My setting is above yours!

Chapter 39 Joining the Patrol Bureau, Sequence Seven Potion Recipe (9k2)

"This is Team C-112, and I am Executive Officer C01."

Summer Solstice turns on the pager hanging on the collar:
"It has now been confirmed that a vicious attack occurred at a high school in District D, and the perpetrator is a humanoid monster that appeared due to the influence of unknown abilities."

“Team C-112 has taken over the scene, but there are many wounded and we need medical assistance and support from other field teams.”

"This is the Patrol Bureau." After a moment, the pager responded: "All field teams are busy with various murder cases and are temporarily unable to provide support to your team."

"But in accordance with the 'Guidelines for Assistance Application and Action,' we have already dispatched a medical team from our partner companies to provide assistance."

"They will arrive with medical assistance in about 20 minutes."

It seems there's no more aid coming...

Xia Zhi turned off his pager and said in a serious tone:
"Within twenty minutes, we need to eliminate all enemies here and clear the way for the medical team—C02!"

“Here!” Ji Jin immediately stepped forward.

"You will work with C05 to conduct temporary rescue operations and protect the injured civilians;"

"C03, you and C06 will jointly mobilize the combat-capable civilians on site and evacuate the non-capable civilians who are still able to move."

"C04, you and C07 will fight alongside me and take control of all the prisoners!"

She gave the order efficiently, and everyone immediately saluted her and dispersed skillfully.

The group rushed forward, transforming into several swiftly moving black shadows that swept into the school, like a flock of black eagles flying close to the ground.

The scene inside the school was horrific; many innocent students were lying on the ground with obvious wounds from the "hollow" monster.

Many people had already lost their breath; only a few who had just been injured lay unconscious in pools of blood, their chests rising and falling slightly.

Soon, Ji Jin and C05 arrived at the scene in front of a girl lying in a pool of blood.

"Don't be afraid, little sister, come with me..."

Ji Jin stretched out her personal reality and blew a bubble the size of a person, like blowing a bubble, and enveloped the girl in front of her who had been pierced in the abdomen by the "hollow" monster, with blood gushing out and who was almost lifeless.

The next moment, the blood that the girl had just spat out, still in the air, flowed back as if it were flowing backward.

Despite the still large wound, the blood wouldn't flow out; instead, it circulated normally along the broken blood vessels...

The girl also felt a warmth inexplicably, and a surge of strength rose within her. She stumbled and followed Ji Jin and C05 out of the school.

Not to be outdone, C03 and C06 quickly evacuated the people from the playground and teaching building.

A "hollow" monster, sensing the presence of humans, roared menacingly as it tried to attack the evacuating crowd, but was blocked by C04 and C07, two individuals with enhanced physical abilities.

Then, a cold warning was heard:

“You’ve already broken the rules… never mind, you wouldn’t understand anyway.”

"In accordance with the principle of escalation of armed forces, Team C-112 will use lethal force against you, and the D District Chief Inspectorate will make a judgment on this incident based on law enforcement records."

Xia Zhi quickly muttered a couple of businesslike words, then her entire body flickered and appeared out of thin air behind the monster that was being blocked by C04.

She looked at the hideous growths on the "hollow" monster, and a hint of disgust appeared on her face.

The next moment, without hesitation, she swung her hand, delivering a light chop to the monster's arm...

But the result wasn't as effortless as it seemed!
The space around her hand trembled, and obvious ripples spread through it.

With a light, sweeping motion, the monster's arm vanished into thin air, as if swallowed by an invisible maw of abyss!

At the same time, a grotesque limb with an extremely smooth cut suddenly appeared from mid-air not far away and fell to the ground silently.

In no time, it turned into charcoal as if it had been burned, and then into ashes.

But after using her ability to cut open the monster's arm, Xia Zhi immediately frowned.

A noticeable spatial fluctuation appeared around her, and a feeling of exhaustion, as if she had used her ability many times, rose from the bottom of her heart. The familiar feeling immediately triggered her memories.

Is this monster affecting my personal reality?!

She couldn't help but think of the serial killer she had once investigated, who had been apprehended by Ron.

That guy's abilities can influence her personal reality...

Why is this happening? Could it be that this monster was affected by a similar mutation, which is why it turned into this form?

Xia Zhi seemed to be deep in thought, but her hands moved quickly.

As the monster howled in pain, she swiftly severed its limbs with a few more chopsticks, rendering it powerless to resist.

"Alright, leaving one alive should be enough... You guys keep an eye on this guy, I'll go and deal with the rest of the prisoners."

She gave C04 and C07 a few instructions, and the two black-clad patrol officers immediately obeyed, taking out various restraint tools from the toolboxes they carried.

They struggled to control it, finally managing to bind this monster—which had turned into a human pig and was still resisting—with its torso ramming around like a dumpling...

At this moment, Xia Zhi also fully utilized her abilities, leaping rapidly around the school.

If she were closer, she would simply wave her hand and slice the “hollow” monsters that were wreaking havoc in half.

If she were further away, she wouldn't go directly to it, but would casually pick up a few pens from the classroom or a few stones from the ground—

With just a snap of the fingers, these things will appear out of thin air inside the heads of the "hollow" monsters, bursting their heads open.

However, there weren't many monsters in the school, only about a dozen in total...

After dealing with about ten of them, Xia Zhi's face turned pale, and she felt a distinct sense of dizziness.

What kind of abilities do these monsters possess that affect...? Why do I feel so tired whenever I use my abilities to attack them?

Xia Zhi used her abilities only a few times in a very ordinary way, but she felt as if she hadn't rested in a long time. Her spatial teleportation, which she used to be able to do with ease, became sluggish, and she could no longer easily teleport those miscellaneous items into the monster's head.

She covered her forehead and walked forward, searching to see if there was still any one of them who had slipped through the net at a certain high school.

It was only a momentary lapse in attention, and after turning a corner, that she was shocked to discover a monster lurking in the shadows, ready to ambush her when she wasn't looking!

Oops……

She suppressed the dizziness in her brain, her movements noticeably slower, trying to drive her personal reality to slice the monster in front of her in two.

But just as butter melts instantly when dropped into a hot oven, Xia Zhi's personal reality ultimately couldn't withstand the onslaught after encountering the monster, and a small part of it crumbled...

Although it was solidified in the next instant and its power came into play again, it was already too late.

The monster's hideous, blade-like limbs had already reached Xia Zhi's front, and it seemed that it would slice through her chest and abdomen in the next moment!
but……

A pebble flew out with pinpoint accuracy, grazing Xia Zhi's hair near her ear, and instantly shattering the monster's limbs.

Summer Solstice's personal reality once again came into play, slicing the monster in front of him into several pieces and piling them on the ground. The grotesque, proliferating limbs burned into charcoal and turned into ashen embers.

Such a precise and swift throw... Is it someone with special abilities? Did someone help me?
She turned her head and saw Ron tossing a pebble back and forth in his hand; the stone bullet from before was clearly his doing.

"I never expected that as a patrol officer, I would need an ordinary citizen to help me out... I apologize for making you laugh."

She said, still shaken, "If you hadn't happened to be here, I might have really gotten hurt..."

Is it a coincidence? Actually, it's not.

If you had run slower so I could keep up, things might not have been so urgent...

Ron silently grumbled in his heart, but nodded in agreement on the surface.

In fact, Ron had already been secretly observing C-112's team from the school building when they first arrived.

Because the monster attack and so many murders were so bizarre, Ron couldn't help but suspect that a certain high school might have been set up by someone.

Was it a terrorist attack, or some kind of biological experiment conducted by a company?
Ron couldn't understand it, and he wasn't sure if the D-sector patrol bureau was involved, so he naturally didn't dare to fully trust the patrol officers.

It wasn't until he observed for a while and discovered that Xia Zhi and the others were doing their utmost to hunt monsters and save the citizens,
Ron then became completely certain that they had nothing to do with the matter and were simply carrying out their duties as police officers.

That's why Ron tried his best to catch up with Xia Zhi, who was frantically using spatial teleportation to move around, and lend her a hand...

Xia Zhi wasn't still caught up in the shock she'd just felt. She quickly regained her composure, carefully examined Ron, and asked with concern:
"These monsters seem to be able to damage personal reality and affect the superpowers of those with abilities..."

"How are you? Are you hurt?"

You should really worry about yourself...

Looking at Xia Zhi, whose face was pale and whose abilities were sluggish, clearly worn down to the point where she could barely use them anymore, Ron couldn't help but sigh.

He had already removed his [Illusion Dissolve] ability, and its durability was now almost full.

These "hollow" monsters posed no real danger to Ron; as long as he managed his energy expenditure, he could easily defeat them.

However, it's a different story for the summer solstice...

Seeing Xia Zhi use her abilities so recklessly to hunt down these "hollow" monsters, Ron realized that she definitely didn't know anything about the "hollow".

If you know about the [Anti-Mystic Equation] and the "Void," then you should understand that in the inner city of Ideal City, the best way to deal with these "Void" monsters is to whittle them down with minimal resources.

After all, as long as the power from the "void" within them is offset by personal reality, these monsters will be immediately countered by the [Anti-Mystic Equation] and gradually reduced to ashes.

Actions like Xia Zhi's will only quickly deplete one's abilities until they become temporarily unusable, turning one into meat on the chopping block of the "Hollow" monsters, a lamb to the slaughter.

Surprisingly, even graduates from Tianting University and the Discipline Inspection Bureau were unaware of this. The "Void" and the "Anti-Mystery Formula" are indeed highly classified secrets...

Ron seemed to be deep in thought. He exchanged a few simple pleasantries with Xia Zhi and then told her about his discovery in a very serious manner.

"...You're saying these monsters were originally supposed to be students at a certain high school?!"

Xia Zhi stared at Ron in astonishment, then, disbelieving, examined the monster's remains, which she had just cut into pieces and piled into ashes...

After a careful examination, she finally spotted the tattered pattern of a high school emblem on the monster's blood-stained, tattered clothing.

If Ron hadn't assured her that it was part of a high school's emblem, she probably would have just thought it was some meaningless line.

After all, she never attended any high school.

However, after Ron pointed out this blind spot, Xia Zhi immediately fell into deep thought, recalling her previous deductions, and murmured:
"Students from a certain high school... Could it be some kind of biology experiment?"

"The mastermind behind controlling the clones and driving them to suicide must be trying to cover up this biological experiment..."

Biological experiment?

As a seasoned patrol operator, Xia Zhi made the same judgment as me, and this line of thinking is probably correct.

Considering the grotesque, monstrous organs on these guys' bodies...

Ron suddenly shuddered, and an idea immediately popped into his mind—

Could it be Noah Pharma?
He recalled Baker, who had been transformed by Noah Medicine into that monstrous form.

Beck was created by stitching together the materials that fell out of the "hole," causing the organs of the out-of-control monster to become what they are today.

If these students were also affected by the improved technology...

Isn't it only natural that it has this "hollow" monster-like appearance?

But why did they modify this monster to attack a high school?
Although Ron suspected that Noah Pharmaceuticals' actions were aimed at him, he knew that this was impossible for the time being.

Because [TianTing Media] has already consulted with [Noah Pharmaceuticals] regarding Ron's matter—

In other words, Tianting Media has already warned Noah Pharmaceuticals, informing them that Ron has now accepted Tianting Media's investment.

As two of the three largest corporations, even though they have countless dirty secrets between them and wish the other would go bankrupt and fall apart overnight, they still have to give each other face on the surface.

After all... if Noah Pharmaceuticals could attack Ron, Tianting Media could also attack Youan.

These are all top companies in Ideal City. Who would sit idly by and watch an important figure they invested in be assassinated?

But what exactly is Noah Pharmaceuticals' purpose...?

Just as Ron was thinking, he suddenly heard a distinct sound, like shattering glass, coming from the horizon.

The next moment, he saw Xia Zhi's expression change.

"Oh no! My feeling was right, but what exactly could have broken out of the space..."

She murmured to herself, looking up at the sky—

The once normal sky inexplicably tore open a small hole about two people high, revealing a murky, iridescent blackness inside.

The viscous black liquid ignited at the edge of the cavity, transforming into blazing flames that dripped down its edge.

Then, a semi-illusory monster, resembling a humanoid with a bull's head and a robust build like a physical enhancement user, fell from the void...

After the fiery void spat out the monster, something else seemed to want to break free from the murky darkness and leap out.

But blurry, pixelated spots began to flicker across the sky, like mosaics.

This small "hole" was quickly erased by the high-frequency flashing mosaic spots, and the sky returned to its former clear state.

The monster that tried to break free from the void also disappeared as the void vanished...

Only the two-person-tall bull-headed monster remained, lying on the ground, raising a stone axe tucked at its waist, and letting out a furious battle roar—

Then, like a red-eyed bull, it charged recklessly, randomly choosing the nearest citizen to rush towards!

It actually created a small "hole"?!

Ron was somewhat taken aback. This creation of a bunch of modified monsters attacking the school was actually related to an experiment involving unknown knowledge!

He looked at the monster and could easily see the layer of semi-transparent mist that covered its body, like a veil...

This is the blessing that "Void" bestows upon it—if I'm not mistaken, if this layer of mist could be removed, it would be exposed to the [Anti-Mystic Equation] and instantly turn to ashes.

But until then...

The minotaur was unaffected and could freely unleash its overflowing destructive desires!

"Where did this monster come from... Damn it, let's all attack together!"

The patrol officers, who were orderly evacuating the crowd, only paused for a moment when they saw the monster suddenly rushing towards them before calming down and skillfully joining forces to fight.

C04 and C07, being Lv.3 ability users with enhanced physical abilities, weren't afraid at all when they saw the two-person-tall bull-headed monsters. They immediately activated their abilities, transforming into even more robust forms and colliding with it without hesitation.

Then, just like someone who overestimates their abilities and faces a large floating truck, they were suddenly knocked away and slammed into a concrete wall, leaving a dent, and immediately lost consciousness.

Normally, this impact would only be at the normal combat intensity of a Lv.3, and would not have injured them in a single blow.

Although their abilities were all at level 3, they were immediately weakened and affected upon contact with this monster...

This wasn't a clash between Level 3 ability users at all; instead, it was C04 and C07, with the strength of Level 1 ability users, withstood the full force of the Level 3 ability user's charge!

If they hadn't left the minotaur, their abilities wouldn't have immediately returned to level 3...

If they were hit by that collision, they might not even survive!

The remaining few were not faring much better. Although they were not completely countered like the physical ability users, their abilities were completely worn down by the minotaur, leaving them with no chance of achieving anything.

"No, it seems we have to use the 'formula' to directly teleport the bureau chief over. We can't handle this monster..."

Watching the group fall into a disadvantageous position in just a moment, Xia Zhi muttered to herself and took out a few game coins from her pocket—

But Ron reached out and stopped her.

"No, there's no need for that." He shook his head, looking at the minotaur with interest, somewhat eager to make a move.

Although this was his first time seeing a monster from the "Void," he still remembered the records in the madman's notes.

The monsters inside the "Void"...can drop extraordinary materials!
Although it's somewhat fantastical compared to normal extraordinary materials, it still serves as a normal main material, propelling the madman supervisor onto the path to transcendence...

Although it was unclear what sequence this minotaur Ron was associated with, his behavior alone suggested he was a Sequence Seven extraordinary being.

If we can get the extraordinary materials of Sequence 7 from it, even if they may not have anything to do with Ron's potion sequence, it would still be a considerable gain!

After all, his "extraordinary loss of control" urgently needs to be addressed.

Once he arrives in the "Potion Era," these extraordinary materials of Sequence Seven might just become his first pot of gold, supporting his explorations there...

"Don't do anything foolish. Your Lv.1 mutated telekinesis is very powerful, but against this monster..."

Xia Zhi was somewhat stunned and subconsciously wanted to stop Ron, but saw him just smile and then jump off the teaching building.

In mid-air, he pressed the button on the silver necklace around his neck.

[Ability boosting is now activated.]

[Remaining battery: 99%]

The next moment, Ron's personal reality expanded rapidly, quickly covering an area of ​​about ten meters centered on him!
The reason he dared to confront this "hollow" monster, which was clearly Sequence 7, was because of the "ability amplifier" he wore around his neck.

This thing replaced his previous "ability limiter," and now it can not only help Ron limit the ability model of [Vector Manipulation], but also temporarily activate "ability amplification."

With its built-in supercomputing chip, it enhances Ron's personal reality and performs external calculations to help him manipulate his ability model.

After obtaining this thing, Ron only tried it out a few times and hasn't actually used it in combat yet...

Now, it's actually an opportunity to test Lv.3 [Vector Manipulation]!

He could feel that everything around him was under his control. Many vectors that were previously out of his grasp seemed to gradually fall into Ron's hands because of the increased control over his ability model...

Ron couldn't help but feel excited. Being able to have complete control over Lv.3 [Vector Manipulation] was a first for him.

Without hesitation, he clenched his fist, activating [Vector Control] at full power, causing the "Ability Amplifier's" battery to rapidly deplete—

Sand and stones flew, and a fierce wind surged.

Heat was rapidly being lost from the minotaur's body.

It struggled to leap towards Ron, as if trying to punch the fluttering moth that dared to fall towards it...

But Ron took flight freely, easily dodging its attack, and even caused it to be struck by gravity, crashing down and embedding itself deeply into the ground, unable to move.

The personal reality of [Vector Manipulation] and the "hollow" power within the Minotaur eroded each other, eventually revealing a flaw: the illusory veil was torn open...

The next moment, it suffered a severe blow from the [Anti-Mystic Equation], its entire body began to turn charred black, and it seemed about to collapse into ashes.

Ron was prepared and controlled the flying sand and gravel to completely bury it.

He landed on the ground, and the swirling dust obscured the battlefield between him and the minotaur.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ron unloaded [Illusion Dissolved] and reached into the pile of gravel, groping the minotaur that had already turned to ashes.

Soon, he touched a warm, spherical object that seemed to be pulsating.

As expected, extraordinary materials will drop...

However, it's definitely not like the "Potion Era" where you can get a setting.

I wonder what kind of backstory we could uncover if we killed this monster in the "Potion Era"...

He carefully wrapped the object in iron filings, then slipped it into his pocket under the cover of sand and dust.

Suddenly, a "beep beep" alarm sounded. Ron opened the brain-computer interface and discovered that the "ability amplifier" was about to run out of power.

[Remaining battery: 9%]

A full-power attack from Lv.3, and it's only been twenty seconds, yet it's already consumed ninety percent of the battery...

The cost of [Vector Manipulation] is indeed quite high.

Ron couldn't help but feel a little emotional, but suddenly he felt a slight fluctuation in the power that he had been in complete control of, as if it was about to collapse.

what's the situation?
Ron frowned, realizing that his abilities, due to the temporary enhancement he had just received, seemed to have slightly exceeded the limitations of his ability model...

As a result, the degree of loss of control of [Out of Control] has increased by another 20%!
The situation is already out of control at 55%...

If I'm not mistaken, when the loss of control exceeds 60%, Ron's [Vector Manipulation] will no longer be able to move forward, and even a slight increase will cause it to overload and lose control.

Although I expected it, isn't this happening way too fast?

It seems it's time to put returning to the "Potion Era" on the agenda.

Ron sighed and turned off the "Ability Amplifier".

The swirling dust finally settled, all in the blink of an eye, and no one could have noticed that he had just secretly taken a piece of extraordinary material.

They just stared at Ron in astonishment, momentarily bewildered.

But Xia Zhi immediately teleported down from upstairs and methodically began arranging their work, starting to evacuate and settle the people...

After confirming there were no other monsters and finishing up the remaining tasks, Xia Zhi stepped forward, looking at Ron with a sigh:
"What...what's going on with your ability level?"

She couldn't help but find it unbelievable:
"Was that a Level 3 ability? I remember you were only Level 1 before the college entrance exam, right?"

"How...how did they do that?"

Do you expect me to tell you that I cheated?

"It's just a fluke..."

Ron inwardly scoffed, then repeatedly offered modest words, pointing to the silver collar around his neck:
"It mainly relies on the 'ability amplifier'..."

After explaining for a while, Xia Zhi finally became convinced that Ron had obtained Lv.3 abilities through completely legal means, and couldn't help but feel a hint of envy in her tone.

"Even with the 'ability amplifier,' having a level 3 ability is quite impressive, since it means you already have a level 2 ability—"

She spoke with a touch of emotion:
"With your abilities and your Lv.2 ability level, even if you had just become Lv.2, getting into one of the top three universities should be a piece of cake."

"How did your exam go? Are you still sure you want to go to Moen University?"

Ron held up one finger:
"Almost."

"Almost?"

Xia Zhi was somewhat taken aback. "Was this year's college entrance exam really that difficult? Even with your abilities, you barely managed to get into one of the top three universities?"

Ron shook his head and took out the report card he had found in the teachers' office before Xia Zhi and the others arrived.

Xia Zhi glanced at the report card instinctively, only to be shocked to see a bright "1" on it.

At this moment, Ron's voice came faintly:

"It wasn't that I almost got into one of the top three universities, it was that I almost didn't get first place..."

Looking at her ranking on the report card, Xia Zhi choked on her saliva and coughed several times.

She stared at Ron's obviously upturned lips with a strained expression, about to make a comment, but then suddenly remembered something, glanced at Ron a few times, and clearly seemed to be deep in thought.

"Ron, you haven't signed a work agreement with any company, have you?"

Work agreement?

[TianTing Media] is just an investor; aside from [Knowledge Experiment], they don't seem to be involved in anything, and they didn't sign any work agreement with me...

Ron shook his head. "I'm not short of money right now, and I don't plan to work during college."

"That's good..."

Xia Zhi smiled and said:
"Do you remember what I said before, that I could give you a big gift once you get into one of the top three universities?"

Big gift?

It seems there really is such a thing...

Ron immediately became interested: "What is Sister Xia Zhi planning to give me?"

"A bright future!"

Xia Zhi patted his chest proudly and pointed to the patrol bureau badge on his chest:

"Although it's still early, as long as you can secure a place in one of the three top universities, I can get you into the Patrol Bureau, where you'll fill the last spot in our team—"

"So, do you want to join the patrol bureau?"

Join the Patrol Bureau?

That would mean fighting on the front lines every day, dealing with all sorts of problems. If you were to encounter any life-threatening danger, that would be no joke...

"Then forget it..."

But before Ron could finish uttering his refusal, Xia Zhi quickly explained:

"Don't rush to refuse, there are plenty of benefits!"

"Credit points, personal achievements, living allowances..."

"Of course... and most importantly, the academic credits you can earn after completing each patrol bureau mission!"

"Junior Sister Ji Jin joined the disciplinary patrol to accumulate credits in order to apply for Athena's computing privileges and help her calculate an 'ability formula'..."

As she spoke, her tone was full of seduction:
"I imagine you wouldn't want to toil away for four years only to produce a half-finished product, only to have it rejected by your advisor and have to delay your graduation for several years, right?"

"If you're lucky, you can do more tasks with us during the summer vacation and maybe accumulate enough credits to apply for your first access to the AI's computing power shortly after enrollment!"

“You just finished the college entrance exam, so you might not understand the value of credits, but…”

"No need to say more."

Xia Zhi tried her best to persuade Ron and wanted to say something more, but Ron interrupted her.

There's nothing more to say.

If he had known earlier that he could earn credits through patrol missions, he would never have said a word against it.
Ron looked at Xia Zhi earnestly and held her hand tightly:
"As citizens of an ideal city, we should contribute to the city's safety and social order!"

"I volunteer to join the D District General Inspection Bureau. Captain Xia, when will you issue my certificate?"

Your change of expression is too fast!
I haven't even used up all the ideas I prepared in my head...

Xia Zhi shook her head: "It's not feasible today. This monster attack case will probably take a long time to process. Even if you want to join the patrol bureau, there's no time to deal with it today..."

"I'll message you again in a few days when the inspection bureau has time to help you with your onboarding procedures for the discipline inspection position."

As she spoke, she saw an ambulance drive up from the school gate, and several medical staff got out.

"Alright, the rescue team has arrived. I know you're also clueless about this case. I'll help you apply for credit, but we'll skip the statement. I won't waste your time."

She waved goodbye to Ron and then quickly threw herself into her new work, starting to rescue the seriously injured people who had been hurt by the monster.

They don't even need to take a statement?

Well, having connections in the bureau is really helpful; it saved me a lot of trouble...

Perfect timing! I can use the time I save to prepare for a trip to the "Potion Age".

Ron made a plan in his mind, found An Hui who had already sent the old teacher away, and left with An Hui after confirming that the old teacher's injuries were stable.

A long time passed.

Until the sun set and the red moon rose, filling half the sky.

The patrol officers left behind at a certain high school had just finished dealing with the aftermath of this case and returned to the D District General Patrol Bureau with the "hollow" monster that had been chopped into a human pig and a pile of embers.

After they left, a long time passed, and suddenly a man tiptoed out of the shadows and walked precisely towards the spot where the minotaur had smashed down, where the body was buried under sand and gravel...

He searched through the pile of sand and gravel for a long time, but found nothing except for stones still covered with embers.

"Damn..."

He couldn't help but curse under his breath, then sighed deeply and hesitated for a long time.

Finally, after gritting his teeth and making a firm decision, he made a phone call—

“Minister,” he said in a dry voice, “the experiment was a success. The [biological modification experiment] did indeed induce the 'void'.”

A static crackled, and a somewhat distorted voice came from the other end of the phone:
"This is an answer I already knew, you don't need to repeat it to me again... You know what I want."

"...The inspection bureau acted too quickly; before the 'hollow' operation was even launched, a team had already taken over the scene."

The man swallowed hard and said awkwardly:
"We... didn't have time to retrieve the experimental materials."

"Too late?"

The person on the other end of the phone snorted coldly:
"A bunch of useless trash... I don't care what you do, if I don't see any new materials submitted within a week, I'll use you as scapegoats for the next promotion experiment!"

Then the call ended, leaving only a cold, rustling sound.

"Materials..."

"It seems we have no choice but to conduct another experiment to induce a 'void'..."

The man sighed and left with a sense of helplessness.

Meanwhile, Ron, completely unaware that he had automatically picked up someone else's experimental material, had just returned home and immediately took out the sphere covered in iron filings with great interest.

After the iron filings were dispersed, Ron realized that it was actually a beating, bright red heart...

Equipped with the [Ember of the Age of Gods], it can be seen in the Magic Vision shrouded in a misty veil, resisting the erasure of the [Anti-Mystic Equation].

In addition, it was surging with bright red magic, the magic was surging and obviously very abundant.

Ron grasped the heart and, after a long time, took out the spellbook he had kept sealed away...

The magic book emitted a burning heat and, as expected, wrote a line of text on the blank page—

[Potion Recipe]

[War] Sequence Seven "Overlord"

"Potion ingredients: a rusty military flag of a battle-hardened hero + a Minotaur's heart + 300 ml of pure water + 10 g of Nightshade Grass + 35 ml of the blood of the person taking the potion."

"Preparation method: Pierce the heart of the Minotaur with a military flag, drip blood mixed with rust into pure water, let it stand for a day, and then add a mixture of nightshade grass and the blood of the person who took the medicine."

Above this text, "the heart of the Minotaur" shines brightly.

It's actually... a supernatural material from the [War] sequence?

Moreover, it's the main ingredient for a potion in the [War] Sequence 7?
　This chapter has 9200 words... I've tried my best, but I'm still 800 words short of 10,000 words a day. I'm starting to despair.

　　I refuse to accept this...

　　I'll continue tomorrow. I refuse to believe I can't write 10,000 words!

　　(I will update at least 6,000 words a day from now on. I will write more if I can, and at least 6,000 words if I can't write much. I have decided to make peace with myself for now.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)