BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Chapter 1212: The Weight of Leadership

"Are you ok?"

Mira gave Erik a worried look. Erik was currently lying on a bed. He wasn’t there because he was injured, but because his mind was so full of thoughts and anxiety that he needed to sleep just to reset the worry and ease his brain a little.

Mira was standing next to the bed, and she arrived as soon as she saw Erik heading for the bedroom.

"Yeah... I’m just tired. You know... After yesterday’s events, I have a lot to think about and not much time to rest." Your next chapter awaits on novelhall.Côm

Only one day passed since the invasion and conquest of the Law Gate, and the interrogation lasted for a bit, and that resulted in Erik having little time to sleep. The Chimaeric Demons could take care of things alone, but there were things that needed his say and some others that needed his help.@@@@

"What you’ve been through hasn’t been easy, Erik. First, you had to sneak into the most fortified base in the world. Then you had to fight a two-front battle—facing multiple Vindicators and a division commander while protecting a plane from destruction."

Mira sighed.

"After that, you were forced to fight a monster capable of destroying the entire Law Gate with a single flap of its wings—and heaven knows why it didn’t. Then you joined the Chimaeric Demons in purging the blackguards and led the interrogations. I’d say you have plenty of reasons to be tired and even more reasons to want to stay in bed."

This was not, by far, Erik’s simplest Friday, and he had a lot of complicated ones in his life.

Mira gently patted his head and then started caressing it. "You should get some proper rest today; you have done enough already. Leave the rest to all of us."

Erik nodded, but that wasn’t enough to ease Erik’s worries, and Mira still saw it in his eyes. Mira knew Erik was feeling burdened. Today many of the Chimaeric Demons died, and while Erik didn’t show mercy to the blackguards, it was also true he led many people to their death that day. Coupled with those he killed on Maynard Island, the kill count was starting to weigh on his conscience, even if the blackguards deserved it.

"Are you still worried?" She asked, despite knowing the answer already. "Yeah... Saying to leave the rest to you guys is enough to ease my worries. But I appreciate you saying it."

Mira chuckled. "Fair, but I was honest. You should trust us a little more and leave some of the worries for us, too."

For a moment, Erik didn’t know either what to do or what to say, nor if to say it. Erik was afraid that if he did it, Mira and the others might decide to leave him.

Erik developed an irrational fear of the Mur continent. Yet logically, if the blackguards had survived there without the boost from their second brain crystal power, Erik and the Chimaeric Demons should have even welled chances of survival. They were overall stronger than the blackguards now, so they should manage.

That meant thinking about them dying was like thinking about her lover dying. This was not a straightforward decision, and if Erik decided to go through with it, it meant knowing he led to their deaths.

She understood his dread, and while she had grown somewhat used to seeing the clones dying, the deep bond between Erik and his creations made it impossible for him to do the same.

"Erik, I’ve been by your side since before you started this journey of revenge against the blackguards. I’ve seen everything you’ve sacrificed to get here, all the effort you’ve put in, how hard you’ve worked for this."

"So many people have died fighting these monsters—and not just clones. If we stop now, we’d be dishonoring the memory of everyone who gave their lives to end the blackguards’ control over the world."

"We can’t give up, not when we’re this close to our goal."

Mira’s eyes softened. "You know what amazes me about the Chimaeric Demons? They are your clones, but each of them has grown into their own person, with their own dreams and hopes. They’re fighting for those dreams now, not just following orders."

"When I first met them, I thought they were just copies of you. But slowly, I found out they are so much more. They’ve built lives, formed relationships."

She paused.

"The Chimaeric Demons aren’t just following your orders. They want to defeat the blackguards just as much as you do. When your father died, you saw him as only your father, but he was their father, too. When the blackguards hunted you, when they forced the Crystal Cross Gang to pursue you—even though the clones weren’t physically present, they experienced all of it through you. Don’t underestimate their determination to see this through to the end."

She paused, her expression becoming more determined. "Besides, we’ve faced worse odds before."

"I’m not so sure about that, Mira." Erik thought back at the Leviathan Serpent, he thought back at the Cerulean Bird, at the black wyvern it killed, or the one Monica brought back to life.

"Everything is telling me survival on Mur will be impossible. Maybe it is just me fearing meeting those monsters again, but we don’t have time, and I can’t prepare accordingly for the journey. We will also have to cross the sea, instead of flying to Mur." He sighed.

"Even if we make it to Mur safely, I’m not sure the Chimaeric Demons will be strong enough to help us there. As I said, we don’t have the luxury of time—I can’t spend months creating new batches, either here or there. If we want to stop the blackguards’ plans, we need to move within the week."

Mira then stopped. Erik was too fixated on the lack of time. She could understand why, but he was bringing it to another level. It was a little too much.

"What do you think the blackguards are doing on Mur?"