Reflecting on Gopher Wood's intentions, Bai Ming felt she could guess who the original eighth Lord Ravager was meant to be.
Gopher Wood hadn't made any effort to hide his past desires; he wanted to study the technology the Glamoth Iron Cavalry used to harness the power of Propagation.
But AR-214 was never going to cooperate.
Given Gopher Wood's personality, it wasn't hard to imagine how that would have ended.
Nanook would have stepped in eventually, molding the remains of AR-214 and the manufactured Swarm into a vessel.
That would have likely become the host for the Eighth Lord Ravager.
Of course, that was only the original possibility.
By now, Gopher Wood had lost interest in the Iron Cavalry.
With Bai Ming taking AR-214 away, who would the Eighth Lord Ravager be now?
Was there anyone else suitable in Penacony?
Maybe I should try a deduction in the Simulated Universe, she thought.
Even though Gopher Wood's plan was clearly reckless, the information he'd scouted was invaluable.
The divine war during the Swarm Disaster had always been shrouded in mystery.
In the original plot, Herta had even run a specific script for it in the Simulated Universe.
However, from what Bai Ming had played, most of the intel focused on Propagation, saying very little about Order.
If Gopher Wood was telling the truth, perhaps she could restore more data within the Simulated Universe.
She could even hijack his plan and attempt to "Resurrect Ena" within the simulation to study the Path of Order and its relationship with Harmony.
Doing something that abstract in reality felt a bit much, but in the Simulated Universe, there was no moral baggage.
As for the "Cancer of Harmony"... she didn't have a lead yet.
Gopher Wood believed Order could solve Harmony's predicament, but who could say for sure?
Maybe she'd head back to Amphoreus later and dig through the data on the Twelve Titans for reference.
The Titans that Zandar simulated to represent the Aeons might look random at first glance, but they held deep meaning. That data would be quite useful.
After leaving Penacony with AR-214, she'd head straight to the Simulated Universe at the Space Station.
The only thing was, she hadn't decided what to do with AR-214 yet. Elio told her to take the girl away but hadn't specified the best arrangement.
That was a headache Bai Ming would have to deal with herself.
"Your plan is far too sloppy. There's no way I'm lending you the Swarm you want," Bai Ming said.
"I am aware, Madam Bai Ming. That is why I have disclosed my entire plan to you. I believe we will eventually find a way out."
"You trust me that much?"
"Certainly. Perhaps only an outsider like yourself can see the essence of things clearly. Without you, I might have remained blinded by Order."
To Gopher Wood, he could easily imagine what he would have become without Bai Ming.
He likely would have ignored the details, stubbornly obsessed with resurrecting Order to replace Harmony.
But if that had happened, even if he succeeded, it would have just been another grand suicide for Order.
Looking at his attitude, Bai Ming shook her head helplessly.
Setting aside the fact that she couldn't judge him for a plan he hadn't executed yet, even if she wanted to suppress him, the main family of the Family wouldn't just stand by, given his status.
The Captain would probably come charging in the moment she tried.
Besides, if Gopher Wood abdicated hastily while Sunday was still a child, the main family might send a new Dreammaster, which would be bad for Tiernan and the others.
The reason Gopher Wood was so candid was primarily because he chose to trust Bai Ming on every level.
Furthermore, she had accomplished so much.
Years ago, she was the one who spoke of "Order within Harmony," preventing him from becoming a total zealot; she was the one who created a place like the Land of Light.
In Gopher Wood's eyes, she was a kindred spirit—no, she was someone far more capable than himself.
Compared to his own plan, which required the exhausting effort of replacing reality with dreams to revive the Swarm and Ena, Bai Ming could simply make the Swarm from memory crawl right out of someone's head.
If that power were applied to Penacony, would he even need to scheme?
Just release the Swarm, and Order could be resurrected in the dreamscape. It would be a hundred times safer than any Swarm he could manufacture.
And because the dream-version of Ena was still in an incomplete state, with Bai Ming's ability, she might even be able to forcibly establish a connection between the Aeon and reality.
That would be the opening overture for Ena's revival.
Gopher Wood was mentally prepared for Bai Ming's disapproval.
He knew his actions carried the scent of a desperate gamble.
His honesty was an attempt to exchange ideas, to see if there was a better solution. He genuinely looked forward to her achieving what he could not.
He also wasn't worried that Bai Ming would move against him.
He knew she was on excellent terms with several Geniuses.
Bai Ming might not be a certified Genius herself, but the fact that she could rub shoulders with them spoke volumes. Gopher Wood wasn't a genius, but he understood them.
In his eyes, would a Genius pass up the chance to resurrect an Aeon, observe the process of ascension up close, or even fix the Cancer of Harmony?
Even if Bai Ming didn't agree with his methods, it didn't matter. Once her curiosity was piqued, she would find a more perfect solution for him.
He also knew that since Bai Ming understood the conflict between the Galaxy Rangers and the Family, she wouldn't actually do anything to him—at least not until he committed an irreparable act.
To Gopher Wood, her opinion was worth considering. She agreed with his vision but rejected his extreme methods and refused to lend him the Swarm.
The most likely outcome was that she would tell Mikhail and Tiernan everything to keep an eye on him.
That was fine.
The Geniuses would never stop moving; an answer for Order and Harmony would eventually be found, and the Cancer of Harmony would be cured.
He would do everything in his power to follow in their footsteps. Unless the Geniuses gave up, only then would he make his final desperate stand. But that was a long way off.
And just in case Bai Ming suppressed her curiosity and decided to keep the secret buried?
Gopher Wood had already drafted a letter half a system day ago. The recipient was #83 Herta—a Genius who created an Aeon and was confirmed to be close to Bai Ming.
The fact that Bai Ming could run around looking like a young Herta without the real Herta minding proved their relationship.
If he could pique Madam Herta's interest, Bai Ming would likely be drawn in as well.
"So, Madam Bai Ming, have you decided how to deal with me?" Gopher Wood asked with a smile.
Bai Ming remained silent for a long time.
AR-214 just held her hand, standing quietly by her side. Although she knew of Gopher Wood's malice toward her, he hadn't actually done anything.
She had no place to influence Bai Ming's decision; she simply resolved in her heart to stay far away from Penacony in the future.
Bai Ming turned to smile at AR-214 to reassure her, then looked back at Gopher Wood. "You don't seem to care what I decide?"
"I know my sins. Whatever you decide is simply what I deserve."
"And your plan?"
"While you and your companion were enjoying yourselves, I prepared a letter to be sent to #83. I believe the Geniuses will find this matter quite interesting."
"??? So your backup plan is just to bait the Geniuses' curiosity?"
"Not the Geniuses. The one I have always placed my expectations on is you, Madam Bai Ming."
Gopher Wood bowed deeply in apology, but all Bai Ming felt was the weight of that heavy, inexplicable trust. Why did he trust her so much? It made no sense.
"But I don't believe in Harmony..."
"You have never firmly believed in any Path, have you? Yet that hasn't hindered your achievements. It is precisely that quality that makes you uniquely powerful."
"..."
She was out of moves.
This man was convinced she could solve everything.
She got the feeling that if she asked for his life or the entirety of Penacony, he wouldn't even blink before handing them over.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL