Awakening: God-Tier Adaptive System
Chapter 42: The Choice

Chapter 42: The Choice

"Benefit the human race?" He almost vomit from those words.

"So, you think it’s okay to abduct, kidnap, torture, and kill people as long as it benefits humanity? Is that the bullshit you tell yourself so you can sleep better at night?"

Neo took a step forward, his shadow looming over them. The two scientists flinched: their eyes wide with fear.

"We are scientists, and the number of people we’ve helped with our research far outweighs the casualties."

Neo scoffed. "You mean the number of rich people, right? Because I sure don’t hear about any miracle drugs curing the poor."

"No, instead, the people funding this place make sure to monopolize everything. "

"We..." The they turned pale.

"Save it. It’s too late to start regretting. The least you can do to repent is tell me the names, the actual names of the important people on this island."

They didn’t answer right away, their hesitation proving just how much they feared them.

But that was fine. He just needed to even scarier.

"You’re hesitating," he said, voice calm, almost conversational. "That means the names are in your head. You’re not refusing because you don’t know. You’re refusing because you fear them more."

He crouched down, leveling his gaze with the kneeling scientist. "Let me help you understand something." His voice dipped lower, forcing them to focus only on him.

"You never keep your mouth shut when you’re being interrogated by someone with nothing to lose. Because I won’t just kill you—I’ll break you, piece by piece, until I’m satisfied. And trust me, there are countless ways to break you two."

He grabbed her chin, forcing her mouth open, and pushed his thumb inside. His cold eyes locked onto hers.

"Bite it, and I’ll put a bullet on your head,"

She could only tear up and follow his command.

"We don’t know their real names, but they go by code names. The head of this island is called ’Father.’ We’ve never seen him, believe us."

"Keep talking. I’m starting to think you might actually deserve a second chance."

The two women’s faces lit up at his words, unaware they were falling right into his trap.

Afraid that only her colleague would survive if she stayed silent, the woman quickly joined in.

She knew staying quiet wouldn’t matter—the other would eventually spill everything. That was exactly what Neo counted on.

Neo absorbed every detail, committing names, ranks, and roles to memory. Every piece of information could be useful later.

One name stood out.

"The Game Master?"

The scientists hesitated, glancing at each other before one finally spoke.

"There’s an arena on the island... a place where people are forced to play deadly games for money. The rich from all over the world watch and place bets. The Game Master runs it."

Neo’s expression darkened. "And the players?"

"They’re prisoners, kidnapped civilians, sometimes even people who owed debts they couldn’t pay. If they win, they earn money... but no one really wins. The house always wins."

His fingers curled into a fist. This island was worse than he thought.

Another name caught his attention again.

Neo raised an eyebrow. "Lady Margaret?"

The woman nodded. "She runs the Red District in this place. She brings in young women, promising them work."

"Skip that part and tell me more," he ordered quickly.

That had nothing to do with him. If they came here willingly for work, then they weren’t victims.

Just as he continued gathering information, a notification finally rang.

[DING!]

[Reward: Bronze Box]

It was the signal he had been waiting for, but he kept pressing them for more.

Knowledge was power, and the more he understood about this island, the easier it would be to maneuver through difficult situations.

This was especially important for him, as he used his ability to read people, deceive them, and manipulate situations to his advantage.

"That’s enough. I’m satisfied with your answers. All of you, take a seat and calm down."

They nodded in relief, sensing the change in his tone. It was no longer threatening.

"So, tell me—how do you want to die?" he asked, raising his rifle.

"Wait! We told you everything!" They raised their hands, trying to shield themselves.

"Yes, and I thank you for that. But this is different. What you did warrants the death penalty, and I’m giving myself the right to execute you."

"You lied to us!" they screamed in frustration.

"So? Do you see any enforcers here to put you on trial? No? This is much easier."

They trembled, their eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. "Please! We’ll do anything! "

"Yeah, we’re far from the begging stage," he said, shaking his head. "Just choose—either I shoot you in the head right now with this rifle..." He paused, raising a dart pistol with a smirk.

"Or I sedate you first, then slit your throats and let you bleed to death."

Their faces turned pale, bodies frozen in fear. One of them let out a choked whimper. "P-Please... there has to be another way..."

He tilted his head. "Another way?" He let out a low chuckle. "You must be joking. You act like you have a say in this."

They exchanged panicked glances, their breaths coming in short, desperate gasps. "We... we don’t want to die..."

"Yeah, pretty sure all those you killed said the same thing."

Neo watched them in disgust. "How many begged you to stop?"

"How many cried, pleaded, and screamed until their voices gave out?"

"Did you ever think about the families waiting for them? The kids who never got to see their parents again? "

Their mouths opened, but no words came out.

"You call yourselves scientists. But you’re nothing more than sick murderers in lab coats, cutting people open and justifying it with pretty words."

"For the greater good,’ right?" He let out a bitter laugh.

"Tell me, when you watched them die, did you ever feel anything? Or were they just another number in your fucking research?"

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Author’s Note.

More Chapters will be posted later.

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