This led to widespread dissatisfaction among citizens toward their respective governments, as well as backlash against those who had joined the trend of hating Astral Corp. Celebrities who had participated in the anti-Astral Corp campaigns bore the brunt of public anger. The backlash became so intense that any celebrity involved in the hate campaign was harassed or even hunted down the moment they left their residences.
As conditions continued to deteriorate, chaos erupted. Governments attempted to maintain control through force, but riots broke out in many of the countries affected by Astral Corp's withdrawal of facilities and investments. Millions of people were impacted, and the authorities struggled to contain the unrest.
Initially, some countries formed diplomatic teams, wanting to negotiate with Astral Corp, but inexplicably, all members of these teams either died or mysteriously disappeared without a trace. This development left governments at a loss, as no one dared to step forward as a negotiator, afraid that they too would meet a similar fate at the hands of an unknown force.
As time went on, the UK government showed no intention of shedding light on the situation concerning the Hightower. This silence led many to suspect that perhaps, just perhaps, there was some truth to Daniel's claims about the supernatural organization called the Hightower.
With no other options, governments resorted to increasing violence to restore order, arresting rioters en masse. However, the situation spiraled further out of control, and live ammunition was eventually used. In some nations, the unrest escalated into full-blown civil wars.
Amid this turmoil, public hatred began shifting back toward Astral Corp within just a few days. The shift felt almost as if it were being deliberately orchestrated, with an unseen force subtly guiding the blame toward Astral Corp.
— New Atlantis - Daniel House —
At this moment, Envy was watching the news with Daniel. She knew the Hightower must have used a massive spell ritual to redirect the public's hatred toward Astral Corp and New Atlantis. Otherwise, such a drastic shift in sentiment would be impossible.
Now fully recovered from the poison, Envy frowned at the broadcast on the screen. The news revealed that nations affected by Astral Corp's withdrawal of investments were coming together to form an alliance. Their goal? To demand compensation from Astral Corp for what they claimed was the destruction of their economies.
The form of compensation they sought was none other than Astral Corp's key technologies—specifically, any technology that could benefit humanity. The vague and broadly defined terms implied that nearly any technological advancement from Astral Corp would be considered fair compensation. In essence, they wanted access to all of Astral Corp's most valuable innovations.
This demand was delivered through a live press conference, framed as an ultimatum: comply, or face the declaration of war from over 50 countries worldwide against New Atlantis and its allies.
As Envy watched, her frown deepened. She knew this ultimatum was deliberately designed to provoke Daniel into refusing, thereby giving the nations an excuse to declare war. She also understood that the Hightower had abandoned all pretense, pulling strings behind the scenes and even resorting to forbidden rituals to manipulate the masses into hating Astral Corp and New Atlantis.
"Oh! Mr. Roger, welcome. Please, come in, and we'll talk," Envy said with a polite smile, her tone warm after hearing how the man had helped Greed out of her predicament.
Daniel, still watching TV with Tian Xingyun, turned toward the door upon hearing Greed's voice. He stood up and walked over to greet their guests, with Tian Xingyun following closely to see who had arrived. Explore hidden tales at empire
"Hi, Vicky. How are things in the U.S.?" Daniel greeted Greed with an apologetic smile, then nodded politely at Roger, who stood by her side.
"Ugh, don't even get me started, Danny. Things went to sh*t after the stunt you pulled. If it weren't for Mr. Roger's help, we'd probably have a new president by now, one who'd be joining those idiots' hate train," Greed complained, casting a pointed, admonishing gaze at Daniel.
"Sorry," Daniel said sincerely, his tone laced with guilt. He then turned to Roger. "Mr. Roger, thank you for helping her through this mess," he added with gratitude, extending his hand toward the man.
Envy's eyes flickered to Daniel's outstretched hand, then to Roger. Instinctively, she began preparing a defensive spell in her mind. Perhaps Daniel's paranoia had rubbed off on her, but she could sense the faint presence of divinity emanating from the man. She wasn't willing to take any risks.
Roger didn't immediately shake Daniel's hand. Instead, he smiled and gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry, Mr. Emberweave, but my real name is not Roger. Allow me to reintroduce myself."
As he spoke, his body shimmered and began to reshape, revealing the appearance of a man in his late thirties. His mustache and goatee gave him a suave, roguish air, though his eyes had a mix of weariness and determination.
"My name is Loki, the last god of Norse mythology. Please forgive my deception—it was necessary... and, admittedly, something of a habit," Loki said with a suave smile. But his expression quickly turned solemn, as though he was suppressing something within himself.
Envy's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, she pushed Daniel aside to prevent him from shaking hands with Loki and asked coldly, "Lord Loki, why are you here?" Her voice carried a mix of suspicion and wariness.
"Oh, there's no need to be so on edge. I mean no harm," Loki replied, holding up both hands in a gesture of peace. His disarming smile, however, did little to ease the tension.
"Even so, one must be wary of a bear, even if said bear appears uninterested in food. That's simply the natural reaction to something that poses a threat to one's life," Envy retorted calmly but firmly.