Chapter 102: Aftermath

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In the royal capital of Saint Veil, inside the Dungeon Association’s division chief office.

“All right, Carter, you handled this quite well,” said a burly middle-aged man with a beard, his image projected through a crystal display. “But that old lecher—he actually ran off to the capital ahead of time because of the swimsuit contest, hahaha! You lucky brat, you really have some good fortune!”

“Yes, yes, all thanks to Mr. Old Ghost,” Carter replied respectfully.

This somewhat rough-spoken, expressive middle-aged man was none other than Wilford, the head of the Dungeon Association headquarters.

“Hey, show some respect to your elders,” the Old Ghost suddenly appeared beside Carter, speaking lazily. “I’ve already briefed you on the situation. It’s very troublesome.”

After the dean of the Third Institute softened and fully cooperated with the investigation, the Old Ghost had thoroughly examined every single person in the Third Institute, down to the color and number of their underwear—limited to the young female staff. Yet, nothing was found.

All personnel who might have leaked secrets in the Third Institute, as well as their related family members, had been investigated thoroughly, but not a single clue emerged.

In other words, the problem was definitely not from the Third Institute.

“The Third Institute also said, based on their analysis, this artificial dungeon differs from their current design version. It’s probably a model from three years ago,” Carter produced a recently submitted investigation report from the Third Institute. “Three years ago was exactly when the artificial dungeon technology matured, and after being handed over by the Third Institute, it was approved and classified as a top-secret project with internal information lockdown. So…”

At this, Carter’s expression darkened considerably.

“The technical staff who conducted the review back then, as well as the senior officials who had access to the related secrets, are all prime suspects,” Carter summoned his courage and looked at Head Wilford. “Including you, Chief!”

“Is that so? That is indeed troublesome. Then I’ll set an example—I accept the inspection,” Wilford said with a smile. “While it won’t interfere with my work, I’ll fully cooperate with the investigation. I don’t mind personal privacy either; I can tell you every position. Hehehe.”

“I just hope the others cooperate as well…” Old Ghost chuckled, then paused. “Ah, it seems I’m on the suspect list too! Hahaha!”

“Forget it, no need to investigate you, Old Ghost. I know exactly what you were doing at that time,” Wilford said with a sneer. “I can issue certificates for several S+ heroes proving that they had no opportunity to access the magic network or related facilities at the time, so they couldn’t have obtained this information. Of course, the certificates will be issued after I’ve been inspected.”

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“Also,” Carter looked at the Third Institute’s report with astonishment, “while nursing the victims, the Third Institute discovered some unusual ‘changes.’ Therefore, they believe this dungeon should be preserved long-term, even supplied with power to observe its changes and analyze them further.”

“Changes? What changes?” Wilford asked curiously.

“This dungeon bears traces of the now-abandoned ‘Artificial Hero Project,’” Carter’s expression showed disgust, as if aware of some inside story. “The special technique called ‘Nightmare Jar’ contains abundant traces of human experiments, providing strong supplementary information about the original ‘Artificial Hero Project’… The Third Institute hopes to restart and lead this project within ethical limits!”

“Artificial heroes, huh…” Wilford sighed.

Old Ghost still looked lazy as he spoke, “I looked at the two kids’ cases—they won’t work.”

Shaking his head, Old Ghost said, “That’s not a ‘talent system’ but a kind of unique residual technique. Without strong ‘causal power’ supporting it, both its effect and potential fall far short of a genuine talent system. But… precisely because of that, I think it’s safe.”

“At least it’s much safer than that reckless, super unreliable radical plan from before,” Old Ghost continued. “In terms of strength, it should be called a ‘pseudo-hero.’ In any case, it’s a viable project, so I’m voting in favor.”

“Hmm, since Old Ghost says so, let the Third Institute give it a try. By the way, the prerequisite is that this plan must be supervised at all times. Let’s assign personnel from the Association and the government to form a specialized oversight department. Now, before the inspection begins, I’ll finish the work on my desk first,” Wilford nodded and then cut off the communication.

Carter put down the report and began tidying the desk, while Old Ghost naturally vanished.

In a laboratory of the Third Institute, a boy closed his eyes nervously and carefully cut his fingertip with a small knife, letting blood slowly seep out. But the next moment, when he opened his eyes, his finger had not suffered any damage.

In another laboratory, a blonde little girl was earnestly painting on a canvas—a simple ceramic plate.

After about half an hour, the girl grew a little distracted. Suddenly, she recalled a strange name.

“Zhao Tianhe’s brother… who is that?” The girl frowned, muttering to herself as an inexplicable wave of energy radiated from her mind.

Crash!

The sharp sound of breaking startled the girl. She looked down at the shattered plate at her feet, then at the blank paper on her easel...

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“I’ve decided!” The dean of the Third Institute, who had almost been brought to tears before Carter, now looked spirited as he gazed at the scenes in the two laboratories. “Let’s call it ‘Talent Magic’! Creating perfect heroes to rival heroic talents! At the next Robert Grand Ceremony, I’ll claim the ‘Hero of Humanity’ and ‘Magic Technology Progress’ awards!”

Meanwhile, in the Fuguang district, Zhao Tianhe, after finishing a date with Ai Lei, decided to visit Li Mei’s home to learn cooking.

Since there was nothing else to do at night, and Zhao Tianhe never let up on grinding skill points, though with his mana recovery rate he could only gain about two hundred points per day. After all, casting spells indiscriminately was forbidden in dungeons, and one also needed to sleep at night.

The elf Pixie lay on Zhao Tianhe’s shoulder. After a long absence, the little creature had become completely unrecognizable.

Originally slim and well-proportioned, roughly the size of an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl, she now looked like a lump of dough with a few green leaves stuck on it...

Her legs were wrapped in fat, unable to close, her swollen cheeks distorted her features, and her belly protruded high, as if she were ten months pregnant.

She floated in midair, clutching her phone, snoring while playing a game.

‘What is she evolving into? But… it looks kind of fun...’ Zhao Tianhe poked her belly, and Pixie let out a strange cry before slapping him several times.

“How dare you touch a lady’s tummy! You pervert!” Pixie shouted in displeasure. “So what if I’m a bit chubby? I’m evolving! That’s the expert’s conclusion!”

“I got it, Piggy Pixie…” Zhao Tianhe laughed and pinched her cheek.