Chapter 1307: Meaningful Sacrifice, Breakthrough Progress

Very quickly, the experiment proceeded to the medium-dose negative energy radiation stage.

"0 hours, 12 minutes, 02 seconds, soul-related nodes, continuous micro-tremors, soul slightly contaminated, recorded!"

"0 hours, 13 minutes, 25 seconds, internal organ-related nodes, continuous micro-tremors, flesh atrophying, organ failure, recorded!"

"0 hours, 14 minutes, 01 seconds, vital signs weak, but consciousness clear, recorded!"

The medium-dose negative energy radiation only lasted for 4 minutes, yet Mate, inside the Protection Array, had completely changed; his hair had fallen out, his withered skin clung tightly to his bones, and his flesh seemed to have vanished.

This degree of negative energy intrusion, aside from the specially protected soul, caused physical damage that already approached the Elf spell 【Negative Energy Erosion】.

In other words, at this moment, Mate was almost a dead man, save for his soul which was barely holding on.

And if not for the Laboratory's special protection for the soul, he would have been beyond saving; even if he died, he could not be resurrected.

"Mate Inquisitor, has your perception of the Magic Net changed now?"

"No, continue," Mate replied very briefly.

The voice was hoarse and gloomy, as if it had seeped out from the Abyss, making one's spine chill; everyone present, including Xia Duo, could not help but frown deeply upon hearing Mate's reply.

Clearly, the medium-dose negative energy radiation had also failed to achieve the goal.

Should the dosage be increased then?

Xia Duo hesitated; in truth, with his current level of control over negative energy, even with medium-dose negative energy radiation, he could ensure that it did not cause significant harm to the human body when it irradiated it.

But the problem was, he could not determine whether the reduction in Spellcasting Level was related to physical damage or not.

He could only use a more comprehensive negative energy intrusion damage; as long as he could confirm that such a dosage of negative energy radiation had an effect on perceiving the Magic Net, by analyzing the changes in the nodes linking the human body to the Magic Net, he could narrow down the negative energy radiation range for subsequent experiments.

Proceeding step by step, he would eventually be able to determine which type of negative energy radiation was specifically targeted at Magic Net perception.

It could be said that the early experimenters were almost certain to die.

Because when it reached high-dose negative energy radiation, even if the soul was specially protected, it would suffer relatively serious contamination, and this would lead to the volunteers participating in the experiment being unable to be resurrected.

At this moment, Xia Duo emotionally hoped very much that Mate would choose to give up, or even if he lied, that he would pause the experiment first.

As a sentient being, humans instinctively feel pity, regret, and resistance toward the phenomenon of the passing of their own kind.

Xia Duo had not yet become arrogant enough to treat the humans in the Projection Plane as non-kind; even if they were virtual lives, their thoughts, emotions, will, and the perceptions and experiences they brought to Xia Duo were real and true.

Emotionally speaking, it was truly difficult for Xia Duo to accept a life he admired and respected passing away before his eyes.

But from a rational perspective, he also knew that from the day the "Negative Energy Downgrade" theory appeared, such sacrifices were inevitable.

Related experiments would either be led by him or by others; the only difference was that he possessed a real, or perhaps a hypocritical higher morality he himself had not noticed, capable of controlling all sacrifices within an acceptable range.

The "Negative Energy Downgrade" experiment was similar to human medical experiments on Earth; deaths were unavoidable.

One must have awe and caution for life, but one need not be too taboo about death; the greatest respect for those who sacrificed themselves was to make their deaths meaningful and to let them die for a worthy cause.

After a bout of internal struggle, Xia Duo's mood calmed down significantly; he then solemnly bowed to Mate, and subsequently increased the dosage of negative energy radiation.

But unfortunately, reality often runs counter to human wishes; under the irradiation of high-dose negative energy radiation, Mate only lasted for less than 15 seconds before losing all vital signs, including his soul, which slid into the irredeemable Abyss due to negative energy contamination.

"Stop, execute the purification procedure. Jiabu'er, notify Dean Bernie of the experimental results; whether subsequent experiments will proceed is for him to decide."

After saying this, Xia Duo left the Laboratory alone.

At this moment, his mood was extremely complex; before transmigrating, he had heard of many stories of sacrifice, but he had never come into such close contact with such an event.

Not to mention that the victim had actually died by his own hands; this experience brought a great shock to Xia Duo's heart.

If given the chance to choose again, he was not sure if he would still insist on increasing the radiation dosage; perhaps he would, perhaps he would not.

But now, already burdened with the life of a sacrifice, it was even harder for Xia Duo to give up on "Negative Energy Downgrade."

To say it was entirely to continue the research for the sacrificed Mate would be too hypocritical, but Xia Duo did indeed feel an indescribable sense of mission.

This sense of mission urged him to complete the "Negative Energy Downgrade" project.

Unsurprisingly, Dean Bernie did not choose to call off the experiment, but instead gave Xia Duo another list, and what this meant could not be more obvious.

"Vice Dean Samuel, don't worry about me. I have seen companions die before my eyes more than once; now it is just one more, I am not that fragile yet!"

After replying to Vice Dean Samuel's comforting Sending, Xia Duo made arrangements for the subsequent experiments.

In reality, he had indeed seen so-called companions die before him, but that was in the Green Field Plane, and those companions were not actually that close to him.

Since transmigrating, the death that had brought the most shocking impact to Xia Duo's soul was Mate, but he was indeed not as fragile as Samuel imagined; having experienced many things, one naturally becomes strong at heart.

He was Xia Duo, not the real "Maikade"!

Next, the experiment continued, and the sacrifices continued to increase.

There was indeed progress in the experiment, but very little, until the appearance of the thirtieth volunteer, when the experiment finally had a breakthrough—

The negative energy radiation, after several adjustments, finally took effect on Magic Net perception; the thirtieth volunteer, an Archmage from the Judgment Division, had originally perceived the Magic Net Eighth Layer.

After undergoing high-dose negative energy radiation, their perception of the Magic Net was reduced to the Seventh Layer.

Although it was only such a small change, compared to before, it was already a qualitative leap!

On this day in the Laboratory, almost all the researchers shed tears of excitement; although Xia Duo did not cry, the pressure that had long accumulated in his heart was also released.

But just as he wanted to discuss the next experimental plan with everyone, the scene in his field of vision suddenly began to distort, and various noises appeared in his ears.

His other senses also seemed to receive countless chaotic pieces of information, making his head dizzy and heavy, feeling only nausea and the urge to vomit.

But before he could react, everything around him changed rapidly; by the time he regained his senses, the surroundings had already changed to another scene—

"Huh, why do I seem to be lying on the ground?"

The next instant, Xia Duo realized that he had actually turned into an infant lying in a cradle!

The Time Loop of the Projection Plane has occurred!