When Osiris II stepped into the receiving area of the Night City Laboratory via dimensional teleportation, what entered his optical sensors was a scene completely different from the Warhammer Universe.
The air is kept at its optimal composition by a high-efficiency filtration system, in a constant temperature and humidity environment, with only the low hum of the energy conduit and the slight airflow sound as the suspended maintenance unit slides by.
This place, which a few years ago still had a strong trace of workshops, is now an advanced research facility filled with precision instruments, multi-layered energy shielding fields, and data flow optical bands.
Without wasting any time, he immediately connected to the city's data network, which was controlled by the "manager," through the laboratory's data interface.
The changes that occurred in the cyberpunk world during the years he was away were all presented to him.
Arakawa's collapse was the most crucial part of this transformation.
The skyscraper that once symbolized Arasaka's power has long since turned to ruins, and its collapse directly triggered a global reshuffling of power.
Having lost its headquarters and central command system, this once-giant company was quickly torn apart and devoured by its competitors.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the new United States and military technology, under the guise of "restoring order," forcefully integrated the previously entrenched free states and independent cities on the West Coast, achieving substantial unification of western North America and accomplishing a strategic goal that had been unattainable since the unification wars.
However, the Republic of Texas has maintained its stubborn independence, indicating that the road to integration for the new United States is far from over.
In Europe, the interest group formed by the European Space Agency and European banks demonstrated sophisticated financial acumen, seamlessly taking over Arasaka's vast legacy in Europe.
This windfall greatly enhanced their strength and also deprived them of the incentive to further escalate the conflict, objectively contributing to the cessation of large-scale global warfare.
In Asia, however, the fighting was even more intense.
Kangtao and the remaining forces of Arasaka engaged in a fierce tug-of-war in Southeast Asia and other regions, paying a considerable price, but ultimately succeeded in bringing most of Arasaka's traditional sphere of influence in Asia under his control, establishing Kangtao as one of the main winners of the Fifth Corporate War.
However, Arakasaka was not completely destroyed.
In the face of crisis, Hanako Arasaka demonstrated remarkable resilience. She rallied her core forces and completely retreated the remaining Arasaka influence back to its deepest stronghold—Japan itself.
With his deep control over Japanese society and the space assets he retained, Arasaka barely managed to maintain his last remaining base.
But this does not mean peace.
None of the major players involved in the division were willing to see Arasaka have a chance to breathe.
Economic blockades, technological containment, market squeezes, and even covert operations continue unabated. Under Hanako's leadership, Arasaka is like a besieged city, struggling to survive amidst encirclement and siege.
This information flowed through Osiris II consciousness. He clearly realized that the stability and current situation of the city beneath his feet were directly related to his intervention several years ago and continued to be under his influence.
This laboratory, and indeed the entire Night City, is his controllable experimental field and resource base.
"Administrator," his synthesized voice boomed in the core control room, "upgrade the laboratory's biohazard protection level to the highest level. All samples transferred from the Dead World must undergo isolation scanning before entering the core research area."
Authorize access to the city's surveillance network to implement dynamic sensing coverage within a five-kilometer radius of the laboratory, and report any abnormal energy signals or unauthorized biological signals.
"The instruction has been confirmed and executed, Your Excellency." The administrator's response was immediate: "The warning threshold has been synchronized. City defense forces are on standby."
Osiris II walked toward the heavy alloy gate leading to the core research area, and the energy patterns on the gate lit up one by one as he approached.
He will continue his research, disrupted by the shadow of the warp, here in this city and laboratory under his control.
All the mysteries and potential dangers were placed under the order he himself established.
After initially stabilizing the storage environment of the Genesis Particle research samples and confirming that the laboratory's protection system was functioning normally, Osiris II summoned Maenna of the Astoria family through the internal communication channel.
A few minutes later, Maenna appeared in the reception room in the core area of the laboratory. She still maintained the uprightness and elegance of a Kazimierz knight, but her sharp eyes, compared to when she first arrived here a few years ago, had less of the tension of impending battle and more of the calmness worn down by the long period of peace.
"My lord." Maenna placed her right hand on her chest and gave a simple and standard knightly salute. Her gaze remained calmly fixed on Osiris II, maintaining the respect due to the representative of the sage.
"Lady Maenna," Osiris' synthesized voice sounded smoothly, "The laboratory and Night City's conventional defense systems are nearing completion. I summoned you here to understand the current situation of the Knight Squad."
Maenna nodded slightly, her tone steady yet with a hint of sincerity: "Thank you for your concern, sir. The team members are in good condition and have never slacked off in their daily training. It's just..."
She paused slightly, "Since carrying out the mission to destroy the Arasaka headquarters, we have mainly been responsible for guarding the core area and assisting in maintaining order in the city. Such tasks are indeed too mundane for knights who are used to fighting."
She raised his eyes, her gaze revealing the straightforwardness characteristic of a knight: "Prolonged calm is not conducive to maintaining fighting spirit. On behalf of the Knight Squad, I humbly request that you consider granting me a more challenging mission."
Osiris II quickly assessed the request.
He understood the Cavaliers' desire for real combat experience, and also realized that this was an opportunity to adjust their defensive strategy.
"Your request is reasonable," Osiris II replied. "Currently, the defense of the Death World base is being handled by Zofia's Knight squad, and she has been stationed there for quite some time."
"Considering the necessity of rotation, and to allow you to readjust to the Warhammer universe, I have decided to make defense adjustments."
Maenna's gaze immediately became focused.
"You will transfer personnel to exchange with Knight Zofia and station them at the Death World base," Osiris II clearly instructed. "Your mission is to assist Marshal Iron Anvil-7 in consolidating the base's defenses, especially the security of the Canyon Experiment Zone."
Meanwhile, maintain vigilance over the surrounding environment. Correspondingly, Knight Zofia and her squad will rotate to Night City for rest and reorganization, and will be responsible for the core defense of that area.
"Thank you for your trust, sir!" Maenna responded immediately, her voice filled with a relieved determination. "We are familiar with the world of the dead and understand the threats there. The knight family will certainly fulfill its defensive duties perfectly."
"Very good." Osiris II nodded. "I will coordinate the specific handover matters directly with Knight Zofia and Marshal Iron Anvil. You have three days to prepare."
"As you command!" Maenna bowed solemnly, his eyes regaining the gleam of carrying out an important mission.
This redeployment not only responded to the knights' request for battle and maintained the team's morale, but also achieved a normal rotation of defensive forces between the two locations, and allowed the Maenna squad, familiar with the world of death, to provide additional surveillance perspectives for any possible anomalies.
Everything was running smoothly within the established framework.