Experiment No. 91
Objective: Create a hive-minded organism
Environment: Specialized petri dish
Method: Isolation, agitation, heating
Materials: Rationality, fragments of a queen bee, ant antennae, moss
Expected Outcome: The organism will adopt moss as its structural blueprint, evolving into a social colony with a hive mind where all subordinate units obey a central superior entity.
Result: The superior entity exploded nine seconds after birth. Upon its death, all subordinate units disintegrated.
Failure Cause: The central organism could not withstand the immense cognitive load.
Disposal: Self-termination
Staring at the mass of flesh and blood that once filled the petri dish, a young woman with flowing black hair and an air of frosty elegance closed her lab journal with measured grace.
Her name at least in this life was Ruan Mei. As a traveler between worlds, she had lived here for eighteen long years. And the so-called perk of transmigrating? This very body she now possessed.
Ruan Mei the five-star character from the game Honkai: Star Rail, 81st seat of the Genius Society, a prodigy in the field of life sciences. And because she had taken on Ruan Mei's identity, she inherited that brilliance, carrying an unparalleled gift in biological research.
A luxury of genius.
That was how people once described her. Of course, that was years ago before that fateful transaction.
"Mimi! (Another failure, huh? Don't worry, don't let it get you down. It's just one experiment. For now, take a break!)"
A small creature suddenly popped into view. Its long rabbit-like ears twitched as its fluffy fox tail swayed behind it.
"Ha…" Ruan Mei let out a soft laugh as she watched the little thing cheering her on. Placing the journal down, she rose to her feet.
Her ink-black robes rippled like drifting clouds, parting just enough to reveal her flawless, alabaster legs.
"Alright. I'll listen to you," she replied, her voice clear and delicate like shattered jade, calm and without sorrow yet her expression held a trace of gentle warmth.
Different from the Ruan Mei of her memories, this girl though she had become that Ruan Mei still clung to fragments of human emotion.
For example, the pink creature floating beside her. She had created it years ago out of loneliness, modeled entirely after something from her former life. Naturally, she named it the same as before: Mimi.
"But what should we do now?" Ruan Mei frowned slightly. These days, very few things could stir her interest not even the hobbies she once cherished.
Her image, her personality, even her desires all of it had drifted closer and closer to the memory of the original Ruan Mei over these eighteen years.
"Mimi… Mimi! (What should we do? Hmm… I've got it! Let's watch a livestream!)"
After a moment of serious thought, Mimi's bright eyes lit up as it waved excitedly.
"A livestream?" Ruan Mei blinked, then her lips curved in faint realization. "Ah, so that's what you've been into lately. Fine if it makes you happy."
She walked down a long corridor and entered the living room. With a press of a button, the television flickered to life.
"…And let's thank Professor Situ for that insightful breakdown. Now, let's turn our attention back to the scene."
"This National Survival Challenge is set in roguelike survival mode. As long as the contestants survive for seven days, they clear the event. Today is the final day will they make it through?"
"I think the chances are pretty good. The player representing our country, Zhou Xiangyu, is an active-duty Air Force officer. His wilderness survival skills are top-notch."
"That's right. Over the past six days, Zhou Xiangyu has evaded monster attacks with remarkable skill, surviving unscathed until now."
"As of this moment, only seventeen contestants remain, including Zhou Xiangyu. We have Zhou from the Eastern Alliance, Jack from the White Eagles, Ivan from the Northern Union, and Vance from Ironblood…"
The camera shifted to show a stern-faced soldier navigating rugged terrain. Comments scrolled endlessly across the screen like a barrage of whispers.
"Last day's gonna be rough. There's a final boss can he really pull this off?"
"Unlikely. He didn't pick up any good loot earlier. His build's weak. Sure, surviving so far was easy, but he's got no damage output!"
"This mode is isolation-based. Total nightmare!"
"Mimi… (Doesn't look good…)" Mimi floated nervously beside Ruan Mei, her ears drooping as the chat filled with anxious messages.
And the viewers weren't wrong the tide had indeed turned. The final boss was a colossal ape crackling with raw electricity, every strike laced with devastating force and an insatiable urge to destroy.
Under the beast's relentless assault, Zhou's defenses shattered. One by one, the remaining players fell. The screen flashed two glaring words: Failure.
Within seconds, the chat exploded in chaos.
"He lost! Again!"
"Zhou Xiangyu, you fought well! You showed true courage!"
"Which city is getting hit this time? Heaven help us it better not be mine!"
"The punishment this time is a beast disaster. Please let it be something small…"
"The army near my neighborhood is already mobilizing!"
Suddenly, the feed cut out. A line of blood-red text appeared across the screen:
Twelfth National Survival Challenge concluded. Survivors: 0.
Penalty: Beast outbreak in Hai City, Eastern Alliance. Event begins in 30 minutes.
The thirteenth challenge will commence on December 1, three months from now. Contestants will be selected at random.
"Mimi… (We lost…)" Mimi's voice trembled as her ears drooped low.
Ruan Mei gently patted the little creature's head then froze as the realization struck her. Hai City… wasn't that here?
"In other words, thirty minutes from now, this city will face a beast incursion?" she murmured under her breath.
Outside, the distant hum of panic was already rising. Sirens wailed in unison.
WEE-OO, WEE-OO
Her phone buzzed violently in her hand. She glanced at the screen a text message.
Alert: Beast disaster in Hai City will begin in 30 minutes. Citizens must evacuate immediately under official guidance. If evacuation is impossible, seek shelter nearby and await military clearance before signaling rescue teams.