Chapter 1112: Hard Times

Humans were not adapted to absorb energy, although when it came to the Midnight Crystal, the difference between humans and monsters was not that great.

Any creature that was not strong enough would die from the massive energy contained within the Midnight Crystal whether it was a human, K0-Phantom, or a White Threat Monster.

Therefore, it was not only logical that there were few members of the Gamma Division, it was surprising that people like Douglas existed at all.

“What are the chances of success?” Silvana asked with a serious expression.

Douglas sighed heavily.

“Actually, not as small as you might think—about 5%. However, I was not mistaken when I said that hundreds of soldiers give their lives so that a new member of the Gamma Division can emerge.

“For a soldier to have a chance to absorb the Midnight Crystal, they must prove their strength, both physical and mental, by undergoing numerous trainings, experiments, and battles against monsters near the Citadel.”

Then, Douglas waved his hand, recalling a fitting example.

“Imagine that to become a candidate for the final procedure, you must be at least half as strong as Max.”

As soon as that name was mentioned, the corners of Adam’s lips turned up into a satisfied smile full of nostalgia.

“Yeah, it’s no surprise that with skills like that, the military has the opportunity to become part of the Gamma Division.”

Unlike Adam, who seemed to see no contradiction, Silvana had a different opinion.

“Wait, I don’t understand something,” Silvana said, confused. “If these military personnel are so strong, then why don’t they try to become Natural Phantoms like Max did?”

Douglas nodded. “Because they only possess that strength before the final procedure, not from the beginning. Sure, if they could, they would become Natural Phantoms, as it opens up more opportunities and is even safer to some extent.

“But before reaching the final procedure, there are others that are carried out in stages. The military personnel who have passed the selection process are gradually injected with a serum containing the Midnight Crystal, which has been crushed into dust. It’s a tiny dose, but even at this stage, many military personnel can’t handle it.

“Some die, and some suffer serious injuries. However, even if everything goes well the first time, there is no guarantee that the soldier will make it to the final stage.”

After a few moments, Silvana bit her lip.

“I see. If the energy affects you, changing your body from the inside, then you can no longer become a Phantom.”

“Exactly. For some soldiers, everything goes quite smoothly, some absorb all the serums and in the end, the Midnight Crystal is as it should be. At the same time, for others it is devastating.” Douglas replied as he raised his glass, preparing to take another sip.

Silvana thought for a moment before asking her next question.

“Do you have any ideas why this happens? Why is there such a big difference between ordinary people? Is it really just luck and genetics?”

“Well, we have a few theories, but they’ve only been partially tested.” Douglas shrugged. “We think that a person’s ancestry plays a big role. Not just their parents, but many generations before that.”

Silvana touched her chin thoughtfully as she nodded several times.

“Right, if pure blood increases the chances of a person becoming a Phantom, then it can be assumed that it makes a person stronger at the genetic level.”

“Yeah, something like that, but it’s very difficult to track.”

Silvana’s eyes widened.

“Why? If you’ve been around for hundreds of years, surely that’s enough time to conduct enough tests to get accurate results?”

In response, Douglas just shook his head.

“It’s not that simple, Silvana. You forget that unlike us, millions of people will die in seven years. Along with the people, their memories, homes, families, and information about their ancestry will disappear.

“Perhaps the new member of the Gamma Division is a descendant of some K4-Phantom who died two hundred years ago, but he had many children from different women. Or maybe it was just luck.”

Silvana asked no more questions; she pondered Douglas’s answers.

At the same time, Adam looked at the bright sun. He hadn’t seen it in a long time; at the Lower Ring, people were deprived of sunlight.

His lips parted.

“Why?”

“Hmm?”

Douglas and Silvana looked at him at the same time.

“Why do you exist, Douglas? How did the Gamma Division come into being? True, you are an additional force for humanity and can survive the World Wipe, but it had to start somewhere, didn’t it?”

Adam slowly turned to Douglas.

“Phantoms are much stronger than the Touched Humans, and from what you say, it’s clear that creating a new member of the Gamma Division is very difficult, perhaps more difficult than creating a Phantom.”

Douglas spread his arms wide.

“I’m sorry, but my answer won’t please or surprise you. The reason, Adam, is that humanity didn’t always have enough Phantoms to deal with the monsters. The Befallen Crown, and even before its appearance, there were enough monsters who saw humans as a threat.

“Think about it, after every World Wipe, we have to rebuild the Citadel and most of the Bastions. At the same time, we have to fight monsters, rebuild the population, the economy, and so on. Sure, monsters have problems too, but our situation is much worse.”

Strangely enough, this did not satisfy Adam.

“Nah, that’s not quite what I’m asking. There’s nothing wrong with the Gamma Division gradually getting bigger. But how did you guys come about?”

Douglas sighed heavily.

“I already told you. Things weren’t so stable before, I mean way before. When humanity was on the brink of extinction, when it took us hundreds of years to rebuild the First Ring of the Citadel when the mortality rate among the Phantoms was monstrous and technology wasn’t as advanced.

“It was a small help, but it was help nonetheless. The Gamma Division are fighters who can battle monsters alongside the Phantoms, but unlike the Phantoms and other humans, they do not perish during the World Wipe.”

Douglas clasped his hands together as his gaze became more serious than ever.

“The Gamma Division is the core of the Citadel. One of the foundations of our survival.”