I Won't Let a Single Drop Escape!

For the sake of research—or perhaps as "payment" for Jiang Qiao's deception—Mobius had no intention of delaying her "reckoning." She didn't have time for drawn-out revenge plots.

She wanted it now.

Disregarding any semblance of personal space, she grabbed his wrist, a predatory glint in her iridescent eyes, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Jiang Qiao looked at MEI pleadingly. She coughed delicately. "Mobius's research is crucial for Fire Moth. If she requires your… cooperation, then by all means, lend her your assistance."

"The matter in Mu isn't urgent. Yssring can wait."

The unspoken message was clear: Just give in to Mobius.

"Since we're on the subject, let's settle this now… Vill-V, do you have any… requests?" MEI turned to Vill-V. She herself had no particular need for Jiang Qiao's abilities. 

While she had been curious about the body-swapping experience, her current priorities lay elsewhere. 

As a scientist, she was still intrigued, but with her busy schedule and focus on other research areas, she could afford to wait.

As for Vill-V…

"My field of expertise doesn't require his… services… However, I am rather curious about your ability," Vill-V admitted, perched on the edge of a table, her gaze fixed on Jiang Qiao. Her specialty was mechanical dynamics and engineering. 

While capable of excelling in any field, she lacked the ambition to branch out like MEI.

That said, as the most intellectually curious of the Fire Moth's triumvirate, she couldn't resist the urge to investigate.

"If you have time later, do visit my workshop," she offered with a smile. "I'm not in a hurry."

"Seriously, stop treating me like some portable device you can trade back and forth," Jiang Qiao grumbled, though not truly bothered.

It was just a bit of "research." He wasn't going to lose any parts.

Dragged along by Mobius, Jiang Qiao reluctantly left MEI's lab and was practically shoved into Mobius's.

Their close proximity, bordering on intimate, startled the Fire Moth soldiers and personnel they passed. Mobius's reputation within the organization was… colorful.

While undeniably attractive, the general consensus was that the eccentric, rapidly approaching "spinster" status, Dr. Mobius was unlikely to be interested in anyone—and no one would dare to express interest in her.

And yet…

"Doctor… um…"

Klein, the new assistant recommended by Bianka, stared in disbelief. She'd been about to address Mobius when she saw the unfamiliar black-haired young man—Jiang Qiao—practically glued to her side.

Honestly, before joining Mobius's lab, Klein had been wary, influenced by the rumors. But after working with her, she'd realized that Dr. Mobius wasn't as bad as people said.

However, she did agree with one aspect of the gossip—someone like Dr. Mobius was destined to become a lonely old maid, spending her life surrounded by research papers and test tubes.

Mobius herself had declared, "There's no man in this world worthy of my attention."

To the biology-focused Mobius, men were merely tools for providing "genetic material." If they lacked sufficient talent, what differentiated them from breeding stock?

If she wanted to pass on her genes, with her expertise in biology and genetics, artificially creating a "continuation of the Mobius genetic line" would be child's play.

But she clearly disdained such methods, believing that humanity's future shouldn't rely solely on the unpredictable lottery of biological inheritance.

And yet… what was she seeing now?

Oh my god! Dr. Mobius brought a man back to the lab! It wasn't that men never set foot in the lab. Test subjects, liaison officers, external personnel… there were plenty. But this… clinging to his arm, practically fawning over him as if afraid he might escape…

Klein was stunned.

"Klein?" Jiang Qiao looked at the small, frail, green-haired girl with a hint of surprise.

While she resembled the later ELF Klein, there were significant differences: her height, her hair texture, her poor complexion… It wasn't surprising, considering the grueling work hours in Mobius's lab. Even Mobius herself looked rather… haggard.

The dark circles under her eyes would have been alarming if not for their naturally striking features.

"Indeed," Mobius said with a smile.

She'd initially been skeptical of Klein, but after working with her, she was more than satisfied. Klein's compatibility and eagerness to please even surpassed her previous assistant, Bianka. And Klein was even more dedicated, especially in terms of work hours.

Bianka, due to personal reasons and her responsibilities towards little Griseo, had been a source of frustration for Mobius, often disappearing in the evenings.

Klein, however, was perfectly synchronized with Mobius's work schedule.

This is what a proper assistant should be!

Bianka, who couldn't even pull an all-nighter, was far too weak!

"Klein, please attend to the tasks I assigned you last night. Mr. Jiang and I have some… business to discuss."

"Uh… alright."

Klein was surprised. Since becoming Mobius's assistant, the doctor had been remarkably open with her. Something requiring a private discussion… must be important.

As an assistant, she was bound by confidentiality agreements.

Once Klein left, only Mobius and Jiang Qiao remained in the core lab.

"Hee hee, you know what I'm researching, don't you?"

"Yes."

Jiang Qiao nodded, glancing at the large cultivation tank containing a human body.

By my hand, shall humanity ascend.

Driven by this ideal, Mobius had been researching human evolution. Ever since witnessing the emergence of Herrschers, she'd been obsessed with transforming humanity into perfect beings like them, transcending their flawed, mortal shells.

The MANTIS project was a byproduct of this vision: extended lifespans, immense power… But the high mortality rate and unpredictable results had proven it a failure. A desperate, stopgap measure.

Herrschers were inherently superior to MANTISes created using Honkai beast genes, even if some MANTISes possessed power surpassing ordinary Herrschers. It was a difference in their fundamental nature.

Despite knowing this, and despite five millennia of relentless research in later eras, achieving this goal had remained elusive… Well, not entirely. In a way, she'd succeeded.

The Herrscher of Corruption was proof—but humanity couldn't accept that form of existence, a sentient virus.

The subsequent Stigmata project, inspired by Herrschers, was another attempt.

Stigmata consciousnesses were also "perfect beings," similar to Herrschers.

But in essence, it was no different from the MANTIS project—at least, not from a human perspective. It was a failure.

The initial Stigmata project selected compatible individuals. The later version replaced them.

Neither option was palatable to most people.

Even Mobius, the architect of these projects, wasn't fond of them.

"While evolution inevitably involves pain, this… suffering… is too much for humanity to bear," Mobius sighed, gently touching the cultivation tank.

Even she, with her… unique perspective, couldn't fully embrace the Stigmata project. After all, she cherished life.

If not for desperation, who would resort to such measures?

With the Herrscher of Corruption rejected, Mobius had sought other possibilities.

And the Herrscher of Dominance was a new dawn.

Unlike the Herrscher of Corruption's unacceptable form, unlike the Stigmata project's heavy price, the Herrscher of Dominance possessed universal compatibility. Every human was now a potential carrier.

While their depravity disgusted her, if she could eliminate that aspect, transforming the Herrscher of Dominance into a perfect being like other Herrschers… wouldn't all her previous concerns be resolved?

Easier said than done.

"I should remind you that the Herrscher of Dominance operates on a completely different principle than previous Herrschers," Jiang Qiao stated.

His arrival, a "core administrator's" "mutiny," had forced the Cocoon to abandon its previous method of creating Herrschers: supernatural beings born from Imaginary Space singularities.

This new Herrscher of Dominance lacked the crucial Imaginary Space singularity, the key to accessing Honkai energy and wielding Herrscher authority.

Without a singularity, even "Origin" couldn't "block the door" to stop them.

Because they had no door.

This was why the current Herrscher of Dominance was so weak.

The sand-like Herrscher cores didn't grant any authority or access to Honkai energy from Imaginary Space. They were more like… spiritual roots.

Passively absorbing ambient Honkai energy, they amplified the host's desires, turning them into slaves to their impulses, driven by primal urges.

Those who could overcome these urges would master the "spiritual root" and gain the ability to wield Honkai energy—becoming stronger, healthier.

Those who couldn't… would still gain control—but they would be controlled by the "grains," becoming slaves to their desires, driven by their basest instincts.

For the latter, the ability to manipulate Honkai energy granted by the Dominance grains became a tool for violence.

"Hee hee~ I know that," Mobius said with a sneer, her disdain directed at those under the Herrscher's sway.

Her research into the Herrscher of Dominance had yielded further results.

These "dominated slaves" could become stronger through… predation.

The Dominance grains could only be extracted upon death. By killing others and absorbing the Dominance grains within their bodies, they could grow more powerful.

"While the Herrscher of Dominance's form is different from all previous Herrschers, that doesn't mean there's no connection," Mobius continued, her eyes gleaming. "Jiang Qiao, what do you think a Herrscher is?"

"From my perspective, a Herrscher is a semi-energy, conscious life form," Jiang Qiao replied. As a seasoned "Herrscher stand-in," he was an authority on the subject.

His assessment was accurate. For Herrschers, who could regenerate lost limbs with Honkai energy, the connection to Honkai energy was undeniable.

"Hee hee, I'm finding you more and more interesting," Mobius said, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

For a Herrscher, consciousness was key. Welt, even without a physical body, could still "sit up." (revive)

The core was where a Herrscher's consciousness resided.

The transformation from human to Herrscher depended on two crucial factors: compatibility and willpower.

Compatibility determined whether a human could survive the integration with the Herrscher core. Willpower determined whether they could complete the transformation.

The MANTIS project's failure stemmed from these two factors.

Insufficient compatibility resulted in rejection by the Honkai beast genes, leading to genetic collapse and death. Weak willpower… well, that just determined whether the subject would become a Honkai beast—the "Overload Collapse" stage.

However, the Herrscher of Dominance had changed the compatibility equation.

Since everyone was a potential carrier, once they underwent the initial evolution through the Dominance particles, the biggest hurdle—compatibility—would be overcome.

"Theoretically, humans rarely possess the willpower to become Herrschers," Mobius said, a hint of frustration in her voice.

—In the Later Eras, Joyce was a natural Herrscher, bypassing this issue entirely.

Welt had benefited from the unique nature of the Herrscher of Reason core and his own strong will, along with external assistance. Even then, it took a considerable amount of time for him to fully transform.

As for Bronya… The original Bronya had endured much before finally becoming the Herrscher of Reason's inheritor. The current Bronya… just using the core caused her to suffer backlash.

And this was the most "human-friendly" Herrscher core!

What about the others?

Kiana was a natural Herrscher, her body a fusion of Sirin and Kiana. She just needed to accept her destiny.

Raiden Mei… while "bonds" played a role, the key factor was that she was a Stigmata awakened individual, chosen to become a Herrscher.

The most striking example of failure was Ana Schariac. Despite possessing Schariac blood (enhancing Honkai adaptability) and being an A-rank Valkyrie, she'd lost control upon becoming the Herrscher of Ice, turning into a popsicle.

Most successful Herrscher transformations in the Later Eras had taken shortcuts—and Elysia's influence shouldn't be overlooked.

Even then, they had endured much to complete their transformation.

How could an ordinary human possibly withstand such a process?

However…

There was one… unusual example.

Mobius stared intently at Jiang Qiao, licking her dry lips seductively.

Not only could Jiang Qiao wield the power of the naturally born Herrscher Elysia, he'd also helped MEI and that little green-haired girl become Herrschers.

And on top of that, he possessed the ability to swap bodies.

This was undoubtedly a unique ability related to consciousness.

If she could unlock its secrets, wouldn't the problem plaguing her research—humanity's lack of willpower for Herrscher transformation—be solved?

Jiang Qiao instantly grasped her intentions, raising an eyebrow.

"You want to use me to solve your little problem?"

He wasn't optimistic.

Even if he swapped bodies with everyone on Earth and turned them into Herrschers one by one, it wouldn't be feasible. He wasn't fond of the idea. And if saving humanity was the goal, there were simpler methods—though Elysia would definitely disapprove.

And Elysia would be the first to object to the body-swapping idea.

No way! Absolutely not!

Even dealing with a bunch of familiar, cute Elysias was annoying. Adding others to the mix…

Just end me now!

Besides, even if he did swap bodies, he couldn't operate like he did with Bronya for everyone.

He could use Bronya because she had the necessary foundation—the previous experiment had granted her high Honkai resistance. He could then use the power of Origin to compensate for the remaining incompatibility and guide her through the transformation process.

Others… there seemed to be a misunderstanding about the power of Origin.

While it originated from the Herrscher of Origin, the Herrscher of Humanity, from Elysia… making it sound gentle and benevolent…

Its essence was still Honkai energy. Regardless of its source, it remained a dangerous power, no different from other Herrscher authorities.

To ordinary humans, it was just as lethal.

His precise control was the only reason he could use it without causing significant harm.

Of course—

Mobius was oblivious to his thoughts. And even if she knew, she wouldn't care.

With her unwavering confidence, she believed she could extract the information she needed.

Therefore—

"Less talk! Hand over your body!"

A predatory grin spread across her face, her gaze devouring him.

"Are you sure? This…"

"Hmph, I know the procedure! Just stand still and don't move!" Mobius's crimson eyes were fixed on his lips. She'd learned the body-swapping method from MEI. A simple kiss was child's play.

She was eager to push the boundaries.

After all, Jiang Qiao's body was so unique. To a researcher like Mobius, even his… bodily fluids… held immense research value.

Therefore…

—Not a single drop shall be wasted!