Chapter 505: Technical Assessment
After the Fourth Angel was destroyed by Unit-01 in that irrational, berserk manner, Tokyo-3 fell into a brief, strange period of calm.
Ryo remained hidden in the city's shadows, but he did not relax. He continuously collected various post-battle data: assessment reports of the city's damaged areas, NERV's internal communication traffic, and the reactions of ordinary citizens within the shelters.
These streams of information—along with his previously recorded Angel attack patterns, EVA combat data, and especially the anomalous readings during Unit-01's berserk state—flowed into his consciousness, undergoing systematic organization and analysis.
Almost simultaneously, a clear consciousness connection was established via the dimensional communicator, linking him in the EVA world with the main body far away at the Death World base.
"Preliminary observations completed," Ryo transmitted a summary of the information through the consciousness link. "The targets 'Angels' and their opposing weapons 'EVAs' have been confirmed.
Their defensive 'A.T. Fields' and mode of technological fusion hold extremely high research value.
However, the EVA systems, particularly their 'berserk' state, exhibit uncontrollable biological instinct and destructive capability. Threat level requires elevation."
The main body's response was steady and rapid, accompanied by an organized stream of data: "Data received. Correlated information matched."
Contained within this data stream was background information originating from a transmigrator's memory regarding a work titled Neon Genesis Evangelion.
These memories were not detailed technical files, but rather a highly condensed intelligence summary concerning core concepts, the outlines of key characters' fates, and a potential global crisis (known as the "Human Instrumentality Project").
"Based on this background information," the main body's consciousness continued to transmit, "this world is heading toward some form of ending. The technological value is extremely high, but the risk of direct military seizure is unknown. Recommend adopting a contact strategy utilizing information advantage."
"Assessment agreed," Ryo rapidly integrated the background information transmitted by the main body with the empirical evidence he had witnessed himself. "NERV's conventional forces are of no concern. However, the EVAs, especially in their berserk form, possess a power tier comparable to small Titans, and their behavioral patterns are difficult to predict.
Direct conflict is not the optimal solution. I will use information as a bargaining chip and attempt to establish contact."
"Approved. Prioritize acquiring the technological principles of the A.T. Field and Angel sample data. Maintain communication; report progress at any time." The main body's directive was clear.
"Understood."
The consciousness link was not severed, but the active information exchange temporarily concluded, shifting into a state of continuous silent monitoring.
Ryo began to replan his next course of action based on this more comprehensive understanding. He was no longer a completely blind observer, but a potential intervenor holding critical intelligence.
He needed to find an appropriate entry point—an opportunity that would force NERV to face his existence—to initiate this technology-acquisition operation under the guise of "cooperation."
Combining the actual combat data he witnessed firsthand with the background information transmitted by the main body, Ryo conducted a deeper assessment of the observation targets' value.
The performance of the A.T. Field garnered his utmost attention.
This ability to manifest conscious power as a physical barrier operated on a mechanism fundamentally different from any energy shield he knew.
In the Warhammer universe, psychic shields relied on Warp energy, and technological shields were based on energy field principles. The A.T. Field, however, seemed to act directly upon the fabric of space itself, involving deeper rules of reality.
If he could parse its principles, it might not only lead to the creation of more stable personal protective equipment but could even bring about a breakthrough in starship shielding systems.
More importantly, this defense mechanism based on the "barrier of the heart" might provide an entirely new conceptual approach to countering the mental pollution of the Warp.
The bio-mechanical fusion technology displayed by the EVA units was equally highly valuable.
The biological instinct and explosive power demonstrated by Unit-01 during its berserk state proved the immense potential of this technological path.
Although it currently exhibited considerable danger, its method of perfectly integrating biological tissues with mechanical structures—especially that release of potential transcending conventional limits—held important reference significance for gene-seed optimization research and bioweapon development.
He noted the tendency for damage recovery exhibited by Unit-01 during combat; although incomplete, it already showed the potential self-repair capabilities this type of technology might possess.
The Angels, as subjects of research, were equally impossible to ignore.
The operational method of these bioweapons' energy cores, their near-limitless energy supply mechanism, and the fact that they also wielded A.T. Fields all pointed to an energy system not yet understood.
Parsing the core operational principles of the Angels might reveal special manifestation forms of certain fundamental physical laws in this universe.
These discoveries made him realize he had to adopt a more proactive intervention strategy.
Mere observation could no longer satisfy the research requirements, yet direct military seizure might trigger uncontrollable consequences.
He needed to find a balance point: a way to deeply interact with these technologies while keeping the risks within an acceptable range.
However, high value was often accompanied by high risk.
The memory information shared by the main body explicitly pointed out that this world was sliding toward an unknown ending called the "Human Instrumentality Project," which could result in the termination of humanity's current form.
The organization NERV was far from being simply the Earth defense agency it appeared to be on the surface; it harbored extremely complex and dangerous purposes behind the scenes.
This meant that merely watching from the sidelines could ultimately lead to missing the opportunity to acquire critical technologies, or being swept up into uncontrollable, global-scale events.
Using direct force—relying on the equipment and power carried by the second avatar to forcefully assault NERV Headquarters and seize technological data and samples—was an option.
In Ryo's assessment, NERV's own conventional defense forces posed no substantial threat to him.
Those security personnel and conventional weapons appeared vulnerable to a single blow against Terminator armor and the superhuman constitution of a Space Marine.
However, the existence of the EVAs—especially the logic-defying destructive power exhibited in their berserk state—was a variable that had to be treated seriously.
The wild power displayed by Unit-01 when it went berserk, tearing apart the A.T. Field and shattering the Angel's core, made Ryo feel a definite threat.
It was a danger difficult to fully predict using current data. Its biological nature and the characteristic of being deeply bound to its pilot (especially an individual with a highly unstable mental state like Shinji Ikari) meant that any direct conflict could detonate uncontrollable consequences.
Before completely parsing its berserk mechanism and its upper limit of power, rashly antagonizing it was extremely unwise.
Furthermore, the main body's memories also mentioned other EVA units (Unit-00, Unit-02) as well as more Angels with varying forms and abilities.
Under circumstances where intelligence was not entirely clear and he temporarily lacked rear-guard support in this world, the costs and uncertainties of adopting a forcible assault strategy were too high.
(End of Chapter)