Chapter 130

Chapter 130

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 130: Become A Science Girl (4).

Thud!

The man casually tossed off his shoes and sat down at the computer without even washing up. He began searching for everything Professor Stranov had studied.

Quantum gravity experiment. Department of Physics.

“Department of Physics?”

Not Medicine or Biology.

“Maxwell, an effective resonator for the Descartes series……”

This was research he hadn’t heard of before. Perhaps word had already spread. A fundraising campaign was underway on a website.

We plan to begin research by this summer. We ask all investors for your interest.

Additionally, based on the amount invested, we will assign waiting numbers and promise the right to use the resonator. The currently expected completion time for the research is within one to three years.

Thank you. / Sincerely, Kallis Stranov.

The funds raised were displayed in a ranking format. Those who contributed more had already donated over 100 billion. He stared blankly at the donation window. Although it was anonymous, most contributors were likely in the same situation as him—families, lovers, or dear ones who had fallen victim to the Outer Gods. Therefore, he had no choice but to rely on such research, even if it reeked of fraud.

He checked his account: 10 billion credits. Money accumulated over time due to others’ deaths. It seemed excessively high, making him wonder if funeral directors should earn so much. Still, it also implied that many people had died.

“…….”

Anyway, this money was the man’s life. Where could he find a father who wouldn’t risk his life for his child?

“We apologize, sir.”

It was about a month after the research had begun. He heard that the resonator itself was completed immediately due to sufficient technology but felt an inexplicable unease from the phone call.

Through the research, we have found that the maximum number of Outer Gods that can be confined in one resonator is ten. We plan to confine about ten Outer Gods during the trial operation, so in the safety verification phase—

“Hey! Are you crazy?”

The caller’s voice sounded young and impolite.

“I don’t care about the trial run or anything else. Just let my child be tested first. Did you think I invested a hundred billion to just hear this kind of news?”

I’m sorry, sir.

“Sigh, forget it. Where is the Professor, and why are you calling? Call her immediately. Now!”

The Professor is currently busy and cannot take the call. We are truly sorry, sir.

It seemed to be a graduate student in the laboratory. He felt both pity and anger.

My daughter is more pitiful, bastards.

The graduate student kept apologizing and promised to return the invested money if desired. They had to comply; otherwise, they’d be sued for fraud, and the student was even considering suicide.

No, forget it. If the money is returned, what then? My heart is hurt.

Heh heh heh.

When will I hear about my daughter’s death? Until then, I can’t die peacefully. Even my wife’s face is now blurry. I wonder, how did I end up marrying the woman from the frontier?

Heh heh heh.

Perhaps everything is the work of Outer Gods. They found prey in me, switched targets, enjoyed the pain, and when blood ran low, they abandoned their victims. It’s not even pathetic. For Outer Gods, this is pleasure, happiness, and routine.

Someone once said if one person is affected by Outer Gods, it’s a tragedy, but if tens of millions are, it’s just a statistic on paper. Soon, he would be caught in government statistics too. In the future, a government official would turn on a remote, display a presentation, and explain:

‘Everyone, so many people have died due to Outer Gods. We need to establish measures. Bereaved families are likely to suffer from mental illnesses. Since many are from the frontier, welfare in those regions needs attention.’

Oh, for the love of gods. Use whatever quotes you want.

Here is the latest news.

Yes, I was here. Existing as numbers, contributing to justifying their theoretical debates.

In the Eruyel Quantum Gravity Research Team, they have decided to increase the number of quantum gravity resonators being produced.

My time has now stopped. With my daughter’s death, I will forever head beyond the Milky Way. The past ten years fighting against Outer Gods were truly trivial.

Currently, a total of four units are under construction, and investors will receive messages in order based on their support amounts.

Now, I just want to be at peace.

Vrrr.

At that moment, he felt his cell phone vibrate and slowly raised his hand.

Hello, Bromwell Hendrik, sir.

“……?”

A problem with the lack of materials has been resolved, allowing for additional resonators to be produced.

A message was incoming.

We will cure your daughter, so please attend Alcatraz Prison No. 3 on the designated date below.

“Ah, uh, ah…?”

Life is full of ups and downs. The man’s time began to flow again.

Someone thought, ‘We need to end this war.’

“I will finish it somehow by this week. No matter how much budget we pour in, don’t think about cost, just meet the deadline as much as possible.”

But no one dared to try. The opponent was too powerful, and humans were infinitely weak.

“Our design is wrong. Don’t you know that the most important thing in resonators is the angle? Even by one-billionth of a degree, hundreds of billions will go to waste. Got it? If you understand, adjust and assemble again!”

They were opponents that, no matter how many Constellations they had, could not be beaten. No matter how skilled the soldiers fought, they were monsters that couldn’t be defeated. That was why it was fear, and that was why it was darkness.

“By increasing the reflectivity, we have discovered a mode that can vibrate up to fifteen Outer Gods. This will increase efficiency.”

Nevertheless, some people wanted to overcome that fear and illuminate the darkness.

“Tell the Southern Biological Research Institute to stop. Thank you. Prioritize the procurement of asymmetrical polyhedrons. Let’s first bring in everything we’ve made.”

“Let’s add alloys to the asymmetrical polyhedrons. By increasing the entropy of the solid itself, we can use less asymmetrical polyhedron film and still make mirrors of the same efficiency.”

“Request additional orders for polarized film production. Let’s hurry before Outer Gods notice.”

Scientists.

“This is the last one.”

“It’s done.”

“I haven’t seen my wife’s face in two months. Dammit.”

Their names were scientists.

“From now on, we will only announce the overall results.”

Alcatraz Prison No. 3.

As camera shutters flashed like bullets, a dark-circle-wearing female professor read out the result sheet in a bland voice.

Participating universities included Stellarium, Eruyel, Callisto, Datrich, Elogodos Academy, and 37 other colleges. Research institutes involved were the Southern Outer God Biology Research Institute, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Outer God Countermeasure Science and Technology Research Institute, Descartes Intensive Research Institute, Maxwell System Countermeasures Engineering Research Institute, and 138 other research institutions—a total of 175 research facilities. And 38,722 Ph.D. holders. Additional process period: 68 days. Total budget invested: 80,180 trillion credits. Thus, the number of resonators produced was 20. Therefore, the total number of Outer Gods that can be confined: “……300.”

The female Professor collapsed right after the briefing. Another professor caught her, causing a domino effect as more professors fell. It was a funny situation, but no one laughed. Everyone continued sipping their coffee.

“Ah, Daddy. Daddy? It’s daddy. Heh, hehhehehehehe.”

The man, Hendrik, watched from the guest seat. His daughter, with a withered, decaying tree-like face, emerged from her solitary cell and entered the resonator.

And….

And, Ire saw.

“Dad, Dad——!!”

“Lisa! My daughter Lisa, right? Lisa——!!”

A father and daughter reunited after three years.

“Sister, I, I’m here…….”

“You bastard. Son of a bitch! After wandering around all this time, you only now come! Ugh, uheheugh!”

A brother and sister who reunited after five years, embracing each other.

“Honey, is it really you? Oh my, it’s not a dream, is it?”

“No way. Did you wait for me all this time……?”

A woman who had, for thirteen years, been waiting for her husband in the eagle workshop finally embraced her family.

Everyone had their own stories. Each was a tragedy, but from now on, they would become hopeful stories.

“…….”

Ire Hazlen touched her hand gently. She had exhausted all the coins the Constellation had given her, which she had used to raise many attributes by collecting coins.

“In the end……”

She had used them properly.

“Professor Stranov, thank you so much. Thank you very much……”

Ire, with a slight smile, glanced sideways. There was a black-haired man with golden eyes pouring a thick cup of coffee—the pure liquid.

Aidel von Reinhardt.

While others thanked Professor Stranov, she knew the hidden mastermind behind this research was him. Ire cautiously approached him. Maybe influenced by the atmosphere, she had no reservations at that moment.

“Is it okay not to show my face to those people?”

“…… It’s not just me doing it, is it.”

Haahaa, Aidel sighed.

“38,000? If I write a paper on this, I’ll have to list the authors alphabetically. Let’s see, the first letter of my name is… Ah, damn.”

Ire chuckled.

What a freak.

At this historical moment when people who had been possessed by Outer Gods were being cured, the actual healer himself was only thinking about writing papers. It reminded her of her past self, struggling to save the universe from collapsing and breaking apart, even as her body was crumbling.

In the end, she had collapsed once, but she was able to get back up—thanks to the person sitting right next to her.

“Hazlen.”

“Ire…… You can call me Ire.”

“Ire Hazlen. Thanks to your help, this scene now exists. Everyone here now owes you their lives.”

“That’s not……”

No. I didn’t do anything that impressive.

“I’m the same. The reason I can’t step forward confidently is because I’m embarrassed. Even now. But thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about getting hit by a rock while sleeping.”

Everyone was looking only at Professor Stranov. To someone unaware, she would appear as the hero who saved humanity. But many more heroes silently worked in the background.

“Ah, I need to write the next paper.”

Just like that person here now.

“I need to write it, damn it.”

Plop.

Aidel dropped his head exactly as the 300th prisoner was declared cured, and cheers and applause echoed.

Waaaaa!

Clap clap clap clap clap.

Amid the applause, the hero closed his eyes peacefully.