MTLNOVEL Chapter 8: Professional
The setting sun cast the wavering shadows of cherry blossoms onto the desk. Ryan looked out from the rest room, still seeing students carrying luggage.
With the official holiday beginning, the once-bustling campus was now quiet; most students had left for vacation. Even if they wanted to stay, they couldn't; the school would be implementing power restrictions tonight to maintain the experiment.
Even the most dedicated shut-ins couldn't wait any longer. The normally crowded campus was now deserted, except for a few faculty members remaining for work. The physics laboratory, however, was bustling.
Ryan picked up his coffee, taking a sip. His grey eyes scanned the small garden below, where a couple was chatting.
On a bench, a girl with a ponytail was quietly reading an experimental report, her expression calm and focused. The white-haired young man sat beside her, feeding her dumplings.
His movements were gentle, as if afraid to disturb her thoughts. His expression was equally focused, fixed on her face.
Burp—
Ryan suddenly belched. He hadn't eaten dinner yet and was feeling full from the "dog food" display. For some reason, he thought of the reader who'd mentioned coming to Nagazora City for work.
Impossible. It's just a man pretending to be a girl.
Reason suppressed his nascent fantasy. Ryan propped his chin, frowning.
"If it weren't for that damned Honkai, with my skills, I could be living a carefree life of leisure."
That resentment flickered and vanished. He couldn't choose a different path; he had to continue. He watched the couple, eventually unable to bear it, grabbing the black duffel bag leaning against the table and heading down.
Kevin, the idiot, was feeding Mei dumplings, then offering her water and peeling an apple. My coffee's getting cold, and you two are doing this?
"Hey, can you two stop the PDA? Consider us single dogs."
"Ryan, you're here!" Kevin turned, unconsciously slicing an apple. "Want some apple? I just peeled it. Did you have dinner?"
"No, but I'm full of 'dog food'." Ryan walked towards them, clearing his throat. "The experiment starts in half an hour. There's a nice spot behind the garden; usually nobody…"
"Let's go!"
Before he could finish, Mei's voice cut him off. Her breathing seemed slightly labored; after a moment, her flushed face returned to normal.
"Kevin, you'll be busy for a bit. The experiment will probably end around eleven. Let's walk around campus then."
At least five more hours. Kevin showed no impatience, smiling and nodding. "Okay, I'll wait for you."
"Let's get this experiment done. You two can have your fun for three days after." Ryan smiled at the unusual couple, leading the way into the lab.
The blast-proof door opened, revealing a control room filled with researchers in white coats. Various numbers flashed on the computer screens; the massive accelerator was visible beyond the glass.
"Dr. Mei, preparations are complete."
"Power ready. Pre-operational checks complete. All systems nominal."
Reports echoed from all sides. The shy girl from moments ago had transformed; her expression was composed, radiating intense rationality as she signed off on each report.
All preparations were complete. She turned to Ryan, who was leisurely sipping his coffee. "You really want to observe this? What are you carrying?"
"Gym equipment. I'm planning on exercising after the experiment." Ryan shrugged, placing his cup on the table. "We need to allow for error, it's not dangerous. I'll record the data; I'll analyze it later. That fleeting spark might inspire me."
"Weirdo. You can't see anything with the naked eye in a thousandth of a second. Fine, if you want to observe, come along."
Laughter erupted in the control room. Everyone knew Dr. Ryan's penchant for laziness, but they couldn't deny his occasional flashes of brilliance that often provided the correct direction.
Ryan chuckled self-deprecatingly. He found staying in the control room boring. Moreover, he didn't need to see; the moment the particles collided and released Imaginary Internal Energy, he'd experience an inexplicable sensation.
Descending the stairs, Ryan entered the vast laboratory. The two circular accelerators loomed before him; the powerful heat generated from the acceleration process prevented him from approaching too closely.
He sat at the foot of the stairs, putting on his headphones. "Begin."
Having just given the command, Ryan saw no dazzling spectacle, only the hum of the cooling systems starting up, a sound like a train rumbling past.
Hum hum hum…
Power surged; the cooling systems roared; particles accelerated along the spiraling tracks of the ring. Ryan leaned forward, staring intently at the central vacuum tube.
Coming soon.
Having participated in numerous experiments, Ryan silently counted down, a vision flashing in his mind:
Particles colliding at light speed, releasing invisible rays. This bright spark would ignite within a thousandth of a second, its trace captured only by the most advanced detectors.
Honkai energy would surge momentarily, briefly connecting to Imaginary Space, allowing data acquisition, then fading as quickly as it appeared…
"Something's wrong."
In an instant, Ryan's pupils constricted. He felt the Honkai energy, but it wasn't fading; it was becoming clearer, more familiar.
It was him. He was the Honkai.
Simultaneously, chaos erupted in the control room. Red lights flashed; piercing alarms blared.
"Experiment out of control! Energy exceeding threshold!"
"Accelerator structure damaged! Detection systems offline! Data unobtainable!"
"Dr. Mei, look!"
No detectors were needed; Mei could see with her naked eye the vacuum tube exploding in a ball of red energy. Wherever it touched, even high-strength alloys began to melt.
"What… how is this possible?" Even Mei was stunned. How could microscopic world observation cause such a massive reaction?
The experiment was like poking a needle into the membrane separating realities. This tiny hole would usually seal itself, but now, it wasn't closing; something was actively pushing it open.
The earsplitting alarms were maddening, yet Mei remained calm, issuing orders. "Experiment failed. Everyone evacuate. I'll take responsibility."
The researchers had been waiting for this; no one knew if the expanding energy might cause an explosion. They abandoned their posts and fled through the tunnels. Mei was the last one to leave, connecting her headset amidst the cacophony.
"Ryan, get out of there!"
"Too late. This isn't a simple lab explosion."
The temperature in the lab was rising rapidly; the concentration was high enough to cause human mutations. He stood on the stairs, silently unzipping his duffel bag.
"What are you saying? Go! Exposure to Imaginary Internal Energy without protection is extremely dangerous!" Mei's voice became anxious.
"Don't worry, this amount of energy won't affect me." Ryan shook his head. He had no time to analyze the cause; he ignored the expanding breach.
On the ground, in the sky, the Honkai cataclysm was gathering, far exceeding the scale of the incident in the shack area a few days ago.
Illogical, just like its random nature.
"Put on your protective gear, find Kevin, and leave the campus."
"What are you doing!?"
Click-clack.
The two-meter spear was assembled; its tip struck the stairs with a cold clang. The grey eyes were intensely focused, turning towards the wall.
BOOM—
The thick, heavy wall exploded; amidst the flying debris, a Honkai Beast, over two meters tall, burst forth. Honkai Beasts didn't grow; they spontaneously appeared when the energy concentration was high enough.
Energy organism??
Mei had never witnessed such a creature. Whether from fear or scientific curiosity, she forgot to flee, watching as the beast charged towards the control room, smashing through everything in its path. At that moment…
A crimson vortex appeared, slamming the colossal beast against the wall with a resounding thud. From the other end of the spear stood a familiar figure, his hands gripping the weapon.
He stood tall; his white coat billowed slightly in the air currents. Then, a familiar voice reached Mei's ears.
"Naturally, I'm here as a researcher to clean up this mess."