011. Humanitarian

Regarding the Professor's words, Li Aozi neither agreed nor disagreed. On the surface, he appeared sceptical, but in reality, his view of the Professor and the entire Mingji Humanitarian Rescue Organization was not very favorable.

Before being brought to the Professor, he had already been injected with various doses of drugs and had undergone three hours of interrogation, but none of these were a big deal for Li Aozi.

Although he was not a Transcendent, his Charm Value was high. A few hits and a bit more pitiful acting to release just a few words would convince the other party of their truthfulness.

However, facing drugs like the Truth Serum, Li Aozi had no way out; he could only bite his tongue to prevent himself from revealing the truth.

Actually, if Li Aozi had opened his Faction panel at that moment, he believed the Professor's favorability toward him would not be too low.

The best thing about the Charm attribute is its indiscriminate effect on the chosen targets, whether they are Elemental Creatures, mechanical life forms, or Void Hunters. If your Charm is high enough, they tend to enjoy being with you more.

Yet to gain the other's trust, Li Aozi deliberately hesitated before asking the Professor,

"Ersha, what exactly is it?"

"To answer that question—I first need to ask how much you know about Arcane Energy."

"Is there a connection?" Li Aozi feigned confusion.

"The connection is significant."

The Professor adjusted his glasses and patiently explained:

"You should know that before the Galactic Era, in what was known as the Old Era, the people of Azure Star did not possess Arcane Energy, nor were there Martial Artists or Spirit Mediums, those beings beyond the average. Humans greeted each other with nuclear weapons, living under the shadows and panic of nuclear war, but the existence of mutually assured destruction nearly prevented the outbreak of full-scale wars between them."

"It is somewhat ironic, the most peaceful period of human civilization was actually on the brink of global destruction."

"However, all this was predicated on the basis of 'civilization collapsing due to a nuclear war outbreak.'

"A historian philosopher once said: Weapons determine the pattern of wars. At a certain point in time, humanity tapped into powers more sinfully potent than nuclear weapons."

The Professor paused, then suddenly asked:

"Mr. Patient, what is your view on superhumans?"

Li Aozi, sensing something, immediately answered according to the script in his mind:

"Superhumans are still individuals who still require the support of a group to nurture and support them, but the appearance of a large number of superhumans could pose a significant challenge to social order. The class gaps that could be bridged through knowledge and education will become harder to cross in the future."

The Professor nodded, slightly surprised:

"Should I say it's no surprise that a civilized person who took the initiative to flee to the Outer World is indeed extraordinary?"

"The children of superhumans will continue to be superhumans and will be more stable than conglomerates and royal families."

"Therefore, even if there are lower-class individuals who change their fate through the power of superhumans immediately, their descendants will still become rulers of the monopolistic hierarchy, perhaps even more so than before."

At this point, the Professor looked at him:

"The essence behind changes in warfare patterns, hierarchical shifts, and monumental changes in world order—all stem from the appearance of Transcendents."

"Transcendents can infiltrate deep into cities, create terror attacks, assassinate corporate executives, government officials, or even cause natural disasters."

"Such superhumans, once they appear, disrupt the old stability and ultimately weaken the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence. With their assassinations and sabotages, the national elites begin waging wars recklessly, no longer valuing peace."

"The final outcome—is the world as it is today."

"So, what led to the emergence of the Transcendents?"

"I think you might have already guessed."

Li Aozi said gravely:

"Ersha."

The Professor sighed:

"Yes, it's all due to Ersha."

"Although no one has ever pointed out exactly what those red and black substances in the sky are, without a doubt, from the moment they appeared on Azure Star, Transcendents also appeared on the ground."

"Don't you find it coincidental?"

"Those who claim to have inherited a thousand years of Martial Way, who were obscure during the nuclear war era, but now, even as technology has advanced further, martial artists who rely solely on physical strength are overnight becoming Super Soldiers who can go behind enemy lines and take the heads of generals."

"Physical abilities that defy physics, Spirit Mediums and Sorcerers that were once considered feudal superstitions, and even Special Agent Organizations that are specifically formed to cultivate mental potential."

"These things have existed on Azure Star for less than three hundred years, and people have forgotten that they emerged almost overnight."

She pointed overhead and said:

"Just like… those red and black clouds. Bringing calamities and allowing evil spirits to roam free."

"So, you call that expanse of red and black clouds 'Ersha'?"

Li Aozi frowned; he had not personally experienced this task, and the other party's remarks surprised him.

It was not that they were shockingly bizarre… but that they were very close to the mark.

Although skeptical about the timing of their conclusions following their research method, Li Aozi did think the Professor's approach was correct.

He immediately raised the issue of the task's initiation:

"Do you think Ersha is a virus? Is that why it infected me?"

"Without a doubt, Ersha is an unprecedented virus."

The Professor said gravely:

"It is a nanovirus. Its diameter is only a few tenths of a nanometer, whereas typical viruses are usually more than 10 nanometers."

"Ersha undoubtedly comes from substances in the atmosphere, spreading through the air. It does not directly cause death. Patients with an infection level below Level 3 also do not exhibit obvious pathological characteristics."

"Yes, by your expression, you could probably guess."

"The reason why the Outer World still retains most of its living people is actually due to the effect of Ersha. It does not kill its host and, to some extent, as a smaller virus, it chooses to coexist with the host, killing other viruses and microbes—as such, generally, people infected with Ersha can almost be considered immune to all diseases."

Li Aozi nodded.

The existence of resistance movements, like Rose Army, in the Outer World, and their capability to confront the Four Nations controlling interstellar technology, naturally has a reason.

But then, the Professor shifted the conversation:

"However, once the infection level exceeds Level 3, the situation changes."

"As I mentioned earlier, the size of Ersha is very small, allowing it to enter the biological cell membrane and cell wall, directly targeting chromosomes and molecular structures."

"It kills the original chromosome fragments and then rapidly replicates itself, filling in the gaps."

"In this process, some individuals, because of changes to their molecular structure by Ersha, gain unprecedented extraordinary abilities, such as jumping farther, growing scales, or autonomously controlling bone growth."

"But most people are not so lucky."

"Most of the Level 3 Infected will experience genetic collapse, rapidly become deformed, age prematurely and die, or become unable to care for themselves, ultimately facing nothing but death."

"At Level 4, infected individuals undergo further changes."

"Some of them mutate even more thoroughly, even losing their human form, degenerating into inhuman monsters. They wander the Outer World, becoming terrifying beasts."

"Another portion of the Level 4 Infected, I boldly believe, are now the most common Transcendents in the world."

"Whether controlling the Martial Way's internal energy, manipulating natural laws with arcane energy, communicating and commanding spiritual bodies with spiritual power, or communicating with elements through magic, or even extracting power from machinery as Hunters, their bodies all show traces of Ersha."

"Looking at it any way, such a virus does not seem to be a naturally occurring entity. After years of research, I am more convinced than ever that this red-black Ersha Virus is not the work of nature."

As the Professor spoke, his expression became grave as he looked at Li Aozi:

"In other words, this is a creation beyond the limits of human technology. The technology and environmental levels currently available to humanity are completely incapable of creating such material. Its origin can only be from..."

The Professor did not specify the source explicitly, seeming somewhat cautious.

Li Aozi did not have such reservations. Seeing that the moment was right, he interjected:

"—from the abyss of the stars."

"The abyss of the stars... Heh, that is a fitting description."

The Professor looked at Li Aozi complicatedly:

"You are the only one we've observed who fits the profile of a Level 5 Infected."

"Though infected, you still retain your sanity, with strong tendencies for self-harm and hallucinations—these are traits not found in Level 4 Infected. According to research data and clinical reports, we've always believed there would appear Level 5 Infected, but it wasn't until today that you showed the potential to fit the criteria."

"...What do you want to do?"

"Mr. Li Aozi, you are very important."

The Professor said:

"Mingji is a humanitarian rescue organization that emphasizes the value of people, upholding human dignity and rights. Likewise, we oppose any form of coercion and forced control of human thoughts."

"Although your identity is important, perhaps even capable of altering the fate of all humanity, what we intend to do with you may not strictly conform to the standard principles of humanitarian practices."

"Simply put, we need you to cooperate with our research, which has important implications for the entire world and could even save the lives of billions in the Outer World."

"However, I must also warn you."

"During the experiment, in order to achieve our goals, there might be irreversible damage to your psychology and physiology, consequences of which I hope to inform you beforehand."

"You can choose to leave, Mingji is a humanitarian rescue organization, and we do not wish to leverage the fate and future of all humanity to manipulate your personal survival and freedom."

"So, please make your choice."

Before she finished speaking, a system prompt immediately popped up in front of Li Aozi:

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[Do you want to join Mingji Humanitarian Rescue Organization?]

[Yes/No?]