There are Thousands of Them Here…

In the elevator, after a brief, productive exchange with Ethics, Shu calmed down, looking at the inferior core in his hand.

He'd initially believed the events in ARC City were unrelated to the Honkai, attributing them to a mysterious "Umbrella Corp."

But this core overturned that theory. The [Champion]'s very existence was inextricably linked to the Honkai.

Was it coincidence? Had the [Champion] mutated into a Honkai Beast after its creation? Or did its creator, or that organization, possess a rudimentary understanding of Honkai energy?

Shu frowned. The latter seemed unlikely.

Even Otto, in this world, lacked any means of manipulating Honkai energy. Could there possibly be someone stronger than Otto?

Unlikely. But not impossible…

Another headache… I need to get back to the Hyperion and dump this on Otto.

He checked his remaining [hope] reserves. Since leaving the Nest, he'd used less than a tenth.

I'm pretty strong, actually!

Just then, the elevator slowed and stopped.

"Mr. Shu, exercise caution," Ethics warned as he was about to step out. "Our information extends only to the eleventh level and above. We lack data on the remaining two."

Shu refocused, nodding. His senses extended beyond the elevator doors before he did.

The moment the doors opened, his eyes widened.

"What…?" He rushed out.

After B11, Ethics no longer had access to multi-angle surveillance and couldn't follow Shu visually. And Shu hadn't brought Ethics' "eyes" with him.

Silently, Ethics could only wait for Pet to slowly roll its tiny wheels, trying to keep up.

But as soon as he exited the elevator, Ethics understood Shu's shock.

Beyond the elevator was a familiar metal corridor, ending in a massive metal door.

The door was open. And behind it…

…were countless rows of massive incubation tanks. Each one contained a small, humanoid life form.

Not mutated life forms, like the [Champion]. At least, from Ethics's observation of several individuals, there were no non-human features.

If anything was unusual, it was their… exceptional physical perfection.

Shu strode briskly, a gust of wind accompanying him, passing each tank.

The tanks were filled with a vibrant green liquid – the Y2-49 nutrient solution Vakh had shown him.

There were hundreds of tanks, all filled with the solution, and Shu saw that the liquid was being constantly replenished, a lavish expenditure.

Some tanks held fetuses connected to umbilical cords. Others held barely visible fertilized eggs.

But the majority contained fully formed infants, curled up, floating in the center.

Some of the larger ones had been disconnected from the umbilical cord, replaced by metallic tubes attached to their bodies.

All of them were asleep, eyes closed, still curled in a fetal position, bubbles rising rhythmically from their mouths and noses, as if breathing.

Shu didn't know what he was feeling. He slowed down, his gaze moving from one submerged human to another.

"Ethics," he said suddenly, remembering the encyclopedia at his side. He stopped, turning to Pet.

"What is this place? What… are these?"

He could sense the tranquility of infancy, hear their heartbeats, see their steady breathing…

"Mr. Shu, I apologize. I cannot answer your question," Pet finally caught up. "There is no public information regarding the twelfth basement level of Heliopolis. We were unaware of this… human cultivation facility."

Right, Ethics had said it didn't know the way down…

With no answers from Ethics, Shu turned back to the tanks, lost in thought.

The green liquid was beautiful. The sleeping child within was beautiful…

This one looked almost three years old. Shu saw… him. Naked, curled up, his expression serene.

His short, blond hair floated gently in the nutrient solution. Shu could see his long eyelashes, the rise and fall of his chest.

He was healthy, incredibly so.

Looking at that peaceful face, Shu unconsciously reached out, placing his hand on the glass.

The hard surface startled him. He quickly retracted his hand.

"Mr. Shu, any data on this facility should be stored in the central database on the thirteenth level," Ethics said, noticing his reaction.

Shu nodded, looking towards the center of B12.

The tubes extending from the tanks all converged there. And at the end of the aisle where he stood, there was a railing.

He calmed himself and walked slowly to the railing.

Life's most vulnerable stages passed him by, from a newly fertilized egg to a child of almost ten.

They slept peacefully, in perfect health, their hearts, no doubt, pure.

They hadn't even begun to think. Their slumber was likely dreamless.

They were displayed before him, until he reached the railing, leaned on it, and looked down.

There were thousands of newborn infants here.