130. Another Stigmata Project
First, there was an assassination attempt on Dr. Mei's life, but Kevin intervened and saved her.
Then, riots suddenly broke out worldwide.
Aponia specifically sought out Ling and established a mental link with him, discovering that he had not been chosen as one of the 'Herrscher of Domination' or 'Herrschers of Thousand'.
She was relieved about this, but also became a little worried.
After all, in her dream, it was thanks to Ling's existence that they were able to defeat the 'Herrscher of Domination' so easily. Because of this, Ling was affected by too much malice from a thousand individuals, ultimately choosing to end his life in Eden's arms.
But now Ling is not one of the Herrscher of Domination, nor is he Eden's younger brother, which means that Ling is at least safe for now.
In other words, the current 'Herrscher of Domination' is uncontrollable; no one can predict their actions.
But Aponia still remembered some.
For example... Klein.
...
In Mobius's Laboratory, Ling got dressed; this was already one of countless physical examinations he had done.
Aside from that inexplicably unlucky constitution, Mobius had practically thoroughly studied Ling's body.
"No matter how many times I look at it, I'm still amazed. Your Stigmata prototype continues to modify your body, even surpassing most MANTIS Warriors."
Mebius looked at the data in her hand, unable to help but marvel at the result.
"Recently, I feel my growth rate has slowed down considerably. I wonder why."
Ling clenched his fist; his strength growth had stagnated.
"Probably because Kalpas can no longer put pressure on you to satisfy your battle instinct in your body." Mobius chuckled, covering her mouth.
"Because there's no pressure...?" Ling suddenly realised that when he was sparring with Kalpas, Ling indeed found it difficult to feel any pressure from Kalpas anymore.
Their strength was almost equal, and Ling even had a slight edge due to his combat experience.
He hadn't sparred with Sakura, but he assumed they were about the same.
"Actually, there's another way to become stronger," Mobius suddenly said.
"You mean… by becoming a MANTIS Warrior?" Ling blinked. If he became a MANTIS Warrior, his potential and power would definitely rise to another level.
"No way! You're my most important guinea pig. How could I let you become a MANTIS Warrior? If you fail, I'll lose a vital experimental subject."
Mobius smiled while gently stroking Ling's cheek.
She was delighted with this guinea pig. Not only was he a great help to her experiments, but he was also…very obedient.
"Dr. Mobius, if possible, it's best for you not to touch me." Ling moved back slightly.
"Don't run away!" Mobius's serpentine eyes stared intently at Ling, as if he were some incredibly delicious meal.
"Another test for the Calamity Constitution…" Ling thought he had found a reason and successfully convinced himself.
"Just consider it that way." Mobius chuckled.
Sometimes it's hard to tell if Ling is truly naive or just pretending, but sensing that his pulse isn't beating any faster, he's definitely genuinely a naive boy, or rather a blockhead.
"So, what about our earlier conversation..."
"Let's finish this test first." Mobius's body slowly pressed against Ling's.
"Doctor, isn't this a bit too close? Your hair is brushing against my face, it's itchy." Ling frowned, somewhat uncomfortable.
"Didn't Aponia also hug you, too? Or do you prefer sitting in someone's lap?" Mobius countered.
"I don't like either..." Ling hesitated for a moment, then continued.
"Not that you dislike it, but you probably don't feel anything."
In his mind, this was probably nothing more than just a way of expressing goodwill.
"Okay, I just wanted to test if closer contact would bring even greater disaster, so... don't resist, okay?"
"Okay, I understand."
Mobius hugged Ling, their faces almost touching.
Their gazes were fixed on each other. Ling remained unfazed, constantly aware of his surroundings, while Mobius grew even bolder and more audacious.
"Dr. Mobius, could you please not get your saliva on my neck? I find this testing method a bit difficult to accept." A slightly damp sensation came from Ling's neck.
"…Truly, you're a man who doesn't understand romance." Mobius was speechless at Ling's reaction.
Was this guy really such a blockhead?
Actually, she had a purpose in doing this. She wanted to obtain Ling's genetic material to see if Ling's offspring could still inherit the powerful 'Stigmata Prototype' within him.
That way, even if the Stigmata Project failed, perhaps there would be another way to ensure the 'Stigmata' within Ling's body would be passed down.
Perhaps this could be considered an alternative form of 'Stigmata Project'?
But Ling's behavior was so straightforward that even Mobius felt somewhat embarrassed to proceed.
Just as Mobius was about to give up, Ling suddenly grabbed her and forcefully turned her around.
Their positions instantly reversed, with Mebius on the bottom and Ling on top.
The roles were now reversed.
Mobius felt the heat from Ling's hands, her cheeks flushed, and she tried to say something, but then noticed a burst of blood on Ling's shoulder.
A few drops of blood splattered on Mobius's face, and her delicate features froze instantly.
Ling released Mobius and swiftly subdued the attacker.
"Klein?!" Mobius stared in disbelief at the gun in Klein's hand, never expecting that she would be the one to attack her.
The gun in Klein's hand was a small handgun newly developed by Vill-V. It was a potent gun, capable of shattering even the armor of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
"Klein seems a bit off. Let's tie her up first." Said Ling while restraining Klein with one hand.
Klein struggled desperately, her face displaying an expression utterly unfamiliar to Mobius.
It was hatred and resentment.
If Ling hadn't stopped her, that attack would have definitely killed Mobius!
After everything was finished, Mobius immediately began treating Ling's wounds.
Shortly afterward, Aponia arrived. Seeing the bound Klein and the horrific, bloody hole in Ling's shoulder, she instantly understood what had happened.
"Ling!" Aponia went to Ling's side.
"Sister Aponia, I'm alright. Dr. Mobius has done some basic hemostasis. For now, there's nothing seriously wrong with me, but Klein, she..."
To prevent Klein from causing trouble, Mobius injected her with an anesthetic, rendering her unconscious.
"As expected, Klein has become the 'Herrscher of Domination' after all..." Aponia clasped her hands tightly, praying for Klein.
"Aponia, who is this 'Herrscher of Domination' you mentioned? The Tenth Herrscher?" Mebius's eyes were icy. This damned Herrscher dared to attack Klein.
"Yes. They are Herrschers who appeared in my dreams. They are weak individually, but they have a thousand different bodies. The discontent of these bodies is amplified, their spirits are corrupted, and they mingle among the crowd," Aponia explained.
"So, the Herrscher core energy level within the Herrscher who attacked Mei a few days ago was only one-thousandth of a normal Herrscher energy level…" Mobius's doubts were resolved.
"It was the Herrschers' doing. It has nothing to do with you. Don't be discouraged." Mobius glanced at Ling and reminded him to not think about it too much.
"Yes, I know." Ling nodded.
…