The Practical Uses Of The White Crystal

The space where the White Crystal was stored was yet another iron door, guarded by two special agents.

This place, too, could only be opened by entering a separate passcode, and once Director Dubein entered the code and opened the door, they could see a small corridor leading inside. Passing through the corridor and opening the double doors they faced again, they entered and saw a room of roughly thirty pyeong in size.

Researchers were stationed here separately as well. Unlike the area they had seen earlier, this place had only about five people, conducting research with a small team. Research done outside was important too, but since this place was the highest classification level, they paid even closer attention to security.

Seeing Ian enter, they all stopped what they were doing and came straight over. Then one person stepped forward, and Ian heard him offer a greeting.

“Billeor greets the Lord of the Great Ocean.”

“Dr. Billeor. Have you been well?”

“Of course. I have been counting the days until your arrival.”

“I heard you have results.”

“Yes, we have achieved results to a certain extent.”

“I want to see them quickly.”

“This way, please. I will show you personally.”

The doctor named Billeor was a biotechnologist, a man known in the kingdom as a brilliant genius with a strong reputation. That was why Ian had previously informed him in secret about the White Crystal and allowed him to conduct research.

Dr. Billeor had readily accepted. He had already been curious about the biological weapons the Magnia Empire had deployed to the battlefield. In the midst of endless doubts about what and how they could possibly create such things, when Ian told him there was a material that might make it possible and asked him to research it, he could hardly refuse.

“This way, please.”

The place he led them to was the core of this area, and some kind of machinery stood there. A circular tank that looked to be made of metal was positioned there, large enough to fit three adults inside. The only way to see into the thick metal tank was through a single fist-sized glass panel.

The glass was so thick that the inside looked slightly hazy, as if to show how many layers were fitted together. Since it was the first time he had seen such a device, Ian looked at it with curious eyes and asked what it was.

“What does this device do?”

“It is a device that can discharge the energy contained in the White Crystal. Through thousands of experiments, we were able to find the appropriate power intensity, and we can now utilize it through this device.”

“You haven’t installed the White Crystal yet?”

“No. We install it only when conducting experiments.”

“Then are we testing it now?”

“Of course. We have already finished preparations. There is a test mouse inside that container.”

“A mouse. You’re going to alter it?”

“Yes. The moment it activates, we confirmed an astonishing change occurs. Your Majesty will be surprised as well.”

“Hm. If you say I’ll be surprised, then begin.”

“Yes. Then we will begin.”

After speaking, Billeor gave a nod to a colleague, and a researcher who returned the nod immediately headed toward a corner. There was a safe there that clearly looked like it stored something important. Even opening it required releasing locks.

Clack—when the thick safe door opened, what he took out was a small metal box. He brought it over and opened the lid. There, Ian saw the pure white crystal again for the first time in a while. Watching it being carefully lifted out with tongs, Ian swallowed involuntarily.

‘It’s still something I want the moment I see it.’

It was an object that could grant him power from another dimension the instant he absorbed it. Of course, he could not absorb it recklessly because it was the only one they possessed. And in any case, he had not even fully digested the one he had absorbed before, so he had to abandon greed.

When it was slid into the slot attached to the side of the circular metal tank and the metal cover closed, Ian finally tore his gaze away and immediately asked Dr. Billeor a question.

“Does that mean you can proceed now?”

“That’s correct. Then shall we conduct the experiment?”

“Do so.”

As soon as Ian gave approval, the researchers began moving in a bustle. They manipulated the instrument panel connected to the metal tank, and amid voices saying they would supply power, he saw someone pull a lever on one side.

Crackle—

Electric sparks flew. It was the sign that power supply had begun. At that, Dr. Billeor shouted to those around him.

“We will commence the experiment!”

At once, he saw someone pull another lever. In that instant, a pure white light spilled out through the glass window. And then, from inside the tank, a sizzling sound rang out.

“That sound is?”

“The mouse’s body is being altered. The White Crystal reacts to the power we ran through it and immediately fires white light toward the mouse inside the tank. Then, as if responding, rapid physical transformation begins.”

As Ian listened to Dr. Billeor’s explanation, he could hear the shrieks growing louder and louder. It was as if the thin crying of a baby had changed into the deep roar of an adult. Then he heard repeated thud—thud-thud—sounds.

“It’s thrashing violently.”

“Yes. It is struggling to escape. The pain seems significant.”

“Has it ever been dangerous?”

“Not until now. No matter how much transformation occurs, there is a limit to what a mouse can endure.”

“What animals have you tested so far?”

“For now, mice and cats.”

“Cats? Aren’t they larger?”

“They are. It grew at least three times larger than the mouse.”

“Then you’ll need a sturdier tank.”

“We have already commissioned one. When we transformed the cat before, I truly thought this metal tank was going to break. So we will need to make it at least several times larger if we want to test bigger animals.”

Thud-thud—thud!

Even now, the sound of it slamming its body kept coming strongly. The thick metal tank did not budge. Seeing that, Ian thought they truly needed to be even more careful about safety. At the same time, he was curious what it had become.

For that, the current experiment would have to end first. Power continued to flow, and he could see the intensity of the light decreasing little by little. When the white light finally vanished, something remained inside, making a squeak—!

“Can I go closer to look?”

“Of course.”

Even as they approached the tank, he kept hearing the repeated thud—thud-thud—thud of it hitting its body. When he came close and peered through the fist-sized glass, he saw a creature at least fifty centimeters long slamming itself around inside. A small mouse had truly grown enormous.

“As expected, its body is pure white.”

“Yes. We confirmed that the skin tissue itself turns white due to the influence of the White Crystal.”

As Ian looked inside while listening to Dr. Billeor, it soon met his eyes. It repeatedly lunged toward him and slammed into the glass. A sharp crackling sound rang out, as if the glass were breaking. One of the inner glass layers had cracked.

Seeing it, Dr. Billeor spoke urgently.

“We should dispose of it now.”

“How do you dispose of it?”

“By firing a strong electrical current.”

Since activating the White Crystal did not require strong power, it seemed they had arranged a separate line to send higher-intensity electricity inside. At that, Ian raised a hand, signaling them to wait.

“Wait a moment. I want to observe it a little more.”

Dr. Billeor nodded and signaled the researcher who was ready to fire the current to wait. Meanwhile, Ian watched the creature that seemed to glow as it screamed and slammed itself again and again.

‘The window is fist-sized, so it can’t get out. Still, now that it’s cracked, I can’t see properly.’

It had only been made small for the purpose of checking inside. Then Ian wondered whether it would fall under Mental Manipulation. He decided to try it immediately. He slipped into Mental Manipulation at once—then he could not help but be startled by what he felt.

‘Why is it this easy?’

Without even the slightest resistance, Mental Manipulation took hold. He immediately raised its Affinity and Loyalty toward himself. At that, he saw it become docile in an instant. What had been thrashing violently just moments ago now looked like a gentle dog.

‘Is it because I absorbed the White Crystal? Our compatibility is too good.’

“Strange, isn’t it? How is it staying still?”

Beside him, Dr. Billeor spoke as if he could not believe it. Since none of their test subjects had ever been quiet until now, he seemed unable to hide his shock. Meanwhile, Ian deliberately shrugged as if he did not know.

“Indeed. I’m not sure why it’s staying still either.”

“It seems a new type of test subject has been born. Rather than disposing of it, it would be better to conduct separate experiments.”

“No. Dispose of it.”

“Yes? But…”

“How do you plan to move it like this? You can’t take it out of there, and you can’t run the next experiment either, so disposing of it is the right choice. And if it starts thrashing again, the danger only grows.”

“That is true, but…”

“Don’t cling to regrets. You can make as many test subjects as you like anyway.”

“Understood. If Your Majesty says so, we will dispose of it.”

“Good decision.”

Ian had no intention of leaving it as a test subject. If they kept it, it would be used in all sorts of experiments, and that would not sit well with him. Of course, disposing of it did not feel good either, but if it ended quickly, his sour mood would soon return to normal.

“Then we will dispose of it immediately.”

Dr. Billeor would not know that a test subject like this would not appear again from now on. In any case, at the signal, the researcher who had been waiting immediately pulled another lever. With that, Ian heard a loud whirring sound, as if a powerful current were flowing.

Bzzzt—!

A blindingly intense electric discharge erupted inside the container. A squeal—like a scream—rang out, and then it fell silent. The discharge continued for dozens of seconds, and when it finally stopped, there no longer seemed to be any sign of life.

‘If I had used Physical Enhancement, it would have endured longer and survived, wouldn’t it?’

“Disposal is complete.”

When Dr. Billeor said so after checking inside, Ian nodded.

“If you continue researching further, you’ll be able to create something like the Magnia Empire’s biological weapon, the Grow, won’t you?”

“Yes, that is what we suspect. For now, we are only confirming through alterations of test subjects, but we believe we can certainly create artificial lifeforms as well, just like the Magnia Empire.”

The number of those creatures that appeared until the very end on the battlefield had approached at least one hundred thousand. Transforming people to create that many made no sense, which meant they were surely being manufactured artificially. In other words, there had to be facilities capable of mass production.

“Continue the research. Perhaps we, too, can create biological weapons that reduce the sacrifice of soldiers.”

“Yes. I will do my utmost. I will never disappoint Your Majesty.”

Hearing Dr. Billeor’s confident words, Ian nodded as though he trusted him. After confirming the White Crystal’s practical applications in this secret facility, Ian checked a few more things and then left the underground complex.

Returning to the surface and rejoining the guards, Ian boarded the car again and began the journey back to the royal palace. He believed this inspection had taught him much and shown him many possibilities.

The year turned, and World Era 1917 arrived.

From the moment the year changed, he could feel the temperature dropping further against his skin. The abnormal temperatures that had been rising until now returned to average seasonal levels, and many people let out cheers of relief.

At this moment, when everyone was happy at the possibility that the worsening food crisis might be resolved, Ian—now twenty-seven—entered his eighth year on the throne. Yet in the minds of many, the question of why the royal family still had no children inevitably began to arise.

They had held their wedding in July 1915, and it was already their third year of marriage. With no news of pregnancy in such a situation, more and more people could not help but become concerned.

It was only natural that an issue that had been quiet until now would surface.