Chapter 177

The thought of Aponia turning into a butterfly made Ai Yue suddenly curious, wanting to see what the inside of the cocoon was like.

Is it a real butterfly, or a human body with butterfly wings?

However, the moment he touched the cocoon, he abruptly withdrew his hand, because in that instant of contact, he experienced a sensation as if his brain had been electrocuted.

This cocoon is indeed not a physical object—it is formed from spiritual energy!

But how can spiritual power be condensed into a physical form?

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Ai Yue's mind, but they were quickly drowned out by a single voice—

"Ai Yue?"

Whether it was Ai Yue's imagination or not, when he heard this voice in his mind, he seemed to see the cocoon move slightly.

"It's me."

Without hesitation, Ai Yue placed his hand on the cocoon again. "Aponia, you can still stay conscious, right? Open the cocoon. I have a way to solve the problem you're having."

"My problem? No, I don't have any problem."

Aponia's voice revealed surprise and relief, "I can control my current state, and the others are in a much more dangerous state than I am."

What exactly is the situation?

Ai Yue couldn't help but ask, "Did you see something?"

"Physical deformities can severely damage the mind. Mental Perception Fused Warrior can resist this damage to some extent, but physical-enhanced Fused Warrior cannot. Even if they are contained and resettled, if this damage continues for too long, it will cause their minds to completely collapse."

Aponia paused for a moment, then continued, "I am currently using the power of other psychic Fused Warrior to build a mental shield to help them resist mental damage, but it won't last long. If I can't save them before then, there will be no chance."

"I see. So the voice Eden heard during the distortion was indeed related to you."

Ai Yue quickly accepted the situation and then pondered, "How much longer can you hold on? Are there any other ways to help you prolong the time?"

"It can probably last for another twenty days or so."

Aponia said, "If we had the Eighth Divine Key, we might be able to hold out for another ten days."

"Good."

Ai Yue immediately took out the Eighth Divine Key from his pocket and placed it on the cocoon. The next second, it slowly seeped into the inside of the cocoon. "I will arrange for Eden to come and take care of you. If there are any problems, you can contact me through her."

"I see."

As Aponia spoke, a shadow appeared on the surface of the cocoon, as if a hand inside the cocoon overlapped with Ai Yue's hand. "You must be careful too."

Ai Yue didn't say anything more, just nodded and left the room.

Things were more serious than he had imagined, and his current efforts were far from enough to save everyone as much as possible.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Is this all the power of distortion?

"So fast?"

Dr. Mei had been standing guard at the door and hadn't left. When she saw Ai Yue push the door open and come out, she couldn't help but show a surprised expression. "Didn't you say it was very troublesome?"

"It's all just to fool laymen. In reality, I've already simplified the process—of course, even the simplified one isn't that fast,"

Ai Yue composed himself and then told Dr. Mei about the current situation, "... In short, that's it. We need to go and save the others first."

"Aponia stopped the aberration from causing further damage to the Fused Warrior..."

Dr. Mei said with a somewhat complicated expression, "Does this mean that if she hadn't done this, the Fused Warrior wouldn't have had any chance to salvage the situation?"

"I'm afraid that's the case,"

Ai Yue's expression also revealed a hint of relief, "I can only say that, fortunately, things didn't escalate to the worst possible extent this time."

He couldn't help but recall the sneak attack that had prevented him from returning to the real world—the attack from the Imaginary God Remains. Was it instigated by the Cocoon of Finality? But how did it seize that opportunity? Could the Cocoon of Finality be colluding with the Sea of Quantum?

If it weren't for that sneak attack, I wouldn't have missed so many things, and the Herrscher would never have been able to cause such serious damage so easily... But now is not the time to think about these things.

Ai Yue suppressed his chaotic thoughts and looked at Pardofelis in his arms. "Dr. Mei, I need you to give me a list of the Fused Warrior housed in headquarters, according to the priority of treatment. By the way, where is Mobius? Why haven't I seen him?"

"Mobius is in North America now, and given the current situation, there needs to be someone of sufficient influence there."

Dr. Mei sighed, "We're really short-handed right now. We're practically splitting each person in three. Luckily you came back, otherwise I'm afraid..."

She didn't finish her sentence because it was too weak to say, so even though Dr. Mei knew it was true, she was unwilling to say it.

It's as if once you say it out loud, you'll completely lose heart and become someone who expects others to do everything for you.

"You did a great job."

Ai Yue patted her on the shoulder without saying much, "In short, let's get started."

"Sakura's room is next door. I'm going to find Eden."

Dr. Mei nodded, then glanced at Ai Yue, "Are you alright on your own? Sakura's fighting power is extraordinary right now. What if she loses control again..."

Dr. Mei's words were cut short as Ai Yue was looking at her with a somewhat speechless expression. At that moment, she finally remembered that there was a Herrscher Core in the other person's body with a 100% matching degree.

Although Ai Yue has always claimed to be a half-step Herrscher, even this level of power is enough to make him one of the top individuals in human civilization. Considering the various technological means that the opponent can use, Dr. Mei even thinks that Ai Yue could hold out for a while even against Kevin in his current state.

Such a person, as long as they are not careless, should be able to easily deal with a Fused Warrior has lost their mind.

After saying goodbye to Dr. Mei, Ai Yue went to Sakura's room.

This place is very similar to Aponia's room, and there isn't even a base—because Sakura is directly sealed inside a huge crystal, and she is even in a fighting stance, as if she might break through the crystal's seal at any moment and come up to stab Ai Yue.

Ai Yue didn't rush to remove the crystal's seal. Instead, he carefully observed Sakura's current state. She looked similar to how she looked after using the "Mutated Weapon," but upon closer inspection, it became clear that her limbs had undergone a certain degree of distortion.

The most obvious change was in the girl's legs. Her originally long and straight legs were now twisted into hind limbs like those of a wild beast, with sharp claws protruding from the tips of her feet. They looked powerful and could unleash terrifying speed at any moment.

In addition, Sakura's arms, waist, abdomen, and even face showed signs of bestiality. Although she did not completely transform into an animal like Eden or Pardofelis, she was already close to the category of "beastman". This physique, combined with the armor covering her body, gave people an unusual feeling.

Clearly, Sakura's mutation isn't severe. Could this be the effect of the Mutated Weapon? Because the Honkai Beast genes within Sakura were edited beforehand, the mutation's effect was weakened?

However, even this level of distortion is enough to affect the mind of Fused Warrior. One can imagine the torment a fully beast-like Fused Warrior would experience.

Ai Yue, then glanced at Pardofelis was still sleeping soundly in his arms, and suddenly realized that Pardofelis was probably indeed special.

Perhaps we should really investigate Pardofelis's current situation? But would she be willing to be studied?

As Ai Yue stared at Pardofelis, lost in thought, he suddenly felt the tabby cat in his arms tremble. It then abruptly opened its eyes, broke free from his embrace, and in the next second, it passed right through the wall and disappeared.

Are you that perceptive?

Ai Yue stared blankly in the direction where Pardofelis had disappeared, and couldn't help but shake his head—after turning into a cat, Pardofelis's instinct for seeking advantage and avoiding harm seemed to have been amplified. He had only thought about it for a moment, and she had actually reacted. It was really a bit outrageous.

But...

Ai Yue looked down at his sleeve and then picked up a few brown hairs from it.

"Pardofelis (Overweight Abnormality) Hair (Rare): Usable Value: 100%".

Looking at the information provided by the system, Ai Yue couldn't help but nod—it seems that it's not necessary to conduct cat experiments after all.

After this little incident, Ai Yue refocused his attention on Sakura. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and the power of restraint enveloped the crystal, rapidly weakening the power left behind by Elysia.

As the Authority of Binding took effect, the entire crystal began to melt gradually, like ice under the sun. Just when only the last thin layer of the crystal remained, Sakura, who was trapped inside, suddenly made a move.

Ai Yue only saw her arm sway slightly, and then the entire crystal was covered with cracks. The next second, with the crystal shattering completely, Sakura turned into a shadow and pounced straight at Ai Yue!

However, Ai Yue, who had anticipated this, activated the "Wuji" armor in time and directly took the blow with his chest. This seemingly fierce attack not only did not leave any marks on the armor, but even caused Ying to take a step back due to the recoil.

The failed surprise attack did not deter the Fused Warrior from retreating. Instead, he used the opportunity to create distance, and as he moved out of Ai Yue's attack range, he changed his angle again and swung his sword at Ai Yue's neck from the side.

This time, Ai Yue did not choose to take the blow head-on. Instead, he raised his arm to block the attack. At the same time, he twisted his body and threw a punch, taking advantage of the moment when Ying was blocked to attack the opponent's face.

If Ai Yue had used the power of restraint, he could have instantly drained all of Ying's power, directly dismantling her combat abilities, but Ai Yue did not do so.

First, using the Authority of Binding to forcibly suppress Sakura would cause great damage to her body and may hinder the subsequent treatment plan. Second, Ai Yue also wanted to take this opportunity to hone his combat skills.

His experience in the Sea of Quantum made him realize that while his stats on paper might make him one of humanity's strongest warriors, in a real fight, experienced warriors like Kevin would probably be able to defeat him.

Ai Yue might be considered safe on Earth, since he doesn't need to personally go to the battlefield. However, if he wants to explore dangerous places like the Sea of Quantum in the future, he must improve himself.

At the very least, we can no longer rely solely on instinct in times of crisis, forgetting other, more reliable methods, as we have done before.

And now there is such a perfect opportunity—Sakura is fighting entirely on instinct right now, which happens to be an opponent he can handle. Anyway, it will take some time to slowly weaken the opponent's power by Authority of Binding, so he can take this opportunity to experience what it feels like to fight against a strong opponent.

Faced with Ai Yue's counterattack, Ying easily dodged it by simply shifting her position to the side. At the same time, she adjusted her position and came behind Ai Yue. However, just as she tried to strike Ai Yue's nape, he took a step back and rammed his back into her.

This move not only shortens the distance between the two people, making it difficult for Sakura to exert force with her long sword, but also reduces Sakura's dodging space, limiting her agility advantage.

Unfortunately, even though Sakura was left with only instinct at this moment, she was still a powerful swordswoman. Although Ai Yue's response could be described as strange, she still managed to dodge the impact in a very short time and even managed to slash Ai Yue with her sword.

However, due to the angle and force of the strike, it completely missed the relatively vulnerable back of the neck, and thus caused no damage whatsoever.

After creating distance, Sakura did not launch another attack. Instead, she sheathed her long sword and lowered herself down.

Despite lacking reason, instinct still led her to make a judgment—conventional offensives were completely ineffective, so the only option was to use more powerful tactics.

Seeing Sakura's actions, Ai Yue couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat—wasn't it said that Fused Warrior in this state were irrational? How could she still use a finishing move!

Fortunately, this time he did not forget the various functions of the armor. The moment he realized that this strike might pose a threat to him, Ai Yue activated the "Spacetime Fracture System" on the armor.

Almost at the same time he reacted, Sakura's figure began to blur. However, after the Spacetime Fracture System was activated, the entire room was instantly coated with a layer of obscure filter, and Sakura's movements were slowed down countless times in an instant.

Even so, Sakura had already reached within three meters of Ai Yue, which meant that if Ai Yue had been any slower, the blade might have already struck him.

As expected, my combat skills are still too poor, and I am not even comparable to a warrior of Sakura's caliber.

While breathing a sigh of relief, Ai Yue also realized that this "sparring" had come to an end—in terms of combat skills alone, he was completely outmatched, and if it weren't for the fact that his armor was reliable enough, he might not have even survived the second strike.

Of course, in a real battle, Ai Yue would never give Sakura a chance to make a move, just like when Prometheus, Herrscherization, chose to cripple Sakura first.

Since continuing this sparring is pointless, it's better to end it quickly so that Sakura can wake up from her pain sooner.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue stopped hesitating and went directly behind Ying to hug her, using this simple and direct method to control her movements.

The next second, the effects of the Spacetime Fracture System ended, and Sakura's figure froze for a moment before she began to struggle violently.

However, she is not a Fused Warrior known for her strength. Although the mutation has further enhanced her physique, such power is obviously insufficient to contend with Ai Yue, who is also Fused Warrior and is equipped with the most advanced mech. Not to mention, there is also the power of restraint that is constantly weakening the power within her.

Sakura's struggles grew weaker and weaker until she no longer had the strength to stand, at which point Ai Yue finally released her arms.

At this point, it was actually Sakura who was leaning on Ai Yue —because if she didn't lean on something, she would instantly collapse to the ground.

And so, Ai Yue placed Sakura directly on the ground, then took out a syringe, inserted it into the back of her neck, and injected the pale purple liquid into Sakura's body.

This was the distortion corrector he had spent two days developing—this special agent was not meant to eliminate the effects of distortion; on the contrary, it could exacerbate the distortion.

Ai Yue's research revealed that the mutation is actually a form of enhancement for Fused Warrior —but this enhancement is too strong and stimulating for the human genes of Fused Warrior, to the point that their bodies cannot withstand it, which is why this situation occurs.

Therefore, as long as it can be ensured that human genes can be strengthened in the same way, and the overly distorted parts of the aberration can be corrected and cleaned up, then this aberration can become a new power to strengthen Fused Warrior.

The process can be a little bit... exciting.

As time passed, Sakura quickly began to react, involuntarily convulsing and twitching, but at the same time, the signs of bestiality on her body were rapidly fading.

Seeing this, Ai Yue quickly plucked a few hairs from Sakura's ears. After confirming that these hairs could be used as new materials, he began to prepare for Sakura's second Mutated Weapon surgery.

A moment later, Sakura opened her eyes.

She sat up abruptly, as if the unfinished combat training with Kalpas was still playing before her eyes.

Sakura still remembers the process of Kalpas gradually twisting into a terrifying beast during the battle, but deep down, she is clearly aware that the one who was twisted was herself.

As a swordsman, Sakura trusts her sword even more than her eyes. Although Kalpas is distorted in her eyes, the feeling from the sword has never changed. Kalpas's movements have not become malicious because of its transformation into a monster. On the contrary, she herself is unleashing moves that are beyond her control.

From that moment on, Sakura realized that something was wrong with her, but it was too late—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control her body and could only watch helplessly as she kept swinging her sword at the monster in front of her. Then, she felt a powerful force gradually enveloping her.

Realizing that she was under effective control, Sakura finally relaxed and completely lost consciousness.

So, I'm... saved now?

Sakura looked down at her hands, which had returned to normal, and subconsciously glanced around before noticing someone standing not far away... Was it Ai Yue?

"Doctor Ai Yue?!"

Sakura stood up abruptly, but staggered due to a severe headache. "When did you get back? How long has it been since I lost control? What exactly happened?"

"It seems you must have become mutated quite early."

Ai Yue snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the girl beside him. "Calm down, don't rush. You'll find out about these things soon enough."

"Instead of dwelling on those things, why not first experience the power you've gained?"

"New power?"

Sakura paused for a moment, then closed her eyes. "It seems... things are indeed a little different..."

As she murmured, the armor of the Mutated Weapon quietly covered Sakura's body. She tried to move her body and immediately noticed. "My speed and strength are both stronger than before... But what's going on? Could it be due to the previous loss of control?"