132: The Madman's Invitation

Meanwhile, in Tartarus, at the Higher Academy.

The atmosphere in the visitor reception area was the exact opposite of the Slaughterhouse Canyon on the other end: quiet, cold, and filled with the scent of disinfectant.

Chen Feng, or rather, "Professor Feng," had just passed through three layers of strict external security. He politely handed his forged ID card and an exquisitely crafted sales catalog to the receptionist.

"Hello, my name is Von Klein. I have an appointment with your academy's procurement department." He spoke in a standard academic Common Tongue, his tone gentle and pedantic.

The receptionist took the ID card and scanned it; a green light lit up, confirming the appointment. He casually flipped open the catalog and was immediately confused by the strange terms inside.

"Report on Several Possibilities of Exploratory Ontological Physical Equipment in Advanced Applications."

The catalog listed "Reality Potentiality Disruptor," "Causality Blur Lens," "Conceptual Entropy Collection Bottle"... "Uh, Professor Feng, please wait a moment." The receptionist's expression was somewhat puzzled, and he was about to follow standard procedure by calling a junior clerk from the procurement department to handle it.

"No need."

A voice came from behind the receptionist, carrying a metallic, grinding texture, filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Let him in. I'll receive him personally."

A man wearing thick glasses stepped out from behind the internal isolation door. He wore a snow-white research robe, but it was stained with a few suspicious, long-dried dark spots. The eyes behind the lenses, upon seeing Chen Feng and the catalog in his hand, instantly erupted with a fanatical light, like a naturalist spotting a rare beetle.

"Are you Professor Feng?" The man stepped forward quickly, and without waiting for Chen Feng to answer, he snatched the catalog and scanned it greedily. "Wonderful! Simply wonderful! 'Reality Potentiality Disruptor'? This is... it's practically tailor-made for my research!"

He looked up, his eyes burning as he stared at Chen Feng. "I am Aris Thorne, the chief researcher of this academy. Come with me, Professor; we must have much in common!"

Alarm bells rang in Chen Feng's heart.

Aris Thorne, the head of the academy. He had actually come out personally. The plan had veered off course from the very first step.

"It's an honor, Dr. Thorne." On Chen Feng's face, however, an appropriate mix of excitement and restraint at "meeting a kindred spirit" appeared.

Aris Thorne completely ignored the luxurious guest room next to the reception area and swiped open a gate leading to the research zone.

"Guest rooms are for those vulgar merchants." He led the way, speaking without looking back, his tone filled with recognition for his own kind. "True scholars should communicate on the front lines of intellectual collision, shouldn't they?"

"You are absolutely right, Doctor!" Chen Feng followed closely, but his heart grew colder.

He was being led straight into the wolf's den.

"Professor Feng, I am very, very interested in the 'Reality Potentiality Disruptor' in your catalog!" Aris walked quickly down a pure white corridor, the excitement in his voice undisguised. "You know, my life's work is to prove that 'Value' is an objective, measurable universal constant! And your device, if it can truly 'disrupt' it, will undoubtedly be a milestone verification tool!"

Chen Feng responded with a smile, "It is my honor to contribute to your great research."

"Great? No, no, this is a necessary purification!" Aris stopped abruptly and turned to face Chen Feng, his eyes fanatical. "Can you imagine? There are some madmen in the universe now preaching something called 'Theory of Relative Value'! Thinking that the value of a stone and a star depends on the observer's needs! How absurd! How sacrilegious! This is a plague that will pollute the very foundation of the universe's existence!"

As he spoke, he pointed toward a large glass window, as if showing off his collection.

"Please look, Professor Feng, my laboratory."

Chen Feng looked in the direction he pointed, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

It was a vast, hellish space.

In dozens of massive nutrient tanks, various bizarre creatures were submerged. Their bodies had undergone horrific mutations; some had grown useless, overgrown limbs, while others had half their bodies turned into flowing metal.

Further away, in some transparent, cubic cages, blurred, shrieking energy entities were imprisoned. Countless electrified probes pierced into them, as if extracting their souls.

"Do you see?" Aris said in the tone of someone introducing precious collectibles, his face beaming with pride. "These are all believers of the misguided 'Theory of Relative Value' whom I 'invited' from all corners of the universe. Their existence, their twisted forms, and their painful wails all provide the most valuable negative samples for my research!"

A chill from the depths of his soul climbed up Chen Feng's spine.

But the expression on his face shifted from appropriate shock to a fanatical "delight at finding a prize."

"Incredible! Dr. Thorne, your method is effective, but if I may say so, the efficiency is too low!" Chen Feng's voice was even more excited than Aris'. "You are merely observing the 'results,' whereas my theory can perform 'Resonant Purification' on them directly from the 'source'! Completely stripping those false 'relativity' concepts from their very existence!"

Chen Feng's even more insane rhetoric caused Aris to feel a moment of surprise. The way he looked at Chen Feng became even more appreciative and identifying, and his wariness decreased significantly.

"A soulmate! Professor Feng! You are absolutely my soulmate!"

Aris enthusiastically pulled Chen Feng along, continuing deeper into the corridor.

At the end of the corridor, through a massive one-way observation glass, Chen Feng's heart sank.

He finally saw his target.

Eve.

She wore a spotless white research uniform, sitting quietly in front of an incredibly complex console. Her long silver hair fell like a waterfall, and the contour of her profile was still so familiar.

But her eyes were hollow and numb, unlike anything Chen Feng had ever seen. She was like a precision doll with a preset program, mechanically operating the instruments, unresponsive to everything around her—and to the two men observing her from outside the glass.

Around her neck, that swan-like fair neck, she wore a silver collar shimmering with a faint blue light.

Mental Shackle.

"Ah, let me introduce you." Aris noticed Chen Feng's gaze and smiled, as if introducing a prized tool. "That is our most precious 'Sample Zero,' a natural 'Law Hacker.' We use her to verify many theories regarding technological dimensionality reduction. She is very, very useful."

He clicked his tongue regretfully.

"Unfortunately, her mind is somewhat unstable; she always has some unrealistic fantasies. So, she needs a little 'Support' to keep her focused on her work."

Chen Feng's hand clenched into a tight fist inside his sleeve, his nails nearly digging into his flesh. But the expression on his face didn't change at all; instead, he took a step forward, getting closer to the glass, and spoke in a tone of extreme longing:

"Dr. Thorne! Genius! This is simply a stroke of genius! I am so interested in your 'assistance' device! It is a match made in heaven for my 'Disruptor'! Perhaps my Disruptor could produce some... interesting resonance with it!"

He turned abruptly to Aris, his eyes burning with greed, his voice trembling slightly from "excitement."

"Can I... can I observe it up close? Please!"

A fox-like cunning and an equally greedy light flashed in Aris Thorne's eyes.

He wanted to see what kind of stuff this "Professor Feng's" equipment really was.

"Of course, my friend." He smiled, personally swiping open the isolation door leading to Eve's workspace for Chen Feng, and made a "please" gesture. "This way, please."