MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 513: Mind Reading

As the Supreme Monarch departed the chamber, the Warlords and Grand Marshals from both Military Bases exhaled in quiet unison, a collective release of tension.

Standing in the presence of a Monarch was no trivial matter; it demanded composure under immense pressure.

Raelith, positioned off to the side, let out a subdued sigh. Only hours earlier, he had witnessed the Supreme Monarch express tenderness, genuine affection, perhaps even on the verge of tears.

Yet now, that same warmth seemed distant, withheld entirely from them, as though it were reserved solely for her family.

”We should proceed as ordered,” spoke Warlord Aerenya, the Elven Warlord, her voice calm but brisk.

”Indeed,” rumbled Warlord Brontagar, the Titan Warlord. ”It is time to invoke the highest level of authority for the investigation, without delay.”

A heavy silence followed. One by one, the others nodded solemnly. What they were about to do was neither just nor honorable, and they all knew it. But now was not the time for ideals. This was law and necessity, not choice.

Interrogations within the military operated under a tiered system of authority. At the lower levels, individuals were merely questioned, truth discerned through the use of lie-detecting artifacts or specialized abilities.

But the highest level of authority... the clearance Mitchelle had just authorized... made what Anthony experienced at Military Base Alpha-6 seem like child’s play.

This level permitted full cognitive intrusion, total and unrestricted mind reading.

And it wasn’t the shallow sifting of surface thoughts. No. This was absolute. The military would delve into every memory, from the nebulous consciousness of infancy to the moment of one’s first thought, first word, and every event up to the present.

No filter. No mercy. No secrets.

To refuse such an interrogation was to brand oneself a traitor. But in truth, refusal was a myth. At this echelon of authority, consent was neither required nor requested. It was simply enforced.

Such measures were undeniably cruel, inhumane, even. But the soldiers didn’t care. An entire base had fallen. Worse, a Supreme had been lost. In the face of such catastrophe, the question of consent was irrelevant.

Minds would be read. Truth would be extracted, willing or not.

Yet that didn’t mean the military would act on everything they discovered. Nor would they pass judgment.

No.

The military was not a police force. The bases were created for one purpose only: to combat demons. Nothing more.

As long as a soldier hadn’t violated critical military laws, they were free to go, regardless of what sins or secrets lay buried within their minds.

No punishment. No trials. No moral reckoning.

Even if someone had wiped out a billion lives on the Blue Planet itself, it wouldn’t matter. That wasn’t the military’s concern. It wasn’t their jurisdiction.

Besides, any memories or secrets uncovered during the interrogation remained strictly confidential. Only the assigned reader retained access to them, and even that came with absolute restriction.

Those tasked with mind reading were bound by ironclad mana contracts, magically enforced to prevent them from disclosing any information unrelated to military matters.

They were forbidden from sharing it, acting upon it, or even speaking of it, no matter their personal feelings.

With that, the Warlords and Grand Marshals disappeared, bypassing the need to walk. They had no time for formality.

For the Grand Marshals, the experience had been an eye-opener. This marked their first encounter with the Supreme Monarch, a figure so distant in rank and presence that she seldom acknowledged anyone beyond the three Warlords beneath her.

To be in her presence, even briefly, was a rarity granted to very few.

And with that, the entire island housing the soldiers from Military Base Alpha-6 was instantly sealed off. Those who had wandered beyond its borders, exploring or admiring the newly assigned base, were swiftly summoned back under direct military command.

Then it began.

One by one, every soldier’s mind was laid bare, stripped clean with a single touch, a single spell. Resistance was expected; some had innate or trained defenses against mental intrusion. But strength always met greater strength. And against the elite interrogators assigned to this task, such defenses crumbled like paper under flame.

No thought was safe. No memory untouched.

Many of the soldiers felt a deep sense of betrayal. They had defended their base with everything they had, bled for it, risked their lives for it. Their bodies bore the scars of that loyalty, their minds the weight of sacrifice. And yet, here they were, subjected to a complete mental strip-down.

But they understood. The gravity of the situation left no room for leniency or sentiment. A Supreme had fallen. The stakes were simply too high to play fair.

They had been assured, repeatedly, that nothing found within their memories would be spoken of or acted upon, so long as it bore no relevance to the military. That promise mattered.

And for many, it was enough. They welcomed the process with open arms, knowing they had upheld the code. Most had not broken any military laws, at least not in ways that would matter now.

Even the Primarchs of Reality, the Warlords of Military Base Alpha-6, and the Grand Marshals were not spared. They, too, were subjected to the mind-reading interrogations without exception. Not even Anthony’s teammates were granted leniency.

Well... except for Anthony himself.

But that was understandable. Who in their right mind would dare intrude upon the thoughts of the child of two Supremes?

His mind was a vault, a treasure trove of techniques, insights, and memories inherited from beings who stood at the pinnacle of the military. To touch such a mind carelessly was to invite catastrophe.

And then there was Kingsley.

No form of mind-reading worked on him. Not one. The military’s finest interrogators, those who could peel back the layers of the soul itself, met an impenetrable wall.

His mental defenses defied logic, skill, and spell alike. Left with no options, the military had no choice but to confine him to a separate, sealed chamber, isolated, until a solution could be found.

Word of the ongoing investigation spread like wildfire, but few were surprised. Most had long been aware of the protocol.

Though the Supreme Monarch had already declared that the soldiers of Military Base Alpha-6 would be thoroughly investigated, the Warlords understood the unspoken message embedded in her words.

Military Base Alpha-9 was not exempt.

Interrogations were carried out there as well, albeit on a more limited scale. Only those with access to sensitive locations or classified information were subjected to the highest level of authority.

For them, mind-reading was absolute, every memory laid bare in the name of security.

It didn’t take long. The traitors were uncovered, one by one. Under the orders of the Supreme Monarch, whose word carried the weight of divine law, they were reduced to nothing.

Some had traded classified intel to the demons in exchange for favors or fleeting advantages. Others had fallen completely into the hands of the enemy, though they hadn’t gone so far as to abandon mana for chaos energy.

But the military didn’t care.

It didn’t matter how insignificant the intel seemed, or how minor the betrayal appeared, treason was treason. Every traitor was executed on the spot. No delay. No trial. No mercy.

And they weren’t all from Military Base Alpha-6. Alpha-9 had its share of betrayal as well.

The Warlords acted swiftly. Soldiers proven innocent were immediately dispatched to deliver the news to the traitors’ families. As for those guilty, blood flowed without hesitation.

No warnings. No questions.

The names of the traitors were broadcast across the entire military base, plunging the bases into collective shock. Even the method of execution was revealed, publicized as a stark warning.

No matter how tempting a demon’s offer might be, it remained exactly that, a demon’s deal. And the reason behind accepting it? Irrelevant.