I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 72: Type

He slept until noon the next day. When Ryan awoke, Mobius was gone; he tasted something unusual in his mouth.

Ryan smacked his lips, stretching his aching back, noticing the trash and muttering about her laziness.

He reluctantly cleaned up the mess, then looked at the 20,000-Euro sofa; he felt it was worth it.

Damn it, I fell for her trick again; she enjoyed herself, but I got the benefits.

Ryan quickly adjusted his logic, putting on a white lab coat and heading to the lab. Mobius was eating bread and reviewing data; her expression was unchanged.

That was Mobius's ability; she never felt embarrassed or shy. It wasn't as if they'd watched a romantic movie.

"You're awake?"

"Yes, thanks for not shocking me while I slept." Ryan raised his hand, accepting the offered coffee; he took a large gulp. "Much better. I don't know why, but my mouth tasted strange this morning."

Mobius turned her head, her hair partially obscuring her expression. After a long pause, she spoke. "The movie last night was good; very exciting."

"Good. I thought you'd complain about wasted time. Working on something for too long without a break is boring." Ryan went to the operating table, concentrating Honkai energy to begin work.

"We've practically shared a bed; can you grant me a request?"

"Speak."

"Stop looking at me with that strange gaze. It's irritating. You know, that look."

The woman stood beside him, hand on her hip, a warm smile on her face. "I'm admiring a treasure. You won't reveal your secrets, so I can only observe."

Right, ruthless indifference.

Ryan rubbed his temples, irritated. "So, what have you observed?"

"From unfamiliar to proficient; you're mastering the power step by step; a beautiful evolution; each day refines my hypotheses, leading to constant progress." Mobius spread her hands, as if his plan had failed, prompting a hypothesis in Ryan.

If I were to wildly flirt with you, would you transform from excited to shy?

Probably not. Mobius's nature was unchanging, regardless of his actions.

Ryan rubbed his forehead; he couldn't do anything about her; he had to get serious.

"Your observation is indeed thorough; you've noticed my progress."

Ryan wasn't surprised; this was the price of honing his power. Given their current relationship, concealment was pointless.

A gentle hand brushed against the horn; the fragment from the Emperor-Class Honkai Beast, like suet, was sliced through; its superior hardness offered no resistance.

"The Herrscher of Thunder's Authority lies in manipulating electromagnetic fields; dissect it to understand its structure; combine it to control its form; there are countless applications."

His month-long research had significantly advanced the warrior fusion project; he'd also begun to understand the power; electricity was merely a superficial manifestation; the underlying principles were far more profound.

He wasn't like the Third Herrscher, relying solely on instinct. Electromagnetic fields were profound; manipulation was difficult and extremely energy-intensive.

Returning to the present, Ryan found Mobius's persistence irritating. He couldn't tell her she couldn't learn it; she wouldn't believe him; he tapped the table.

"You keep trying to devour me. Don't you want to consider the next step? I've prepared the initial test subjects, but Emperor-Class subjects are too stimulating for humans."

Mobius snapped back to attention; this infuriating man was teasing her without revealing his secrets. Before probing his secrets, she had to complete the warrior fusion project.

What if she one day surpassed him? She could pin him down and force the answers, taking revenge.

With these malicious thoughts, Mobius went to the test subject, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "The MR-003 multiplier underwent animal testing; the success rate was less than 3%; applying it to humans yields around 5%. It requires a highly adaptable vector; Low-Rank Honkai Beast genes achieve 60%; that's sufficient for submission."

The experimental progress was also related to Fire Moth's support; the Council had extensively debated it; they were willing to consider "warrior fusion" as a fallback option, something to use if humanity faced imminent extinction.

This minimized their "guilt" and shifted responsibility; the timing wasn't their concern.

Low-Rank Honkai Beast-created warriors weren't powerful, but they had low vector requirements and could be mass-produced.

"But aside from boosting morale, they're insignificant against Herrschers."

"Ha ha, two hundred fusion warriors could overwhelm the Third Herrscher."

"Who says the Third Herrscher is the limit?"

Mobius was momentarily stunned; she didn't argue; after observing him, she realized Ryan was the person who understood Herrschers best on Earth.

"You want me to delete some data? It's too dangerous for you."

Ryan glanced at her, surprised by her concern. Did the massage work?

She was right; the warrior fusion project only strengthened Fire Moth, not him or Elysia.

"No need. If they dared to steal it, you can't hide it. I'm curious what they can create with the initial data." Ryan ultimately shook his head. Identifying the enemy was important; more power against the Honkai was good. Fire Moth might not use it unless things got desperate.

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"By the way, what's Kevin's success rate?"

"He's better; around 8%." Mobius admitted freely to using Kevin's blood sample for experiments.

Only 8%? Typical Kevin; his protagonist aura is strong.

Ryan shook his head wryly. With his participation, the warrior fusion project had progressed rapidly; it was much stronger than in the original timeline but still incomplete.

For Mei, he'd gambled and won; who could explain that?

"The low success rate is secondary; the key is the severe side effects; the Honkai energy interference is unavoidable; it's just not that terrifying."

"Can it be eliminated?"

Mobius rolled her eyes. "I'm not a god; improvements must build on successful models. Don't worry; once the success rate reaches 20%, I'll start human testing."

"Using Kevin?" Ryan frowned.

"Of course, me. There's no existential threat; there's no need to create a super-soldier rashly."

Ryan felt a surge of respect; Mobius, though eccentric, was selfless, far better than those who preached selflessness while sacrificing others.

He paused, then said, "Give me a blood sample; check my success rate. Don't think I'm moved; I have other plans."

Huh? He offered his blood? Excellent; now they have enough samples.

Mobius clenched her fist, forcing herself to sound casual. "What plans?"

"After the last battle, I noticed that after breaking through the Honkai energy barrier, the Herrscher's bodies were extremely weak. If we could strengthen their bodies..."

Ryan didn't hide his intentions; it was his third reason for coming to Mu Continent. Super-regeneration, resurrection, anything that would enhance combat capabilities.

The warrior fusion process had a degree of randomness, like drawing gacha; the desired ability wasn't guaranteed, especially given the side effects; he didn't want to end up like Kevin.

"But it's just a trial; I don't want to be a guinea pig before the technology matures."

"Deal. Come with me!"

As if fearing Ryan might change his mind, Mobius dragged him away, hurrying to her break room and pushing him onto a chair.

"Wait, I'll be right back."

Was that really necessary?

Ryan finally regained his composure; he knew Mobius had been secretly collecting his hair and nails for research. Now, she finally had enough; his change of attitude had given her hope.

I wonder what she can research.

He snorted, curiously examining the room. This was Ryan's first time here; it lacked any feminine charm.

The furnishings were minimal—a bookcase, a chair, and a single bed. Mobius clearly hadn't spent time cleaning; the bed was unmade; socks were strewn around; some lingerie and jackets hung on the wall.

Few clothes, many socks—black, gray, knee-high, and ankle socks.

This woman clearly didn't care about quality of life.

Ryan snorted, straightening the bed and neatly organizing her clothes and socks. The smooth texture of the socks made him linger a moment, sparking his curiosity.

"Strange; those clothes are cheap, yet the socks are expensive."

"Because they're to your liking."

A sarcastic voice came from the doorway. Ryan turned to see Mobius standing there, watching with amusement.

"How dare you accuse me of indecent behavior?"

"Ha ha, I wonder who likes to stare at people's legs? Yesterday, you kept touching them. Do you think I didn't notice?" Mobius sauntered over, placing a syringe and other items on the table. "Shall we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" Ryan glanced at the table; she'd chosen the largest blood bag.

"I give you a pair of socks; you let me take two blood samples. Don't worry; they're disposable; it's a fair exchange."

Me...?

Ryan stared, dumbfounded, at Mobius; she looked like she hadn't woken up yet; he almost choked.

"Fine, I'll stuff a pair into your mouth!"