"One new ingredient... Two new ingredients... Three new ingredients! As expected of this new era, filled with fascinating novelties - I'm absolutely thrilled!"
"Waaaah! Doctor! Let go of me!"
In the living room, by the tea table, Mobius knelt on the floor, hugging the helpless Klein tightly. Her eyes gleaming, she mercilessly pinched Klein's chubby cheeks, completely oblivious to Klein's struggling short limbs.
"Chaa..."
Zeke, legs crossed, took a sip from his cup and glanced at Fu Hua as she refilled it.
"Mind control? A combination of abilities and Fenghuang Down?"
"It also incorporates some personal insights. Caught off guard, few would easily discern through it."
"Well done, deserving of praise indeed."
"Thank you for your gracious commendation."
A strand of gray hair gracefully fell beside her ear, gently swaying with each nod of Fu Hua's head. She smiled modestly, her eyes shimmering like starlit skies.
With a sidelong glance, Zeke said,
"Release them now."
"Yes, sir."
Fu Hua shifted her gaze towards Mobius nearby, forming a lotus gesture with her hands and pointing subtly at Mobius.
"Munch munch... Hmm!"
Lying on the ground, Mobius held Klein's tiny body and gently nibbled at her cheeks before suddenly shivering.
"Huh?!"
Staring at Klein, whose eyes seemed utterly hopeless as her face was being gnawed upon, Mobius froze momentarily.
Then she sat up with Klein still in hand, weighing the girl's body lightly before cradling her like a baby. As she stroked Klein, she pondered aloud:
"Was it hypnosis? No, not just physiological illusions—it's confusion at the conscious level... Could this be the Herrscher of Sentience's ability?"
Still contemplating, Mobius adjusted Klein higher and resumed biting her cheek.
"Doctor, you should be fully awake now, right?"
"I am."
"Why do you keep biting me?"
"No bubble wrap around, and your skin tastes quite nice."
"...Alright then."
Klein's expression remained blank, hands dangling limply without any sign of resistance. If that was Dr. Mobius's will, Klein figured there was no point in objecting.
After playfully nibbling for some time, Mobius turned to Fu Hua, who wore an apologetic smile, and narrowed her eyes.
"Well done, Hua! Your tricks have certainly evolved—even I fell for them... Now let me examine your body!"
It seemed like Mobius wasn't angry.
In truth, she was, but compared to her boredom, Fu Hua's body clearly held more interest for Dr. Mobius.
Mobius had lofty ambitions; nothing mattered more to her than exploring the evolution of life—at least, that's what she believed herself.
"Give it up. Her path is different from ours. Through meditation and spiritual cultivation, she has developed an abstract model governing Honkai Energy within her mental world. It's unique to her alone—difficult to express or replicate through other means. If you must draw parallels, have your studies on Divine Sound yielded any significant results?" Zeke set down his teacup, watching as Fu Hua elegantly poured tea with poised grace. He spoke candidly and matter-of-factly.
If conventional research methods could have sufficed, Otto would have dissected Fu Hua long ago—or perhaps he already did, just without notable success. Similarly, Zeke likely couldn't resist the allure of Void Sword Divinity and may have conducted thorough examinations himself.
The fact that Fu Hua remained unaffected by such experiences suggests this phenomenon truly defied scientific explanation.
Mobius continued kneading Klein's cheeks, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
"Divine... Sound? Mei's unexpected discovery during her Soulium research—the technology to control Honkai Energy using mental resonance? Indeed, it's quite abstract. If not for Dr. Mei presenting it and establishing a logical framework that checks out, I would've dismissed it as a joke."
Mobius pondered, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Fu Hua—according to her knowledge, Fu Hua seemed to be one of the rare MANTIS warriors who mastered Divine Sound.
However, in the previous era, even with mastery of Divine Sound, the resulting combat enhancement was negligible at best, leading few to value this technique seriously.
"At least for now, aside from some studies related to the Knowledge Authority, I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on Fu Hua. It's akin to delving into mysticism," Zeke advised sincerely while placing a cup of clear tea before Mobius.
Mobius picked up the teacup, pried open Klein's mouth, and fed her despite her resisting glances and flailing hands, all while saying:
"Tsk... Regardless, I want her blood!"
"She currently has a body of Soul Steel; her true physical form resides within that husky over there." Zeke pointed towards Senti, rapidly munching on cookies nearby.
Senti looked up, cheeks bulging as she chewed, and mumbled indistinctly: "Fiendgod's curse?"
Naturally, no one bothered to respond to her.
Mobius directed her gaze solely at Zeke, the one with true decision-making power, and said, "Then I want both sides! Who knows which is more unique—her body or consciousness?"
"Keep it within bounds; you have only one week."
Zeke looked back at Mobius and casually placed two metal test tubes containing blood samples into her hands. As a fellow mad scientist, he had prepared samples of Fu Hua and Senti's blood.
Fu Hua's lips twitched as she shot a resentful glance at Zeke. Ultimately, she could only sigh and bow her head, feeling helpless against this situation.
"It's just for creating compatible bodies of Soul Steel on short notice," Zeke reassured Fu Hua, addressing what he believed was her primary concern. "I've long stopped any related research. Rest assured, the week mainly allows her time to relinquish control and adjust to the new environment. She won't accomplish anything significant."
"Hmph!"
Mobius continued to force-feed Klein tea, letting out a cold snort, expressing her defiance. If others couldn't achieve it, that didn't mean she, Mobius, couldn't either. Only those who surpass limitations are true geniuses!
Naturally, after displaying her discontent, she swiftly pinched poor Klein's face with delight, laughing heartily.
"Ha ha ha! As expected from this new era, it's already given me an incredible surprise on day one. I'm increasingly eager for what lies ahead! Zeke, you better brace yourself for my evolution!"
Mobius licked her glossy pink lips, her vertical pupils fixed intently on Zeke, exuding a chilling aura typical of cold-blooded creatures—clearly, her obsession with obtaining his body remained unabated.
"Do your best to work quickly; I can switch bodies anytime," Zeke responded nonchalantly.
If Mobius could manage her own evolutionary pursuits amidst the demanding workload he planned, rewarding her with a new body would indeed be warranted.
Meanwhile, at another corner of the blue planet...
A landscape once covered by flowing lava was now blanketed with spreading ice, adorned by elegant diamond-shaped snowflakes drifting onto the remnants of fortunate Honkai Beast carcasses.
Su rubbed his chin, squinting as he leaned down to examine a massive clawed foot.
"The size, strength, and frequency have significantly increased; is this era about to face its true test?"
He let out a long sigh, filled with both awe and inevitable concern.
Treading through the wind-blown snow, Kevin approached Su step by step.
"We just need to do what we can. Humanity will undoubtedly triumph over Honkai!"
"Yes, they will... But hopefully not through Project Stigma."
"That depends on how far this era can progress."
"If Zeke falls first in battle, you'll execute the plan, right? However, I suspect he's more likely to place us on the front lines first. If anyone dies, it'd probably be before him," Su said with a smile, leaving Kevin momentarily speechless.
Logically, most people would act similarly—sending unpredictable elements ahead to gauge the situation, without much regret if they perished.
Undoubtedly, Kevin was currently the biggest wild card, and he was well aware of it.
"Mm-hmm, Zeke is both twisted and incredibly cunning. He'll definitely send Kevin to his doom first; there's no doubt about that."
"Yes, yes, exactly as you said... Wait, Elysia?!?"
At that moment, Su's eyes widened significantly.
Even Kevin looked up momentarily, blinking before turning back to gaze at the source of the voice.
A mesmerizing peach blossom stood behind them—a charming pink-haired girl smiling gleefully. She raised her hand, wiggled her fingers, and cheerfully greeted them:
"Long time no see, Kevin, Su."