Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 605 Sacrificial Gloves
Supernatural Bureau, 7th Underground Level - Main Control Center
Colonel Benjamin picked up a white porcelain cup bearing the inscription "Special Supply to the Logistics Department of the Extraordinary Bureau" and took a sip of perfectly heated black coffee.

Five years have passed, and he still maintains this habit. However, the captain who lost his composure and exclaimed in shock in the command center back then is now one of the de facto leaders of the empire's most mysterious department.

He stood in front of the one-way glass, looking down at the brightly lit core laboratory below.

In the isolation room at the center of the laboratory, an ordinary-looking leather work glove lies quietly on a specially made inert material platform, next to a complex data stream projected by a holographic projection.

That is the "Sacrifice Gloves", codename: Twisted Object-001.

Five years.

Five years of preparation almost made Benjamin sometimes have the illusion that they were wasting their time on a vague and unreal legend.

But whenever this thought arose, he would recall Her Majesty the Empress's presentation at the Empire's highest secret meeting.

Without chanting or ritual, Queen Isabella IX simply raised her hand calmly. A special alloy plate, half a meter thick and used for testing, was kneaded like dough by an invisible giant hand. With a tooth-grinding metallic twisting sound, it quickly turned red-hot, softened, and finally turned into a pool of molten iron, dripping into the cooling pool and stirring up a cloud of steam.

At that moment, the conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; all doubts and slackness were crushed by that absolute power.

The Queen publicly revealed parts of the "Ruide Ancestral Instructions - Secret Records", frankly acknowledging that she, like the founding ancestors, had become a "chosen one".

With all his might gathered in one person, the foundation of imperial power was reshaped and became indestructible.

disobedient?
That was not merely the end of a political career, but a physical demise.

But Benjamin wasn't afraid; instead, he felt a strange excitement.

The Queen was wise; she needed sharp blades to handle the "troubles of the new era," not trembling servants.

In the Extraordinary Bureau, they are the people closest to the truth. Perhaps people like us will also have the opportunity to touch the threshold of the extraordinary in the future?
"Deputy Director."

His subordinate's voice came through the built-in earpiece, interrupting his thoughts.

"The preliminary analysis report on the 'sacrifice gloves' has been generated and transmitted to your device."

"However, as always, our instruments cannot detect any energy rays or biological contamination on the glove; it is just an ordinary glove."

"The forensic and on-site investigation departments have just completed the final puzzle reconstruction of the user's remains. Because the target was almost completely carbonized and dehydrated, evidence collection was extremely difficult, and it took some time to barely figure out the complete chain of events."

"Um."

Benjamin responded, unsurprised by the result, because the so-called warp was completely different from the scientific system of the real world, and as the deputy director, only he knew that the key to opening the folding fan door was in the Queen's hands.

Then he opened the report.

【Twisted Object Files - 001】

Number: TV-001
Name: Sacrifice Gloves

Hazard level: Under observation

Description: The item is an old brown leather work glove, left hand. Material analysis shows it to be ordinary tanned leather and cotton thread.

characteristic:-
After being worn, suspected users can initiate a "sacrifice" procedure based on their subjective will.
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"Sacrifice" will consume the user's own flesh and blood in exchange for a significant increase in strength, speed, and reaction ability, with the amount consumed being positively correlated with the magnitude of the increase.
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Overuse will deplete the user's biomass energy, eventually turning them into a mummified corpse, and terminating their life activities.
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No evidence has been found that it possesses autonomous consciousness or the ability to exert remote influence.

Corresponding measures: Store in a Level-4 isolation room. Any physical contact is strictly prohibited without the approval of a deputy director or above.

Appendix: Event Reconstruction (Based on On-Site Traces, Biological Samples, and Scattered Survivor Testimonies)
Initial user: Locke, dockworker.

Triggering event: After being repeatedly penalized by the foreman and suffering humiliation after another unsuccessful attempt to get their wages back, the gloves mutated.

First use: Driven by rage, Locke activated the glove for the first time. Based on the evidence of destruction at the scene, he gained about three times the strength of an ordinary person. He demolished the steel frame of the warehouse with his bare hands and killed the foreman and his two accomplices. The blood splatter pattern at the scene was abnormal, and some of Locke's blood was in a state of "evaporation and consumption".

The conflict escalates: the foreman's family (including his brothers, nephews, and six hired thugs) arrive at the shantytown where Locke lives, armed with weapons, seeking revenge.

Final showdown: Locke is forced to use gloves continuously and at high intensity.

Witnesses described him as "ghostly, incredibly strong, tearing apart car doors with his bare hands and throwing heavy objects like cannonballs." However, as the battle progressed, Locke's body became noticeably thinner and more emaciated. In the end, he annihilated all ten attackers with extremely violent methods, leaving the scene as if a small storm had swept through.

The consequences were evident: After the battle, Locke was unable to leave the ruins. The local sheriff who arrived later found his nearly completely dehydrated, curled-up, mummified body, with his glove still tightly on his left hand. The body was so fragile that it would break at the slightest touch, making evidence collection extremely difficult.

Benjamin put down his coffee cup and unconsciously tapped the control panel with his fingertips.

An oppressed worker, a "twisted object" acquired by chance, a bloody revenge and backlash—this is almost a replica of the demonic contract in old-fashioned chivalric novels, but it is the first confirmed supernatural event to actually occur within the empire's territory.

No wonder the Queen said that when spiritual energy revives, the old order is as fragile as a piece of paper. Only by mastering the extraordinary can one gain a foothold in the new era. An ordinary dockworker can easily kill more than a dozen people. Moreover, those thugs are all professionals, and some of them are even wearing chainmail.

Then, he turned his attention back to the gloves.

As mentioned earlier, current scientific accumulation cannot explain the extraordinary.

Only when the Empress takes out that 'key' will the entire Extraordinary Bureau be truly activated.

That must be the baby.

That baby must be five years old by now, right?

What kind of power does he possess?
Is Her Majesty the Queen's telekinetic manipulation derived from him?
Benjamin couldn't imagine it, but he was certain that only with the help of that being could they truly "see" the rules hidden behind the glove and take that most difficult first step.

He took a deep breath and gave the order into the communicator.

"Notify all teams to maintain Level 1 standby status. No one is to operate TV-001 without my order. We are waiting for two key 'advisors'."

Yes, Deputy Director!
Dividing line

With a soft, distinctive beep for access control, the heavy alloy door to the main control room slid open silently.

Her Majesty the Empress, dressed in simple everyday clothes yet exuding majesty, slowly entered, accompanied by a boy of about five years old.

The boy wore a well-fitting small-sized uniform, his eyes were clear, yet he possessed a calmness beyond his years, as if everything around him was separated from him by an invisible membrane.

He was that baby, the one codenamed "Zero" in the internal files.

Everyone, including Benjamin, immediately straightened up and placed their right fist on their left chest.

Countless gazes, filled with curiosity, inquiry, and an indescribable awe, were focused on that small figure, and the air was thick with a breathless anticipation.

The Empress walked to the front of the control panel, her gaze sharp as she slowly swept over every face below.

On those faces, there was the confusion left by five years of waiting, the anxiety of facing the unknown, and the numbness after being worn down by routine work.

"Everyone."

The Queen's cold voice echoed in every corner. "I know that in these five years, many of you have seen us accomplish almost nothing, repeating the same training methods called 'monster combat techniques' every day, preparing various seemingly useless instruments. You may feel lost, or even doubt the meaning of your efforts."

Her voice echoed in the control room, and many people subconsciously lowered their heads, as if their secrets had been revealed.

"But I'm telling you, you're wrong."

The Empress's tone was resolute, carrying an undeniable force.

"These past five years have not been wasted. What I have taught you is not child's play, but a secret method for tempering your spirit and body! They may seem to be just for strengthening your body, but in fact, they have been subtly laying an indispensable foundation for you to receive real power today!"

A subtle commotion arose in the crowd. Some people's eyes lit up again, and their backs straightened involuntarily, such as Benjamin, who had always completed all training to the highest standards, and a few other activists.

Others, such as those who usually slack off whenever possible, looked somewhat unnatural, and their palms began to sweat.

"Now, the time has come."

The Empress raised her hand and made a simple gesture.

Several people in sterile protective suits pushed a sealed low-temperature storage cart into the vehicle, where the dark blue "Qi Ling medicine" shimmered mysteriously under the lights.

"This is the 'Spirit Awakening Potion,' which can awaken the potential that has been accumulating for five years."

The Queen's voice carried a ceremonial solemnity.

"Whether you succeed or not, and how far you go, will directly prove whether you have been complacent in the past, and will depend on your 'foundation'!"

Once the command was given, members with the necessary core permissions stepped forward in an orderly fashion to receive the injection.

Benjamin was the first to extend his arm, his face calm and his eyes resolute. As the cool liquid was injected into his veins, he felt a subtle warmth spreading through him.

Immediately afterwards, changes began to appear, and the population rapidly differentiated.

Those who slacked off, after a brief period of anticipation, were left with only bewilderment and disappointment on their faces.

"That's it? It's a bit hot, nothing else?"

Some people muttered to themselves, glancing at their colleagues who had begun to close their eyes and furrow their brows, seemingly experiencing some strange sensation. A sense of abandonment gripped these people.

The burly men in the security team looked at each other in bewilderment. Their muscles were bulging, but at this moment they could not feel any so-called "potential," only an emptiness that made them unable to exert any strength.

The light on these people's faces quickly faded. They understood that they had been separated by an invisible boundary, and the core circle of the future was no longer within their reach.

On the other side, the scene was completely different.

Benjamin closed his eyes, and a cool sensation surged from the depths of his soul, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones.

He clearly "perceived" it, not with his eyes, but with his consciousness: the blurry outlines of the surrounding objects, the drifting dust in the air, and even the varying strengths of the life magnetic fields emanating from his colleagues.

He tried to project this new, faint but real sense of perception onto the isolation ward below.

In his telepathic perception, the "sacrifice glove" that had previously shown no abnormalities under the instrument was now faintly emitting a distorted and dark energy field!
It is no longer ordinary, but a source exuding an aura of ominousness and chaos!

He could even vaguely see countless densely packed mouths on the glove, wriggling frantically.
"I felt it!"

A young researcher exclaimed excitedly, his mind completely absorbed in the newfound power within him, as he tried to touch the data panel on the table with his telekinesis.

The data panel wobbled slightly, though the movement was so small, that he almost cheered.

"It's one more...one more sense!"

Another female member, who came from an administrative background but trained diligently, murmured to herself that she "saw" the faint traces of the energy flow in the light, a feeling that was incredibly wonderful.

“That glove! It’s different! I can ‘feel’ it!”

The joy of success and the excitement of discovering a new world were silently passed among these lucky individuals.

They looked at each other, and saw incredible excitement in each other's eyes.

They all turned to the Queen, their eyes burning with gratitude and absolute loyalty.

Seeing this, Queen Isabella IX nodded in satisfaction.

In fact, she lied.

There was no dormant potential; it was all just her mental "seeds" taking root and sprouting within them.

Packaging gifts as a reward for hard work is the best form of shackles.

Those who slack off, those with low talent whose bodies have a very low compatibility with the "seed," or those with ulterior motives will all be eliminated.

This kind of elimination, instead of creating a sense of crisis of being discarded after serving their purpose, will instead reinforce the survivors' sense of superiority and the illusion of attribution to themselves.

Behold, their current ecstasy and gratitude will transform into an even stronger loyalty.

What was given away was a meager amount of power; what was taken back was absolute control.

Now, these "eyes" with preliminary perception capabilities are in place and can begin their real work.

The defeated members, crestfallen and disheveled, silently retreated under the wordless command. Their posts would be reassigned, away from the core, while all the successful awakened ones, including Benjamin, once again paid the highest tribute to the Queen, their voices trembling with excitement, yet converging into a resolute torrent.

"Working hard and researching these warped objects is the greatest help you can give to me and the Empire. Every step forward you take here is related to the safety of the entire Empire."

Isabella waved her hand, signaling the people to calm down.

"After all, no matter how powerful I am, I am only one person. In the future, countless similar things will happen throughout the empire. We need a sufficient number of superhumans and super equipment to ensure that the empire can stably get through the most dangerous period."

"I swear to serve His Majesty to the death!!"

"Long live your Majesty!!"

"They're so easy to fool."

In the Empress's private room, Li Zhongren smiled as he looked at the researchers who seemed to be on steroids, and said with a smile.

"What does it mean to be easily fooled?"

Isabella simply twisted Li Zhongren's little ear.

"I am stating the facts. The Empire does need many extraordinary individuals to maintain stability. So, LZR, will the power that emerges from this laboratory truly be under the Empire's control?"

Then, Isabella asked with some worry. As the Empress, she could imagine that when the extraordinary spread, it would be like a wild beast unleashed. If it wasn't controlled properly, even if she was the strongest, what would happen? The entire country would probably already be in ruins.
(End of this chapter)