Shencheng Pharmaceuticals headquarters building.
Mobius looked at genetic information scanned from within the bacteria, her brow gradually furrowing.
"Strange. These bacteria's genetic information shows no obvious changes, yet toxicity is slowly strengthening."
She shifted her gaze to the other side—a sealed space built with high-strength transparent material. Inside was a white mouse far exceeding its peers in size.
The white mouse's surface actually grew deep purple patterns like spreading grotesque blood vessels. Obviously, this white mouse had already been eroded by Honkai energy.
"When bacterial concentration accumulates to a certain degree, it can trigger Honkai energy erosion. But the bacterial concentration requirement has decreased this much."
Mobius summarized known information, her face gradually falling into contemplation.
"This isn't scientific. However... it's quite Honkai."
"The bacteria's genetic information itself hasn't changed, so it can only be something temporarily unobservable... Honkai Beast, as expected?"
Soon, Mobius's research results reached Lucius's hands.
Through this, Lucius gained intuitive understanding of this bacterium and the plague it caused.
Simply put, the plague triggered by this unnamed bacterium was expanding. Its lethality also significantly increased. But from the current perspective, it still remained within controllable range. The anti-Honkai vaccine Mobius developed still had significant effect on this bacterium.
However, Mobius also gave a warning. If this bacterium continued strengthening, hard to say how much effect the vaccine would retain.
Besides this, although she hadn't yet clarified this bacterium's essence, she'd already summarized the reason for its increased lethality.
This bacterium's lethality seemed proportional to the number of infected people. The more people infected, the stronger its lethality.
With only a few people, the infected might not even feel abnormal.
But as infected numbers increased, symptoms similar to colds and fever would gradually appear.
Now, infected were beginning to fall into comas, some even showing Honkai energy erosion symptoms.
If infected numbers continued increasing, this bacterium might truly evolve to instant-death-upon-contact levels.
At the end, Mobius gave her judgment.
—A Honkai Beast existing in microbial form.
"Bacterial-type Honkai Beast..."
After reading the information, Lucius pondered thoughtfully. He wasn't surprised by this novel Honkai Beast, just thinking of some interesting information from this.
Because he suddenly realized the recipe composing Theresa didn't seem to have only one version: Kallen genes + Vishnu super mutation factor.
As a large category, Theresa had many varieties. And because this dumb system copied game systems, these alternate Theresas could all count toward the 'Theresa' character.
Therefore, variants based on the Theresa character were truly too many, also causing her composition recipes to be more than one.
For instance, this bacterial-type Honkai Beast made Lucius think of another Theresa composition recipe: Kallen genes + bacterial-type Honkai Beast + Corruption power.
However, he just thought about it. After all, although this recipe didn't require Vishnu super mutation factor, Corruption power was actually harder to obtain than Vishnu super mutation factor.
Setting this thought aside, Lucius began focusing on the current situation.
Thinking of the present, Lucius felt fury surging up.
"A bunch of vermin."
Although this plague could be classified as disaster caused by bacterial-type Honkai Beast, what created the current situation was actually man-made disaster caused by vermin in Fire Moth and United Government.
In the plague's early outbreak, this bacterial-type Honkai Beast's threat couldn't even compare to ordinary colds. When it showed expansion trends, it was also discovered promptly.
Plus with anti-Honkai vaccine capable of restraining it, solving it wasn't actually difficult—could even be said quite simple.
But why did the situation develop to current levels?
Because a batch of vaccine was embezzled!
Lucius could easily guess what they were thinking—nothing more than waiting for plague to explode so vaccine prices would soar, then make a fortune from this.
Even, perhaps the plague's spread was deliberately allowed by them.
Thinking of this, Lucius felt mentally exhausted.
Honestly, he'd considered United Government and Fire Moth high-level incompetence, even considered solutions.
In fact, the day he obtained Fenghuang Down (Mimic), he activated tuning mode, tampering with some United Government high-level consciousness, requiring them to draft legislation to improve distribution, reduce wealth gaps, clean corrupt bureaucrats...
After all, Cocoon of Finality loved finding people whose lives hit rock bottom as vessels. If he made social environment better, everyone lived more comfortably—wouldn't that also greatly reduce anti-Honkai difficulty?
But the result was these high-level figures whose consciousness he'd tampered with quickly "committed suicide" for various reasons after proposing bills.
After investigation, Lucius discovered those acting were mostly their subordinates. After getting a "rule-following" boss, these people continued "progressing" as usual.
After several more high-level deaths, Lucius gave up. Main reason—their subordinates grew suspicious.
As fellow "progressives," they knew what kind of people each other were. Suddenly becoming selfless and impartial—hard not to believe someone was replaced.
To avoid exposing consciousness interference capabilities, Lucius chose to withdraw.
At this point he knew—unless capable of controlling everyone in United Government and Fire Moth, starting anew was more worthwhile.
Starting anew was also what he'd been preparing.
According to script, after Schicksal's establishment, there was still a civil war to fight.
Then Otto would furiously storm the execution ground, Kallen would die on the spot, then New and Old Schicksal would clash. Conveniently eliminating all these vermin to establish New Schicksal.
However now, he must first solve the plague. Otherwise the several hundred million people the Third Great Honkai failed to eliminate might have quotas completed by this virus.
Coincidentally, now with plague outbreak, it was a perfect time to impose control on United Government high-level.
In the past, subordinates of course wouldn't believe these people were selfless.
But as long as Lucius first slapped plague onto these high-level families' faces, then to save themselves and families, choosing to violate their bottom line and do good deeds was understandable, right?
What if subordinates opposed? No problem. A few more people wasn't many. Their families would similarly receive a plague gift package.
If they didn't solve the plague... clear household registers together.
...
However, the great sage teacher once said: always be stable in everything, preparing extra hands was never wrong.
So before Nicholas summoned high-level for meetings, Lucius first went to Kallen's place.
When Lucius arrived at Francis's manor, he found Kallen sitting before a table placed under grapevines, flipping through a thick tome.
He saw the words "The Prince."
When Lucius arrived, Kallen already noticed. Now shifting her gaze from the book, she saw surprise on Lucius's face.
"Great Director, you seem very surprised?"
Lucius nodded, saying frankly: "Previously I also wondered how your wisdom could govern Schicksal for five hundred years. But looking now, not so surprising. I apologize for my previous fixed impressions."
"...So what exactly am I like in your eyes?" Kallen sighed, closing the book.
Since they'd grown familiar, Lucius wasn't restrained. He sat opposite Kallen, smiling and asking: "I've seen some of your memories. Speaking of which, can one really stabilize Schicksal through martial power alone?"
After dealing with some United Government vermin, Lucius knew some things couldn't be solved by martial power alone.
He was also curious how Kallen with her abilities sat firmly in Schicksal Archbishop position.
Regarding Lucius's question, Kallen didn't hide. She said frankly:
"Most of the time I just need to solve people creating problems. Troublesome parts are actually only administrative aspects."
"However, administrative problems have Void Archives helping. Her brain works better than mine, can help me make references."
Hearing Kallen say this, Lucius suddenly understood.
"So that's it. Not strange then. But I remember opening Void Archives has intelligence requirements?"
"You mean I'm a dummy, right?"
"You said it yourself."
Kallen raised her small head, glaring at Lucius, but soon sighed.
"Alright, I admit my brain can't compare to Otto and Void Archives. However, my teacher has Void Archives authority, so opening and using Void Archives isn't a problem."
Lucius was surprised, curiously asking: "You have a teacher?"
Kallen's face showed nostalgia: "Teacher is a pioneer from Previous Civilization, an enlightened one possessing the Eye of Bodhi."
"So it was Su assisting. Not strange then..."
But soon, Lucius noticed the vocabulary Kallen used, asking again: "Archbishop, you use 'she' not 'he'?"
Kallen looked at him strangely: "Of course teacher is female. What's strange about that?"
Lucius thought for a while, smiling and shaking his head: "Just thought of some things. But shouldn't be such a coincidence."
Su's counterparts weren't strange—like Vita and Sa.
But if this counterpart was female yet still directly called Su, that was somewhat subtle.
Lucius knew in parallel worlds there indeed was an extremely obsessed female Su cross-dimensionally hunting other spacetimes' selves.
After he told this information to Kallen, Kallen also shook her head.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Teacher is a very good person, absolutely wouldn't do such things."
"I also think it's coincidence. After all, among countless spacetimes, female Sus must be quite numerous. The one I know pulled all humanity into dreams."
"And you could become a pseudo-Herrscher and come to this spacetime—clearly not in a dream state."
After conversing more, Kallen suddenly asked: "So you came here not simply to chat with me?"
Lucius didn't continue pleasantries: "I came to borrow your power."
After first fighting this Kallen, Lucius knew her body still retained pseudo-Herrscher power and Binding power. Therefore, when necessary, she could serve as a key card.
Lucius came here precisely to borrow the Binding power remaining in her.
Using the Shoggoth race's Outer Key, he could observe Earth's Honkai energy anomaly points in advance and react accordingly.
The Binding power Kallen possessed could eliminate erupting Honkai energy to prevent huge disasters.
Although he didn't think a disaster caused by Honkai Beast would trigger Great Honkai, being stable was ultimately fine.
After Lucius stated his purpose, Kallen fell silent. After a long time, she finally said: "Activating Binding authority, I'll probably die..."
Only she understood how terrible her current condition was.
Although Binding power still remained in her body, having lost Herrscher status, this authority was essentially dead. To activate it, she had to fill it with her life.
In a sense, her current state was extremely similar to Divine Keys—could even be said she was now a living Oath of Judah.
Forcibly using power was equivalent to activating Zero-Rated Power. After using it, she'd die.
"In that case, can only trouble you to die once."
"???"
Seeing the calmness on Lucius's face, Kallen was speechless, using a slightly resentful tone: "Although I don't mind dying generously, your attitude... isn't it too callous?"
"Don't worry. Even if you die, I can pull you back." Lucius's face showed a sunny smile as he gave her a thumbs up.
For Lucius, to use Herrscher of Binding's authority, he could only purchase related character experience cards and Divine Key experience cards—each purchase a huge expense.
But if using Kallen as a Divine Key, each cost was just one Revival Needle.
With Hua available for exploitation, could even be said zero cost.
Seeing Lucius's face not only showing no remorse but somehow showing joy, Kallen's resentment deepened.
"Great Director, you seem somewhat too inhuman."
To this, Lucius waved dismissively: "No problem. In being inhuman, I can never be last. No matter what, there's always a yellow-hair below me."
...
After pulling Kallen into the team, Lucius prepared to control those United Government high-level figures.
But before he acted, some changes occurred at Nicholas's place.
Nicholas's manor, family meeting hall.
A young man with a moth badge on his chest, clothes impeccably arranged, stood before Nicholas.
His expression excited, he said to Nicholas in an almost chanting manner:
"Now the people panic. You hold medicine to save them. Why not thoroughly detonate the plague, use this heaven-sent opportunity to completely break free from United Government's shackles?"
"People only pray for saviors when in despair. Now timing is perfect."
"You should go further!"
"Sir, please lead Fire Moth to take over United Government's power!"
Nicholas's face showed worry, but joy in his eyes couldn't be concealed.
He sighed, waving his hand: "You, you've really put me in a difficult position!"
"Sir, people are being ravaged by plague. They need your salvation!"
Nicholas hesitated, ultimately sighing long.
"You also know I, Nicholas, have never been someone who covets power. All I do is for the people!"
"In that case, I'll reluctantly... smack!"
"—Owwww!!!"
In the young man's horrified gaze, Nicholas suddenly spun and shrieked as he flew out. A blonde, blue-eyed human cub appeared where he'd stood—precisely Lucius controlling Otto's body.
While wiping his hands with a handkerchief, he said to the young man: "Nicholas says he doesn't want to."
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