"What is this place... What exactly is this research facility studying?"
Feng Tong sensed the dense soul aura here and couldn't help asking in a low voice.
Even though he couldn't determine what exactly was being researched here for the moment, Feng Tong's instincts told him...
The research project here might not be humane.
Lin Yu spoke calmly. "They're merely researching how to artificially create 'heroes'—skipping the process of slowly nurturing someone in a 'Simulated World' and instead using technology to forcibly combine a soul with an 'Authority.'"
With the hints Leila Avi had given him, Lin Yu knew even more than Feng Tong, an active hero, did.
Hearing Lin Yu's words, Feng Tong's voice turned cold. "Combining them directly with souls? Where are those souls coming from?"
"Who knows?"
As Lin Yu spoke, Feng Tong had already come to his own conclusion.
He removed his helmet, revealing short gray hair and a stern face, and frowned as he surveyed everything around them.
"This is... utterly evil. The Central Mechanism didn't notice that a project like this was hidden inside the 'Hero Training Center' at all—but I didn't notice it either. This is truly my failure."
"But what's their purpose in creating artificial 'heroes'?"
Naturally, it was to wield more Authority and strengthen the entire world so it could better resist the "Death game"—Lin Yu could guess that much.
However, he wasn't about to tell Feng Tong the correct answer.
For Feng Tong, Lin Yu had naturally prepared another answer.
"Of course, it's because the current 'heroes' have generally been selected and possess noble qualities such as kindness and integrity. But if they create a blank slate from scratch, then... it'll be much easier to manipulate."
Lin Yu paused. "On top of that, they're researching the weaknesses of heroes like