As if opening flood gates, once they realized that their pro-Shadow Guardians posts weren't deleted, the meta net was flooded with material that was previously only discussed in private circles.
Saving lives from terrorist attacks.
Helping the army.
Donations.
Killing the traitors.
One by one, their acts kept surfacing and the reaction of the general public was so positive that even Varian was taken aback.
"Justice to Shadow Guardians!"
"True Heros!"
"We sinned! We killed our own heroes!"
"RIP!"
The acknowledgment that Shadow Guardians could never get even with Enigma at the helm—they finally got it. Not just acknowledgment, but respect and admiration too.
The archives were changed from dead shadow guardians to martyred. Famous buildings, tourist cities, and even corporations started to show their solidarity by projecting holograms of peace, playing videos of shadow guardians, and more importantly, excerpts from the people that were directly helped by them.
"Enigma, I never knew your organization was the one that saved my son's adventure team. I always thought it was the army. Thank you!" A woman held her teenage son as she confessed in tears.
There was also an old man fondly holding a broken sword. He looked at the camera and said in a lonely tone.
"This old man is a veteran. My life was saved by a Shadow Guardian. I still remember that deadly night. I was stuck in the corpses, severely injured. An abyssal loomed over me and raised his menacing sword."
His eyes glowed in rage and fear as he recalled the dreadful night. Then, he muttered almost as if he was talking to himself.
"I thought that was it. I always thought I didn't fear death, but at that moment, I realized I still wanted to spend more time with my granddaughter. She has just started to speak."
He stared into the camera and confessed with a sad face. "I didn't want to lose her. My kids died in the army. I am also ready to die. But I want to wait at least until my granddaughter grows up. But I was under the abyssal's sword. There was no hope."
His wrinkled face finally showed a smile as he spoke with vigorous energy. "Then he appeared!
A young man. I still don't know who he is. But I do know that he isn't from the army. Unlike me who is still in level 4 at my old age, he is a very talented kid.
But I can tell, he was inexperienced. He nearly died fighting that abyssal, but he didn't back off and finally killed that bastard!
Covering in injuries from head to toe, he turned to me and said. 'Grandpa, stand up and fight. Our war isn't over yet.'"
Once he said those words, tears started to flow down his cheeks. A battle-hardened man like him wouldn't shed tears, but now, he couldn't help but bawl like a child.
"T-That child…He died from injuries that very evening. Nobody would know about his injuries. Nobody would remember his pain." The more he said, the bleaker his voice turned.
"I thought nobody would know that a young man sacrificed his life to save me. But now, I beg you all!
Please don't bury these heroes in the dust. Treat them as martyrs, not terrorists. They laid down their lives so that yours could be safe." As he was about to end the call, a cute voice called out.
"Grampa~" A little girl slowly walked to him and hugged his leg.
The old man smiled brightly and held her up. "I thank you, my savior. You didn't save one life, you saved two. You saved a family."
"Hehehe." The little girl giggled at the camera and pulled his beard.
Whoosh!
One by one, military officers started to share their own stories. It was an unwritten rule to not do so. But they did it anyway.
"I…I think humans aren't that bad." Varian said in surprise as he saw the visible change in front of his eyes.
"Humans can be horrible, but they can also be very good." Blue Flash sat beside him in a chair and said.
"Hm." Varian nodded.
"What now?" Blue Flash asked with an eager expression.
"Wait for it." Varian smiled. "3. 2. 1."
The metanet which was flooded by the support of Enigma seemed to be frozen. In a matter of minutes, another post took the world by storm.
It was shared even more vigorously and it evoked only more panic.
{This is Enigma. I can't forgive you for the deaths of my comrade, but I am here to share with you an ugly truth about Gamma potions.
1. Its crucial ingredient is the blood of poor, young geniuses. For every gamma potion to be made, ten geniuses would die.
The video is linked below. Technocrats are invited to check the authenticity of the video.
2. The biggest problem is its side effects.
Mainstream technology is still behind, but with a bit of my assistance, the hidden dangers of this potion are discovered.
A) Divine Paths could get abruptly locked. Meaning one couldn't progress any further.
B) Aura could riot
C) The more time passes after you took the potion, the more dangerous it becomes.
This potion will create instability after a few weeks or months. Your body, in a bid to remain stable, will try to stop the potion. But in the process, it will sacrifice your vitality. You might die in a few weeks.
Do not expect a long life.
Below is the method you can use to verify my statements. I urge all scientific institutions to give it a try.}
Boom!
To say her words were shocking was an understatement.
People didn't know what to do or say. They wished that this message was by some impersonator and the whole thing a lie.
But when the technocrats declared the video as 'authentic' after an hour, the doubts in people's minds began to rise.
If gamma potion wasn't the miracle it was claimed as, if Enigma's statements were indeed true, then…
{Mercury Institute of Sciences agrees with—}
…
{Jupiter Institute of Sciences verified the claim…}
{Uranus Institute uncovered the horrifying truth behind gamma potion…}
When the last institute also verified the news, the metanet exploded.
The fire of truth burnt down the darkness of ignorance.
A historic moment, the first real step of the Xanders' destruction commenced.
*** *** ***
A/N: There was a real life emergency. So, the release time was messed up. :(