I Told You This Isn't a Life Simulation Game! Section 36

Perhaps she was simply too happy. Mobius slightly adjusted the corners of her ever-rising lips, but she still could not suppress her smile.

"Ha... just as I thought~ You still couldn't escape the palm of my hand, White Rat~ And I never expected you to come willingly... This truly makes me... happy~"

"I really am starting to like you now~"

"Then... as a return gift, I'll answer your questions~ Within the limits of what I know~"

Mobius sauntered closer and sat down extremely close to Xi Wang, her dangerous snake eyes meeting his gaze.

"...Why did Elysia agree to the surgery?"

"Ha~ So you really do care about that? But I might disappoint you. She suddenly barged into my laboratory and demanded that I operate on her~ Otherwise, I should have been the second Fusion Warrior, not her."

As she said that, Mobius frowned slightly, as though she was somewhat uncertain.

"But even so, I don't really remember Elysia's surgery... Though there are indeed records of it. Perhaps some of the side effects brought by the Hypervariable Factor affected us as well. After all, our research into Honkai still isn't thorough enough."

She did not seem particularly concerned about this question. Clearly, although she had noticed that something was off, she had not taken it to heart—or perhaps because it involved Elysia, she simply did not care.

"I see... Then why was Elysia still on the list?"

"When did your brain get dull too, White Rat? You could obviously guess what those people were thinking so easily... Of course it was to show everyone else that everything was proceeding according to plan~ And to demonstrate the success rate of the Fusion Warrior Project, to slightly increase the number of applicants, that's all."

"After all, even Elysia, the first person to participate voluntarily, succeeded. Together with Kevin at the beginning and me afterward, the success of three people would make the others mistakenly think this experiment might have a very high success rate... Those people would rather believe in such baseless things they inferred themselves than in the clear data that was publicly presented. It's truly incomprehensible."

Mobius spread her hands, seemingly unable to understand it, but a faintly mocking smile soon returned to her lips.

"But people are just like that~"

"So Elysia's name was added afterward..."

Xi Wang more or less understood Elysia's circumstances. Though he felt a little helpless over Elysia's willful decision... this was Elysia, after all... And no matter what, she had survived. He could see her again. That was enough.

"Sakura... She volunteered too, right?"

"That's right~ Didn't you just learn that from her?"

"...If I were to undergo the surgery ahead of schedule, how long would it take to prepare?"

"The specific arrangements will still follow their wishes. I don't particularly care about that, but..."

Mobius leaned forward slightly, moving close to Xi Wang's face. Her fingertip lightly tapped his chest as she gave a soft laugh, her voice thick with sweetness and temptation.

"If it's you, White Rat~ Then any time will do~"

"After all, for you, I've made so~ many preparations~"

This time, Xi Wang neither dodged nor pushed Mobius away. He simply let her touch him as she pleased. Seeing this, Mobius grew bolder, curiously examining his body with a peculiar desire in her eyes.

"One last question... If someone were to deal with a Moth to Fire higher-up who is similar to you, or lower-ranked than you, what kind of impact would that have?"

"...If you want to die, then I recommend you don't drag Elysia into it. Don't drag Sakura into it either. And definitely don't involve anyone else."

Mobius's tone instantly turned cold. The ends of her green hair began to sway unconsciously, like Medusa's serpent hair from legend, while the aura she gave off became just like that of a snake—dangerous and deadly.

"If you'd had that idea earlier, perhaps you would merely have been put on trial. Other than death, it would only bring some minor trouble to others as well... Though I hate them, at a time like this, they've unusually set aside their conflicts and started doing their jobs properly."

"Though there are still many hidden problems, they absolutely will not allow any one of them to die right now. Moth to Fire cannot withstand turmoil in its power structure at present. If something like that happened, you would definitely be exposed. It would make no difference who you killed, and everyone connected to you would suffer along with you."

"What if it happened after the surgery?"

"Though I'm happy that you're so confident you'll survive, but... do you hear what you're saying right now, White Rat?"

Mobius was nearly angered into laughter.

"I may have to reevaluate you. Did love knock your brains out recently? Or did Elysia stuff your head full of her ridiculous ideas? You've actually become this slow-witted... Or does dragging others down with you make you happy?"

"Do you want them to reject the Fusion Warrior Project? Do you want them to think that Fusion Warriors after surgery cannot obey orders and fight Honkai, then drive their fear of us to its peak?"

"Or do you think they'll let it slide because you're a Fusion Warrior? Don't make me laugh. Faced with power that might resist them or even harm them, they'll only fear you—fear us."

"When that time comes, not only you and me, but Elysia and Sakura, Kevin and Mei—everyone will be implicated by you and dealt with together."

"Perhaps we won't die, but our actions will definitely be completely restricted... Do you think that sounds fun?"

It was the first time Mobius had displayed such anger before Xi Wang. Clearly, something in his question had touched a boundary she would not allow anyone to cross.

"I see... I understand."

Xi Wang closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing once more. His mind swiftly calmed, and when he opened his eyes again, the faint gold in his pupils had spread slightly, though it was difficult to notice.

"...I'm done asking."

"Oh? That's all? I thought there were more things you were curious about, White Rat~"

Mobius returned to her usual teasing, seductive tone. At the same time, her actions became even more proactive, even more... aggressive.

"Then... as agreed, you belong to me next~ Right~?"

She pressed Xi Wang against the wall in one motion. The strength of a Fusion Warrior made it difficult for him to resist. Drawing so close that she was nearly pressed against him, her fingertips gradually moved up from his chest, traced across his neck, and finally gently lifted his chin.

"Only for a while."

"Yes, yes~ I won't make things too difficult for you~"

Mobius smiled in satisfaction and gave a slight wave toward the several assistants behind the one-way glass.

"Alright, Klein. For now, leave what you're working on to Cang Xuan and Danzhu. We have more important matters to deal with."

"Don't worry, White Rat~"

Mobius met Xi Wang's gaze, quite pleased by the calmness of his eyes, which seemed as though they would never change.

"I'm sure we'll get along very happily~ Whether it's experiments or surgery~ I'll choose the very best, most suitable options for you~"

"Then... let's begin~ Let's see what new possibilities your unique trait can create~"

"..."

Xi Wang merely narrowed his eyes, utterly unconcerned by her tone, which sounded both seductive and mad.

Mobius forcefully rejected all subsequent experiments and surgeries, and with the same attitude turned down all of your later assignments, claiming that she needed your cooperation for Fusion Warrior research.

Although the other higher-ups were full of doubts and complaints, there was little they could do about her. In the end, they could only threaten her with the laboratory's funding and tell her not to drag things out for too long.

After that, you spent a period of time in Mobius's laboratory that was neither particularly pleasant nor particularly terrible—perhaps because your "trait" was one of a kind, Mobius showed considerable restraint in her experiments on you. Even knowing that you possessed abnormal regenerative abilities, she never cut off your limbs to test whether you could regrow them. She limited herself to "minor injuries" such as stripping away portions of skin, removing chunks of muscle, crushing certain organs, or breaking a few bones.

The final test results sent Mobius into a frenzy of delight—all injuries gradually recovered over time and healed completely on the seventh day. Within the following one or two days, the remaining traces would disappear as well. The overall margin of error did not exceed twelve hours, and if you consumed large amounts of nutrition during recovery, the recovery time would be shortened further.

If Moth to Fire had not begun pressing her, along with the increasingly tense situation at the front lines, Mobius might even have wanted to spend more time studying you.

Your surgery had reached the point where it could no longer be delayed. Moth to Fire urgently needed to see her results, or Mobius would face accusations of "passive negligence" and "abusing soldiers."

However, she intended to use this final opportunity for one last experiment.

Although Mobius herself had gained the ability to "return from death" by fusing with the genes of the snake-like Honkai Beast, Sasha, it still came with certain limitations. After "dying," she needed to absorb vast amounts of Honkai Energy before she could "revive."

Even though that had granted her a form of "infinite life," she was not satisfied with it. She wanted to go further, to explore a greater and more definite power of "immortality."

Your strange "trait" was naturally her best experimental material. Accordingly, she had indeed prepared the best and most suitable Honkai Beast genes for you—Gabriel.

The genes of this Honkai Beast, which Moth to Fire had found difficult to classify, possessed extraordinarily vigorous vitality. As long as even a small piece was extracted, it would quickly grow into a Honkai Beast with a sufficient supply of Honkai Energy.

And yet, if this newborn Honkai Beast was analyzed again, no obvious connection to Gabriel could be found. It was as if it had simply been a naturally formed Honkai Beast.

The newborn Honkai Beast would even undergo slight changes depending on its environment, allowing it to better adapt to its surroundings.

Lastly, Gabriel's genes displayed a special reaction to "environments with water"—or rather, to "water" itself. They became exceptionally active in places with abundant moisture.

This also allowed everyone to understand why Gabriel had been able to summon a "Honkai Beast tide" in the past, and confirmed that the various Honkai Beasts that had appeared along coastlines around the world at the time had indeed been related to it.

And now, Mobius was modifying its genes into your Hypervariable Factor.

Naturally, this was extremely dangerous. If anything went wrong, you could very well suffer a backlash from Gabriel's genes, lose your consciousness, and meet an end even worse than that of a "failed subject"—becoming a Honkai Creature or some similar monster, then being put down.

Before the surgery began, Mobius repeatedly told you about its dangers and informed you that you had the right to refuse. After all, she had made extensive preparations for you. Even if you did not choose Gabriel, it could be replaced with something else—Gabriel was simply the one she favored most.

You did not care about that, because... you would survive.

Mobius was especially pleased and excited by your attitude. You could even vaguely see a peculiar possessiveness in her Snake Eyes—the sort that wanted to tie you to an operating table.

Still, you could clearly feel that Mobius's attitude toward you had improved considerably. Along with that came increasingly brazen touches upon your body, while her usual words to you became filled with all kinds of strange implications. Even the name "White Rat" was nearly becoming exclusive to you—ah, of course she still had not given up on keeping you in her laboratory.

Under Mobius's personal hand, your surgery was completed. It could even be said to have been an overwhelming success.

You successfully became a Fusion Warrior, designation CM-005.

"White Rat~ How does being reborn feel~"

"No difference."

"Is that so? I thought you'd need some time to adapt to your new body..."

"It hasn't had much of an effect. If anything... my body is more agile now. That's good."

Xi Wang ran around the testing area for a while, moving swiftly through the space according to his own fighting style. Even Mobius, a Fusion Warrior herself, could only vaguely catch sight of his moving figure, and only when he borrowed force mid-motion to change direction could she see him clearly.

This method of combat, rapidly shifting from stillness into explosive speed in an instant, was perfectly displayed through his new body.

"This is... absolutely wonderful~"

Mobius spoke with a tone that sounded both awed and feverish.

"...Hm? What is it? Is there a problem, White Rat~?"

When she suddenly noticed Xi Wang had stopped, Mobius lightly brushed her lips with a fingertip and asked.

"...No, it's nothing."

Xi Wang looked at his arm somewhat doubtfully, then stretched his body slightly before shaking his head without saying anything further.

Perhaps it was a side effect of the surgery, but he felt as though his frame had become slightly smaller. The lines of his body had softened as well, making his entire appearance as smooth and flowing as a mountain stream, stripped of its former hard-edged style.

A faint sense of dampness also lingered around him. Though he was clearly indoors in a dry environment, he felt as if he were standing by the sea. At the same time, he had developed an inexplicable dislike for dry places and would unconsciously emit a peculiar aura that made the area around him damp. It was somewhat similar to the cold air surrounding Kevin, both being things they could not control.

Fortunately, Xi Wang's clothes had already been specially treated by Vill-V. Otherwise, the clothes on his body would have been soaked through in less than half a day.

These were the most direct side effects of the surgery. Beyond that, five dark patterns had appeared on his body, seemingly secondary effects. Four of them were on his body, like chains yet also like flowing water, and they even moved. The other was around his neck, forming a ring. If one did not look carefully, one might even think his head had been separated from his body.

This was also why Mobius had been paying Xi Wang such close attention. She seemed to believe that the patterns appearing on his body were related to his trait and could offer different ideas for the Stigmata Project, which was still only in its earliest theoretical stage.

"Well? Do you want to continue testing? The next part will require virtual combat~ Will you be using a weapon? Vill-V has been quite troubled lately over how to equip you with a suitable weapon, White Rat~"