A few days later...
At the Third Research Institute of Schicksal, Otto touched his nose, then clasped his hands behind his back while gazing at the sleeping Valkyrie inside the experiment pod. His eyes narrowed slightly,
"Dr. Magi, I hope to see progress in the research on the Gem of Serenity soon."
Dr. Magi did not respond. His eyes burned with excitement as he watched the experiment pod. A mechanical arm slowly moved the Gem of Serenity toward the Valkyrie's chest before embedding it into her body.
In an instant, a dazzling light radiated from her chest, and a crimson mark (identical to Seele's) began to emerge...
---------------------------
The researcher manipulating the console looked at the data on the screen and said, "Fusion rate 2.3%... 4.1%... 6.4%..."
"There's an error in the fusion. The test subject's body cannot withstand the Honkai energy..."
"The test subject's body tissue is beginning to collapse!"
The alarm sounded, and cracks slowly appeared in the experiment pod that encased the Valkyrie.
Eventually, the pod shattered completely, and the Valkyrie staggered out, her eyes filled with fear of death.
"Help! I don't want to die!"
"It hurts... my body hurts so much, please save me..."
Amidst her desperate cries for help, the Valkyrie slowly fell to her knees, looking hopelessly at the researchers outside the glass. In the end, she was completely disintegrated by the Desire Gem, turning into ashes.
Seeing the experiment fail, Dr. Magi grabbed Otto's shoulder, his eyes burning with passion as he said,
"Just give me some time and enough test subjects, and I promise I'll give you a satisfying answer, Lord Bishop!"
"Of course... Hurry up and clean up the lab. A lab full of dust is too unpleasant to look at."
Otto took a step back, patted his shoulder as if brushing off nonexistent dust, casually removed his white gloves, and tossed them to the ground before walking out.
Out of Dr. Magi's sight, Otto curled his lips into a smile and spoke into the communicator on his wrist, "Notify all research institutes to intensify the search for new test subjects."
After issuing his order, Otto glanced back at Dr. Magi indifferently, then boarded a ship and dialed another communication line.
"Hey, Bianca, how's life in St. Freya? How are you feeling?"
Hearing the voice from her wrist communicator, Bianca stopped in her tracks, wiped the sweat off her forehead with the towel around her neck, and looked at Otto's projection.
"Lord Bishop, when can I return to the Schicksal headquarters?"
Otto sighed helplessly with a chuckle.
"Haha... Every time we talk, it's always the same question. Can't we talk about something else? Or do you find St. Freya that unbearable?"
Bianca clenched her fists and bluntly expressed her opinion about St. Freya.
"St. Freya is great, but it's not suitable for me, especially with its loose academic system—it's simply a waste of time. The principal has good intentions, but she's too idealistic..."
"So, Lord Bishop, can you tell me why you insist on sending me here?"
Otto let out a helpless sigh but didn't answer Bianca's question. Instead, he opened the drawer in front of him and took out a photo.
"You'll understand in the future. For now, I have an important task for you..."
...
"Where did Little Li run off to this time? Every time we go out, he disappears somewhere... Sigh~"
Mei, carrying a bag, sighed helplessly as she walked down the path back home, continuing her search with her head down. Unknowingly, she arrived at the place where she first met Fu Lin and slowly stopped.
"This is... where I found Little Li. Back then, he was curled up in this corner..."
"Whimper~"
"Arf, arf, arf~"
"Awoo...~ Awoo...~"
As Mei was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the sorrowful cries of stray dogs coming from a small dark alley in the distance. Then, she saw a few wild dogs tucking their tails and fleeing as if running for their lives, heading straight in her direction.
"Ah!" Mei screamed and backed away, but she tripped over a sudden stone and fell to the ground, waving her arms in panic.
"The one-year promise is up! I, Fu Lin, have returned!"
"A gentleman's revenge should not take ten years—one year is just right..."
With a proud look on his face, Fu Lin walked out of the small dark alley. The corner of his eye caught sight of Mei on the ground, and his whole body shuddered. The spinning wooden stick in his hand slipped from his grasp, landing on the ground with a crisp sound.
But Fu Lin had no time to care about the stick he had casually picked up. He quickly pulled out a pocket watch and pressed a button.
In an instant, time froze.
He then flashed to Mei's side and slapped each wild dog across the face. Satisfied, he gently lifted Mei by the waist with both hands.
Ten seconds later, time resumed. The dogs instantly collapsed to the ground, but when they saw the figure before them, they quickly scrambled to their feet and fled in the opposite direction as if slipping on ice.
Mei instinctively wrapped her arms around Fu Lin's neck due to the sudden loss of balance. She then opened her violet eyes and stared blankly at his face, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
'So he secretly transformed into a human behind my back!'