"The righteous path, huh?" Putting his cup down, Dante contemplated the matter some more. "I’ve been wondering about something for a while now, Ms. Alberta. What is it that you are trying to achieve?"

"What are we trying to achieve?" The puppet of a woman tilted her head ever so slightly.

"You fight a pointless war, and for what? Don’t tell me it’s all about your love for bionics and hatred for the Genomes."

"Would that be a disappointing answer, Mr. Sokolov?"

"I simply see no reason for it." Dante said. "Both sides create living weapons. You might go about it differently, but the purpose is the same. The Genomes have surpassed you in innovation and variety, but you are still far ahead when it comes to mass adoption. Are you that afraid of them overtaking you? What made you think impeding their progress would give you the win?"

Genomes were an impressive scientific achievement, and the strange abilities they came with made them an incredible threat, but that was it. They weren’t immortal, and most of them could be taken out with a bullet. Things change after Level 5, but it’s not like those above that threshold were being mass-produced by either side.

The Gear Cult made a mistake by waging its war against Eidolon and its Genomes. They should’ve minded their own business and focused on improving their technology until it surpasses anything the Genomes might have.

"Mr. Sokolov, I think you, like many others, have the wrong impression."

As she spoke, Victoria’s smile seemed to broaden ever so slightly, as if she had just caught him right where she wanted him to be. It was a minute change, but Dante didn’t like it.

"We were not the aggressors in this conflict, nor did we seek to impede Eidolon’s progress." She said. "In fact, it was the other way around."

"The other way around?" Dante couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"That is correct. Though we both seek to improve humans, Eidolon is adamant about preserving the flesh. To them, the idea of integrating with the machine is abhorrent. That is why they sought to crush us as soon as they gained the power unbound by the world." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Is that so..."

Dante was a little skeptical. As much as he hated Eidolon, the idea that they were the ones who threw the first punch didn’t sound very convincing.

"We are fighting a war for our survival," Victoria said. "The righteous will prevail, but to that end, we must continue fighting."

"I see..."

Dante immediately noticed that he hadn’t learned the true reason for the conflict, even though the smartly dressed woman made it seem like she was giving him the answer. The Gear and Eidolon hate each other because of their chosen path of Enhancement, but would that really lead to such a conflict?

The true reason couldn’t be a personal one—neither had the time nor the resources to waste by turning it into an ideological war. It would’ve been more convincing if there were an important resource both sides needed. That’s how conflict between powers works—they both want something required by their chosen path, and to ensure they can continue to walk it, they do everything in their power to monopolize whatever it is.

"I would like to hear your opinion on the matter, Mr. Sokolov."

Noticing that he had let his thoughts wander, Dante looked up, frowning in confusion. Victoria seemed to catch on to that, which prompted her to explain herself.

"Mr. Samson here has informed me of your goal of complete cyberfication." She said, glancing at Larry by her side. "You have walked this path farther than most dare to try. I believe someone like you is the best suited to understanding our struggle."

"Oh..." thinking for a moment, Dante shook his head. "No, it’s nothing like that." He said. "I don’t particularly care about this whole matter."

"Even though you are one step away from becoming a full cyborg?"

"It’s convenient, that’s all."

He was now entirely resistant to the strain produced by VOLCAN. Not only that, but he unlocked a different use for the ancient relic. Becoming a full cyborg was just a means for him to better use his main weapon. He didn’t really care for what it represents or its relation to Genomes, though he would be lying if he said he didn’t like that they hate him just because of it.

"So you walk the path of the Gear despite having no attachment to it," Victoria said. "It is a bit difficult to imagine your soul settling into its new vessel; you care so little for the latter."

"Let’s leave the philosophical questions for another time. I believe we have more important matters to discuss."

Dante had a feeling that the seemingly normal woman was slowly inching closer toward topics he didn’t want to discuss. Despite everything they talked about, they had yet to touch on the reason for today’s meeting. He was hoping that she didn’t come here just to preach and try to lure him into joining their cult, but from the looks of it, that seemed to be exactly what she was trying to do.

"Mr. Sokolov. I’m sure you understand the kind of danger you are in." She said. "You have walked far into this path, and you possess technologies beyond what our enemies are willing to tolerate. You fulfill the very criteria that labeled us as Eidolon’s enemies, and considering your history, you seem to already be in a conflict with them."

"Don’t tell me you are here to offer me an invitation to your cult."

"Would you not be interested in being a part of a collective that shares your interests and goals?" She asked.

Dante was sure she wasn’t talking about him personally, but about Ghost and the imaginary organization backing him. It rubbed him the wrong way that they still act superior when they don’t even have anything that could rival VOLCAN. It wouldn’t be long before his own faction would grow to be the technologically dominant one, surpassing even the Gear Cult. With that being the case, what reason does he have to join them?