"Seele? What's happening to you?"
Bronya's pupils contracted as she watched the girl's hand begin to dissipate. She was about to say more, but a hand gently covered her mouth.
"It's okay, Big Sister Bronya…"
Seele smiled, but tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.
"Seele… finally gets to see Big Sister Bronya one last time… before disappearing."
"Seele! What's wrong?!"
At this sight, Bronya's eyes widened in panic. She reached out to touch Seele, only to grasp at empty air.
Her hand passed right through Seele's body.
A heavy silence fell between them. After a long moment, a relieved smile graced Seele's lips as she held up a glowing sphere with both hands.
Within the sphere was a small, delicate shield.
"This is something Seele found in the box. It's called the power of Reconstruction. I hope it can protect Big Sister Bronya in Seele's place."
"Seele…"
Bronya lunged forward, trying to hug Seele, but once again, she embraced nothing but air.
Seele's body slowly scattered in the sunlight, a smile of release on her face as she faded.
"Goodbye, Big Sister Bronya… and, please say hello to Brother Amon for me…"
As the light vanished, a machine known as Project Bunny 19C materialized behind Bronya.
Just outside, on the other side of the wall, Fu Li watched the scene unfold through a window, his hand tightening around the Glock 17 at his waist.
I will not let Seele remain lost in the Sea of Quanta for so long.
---o---
[Your plan has begun. Both Seele and Bronya have obtained the power they need to survive in this world.]
[The failure of the experiment has also made Cocolia temporarily abandon the idea of continuing it.]
[However, when she returned to the laboratory, she was met by the hateful glare of Bronya.]
[Cocolia attempted to explain that Seele had participated in the experiment so that Bronya could live.]
[But Bronya stubbornly believed that Seele was still alive. She couldn't leave her alone; she had to find her.]
[Bronya threatened to take her own life, leaving Cocolia with no choice but to restart the experiment.]
[Upon learning of this, you adamantly insisted on accompanying Bronya to the experiment, and Cocolia agreed.]
[The day of the experiment quickly arrived. You were responsible for taking Bronya to change into the experiment suit.]
That afternoon, in another laboratory at the bottom of Lake Baikal.
Fu Li sighed as he looked at Bronya, who had changed into the experiment suit and now wore an expression of grim determination.
He knew why Bronya was doing this. He also knew that he couldn't talk her out of it.
She didn't have the ability to bring Seele back. Her goal was simply to enter the Sea of Quanta and stay there with Seele forever. Although Seele would eventually persuade her to return to reality, the prolonged exposure would cause irreversible damage to her body and brain.
Therefore…
"Bronya…"
Fu Li reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What is it, Brother Amon?" Bronya turned her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
The next moment, her eyes flew wide open in disbelief at Fu Li's action.
The gentle smile on Fu Li's face had vanished, replaced by a grim resolve, as if he were bidding farewell to the world.
A needle gun pierced her skin, slowly injecting a sedative into her body.
"Brother Amon, what are you doing?!"
Bronya slapped away the syringe, the injection now complete. She tried to punch him, but her fist landed weakly against his chest.
One of the two people she trusted most had betrayed her.
"I'm sorry, Bronya."
Fu Li steadied the swaying girl, placed two remote controls and a letter on the floor, and then gently laid the weakened Bronya down before starting to remove his own clothes.
Beneath his white lab coat was another suit, specifically for the experiment. Perhaps because of the size difference, it looked a bit small on him.
"The drug will wear off in half an hour. The red remote is a detonator for explosives that will destroy this lab. The blue one is for the bomb I've implanted in Cocolia."
"…" Fu Li paused for a moment, looking into Bronya's defiant eyes, and sighed softly. "Trust me. I will bring Seele back."
With that, Fu Li ignored whatever else Bronya wanted to say. He turned, picked up his pistol and a magazine, loaded it, and walked out.
---o---
[Three minutes: You hacked the laboratory's security system. All guards and mercenaries outside are now trapped in their respective areas.]
[Ten minutes: You eliminated all mercenaries between the changing room and the main laboratory.]
[Thirteen minutes: You arrived at the laboratory. Before their terrified eyes, you informed them that the entire facility was rigged with explosives.]
"Amon, what the hell do you think you're doing? Have you gone insane?"
Seeing Fu Li holding the detonator, Cocolia didn't dare make a reckless move. But as the person in charge, she couldn't back down either.
"Director Cocolia, as I said, I'm here to negotiate."
Fu Li's expression remained unchanged. He walked over to the experiment console and, under the furious glares of the researchers, inserted a USB drive.
Almost instantly, a new, automated experiment protocol overwrote the original plan.
Seeing the new experimental data flowing across the central computer, the researchers who had been ready to fight Fu Li to the death a moment ago froze in place.
"Th-this… how is this possible? The principles of this technology… we can understand them, but the data itself is 30 years ahead of us… no, 100 years?!"
The most senior doctor in the lab felt his entire worldview shatter as he caught a glimpse of the Previous Era technology.
Since Fu Li dared to reveal it, he was confident that in less than half an hour, these people would be utterly incapable of replicating any of it.
There was no way Fu Li would generously hand over the fruits of his and Snakey's research to others, strengthening the radical faction of Anti-Entropy. After the experiment was complete, a self-destruct program on the USB drive would activate, leaving nothing of value behind.
"Alright, esteemed researchers. After the experiment is complete, you'll have plenty of time to study the gift I've brought you."
Fu Li raised the barrel of his gun, aiming it at several researchers who were trying to sneak closer. His smile was cold and merciless.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to tie up my 'beloved' Director Cocolia and then proceed with the experiment for me."
"Trust me, my only goal is to rescue Seele from the Sea of Quanta. I bear you no great ill will, so please cooperate. It's better for everyone this way, isn't it?"