Chapter 3053: Surveilled State

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Five Regions, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Tower, Guild Meeting Hall

Once Hive Spirit finished introducing itself and demonstrating how it could assist them in their day-to-day responsibilities, an eerie silence settled over the meeting hall.

No one spoke. In fact, no one even dared to think. Or rather, they were desperately trying to think about nothing at all. The sudden activation of their VR Slime Cards in their grimoire without their permission had frightened them.

Until this moment, they had regarded the cards as little more than a generous gift from Southern Hope, a convenient card for digesting mana and a gateway into the VR Universe.

Now they realized there had always been something else residing within these cards. A spirit, one that could use their grimoire without their permission. The implications were enough to send chills down their spines. Had they been under constant surveillance all this time?

I swept my gaze across the room. The unease written across their faces was unmistakable. Some instinctively clutched their grimoire. Others subtly tried to distance themselves from their grimoire. Watching the familiar fear of being spied on take root in their hearts, I offered a reassuring smile.

"There’s no need to be so tense," I said. "Think of Hive Spirit as the spirit residing within the VR Slime Card. It began as an artificial spirit before eventually evolving into a genuine one. Because of that origin, there are still many limitations to what it can do compared to a naturally born Card Spirit. So... put your minds at ease."

The tension in the room eased ever so slightly. At least, that was the impression I wanted them to have. In truth, I had deliberately omitted several details. Most notably, I said nothing about the authority Hive Spirit possessed over their Grimoires whenever a VR Slime Card was equipped.

There was no reason to reveal that now. Instead, I let them arrive at the conclusion I wanted. If such overwhelming authority truly existed, surely I wouldn’t have stated it openly. That single assumption was enough to reassure most of them, even if the reality was considerably more complicated.

"However," I continued, "Hive Spirit is more than capable of assisting all of you with your day-to-day responsibilities. More importantly, her can serve as the system that connects every branch of the New Empire into a single network."

I looked around the meeting hall before adding, "I hope each of you will learn how to make proper use of her and, during my absence, serve both the New Empire and its people with greater efficiency and unwavering loyalty."

Even after my explanation, I could still see the hesitation lingering on their faces. I hadn’t expected them to believe me completely and forget about it. In fact, that wasn’t my goal.

All I wanted was to plant a seed of doubt. A simple question they could never answer with certainty. Am I being monitored through my VR Slime Card? That uncertainty alone was enough. Naturally, some of them would begin equipping their VR Slime Cards only when necessary.

I had anticipated that much. It didn’t matter. With Sansa among my Bloodkins, very few secrets within the New Empire could truly remain hidden from me. At first, they would be skeptical. They would be cautious. Some might even devise elaborate ways to avoid the cards altogether. Eventually, however, they would come to realize something far more unsettling.

Whether they carried a VR Slime Card or not, I always seemed to know. Sometimes, I knew things about them that even they themselves hadn’t yet realized. Once that understanding settled in, the VR Slime Card would stop being the object of their suspicion.

Instead, they would simply accept that their young ruler was an existence who always seemed to be one step ahead.

Why go through all this? Why take such elaborate measures?

The answer was simple. Even if I was absent physically, I wanted my presence to remain firmly etched into their minds. I wanted them to think twice... No, three times... Before doing something foolish during my absence, whether out of greed, ambition, fear, or the temptations offered by external forces.

I had changed. For the better. I was gradually learning to trust my subordinates and share the burdens of leadership instead of shouldering everything alone. That, however, didn’t mean I was naïve enough to believe they would automatically return that trust.

Every person in this room had been carefully handpicked after thorough evaluation. I trusted their abilities. I trusted their character. But I also knew, better than most, how fickle human nature could be. I had witnessed firsthand how circumstances could twist convictions, how power could corrupt principles, and how time could wear down even the strongest resolve.

If even heroic souls could fall. What chance did brave souls have?

That was why, before entrusting the New Empire to my subordinates, I wanted to leave them with one unmistakable impression. I might not be standing beside them. But I had never truly left. And as long as they wished to continue enjoying the authority, trust, and life they had built within the New Empire. They would be wise to remain on their best behavior.

The smarter ones in the room couldn’t tell whether the VR Slime Cards were truly monitoring their users. But they understood why I had created that impression. And, judging by their expressions, they agreed with it. They understood that trust and loyalty alone weren’t enough to keep a system functioning. A healthy amount of fear was just as important. It kept people from crossing lines they might otherwise be tempted to cross.

Not everyone, however, shared that understanding.

"Wyatt, why am I able to access Hive Spirit through my VR Slime Card?" Aba Windsor raised from her seat and suddenly asked as she walked towards me. "I’m not one of your subordinates. For that matter, why did you even form me to attend this meeting?"

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