บท 70: Ecstasy of the Mad Scientist
The reconstruction of Enies Lobby is progressing smoothly, with nearly half of it already completed. Taking advantage of the situation, I managed to secure permission and expand the underground research facility for Lilith that I had built beneath my house. It seems to have grown even larger recently.
"However, you really do have a good personality. Making others do the transportation work every time..."
"Well, you see, if we were to travel from Egghead to here the normal way, it would take quite a while. Panda transportation is quick, and considering efficiency, it's the best choice."
"Should I try throwing you into the sea while you're in the razor, though..."
"Cut it out. If you fell at that speed, you'd just die normally. Humanity doesn't have the abnormal endurance you do."
Lilith, Vegapunk, and the Satellite have already relocated their operations to Egghead. Unlike the original story, Punk Hazard is still operational, and they continue their research there. However, it seems they moved their base after the central research institute was destroyed.
Well, for me, whether it's Punk Hazard or Egghead, the difference in travel time isn't significant, so it's not a problem...
"So, Panda? Why did you call me out this time?"
"Oh, I wanted to tell you about the details of the recent physical modifications I and Pochi have been undergoing."
"I see, well... Whaattt!?"
My evaluation of Lilith is extremely high. There are various reasons, such as the length of our relationship, but the biggest is that she had previously shared information with me that was directly related to my death.
Through veiled language and insinuations, she mentioned research related to the Forbidden Land, or at least something of that nature. Although not everything, Lilith revealed part of her inner thoughts to me.
That's why I trust Lilith more than before and decided to tell her about the physical modifications.
"Is th-this for real!? Has Panda's favorability finally increased!!? Well, it's not just a result of my efforts... So, what's the secret!? Tell me, tell me quickly!"
"Fine, calm down. I wrote the details and the substances used on this paper, so check it out."
With her eyes bloodshot and her excitement causing her to have a nosebleed, Lilith started reading the paper with incredible speed.
Well, the paper contains information about the types and effects of elixirs, types and effects of Qigong, and such, so it shouldn't take too long to read.
After a while, Lilith lifted her head with a beaming smile.
"I see... So, Panda is achieving self-evolution like this... No, you... Why are you doing this... How are you even alive? Isn't this just a 'dramatic suicide plan'?"
"For me, I do it about twice a year. Pochi currently does it once a year."
"No, no, you're talking about dying! From my genius perspective, this is a 100% chance of death! Not 99%, but 100% death... Wait, why are you guys still alive... Scary."
In reality, normal people would definitely die. In my case, it's probably due to the existence of my previous life and a soul that's exceptionally resilient, factors that enabled me to endure. As for Pochi, it's thanks to Totmusica's magical influence reducing the load, so without those factors, Pochi would have died.
It's a given, but the first instance of these physical modifications carries the most risk. That's why I was quite cautious with Pochi's modification, and overcoming the first time is truly a miracle or the work of gods and demons, to the extent that I could say it was.
However, once you get past the first time, the stability increases for subsequent times. Still, ordinary people would likely die...
"Forcing myself to understand... I can do that. If I were to put it into words forcibly... In short, it's like inducing instinctive self-evolution at a cellular level due to a life-threatening crisis, pushing one stage of biological existence to forcefully ascend... But this is something beyond mental power... No, I truly can't understand this!! My brain feels like it's going to explode!?"
"Well, never mind that. Next up is this. This is what I had Pochi do previously, focusing only on enhancing muscle strength by reducing the load."
"I see... So, with this, the load is reduced and the survival rate becomes... No, even if it changes from a 100% death rate to a 90% death rate, it's still abnormal, right!? To really understand this, I need to see the actual thing... Chelsea... Please, just a tiny drop for blood sampling, if you would?"
Unusually, Lilith is genuinely struggling to keep up with her thoughts, as she looks to Pochi, who is behind me, and asks. Upon hearing her words, Pochi moved her gaze towards me, seeking confirmation.
"Well, fine then. But if you create clones or anything like that, I'll kill them. Got it?"
"Is it okay!? Oh, I promise I won't do it! Definitely!"
"Pochi, help her out."
"Understood."
Lilith is a mad scientist, but she's also a trustworthy partner. At the very least, she has always adhered to the conditions of prioritizing my requests that she declared when we first met, and when assisting with experiments, she explains all the details beforehand and never forces anything upon us.
After obtaining blood samples from Pochi, as instructed by me, Lilith confirmed them using research equipment. Her face looked... well, quite crazed.
"Ah, ah, a-amazing... The cells are already completely different from those of a human."
With an excitement that stems from the depths of her heart, she muttered and then turned her face towards me with an alluring expression.
"Panda's cells... I'd like to see them too, even just a tiny bit... Is that not possible?"
"Sigh... Fine... Just one drop."
"For real!? Panda, I love you!!"
"Don't jump on me like that, you'll get a nosebleed."
This is a flow that I could have predicted in advance, and I had intended to respond to your request only slightly. Such a state of mind has been influenced significantly by the presence of Totmusica. Even if, hypothetically, I were to create a clone with exactly the same power as me at this point, it would still be far inferior compared to the actual me, especially without Totmusica's presence.
Furthermore, I continue to undergo physical modifications every six months, with plans to do so tomorrow, so the cells will have changed again by then.
Although I should appear as a woman, Lilith, who drools profusely and bleeds from the nose to the extent that it makes me wonder where her dignity has gone, provides a glass dish for examination and I drop a drop of blood onto it.
In response, Lilith immediately moved to a machine resembling a microscope with the quickest agility she has ever shown.
"...Wha-what is this, oh my... I could at least understand with Chelsea's cells that they had evolved into something resembling human cells, with traces remaining. But this... what is it? I can't make any sense of it. Is this really a cell...? Is it acceptable for something like this to exist...? It's a blasphemy against all life... Oh my... Too unbelievable... No, this is too much, my brain is melting... I won't be able to think about anything other than pandas for a while..."
She's making a strange face... Even though she's supposed to appear as a woman, her expression isn't appropriate. In this case, I had intended to discuss whether it's possible to reduce the burden of physical modification through muscle compression to a more realistic level, but it seems that will have to wait a while.
"Well, I think you understand, but if you create clones, I'll kill them."
"No, I don't think I can create them in the first place. These cells? Are they really cells? Why are these cells able to maintain a human form... Well, anyway, I don't feel like I can even cultivate these, and even if I were to create a clone using genetic factors, it would probably result in a panda before physical modification."
"I see."
"Even if a clone is born and subjected to the same physical modifications, it will die 100%. Seriously, I don't understand at all! We obtained much more information by taking a drop of blood and examining the cells than before, but I'm more confused now... What's really happening with you? Are you some kind of demon king?"
Well, regarding the demon king part, it might be an afterthought, but it's not necessarily wrong. After all, I'm fused with Totmusica...
"Heh... Being with you is really never boring. My brain feels like it's going haywire, but encountering an existence like this is a kind of happiness... Panda, you're truly an enigma. I seriously love you!"
Lilith, wearing an ecstatic smile, was quite mad. Or rather, why is she covered in blood like she just finished the physical modification?
Thinking that, I watched in amazement as Lilith, after carefully storing the glass dish containing my and Pochi's blood, took something out of a shelf.
"...Lilith-san, what is that?"
"It's a blood transfusion machine, set up like this..."
"Why are you lying down on the bed?"
"...Ah, I can't take it anymore, my brain's processing capacity is beyond its limit. That's it, okay... I'm going to faint for a while now—"
After making that declaration, Lilith fainted as she said she would. She's really quite crazy... And in the end, she couldn't discuss the main topic.
Well, there's nothing to be done. I'll deal with it later...
"...Pochi, for now, wipe away the nosebleed."
"Yes. Lilith-san, is she going to be okay?"
"Her craziness is part of her nature."
"...That's true. But based on this situation, she's probably going to be here for quite a while."
"...Yeah."
By the way, if her self-report is accurate, looking at my cells will apparently render her incapable of thinking about anything else for years.
***
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