Chapter 87

Aponia said with a smile, then glanced at Ai Yue, "As for rest, let's save that for next time. After all, someone worked even harder than me this time."

Why are you looking at me?

Ai Yue, who was drinking soda, was startled, feeling as if something bad was about to happen.

"That's true. In that case, let's not open this bottle of wine yet."

Eden glanced at Ai Yue, then nodded thoughtfully and put the wine away. "Why don't we leave here and go find Elysia first?"

Aponia gave me an approving look. "Very good."

So the two of them left without saying a word, leaving Ai Yue still somewhat confused.

"I wonder what those two are here for."

Ai Yue put down his cup. "Never mind, Hua, I'll give you a thorough examination first."

Although the version of "Divine Tone Project" proposed by Ai Yue still uses the original name, its content is completely different from the original story.

In the original story, the Divine Sound used the characteristic of "commandments" to influence people, thereby imprinting psychological suggestions on humans like a "Thought Imprint." Under the influence of this psychological suggestion, people's minds would be affected first, and then the mental interference would spread to the body, causing the body to gradually adapt to the changes of Honkai Energy.

In the imagination, if such Mental Interference can have a long-term effect on humanity, it may give rise to a new kind of humanity in the future that can completely control Honkai Energy.

However, the old version of the Divine Tone Project had a fatal problem: in order to prevent people from being corrupted by contact with Honkai Energy, the "Thought Imprint" would also contain hostility and hatred towards Honkai. Although such a mechanism was a kind of insurance, the overly strong Mental Interference was obviously a hidden danger in itself.

Being bound by this kind of Thought Imprint for a long time will make humans increasingly distorted, eventually turning them into cold and rigid machines.

Therefore, Ai Yue incorporated his own research findings into the original Divine Tone Project, and finally proposed a brand-new version of the Divine Tone Project.

This plan is not only aimed at interfering with humanity's mind, but also... it interferes with Honkai Energy itself.

Twenty three

Chapter Twenty-Three: This is not harm, it is love.

Ai Yue has never given up his research on Honkai Energy.

Ever since he disintegrated the Honkai Energy and obtained the "fragment of will" from the unknown, Ai Yue has been trying to analyze the specific composition of this thing, attempting to trace back to the origin of the other party.

However, all attempts have so far failed, and even the system, having already used the same material once, has not provided any more valuable information.

Of course, this Will Fragment of ??? unknown origin could reveal some information about the "special research project" that activated the system. It should be noted that Ai Yue never activated the system again after that.

The "Data Transcription Technology for Genetic Information" obtained from the special research project has been successfully applied in one of the directions of "Virtual Honkai Beast Technology" that is beyond everyone's imagination. The most outrageous thing about this technology is that its theoretical basis is not a product of this world at all, but something that only Ai Yue can create with the help of the system.

It is precisely because of this that the "Virtual Honkai Beast Technology" has not been made public for a long time and has not been used as a means to resist Honkai disasters. After all, its production is limited. At present, when Ai Yue needs the system to conduct research on new projects 24 hours a day, he only has ten sets of equipment.

However, with the power of the Herrscher of Domination, this problem may have a solution. Although the power of the Herrscher of Domination is not enough to solve the production problem, Ai Yue can use the characteristic of the "Simulated Domination Network" that can transmit mental power over long distances with almost no loss to realize the possibility of manifesting virtual Honkai Beast over long distances.

Of course, these are not the main points. The main point is that the theoretical basis of virtual Honkai Beast does not exist in this world. Does that mean that this is a common feature of all "special research projects"?

If that's really the case, then is that "fragment of will" from the unknown also something that doesn't belong to this world?

Unfortunately, even if this information could be confirmed, it would not help Ai Yue make a breakthrough in the existing problems. After a long period of fruitless research, Ai Yue finally made a bold attempt.

During the long analysis, the only valuable information Ai Yue obtained was that this fragment of will would react to human mental activity, but perhaps his mental activity was not intense enough, so the feedback he received was extremely slight. If it weren't for the third update to the equipment's precision, it would have been difficult to even detect this slight fluctuation.

Therefore, Ai Yue gave the Will Fragment of ???, which was less than one-tenth the size of a grain of rice, to Aponia, hoping that the most powerful mental ability user among humans could use his own methods to extract valuable information from it.

However, although Ai Yue was aware of the risks before making this decision and had taken very thorough precautions, the scene that happened back then still left a deep impression on him.

"Aponia, I'll ask you one last time."

Ai Yue held the container that sealed the fragments of will in his hand, his expression very serious. "This is just a request, not an order. You can refuse if you don't want to try."

"Ai Yue, you came to me for help, yet you said such things. You seem very contradictory right now."

The nun, who had a considerable understanding of human nature, smiled gently and took the container from Ai Yue's hand without the slightest hesitation. "If you hadn't been desperate, I believe you would never have come to me, would you?"

"I admit I'm a bit anxious right now. If the Herrscher Core and the potion hadn't failed to work, I definitely wouldn't have come to you."

Ai Yue sighed, "But deep down I don't want you to take any risks... I'm sorry to have to use such a despicable method to give you the choice."

Ai Yue was in a dilemma. According to his moral standards, he would never allow himself to hand over such a risky experiment to others. However, once the research on the fragments of will was successful, it might even be possible to reverse the current disadvantage of mankind in the face of Honkai from the root. How could Ai Yue give up such a possibility?

He even felt like he was being a bit of a jerk.

"Why should I apologize, Ai Yue?"

Aponia shook her head. "All this time, I could only watch you dedicate yourself to the world without being able to offer any real help. For me, that feeling was the most painful. Now that I finally have the opportunity to help you, I will not refuse whatever it takes."

"That's why I feel so despicable."

Ai Yue sighed, finally making up his mind. He reached for the container in Aponia's hand. "Forget it, I still can't risk you. At worst, the research can be delayed. This little thing shouldn't affect anything..."

Faced with a choice between the future of all humanity and the safety of Aponia, Ai Yue chose the latter this time.

"No, I want to do it."

Aponia took a step back and said with equal firmness, "Because you are in pain right now."

"Ai Yue, we are not pets that you need to pamper and protect. We are partners who walk alongside you. Although we can hardly help you, the more we are like this, the more I cannot give up this opportunity."

As she spoke, she opened the container, and as the internal mechanism turned, a tiny object, as small as a grain of sand, was steadily pushed up and exposed to Aponia's view.

Ai Yue was shocked. "Wait..."

The next second, the container in Aponia's hand fell silently, and at the same time, an unknown mental shock crashed into Ai Yue's mind. Intense pain and indescribable chaos assaulted his mind, directly interrupting his next words.

He later learned that in that instant, all the Honkai Beast within a radius of 100 kilometers centered on the Star of Light experimental base died silently. Even the drones, which had no life, and the various electronic devices inside the experimental base experienced a five-second blank period for unknown reasons, resulting in more than 50,000 drones being damaged to varying degrees.

However, at that time, all Ai Yue knew was that something was wrong with Aponia in front of him.

Her eyes suddenly widened so violently that the corners of her eyes tore open, and blood mixed with tears flowed down her face. Her expression was ferocious and distorted, making her look extremely terrifying.

"Aponia!"

Ai Yue snapped out of his shock and immediately lunged forward, injecting a vial into the other man's neck. "How are you feeling? Wake up!"

Activating the fragment of will rashly could lead to unimaginable consequences. The biggest problem was the safety of Aponia, who came into contact with it. Therefore, Ai Yue specially prepared a device to protect the brain and a drug to boost the spirit. Aponia did bring the device, but before she could use the drug, Aponia had already opened the container.

"So... painful... so agonizing..."

Whether it was the potion working or Aponia's willpower being particularly strong, as Ai Yue approached, a glimmer of light finally returned to her unfocused eyes, reflecting Ai Yue's image. "Okay..."

The expression on her face changed at that moment; the original ferocity and distortion disappeared, replaced by a thick and sticky emotion.

The next second, Aponia suddenly exerted force and pinned Ai Yue to the ground.

"Aponia?"

Twenty four

Chapter Twenty-Four: So that's what they were waiting for me here.

By the time Aponia returned to normal, about five hours had passed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened either, it's just..."

Aponia took a brand new white coat from the side and draped it over herself, covering her already tattered nun's habit and her body. She looked at Ai Yue with an apologetic expression and said, "That thing was indeed too dangerous."

"Come on."

Ai Yue rolled his eyes. After confirming that Aponia was safe and sound, he returned to his usual self. "You've been awake for at least three hours now. Don't think I can't tell."

Faced with Ai Yue's accusations, Aponia was speechless and could only lower her head silently, saying, "I repent."

"Never mind, in the end, my problem is still the bigger one."

Ai Yue struggled to his feet and didn't say anything more about it. "Let's get down to business. What did you sense about that fragment?"

"A very complex and intense emotion."

Aponia savored the memory, struggling to find the right words, "How should I describe it? It's like feeling so disappointed and regretful about myself that I'm pouring all my hope and love into it along with other emotions..."

Finally, she looked at Ai Yue with a curious gaze and asked, "Where did you get something like this?"

Before this, Ai Yue had not told her the origin of this fragment of will, only that he had discovered such a special substance during the research process.

"Don't ask about these things."

Ai Yue rubbed his temples, looking a bit of a headache. "In short, from your description, you sound like some kind of twisted parent... But we weren't born to you, were we?"

"Describing it this way doesn't seem wrong either,"

Aponia thought about it carefully for a moment, then shook her head. "But I always feel that this is not an emotion that can be easily described from a human perspective or with human feelings."

"In short, it can be said that some of the mysteries have been solved, although it has also raised more questions."

Ai Yue sighed, "Besides that, what other feelings do you have?"

If the fragment of will contains such emotions, it aligns with the information Ai Yue obtained from the original plot. However, the part about "disappointment and regret towards oneself" is entirely new information, and it's unclear what it refers to.

"Besides..."

Aponia frowned first, then closed her eyes. "It seems... there's this too."

After she opened her eyes, she casually waved her hand, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the peaceful room, blowing all sorts of messy debris everywhere.

"Stop!"

Ai Yue removed the cloth from his face, and after assessing the situation, quickly tossed it to Aponia, saying, "Keep this safe... What just happened?"

"How should I put it? After experiencing that emotion, I seem to be able to sense the Honkai Energy in the environment more clearly."

Aponia said slowly, "To put it in a certain way, it's as if the Honkai Energy's 'malice' towards me has decreased once again."

Aponia has always described Honkai Energy as "something that is hostile to humanity." However, after becoming Fused Warrior, Honkai Energy began to become harmless to her. Now, she has once again felt the decrease in hostility, and her behavior can almost be described as "friendly."

Was it because that emotion spread within the Honkai Energy that Aponia, who understood that emotion, resonated with the Honkai Energy?

It's important to understand that while the wind just now wasn't particularly strong, to achieve a similar effect using Honkai Energy, one would currently need either Fused Warrior with the relevant abilities or the power of the Fourth Herrscher.

Aponia clearly does not fit the first scenario mentioned above. So, could it be understood that her influence on Honkai Energy is shifting towards that of the Herrscher?

Is it possible to do something like this simply by experiencing the emotions contained within them?

Ai Yue couldn't help but recall the Herrscher born in the current civilization in the original story. Although they were different from the Herrscher of the Pre-Civilization from the very beginning, the reason why they were able to break free from the shackles of the Cocoon of Finality and decide how to use their power according to their own will was more or less due to the element of emotion.

Perhaps, this really is some kind of answer?

"Ai Yue?"

Aponia's call brought Ai Yue back to her senses. A hint of hesitation crossed her calm face, and she finally asked in a low voice, "Was I helpful?"

"Of course, you've been a great help, Aponia."

Ai Yue's thoughts returned to the present matter, and he quickly found a research direction. "Moreover, there may be things later that require your help."

"That's good."

Aponia realized that Ai Yue wasn't just comforting her, but genuinely acknowledging her help, so she smiled and said, "I'm always here when you need me."

"So, before that,"

Ai Yue reached out his hand, forcing a smile, "Help me up first, I feel like my leg is going to break."

"...sorry."

Then came the birth of the new version of "Divine Tone Project".

By using Aponia itself as a "filter" for fragments of will, the emotions within can be shared with others in a way similar to empathy. Combined with the effect of "commandments," even those with weaker mental strength can withstand this intense impact. On the one hand, this can change the body's adaptability to Honkai Energy, and on the other hand, it can also change the "affinity" of Honkai Energy for that person.

In this way, even without applying extreme Thought Imprint, it is possible to achieve the same things as the original Divine Tone Project. In fact, judging from the current situation, the new version of the Divine Tone Project is far more effective than the old version.

At least Hua was already able to control Honkai Energy to a certain extent before becoming Fused Warrior. Considering that she might even have Honkai Energy resistance higher than Kevin's, she might be able to reach the same level even without becoming Fused Warrior, after a long period of training and adaptation.

Of course, this level is not compared to Kevin, but to the average level of Fused Warrior.

Most importantly, judging from the effects of the short film shot by Elysia, the impact of the new version of Divine Tone Project can be spread through multimedia. In this way, after collecting enough data, Ai Yue may really be able to create a technique like a martial arts manual, where anyone who learns it can use Honkai Energy.

"Have the results come out yet?"

Having finished her medical examination, Hua looked at Ai Yue, who was deep in thought, and couldn't help but ask, "Um, Doctor Ai Yue, if possible, I would like to Moth to Fire."

Although the Cocoon of Finality has temporarily entered a low period after two major events, with the revelation of the truth of the Honkai, the Moth to Fire is now facing a severe shortage of manpower. Although Hua can stay by Ai Yue's side with peace of mind, as a warrior, she naturally wants to contribute her share as much as possible.

"Go ahead, and be careful."

Ai Yue didn't stop him, but nodded, "It's good that we can collect more data and see how effective the Divine Tone Project is."

Hua immediately nodded excitedly in agreement, and then left without waiting.

Ai Yue couldn't help but yawn. Realizing that he had been busy for almost two days, he decided to take a nap.