Transcendent Gene-Chapter 296: Final Truth [4]

Gio walked through the blackness for a period of time before he came across his first crossroads.

There were three paths he could choose from, but none of them was any better than the others.

He followed his gut and continued on the path forward, ambling aimlessly until something happened.

When the entire space around him was made up of blackness and blue neon lines, it was easy to sense the signs of change.

The sky adopted a gradient that soon transferred into the colors of the sunset.

The large blue labyrinth walls transformed into an expansive desert, and the straight path ahead morphed into a descent into a cave.

Gio’s legs moved outside his command on a path they seemed to know well until he was deep inside the cave.

There were five people already present inside with helmet lights shining bright. Gio walked until he’d reached them and shook his head.

"No good. The equipment we have isn’t enough to bring it out. We’ll need to wait for reinforcements," he said.

His eyes slightly widened at his own words, but he couldn’t stop them from leaving his mouth.

"Do we just leave it here?"

"What else can we do?" One of the men responded.

"The relic is vital. We can’t risk even a little bit of harm coming to it during transport. It’s a good thing the government said they would facilitate research efforts. If we can work with them and Vita, we’ll be able to unravel this thing faster than we thought possible."

They stood around a black and yellow storage container of sorts. It had a similar shape, only its edges were rounded and its metal pulsated like it was alive.

Gio kneeled down and touched a hole near the bottom of its form that looked like it fit a key of some sort.

"Yeah. Let’s wait for the others to show up and we can decide what to do from there."

The others seemed to agree. As they muttered to each other, they all stepped away from the relic and started making their way out of the cave.

Gio remained there on his knees for a moment longer.

’I have a connect at Vita...’

Their lab was partnered with Vita, but he also had his own personal connection to the organization.

’If I call them here on my own...’

He could take all the credit for himself. The gains of discovering something as massive as the relic they had in their grasp were astronomical.

If he could monopolize them, he’d be rich enough to never work again. He’d gain acclaim beyond what was possible for someone at his skill level.

’What are...these thoughts?’

Gio was confused by the line of reasoning in his own head. His confusion only went away when he remembered the red holographic window he saw in the labyrinth.

’So that’s how it is.’

It was a trial of choice. He was being offered a scenario and a choice within that scenario.

He had to choose what his heart thought was right.

In this case, he could either monopolize the credit for discovering the black and yellow relic, or he could leave it alone and inform his Vita connect of the entire lab team’s contribution.

Was it because this was the first choice? Gio felt it was fairly easy.

’If I wanted to monopolize credit for everything I plan to do in the future, I’d just become a target,’

Even putting aside the issues that stemmed from personal betrayal, there were countless problems awaiting someone who took such a route.

’Naturally, I’m not going to screw over these scientists for material gain.’

It wasn’t in his character to do so.

He stood up and followed the rest of the researchers through the cave. Once again, he wasn’t controlling his body. He could only assume that its movement meant his choice was registered.

The scene shifted so naturally that Gio almost didn’t realize any inconsistencies.

His path remained untouched. The researchers in front of him didn’t change.

However, as he walked with them, the world around them changed into the inside of a lab.

The six researchers were standing around a table with furrowed brows. Gio was only just walking into the room to catch the conversation they were having.

"...it’s different from what they said. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I’m not sure. We all held off on personal greed because we know the significance of this. Who would have thought that it’d result in something like this?"

Their grim expressions were explained through their words. Though Gio still didn’t know what the problem was, he knew that it was very real and present in their lives.

"This can’t be allowed to happen. If we hand it over, it’ll be used for anything but the good of humanity."

"But we can’t go against them..."

The researcher’s words trailed off as the six of them noticed Gio’s presence.

"Ah, you’ve arrived!"

"I have..."

The words weren’t his own. They came from his mouth regardless of his own desires.

"...but it seems like I’m interrupting something I shouldn’t be here for."

"It’s actually the opposite!"

One of the researchers instantly shook his head and welcomed Gio into the room.

"Right now, you’re the only one who can help us."

He frowned, urging the man to elaborate.

"According to our understanding, the government was going to take the relic to create a platform for researchers from around the world. We believed that they would spearhead an effort in recovering the lost history present in its form."

The researcher gritted his teeth and tried his best not to let his fury show.

"However, we’ve just received word that they’re blocking any communication with outside forces and securing off the dig site as we speak. They’re trying to monopolize the relic and its power."

The relic that Gio saw at the dig site was obviously otherworldly.

Its greatest contribution to society would be in the hands of researchers who could not only unearth its secrets, but also perhaps understand its inner workings and replicate its properties.

The government, on the other hand, wanted to use it as it was without funding such things like research.

’They want to use it selfishly in a way that won’t benefit other nations. They’re impeding research efforts for a pathetic reason like that.’

Gio focused on the researcher who was begging for his help.

"Our lab isn’t influential enough to go against them. If we try to say anything, we’ll be killed and framed as psycho and suicidal. But you...Vita...you guys have that kind of power, don’t you?"

’I see.’

Gio’s role had changed. He was no longer a member of the excavation team or one of the researchers.

He was their connection to the force backing them and funding their research.

’I’m being asked to act against the government’s interests for the sake of science. Am I supposed to decide whether I want to help or not?’

In the previous scene, he had to choose between taking the artifact to Vita and taking all the credit for himself or sharing the discovery and benefits with the researchers who originally found the relic.

This time, he had to make the same choice about giving it up to someone else or taking it for himself.

’But the answer is naturally much different.’

Gio worked for humanity and humanity alone. He would never do anything for an individual’s benefit if it meant taking away from humanity as a whole.

"You don’t have to worry about the government," he said to the panicked researchers.

"Vita will handle it from here."

If Vita chose to back these researchers from the beginning, they weren’t going to turn their backs at the most crucial moment.

Gio believed humanity’s most selfless organization would agree with his choice.

Though, they weren’t going to tell him if his thoughts were accurate or not.

His words fell and were followed by a wave of thanks from the researchers, who guided his body out of the room and into a more casual area where they could sit and talk.

The moment he sank into his seat, the world changed again.

Thud!

The seat vanished from beneath Gio, and he was forced to hit the ground before he regained control over his body. He furrowed his brows as he wondered why the illusion broke so suddenly, but he was quick to figure it out.

’I’m at another crossroads.’

There were paths leading left and right for him to choose between. It seemed the straight path he chose at the last crossroads had reached its end.

’Then, will it continue like this?’

If there was an illusion at every turn, just how many scenarios had been packed into the labyrinth?

Were they real scenarios from the past, or were they doctored for the sake of the trial?

While asking himself such questions, Gio chose the path to the right and started walking again, prepared for the world to experience its next shift.

Including him, there were six people who’d been pulled into this space.

Even if it wasn’t a matter of speed, it was a race between the six of them to see who reached the best final treasure.

And Gio planned to win.