Almost as soon as Thomas's group appeared and introduced themselves, outside the dungeon immediately became abuzz with activity.
Media outlets frantically reported on the existence of artificial espers, with flashy headlines like "Humanity's Hope," "A New Doorway to Victory"…
Whether or not the government had a hand in this, it couldn't be denied that the news shook the entire population, striking deeply at the psyche of ordinary people.
After all, entering a dungeon without any remarkable ability made survival almost impossible—especially now that dungeons had evolved entirely to a higher level, leaving newcomers with no chance of advancing, or even surviving.
Although those dragged into dungeons were usually espers, there were still plenty of cases where ordinary people were pulled in—like right now, Aria was just a normal person.
If only they had extraordinary abilities from the beginning, if only they were espers from the start… wouldn't their chances of survival be much higher?
Undeniably, this government project shone like a ray of light into ordinary people's hearts, filled with fear and despair.
That's why the number of people talking about and watching this dungeon was overwhelming—second only to the very moment dungeons first appeared.
And so, public opinion began to split in different directions.
[A god shouldn't act like Nerio, seriously. He actually attacked an artificial esper!]
[Oh, please, if that guy hadn't called Leonard a lapdog, Nerio wouldn't have attacked him. He asked for death, and people still defend him? Hilarious.]
[Ha, Nerio has saved humanity countless times. Yet these artificial espers show up and arrogantly declare they don't need Nerio's help. Look now—two are already dead, and the rest don't seem capable at all. Without Nerio, humanity would be doomed this time!]
[The dungeon has just started, and you're already so arrogant? How do you know humanity would be doomed without Nerio? Nerio's believers should pray to their god instead of running their mouths online!]
[What, do you think you're only allowed to surf the net? The ones who are delusional are those stupid artificial espers! As for Nerio, he could snap his fingers and wipe out the entire dungeon instantly!]
[Sure, the attitude of the artificial espers is unpleasant, but shouldn't everyone be celebrating that, at long last, we finally have hope of gaining special powers without going through dungeons?]
[That's right, people are always arguing—we should focus on humanity's achievements instead! Of course, that doesn't mean we can deny the gods!]
[What I can't stand is their attitude!]
[Hahaha, in the end, Thomas will suddenly play his trump card, and then you'll realize this stage never belonged to Nerio. Believers, you'd better start crying now.]
[Daydreaming in broad daylight. Don't worry. In dreams, anything is possible—you are a delusional fool.]
Some began to support the artificial espers, some were devoted believers of Nerio, some watched everything calmly, while others focused on praising humanity's newest achievement. Quite a few had even started itching to dig up more information on how to become an artificial esper.
After all, who wouldn't want to grow stronger? No one wanted to remain weak forever.
"Why is it like this? Normally, the gods only appear when humanity is in peril! Even if Nerio were to appear from the very beginning, he shouldn't have taken on his true form! How can this be!"
In the office, Adonis furiously swept the pile of documents off his desk, the fountain pen in his hand almost bent from his grip.
They had calculated everything, planned countless contingencies—yet they had never accounted for Nerio's sudden appearance!
Nerio's presence suppressed the artificial espers, while also stealing away half the attention!
If someone had been there, they would have instantly noticed the abnormality in Adonis. His pupils were so dilated they seemed ready to swallow the entire eye, leaving only the barest sliver of white. His face had grown gaunt, no longer resembling that of a leader.
Frank lowered his gaze at the sight of Adonis spiraling into madness and suddenly said, "Don't worry. No matter what, Thomas and the others will win this battle. The higher-ups have given their word."
Without waiting for Adonis to respond, Frank turned and left.
Outwardly, he seemed calm, but his fingers wouldn't stop digging into his own flesh until the skin tore and blood dripped down. Yet he acted as if he couldn't feel a thing.
"Bang!"
The door of the observation room was suddenly flung open. Layla jolted in surprise, frowning as she turned to see Frank standing at the doorway like a shadowy wraith, his gaze cold and fixed on her.
Layla's heart was nearly seized, yet outwardly, she showed no reaction, only meeting Frank's stare with an icy look of her own.
"Did you say something to Silvanus?" Frank's voice was low. It sounded like a question, but carried the weight of a statement.
Layla curved her lips. "I'm only doing what's right."
"I'm also doing what's right, Layla," Frank spoke slowly, his eyes beginning to flicker with agitation. "You're wrong. Because in this game, I will win. The artificial espers will win. The god you pinned your hopes on will be buried forever!"
Layla frowned. "Why are you so certain? The artificial espers aren't extraordinary—at best, they're mid-level espers. This achievement would be perfect if it were safe, but it's not. It will only bring nightmares."
She wanted to awaken someone lost in delusion, but Frank only gave a dark, twisted smile. "Just wait and see." With that, he turned and walked away, the door slamming shut with a resounding crash.
Layla lowered her gaze, the light overhead casting a shadow across her eyes.
"Captain, are you alright?"
At that moment, a teammate approached her with concern.
Layla turned. Her face held no sorrow, no weariness—only cold determination. "Keep observing. We must record every scene, every single one in detail!"
"Understood!"
The voices of the observation team rang out in unison. They didn't understand why Layla held such an attitude toward the artificial espers, but they knew she always had her reasons.
Their duty was to do their job well—just as they always had.
At that moment, inside the dungeon, the twilight draped over the forest, casting long, winding shadows.
The humans had returned to their rooms. They were housed in different buildings, all on the fourth floor.
Building C, Room 404: Susan, Bella, Aria, Liora, and two other believers of the angel Gabriel—Sana and Nana, twin sisters so alike it was nearly impossible to tell them apart.
Building A, Room 402: Thomas and his teammates.
Room 403: Leonard, Damian, Luis, and a believer of Gabriel named Ron.
As for Nerio, naturally, he resided in his own private quarters—the only room on the second floor of the entire Building B.
The group didn't spend much time arranging their things since the rooms were practically brand new, as if freshly furnished, and no dust was in sight.
Leonard had barely sat on his bed when he sprang back up, tossing out only one line: "I'm going to find Nerio for dinner." Then he immediately left.
Damian watched his retreating, at a loss for words.