Therefore, Ai Yue simply determined which research projects each of them should be allocated to, then put them away again.
During Ai Yue's anxious and seemingly endless wait, the plane finally landed back at the Moth to Fire base. The moment it touched down, Ai Yue hurried toward his laboratory.
He had not used the Third Herrscher's Honkai Energy Sample on the plane for two reasons. First, he wanted to prevent anyone from noticing anything unusual. Second, he hoped to choose the research projects he needed in a safe and stable environment.
However, when he returned to the laboratory, Ai Yue discovered that someone was already waiting for him there.
"Ah, you came back quickly, Ai Yue." Elysia sat obediently in a laboratory chair. When she saw the person in question return, she smiled and greeted him. "As expected, even a problem set by Vill-V can't stump you."
"Elysia?" Ai Yue set his bag aside. "What brings you here?"
"Vill-V has already transferred the Artificial Intelligence project to you, so I came to deliver the materials." Elysia smiled helplessly. "This wasn't supposed to be my responsibility, but right now, I'm the only person who knows you and happens to have plenty of free time."
"I see." Ai Yue nodded and walked over to the refrigerator. "What would you like to drink? Juice or soda?"
"Do you have peach juice?" Elysia asked curiously. Ai Yue immediately took out the corresponding drink, as if he had prepared it long ago. "Thanks."
"Speaking of which, about Kevin's birthday party..." Ai Yue took a bottle of soda for himself but did not open it, merely holding it in his hands. "Didn't you say earlier that you'd arrange for me to meet the others attending? When are you planning to do that?"
"Oh? You seem pretty concerned about this, Ai Yue." Elysia narrowed her eyes slightly and gave him a curious smile. "Could it be that you like Kevin?"
"Not exactly." Ai Yue shook his head, and the man's final fate resurfaced in his mind. "How should I put it? I've heard a lot about him, and I really admire him."
"Then you'll definitely have plenty to talk about with A-Mo." Elysia thought for a moment with a smile. "Let's see... when everyone's free... How about dinner the day after tomorrow?"
"No problem." Ai Yue nodded. "In the cafeteria?"
"Of course not. How could we discuss a surprise in the cafeteria? The news would leak far too easily!" Elysia wore a mysterious smile. "Just leave it to me when the time comes."
By the time they finished talking, she had already finished the peach juice. After casually throwing the bottle into the trash, the girl stood up and said goodbye to Ai Yue.
Ai Yue stood quietly to the side. Only after Elysia had left did he lock the laboratory door.
Then he rushed to the trash can, pulled out the bottle Elysia had drunk from, and, like a pervert, repeatedly rubbed both sides of the bottle's opening, unwilling to miss a single detail.
A moment later, however, Ai Yue threw the bottle back into the trash with a disappointed look. "Damn it, why is there no saliva?"
Mobius, You've Done Every Bad Thing There Is
In Ai Yue's eyes, Elysia was special.
Her identity was extraordinarily special, so the material obtained from Elysia might be just as precious as a Herrscher's Honkai Energy Sample—a truly priceless item.
However, precisely because of her identity, Ai Yue could not directly ask her for hair, fingernail clippings, or anything else to verify his theory.
After all, putting himself in her shoes, Ai Yue could understand why she would not want her identity exposed. Since he could not share the secret of the system with others, he naturally could not force anyone else to do something that might expose their identity.
That was why he planned to ask Mobius. She had performed Elysia's Fused Warrior surgery, and given Mobius's personality, Ai Yue suspected that she definitely had a sample of Elysia's genome in her possession.
Of course, for now, the most important matter came first—
Ai Yue refocused his attention on the Honkai Thunder Crystal. He removed the precious material from its protective case and placed it directly into the system.
The Third Herrscher. The Herrscher of Thunder.
Her authority was electromagnetic manipulation—a tremendously powerful ability.
What kind of surprise would it bring him?
The next second, a technology tree resembling a galaxy gradually expanded in his vision, until a small section of it became clear before Ai Yue.
It was a cluster of stars made up of dozens of stars gathered together. At its center was the largest and most conspicuous star, surrounded by more than a dozen planets, and finally dozens of satellites clustered around individual planets.
Although the entire star cluster was essentially dim and inactive, a satellite on its edge alone was shining with light. It was the Spacetime Fracture Technology Ai Yue had completed last time.
As the Honkai Thunder Crystal was completely devoured by the system, a planet not far from the Spacetime Fracture Technology, along with all the satellites surrounding it, began flickering erratically.
"Material used. Related projects activated."
"Please select the research project you wish to activate."
Ai Yue briefly scanned the area, and several project names passed before his eyes one after another:
"Room-Temperature Superconductor," "Wireless Power Transmission Technology," "Anti-EMP Electromagnetic Shield Technology," "Electromagnetic Wave Quantum Communication Technology"...
Every technology that appeared here would be enough to advance human technology by a giant step once released to the world. After repeatedly considering his options, Ai Yue finally settled on a target.
"Simulated Herrscher Authority · Molecular Dissolution Technology."
Unlike the other research projects founded on studies of electromagnetic force, this project was not based on using the Herrscher authority's influence over electromagnetic force. Instead, it explored the Third Herrscher's authority itself.
By simulating the Herrscher authority, it could use Honkai Energy to affect the electrons in molecules, thereby destroying the chemical bonds between atoms and causing the molecules to disintegrate.
Because it simulated the effects of the Herrscher authority, this technology could, in extreme circumstances, temporarily prevent molecules from recombining, causing an object to collapse instantly.
This technology could be used not only in weapons development, but also in scientific research such as the development of new substances. It was an extremely practical technology.
It was also the offensive method Ai Yue currently needed.
Therefore, Ai Yue no longer hesitated and directly activated the research into Molecular Dissolution Technology. In the blink of an eye, the other stars returned to their dim, lifeless state. Only the star representing Molecular Dissolution Technology shone with increasingly dazzling light, finally opening a new interface before Ai Yue.
"Simulated Herrscher Authority · Molecular Dissolution Technology: Total Progress: 12.5%"
"Basic Principle Analysis: 50%"
"Basic Structure Design: 0%"
"Basic Material Screening: 0%"
"Prototype Framework Construction: 0%"
Seeing the familiar interface appear before him, Ai Yue could not help sighing in relief.
Good. From here on, I just need to grind away at it slowly.
The system's speed at deducing research projects had a fixed base value. It was not as though throwing materials into it would instantly convert them into corresponding progress. However, Ai Yue's own understanding of a project provided a bonus to the system's conversion speed. The more he understood, the faster the conversion proceeded.
Therefore, for a project like Simulated Herrscher Authority, an ethereal castle in the air that Ai Yue had no clue about, he could only rely on the system's initial conversion speed and grind away at it bit by bit.
Although this was somewhat slow, completing the project would take roughly forty-eight hours.
"It's far too slow." Ai Yue sighed. "Forget it. I'll do something else first."
After receiving knowledge infusions from several projects, Ai Yue was no longer the useless man who was completely incapable of conducting research without the system.
However, just as he was preparing to work personally, a knock sounded at the door.
Ai Yue walked over and opened the door. A group of Logistics Department members stood outside, with a box truck parked behind them.
"You're Doctor Ai Yue, correct?" the leading Logistics Department member asked politely. "We're from the Logistics Department. On orders from above, we're here to replace the equipment in your laboratory."
Replace the equipment?
Ai Yue asked a few questions in confusion before realizing what was going on.
In short, Vill-V's project transfer request had been approved. However, Ai Yue's current laboratory lacked the equipment needed to develop Artificial Intelligence, so Dr. Mei had submitted a request for the Logistics Department to bring specialized equipment to Ai Yue's laboratory.
"Replacing the equipment will take roughly half a day." The Logistics Department member was clearly experienced with this sort of work and spoke to Ai Yue fluently. "You can take this opportunity to look around and relax. We'll notify you when we're finished."
Ai Yue thought about it. There was nothing in his laboratory that could not be seen, and there was no point in staying. He nodded and walked out without hesitation.
He wondered whether Pardofelis had taken his request to inquire about Hua seriously.
To avoid attracting attention, Ai Yue naturally would not directly order Pardofelis to look for a soldier named Hua. At this point in time, she should still be an ordinary soldier, and it would be difficult for him to explain why he was looking for her.
Therefore, he had merely asked Pardofelis to keep an eye out for anyone from Shenzhou in the Moth to Fire, under the pretext of looking for a fellow countryman.
After all, as far as he knew, the Moth to Fire headquarters was too far from Shenzhou, so most people from Shenzhou were concentrated in the Asian Branch. Very few people from Shenzhou would actually come to the Moth to Fire headquarters.
If Hua had not had a special reason, she probably would not have appeared here either.
"A fellow countryman?"
At lunchtime, Ai Yue and Pardofelis were eating in the cafeteria. When Ai Yue brought up the matter, Pardofelis suddenly remembered something. "Mmph, mmph mmph mmph!"
Ai Yue sighed helplessly. "Swallow the food in your mouth before you speak."
"Ahem, I almost forgot to tell you." Pardofelis drank some soup and narrowly avoided choking. "I asked around. There really is someone! I heard it's a gray-haired person who's very good-looking. They're at the Fifth Research Institute!"
The Fifth Research Institute?
Ai Yue wore a strange expression. Hua's identity was that of a soldier. Unless she was injured, she should not appear at the Fifth Research Institute, which specialized in leading medical projects.
But he did remember another gray-haired, extremely beautiful person from Shenzhou who worked there.
Could it be that person had already come to the Moth to Fire at this point in time?
Ai Yue immediately fell deep into thought.
I need to find a chance to have a "chance encounter" with her and get closer. That'll make it easier to get my hands on the Fifth Research Institute's research results later.
"Brother Yue? Why did you stop eating?" Pardofelis noticed Ai Yue's expression. "Don't research your projects while you're eating. You'll age really quickly that way!"
"You've learned this sort of thing too?" Ai Yue came back to himself and smiled. "How are you adapting to life as a soldier?"
Pardofelis had never complained to him about training, but Ai Yue knew perfectly well that such a life was a tremendous challenge for her.
"It's okay." At the mention of the subject, Pardofelis's tone grew somewhat heavy, no longer as lively as before. "The instructor treats us pretty well, and my teammates are nice too. It's just..."
"Just what?" Ai Yue pressed. "Pardofelis, is there something you can't even tell me?"
"No, it's nothing." Pardofelis hesitated before finally speaking. "It's just that our training is about to end, and we're going to become real soldiers."
"Are you feeling uneasy?" Ai Yue nodded, understanding her emotions. "I told you, it's fine if you back out. Your Brother Yue just took on a major project. It's enough to support ten people like you."
"I'm not uneasy. It's just..." Pardofelis shook her head, looking somewhat confused. "How should I put it? It's a strange feeling."
"A lot of my teammates have... pretty tragic experiences. Honkai has truly made countless people suffer." Pardofelis struggled to organize her thoughts and explain what she felt. "Compared to them, I feel like my life has been far too happy. So happy that I feel... um, ashamed?"
Ai Yue said nothing, merely listening quietly.
"Sometimes I wonder whether following you to the Moth to Fire was actually a good thing or a bad thing." Pardofelis unconsciously poked at the food on her plate. "If I hadn't come here and learned about so many things, I could probably still spend every day carefree—sunbathing, stealing things, and just living one day at a time."
"But whenever I think about how, while I'm living so leisurely, there are still so many people in the world who can't even bask in the sun, I feel a little sad." Pardofelis raised her head and looked at Ai Yue. "Brother Yue, if I became really powerful, as powerful as Sakura and the others, would I be able to let more people live happy lives?"
Ai Yue looked at her, then suddenly reached out and tousled Pardofelis's hair into a bird's nest.
"No."
"Huh?" Pardofelis froze.
In her imagination, Ai Yue should have said "yes," after which she would express her determination and smoothly continue the conversation. Instead, his answer was the exact opposite, leaving her completely at a loss.
"I don't know how your instructor teaches you, or whether you ran into Mobius and listened to some nonsense from her, but in the face of the disaster currently confronting human civilization, what an individual can do is extremely limited." Ai Yue continued, "Saving the world isn't your responsibility. It's mine. Your responsibility is to protect yourself. On that basis, help wherever you can. Understand?"
"Oh... oh." Pardofelis nodded, seeming to understand. Then she reacted. "How did you know it was Mobi—"
She covered her mouth halfway through the sentence, clearly realizing that she had given herself away.
"You're a creature who eats her fill and spends all day sunbathing. How could you suddenly start thinking about this kind of thing?" Ai Yue rolled his eyes at her. "You must have been bewitched by some evil woman."
"What are you talking about?" Pardofelis tried hard to make her gaze resolute. "I'm not the same person I was before! The current me..."
"No matter what, I'm still your brother." Ai Yue interrupted her. "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
"No." Pardofelis nodded obediently. "I understand. I'll protect myself."
"That's more like it." Ai Yue nodded in satisfaction. "After your training ends, remember to come find me in the laboratory. I have something good for you."
After lunch, the two parted ways again. Ai Yue wandered aimlessly through the streets, thinking about what Pardofelis had said.
He was actually somewhat surprised by her words.
Given her personality, even if she had been tempted by Mobius, she should not have changed her original attitude of lazing around and muddling through life so easily. Yet Ai Yue could sense that what she had said today had genuinely been the result of her own reflection.
In other words, life in the Moth to Fire had truly changed Pardofelis, and the reason she had joined the Moth to Fire early was him.
Ai Yue could not see the future and did not know whether this change was good or bad. Even so, he stubbornly hoped that Pardofelis would delay becoming a Fused Warrior for as long as possible.
If things have reached the point where even my own cat has no choice but to go to the front lines, doesn't that mean I'm an utterly incompetent savior?
And then there was the other matter...
Recalling what he had heard from Pardofelis about the person from Shenzhou at the Fifth Research Institute, Ai Yue could not help frowning.
He was fairly familiar with the person named Su. Su was Kevin's old friend and a doctor researching ways to overcome Honkai Sickness.
Most importantly, according to the original plot, not long after Su joined the Moth to Fire, the Eighth Herrscher would descend.
He Blew Up at Him
Two days later, First Research Institute.
As usual, Klein was dealing with piles of documents. When she saw Ai Yue swagger in, she greeted him listlessly. "Doctor Ai Yue, what brings you here?"
"Where's Mobius?" Ai Yue looked around, then went to the room he had used before, but still did not see the green-haired figure. "I need to talk to her."
Before you continue