Chapter 615: The Sixth Surgery - Pineal Gland Enhancement
Splash!
Clear water washed over her body.
Indescribable waves of pain surged through Famir's mind.
Every part of her body screamed, roared, and echoed with pain in her mind.
Such maddening agony was only the tiniest fraction of the suffering she endured.
The searing pain gradually faded, replaced by a numbing, tingling sensation, and Famir finally regained her ability to think.
She didn't want to recall the agony she had just experienced; instead, she carefully felt the feedback her body was giving her.
Her body had become stronger.
Nearly twice as tall as before.
Her weight was astonishing.
However, Famir could endure it all.
From the moment she craved more freedom and voluntarily accepted the experiment, this outcome was inevitable.
The reason she made such a bold decision was also related to the massive upheaval at the Ruins Outpost.
She no longer wanted to be a pitiable insect whose life and death were controlled by others; she wanted greater strength and better control over her own destiny.
"Yes, that's right. Don't dwell on the pain; try to find the knack of controlling your body."
"Think about your training, think about what you gained from passing the tests. Don't get lost in the pain."
The voice in her ear gradually calmed Famir down, and the memories blurred by pain began to clear up.
Famir focused on controlling her breathing, adjusting the rhythm little by little, and her strengthened body responded swiftly.
A surge of indescribable excitement rose in Famir's heart.
She didn't rush to open her eyes; instead, she carefully adjusted her breathing.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Famir felt all the pain in her body fade away, her body returning to normal before she finally opened her eyes slowly.
What she saw was a white ceiling.
Cool, refreshing air seeped in from all directions.
Famir, now fully awake, slowly sat up.
The imagined surveillance and confinement did not appear; instead, she was surrounded by a peculiar coolness.
Famir seemed to recall something, and with disbelief, she pushed open the door and windows, only to see a massive tree.
Its diameter was at least five or six meters, and its top could not be seen at a glance.
It wasn't because it was too tall, but rather the trunk reached up to a metal ceiling that blocked her view.
Famir confirmed she was still in the underground laboratory.
Recalling the memories in her mind, Famir couldn't help but shudder, as fear began to well up inside her.
At that moment, a familiar yet fearsome voice sounded in her ear:
"If you want to overcome fear, you must understand it deeply. Humans are often afraid of the unknown, and so are Elves."
Instinctively turning her head, she was met with Serra's towering figure, causing Famir to subconsciously take a step back.
Glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, Serra knew Famir still had a long way to go, but she wasn't in any rush.
Things had to be handled one step at a time.
"Follow me. You still have many tasks to complete."
Serra's calm voice made Famir bite her lip, but she resolutely followed.
From the moment she realized she no longer had to look up to Serra, Famir knew there was no turning back.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Dragon Knight No. 1 Golem passed by, and its familiar oppressive presence made Famir's skin crawl.
After walking less than 200 meters, they encountered three patrol teams of constructs.
This made Famir realize how much Bay Territory valued this place.
It made sense—Famir herself felt that after undergoing the terrifying surgery, her strength had significantly increased.
Surely, Bay Territory would not let them run loose. They must have absolute control.
This could even be their 'trap.'
Instantly sobering up, Famir forced herself not to look around and followed Serra straight to a crowded training room.
As soon as she stepped into the training room, a massive pressure fell upon her.
Fortunately, Famir was focused enough to withstand the immense pressure, preventing herself from falling embarrassingly.
When she saw Serra casually walking over to the equipment, Famir knew that Serra had long since adapted to the weight, though she still felt puzzled.
What kind of training could happen here?
Getting hit!
"If you want to hit others, you must first learn to take a hit!"
Famir watched helplessly as Serra's fist came crashing down; she couldn't dodge and was knocked to the ground.
The massive pressure pinned her firmly to the ground. She struggled intensely to move her limbs, slowly managing to stand up.
Serra saw no defiance or anger in Famir's face and smiled as she explained:
"In the dangerous Underworld, even magic cannot solve every threat."
"A strong body and quicker reflexes allow you to better wield your casting abilities."
"We don't strive for being a jack-of-all-trades; we focus on maximizing strengths while compensating for weaknesses."
"This training will allow you to master your body perfectly, and even when your spells are exhausted, you will still be formidable."
"And of course, the most important part: preparing for the next stage of surgical enhancements."
Famir's face paled; she couldn't believe it.
All the pain and suffering of the past ten days were just the beginning.
After the trials and battles at the Ruins Outpost, Famir had matured and grown stronger. She quickly pushed away unnecessary thoughts and followed Serra to train diligently.
Besides learning close-combat techniques, Famir also had to master various weapons.
Among them, the newly issued exoskeleton combat armor was the most astonishing weapon to Famir.
Even though it was clearly a simplified version of exoskeleton combat armor, it still massively increased strength, enhanced defense, and didn't affect agility.
Its seemingly simple design left Famir feeling puzzled.
Stroking the exoskeleton's smooth surface, she felt its stable yet subtle magical pulses.
Famir immediately realized a cruel truth.
With her current knowledge and skills, she could no longer understand Bay Territory's magical artifact manufacturing techniques.
This meant that Bay Territory's magical crafting abilities had greatly advanced.
Moreover, it had created a technological barrier for most spellcasters.
It was reminiscent of millennia ago when Elves first taught humans magic.
Even if they provided equipment and schematics, humans still couldn't replicate it right away.
They had to spend years accumulating knowledge and even humble themselves to ask the Elves for guidance.
And now?
Even a small territory like Bay Territory had already caused major losses for the Cole Elf Kingdom.
Not only did it shatter their undefeated record, but it also suffered from the invasion of underground forces.
From what Famir understood, the Cole Elf Kingdom was being continuously drained.
Unfortunately, Famir was unaware of the cruel 'truth' behind it.
Matthew had no obligation to tell these elves because the time was not right. Distance was still necessary to appreciate the beauty of revelation.
Some things had to be discovered by themselves for them to truly believe it, causing their beliefs to collapse entirely.
"The more Cole Elves that die, the faster the long-weakened Elven Gods can recover."
"For Rose, the mastermind of the Underworld, the same principle applies."
Serra silently nodded, long since accepting the Lord's perspective.
When she was reborn, it was through understanding the history and suffering of the Drow Elves that she decisively declared herself a 'Gray Elf.'
They were the dead Drow Elves, reborn as avengers from the ashes.
Pondering deeply, Serra vaguely grasped the true intention behind the Lord's words:
"Are we preparing to make a move against the Cole Elves? Is that why we need to transform so many Cole Elf warriors?"
Matthew was examining the map of the Kanturu Mountains, eyeing the eight marked Gray Dwarf cities, clicking his tongue in slight disappointment:
"The Illithid Empire moved too fast, and the Gray Dwarves fell too quickly. This was clearly the work of the Cole Elves..."
Thinking of the nearly ten million Gray Dwarves enslaved by the Illithid Empire, Matthew turned to the shocked Serra and continued:
"That's why your position is crucial. You must firmly establish yourself in the ruins of the Gray Dwarf Empire."
"Aside from the slaves acquired through trade, you also need to absorb more population."
"But this must be built on the steady progress of education and ideological reform."
"I will arrange for more people to reside at the Ruins Outpost. The cyclical internal resource production equipment will also be sent there soon."
"Once the food issue is resolved, you can fully unleash their combat power and development capabilities."
Carefully going through the plans in her hands, Serra memorized them as quickly as possible before activating the incineration mechanism.
Hmm, it felt good to be 'smarter'!
When Serra informed Famir that it was time for the next surgery, half a month had already passed.
November 8th.
Bay Territory.
Underground Laboratory.
Even though she had mentally and physically prepared herself, Famir still felt uncontrollable nervousness.
Compared to the previous surgeries, where endless screams filled her ears, this time the vast emptiness and silence brought a deeper level of fear.
"There's no need to be afraid. This is the path I chose, and I must be prepared to see it through."
"Only by mastering one's thoughts can one avoid being controlled by others. Pain is just the body's response..."
Giving herself a mental pep talk, the gradually calming Famir soon heard footsteps approaching.
She slowly regulated her breathing and walked into the laboratory with large strides.
Dressed in a white robe, Matthew instructed her to lie down on the operating table.
Matthew first checked her body.
He confirmed that the previous five surgeries had all taken effect and that the preparations for the sixth surgery were complete.
Facing her forcibly composed eyes, Matthew's lips curled slightly as he asked in a calm and confident tone:
"Are you prepared to surpass your limits, or do you want to reach your absolute limit?"
Hearing these words, Famir instinctively looked up at Matthew. Meeting his unwavering gaze and recalling her experiences over the past two years, she answered without hesitation:
"The first one!"
Famir didn't know where her limits lay, but she was sure they weren't high—not compared to the famous young elites of the Cole Elf Kingdom.
So, since she had already chosen to go all out, she might as well go big!
Matthew nodded, unsurprised by her choice.
He extended his finger and touched her forehead, pouring surging magic into it continuously.
Watching her mouth open in pain, Matthew glanced at the soundproof barrier still functioning and nodded with satisfaction.
The operating room had to be quiet, after all.
The tremendous surge of magic gave Famir the sensation that her head was about to explode.
The rampaging magic, with its unique rhythm and force, continuously battered her forehead.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of bones cracking suddenly echoed in Famir's ears.
The excruciating pain instantly submerged her in agony.
What she didn't notice was that Matthew had already withdrawn his finger, while Annie recorded the 32nd method of opening the 'Third Eye.'
What he did earlier was just a method for diversion and concealment, as well as for secrecy.
What Matthew was about to do next was the real content of the surgery.
Following the opening of Famir's 'Third Eye,' Matthew carefully parted the surrounding brain tissue and precisely located a tiny object slightly larger than a grain of rice.
The Pineal Gland!
That tiny pineal gland was Matthew's true target for the operation.
The pineal gland is a remarkably mysterious organ.
Even in the original world, where magic was absent, countless legends surrounded it.
Most intriguing was the fact that many people believed in those legends.
Some viewed the pineal gland as the 'third eye,' while others considered it a 'divine eye,' attributing mystical qualities to this tiny organ.
Even now, in the material plane, under the stimulation of life energy and magic, this small organ indeed had real effects.
Matthew had collected data and information from tens of thousands of people.
By studying where life energy and magic flowed when they learned and used psychic and mental abilities, he locked onto this intriguing organ.
Under the enhancement of life energy and magical 'modification,' the pineal gland could secrete various substances that influence emotions.
Typically, the pineal gland secreted these substances passively, triggered by external stimuli, much like other bodily mechanisms.
But interestingly enough—
The stronger the Professional, the deeper the 'modification,' and the greater their control over it.
Matthew considered the influence of soul strength on the body and immediately connected the two.
Through Matthew's 'in-depth' observation and exploration, with the 'contribution' of 425 high-level and even Extraordinary test subjects, Matthew confirmed that the connection truly existed.
The pineal gland's link to the soul made it one of the most sensitive and direct organs in the body.
Thus, Matthew's plan was to use a 'physical' method to 'enhance' the pineal gland, achieving a deeper level of transformation.
To influence, modify, and enhance a Professional's—soul!