CHAPTER 1365: THE AFTERMATH (2)

[I want to know,] the system said. [Beyond personal curiosity, preserving this technology might be important given the mysterious threat to humanity’s future the blackguards talked about. I don’t know if all of this is true, if the guy back then was telling the truth or had some kind of sick agenda, but the truth is that it would be better not to take the risk of him having been sincere, only for us to have ruined the blackguard’s efforts to save us all.]

"It wouldn’t have made a difference, anyway." Erik didn’t even bother to talk mentally and just spoke his mind out loud. No one was there, of course, so no one could hear him.

"The blackguards had to die, regardless."

[Perhaps...]

Erik sighed. "Let’s see what they know about you."

He placed his palm flat against the terminal’s interface. The screen recognized the human touch and displayed a security prompt.

Erik didn’t need to know the password or how to access this; the biological supercomputer did everything, and soon, Erik found himself in front of a laid-bare computer.

Now, the choice was there to be taken. The biological supercomputer was likely scouring the computer and reading the information. Would Erik do the same? There was a certain blessing in not knowing.

But ignorance was often a sin. In the end, he sighed.

"Inject," he said to the biological supercomputer.

...

...

...

Erik’s consciousness was flooded with images and information transferred directly into his mind. The biological supercomputer organized the stream, giving it in coherent sequences despite the massive volume.

A laboratory materialized in Erik’s mind, filled with equipment that Erik didn’t even know if he could consider outdated or ancient, given how advanced the equipment was.

At the center of this stood Dr. Ella May Hayes, her hair streaked with premature gray and pulled back from her face.

She wore a white lab coat with the Silverline Corporation logo printed on the breast pocket. Behind her, several containment units kept specimens in various stages of mutation.

"Research Log 2247, Phase Three of the Chimera Infusion Project," Hayes turned to the camera. "Today marks our breakthrough in understanding the underlying nature of brain crystals and their relationship with mana and its manipulation."

The footage shifted to show Hayes examining a dissected primordial thaid’s brain, the crystal at its center glowing even in death.

"The crystal acts as more than just a failsafe," she said as she showed various parts of the brain. "It serves as a channel, buffer, and translator between raw mana and neural tissue."

Erik watched as the scene changed to a laboratory filled with testing equipment. Hayes stood before a series of brain scans displayed on wall monitors. Each showed different activation patterns when exposed to mana energy.

"Our experiments unfortunately confirmed that without the crystal’s protective effect, neural tissue cannot sustain continuous mana exposure," Hayes said.

Behind her, other scientists monitored tanks containing what appeared to be cultivated neural tissue.

"We tested this hypothesis many times, even after I and the others parted. We tried to see if there was something we were not able to see. Unfortunately, we proved our hypothesis was right to begin with."

She paused.

"This confirms the explanation for the catastrophic failures in our early human trials. The human brain simply lacks the biological mechanisms to process mana without mediation, which is something that thaids have artificially devel—"

"Mom?!"

Ella apologetically turned to the camera and then stopped the recording. For her, some time must have passed, because she appeared visibly distressed aside from aged, as if she had just cried and was trying to compose herself. For Erik and the biological supercomputer, the video simply went on as if nothing happened.

Though, it became clear that even this monster, Ella-May Hayes, who created the thaids, had a family. Ella collected herself and then resumed her report.

"Today we achieved our first successful synthesis of what we’re terming a ’neural interface matrix’—the precursor to what may become our solution to the multi-power problem."

The footage showed Hayes moving between workstations, examining data on multiple screens. Behind her, other scientists monitored tanks containing the cultivated neural tissue.

It must have been their way to test their hypothesis. Most likely, they subjected those neural tissues to mana to see what happened to them. They also likely modified this neural tissue to see if their solutions worked to withstand mana.

Dr. Hayes gestured to a series of brain scans displayed on wall monitors, each showing different activation patterns when exposed to mana.

"The fundamental limitation we’re addressing is biological—human neural architecture cannot support multiple physical brain crystals without rejection or cognitive degradation. That is true," she said.

"Yet a single crystal limits a human to a single power, creating a decisive disadvantage against evolved animal specimens, who not only have a power but are also much stronger than humans."

Hayes then showed something, a complex structure under a specialized microscope. The structure resembled neural tissue, but with distinctly non-biological components integrated throughout.

"So, we think we found a solution," she said. "We worked on it for quite some time now. Our approach consists of creating an artificial system capable of fulfilling the buffer function for multiple brain crystals while keeping harmony with a single human consciousness and, most importantly, a single brain crystal," Hayes said.

"This will be achieved by combining specially cultivated neural tissue from an evolved animal, or what the others call them, a thaid. It will be something capable of processing multiple mana signatures."

Hayes’ expression shifted. Despite the groundbreaking nature of their discovery, there was no joy in her eyes. She shuffled the papers on her desk, seemingly trying to maintain her professional composure for the report.

"The implications of this..." she said, her voice losing its clinical detachment. "We’re venturing into territory that perhaps..." She shook her head, collecting herself. "The ethical considerations are serious, but we must proceed. For humanity’s sake."

Her hands were trembling slightly as she organized her notes, a detail that wouldn’t have been noticeable if she hadn’t been trying so hard to hide it.

What do you think happened?

It was clear that Dr. Hayes didn’t like what her project did. Well, it brought monsters on the planet, and Erik knew what those monsters did. The Doctor didn’t have a real idea of what they did in the future and how they would push humanity to the brink of extinction, but she could likely see in what direction everything was headed.

Not only did she not like it, but she also got forced to continue her research to save humanity from the same monsters she created. It was quite ironic.

Erik was waiting for the biological supercomputer’s reply. However, the AI didn’t react. It remained silent. Then the video changed.