*(translator note: To distinguish original SCP items from novel-original ones, novel-exclusive SCPs will have a letter suffix — e.g., the bulletproof raincoat is SCP-Y.)*
Linray returned to Site-Ω completely unaware of the mess he'd left behind. The city outside was already buzzing with rumors that vandals had torched and demolished the amusement park.
"Red Queen!"
"Yes, Overseer."
"Place the Pipe Nightmare in the center of the containment platform."
"Containment requires 1 unit of the base's energy. However, using Site-Ω's internal transfer function can bypass the energy cost."
"Activating the internal transfer function requires 0.5 units. Current energy: 0.8 units."
No brainer. He couldn't exactly walk around holding a five-meter pipe forever.
The Red Queen's hologram nodded. "Internal transfer function — enabled."
Linray released his grip. The Pipe Nightmare was immediately seized by the Red Queen's guided wire harness and suspended in the center of the circular platform. A glass-like casing formed around it as the harness locked into place, sealing it completely.
Containment of SCP-015 — complete.
"When energy reaches 5 units, I can provide you with a portable containment field for surface missions."
"At 10 units, you will have clearance to create proportional replicas of contained objects."
"Naturally, the higher the threat level, the more energy replication requires — and the greater the chance of failure."
Linray half-listened to the Red Queen's briefing. His attention was somewhere else — on his own body.
Strictly speaking, blood vessels were pipes too. If he truly had the Pipe Nightmare's ability, did that mean he could reconnect his own blood vessels?
"There was a knife on that shelf. Next to where the raincoat was."
He found it. A simple blade, nothing special.
The base only had 0.3 units of energy remaining — barely enough to keep the Red Queen running. He left her active and, without a word of warning, calmly drove the knife into his own artery.
Blood poured out.
Dizziness hit immediately. The cut was deep — a full arterial severing. At this rate, a normal person would go into shock within minutes.
But Linray watched, fascinated, as the blood vessels beneath his skin regenerated at visible speed. The severed artery reconnected in one second flat. The flesh around the wound scabbed over and healed within seconds.
"Holy shit... I was right..."
The excitement overpowered the pain — but in hindsight, the sensation of cutting through his own artery was far from pleasant.
"That was reckless. I didn't even think about what would happen if it didn't heal."
"If the wound hadn't closed... I would've just bled out in my own base. Like an idiot." He paused. "Then again — maybe bleeding out quietly in my own chair beats whatever SCP is waiting for me next."
But then again — a man who calmly slices open his own artery and calls himself "not calm enough" was a walking contradiction.
He exhaled, staring at the pool of blood on the floor. Lesson learned. No more testing abilities on himself without a plan B.
"So — first confirmed fact: completing containment of an SCP gives me that SCP's ability."
"Or maybe I get the ability the moment I touch it?"
"I'll test that next time I encounter something less... lethal."
"Overseer, current energy levels are sufficient to retrieve basic SCP and known-dimension data. Would you like to access it?"
"Yes!"
The Red Queen transmitted the files directly. Linray read through them — and nearly choked.
The database wasn't just SCPs. It was everything. Anomalous power systems from across every documented dimension — spiritual energy manipulation, body refinement techniques, soul resonance amplification, even experimental data on human biological limiters and how to bypass them.
"What the hell is all this? Since when does the Foundation catalogue how to punch harder?"
He kept scrolling. The deeper he went, the more absurd it got. The SCP Foundation didn't just contain monsters — it had indexed every conceivable power system in the multiverse and filed them all under "research material."
"At this rate I'll end up as the Young Master of the Foundation..."
> TL: Yes, this line wasn't in the original. Sorry — couldn't resist. For the uninitiated: "Young Master" is the stock protagonist of Chinese cultivation novels — born into power, destined for greatness, insufferable about it.
Linray read as fast as he could, face flushed with excitement.
The Foundation was like a cosmic collection agency. It refused nothing, covered everything. Every anomaly, every system, every dimension — catalogued and contained.
When he finished, a thought hit him: if he could keep doing this work... it might actually be incredible.
Strange containment objects. Bizarre alternate dimensions. The mysterious Serpent's Hand organization working against them.
"Red Queen — are there any other simple containment missions available?"
"Current energy levels are insufficient for another teleportation. I recommend the Overseer continue recharging Site-Ω before attempting a new deployment."
"Guess I need to squeeze someone for more energy."
He thought it over. There was really only one person he could ask.
"I have no idea how time flows between our dimensions... or how far Zheng Zha's gotten in his story by now."
**SCP Foundation:** *"@Zheng Zha — you there? Hello? If you're busy I'll check back later."*
**Zheng Zha:** *"Bit busy. Bit dangerous. Can't talk right now..."*
**Minor Deity:** *"What's going on @SCP Foundation? Why are you ALWAYS messaging Zheng Zha? The backroom deals between you two are getting ridiculous."*
**Lu Bu:** *"+1"*
**I Am The Protagonist:** *"+1"*
**Sun Wukong:** *"+1"*
Flame Pillar laughed and posted a photo of a finished plate of soba noodles.
Valkyrie stayed silent. No one knew what she was up to.
**SCP Foundation:** *"To put it simply — Zheng Zha and I might be from the same dimension. We have a lot in common."*
...
"What does he mean by that?"
Somewhere, in a room in another world, Minor Deity sat on a bed — small, pretty, biting a fingernail in thought.
Did the SCP Foundation know who all of them really were?
"Maybe I need to show my hand a little... earn his trust."
**Minor Deity:** *"Honestly, when the Foundation said that, I think I understand what he means. The truth is... most of the people here are characters from anime, games, or novels."*
**I Am The Protagonist:** *"Hey hey, I KNEW I was a main character!"*
**Sun Wukong:** *"This old monkey's training is still lacking. Your words are too deep for me."*
**Valkyrie:** *"+1"*
**Lu Bu:** *"Novel? Anime? What are these things?"*
**Minor Deity:** *"To put it simply — most of you exist as characters in games or stories. And your current power levels are... quite low."*
*"Let me use Flame Pillar as an example. In my world, he's a character from a manga."*
*"Don't get me wrong — in that manga, Flame Pillar is incredibly strong. But based on where he is right now..."*
Minor Deity casually uploaded a few screenshots and video clips to the group — carefully avoiding any spoilers about Flame Pillar's future.
**Flame Pillar:** *"This is... truly incredible. That really is me."*
*"It's a strange feeling, knowing I'm a character in a story. But even so — a warrior's duty doesn't change."*
> TL: Classic Rengoku. Finds out his entire existence is fictional and doesn't even flinch. Absolute king.
Flame Pillar's resolve was completely unshaken.