I am a hero of the former civilization.

"Don't overthink it. My abilities are limited, but at least I hope you can enjoy this moment to the fullest." Ryan picked up his laptop and nodded to the two stunned people. "You two take your time eating. I'm going to the lab tonight and won't be going back to the dorm."

Kevin held his chopsticks, and a few noodles slipped back into the bowl. He stiffly turned his head to look at Su, who was equally stiff, his eyes full of tension.

“I think you should ask Mei.” Su tapped the phone on the table.

Kevin snapped out of his daze and quickly took out his phone to send a long message.

"Mei, why didn't you tell me you had a terminal illness? I'm coming to pick you up right now. Let's go to the hospital for a checkup right away. It'll be alright. I will never let you die!"

After putting down his phone, Kevin scratched his head and waited anxiously. If Sue hadn't been there to comfort him, he probably would have already ridden his motorcycle to the lab. A moment later—

Ding.

Kevin quickly picked up his phone, then froze on the spot, causing Sue to instinctively crane her neck to look, only to freeze in shock as well.

The girl replied with just three words.

"Neuropathy."

Chapter Seven: The plum, when cut open, is entirely black.

Just as Kevin and Sue were pondering that mental illness could become a terminal illness, Ryan had already returned to the lab.

After changing into a white lab coat and carrying a laptop, I walked into the pointed-roof building, took the elevator down to the ground floor, and opened the thick explosion-proof door through fingerprint recognition to find a spacious hall.

Various instruments and lights flashed, and the ground was covered with cables as thick as an arm. Researchers, also dressed in white lab coats, were busy all around, while a huge machine stood in the center.

The instrument was about three stories high and consisted of two circular structures, one on the left and one on the right. The left side was concave and the right side was convex, making it look like two fan casings. This was a ring accelerator that could accelerate particles to near the speed of light.

At the center of the two ring accelerators is a vacuum tube. After the particles reach the speed of light, they will collide inside the vacuum tube, and a series of detectors will record the energy and particle signals released during the collision.

Particle colliders are an essential tool for studying the microscopic world.

Ryan looked up at this creation brimming with civilization. The civilian technology of this world was similar to that of Earth before he transmigrated, while the cutting-edge technology was far superior. This did not even include the black technology of the Fire-Chasing Moth, not to mention that this world also possessed imaginary internal energy.

He came to Qianyu Academy for two reasons: firstly, he wanted to curry favor with Ancestor Kevin, and secondly, because the academy had advanced equipment that would allow him to better understand the nature of imaginary numbers.

Science is rational; once a special particle is discovered, the original theory of "divine punishment" falls apart.

“Dr. Ryan, you’re late.” A blond man walked down the stairs of the concave accelerator. He was quite handsome, about twenty years old, with one hand in his pocket and a can of coffee in the other.

Damian, the former head of the high-energy physics research group, held the record for the youngest PhD, but unfortunately, this record was broken twice.

Ryan nodded slightly and said politely, "I was thinking about some things during dinner, which took up some time. How's the preparation going? Will it be able to start smoothly tomorrow?"

This thing requires 500 megawatts of electricity to run once, costing nearly a million euros. Of course, it's impossible to conduct experiments every day. Even with the financial resources of Chiba Academy, it would be quite good to do it once every two weeks.

Click.

The coffee can dented slightly, and Damian's somewhat effeminate green eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly withdrew his strength and returned to normal.

"Of course, no problem. The old parts have been replaced, and Dr. Mei's latest research results have been added. According to calculations, the instantaneous collision speed can be 30% stronger."

Jealousy? Yes, the drop from leader to assistant is quite significant.

Ryan couldn't hide these subtle facial expressions from him at all. He had no interest in the backstabbing and infighting among researchers. Theoretical knowledge might not convince others, but the truth of fists certainly would.

"She always manages to come up with something amazing. This device alone is enough to win the Mu Continent Engineering Award and turn those old men into good students."

“Yes, Dr. Mei’s talent is always awe-inspiring, and besides, she’s only twenty years old. Who knows what heights she can reach in her lifetime?” Damian also sighed. Despite his jealousy, he was impressed by her incomprehensible talent and stroked the uneven components on the particle collider.

I'm very reluctant to part with it, but I also feel helpless.

"I'm going to Canghai University tomorrow, so I'm counting on you guys for this experiment."

"Aren't you going to wait until this experiment is over before leaving? There's bound to be a groundbreaking discovery." Ryan glanced sideways, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"Come on, I'm way past the point of signing research reports and building up reputation." Damian chuckled self-deprecatingly, tossing the empty can accurately into the trash can and gently raising his chin. "I may not be as good as Mei or you, but even the strongest genius can't be good at everything. If I can make a breakthrough in a certain area, even if it's just a small step, that's my own achievement."

He was proud, knowing the gap was huge, but he still wanted to walk his own path and was unwilling to blindly follow in others' footsteps and pick up the scraps.

These words made Ryan turn his head to look directly at the young doctor, and then slowly raise his hand: "Very ambitious, then I wish you success."

"Thank you. Remember to help me surpass Mei. All our male pride rests on you."

The two shook hands briefly before parting. Ryan watched the lonely figure walk away and was about to organize his documents when he saw Damian turn around.

"By the way, Dr. Mei is looking for you everywhere, and she looks very menacing."

Mei is looking for me? And she looks menacing?

Ryan raised an eyebrow, and about two seconds later, his face turned completely dark.

Damn, those two idiots completely misunderstood.

He was just making a casual remark, but he didn't expect Kevin and Sue to actually treat it as some kind of terminal illness. This probably angered Mei, and that doctor would definitely pin the blame on him again.

That thing was completely black when cut open, and it was moistened first. Once the experiment started, Mei had no intention of trying to harm me.

Ryan turned and left, his steps hurried as if he had learned his lesson. He opened a keypad door, slipped into the corridor, entered the password on the wall, and quickly went into the second office on the left. He sat down on a recliner and finally felt relieved.

Phew...we're safe now.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, as Sue said, he was indeed a little worried for that strange couple, and this was not just a gut feeling.

He opened the folder on the table, which contained a thick stack of data, recording the conclusions of ten particle collision experiments over the past six months. Looking at the curves on the summary table, Ryan's expression grew increasingly serious.

"Even at the microscopic level, the intensity of Honkai energy is constantly increasing, although it is still weak, but that is the reality."

The air is filled with invisible energy, which can be recorded by particle colliders as fleeting sparks, representing the instantaneous expansion of energy. Tomorrow's experiment will increase the intensity of the collision to make this energy more dazzling and lasting.

The more dazzling the spark, the more it disrupts the stability of space, capturing the source of imaginary internal energy in a fraction of a second.

Ryan tapped his hands on the table, releasing tremendous energy in that instant, but fortunately, the impact on the real world was negligible, so safety should not be an issue.

"A very meaningful experiment that plays a significant role in exploring the imaginary space."

He smiled, grateful that he lived in a world of science, where at least he could deepen his understanding through experiments, which was much better than having his head full of unfounded metaphysics.

He closed the folder, then opened his laptop. Since others had already done the preparations, Ryan decided to steal a moment to write. He had a good habit: if he said he wouldn't abandon a project, he would definitely continue writing.

"Let's write about countering the Third Apostle today. Let's spout some research findings and we'll definitely impress them."

A wicked smile crept across Ryan's face. He loved to lead people into fantasies, but he had only typed a few lines.

Hey~

[Ruohua Xuanlan]: Where's today's update? (Shrugs)

Wow, this guy is really persistent, urging me to update every day.

Ryan rolled his eyes and took the phone with a disgruntled expression.

[Empty]: I'm writing, I'm writing. By the way, are you unemployed? Why are you urging me every day?

【Ruohua Xuanlan】: No, I'm very busy every day.

[Empty]: So what are you busy with?

【Ruohua Xuanlan】: Busy saving the world, huh? Don't worry, I'm a strong, beautiful, and responsible girl, and I definitely won't let you down! (Clenches fist)

Ryan almost burst out laughing. Had he been obsessed with reading novels? He propped his chin up and imagined a scene.

A burly man wearing flip-flops and picking his toes was sitting in front of a computer, and judging from his tone, he was probably also wearing a pink magical girl outfit.

[Empty]: I suddenly feel nauseous. Okay, give me an hour to finish writing this so I can prepare for tomorrow's experiment. I need to refresh myself.

[Ruohuaxuanlan]: Wait, I remember you're in Changkong City, right? I'm here on a business trip. Want to grab a bite? I have so many things to tell you, and also, about the promised extra...

On the Mu Continent, in a heavily guarded military base, large transport planes were parked on the runway, and soldiers wearing human exoskeletons were carrying goods into the cargo hold.

The spinning propeller slightly lifted Alicia's long skirt. The pink-haired girl held up her phone, waiting intently. She wasn't anxious; there was even a faint smile on her lips.

After a long while, her phone finally vibrated slightly. Alicia quickly opened it and her smile instantly froze.

The other party didn't say anything, only replied with a dog emoji.

Ah this...

The girl blinked her purple eyes, pressed her phone against her ample chest, and smiled slightly.

"Not only are you trying to pique my interest, but you're also being mischievous?"

"How many times have I told you not to use the communication devices provided by the organization for chatting?" Möbius walked over quickly with his hands behind his back, still wearing a white lab coat, black stockings, and high heels, with his assistant dragging various suitcases beside him.

"But what else can you do with a communication tool if not chat? There will be a designated person to deliver official orders." Alicia put her long fingers to her lips, looking like she was deep in thought.

Mebius couldn't answer for a moment, so he raised his voice slightly: "Anyway, it's not for chatting with irrelevant people. Oh well, at least you didn't send out any classified photos. By the way, that person updated, and it's quite interesting. He must be a science student."

Alicia was taken aback, took out her phone and checked it. Sure enough, she found the latest chapter. Then she looked up, her eyes filled with joy.

"Don't overthink it. I just want to understand your interests and uncover your secrets." Mebius looked at the girl who was about to pounce on him, still with a stern face: "Don't come any closer. I don't agree with your interests either. What 'we are also fleeting, so-called happy stories are bittersweet, mixed with pain and loss'? You clearly don't know anything about it."

She raised her chin, speaking in a sarcastic tone, but her words failed to provoke even the slightest anger in the girl in front of her.

"But you are indeed trying to understand me. If we can fully understand each other, we can be friends. Just like after reading a book, maybe we can even become friends with [Sora].

Understanding? Friends?

Mebius was momentarily lost in thought, but then regained his rationality and pride, tinged with a hint of disdain.

"Hehe, I have no interest in making friends with ordinary people; they can't even understand my pursuits."

The woman glanced at the dust on the ground, then looked at the starry sky.

How could mortals, stuck in their ways and self-righteous, possibly understand the joy of evolution, the journey towards infinity?

For a moment, Mebius snapped out of his reverie and waved his hand gently: "Let's leave this topic here. Let's go. It'll be troublesome if the higher-ups change their minds later."

“Dr. Mebius, the higher-ups won’t allow you to cause trouble in Changkong City. You must hold back,” Blanca quickly said.

"Reckless? I'm just going to Australia for a meeting and to keep an eye on Alicia, who is on vacation in Changkong City. I'll just be meeting someone on the way."

“If you contact him without authorization, your research funding will be withheld.”

Upon hearing the words "research funding," Möbius's long eyebrows furrowed immediately, and he let out a soft snort through his nose.

"Why would I see him? There are plenty of interesting people in Changkong City besides him."

Chapter Eight: Professional Cleanup Artist

As the evening sun streamed in through the window, casting the swaying shadows of the cherry blossoms onto the table, Ryan could see people dragging their luggage on the street as he looked out from the lounge.

After the official start of the holiday, the once bustling campus became deserted. Most people went on study tours, and even those who wanted to stay couldn't. In order to maintain the experiments, the school would cut off the power tonight.