"Ran Bing, it seems like you don't want to go through with that 'Reproduction Task'?" Goku's clear voice broke the silence in the room.
He hadn't employed his mind-reading abilities or Legilimency; simply by sensing the thoughts radiating from Ran Bing, he was able to perceive her emotional state at that very moment.
It was just like how, earlier, he had effortlessly sensed the malice directed toward him by the Light Bearer and her cohorts.
This was an ability he had acquired after mastering the art of mind-reading.
Mind-reading and Legilimency operate within two entirely distinct power systems—one utilizes Ki, while the other relies on magic. Yet, their functions are identical: both serve to access and read another person's memories.
Consequently, when combined, they produce a synergistic effect where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Were he to encounter someone like Ebony Maw again—as he had in the past—he would no longer need to seek Dumbledore's assistance; he could breach Ebony Maw's mental defenses and extract his memories all by himself.
Likewise, even without actively engaging his mind-reading or Legilimency skills, he could still passively perceive certain emotional fluctuations.
"I don't want to. I already have someone I love, so I have absolutely no desire—none whatsoever—to participate in a Reproduction Task with anyone else!"
Mustering her courage, Ran Bing lifted her head and fixed her gaze upon Mark.
Mark looked back at Ran Bing, his lips parting as if to speak; yet, in the end, he averted his eyes:
"Ran Bing, Scavenger—complete your mission." He did not fear death, but he dreaded meeting the same tragic end as his sister; for if that were to happen, it would mean not only his own demise but Ran Bing's as well.
Moreover, his sister's death all those years ago had become a lingering psychological trauma—a "heart demon" that he could never truly let go of.
"That's strange. You don't want Ran Bing to go through with the Reproduction Task either, so why are you still telling her to do it?"
Goku's voice rang out, tinged with confusion.
He could sense the intense reluctance radiating from Mark—the overwhelming desire to prevent Ran Bing from undertaking the Reproduction Task—yet the words Mark actually spoke stood in stark contradiction to his true emotions.
"Because refusing a Reproduction Task results in immediate execution. That is the law of the Lighthouse—a rule that no one has the power to change."
Erica explained the situation to Goku, her face etched with sorrow. Goku furrowed his brows:
"Why does refusing a mission mean being executed? I don't like rules like that.
How about you guys come down to the surface with me?
I don't plan on joining the Lighthouse anymore; it seems like there isn't a single person here who can put up a decent fight. I'm heading down to the surface tomorrow to continue my training."
"Mark, let's leave the Lighthouse! Even if it means being killed by a Phage Beast on the surface, as long as I can be with you, I'm willing to face it!"
Ran Bing grabbed Mark's hand, bravely declaring her feelings.
Standing nearby, Erica quickly chimed in to lend support:
"Goku can conjure drinks out of thin air and even transform matter into various kinds of food. As long as you find a spot on the surface where the Phage Beasts are scarce, you could live a perfectly good life."
More than she cared about the utility Goku might offer the Lighthouse by staying, she wanted to see Captain Mark and Vice-Captain Ran Bing find happiness together.
Besides, Goku himself had no desire to remain on the Lighthouse.
Mark instinctively grasped Ran Bing's hand, his mind replaying memories of their shared life together, from childhood right up to the present day.
After a long internal struggle, he finally made up his mind and declared:
"Alright. We're leaving the Lighthouse. I'm going to go speak with the City Lord right now!"
If he and Ran Bing voluntarily renounced their status within the Lighthouse to head for the surface, it wouldn't technically count as a violation of the Lighthouse's rules.
Furthermore, given that he had risked life and limb for the Lighthouse for so many years, if he explained the situation clearly, the old City Lord would likely grant them permission to leave.
As for the position of City Lord? He had never intended to accept it in the first place.
"Mark!"
Ran Bing threw her arms around Mark, her eyes brimming with tears of joy.
"Yes, together."
"Goku, you come along too. If we can manage it, let's leave the Lighthouse tonight."
Gently setting Ran Bing down, Mark turned to address Goku.
As long as the old City Lord gave his consent, they would depart that very night—lest they wait too long and complications arise.
If, however, the old City Lord refused, they would simply commandeer a flight craft and make their escape by force.
He was heading to see the old City Lord now to explain the situation for two reasons.
On one hand, he felt it would be wrong to simply slip away without saying goodbye.
On the other hand, if the old City Lord did agree to let them go, perhaps—out of respect for the years he had spent risking his life in service to the Lighthouse—he might provide them with some basic supplies and weaponry for their survival.
"Alright!"
Goku nodded.
Whether they slept in the lighthouse tonight or down below made no difference to him anyway.
The four of them rose and had barely left the room when, in the corridor, they encountered a squad of "Dawn Clerics" from the Society of Light and Shadow approaching them.
They were uniformly clad in mysterious black robes and wore brass masks.
"Wilderness Hunter Zai Bing, we are here to escort you to the preparatory procedures for Breeding Mission No. 21449. Please accompany us to the Hall of Dawn."
"We have an urgent mission right now to see the City Lord. We will proceed with the breeding mission only after we have met with him."
Mark stepped forward directly, blocking the path of the Dawn Clerics.
The leading cleric appeared completely unsurprised; he merely spoke in a cold voice:
"The Breeding Mission is sacred and inviolable; not even the City Lord himself may interrupt it. Captain Mark, you may go see the City Lord first.
It will be ample time for Wilderness Hunter Zai Bing to rejoin you after he has completed the breeding mission."
"I said—we are going to see the City Lord right now. Did you not hear me?"
Mark clenched his fists. The imposing aura of a Wilderness Hunter Captain was so powerful that the clerics involuntarily took a step back.
However, the leading cleric suddenly drew his stun baton.
"No one may obstruct the sacred Breeding Mission—not even you, Captain Mark. Step aside immediately, or do not blame us for resorting to force!"
The other clerics immediately followed suit, drawing their own stun batons.
A battle was on the verge of breaking out.
"They were sent by a man named Charles. Their orders are to provoke you."
At that moment, Goku's voice suddenly rang out.
It was Goku, using his mind-reading ability, who had accessed fragments of the leading cleric's memories.
"What on earth is the deal with this kid?"
Meanwhile, back at the Society of Light and Shadow—where he was observing the entire scene through the camera embedded in the cleric's chest plate—Charles nearly crushed the glass of red wine he held in his hand.
"Forget the formalities—just move in and strike!"
Immediately after the Council meeting concluded—and upon learning that the Light-Bearer had been critically wounded—he had ordered his subordinates to plant listening devices inside the Dormitory of the Wilderness Hunters.
Through these devices, he discovered that Goku actually possessed a magical ability: the power to conjure drinks out of thin air and transmute food.
Consequently, he immediately revised his strategy, accelerating a plan originally scheduled for execution two days hence to take place right now.
Goku's abilities bordered on the miraculous; if word of such powers were to spread throughout the Lighthouse, how could his "Order of Light and Shadow" possibly maintain its standing?
Thus, the only viable course of action was to utilize the "Sacred Procreation Mandate" as a pretext to prematurely provoke Mark and Goku into open rebellion.
This would provide him with the justification to mobilize the City Defense Force and apprehend the pair on the spot. He had already bribed Senge—a captain within the City Defense Force—who had his troops lying in ambush, ready to strike.
Armed with this pretext, he could subsequently resort to underhanded tactics to systematically destroy both Mark and Goku.
It would be even better if Mark and Goku chose to resist; in that scenario, even if the City Defense Force were to kill them on the spot, the action could be fully justified.
Once Mark was dead, the title of City Lord would be his for the taking.
As for Goku's alleged ability to defeat a massive, Pan-Evolved-class Phage Beast?
Preposterous! Did they truly believe the City Defense Force's heavy-duty mechs were mere window dressing?
Under the concentrated firepower of a swarm of heavy mechs...
Let alone a mere mutated human like you...
Even if you were a mutated Phage Beast—unless you happened to be a Monarch-class specimen—you would still be overwhelmed and beaten to death by the sheer force of their collective assault.
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