Enforcer Manual
Chapter 372: Don’t Trust Them_1

Chapter 372: Chapter 372: Don’t Trust Them_1

November 9, 2166, 02:41.

Obena Lionheart, declared dead after failed resuscitation.

Cause of death: massive internal bleeding and extensive organ damage.

By the time the rescuers arrived upon receiving the news, Obena had already shown no signs of life, and the subsequent life-saving attempts were merely procedural formalities.

Nobody knew why this four-star rescuer chose to climb to the rooftop of the Tesla Technology Building in the dead of night and leap down from it.

However, the Prosthetic Doctor diagnosed some interesting findings.

Before his death, Obena’s prosthetic body had suffered widespread failure due to overheating; it was as if he had been set ablaze. It seemed someone had installed some kind of virus into his operating system, but technically, they couldn’t figure out how the hacker could have breached the Lionheart Technology’s firewall.

They were even more baffled as to why Obena didn’t seek help from the prosthetic hospital when his prosthetic body was extensively damaged. Instead, after enduring severe burns, he climbed to the top of the Tesla Technology Building and jumped off alone.

Lionheart Military Industry quickly sealed off the news.

They demonstrated astonishing work efficiency. Before dawn, the transport team from the core area had taken the expensive body back to the core region.

The Law Enforcers department tentatively ruled the incident as an accident, but those with discernment knew something must have happened the night before.

Especially since the day before his death, Obena had publicly confirmed the existence of the Void.

It was those monsters from the Void.

His death conveniently served as the most compelling evidence; otherwise, in this frontier small city, there was no one capable of killing a four-star rescuer in such a manner.

After transporting the body back to the core region, Lionheart Military Industry unsurprisingly acquired the messages saved by Obena.

The virus that had been implanted in him was known as the Bionic Human Virus, characteristic of altering cognition. Obena was convinced that this virus was transmitted to him by a creature from the Void dubbed "Puppet."

In this aspect, Obena carried on the will of the "concerned citizen." In the final words of his record, he still reminded "not to be touched by them." He used himself as a test subject to prove the impact of this "Bionic Human" virus on humans.

But perhaps Obena never had the chance to know that his body had not assimilated with the bionic being as he had imagined. Technically, the virus had only infiltrated his cognitive system, burning out his prosthetic body, making him see a foggy staircase on the rooftop of Tesla Technology that did not exist in reality.

From the notes left by Obena, the medical staff of Lionheart Military Industry learned the reason he had jumped from the rooftop.

Now, the only question remaining for them was,

Was the last sticky note left by Obena rooted in reality or hallucination?

"King"

"The source of free will in artificial intelligence."

"Six eyes, a vast shadow large enough to envelop District Seventeen."

"You will hear its Whisper."

"*But do not believe it*"

"*Absolutely, absolutely do not believe it!*"

The medical staff were certain that when Obena wrote these words, he was in the real world, his thinking distorted by the Bionic Human Virus.

But if the Void doesn’t exist, how could they explain the two previous assault incidents he experienced?

And who had transmitted the virus to him?

The only clue pointed to the missing "Governor’s" backup chip, yet Obena had not mentioned it in these records.

All suspicions about the "King" inevitably led to the same question—whether the Void that Obena saw was a hallucination induced by the virus, or if the virus actually allowed him to enter the world of the Void?

As they continued the discussion along this line of thought, they were surprised to find that both possibilities seemed plausible, and proponents of each theory were able to find evidence to support their arguments.

They quickly realized that, let alone Obena who had been infected by the Bionic Human Virus, even those who were standing on objective ground examining these notes were unable to definitively assert which parts were the Void and which were reality.

...

Elsewhere, as the sky began to pale with the first light of dawn, Bai Zhu completed the final part of her work.

She looked at the "Governor" backup chip on her desk and drifted into a reverie.

The chip had been recovered by Lu Xiang when he sent Obena’s body to the prosthetic hospital.

Setting a virus on the chip, as soon as Obena plugged the chip back into his head, the virus would start operating.

Then came the operations affecting cognition and causing the prosthetic body to overheat.

Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of hacking could achieve this, but it had driven a four-star rescuer of the United Government step by step to madness.

What the United Government and Lionheart Military Industry did not know was that Obena was still alive.

In a unique way,

With a unique identity,

He existed within a small, exquisite chip.

There, his kin awaited him, and his exploration of the Void continued in a virtual world constructed from data.

He had plenty of time left, or perhaps in the realm of the Void, the concept of time no longer held any significance.

Maybe those who came after would see Obena’s name and discover the marks he had left in the "Void".

In the year 2166, human consciousness might not necessarily rely on the physical body to survive; in fact, humanity’s exploration of consciousness was just beginning.

"Finished?"

Someone entered the office.

"Finished."

Bai Zhu turned and gave an affirmative reply to the person.

The newcomer was dressed in a white lab coat, a uniform that all researchers had grown accustomed to.

Having joined earlier, Medea had become the person in charge of this underground research facility. Now, she held the chip containing Obena’s consciousness in her hand, examining it closely.

"Is Obena’s consciousness stored inside this chip?"

"Perhaps."

Transferring consciousness to a chip was a technology that the company’s managers dreamed of obtaining. If used properly, it could even break the boundaries of lifespan and achieve true immortality.

"It’s a terrifying technology," remarked Medea with a sigh. "You’re becoming more and more like the arch-villain in a movie. I have even thought of the beginning of the script: a mad scientist invents a technology to store human consciousness in a chip..."

"I think you look more like a villain than I do."

Bai Zhu reached out and touched Medea’s insect wings. She felt if the citizens of District Seventeen saw her, she wouldn’t need any disguise or alteration to be taken for a creature from the Void.

"I came to tell you that everyone is nearly here, it’s time for the meeting."

"Alright, I’ll be right there."