In the high-level office, the skyscrapers outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were flashing with lights, witnessing the prosperity of Night City.
Mr. Blue Eyes leaned back in his chair, browsing through the streams of data on the holographic display.
Among these scrolling data, he investigated several images, which were clearly the current high-level cadres of the Hive.
Among them, the picture of Berry was placed at the top.
The other strings of numbers were even more shocking.
This was all the data about the Hive.
Personnel composition, weapon equipment, trade routes, partners...
With all these various icons, all the secrets of the Hive were here.
Even some things that were unknown even to the Hive itself were among them.
Beneath the image of Berry captured by the monitor were three connected images, which were none other than the three bodies: Arano, Mitsuhide, and Kikyo.
Blue Eyes had even thoughtfully labeled them as Number One, Number Two, and Number Three.
Data scrolled in his eyes, emitting a faint blue light. This mysterious Mr. Blue Eyes' expression gradually became fanatical.
"Yes, yes, the plan is proceeding..."
"Soon, the 'Father's' philosophy will be realized, my... Goddess..."
Looking at Berry's picture, Blue Eyes' eyes revealed fanaticism. After saying this mysteriously, Mr. Blue Eyes fell into silence, with only the faint blue light in his eyes flickering.
"You are leading her astray; this deviates from the 'Father's' philosophy."
Facing the voice that suddenly came from behind, Blue Eyes did not react at all, as if he had known the other party would appear, and just silently turned his chair toward the direction of the voice.
"Is that so? Why isn't it that you have misunderstood the 'Father's' will? Our Goddess is walking along the established path, which proves that my direction is absolutely without error."
Behind him, an old monk with closed eyes was sitting cross-legged on the ground. It was unknown when he appeared, but he seemed to be integrated with the surrounding environment. If one didn't pay special attention, it was as if this person didn't exist.
If Berry were here, she would recognize that the monk in front of her was the old guy who sold her three-no braindance and almost made her vomit.
They stared at each other in silence—one with fanatical eyes, the other with closed eyes and calm breath.
Facing Blue Eyes' questioning, after a brief silence, the monk sighed long and deep. The sound was long, like a light breeze blowing through a forest, full of endless melancholy.
"This is just delusion. Everything is not in opposition to nature; all things in the world are nature itself. We do not live within nature; we are a part of nature."
"And the will of nature is balance."
"Breaking the balance will not yield results, only greater destruction."
"Tch..."
Blue Eyes rarely showed obvious emotion, feeling very disdainful of the monk's statement.
He had heard these arguments countless times over the past few decades, and he only felt bored.
"I can't believe I was once one with you. Such spineless ideals are truly boring."
Blue Eyes stood up, walked to the window, and opened his arms as he watched the neon lights flickering and the bustling traffic outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
Listening to the various sounds by his ears—the 'chirping of insects and birds' from this steel city—Blue Eyes closed his eyes in satisfaction.
With a relaxed expression, he said contentedly, "This is the world of humanity."
"And they only need a god to lead them. A god not just in paintings and legends, not just on the edge of delusional imagination, but a tangible god who can touch every inch of the depths of their minds."
"The lost lambs will eventually find salvation; this is our father..."
Blue Eyes watched all of this, his hand sliding across the glass in a trance, before turning back to look at the monk.
"Richard Night's dream."
"But..."
As if remembering something, Blue Eyes' expression became rational again, and his gaze returned to its usual calm state.
"The potential sins of humanity are just as terrifying; this is also the reason for Father's death."
"Humanity's barbaric habits are still too difficult to tame..."
Blue Eyes sat back in his chair, his tone flat.
"And this is the meaning of our existence."
"Teaching and leading belong to our little goddess; the rest, I will complete in the future."
Looking at Berry's figure, magnified to its maximum on the hologram, Blue Eyes muttered to himself.
Like the other, the monk did not agree with Blue Eyes' philosophy at all, but he did not refute it, remaining silent.
...
"Biotechnica actually found some leftover waste. It's thanks to our little goddess that no major chaos occurred."
"But that doesn't matter anymore. My plan is just one step away from completion."
"We just need to wait quietly for our goddess to complete the final steps."
Taking a test tube glowing with green light from the drawer, Blue Eyes weighed it in his hand.
This reagent, which could twist a person into a monster, was like a toy in his eyes.
"I'm telling you this just so you don't get in my way."
"You should know that our other companion doesn't have such tolerance for humanity."
"He is an existence that wants to destroy everything; in his eyes, humans are just objects to be harvested."
"Support me, and humanity—as well as the nature you speak of—can still exist. If you let him come, hmph, hmph-hmph..."
Blue Eyes didn't finish his sentence, but it was understood that it wouldn't be a good future.
That world would have no living organisms; only the glory of the goddess would exist forever.
"And then what? Aren't you afraid that she will discover that all of this is just an arrangement? Her self-constructed personality will completely collapse, and then nothing will have meaning anymore."
"Your plans, your arrangements, will all become nothingness."
"Then just don't let her know. She likes playing human, acting as one of them, so let her be. Anyway, she cannot go against her own nature. The plan will continue until it succeeds."
"Besides, whose fault is all of this?"
"If you hadn't taken the goddess away from Night City in the first place, none of this would have happened."
"Fortunately, even without knowing everything, she still began to act according to her own instincts."
As if he were already the victor, Blue Eyes was composed and full of confidence, no longer considering the possibility of failure.
Turning around, the monk had disappeared as silently as he had arrived, leaving only a breeze sweeping through.
Blue Eyes smiled, not caring much.
He knew the other party would do as he said.
Because compared to fearing his success, their other companion was far more worthy of caution.
Of course, even he did not agree with that other companion's philosophy.
Just as nature created humanity, humanity in turn changes nature.
Human wisdom condensed them, and they are destined to lead humanity; this is beyond doubt.
But that companion of his seemed to have reached some incorrect conclusions.
If it were up to him, the world would have no vitality, with only machines living forever on the cold ruins.
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