Chapter 263: "Jun"

A look of confusion appeared in the eyes of both Han Meng and Chen Ling the moment they heard the answer.

"Fusion... with a scientific theory??"

In Chen Ling's understanding, 'fusers' were individuals who had merged with calamities. He never imagined that someone could fuse with a "scientific theory." Wasn't that just an abstract concept, a mere deduction? How could something without a physical form be fused with?

"Exactly! That's the look I was expecting!" Dr. Yi burst out laughing as he observed the changing expressions on Han Meng and Chen Ling's faces. "You're shocked, it's incredible, almost unbelievable, isn't it??"

"Damn it, how can something as intangible as a scientific theory fuse with a person?"

"Yet, that is precisely the truth!"

"Before the Great Cataclysm, Lord Aurora was a leading scientist in the field of magnetism within the country. After that fateful expedition, he discovered he could apply the magnetic field theories from his mind directly to reality!"

"He could conjure auroras with his bare hands! He could draw a circle and summon millions of volts of electricity! And that wasn't even the most astonishing part... he could manipulate magnetic fields to communicate with, and even control, wandering spirits!"

"Do you understand the implications of this? The relationship between magnetic fields and human souls was merely the central argument of a theoretical paper Lord Aurora had published years ago. Despite spending six years researching this theory, he had made no substantial progress! A theory without any real empirical basis, without a single experiment to prove it, simply became a part of him!"

Dr. Yi's expression grew increasingly agitated, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. He lifted the baijiu bottle to his lips, taking several large gulps, his face flushed crimson as he cursed:

"In the presence of this former scientist, all of science becomes meaningless. We have spent three hundred years studying Lord Aurora, yet our understanding of him remains utterly blank!"

"Wait!" Chen Ling exclaimed, as if a realization had just dawned on him. "You said there were nine scientists who went on that initial expedition..."

"That's correct."

Dr. Yi slowly began to speak. "Among humanity's nine great domains, each 'Lord' who sustains their existence was one of the scientists from that original expedition. Every one of them mastered a scientific concept within a particular field, and now possesses god-like power...

More than three centuries after the Great Cataclysm, the hundreds of millions of people still clinging to life on this planet, to put it simply, owe their very existence to these nine individuals.

And now... they are all dying of old age."

Dr. Yi observed Han Meng, who was lost in thought before him, and an unconscious smile touched his lips. Having finally unburdened himself of these words, he felt a sense of relief, and much of his intoxication seemed to dissipate.

"So, you've been continuously conducting fusion experiments, attempting to decipher the principle behind Lord Aurora's transformation?" Han Meng finally understood why Aurora Base had been secretly carrying out these fusion experiments.

"Humanity's extinction is irreversible... anything we do now is futile."

Dr. Yi let out a dry chuckle. He walked over to Han Meng, still clutching the bottle. "Alright, our righteous and compassionate Deputy Captain Han Meng, you can leave now. The third floor is not a place for you to wander in and out of as you please."

"Or perhaps you'd like a tour of how we conduct our fusion experiments?"

Han Meng felt his mind reeling. He frowned, held Dr. Yi's gaze for a moment, then turned and began walking away.

"Let's go."

He now knew the "truth of Aurora City" that Tan Xin had mentioned. However, it would take him some time to process this shocking revelation, and he needed to be alone to do so.

Chen Ling dutifully maintained his role as the "new recruit follower," turning and departing with Han Meng.

Pushing the door open, they found themselves back in the familiar corridor. As they made their way towards the passage leading to the second floor, Chen Ling's eyes began to dart around.

The opportunity to access the third floor was rare, and Chen Ling was still pondering if he could use this chance to somehow get into the fourth. Just then, a slight commotion drifted from the distance.

Several figures in white lab coats pushed an empty hospital bed towards the passage leading from the third to the fourth floor. At that moment, two other lab-coated individuals emerged from within, carrying a figure. It was Jian Changsheng, curled into a tight ball, his hands pressed diagonally against the top of his head, resembling a mushroom, his gaze blank and vacant.

He was dragged, unmoving, back onto the bed by the two lab coats. As they did so, the surrounding staff continued to converse:

"What happened? How did he manage to get in there?"

"I don't know... when the Lord found him, he was rolling on the ground like a mushroom, seemingly looking for a dark, confined corner?"

"Perhaps the room was too large for him, making the 'mushroom' feel insecure, so he went to find a narrow 'sewing box' on his own?"

"Mental patients are such a hassle; their thought processes are just too bizarre..."

"Still, the fact that he managed to pull out his own needles and roll that far suggests his physical condition is quite good. Anyway, the situation over there has temporarily concluded, so let's just push him directly into the lab."

As they spoke, they changed the direction of the hospital bed and pushed it straight towards one of the laboratories.

Upon hearing that last sentence, "Mushroom" Jian Changsheng's body shivered almost imperceptibly, and an expression of wanting to cry but being unable to formed in his eyes... before quickly reverting to a blank stare.

Chen Ling walked past him, his expression subtly unreadable.

So, this guy tried to sneak into the fourth floor on his own, but got caught?

Chen Ling cast a glance at the passage leading to the fourth floor. It looked unremarkable, just a corridor extending to the level below. However, as the most confidential floor in the entire Aurora Base, Chen Ling doubted that this access point would be so simple to breach; Jian Changsheng's current predicament served as clear evidence of that.

After a brief hesitation, Chen Ling abandoned the idea of attempting to enter the fourth floor immediately. For one, he had entered openly this time, and too many eyes were on him. For another, he had too little information about the fourth checkpoint. He would need to wait until he could connect with Jian Changsheng and gather more intelligence before making such a decision.

The two reached the passage leading back to the second floor. Just as they were about to step through, a figure, also clad in a black enforcer's trench coat, slowly approached them from the opposite direction.

"Deputy Captain Han Meng." In the dim light, Qiong Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you doing here?"