St. Freya

Durandal had not spent this period without learning anything.

It transformed into a tiny golden-haired, blue-eyed figure, planted its hands on its hips, and said, "I want pictures of pretty girls."

Chen Ran found that rather strange. "Can't you generate those yourself?"

With Durandal's current abilities, generating pictures of beautiful women would take minutes at most. Then again, where had it gotten such a lecherous personality?

Durandal replied with complete confidence, "How could pictures I generated myself be as interesting as looking at someone else's?"

"You have a point, but do you think I have pictures of beautiful women?"

He casually listed, "Mei? Or Mobius? Or someone else?"

At Flame-Chaser, even secretly taking photos was a serious crime. After all, privacy was taken very seriously here.

"It's fine. I can put it on credit first."

Durandal was becoming more and more humanlike.

Time passed quickly, second by second.

After conducting the experiment with Durandal while dragging along his exhausted mind, Chen Ran did not think much of it and immediately fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He was too tired.

The simulated scenario required consciousness to sustain it, and reality also required consciousness to support it. In theory, one portion of his mental energy was shouldering two worlds.

Of course, the biggest and most direct reason was that he had not rested well in the simulated scenario.

The young man lay snoring in his dormitory. On the cabinet beside his bed, the photo of him and Wendy at the beach lay face-up.

It was not until midnight that he woke groggily and caught the scent of food.

Kevin had just finished showering after training and changed into casual clothes. "You were sleeping so soundly, so I brought you a meal while I was at it."

Chen Ran could not help feeling flattered.

Over this period, he and Kevin had gotten along fairly well. After all, they were roommates, and Kevin had not yet become so cold and distant.

He said, "Thank you so much. I was just worried that the cafeteria would already be closed at this hour."

Kevin seemed hesitant to speak.

Seeing his hesitation, Chen Ran smiled and asked, "What? Want to ask about your girlfriend?"

During this period, No. 666 had been cooperating with Mei, and Kevin knew that.

Although Kevin was not particularly impatient by nature, he had still indirectly asked about the experiments several times.

In Chen Ran's opinion, the current Kevin was actually a rather reserved young man with a hidden wild side.

Being reserved with a hidden wild side was actually quite a good trait.

If Kevin had already developed that obsessive personality, Chen Ran really would have found him difficult to get along with. But for now, treating him like an ordinary roommate was enough.

"Don't worry. The experiment has been progressing smoothly. By the way, my cooperation with her is over from here on."

Chen Ran said, "I'll handle my work, and she'll handle hers. Though I didn't ask, she'll probably be leaving the First Research Institute."

Mei could not keep cooperating with Chen Ran forever. Focusing on biology was not what Mei pursued.

After Chen Ran directly borrowed Durandal and Mei packaged the data for Mobius, it meant that Mei would gradually withdraw from these experiments and might even leave the First Research Institute.

Kevin actually understood that as well.

He worried that Chen Ran might hold it against Mei, so he instinctively defended her. "Mei has always been like this. She's very smart. I hope you won't mind."

"Why would I mind? Having a smart girlfriend is a good thing for us."

Chen Ran paused, then said, "Flame-Chaser isn't harmonious internally, Kevin. You should be able to feel that."

Kevin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

He was a Flame-Chaser soldier, theoretically as far removed from Flame-Chaser politics as one could be.

Yet he could still sense the strange atmosphere within the organization.

As the most promising newcomer in First Squad, Kevin had already received no fewer than three overtures. And those who had approached him were hostile toward one another.

Flame-Chaser was backed by the United Nations and made up of members from multiple countries.

And where there were countries, there would be conflict.

Everyone wanted to seize greater benefits through Flame-Chaser. Combined with Flame-Chaser's special status, all sorts of people fought and schemed against one another, with open attacks and hidden plots everywhere.

Chen Ran's situation was relatively good. After all, he was an external member of the First Research Institute.

At this time, Mobius's status was irreplaceable, so no one dared offend her. As a result, he had no such troubles either.

But thinking of how Mei had once been assassinated by Sakura, and how Kevin had known about it in advance, made it clear that the two of them would become deeply involved in the political whirlpool in the coming period.

Though the plot had only glossed over this part, Chen Ran could sense the dangers lurking within it.

Mei did not need Chen Ran's warning.

But Kevin was different.

He said, "Anyway, Kevin, no matter what happens in the future, just know that Mei and I are on the same side as you."

Kevin nodded. "I believe you."

"Mm."

Flame-Chaser, First Research Institute.

Two hours after Mei organized all the materials into a report and sent it to Mobius, Mei requested to leave temporarily.

Mobius was not surprised by this.

The girl was ambitious. Mobius naturally understood that.

Mei had already displayed extraordinary talent in quantum physics on the Mu Continent, and she had likewise found a stage to display her abilities at the First Research Institute. Naturally, the First Research Institute could not keep her.

Mobius did not try to persuade her to stay, though Blanca found it regrettable.

She thought highly of Mei.

After a series of family matters following Griseo's birth, Blanca had begun considering leaving the First Research Institute. Thus, she had been searching for an assistant who could work well with Mobius.

Mei was undoubtedly a good choice, but it now seemed that neither of them had their heart in it.

As for Chen Ran... he had been here too briefly. He would need further observation.

Besides that, she had another person to recommend, but that person was far too timid. The doctor might not like them.

In short, Blanca bid Mei farewell with regret and told her, "If you find that the First Research Institute is still the place best suited for you, you're welcome to come back."

Mei answered with a smile, "The First Research Institute is very good. I learned a lot here. If I get the chance, I'll come back and visit."

Coming back to visit meant she would not stay.

Other than regret, Blanca felt nothing else about it.

Meanwhile, Mobius was studying the report Mei had compiled, deep in thought.

"Using consciousness to produce antibodies against Honkai..."

"Then could it be engraved into the genes?"

St. Freya

After sleeping himself senseless, the system's cooldown reminder had long since ended.

Chen Ran felt exceptionally refreshed, then entered the simulated scenario once more.

As dawn broke over the sea, the enormous St. Freya slowly docked at the island.

The turbine pressure generated by the aircraft carrier-sized battleship sent fish in the nearby waters fleeing in panic. Theresa, dressed in a nun's habit, stepped down from the Hyperion.

"Himeko, thank goodness you're all right."

Theresa, at only 1.45 meters tall, was not even as tall as Judas on her back. She let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Wendy, whom Chen Ran was carrying on his back, with guilt on her face.

"I'm sorry. If it weren't because of me..."

Chen Ran had already informed Theresa that Wendy's legs had been disabled by the experiments.

The girl shook her head and said, "It's all right, Teacher Theresa. I'm doing well now."

The bright, gentle smile on her face made Theresa space out for a moment.

She said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go first."

She instinctively wanted to take Wendy from Chen Ran's back, but Himeko stopped her with a gesture.

"Theresa, you really can't read the room."

"Ah."

Theresa looked confused.

Chen Ran laughed helplessly.

"Principal Theresa, just leave Wendy to me for the time being."

Since this was a simulated scenario, he would treat it as a dream. He had adjusted his mindset quite well.

As he repeatedly entered and exited the simulated scenario, jumping back and forth between worlds, Chen Ran had become increasingly able to distinguish simulation from reality.

He truly had to thank the system for that. Otherwise, he might really have come to regard this as a second world.

Theresa seemed to realize something belatedly.

"Oh, then get aboard. I've also found out where the enemies came from."

The four of them returned to the Hyperion.

This time, they encountered no further attacks.

After all, the Hyperion was a flying aircraft carrier with absurdly powerful mounted weapons. No one blind enough to death dared stop it.

Besides Theresa, the enormous bridge contained personnel from several departments, working together to control the Floating Battleship.

Theresa said, "Amber helped investigate it. As early as 2010, perhaps even earlier, the Oceanic Branch had already been infiltrated by Anti-Entropy spies. At present, they appear to belong to Anti-Entropy's radical faction."

"The purpose of those spies was the Gem of Desire. To that end, they did not hesitate to use Anti-Entropy technology to improve the Oceanic Branch's technology, drawing Grandpa's attention there and causing him to hand them the experiment of integrating the Herrscher Core."

"Amber never issued an order to stop the experiment. They acted on their own, intending to secretly transport the gem away during this period."

She looked apologetically at Wendy. "It was my fault for recommending you for the experiment without investigating things properly."

Theresa apologized once more.

Wendy shook her head. "It's already in the past. I'm still fine now, so there's no need for you to apologize, Teacher Theresa."

Himeko interrupted their conversation. "That isn't the problem now."

"Wendy's condition is rather complicated. How should we handle it?"

Theresa looked at Chen Ran.

Once the topic turned to his field, Chen Ran said, "Don't worry. Since I said the Divine Right Plan was in my hands, I naturally have confidence in completing it."

Behind him stood Mei, a genius scientist from the Previous Era, and Durandal, a supercomputer.

After entering the simulated scenario this time, he had already calculated the conditions needed to activate the stigmata within Wendy.

By using the stigmata to integrate the Herrscher Core, as long as the scale was controlled properly, the experiment would basically be close to success.

Most importantly, because this was a simulated scenario, even if he failed, he could start over again with almost no limitations.

Though the price was the convergence of death, it was indeed the lowest-cost option.

Himeko could not help raising an eyebrow.