Unraveling the System’s Secrets
(Samuel's POV)
The floating city stretched before us, its architecture a blend of celestial brilliance and abyssal dominance. Every step we took seemed to resonate with the world itself, as if it was watching us, adjusting to our presence.
Henry walked beside me, his golden aura flickering subtly, his eyes narrowed in thought.
"You remember back when we were in the Demon World? After we defeated Baron, that New World notification popped up?"
I frowned, thinking back.
"Yeah…" I muttered.
Henry continued.
"And then after we shut down Project Hades, the system forced a three-year cooldown before we could enter?"
The moment he said it, I felt something click in my mind.
I stopped walking, my fists clenching slightly.
"Yeah… I remember now. When we were in the Demon World, the system asked us if we wanted to enter immediately, but we chose to stay behind to handle unfinished business."
Henry nodded.
"Exactly. And when we did that, the system didn't just delay us. It put a lock on our entry until the Project Hades incident ended."
I gritted my teeth, my mind working through the pieces.
"So why now? Why did it finally let us in?"
Henry's expression darkened.
"That's what's bothering me."
I exhaled sharply, trying to put the pieces together.
"The system never does anything randomly. Every time it gives us something, every time it changes our path, it's because there's a reason."
Henry crossed his arms.
"So what the fuck was it trying to tell us?"
The wind shifted slightly, the energy in the air growing heavier.
And then—
The system flashed.
---
[SYSTEM ALERT!]
⚠ UNKNOWN FACTOR DETECTED.
----
Your presence in this world was delayed due to external interference.
Three years were required to stabilize the dimensional structure.
The timeline has now fully corrected itself.
----
⚠ WARNING: A Remaining Trace of Project Hades Exists in This World.
----
My blood ran cold.
Henry's expression sharpened immediately.
"A remaining trace…?"
I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.
"So we didn't actually shut it down completely?"
Henry cursed under his breath.
"No. We only thought we did."
I looked up toward the massive citadel in the sky, where the rulers of this world likely sat, watching our every move.
"Then that means… whatever's left of Project Hades, it's here. In this world."
Henry's golden eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Then let's burn the last piece of that fucking project to the ground."
I smirked, my abyssal energy flaring back to life.
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
----
(Samuel's POV – The Mystery of Project Hades)
Henry and I continued walking through the floating city, our footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness. The place felt abandoned, yet… watched.
The system's message still lingered in my mind.
"But Project Hades was supposed to be related to biotechnology and bio-weapons," I muttered. "What the hell does that have to do with this world?"
Henry frowned, rubbing his jaw.
"That's what's not making sense." He exhaled sharply. "Back then, Project Hades was a classified experiment designed to create the perfect hybrid soldiers—we destroyed every last lab, every last subject."
I nodded. "Yeah. We made sure it was wiped out completely."
Henry clenched his fists. "And yet the system says a trace of it still exists here."
I stopped walking, my mind racing through possibilities.
"Wait."
Henry turned to me. "You got something?"
I inhaled slowly. "What if… Project Hades wasn't just about bio-weapons?"
Henry's expression darkened. "What do you mean?"
I looked up at the floating citadel in the distance, feeling a deep unease settle in my chest.
"What if the people behind it weren't just trying to modify humans?" I paused. "What if they were trying to create something beyond human understanding?"
Henry's eyes widened slightly. "You're saying… Project Hades wasn't just a biological experiment?"
I nodded slowly. "What if it was a way to merge science and something even more dangerous—something like this world?"
The wind howled softly, and the air around us felt heavier.
Henry exhaled. "Then that means whatever's left of it… isn't just a remnant."
I finished his sentence.
"It's the real final product."
A chill ran down my spine.
Whatever had been created under Project Hades, whatever trace remained here—it wasn't just a failed experiment.
It was alive.
And it was waiting for us.