"Kira, Athrun, have you tried yet?" Yang Hui asked Kira and Athrun. In Yang Hui's view, even as newcomers, Kira and Athrun shouldn't be much weaker than Asemu and the others. While they might not defeat the top-tier fighters, they should be able to hold their own against second-tier opponents like Dole.
"We've had wins and losses," Kira and Athrun replied somewhat sheepishly. Though both were gentle by nature, they still carried a deep-seated pride—after all, they had been the elite aces in their own world, second only to the four outsiders: Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria.
Now, having lost to quite a few people, it was impossible not to feel somewhat disheartened.
"You're doing well enough," Yang Hui reassured them, patting their shoulders. "Keep at it. Since you've chosen to come here, walk this path with determination."
"Yeah, we understand."
"By the way, Yang Hui, about…"
"What is it?" Yang Hui was puzzled by Kira's hesitant demeanor.
"Well… um… after coming to Prometheus Fortress and having our ages locked, can we still… have children?"
"Huh?" Yang Hui was momentarily stunned by the question, but quickly realized its significance.
Kira was undoubtedly asking about Flay. His age might be frozen, but he couldn't abandon his wife and their unborn child.
Even without Flay, what about Yang Hui and Sumeragi? Should they and their loved ones never have children? It might not be urgent now, but what about a hundred years later? A thousand?
This wasn't just about Yang Hui and Sumeragi. As Prometheus Fortress grew, so would its members. Bonds formed over time weren't just idle talk—comradeship forged in battle, reliance in life-and-death situations—it was natural for such relationships to blossom into love. What then?
Take Durandal and Talia, for example.
"Mephis, how do we resolve this issue?"
[Reproduction remains possible. However, after reaching A-rank and undergoing life essence evolution, the likelihood of conceiving decreases. Unless both partners have undergone life essence evolution, newborns will automatically become fixed members of Prometheus Fortress. They will age normally until reaching the designated locked age, at which point growth ceases.]
"Whew… that's a relief."
Kira sighed in relief, but Yang Hui frowned.
"Aside from pilot rank advancement, are there other ways to achieve life essence evolution?" This question was mainly for Sumeragi and the others. Among Yang Hui's loved ones, only Yurin was a Mobile Suit pilot.
[Yes. For instance, Sumeragi Lee Noriega's [Tactical Forecaster], Wang Liu Mei's [Logistics] and [Spy], Murrue Ramius and Natarle Badgiruel's [Ship Captain], Lacus Clyne's [Idol] and [Politician]—all can undergo life essence evolution, similar to pilot rank progression.]
"So… bloodline, professional expertise, and talent?"
[Correct.]
"...Then we need to address their bloodline issue…"
[Commander, you're mistaken.]
"What do you mean?" Yang Hui was startled—this was the first time Mephis had ever pointed out an error in his thinking.
[Humanity… is itself a bloodline.]
"This!" Yang Hui was surprised not only by Mephis's proactive reminder but also by the answer itself—a point he had completely overlooked.
Due to his past-life memories, he had always assumed that so-called "bloodlines" referred to special lineages like Innovators, New Humans, or Coordinators. He had neglected the fact that their original human bloodline was the foundation—the starting point of all bloodlines!
To put it simply, whether it was Innovators, New Humans, Coordinators, X-Rounders, or even Super Type abilities like Psychokinetics and Festum Factors, their roots traced back to humans. In other words, they all existed as extensions of humanity itself.
Thus... humanity itself was a bloodline!
This realization might seem trivial, but it was crucial. After all, these special bloodlines weren't something just anyone could obtain.
Take Innovators, for example. In an environment saturated with high-concentration, high-purity GN Particles, everyone had a chance to evolve into one. But... it was only a chance. Not everyone would be fortunate enough to experience it.
Decades after the battle with the ELS in the original timeline, only 40% of the population had become Innovators—proof enough of this limitation.
So, in the future, most members of Prometheus Fortress wouldn't possess these special bloodlines. Did that mean they would never advance beyond B-rank, let alone reach A-rank or even S-rank?
"I actually overlooked such an important truth... Thank you, Mephis."
[I am an AI assisting the Commander. This is my duty.]
"Are you really just an AI?"
[Insufficient Permissions.]
"Hah, feels like a universal excuse." Yang Hui chuckled wryly before shaking his head. "Then how does one enhance the human bloodline... Never mind."
He stopped mid-question. Since his earlier inquiry about bloodlines had been met with "Insufficient Permissions," he knew he'd get the same answer now. There was no point pressing further.
Still, Yang Hui was confident this mystery would unravel as his permissions increased.
Or perhaps, with some luck, someone might uncover it sooner... Wait—researching bloodlines!
"Durandal, looks like you're about to get busy." For the first time, Yang Hui felt truly grateful that Durandal had become an ally.
Why? Because Durandal was a top-tier expert in genetics! And what were bloodlines if not a matter of genes?
"...You really are a ruthless employer." Durandal sighed, his expression pained. He had just arrived—and was about to return to the Gundam SEED world, given the Earth Federation's recent establishment. With endless political affairs to handle, and Yang Hui, the Chairman, serving as little more than a figurehead, Durandal, as one of the Vice-Chancellors, was already swamped.
And now, Yang Hui was dumping an entirely new workload on him—one that was clearly massive. Even a workhorse would collapse under this!
...Wait. Actually, couldn't he technically not die now? So what was this? Dying and reviving, over and over?
"Figure out how to balance it. Researching bloodline factors is more important than administrative work—and you're the only one who can do it."
"Tch..." Durandal exhaled, knowing there was no escaping this. "Do we at least have a facility?"
"The institute currently has five laboratories. You can arrange the equipment inside yourself, and one is specifically reserved for your research on bloodline factors."
"Alright, I'll go check out the institute first..."
"Let's go together. I need to head there as well. With our current surplus of resources, some things can finally be unlocked now."
At these words, many eyes lit up with excitement.
"Original GN Drives!" they exclaimed in unison.
"That's right."
"I'm going!"
While the others were merely thrilled, especially Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria, the absence of original GN Drives had always made their Mobile Suits feel incomplete—no substitute Quasi-GN Drive could compare.
But they wouldn't follow along, as they weren't researchers. They just needed to wait for their Mobile Suits to be refitted with the original GN Drives.
Others, like Flit, who was a researcher himself, also wanted to join but remained silent, simply tagging along quietly.
However, Lowe couldn't contain his excitement and jumped up. A mechanical enthusiast, he was fascinated by any unfamiliar technology. After witnessing the Quasi-GN Drives, his obsession with the original GN Drives had only grown stronger.
"Huh? You're here?" Yang Hui was surprised to see Lowe emerge from the crowd. He genuinely hadn't noticed him earlier.
"I was just in the simulation pod. By the way, Yang Hui, can we dismantle the simulation pod? I want to study what kind of technology enables 100% realistic combat simulation."
"Uh..."
Typical Lowe—unstoppable excitement at the sight of new technology.
"Unfortunately, no," Yang Hui replied, spreading his hands. The simulation pod, like the [Medical Pod] and [Emergency Escape Device], was one of the black-tech benefits provided by Prometheus Fortress. Whether it could be reverse-engineered in the future was unclear, but for now... forget it. It was beyond their current technological level.
"Alright..." After a brief moment of disappointment, Lowe quickly perked up again. "Then let's hurry to the institute! I can't wait to see the new scientific advancements!"
"Uh."
Yang Hui's lips twitched, but after delegating the simulation training matters to Graham, he led the group to the institute.
"Our main gains this time are Gundanium Alloy, the [Zero System], and this..."
Flit activated the institute's tree-diagram display and highlighted their most significant acquisition from the Gundam W world.
Gundanium Alloy was an exceptional material—its hardness rivaled E-Carbon, while its flexibility and malleability were superior. In terms of physical defense, it could already compete with Phase Shift Armor and VPS Armor.
The [Zero System] was one of the most distinctive features of the Gundam W world. Its full name was the Zoning and Emotional Range Omitted System. The Mobile Suit's head was densely packed with various sensors and the Zero System computational unit that linked them. When activated, the pilot would synchronize with the Mobile Suit, seeing, hearing, and perceiving the same information.
The system will analyze and predict the development of various situations, then directly convey the corresponding outcomes of each choice to the pilot's brain. In short, it preemptively informs the pilot of the methods to achieve victory.
This prediction is fundamentally aimed at tactical-level victory. To secure victory, it may even select options that result in the pilot's injury or death. Simply put, it prioritizes victory above all else, disregarding the pilot's condition or emotions.
The system also includes high-performance feedback capabilities within the cockpit. It can not only monitor the life activity in various parts of the pilot's brain but also provide counter-stimulation. For example, by assessing the pilot's physiological state, it can mitigate or block the transmission of stimuli such as impact or G-forces generated during the Mobile Suit's maneuvers, allowing the pilot to continue controlling the unit even in environments beyond human endurance limits.
However, this is an extremely dangerous system. It predicts enemy movements or any shifts on the battlefield and relays them to the pilot, including the consequences of every action—even forecasting potential ways the pilot could die. The overwhelming volume of predictive data imposes immense mental strain, making the Zero System unbearable for any pilot lacking formidable mental resilience and fearless courage.