118 Aponia thought
A few weeks later, Inside the Schicksal organization, in Schicksal Lab 3.
This lab has the task of understanding one of the Second Herrscher gems, the Gem of Serenity.
The Gem of Serenity is a Herrscher core that has the ability to manipulate matter. In other words, it can manipulate life and death.
In the Lab, several scientists were seen taking notes while looking at the object in front of them.
The object was a tube containing a young girl.
A girl who looks about the same age as Kouro.
["Test subject 526... Valkyrie rank-A, Lin. "]
["Vital signs are stable. "]
["Experiment initiated, sending Gem of Serenity to subject. "]
Outside the Lab was Otto who was looking into the Lab that was bordered by special glass while speaking to an elderly scientist to his left.
"Steady as she goes, Dr. Magi. So far it's still looking good. "
Otto glanced at Dr. Magi, who looked very anxiously at the tube containing the young girl.
"You seem more worried and sweaty than usual. Compared to last month's experiment that killed 5 young Valkyries who took the test."
"If I remember correctly, back then you remained calm and cold as ice, and you even asked for more test subjects to continue this experiment. "
It could be seen that Dr. Magi was bowed slightly with her eyes looking down with a determined expression mixed with sadness.
"Oh, right, I think I know why you have that expression. Test subject 526 is your own granddaughter. "
Otto shook his head slightly and continued. "Tsk, Tsk, Dr. Magi you are being too selfish, those 5 young Valkyries who were killed may also have families, but you don't care at all when they die. "
"Oh, and as a reminder, Lin volunteered to undergo this test. "
Otto looked at the girl on the tube and spoke casually. "She's a really kind and brave girl and her records are decent too... Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything so that she could participate in this experiment. "
"I only told her that revealing the secrets of Herrscher's core will help us fight Honkai and protect humanity-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, OVERSEER! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE OF THIS!"
Dr. Magi shouted, his mind seemed to have been shaken by Otto's words.
Seeing that, Otto simply shrugged his shoulders and said casually, "Fine, Dr. Magi, calm down. I'll be quiet and keep my role as the Observer in this experiment."
Otto then glanced to the right slightly and then spoke in a slightly surprised tone, "I didn't expect you to come with me to watch this experiment. "
"... "
He seemed to be talking to himself, but actually no, he was currently talking to Ashborn who was beside his right.
Although Ashborn was beside Otto, he was not noticed by Dr. Magi, no, not even the rest of the researchers in the laboratory.
If it wasn't for him deliberately showing himself to Otto, he would definitely not be noticed by everyone in this Lab.
"I thought, you wouldn't be interested in this Herrscher core because you already have something stronger than that. "
"Anyone would be interested in power, Otto. Especially power that can manipulate life and death."
'Although I know that Otto conducted this experiment to be able to use the power of the Gem of Serenity to revive Kallen.'
Ashborn felt pessimistic about this, 'But... That's impossible, because without the same soul, even if Otto managed to revive Kallen, the Kallen he revived would be a different person, even if she inherited all her memories.'
Ashborn looked lost in thought as if remembering something before refocusing and looking ahead.
Ashborn and Otto did not speak anymore as they focused on the experiment in front of them, albeit with different goals.
["The core has been released. Experiment begins. "]
The small robotic hand inside the tube holding the Gem of Serenity then released the gem and left it alone.
*SHEEN*
["The core is moving closer to the subject's body." ]
The gem then entered Lin's chest before glowing.
Otto, who saw that, then said with a happy smile, "Look! She's starting to take that Gem of Serenity!"
["Gem fusion has reached 5.3%"]
The stigmata marks began to appear on Lin's chest.
["Gem fusion has reached 7.2%"]
["Gem fusion has reached 10.4%"]
"We almost made it! Time to unleash the true power of the Herrscher of Death! I hereby-"
Ashborn quickly interrupted, "Don't get excited Otto, you need to be calm, and as an Overseer and researcher you should always be prepared for the worst. "
Otto knew his previous performance was embarrassing, so he quickly calmed down and cleared his throat.
"Ahem! I'm sorry, you were right. "
And sure enough -
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
["Warning! Abnormalities in gem fusion have been detected. "]
["Honkai's energy concentration level has exceeded the maximum limit. "]
["Subject is losing her physical integrity... ]
* Crack!*
The glass of the tube began to crack before it completely shattered, expelling Lin from inside the tube.
Lin staggered around clutching her right wrist, which gradually disintegrated into black dust.
The scientist who was hit by the black dust had the same fate as Lin.
"AHH! My hand! My hand is gone!"
"Help!"
"KYAA!"
The scientists quickly went to the exit but they couldn't open it.
["Level 2 emergency detected."]
["Lockdown measures initiated."]
["Lab 3 staff please calm down and wait for further assistance."]
Otto looked at the chaos calmly and muttered, "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. "
The special glass protected him from the black dust.
He then began to analyze the power of this Herrscher gem.
"Hmm... Vapor of Serenity, Pristine condensed Honkai. It accelerates the aging of cells and is followed by the desiccation of dead tissue. This power is really similar to the Abyss Flower. "
Otto then turned to Lin who was currently walking towards them with the thickening black dust.
"We just witnessed the power of Death, but... Mhn? Ashborn?"
Otto realized that Ashborn was currently inside the Lab.
He saw Ashborn approaching Lin without caring if the black dust hit him.
The black dust was harmless to him as the power of the shadows protected him.
The shadow under Ashborn's feet enlarged before covering the entire Lab, the people who were currently screaming hysterically due to being hit by the black dust were silent as they suddenly felt a feeling of fear in their hearts.
Lin raised her head to stare at Ashborn, the violet eyes from behind his glowing mask reflecting her messy-looking self.
After staring at Ashborn's eyes in a daze for a moment, Lin then smiled sadly.
"What... Am I going to die? Are you here to kill me?"
"... "
"I-if I'm going to die... May I see my grandfather one last time... He must be feeling very sad about me leaving... Please... "
Lin said as she turned to look at her grandfather.
Ashborn just looked at her and only said a word.
"No."
"...I see. No, of course it has to be... I'm a very dangerous existence so I must be killed immediately. "
Lin closed her eyes filled with tears and calmed her trembling body, she put her fate into Ashborn's hands.
Ashborn could see that although Lin looked calm she was actually very afraid of dying.
She was just trying to be tough on the outside.
"NOOO!!!"
Dr. Magi who was outside with Otto hit the glass with both hands when he saw that.
Otto looked calm so no one knew what he was thinking.
Ashborn's hands were enveloped in shadow before turning into claws.
"...This won't hurt. "
*Stab! *
Ashborn's hand stabbed Lin's chest then took the gem of Serenity inside her chest.
The gem shone brightly in Ashborn's hand and shook rapidly before it was quickly enveloped by shadow and returned to normal.
Lin who didn't feel anything slowly opened her eyes.
She looked at the gem of Serenity in Ashborn's hand before staring back at her chest.
There was no wound at all, although her left hand had disappeared, her body had stopped producing black dust.
["Honkai's energy concentration has weakened. The core has been secured."]
["Initiate disabling the lockdown procedure."] Lin felt her legs weaken and fell down, she looked at Ashborn with a blank face.
Ashborn looked back at her and said calmly. "I refuse your request, because you are not dead. "
Lin who was still sitting stiffly suddenly burst into tears, not tears of sadness but tears of relief.
After all no matter what, Lin who was a Valkyrie was ultimately just a young girl.
All girls who had felt what it was like to almost die would definitely react like Lin.
Dr. Magi who saw the door had opened immediately ran towards Lin and hugged her while crying. "I'm sorry Lin! I'm sorry... "
Ashborn gave them a long look before saying. "...You're lucky old man, if it wasn't for me, your granddaughter would have died. You owe me. "
"Yes! Yes! Thank you very much!" Dr. Magi stood up and bowed his head to Ashborn.
Ashborn only glanced at them before walking out.
Seeing him going out, Lin stood up hobbledly and shouted. "Wait! Your name! May I know your name?"
Ashborn stopped and without looking back he said.
"...Sagaki. "
Lin seemed to faint after hearing his words, she seemed to have spent all her energy just to be able to hear the name of the person who saved her.
After saying that, Ashborn went to see Otto and gave him the Gem of Serenity that he had placed in a small box made of Soulium.
Otto looked at the box for a moment before looking at Ashborn with some surprise.
"It's unusual that you would help someone. "
"Don't get me wrong, I helped her because I wanted something from her. "
"...", Otto looked at Ashborn with a strange look.
"What's with that look of yours? Hey! It's not like what you think. "
"I know, Ha ha ha, I was just joking. " Otto laughed a little.
Ashborn's hands were seen clenching into fists, "...If it wasn't for us being friends, I would've beaten you to death... "
Otto raised his hand in a gesture of surrender, "Sorry, sorry, tsk, tsk, you're just boring. "
He then looked at the box again and asked Ashborn in a low voice. "Looks like you have certain plans with this gem... "
"...Yes, and you don't have to worry about, it not going against your plans. "
"Good."
Ashborn glanced at the remaining scientists and whispered, "Otto, you know what you have to do. "
"Of course. "
Otto snapped his fingers and suddenly several feathers appeared from the void and hit all the heads of the remaining scientists except Dr. Magi and Lin.
Otto used Void Archives a Divine key whose power can transform into other objects, especially Divine keys.
Otto did not eliminate their memories, but only changed them slightly such as making them forget Ashborn's existence.
"Then I'll go. "
Ashborn exited the Lab and walked in the Corridor while thinking.
'Is this enough? Aponia... "
__
A few weeks ago.
"...Kouro..." Ashborn whispered.
Aponia and Ashborn stared at each other.
"... "
"... "
This went on for a few minutes before Aponia said to herself, "I see... No wonder the future I saw has changed. "
Aponia was one of the MANTIS who survived the previous era, but for some reason she chose to retire and build an orphanage with Raven.
Aponia was also the one who raised Ashborn as well as Sid.
She then looked back at him, "Then what is your purpose in coming to see me, Ashborn?"
Ashborn was silent for a long time before saying in a hoarse voice. "...Kouro... After he absorbed the gem he didn't change at all and was still an ordinary person... But a few years later he had tremendous power and it kept growing... Is that really normal?"
"...You stole that gem and betrayed the World Serpent organization ten years ago, just for the sake of curing your son's strange illness?"
Ashborn looked at Aponia with his eyes shining brightly. "Aponia... He is the only thing most precious to me. I...do not want to lose my family again and I will do anything to protect him. "
Aponia who heard Ashborn's words then closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.
"Didn't you also absorb the gem? Even you helped Sid to absorb the gem as well, perhaps your son probably just chose a healthy body over the power of shadow. "
Although Ashborn was slightly dissatisfied with the answer he did not say anything, he just quickly stood up to leave the room.
"Are you leaving soon?"
"I can't linger here, my energy concentration has been locked up for several years, if they knew I was here, Sid would definitely come after me right away. "
"Why don't you tell Sid your real reason for betraying the world serpent organization?"
"... " Ashborn was silent as he did not say anything.
Aponia looked at Ashborn's back before saying softly, "I have a suggestion for you, keep the future plot that I told you before, at least until the time Manila experiences the Honkai Eruption. "
Ashborn did not stop he let himself sink into the shadows.
Aponia seemed to be deep in thought, she seemed to be analyzing the information from Ashborn's words.
There was something she didn't tell Ashborn, the future had changed since the beginning.
She looked like that for several minutes before coming to a conclusion.
"I see... his resurrection is drawing near. "
The gem that they often mentioned was the last hope given by the Herrscher of Shadow.
Mobius thought the gem was also the only way to revive him.
that's why she made clones, in order to find a suitable body for the Herrscher of Shadow.
The gem was the core of the Herrscher of Shadow.
