"Dean Zhao, at what point do you plan to end the experiment?" Little General Wu frowned and changed the subject, because Dean Zhao's words had already touched on the corporation's secrets.
Dean Zhao said, "The threshold for becoming an Awakened is 20 points in Total Four-Dimensional Attributes. To ensure the experimental subject does not escape our control, I plan to end this experiment once the subject's Total Physique Attributes reach 15 points."
"No, that's too dangerous!"
Little General Wu frowned. "The threshold is indeed 20 points in Total Four-Dimensional Attributes, but that includes more than just the Three-Dimensional Physique. It also includes the Fourth Dimension—spirit! What if the experimental subject has a high spirit attribute, exceeding 5 points? Fifteen points of Physique Attributes plus 5 points of spirit would reach the Awakened threshold!"
Once he reached the Awakened threshold, Bai Pu would qualify to participate in the "Awakened Trial." The Spirit Realm Will would directly issue an invitation and initiate Spirit Realm Teleportation!
Once Bai Pu was teleported to the Spirit Realm and entered a plane scenario, where would the Superpower Corporation find him?
Dean Zhao shook his head. "The experimental subject underwent a Meditation Test. The results showed that his spirit attribute is only 0.7."
A human's total attributes consisted of four dimensions: strength, agility, endurance, and spirit. The first three dimensions were collectively called Total Physique Attributes, and their values could be measured with instruments.
The Fourth Dimension—spirit—could not be measured by instruments. It could only be assessed through test questions, namely a Meditation Test.
"What if he held back during the Meditation Test?"
Little General Wu was very cautious. "My duty is to oversee risks and ensure the corporation's interests do not suffer losses. I now demand an adjustment to the experimental plan."
Dean Zhao's expression turned ugly. "How do you intend to adjust it?"
"Once the experimental subject's Total Physique Attributes reach 10 points, the experiment must be terminated!"
Little General Wu spoke decisively.
This would leave a buffer of 10 attribute points. No matter what, the experimental subject's spirit attribute should not exceed 10 points. Otherwise, with his frail constitution, he simply could not bear it. His brain would have exploded into mush long ago.
"...Fine." Dean Zhao reluctantly gave the order. "Adjust the experimental plan. Set the target value to 10 points!"
"Dean Zhao, something's wrong."
The assistant who had been monitoring the instruments hurriedly spoke up. "The experimental subject's three-dimensional physique data has all declined to varying degrees. Look, his Total Physique Attributes peaked at 5.5, but they've already fallen to 4.5!"
Dean Zhao stared at the screen with an ugly expression and muttered, "There shouldn't be such fluctuations. With the Hechinger II Nutrient Solution supplement, the experimental subject's Total Physique Attributes should keep rising..."
Little General Wu stared at Bai Pu on the large screen, puzzled. "The experimental subject doesn't look any worse."
Bai Pu on the screen had developed clearly defined muscles. Though his eyes were tightly shut, his complexion was completely different from his initial gaunt state. He looked entirely like a healthy person.
"You can't immediately tell the changes from appearance alone. I trust the data more." Dean Zhao said, "Increase the injection of Hechinger II Nutrient Solution and continue observing!"
Little General Wu did not stop him. Bai Pu's Total Physique Attributes were still far from the 10-point warning line.
The green line on the screen kept dropping. After his total attributes fell to 4 points, they finally began to climb slowly, much to Dean Zhao's delight.
But his delight did not last long. Once the total attributes rose to 5.7, they fell again.
"What should we do? Increase the injection again?" the assistant asked.
Dean Zhao gritted his teeth and waved his hand. "Increase it!"
He was feeling uneasy as well. The main ingredient of the Hechinger II Nutrient Solution had been obtained by the corporation's Awakened powerhouses from a Magic Plane in the Spirit Realm. It came from a terrifying Lord-level creature! Its value simply could not be measured in money.
As everyone watched with bated breath, the thick green line representing Total Physique Attributes twisted and turned as it slowly climbed.
"It's dropping again! But this time it peaked at 5.9! It's only 0.1 away from the healthy human baseline..." Even the assistant did not know whether this was good news or bad news.
"Clearly, the experiment has deviated from expectations."
Watching the slowly declining green line, Little General Wu said, "Dean Zhao, I suggest stopping the experiment, abandoning the experimental subject, and extracting the Origin Blood."
Dean Zhao knitted his brows and shook his head. "We can't stop. At least not now!"
Facing Little General Wu's questioning gaze, Dean Zhao explained rapidly:
"The peak has already reached 5.9. It only needs another 0.1 to reach the healthy human baseline. I want to make one more push! You should know what it means to Chairman for a frail, sickly patient to recover their health! We cannot easily give up on this experimental subject. Otherwise, I'm afraid we'll never find another one with such high compatibility!"
A Total Physique Attributes score of 6.0 was the standard for a healthy human, and it held immense significance for the Chairman of the Superpower Corporation—the Chairman was not an Awakened and was seriously ill. The Source Blood Project had been launched for his health!
Dean Zhao was so insistent because this experiment had already suffered major errors. If he could not produce some interim results to prove his value, he could easily lose the Chairman's trust.
"Fine. One last time." Thinking of his father, Little General Wu chose to compromise.
After another order was given to inject the nutrient solution, everyone once again fixed their eyes on the green line on the screen. Their emotions rose and fell wildly along with it!
"Six points! It's gone past 6 points!"
The assistant who had been staring at the green line suddenly cried out excitedly. "Dean—"
After shouting once, the assistant realized the room had gone dead silent. He turned around and happened to glance at the large screen, freezing on the spot.
On the large screen, the experimental subject Bai Pu was emitting a gentle white glow! As the white light flickered, the various instruments and needles attached to Bai Pu's body, both inside and outside, fell away one after another!
To humans of the Spirit Energy Era, this scene was all too familiar.
"Th-this could it be..." the assistant muttered.
"...Spirit Realm Teleportation!" Little General Wu gritted his teeth and forced the words out through clenched teeth. He stared coldly at Dean Zhao. "What is going on?"
Watching Bai Pu gradually become enveloped in white light on the large screen, Dean Zhao was at a complete loss. He could only mechanically repeat, "How is this possible? How is this possible..."
Once Spirit Realm Teleportation began, external forces could no longer stop it. Others could not exert any influence on the teleported person either, because that gentle white glow was the spatial barrier of the Spirit Realm Will—a distance as close as inches, yet as far as the ends of the world!
"Connect me to Ward 3072!"
Little General Wu gritted his teeth, snatched Dean Zhao's microphone, and roared himself hoarse, "Experiment No. 4! I know you can hear me right now! Stop the teleportation immediately and refuse the trial!"
Little General Wu's hoarse roar echoed through Ward 3072:
"You have never undergone any combat training. Your chances of passing the Trial Mission are extremely low!
"The Superpower Corporation will send a pursuit team into the Spirit Realm at the same time! They will do everything possible to stop you from passing the trial! You won't have any chance at all!
"Once you fail the trial, you will still be expelled by the Spirit Realm Will and sent back here! At that time, the Superpower Corporation will show you no mercy. The harshest punishment awaits you!
"You can still turn back now! The Superpower Corporation can sign a contract with you. I'll give you excellent treatment and let you receive the best training, greatly increasing your chances of successfully awakening..."
He used both threats and promises, but they had no effect whatsoever on Bai Pu. Bai Pu merely stared quietly at the surveillance camera, his eyes meeting Little General Wu's calmly through the electronic signal.
Yes, Spirit Realm Teleportation.
This was my escape route!
"Damn it, damn you! You piece of trash, you cockroach, how dare you! How dare you..."
The large screen showed that in Ward 3072, the experimental subject Bai Pu had vanished from the world, leaving behind only an empty hospital bed and scattered needles!
Bang! Crash! Clang!
In his fury, Little General Wu punched a hole straight through the large screen, sending cracks across its surface! He kicked the experiment table, knocking bottles and containers all over the floor.
"How is this possible... The experimental subject's Total Physique Attributes only reached 6 points. His All Attributes couldn't possibly have reached the 20-point threshold! Unless his spirit reached 14 points, which is utterly impossible... Investigate it! Find out why!"
Dean Zhao finally caught his breath and issued orders almost instinctively.
The experiment had failed, the precious experimental subject had escaped, and a massive amount of valuable Hechinger nutrient solution had been wasted... None of that was the key issue. The most important thing was the vial of Origin Blood injected into Bai Pu's body!
According to the original experimental plan, once Bai Pu's Total Physique Attributes reached 10 points, Dean Zhao would stop the experiment and extract the Origin Blood.
This process would cause irreversible harm to Bai Pu, but that did not matter. Dean Zhao could freeze Bai Pu's body and periodically collect his blood to produce an "agent" for blending Origin Blood.
Now Bai Pu had escaped with the Origin Blood. Everything had come to nothing, and the corporation's reckoning was about to arrive. Dean Zhao had to save himself as best he could.
"We found it! The hospital computers were infiltrated ninety-four days ago, and a dormant program was left behind!"
An assistant hurried over. "The monitoring data we received was fake. The experimental subject's Total Physique Attributes had been rising all along, matching our projections!"
"Ninety-four days ago?" Dean Zhao murmured. "That was exactly when the experimental subject signed the contract and entered the hospital..."
"This is an obvious conspiracy!" Little General Wu roared sternly. "This experimental subject called Bai Pu must be a spy planted by another force! There is a huge team behind him!"
"At least... this experiment succeeded." Dean Zhao sighed. It was the last shred of persistence he possessed as a scholar.
He felt somewhat relieved. The confirmed cause had little to do with him. The corporation should hold the cybersecurity team accountable!
Little General Wu cast him a cold glance. "What about the preventive measures we left on the experimental subject?"
"The experimental subject was implanted with a Remote Sensing Chip. It had functions such as tracking, neural interference, and self-destruction." Dean Zhao sighed. "Unfortunately, once Spirit Realm Teleportation began, the Remote Sensing Chip fell off. Even if we detonate it, it can no longer affect the experimental subject."
Little General Wu looked at the cracked surveillance screen. Sure enough, an inconspicuous chip roughly the size of a fingernail lay quietly on the hospital bed.
"Which Spirit Realm Plane will he go to?" Little General Wu forced himself to calm down. The worst had already happened. Now they had to do everything possible to remedy it, and the only way was...
Cross-realm pursuit!
"The Origin Blood in the experimental subject's body counts as a Spirit Energy Oddity and will produce a powerful anchoring effect. Considering the difficulty of an Awakened's trial, the plane he is most likely to enter is 'Flesh Plague: Origin.'"
Before you continue