Chapter 324

"…………"

Wendy wiped the crystal tears from the corners of her eyes.

She looked at the bedroom where she was alone.

She felt a little regret in her heart.

(Has Mr. Ghost already gone back?)

When Bai Ge first appeared half a month ago, she thought it was a hallucination caused by the Gem of Desire experiment, that she had actually heard a ghost's voice.

Fortunately, she didn't have the fear of ghosts that ordinary girls have, and after knowing Bai Ge's intention, although she was tempted, she refused the proposal to give up the gem without hesitation.

Even though she understood that because of the Gem of Desire, she had lost the future of becoming an S-rank Valkyrie and had been reduced to a cripple and a living container for the gem.

But Wendy believed that her sacrifice was meaningful. If it was for the Valkyrie's mission to protect humanity, she was willing to accept the artificial Herrscher experiment with her own life as a bet.

"... Let's go to the cafeteria to get food."

Wendy climbed onto her wheelchair with difficulty and moved toward the cafeteria. Even though her body was paralyzed, the Dayangzhou Branch never thought of arranging a caregiver for her daily life.

And when she arrived at the cafeteria with great effort.

Wendy showed a hint of hesitation, but finally gritted her teeth and entered. The next second, the glaring gazes around her made her lower her head involuntarily.

"A standard breakfast, please."

After she asked for a breakfast, she put it on her legs and then moved out of the cafeteria as if fleeing.

The Dayangzhou Branch employees and Valkyries who were also dining around her all avoided her after seeing Wendy; their gazes were full of rejection, as if they were looking at some dangerous Honkai beast.

The discussions that didn't suppress their volume reached Wendy's ears, making her mood, which was originally quite good, much worse.

"Look, this guy is here again."

"Investing so many resources and still no results."

"I heard she used to be an A-rank Valkyrie."

"Her? I think it won't be long before she turns into a zombie."

Wendy's eyes became increasingly gloomy; the atmosphere of this Dayangzhou Branch was obviously completely different from St. Freya's.

Like her, a former A-rank prodigy, now an incompetent cripple, would be coldly rejected everywhere in this branch.

Wendy regretted her decision back then.

She originally thought that after joining Schicksal, she could better fulfill her mission as a Valkyrie and fight against Honkai beasts, but it turned out she was treated as an experimental subject.

Wendy couldn't help but miss the time at St. Freya in the past; that academy, full of mutual care and human touch, was the warmest time in her memory now.

"Hey, you go directly to the laboratory to report next."

Suddenly, a figure came to Wendy and ordered.

"Eh? Isn't the experiment in the afternoon?"

"It's because your progress is too slow. The higher-ups are pushing very hard. From now on, start at this time every day."

"... Yes, I understand."

Wendy thought to herself that it seemed there was no chance to eat today's meal.

The girl sighed and rushed toward the laboratory. On the way, she met Valkyries who had just returned from missions, and envy flashed in her eyes involuntarily.

In the past, Wendy had also rushed to the front lines to slay Honkai beasts with weapons; she had run faster and jumped higher than anyone else, sweeping enemies with a storm of bullets.

However, now she could only be reduced to an object of experimentation.

"Yo, experimental subject, still paralyzed today."

"I remember you used to be quite powerful. Why are you so pathetic after not seeing you for a while?"

"You even had hopes of becoming an S-rank Valkyrie, but in the end, aren't you just a little white mouse about to die in the laboratory."

Wendy hurriedly left these Valkyries.

These people who were her former teammates, people who envied her, people who followed her, people who were jealous of her—after Wendy fell into her current situation, no matter who they were, they only sent mockery.

The girl's eyes were dim and lusterless, and the voice of that invisible figure appeared in her mind. Only Bai Ge's voice made Wendy feel a trace of warmth in this cold base.

"... It seems that the only person who is still willing to care about me in this state is Mr. Ghost."

Wendy said to herself with a bitter smile.

Although she couldn't see his figure, and he was always persuading Wendy to give up, she could truly feel his sympathy and pity for her from that voice.

Wendy was not the kind of person with such high self-esteem that she would say she didn't need pity. The pity that Bai Ge conveyed through his voice did indeed make her feel a little warmth.

At least there was still someone in this world, a ghost, willing to care about her like this.

(Although I haven't seen Mr. Ghost's appearance, he shouldn't just be a voice, right? I really want to see what kind of ghost he is. He won't be like those in horror movies, right?)

And just at this moment.

"Waaah!"

"Ouch!"

"Guha!"

Misanthropic penguin, pigeon.

Miserable screams came from behind Wendy. She looked over in surprise and found that the Valkyries who had just mocked her were now rolling their eyes, falling to the ground in a sorry state, their bodies still twitching, and some even leaking improper fluids.

"！！！"

Wendy was startled and hurriedly accelerated to leave. At the same time, she seemed to hallucinate a familiar cold snort.

After she arrived at the laboratory.

This Dayangzhou Branch was less of a military base for Valkyries and more of a Schicksal research institute, but it always failed to produce any good results.

So when headquarters discovered that Wendy had a high adaptability to the Gem of Desire, they put all their effort into conducting various experiments on the girl, hoping to get results that would satisfy the dog Otto.

"Former A-rank Valkyrie Wendy, your performance during this period is really too poor. So far, the fusion rate with the core is less than 30%. How are we supposed to report this to headquarters!" The laboratory director said with dissatisfaction.

"I, I'm sorry, I will work hard."

"Forget it, you don't need to say it; we will help you work hard. From today on, the amount of experimentation will double. You must achieve significant results in the near future, understand?"

"Experiment amount, double..."

Wendy's face turned pale instantly, and her whole body was trembling on the wheelchair, with fear that could not be concealed in her eyes.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of painkillers."

"... Yes."

"Since you understand, hurry up and get on the test bench. What a waste, and you call yourself an A-rank Valkyrie; even climbing onto the test bench is so sluggish. Someone come and help her up quickly!"

Two researchers directly lifted Wendy onto the test bench. To prevent her from struggling, her limbs were restrained with locks, and then a purple liquid Honkai energy reagent was jabbed in.

Wendy closed her eyes in fear.

Her body, which had only been healed by her Mr. Ghost last night, was once again subjected to ruthless destruction.

"Hmm? Yo, why did this body suddenly get so much better? Forget it, who cares about her. It's just right to increase the dosage. Today's experimental goal is to break through the 32% fusion rate. Give her an additional 200HW concentration of Honkai energy reagent."

"Understood, Director!"

?? Asking for flowers?????????

"Hehehe, don't let me down. As long as this experiment succeeds, Bishop Otto will definitely appreciate me. At that time, what Dr. Magi, what Chang Guang—I will be Schicksal's number one scientist."

A group of demons in human skin observed the girl's reaction after injecting the Honkai energy reagent through the glass.

Purple patterns appeared on Wendy's skin, and that familiar pain spread throughout her body again.

(It's okay, it's okay, I'm not afraid, it doesn't hurt. This is all to protect humanity; this is the mission of a Valkyrie. Not afraid, doesn't hurt, I will be fine, I can definitely do it.)

Wendy repeated to herself, and at the same time, she felt that the place where the Gem of Desire was implanted in her right leg was burning.

The Honkai energy injected into her body was being absorbed by the Gem of Desire, and then the gem was accelerating the erosion of her body, and she could do nothing but grit her teeth and endure it.

Soon Wendy lost her mind; she only felt that the surroundings fell into pitch darkness, and a voice appeared in her mind.

(Destroy, destroy everything.)

(Let everyone who has hurt you die.)

(This world has never been beautiful, and the mission of a Valkyrie has no meaning.)

(Humanity is hypocritical; destroy them, destroy this world.)

Such a violent and extreme will eroded Wendy's spirit, and she felt that something new was born.

That was a consciousness, emerging from the Gem of Desire, about to replace her.

Wendy was instinctively afraid.

The feeling of her spirit gradually being replaced like this brought a terror that even exceeded the pain in her body.

"No, don't..."

(Destroy, destroy everyone!)

"I don't want to disappear, don't replace me."