Honkai Impact 3rd: Saving the Pre-Civilization from Hand-Crafted Black Tech

"Dr. Mobius is in operating room two..." Klein replied instinctively, only to see Ai Yue walking inside. She quickly stood up, trying to stop him. "Wait, please wait! The Doctor's work is very important right now, you can't interrupt... Ow!"

Perhaps due to long hours of desk work, Klein's physical condition was quite… touching. She had just stood up and hadn't taken two steps before she stumbled, about to fall to the ground.

It was Ai Yue who steadied her, preventing the fragile woman from landing face-first.

"Thank you," Klein let out a sigh of relief after standing up, but she still firmly gripped Ai Yue's arm. "But you really can't go in right now."

"Let him in," Mobius's voice suddenly came from a loudspeaker in a corner of the ceiling. "Remember to put on your protective suit."

Only then did Klein release her grip, silently nodding an apology to Ai Yue before returning to her seat to continue working.

"Are you going to be alright like this?" Ai Yue didn't leave immediately but looked at the diligently working Klein and asked, "If you keep this up, you might just drop dead one day."

"It's fine, I'm not important," Klein said dismissively. "But if my laziness causes delays in the projects I'm working on, that would truly postpone many things."

Ai Yue could only shake his head slightly at Klein's attitude and didn't press further.

Operating Room Two was located in the northwest corner of the First Research Institute. As Ai Yue put on his protective suit and walked in, he happened to meet two people also wearing protective suits walking out. Through the suits that completely enveloped them, it was difficult for Ai Yue to discern their identities. However, based on the information he had, these two should be Mobius's other two assistants, Sōgen and Danzhu.

"Hello, Dr. Ai Yue, this must be our first meeting?"

Just as Ai Yue was contemplating how to start the conversation, the other party took the initiative to greet him. "My name is Danzhu, and this is my older sister, Sōgen. We are both assistants to Dr. Mobius!"

"Hello," Ai Yue nodded, acknowledging Danzhu's greeting. "Why are you two coming out? Is the surgery over?"

"Ah, how should I put it," Danzhu paused for a moment, then said, "Although it's called an operating room, this room basically never performs surgery in the conventional sense, but rather..."

"Danzhu, you talk too much," Sōgen interrupted Danzhu, then looked at Ai Yue with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Dr. Ai Yue, my sister can go on and on when she starts talking... The situation in the institute is quite complicated. It would be best for you to ask Dr. Mobius directly for clarification. We'll be taking our leave now."

Compared to the simple-minded Danzhu, Sōgen clearly had more on her mind. After nodding to Ai Yue, she pulled her bewildered sister aside, clearing the way.

Ai Yue had only asked casually and didn't expect these two to provide any surprising information, so he didn't pay it any mind and directly pushed open the door to the operating room.

Unlike the three who were fully suited up, Mobius was simply wearing a white lab coat, exposing herself to a high-risk environment. The advantage of Fused Warriors being immune to Honkai Energy radiation was vividly displayed at this moment, making it hard not to suspect that Mobius had undergone the surgery herself for this very reason.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the… being on the operating table.

It vaguely had a human silhouette, but its body was covered in all sorts of twisted and deformed growths, completely turning it into a monster. However, these changes had stopped before they could envelop the entire body, clearly having been forcibly halted by an external force.

Even though Ai Yue had never seen such a deformed body, the knowledge gained from the Fusion Warrior formula allowed him to recognize the monster's identity at a glance.

A failed candidate for the Fusion Warrior surgery.

"Come, give me a hand," Mobius said, not being polite at all when she saw Ai Yue enter. She pointed to an opening in the subject's chest. "You hold this part open, and I'll cut out the deformed tissue inside."

Ai Yue stepped forward and operated as Mobius instructed, but his mouth didn't stay idle. "Did you talk to Pardo about the Fusion Warriors?"

"Pardo? Oh, the girl who came to Moth to Fire with you?" Mobius didn't look up, and her movements didn't falter in the slightest. "I saw her physical examination report. It was very good, so I asked her when I met her the other day. What's wrong?"

"Stay away from Pardo from now on," Ai Yue said directly. "I don't care if you abduct others, but don't bring trouble to my people."

"I didn't expect you to be so... hmm, protective?" Mobius, having obtained what she wanted, signaled for Ai Yue to let go. "Don't worry, I won't force anyone to participate in my surgery."

"That's also why I'm just here to tell you this," Ai Yue glanced at the corpse on the operating table again. "Also, until the success rate improves significantly, don't perform any more Fusion Warrior surgeries. It will only lead to more meaningless sacrifices."

"Well said," Mobius smiled slightly. "So, should we let ordinary soldiers face the Honkai disasters when they appear?"

Mobius's words were full of sarcasm, but Ai Yue couldn't find a retort for a moment.

Indeed, the challenges humanity faced now did not allow them to be so casual. One more Fusion Warrior might prevent the sacrifice of dozens, or even hundreds, of ordinary soldiers.

"I've read your previous report," Mobius continued. "By utilizing information from the redundant areas of the genome to actively create redundant mutations during Fusion Warrior surgery, thereby increasing the success rate, it's indeed an excellent design."

As she spoke, she gently stroked the deformed corpse on the operating table. "Before you, I was also exploring this area. However, 13 people died on my operating table, and the data obtained was insufficient to establish a complete theoretical model. How ridiculous."

Ai Yue suddenly felt the atmosphere in the room become heavy. He lowered his head slightly and noticed a dark shadow had appeared on the floor at some point.

No, it wasn't a shadow, but some other tangible substance. The sticky, eerie feeling was like that of a hunting viper, making him feel suffocated and unable to breathe.

"Tell me, Ai Yue," Mobius stared into Ai Yue's eyes. "What exactly are you?"

Chapter Thirty-Four: A Clear Headed Gun

How did God view humanity?

If God loved the world, then why did the Honkai and Herrschers come?

But if God intended to destroy the world, then—why did Ai Yue come?

These questions had been troubling Mobius for some time.

As the original designer of the Fusion Warrior Project, Mobius believed no one in the world understood this flawed and difficult plan better than she did. One could say it shouldn't have been considered a research project at all, but rather thrown into the trash as the ravings of a lunatic.

Because even the most profound and difficult research projects should possess theoretical possibility. But when the Fusion Warrior Project was first proposed, it didn't even have a theoretical model.

If Dr. Mei hadn't unearthed it from classified documents, and then, through her own efforts, managed to construct a theoretical framework, coupled with the imminent threat of the Herrscher of Flames, this project would never have seen the light of day.

It was precisely for this reason that Mobius understood that every improvement to this technology was accompanied by countless sacrifices.

These sacrifices were unavoidable. Without the data from experiments, without dissecting and analyzing failed cases, no matter how intelligent Mobius was, she couldn't have understood how to solve the loopholes and shortcomings of the Fusion Warrior formula solely through imagination and theoretical deduction.

But Ai Yue could.

On the first day, using the most basic Fusion Warrior formula, he edited the Garuda gene and deduced a Hypervariable Factor with a 100% success rate.

On the second day, using several Fusion Warrior surgery records and their corresponding Hypervariable Factors, he proposed a complete theoretical model of "increasing surgery success rate through redundant mutations."

This directly shook Mobius's previously firm conviction.

If the Fusion Warrior formula could be completed so easily by someone else, then what was the point of the "unavoidable sacrifices" she had once made?

To outsiders, Mobius was a mad scientist, cold-blooded and ruthless, willing to sacrifice anything for research and never giving up until her goals were met.

But some also said that Mobius treated scholars and soldiers equally, and was actually a very good person.

As for Mobius herself, she believed both statements were correct.

As long as she could achieve her ideal goals, Mobius was willing to sacrifice everything. This "everything" included herself, others, and everything in the world.

She did treat everyone equally, but only because everyone was the same to her.

Since they were indistinguishable in her eyes, there was naturally no need to treat them differently.

Such a worldview, so different from ordinary people, shaped the Mobius of today and supported her research creed.

It was precisely because of this that when she encountered Ai Yue, who defied common sense, Mobius was more shaken than others.

This led to Mobius feeling a sense of hostility towards Ai Yue today.

She desperately wanted to know what Ai Yue truly was—and if necessary, she would even resort to force...

Mobius's inner turmoil was intense, but Ai Yue remained unfazed.

When he noticed the emotions in Mobius's eyes, he knew today's matter would be difficult to resolve peacefully.

Fortunately, he had come at this specific time precisely to guard against such a possibility.

"I don't know if you've misunderstood me, Mobius." Facing Mobius's threatening question, Ai Yue suddenly unzipped his protective suit. "But I suggest you calm down, or this might be hard to wrap up."

The bulky protective suit slid to Ai Yue's feet, and he finally drew his secret weapon from his waist.

"What is that supposed to be?" Mobius almost laughed when she saw Ai Yue pull something out and point it at her. "A handgun? You're using that against a Fusion Warrior?"

It was indeed a handgun. Its yellow and black paint job and slightly sci-fi design made it look quite special, even a little cute.

But no matter what, a handgun was a handgun. Even if it was a weapon meticulously crafted by Vill-V, could it really threaten a Fusion Warrior?

Mobius felt underestimated. Even though she was a researcher, it didn't mean she would be as weak and helpless as a scholar after becoming a Fusion Warrior.

"I advise you not to underestimate it." Ai Yue could see the disdain in Mobius's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Never mind, words are useless."

With that, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The bullet didn't hit Mobius but flew towards a piece of medical equipment beside her.

With a soft ping, the bullet effortlessly penetrated the equipment.

Then, engulfed in light and heat, the entire medical device exploded, not even leaving behind any large fragments.

Mobius stared at the scene before her, her mind buzzing as if struck by a heavy hammer.

She had seen this before. It was...

"This is the power of the Third Herrscher..." Mobius managed to utter, looking at the handgun in Ai Yue's hand again, her eyes completely different from before. "How is this possible?"

Research into Herrscher powers was an extremely important project within Moth to Fire. Countless branches, thousands of scholars, hundreds of distinct projects, and immeasurable research funding—it could be said that forty percent of Moth to Fire's resources were dedicated to studying Herrscher powers.

Yet, to this day, the returns Moth to Fire had received were far from commensurate with its investment.

But here, in Ai Yue's hand, was a mature weapon ready for actual combat?

While researching the Fusion Warrior Project, you still had time to do this?

"Not bad, right?" Ai Yue spun the gun twice before holstering it at his waist, seeing that Mobius had regained her composure. "I call it Pikachu."

The "Simulated Herrscher Authority: Atomic Rupture Technology" was finally completed by the System this noon, and the first thing Ai Yue did was create a handy weapon for himself.

It was precisely because of this that Ai Yue had the confidence to face an emotionally unstable Fusion Warrior.

As it turned out, his decision was correct.

"You..." Mobius opened her mouth, then finally asked the same question as before, "Who exactly are you?"

This time, however, her tone was no longer as aggressive.

"Someone who's here to save this world." Ai Yue smiled slightly. "So, with me here, you don't have to push yourself so hard."

Chapter 35: A Scene That Must Be Witnessed

In Ai Yue's eyes, Mobius was a scholar worthy of respect.

Although her methods were extreme, and she had been too hasty in her pursuit of evolution and the path to defeating the Honkai, she had undoubtedly been striving for "humanity."

However, such extremism could not gain universal recognition. It was precisely for this reason that Mobius became increasingly distorted under the dual pressures of the outside world and her own mind, even wanting to turn humanity into something akin to data lifeforms for their survival.

Although this plan ultimately failed, it also indirectly revealed Mobius's psychological state at the time.

Now that Ai Yue and the System existed, Mobius no longer needed to bear such a heavy burden. At least from Ai Yue's perspective, he hoped this green fellow could live a more relaxed life.

That was why he had said those words.

However, these words clearly fell on Mobius's ears and were interpreted differently.

"Are you pitying me?" Mobius gritted her teeth upon hearing Ai Yue's words, her expression twisting slightly. "Pitying someone like me who, despite giving her all, is still no match for even a fraction of your power?"

Halfway through her sentence, she herself began to deflate.

From Ai Yue's perspective, wasn't pitying herself normal? When she worked with those scholars, watching them argue and research a simple formula for a whole month without reaching a reasonable conclusion, hadn't she felt such emotions herself?

Mobius had considered the possibility of encountering someone smarter than herself, but before meeting Ai Yue, she truly couldn't imagine such an outrageous... monster existing in the world.

"I can only say, I'm not pitying you," Ai Yue shook his head. "As a scholar, you should clearly understand that I'm just stating a fact."

Ai Yue could understand Mobius's current feelings. When he was getting stomped by opponents in games in his past life, he felt much like Mobius did now, perceiving everything others said as sarcastic jabs.

However, Mobius wasn't so fragile that she needed his comfort. Given some time, she would adjust on her own.

"So, what do you plan to do?" Mobius stopped her pointless emotional outburst, calmly looking at Ai Yue. "Tell those people above to disband the First Research Institute and let me be your assistant?"

"Of course not, I don't need an assistant," Ai Yue stated matter-of-factly, shaking his head. "As I just said, reduce avoidable sacrifices, slow down your research pace, and leave the rest to me."

"Well said," Mobius clapped her hands, as if applauding Ai Yue. "However, I have one question."

Ai Yue remained silent, simply looking at her.

He could probably guess what Mobius's question was.

"How can I trust that you will always stand on humanity's side?" Mobius looked directly into Ai Yue's eyes. "There are simply too many examples of people going astray in their pursuit of knowledge, ultimately bringing disaster to humanity. Do you consider yourself an exception?"

"You don't need to believe I will always stand on humanity's side," Ai Yue shook his head. "You just need to know that I will always stand on the opposite side of the Honkai."

Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered something. "Also, you've misunderstood one thing."

"I don't pursue knowledge," Ai Yue pointed to his head amidst Mobius's confused gaze. "It finds me on its own."

"So I will never go astray."

Mobius: ...

"What's wrong, not funny?" Ai Yue asked, confused by Mobius's speechless expression. "I thought telling a joke might help calm your emotions."

"Saying that to a scholar will only make their blood pressure rise," Mobius rolled her eyes, finding Ai Yue's deliberate showboating extremely annoying. "What do you mean knowledge finds you, are you..."

She stopped mid-sentence, then asked cautiously, "You're sure that was a joke, right?"