Su listened to the two pieces of "good news" mentioned by [Conductor] and finally let out a breath of relief. "So in other words, as long as we proceed step by step and follow your lead, humanity will be able to survive Honkai."
Su still had great confidence in Vill-V. After all, Vill-V came from the "future" and possessed crucial information that humanity did not yet know. With that knowledge, a reversal was not impossible.
As for what he needed to do...
It was simply to assist Vill-V as much as possible...
Mm. At least on the surface.
The so-called good news in Conductor's eyes might have been celebrated too early. Perhaps that in itself was bad news.
Su had joined Vill-V's organization not merely to help her. He had his own considerations as well—to remain within the organization and observe Vill-V's condition... and, when necessary, restrain her malice.
Vill-V was, by medical definition, a patient with dissociative identities—essentially, mentally ill. And she was far too talented. A person like that was a nuclear bomb to society. If she ever did anything that endangered humanity, then Su, standing at her side, would have to stop her.
He had not forgotten what [Pure Evil] had done. Though the objective had been good, the methods remained open to question.
Su suspected that one day the extreme persona might devour all of Vill-V's other kinder personalities and completely seize control of her body. If that happened, without the restraints imposed by the other identities, there would be no telling what atrocities might follow.
Su did not want to see that outcome.
As for Vill-V's salvation-oriented Mad Hatter Party, Su was willing to help it grow. He even felt honored. Not everyone who wishes to save the world can find an organization that truly suits them.
So in order to protect others, Su chose to become an insider within Vill-V's organization.
He was fully aware of his own position.
It might be deception.
It might be a betrayal of Vill-V's trust.
But he had to do it.
Of course, he was not entirely an infiltrator either. He had no intention of opposing Vill-V. His only purpose was to become her fuse—a safeguard to protect the innocent, and Vill-V herself.
He still remembered what Conductor had said.
Vill-V's original self was nothing more than an ordinary shut-in girl.
Su gazed at the petite girl before him and thought:
[She shouldn't have to bear these sins. If someone must carry them... let it be me.]
Conductor noticed Su's rather "intense" gaze and suddenly said, "Heh heh, Su, why do you think I've told you so much?"
"Because this is information every newcomer needs to know?" Su replied, puzzled.
"No. Newcomers don't need to know this much."
For example, Pardo had joined the organization without even fully understanding what Honkai was.
"Because starting today, Su, you are the leader of the Mad Hatter Party—Mr. Mad Hatter."
"...?!"
On his first day infiltrating the organization as an undercover agent, he became its leader.
What should he do? Urgent.
...
After inexplicably accepting Vill-V's abdication, Su relayed a message on behalf of the organization's secretary, Zofia. In fact, that was the very reason he had come here.
"The submarine team dispatched by Zofia didn't find the corpse of the Third Herrscher—but they did find a MOTH Honkai gene-modified soldier?"
Vill-V found that strange. Had MOTH deployed large numbers of Honkai-modified soldiers this time?
That shouldn't be the case. Any strategist with even a shred of rationality wouldn't send Honkai gene-modified soldiers into a large-scale battlefield like this. This wasn't a decapitation operation. It was a direct clash between humanity and a Herrscher.
At most, they would stuff a few into battleships for self-defense, to stall a Herrscher if necessary.
The current Honkai-modified soldiers were nothing like the future MANTIS. Their combat power wasn't even as good as a single Kevin, yet their cost was comparable to a warship. They performed decently on conventional human battlefields, but against a Herrscher? That was just throwing money away.
Unless...
Unless they had other Honkai-modified soldiers—ones strong enough to confront a Herrscher head-on?
Impressive, impressive. If such powerful soldiers truly existed, MOTH could simply send a few to stall a Herrscher and then drop a nuclear bomb to finish the job.
But if the Previous Era had that many powerful warriors...
Then what need would there have been for MANTIS?
Honkai gene-modified soldiers were not MANTIS. The gap between the two was like that between a pager and a smartphone.
MANTIS—short for Massively Augmented Neo-Tech Integrated Soldier—also known as Coordinated Soldiers or Synchronized Soldiers, were the result of harmonizing human genes with those of Honkai Beasts.
Honkai gene-modified soldiers, on the other hand, involved no sophisticated technology at all. It was nothing more than forcefully stuffing Honkai Beast genes into the body. The foreign genes would rapidly devour the human genome, turning the person into something beastlike.
Of course, the process and feasibility of MANTIS were still theoretical constructs deduced by [Expert] Vill-V. MOTH's MANTIS program had yet to materialize. For now, it existed only in stacks of paperwork.
Vill-V followed Su to the hibernation chamber. Built upon Three-Body hibernation technology, it was a treatment pod designed primarily for critically ill patients.
The chamber was dimly lit. Mechanical components and steel structures surrounded the bed, filling the confined space. These devices maintained the environmental conditions and included precise monitoring systems to record the patient's physiological and biological states.
Green and blue indicator lights blinked across the sleek, high-tech apparatus, emitting a faint glow that brought a sense of reassurance.
Inside the hibernation treatment pod lay a powerfully built man.
His white hair was scorched and blackened in places. One side of his face had sprouted black, root-like horns. His left arm had transformed into a massive Honkai Beast claw.
Thick fragments of Honkai crystal covered his entire body, and a layer of translucent frost coated his surface, as if he were a prehistoric beast sealed in ice.
There is a miner's poem to attest:
"What a mighty miner! Thick brows and large eyes, shining with spirit; a firm nose; a beard like steel bristles; sharply defined features; explosive muscles covering his body; steady, powerful breathing; an aura of kingship faintly radiating from head to toe! His tall and handsome figure, robust physique, and well-developed muscles—especially those bulging blocks. His sculpted features seemed carved by a blade, emanating a sovereign presence that could shake the world."
...
[Conductor]: [Id]... tone it down...