Chapter 115

"No need, Queen can handle this."

Ai Yue waved his hand, "Time is precious, you should set off immediately."

Hua nodded and then stepped into the Teleportation Gate, while Mobius stared at him suspiciously. "Is it just my imagination? You seem particularly anxious today, like you can't wait to do anything."

"Is there?"

Ai Yue paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're probably in a hurry to research the new project, you should understand that feeling very well."

Mobius stared at him for a long time, then emphasized again, "No matter what, you can't hide anything from us, understand?"

Ai Yue didn't speak, he just nodded.

Only after Mobius's figure disappeared into the Teleportation Gate did the smile on his lips gradually fade.

Unfortunately, some things cannot be known by others—not even by me.

75

Chapter 75. Please don't plant your flag here.

After the few remaining survivors from Star of Light left, the hall immediately became deserted.

Looking at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar hall, Ai Yue suddenly realized that he wasn't actually that used to being alone.

Or is it because of their influence that I have this feeling?

Ai Yue didn't dwell on the matter, as there were still many things to do. He then turned and left the hall to find the last person.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue pushed up his glasses. "Rose, can you pinpoint Pardo's location?"

"Searching. Please give me thirty seconds."

Prometheus rarely complained, "After all, you know that it's not an easy thing to catch a glimpse of that person—especially after Pardofelis became Fused Warrior."

When Pardofelis was still human, although her whereabouts were just as unpredictable, she still had to follow the laws of physics. She had to go around walls, enter rooms through doors, and climb stairs to go upstairs.

But ever since she gained the ability to move freely between different substances, Prometheus has found it increasingly difficult to detect her using conventional surveillance systems.

Of course, this does not mean that Pardofelis can escape the detection of the Star of Light's monitoring system, but this abnormal phenomenon caused Prometheus to feel a rare emotion called "frustration".

It's worth noting that the monitoring system at the Star of Light experimental base was designed by her own hand. She had confidently declared to Ai Yue that it "could accurately track the movement of every single cockroach." However, when Pardofelis first came, she disappeared from the monitoring system for more than ten minutes, which was quite embarrassing.

"Oh dear, why are you arguing with her?"

Ai Yue had to comfort the Artificial Intelligence, whose confidence had been shaken, saying, "You can't judge Pardo by normal standards. It's normal that you can't keep an eye on her. Don't worry about it too much."

"I'm not being petty; I just think it's necessary to strengthen the surveillance system again,"

Prometheus said, "Furthermore, according to the surveillance results, Pardofelis was not found. Based on big data models, the most likely place for her to be is your bedroom."

"No wonder I haven't seen her lately,"

Ai Yue nodded. "I understand. As for strengthening the monitoring system, let's talk about that later."

"This is the fifteenth time you've made an excuse."

"Because if you strengthen the surveillance system, you'll have to install cameras in the bedroom—I don't want people to misunderstand that I have a special fetish."

As it turns out, big data is indeed powerful. When Ai Yue opened the bedroom door, he saw Pardofelis sleeping in a very strange position on her bed.

She was clutching a pillow in her arms, with a blanket between her legs, a strange smile on her face, muttering something to herself, and her tail wagging restlessly, as if she were having a dream where she was hanging on someone else.

Ai Yue didn't wake her up directly, but sat on the edge of the bed and carefully examined Pardofelis's face.

Just then, Pardofelis's tail suddenly brushed against Ai Yue's calf and then wrapped around him, causing Pardofelis to shudder and wake up from her dream.

"Hey, Brother Yue, why are you... sitting up?"

Pardofelis opened her eyes in a daze, seemingly still not recovered from the dream. Looking at Ai Yue sitting in front of her, she also sat up groggily and hugged him tightly. "Brother Yue, hehe, Brother Yue... huh?"

Just as Pardofelis was trying to hook Ai Yue with her legs, her consciousness gradually returned. Realizing that what she was seeing was not a dream, Pardofelis immediately sprang away, but her tail was still wrapped around Ai Yue's leg, causing her to fall directly onto the bed. "Is it really Brother Yue?"

"Why such a big reaction?"

Ai Yue, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much. After all, this wasn't the first time Pardofelis had done something like this. "Dreaming about me?"

"Um... no, not really..."

Pardofelis scratched her head, speechless for a moment, then grinned foolishly, skipping over the topic, "Hehe, Brother Yue, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

"Is this my room?"

Ai Yue shook his head with a slight chuckle. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I... I'm trying to help you!"

Pardofelis's eyes darted around, and she immediately started making up a lie, "I've heard people say that if a bedroom is left unoccupied for too long, it can get haunted!"

"Thank you so much."

Ai Yue gave her a speechless look. "Alright, let's stop chatting for now. I have something to ask you."

"What's up?"

Seeing that she could change the subject, Pardofelis immediately put on a serious expression, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

"Don't be nervous, it's nothing serious."

Ai Yue took out a storage item from his waist. "I need you to take this to Dr. Mei bring it back to me after she's finished using it. In the meantime, you need to follow Dr. Mei's instructions. Is that alright?"

Pardofelis should have agreed to such a simple task without hesitation.

But for some reason, she suddenly felt a strong palpitation, as if it were a warning, hinting at something to her.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Pardofelis clutching her chest and remaining silent for a long time, Ai Yue couldn't help but ask, "This mission shouldn't be a big deal for you, right?"

"Brother Yue,"

This time, Pardofelis was truly serious. She stared intently into Ai Yue's eyes. "Are you going to do something... bad?"

This task is really simple—so simple that it doesn't require any human intervention; even a drone can complete it.

Pardofelis wasn't really stupid; she could sense that the key to this task was "getting me there," meaning that Ai Yue's real intention was to get her out of the way.

How could that be?

Ai Yue was slightly taken aback, then revealed a gentle smile, "You're overthinking it. I only feel at ease leaving it in your hands."

"Every time you show that smile, you're lying. It was the same last time."

Pardofelis lowered her head and muttered, "You told me to go to Sister Eden for help, but actually you just wanted Sister Eden to take care of me. That's how you laughed back then!"

Ai Yue was stunned for a moment before realizing that trying to fool the girl in front of him with this method seemed to be no longer going to work.

"But I won't ask anymore."

Pardofelis suddenly looked up again, revealing a bright smile, "Brother Yue, you must have your reasons for doing this, right? I won't hold you back, so you must succeed too!"

As she spoke, she took the storage item from Ai Yue's hand, and then, Ai Yue, leaned in and left a light kiss on his lips.

"Wait, wait until you've finished your important work,"

Pardofelis took two steps back, landing on the floor, her face flushed, even the tail on her back seemed to be tangled in a knot. "I also have something important to tell you!"

After leaving those words, the girl deftly leaped backward, passed through the wall, and disappeared from Ai Yue's sight.

Ai Yue was left sitting there alone, letting out a soft sigh.

"Now, there's really no reason for us to fail."

76

Chapter Seventy-Six: Archbishop, your plan works really well.

Ai Yue breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Pardofelis leave the base through the Teleportation Gate in the monitoring system.

He paused for a moment, then, as if making a decision, said, "Rose, close all the Teleportation Gate."

"I cannot disobey your orders, Doctor Ai Yue."

Prometheus said, "But I must confirm again, are you really going to do this?"

Prometheus did not merely give the order to "close the Teleportation Gate." As Ai Yue's de facto only assistant, Prometheus possessed more information about Ai Yue than all the others combined.

That's why she knew what Ai Yue was planning to do next—closing the Teleportation Gate was just an appetizer compared to his real plan.

"Don't be so nervous, Rose."

Ai Yue's expression was very relaxed. "This is just a gamble. Everything I do is for the sake of winning this gamble. For this goal, no amount of caution is too much."

"I see."

Prometheus was silent for a moment before finally replying, "The Teleportation Gate has been closed."

"Very good,"

Ai Yue nodded. "Have you completed the tasks I assigned earlier?"

"The infiltration equipment has been moved to a temporary safe house in the Australia interior and is ready for use at any time."

"Great, let's set off then."

Ai Yue stood up and said, "Queen, after I leave the Star of Light experimental base, immediately raise the base's alert level to 'Black Level'."

As the de facto controller of the Star of Light experimental base, Queen will make different response plans according to different alert levels. Under normal circumstances, the base's alert level is "white level", which means it is safe, while it is "red level" during wartime. For example, this was the level when the Herrscher of Domination attacked last time.

"Black" is the highest level of alert, which means that all restrictions on Queen will be lifted, completely turning the Star of Light experimental base into a doomsday fortress.

At this alert level, even Ai Yue can no longer command Queen, and Queen may even regard him as "the most dangerous enemy" and attack him.

This means that the "black level" alert is a means for Ai Yue to control himself.

"Instructions received."

Queen's voice was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, and she did not question Ai Yue's instructions in the slightest. She seemed much more "ruthless" than her sister. "Doctor Ai Yue, I wish you all the best in your plan."

Thanks.

Ai Yue smiled and then walked outside.

The moment he left the Star of Light, the door behind him slammed shut, and a piercing alarm sounded inside, accompanied by the violent roar of various devices operating, as if this experimental base, nominally used for scientific research, was awakening into another terrifying entity.

Ai Yue did not linger there, because he knew very well that once the "Black Level" alert was activated, he would be attacked by drones. So, the moment he left the base, he activated the armor system. The "Wuji" armor enveloped him for the first time in a long time and activated the stealth mode, helping him leave silently.

"Before that, let's review the existing plans."

Even on the way, Ai Yue didn't forget to have a meeting with Prometheus, "Rose, what's the situation with Cosmo and Desdrobia?"

"Under your arrangement, the team has already returned to the Moth to Fire headquarters for a short-term mission report."

Prometheus said, "Currently Moth to Fire's base in Australia is managed by Queen's drones."

"What about Sakura?"

"Sakura Squad is currently conducting a week-long training exercise in South America and is expected to return to the Moth to Fire headquarters after the exercise concludes this afternoon."

"Kalpas?"

"Currently at the headquarters of the Moth to Fire, he is undergoing one-on-one rehabilitation training with Kevin."

"Vill-V?"

"Mother Vill-V is still in North America. The last fortress city she was in charge of was completed today."

"What about Aponia?"

"Currently at the headquarters of the Moth to Fire, with Elysia. As long as Elysia acts according to the plan you provided, there is nothing to worry about."

After Ai Yue had asked about everything he could think of and confirmed that nothing had been overlooked, he arrived at his destination.

In the wilderness of the Australia outback, there was a huge rock marked with an "X" in red paint. Ai Yue came to the rock and casually pressed it, revealing an entrance in the rock, which was the temporary safe house that Ai Yue had prepared in advance.

In this room, the device used to create and infiltrate the "simulated Domination Domain" sits quietly in the corner, next to a somewhat out-of-place drone.

"Alright,"

Seeing this scene, Ai Yue realized that he had reached the final stage of the plan. He took off his glasses and placed them in a slot on the drone, then took a deep breath. "Rose, activate the independent sub-unit."

"Independent sub-entity has been started, network connection has been disconnected."

A moment later, the drone's indicator lights came on, and Prometheus's voice came from within, "'Monitor Mode' has been activated, Doctor Ai Yue. The plan can begin at any time."