"I presume the Envious Researcher's death was part of your plan?" Nick asked.
"The Envious Researcher worked for me," the Sun confirmed. "Its presence was necessary. Humanity was progressing too quickly in technology. I needed humanity to bolster their physical power first before they unlocked the power of Star Energy and Pure Energy."
"I made the Envious Researcher as powerful as it was to act as a test. Humanity must be able to overcome it themselves, with their own power."
"Only then will they have reached a level of power that befits their technology."
The Sun laughed bitterly.
"No matter in which era, humans are brilliant, and the rate at which they discover new technology is astonishingly fast."
"The alien race needed millions of years to gain the ability to colonize other planets, while humanity went from inventing writing to traveling the stars within less than 20,000 years."
"But exactly that was their downfall."
"Their natural evolution couldn't keep up with their technological evolution."
"Weapons capable of destroying entire planets were operated by beings less than a century old."
"The Ancient Ones were small children with guns."
"A child like that is dangerous, but an adult can use all manner of tricks to get their hands on the gun without being shot."
"Humanity must not make this mistake again, and I am here to assure that."
"Humanity has reached a level of power that gives them the privilege to unlock the true power of the stars, Star Energy."
"Humanity will no longer take Star Energy and channel it into mindless machines. Humanity will incorporate Star Energy into their bodies and create a solid foundation."
"But that requires time and many years of evolution."
Nick nodded. "I believe this is related to my new job."
"Indeed, it is," the Sun answered.
"I've decided to relieve the Envious Researchers of its duty,but I didn't kill it. I whisked it away before the Champion's strike could hit it."
The Champion's expression didn't change, but that was exactly what gave his true thoughts away.
'If that were true, he would have most likely subconsciously nodded his head a bit. I'm pretty sure the Envious Researcher died.'
'The Sun knows that I'm a Specter and just wants to appear like it isn't willing to throw its servants away when they stop being useful.'
'After all, it thinks I'm a Specter, and Specters are only interested in their own gain.'
"Humanity's technological progress doesn't need to be suppressed anymore, but it needs to be supervised," the Sun said.
"I want you to take care of that."
Nick nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"Humanity must focus more on biology than cold metal. Humanity must work on internal power before it can focus on external power."
"I want you to supervise humanity's technological advancement in secret. I need you to join their researchers and keep me up to date on the technological progress." ȐÄ₦ỒᛒЕꞩ
"If the progress goes in the wrong direction, I need you to redirect it. If you can't redirect it, you have to tell me, and I will take care of it."
'This alien is not good at lying,' Nick thought. 'First, it says that it watches everything and has watched me for my entire life, and now, it's saying that it needs me to tell it about what's going on.'
"How do I contact you?" Nick asked.
"Just speak the words, 'Oh, Sun,' and I will be listening. I might not always answer, but I will hear your words," it said.
'Probably a phrase that triggers a record function.'
"Okay," Nick answered. "I accept. The more powerful humanity grows, the more powerful I grow. Humanity is my partner, not my prey. We are working together. A big number of Shields will mean a big chance of me becoming an Adversary."
Nick tried to lure the Sun into confirming one of his suspicions.
"You are more correct than you think," the Sun said."While the evolution of every Specter is up to them, that is only true until the seventh level."
"I am the creator of the Specters, and I decide whether or not they can advance."
"There are no Adversaries that I have not allowed to become Adversaries."
"As a personal agent of mine, you are free to join their ranks."
"If you prove to be especially useful, I might even allow you to become an Eternal. When humanity becomes more powerful, it needs more Eternals anyway."
"Those who work for me benefit immensely. I am the way to true power, and I do not abandon my followers. The Envious Researcher is becoming a Peak Adversary as we speak, and when it is time, it will return in the guise of a different Specter to work with humanity."
"But first, humanity must overcome the next trial of power. Humanity must be able to suppress Adversaries next. Then, they must overcome the Trio of Destruction, and only when they overcome Death will they be allowed to reach the ninth level."
"When that happens, humanity should have become familiar with Star Energy, and it should also have made contact with Pure Energy."
"Right now, humanity is powerful enough that I can keep the alien race off without any danger, which means it has earned enough time to evolve in peace."
"With time, humanity will surpass the alien race, and it will return to the stars."
"It is now your duty to make sure that the evolution of biology and technology doesn't go out of balance."
"If you can't keep it in balance, I will be forced to keep it in balance with more challenges."
"Your diplomacy skills are what's most important for this job."
Nick nodded. "I understand. I will do my duty."
"Good."
Then, the Sun handed Nick a huge book with instructions.
Naturally, he was supposed to keep everything secret.
On the surface, he was still working for Aegis.
As Nick read the book, he couldn't help thinking about his current situation.
'I've been working for the Corruptors while I was working for Aegis in secret. Meanwhile, I was working for Aegis while I was actually working for the future of humanity in secret.'
'Now, an additional layer has appeared in the middle.'
'I seem to work for Aegis, but I actually work for the Sun, but in truth, I work for the future of humanity.'
'I'm a triple-agent, and sometimes, I'm even a quadruple-agent.'
'So many secrets.'
'So much subterfuge.'
'Well, what's one more layer?'
'I've been embroiled in deceit and subterfuge for my entire life.'
'In truth, nothing has changed.'
'It's just one more mask I'm wearing.'
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