Hearing Singed's words, Jinx and Vi, though dissatisfied with his modification of Vander, chose not to say much more.
Ultimately, they knew that regardless of Singed's original motives for reviving Vander—even if it was purely as a subject for human experimentation—Vander's return was only possible thanks to Singed's careful preservation of his body and those Shimmer experiments.
Especially for Jinx. Vi might not know the true function of Shimmer, but Jinx knew it all too well.
While Shimmer produces immense mental pressure on the user, that pressure is not entirely impossible to resist.
Simultaneously, Shimmer drastically enhances every physical attribute of the human body.
When Vander was caught in the blast of the monkey bomb and suffered life-threatening injuries, such damage would have been irreversible for any ordinary doctor, even with proper treatment.
In such a dire situation, one must use the strongest medicine and the boldest ingredients.
And Shimmer, despite its many flaws, was undoubtedly the best enhancement serum available in that era a decade ago.
The only reason they felt dissatisfied now was the fear that Vander might have forgotten them or would fail to recognize them.
To this, Faen appeared quite casual, simply stating calmly, "Let's go have a look... by the way, it seems the laboratory has developed quite well?"
Singed nodded, leading the way while speaking unhurriedly:
"This is primarily thanks to the deaths of the Chem-Barons and the resolve of Zaun's current ruling organization, the Wind of Change."
"At the very least, they were willing to shut down every alchemy factory across the board until all sources of pollution were identified and properly modified before restarting production—something those Chem-Barons would never have accepted."
"Because whether it's the lost production during the modification period or the extra expenses and facilities for pollution control after completion, it represents a massive expenditure."
"But I heard from Zeri and the others that you guys are doing some 'pollution as a resource' thing? Why didn't the Chem-Barons do that?" Vi asked, sounding curious.
"The initial investment for this plan is astronomical. While a single Chem-Baron could fund it, such a massive drain on resources would inevitably weaken their influence and invite the greed of other barons," Singed said indifferently, shrugging.
"In truth, those Chem-Barons knew better than anyone that Zaun was racing toward destruction without looking back, but they all wanted to be the final winner where the victor takes all."
"Any attempt to stop would become a weakness, and they would be devoured by the others in an instant."
"Zaun was like this, and other places are much the same. But looking at it now, Zaun finally seems to be becoming something different..."
Singed glanced at Faen beside him, his gaze devoid of excessive emotion, merely stating calmly, "I don't know what your ultimate goal is for doing this... but there is no doubt that Zaun is improving."
As he spoke, Singed clapped his hands and said, "Alright, let's see how Vander is doing now."
Following Singed's lead, the group arrived at a laboratory located deep within a tunnel.
While setting up a lab in a tunnel sounded strange, considering Zaun's terrain and the geographical shifts caused by the split of the Twin Cities, tunnels would likely be a permanent fixture for the future.
However, unlike ordinary tunnels, the one housing Singed's lab had been heavily reinforced.
At a glance, numerous technological creations and metallic objects propped up a fairly large circular space.
In the center of this space stood a massive alchemical petri dish.
The cylindrical dish was filled with an organic biological solution infused with a diluted version of the Joy Factor.
This Joy Factor wasn't white; it was extracted directly from Faen's blood and diluted through other organic solutions.
While the biological effects were similar, it lacked the intense emotional catalytic effect seen in Caitlyn and Jinx.
It simply made people instinctively feel that Faen was a good guy, reliable and trustworthy.
However, even this diluted "Joy Factor" acted as the most potent aphrodisiac for Jinx, whose body was in an extremely sensitive state after having her "seal" broken by Faen.
Not to mention Vi, who had long since been developed into a dedicated meat toilet.
As that familiar energy fluctuation permeated the air, Vi and Jinx let out muffled groans almost simultaneously.
The crotch of Vi's tight jeans was instantly soaked through by a gush of scalding love juices.
Since she wore no panties, the silver ring through her clitoris scraped sharply against the denim, delivering a jolt of electric ecstasy.
Massive amounts of crystal-clear slutty water "squelched" as they slid down her inner thighs, trailing long silver threads that dripped onto the cold laboratory floor.
Jinx, having just lost her virginity, was in an even more pathetic state.
On her flat lower abdomen, the "Mark of Pleasure" carved by Faen radiated a scorching heat through her hot pants.
Her tender flower house, which had been brutally pounded by Faen last night and remained red and swollen, spasmed and contracted frantically under the energy resonance, as if calling out emptily for that thick, massive object.
Sticky fluids mixed with last night's residual white paste poured out uncontrollably.
Her already small breasts stood tall, their nipples protruding like hard beans due to her arousal.
The two of them could only blush, standing in the solemn laboratory housing their foster father's body like two female dogs in heat.
With eyes wet with shame and hidden, primal craving, they stole glances at Faen beside them.
Looking at the massive, distorted figure enveloped in organic solution within the dish, Jinx and Vi widened their eyes in shock, despite having guessed that Vander would be different from the man they once knew.
"Is that... Vander?!"
Standing nearly 2.5 meters tall, the massive, hulking frame was rippling with muscle, and thick, greyish-black fur covered the body.
While the face still faintly resembled a human form, it also showed unmistakable canine features.
Within that flesh, numerous mechanical structures were embedded.
From his appearance alone, no one would be able to recognize him as the former Vander.
To this, Singed nodded and said, "Yes, he is Vander."
"Back then, his life was on the brink of death. I merely had the idea of 'waste utilization,' seeing if I could perform a transplant and fusion using Shadow-Wolf organs."
"Vander's will to survive was terrifyingly strong; even the beastly organs and blood merged completely into him under the catalyst of his craving for life and the Shimmer serum's mutation."
"You don't need to look at me like that," Singed shrugged.
"Without these modifications, there was no way he would have lasted until Faen appeared to provide better treatment with the Joy Factor."
"I know!" Jinx gritted her teeth, whispering, "But how is anyone supposed to accept this immediately?!"
Just as Jinx finished speaking, a voice full of pleasant surprise rang out from the side.
"Brother Faen!!"
Looking toward the sound, a blonde little girl was peeking from behind a door.
Seeing Faen, the girl's face lit up with joy: "Did you come to play with me, Brother? Let's play together, okay!"
"Eh...?"
Seeing this girl, Jinx blinked and exchanged a look with Vi.
They both cast a look of utter disgust at Faen, as if they were looking at some revolting "creepy uncle" who wouldn't even let a little girl go.
To this, Faen merely shrugged and said to Singed, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Mhm." Singed nodded, looking at the little girl with a softened gaze as he spoke:
"She is my daughter, Orianna... Just the day before yesterday, she returned from death."