After much talk and discussion, Adam secured Mobius's cooperation to include him in the Fusion Warrior Project as an unofficial researcher.
Naturally, it didn't come easily as Mobius demanded Adam to reveal information about himself so she could trust him.
Although Adam cannot reveal the secret of his past life or the System. He did reveal details about Reiryoku and Reiatsu since he had no reason to keep it a secret if he wanted to participate in the experiments.
Thus, they spend another hour discussing his power and the potential application that Mobius can use to increase the success rate of the Fusion Warrior surgery.
Then, without further delay. Mobius drags Adam to perform several tests.
———
Inside the isolated experimental chamber, Adam lay down on the cold metal experimental table with his body tightly secured.
Next to him is Mobius with full protective gear and a metal syringe filled with purplish pink gas.
"Are you really certain about this?" Mobius couldn't help but ask, her voice hesitant as she gazed down at Adam.
"I am." Adam turned to Mobius and replied with a firm nod. "Not like you could find a willing test subject for this experiment. He added before laying his head again and stared at the ceiling.
"Besides, there's no better test subject other than me because I can handle the corruption with certainty."
"Alright."
Mobius did not try to dissuade him any further and injected the Honkai Energy into his left wrist.
As soon as she did, numerous machines and devices for monitoring Adam's body quickly started to monitor every minute changes down to his cells.
At first, Adam felt nothing. But soon, his wrist started to feel numb and scorching as purplish veins signifying the spreading corruption quickly manifested and spread up his arm.
The moment it did, Adam channeled his Reiatsu into his body and concentrated it into his left arm.
Under Dr Mobius's astonished gaze, the veins first started dimming which meant the Honkai Energy within his wrist was dwindling and the corruption immediately stopped spreading.
Typically, a Honkai Suppressant Drug can achieve this by neutralising the accumulated Honkai Energy inside the body. But the damages caused cannot be removed and soon, Honkai Energy will start to accumulate again and the corruption will resume its spread.
It was akin to cutting grass but not uprooting the root. Once it's rained, the grass will grow again and in the case of Honkai Corruption, the already corrupted flesh will be much more susceptible to accumulating Honkai Energy.
However, in Adam's case.
Since his Spiritual Body and Physical Body was bridged by his Shinigami trait. The corrupted flesh is considered an injury and his Reiatsu can mend these injuries on its own or accelerated with healing techniques like Kaido Spells.
As such, after he purposely concentrated his Reiatsu in his left arm, the grayed veins slowly dissolved away and left his skin unblemished.
Mobius observed every detail of the experiment and the monitoring devices with unparalleled focus. Her eyes remain glued to his left wrist as her mind rapidly analyzes the data she just obtained and soon reaches a conclusion.
As they previously discussed, the reason why Adam could recover from the corruption is unique due to his hybrid constitution. Otherwise, all he could achieve is to just neutralise Honkai Energy and not fully recover.
Though this experiment didn't yield much. She still could be certain with the conclusion that Spiritual Energy or Reiryoku is definitely capable of neutralising Honkai Energy.
But, this is not the evidence she seeks to perfect the Fusion Warrior surgery.
Turning away from the monitoring devices, Mobius looked at Adam's face and saw the experiment had hardly affected him at all. His state is still unchanged from the start.
"Ready for round two?" Mobius asks calmly.
"Go ahead."
As planned, the first test is a resounding success and now comes the second test that aims to observe the extent of Adam's Reiatsu manipulation if his will is infused.
Sure enough, after repeating the steps of the first experiment with the only adjustment being the Reiatsu is deliberately manipulated by Adam, the Honkai Energy enters his left arm in a stable and controlled state without exhibiting signs of corruption.
Mobius's expression lit up immediately after observing this phenomena and eagerly moved on to the actual experiments involving the Honkai Genes.
Under her meticulous handiwork, a lab rat is transplanted with genes of an Archangel Honkai Beasts.
Normally, the results will always end up with severe mutation on the lab rat which turned into a mindless and bloodthirsty mutated animal influenced by the Honkai Beast's gene.
But with Adam's Reiatsu acting as a stabiliser for the gene mutation to progress less violently. The lab rat didn't end up as a bloodthirsty mutant and instead retained some semblance of rationality for some time before it succumbed.
Mobius observed the changes with a small frown as she explained, "The experiment is technically a success since the test subject managed to retain rationality post surgery."
"However, the Honkai Beast's gene is too dominant for this lab rat to handle and its DNA got corrupted after losing the stabilizing force from your Spiritual Energy."
"The lab rat still ended up as a horrific mutant. How could this be considered a success?" Adam listens while observing the entire experiment before hesitantly asking with a frown, not understanding why this is considered a success.
Mobius turns to look at Adam with a puzzled look at the corner of her eyes before she remembers that Adam isn't an actual researcher and explains.
"While the result is a failure. The procedure itself is accurate and successful as the lab rat managed to maintain its genetic integrity post surgery."
"The failure is simply an unavoidable error as the transplanted gene sequence isn't properly optimized which resulted in the gene sequence being corrupted by the dominant donor's gene."
"But, as long as the method is proven to be correct. The rest is just a tedious job of slowly refining and optimising the donor's genetic sequence to reduce the risk of corruption and increase stability to the recipient gene."
Although Adam didn't understand much of the information she is explaining, he did understand the gist of it with his meager understanding of biology from school.
"I see… So, do you need me to continue helping with the next experiments?" He asked, turning to the green haired scientist who is deeply immersed in her own thoughts.
Mobius didn't reply immediately and instead stared at the euthanized mutated lab rat for a while.
Adam turned to look at her and watch her mumbling sometimes under her breath while appreciating her beauty.
Perhaps because he was too tense since his arrival in this world, Adam rarely spent his time appreciating the scenery around him with his constant training and pursuit of strength.
With his success in speeding up the Fusion Warrior project, he felt that he finally can afford to wind down a little and relax a little.
But before he could fully appreciate the beauty beside him, a certain jealous Zanpakuto Spirit interrupted his moment and manifested herself to stop him from trying to cheat on her.
Sensing the commotion, Mobius snaps out from her thoughts and looks at Adam making weird gestures.
"What are you doing?" She asked with her eyes narrowed at him.
Adam quickly coughed and awkwardly said, "I just feel a little tired and my left arm is sore. That's all."
Not thinking much about it, Mobius dismissed Adam and told him to go and rest while she will continue with the follow up of this experiment.
"I will call you later if I need your help. You can go and rest for now." Mobius said and then kicked him out from her lab.
Adam complied immediately and left without hesitation.
On his way out, he didn't forget to collect the dirty dishes and wash them before he returned to his dorm room to deal with his unruly Zanpakuto Spirit.
———
In his room.
The dormitory provided to Institute researchers was more akin to a luxurious apartment than a simple dorm room. Spacious and tastefully furnished with a futuristic aesthetic, it offered every comfort one could ask for.
Inside the living room, Adam sat on the sofa with Kyoka materialized beside him, pestering him without pause.
"Hmph! Master isn't allowed to get close to other women besides Kyoka!" she declared with puffed cheeks, crossing her arms as she pouted stubbornly.
Adam could only force a smile, exasperated by his jealousy-prone Zanpakuto Spirit.
"You know I was just appreciating beauty, right?" he sighed. "I don't have any other thoughts beyond that. Since you can read my mind, you should know I'm telling the truth."
"Don't make excuses!" Kyoka shot back, cheeks puffing even more. "Even if Master says it's only 'appreciating beauty,' Kyoka doesn't like it one bit! Master's eyes were shining when he looked at her. Hmph!"
Adam sighed again, his expression wry.
In truth, Kyoka knew why Adam was drawn to Mobius—it wasn't infatuation, but the lingering fondness from his previous life, where Mobius had been one of his favorite characters. To see her here, in her adult form before the Fusion Warrior surgery, was naturally novel. Especially so when the Mobius before him was real.
But knowing this did nothing to soothe Kyoka. Instead, she pouted harder, throwing childish tantrums like a daughter afraid her parent's affection was being stolen away.
Yes—she was like a child. And Adam didn't find her antics annoying in the slightest.
He had already glimpsed her insecurity, her fear of abandonment, and the way she clung to him as though he were her only light. That was why he indulged her.
But this indulgence frustrated Kyoka. He saw her only as a child, never taking her seriously—and that wounded her pride.
Her teeth clenched in indignation, her gaze sharpening into a dissatisfied glare.
"What's so good about that snake woman, anyway?" she muttered with disdain. "She's nothing special!"
Then, with a defiant spark in her eyes, she declared:
"If Master desires… Kyoka can change herself to suit his needs."
Her figure began to shift. Youthful beauty gave way to a form overflowing with mature allure, rivaling even Mobius herself. Every curve and gesture radiated grace and seduction, enough to make Adam swallow hard. Even her bearing changed, elegant and refined, as though an entirely different person stood before him.
Adam's breath hitched. A part of him screamed to look away, to reject this provocation—but another part of him couldn't deny how mesmerizing she had become. That dangerous conflict twisted in his chest, leaving him rattled.
"Kyoka… stop playing around," he warned, unease creeping into his tone. His words sounded firmer than he felt. He wasn't yet proficient enough to control his Zanpakuto Spirit—especially one as unruly as Kyoka, who possessed far more knowledge and experience than him.
"Playing?" she echoed, tilting her head slightly with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her voice was softer now, smooth and alluring.
"This form… does it please Master? Or does it still fall short compared to that snake woman?" she asked, her hands thoroughly displaying every asset on her body.
Adam's throat tightened. He wanted to say "yes," wanted to say "no," wanted to say anything that would break the spell—yet no words came. The more he tried to deny her, the more his eyes betrayed him, drawn irresistibly to her allure.
In the end, he is just a normal man. He is neither a saint or sage with willpower that can resist the temptation of flesh. Especially one handed to him on a silver platter and basically spoon-fed.
"There's no need to be afraid." Kyoka leaned closer, her whispers wrapping around him like silk. "Kyoka will take care of everything. Master only needs to surrender."
Adam's heart pounded. He told himself this was wrong, that she was manipulating him, but his body quivered with a heat he couldn't suppress. Fear and temptation intertwined, blurring the lines of his resistance.
Before he could retreat, she caught and pressed him down onto the sofa. No matter how he struggled, his body refused to obey—the Absolute Hypnosis binding him without mercy.
She straddled his lap gracefully, pressing her shapely body against him so that every sensation passed to his skin. Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, heavy with allure:
"To keep Master from being swayed by other women in the future… Kyoka will make sure Master build up a proper 'resistance' with me."
"Mmmm!" He tried to protest, but his lips refused to part.
It hardly mattered. She could read his true thoughts as clearly as spoken words.
"Don't worry, Master. This is Kyoka's first time too… but with the knowledge of Master's preference in your memories, I'll make sure every moment leaves you satisfied."
And so began another 'bonding session' between wielder and Zanpakuto Spirit. Of course, this particular session is different from others using a method that was rather advanced—and absolutely unique.
After all, only Kyoka could turn Absolute Hypnosis into something that doubled as training, discipline… and a very one-sided lesson in loyalty.
—————
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