Endless Debt

"Stand up straight now, I’m about to conduct the final detection on you."

Aimou spoke as she moved her hands up and down Bologue’s body. Having worked at the Sublimation Furnace Core for so long, she had become quite skilled at these tasks. In the blink of an eye, Bologue was covered with electrodes for detection, and she injected several syringes into him.

Ether filled his body, and the Alchemy Matrix on his exterior involuntarily radiated a glow, like tattoos glowing all over Bologue’s body.

After being promoted to a Negative Power User, Bologue’s body began to undergo Etherealization, and the Alchemy Matrix gradually expanded from his initial arms to cover his entire body, like intricate body art.

"Are you ready?" Aimou asked.

Bologue spread his hands, raised his arms, "Even if I’m not ready, I have to brace myself."

"Hey, as long as you know."

Aimou continued circling Bologue, having spent much time together, she also talked nonsense, "Have you ever seen the assembly line at a slaughterhouse?"

"No, why?"

"You’re like a pig hanging there now, it’s too late to run, you just have to obediently be slaughtered."

Aimou finished the preparations, took Bologue’s hand, and led him out of the compartment.

"Luckily, at least this pig can die and then come back to life," Bologue responded to Aimou’s joke.

The vast and grand space of the Garden came into view. After some time of restoration, this large-scale experimental field was up and running again. Bologue compared it to the image in his memory and found that more cables had spread across the Dome, like boundless vines.

On the high platform, Mamo had set up a new batch of spires. They would replace the metal spikes and become the new Constraint Force Field. In addition, many researchers stood ready, maintaining an attitude of absolute awareness toward this experiment.

Bologue marveled at the scholars’ thirst for knowledge, hoping they remembered that this was not just a mere experiment but also his promotion ceremony.

"Sometimes I think the Undead have no human rights," Bologue complained, "Anyway, since we can’t die, let’s push it to the limits."

"Just consider it a contribution to great research."

Aimou, also a scholar, praised Bologue, "Even if you’re a guinea pig, you’re the best guinea pig there is."

She patted Bologue’s chest, "After this is over, how about I award you a medal, thanking the Undead Bologue Lazarus for his contribution to human civilization?"

"You’re really good at comforting people."

Bologue humored Aimou’s joke, "More than that, I hope you could optimize the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid for me again."

During the Raymond Gaudent incident, most of Bologue’s Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid was burned away. As an Alchemy Armament that accompanied him through most of his time, Bologue really liked the highly extensible Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid.

However, as Bologue advanced in tier, this piece of Alchemy Armament gradually could not keep up with him. As a Negative Power User, he could still forcibly use it, but after the ceremony, when Bologue ascended to Defender, it might truly become a memento displayed at home.

"I know, I know," Aimou nodded repeatedly, "Rest assured about these things."

Bologue was a person easily satisfied, with no excessive material desires and no other messy thoughts. In daily life, he was as disciplined as an ascetic monk.

He had few wishes to begin with, how could Aimou reject him?

Aimou and Bologue walked up the high platform together, where Mamo had been waiting for quite a while. The equipment was ready, and the iron chair had been polished to a shine; it had also been modified in advance to suit Bologue’s physique.

The scholars valued this experiment greatly. Every time they opened the channel, they needed a Condenser’s ascension and resonance with the Ethereal Realm as a medium to guide it.

Limited by the scarcity of High Tier Condensers, they mostly used Low Tier Condensers during this period. Due to the weak and shallow entanglement with the Ethereal Realm of the Low Tier Condensers, they could not establish deeper connections.

Until Bologue, ascending from a Negative Power User to a Defender, coupled with Bologue’s own deep entanglement, Mamo believed this ceremony would yield good results.

Not only Mamo, but Bologue himself thought so too.

"Will my flesh enter the Ethereal Realm?"

Bologue lay on the iron chair, allowing various restraints to firmly lock him onto the steel.

"No, but like previous ceremonies, your consciousness will ascend to that unknown land, and you will be more ’awake’ than ever before."

Mamo adjusted the equipment, "Don’t waste this precious opportunity, Bologue, you don’t have many chances to enter the Ethereal Realm this way."

With the current technology of the Order Bureau, only during a Condenser’s ascension could their consciousness dive into the Ethereal Realm. After today, Bologue would be a Defender, so the only remaining chance for him to safely enter the Ethereal Realm would be during the Ascension Ceremony when he advances to a Seeker of Glory.

Bologue took a deep breath; even though he had set foot in the Ethereal Realm many times, his mind still couldn’t help but feel nervous.

"Is it about to begin?"

"Anytime."

"Whew... I’m a bit nervous."

"Being nervous is normal."

Bologue looked up, seeing only a dark expanse. Vague outlines emerged in the shadows, those were the cables intertwined like a giant serpent coiling around.