Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 115: Greenland’s Shadow (9)

Dragon Raja 3

“As long as we confirm it’s an embryo, we can’t let it hatch. We don’t have the time to hesitate anymore—the longer we wait, the higher the embryo’s hatching rate. Once it gains self-awareness, it’ll be too late, and the dive team will face the same fate as the Greenland team. In the Greenland Sea, we failed to capture the hatchling, but we must have interrupted its hatching process, which is why it still hasn’t reached maturity. It must be hiding somewhere in the world, in an unknown place, cocooning again. Taizi seems to be doing one thing—he finds ancient dragon hatching sites and then lures us there to clear out the embryos. We pay a high price for this, risking our lives, but it’s the Secret Party’s mission. We know Taizi is throwing bait, but we have no choice but to take it. We suspect that ten years ago, we acted too late—perhaps during the months we were observing, the embryo gained self-awareness, and the hatchling was ready to break out of its shell at any moment. If we had moved earlier and faster, perhaps the Greenland team would have succeeded.”

“Taizi doesn’t gain anything from this, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t gain anything. In some way, he is our hidden ally, even though he never appears in battle,” Schneider said. “That’s why we can’t afford to wait. To minimize risks, the Principal ordered the Gear Department to provide top-tier technical support and arranged for the Ganryū Research Institute, whose technical capabilities are on par with the Gear Department, to offer on-site support. According to the Gear Department, even if the embryo hatches, they are confident about the chances of retreating from the seabed. Besides, I made this little thing myself—it’s a warning system.”

Schneider turned on a screen, and a prominent progress bar appeared in the center, with complex formulas scrolling from bottom to top: “I analyzed the Greenland embryo’s heartbeat signal. During hatching, the intensity and frequency of the embryo’s heartbeat change significantly. Based on this data, I designed software that monitors the heartbeat signal to calculate the embryo’s hatch rate. Currently, the hatch rate is at 32%, displayed in green, indicating a safe stage. If the embryo becomes alert, it may accelerate its hatching. If the hatch rate shows a significant increase, the Moniache will use safety hooks to pull the Trieste back from the seabed.”

“You designed it yourself?”

“This is still something I can’t entrust to those lunatics in the Gear Department,” Schneider said. “They should just do their work as mechanics.”

Manstein pulled the black card out of the card slot and pushed it toward Schneider: “Prioritize the dive team’s safety over attacking the embryo. If you agree, not only will I not stop Project Dragon Embryo, but I’ll also give you the black card, which grants you 100% access to Norma.”

“You came here under the School Board’s orders. If you don’t stop Project Dragon Embryo, won’t you get involved?” Schneider asked.

“I’ll take that burden. I know, in your eyes, I’m just a bureaucrat, forever dealing with finances and student discipline. It’s true that my bloodline and abilities are average, incomparable to my insane father. But if it’s about being an eater of sin, I think I’m qualified for that—I’ll find a way to swallow this sin,” Manstein said, extending his hand.

“Your purpose for coming here was to understand the truth behind this matter, wasn’t it?” Schneider looked into Manstein’s eyes. “From the beginning, you just wanted me to give you a reason. As long as I could provide a reasonable explanation, you’d suppress the School Board’s order.”

“I just wanted to confirm that you truly care about those young people, that this is not a careless and irresponsible decision—that you did everything you could but had no other choice.” Manstein sighed. “If there’s no other option, then even I, a bureaucrat, am not afraid to pay the price.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

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