This girl was way too honest for her own good.
Morpheus couldn't possibly be unaware of the matter—after all, Nanami had just explained it to him moments ago.
Even if his memory was terrible, he wouldn't forget something he'd heard so recently.
He'd only said that earlier as a subconscious way to brush it off.
But Nanami wasn't willing to take advantage of Morpheus.
She already felt like she'd imposed on him enough, and if she kept doing it, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. So, she chose to be upfront.
"So far, I've earned a total of 900,000 yen. According to our initial agreement, I should hand over 450,000 yen to you, my lord."
"But because of the upfront investments, I can only give you 300,000 yen for now."
"Rest assured, my lord—I'll make up the remaining 150,000 yen as soon as possible."
What else could Morpheus say? He patted Nanami on the shoulder and replied, "Alright, I trust you. But don't overwork yourself. Balance is key—work hard, but rest too."
Nanami nodded, indicating she understood.
Whether she'd actually take it to heart was something only she knew.
Of course, even if she pushed herself a bit, it wouldn't matter. With the aid of the Power of Light, Nanami couldn't truly overexert herself no matter how hard she tried.
Afterward, Morpheus stayed at the shop and shared a dinner with Nanami.
Only then did he leave the massage parlor.
Ever since learning this was the infamous Beika Town, Morpheus had made a point to wander around a bit.
Unfortunately, he didn't stumble upon any murder cases.
It seemed Beika Town hadn't descended into the kind of chaos where crimes happened at every turn.
He did spot the famous Teitan High School, though.
But by then, classes had already let out for the day, so Morpheus didn't run into Ran Mouri, Shinichi Kudo, or anyone else.
Naturally, he didn't encounter any of the main characters or side characters from Detective Conan either.
That wasn't surprising at all.
Beika Town wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny either—bumping into plot-relevant people wasn't as easy as it sounded.
Oh well, time to head back.
With that, Morpheus left Beika Town and returned home.
The day passed just like that.
The next morning.
Morpheus arrived once more at the Umbrella Corporation's Tokyo branch.
He'd barely settled into his office when Medea pushed the door open with a sly smile and said, "Boss, there's something I need to remind you about."
"What is it?"
"According to the timeline, today should be the day the biochemical crisis erupts in Tokonosu City. It's also when the branch heads hold their video conference with headquarters. What do you plan to do?"
Morpheus thought for a moment, then cast a spell to transform himself into the appearance of the Tokyo branch head.
It was just a simple illusion—nothing worth mentioning.
By the way, this illusion spell was one Medea had taught him.
The clock ticked to 9 a.m.
Morpheus joined the Umbrella Corporation's high-level video conference, with branch heads from around the world logging in.
The one presiding over the meeting was none other than Albert Wesker, just as Morpheus remembered him.
This guy was the thirteenth test subject in the Wesker Project created by Umbrella's founder, Oswell E. Spencer—and one of only two Weskers to survive.
The other was Alex Wesker.
Backed by founder Oswell E. Spencer himself, Wesker was seen by outsiders as Spencer's mouthpiece, which was why he could host this meeting.
As soon as it began, Wesker turned his gaze to Morpheus.
"How is the Blacklight Project progressing?"
Morpheus replied calmly, "We've hit a snag."
Wesker furrowed his brow—he hated when plans didn't go smoothly as scheduled.
But he didn't snap right away; instead, he decided to give the other side a chance to explain.
"What happened?"
"Someone has caught on to the Blacklight Project and is secretly sabotaging it."
"Are you saying there's a traitor in your ranks?" At that moment, Wesker's face darkened like the sky before a storm—ominously grim.
"Not a traitor, but someone who used foresight to glimpse the future."
Morpheus said evenly, "It sounds unbelievable, but it's the truth."
Foresight?
Wesker's eyes flickered, unsure whether to believe it, as he fixed Morpheus with a sharp, brooding stare.
Morpheus met his gaze without flinching.
After a long pause, Wesker withdrew his piercing look and said slowly, "Do you need assistance?"
"Not at the moment," Morpheus replied. "I'm investigating discreetly and will clear all obstacles soon to ensure the project's success. But it'll take time."
"How much time? I need a precise estimate."
"A month should do it."
Morpheus pulled the timeframe out of thin air—he figured a month would be enough for Sirzechs and Serafall to uncover whether the Umbrella higher-ups' allied devil was truly Rizevim.
Wesker didn't hesitate. "A month is too long. I expect you to resolve this mess in half that time."
"Half a month is too short. I might need some help." Morpheus feigned reluctance.
Wesker said, "Fine. I'll dispatch a special squad to assist you in overcoming all hurdles. They'll report to you tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."
"You can count on it."
Morpheus thumped his chest in assurance, vowing not to let him down.
Once that special squad arrived, Morpheus planned to brainwash them personally and turn them into his own subordinates.
At that point, they'd become the sharpest blade aimed straight at Wesker.
Just imagining the scene made Morpheus chuckle involuntarily.
He'd make sure to witness Wesker's expression firsthand—and see just how ugly it would be.
The thought even made him eager for the special squad to arrive sooner.
He was curious to know what kind of team Wesker had in mind.
What made them so special?
Soon after, the high-level meeting concluded.
Morpheus reverted to his original form. Medea entered and asked, "How did the meeting go?"
"Smoothly. Tomorrow, Umbrella's higher-up Wesker is sending a special squad to Tokyo. Go bring them in for me."
Medea replied without a second thought, "No problem. What do you plan to do with the team, Boss?"
Morpheus said, "I intend to brainwash them and turn them into a dagger pointed at Wesker."
At that, Medea murmured softly, "Boss, you're downright wicked."
"Thanks for the compliment."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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