Chapter 314 – Reunion (Four)

The Doctor spoke.

So he sowed discord among the other Guardians, reigniting war.

By driving the other races to mutual destruction and launching an invasion at the decisive moment, he could ascend the throne as the king of the human race.

“I drove out the other races and seized the central territory. But there wasn’t much to salvage. The cities were destroyed, the land laid waste. Of course, that was expected.”

The Doctor led humanity to the upper reaches of the Elton River, which had escaped the war’s influence and remained relatively well-preserved.

There, he established the Red Citadel, a new human city and starting point.

“I thought my plan was complete then. The other races faced ruin or were pushed to the fringes of the world. With all resources now monopolized, I believed only infinite prosperity remained for humanity.”

The Doctor took a shallow breath.

Countless emotions swirled in his turbid eyes.

“But that was a grave misconception.”

There was no prosperity or glory.

The limited resources of the upper Elton River.

Internal strife and conflict over them began to create divisions.

Jealousy, anger, fear, envy.

Dissatisfaction, resentment, irritation, boredom.

Emotions thought to have vanished after the war, like specters, began to bloom and corrode the Red Citadel.

The Doctor was deeply shocked.

He wandered the citadel in a daze.

Observing humans stabbing each other with spears and throwing stones, he pondered deeply.

Why had things not gone as he predicted?

And he reached a conclusion.

“Emotion itself was the cause.”

The surroundings changed again.

The Red Citadel, with flames erupting everywhere due to internal strife.

Following the rising Black Smoke with his gaze, the Doctor spoke.

“Only then did I realize. As long as emotions exist, we cannot escape this endless cycle of suffering.”

Whether it be for humans.

Or for other races.

Afterward, the Doctor secluded himself in an underground space and began researching emotions.

“After long research, I finally achieved results. It became possible to inject specific emotions into a living being or, conversely, extract them.”

The scenery changed again.

Before a research table, the Doctor with a youthful face shouted with a face full of joy.

—This is it! This is it! Now I can create the perfect humanity I’ve always dreamed of! A humanity that lives without despair or anxiety, embracing only positivity! Isn’t it truly splendid?

“…At first, I thought it would suffice to extract and eliminate the negative category of emotions from humans. That way, humans would advance forward without any strife or conflict, possessing only optimism and hope.”

Initially, experiments were conducted on small creatures like mice and cats, and they succeeded.

The animals only made happy sounds and never fought under any circumstances.

But experiments on humans were different.

Bang! Bang!

—Why! Why! Isn’t it working! I removed the emotion of jealousy, so why does the emotion of interest vanish along with it!

The Doctor of the past, filled with rage, pounded the table with his fist.

“…After repeated failures, I realized. Human emotions are not as simple as those of small animals. Every human emotion possesses a complex duality.”

Behind love, there is hatred.

Behind interest, there is indifference.

Behind joy, there is anxiety.

The intertwined emotions made it impossible to cut out only the desired parts.

A human with one emotion suppressed also lost the corresponding opposite emotion.

—…….

The Doctor of the past stared blankly at the Laboratory he had turned into a mess.

Then, frantically rummaging through the collapsed desk, he picked up a red fragment of the Rainbow.

—Not yet, I can’t give up yet.

“That was the moment I resolved. If I cannot fix current humanity, then let’s create new humanity. Let’s create perfect humanity from the start, without any negative emotions injected.”

That was the beginning of the Homunculus.

After long research, he succeeded in replicating the red fragment of the Rainbow to create the Bloodstone.

Using it as a core, he crafted Golems, gradually developing them into human form to complete the Homunculus.

—Finally! Finally, success! Kehehehe! It’s a success! Success!

“I was joyful. Unlike the previous humanity that experienced failure, I had created a new humanity that would live a perfect life.”

The new humanity, infused only with positive emotions, migrated to a small city in the distant wilderness created by the Doctor.

The Doctor believed without a doubt that his glorious children would enjoy infinite prosperity there.

“But this time, too, the result did not match my expectations. Do you know why?”

“…….”

Ray recalled the Homunculi he had encountered so far.

Their appearance was endlessly human-like, yet they felt as if something crucial was missing.

“They are not human.”

“Yes, correct.”

The Doctor nodded.

“My children could never become human. They were mere imitations mimicking humans. Because their actions and thoughts were extremely unnatural. Anyone could tell they weren’t human after just a brief conversation.”

The Doctor recalled all Homunculi and resumed research.

He input behavioral values based on emotions and endlessly refined them to be more human-like.

“…And so, the Homunculus reached its current form. Their actions and speech became so sophisticated and refined that no one would think they weren’t human at a glance. But this time, too, I concluded it was a failure. Because to my eyes, they felt insanely unnatural. I finally realized.”

Fizz— Fizzzz—

The Magic Lantern overhead flickered.

Dust floated between the lights.

“Humans are not beings completed solely by positive emotions.”

Fizz—

“Anger, hatred, anxiety, sorrow.”

Fizzzz—

“They are all facets of the creature called human.”

Between the flickering lights, the aged face repeatedly appeared and disappeared.

“In the end, I concluded that selectively choosing only some emotions is impossible.”

The Magic Lantern went out.

In the darkness, the voice continued.

“And as I abandoned the plan regarding Homunculi, I realized once more.”

“…….”

“What has tormented me all along is also emotion. The fact that I forcibly extended my lifespan with Magic and chased my goal across vast ages was also due to that substance called emotion.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it ridiculous? I prided myself on living an autonomous life, but in truth, I too have lived the life of a slave, with reins held by the demon called emotion, wallowing in the mud.”

A self-deprecating laugh echoed.

Mingling with the creaking wheelchair sound, it came across eerily.

“In the end, the method for humans to become their own true masters was predetermined. To regress to that time when emotions did not exist. To a world of eternal peace without joy, sorrow, or anger.”

It was the moment the Doctor’s purpose became clearly understood.

But to say one must erase emotions to become one’s own true master…

Does that mean I, as a child who couldn’t feel emotions, was already living a complete life back then?

‘That can’t be.’

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t so.

He could say that the present, where he feels emotions, is a much fuller and more colorful life than back then.

Also, while humans are strongly swayed by emotions, it is a problem that can be sufficiently overcome.

Pale under the bridge never once stole bread from a shop despite suffering hunger.

Is of Rael Row never abandoned his dream of reaching the sky despite the surrounding mockery and ridicule.

Veronica of the Order, whenever she felt tired and wanted to rest, came to the Mage Tower, lay on his lap, and purred as she snored.

‘…….’

The last one might not count. Anyway.

A being capable of overcoming emotions through will and effort.

That was the human Ray had concluded upon.

“Emotions can be sufficiently controlled.”

He spoke in a firm tone.

No answer came.

Instead.

Shoooaaaa────

The sound of rain was heard.

A broken streetlamp that had appeared behind him at some point began to flicker precariously.

Between the dim crimson lights, the scenery trapped in darkness revealed itself.

The form of a Golem visible inside the underpass.

The collapsed tent and the pool of blood spreading beneath it.

Instantly, Ray felt as if all the blood in his body was rushing backward.

“Among the memories transmitted by the Golem from Sector 50 just before its destruction, there was an interesting one.”

“I’m warning you, you should erase this memory right now.”

“Haha, I can’t do that. Would you rather close your eyes? Even then, you can’t stop the emotions of that time from reviving.”

Ray’s breathing grew rough.

His chest rose and fell rapidly.

Even though his body wasn’t particularly restrained, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the scene unfolding before his eyes.

The white-haired boy, his reason paralyzed, charging toward the Golem.

The fierce struggle unfolding amidst the damp rain and the smell of blood.

Niles, with a hole pierced in his chest by the Golem’s beam, collapsing.

──────!

The anger and sorrow as he held the cold, lifeless body and vomited.

And the fierce rain that swallowed all the boy’s tears.

Shoooaaaa────

“Ghk…! Yes, good emotion. Kehehe…! With that… anger now… finish me off…! Ghuk…!”

Ray had, at some point, risen from his seat and was lifting the Doctor by the neck.

If the earlier threat was an act to test the Doctor, this time it was real.

Because within Ray’s Vessel now, crimson anger and murderous intent surged like waves.

“With that flame…! Don’t you want to burn me…! Kehehe…! Come on, ghk…! Hurry…! Prove that you too… are merely a human living swayed by emotions…! Gurgle…!”

Ray glared at the Doctor with eyes dripping coldness.

Internally, he was desperately focusing his mind to close the opened emotional faucet.

Grrind!

He gritted his teeth.

Veins bulged on his face.

It was by no means easy.

For a boy with exceptional memory, past emotions never faded or aged.

Anger, hatred, sorrow, despair.

The emotions of that time revived vividly, as if he were experiencing the event anew in the present.

“Grrr…! What are you hesitating… for…! I am the very one, gurgle…! Who gave the gift of death, peace, to those trashy… ghk…! Uncivilized lower-class people…! The one who created the Golem…! Gurgle…!”

The Doctor’s breathing grew labored.

His face contorted in pain.

Even as he grabbed Ray’s hand gripping his neck to pry it off, he didn’t stop provoking.

“You too… emotion… gurgle…”

“…….”

Countless memories and emotions brushed past Ray’s body and mind.

Though the current situation was confusing, one clear fact existed among them.

That the choice in this situation lay entirely with him.

Having finally made his judgment, Ray swung the hand holding the flame.