Time is almost up.
The other 'offerings' were already prepared on the Gateway Platform—only the final main ingredient remained.
"Has that person arrived yet?" Patrick Zade's eyes were bloodshot, looking like a furious ghost.
As soon as he finished speaking—boom!—a heart-shaking thud echoed, and a giant appeared before everyone.
This giant stood twenty-five meters tall, his bare body covered in charred marks. Despite his massive weight and outrageous size, no one sensed his arrival. One moment he was far away, the next he broke through every barrier at a speed defying logic, instantly standing before everyone.
Such terrifying speed, yet not a single gust of wind—only a gentle breeze brushed by. It meant the giant had absorbed nearly all the energy from the storm. Patrick Zade's pupils narrowed; he hated looking up, but this time he had no choice. Squinting, he said, "Looks like that Purple Test Tube I gave you really did the trick."
It sure did. Without the power of that Purple Test Tube, the 'Divine' could never have ramped up his energy absorption to such a ridiculous level. Not only that, the purple power boosted him in every way imaginable. In short, the 'Divine's' overnight transformation was absolutely thanks to that purple stuff.
But the 'Divine' clearly wasn't in the mood to chit-chat with Patrick Zade.
Bang—a frail figure was tossed down by the giant, just like that.
"Let's get started." The giant looked at the Gateway Platform, six colors flashing in his eyes. "I can't wait any longer."
"Cough, cough, cough!" A white-haired old man hacked painfully on the ground. A bunch of burly guys rushed up and grabbed him, pinching his face to confirm his identity. After cross-checking every feature, someone reported to Patrick Zade, "No mistake—it's Parker Peterson himself."
"So this is it..." The old man weakly looked around the vast hollow ahead, stared at the Gateway Platform, then glanced at Patrick Zade, a mocking grin on his lips. "I see now. All this trouble just to drag a dying old man here—for this. But, heh heh, you think you can lay claim to the Tiberius Laboratory? Dream on! Hahaha—"
Bang! One of the burly men punched the old guy, cutting off his laughter.
"Mayor of New York, a rare external commissioner of the Zade House Pantheon—Parker Peterson." Patrick Zade stepped forward, giving old Parker's cheek a couple of sharp slaps. His handsome face was full of menace. "Once the operations chief of the Tiberius Laboratory, and you still think you can look down on me like before? Hahaha, perfect. Bring that pride of yours and open the way to hyperspace for me—take him up!"
The burly men immediately dragged the old guy up onto the Gateway Platform.
This Gateway Platform was seriously tall and broad. It looked like a sci-fi pyramid, narrowing layer by layer all the way up to twenty-nine meters. The top level was fifty-seven meters across, its surface etched with countless intricate, indecipherable patterns.
This Gateway Platform was once one of the main access points to the Tiberius Laboratory. There used to be gateways like this all across America—even worldwide—but after a certain incident, New York's Gateway Platform became the last, best-preserved entrance.
Parker Peterson already had kidney failure, and being dragged up twenty-nine meters to the top left him pale as a ghost. Cold sweat dripped down his face. Sneaking a peek, old Parker spotted three cocoon-like pods set up on the platform. One pod held a nutrient tank, and inside floated a still-living brain. Another pod was unclear, but clearly contained either a Pantheon member—or at least some part of one.
"Get in!" The burly men shoved old Parker into the last empty pod, tying him up tight. A few lab coats rushed over, strapping on all kinds of devices. Especially his head—it was like they crowned him with a ring of thorns, probes stabbing deep into his skull.
Blood trickled down. Old Parker looked like a witch about to be executed. He trembled in agony, then started to scream at the top of his lungs: "Fate! It's all fate! Everything that happened before—it's time I paid for it!"
Meanwhile, Patrick Zade walked over to the 'Divine.' He eyed the giant's flawless physique with a hint of envy and called out, "This dimensional gateway can't handle that much mass. You need to shrink back to normal size."
The giant ignored him, not even sparing a glance.
Patrick Zade's face darkened, a mix of gloom and menace. "You don't really think hyperspace is just a walk in the park, do you? Without my roadmap, there's no way you'll get what you want."
The giant finally glanced at him, his voice booming like a cannon: "You don't really think hyperspace is safe, do you? If I'm going in, I need to stay at my peak."
"Hmph, suit yourself. If you can't get in, don't blame me." Even just standing near the 'Divine' was suffocating—a crushing pressure from a higher lifeform. Patrick Zade snorted, then shouted, "Everyone get ready! We're on the clock—let's move!"
"Team One ready, power supply normal."
"Team Two ready, defense systems normal."
"Team Three ready, offerings status normal."
"Team Four ready, exploration squad in position."
"All teams ready—awaiting orders!"
"Alright, my command—" Patrick Zade raised his hand high, took a deep breath, ready to embrace the peak of his life. Then, with a sharp downward slash: "Codename: Coronation Operation, officially begin!"
Boom! Massive energy gathered on the Gateway Platform, surging along mysterious patterns and bursting into dazzling light. Buzzing noises filled the air as three giant rings suddenly rose from the top. Each ring spun at its own rhythm, faster and faster, wrapping the platform in a wild blur.
(This chapter isn't over yet~.~ Click next page for more excitement!)
"Aaah!" Screams echoed from two pods, while a brain inside another twitched in silent agony. Some kind of essence was being extracted from the brains of all three offerings, bit by bit, and injected into the spinning rings. The more essence they got, the wilder the rings spun. Every bit of electricity meant for all of New York City was rerouted here. In the blinding light, at the platform's very center, for a moment—a hollow circle appeared.
"It... it worked... it worked!" Patrick Zade pumped his fist and shouted with excitement. But the next instant, that hollow circle flickered and vanished.
With a deflated sound, the giant rings spun to a stop and retracted back into the platform.
Nothing happened.
"Wh-what? How could this happen!" Patrick Zade was dumbstruck, screaming hysterically: "Check everything! We were about to succeed—it must be an energy issue. I don't care what's wrong, find it! Whoever messed up, I'll kill you!"
"Heh heh... hehehe..." A weak laugh suddenly sounded, grating on Patrick Zade's ears.
"Who is it? You? What's so funny? Huh? You wanna die?" Patrick Zade stormed over, grabbed Parker Peterson by the collar, eyes blazing like a demon. "No, you must know something, don't you? Where did it go wrong? Tell me, now!"
"Cough, cough. Kid, you're... way too green." Parker Peterson shook his head, still looking down on the Zade heir even as a so-called offering. "I've lived through that era myself. You think I don't know how to open Tiberius? This place is in New York—I've been mayor for ages. You think I never tried? If all it took was memories, then the guy with the clearest memories would be your own dad. So why hasn't he opened hyperspace all these years?"
"Obviously, it's because—we can't! Hahaha!"
Patrick Zade's face went pale.
Parker Peterson's face twisted into a grin. "Heh, we failed. Even the guy who seemed unstoppable failed. No one—not a soul—can open it now. Its owner sealed that hyperspace for good. Without their say-so, it's impossible! And you? Among all the Zade heirs, you're not the strongest, not the most cunning, not the most ambitious, and definitely not the smartest. Others tried this before you—you just don't know it."
"Pathetic, really pathetic! Still think you're some kind of king? Still think your obsession with Tiberius is your own idea? You think all this intel was earned by your own skill? You're just a sad case, chasing after illusions because your soul is missing something." Parker Peterson's eyes were cold and hopeless. "Everything about you was set up from the start."
Patrick Zade's face flushed, then turned pale. He wanted to scream and deny it all. But to old Parker's surprise, Patrick Zade didn't say a word—just shot a dark look to the side.
There, stood someone who looked totally ordinary and forgettable.
"Even if it was all planned, I still have luck the planner never saw coming." Patrick Zade took a deep breath, then, almost admitting defeat, said to that person, "He won. Give him what he wants, and give me what I want."
"A wise choice. As you wish." The man was a Chosen One. In a flash, several special items appeared on the Gateway Platform: "Mr. Patrick Zade, these Holy Relics were obtained at great cost. They will help you achieve your goals."
Patrick Zade didn't answer—he just stared seriously at those items.