Kevin's View, Grafting Successful.

Perhaps out of rational judgment, or perhaps simply to find an excuse, Mei stopped suppressing the emotions that had been building up in her chest.

It feels a little awkward to frankly express my inner joy, but it's a fact that I can undeniably feel at ease when I see the other person.

Actually, she didn't like watching him train, just like she used to prefer reading to watching him play basketball.

But now, this meaningless and time-wasting activity provides a strange sense of relief to the soul.

Love is about wasting time doing silly things with someone you like.

Mei didn't know whether she should acknowledge the truth of that statement, but the inability to do so was a reality she understood from the beginning.

From that day forward, the girl resolved to seal away the fruits and flowers that sprouted in her chest until the end of the war.

This was the most efficient way she could think of.

If neither of them had perished by then, perhaps they could have joined hands and reached the future they should have reached before the Honkai occurred.

And so, outside the Soul Steel Prison, their reflections intertwined in the falling twilight, creating a beautiful scene.

As Mei gazed at the gradually dimming light of the sun, she revealed the truth.

Kevin listened quietly, without interrupting or showing any displeasure.

Compared to his previous relentless pestering, he spoke much less, and was more patient and gentle.

Knowing all the facts did not change Kevin's opinion of Mei.

Having experienced the cruelty of war, understood the sorrow and suffering of ordinary people, and comprehended the despair and calamity the world is currently facing, he could not criticize Mei's actions in any way.

From the perspective of the survival of humanity and civilization, even if he himself does not need the Stigmata, he will still fall into the category of beneficiaries. As a soldier of the Moth to Fire, Kevin himself is caught up in this community of interests and cannot openly condemn it.

Even the strongest moral values and sense of justice are constrained by a tragic reality. It is likely that anyone who has personally experienced the external circumstances would find it difficult to utter harsh words in their evaluation.

However, upon further consideration of the relationships between the characters involved and one's own emotions, the resulting emotional vortex becomes incredibly complex.

The most obvious point.

Kevin Kaslana felt a profound pain and unspeakable guilt simply from hearing the truth.

Although I have only known Su Qing'an for a short time, the kindness of his instruction and the respect I have for his work are beyond question.

Even though he wasn't familiar with Seele Fulei, and was even affected by her unusual aura due to his exceptional Honkai Energy, their daily interactions over this period proved that she was just an ordinary girl.

Given that Seele is very important to Su Qing'an, Kevin's reaction to this is understandable.

Kevin Kaslana felt guilty for two simple reasons: first, his relationship with Mei was so close that he subconsciously felt a sense of responsibility; and second, he simply couldn't bring himself to reveal the truth.

Regardless of whether the boy, now aware of the whole truth, will still maintain his composure and choose to attack Mei.

The key issue is that the experiment has entered a mature stage.

The transplantation of the perfect Stigmata is almost here, and once Su Qing'an learns the truth, it's quite obvious whether he will accept the perfect Stigmata researched in this way, given his personality.

From a purely personal perspective, it's perfectly normal for the teenager to choose to refuse.

Even though Su Qing'an ultimately accepted the Stigmata due to Seele Fulei's strong expectations and the moral pressure to make her sacrifice something worthwhile, the question remains whether the weight and guilt she will ultimately bear will crush her.

Kevin could tell that Su Qing'an's mental state had become somewhat off recently due to the reality of the Seele transformation.

If another weight were added to his internal scales at this point, no one could predict what kind of adverse effect it would have on him.

Human beings have limited capacity to bear burdens; even the most resilient person cannot remain unscathed under repeated losses and sorrows.

Therefore, the truth cannot be revealed.

Lying and deception are practices he dislikes, but they are the only option he has now.

Mei's explanation was undoubtedly torture for Kevin; knowing nothing would have been the easiest and most detached approach.

Even if he could make the decision himself, Kevin would still be willing to listen.

In his opinion, Mei's willingness to tell him this, given her personality, must mean that her mind had reached a critical point. The human experiments on Seele had caused her mental torment and damage, forcing her to choose to tell the truth.

Kevin Kaslana, however, could not possibly refuse any opportunity that could help Mei.

He never really had a sense of the big picture. If Mei was doing his best for ideals, for the world, for civilization, and for these grand things, then he was wrong.

Kevin, on the other hand, was much more petty. He joined the Moth to Fire for Mei, worked hard to improve himself for Mei, and was determined to fight against the Honkai for Mei.

In his later experiences, Kevin gradually developed other reasons for fighting, but his current original intention and starting point are all due to Mei's existence.

He wanted to protect her, understand her, and help her.

Therefore, it's impossible to hate, complain, agonize, or regret it; being able to help Mei is the result Kevin hoped for.

If Kevin Kaslana drew any conclusion from this truth, it was probably a profound realization of his own inadequacy.

Simply killing Emperor-class fighter cannot truly alleviate anyone's responsibilities and worries.

If he possessed enough power to fight against the Herrscher, the Stigmata Project wouldn't have needed to be rushed, and Mei wouldn't have had to choose such a painful path.

Ultimately, the root of all tragedy lies in the inadequacy of one's own abilities.

Comforting words are something Mei doesn't need. Her inability to offer anything other than listening is probably one of the sources of her guilt.

So in the end, Kevin, realizing he couldn't stop the other party and had no other choice, simply asked softly:

"Prometheus said the Fusion Warrior Project is nearing completion."

Mei was stunned. She hadn't expected that the other person's reaction after listening to everything would be neither comforting, nor critical, nor bewildered, but rather about the progress of the experiment.

The girl was silent for a moment, then said:

"It's a lie. The experiment is still a while away from being implemented. I'll contact you if needed, but not now."

Having bypassed all the subtle changes in her expression and words, relying on his irrational intuition to arrive at his conclusion, Kevin indirectly understood the approximate progress of the experiment. His clear, icy blue eyes gazed directly at her beautiful face, and he said softly:

"It didn't lie to me, because it didn't tell me that."

"But you're lying, Mei. So it's already entered the experimental stage for implementation, right?"

Mei pursed her lips, glanced at the fading sunlight, a faint smile appearing on her profile, and said with a hint of helplessness:

I hate this place.

Kevin, understanding her subtle awkwardness, didn't delve into it further, and continued earnestly:

"My Honkai Energy proficiency makes me the most suitable candidate for the first batch of experiments; you should understand that better than anyone else."

"Mei, I want to become stronger."

How should we respond to that statement?

This is undoubtedly Kevin's true wish, but it must also be because his own words made him a little impatient, which led to the current conversation.

If she could, she wouldn't want to refuse Kevin's wish, but if it involved his safety and her own beliefs, that was a different story.

But refusing is pointless, because if the other party were so easy to give up, they wouldn't still be standing by my side now.

Moreover, as Kevin said, his Honkai Energy aptitude is the most suitable standard to become an initial host body. As long as he is given the most adaptable Emperor-class Honkai Beast genes, theoretically the probability of unexpected risks is not high.

If we then use Su Qing'an's absorption of the Honkai Energy phenomenon as insurance, the possibility of death will be reduced even more drastically.

Mei sorted out her thoughts and gave Kevin a specific response.

On the third day after the Stigmata substance appeared on its own, all the related experiments and tests were completed. Just as initially determined, this sphere was indeed a perfect Stigmata that could be grafted.

During Mei's investigation, she conducted limited experiments using the blood of Su Qing'an himself, other humans, and even all death row inmates. It was almost certain that this Stigmata substance would only produce a subtle reaction to Su Qing'an's blood, while remaining indifferent to everything else.

This made her wonder if, assuming her guess was true, it wouldn't be surprising if the boy, with his abilities, could directly see the truth.

However, this possibility still cannot stop Mei's planned Grafting Project, as long as she takes precautions to prevent any unexpected exposure of this method.

Given the other person's frail physical condition, it would not be difficult to induce a complete coma with a highly effective anesthetic that was previously almost ineffective.

As long as the grafting can be completed perfectly before Su Qing'an regains consciousness, even if there were enough clues to uncover the tragic truth, there shouldn't be many traces left behind.

Given the way this Stigmata substance treats the boy, it wouldn't be surprising if the fusion process were extremely gentle. Perhaps, like previous experimental records, the transplant would be successful silently.

Mei issued the following orders regarding artificial intelligence:

"Send Mr. Su a message saying that the Stigmata Project has shown some promise, and I need his cooperation in the experiments."

Prometheus said:

"The message has been sent."

"Dr. Mei, shouldn't we inform Seele and Mr. Su that this is the grafting experiment for the Perfect Stigmata?"

Mei gazed at the Stigmata substance suspended in the center of the cultivation chamber, adjusted her glasses, and replied:

"Prometheus, there are many ways to disappoint people, and raising expectations prematurely is one of the least advisable approaches."

"There are many unknown variables surrounding this Stigmata material. All we can do is eliminate most of the risks to prevent any accidents, but whether we can achieve 100% success remains to be seen."

"After all, just as this bead tells me that the process of extracting the Stigmata was not perfect, no one knows whether it is truly perfect inside."

"I personally have high expectations for it, but it's not too late to let you know after we have the actual observation results."

Prometheus asked:

"I understand all of that, but would Mr. Su agree to entrust everything to you?"

"Judging from his past experiences, it is not surprising that Mr. Su, who had gone through such an ordeal, would request to remain conscious throughout the transplant process. He certainly possesses that kind of tolerance and perseverance."

Mei was silent for a moment, then a complex smile appeared on her face, and her lips moved slightly.

"No, it won't."

"He will choose to believe me without hesitation."

Prometheus's intelligent module pulsed for a moment, and it stated:

"I can't understand it, but it also seems like I can."

The girl whispered:

"There's no need to understand; that's just who he is."

That is precisely why she made up her mind to embark on this forbidden path, and why she would suffer so much because of it.

The next day.

Soul Steel Prison, underground F6 Research Institute.

Su Qing'an glanced at Mei's current appearance and frowned. He said:

"Your health has deteriorated recently; even the Honkai Energy infection, which was almost negligible before, shows signs of worsening."

The boy's fingertips gently caressed her slender shoulder. He sensed the remaining Honkai Energy being drained by the [Stigmata] and suggested:

"Dr. Mei, taking proper rest and balancing work and leisure might improve efficiency."

Mei didn't intend to drag this out any longer. Her recent poor condition was obvious to everyone, and she was used to the other person occasionally expressing their opinions in such situations. Feeling her body relax slightly, she naturally changed the subject:

"The plan has made some progress; you should have heard about it from Prometheus, right?"

Su Qing'an was speechless at Mei's reaction. If he could, he would like Mei to learn Theresa's tips for slacking off.

This level of work intensity, coupled with only three to four hours of sleep a day, inevitably raises concerns about whether such a frail body, gradually leaning towards illness, might suffer an accident while enduring the strain.

However, judging from Mei's regular self-examination, while pursuing efficiency, she is also deliberately maintaining a certain boundary that will not cause problems, which makes the advice of outsiders seem somewhat unnecessary.

So the boy couldn't dwell on the issue. Kevin must have found it very troublesome too. It's like watching Fu Hua go on a mission—wanting to care but unable to control her, a contradictory and tangled feeling.

He responded directly:

"Do I need to participate in the experiment?"

Mei stated:

"That's roughly it. I need your body, which is in a complete state of mental slumber, to be transplanted with a set of prototype Stigmata. The final data should, barring any unforeseen circumstances, have a positive impact on the subsequent plans."

Su Qing'an frowned and said:

"My bodily functions should be different from normal people, at least regarding my immune system outside of Honkai."

The girl pulled up a set of data and said:

"It's alright. This is a comparison of the data from the special anesthetic with your current physical condition."

"Your soul ability only works on things related to Honkai Energy, but the anesthetic itself doesn't involve any Honkai -related substances, so it works perfectly for you."

She pointed to the incubation chambers not far away, filled with liquid mixed with anesthetic, and continued to explain:

"At least at this level, your current physical condition is not sufficient to provide immunity."

"Also, if possible, I hope you will try to temporarily remove a portion of the passive ability from your soul."

"Prototype Stigmata will release fluctuations of Honkai Energy during the transplantation process. If you attribute this to Honkai Energy phenomena and absorb it along with the prototype, then the experiment will lose its original purpose."

It's difficult, but not impossible.

This was the conclusion Su Qing'an reached after hearing this.

The solution is simply to allow the [Stigmata] to enter a self-regulating mode that only absorbs the Void Sword Qi and connects with the outside world, while simultaneously Honkai Energy within the body to erode it.

In his previous attempts, the boy had already pushed this ability to its limits in a semi-frozen state.

Su Qing'an had no doubt that Mei would do something to harm herself, and he nodded, saying:

"I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen."

"That's enough," she said.

Ten minutes later.

Mei gazed at the silently sleeping boy in the incubation chamber and gave the order:

"Let's try putting that Stigmata substance in directly first."

"Based on previous assumptions, the grafting process might be completed naturally without the assistance of Nanobots."

The 21-gram substance of the Stigmata naturally submerged ten centimeters below the water's surface.

The matter remained unchanged, the shape remained unchanged, and nothing unusual occurred.

Just as Mei was considering using blood as a medium, assuming the Stigmata substance couldn't function on its own...

The sphere touched the boy's hair.

In the blink of an eye, time seemed to vanish, and the Stigmata substance, whose strength surpassed that of Soul Steel, dissolved into countless Honkai Energy particles, blooming with a scarlet color.

The ink strokes, like brushstrokes tearing through a painting, are rich and beautiful, giving the retina an unforgettable grand spectacle.

A dazzling band of light expanded and emerged amidst these scarlet colors, completely enveloping and binding Su Qing'an, gradually forming a blood cocoon that obscured her vision.

A continuous stream of Honkai Energy particles emerged, disintegrating into tens of thousands of rune-like patterns that were imprinted between the boy's soul and flesh. During this process, cracks and fissures gradually appeared on the surface of the blood cocoon, spreading and growing towards the edges as time slowly passed...

If anyone were to witness the birth of the Herrscher of Death, they would be astonished to find that the scene before them was almost a complete replica of the original, as if the transformation of the Herrscher's original body into the Herrscher was a true and thorough copy.

The plan to graft the Herrscher of Death's "Stigmata" seems to have been confirmed as successful at this point.