Inside the mostly completed Chaldeas.
A team of two men and two women stood in the command center.
This group was, of course, Li Zihan, along with Otto and his Valkyries.
It wasn't incomprehensible that Otto would bring his confidants (referring to those who might team up to kill him in the future) to Chaldeas.
After all, Li Zihan was only his "friend" in name.
It was impossible for him to completely trust an ally from another world with everything.
Therefore, it was normal for him to want to throw the SS-rank Valkyrie, Durandal the Dull Goose, over here.
What surprised Li Zihan, however, was that Otto himself actually wanted to come along.
Otto knew that Li Zihan possessed a power that could counter him. Theoretically, he should be trying to keep his distance from Li Zihan as much as possible.
But, knowing this, he still wanted to be a test subject in a not-so-reliable experiment.
Does this guy have some kind of backup plan?
Li Zihan, who had chosen to trade for things amicably instead of going on a rampage with Jizo Mitama and Ancestor Kevin precisely because he was unsure how many backup plans Otto had, pondered.
If he does, what could that so-called backup plan possibly be?
Previous Era black technology obtained from Void Archives?
Knowledge obtained by contacting the Honkai God through a "pufferfish"?
Something related to aliens, obtained from Murata Ryusuke?
Or perhaps...
This guy's brain has already gone "watt" before even seeing Kallen.
Li Zihan became a little uncertain.
"I imagine, my dear friend, you wouldn't mind running a test for me and my students."
The Overseer, whose smile now held a hint of an indescribable emotion, perhaps because he truly saw the possibility of reversing Kallen's fate, spoke up.
"Although I have already found suitable candidates, since you wish to test, I don't mind running a test for you, Miss Bianka, and Miss Rita."
The young man, who was actually quite hopeful that either Bianka or Rita possessed the aptitude for Spiritron Transfer, looked at Sister Rita, who failed at everything, and the Dull Goose, who was covered in hacks, and spoke.
He was taking Seele mainly to go sightseeing, not to bring someone along to do work.
Li Zihan politely declined the dating itinerary of squatting in Vienna five hundred years ago to watch a simple-minded saintess die.
On the other hand, whether it was Rita, who only needed to sleep four hours a day, or the Dull Goose, who was serious and responsible in her work, both were top-tier tool-men.
If just one of them could be transferred back five hundred years, Li Zihan would be free to let himself go and go on dates all day.
Unfortunately, among everyone present, the only one with a one-hundred-percent guaranteed aptitude for Spiritron Transfer was Otto.
The so-called Spiritron Transfer involved placing a "Master" into a coffin, then using magecraft to adjust them into a quantum state "between life and death."
In other words, Schrödinger's cat.
Then, the people at Chaldeas would throw the "Master," who was in the state of Schrödinger's cat, into the past, and then use the Spiritron Calculation Engine to affirm the "Master's" state.
That is, to transform the Master from a half-dead cat state to a state of existence.
Li Zihan possessed the aptitude for Spiritron Transfer that only a magus could have, and could enter a quantum state with the help of the Spiritron Calculation Engine.
Seele herself had the gift of the Sea of Quanta, possessing the power of quantumization, and could be deployed directly.
As for Durandal the Dull Goose and Rita, they neither had the ability to quantumize, nor did they possess the magic circuits of another world.
Unless the two of them also received a so-called "gift from the Sea of Quanta" while messing around in it, if they wanted to undergo Spiritron Transfer, they would have to slit their own throats and become spiritual bodies.
Still, one had to hold on to a little hope.
Li Zihan thought.
If by some chance Sister Rita or the Dull Goose passed the test, he would be liberated.
Especially Durandal the Dull Goose. This girl had a World Bubble inside her body. To put it in a more xianxia-like way, her body contained a world, and her coolness factor was off the charts.
Someone like her might just be able to create a miracle.
Besides, running a test wouldn't take much time.
"Thank you for your generosity. In that case, I will take my leave first."
Otto, having received Li Zihan's permission, smiled and was the first to walk towards the laboratory.
Li Zihan did not step forward to stop him.
He wasn't worried that Otto would discover he himself had the aptitude for Spiritron Transfer.
Chaldea's equipment was used to check if a physical body could enter a quantum state after entering the coffin.
Someone like Director Olga, who was KO'd in one move by a Grand-rank Bomber, got GG'd, and only gained the qualification for Spiritron Transfer after becoming a spiritual body, would clearly not pass.
And the reason Li Zihan thought Otto had the aptitude was that his current state was like a spiritual body attached to a Soulium body. If he were to abandon his body, he might be able to reach five hundred years ago in a spiritual form, just like Director Olga.
Clearly, in his current state, he would absolutely not pass the test.
Li Zihan watched Otto's departing figure and pursed his lips.
As it turned out, Otto was very familiar with all of Chaldeas's equipment and didn't even need Li Zihan to lead the way.
He knew the situation of every department in this special organization, built by his own subordinates, like the back of his hand.
Seeing the organization that should theoretically belong only to him being eroded to the point of resembling a sieve, Li Zihan didn't show much of a reaction.
His whole reason for building Chaldeas in the Honkai world was, to put it bluntly, to collect a few souls.
The soul of Cecilia, who could resolve the knot in Kiana's and Sirin's hearts.
The soul of Kallen, which, once obtained, would allow him to righteously demand Void Archives and other Divine Keys from Otto.
And, completely as a side quest, the soul of Miss Yingying's sister, Yae Rin.
To Li Zihan, Chaldeas was truly not that important.
Honestly, he was more concerned right now with what mode of Jizo Mitama he should use to allow his lovers to acquire a Herrscher's power without turning them into yanderes.
"Although there is still much I would like to discuss with you, Commander, Lady Durandal and I both need to undergo the test, so I will take my leave first."
Watching the departing Overseer, the maid named Rita gave Li Zihan a slight bow, and then followed in the direction Otto had gone.
"Director, when you have time, could we have tea together?"
Miss Dull Goose, who was very interested in Li Zihan and wanted to get to know him—perhaps due to Rita's high praise and the influence of his projects like Chaldeas and the Artificial Herrschers, which could affect the past—watched her teammates leave and prepared to follow.
But before she did, she thought for a moment, turned back, and extended a sincere invitation to the young man who was a genius, completely different from someone like herself who could only work hard.
"Of course."
The young man, who didn't mind having tea with Miss Bianka, smiled slightly and gave a positive reply.