Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　He was simply instinctively aware that he was losing something.

　Loss? What is that?

　As his thoughts gradually cleared, the man shifted his empty gaze from the black liquid beneath him and looked in another direction.

　There, he vaguely heard some sounds.

　Why are they here? And why am I here?

　The black liquid efficiently decomposed the man's body, making him feel increasingly drowsy, as if something vital was leaving his body.

　Am I... going to die? Why? Can I survive?

　Driven by his biological survival instinct, the man instinctively struggled in the black liquid.

　This subtle movement unexpectedly attracted the attention of one of the two figures talking in the distance.

　At this moment, the artificial life form's face had been severely corroded by the black liquid, large patches of its surface skin had peeled off, and its vision was blurred, making it difficult to discern the specific outline of the figure in the distance.

　Even so, his strong survival instinct still drove him to reach out for help to the two blurry figures.

　"Interesting, Klein, pull him up!"

　In his final moments before losing consciousness, he heard this sound.

　"How is the test subject's condition?"

　Holding a cup of coffee, Möbius sat elegantly on a briefcase decorated with tentacle-like ornaments and floated lightly toward Klein.

　At this moment, the snake's interpreter was intently examining the artificial life form they had retrieved from the biological waste treatment room the day before.

　"Doctor, the situation is not optimistic."

　Klein's voice carried a hint of heaviness.

　She withdrew her finger from the life support control panel and turned to face Mebius.

　"The experimental subject's genetic structure is nearing collapse, and the function of all organs is severely declining. Apart from the brain, almost no new cell division activity can be observed..."

　The biomass decomposition fluid developed by Mebius after fusing Shesa's genes was exceptionally powerful, causing the artificial life form's bodily functions to almost completely collapse.

　If the rescue had been delayed by even a few minutes, this artificial life form would have completely dissolved, turning into an unrecognizable pool of thick water.

　"In short, unless we perform a complete mechanical modification on him, he will likely have to spend the rest of his life in a life support pod."

　After listening to Klein's report, Möbius nodded.

　This result was not unexpected.

　After soaking in biomass decomposition solution for a whole day, with more than 80% of the organic matter already corroded, such a result is to be expected.

Chapter 476 The Two's Attitudes Towards the Gray Snake

　The gray snake was merely a byproduct of Mebius's testing of new technologies.

　After Mebius confirmed that the technology was indeed feasible, he threw the original gray snake into the disposal pool in the biological waste treatment room.

　But to the surprise of Mebius, the most outstanding biologist of the pre-civilization, the byproduct of the experiment was still alive the next day.

　Even though more than 80% of the organism had been corroded away, it not only survived but also underwent an astonishing evolution.

　It was so ugly, yet so beautiful...

　Mebius had never seen such a creature before.

　The will to survive bursting forth from its ugly eyes, the light that shone solely for survival…

　It was a beauty she had never seen in any human being, a beauty that defied description.

　So she decided to give it a chance...

　A chance to survive.

　Although Möbius's expertise in mechanics was not as profound as Vervie's, performing full-body mechanical modifications on experimental subjects was still a piece of cake for her.

　After a few hours of meticulous surgery, the artificial life form, whose body was on the verge of collapse, was reborn under Möbius's hands, reappearing in a fully mechanical form and being given the name "Grey Serpent".

　Just as Mebius had always handled the results of her completed experiments.

　She generously granted the gray serpent complete freedom, allowing this life she had created to seek, by its own will, the path it desired as a life.

　However, it is slightly different from the previous experiments that created life.

　Previous experiments may have created life, but this time, the experimental subject that Möbius granted freedom to was a truly intelligent life form.

　Although Gray Serpent appears to be a robot after being completely mechanized, its learning ability and basic way of thinking are no different from those of humans, compared to machines driven by programs.

　Therefore, after more than ten days of learning and experience, the gray snake realized how precious the freedom it possessed was.

　Faced with this generous gift from the creator, the gray snake believed that he must ensure its existence.

　So he mustered his courage and made a request to Möbius, the man who gave him life—to leave and explore a wider world to realize his value.

　The snake, having already been completely granted its freedom, naturally agreed readily.

　Then, Grey Serpent left Mebius's laboratory and began his "experiment".

　While Moros couldn't be said to be fully aware of the Gray Serpent's birth and subsequent departure, he was certainly well aware of it.

　The undead forces he deployed near the research institute gifted to Mebius had been continuously and closely monitoring its movements.

　In this situation, the newly hatched gray snake naturally cannot hide its tracks.

　However, the necromancer respected Mebius's opinion.

　Therefore, he chose to let the gray snake go its own way.

　Even though Moros was fully aware that this decision might bring various harms to his territory...

　Too much unnecessary trouble and annoyance.

　In the long history of the main world, after leaving Mebius's research institute, Grey Serpent organized a cult that worshipped machines, a mutual aid society that regarded Honkai as baptism, and a criminal group that hoarded Honkai energy weapons...

　Each of the organizations he established was a considerable problem, and some of them were even completely opposed to humanity.

　But in Moros's mind, all these potential risks seemed insignificant and not worth mentioning in the face of Mebius's precious joy.

　Now, the aftershocks of the Ninth Great Collapse have subsided for five months, and according to the historical trajectory of the original world, the next catastrophic Great Collapse is quietly approaching.

　Moros was well aware of the storms he was stirring up on the planet.

　He didn't think the Tenth Herrscher, the Herrscher of a Thousand, would overlook his territory.

　Since trouble is going to happen either way, trading the security of the territory for Mebius's favor is the most worthwhile thing to do.

　Of course, Moros's laissez-faire attitude was limited to not personally getting involved.

　If his bureaucratic system, especially the management team centered around the two high-ranking vampires, Keane and Margaret, could keenly perceive the hidden threats posed by the organization created by Grey Serpent and take proactive measures, Moros would be happy to see it happen and would not interfere.

　After all, being crushed by the bureaucratic machine is part of the Gray Serpent's experience of the complexities of human society.

　However, Maurois was keenly aware of the limitations of the bureaucratic system he had built.

　He really didn't think those high-ranking bureaucrats could be so astute as to perceive the hidden dangers behind the organizations founded by Gray Serpent before they could make any big splash.

　The current territorial management model implemented by Maurois is inspired by the feudal system of medieval Western Europe, rather than following the paradigm of modern bureaucracy.

　This feudal-style management structure, while significantly reducing the cost of governance and optimizing resource allocation, inevitably sowed the seeds of weak central control over local affairs.

　However, Moros was prepared for this.

　With the [Territory-level Soul Collection Array] array covering his entire territory, the necromancer was confident that even if the gray serpent stirred up trouble in his territory, he could keep the losses within an acceptable range.

　Located on the shores of Hobson Bay and adjacent to the lower reaches of the Yarra River, the Port of Melbourne is not only the most important modern port on the Australian continent, but also occupies a pivotal position on the global shipping map, serving as an indispensable key node in the international trade network.

　Even though the destruction of Mu has dealt a severe blow to the global economy, the Port of Melbourne continues to welcome numerous ships from all directions every day with its extraordinary appeal and efficient operations.

　In the busy daily life of a port, the arrival of an ordinary container ship would naturally not attract much attention.

　But for Sakura, who bears the heavy responsibility entrusted to her by Dr. Mei, the arrival of this ship is of extraordinary significance.

　Through meticulous investigation and analysis, she discovered a subtle economic connection between the container ship and the supplier who was murdered.

　This discovery made Sakura realize that she might be able to obtain some secrets she wanted to know from the captain of this ship.

　Given Sakura's abilities and the technology of the Fire Moth, it's impossible for an ordinary captain to keep a secret from her.

　Unfortunately, the information Sakura received from the captain left her somewhat disappointed.

　Although the captain confirmed that the Honkai energy weapon that Dr. Mei was concerned about did indeed originate from the Moth of Fire's warehouse, he was unable to provide any further valuable clues or information.

Chapter 477 The First Clash Between Cherry Blossom and the Gray Serpent and the Man-Made Collapse

　With a hint of resentment and confusion, Sakura quietly left the container ship.

　The sun lazily spills across the shimmering surface of Melbourne Harbour, its golden rays blending with the surrounding tranquility to create a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

　Unfortunately, this tranquility and beauty could not soothe the turbulent thoughts churning within her heart.

　Despite the turmoil within her heart, Sakura relied on the extraordinary stealth skills honed over years of assassination to move freely through the crowd, as silent as a ghost, blending seamlessly into the harbor environment and becoming indistinguishable from the outside world.

　Every movement she made seemed so natural and fluid, as if she belonged here and was an indispensable part of this landscape.

　However, these stealth techniques, which are applicable to ordinary humans, are no match for Gray Serpent's mechanical prosthetic eyes, which possess extraordinary insight.

　Just as she was about to blend into the bustling crowd at the port and continue to pursue those faint clues, a sudden feeling of being watched surged through her spine like an electric current, making her shiver involuntarily.

　The feeling was so strong that she was almost certain it wasn't unfounded.

　Sakura suddenly turned around, her sharp gaze sweeping around like a hawk's, finally settling on a narrow alleyway not far away, deeply shrouded in the afternoon shadows.

　That spot seemed to be where that prying gaze had just been.

　The source.

　But when she looked closely, the alley was empty, with only dappled light and shadow dancing on the walls, as if mocking her suspicions.

　"Illusion?"

　Sakura murmured to herself, but her intuition told her that what had just happened was no illusion.

　For an assassin like her with keen intuition, intuition is often more reliable than what the naked eye can see.

　So, without hesitation, Sakura stepped into that dark alley.

　Her steps were light but full of vigilance, as if each step was on a taut string, ready to face any unknown challenges at any moment.

　Inside the alley, the light was fragmented by the tall buildings, adding to the mystery and unease.

　Taking a deep breath, Sakura fully activated the [Yaksha] gene within her body, causing her sensory acuity to soar to its peak.

　She listened intently to the sounds around her, running her fingertips lightly across the cold wall, trying to catch any possible clues.

　Unfortunately, apart from her own breathing and the faint voices coming from afar, she found nothing.

　At the end of the alley, there was only a tightly closed iron gate and scattered garbage, making it look particularly desolate.

　Standing still, Sakura's gaze swept back and forth in the dimly lit alley, her tightly pursed lips revealing the mixture of doubt and resentment in her heart.

　Driven by this doubt and unwillingness, she searched every corner of the alley again, not letting go of any possible clues.

　Even so, she still gained nothing.

　Finally, Sakura sighed helplessly, shook her head, and prepared to turn away from the place where she had suffered a crushing defeat.

　However, just as she was about to step out of the alley, an indescribable, subtle feeling welled up in her heart again.

　It's the feeling of being watched in the dark.

　Sakura turned around abruptly, her movements almost exceeding her own expectations.

　Her gaze pierced through the darkness and silence of the alley, trying to catch any possible spying.

　However, the alley remained empty, without any sign of life.

　Only the afternoon sunlight filtered through the narrow gaps, dappling the ground and casting long shadows on her.

　This time, I lost.

　Silently acknowledging her defeat, Sakura quickly composed herself, quickened her pace, and no longer lingered in this enigmatic alley.

　Her figure quickly blended into the bustling crowd outside the alley, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, disappearing without a trace.

　Only then did the person who had been hiding their gaze reveal themselves.

　Gazing at the departing cherry-haired girl, Gray Serpent paused for a moment, but ultimately decided not to follow.