"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! If I hadn't pushed you over there, you wouldn't have unconsciously devoured that Honkai Beast! I'm so very sorry!"
In the hospital ward, Klein pressed her hands together, raised them above her head, and apologized profusely.
According to her, after the surgery, while she was moving him to the ward, they had inadvertently passed by the corpse of a dragon-type, Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
The moment they passed the beast, Fu Li's body had subconsciously begun to devour the energy from it.
As for the result... well, it was obvious. One look at his horns was enough to know.
Just then, a fair hand reached out, pinched one of his horns, and began to knead it gently.
The owner of the hands made a series of tsking, hmph-ing sounds.
"Well now, Li. You've really grown up, haven't you? Pulling such a big stunt behind my back, hm? Do you still see me as your sister?"
"Aiyah, Sis Mobius, I was wrong, I was wrong! I just knew you wanted to perform the surgery on yourself, so I wanted to get some more success data to help you, right?"
Staring into the approaching serpentine eyes, Fu Li instantly went meek, as if a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck, and obediently admitted his mistake.
After all, he'd been caught doing something incredibly dangerous in secret. There was no shame in backing down.
Besides, the horns could be retracted as long as he wasn't absorbing Honkai energy.
"Sigh, forget it. Don't you ever do this again." Mobius sighed.
"Let's go. I'm taking you for a check-up. No refusals."
Fu Li nodded. "Okay, no problem. Is Klein coming too?"
"Oh? Okay." Klein was taken aback for a moment, but seeing that Fu Li wasn't bothered by the extra horns, she breathed a sigh of relief.
[Through a detailed examination, Mobius uncovered the secret of your mutation.]
[Unlike a normal Vishnu MANTIS, your mutation has made you more stable and controllable.]
[A normal Vishnu MANTIS can grow stronger by endlessly devouring Honkai energy, but they cannot control the traits and abilities they absorb.]
[You, however, can not only absorb Honkai energy normally but can also switch between and simulate the traits and partial abilities of the Honkai Beasts you have devoured.]
[In short, your application of abilities is far more systematic.]
[However, this ability has a drawback: if you wish to absorb Honkai energy, you must maintain your horned form.]
[With the data from your body, and after further research, Mobius has you and Klein preside over her own MANTIS surgery.]
[Thanks to your and Klein's efforts, Mobius becomes the fourth MANTIS of The MOTHs Who Chase the Flame, bearing the Signet of Infinity.]
[You notice that the current Mobius is more perfect than the Mobius of the original timeline. The degree to which her body shrinks upon death has been reduced, and her power is even greater.]
[This means Mobius has more chances for resurrection and is even closer to the immortality she seeks.]
[During this period, the MOTHs' higher-ups tried to settle accounts with you several times, but they were shut down by you, Mobius, and Elysia working together.]
[The MOTHs' leadership was furious, but as you were all extremely powerful MANTISes, they could only swallow their anger.]
[You followed Sakura to the Street of Eternal Night and brought back Aponia and Kalpas.]
[With your help, Aponia did not undergo the surgery as a sinner, but as a volunteer.]
[However, afterward, Aponia took Kalpas with her to the Deep End.]
[The Eighth Herrscher was eliminated by the combined efforts of you and Elysia.]
[You competed with Kevin to see who could kill the Ninth Herrscher first.]
[With the glorious victories of the MANTISes, The MOTHs began to grow complacent in their fight against the Honkai, and power struggles erupted among the leadership.]
[You, however, began to withdraw from worldly affairs, focusing solely on preparing for the advent of the Tenth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Sentience.]
[But... there are always people who get in the way of your plans.]
---o---
"Aaaah!! Elysia, I'm working! I would rather die, die right here, than let you touch my horns!"
Fu Li slammed a stack of documents onto the table in frustration, his temple twitching as he stared at the pink-haired pixie before him.
Before, these damn women were all scared to death of Mobius.
But ever since he got his horns, the older sisters from the other labs had started visiting frequently. Even Elysia, the resident lesbian of the Elysian Realm, had started coming over.
She even talked about forming some "Horn Alliance"! It was too embarrassing... no, too infuriating!
Fu Li gritted his teeth, looking exceptionally angry.
But this woman, Elysia, just kept smiling at him. It was too much!
Did she really think he couldn't do anything about her?!
"Oh my~ Li, don't be shy~♪"
Elysia, completely oblivious to being disliked, sauntered right up to Fu Li in front of everyone.
"How about this~ Let's make a trade~ You let me touch your horns, and I'll let you touch my ears~ How about it♪"
Fu Li pressed his hat down, his face expressionless. "I must respectfully refuse. I have work to do."
"Ehh~ Why are you like this~ I saw Mobius touch them last time, and Klein too! Even Danzhu and Cangxuan got to touch them~ So mean♪"
Seeing Elysia put on that hurt-yet-playful expression, Fu Li rolled his eyes, refusing to fall for her act.
After spending so much time with her, he knew her tricks all too well.
The last time they were on their way to fight a Herrscher, she had even tried to sneak a grab at his horns when he wasn't looking.
She even said that horns with black tips were simply the best!
If he didn't need to constantly grow stronger to prepare for the future, he wouldn't even want these horns.
"I say, don't you have your own work to do? What about Eden, Aponia, Vill-V, and Hua? Aren't they all cute girls?"
Fu Li's expression was one of helplessness, but Elysia's smile immediately returned in full force.
"Oh my~ So you're that familiar with my tastes, Li. Wait, could you be jealous~? Don't worry~ You're one of a kind to me~♪"
Smack!
"Elysia, that's enough joking around. Unlike you, we're very busy in this research institute."
Mobius walked out of her lab, wiping her blood-stained fingers, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Aiyah~ Mobius is jealous~ Alright, alright, I won't try to steal your little brother anymore. Besides, it was Li who called me here, so let me off the hook~ Ehe♪"
"You..." A vein popped on Mobius's forehead.
"Ehe, no more fooling around~ I'm leaving now. Bye-bye, Li~♪"
Seeing Mobius on the verge of exploding, Elysia grabbed the package Fu Li had given her and skipped out, humming a little tune.
"Hmph... Danzhu, Cangxuan, next time you see Elysia, don't let her into our lab. And you, Fu Li, come and assist me with an experiment."
"Eh, eh, Doctor, we can't stop her either!!" Danzhu and Cangxuan cried out, having been caught in the crossfire. They waved their hands frantically, one looking terrified and the other expressionless.
But a single glance from Mobius was enough to make them shut their mouths.
Indeed, compared to being harassed by Elysia, Dr. Mobius was definitely a little scarier.
They had no idea how Fu Li and Klein managed to get along so well with the Doctor.
Fu Li, feeling the gazes of admiration on him, just smiled and said nothing. He opened his drawer and looked inside.
There, a fox plushie with a snake coiled around it lay quietly.
The Herrscher of Sentience is coming soon...
And Mobius's next birthday is almost here...
If only I could give this to her in person... that would be nice...
(Snakey!.jpg)