Chapter 767: Research Project No. 4
Research Project No. 4
"...Are you sure you want to do this? An explosion of this magnitude leaves you with no chance of survival. You're just a D-Class personnel, not even a D-Class from this plane."
Singularity's speech rate quickened slightly—a subtle shift it hadn't even noticed itself.
"You're still trying to fool me? This is my plane, just at a different time node, isn't it?"
Lin Ye spoke with absolute certainty.
"How do you know?"
Singularity didn't believe Lin Ye could confirm that.
"Because you've wasted too much time on me. It's like the organization's setups are just backup measures, and I'm the key to dealing with the void. You've been guiding me to think about this in reverse... I'm not a sub-project of Research Project No. 5473. What number am I?"
Lin Ye wasn't in a hurry to act, even though he knew the other was stalling for time.
"...No. 4, the Causality Instrument. Using this research project, the organization can select a future time node from countless possible futures and extract an organization member capable of solving the problem to handle the abnormal incident. Because that member originates from a future where the organization wasn't destroyed, they're guaranteed to reach that predetermined future, no matter what obstacles arise along the way.
The future is set. Cause and effect revolve."
Singularity calmly answered Lin Ye's question.
"So that's why the organization didn't interfere with my actions? Fitting for Research Project No. 4."
Lin Ye hadn't expected the organization to have such a trump card among anomalous items, and it was only ranked No. 4.
"Heh, Research Project No. 4 isn't as easy to use as you think. The organization has to find the right future time node from countless possibilities. That's no easy task. Sometimes, the right future time node might not even exist, leaving only futures filled with despair.
If that happens, no matter what decisions the organization makes, they're meaningless. They'll only lead to that doomed future.
Here, I should say—fitting for you."
Singularity stared at Lin Ye, never imagining it would be pushed this far by a D-Class personnel.
"Thanks for the compliment... Has your true body arrived yet?"
Lin Ye stared intently at Singularity's expression and asked abruptly.
"...You've been waiting for my true body to arrive?"
Singularity finally realized the purpose of Lin Ye's conversation here.
"Judging by your expression, it's probably already here.
Honestly, I'm the type who doesn't like to lose. You tricked me into killing those things you called pseudo-humans earlier. Now I have to pay you back, or I might not sleep well tonight."
Lin Ye showed a friendly smile.
The next moment, his body was torn to shreds, and a strange phantom appeared behind him.
"Sorry. The moment your expression changed, I'd already completed the last step."
Lin Ye, who had hidden his true body deep inside the biological bomb, spoke his final words.
Spiritual energy deconstruction activated the Special Ability. This was Lin Ye's all-out attack. After using this move, there was no chance of survival, which was why the Special Ability didn't need a usage limit.
Intense light and heat erupted above the void. The void wasn't destroyed, but the violent high-risk energy that had undergone qualitative change still pushed the void downward a little.
It was like a trigger, initiating the void's fall into the Abyss.
Singularity, at the center of the explosion, had completely vanished, leaving not a trace behind.
The distant Glowing Spheres and the transparent grid below were also affected. The spheres were detonated by the energy, the grid violently trembled, and an entire section was missing.
On the ground directly beneath the void, a massive, bottomless hole had appeared. No one knew where it led.
In some hidden location, high-ranking members of the organization sat around the outer ring of a circular table, watching a virtual projection in the center.
"Didn't expect it to end so quickly. Fitting for Research Project No. 4."
"Archive this D-Class personnel. Reconstruct the scenes seen in the future time node."
"Repair the stellar system. Rebuild the planetary ecology."
"Should we activate that research project?"
"Activate."
...
"By the way, what about the hole on the ground?"
"That's not a void created by high energy. Formulate a void exploration plan... Let's call it the Great Hollow for now."
…………………………………
[Simulation Ended]
[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 8]
[Obtained random items from this event * 8]
[Obtained title: Great Hollow Maker]
Lin Ye pushed the little shark off his body and climbed up from the bed.
When he self-destructed, he wasn't sure it would solve the problem. As it turned out, self-destruction was still the most reliable method.
"So the Great Hollow was my doing?"
Lin Ye opened the system interface to check the title information.
[Great Hollow Maker]
[You created a long-lasting special area in a certain plane]
[Note: This is not an ordinary void. It's the projection of some anomalous phenomenon]
"Can I be blamed for that? I just blew it up and conveniently sent it into the Abyss."
Intense light and heat erupted above the void. The void wasn't destroyed, but the rampaging high-risk energy that had undergone qualitative change still pushed the void downward a little.
The little shark lying on Lin Ye's thigh shot him a sideways glance and silently bared its snow-white teeth.
"Forget it. Let's deal with the loot first."
In the center of the bedroom, eight items were arranged: a dark green culture dish, four thick orange-yellow nerve bundles, a piece of transparent grid, a glowing white light sphere, and a bright red card.
Lin Ye picked up the dark green culture dish first and checked the system information.
[Mold]
[This is a culture dish storing a special mold]
[Note: This item is listed by the organization as Research Project No. 2873]
"So it really is this thing. Does that mean the organization lost a research project? Or is this just a replica?"
Lin Ye handed the culture dish to Little Black, who sent it to the collectible area in the basement.
Next were the orange-yellow nerve bundles.
[Alienated Nerve Bundles]
[These are nerve bundles connected to a brain chamber, a special material capable of conducting mental energy]
[Note: Even in extreme environments, they can reduce the loss during mental energy conduction]
"...Pity I didn't get a brain chamber sample."
Lin Ye held the Alienated Nerve Bundles and began examining their internal structure.
He planned to later apply this biological material to the Parasitism Network. If he could store mental energy on a large scale, the Parasitism Network might undergo some new changes.
Then came the transparent grid.
[Damaged Protection Barrier]
[This is a special material infused with the concept of Protection]
[Note: In most people's hands, this is just trash. But you might be able to do something with it]