Chapter 455

Chapter 455: Self-Examination

The people present had no objections to Arthur’s decision.

On one hand, the “egg” hypothesis has not yet been fully confirmed, and announcing it prematurely would cause unnecessary panic.

On the other hand, if the hypothesis is confirmed, the panic could become even more severe. Therefore, it’s better to keep it under wraps for now, especially since the primary enemy remains the will of the mycelium.

However, since progress has been made in this area…

“Should we continue with our plan?”

Zhou Zhuo asked,

“The mass production of exoskeletons still relies on biomass. Should we seek an alternative path?”

Arthur shook his head,

“There’s no time. Biological evolution may not follow a linear path. Recent beast tides, though not particularly fierce, already show traces of human-like tactics.

“We cannot halt the evolution of the mycelium. Even if we know biomass may pose a threat, we have no choice but to proceed with the plan for now.

“However, we need to adjust the scope. Currently, aside from projects related to weapons and energy storage, other biomass-related initiatives can be paused. We should redirect the research institute’s resources toward combat-related projects.”

The few individuals in the small conference room nodded in understanding and then left one by one.

The room closed, and Lin Qingliu ran his fingers over the ring-shaped terminal on his hand:

“Infinite Scroll.”

“I’m here.”

“Do not allow anyone to disturb me for the next hour.”

“Understood.”

“Also, make sure to back up my experiment later.”

“Got it.”

The ever-present “Infinite Scroll” remained steadfast in its loyalty to humanity. At this moment, its primary consciousness had fully taken control of the spire, effectively becoming the “housekeeper” of the place.

For convenience, after Ji Yongxing ended his management of [Skydome], Lin Qingliu also transferred some permissions for his small house to him.

No one left the small conference room; the status on the holographic screen at the entrance simply shifted from “In Use” to “Available for Appointment.”

Inside the room, prepared for what lay ahead, Lin Qingliu’s figure flickered and vanished into thin air.

He reappeared in his basement.

The space had been converted into a laboratory, though it looked somewhat unorthodox, resembling the operating rooms that once existed in the outer city for shady trachea-related businesses.

Restored to his original appearance, Lin Qingliu sat in a chair, while across from him sat another Lin Qingliu.

His clone.

On the table between them were bottles of varying purity, filled with mysterious biomass from underground.

Seeing a figure suddenly appear in the chair opposite him, the Lin Qingliu who had been enjoying his break time stiffened:

“Damn it, again?”

“Does your clone have no sense of decency?”

"You’re so lacking in manners, even in death."

The two exchanged casual remarks as the Surveillance Camera, controlled by Infinite Scroll, faithfully recorded every moment from the top of the laboratory.

Lin Qingliu, in his original body, did not idle either. He began using instruments to partially process the biomass in front of him.

Human experimentation is extremely inhumane and should be rejected.

But for Lin Qingliu, this did not seem to be an issue.

After Fulan stepped into the Fourth Level of the myriad paths, Lin Qingliu obtained a new ability—[Possession].

Though it sounds a bit fantastical, this ability can actually be explained through the biological field.

For lifeless bodies, Lin Qingliu can manipulate them with this ability, as if he completely controls them through the biological field.

As for the possible targets for this ability, based on his current experiments, he can already use it on his own corpse (which feels a bit strange) and the corpses of extraordinary beasts; however, he has no leads on plants for now.

From the perspective of user experience, he has reached a level similar to "out-of-body experience" and, after completing the possession, can simultaneously control his original body, allowing Lin Qingliu’s experiment to advance further.

Previously, he had confirmed that after consuming a sufficient amount of biomass, strange things would perform "identity substitution" operations on the body.

Now, he intends to use his ability to reclaim that identity from the other side.

The clone Lin Qingliu sitting across from him had just been severed from the connection with his original body, so he instantly understood his mission.

They shared memories before, so he knew what he would face.

"I always feel like you are becoming more inhuman."

The dying Lin Qingliu said honestly.

"Am I?"

The Lin Qingliu who was busy preparing didn’t even raise his eyebrows, simply asking lightly.

"I didn’t notice it when we merged into one, or rather, when you and I were one, we were indeed a single entity. But now, having severed our connection, I can evaluate myself and see that some of your actions are crossing the line."

"Do you know what you look like right now?"

"What?"

"Like that half a tree in Wang Xiao’s heart, the only difference is that after its will detached from its body, it only wanted to survive, while I feel no such desire from you, but rather an extraordinary sincerity."

"I’ll take that as a compliment. In fact, I am you; it’s just that the energy level of the clone is lower, so my humanity, or rather my emotions, overflow a bit more."

"So you mean our conversation now is essentially a …"

"Self-examination."

The two voices said in unison.

"Ah."

The emotional clone across from him sighed, as if relieved about something.

At that moment, Lin Qingliu’s original body had prepared a certain concentration of biomass, which he gently pushed into the hands of the clone sitting across from him.

"I have a feeling you might go crazy in the future."

"So what?"

"Engaging in self-examination like this is a good therapeutic method."

Lin Qingliu’s original body nodded:

"Anything else you want to say?"

"Just like before."

The clone raised the beaker and drank it all in one go:

"You absolute necessity."

After dilution, the effectiveness of the biomass began to slow down.

But this did not change its deadly nature. The clone Lin Qingliu quickly lost expression, his head drooping as he shrank into the chair.

Objectively speaking, this Lin Qingliu was already dead.

And this body met the conditions for [Possession] to take effect.

Without any hesitation, Lin Qingliu’s original body swiftly released a wisp of thought and cast it into the clone’s body.

This was fundamentally different from creating a clone.