184: six secret keys

Ismail looked at Professor Arnos with a face full of surprise.

She had only asked tentatively, but she hadn't expected Professor Arnos to actually have a solution. She asked incredulously, "Can you really deal with the Tiger King?"

"You know how powerful the Tiger King is; he's incredibly terrifying."

At this point, Ismail took a deep breath and said, "It's not that I don't believe you, but the Tiger King's strength is simply too immense."

"Furthermore, your Clone Tiger project, which consumed a large amount of resources last time, was completely shattered by the Tiger King."

"So, unless you provide sufficient feasibility, I will not allow you to try again."

If it were just a simple attempt, Ismail would naturally support Professor Arnos.

But this time was different; it not only involved the existence of the key but also the arrogant old man MacArthur.

Without a sufficiently feasible plan, she had no intention of reporting it.

Reporting it carelessly would only make her a laughingstock.

Professor Arnos, questioned by Ismail, showed no sign of anger.

It wasn't that he had too good a temper, but he also knew how badly his last action had messed things up for Ismail.

It was precisely because she had trusted Professor Arnos's words that Ismail not only consumed a large amount of resources but also made herself the laughingstock of all America.

Thinking of this, Professor Arnos patiently explained, "My Lady Ismail, your skepticism is very reasonable."

"In fact, I don't even have the qualifications to contend with the Tiger King yet."

"It's somewhat shameful to say."

"Initially, this terrifying Awakened Beast was assigned to me."

"I spent countless efforts, but couldn't research any results."

"Even now, I haven't discovered anything miraculous about the Tiger King's genes."

"I only found that the Tiger King's blood contains powerful energy far exceeding that of ordinary individuals."

"Perhaps other powers that we cannot comprehend are hidden within his body."

Hearing this, Ismail looked at Professor Arnos with some disbelief and said, "Are you saying..."

"The seemingly powerful Tiger King is, even now, just an ordinary beast that hasn't undergone an Awakening?"

"Are you sure you're not joking with me?"

Even with Ismail's good upbringing, she was somewhat taken aback upon hearing Professor Arnos's words.

It wasn't surprising that Ismail was shocked.

If Lin Tianwei gained immense power through Awakening, and thus displayed such terrifying strength, she could barely accept that situation.

After all, there are so many creatures on Blue Star, and there are always one or two lucky ones who become incredibly powerful.

But what had she just heard?

Professor Arnos actually said that, from a genetic perspective, Lin Tianwei was completely an ordinary beast.

This was simply a huge joke.

If Lin Tianwei was just an ordinary beast, then what were they?

Ants?

Does Lin Tianwei need to do nothing but continuously produce powerful offspring like himself, and then he can incorporate the entire Blue Star into the Tiger King family's territory?

In fact, Professor Arnos found this conclusion more ridiculous than anyone else.

But this was an undeniable fact.

Thinking of this, Professor Arnos gave a bitter smile and said, "I also wish I were joking."

"It's truly unscientific that something so completely illogical can happen on Blue Star."

"On the contrary."

"I even think that Cosmic Beast makes a lot more sense."

"At least we still have the possibility of deciphering and researching the genes present in it."

"Facing the Tiger King, I can't research anything at all?"

This was indeed a true and desperate reality.

After a brief moment of surprise, Ismail's heart returned to calm.

It wasn't that she was insensitive, but she remembered what Professor Arnos had just said.

The strategy that could control Lin Tianwei.

The strategy of 'Driving Ants to Devour the Tiger'!

Thinking of this, Ismail asked, "So, what exactly is this strategy you just mentioned?"

"At such a critical moment, please don't joke with me."

Professor Arnos shook his head and said, "Of course I wouldn't joke with My Lady Ismail."

"Although we can't find any breakthrough with the Tiger King, we can take a circuitous approach and use another method to control him."

"'Driving Ants to Devour the Tiger'?"

"As the name suggests, it means using ants to deal with the Tiger King."

"And the only ants capable of contending with the Tiger King are, naturally, the ones in the Hellfire Forest."

Thinking of this, Professor Arnos's eyes became distant, lost in reverie.

He said with a sigh, "The Tiger King may be powerful, but the Hellfire Ants are no pushovers either."

"They almost caused a disaster capable of overthrowing all of America back then."

"Those pervasive blood-red worms that could even devour memories and replace them..."

"Even now, thinking about them, I still feel a lingering fear."

"If Professor Si Te De hadn't sacrificed himself to convey crucial information to me, by the time we discovered it, it might have already turned into an irresistible catastrophe."

"This disaster, in the end, couldn't be completely eliminated."

"The might of the Hellfire Ants is far more terrifying than we imagined."

"In just a few months, it occupied large areas of America through its terrifying reproductive capacity."

"It became one of the terrifying human forbidden zones."

"Every Hellfire Ant is an incredibly powerful existence, one of humanity's greatest enemies."

"However, if such a terrifying creature could be used by us, it would instead turn into a tremendous boon."

"When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits!"

"Perhaps this time, we have a chance to eliminate two great enemies at once."

I understand the reasoning, but how do we make the Hellfire Ants work for us?

Those terrifying Awakened Beasts are not the little runts that were easily manipulated in Zone C back then.

Ismail asked anxiously, "But how are we going to control the Hellfire Ants?"

"I don't believe we have that ability."

Hearing this, Professor Arnos smiled mysteriously and said, "Actually, I do have a way."

"I have to say, Professor Si Te De was truly an excellent person."

"So excellent that even the legacy he left after his death is an extremely vast fortune."

"Enough to benefit us greatly."

"Hellfire Ants are Hellfire Ants; that's a fact that cannot be changed no matter how many times they evolve."

"Using some pheromones that Professor Si Te De left behind, we can easily control these Hellfire Ants."

"Of course, it's limited to the simplest control."

"For example, marking objects!"

"You know about the war between the Hellfire Forest and the Mad Forest; powerful Awakened Plants are the best food for the Hellfire Ants."

"It just so happens that the entire perimeter of the farm is covered in terrifying Awakened Roses."

"We only need to guide the Hellfire Ants slightly, directing them towards the farm's location."

"After that, we just need to sit back and watch the show."

"Hellfire Ants and Awakened Roses are both fierce creatures."

"There will inevitably be a battle between them."

"From small to large, once this battle affects the entire farm and the Hellfire Ant colony, it will easily achieve our goal of 'Driving Ants to Devour the Tiger'."

"If we choose the right time, we can even capture them all in one fell swoop!"

This was Professor Arnos's idea.

This was the perfect plan called "Driving Ants to Devour the Tiger."

They, America, indeed couldn't outmaneuver Lin Tianwei, nor could they outmaneuver the Hellfire Ants.

But it didn't matter.

They still had the strategy of "Driving Ants to Devour the Tiger."

The Hellfire Ants were the most suitable enemy for the Tiger King.

No matter who lost or won, the victors would be them.

If both sides were severely wounded, even better; they could eliminate two major threats at once.

Such a perfect and feasible plan made Ismail unable to help but applaud enthusiastically.

She praised loudly, "Professor Arnos, you are a genius!"

"The key? Within our grasp."

"This time, it's finally our moment to triumph."

"I will immediately report this plan to General MacArthur."

"Once the key is in hand, we will execute this plan."

"This time, the Tiger King will at least lose a layer of skin, even if he doesn't die!"

"He's even as good as dead!"

Speaking of the Hellfire Ants, one must mention their incredibly terrifying battle record.

Their rise had absolutely no element of luck in it.

It was a bloody path forged through real battles.

Even their blood-red color was the blood they had stained themselves with!

Hellfire was very fortunate.

After drifting downstream, it didn't arrive at a grassland easy for development, but rather a steel city built by humans.

Such a place neither had the large amount of food Hellfire needed nor was it easy to conceal itself.

It must be said, Hellfire was also a ruthless ant.

Under the blessing of infinite wisdom, it actually managed to survive by lying low.

It completely laid low in this steel city.

It routinely fed only on some garbage and stray animals.

Only after its body grew to a certain extent did Hellfire fully reveal its fangs.

It chose not to directly confront humans.

Before possessing a massive army of Hellfire Ants, it was no match for humans at all.

So it chose a strategic retreat.

From the steel city, it retreated to the vast and boundless great plains.

Here, the land was vast, sparsely populated, and rich in plant resources.

Moreover, there were large numbers of livestock raised by humans, making it a golden land for Hellfire's growth and development.

Finally, after devouring enough food, its body stored sufficient energy.

Hellfire began to mutate.

It mutated from an ordinary male ant into an Ant Queen.

Laying eggs, devouring, laying eggs, devouring... This was a path of savage growth unique to Hellfire.

By the time humans discovered the blood-red figures on the plains, it was already too late.

This place had already become a sacred land for the Hellfire Ants' revelry!

Dense swarms of Hellfire Ants grew, like a flood of beasts, completely devouring all resources in their path.

All of it transformed into nutrients for their growth.

America naturally wouldn't allow these Hellfire Ants to grow unchecked.

The moment the Hellfire Ants' proliferation was discovered, action was taken immediately.

However, under the barrage of firepower, they found that they were completely helpless against the Hellfire Ants.

Under the command of Hellfire, the Hellfire Ant army transformed into a terrifying guerrilla force.

The soil was their best protective tool.

Once an irresistible attack descended, hiding underground was their best option.

Not only that, there was also the even more terrifying Hellfire.

Its Directed Modification Talent allowed it to modify Hellfire Ants suitable for the current situation based on actual circumstances.

Soon.

Hellfire Ants capable of resisting powerful explosions and bullet attacks were continuously produced.

The seemingly powerful explosions and countless bullet impacts could only barely wound them.

With the Awakened Beast's extremely terrifying attack capabilities,

they could fully recover from such injuries in a short time.

Not affecting their combat power in the slightest.

This was not the most terrifying thing.

The most terrifying thing was that flying Hellfire Ants capable of flight were constantly being created by Hellfire.

This time, America lost its air superiority.

Many tactics could not be deployed at all.

Coupled with the sudden rise of the Mad Forest,

they suddenly realized that

they no longer had the ability to fight Hellfire.

To reclaim their lost homeland.

They could only watch helplessly as the Hellfire Ants occupied their fertile land.

Willing but powerless.

Under normal circumstances, even having the pheromones of the Hellfire Ants would not be of much use.

After all, having evolved countless times, their susceptibility to primitive pheromones was very low.

But now it was different.

The farm perfectly met the conditions for 'Expel Ants, Devour Tiger'.

A large number of Awakened Plants, plus pheromones, were the best things to attract the Hellfire Ants.

Coupled with the meticulous nature of the Tiger King and the Hellfire Ants,

this battle had a high probability of breaking out.

And once it started, it was destined to be a fight to the death.

Thinking of this, Ismail no longer hesitated and immediately contacted MacArthur, reporting her idea.

She believed she could definitely obtain the key to acquiring the Alpha Gene with this plan.

At the same time, she might also obtain another key because of this.

The key taken by Lin Tianwei.

Who knew how desperate she felt when she saw the deep pit left behind by the stolen key.

Once something fell into Lin Tianwei's hands, trying to get it back was no different from pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.

This was another reason why she was so invested in this matter.

—

In the General's Mansion.

MacArthur listened to Ismail's description with some surprise.

Originally, he was just a little angry, offering a bounty task somewhat casually.

But he didn't expect that

Ismail would actually take on this task directly.

Not only that, she also provided a very feasible plan.

At least from his perspective, the success rate of this plan was quite high.

If Lin Tianwei could be killed, it would simply be a joyous occasion for everyone.

Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice, "Ismail, you've done quite well."

"Immediately implement the 'Expel Ants, Devour Tiger' strategy."

"After it's done, I will hand the key over to you."

Drawing a pie?

I won't fall for your empty promises.

Ismail snorted coldly and said, "It seems General MacArthur doesn't value the Tiger King as much as I thought."

"In that case, such precious pheromones can only be saved for next time."

"Perhaps I can obtain more and better treasures through these pheromones, who knows."

"After all, something that can confuse the Hellfire Ants' perception might be one of a kind."

Ismail's words made MacArthur furious, and he cursed:

"Profit? Everything starts from profit, you are utterly despicable."

"For the future of all America, please use the Hellfire Ant pheromones immediately."

"Don't worry, after killing the Tiger King, I will definitely fulfill the promise I made."

Facing MacArthur's utterly shameless demand, Ismail didn't buy it at all, saying:

"If you truly care about America, then hand over the key quickly."

"Don't say these high-sounding nonsense."

"Once I have the item, I will immediately execute the plan."

"Next, you just need to sit back and enjoy the show."

The six keys were held by the individuals who participated in the Cosmic Beast project back then.

Either researchers.

Or the project leaders.

Or the authorities' leaders.

Although some people were keen to collect them,

none of these people were easy to deal with.

This could be seen from how secretly Eliseo hid the key.

Hearing this, MacArthur finally understood Ismail's intention and said in surprise:

"You actually plan to collect all the keys?"

"But that's good too, America's most powerful weapon shouldn't remain dormant, but should unleash its power."

"Come, I will give you the key."

"Let the Alpha Gene shine with its due brilliance."

"Although the risks of using the Alpha Gene are unknown, from the current situation,"

"the Beta Gene and Gamma Gene are both very good things, capable of promoting human evolution."

"Perhaps we shouldn't have sealed the Alpha Gene back then."

"If we had chosen to use it directly, we would have dominated the entire Blue Star long ago."

Although a large number of Americans died during the Awakening.

This number only slightly decreased after a method for 95% successful Awakening was researched.

But MacArthur would not consider this a side effect of the two major genes.

These people were just too weak, eliminated during evolution.

It was an unavoidable loss when humanity embraced evolution.

Even if this loss reached a terrifying 30%, it was not enough to move MacArthur.

After a pause, MacArthur said, "It's not too late to wake up now."

"We have plenty of time to embrace this most powerful evolution."

"I have a premonition that the Alpha Gene is absolutely an existence capable of overturning the entire Blue Star."

"It's just a pity that Eliseo, that good-for-nothing, allowed his key to be taken by the Tiger King."

"Although he may not know the key's function, it's impossible for him to simply give up something that belongs to him."

"The difficulty of collecting all the keys will greatly increase."

"However, this 'Expel Ants, Devour Tiger' is the best opportunity."

"With the terror of the Hellfire Ants, they will definitely flatten the entire farm."

"I promise you."

"This time, as long as the Tiger King can be killed, once the key is captured, it will be your spoils of war."

Heh heh, he talks a better game than he sings.

He truly lives up to being a five-star general.

His thick skin is simply outrageous.

MacArthur's words seemed extremely righteous, but upon closer thought, they were all empty promises.

His key was already the promised reward.

As for the key obtained after eliminating the Tiger King?

That was originally Ismail's spoils of war.

It belonged to her completely, without needing MacArthur's authorization.

It meant MacArthur paid nothing and gained a huge favor for free.

But this was also good; at least this old man wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for her or obstruct her.

It was also a very good thing.

Thinking this, Ismail's mood improved considerably, and she said:

"Once I have the key, I will naturally execute the 'Expel Ants, Devour Tiger' plan immediately."

"Believe me, I do not wish to see the Tiger King's power more than you."

This was, after all, a disaster that originated from the Ismail Institute.

For both public and private reasons, Ismail wanted to be the one to kill the Tiger King.

Of course, the prerequisite was that Ismail had the ability.

—

MacArthur acted quickly.

That afternoon, Ismail received MacArthur's key.

She felt that the Tiger King's might must have played a crucial role in this transaction.

Otherwise, she wouldn't believe that this transaction would go so smoothly.

Gently opening the Eagle of Freedom treasure box, Ismail took out the key inside.

Combining it with the existing key, she quickly obtained half of a key.

A key that was completely black and shimmered with a faint glow.

Three keys.

Three keys!

Ismail's heart couldn't help but pound with excitement.

She had already obtained half of the six keys.

If she could also kill the Tiger King, she would obtain a full two-thirds of the keys.

Thinking of this, her hands trembled with excitement.

A powerful force erupted, attempting to break the half-key in her hand.

However, in the face of the powerful Awakened strength, this half-key remained motionless.

It wasn't even broken back into three separate keys.

Seeing this, Ismail breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The key in front of her was genuine.

One must always be on guard.

Although she knew MacArthur disdained doing such things, Ismail was still incredibly cautious.

Thinking of this, she carefully placed the assembled half-key into the pendant on her chest.

This was a special container made for the final key.

It possessed the ability to block various detections.

Placed here, it was safer than anywhere else.

After doing all this, Ismail picked up her phone and said to Professor Yanos:

"Professor Yanos, you can begin executing the 'Expel Ants, Devour Tiger' plan."

"Make sure the Tiger King gets a taste of it."

"This is America, not a place where he can run wild at will."

Although it was through the power of the Hellfire Ants,

being able to command powerful Awakened Beasts was itself a manifestation of human wisdom.

Ismail didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed.

Thinking of this, Ismail sat down in her luxurious office.

She poured a glass of delicious blood wine and happily drank it.

She was preparing to watch a good show.

A good show starring the Hellfire Ants and the Tiger King.

No matter how powerful they were, they were merely pawns she could manipulate at will!