After waking up, Luo Shu felt refreshed and energized.
Since he still had to hide in Area-13 for another day or two, he needed something to occupy his time—like chatting with reality benders and making new friends.
Luckily, his newly acquired disciple, the supercomputer "Athena," could provide intel support.
At Luo Shu's request, Athena compiled and sent him detailed profiles of all reality benders contained in Area-13 for him to study.
Aside from Athena's data, Aiolos also contributed ideas.
Pointing at the list, he explained:
"The reality benders in Area-13 fall into two categories: SCP-3480-2 instances and external recruits."
Luo Shu was familiar with SCP-3480-2—they were reality benders native to Mount Olympus.
Every time SCP-3480 triggered a White Event, a new SCP-3480-2 would emerge.
The duration of the White Event determined the strength of the resulting reality bender:
Longer events → Higher-tier reality benders
Shorter events → Weaker ones
Tier-3 or lower SCP-3480-2 instances were directly contained by Achilles' Heel in humanoid containment cells.
Tier-4 reality benders, however, were first rendered unconscious via the Pilgrim Protocol before containment.
The Foundation would then select compliant SCP-3480-2 instances for a one-year loyalty assessment, replenishing Achilles' Heel's ranks as needed.
But this was all Luo Shu knew—his memories held no further details.
Thankfully, Aiolos revealed a little-known secret:
"Initially, the Pilgrim Protocol was mandatory for all Tier-4 reality benders. But a problem quickly arose—if Achilles' Heel itself had no Tier-4 or Tier-5 reality benders, who could suppress these individuals?"
This question made Luo Shu pause.
To his knowledge, Achilles' Heel had at least two Tier-5 commanders and Barbie (Tier-4).
So how did the Foundation ensure their loyalty?
Why was Barbie so fanatically devoted to the Foundation?
Aiolos soon unraveled the mystery:
"Actually, all Achilles' Heel SCP-3480-2 instances are clones!"
Luo Shu's eyes widened in realization.
He recalled an interview transcript in SCP-3480's official documentation—the subject was SCP-3480-2-5 (Dr. Arthur Shu).
In his memories, Dr. Shu claimed to have visited "Hell," where he saw dead Foundation colleagues and executed D-class personnel.
The account sounded utterly absurd, completely at odds with the Foundation's scientific worldview.
But now, Luo Shu understood.
Dr. Shu's memories were real—but not entirely.
The truth? He and his colleagues had indeed died. They were cloned in SCP-2000 (Deus Ex Machina), their memories altered.
The "Hell" he remembered was actually the cloning vats of SCP-2000.
So how did Dr. Shu become SCP-3480-2-5?
Luo Shu thought of one person—"The Administrator"!
He was the one who turned them into reality benders!
5 to 22 minutes before a White Event, the Hume levels at Mytikas' peak would return to baseline—a warning sign.
Then, an unconscious person would suddenly appear, floating 3 meters above ground, enveloped by the white glow of SCP-3480-1.
When the event ended, this person became SCP-3480-2.
Thus, the "suddenly appearing individual" was clearly a clone dumped into the event by "The Administrator" using spatial manipulation.
This was how "The Administrator" ensured Achilles' Heel's loyalty!
Who could be more reliable than clones of Foundation personnel who had already given their lives?
"It was 'The Administrator,' wasn't it?" Luo Shu verified.
Aiolos looked impressed. "How did you guess so quickly?"
"But how did you know?" Luo Shu was more curious about Aiolos' source—this wasn't even in Athena's database.
Aiolos' expression turned distant.
"Because I witnessed Barbie's birth... I was among Achilles' Heel's earliest members. That day, I was on patrol and secretly entered a Reverse Distortion state."
"So you saw 'The Administrator' bringing Barbie?" Luo Shu immediately grasped it.
Aiolos nodded.
"Yes. Back then, Barbie was just a freshly cloned naked woman, slung over 'The Administrator's' shoulder and tossed onto Mytikas."
"Then how do you know you're a clone too?" Luo Shu grew even more intrigued.
Aiolos sighed.
"In my memories, I was an intelligence officer in MTF Delta-5 ('Front Runners')—then suddenly became an SCP-3480-2 in Area-13. Later, I secretly investigated my old Delta-5 teammates... none remembered me."
Luo Shu analyzed:
"They were given amnestics—to cover up your original's death."
Aiolos confirmed:
"Exactly. If a clone successfully joins Achilles' Heel, all related Foundation personnel have their memories altered."
Conversely, if a clone reality bender failed the assessment, they were terminated—"truly" dead this time.
Luo Shu was stunned by the horrifying truth hidden in Area-13.
His gaze lifted, as if piercing through the ceiling toward the contained SCP-3480-2 instances above.
These individuals had given their lives for the Foundation, only to be exploited posthumously as clones, continuing to serve even in death.
Luo Shu suddenly remembered SCP-CN-722-5, the child laborer—another anomaly "The Administrator" had attempted to create.
If not for SCP-CN-722-5 capturing Aiolos and dragging him back to her nest, Luo Shu might never have uncovered this truth.