroy such companies sooner rather than later to prevent them from resurfacing and causing more tragedies.

"Boss, may I ask what kind of trial Christensen will face?"

Saria, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't hold back and asked.

For someone with her personality, letting go of a once most sincere friendship is not so easy. She had pleaded for Christensen before, but she still hasn't been able to completely let go.

"Kristen, she won't die."

Lin Lu smiled slightly, put down Ifrit, walked past Saria, patted her lightly on the shoulder, and picked up the documents on the table.

Golden light emanated from Saria's heart and spread throughout her entire body.

How much do you know about the culture of the Yan Kingdom?

"Yan Country?"

Before Saria could even be shocked by the sudden surge of vitality, she heard a question that seemed rather strange. After pondering for a moment, she shook her head.

"I know a little about it, but not much."

"The Buddha said: Those who suffer in the Avici Hell never die. Their long lifespan is the greatest calamity in the Avici Hell. Have you heard of this?"

"...I heard this line in a movie, I think it came from a religious text?"

“Kristen and Palvis, along with other high-ranking members of Rhine Lab who handled similar projects, were taken back to the Golden Tree after revealing all the information they knew. They were given a forced blessing to atone for their past sins. That was their fate.”

Lin Lu smiled very kindly, but Saria inexplicably felt a chill all over her body, a feeling that even the rich vitality of the golden tree could not dispel.

"The Avici Hell is one of the places where the dead go after death in the religious legends of Yan Kingdom. It is called Avici because there is no interruption of time or space to replace it. People in it will suffer continuous pain. Even if they die, they will be resurrected. Therefore, in the Avici Hell, endless life means that one will suffer pain and torment forever. It is the greatest calamity."

"Of course, the Avici Hell is just a legend and does not actually exist, but the Golden Tree can do something similar. Christensen and the others were endlessly cycling between life and death until their minds completely collapsed."

Lin Lu didn't know whether the Avici Hell actually existed, but he did know that the everlasting golden tree was their Avici Hell.

From the moment they receive the blessing, Christensen, Palvis, and others will constantly suffer both physical and mental punishment, be sent to the most dangerous battlefields, carry out the most dangerous missions, and rescue those experimental subjects who are still being tortured.

The Golden Tree defines them as expendable, just as they treat innocent people.

"..."

After understanding the meaning of Avici Hell, Saria's eyes slowly widened, and for a moment, she was afraid to look directly at Lin Lu.

The Avici Hell... Compared to that future, the pain of being directly killed, judged, and executed is utterly insignificant.

Unable to act according to one's own will, dying and then coming back to life to continue suffering torment, with no end in sight... just thinking about it sends chills down one's spine.

In contrast, even a straightforward death becomes a great blessing.

Because of understanding, one can better know fear.

Saria instinctively wanted to plead for him, but the words wouldn't come out.

Thinking of using the authority of the commander to retrieve the confidential information from the Rhine Life Database, those shocking human experiments, those people who should have had normal lives but were treated as expendable and died tragically in the laboratory.

She was powerless to defend Christensen and her colleagues.

That was indeed the fate they deserved.

The only thing that gave her some peace of mind was that not everyone within Rhine Labs was involved in those dirty deeds.

For example, Muirsay, who always gives the impression of being cunning and deep-thinking.

Compared to her colleagues, she was very clean and had never participated in any illegal experiments.

If it weren't for the confidential information as evidence, who would have thought that the commander's staunch supporter, the one who seemed most likely to be involved, was actually the cleanest one?

This is truly... a cruel twist of fate.

For some reason, Saria thought of this Yan Kingdom word.

"Then... if it's about atonement, I should have a share too. Please let me bear that burden as well."

Saria closed her eyes and opened them again, clenching her fists with a determined look in her eyes.

Even though she never participated in those experiments, as the head of the defense department, she did provide protection for those appalling acts, and it was her dereliction of duty and compromise that led to those events.

Deep down, that's what Saria thought.

She, too, was tainted by inescapable sins, and if atonement is to be sought, she should share in the blame.

For those innocent people who died tragically, she was willing to step into even the deepest hell.

“You are a truly noble person, Seria.”

Even Lin Lu couldn't help but marvel at her unwavering will. On this land, there are very few people like Saria; it's no exaggeration to say they are extremely rare.

"With this will, you can help more people, and I admire you more and more."

Lin Lu placed her hand on Saria's shoulder, pressed her into the chair, and shook her head with a smile.

"No one is omnipotent. Don't be too hard on yourself. I believe in your future. You can do much more than they can."