"Guards! What the hell are those idiots doing?!"
No. 1's shouts echoed in the room.
"Send Team 5 to sixty degrees north."
"Team Alpha, can you hear me? Scout the western perimeter."
"Incoming signals from the east."
"Hostile signals detected at the southern front."
"Team C, you are required to guard the entrances to the south."
"Send Bronze cores for scouting."
The entire control room buzzed in chaos.
The enemy couldn't be seen, but their systems had detected hostile aggressions from all sides.
This shouldn't have been possible.
These systems were created and improved by some of the most genius minds in the world.
For them to be hacked was nearly impossible...
Unless—
The enemy was above the Platinum Core.
Those monsters would surely be able to flood all the mana scanners with surges of mana, thereby forcing them into overload.
These systems were designed to detect hostile attacks, but if someone at Diamond Core or above entered the fray, then nothing could be done.
The number of such people wasn't many, so taking precautions against these powerhouses was meaningless.
The combat personnel in the entire facility engaged in searching all the perimeters for signs of any possible intruders.
But...
Not a single intruder could be found.
Alfred just watched everything in silence.
He didn't comment as No. 1 ordered reinforcements from the other bases to arrive.
For an organization that had its influence spanning the entire world, they had hired several fighters for the protection of their bases or to carry out certain operations on their behalf.
Still, these personnel weren't infinite.
It was a given for a research organization. Most of the staff were researchers with little to no combat experience.
The people they hired for money were greater in number, but their highest strength was limited to early Platinum Core.
People at Platinum or higher ranks were highly valued across the world.
Not only that, but even Gold Cores were a force to be reckoned with.
And such strong people wouldn't work for a lunatic organization like Lonatu.
At least most of them wouldn't.
Who in their right minds would fight to protect some bookworms when they could be paid handsomely elsewhere—
And without any risks at that?
So the only fighters that worked for Lonatu were people who had nowhere else to go.
Criminals and...
Not-so-sane people.
"Open communication to any foreign frequency trying to engage with us."
Alfred voiced his thoughts.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Every head turned towards Alfred, confusion etched on their faces.
No. 1 stepped in."But won't that increase the chances of them hijacking our systems?"
He paused for a moment.
"Though it would be difficult to hack into our systems, still, the level of our enemy is clearly above us."
"..."
Alfred didn't reply.
A pair of greenish-blue eyes just stared at No. 1.
Feeling intimidated, No. 1 stumbled back, trying to compose himself.
"Boss?"
His voice trembled.
Alfred's gaze wasn't something to be scoffed at.
Though he wasn't strong in combat, the presence he radiated was terrifying.
It wasn't a dominating presence.
It was something more than that.
Something closer to the chill that ran across one's spine when facing a natural predator.
Those dead eyes...
"Why do you think the enemy hasn't demolished us if they are clearly a level above us?"
Alfred moved a step forward, standing inches away from No. 1's face.
"Tha-that... I apologize, sir!"
No. 1 fell to his knees, his hand touching the ground.
His body trembled in fear, afraid of the consequences his foolish answer might bring.
Alfred ignored the drama before him.
He rotated his neck, hands in the air, loosening his joints.
"The other side wants to talk with us... peacefully."
"..."
"We might have something that they want. It's clear that they aren't from any of the empires."
"Y-Yes."
"..."
"Sir?"
No. 1 tilted his head to the right in confusion.
Did he do something wrong again?!
But—
Oh!!
"I will establish the communication!"
Making his way toward the nearby staff, No. 1 passed commands one after the other.
All the other heads watched the exchange in silence.
No one interrupted.
Not that they could.
The reinforcements were put on hold. It was obvious that if the enemy attacked, they wouldn't survive.
Better to be civil than hostile.
These people cared about their research, not wars.
They would quietly bow their heads rather than fight a losing battle.
At least most of them would.
But not Alfred.
The reason he had consented to communication was simple.
Why fight needlessly if things could be sorted through dialogue?
Though he wasn't the most sane person, that was in terms of his humanity and morals.
Otherwise, Alfred was a logical man.
And someone with the pride of the greatest mind in history.
He wouldn't cower in fear just because their base was attacked by some ruffians.
And even if the enemy had decided to attack, Alfred was capable enough of killing even Diamond Cores if the need arose.
At the end of the day, this was his main base.
His home ground.
If the enemy had truly invaded them...
Each and every one of them would have begged for death.
Anyone would!
No person would enjoy being bathed in some of the strongest acids in history, inhaling gases that would make them explode bit by bit, or having their body parts disintegrate into thin air with each passing second.
There was a reason the world was so cautious when dealing with Alfred Symer.
They had announced bounties on his head, increased security in their empires, and taken various measures to reduce the influence of Lonatu, but...
None of the empires had launched a full-scale assault against the Mad Alchemist.
They feared Alfred as much as they despised him.
The Mad Alchemist had mad in his name for a reason.
That madman could detonate entire empires—killing himself in the process—if it meant the complete elimination of his enemies.
Alfred Symer had one philosophy of life...
May no enemy see the morrow!