novelraw Chapter 425: Nationwide Live Broadcast (2)
Chapter 425: Nationwide Live Broadcast (2)
The barrage went absolutely insane.
"Monster!"
"Help! I can't watch this!"
"Shut down the stream! This is a horror movie!!"
"What are the guards doing? Shoot him now!"
"Those scales... those eyes... I wouldn't even dare to dream of something like this in my worst nightmares!"
"This is a complete and utter scam! It's been a conspiracy since the Grand Competition began!"
"Demand military intervention immediately! This is a top-level security threat!"
"Where are those people who spoke up for him before? Why are they silent now?"
"I always said those not of our kind will always harbor ill intent, but none of you believed me!""All Aberrants should be purged! Including him!"
"And he dares to say this is proof? This is a show of force! A threat to us!"
...
The barrage refreshed at a rate of tens of thousands of comments per second, almost uniformly filled with statements of fear, anger, and hostility.
Those faint voices of support from earlier were completely drowned in the surging tide of negative emotions.
At this moment, by revealing his true form, Su Zhan had indeed achieved his goal of proving something.
But the result of that proof was that the overwhelming majority of viewers had taken a stand against him, viewing him completely as a threat that must be eliminated.
"See clearly? This is the power I possess, the power belonging to a monster. If I wanted to harm anyone, if I truly harbored malicious intent, right now, right here, I could do it."
Su Zhan swept his gaze around, looking at those terrified faces, then slowly retracted his form, reverting to his human appearance:
"But I choose to sit here, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of millions of my compatriots, to be completely transparent, to accept questioning.
I choose to use this power to protect this land beneath our feet, to sever the Mist's erosion, to eliminate cancerous tumors like the Transcendence Society!
This, is my proof.
My stance has never changed, and it never will."
Yet, the opposition in the barrage did not diminish in the slightest.
"Of course you'd say that! What Aberrant would admit to eating people?"
"Empty words! Show us evidence!"
"Stop spreading heresy here! An Aberrant is an Aberrant!"
"The lesson our ancestors paid for in blood: all Aberrants are humanity's enemies!"
"Nature doesn't change. He might not eat people today, but what about tomorrow? The day after?"
"Wait until he's starving, then see if he eats people or not!"
"Is this just an excuse for when he loses control later?"
"Those not of our kind will always harbor ill intent! The wisdom of our ancestors is never wrong!"
"Why should we take this risk? Why should we trust a monster?"
"No matter how nice he sounds now, it doesn't change the fact that he's an Aberrant!"
"When he reverts to his true form, it'll be too late for regrets!"
"All Aberrants should be purged, including him!"
...
Su Zhan's gaze swept across the entire venue, taking in everyone's reactions.
He had already anticipated that people online wouldn't believe his line of reasoning:
"I understand that every single word I just said, the vast majority of you present here, and the countless compatriots before your screens, do not believe.
Why don't you believe? Because words are empty.
More importantly, because in everyone's understanding, in the bloody reality, Aberrants are monsters that feed on humans.
This fear rooted deep in our bloodline, this hatred verified by countless tragedies, cannot be erased by me standing here and saying a few words.
You don't trust me because you've seen the horrific aftermath of towns slaughtered by Aberrants, seen the remains of compatriots after being devoured.
This distrust is completely reasonable!
But...
But, there exists a fundamental difference between me and those Aberrants who must rely on devouring humans to survive, to advance!
Their power is built upon the bones of humans.
Their existence comes at the cost of our people's extinction.
This is a curse engraved in the very core of their life essence, a fate they cannot escape!
And I, Su Zhan, have broken this iron law!
My power also originates from the Mist, but my life form has undergone a fundamental mutation.
I do not need to rely on the lives of my own kind to sustain myself, nor do I need to devour humans to advance!
This is not self-praise, but a fact verified by the most rigorous scientific examination!
If I were the same as them, then the moment I set foot in the Capital, what should have awaited me was an execution order, not the opportunity to stand here for an interview!
Everyone, please think...
If I truly needed to devour humans, with my Calamity-level strength, where should I be standing right now?
Here, accepting questioning, or lurking in the shadows, continuing to hunt?
This is the most fundamental difference: they are born predators, and I... am merely a... human guardian who happens to have mastered their power.
I know it's difficult to break through perceptions that have been deeply ingrained for centuries.
But today, I stand here to tell everyone...
The rules of this world are not immutable.
And I, Su Zhan, am the first existence to break this rule!"
The venue fell into a deathly silence.
After the initial shock, the professional instincts of the media reporters on-site immediately made them realize the immense news value contained within this.
They raised their hands in a frenzy, and the on-site order nearly descended into chaos for a moment.
The host had to repeatedly emphasize order to barely stabilize the situation and began calling on people to ask questions.
One reporter, granted the chance to ask, immediately stood up, his tone urgent: "Mr. Su, you claim you don't need to devour humans. This completely overturns our understanding of Aberrants. How can you prove this? What exactly do you mean by 'authoritative certification'?"
Su Zhan explained: "Before my official return and acquisition of the Special-Grade Strategic Advisor identity, the Supreme Council's directly affiliated research institute employed the most advanced equipment to conduct comprehensive testing on me for several days.
The final test report clearly confirmed that although my life form has fused with Mist energy, the core mechanisms sustaining my existence and advancement are fundamentally different from conventional Aberrants, and do not require reliance on devouring human Life Essence.
The confidentiality level of this report has been temporarily downgraded. Key conclusion summaries of the report will be published on official information platforms shortly."
A flurry of keyboard tapping and shorthand note-taking sounds rose from below the stage.
Another reporter immediately followed up with a question: "Even with proof, public fear won't disappear because of it.
You possess such immense power, yet are not bound by the core instincts of Aberrants. This sounds more like an uncontrollable, unknown existence.
How can you guarantee you will remain rational forever?
How can you make hundreds of millions of citizens believe you won't lose control one day?"
Su Zhan met the reporter's gaze directly, without evasion: "I cannot give an absolute guarantee, just as no one can guarantee they will never change.
But I can tell you all: my family, my friends, my teachers, all the people I care about and who care about me, they all live on this land.
Protecting them, protecting Daxia, is the most steadfast belief I have held since obtaining this power, and also the best shackle to restrain myself.
As for trust...
Trust requires time, and it requires action.
I will use every single action of my future to prove my stance."