Chapter 120: Matters Done
Deep beneath the Corrode Family estate, the atmosphere inside the council chamber gradually settled after the revelation concerning the forgotten twin.
The earlier outrage had faded into thoughtful silence as every elder carefully reconsidered the implications of everything they had just learned. The enormous screens still displayed the frozen image of Clayne standing beside the crimson mantis, yet the discussion had shifted.
The question was no longer whether the forgotten child possessed extraordinary strength. That answer had already been established beyond doubt.
What now occupied the minds of every person present was whether that strength would ultimately remain his... or whether it would continue benefiting the family through the hidden biological mechanism placed within his body years ago.
The father quietly walked toward another terminal positioned near the center of the chamber. Several researchers immediately stepped aside before entering a sequence of security credentials known only to the highest-ranking members of the household.
Layer after layer of encrypted authorization disappeared from the display until another image slowly materialized upon the massive screen.
A young man appeared.
Unlike Clayne, who wore nothing more than an ordinary school uniform while standing alone inside a ruined city, this young man wore a fitted combat suit designed specifically for high-ranking parahuman operatives.
The black armor covered only vital areas without restricting movement, while countless microscopic channels carrying faint golden light spread beneath the surface of the material.
Although his face shared unmistakable similarities with Clayne’s, his expression possessed an entirely different confidence. His posture radiated the discipline expected from someone who had spent years training within one of humanity’s oldest hidden families.
Several younger members of the council instinctively nodded.
"Young Master Clay."
"He has grown considerably."
"The synchronization between his body and the family’s parasite appears even more stable than during the previous evaluation."
The father allowed the display to rotate slowly before speaking.
"This is Clay."
"As everyone already knows, his development followed the family’s parahuman path from childhood. Every stage of his physical conditioning, every biological enhancement, every parasite synchronization procedure, and every combat adaptation has progressed according to expectation."
The mother stepped beside him before quietly continuing.
"After the most recent examination, our researchers discovered another encouraging change."
She enlarged a biological diagram displayed beside Clay’s image.
"The parasite residing within him has continued evolving."
Several researchers carefully studied the constantly updating data.
One elderly scientist adjusted his glasses before speaking.
"The adaptive organs have expanded."
"The internal biological pathways appear significantly more efficient than during the last examination."
Another researcher nodded thoughtfully.
"The transfer efficiency has also improved."
The father folded his arms.
"Our projections indicate that as time passes, the parasite will continue maturing."
He slowly looked toward the assembled elders.
"Once that development reaches its later stages, Clay’s overall biological potential should increase even further."
One elder quietly asked,
"And the elder twin?"
The mother answered calmly.
"The mechanism remains unchanged."
She pointed toward another section of the display showing the theoretical relationship between the two brothers.
"The biological link established years ago continues functioning according to every available observation. As long as the connection remains intact and undiscovered, the transfer process should continue operating without interruption."
Another researcher added his own analysis.
"The remarkable growth displayed by the elder twin today actually supports our original predictions. The greater his personal development becomes, the greater the long-term benefit available to the receiving side."
Several elders slowly exchanged approving glances.
One elderly council member gently stroked his beard.
"In other words..."
"...time itself continues working in our favor."
The father inclined his head.
"That is our expectation."
He did not speak with arrogance.
Rather, his tone reflected confidence in years of research conducted by generations of specialists.
The old patriarch remained silent throughout the explanation.
His gaze alternated between the image of Clayne standing amid the ruined city and the image of Clay calmly training inside one of the family’s secured facilities.
Two brothers.
Born together.
Raised along completely different paths.
Their futures had diverged years ago.
Yet according to the family’s understanding, they remained connected by an invisible biological thread that neither side had acknowledged.
After several long moments, the patriarch slowly leaned back.
"The situation remains... favorable."
His words immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"We underestimated the forgotten twin."
He briefly glanced toward Clayne’s frozen image.
"That misjudgment was ours."
His gaze then shifted toward Clay’s biological evaluation.
"However..."
"...if the biological link truly continues functioning as designed..."
He paused thoughtfully.
"...then the forgotten twin’s continued growth may still prove beneficial."
No one argued.
The council members quietly accepted the conclusion.
The father reached toward the control panel before closing the secure communication channel connected to Clay’s evaluation chamber.
The display gradually faded to black.
One by one, the remaining biological reports disappeared from the surrounding monitors.
An elderly researcher quietly released a long breath.
"I never imagined that insignificant experimental parasite would mature into something this remarkable."
Another researcher nodded.
"Neither did I."
A third scientist remained thoughtful.
"It concealed itself so perfectly that even after all these years, it appears to have escaped discovery."
The old patriarch slowly closed his eyes.
"For now..."
He spoke calmly.
"...we simply hope that traceless little parasite continues performing exactly as it was designed."
The council chamber once again fell into thoughtful silence as every member quietly contemplated the uncertain future awaiting both brothers.
The chamber remained quiet for several moments after the final report disappeared from the screens. Unlike the heated discussions earlier, no one rushed to offer another opinion. Every elder present had lived long enough to understand that the apocalypse had overturned countless assumptions within a single day. Plans that had taken generations to perfect could collapse overnight, while forgotten individuals could suddenly emerge as figures capable of changing the balance between humanity and the mutated world.
The old patriarch slowly opened his eyes once again before resting both hands upon the head of his cane. His gaze swept across every elder seated around the circular chamber, lingering briefly on the military commanders before moving toward the intelligence division and finally stopping upon the researchers responsible for maintaining the family’s enormous intelligence network.
"We have reached enough conclusions for today," he said calmly. "The forgotten child has proven that our previous assessment of his individual potential was incomplete. Whether his current strength resulted from luck, opportunity, hidden inheritance, or circumstances beyond our predictions is no longer the important question. What matters now is obtaining accurate information before anyone else discovers him."
Several elders nodded without speaking.
The patriarch continued in the same measured tone.
"Underestimating an unknown variable is the first step toward disaster. We have survived for centuries because we preferred knowledge over assumptions. Continue treating him as an unknown factor until every piece of information surrounding him has been verified."
One of the senior intelligence officers respectfully stood before bowing.
"This subordinate understands. Shall we dispatch covert observation teams immediately?"
The patriarch gave a slight nod.
"Not direct contact."
The officer immediately understood.
"If he possesses the combat ability demonstrated in those recordings, reckless surveillance will only expose our people."
Another elder folded his arms before adding his own thoughts.
"Use satellites where possible. Deploy long-range reconnaissance. Gather civilian communications that still remain operational. Examine every movement of undead hordes and mutated beasts near his location. Someone possessing that level of strength cannot move without leaving traces."
The military commander also spoke.
"I will assign our reconnaissance specialists to begin reconstructing the surrounding region. Every road, every surviving structure, every nearby settlement, every military position, and every abnormal energy fluctuation will be mapped again. Even if we cannot approach him directly, we can still understand the battlefield around him."
A researcher quietly added, "We should also investigate every unusual biological phenomenon reported within that area. The crimson creature accompanying him has never appeared in any of our archives. Its origin may reveal how the forgotten twin obtained his current strength."
Several council members voiced their agreement.
The father and mother of the twins remained silent throughout the discussion. Neither interrupted nor attempted to influence the elders’ decisions. They simply listened as the family’s machinery slowly shifted its attention toward the son whose existence had once been erased from its records.
Finally, the old patriarch rose from his seat.
His movement immediately caused everyone else to stand as well.
"There will be no unnecessary interference until we understand the full situation," he declared. "The apocalypse has only begun, and unknown opportunities continue appearing throughout the world. If the forgotten child truly possesses extraordinary fortune, then others will inevitably become interested in him as well. We will not allow ourselves to act blindly."
He looked toward the intelligence division one final time.
"Monitor the abandoned child."
His gaze shifted toward the large tactical map displayed across the chamber wall.
"And thoroughly investigate the surrounding areas where he has been sighted. I want every nearby city, every unusual phenomenon, every major mutated beast, every surviving settlement, and every unexplained disturbance documented and reported. Leave nothing overlooked."