Ling Xi immediately felt a little flustered, and his face suddenly reddened. What was Mobius... trying to do?
"Ling Xi..."
In the end, Mobius leaned her lips close to Ling Xi's ear, gently blew on it, and whispered with a smile, "Because you're by my side, aren't you? With you protecting me, I'm not afraid at all. Hehe..."
After saying that, Mobius quickly released Ling Xi's hand, poked her chin with one finger, and watched his reddened face with great interest.
Ling Xi: "..."
At that moment, Ling Xi was completely thrown into disarray. Had he just... been flirted with by the Doctor?
Thanks, Updates, and Some Explanations!
1: This book mainly focuses on the characters and plot. As for Honkai-related settings, please don't get too hung up on whether they are accurate or not. Even the official side hasn't given detailed explanations, so just treat this book as the standard!
2: This is simply a light and easygoing novel. Unless my understanding is wrong, there definitely won't be any brain-dead or disgusting plotlines. And I guarantee there will be no tragedies, so read with confidence!
3: Since there aren't many stories about the Pre-Collapse Civilization, there will naturally be some changes and original content, but I'll try my best to stay close to the original setting!
Update Notice: Two updates daily. One extra chapter for every 2,500 recommendation votes, 100 tips, or 100 blades. It will be posted immediately or the next day, and won't be delayed until after premium release! (Though due to my typing speed, there will be a limit of five extra chapters before premium release. Any more... we'll discuss that later!)
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Lastly, thanks to @Dream Feather@Shadow Spring@?Hua@Because It's Me~@""Herrscher Sirin@In the Name of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung@Folded Corner of a Blank Page@Eight Reverences@The Story Begins That Year@Menma Is Number One in the World@Valentine's Limited Kiana@Good Citizen Accelerator@Cooked Food@Idler Yakumo Yukari@Willow Sun@Moon Lotus@The Good Show Has Begun@Bai Chi@Reading Is Happiness@Xue Yu, People Laugh^O^Ascetic Practice, Yao Yao Drunk Love, Book Guest 75784667179, Israeli Boxing King, Junko Pure Mama, Book Guest 52698510387, and all the other generous readers for your tips and blades. Thank you so much!
And thank you all for your monthly votes and recommendation votes as well. I'm truly very grateful!
The Ciliate Was Still Waiting...
By the time Ling Xi came back to his senses, Mobius had already put her gloves back on and resumed studying her Dishi, leaving behind only a rather dazed Ling Xi...
Ling Xi: "..." Damn it!
Ling Xi had wanted to do something to show that he had dignity too, but... seeing Mobius seriously studying the Dishi, he decided to forget it. He would wait until next time. After all, disturbing the Doctor during an experiment was a major taboo...
As for the protection Mobius had mentioned just now, protecting her was naturally part of his duty...
Wait, hadn't he been telling himself just a few days ago that he had to hide his strength and work hard at becoming a researcher? Yet now...
Ahem, well, as a researcher, accidents were inevitable during experiments. For example... summoning a Honkai Beast or a Dishi during an experiment. Normal researchers could easily get hurt in situations like that, so...
It was perfectly reasonable for a researcher like him to have a little combat ability for self-defense, wasn't it?
Besides, this time he had acted for the sake of his Doctor. He had no choice but to intervene. And Mobius had helped him conceal the matter too, so it probably wasn't a big problem!
But this was definitely the last time. If another Honkai outbreak happened in the future, he absolutely would not act, no matter what. The Flame-Chasing Moths' army could deal with Honkai Beasts anyway.
But he definitely would not act again in the future, unless...
Unless Mobius, Klein, or the others were in danger and he had no choice but to act. And there was also Seele. If Seele was in danger, he definitely couldn't stand by and do nothing. After all, Seele was...
"Mm, Seele..."
When Seele was mentioned, Ling Xi suddenly remembered something. What had he been supposed to do at noon today? It seemed like...
Yesterday, he seemed to have agreed to meet Seele at their usual spot at noon today. And now...
Ling Xi hurriedly checked the time. 13:07!
Ling Xi: "..."
This time... he was screwed!
Only then did Ling Xi remember his promise with Seele. This was bad, bad, bad. Seele would definitely be angry.
"Um, Doctor, I suddenly remembered I have something to do. Can I go back to school for a while?"
Ling Xi decisively asked Mobius for leave. Although it was already past one, what if that girl was still there? This was his chance to salvage things, even if... that chance was very slim.
"Mm, go ahead."
Mobius agreed without hesitation and waved him off. She was busy dissecting and studying the Dishi right now, and Ling Xi couldn't help much by staying there anyway, so she readily agreed.
"See you tonight, Doctor!"
After calling out a farewell, Ling Xi immediately slipped away...
"Hehehehe..."
After Ling Xi left, Mobius hummed an unknown tune while observing the cellular changes in the corpse after it had turned into a Dishi under an electron microscope.
"Doctor, there's something I think you should know."
Suddenly, Klein walked in with a document in her hands.
"Mm?"
Mobius paused, then turned directly toward Klein. "Klein, what is it this time?"
"It's about Ling Xi's cells."
Klein handed the document to Mobius. "The day before yesterday, we extracted various cells from Ling Xi and began different observations and experiments according to your arrangements. Then yesterday, didn't you also set up several group experiments? There were five groups for Honkai radiation experiments and five groups for cultivation experiments."
"Alright, alright, Klein. Just tell me the results."
Mobius interrupted Klein. There was no need to repeat things she already knew. She only wanted the results.
"All five groups of cells in the cultivation experiments failed. Even after adding catalysts, there were still no signs of cellular division or proliferation."
Klein reported the conclusion to Mobius.
"Mm... It's a little strange, but still within reason."
Mobius did not react much.
"The experiments involving the five groups of cloned cells also all failed."
Klein continued describing the results.
"Mm... Go on."
Mobius merely frowned, without saying much else.
"The other observation groups showed nothing unusual, but the last five groups were the Honkai radiation experiments..."
Klein took out another document. "All five groups of cells died directly."
"All died?"
Mobius seemed to become a little interested. "How is that possible? When normal human cells receive Honkai radiation, they usually mutate first. Although many die after mutation, normally only a small number of aged cells should die immediately, right?"
"Yes."
Klein nodded again. "Also, the characteristics of the cell deaths were all the same. Their cell membranes ruptured, causing them to die. But I think..."
Klein hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "Doctor, I don't think they died because their cell membranes ruptured. Rather... some sort of force surged out from inside the cells, making them unable to withstand it. In the end, they burst apart and died."
"Mm..."
Mobius rubbed her chin in thought. "When were the radiation experiments conducted?"
"The radiation experiments began at eight last night. At first, only Groups One and Two were tested, with a radiation level of 0.5 HW. Groups Three and Four were tested at eight this morning, with a radiation level of 5 HW. The cells in the first four groups were all normal. Then, at noon today, the new experiment began. Following your instructions, I sent all five groups of cells into the sealed observation room and directly used Honkai Energy at a level of 25 HW for the radiation experiment, and then..."
Klein continued flipping through the log. "The five groups of cells began the radiation experiment at 11:20 today, and all died at 11:25. I originally wanted to immediately collect the data and report the conclusion to you, Doctor, but before I could record anything, the Honkai outbreak happened. That's why it was delayed until now."
"Wait..."
Mobius suddenly seemed to realize something. "Klein, when did the Honkai outbreak occur?"
"According to the institute's monitoring data, the Honkai outbreak occurred at 11:26:37 Far East time!"
Klein gave the answer professionally.
Mobius: "..."
Could this... be a coincidence? Or perhaps...
That couldn't be possible, right?
Mobius shook her head, feeling that her guess was far too absurd. The small amount of Honkai Energy fragments used in her laboratory could only produce a maximum radiation level of 50 HW. How could they possibly create a Honkai outbreak like the one earlier? The radiation level of that outbreak had reached 100 HW. The difference in radiation alone was a full twofold!
So, it was probably just a coincidence.
Of course, verifying it would be simple. They only needed to perform the same experiment again. But...
Forget it. Ling Xi was not around right now, so she should be a little more cautious. There was no rush to conduct the experiment until Ling Xi returned. Otherwise, if things really went wrong, it would be awkward.
The Doctor's Sinful Heart!
Meanwhile, beside the bakery at the school entrance, Ling Xi looked at the empty patch of ground outside the shop and began thinking about what to do next. Yesterday should have been the first time Seele had taken the initiative to invite him out. Although it had only been for lunch together, still...
He had broken the appointment!
How was he supposed to explain things to Seele tomorrow? Tell her he was actually a superhero and had gone to save the world yesterday?
Ling Xi: "..." Forget it. That probably wouldn't fool even a Ciliate.
"Ugh..."
In the end, Ling Xi could only sigh helplessly. This time... he could only wait until tomorrow. And besides...
Whether Seele would forgive him tomorrow was still uncertain...
As for today...
Although he had no classes in the afternoon, Ling Xi no longer wanted to go back to the laboratory. Mobius was dissecting a corpse right now. He did not object to what she was doing, but... it was creepy to watch!
He did not mind fighting or cutting people down. It wasn't as if he had never experienced that before, but...
Mobius was performing a dissection. She used a scalpel to cut open a corpse, then observed it little by little, studied it little by little. It was just... anyway, Ling Xi would not object, but he definitely did not like that kind of work!
That afternoon, Ling Xi received a call from Mobius saying it was time to leave. Naturally, Ling Xi immediately rushed to the institute. But just as he was about to enter...
Beep beep...
A small white sedan at the institute entrance honked. Then Mobius poked her head out from the driver's seat and called with a smile, "Ling Xi, over here."
Ling Xi: "..." So Mobius owned a car too.
Uh, though that was normal. Given Mobius's wealth, it would be stranger if she did not have a car.
Ling Xi got directly into the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. Then Mobius started the car and set off!
"Where's Klein?"
Ling Xi casually asked about Klein. Hadn't Mobius said that Klein usually accompanied her? Why was she nowhere to be seen today?
"I had Klein stay behind at the laboratory. After all, some observation experiments need someone watching them."
While driving, Mobius smiled and said, "Besides, it wouldn't be good to keep making Cangxuan work overtime."
Ling Xi: "..."
"This car of yours is pretty nice, Doctor."
Ling Xi looked around the car's interior. It practically radiated wealth. It was probably... expensive.
"Mm, it's alright. Someone else gave it to me."
Mobius smiled casually. "If you want it, I can give it to you too."
"Uh... I'll pass. If you give it to me, what will you do when you need to go out in the future?"
Of course Ling Xi could not agree. The car was far too valuable, and he had done nothing to deserve it.
"Hehe, if I give it to you, then I'll just look for you whenever I need to go out."
Mobius smiled again. "Klein used to drive whenever we went out. I'm a little unused to driving after only doing it occasionally. Compared to driving, I'd rather ride in a car."
Ling Xi: "..." She said she was giving him a car, but she really just wanted a free driver, didn't she?
After that, the two chatted about some everyday topics, such as Mobius teasing Klein, or how Mobius deliberately made things difficult for Klein and Klein could do nothing about it. Anyway...
When it came to making people work like dogs, Mobius was quite experienced.
Before you continue