133. 200% Participation Rate of Top-Tier Teachers
Ultimately, Mobius agreed to perform the surgery on Kalpas.
Of course, the price was that Mobius would take something from Kalpas's body for research.
Mobius had studied Kalpas many times before, even sending Sakura to the village where Kalpas first landed to search for traces she left behind.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to be gained.
Although Ling was Kalpas's old acquaintance, this matter was far too sensitive.
Neither Kalpas nor Ling held an irreplaceable place in the other's heart.
If this caused Ling to develop a resistance to Mobius's laboratory, it would be a loss.
Furthermore, there was her inhuman physique; she could survive even with her heart being pierced.
These factors alone were enough to pique Mobius's interest.
Kalpas's visit this time was a perfect opportunity, allowing Mobius to study the secrets within Kalpas up close.
Mobius took Kalpas's 'Heart of Calamity' as payment and then sent her away.
Kalpas's 'MANTIS Warrior' modification experiment used the Emperor-class Honkai Beast 'Asura' as its Honkai Beast ICHOR.
This was also her own request.
Given Kalpas's physical attributes and fighting spirit, even a Judgment-class Honkai Beast would have a very high success rate.
Of course, this was none of Mobius's concern.
"Klein, prepare the experimental equipment," Mobius instructed Klein.
"Yes, Doctor." Klein stepped down from her workstation and began preparing the necessary equipment for the experiment.
...
Kalpas trained in the simulation training room, but the new power didn't make her stronger; instead, it made her considerably weaker...
However, she could feel a dormant power within her chest that hadn't yet been awakened.
She quickly found Ling and asked him to train with her.
Ling, of course, had no reason to refuse and accompanied Kalpas to the training room.
During the battle, Ling quickly noticed Kalpas's declining combat power.
"Kalpas, what's wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to rest?" Ling asked Kalpas while feeling puzzled.
"I'm fine, keep going!" Kalpas let out a low growl like a wild beast, the specially made floor beneath her feet instantly cracking as she charged towards Ling again.
Ling had no choice but to continue fighting.
Ling's strength at this moment almost completely overwhelmed Kalpas, but he didn't choose to hold back; instead, he used all of his effort to deal with every attack Kalpas launched at him.
Because this was the greatest respect he could show Kalpas.
Holding back would only earn him Kalpas's wrath...
Soon, Kalpas was covered in wounds, her clothes tattered, and the bandages on her chest were faintly visible.
As more and more blood appeared on the ground, finally, in the next moment, a terrifying aura erupted from Kalpas.
Her body turned crimson, like a raging flame, and with each step she took, her aura rose another level.
The terrifying heat triggered alarms throughout the training room.
"Come on! Ling! The second round is about to begin!!!"
Kalpas's strength and speed increased to a terrifying level. With just a single ordinary punch, Ling, who had been on the offensive, was instantly sent flying, feeling as if the bones in his arm had broken.
"Kalpas has gotten so much stronger... It's amazing!"
A smile involuntarily crept onto Ling's lips as he fearlessly charged forward to fight Kalpas head-on.
The blows were brutal, devoid of any fancy techniques.
This exhilarating feeling hadn't been felt in a long time.
The members training in other rooms felt the ground tremble. Thinking it was an earthquake or honkai eruption, they rushed outside.
Elysia was also drawn by the commotion.
The moment Ling lay down tired, a satisfied smile on his face, Kalpas, panting heavily, collapsed from exhaustion.
Looking around, the specially designed training room had been almost destroyed by the two's battle.
"That was really intense, but... they'll probably get punished," Elysia said, watching the two from the sidelines. A hint of helplessness appeared on her face.
She carried Kalpas in one arm and Ling on the other, heading towards the Fifth Laboratory.
Su, the doctor on duty, was speechless at the sight.
"What's wrong with these two? It's just a sparring match, does it have to be this serious?"
Ling's bones were damaged to varying degrees, and his body was covered in countless wounds.
Kalpas was alright, only suffering from minor external injuries; she had simply fainted due to the terrifying amount of stamina she had expended in her Artificial Cascade form.
"Ling can stay here for treatment. I'll take Kalpas back," Elysia said to Su.
"Okay, just tell him to rest more, although he probably won't listen," Su sighed and began treating Ling.
Su was somewhat surprised by Ling's recovery speed. Despite not being a 'MANTIS Warrior,' his regenerative abilities surpassed those of most MANTIS Warriors.
He looked at the 'Stigmata Prototype' on Ling's back. Was this the power of the 'Stigmata'?
No wonder Dr. Mei and Dr. Mobius were so concerned about the power of the 'Stigmata.'
To transcend the status of 'non-humans' as a human being—this was the meaning of the 'Stigmata's' existence.
Furthermore, according to Dr. Mobius's speculation, the 'Stigmata' could be inherited by the next generation.
If everyone could become a 'Stigmata Warrior,' there would be no need to worry about the Honkai's attacks.
Thinking about it this way, the emergence of the 'Stigmata' could indeed be called a new way of human evolution.
In the long run, this was far better than the 'MANTIS Warrior' project, which had a pitifully low success rate and some side effects.
This era has already lost... So what if we project the 'Stigmata' into the next era?
Su suddenly had a flash of inspiration, some wondrous ideas emerging.
He didn't place his hopes on the descendants of this generation, because their ancestors had lost everything, leaving them only this ravaged land.
Therefore, Su considered things much further ahead: the next generation...
Not long ago, Vill-V developed the fourth Divine Key, a satellite named 'Ideal Stream'.
This gave him considerable inspiration.
'Ideal Stream' could slowly repair the land eroded by the Honkai, but the repair speed was far too slow, utterly useless in the current war.
Vill-V even had her budget cut because of this.
But Su saw the potential, or rather, the true purpose, of 'Ideal Stream'—it was humanity's last line of defense.
Even if this generation ultimately lost, a thousand, ten thousand years later, this land would eventually be restored to a habitable state, leaving a completely new Earth for the next generation.
At that time, the 'Stigmata' might become the spark of a new era, offering the next generation a chance to resist the Honkai.
At least, they shouldn't be as powerless as they are now.
...