Ryan had already guessed about the harvesting, but he never thought that a world bubble could be harvested repeatedly.
Absorbing energy, gathering energy, taking away energy, and then cycling back and forth. This was indeed cruel. Fortunately, Ryan didn't have too much contact with the natives of this world bubble, otherwise, he would have been righteously indignant. Even so, he had some empathy.
This sense of deja vu, it's like the Cocoon of Finality. It keeps restarting to achieve its goal, but the goal is different.
He didn't know what this being was doing with a world bubble farm, but he knew that this energy must be useful. If he farmed hundreds or thousands of world bubbles at the same time and cycled them back and forth, over time, a terrifying amount of energy would be gathered.
One directly drawing from the Imaginary Tree, and the other gathering through the Sea of Quanta. What kind of people are these?
"Mr. Ryan, is something wrong?" Vita asked curiously.
"This eternal night is not that simple. It's probably going to last for a long time." Ryan didn't mention energy, nor did he point out the malicious intent.
"Ah? If it's for a long time, everyone will starve to death, because the crops ripen too quickly, and everyone doesn't have much leftover food." The girl's face was full of worry, and her tone carried a hint of pleading: "Is there really no way?"
"I can't poke a hole in the sky. What can I do?" Ryan spread his hands, thinking that even if there was a way, he wouldn't tell her.
This Vita must have a problem. Although she was acting very well, one thing gave her away:
Everyone else was scared by Hua's terrifying power. You know, a beautiful girl could smash a house with one punch, and a downward kick could sink a half-ton Honkai beast into the ground. But she was very calm.
"By the way, aren't you scared?"
"S-scared of what?"
"A power that far exceeds normal human beings, as if a single breath could tear a person apart. It has already surpassed the imagination of this world, how can you approach us so calmly?" Ryan leaned on the railing with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression meaningful, and then he continued to press her.
"Also, aren't you curious about the instruments that Mobius made? This world hasn't even developed scalpels and analyzers yet."
Vita's expression changed slightly. She thought to herself, 'No wonder the other party didn't ask me to avoid him yesterday and let me listen to her talk about history in front of the operating table.' 'This person's mind is really terrifying.'
"I'm sorry, I lied, but it was for a good cause."
"Uh-huh, go on." Ryan's eyes were still cold, and Hua had quietly come behind him. Because they were of similar age, she couldn't help but chat with her these past two days, and she was afraid that she might have accidentally said something she shouldn't have.
"I know you're not from this world bubble, because I'm not either. But I've lived here for a long time and I like everyone in Snowflake City, so I hope you can save them." The girl put her hand on her chest, looking hesitant.
Ryan had no interest in emotional expressions. He only noticed the words 'world bubble'. It was not simple for her to be able to say this term.
"What do you mean, you're also from the outside?"
"Yes. I came from another world bubble. Similarly, my hometown also self-destructed because of wishes. I got on the last shuttle, wandered in the Sea of Quanta for a long time, and finally landed near Snowflake City. If you don't believe me, you can go to the cave outside the city, there are the remains of the shuttle."
Vita said sincerely and tried her best to explain her past with passion, describing a story to Ryan.
It turned out that she was from a high-tech world bubble. The people there already knew that they were living in the Sea of Quanta and had begun to explore the surrounding environment. Also, because of praying, they obtained a certain energy source and used it to create a glorious civilization.
But one day, these energy crystals suddenly had a chain reaction. The shockwave of the explosion destroyed the world bubble, and Vita, as one of the survivors, got on a shuttle and left her hometown, and accidentally landed in this world bubble.
She said a lot, still very sincere, which made Hua a little dazed. Only Ryan was sneering in his heart.
There was no problem with the logic. Those complex theoretical knowledge couldn't be made up in a story, but she overlooked one problem. A long time couldn't be passed by an ordinary person. There was no need for her to lie about this. It could be revealed by Mobius by just taking a slice of her.
But Ryan didn't mention it. He didn't object to the other party trying to stall. There was still a long time, and he would eventually find out.
"It seems that the 'praying' itself has a problem. There's no such thing as a free lunch in the world. This gift also represents a harvest." Ryan said lightly and suddenly heard a 'dong' sound of a bell.
Under the light of the flickering torches, hundreds of civilians knelt on one knee and began another prayer. And Hua, who was holding an instrument next to them, immediately read the data.
"The Honkai energy is rising. Even though it's very faint, it is indeed rising."
This ritual was happening simultaneously throughout the world bubble. Tens of thousands of humans formed an invisible psychic force that seemed to be able to pass through the world bubble's barrier.
Ryan even had an urge. He wanted to 'pray' too, but he managed to resist the impulse to court death.
"The more you pray, the more intense the doomsday becomes?" Vita's eyes were a little lost.
"That's why I said this problem has no solution. You have no way to change the long-standing habits of the entire world bubble. Give up on being a Salvation."
"But I can't accept it!"
"What's there to not accept? Our hometown is also facing the end of Honkai, and we can do nothing about it. Some things are just a matter of doing your best and leaving the rest to fate." Ryan deliberately used the word 'end' to describe it. He saw Vita's eye twitch within a hundredth of a second. He added another point of doubt in his heart, but didn't show it at all.
"Go and get ready. Take us to find the remains of the shuttle. This world bubble is already beyond saving. We should preserve ourselves and then find a way to find out the truth. Maybe we can even avenge these ignorant people."
Vita neither objected nor agreed. She just turned around and left blankly. Her back looked a little desolate, as if she was helpless and unwilling.
"Senior brother, aren't we a little cruel to say that?" Hua couldn't help but say. She thought about it from her perspective. If she experienced the destruction of Earth twice, she would probably go crazy.
"The truth is hard to hear, that's all. You don't think I'm really going to run, do you?"
"Huh? Then why did you tell her so much of the truth?" The girl raised her eyebrows. This was a secret that Ryan had exposed.
"It's just a test, and I'm very satisfied with the result. This person should know about Honkai, and there's no Honkai in the Sea of Quanta. This is interesting." Ryan rubbed his chin, knowing that this Vita told the truth, but not the whole truth.
"That's impossible. Only the Third Institute has researched the Sea of Quanta, and it's for a very short time." Hua was immediately shocked and remembered the legend that Aponia told her. "Could it be that she is a person from the previous civilization? Dr. Mei said that there was a civilization before us, but they didn't leave any legacy, which made it very difficult for us."
Hua was invited to join the 'Fire Seed Plan', so she knew about the civilization before theirs.
"I don't know either. The limit of my vision is the end. How would I know what happened after that?" Ryan spread his hands. He later switched to Star Rail, who knows what happened.
The two of them were silent for a moment. Things were getting more and more complicated. Originally, they just had to deal with the Herrschers and go back as soon as possible. But now, a mysterious Vita appeared.
"Will there be danger?"
"There's no other way. The end is still here. I'm not some great sage. I don't have time to test her slowly." Ryan didn't explain who the great sage was. He patted Hua on the shoulder, "Keep an eye on her. You can reveal some things about the intrinsic world and get more information from her. We'll leave in twelve hours. I'm the Commander of the Fire Moth. I don't have the obligation to save this world bubble."
Hua had been so careful with every word she said during this time. When she heard that the restriction was lifted, she was relieved and quickly followed Vita. The two girls of similar age began to whisper to each other.
He looked at the people who were so devout but didn't know who they were praying to. They were flesh and blood, but saving the world was too much trouble. As a decisive person, Ryan knew that every second he stayed in the Sea of Quanta, the pressure on Mei would increase.
Using the coldest logical calculation, the value of this entire world bubble was not even comparable to the life of a single high-level Fusion Warrior. So Ryan wasn't going to be a fool.
He walked down the clock tower and returned to the restaurant. It had already been renovated by Mobius. The shivering constables were guarding a hundred meters away, occasionally peeking with fearful eyes.
Under the light of the kerosene lamp, the restaurant was filled with the corpses of various monsters. These were the trophies that Hua had dragged back, and all of them were handed over to Mobius for research.
'Glad I brought the platypus.'
Ryan stepped in. He had also killed a few monsters, but due to the huge energy gap, he didn't gain much. After all, these things had something added to them on top of the Honkai beasts. Under the mutual interference, it was difficult to understand them thoroughly.
If the way of fate doesn't work, there's still science. Mobius happened to be an absolute expert in this field, and she could make a breakthrough even in such a bad situation.
"You're here?" Mobius put down her scalpel. When she saw Ryan, she started complaining, "The technology level of this world is too low. I had to make all the instruments by hand, and I don't even have an assistant to help."
"Do you think you can carry a lab with you? And I wasn't slacking off either. I found some interesting things." Ryan's attitude was excellent when he needed something. While comforting her, he told her about Vita.
This was more detailed than what he told Hua. It had nothing to do with fairness. It was just that Hua knew too much useless information, while Mobius was one of the top three geniuses in humanity, and a born schemer.
"This Vita didn't tell the truth. She's not a Fusion Warrior, but she can live for a long time. It really makes me want to dissect her." Mobius was immediately excited. It was as if she saw a treasure, and she was eager to dig out who knows how many treasures.
"Stop right there. Since this person dared to act in front of me, she must have a trump card. I don't want to inexplicably offend some big shot."
"Never mind her. By the way, did you forget something?" Mobius decisively put the matter behind her and picked up a test tube with a smug look.
"You still haven't had the Super Mutation surgery yet, Commander No. CM002~~"
Why did you emphasize the number CM002? Oh, you're showing off that you're the first high-level Fusion Warrior, aren't you.
Mobius's little thought couldn't be hidden from Ryan. In normal times, she would have been called 'immature', but as a pragmatist, Ryan was friendly when he needed something. He was just slightly stunned.
He, of course, hadn't forgotten about the Super Mutation surgery. It was put on the agenda two months ago. At that time, he even went to choose one, but later, there were too many things going on, and there was no suitable Super Mutation factor, so it was postponed.
Even a Final-class Honkai beast wouldn't be of much use to Ryan. Any powerful ability was a younger brother in front of an authority. According to his plan, the transitional target he chose when he was free would be very narrow.
It would either have the growth potential of a Vishnu or enhance his psychic power like Su's Maury. But he always felt that something was missing, and the 'Chimera Project' had not made any progress, so the improvement of a single Super Mutation factor was limited.
"What progress have you made?" Ryan looked at the test tube in Mobius's hand. It contained some kind of purplish-black viscous liquid.
"A new Super Mutation factor, extracted from these strange Honkai beasts. Besides Honkai energy, it also has another strange energy that fits with the Sea of Quanta."
"How did you get it without a centrifuge?"
"That's none of your business. Anyway, I've found a new path." Mobius looked very excited. The unknown meant treasure. "Using this Super Mutation factor, we might be able to create a new type of warrior. It's a pity that I can't conduct human experiments and data observation."
There were people, but Mobius never had the habit of kidnapping people for research. And she lacked equipment. Even if she injected it, she couldn't integrate the data. Science can't rely on intuition.
"Based on past experience, the higher the energy level, the more powerful the Super Mutation factor is. So you have to find some good stuff. Maybe it can solve your choice paralysis."
These monsters should all have quantum attributes. Could it be that Mobius wanted to create a Fusion Warrior with a quantum attribute?
Ryan was immediately a little tempted. He also saw these monsters that looked like Honkai beasts. Other than that, the characteristic of weakening Honkai energy was very attractive.
But as a scientist, he also had his own opinion: "Can you inject quantum attributes into a creature of the imaginary side?"
"The failure rate will definitely be very high, but it's not impossible for you." Mobius said with certainty, not caring about science anymore.
This trust moved Ryan, but he didn't need to take the risk, because the Herrschers couldn't even touch the energy of the Sea of Quanta.
"Let's collect the factor first. According to the current situation of the world bubble, there will definitely be things with higher energy levels. When we get back to the Fire Moth, we'll do some more research." Ryan was making use of waste. Since it would take a lot of time anyway, he might as well cast a wide net and catch a lot of fish.
The opportunity was rare. The world bubbles that the Third Institute found didn't have these things. He couldn't just casually fish in the Sea of Quanta.
"Okay. I can ask that woman for a budget again." Mobius stretched, making her full chest even more prominent. Her blue and white dress lost its usual elegance, but gained a bit of gentleness.
She noticed Ryan's gaze and first looked outside the restaurant. She then took a step and shrank to the side.
"By the way, I found such a good path, don't I get a reward?"
"Reward? You don't think I have Alzheimer's, do you? Two days ago when Vita appeared, how did you badmouth me?" Ryan held his glasses with one hand and tapped the table with the other, which made the smile on Mobius's face freeze.
After a moment of hesitation, she gave Ryan a slightly flirtatious look: "As a gentleman, you shouldn't hold a grudge against a lady."
"Stop playing games with me. When you were treating my low blood pressure, did you forget you were a lady?" Ryan sneered. This Mobius was not only stubborn, but also a coward. She wouldn't show this expression when Hua was around.
"Oh, Mobius, why are you so lovable and hateful?"
"Isn't that good? Wouldn't it be boring if everyone was as obedient as that wooden stake?" Mobius had no regrets. She patted her chest and raised her chin proudly, "I am one of a kind."
She was even proud of it. And she had the nerve to call herself a lady.
Ryan was speechless. He was about to get up, but was pushed back. He looked up a little confused and saw that under the kerosene lamp, the woman's face was flushed. She reached out and pulled off her ponytail. Her slightly curly green hair that was let down covered the side of her face.
Her long legs in black pantyhose were raised, and her knees were on Ryan's thighs. The latter subconsciously raised his hand and remembered the wheat bread he had eaten in this restaurant two days ago.
It was full, smooth, and very elastic. With a little force, his fingers would sink into the bread. It was very springy, and even bounced back a little.
The scent that entered his nose was a bit like coffee-flavored jam, and his eyes were full of abundance.
This world bubble is great. The bread is really nourishing.
"Hey, why are you doing this again when Hua's not around..."
Before he could finish, a cold finger was placed on his lips. Mobius lowered her head, and the coffee smell became even stronger.
"You don't understand. This is what makes it exciting."
...
Early morning. No, there was no concept of morning in this dark world bubble anyway. After twelve hours, four hanging lamps flickered outside Snowflake City. In this black world bubble, they were like constantly flashing ghost fires, making people's hearts pound.
There was no light, and this world bubble hadn't even invented the telegraph. The connection between the city-states had been cut off. When Ryan and the others volunteered to explore, they received a warm response.
"The best kerosene lamp in the village." Ryan licked his lips. In the face of this huge change, the people of this world bubble could do nothing but pray. Even if the same thing happened in the Fire Moth, it wouldn't be much better.
This was the disadvantage of a world bubble. The individual was too small and too easy to be controlled. But with the size of the intrinsic world, even the Cocoon of Finality could at most affect the solar system. That's why Mei proposed the 'Ark Plan'.
'If I didn't know that this plan has no follow-up, I would probably be developing technology too.'
Ryan muttered to himself, glancing at Mobius on the horse next to him. This woman was riding a horse and calculating on scrap paper, as if nothing had happened.
As expected of the lovable and hateful viper. She swallowed everything in one gulp, not even spitting out the bones.
"Senior brother, why do I feel like Mobius is a little smug?" Hua rode her horse to catch up. She had just dealt with a few monsters.
"What did she say to you?"
"She didn't say anything. I just feel a little strange, and my head feels a little dizzy."
This time, she didn't get carried away and self-destruct. Something's not right. What's this inexplicable sense of excitement?
Ryan licked his lips again and lightly snapped his fingers: "She probably had a relapse. Don't worry about her."
"Okay." The girl was suspicious. She thought to herself that Vita was a bit clingy and had delayed her for more than an hour. She then secretly glanced behind her, "She's indeed problematic. She's hiding a lot of secrets. It seems like she has more than one hometown."
"Did you get something out of her?"
"No, it's just a gut feeling. So will it be a problem to let her follow us? The Honkai energy detector might not be accurate in the Sea of Quanta."
"Just be more vigilant. Since it's an investment, we have to bear the risk. For the sake of the future, this risk is worth taking." Ryan was very certain, thinking that if this Vita really had a problem, she would be more anxious than him.
No matter how she tried to cover it up, she couldn't hide the fact that she was the one who approached him. Finding the shuttle was just an excuse. After this stage was completed, let's see what other reasons she had.
It was pitch black. The kerosene lamp couldn't illuminate a large area. Coupled with an 'ordinary person' in the team, the four of them were moving very slowly. After about eight hours, Ryan felt a chill.
He held out the kerosene lamp and could vaguely see that the stone road had come to an end, and the road was covered with snow.
"This is the northernmost part of the continent. Very few people come here anymore." Vita, who was the guide, quickly came up to explain. She was still a little afraid of the cold Ryan.
"Why don't they come? This mountain should be very rich..." Ryan stopped halfway through. This world bubble had a small population and a large land area, so there was really no need for them to make a living in the mountains.
"So this is where you hid the thing? Alright, lead the way. We'll fix it once we find it. Don't worry, we'll take you with us when we leave."
He looked eager to leave, but he saw Vita hesitate.
"Is there still a problem?"
"Where can we go after we leave this place? To the next world bubble? Or can we return to your world?"
"According to our research, after leaving the barrier of a world bubble, if we release a signal in the Sea of Quanta, the distance of transmission will be farther, and we might be able to get out." Ryan was full of confidence, and he rarely showed a gentle side, "If you're willing, you can come back to the intrinsic world with us. It's not a great place, but it's better than being raised as a pig in the Sea of Quanta."
"Keep going. We'll rest in the cave ahead for two hours, then we'll go find the shuttle remains and finish the plan."
Ryan left these words and didn't wait for a response. He rode his horse to the front. Since he met this Vita, he had no emotional connection with her. There was no small talk, no closeness. He was more like a machine, firmly grasping the initiative, and didn't even give Vita a chance to question him.
This wasn't targeting her, because Ryan was constantly exuding a sense of pressure. How could a person like him be led around by a girl?
"I don't think Mei's plan has this item. If we're in the depths of the sea, you won't be able to transmit the signal to Earth." Mobius put down her draft paper, her snake eyes filled with doubt.
"I was just talking nonsense. She doesn't know she's been exposed, she'll get anxious little by little."
"By the way, what makes you so suspicious of her? I haven't seen anything wrong with her so far."
Ryan sped up his horse to the front, then turned around and smiled, patting his face.
"Because I judge people by their looks."