Chapter 2402 Main Control Node Clue <TOC> Chapter 2404 Number 23
Translator: SumTLMan
“Number 1, this is the second time you’ve led people into the lab, violating the rules. You must come with us to see the adults, or bear the consequences,” said x9, his pupils white, a faint chill emanating from his mouth as he spoke.
Although x5 and x2 did not speak, their cold and disdainful expressions made it clear they were on x9’s side.
Clearly, although they, like Reynolds, were experimental subjects, they did not possess Reynolds’ free thinking; they had been thoroughly brainwashed.
Under the gaze of the three, Reynolds bowed his head and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he said, “Rin, I’ve told you before, I’m not Number 1, I’m Reynolds.”
x9, the man Reynolds called “Rin,” showed a slight fluctuation in his eyes after hearing Reynolds’ words, but ultimately returned to indifference. “It seems you’re still stubborn. Then don’t blame us.”
With that, x9 ceased further discussion with Reynolds and, along with x5 and x2, assumed an attacking stance.
However, just as Reynolds thought they would attack, he found them turning their heads and running away, their previously built-up momentum dissipating instantly.
Reynolds was momentarily stunned but quickly understood what was happening.
He believed that the three of them, perhaps similar to the Shadow Demon on the second floor, were meant to ambush him.
But unlike the Shadow Demon, they had the ability to assess the situation and make independent judgments.
These surviving experimental subjects, whose most common task was gathering information, would certainly recognize Nisi and Canter.
One was a renowned soul wizard, and the other was the head of a secretive family. Facing either one would mean certain defeat for them, let alone facing both at the same time.
In such a situation, ambushing Reynolds was impossible, so their only option was to call for help.
However, the likelihood of escaping in the presence of formal wizards was extremely low.
Nisi and Canter didn’t even need to act themselves; they sent a bone armor knight forward who, alone, blocked the three of them.
Perhaps because they were only facing a bone armor knight, they didn’t give in to complete despair and each brought out their highest combat power, hoping to defeat the bone armor knight and escape.
Unfortunately, the controller of the bone armor knight was Nisi, who, with absolute strength, took less than two minutes to pin them to the ground.
This is not to say their strength was weak; if placed in the Novastar Competition, they too would qualify to compete for the title of Supernova. Moreover, their combat showcased some highlights, such as their Soul Armor.
Their Soul Armors were unique; x9, referred to by Reynolds as “Rin,” could control vast amounts of cold air with his Soul Armor, acting as a controller in combat.
x5, also known as “Tooth,” materialized his Soul Armor into a ghostly green dagger that could slice through souls, inflicting soul poison and weakening opponents in combat.
As for x2, whom Reynolds called “Scythe,” the strongest among them, he pulled a pitch-black scythe from his soul realm, clashing head-on with the bone armor knight. Initially, he even managed to decapitate the bone armor knight, showing how ferocious his attacks were… However, since the bone armor knight was controlled by soul power, the so-called decapitation was merely the helmet being sliced off, which had no real effect on it.
Three individuals, each with their unique strengths, debuffing, control, and attack, formed a well-rounded team. They possessed the capability to challenge any apprentice powerhouse, and it was conceivable that even the champions of the Novastar Competition, Onassis and Trom, could potentially meet their match against such a combination.
Their collaboration aimed at capturing Reynolds seemed effortless. However, upon Reynolds’ return, he was accompanied by two formidable figures…
After capturing the trio, Nisi immediately sealed their souls, rendering them completely immobilized, both internally and externally. This precaution was based on Reynolds’ information that they had a suicide switch hidden on them, which would be activated upon mission failure to prevent any information leak.
With their bodies imprisoned, Nisi began to interrogate them through their souls, hoping to extract more information.
However, the information provided by them was not more substantial than what Reynolds had already disclosed. This was expected, as Reynolds held a higher number and was privy to more information.
The only new piece of intelligence was that their mission was indeed to ambush Reynolds. They had been stationed there three days prior, ready to capture him at the first opportunity.
It’s worth noting that the person who dispatched them for this task was Number 03, and they were unaware of the Shadow Demon’s presence on the second level.
This ignorance did not necessarily mean that the Shadow Demon was not there to ambush Reynolds. Indications suggested that the Shadow Demon was likely backed by Number 02, a shadow wizard skilled in stealth and surprise attacks.
The fact that Number 03’s people were unaware of Number 02’s ambush could indicate a lack of communication between them, or it might suggest that Number 03 was also unaware of Number 02’s plans.
If the latter were true, it would be intriguing.
Both Number 03 and Number 02 were independently acting to capture Reynolds, each unbeknownst to the other’s plans.
If this were the case, it implied that Reynolds possessed something they both coveted, perhaps a unique talent for luck?
Of course, these were merely speculations, and the truth was difficult to ascertain.
But if these speculations held any truth, it was possible that Number 01 also had designs on Reynolds, potentially setting up his own ambush somewhere.
The trio knew only this much, having spent the last few days hiding in the vicinity, oblivious to other matters, including the complete absence of their combat personnel.
Nisi also inquired about the whereabouts of the research personnel on these levels, to which they had no knowledge.
To avoid wasting more time, Nisi decided not to pursue further questioning. Instead, Reynolds asked, “Do you know where ‘The Song’ is?”
After a moment of silence, x9 responded, “We don’t know. You probably have a better idea. She rarely appears in the lab. Perhaps, she’s out on a mission.”
Reynolds nodded, choosing not to delve further.
The interrogation concluded with the consideration of how to deal with the three individuals.
Reynolds appealed to Nisi for mercy, unable to bear the thought of seeing his former companions die before him, despite their differences.
After two seconds of contemplation, Nisi decided not to kill them but instead confined the trio in his exile space.
It wasn’t Reynolds’ plea that worked, but Nisi’s profound interest in Soul Armor. These three were the final successful subjects meticulously selected by the laboratory, which might aid his future research in Soul Armor, so he spared their lives.
Following that, they didn’t encounter any other dangers and continued to follow Angel’s guidance in search of the third level’s sub-control node.
On their quest, Nisi curiously asked Reynolds, “Who was ‘The Song’ you inquired about earlier?”
“She is… number x3,” Reynolds’ voice was slightly deep, and his mood inexplicably somber.
“Is she the one you mentioned who can control sea beasts?” Nisi remembered Reynolds mentioning a fellow subject not long ago, specifically highlighting x3, who had the unique ability among all subjects to control large sea beasts to a certain extent.
“Yes,” Reynolds said. “Her ability is dangerous, capable of controlling sea beasts, so her usual tasks mostly involve patrolling the nearby seas. Ships that stray into the Mist Zone, half are swallowed by the harsh sea conditions, and the other half are essentially sunk by the sea beasts she manipulates… If we encounter her, we need to be very cautious.”
After hearing this, Nisi’s eyebrows slightly raised. Controlling sea beasts to expel outsiders in the Mist Zone was indeed a powerful ability. Even if she couldn’t control sea beasts of the formal wizard level, the ordinary sea beasts in the treacherous sea were enough to capsize a merchant ship guarded by the extraordinary.
Nisi said, “x3’s ability is to control sea beasts, and when we came over, there were very few sea beasts nearby. Perhaps, x3 went to the Nest with those combatants, responsible for luring the sea beasts away.”
This was Nisi’s speculation, but considering the current situation, it might very well be true.
Angel then said, “Reynolds, from your tone, it seems you care about her a lot?”
Reynolds was silent for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, she was once my closest companion, sharing the same ideals as me, but later she was also ** by the laboratory.”
In simple terms, Reynolds and x3 were once soulmates, but later x3 abandoned their past ideals and embraced the blind loyalty of the River Legacy Society. This was a great blow to Reynolds, as some things, if never cared for from the beginning, wouldn’t matter if lost, but once they existed from the start, losing them would naturally be hard to accept.
The group didn’t make any comments on Reynolds and x3’s past, just lightly touched upon it.
Following that, they didn’t dwell much on the topic of x3 and continued walking through the extensive corridors of the third level, searching for their ultimate destination.
Before long, they arrived at a spacious corridor.
This place still wasn’t the sub-control node, but there was a door here that Nisi was very interested in.
The exhibition room.
The third level’s exhibition room was located on this corridor.
They were originally on a quest to locate a sub-control node but found themselves passing by this place along the way.
“Do you want to go in?” Angel also noticed the nameplate of the exhibition room, manipulated the Authority Eye, turned around, and looked at Nisi.
Nisi hesitated but then shook his head decisively: “Let’s not rush. It won’t be too late to say after we find the sub-control node.”
Although Nisi was eager for the exhibits, he was well aware of the current situation. They were not in a safe and secure state. Finding the sub-control node, helping Angel determine the location of the main control node, and resolving their own safety issues were his priorities before he could consider the benefits.
Therefore, even upon seeing the exhibition room’s entrance, they chose to bypass it directly.
Nisi forced himself not to look at the exhibition room, while Canter seemed to be pondering something as he stared at the entrance.
After a while, Canter picked up the authority eye and asked Angel, “Speaking of which, have you ever thought about getting a Soul Armor?”
Angel replied without hesitation: “No need.”
Angel was somewhat interested in Soul Armor, but acquiring Soul Armor required a transplant. This was the reason for Angel’s refusal.
It wasn’t that he was averse to transplants, but Sanders had mentioned that it’s best not to transplant organs at will before thoroughly clarifying one’s projection bloodline.
Transplanting organs from other creatures could lead to rejection, and if not handled properly, it might even contaminate one’s own bloodline. Whether the projection bloodline could accept “contamination” was still undecided. Generally speaking, bloodline contamination could lead to physical decline.
Of course, there are ways to eliminate the disadvantages of bloodline contamination. Those with bloodline abilities could use spells, while those without could rely on runes or potions.
However, this is based on research on ordinary bloodlines. Angel’s projection bloodline is currently a unique case in the Southern Region’s Wizarding World, so it’s best to be cautious.
With such considerations, even if Angel was interested in Soul Armor, he would not choose to undergo a transplant.
Canter said, “I’ve learned a bit about your situation from Sanders. He didn’t say it explicitly, but the main reason you’re unwilling to undergo a transplant is that you’re afraid of contaminating your bloodline, right?”
Angel nodded.
Canter continued, “You’ve actually fallen into a mental trap. If you’re afraid of contaminating your bloodline, why not choose an organ that won’t contaminate your bloodline?”
Angel was taken aback: “There’s such an organ?”
This time, it wasn’t Canter who spoke, but Nisi said, “It seems that your time spent in seclusion in the ruins to consolidate your skills was not enough.”
“I was consolidating my illusion abilities…”
Nisi said, “Organs that can contaminate the bloodline generally overlap with ****, or to put it another way, to utilize them, they must enter the body’s circulation. For example, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, tongue, limbs… these are all parts that the human body naturally possesses. If you were to transplant external organs to function, they would definitely need to integrate into the body’s circulation, which could potentially contaminate the bloodline.”
“However, organs that are ** inherent to the human body or simply driven by the circulation of energy do not participate in the body’s internal circulation. These organs can be transplanted. In fact, this can’t even be considered a transplant, but rather a special item embedded in your body that you can replace at any time.”
“For instance, the phantom tendrils of the White Night Butterfly, which do not exist in the material world, are a product of energy and cannot contaminate your bloodline.”
“Additionally, the exoskeleton of the Serpent Head Widow, which is an external skeleton used for defense, also does not participate in internal circulation.”
Under Nisi’s explanation, Angel was stunned; this was his first time hearing about this type of transplantable organ. If it truly wouldn’t contaminate the bloodline and could be replaced at any time, then this would be quite suitable for him.
Nisi continued, “Of course, these organs that do not participate in the body’s internal circulation generally do not have impressive effects. In the eyes of the vast majority of wizards, these organs are even considered inferior to the alchemical items they carry, appearing somewhat out of place when installed on the body.”
“I actually think the same.”
“However, although these organs are not highly regarded, I find them quite suitable for you. You don’t need the effects brought by transplanting organs, but you could try Soul Armor. After all, non-spiritual souls are very fragile, and having a piece of Soul Armor for protection would definitely be beneficial for you.”
Chapter 2402 Main Control Node Clue <TOC> Chapter 2404 Number 23