Chapter 107

Chapter 107

The Administrative Bureau.

The Administrative Bureau, overlooking a captivating coastline, boasted a bright and stylish interior. Tall crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and a coffee shop in the lobby filled the air with the gentle strains of classical music.

The child sat on a small chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, cradling a warm hazelnut mocha. Dressed in a pure white pullover provided by the Bureau, his sleeves were folded back from his wrists like stacked socks. He bit down on the straw, his milky-white cheeks puffing and deflating with each sip, reflected in the glass of the window.

Even now, he still didn't quite grasp what had transpired. He had inexplicably left the manor, initially thinking he had entered a new world—but that didn't seem to be the case. His face was still that of the Young Lord, yet his surroundings were entirely different...

After being mistaken for a lost Omega, he was sent to the designated Administrative Bureau. Luo Ci had often heard the butler and townsfolk mention Omegas, but he hadn't known what they were. It wasn't until the Bureau's staff explained it to him that he finally understood.

There were three secondary genders in this world: Alpha, Beta, and Omega.

Alphas were natural leaders, with most prominent noble families controlled by them. Betas constituted the majority of the population, lacking distinct physiological traits or pheromones.

Omegas, however, were the rarest and most precious. Comparatively more delicate, they emitted pheromones that attracted Alphas. The higher the compatibility between an Alpha and Omega, the more likely they were to produce exceptional Alpha or Omega offspring. Omegas were thus considered the natural partners for Alphas.

Because of this, Omegas were cherished wherever they went, and cases of lost or abandoned Omega children were exceedingly rare.

Faced with this perplexing situation, the Bureau's department heads engaged in heated discussions.

After questioning Luo Ci, they found the child remarkably intelligent—answering every question and following instructions obediently. Logically, he shouldn't have been unable to recall his home address or family names. Yet, despite extensive searches, they couldn't find any records matching the names he provided.

“How strange. The child is clearly well-raised and must come from an excellent background, but why hasn’t anyone reported him missing?” someone remarked. “I remember a couple of years ago, when an Omega child from the XX family went missing, they practically tore the city apart looking for him.”

“It’s been almost a week. We can’t just keep waiting like this.”

Everyone at the Bureau adored the child, but the problem was the sheer number of unsavory individuals passing through daily. Some unscrupulous Alphas kept subtly inquiring about the child, making everyone uneasy.

“Director, I have an idea,” someone suggested at a critical moment. “Our Bureau primarily handles pheromone compatibility matching. Statistics show that high compatibility occurs in two scenarios: either for potential bonding or due to blood relations. Perhaps we could use the database to scan the child’s pheromones and trace his ancestry.”

The department head considered it and agreed it was a solid plan.

“Let’s proceed with that.”

……

Luo Ci sat in the café, resting his chin on his hands as he watched the scrolling digital display.

The screen displayed a promotional video for a popular game. At first, Luo Ci only found some of the scenery vaguely familiar. But upon closer inspection, he was stunned—there was the same mannequin butler, the same midnight carriage, and even the familiar bandit attacks… So, had he been inside a game all along?

This revelation astonished him. After some careful thought, he realized the clues had always been there. For instance, when he had asked the blacksmith which continent they came from, the man could only name the region but couldn’t recall anything about his past life—likely because he was a background NPC with no programmed backstory. And the mystery of the midnight carriage? Now he understood.

So, he had been in a game before, and now he was back in reality.

It was as if a great hand had lifted the fog, making everything that had once puzzled him suddenly clear.

Luo Ci’s small mouth fell open in surprise.

The café staff couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight—the child, with his chubby, round face, staring wide-eyed at the game PV, his tiny mouth agape. He was just too cute, making them want to pinch and kiss his cheeks.

But Luo Ci, having experienced many worlds, quickly adapted to this one.

Every world had its own order and possibilities. Even seemingly similar worlds followed different developmental paths, each brimming with unique potential. It was precisely these diverging trajectories that made each world vibrant and distinct.

This was the insight he had gained from his travels between worlds.

Luo Ci’s little ears perked up as he recognized familiar footsteps. Karl, the staff member who usually took care of him, approached. The child hopped off his chair and ran over. “Uncle Karl!”

“Hey there, little one. Getting restless?” Karl’s stern expression softened into a smile at the sight of him. “Did you enjoy the hazelnut mocha?”

Luo Ci replied in his sweet, childish voice, “It was delicious.”

Karl held the child’s soft hand. “Just now, the adults had a meeting. We’d like to take you for a pheromone screening. Would that be okay?”

Luo Ci nodded eagerly.

Karl led him to the testing hall.

Access to the testing hall required an access card, and Luo Ci, who had never been inside before, looked around curiously with wide eyes.

The hall had a distinctly retro atmosphere. The Bureau had been established two centuries ago, and many of its procedures, including pheromone testing, dated back to that era.

From the outside, the building was a towering Gothic structure. Inside, lofty Roman columns stood tall, and the hall housed hundreds of compatibility testing devices—translucent orbs with faintly glowing screens visible within.

According to Bureau regulations, only the individual being tested could enter the device, with no companions allowed. But the child was far too small, couldn't even reach the testing platform. So, Karl decided to accompany him inside the translucent orb.

“Sit on the little stool, and Uncle will help apply the sensors. It won’t hurt at all—I promise.”

Luo Ci obediently sat on the metal stool.

So well-behaved…

Karl couldn’t help but marvel to himself once more at the child’s obedient nature as he watched him sit quietly, looking up with trusting eyes. If this method still couldn’t locate his family, Karl was prepared to file a petition to adopt him himself.

With that thought, he gently ruffled the child’s soft hair.

Luo Ci blinked as Karl carefully placed a few metal patches on the back of his neck. The cool sensation was slightly uncomfortable, but he remained perfectly still.

*Beep—*

The screen flickered, emitting a prismatic glow.

Karl frowned as he studied the display. The child’s pheromones had never been recorded in the Bureau’s database before.

But he wasn’t entirely surprised.

Normally, the Bureau required Alphas and Omegas to register their pheromones at birth.

However, with the rise of underground organizations over the past century—even infiltrating Parliament—the Bureau’s influence had dwindled considerably. Many powerful figures now refused to submit their data to the Bureau.

In a way, this only confirmed Karl’s suspicion that the child’s origins were anything but ordinary.

Half a minute passed, and the prismatic light gradually coalesced into a clear spectrum, listing individuals from highest to lowest compatibility.

Karl’s gaze immediately fixed on the top match—a profile marked with a black question mark. This meant the person had only registered their pheromones once, never returning for updates.

Then he saw the name, and his expression froze.

“Samuel…?”

Luo Ci tilted his head, puzzled. Uncle Karl’s expression had clouded over the moment he saw the compatibility results.

He wanted to ask, but Karl simply patted his head and asked another staff member to take him out to the courtyard to play.

Meanwhile, Karl shared the test results with the rest of the department.

The room fell into shocked silence.

"…………"

It wasn't that Samuel was unfamiliar—quite the opposite. He was all too well-known as the one who ended the century-long internal strife among the underground factions, propelled their rise, and reduced the parliament to his puppet... That man was Samuel.

It was no exaggeration to say that during the peak of the underground turmoil in recent years, Samuel's name had become taboo, something people dared not even speak for fear of inviting death.

The typically unflappable department head wiped cold sweat from his temple, his voice quivered as he asked: "Are we certain... it's Lord Samuel?"

Karl passed him the test results.

The department head's eyes darted nervously.

After staring at the report for a moment, he immediately sprang into action, contacting the bureau director via communicator. The director, who was away at a conference, immediately canceled his meetings and booked the earliest flight back.

Following the director's instructions, the department head first sent the test results to XT Corporation to gauge their reaction.

Karl, too, started processing the situation. He wasn't sure what the exact relationship was between the young child and Samuel. If it was familial, that would be one thing—but if not... Though it was said Samuel despised Omegas, would he let go of a child with such a high compatibility level?

Instances of aristocratic Alphas keeping Omegas imprisoned weren't rare. And Samuel, with his underground origins... The thought made Karl's heart pound. He clenched his fists—if Samuel had any such intentions, Karl would risk life and limb to stop him from taking the child.

......

XT Corporation, Assistant's Office.

Upon receiving the message from the Bureau, the assistant's office forwarded it to William.

Hearing that important news had arrived, William felt momentary relief amid his overwhelming stress. Lately, his lord had been in a terrible mood, and despite William's best efforts, nothing seemed to improve.

He had hoped for good news—only to open the file and find it was a compatibility report regarding his lord.

This would only pour oil on the fire.

William's brow furrowed again.

He had no idea what the Bureau had been thinking, but he knew that delivering this news to his lord now would likely mean the Bureau would be wiped off the map by tomorrow.

Yet his lord despised secrecy even more. William didn't dare withhold the information.

That afternoon, Samuel sat resting in the plush backseat of the car, eyes closed. His sleeves and wrists were smeared with dried blood—flecks of torn skin and brown stains.

Samuel opened his eyes: "You seem distracted."

William began sweating nervously in the warm cabin: "My lord, the Bureau sent a message at noon."

"...The Bureau?"

Samuel, sleep-deprived for days, pressed his thumb against his throbbing temple, momentarily unable to recall what the Bureau even did.

"The department responsible for Alpha and Omega compatibility testing. They’re barely relevant these days," William hurriedly explained, pulling documents from his bag. "They reported an Omega child with exceptionally high compatibility with you... Here are the details."

To William's surprise, Samuel's gaze focused intently on the thin sheets of paper. The next moment, his breathing became ragged. He studied the report carefully, then ordered: "Change course. To the airport."

"Y-yes, my lord..." The driver stammered, "We're heading to the airport—"

Samuel cut in: "We're bringing the child home."