Chapter 21: Meetings
Nolan led Rick and Oliver into the chamber, where they presented themselves in front of Lord Adril and other members of the high council. Among them were many familiar faces, including Brayden, Colton, Jayden, and Professor Aizel. Rick and Oliver saluted and took their seats.
"General Rick, your performance in the war was outstanding and commendable. The decisions you made saved billions of soldiers, not to mention the deaths of hundreds of billions of Entomons. I believe no one could have performed better than you," Lord Adril praised Rick.
"Thank you, Lord Adril. It was only possible because of the sacrifices made by the soldiers. Without them, we wouldn't be standing here," Rick replied with humility.
Lord Adril appreciated Rick's mindfulness and nodded in agreement before continuing.
"I know, but no one can deny how much you have contributed to the war. From now on, you will be promoted to Field Marshal/General of the Army, and you will recruit more soldiers under your command," Lord Adril declared.
Rick was startled but nodded his head in acknowledgment. He understood that with more soldiers and resources, he could better serve in the upcoming war.
Lord Adril was pleased to see that Rick agreed. Everyone in the room had already reached a consensus on promoting him to the rank of Field Marshal. In times of war, they truly needed more high-ranking officers to lead, and General Rick was the perfect candidate for this position.
"We will be holding a ceremony after this meeting, and you and your soldiers will be rewarded for your contributions in the war. Now, onto the next topic: give us your thoughts on the current situation, or any new developments of the enemies after your battle with them?" Lord Adril looked at Rick and asked.
"I thank you, Lord Adril, for your kindness. As for the Entomons, based on the firsthand combat experiences I had with them, they are far stronger than our soldiers, especially their Noble Entomons."
"I don't think our combat soldiers can stand up against the High-class Entomons, not to mention the Noble Entomons. At best, they can handle a few Middle-class Entomons," Rick explained.
Then he pulled up a hologram of a gigantic armored Entomon, which looked intimidating and menacing at first glance. He swiped the hologram screen on his wrist and continued.
"Now let's talk about the Noble Entomons. Noble Entomons are divided into many classes. So far, we have only encountered lower-class Noble Entomons. We identify these lower-class Entomons as Baron Class Entomons, because of their strict hierarchy similar to the nobles in our human hierarchy.
Additionally, we've discovered a few special Noble class Entomons such as Protector class, Champion class, King class, and Queen Class Entomons. These Protector and Champion Class Entomons are on par with some of our strongest elite soldiers."
"Now, when we were at war with these Entomons, they had the upper hand. And that's just one small colony from the many colonies out there. I don't think we stand a chance against these Entomons. If not for the heavy firepower from city defense, our defenses would have crumbled in just a few hours."
Everyone listened quietly to the report, fully aware of the strength of these Noble Entomons after witnessing the battle.
"But didn't you defeat the King and Queen Entomon easily?" One of the elders raised a question.
Rick looked at Elder Landon and asked, "Elder Landon! How many people out there do you think could defeat me?"
Elder Landon's jaw dropped in surprise. He was speechless and didn't know how to respond, his face awkwardly frozen.
"None. I'm not trying to show off my strength, but I believe only Field Marshal Brayden has the strength to compete against me," Rick replied confidently. He glanced around, waiting for any dissenting voices, but found none. The room remained silent, tacitly acknowledging his assertion.
Brayden, in response, merely snorted and reclined in his seat.
"Even though Marshal of the Air Force Colton and Admiral of the Fleet Jayden are Grade SS Enhancers with 4 Stars, they are not close to my level. My point is, there are only two Grade SSS Enhancers in the whole of humanity, and when I was facing the Entomon King and Queen, our strengths were almost evenly matched. The reason why I was able to defeat them easily was because of my combat experience," Rick explained confidently.
"And from the data we have collected, there is a high possibility that there might be thousands or even millions of King and Queen class Entomons whose combat power is similar to mine or even stronger. Not to mention there are higher classes of Entomons with different abilities and sizes. That's all I have to say for now," Rick explained before returning to his seat.
The chamber fell silent as everyone processed the information Rick had provided. Despite the grim outlook, they refused to relinquish hope, clinging to the sliver of possibility that remained.
"I heard that you captured one of their Queen?" Lord Adril asked.
"Yes, Lord. The Stag Queen is currently in the hangar, and I've also brought some samples of the Rhino King," Rick confirmed. He signaled to one of his officers, who nodded and relayed the message. Shortly after, a group of soldiers entered the chamber, carrying several large cases which they placed in the middle of the hall.
"I discovered this peculiar energy core inside the Rhino King and didn't have the time to analyze it," Rick explained as he pulled up a holographic image of the energy core from the cases, displaying it for everyone to see.
Professor Aizel was visibly shaking when he saw the energy core, his excitement palpable as if he couldn't wait to get his hands on the materials.
When everyone noticed his behavior, they couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
Lord Adril looked at Aizel and couldn't help but sigh. He knew that if he delayed any longer, Aizel would probably die from impatience.
"Ahm…"
"Ah, yes, Lord Adril," Professor Aizel replied eagerly, snapped out of his reverie. He briskly made his way to the large cases containing the samples and began to closely examine the holographic energy core.
With Lord Adril's permission, Aizel and his assistant Luna transported the large cases to a temporary research lab within the chamber hall. There, they started analyzing the real samples while the entire process was displayed to everyone in the chamber.
After 45 minutes of intense analysis, Aizel emerged from the research lab with an expression of excitement on his face. Taking a deep breath, he addressed the gathering with sparkling eyes.
"This is the most fascinating discovery I've ever encountered. If my hypothesis is correct, this must be the creature's life energy core," Aizel exclaimed, his voice filled with awe and enthusiasm.
"This core holds an unimaginable amount of power, yet the nature of this energy eludes classification. It possesses a unique atomic structure, with thousands of densely packed electrons within a single atom, and the nucleus exhibits distinct characteristics. Further research is required for a comprehensive understanding, but this discovery marks a significant step forward for humanity, particularly in our quest for evolution," Aizel explained, his enthusiasm palpable. After a brief pause, he continued.
"I cannot ascertain the specific conditions or the Entomon species required to form this core, but it is evident that it necessitates a high-class Entomon or an entity of comparable strength to the Rhino King. Furthermore, this sheds light on the phenomenon of transformation," Aizel concluded.
Professor Aizel turned to Lord Adril, his expression brimming with excitement. "This specimen marks our first encounter with a King Class Entomon, and the research potential it presents is monumental. I humbly request permission to spearhead this project."
Lord Adril nodded in acknowledgment before inquiring about the Stag Queen.
"We must ensure her preservation," Aizel responded hastily. "Her value alive far surpasses that of her demise."
Aizel's excitement overwhelmed his usual decorum. "We could potentially establish virtual communication with her. Every living creature emits brain signals, and with the right technology, we could decode these signals. She might possess invaluable information that could aid us," he exclaimed, his grin widening.
"Alright! Take them to the lab and commence your research. Professor Aizel, I trust you won't disappoint me," Lord Adril said with a subtle warning, indicating the importance of the task.
"Yes, Lord! I will give it my all," Aizel replied earnestly.
"Good. Now that this matter is settled, does anybody have any new ideas?" Lord Adril inquired, opening the floor for further discussion.
Nobody came forward. Adril was disappointed.
"My Lord," Nolan began, bowing respectfully to everyone in the chamber.
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