It's Just for Research

Mobius wasn't burdened by feminine modesty. For the sake of her experiments, she was willing to make sacrifices—even if it meant risking her own life.

Just like she'd allowed herself to be killed by Kalpas for his research.

That said, she wasn't indiscriminate. Her sacrifices had to be worthwhile. For the supremely arrogant Mobius, only those she deemed worthy could earn such concessions.

Undoubtedly, Jiang Qiao met her criteria. Not only were they acquainted, but the potential he represented was enough to entice her to employ some… unconventional methods. Besides, "modesty" wasn't exactly a priority for a woman rapidly approaching her thirties.

"Hee hee" Mobius slithered closer, her gaze predatory, a sly smile playing on her lips. She licked her lips, her voice a low purr. "You can't escape, Elysia"

The emphasis on his former identity was deliberate. While the most efficient way to obtain samples for research would have been through conventional scientific methods, her subject had prompted a change of plans.

While less efficient and potentially messy, this… hands-on approach… was far more… satisfying. Remembering how Jiang Qiao, as Elysia, had taken advantage of her, she'd been itching for payback. And now, presented with such a perfect opportunity…

Men… their massage techniques are quite good. He certainly took advantage of me… Since he enjoys taking advantage of others so much, I'll show him what happens when you mess with Mobius!

…

"Haa~"

Elysia sat up in bed, clad in a thin chemise, stretching languidly, her slender figure accentuated by the morning light. She yawned delicately, covering her mouth with a hand.

Sadly, there was no one to appreciate this picturesque scene—not even Fairy Elysia, who had woken up beside her, was interested in admiring "Silly Me's" physique.

After all, who would be interested in themselves?

"What a wonderful night~" Elysia smiled, looking out the window at the bright sunshine. Of course, the thought of bad Jiang Qiao actually sleeping beside her all night did annoy her.

Even if her innocent mind had only entertained the pure, platonic notion of "sleeping together," did that jerk really have to take it so literally?

Sleeping with such a cute girl and doing nothing… Hmph!

She was both annoyed and relieved. The thought of… that… had filled her with a mix of apprehension and anticipation.

Perhaps due to her conflicting emotions, she'd had a rather… vivid dream.

While hazy, she vaguely recalled sitting astride bad Jiang Qiao, who looked utterly humiliated as she… Hee hee… It was exactly the scenario she'd imagined!

Remembering the dream, she blushed slightly, licking her lips.

Unfortunately, despite the dream's intensity, the lack of… data… meant she hadn't experienced any… sensations. The dream had played out like a fragmented film reel, skipping over the good parts. Like a tantalizing preview ending abruptly with, "The rest of this area will be available to explore later."

This left her deeply dissatisfied.

So I couldn't have fun last night, and now you're blue-balling me in my dreams, too?!

Bad Jiang Qiao!

Naturally, she blamed it entirely on him. He was the one who'd done nothing last night. He was the one who hadn't let her have her fun in the dream. Therefore…

It's all bad Jiang Qiao's fault!

"Eh? Where's Jiang Qiao?"

She suddenly noticed the empty space beside her.

This was MEI's room, which meant she had slept with that jerk last night.

"Mmm… huh?"

Fairy Elysia, still half-asleep, climbed out from under the covers, rubbing her eyes. She puffed out her cheeks. "That's so mean!"

Leaving without a word? To "Silly Me," it was one thing, but she was the "supervisor"!

Elysia also puffed up like a pufferfish. If she'd woken up earlier… that meant bad Jiang Qiao had snuck out while she was asleep!

He didn't even wake me up!

Of course, if he had woken her, she would have been angry at him for interrupting her "nice dream."

"Hey, there's a note!" Fairy Elysia floated over to the scale in the corner. On top of it was a small piece of paper: "Went to see MEI. Sweet dreams."

Elysia deflated slightly. It seemed there was something important he needed to discuss with MEI.

…Still angry! Sleeping next to me, and he runs off to see another woman!

Even if it was work-related, it still irked her.

Especially since MEI had tried to steal him away right in front of her yesterday!

"Come on, let's go to MEI's!"

Remembering MEI's earlier actions, Elysia bit her lip, her cheeks puffing up again. What if MEI tried to make a move on bad Jiang Qiao while she wasn't there?!

I need to keep an eye on them!

After quickly freshening up, she glanced at the clothes on the scale and smiled.

Bad Jiang Qiao does know me well. Without these, she would have had to return to her room in her pig pajamas, which would have been inconvenient.

The clothes and the scale saved her a lot of time.

She quickly shed her chemise and stepped onto the scale, naked. Not a single extra gram allowed!

"55 kg."

The mechanical voice made her frown. She puffed out her cheeks, lifted one leg, and tried to shift her weight, simultaneously raising one arm and holding her hair with the other.

"54.8 kg."

This time, she smiled.

"Perfect."

"Delete record!"

With practiced ease, she donned her Flame-Chaser attire, pulled on the matching black thigh-highs and heels, and adjusted her bangs in front of the vanity mirror.

"Outfit: check. Bangs: check. Smile: check. Today is going to be a wonderful day!"

"Alright! Let's go apprehend bad Jiang Qiao! Move out!"

With a mischievous grin, she and Fairy Elysia dashed out of the room.

MEI, seeing her arrive, put down her work, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Elysia? Is something the matter?"

"No, I just… Didn't bad Jiang Qiao come here? I was looking for him… Eh? Where is he?" Elysia looked around the empty lab, confused.

"Dr. Mobius took him. He should be in her lab now."

"…Mobius?"

Elysia's eyes widened.

On her way here, she'd overheard some personnel gossiping about Dr. Mobius seemingly finding "love." She'd been surprised—Mobius's personality wasn't exactly conducive to romance.

Who could possibly get along with Mobius?

While curious, she'd been too focused on catching bad Jiang Qiao to pry. She'd planned to ask later.

But now…

Jiang Qiao wasn't in MEI's lab, and Mobius had taken him?

This gave her pause. A black-haired, black-eyed man… Could the person they were talking about be… bad Jiang Qiao?!

"Would you like some tea?"

MEI offered her a cup, then added, "If you're looking for him, you'd better hurry. Knowing Mobius's… methods…"

Elysia's blood ran cold.

"Thanks, MEI! I have to go!"

She didn't wait for MEI to finish. She turned and fled, a sense of dread washing over her.

Damn it! They described him perfectly! Why didn't I realize?!

Besides me, who else could be close to Mobius… except for that bad Jiang Qiao who likes pretending to be me?!

…Nothing bad will happen, right?

Chewing on her nails, she sprinted towards Mobius's lab, her frantic pace drawing curious glances from passing personnel.

Finally, breathless, she reached Mobius's outer lab.

"Elysia?"

Klein, holding a stack of files, looked surprised.

Having recently joined the lab, she'd become acquainted with Elysia, who occasionally visited Mobius. Klein, however, found these visits rather… stressful. Elysia always seemed to target her, poking and prodding her cheeks as if they were made of dough.

"Where's Mobius?" Elysia asked breathlessly, Fairy Elysia hovering beside her.

Klein, though puzzled, replied, "Do you need something from the doctor? She's in the inner lab."

Mobius's lab was divided into two sections. The inner lab housed the core research area, where Mobius conducted her experiments and stored her data. The outer lab was where the assistants and other personnel worked, mainly organizing documents and providing support.

"The doctor is conducting an important experiment, so I…"

Klein intended to inform Mobius of Elysia's arrival, but Elysia had already barged into the inner lab.

Click!

The door swung open, revealing the scene within.

A curvaceous, green-haired woman and a black-haired young man stood inches apart, her hand resting on his chest…

"Honestly, didn't I say no interruptions?" Mobius said, shooting Elysia an annoyed look and subtly tugging at her lab coat. "Elysia~ Have you forgotten to knock?"

Elysia blushed. She was at fault.

While she and Mobius were close, this was a research facility. She should have asked before barging in. This was a serious breach of protocol, potentially violating Fire Moth regulations.

Flustered, she stammered, "I… I have something important to discuss with Jiang Qiao!"

"Hmph, fine. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let it slide." Mobius's gaze raked over Elysia, a sly smile playing on her lips. She waved dismissively. "I'm done with him for now. Take him if you want."

Elysia didn't think much of the phrasing, though it did sound rather suggestive. Her innocence shielded her from the true meaning of Mobius's words.

Besides, knowing Mobius, "done with him" likely meant "I've extracted all the useful data from this lab rat. He's no longer of use." How ruthless!

"There's a strange smell in the air," Fairy Elysia commented, wrinkling her nose as she floated closer to Jiang Qiao.

It smelled like… flowers…

What kind of flower smells like that?

Mobius blushed slightly but maintained her composure, leaning against a table. She coughed. "This is a biology lab. What's so strange about a smell?"

Elysia shrugged. She'd encountered far stranger smells in Mobius's lab. While the scent was… familiar… unlike a certain white-haired gremlin, she wasn't one to dwell on such things.

I think I smelled something similar while traveling, passing by a dumpster… Yeah, it must be dumpster juice.

She glanced at the trash can, but aside from crumpled papers and empty reagent bottles, there was nothing unusual.

"Let's go, Jiang Qiao."

After Elysia dragged Jiang Qiao away, Klein entered, looking apologetic.

"Sorry, Doctor. I couldn't stop her."

"It's fine… Klein, please dispose of the… research materials… in this beaker." Mobius exhaled, switching on the lab's ventilation system. She handed Klein a beaker.

"Alright… uh…" Klein stared at the beaker filled with a viscous white fluid emitting a floral scent. She looked at Mobius, whose face was flushed, her eyes holding a trace of… seductiveness… that was utterly out of character.

Her lab coat and usual green inner shirt were disheveled, even torn. Elysia might not have noticed, but as Mobius's assistant, Klein immediately recognized that something was amiss.

And the doctor's usual black tights… there were small tears, and the fabric around… certain areas… was stretched thin… Klein easily deduced that there was likely a rather large rip…

Her clothes had been perfectly fine earlier.

And there were unusual wet stains on the floor…

Looking at the large beaker in her hand, Klein's jaw dropped. "Doctor, you…"

While lacking personal experience, as Mobius's assistant, Klein's knowledge of biology was extensive.

She'd seen enough research papers… and the current situation…

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Mobius asked, pressing a hand to her slightly sore thigh as she sat down. She gave Klein a sharp look, daring her to question her. Klein sighed.

"Doctor, let me… mend your clothes," she offered, deciding not to pry. While surprising, it wasn't that unusual. The doctor was getting older. At her age, most people in the organization were already parents. Such… developments… weren't unheard of.

"Hee hee~ I want a snake pattern," Mobius said with a happy sigh, leaning back in her chair. While biologically "foolish" and "meaningless," something she'd previously dismissed as mere "monkey mating rituals," she had to admit… it was rather pleasant. Like Elysia's massages.

A little indulgence now and then did wonders for relieving tension. The only downside was the slight soreness in her lower back and the… fullness… in her abdomen…

Ah, well. Minor details.

While Mobius basked in the afterglow, Elysia, having dragged Jiang Qiao to the cafeteria, was finally able to address her rumbling stomach.

"So, what was this important matter you needed to discuss?" Jiang Qiao asked as they sat down. He could feel the curious gazes of the surrounding personnel. 

Elysia was undeniably popular, a celebrity within the organization. Many admired the "socially anxious" girl from afar. But this… having lunch with a man, and acting so… close… was a first.

It seemed today was a day for gossip. First, the infamous Dr. Mobius seemingly finding love, and now, the beloved Elysia displaying such affection towards someone…

Jiang Qiao, however, ignored the stares and whispers, his curiosity focused on Elysia's supposed "important matter."

"Nothing!"

"Uh…"

"Can't I just want to see you?!" Elysia glared at him, biting down hard on her metal spoon.

"That's not what I…"

"Hmph~" Elysia smiled sweetly. Good boy!

"What did Mobius want?" Curiosity—pure, innocent curiosity—prompted the question.

"What do you think Mobius would want, given her personality?"

"To conduct some experiments, of course." Jiang Qiao's expression was unreadable.

Elysia nodded knowingly. Indeed, knowing Mobius, experiments were her priority.

Speaking of experiments…

"…Did you… swap with her?" A playful smile touched her lips.

He replied simply, "It was for research."

In reality, it had been more of a… test drive. But like Elysia, Mobius wasn't adept at using other people's bodies.

Even with access to Jiang Qiao's abilities, she couldn't do much.

Body-swapping wasn't something one could master instantly. And the "byproduct," the nascent Herrscher power, was beyond her ability to utilize in such a short time. She was a researcher, not a fighter.

Studying Jiang Qiao would be a long-term project… Though she did find the ability quite… entertaining, in multiple ways.

The experience had been… novel.

But ultimately, just an experience. Compared to her own body, it had been… underwhelming. Especially the… absence… of certain… features… which had left her feeling quite uncomfortable.

Hence, the swap had been brief, purely for testing purposes.

Mobius was essential to Fire Moth. Unlike Elysia, she couldn't be away for extended periods.

The discomfort of missing… parts… the lack of familiarity with his body, the need for her presence in the lab… there was no reason for her to continue using his body unnecessarily.

She could always borrow it again when needed.

Plug and play. Convenient.

…For research.

Elysia's smile widened as she gnawed on a rib bone, the phrase echoing in her mind.

Crack!

Something… shattered.