Chapter 214: 220. Chapter 220: Gege Lands

220. Chapter 220: Gege Lands

If we're going to give it a shot, we'll give it a shot.

Since Christina, the party involved, is willing to take the risk, what does Lin Ke have to hesitate about?

Selin Witch is even less concerned.

Between Christina, Lin Ke, and Mo Li, there is at least a bit of hometown affection.

To Selin Witch, however, they are genuine strangers, requiring no attention.

If it is truly needed, just strike to kill directly—Selin Witch would not hesitate at all.

"Do you have plenty of time? This isn't a problem that can be solved in a short period."

Lin Ke glanced at Christina's belly, which showed no signs of pregnancy yet.

She is only three months pregnant, with at least six months left until delivery.

And this research requires daily monitoring of various data from Christina and her unborn child.

If Christina has to return to Shadow City and cannot stay long at the academy, everything will come to nothing.

"There is plenty of time."

The serpentine black smoke outlined Christina's answer: "I have six months of leave I can use."

Shadow City's system differs from that of Ruwo Suosi Academy.

The former is similar to a company, the latter is an academy, so naturally there are differences in member management.

At Ruwo Suosi Academy, wizard apprentices receive education and assessments; wizards pursue advanced study, training, and missions—as long as they fulfill their duties, their remaining time is quite free.

Um……

If one goes out to play, if possible, it's best to die within the academy's sphere of influence.

That way, corpses can be promptly collected, dismantled, utilized, and resources recycled.

In Shadow City, whether apprentice or wizard, their time belongs to Shadow City, not to themselves.

Want to handle your own affairs?

Sure.

Go ahead and take leave.

This leave isn't something you can just take whenever you want, for however long you want.

All decision-making authority rests in the hands of Shadow City's various management levels.

However long management approves, that's how long the leave will be.

Lin Ke had heard some of these rumors.

Upon hearing that Christina had secured six months of leave, he was quite surprised.

Upon further thought, he felt perhaps this was Shadow City's compensation for wasting a month and a half of Christina's time.

He then stopped dwelling on this insignificant detail.

After some thought, Lin Ke said solemnly: "Considering many factors, to increase the success rate, we need to conduct a comprehensive examination of you, including your and your child's souls. Additionally, we need to sign a confidentiality agreement. All research results will belong to me and Selin Witch; you have no rights, and you must not leak anything in any form to any existence."

This condition can be described as extremely harsh.

From a universal values perspective, this makes Christina appear to have no human rights.

But in the wizard world, it seems reasonable and even overly favorable to Christina.

Lin Ke did not charge Christina any fees, doing so out of hometown affection and because she provided data and served as research material.

Selin Witch doesn't mind this little bit of "mosquito leg meat".

"Sure, I have no objections."

Christina agreed without even thinking about it.

Having investigated Linke Grand's reputation and deeds over the past few years within the Ruwo Suosi Special Zone, before setting out to seek Linke's help, she had already made the necessary psychological preparations.

Through Lin Ke's several deeds, Christina had long realized that Linke Grand is not a nice guy.

It's impossible for him to help her without asking for anything in return.

This situation is already a good outcome that Christina dare not even imagine.

Selin Witch took out a blank confidentiality agreement, filled in Christina's presence with highly binding terms for her, and stipulated that all fruits of this research would be jointly held by Lin Ke and Selin Witch.

After the three confirmed the agreement's contents, they signed their names, leaving behind biological information and spiritual imprints.

The agreement took effect, originally kept by Selin Witch.

Today it's already late, and the research arrangements haven't been sorted out, so we'll call it a day for now.

Selin Witch had dinner, then returned home.

The next day, Lin Ke officially handed over all work at the Grand Pharmacy to Mo Li to manage.

Including the refinement of the Single-minded Elixir.

Even if Mo Li's success rate and yield rate for refining the Single-minded Elixir are somewhat lower, causing large waste of raw materials, it doesn't matter.

Apart from extraordinary talent and cheating, which alchemist doesn't rely on piling up raw materials?

Such a little waste, Lin Ke can still afford it.

As long as we can cultivate Mo Li, we'll earn magic stones by the handfuls later, easily making it back.

Lin Ke himself, meanwhile, teamed up with Selin Witch to focus on researching human creation.

Christina refused Mo Li's invitation and did not stay in Lin Ke's North District Villa.

She rented a high-end apartment with a wizard laboratory in the East District through Shadow City's official channels and settled in comfortably.

She wholeheartedly cooperated with Lin Ke and Selin Witch's various research needs.

Both to preserve the pregnancy and to hope to change some of her own bad traits.

For example, her hoarse, grating voice like two pieces of rusted iron being rubbed together;

For example, the slippery, viscous person's snake arm resembled an octopus tentacle.

Time flew by.

Six months passed in the blink of an eye.

During this half-year, Lin Ke, as well as Selin the Witch, in fact could not devote all their time to the artificial human research.

They each still had a lot of matters to attend to.

Selin the Witch had to manage Paro the Sage's various enterprises, handle interpersonal relations, and even run her own shop, researching and concocting potions, keeping her extremely busy.

How could she possibly devote herself wholeheartedly to this research?

Lin Ke was no different.

After less than half a month's vacation ended, Lin Ke returned to the advanced academy to continue his studies.

Both his major in elemental witchcraft and his minor in true spirit witchcraft had entered the 'deep waters'.

The involved knowledge became increasingly profound, and the suggested techniques to master grew more complex.

Every day he had to devote a large amount of time and energy to learning and absorbing new knowledge.

Moreover, Lin Ke also needed to seek opportunities to expand his innate witchcraft 'Battle Armor', and continually match various witchcrafts to perfect the combat system based on different versions of 'Battle Armor'.

Therefore, the actual time Lin Ke and Selin the Witch could devote to this research each day was less than three hours.

This was actually enough.

The research's difficulties and obstacles to overcome were all concentrated in the early stage.

First was the cutting of the fetus's soul.

This refers to Selin the Witch's specialized research into improving witch qualifications; her attainment in soul matters, while not exceptionally high, is at least above that of an ordinary third‑level elemental witch.

And Lin Ke, having minored in true spirit witchcraft, is likewise no novice in soul matters.

Working together, they managed to remove, without excessive difficulty, the tiny shadow‑magic‑snake portion of the fetus's soul.

Afterward came the handling of the fetus's body.

The hereditary traits of the shadow magic snake are still very strong.

Even though the fetus is only three months old, it has already begun to show a tendency toward deformity.

Lin Ke and Selin the Witch extracted some biological tissue from the fetus, rapidly cultivating, researching, and experimenting with it;

They also extracted Christina's biological tissue and carried out the same procedures;

And through special channels they purchased a shadow magic snake to serve as the control group.

After much effort and setbacks, they finally succeeded in concocting a potion with extremely high specificity.

They successfully transformed the shadow magic snake racial ability possessed by Christina's five‑month‑old fetus, from a soul‑level witch‑like ability into a fairy‑like innate talent, and integrated it into the fetus's body.

Afterward, the matter mainly concerned Christina.

She had to carefully nurture the fetus, help the naive fetal soul adapt to an overly strong body, and struggle to survive. Lin Ke and Selin the Witch's main task at this stage was to use various methods to ensure mother and child's safety.

Furthermore, by referencing the cultivation methods of artifice witches and incorporating some true spirit witch techniques, they designed a special set of measures applicable to the fetus, whereby its soul and body are almost but not quite separated, like broken lotus roots still clinging by threads.

This method was initially operated by Christina on behalf of the fetus, and only after the fetus had gained some wisdom was it taught to her.

Through extensive research, Lin Ke and Selin the Witch each gained considerable benefits.

By analogy, Selin the Witch discovered an unknown influencing factor in the 'Bone‑Piercing Worm' scheme, and after refining the scheme she restarted the live‑subject experiments.

The experimental material, following Lin Ke's approach, consisted of low‑level thugs from the western district.

Two rounds have already been conducted, with both procedure and results fully controllable and within expectations.

They will continue to monitor for a few more years to ensure the live‑subject material does not develop any other problems.

This set of 'Bone‑Piercing Worm' plans for enhancing witch qualifications can thus become one of the core competitive advantages of Paro the Sage's faction.

It can give the direct‑line members whose witch qualifications are not high enough but who are sufficiently loyal a continual hope of improvement.

The gloom hanging over Mo Li's head has finally dissipated largely.

Subsequently, maintaining a certain frequency of check‑ups will be sufficient as a precaution.

There's no need to worry anxiously any longer, fearing that a major problem might arise at any moment.

Lin Ke, meanwhile, further enhanced the efficacy of the 'fairy' potion.

Even if it still falls short of Selin the Witch's 'Bone‑Piercing Worm' scheme, it is sufficient for use.

Furthermore, Lin Ke combined the characteristics of Shadow City's cross‑species transplantation with those of the original fairy biochemical modification and enhancement scheme, and independently developed two entirely new potions.

The first potion is named 'Endowment'; its effect is to bestow the racial abilities of supernatural beings onto humans who possess witch qualifications, forming superpowers akin to fairy innate talents.

In other words, the 'Endowment' potion is essentially the witch's version of 'gene fluid'.

The drawback of this potion is that it consumes part of the recipient's potential, limiting their developmental ceiling.

It is suitable for hastily‑made enforcers and cannon fodder, but not for cultivating one's own direct‑line members.

The second potion is named 'Elevation'; it completely eliminates all flaws and side effects of the original fairy biochemical modification and enhancement scheme, and can greatly boost the fairy's innate talent without harm.

It neither alters the fairy's outward appearance nor affects its mind.

After Selin the Witch examined all the data of the 'Elevation' potion, she promptly sent the test report to Paro the Sage.

The fairy world is the first source of conscript troops for Paro the Sage's legion.

From now on, as Paro the Sage wages war across the heavens, he will continuously draw conscript troops from the fairy world.

He will not need to purchase or rent from the academy.

If the quality of the conscript troops can be fundamentally improved, it will bring many benefits to the legion's campaigns.

Paro the Sage's reaction was very decisive.

He directly, in the name of the legion, bought out all rights and original data of the 'Elevation' potion.

It is regrettable that Paro the Sage did not pay Lin Ke any Magic Stone.

Instead, he used a World Core taken from a depleted world as payment in lieu of Magic Stone.

If not for the "small world" showing strong desire for the world core, Lin Ke would have had to make Paro Sage pay some Magic Stones.

He is using Magic Stone in more and more places.

Cultivating the direct-line members under his command who represent "do whatever you want freely" requires Magic Stone.

Nurturing the "small world" requires a large amount of resources, and even more Magic Stone.

Also need to save Magic Stones to spend money on gacha draws.

Even, Lin Ke has a vague premonition that he will need to save even more Magic Stones to buy several more villas, seeking tranquility.

Airis finished her internship, returned home, and that lasted until Mo Li went out for her internship—a four-month period.

The two of them were entangled all day, sometimes kissing and cuddling, sometimes playfully fighting.

This left Lin Ke caught in the middle, his head swelling!

Yet Lin Ke had no romantic feelings toward Airis at all.

His attitude clearly wanted to avoid, yet he could never avoid it.

Airis kept entangling Lin Ke, but actually she didn't have much romantic feeling either.

More than that, she was seeking a kind of solace.

Among the myriad worlds and vast seas of people, being able to find even half a kindred spirit is extremely difficult.

Someone who has been lonely for a long time greatly craves companionship.

Once found, they don't want to let go.

The "small world" absorbed the world core, and on the third-phase cultivation progress, it advanced by one-third.

Seeing this result, Lin Ke felt he still needed to develop more potions.

Let's make the other mages' purses suffer, feeding the big-bellied "small world" until it's full.

Besides Mo Li completing the first stage of advanced study and going out for an internship, the Benevolent Brother Group and the Social Anxiety Group also each underwent changes.

They successively became official mages and arrived early at the advanced academy.

Moreover, there was a piece of news that surprised Lin Ke quite a bit: Lan Ni. Tai Le's whereabouts are unknown.

No one knows where she went, but the academy has never announced her death.

Regarding this matter, Lin Ke once asked Witch Selyn and Witch Cody, who had already emerged from the metamorphosis period.

Both gave an evasive air and did not directly answer Lin Ke.

This made Lin Ke secretly worried.

Summer passed, autumn arrived.

Another autumn semester is about to begin.

Lin Ke formally finished his advanced studies at the advanced academy, declined the academy's teaching invitation and assistant researcher position, and prepared to focus on managing the Grand Pharmacy for a period of time.

Earn a bit more Magic Stone.

That day, Lin Ke was in the laboratory on the second floor of the pharmacy, conducting the final flavor confirmation for the beverage series.

Suddenly, Christina sent a message saying her water broke.

Lin Ke hurriedly set aside his work, while driving the "Phantom Coupe" toward Christina's residence, and at the same time notified Witch Selyn.

By the time Lin Ke picked up Christina and returned to the northern district villa, Witch Selyn had already made preparations for the delivery.

For witches giving birth, there is no such thing as a cesarean; it's all natural delivery.

Moreover, the process is not difficult.

After all, given a witch's physique, it's nearly impossible for a major hemorrhage or similar accident to occur.

The only possible problem is that during a witch's labor, the brain subconsciously mobilizes more life force to protect its own body.

And neglects the fetus's supply, leading to congenital defects in the fetus.

What Witch Selyn needs to do is to provide sufficient life force from the outside, supplying the fetus striving to pass through the life channel and come into the world.

Lin Ke waited outside the laboratory, his expression still quite tense.

After six months of work, whether we can give Witch Selyn's artificial human research a perfect conclusion depends on now.

Not long after, Lin Ke heard a loud wail.

That was the infant's first cry, announcing to the world the arrival of a newborn.

After patiently waiting a moment longer, Christina, having cleaned herself, held the swaddled baby and followed Witch Selyn out of the laboratory.

Lin Ke leaned in to look and saw the baby's skin was wrinkled and its hair sparse.

It was a humanoid, with no mishap.

The sole legacy of the Shadow Magic Serpent bloodline is those eyes, which closely resemble Christina's serpent eyes.

Artificial human creation succeeded!

"Pretty good."

Lin Ke seriously told Christina, "After returning, you must persist in using that method to protect your daughter's soul."

Christina nodded, then bowed to Lin Ke and Witch Selyn respectively, as a token of thanks.

Serpent-shaped black smoke traced out the characters.

"Thank you!"

Lin Ke accepted this gift openly, and reminded:

"Medicine must not be stopped."