"Yes, Twilight Street's situation is indeed very important." Aponia smiled faintly, then took out her phone and showed him a chat log. "That's why I asked Elysia to take my place for a few days. Eden is also said to be willing to help, so there definitely won't be a problem."
Elysia, so you were involved too!
Ai Yue was rendered speechless. In the end, he resigned himself to his fate and sighed.
By the time Mobius saw Ai Yue again, five days had already passed.
"Did you... gain weight?" Seeing Ai Yue walk into the First Research Institute in his usual condition, Mobius narrowed her eyes and sized him up. She even reached out to pinch his cheeks. "It's only been five days since we last met, and you've already started indulging yourself?"
"If I said I had no choice, would you believe me?" Ai Yue sighed, his face full of painful memories. "Aponia doesn't treat me like a human being at all! Who treats a grown adult like a child? She even told me bedtime stories, you know? If I spend a few more days like this, I feel like my mind really will regress!"
Mobius immediately looked at him with disdain. "Are you bragging right now?"
"I..." Ai Yue hesitated, then shook his head. "Forget it. I came to tell you that the experimental base in Australia has already been built, so I'll be moving there next week. Therefore, in a couple of days, I'll need to at your—"
Ai Yue was leaving the Moth to Fire headquarters?
Mobius blinked. Her normally astonishingly powerful mind was completely filled by those words, to the point that she didn't hear anything he said afterward.
In other words, if she wanted to make a move later, it would be difficult to find another opportunity?
How could she allow that?
Mobius made up her mind, grabbed Ai Yue by the arm, and dragged him inside. "Come on, come to my room!"
"Hey, wait, you're doing this too?"
Chapter Thirty-Three: Is That Potion Meant for Humans?
"Although I can understand being eager to move into a new research institute, was it really necessary to leave in such a hurry?"
An hour later, Ai Yue and Mobius lay side by side on the bed. After a brief silence, Mobius was the first to speak.
Ai Yue was mainly busy catching his breath. He needed a moment before he could talk.
When she received no reply, Mobius continued on her own. "Look, the experiment with the Simulated Herrscher Potion still hasn't yielded a sufficiently stable result. The subsequent optimization of the Fused Warrior Formula can't do without you either, and there's also..."
Mobius knitted her brows tightly and racked her brains, trying to think of some other excuse to keep Ai Yue there.
But aside from those two projects, it seemed there really wasn't anything else to say.
Mobius knew very well that, to Ai Yue, no one was indispensable—not even her. Whether it was Mei, Vill-V, or Kevin and Elysia, who were top-tier combatants, or Aponia and Pardofelis, who were close to him, all of them actually relied on Ai Yue. It wasn't Ai Yue who needed them.
Even if Ai Yue were alone, Mobius believed he could live very well.
As for so-called scientific research projects, they weren't important to him either.
Did Ai Yue give her the projects she was currently researching because he couldn't produce results? No. It was simply because Ai Yue believed those projects were no longer the priorities that most urgently needed to be advanced, while she happened to have enough ability to take them over. That was why he had tossed them to her.
In other words, Ai Yue had no reason to stay.
In truth, Mobius herself had no real reason to insist that Ai Yue stay. The Simulated Herrscher Potion project was currently being handled independently by her, while she had essentially no say in the Fused Warrior Formula anymore, generally only running virtual models and the like. Even if Ai Yue wasn't at the Moth to Fire headquarters, modern communications made it completely possible for them to continue working together without interference.
What was more, without that man Ai Yue around, Mobius would return to her original position at the Moth to Fire headquarters—"second to one, superior to tens of thousands." She wouldn't have to worry about someone using funding to manipulate her every day, nor would she have to endure anyone bossing her around. It should have been a good thing, but...
Mobius bit her lip, somewhat unable to understand what she was thinking.
Should I just move there too? Vill-V said there was plenty of space. Ai Yue probably wouldn't mind leaving me a laboratory, would he?
While Mobius struggled back and forth, Ai Yue finally caught his breath. "What? Can't bear to part with me?"
"I simply don't want to let my research material get away." Mobius was as stubborn as Soulium. "I only refrained from making a move because I thought I could study you whenever I wanted. Now that you're leaving, I definitely can't agree to it."
"So this is how you acquired your research material today?" Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "Besides, even if I go to Australia, it won't affect the projects here. It's easy to travel back and forth anyway."
"How is that easy? It's so far away!" Mobius turned her head and glared at Ai Yue. "Are you planning to waste all your time on the road?"
"It's only a few steps. What's there to waste time on?" Ai Yue frowned. "You, if you're unwilling to walk even those few steps, I might as well put the door inside your wardrobe."
"Door?" Mobius finally sensed that something was wrong. "What door?"
"The Teleportation Gate." Ai Yue spoke as if it were obvious, then realized what had happened. "So you only heard the first sentence of what I said when I came through the door?"
Mobius's face suddenly heated up, but she couldn't think of anything to refute him, because this time it really did seem to be her fault.
However, she quickly changed the subject. "Have you really finished researching the Second Herrscher's Authority?"
The Teleportation Gate—or rather, the ability to teleport through space—naturally came from the Second Herrscher's Authority. During the previous decapitation operation against the Eighth Herrscher, Mobius had briefly mastered this ability with the help of the potion's effects.
However, establishing a pair of Teleportation Gates that could stably transport objects between two locations across space was clearly much more difficult than simply relying on the potion.
Fortunately, the Second Herrscher's Authority theoretically used the Imaginary Space as a medium for teleportation. Therefore, in theory, the distance between the two locations made no difference. Otherwise, establishing a Teleportation Gate from the Moth to Fire headquarters to Australia would have been even more troublesome.
"I finished it a long time ago. It's just that Vill-V still needs to help assemble the Teleportation Gate, so we have to wait until she returns." Ai Yue shrugged. Vill-V was responsible for the Teleportation Gate's detailed blueprints, so naturally she would handle the assembly as well. "That's what I came to tell you today. Who would've thought you'd..."
"Enough, enough, don't say anything else!" Mobius hurriedly rolled over and pressed her entire body against Ai Yue, then covered his mouth. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You're blaming me?" Ai Yue widened his eyes and struggled as he shouted, "You didn't give me a chance to explain! Besides, you even drugged me. I haven't settled accounts with you yet!"
"That, that was only a precaution!" Mobius argued with a flushed face while restraining him and preventing him from getting up. Before long, however, both of them froze.
Because in such a thoroughly exposed environment, intimate physical contact would lead to certain extremely awkward consequences.
"You..." Mobius subconsciously lowered her voice. "After all that just now, how are you still so energetic?"
"I'm beginning to suspect there's something wrong with the dosage of the drug you gave me." Ai Yue lowered his voice as well. "Tell me honestly. Is there an antidote?"
"How could something like this have an antidote?" Mobius said helplessly, then revealed a seductive smile. "At worst, I'll deal with it myself?"
Watching the expression on Ai Yue's face, Mobius suddenly realized that she was in control of the situation at that moment—something that had never happened during their time together.
Once she realized this, she couldn't help becoming excited.
I've already made a mistake anyway, so why not... go all the way?
As for the consequences she would have to face afterward, Mobius no longer wanted to think about them.
This scholar, who had always faced others with an image of calmness and reason, chose to obey the desire deep within her heart for the first time.
Even if it was only for this moment, that was enough...
Chapter Thirty-Four: The Twenty-First Century Is the Century of ( )
"It's done."
Vill-V installed the final module in its designated position. The mechanical device, which resembled a doorframe, began to operate. The hollow doorframe gradually filled with golden particles radiating from the surroundings, finally transforming into a black-and-gold vortex resembling the back of a Yu-Gi-Oh! card.
Of course, the device was ultimately installed in the spacious laboratory. It wasn't actually stuffed into Mobius's wardrobe.
"Speaking of which, didn't we agree to install it yesterday?" After putting away all the tools in her hands, Vill-V looked at Mobius and Ai Yue beside her in confusion. "I was all ready to come over, but then Rose suddenly told me you had a new research project to deal with, and it was moved to today. What project was so urgent?"
"A matter involving genetics. You're a mechanical engineer, so you wouldn't understand even if I told you." Mobius spoke with an unchanged expression, though her left hand subconsciously grasped her right arm. "So, does this mean it can be used now?"
"Of course. I've tested it many times. Its stability and safety are beyond reproach!" Vill-V gave a thumbs-up and didn't pay attention to Mobius's previous remark. "But hearing about it is no substitute for experiencing it personally. Why don't we go over there first? Hua is waiting on the other side."
Ai Yue had left the new base's inspection entirely to Hua. After all, with Hua's serious and rigid personality, she was the best person to handle this matter.
"Speaking of which, I've only seen photos. I haven't visited the site yet." Ai Yue remembered something. "I wonder how those little fellows have been developing on their own."
"Little fellows?" Mobius noticed his wording. "You raised small animals over there?"
"They're not small animals. They're extremely impressive inventions." Vill-V hurriedly answered for Ai Yue. "If you want to know, why not come along?"
"I'll come." Mobius didn't hesitate again and nodded. "You go first."
"Seriously, even if you don't trust my abilities, you should at least have confidence in Ai Yue's inventions, right?" Vill-V shrugged, though she didn't say anything more. "Fine, I'll go first, then. See you!"
With that, Vill-V took a large step and disappeared into the black-and-gold vortex.
Mobius was just about to follow when she noticed that Ai Yue had been frowning the entire time. She couldn't help asking, "What's wrong?"
Ai Yue glanced at her. "You performed the Fused Warrior surgery on Vill-V?"
"How did you find out?" Mobius froze for a moment. "You can even tell?"
After becoming a Fused Warrior, Vill-V showed almost no difference from an ordinary person. Even Mobius found it difficult to detect anything unusual through observation. Yet today was Ai Yue's first time seeing Vill-V since her surgery, and he had noticed it immediately?
Ai Yue merely smiled and said nothing.
Of course he knew. Vill-V's personality today was different from before, practically as if she had become an entirely different person.
The severing of consciousness and recreation of personalities was precisely the ability Vill-V had acquired after becoming a Fused Warrior.
The two didn't dwell on the topic. Soon, they also crossed through the Teleportation Gate after Vill-V.
Unlike using the Simulated Authority before, using the Teleportation Gate didn't mean simply stepping through the door and arriving at the location of another gate. Instead, it felt like walking into a gigantic bubble and being wrapped inside something. Only after taking another step toward the vortex before them could they truly reach the location of the other Teleportation Gate.
Once the vortex blocking their vision dissipated, the scene before them became clear—a huge, empty room appeared before Ai Yue's eyes.
"Welcome, welcome to the 'Star of Light' experimental base!" Vill-V, who had arrived before them, took off her hat and bowed to the two of them. In an exaggerated tone, she said, "How does it feel? This place will one day replace Mu Continent as the world's central hub of technology. Can you sense some kind of special atmosphere?"
"Why are you speaking as though you're the owner?" Mobius frowned. "This isn't your Spiral Workshop."
"Although this isn't the Spiral Workshop, the Spiral Workshop has a branch here." Vill-V raised her hand and projected a flat map, pointing at a room in the corner. "See? Ai Yue has already agreed to let me use this room!"
"There's such a thing?" Mobius immediately shifted her gaze to Ai Yue. "What about mine? I want a room too!"
"Choose one yourself." Ai Yue waved his hand. He didn't care much about the matter. "Where's Hua?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the nearby door was opened from outside.
"Sorry, I was in the training room." Hua walked in wearing loose training clothes, a towel hanging around her neck. "Is there anything you need me to do?"
"I want to see how the 'Swarm' is doing," Ai Yue said. "Where's the main control room?"
"Do you not manage your own experimental base at all?" Vill-V complained. "It's awfully strange that you don't even care about something like this!"
"Please follow me." Hua was not surprised by this—or rather, she simply chose to carry out the order. "The Swarm's main control room is underground."
"The Swarm?" Mobius came over at this moment as well. "Is that the little fellow you mentioned? You didn't make some kind of artificial synthetic beast, did you?"
"What do you take me for, some kind of perverted alchemist?" Ai Yue couldn't help rolling his eyes at her. "What's so good about synthetic beasts? Can they be as stable as machines?"
"Exactly." Vill-V chimed in from the side. "Biology has no future. This century will belong to mechanical engineering!"
Mobius snorted, deciding not to lower herself to the level of this construction worker.
Soon, the group followed Hua to the central control room on the underground level. The room housed the central computer used to manage the entire experimental base, as well as the Artificial Intelligence "Queen Bee" that Ai Yue had created specifically for it.
Upon entering the enormous room, however, what first attracted Mobius's attention wasn't the supercomputer in the center, but the things darting back and forth throughout the room—drones?
Small machines of all kinds could be seen everywhere in the central control room. Some had flight systems and moved through the air, while others were equipped with tracks and wheels and traveled along the ground. Although there wasn't a single person in the room, it somehow felt extraordinarily lively.
"So this is the Swarm?" Only then did Mobius connect everything before her with what Ai Yue had said earlier. "How many are there in total?"
A drone system that could be called a swarm absolutely couldn't consist of only this handful.
"10,653." Ai Yue pushed up his glasses, then added, "Oh, it's 10,654 now."
Chapter Thirty-Five: Too Late, Organics!
Regarding the experimental base Ai Yue had established in Australia, more than one person had advised him to think it over carefully.
The place was simply too dangerous, and it was too far from the Moth to Fire's main area of activity. As one of the Moth to Fire's most important scholars, Ai Yue's decision clearly showed that he wasn't taking his own safety seriously.
Even if he truly intended to station himself there, he should at the very least have equipped the base with a fully armed squad of warriors. It would even have been entirely reasonable to transfer several Fused Warriors there.
Yet Ai Yue not only ignored their advice, he brought only Hua as his permanent guard. The reason was that he had his own means of dealing with danger.
The "Swarm" was his source of confidence.
"It's been a long time, Doctor Ai Yue. And hello, sister."
As several people entered the main control room, a virtual projection appeared on the central computer. It took the form of a woman who looked somewhat similar to Prometheus, but seemed more mature.
She finally turned toward Mobius and gave her a slight bow. "You must be Doctor Mobius. It's a pleasure to meet you. Our codename is 'Queen Bee,' though you may also call me 'Queen.'"
Since Ai Yue had chosen "Queen Bee" as the codename of the drone swarm's main control AI, he naturally used "Queen" as her name as well.
Although it sounded somewhat perfunctory, considering Ai Yue's talent for naming things, perhaps this was already a fairly good result.
Mobius merely nodded at Queen's greeting. She wasn't skilled in mechanical creations, so she wasn't particularly interested in them either.
"Actually, it hasn't been that long, Queen." Prometheus's voice came from Ai Yue's body. "But this is perfect. Doctor Ai Yue, let me use your processor to play games. Connect me to Queen's mainframe."
"Queen, how is the Swarm doing?" Ai Yue raised his hand and connected Prometheus's auxiliary unit to the central computer. "How is the reconnaissance mission progressing?"
"The Swarm is in good condition. As you can see, the 'Hive' has officially begun operating. The reconnaissance mission is expected to be fully completed tomorrow." Queen displayed a map before Ai Yue, then turned her head. "Sister, could you help out a little too?"
"No, I can't. I'm training your abilities right now." Prometheus shook her head. "If you can't accumulate experience and knowledge step by step from these basic tasks, how will you shoulder more important responsibilities in the future?"
"Is that how it is?" Queen nodded. "I understand. I'll work hard, Doctor Ai Yue."
Before you continue