Watching Kurotsuchi Mayuri lose his mind, Naraku Sora ignored him and instead leaned close to the outer wall of the container, curiously observing the thread-like object inside.
Calling it a thread didn't seem quite right.
Its surface appeared fleshy, and under the abundant supply of nutrient fluid, it was continuously multiplying, growing at a visible rate.
However, just as it was about to form complete tissue, the proliferation abruptly stopped. As if it had exhausted all its life force, the creation inside the container began to wither.
Seeing that Mayuri was still freaking out nearby, completely oblivious to the changes here, Sora delivered a backhanded slap to his face.
*You beast, what has gotten into you?!*
"Stop losing your mind over there and come take a look. Something went wrong with your creation."
Hearing this, Mayuri didn't bother arguing with Sora about the slap. He instantly appeared by the container's outer wall, carefully observing the withering creation.
In less than a few seconds, the experimental subject, which had grown to the size of a finger, rapidly shriveled up. As if drained of all its moisture, it reverted back to its thread-like state.
Mayuri was not discouraged by a single failure; instead, he fell into deep thought.
For a researcher, failure was inevitable.
Even as the most talented scientist in the Soul Society, he still couldn't avoid such occurrences.
Similarly, Urahara Kisuke had failed countless times as well.
Sometimes, even the simplest of experiments could produce unpredictable consequences under the influence of external factors.
After pondering for a long time.
Mayuri collected the failed specimen, restarted the equipment and container, replaced all the materials, and adjusted the corresponding parameters and procedures.
"Mr. Naraku, I need your help."
After finishing all this, a hint of excitement flashed in Mayuri's eyes as he looked at Sora, his enthusiasm undiminished.
"If this experiment succeeds, I will include your name in the project file's signatures."
Sora waved his hand dismissively.
"There's no need for signatures. I'm happy to help out with a little favor."
Unlike a certain slacker who constantly fooled his superiors, ever since Mayuri chose to submit, he could absolutely be called a model employee.
He frequently worked overtime all night, forgetting to eat and sleep in his dedication to his work.
He didn't even need much of a salary; all he required was some cooperation with his experiments every month and a bit of research funding.
It formed a stark contrast with a certain Kisuke.
Sora rolled up his sleeves, looking full of enthusiasm.
"How do we do this? What's the plan? Do we sculpt the face first or the body?"
Mayuri: "?"
*What on earth is this guy talking about?*
Ignoring the man's crazy remarks, Mayuri detailed the operational procedures Sora needed to handle.
He was to strip away the waste Reishi generated during the experiment, minimizing the probability of any external factors interfering, thereby indirectly increasing the success rate.
And this was exactly what Sora excelled at.
Because of his exquisite Reishi micro-manipulation skills, Sora occasionally assisted with the research.
Of course, more often than not, he was the one being researched.
After meticulous preparation and simulation, the second experiment officially began.
Thanks to Sora's assistance, the progress was much faster than the first time.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Soon, the thread-like object appeared in the container once again.
Proliferation resumed. The fleshy mass continuously grew around the thread, seemingly weaving into some kind of neural network.
However, just as it was nearing completion, blood-red warning text suddenly flashed on the screen.
Intense Reishi fluctuations emanated from the container. In just a second, the experimental subject in its proliferation stage came to an abrupt halt, stopping its growth once more.
Mayuri looked thoughtful.
After two failures, he had already realized where the problem lay.
The Artificial Body and Artificial Soul technologies he currently possessed were not enough to support him in completing the grand experimental endeavor known as Project Nemuri.
But inspiration continued to surge endlessly in his mind. Stopping the experiment now was not his style.
Especially since Sora was right here.
It would be a waste not to use him.
Guilt was something that simply did not exist for a person like him.
In Mayuri's view, since he had already chosen to pledge his loyalty and submit, it was only natural for his superior, Sora, to invest a little time and energy.
And whenever Sora had any requests or assigned tasks, Mayuri would do his utmost to complete them.
There was no exchange of benefits, just pure trust.
Mayuri briefly relayed the analyzed parameters to Sora and specified the exact steps for the upcoming experiment.
Soon, the third, fourth, and fifth attempts followed.
Project Nemuri proceeded time after time, evolving from the initial thread-like object to flesh, a brain, a spinal cord, and tissues...
The experimental subjects produced through proliferation changed again and again, continuously evolving, as if compressing countless years of biological leaps into a single day.
The progress was incredibly exaggerated.
Even Sora couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying nature of scientists.
These people certainly didn't possess his level of strength, but they wielded something far more frightening than pure power.
The experiments continued until the sixth attempt.
Under the effects of potent proliferation, an embryo was completed.
Mayuri's eyes lit up, and he revealed a manic smile.
"Heh, it's a success!"
Just as he was about to call someone to help prepare baby supplies, Sora pressed against the container's outer wall, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Mayuri, something isn't right. There's a problem."
Mayuri froze for a moment and instinctively asked, "What problem?"
From his perspective, this experimental result was the most successful one yet.
Not only had it broken through the current technological limitations, but it had even made a breakthrough on the original foundation, perfectly combining the Artificial Body and Artificial Soul.
He had successfully created a brand-new Soul Reaper.
One that could grow, become stronger, learn, and even evolve autonomously!
"Cell division."
Sora wasn't sure about Mayuri's current technological level, but he clearly remembered which attempt of Project Nemuri was the successful one.
Perhaps the number 'seven' also held a special meaning in science.
Or perhaps there was another reason.
But most importantly, he could clearly sense that the experimental subject inside the container did not possess the ability to survive on its own.
Although both were beings composed of Reishi, a normal Soul Reaper's structure was relatively stable.
In contrast, this experimental subject gave off a loose feeling, as if it could collapse at any moment.
"Cell division?"
Mayuri repeated Sora's words, shifting his attention to the soon-to-be-formed experimental subject.
He hurried to the console in a few quick strides. His fingers flew across the keys like butterflies, quickly retrieving all the relevant data.
His eyes darted rapidly, giving off a highly eerie vibe.
Before long, Mayuri found the anomaly among the numerous parameters.
"So this is where the problem lies?"
"There is a limit to the number of cell divisions. Once it reaches a certain number, it will stop, and its life will come to an end."
"Lord Naraku, it turns out that something like intuition is actually useful in scientific research?"
Sora: "?"
*Mayuri, is this how you respect your benefactor?*
He felt insulted.
"Let's try one last time," Mayuri said calmly, having regained his usual composure.
"I'll have to trouble you again, Lord Naraku."
Shortly after, all preparations were complete, and the final experiment officially began.
Mayuri poured one hundred and twenty percent of his focus and spirit into it, discarding all irrelevant thoughts to carefully analyze every step and every parameter change.
Sora also calmed his mind, fully driving his Reishi micro-manipulation to ensure his work was flawless.
He actually wasn't entirely sure if this experiment would succeed.
There were too many variables.
Perhaps only the Almighty could see the future.
Soon, under their combined efforts, the thread in the container began to rapidly multiply and grow. As if injected with hormones, it completed the developmental path of the previous six generations of experimental subjects in the blink of an eye.
The embryo formed.
And it continued to grow.
Until it fully grew into the shape of a baby. The tiny figure floated quietly in the liquid, slowly opening her eyes.
The newly completed Nemuri Nanagō was still very fragile and needed to remain in the container for a while until her condition completely stabilized.
Mayuri casually operated the console a few times, putting Nemuri Nanagō back to sleep.
After doing all this, he looked at Sora and slightly bowed his head.
"Thank you, Lord Naraku."
For someone as emotionally inept as Mayuri to say such words was already a rare improvement.
"Judging from all the parameters, Nemuri Nanagō's condition can be considered perfect."
"Well, although I despise the word 'perfect,' please forgive me, as it is the only word I can think of to describe this right now."
"I am confident that she will continue to grow until she proves the success of Project Nemuri."
"To thank you for your help, please give this child a name."
Sora thought for a moment.
"Nemuri Nanagō, related to sleep... How about 'Sleeping Black Tea'?"
"Nemu, huh? What a wonderful name."
Mayuri completely ignored the man's nonsense, simultaneously vetoing his own proposal from just a moment ago.
*Asking Naraku Sora to name her... I must have been out of my mind.*
Despite this, he was still very grateful to his boss.
Besides the help during the experiment, there was also the accumulation of experience and inspiration for other projects.
It could be said that without Sora, Nemuri Nanagō wouldn't have been born so quickly.
No, she should now be called Kurotsuchi Nemu.
Mayuri looked at the tiny figure in the container, the corners of his mouth curling into a joyful smile.
Mount Koifushi, secret laboratory.
Aizen stared intently at the continuously piecing and intersecting graphics on the screen, as well as the changes in various parameters.
The difficulty of researching the second stage of Hollowfication was even higher than he had anticipated. Even with the help of the incomplete Hōgyoku, he still couldn't smoothly advance to the next step.
Relying solely on his own intellect to overcome this hurdle would require a massive amount of time.
Just then, a familiar voice rang in his ear.
"If you can't figure it out, stop thinking about it. Take a tea break first."
Aizen helplessly glanced at the man who had appeared in the laboratory at some unknown time. He reached out to take the teacup and elegantly took a sip.
On the other side, Sora had already downed his in one gulp.
As expected of tea stolen from Squad 1, it tasted much better than the ones Ukitake sent over, even though both were from the same batch.
He put down the cup and shook his head.
"Sōsuke, this isn't going to work.
"I heard that if you can't solve a difficult problem for a long time, you should try thinking about a different problem. Changing your mindset helps relax your tense nerves.
"It just so happens I have a question right here. Want to give it a try?"
Aizen glanced at the man and said in an exasperated tone, "Just spit it out."
Sora grinned. "Tell me, can the dead be brought back to life?"
Aizen: "?"