Chapter 244: Conversation With Lucy (Bonus - 5/5)

The dining hall was already alive with warmth and laughter when Liam arrived.

Kristopher and the others were already seated, chatting idly as they waited for him. Their conversation paused when Liam entered.

"Morning, boss!" Matt grinned, raising his cup in greeting.

"Morning, Liam," Harper added warmly.

Liam smiled. "Morning, everyone."

He took his seat at the head of the table, nodding to the maid who promptly began pouring him a cup of coffee.

He had already eaten in the other world, but when she had come to summon him for breakfast, he’d changed his mind. Not because of hunger but because he wanted to share a normal moment with them.

Even for a man like him, surrounded by power and responsibility, there were few things as grounding as sitting among friends, pretending— even just for a while—that life was ordinary.

They began eating, and the atmosphere quickly lightened. Matt, as always, became the voice and chaos of the table.

"Man, I swear I was still playing Eternal Realms in my dreams last night," he said between bites of toast. "I was fighting this massive boss—big horns, glowing eyes, ugly as sin—and I swear it called me a noob."

Kristopher nearly choked on his coffee, laughing. "Even your subconscious thinks you’re bad at combat."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Matt shot back, waving his fork like a sword. "You try dodging a fireball when you’re half asleep."

Harper grinned. "So, same as when you’re awake."

The table erupted in laughter. Even Liam chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

Matt pointed his fork at Liam. "What about you, boss? You joining us later? We’re planning to see if we can clear another dungeon together."

Liam smiled, but before he could reply, he heard Lucy’s voice in his head.

"Master, I’d like to speak with you about something important."

Her tone was different—heavy.

Liam looked at his friends, the smile still on his lips though his eyes shifted slightly.

"Something just came up," he said. "I’ll join you later once I’m done."

Matt shrugged, still grinning. "No problem, boss. We’ll hold the fort till you get there."

"Try not to aim for each other’s heads this time," Liam added with mock sternness.

Kristopher groaned. "That was one time."

Liam laughed, pushing his chair back. "One time too many."

He left the table amid good-natured laughter and teasing.

***

A moment later, he vanished from the physical world and reappeared inside his office at the industrial base within the Dimensional Space.

Lucy stood by the desk, hands clasped before her. Her expression was unusually somber.

Liam sat down, leaning back slightly.

"Alright, Lucy," he said softly. "What’s this important thing you wanted to talk about?"

She gave a small bow of greeting before taking the seat across from him. For a brief moment, she didn’t speak. She seemed to be choosing her words with care.

When she finally looked up, her gaze was steady.

"Master," she said, "what are your plans for Earth?"

Liam blinked, taken off guard. Of all the questions she could have asked, that was not one he had expected.

"My plans for Earth?" he repeated, leaning forward slightly.

"Yes," she said quietly. "I want to know what you intend to do with it. Not just financially or technologically—but entirely. What’s your end goal?"

Liam fell silent. It wasn’t the kind of question you could answer with instinct.

He could easily say something vague—make it better, cleaner, safer—the kind of empty rhetoric the world’s billionaires repeated like a mantra while doing nothing. But that wasn’t him.

He stared at the table for a few seconds, fingers tapping idly. Then, with a small sigh, he said, "I intend to help Earth advance."

Lucy nodded slowly, but her expression didn’t soften.

"I understand your intentions," she said. "But how?"

Her voice grew firmer, as the frustration she was feeling boiled to the surface.

"The world is breaking itself apart, Master," she continued. "Governments start wars and call them solutions. They burn money on weapons and vanity projects while people die of hunger. Children are growing up sick because the air is poison and the food is plastic. Companies design cures, but they keep them locked behind paywalls and patents."

"Bio-tech firms experiment on people and call it progress. Corporations drain the planet’s resources, claiming it’s for humanity’s good while their executives drown in excess. Every system is built on greed—and people just... accept it."

Liam stayed silent, watching her. He knew that Lucy analyze nations, economies, and corporations countless times—but never like this. Never with emotion.

"I’ve watched them, Master," she said softly. "For years. I’ve watched how they waste potential, how they ignore the suffering they cause. I’ve seen families destroyed over things that could have been fixed decades ago. And I’m tired of watching it happen."

Her gaze lifted to his. There was no anger there. It was filled with only silent pain.

"I know you could take over the world if you wanted to," she said. "You have the technology, the resources, the power. But you don’t. It’s because of your personality as you don’t want the stress that comes with running the world—and I understand that. Truly, I do."

She paused, her voice softening. "But please don’t be like them, Master. Don’t be one of those men who talk about making the world better but do nothing except line their pockets and hide behind charity fronts. You’re better than that."

Her voice wavered slightly, emotion seeping into her usually precise tone. "All I ask is your permission. Let me begin the change. Allow me to start terraforming Mars, to establish a new biotech and pharmaceutical company. I can fix things, Master. I just need your approval."

The room fell silent again.

Liam sat back slowly, his eyes fixed on her. He could sense the weight in her words—the frustration, the exhaustion, the need to do something. Lucy wasn’t just venting; she was pleading.

He didn’t interrupt. He just let her speak.

She exhaled deeply when she finished, lowering her head slightly as if the act of speaking had drained her.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then Liam stood, quietly circling the desk until he stopped beside her. Lucy turned toward him, her expression unreadable.

Without a word, he pulled her gently into an embrace. His arms wrapped around her. Her head rested against his chest as he caressed her hair softly.

She didn’t move.

For a being of pure intelligence, silence was rare—but in that moment, she didn’t need words.

Liam sighed softly and spoke with a calm voice, "I know, Lucy," he said. "I see it too. Every day."