First Research Institute.
During this time, No. 666 had been the capable assistant of both Vill-V and Mobius. The former had simply been unable to find another assistant, while the latter treated him more like a lab rat.
He had become proficient at driving an excavator to clear away all obstacles, and a pile of excavator knowledge had surfaced in Chen Ran's mind.
Unfortunately, No. 666 had not learned much about the Honkai field at the First Research Institute. Although Durandal had provided study materials, without an independent laboratory, there was no way to verify that knowledge.
Honkai was an utterly unfamiliar field to everyone. There were no axioms, theorems, or classic formulas in this field. All achievements were built upon countless trials and errors, along with accumulated experience.
Still, he first had to get through the current ordeal.
Mobius impatiently opened the door. Her voice was gentle, yet frightening. "My adorable little lab rat, are you ready?"
Chen Ran sighed. "Do I really have to take everything off?"
"Mm-hm. Are you embarrassed? Or do you think I'd be embarrassed?"
Although Mobius had neither a spouse nor experience in that regard, as a biologist, she lacked no knowledge of such matters.
She smiled sweetly. "If you perform well, I'll even give you a reward."
"Doctor, does that mean I can get a raise?" Chen Ran asked expectantly.
Mobius was slightly surprised, then smiled. "So a raise is all you're after?"
Chen Ran said, "Well, Doctor, you know that while money can't solve everything, being without money is absolutely impossible. If I want to get married and have children someday, there's no hope without a raise."
Mobius let out an involuntary snort of laughter.
"My, I thought you were a special specimen, but you still secrete the dopamine shared by all animals." She waved her hand. "That depends on your performance."
Chen Ran instinctively said, "Doctor, could you leave? I'm embarrassed."
Mobius walked away without looking back.
Chen Ran was now Mobius's finest research specimen.
The system had given Chen Ran Honkai Energy adaptability, and coupled with his becoming a special Stigmata, he was now more extraordinary than any warrior.
Furthermore, Mobius had previously studied anti-Honkai memories through Mei's research, and she had found inspiration in the genes within Chen Ran's body.
Honkai did not merely affect areas people could observe. It was likewise influenced by areas humans had yet to observe.
For example, thought.
Her previous experiments involving Stigmata had always failed because the lab rats she used were animals with no thoughts or weak thoughts.
The anti-Honkai memories directly struck the lab rats' brain regions and interfered with their brainwaves, causing the experiments to fail time and again.
In other words, the only specimens that could accept gene experiments involving the injection of anti-Honkai memories were humans.
Following that line of reasoning, experiments concerning Honkai could only begin with humans.
The former Mobius had never considered that Honkai could be affected by memory and thought. But now, she was thoroughly familiar with every inch of Chen Ran's skin.
Even if Chen Ran wore nothing at all, it would not stir her emotions.
Chen Ran only felt awkward.
The reason was simple: Mobius's gaze was far too scorching.
According to the memories synchronized from No. 666, No. 666 and Mobius had barely communicated unless necessary. Even when they did, their discussions remained within the field of biology.
But Mobius's current gaze made it seem as though she wanted to eat him alive.
Mobius was clearly wielding a scalpel, so why did it feel like she was holding a dinner knife?
Fortunately, it was not his first time lying on an operating table.
Chen Ran only felt something being injected into his body, and then his mind immediately grew hazy.
After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, he finally woke up.
Mobius had already left. Blanca was tending to him. "You're awake."
Chen Ran nodded. "Yes. Nothing happened to my body, right? Like genetic mutation, or losing an arm or leg?"
Blanca smiled gently. "You haven't lost any arms or legs, that's true. But genetic mutation is harder to say."
Chen Ran's eyes widened sharply.
The assistant gently continued, "Dr. Mobius instructed that for the next three months, you won't need to come to the First Research Institute. Instead, you'll continue training with First Squad. However, you'll need a physical examination every day afterward, and I'll be responsible for recording the samples."
He blinked. "What did she inject me with? A hypermutation factor?"
"I don't know. But supposedly, it's an anti-Honkai memory activation agent developed from the research results of you and MEI. It seems capable of fusing the genes within the human body."
Chen Ran said, "..."
Wasn't that a Stigmata activation agent?
He recalled the agent he had made for Wendy. It was practically identical. But he did not have Stigmata genes in his body. Using that agent on himself would be...
Wait, wasn't the system itself a special Stigmata?
And although he had obtained the authority of the Herrscher of Wind through system simulation, the basis for that power was the system itself.
So this agent should work on the system too, right?
Chen Ran felt that the system's grandeur had dropped tremendously.
It could actually be affected by something from reality. How embarrassing.
"I understand." Chen Ran's voice was somewhat dejected.
After leaving the First Research Institute, Chen Ran did not hurry to report to First Squad. Instead, he detoured to the Flame-Chaser lounge.
Rather than calling it a lounge, it would be more accurate to call it a massive complex for entertainment, dining, shopping, and leisure.
Chen Ran casually found a sofa, sat down, and ordered a drink.
"Hey, judging by that miserable look on your face, don't tell me you were used for human experimentation again."
Vill-V walked over and greeted him. "Want me to perform a magic trick to cheer you up?"
"Watch closely. This is a can of cola."
Chen Ran looked over and saw a can of cola in the girl's hand.
Then she forcefully pulled the tab, and a paper dove actually flew out from inside.
"Impressive."
He could not help clapping. "How did you do that?"
"Mm-hm, the contents of a magic trick can't be revealed to the audience, or they'll find it boring." Vill-V smiled mysteriously. "So? Feeling any better?"
"Not bad. Thanks."
"Since that's the case, do me a favor." Vill-V directly stated her purpose.
Chen Ran sighed. "I knew it."
Vill-V's Work Inspection
"Thanks to your help, the new prison is mostly complete. What remains is the practical testing."
Vill-V walked side by side with Chen Ran through the Flame-Chaser rest area. "Before the Flame-Chaser inspects it, I want to conduct a practical test."
"A practical test?"
Chen Ran quickly understood. "You're going to lock yourself inside and then break out?"
"Yes."
Vill-V smiled. "If even I, its creator, cannot escape the Abyss, then most likely no one will be able to escape the cage I created."
"I'm giving you the button for Armed Unit No. 512 of the Abyss. If it flashes red, it means I failed to escape. Press the button, and you can deactivate the mechanisms. If it flashes green, it means I escaped successfully, and the Abyss will need to be rebuilt."
"However, if it flashes red, you absolutely must rescue me quickly. The red condition I set is when a person's body is on the verge of death."
The Abyss was the name Vill-V had given her creation.
This prison extended beneath the Flame-Chaser headquarters. Its terrain design was not complicated, consisting only of a long corridor. It looked very simple.
This was also the fastest way for her to complete construction. With the deadline pressing down on her, she had not considered an overly complicated design.
But Vill-V had specifically designed five mechanisms between one end of the corridor and the prison cells.
The first mechanism was darkness without any light source, depriving people of their sight.
The second mechanism was an extremely cold temperature, numbing a person's sense of smell and mobility.
The third mechanism was toxins in the air, meant to paralyze a person's nerves.
The fourth mechanism was a Honkai Energy suppression factor, directly restricting a person's combat ability.
The fifth mechanism was radiation from a special electromagnetic frequency, interfering with a person's ability to think.
Depriving people of their five senses at the source—that was the terrifying part of the prison Vill-V had created.
And what Vill-V intended to do was test whether she could make it from the Abyss to the corridor's exit with all five mechanisms activated.
Chen Ran could not help clicking his tongue in amazement.
In an era before Fusion Warriors, such a prison would be enough to detain anyone. Even after Fusion Warriors appeared, it could still detain most people so long as the mechanisms were made stronger.
However, Kevin and Aponia would basically be exceptions. The Sea of Quantum could not contain the former, while the latter was a special psychic sensory type who could directly make people disable the mechanisms.
Thus, the Abyss ultimately could not imprison everyone.
He watched Vill-V enter the prison she had designed through the corridor, and then the entire Abyss was shrouded in darkness.
"It's so dark. If I'd known, I wouldn't have made it so thoroughly."
Inside the prison of the Abyss, Vill-V felt darkness enveloping her from head to toe.
She muttered to herself, "With the prison I designed, how could anyone possibly break out? Sigh, but I've already said it, so I can't let myself lose face."
She was a magician. What she hated most was losing face.
Vill-V, dressed in work clothes, stretched out her hand. Yet in absolute darkness, she could not even clearly see her own fingers.
That was why the Abyss had been designed underground. Only that way could there be a place of absolute darkness without any light source. She could not even use the reflective mirror on her body to focus light.
The feeling of suddenly going from a normal person to blind was not pleasant.
Still, this alone was not enough to stop her.
The complete blueprint of the Abyss was in her mind. Relying on memory, she soon found the door.
Despite the complex fingerprint lock and the primitive prison gate, she cracked it in an hour. The main problem was that being deprived of sight made her deeply unaccustomed to it. Otherwise, she could have been faster.
"Next comes the corridor."
"Still, the corridor I designed is completely unobstructed. It doesn't seem very difficult... Should I go back and make it more challenging?"
Vill-V thought happily.
Then...
She regretted it.
For humans, having their five senses deprived was an extremely painful experience.
Even a lively magician skilled at deceiving the five senses of others was, at her core, still within the bounds of humanity.
Her vision was stripped away, her sense of smell and perception became numb, her body stiffened, and most importantly, her brain was disrupted by a specific electromagnetic field, leaving her unable to focus her thoughts.
Only one awareness drove Vill-V: "Escape, escape quickly."
"I have to get out of here!"
Giving up thought did not mean losing instinct.
Before you continue