Though she'd taken on the mission to search the thirteenth-floor laboratory, Lynelle wasn't all that familiar with the place where she usually underwent experiments.
After all, even though she did her daily sit-ups here—making it something of a frequent respawn point in a way—the feeling of being forcibly injected with Honkai energy was far from pleasant.
Most of the time, before she could even get a good look around, she'd already blacked out physically, only to then pop up in Honkai Star Rail setting off human fireworks.
So, this time, returning to the lab via the Space Anchor, was actually Lynelle's first real chance to observe the place carefully.
The lab wasn't particularly large—just one examination table, complete with restraint straps and other tools, surrounded by a few desks and assorted instruments of various sizes.
It seemed, though, that some new equipment was scheduled to be installed tomorrow, so the original instruments had been cleared out, leaving the lab feeling rather empty. Of course, that made Lynelle's task easier.
But still…
"Strange… where did that card go?"
As time ticked by, Lynelle had already rummaged through two desks but still hadn't found that freight elevator access card.
"Dammit, don't tell me they took the card ahead of time because of the equipment transport tomorrow… That's against lab regulations, you know!"
"My apologies, dear Miss Lynelle. While I have indeed penalized some researchers using that very regulation, you might not be aware—it doesn't apply to me, the lead in charge of these experiments."
"!"
Lynelle whipped her head around.
There stood the lab director, whose scalp was already starting to gleam a little under the light, smiling at her from the doorway alongside three fully armed guards.
"Ahaha… well, this is awkward."
The corner of Lynelle's mouth twitched. It was as if her mind had automatically started playing some sped-up version of "Orchid Pavilion Prelude."
Wait, no—that was just Kiana-chan playing background music.
'Hey, this is a critical moment—stop messing around!'
Lynelle grumbled inwardly.
[Ahem, I actually wanted to remind you, host.]
Kiana-chan, unfazed, turned off the sound.
[Those three guards have fairly strong Honkai energy readings—they don't seem like ordinary security. It's fine if you stall, but I suggest activating the Temporary Stake early, just in case they take you out by surprise.]
"That's actually pretty sound advice…"
A faint glow shimmered in Lynelle's hidden hand, and a translucent crystal appeared briefly before vanishing.
With her preparations complete, Lynelle fixed a serious gaze on this nameless, cannon-fodder director—who never even got a mention in the original—and said,
"You… seemed to have known all along that I was planning to break out?"
"Just a hunch."
Slowly, the director drew out the access card Lynelle had been searching high and low for.
"Generally speaking, individuals with special abilities like you tend to be natural Stigma awakeners. And as it happens, I've been invited before to browse related materials in Schicksal's Grand Library as part of my research in this field."
"Among those documents, there was mention of a phenomenon: if a Stigma bearer's compatibility with their innate Stigma reaches a certain threshold, they can actively reverse-engineer certain miraculous technologies from the Previous Era."
"So I got to thinking… someone like you, who awakened such a powerful ability as immortality—wouldn't that mean exceptionally high compatibility?"
"The answer is yes, isn't it?"
Lynelle averted her eyes uncomfortably.
Even though his reasoning was completely off, his conclusion wasn't exactly wrong. Still, to avoid giving anything away through micro-expressions, she decided not to respond.
Yet Lynelle's cold silence was taken by the director as confirmation. A slight smirk touched his lips as he continued, "So, with that premise… why haven't you escaped before now?"
"Did you not want to? Or were you after some secret?"
"After observing you for some time, I found the answer."
"You… actually want to leave together with that test subject named Sirin, don't you?"
"..."
Lynelle felt like she'd turned into a ticking timer.
Because right now, she really did want to take Sirin with her.
Luckily, though, he was busy showing off his intellect, and she was using the chance to quickly familiarize herself with the Temporary Stake's usage.
Beneath her clothes, the translucent crystal provided by the Temporary Stake had already transformed into a soft, film-like layer, gradually covering her entire body—ready to harden at any moment for defense.
If he kept talking a little longer, she'd have fully figured out how to use this slime-like stuff.
"Hmm… still not much of a talker, are you? Fine, that icy expression is rather dull anyway. To keep my carefully laid plans tonight from falling flat, I'll share one more important piece of information."
"That companion of yours, Sirin—well, she hasn't come up yet, has she?"
The director snapped his fingers. "You didn't bring her along because you were afraid we'd eliminate her on sight? Don't worry, I wouldn't do that. After all, that little Sirin's talents might even surpass yours."
"Not to say you're lacking, of course. Your ability is mainly physical, while her uniqueness lies in her nearly limitless adaptability to Honkai energy."
"Between you and me, during previous experiments, we always administered at least five times the dosage to Sirin that we gave you."
"Yet, a Honkai energy dose that would kill you in under a minute—even multiplied by five—would only make Sirin uncomfortable for a short while. Such adaptability… I'd say it's probably on par with the legendary Herrschers."
"So…"
"So you won't kill her?"
Lynelle shot back.
"Of course not."
Seemingly pleased that Lynelle had finally spoken, the director beamed. "Precious specimens like you two can't be disposed of so easily. Once the experiments here are done, I've got a big project waiting for both of you."
"A big project?"
Lynelle blinked.
This seemed like plot information that hadn't appeared in the original, so she was genuinely curious what grand plan this seasoned lab director had concocted.
"As we all know, both Stigmata and Honkai energy adaptability can be hereditary."
The director smiled—a smile that sent shivers down Lynelle's spine.
"Your Stigma lets you overcome any physical problem through resurrection, and even if Sirin's Honkai energy adaptability were only passed down at fifty percent, it would still surpass most Valkyries today."
"What's more, Schicksal Headquarters has recently made a major breakthrough in same-sex reproduction…"
"W-wait…"
Lynelle's composure completely cracked.
"Don't tell me your big plan is for me and Sirin to…"
"If you prefer the natural mating method, that's fine by me too."
The director's gaze swept over Lynelle as if appraising a work of art. "Of course, I'll also be conducting gene pairing and cloning simultaneously, to mass-produce your children as quickly as possible."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.