Inside the research institute's core conference room.
More than a dozen men and women in standard matte-silver uniforms sat around a circular silver conference table.
They sat perfectly upright and motionless, like exquisite yet lifeless dolls.
The floating holographic screen at the center displayed the chaotic battle outside the institute in real time.
Bai Ye and the others were fighting five of the Ten Kings. The battle was perilous and devastating, yet everyone seated at the table remained expressionless from beginning to end, as if they did not care about the conflict outside at all.
"What do you all think?" asked the silver-haired old man at the head of the table calmly.
"Director, there is no need to worry. Every year, some powerful people from the Cataclysm Era fall into the Heart Abyss. Their individual combat strength may be formidable, but their technological level is far too backward, and they are suppressed by the Heart Abyss. They pose no threat whatsoever."
A red-haired man spoke indifferently.
"Indeed. These barbarians simply do not understand the gap between us. The generational difference between civilizations cannot be bridged by individual strength. These people are no different from the Transcendent powerhouses of the past, except perhaps a little stronger. That is all."
The purple-haired woman on the left added calmly, "I suggest we lift the restrictions on the test subjects and allow them to undergo Abyssification."
"Approved." The silver-haired old man, the director of Shelter 189, agreed to their proposal with concise finality.
"Ziyuan, go oversee the battle. I'll leave this minor matter to you. Remember to spare their lives. The institute has been running short on test subjects lately."
"Yes, Director." Ziyuan nodded calmly, and then her figure faded away from her seat.
The director then shut off the holographic projection and no