Unholy Player Chapter 507 Hidden Intentions, Quiet Madness
Previously on Unholy Player...
Based on the briefing he had received, Henry was already aware that Adyr had successfully reached Rank 4. That information alone allowed him to deduce exactly which Spark Adyr had utilized for his evolution.
Despite this, there was no cause for celebration. While a rank-up should have been heralded as excellent news, Adyr’s transformed appearance presented complications that Henry was forced to address.
Adyr merely chuckled at Henry’s visible distress and dramatic reaction. "You're afraid Zephan will see me like this?" he questioned, strolling forward and sinking into an unoccupied chair as if the predicament was of no concern to him.
"How can I not, after the story you told me?" Henry retorted sharply. Adyr’s nonchalance only intensified the crushing weight in his chest; it was as if the man truly didn't grasp the severity of the danger.
"What story?" Rhys inquired, arching an eyebrow as he inspected Adyr’s altered form. "Why do you smell like you bathed in blood?" He caught a whiff of the air, detecting the scent of sweat radiating from Adyr, which mingled with the alcoholic fumes clinging to his own breath and attire.
Rhys was ignorant of the specific evolution Adyr had undergone. Consequently, he failed to realize that this new visage would trigger a catastrophe if the Lunari—who were currently at the training grounds within the city—spotted Adyr and grasped the truth of his transformation.
Henry obviously hadn't filled him in. He had kept the events of the Lunari kingdom and Adyr’s deception a total secret. It was a burden too heavy to divulge—the fact that Adyr had slaughtered their ancestors to harvest the blood required for his Rank 4 evolution.
"Well," Adyr remarked, his lack of concern suggesting his focus had already shifted toward other matters.
As the story concluded, Rhys erupted into sharp, carefree laughter. "As expected of our young master—full of scams, with the perfect face for our human race."
He didn't seem at all insulted on behalf of the Lunari. Rather, he looked entertained, viewing it as just another impressive ploy to be admired.
"Rhys, have you lost your mind too?" Henry barked, his agitation peaking at the sound of the unchecked laughter. "Do you even understand what kind of trouble we're in?"
"Yeah. I understand." Rhys’s mirth subsided as he retrieved a small vial from his uniform and snapped it open. A pungent alcoholic odor—identical to the one on his breath—flooded the room.
He took a drink before meeting Henry’s gaze. "We're already standing on countless Umbraen ashes. What difference does it make if we add a few Lunari on top of that?" He shifted his eyes toward Adyr. "Besides, he seems to know what he's doing." Adyr smiled, treating the issue as settled. "Yeah. Leave them to me. There won't be any problems with them." His tone remained calm, almost dismissive. "You focus on their training. Make sure they build their strength through the VR rooms."
He then transitioned to the next topic without giving the previous matter another thought. "Also, I found some slaves I want trained. Teach them basic farming and give them discipline in one week." He spoke as if assigning a mundane chore. "Slaves?" Henry repeated. His mind was still processing the previous revelation, causing his thoughts to lag—and when the word finally registered, it hit with full force. Seeing Henry’s expression harden as he finally understood, Adyr continued before an objection could be raised. "Just a few people I found worthy and left alive in the radiation zones on Earth. I want you to take them and give them some education in fieldwork." The explanation was blunt and purely functional.
This wasn't the first time Adyr had mentioned the concept of slaves, but he had never utilized the term so blatantly. This time, the word carried a heavier weight, indicating there was no longer any room for pretension.
Henry’s face tightened further, a change Adyr noted instantly, interjecting before an argument could be formed.
"Don't get righteous now," Adyr said. "Haven't you used criminals for brutal labor in prisons before? It's the same concept." His stare remained fixed on Henry, cold and unwavering. "Everyone I found is a criminal from terrorist organizations. If it helps, call it convict labor instead of slaves—like you used to."
Henry wanted to argue that convict labor was fundamentally different from slavery, but the words died in his throat. Ultimately, he yielded without further protest. "Tell me the coordinates. I'll send a unit to bring them to Shelter City 9." He sounded exhausted rather than persuaded.
Once he received the coordinates, he entered them into his wristwatch along with brief instructions and dispatched them to the relevant personnel.
The device emitted a short flash to confirm the transmission; the entire business was concluded in moments without Henry ever standing up.
Rhys took another pull from his flask. "And just like that, all the problems we had on Earth for decades ended, huh?"
Prior to the discovery of the Beyond, their primary conflict involved the first-generation mutants inhabiting the lands outside the 12 Shelter Cities. They were spread throughout the wastes, making them difficult to locate and even harder to eliminate.
There were groups that ambushed anyone venturing out. Criminals obstructed trade routes and pillaged transports. Occasionally, direct assaults were launched against the Shelter Cities, resulting in catastrophic damage. No matter the frequency of patrols, they were never entirely eradicated.
Now, following Adyr’s slaughter, only a tiny fraction of those troublemakers remained. Those survivors were being transported to Shelter City 9 to serve as prisoners—or more accurately, slaves. That was how a decades-long struggle finally concluded—ended in the grimmest way possible.
The outcome was violent, unethical, and morally grey. Nevertheless, it had to be accepted. A villain was required to finish the job, and Adyr embraced that role without a shred of guilt.
"I also found a few Sparks—mostly Rank 1 and a few Rank 3," Adyr added. "Make sure you send people who actually have the capacity to transport them." Recently, Sparks had been appearing on Earth with increasing frequency. This was particularly true in the radiation zones, where the struggle for survival warped men into monsters. Entities more lethal than Cannibal had begun to surface. Sadly for them, none were as lethal as Adyr. He crushed them with his own hands before their potential could be realized, ending them before they could evolve into something truly disastrous.
Henry scowled at this news, momentarily pushing aside the previous topic. "Did you find the reason those Sparks are emerging on Earth?" This remained a mystery that their scientists couldn't solve, regardless of the data collected.
Adyr gave a nod. "Some of them were kind enough to confess that a man gave them their Sparks."
Henry and Rhys required no further explanation. A specific name materialized in both their minds, the same one linked to their most significant hurdles: Mad Scientist. He was the individual who had led them to the Beyond originally. Now, he was funneling Sparks from the Beyond back to Earth. It was clearly a deliberate act with a specific motive.
"I'll discuss this matter with the 12 city managers and tell you the results," Henry stated. He recognized that this wasn't a topic for casual conversation, especially not with a drunkard and a madman.
Adyr nodded once more. He had a rough idea of what Mad Scientist was aiming for, yet the exact mechanics and motivations remained elusive. Gaining another perspective would help him reach a conclusion more quickly while minimizing his own blind spots.
A brief silence fell over the room as Adyr’s gaze drifted to Rhys’s flask. Rhys continued to sip from it habitually, seemingly immune to the liquid's burn.
"That booze seems a little strong," Adyr remarked with a chuckle, his voice softening. The scent of spirits in the room now balanced perfectly with the metallic tang of blood from his skin, and the strange harmony of the two scents piqued his curiosity about the drink.
Rhys smirked and offered the flask. "Yeah, it's quite good. Want a sip?" he asked, as if offering something entirely mundane.
Adyr accepted. He took the metal container, inhaled the aroma first, then took a cautious sip, savoring the liquid rather than swallowing it whole.
He swirled the drink in his mouth, an eyebrow twitching at the finish. "Potato-based fermented spirit," he noted, "but there's an ingredient I can't identify." He returned the flask, still contemplating the profile.
Rhys took it back with a look of pride. "You know your drinks." He took another gulp before adding, "I mixed it with the mutation serum the researchers gave me."
Henry gaped at him. "You did what?" His face contorted in sheer disbelief. He stared at Rhys as if the man had utterly lost his senses.
Adyr’s expression also shifted. For Rhys to casually blend a Synergy Crystal-based mutation serum with alcohol and consume it was a level of insanity that even he found reckless and hard to grasp.