Successive Experiments, Dream Spike

Artificial Stigmata are essentially organs. As foreign organs, the spine, which has the most neurons in the body, is the best choice for complete integration into the body. Therefore, it is not surprising that the spine is often the place where Stigmata appear.

The premise of a perfect Stigmata does not necessarily have to follow this principle, because no one knows whether the so-called perfect Stigmata is completely different from Artificial Stigmata in terms of principle or even structure.

Mei's thinking is never constrained. There's no reason why Artificial Stigmata should be like this, and perfect Stigmata should necessarily be an evolution along this path. Perhaps the two paths were completely different from the start.

In short, truly understanding the secret behind the Herrscher's Great Honkai energy proficiency and uncovering all the differences between them and ordinary people is only the beginning.

From a rational perspective, it is actually a great fortune that the Herrscher's body is still consistent with the structure of the human body.

This means that there must be special secrets among these organs that seem no different from those of normal humans. At the same time, the fact that these secrets do not change the outward characteristics of human beings also suggests that they may be applicable to normal humans.

Real human experimentation officially began that day, with obtaining a portion of flesh and blood for observation being merely the foundation.

Extracting bone marrow is just the tip of the iceberg.

The reason for choosing to harvest bone marrow is simple: as one of the largest organs in the human body, accounting for 3.5 to 5.9% of body weight, it has hematopoietic, immune, and defense functions.

Given that this organ still exists within the body of Herrscher, it is only natural to start from this point.

I heard that the method of extracting bone marrow more than a hundred years ago was to use the posterior superior iliac spine as the puncture point, allowing lidocaine to infiltrate layer by layer from the skin to the periosteum to achieve complete local anesthesia, and then holding the puncture needle through the skin to the periosteum, inserting it layer by layer, and rotating it left and right to allow the bone marrow puncture needle to enter the bone marrow cavity, and then using a dry syringe to extract the bone marrow fluid.

However, these troublesome and outdated methods are unnecessary for the Herrscher of Death, who possesses the power to control biological cells.

This power doesn't seem to have a high degree of precision in controlling other humans and creatures, which is most likely because Seele herself has a very low level of familiarity with the power, but she can naturally perform operations with a certain degree of precision on her own body.

For example, bone marrow can be extracted manually.

The number of bone marrow extractions performed dozens of times was largely created by the girl herself.

Of course, because all the knowledge given by the Honkai Consciousness has been stored up in the attic of memory and forcibly forgotten by the barrier of self-awareness, Seele's current knowledge reserves are not perfect. This also leads to such precise operational powers causing great mental pressure on her.

Therefore, some of these tasks were still carried out by Mei herself.

Mei did not refuse Seele's depraved practice of donating her own bone marrow, firstly because any anesthetic would be meaningless to the Herrscher of Death, as it would be almost instantly annihilated by the rapidly dying and regenerating cells once injected into the skin.

This means that any slightly unconventional experiments can only be conducted without any pain shielding. Even with modern technology, using Nanobots for micro-punctures to extract bone marrow fluid is still inefficient. Obtaining a sufficient amount and the resulting pain is an unpredictable and unbearable unknown.

Therefore, respecting the little girl's wishes and having her personally use her powers to deliver a large portion of the necessary experimental materials at once might be a gentler approach.

Secondly, Mei herself harbored, to some extent, a despicable desire to escape, and for her, reducing the need to personally inflict pain on others was a temporary measure to alleviate her psychological stress.

This was also the outcome Seele Fulei had hoped for, and she herself understood just how cruel her demands were to Mei.

All the little girl could do was try not to show any pain. However, the nerves involved in having her bone marrow removed were too intricate, and the precision to completely sever and isolate the pain was beyond her current capabilities. Therefore, what was hidden beneath the outward calm was real suffering.

Seele Fulei, who repeatedly engaged in self-harm, never revealed a single flaw. Her usual demeanor was either expressionless or slightly smiling, and she maintained this even in the more difficult-to-discuss experiments that followed.

This made it increasingly difficult for Mei to discern whether this was a carefully crafted lie by the girl to cater to her own psychological state.

Or perhaps, for the Herrscher of Death, the existence of the physical body is actually separate from life itself, so even if they feel pain, they don't consider this level of harm to be self-harm, which is why they act so decisively.

This makes sense both realistically and logically. Even if the Herrscher of Death were subjected to the most inhumane experiments, it would probably be no different from a normal person making a light scratch on their skin with their fingernail.

If the girl could adopt this philosophy in her approach to these experiments, she might become completely rational and no longer feel sorrow and guilt about them.

Mei couldn't be so carefree. Seele Fulei and her own emotions remained an inescapable constraint. She could regard Herrscher as non-human, but the will residing within them could not be ignored in the slightest.

Of course, Seele's reason for not hesitating might also be that becoming Herrscher makes her personality more pathological, twisted enough to easily ignore everything about herself.

In a sense, the Seele Fulei in the girl's eyes is already completely broken.

But Mei understood that no matter what situation Seele was in now, her actions would not be forgiven.

Just as she had initially thought, with the help of the living Herrscher who were willing to cooperate with the experiment, the breakthroughs and insights gained from the Stigmata Project were enough to branch out into dozens of different lines, while the main line was moving madly toward success, as if all doubts and problems could be found in the Herrscher's body.

This sense of accomplishment and the sense of mission that gradually builds up for the future of humanity are born from this, but the corresponding guilt, sorrow, confusion, remorse, and resistance overwhelm most of these things that should be joyful.

All the achievements and progress at present are undeniable proof that Mei's talents have never been an excuse for her to stand still or hide in her comfort zone, but rather an excellent reason to take a step closer to forbidden territory.

Through the incident of personally conducting human experiments on Seele, Mei will be forced to gain a great deal of experience and tempering, ultimately resulting in subtle changes in her beliefs and personality.

After forcibly crossing the threshold of morality and ethics, no one knows what the future will hold for her.

Day seven of the experiment.

"You can no longer enter quantumization."

Mei wearily rubbed her temples. She glanced at the stark contrast between the new data transmitted by the instrument and the previous experimental data, and murmured:

"After becoming Herrscher, all the intimacy between you and the Sea of Quantum —or rather, the tickets and gifts given to you—all disappeared."

Seele Fulei frowned. She had only recently realized the disappearance of this ability. If there was any difference before and after, it was that the Soul Link with the Honkai Consciousness had been completely eliminated from the depths of her consciousness, which was more hidden, obscure and unknowable.

This seemingly insignificant event seems to be hinting at something, making the girl, who is already wondering about her own changes, somewhat concerned. However, upon closer examination, she can only find a void, unable to grasp any tangible clues.

She stopped thinking and asked:

"Mei-neechan, is it because I became Herrscher?"

Mei responded softly:

"I can't find any other intuitive reason besides that, but that's not the key point. In short, your body has undergone many changes since becoming Herrscher, and the key is which one specifically led to these changes."

Seele asked:

"Does Sister Mei have her own ideas?"

The girl observed the data and drew a conclusion:

"It cannot be completely confirmed at the moment, but I think it is related to the Imaginary Space linked to your Herrscher Core. As an unfamiliar field that has only been proposed as a concept in human history, is there any mysterious connection between it and the Sea of Quantum? Or is it possible that this relationship caused a conflict when the two coexisted within you, leading to the disappearance of this ability?"

"Of course, ever since Mr. Su appeared and the existence of the soul became a tangible phenomenon, I have made some connections. It is still very difficult to explain how a tiny human body can connect with such a wondrous space as the Sea of Quantum."

"In fact, apart from your excellent Honkai Energy, you didn't show anything special under the instrument's observation. Being able to be intimate with the Sea of Quantum is a result, not something that can be expressed by appearances. Even if you can block it with concepts outside of cognition, it is possible to say anything."

"But once the concept of the soul is no longer ethereal, the possibility arises that your special relationship with the Sea of Quantum might be based on the soul. So it's also possible that when the Honkai Consciousness established its initial connection with you, it casually erased it."

"After all, there is currently no data to show whether you will still encounter interference from the Honkai Consciousness if you directly enter the Quantum State and escape into the Sea of Quantum. Assuming that what the Sea of Quantum has shown is only the tip of the iceberg, the Honkai Consciousness may not have a way to forcibly turn you into Herrscher in another dimension."

"So if that's the case, He would have had to completely erase your connection with the Sea of Quantum the moment He descended, which would explain the current situation."

Seele said seriously:

"I understood, but I didn't really understand."

Mei explained:

"This is a very important discovery for the future. It is an opportunity to expand our understanding of the unknown and deepen our knowledge of Honkai. Assuming that we are certain that the Sea of Quantum can shield the Honkai Consciousness, then the so-called Honkai will certainly not be able to extend into the realm of the Sea of Quantum."

"The Eye of the Abyss on Ein's side is mostly completed, and it is estimated that it will be fully completed soon. Once the Eye of the Abyss is completed, it will no longer be impossible to place some things belonging to human civilization in the Sea of Quantum."

The little girl understood what Mei meant. As long as it was confirmed that there was some kind of opposition between the Sea of Quantum and the Imaginary Space, and that the Honkai Consciousness itself could not interfere with the Sea of Quantum, then the backyard she would build in the Sea of Quantum in the future would not be disturbed by the Honkai's minions.

Even in the worst-case scenario, the flame of civilization can continue to burn.

But to deduce such a possibility from just this detail, Mei is sometimes too clever for her own good.

When Ein was mentioned, Seele was reminded of what Prometheus had said to her, and she couldn't help but ask:

"I heard that Ein is going to help Prometheus create a body. Sister Mei, do you know exactly what that will be?"

Upon hearing this, Mei revealed a rare smile. As a leading figure in cutting-edge technology, Ein was a rare friend with whom she could have normal academic discussions and understand each other's thinking. The two would exchange ideas every now and then.

She thought for a moment and replied:

"The new thing she's been working on lately is probably related to this, and it seems to be working on it quite well."

"Ein previously asked me about this, and I learned from some of Prometheus's basic algorithms for intelligence and a lot of related materials. In layman's terms, she was probably researching combat tools that resembled mechanical soldiers, only the technology she used seemed to be closer to biomimicry."

"In short, if everything in theory can be perfectly achieved, it might greatly alleviate the current situation and defensive line. Although it won't be of much significance to high-end warfare, Ein seems to have plans to optimize and integrate the principle of Honkai Energy Fission Bomb. Leaving aside the Herrscher Judgment for now, eliminating Emperor-class enemies probably won't be as troublesome as it is now."

Mei smiled, seemingly unable to resist the drowsiness of the long experiment. She closed her eyes and murmured:

"I hope Ein succeeds. I... don't have the extra energy to get involved in other areas."

But that brief drowsiness didn't hold her back for long. Staying clear-headed and seizing every spark of inspiration had become second nature to her. She took out a nutrient solution from the pocket of her white coat, took a sip, and then handed a silver bracelet to the little girl.

The girl gazed at her face and whispered:

"The teleportation device that Mr. Su asked me to build a few days ago is now complete. It's much heavier than the soul steel ring on your wrist, ensuring you can teleport to an uninhabited area the moment you go berserk."

"Although it's a very minor incident, with this you can go out and have some fun without worry, right?"

Seele obediently put it on her wrist, only to find that the two strands of soul steel intertwined as liquid metal the moment they touched, thus forming a beautiful bracelet with exquisite patterns like a work of art.

Her eyes brightened, but after a moment's hesitation, she couldn't help but ask with concern:

"Are you sure it's okay? The Soul Steel Prison that Sister Mei created seems impregnable to outsiders, a place that isolates us from all dangers related to Herrscher. If I'm detected by the Honkai Energy detectors outside, won't it cause panic?"

Mei had naturally considered the relevant issues. As the person in charge of monitoring and imprisoning the Sixth Herrscher, she naturally needed to take full responsibility for it.

Normally speaking, Seele Fulei has already received very good treatment, so giving her the freedom to go out and have fun is simply impossible.

However, the little girl's request to be subjected to human experimentation not only made Mei feel guilty and want to make amends, but also proved that the Sixth Herrscher would not go berserk even under such pain, was almost impossible to go berserk in the outside world.

After all, even from a long-term perspective, given Seele Fulei's existing memories, killing Mei would be the best option if she wanted to harm human civilization.

With the teleportation device and Su Qing'an himself serving as double insurance, and considering that this is only a short-term trip and not a long-term free movement, letting the other party go out right now is not such an unreasonable thing.

Mei patiently explained in response:

"Although it's hard to admit, the Honkai Energy detectors currently widely used in residential areas are at least unable to prevent Mr. Su from interfering."

"The official problem is the same. Mr. Su's ability to evade human perception seems to involve the soul, combined with interference abilities. It's currently impossible to detect him using pure technology."

A faint smile appeared on her face, revealing a gentle and serene quality.

"It's okay, it's a rare opportunity, right?"

Unable to contain her joy, Seele whispered:

"Thank you, Sister Mei. I'll go back to find my brother now."

Mei watched her unusually lively steps and retreating figure, the smile vanishing from her face, replaced by a growing heaviness in her heart...

Was my current approach right or wrong?

But the girl quickly put aside these unanswerable questions. She used her willpower to switch her mindset and, with her weary body, went to change her clothes.

Mei then walked alone into the newly extended Soul Steel Tunnel and stepped into the deserted experimental area.

Su Qing'an was playing a large-scale two-player story-driven RPG adventure game with Seele. He was playing as Undead Knight wielding a bone spear, while the little girl was playing as a Catholic nun carrying a coffin.

According to the setting, the two's past stories seem to be quite complicated, and the opening takes the form of free exploration to uncover some of their past experiences.

Aside from these fragmented memories of the past, the main storyline also includes the tales of Miko finds liberation from her purity yet is born with sin, and an immortal being.

As a means of liberating the souls and sins of others, the Undead Knight possesses the power to purify the primordial pure white. According to the setting, this power, when gathered to a certain degree, can form a Dream Spike.

In short, once the mana bar accumulates to a certain level, you can unleash a powerful attack.

The nun's coffin is a vessel for all sins, and her ability to do so is to act as a healer and front-line tank.

In their opinion, the most interesting thing about this game is that none of the characters have the means to fight independently.

Without the nun, the knight cannot use the Dream Spike perfectly, because according to the game's setting, sins cannot be permanently purified. The coffin carried by the nun is responsible for bearing these sins that are destined to regenerate, thus making the Dream Spike's existence perfect.

Without the knight, the nun's coffin is useless, because without the Dream Spike to purify the soul, the root of sin will not be revealed, let alone be contained.

From a game mechanics perspective, the two characters are complementary and neither can be dispensed with.

What's interesting is the long epic woven from subsequent plot fragments and past memories. For the little girl, it's just a fun game she can play with her brother, but for Su Qing'an, it inexplicably makes her think of many other things.

The game's mechanics regarding the soul and the idea that sin cannot be eradicated might make the young man feel that it's not a game enough, and even somewhat realistic.

During the early days of Changkong City, Su Qing'an had this feeling to some extent when playing games, and it seems to be even more so now.

The more experiences one has, the more likely one is to have a strange sense of déjà vu when looking at many things, which causes the game to lose its original meaning.

But playing games with Seele Fulei is the key to their daily life. It seems that as long as she's around, whether they're playing dark and brutal machete-themed games, heavy realistic games, or just simple fruit-cutting games, they're spending their days in beautiful and mundane routines.

Even in Previous Civilization, Su Qing'an didn't particularly enjoy deliberately doing anything meaningful. Rather than studying, thinking, or fighting, he preferred spending time with important people doing mundane things, thus passing the time.

This seems to be best explained by the socioemotional choice theory, whose central argument is that a person's goals and choices are influenced by their perception of time duration.

In short, when people feel their days are numbered, the choices they make will be completely different. For example, they will shrink their social circle, only associate with important people, and prioritize emotional investment, spending more time with close family and friends.

In short, people's choices are no longer aimless, but accurate, unhindered, and thoroughly emotional.

These people's goal is no longer knowledge or methods, but love, important people, and emotions.

The perception of time can alter human motivation; when life is limited, almost everyone will choose emotional goals.

This seems to prove that emotions are always the most important thing for humans.

Su Qing'an, however, did not transcend this range; from this perspective, he was quite ordinary.

Since arriving in Changkong City, the boy has never deliberately expanded his social circle. Rather, the more he understands his lifespan and future, the more he tries to avoid it. However, he treats those who are already considered important with respect and seriousness.

Aside from his personality traits, this reason might be the core reason behind his seemingly indifferent and aloof demeanor.

But... are my current actions truly the right thing to do?

Su Qing'an looked at the girl who was unusually happy today, feeling somewhat dazed, and even the fingertips on the controller paused for a moment.

"Brother, we can use the Dream Spike now."

The boy pressed the keys as Seele instructed, and fell silent as he gazed at the ancient Miko who had been successfully redeemed.

Whether it's right or wrong, perhaps we'll never find the answer.