Klein, You're in... / Why Doesn't That Medicine Have an Antidote?

"What's the rush? The clothes aren't going anywhere, they're just sitting in the store, and besides..."

Ling Xi grabbed Elysia's arm and said with a sullen smile, "No matter how much of a rush you are, you have to finish your cake first, right?"

"Actually, eating while walking is the same..."

Elysia made a slight complaint, but still sat down again, intending to finish her meal before setting off.

"Meow..."

Just then, a kitten that appeared out of nowhere suddenly came over and stopped at Elysia's feet, gently rubbing against her shoes.

"Wow, what an adorable kitten! Do you want some?"

Upon seeing the kitten, Elysia immediately thought it was adorable and even considered sharing some cake with it.

"Meow..."

As a result, Ling Xi suddenly kicked the kitten away. Although it was just a casual kick, it still managed to knock the kitten away. With a scream, the kitten ran away quickly, even though it wasn't injured.

What are you doing?

Ling Xi's kick left Elysia somewhat bewildered.

"Don't let it touch you, Elysia."

Ling Xi said with some concern, "This is a stray cat, it's dirty."

"Hmm... But even so, you shouldn't have kicked it. Couldn't we just have left?"

Elysia didn't want to refute Ling Xi's claim that it was a stray cat, but she still felt that it was inappropriate for Ling Xi to kick it away so directly; after all, it was just a little kitten.

"Mmm..."

Ling Xi thought for a moment before finally nodding and saying, "Okay, I won't do that again next time."

Elysia "..."

Elysia didn't know what to say about this, she just felt...

Ling Xi seems a little different than before, but she can't quite put her finger on it; it's just a feeling...

Although I'm with Ling Xi every day now, I feel like Ling Xi's becoming more and more of a stranger to me.

However, this was just a brief interlude, and the two continued shopping, ignoring the little cat that had been passing by...

"Elysia, what are you doing here?"

The next day, in the laboratory, Mobius looked at the fairy lady who came to see him with some curiosity.

"Hoo-hoo, let's hide for a bit..."

Elysia sat silently in the chair and sighed, "I don't know how to say it, but... Ling Xi, he..."

"Hmm... I don't know if this is a side effect of fusing with Honkai Beast genes, but now he comes to see me every day, and I..."

Elysia rubbed her forehead. "Although I know I'm very charming and Ling Xi can't resist, I can understand that. But... it's too frequent. It doesn't matter to him after he fused with the Honkai Beast genes, but I'm still a human."

"Hmm, side effects..."

Upon hearing Elysia's words, Mobius also began to ponder. In fact, she had been thinking about this matter for a while, because she had just returned three days ago and her condition was similar to Elysia's at this moment.

"Perhaps."

Mobius smiled helplessly, "After all, Shesha's ability is rapid recovery and regeneration, so... I think this is also the reason why Ling Xi has inexhaustible stamina. Moreover... it may be because of his rapid recovery ability that he can recover quickly after sweating."

"Then we'd better think of a solution quickly."

Elysia didn't want to hear the reasons right now; she just wanted Mobius to help resolve the matter quickly, scoffing, "If this continues, I'll become someone no one wants to mess with sooner or later. After all, that guy now tries to get close to me the moment he sees me; there's no escaping him, and..."

At this point, Elysia looked somewhat serious and continued, "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but lately I feel that Ling Xi seems to be getting more and more indifferent to other things, especially yesterday, when we encountered a stray kitten."

"A kitten?"

Mobius immediately laughed and said, "Ling Xi must like it quite a bit. When we came to the Mu Continent for a conference, we even fed the pigeons together and bought food for some stray cats and dogs. He really likes animals."

Elysia "..."

"But..."

Elysia calmly said, "Yesterday, when Ling Xi saw the kitten approaching my foot, he kicked it away..."

Mobius: "???"

"You... are you serious?"

Clearly, Mobius was somewhat incredulous. After all, Ling Xi was known to love petting cats, and would often treat Seele like a kitten. If a kitten approached, wouldn't he be eager to pet it? Even if it was a stray cat, Ling Xi might not touch it, but he would never kick it. This...

So even though Mobius knew that Elysia was unlikely to lie to her about something like this, she was still a little skeptical.

Chapter 262: Klein, in danger...

"Why would I need to lie to you about something like this? Besides..."

Elysia said quietly, "Although Ling Xi is still the same as before, very gentle and patient with me and Seele, but... apart from us, Ling Xi makes me feel a little scared when he's with other people. Although I know he won't hurt me, just seeing Ling Xi's eyes makes me feel a little creeped out."

"The key thing is, lately Ling Xi has been trying to pester me to do 'that' every single day... no, almost every opportunity, but I can't refuse, I..."

Finally, Elysia sighed, "Anyway, I really don't know what to do now..."

"Shesha ..."

After confirming that Elysia wasn't joking, Mobius quickly guessed the reason.

"Hmm... that's probably because Shesha's true form is a snake."

Mobius continued calmly, "And serpentine nature inherently manifests in that aspect. Even after evolving into Honkai Beast, it retains the original habits of its species. Ling Xi had Shesha's genes implanted, so she should be influenced by the Honkai genes, and..."

"Snakes are cold-blooded animals. Although here we are referring to cold-bloodedness in a physical sense, I think that's what's causing Ling Xi's recent change in temperament."

"I told you, I don't want to hear explanations, you need to figure out a solution quickly."

Elysia stretched and snorted, "Anyway, if you don't find a solution, then I'll... take a spontaneous trip, and once I'm gone, hmph... then Ling Xi will have no choice but to come looking for you."

"Pfft... cough cough..."

Mobius almost choked. Damn, can someone threaten me like that?

However, Mobius really didn't dare let Elysia leave, after all, the side effects of Ling Xi's implantation of the Honkai gene had already begun to manifest, and...

Things seem to be more serious than I imagined. I initially thought it would only affect Ling Xi's physical condition, but now it seems... Shesha is starting to affect Ling Xi's mentality, at least...

In Elysia's eyes, Ling Xi had really become much colder than before.

"Okay, Elysia, let's go back together tonight."

After hesitating for a moment, Mobius still felt that the problem needed to be solved. He couldn't influence Ling Xi's mind too much for the time being, but at least he had to solve Elysia's problem. After all, Elysia really couldn't withstand Ling Xi's current fighting power alone.

At least...

We need to distribute the firepower and then find a way to help Ling Xi modify some genes, thereby solving this problem at its source!

Because both Ling Xi's personality changes and Ling Xi seemingly inexhaustible physical strength originate from Shesha's genes, as long as I can help Ling Xi suppress more of Sasha Gene manifestations, then Ling Xi should be able to return to her normal state.

It's not that Ling Xi is abnormal right now, it's just that Elysia can't stand it.

As for who to ask to help share the firepower... Mobius naturally already had someone in mind.

"Klein."

With that in mind, Mobius decisively called upon his tool, Klein.

"Um, Doctor, is there anything I can do for you?"

Less than five seconds after Mobius called, Klein walked in from outside, still holding a stack of data tables in her hand. She had obviously been working, but came over immediately after hearing Mobius's voice.

"It's nothing really. I'm planning to go home tonight. Do you want to come with me?"

Mobius looked at Klein with a smile.

"Go back..."

Klein thought for a moment and said, "Doctor, we still have many projects to finish, so I'd better not go back. Also... I actually suggest that Doctor don't go back either, as your project has already been delayed by three days."

"Hey... cough cough, don't worry about the details."

Mobius coughed lightly. After all, it was a little embarrassing to have someone expose him for being a dedicated worker and saying that the project was still dragging on.

Klein "..."

"Ahem, it's like this, Klein, I plan to conduct a new experiment at home tonight and I need your help, so..."

Mobius gently embraced Klein, speaking with unwavering tenderness but in a tone that brooked no refusal, "Klein, you... you have to come home with me!"

"Uh... yes, Doctor."

Although Klein felt he shouldn't put down his work and go back to rest, there was nothing he could do; it was the Doctor's arrangement.

"Hehe, I knew Klein the best..."

Mobius happily hugged Klein. With Klein, tonight's plan... well, tell me, how can we lose when the dragon is charging in?

Elysia: "..." Wait, Klein? Mobius wouldn't be planning to...

Elysia suddenly realized a possibility, but such behavior was immoral and wrong. Although Elysia knew very well that Klein would do anything Mobius ordered, after all, that was just the girl's personality, but...

Well, as long as Klein has no objections, then it's really not a big deal, perhaps...

A month ago, I might have worried that there wouldn't be enough cake for everyone, but now... how the hell is there not enough? I was clearly already full, but Ling Xi still insisted on stuffing food into my mouth, okay?

Oh well, anyway, how much longer humanity can hold out is still unknown. For now... why not live in the moment and be happy?

Moreover, I really couldn't bear Ling Xi's care anymore, so...

Aside from internally complaining, Elysia didn't express any opinion.

"Doctor, I'll go and organize today's data first."

Since he had decided to go home, Klein definitely needed to make preparations in advance. Otherwise, what would happen if the staff maintaining the laboratory didn't understand after he and the Doctor left?

"Okay, go ahead."

Mobius nodded, signaling Klein hurry up and go.

After Klein left the lab, Mobius immediately returned to the lab bench, took out a piece of paper, wrote down some materials, and handed it to Elysia. "Elysia, could you please go to the materials room and retrieve these materials for me?"

"No problem, but what are you planning to do?"

Elysia took the note and found that it contained materials with complicated names. She recognized them all, but put them together and they were incomprehensible. There was one material with a particularly long name, something like "Type V Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor". What was that?

"It's nothing, just some medicine to stabilize Ling Xi's emotions."

Mobius smiled slightly, but he was clearly not telling the truth.

Elysia: "..." Fine, I won't tell you then. I'll just ask Baidu...

Chapter 263: Why is there no antidote for that drug?

"Okay, all done."

More than fifteen minutes later, Mobius received the freshly pressed pills. Of course, these were not the same materials that Elysia had been given at the beginning, but rather a more potent medicine.

After all, if the same mood-stabilizing medicine had been given to Ling Xi, it might have actually led to someone's death. This is no joke. Ling Xi is, after all, a human who has fused with the genes of Honkai Beast, and her body can no longer be used as a reference for normal humans.

So, Mobius ultimately changed his strategy and decided to use it on his best friend. Besides, Ling Xi still had the side effects of the Sasha Gene; she would react just by looking at Elysia, so he probably wouldn't need to use this thing.

"Does this thing really work?"

Elysia seemed somewhat curious as she watched Mobius prepare ten pills.

"Of course it does, and it's... remarkably effective."

Mobius smiled slightly and said, "Do you know why in martial arts novels, most poisons have antidotes, but this one doesn't?"

"Um... it must have been something the author forced in order to advance the plot, right?"

While stroking her chin, Elysia said thoughtfully, "After all, most struggling authors are broke and single, so they don't know how to write romance. When they run into a writing slump, they just have a villain drug the female lead, and then the male lead appears, and that's how the plot moves forward."

"Well... I don't deny that this element exists, but this setting also has a scientific basis."

Mobius rubbed his forehead and laughed, "Because poison is poison, most of them are chemical toxins that target human blood and cells, and it's easy to find a solution for that. But... this drug isn't poison, it's just a molecule that can directly affect the activity of the dopamine neurotransmitter. As for what dopamine is, I won't explain, you should know very well."

"For example, the [large double bed] works on this principle, bypassing the normal pathway and directly acting on the release of dopamine, giving humans unparalleled pleasure. The drug I have is essentially a temporary addiction that makes the user feel addicted to something, and there is currently no way to suppress it with medication. In addition, the residual chemical molecules will have some side effects, such as..."

Mobius blinked and chuckled, "You'll like this kind of thing even more. Of course, the effect will completely disappear in less than a week. Elysia, would you like to try one?"

Elysia: "..." What the hell is this "try it out"?