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Inside the Seclusion Zone of the Herta Space Station, the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and synthetic nutrients. This was the deepest end of the station—a nursery for bizarre lifeforms and exotic flora. Access was strictly restricted to the highest-ranking officials, but today, it was a hunting ground.
Following the directions sent to his phone, Hiroshi arrived at the entrance. His stomach churned with a bad premonition. Why would Asta meet me here? This isn't just a quiet spot... this is Ruan Mei's territory.
He pulled out his phone to alert Herta, but a notification from Asta's account cut him off.
Asta: If you want Miss Asta to remain unharmed, keep walking.
The message was followed by a photo of Asta, slumped unconscious in a high-tech containment room. Hiroshi's blood boiled.
Hiroshi: Ruan Mei! You lunatic! What did you do to the Station Master?!
Ruan Mei: Her safety depends on your cooperation.
The next image made Hiroshi's heart stop. It showed a massive Thorned Wasp—a pinkish-purple, beetle-like monstrosity—trapped in a glass cylinder. The unconscious Asta was leaning against the glass. The creature was slamming against its cage, its mandibles clicking in a frenzy to get to the prey inches away.
Ruan Mei: That container will fail in five minutes. If you don't make it here, you know the consequences. I've already learned everything that happened between you two from her mouth. By the way... she was begging for your forgiveness right until she passed out. Now, discard your belongings and walk in. I am watching.
"Bastard!" Hiroshi slammed his fist against the metal wall, a dull ache blooming in his knuckles. He couldn't gamble with Asta's life. He opened his system panel, seeking a miracle.
[Current Emotion Points: 4,068]
Over four thousand? The surge must have come from Asta's distress... He realized he had enough for two item pulls. If the item can be stored in the system space, I can sneak it past her perception.
"System, can I store and retrieve items instantly?"
[Confirmed. All lottery items can be stored within the system and retrieved at any time.]
Hiroshi immediately triggered the gacha. The wheel spun, stopping on a sinister-looking icon.
[ITEM OBTAINED: Parasitic Tentacle (One-time use)]
Effect: Upon placement, the target instantly loses all physical resistance. It subdues the target by overriding motor functions.
It's perfect for a woman who loves to touch her specimens, Hiroshi thought grimly. He hid the item in his mental inventory and stepped into the laboratory.
The Lion's Den
The room was vast, an open space filled with humming monitors and glowing vats. The Thorned Wasp and Asta were gone. As Hiroshi stepped into the center of the room, the heavy blast door behind him hissed shut, locking with a definitive thunk.
"You really came, dear," a voice purred.
Hiroshi turned. Ruan Mei stood there, arms crossed, looking at him with the predatory focus of a collector who had finally caught a rare butterfly.
"Where is Asta?!" Hiroshi demanded, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Want to know? Eat this first." She held out a pastry.
Hiroshi didn't hesitate. He snatched it and swallowed it whole. He knew it was likely a Truth Serum, but he didn't care. "Is that enough?! Where is she?!"
"Relax," Ruan Mei said, her voice clinical and cold. "She's safe in her room. She won't remember a thing about these past two days when she wakes up. I only used her as leverage. I wouldn't actually break Herta's Station Master... unless I had to."
Hiroshi's shoulders slumped in relief. She was bluffing about the wasp. Thank god.
"Now," Ruan Mei said, her index finger tapping her chin as she approached him. "Let's talk research. I don't want to break you, dear, but I need to understand. How exactly did Herta use your ability to achieve her rejuvenation?"
Hiroshi spoke the truth—the serum forced the words out. He explained the proximity boost, the "Power Bank" effect, and the exponential increase in biological stats.
Even Ruan Mei, usually as indifferent as a frozen lake, widened her eyes in shock. The potential for her own life-science research was staggering.
"I see," she whispered, her gaze turning dark and obsessive. "Then... let's verify that theory right now."
She stepped forward, pushing Hiroshi back onto a clinical examination table and leaning over him, her presence cold and suffocating. She didn't notice the faint, dark shimmer appearing in Hiroshi's hand, hidden beneath the table's edge.
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