Han Fei first chose to place the talisman on the chest of a beautiful female figurine.
Under Han Fei's expectant gaze.
The talisman emitted a faint glow and slowly sank into the figurine's chest.
The light flared brightly.
Rat Talisman Research (1)
The radiance faded.
What came into view was a tiny person.
A muscular red-haired man dressed in a martial arts uniform leaped away and hid in a corner.
"Who are you?! How did I, Black Tiger Hak Foo, end up here?! Wait! Giants? What are you trying to do?! My boss is Walong!"
"Who am I?"
In Han Fei's eyes.
This tiny man had normal skin and normal expressions. Other than being extremely small, he was no different from an ordinary person. He was clearly a living being.
"Incredible."
Han Fei gently pinched him between two fingers.
"Antelope Hangs Its Horns, Black Tiger Steals the Heart, Divine Dragon Swings Its Tail!"
Black Tiger Hak Foo struggled desperately, unleashing a string of swift and crisp martial arts moves. It was clear that he had genuine skill, but he was simply too small.
Han Fei examined him with curious eyes.
"Black Star, do you think this is a living being?"
"Master, that depends on your definition of life."
"Philosophically speaking, anything capable of thought is alive."
"But biologically speaking, something without active behavior can only be called an inanimate object."
"Or, on a deeper philosophical level, people have three deaths, and likewise three lives..."
"Enough, enough. You're an AI, and you're discussing life with me now?" Han Fei stopped Black Star's endless chatter.
"Forget it. Run some tests on him."
Han Fei tossed him into an instrument.
"Yes."
Watching Black Tiger Hak Foo continue cursing inside, a trace of pity flashed through Han Fei's eyes.
But it vanished in an instant.
He watched with an indifferent gaze.
Soon, Black Star controlled the machine and sent him back out.
Black Tiger Hak Foo looked utterly dead inside, lying on the floor as though he had been thoroughly played with. It was somewhat comical.
"Whatever...?"
"Master, no matter how he is examined, this is a living being."
"Is that so?" Han Fei nodded in understanding.
"I wonder how long he can exist. After he disappears and reappears, will he retain his memories? Will he still be the same person? And without the Sheep Talisman, do I have to kill him to remove the talisman?"
"Also, I haven't tested characters with supernatural powers yet. I don't know whether their powers will remain, whether they will weaken, whether I can extract their knowledge, or whether their knowledge is useful in this world."
Countless questions surfaced in Han Fei's mind.
Unfortunately, he was not a qualified researcher.
He merely listed the questions and handed them over to Black Star.
Han Fei sat in a chair, sipping black tea as he quietly waited.
Time passed bit by bit.
That wait lasted an entire day.
When Black Star's instrument opened again.
Black Tiger Hak Foo's voice was gone. Only a shattered clay figurine and the talisman remained.
"Master, according to the experiment, the talisman can only be removed by killing the target or if the target is willing. In addition, when they reappear after disappearing, they inherit their memories from before. However, it is uncertain whether they can still be considered the same person."
"If left undisturbed, they seem capable of existing indefinitely. At the very least, there were no signs of disappearance within twelve hours."
Listening to Black Star's report, Han Fei gradually formed a rough understanding of the Rat Talisman's power.
"Then let's continue."
Holding the talisman, Han Fei walked over to a pile of figurines.
A day had passed.
He had collected several more figurines, all from various fantasy works.
Tiga, Icarus, Belldandy, GG Bond, Lazy Goat...
Without exception, these figurines all shared the same characteristic.
They were small.
Very small.
About half the size of a palm.
And every one of them was kept in a cage.
This was all to restrain them.
"Then let's begin. Tiga first."
"Tiga!!"
A flash of light passed.
Tiga, a blend of red, purple, and white, appeared in a dramatic pose.
?!!
He stared blankly at his surroundings.
Then he looked at himself.
Finally, he looked at the iron bars of the cage.
A Zeperion Beam shot out.
Several iron bars were instantly severed.
He flew out of the cage.
But in the next instant.
Smack!
A massive steel hand slapped him back inside.
A huge robot stood outside the cage.
"Master, according to the data just gathered, the revived Ultraman possesses power, but it corresponds to his size. It has not exceeded its limits and remains within recoverable range."
"The Rat Talisman cannot revive things without limits. If I revived a massive, complete Tiga, would he truly possess the original's power?
Impossible. It is still unknown whether the Holy Lord himself is that powerful, let alone a mere portion of his power, and divine power in the form of a talisman at that." Han Fei had a clear understanding of this.
"Black Star, try talking to him. See whether communication is possible, then see whether he can be controlled."
This was the key.
Black Star controlled the robot and began speaking.
Chinese.
Japanese.
English.
German.
The robot spoke hundreds of languages from Earth.
Tiga reacted, but he had absolutely no intention of conversing.
Instead, he kept launching attacks.
All kinds of beams flew wildly.
He might have been small, but his combat strength was truly terrifying. The entire iron cage had been battered beyond recognition, and the surrounding New Titanium Alloy floor was covered in craters.
This was brand-new alloy!
However.
Less than three minutes later, the light on his chest began flashing frantically.
Then.
Right before Han Fei's stunned eyes, Tiga disintegrated!!
"Damn?"
"What the hell?!"
"Could running out of energy also be a way to remove the talisman?"
Looking at Tiga, who had reverted into a figurine after disintegrating, along with the talisman beside him, Han Fei thought this to himself.
Han Fei then prepared to use a new figurine for another experiment.
But at that moment.
Black Star sent him a message.
"Master, Laboratory No. 2 reports that they have discovered a major research result, which may solve Laboratory No. 1's issue of carrying armor energy."
Han Fei immediately furrowed his brow deeply.
It was like when you were enthusiastically playing a game and something more important suddenly came up, like your mother calling you to eat. At that point, you would fall into a dilemma.
"Master, there is no need to hurry. In addition, Zhao Xin has sent a request for a group meal, the military has sent over the list for the next round of Body Tempering Art instruction, the Eight Extremes Heaven basic form—Body Tempering—and suitable foreign scientist targets have been found. The specific plan still requires your confirmation..."
"Alright, I get it. So many things, damn it!"
"I hope Laboratory No. 2 hasn't exaggerated their claims."
Han Fei irritably retrieved all the talismans and walked out of the hidden room.
Han Fei had established many laboratories, but there were only five largest and best ones in total.
They were Laboratory No. 1, which was divided into open and secret sections. Genetics and armor accounted for two laboratories; Laboratory No. 2, which he was currently heading toward, researched mechanical technology, and many things he had taken out of the bottle were sent there.
For example, that damaged mech, half a VR helmet, and a small spaceship model.
And Laboratory No. 3.
That laboratory had originally been responsible for material research, such as New Titanium Alloy. Later, because of Liu Chuang, it had been traded to Dukao, though its most valuable parts had already been withdrawn in advance.
It was now only responsible for some ordinary research.
Beyond those, there was one final laboratory.
It was Han Fei's personal laboratory, completely separate from the others and unknown to anyone.
Inside were secret arts related to Han Fei's own cultivation, along with things from other worlds that had strange effects in this world and were difficult to analyze.
It was both a research room and a storage room.
Some highly dangerous things were also kept inside.
Before you continue