The power of GOD

After Leaf Feng finished speaking, he felt a hollowness inside, unsure of what to do next. After all, as an ordinary person, he suddenly found himself standing in opposition to such a colossal power, and he felt somewhat at a loss.

No. 1314 noticed Leaf Feng’s unease and wanted to speak, but Leaf Feng interrupted, “Don’t say anything yet. Let me be quiet for a bit; I need to process this.”

Seeing this, 1314 fell silent and waited patiently at the side.

About an hour later, Leaf Feng finally looked up, his gaze now much deeper and more resolute.

“Do you have another name, 1314? Calling you by that number feels odd,” Leaf Feng asked, unexpectedly focusing on this detail.

“Name me whatever you like, it doesn’t matter to me,” 1314 replied nonchalantly. Any name would surely sound better than ‘1314’.

“How about Sister Hibiscus?” Leaf Feng, now recovered, decided to tease 1314.

“If you don’t find it disgusting, call me whatever you please,” 1314 retorted, unfazed, managing instead to make Leaf Feng feel repulsed.

“Forget it, you’re surprisingly humanlike. I’ll call you Badie,” Leaf Feng said, dropping the joke. “So, do you have any strategies for dealing with the GOD Organization?”

“Badie it is then. I wouldn’t call them strategies—just some thoughts. But maybe you should first hear about the GOD Organization’s strength?” Badie’s expression was inscrutable.

“Go on, tell me in detail. We’ve got plenty of time anyway,” Leaf Feng replied, glancing around, appreciating scenery he’d never see outside.

“I won’t bore you with the history of the GOD Organization. Let’s talk about its power in this era. You know about the archangels under God, right?”

“Michael and the others?” Leaf Feng asked, uncertain.

“That’s right: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and finally, Metatron.”

“Does Michael refer to the Michael International Security Company?”

“Exactly. The GOD Organization is split into four divisions. The combat branch is Michael International Security Company—legend has it that Archangel Michael himself was the warrior among angels. Then there’s Raphael International PR, responsible for talent recruitment; Gabriel International Finance, managing funds; and lastly, Metatron Technology Department, which is a secret division. No one in the world knows of its existence—only a handful of higher-ups within GOD even know about it.”

“I’ve heard of the Michael Security Company in the future, but not the others. Why is that?” Leaf Feng asked in confusion.

“These divisions already exist and have been developing for many years. Governments worldwide know about them, but they’re not discussed openly. However, because you’ve traveled back in time, they may be forced into the spotlight earlier than planned.”

“Oh…” Leaf Feng drew out the syllable, then asked, “And what about Metatron Technology?”

“That branch has existed since the GOD Organization was founded. It’s GOD’s core. The technology they control far surpasses this era’s, which is how they’re able to manipulate every major economic power. As of now, GOD’s influence in the West is overwhelming.”

“How many years ahead is their technology?”

“About thirty years—nothing too drastic,” Badie replied indifferently. To someone from five hundred years in the future, a thirty-year lead was trivial.

“Only thirty years? That’s not much?” Leaf Feng was shocked. He hadn’t expected their tech to be so advanced. “So what’s their actual strength compared to major nations?”

“They’re leagues above the average major power. Not even the strongest, the M Nation, can match them. The M Nation’s most advanced weapons are generations behind GOD’s cast-offs.”

“So the organization alone can rival several great powers?”

“In theory, yes.”

“Why theoretically?” Leaf Feng pressed, since by Badie’s account, they should be able to do so.

“The reason it’s only theoretical is because they’d never actually go to war. The major powers want to maintain their supremacy and rely on GOD to provide them with advanced technology. So there’s no way they’d come to blows,” Badie analyzed coolly.

“So what should I do next?” Leaf Feng asked.

“For now, maintain the status quo. Try to make some money and build connections. At present, you have nothing. Opposing GOD won’t happen overnight.”

Leaf Feng nodded, then suddenly recalled his kidnapping. “You know about the day I was kidnapped, right?”

“I do. I’ve scanned your memories. Why?”

“What is ST-012?”

“It’s a potent truth serum developed by GOD in 2022. In the future, by 2041, it’s widely used in the intelligence community. Why do you ask?”

“Since you’ve scanned my memory, you know that after I was injected with ST-012, I remained clear-headed. Why?”

“That goes back to your time-traveling. When I brought your soul to 2023, according to the law of conservation of matter, I returned to the secret room of your ancestral home, while you returned to the scene of the car accident. Your soul, at 22, was much stronger than your nine-year-old self’s, especially since the nine-year-old’s soul was gravely injured. So your older soul immediately replaced the younger one.”

“I get that. But what does it have to do with that day?”

“Let me finish. Though you entered the nine-year-old’s body, your soul didn’t fully merge. Haven’t you sometimes felt your soul about to drift out of your body?”

“Sometimes, yes. Why?”

“It means your body and soul are still two separate entities. Their serum only entered your body; your soul was barely affected. That’s why the ST-012 didn’t work on you. Understand?”

“I do. But doesn’t that make me vulnerable? What if my soul drifts out one day?”

“No need to worry for now. I’ve scanned your body—there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“What do you mean, ‘shouldn’t’?” Leaf Feng asked, suspicious.

“In theory, there’s no problem,” Badie said, even shrugging.

“Damn it! Everyone knows ‘in theory, no problem’ means there’s a problem—and probably a big one!” Leaf Feng was exasperated.

“In the future, when people transfer souls, they take a special potion,” Badie quickly explained, seeing Leaf Feng’s agitation.

“What potion?”

“Soul-Calming Powder.”

“What’s that? It doesn’t exist in this era, does it?”

“Definitely not. No one but you could use it anyway. But the main ingredients are available now—it’s not made from any rare herbs.”

“Can you only appear in my dreams?”

“Of course not. I can exist outside your body. Wasn’t I a little cube when you first saw me? Why do you ask?”

“When I wake, give me the formula. I’ll buy the herbs at a pharmacy.”

“No problem. By the way, do you want to become a superhuman?”

“Superhuman?”

“Yes, though not the flying kind—just one much stronger than ordinary people.”

“Are there side effects?” Leaf Feng was certain there was no such thing as a free lunch; to become stronger, surely there was a price.

“No side effects, but…” Badie hesitated.

“But what?” Leaf Feng guessed there must be some danger.

“The success rate isn’t very high. The potion is so potent it nearly destroys all the body’s cells before regenerating them. Most people can’t withstand such a force and die during the process. In fact, this potion is a semi-finished product, invented by a madman in 2491 who intended to create a super-soldier army to seize power. But before he succeeded, Skynet took control of him and nothing more came of it.”

“So it’s basically suicide. Are you trying to kill me?”

“My master’s improvements have greatly increased the success rate, now definitely above sixty percent. Your body is much too weak now. Without modification, you’d never be able to oppose GOD.”

“Sixty percent?” Leaf Feng considered that an acceptable risk, though he knew to discount Badie’s words.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? It’s not just ‘theoretically’ sixty percent, is it?” He still wasn’t reassured.

“Definitely not theoretical. But as you know, my master remained hidden in the future, so test subjects were scarce. The figure might be a little off, but not by much.”

“So, according to you, my body should succeed?”

“I think so.”

Leaf Feng sank into deep thought after hearing this. After a long pause, he said, “Tell me the formula when I wake up. How long has passed outside?”

“About three hours. It’s six thirty now. Are you getting up?”

“I should get up. After a sleepless night, will I be tired?”

“A bit, but it won’t affect you much.”

“You sure?” Leaf Feng eyed Badie suspiciously.

“Absolutely. In the future, people work in their dreams—just a few days’ work per year. You’ll see once you wake up,” Badie explained convincingly.

“All right then. Time to get up. I’ve been busy all night with no rest. In the future, don’t just drag me into dreams out of nowhere.” As Leaf Feng finished, the scene shifted and he returned to his bed.

Leaf Feng opened his eyes, staring at the chandelier above. He stretched out his hand and wondered: was that really just a dream? But then, why did he remember everything so clearly?

“Why are you spacing out? Stop doubting whether it was a dream. Everything last night was real. I’ve already transmitted the formula to your mind. Just think about it and you’ll know.” Badie’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear, startling Leaf Feng, who looked around anxiously.

“Stop looking—I’m still inside your body,” Badie’s voice came again.

“Oh…” Leaf Feng sat up and tested his body; he felt fully recovered except for a slight headache. It seemed Badie had been telling the truth.

After getting up and washing, Leaf Feng took out paper and pen to write down the formula. He was afraid he’d forget it; after all, this kind of memory transmission felt a bit too much like something out of a science fiction film to trust completely.