92: Chapter 92 Preliminary Integration of Nine Genes

"The complete usage for this alloy will be found sooner or later."

The sound of the pen being placed back into the pen slot was very short in the Underground Room.

Yan Zheng closed the X-23 analysis report, pressed it to the left corner of the workbench, and spread a blank sheet of paper in the center of the table.

August 16th, 1:15 PM.

After the Legendary level was temporarily sealed, what was laid out on the table was all the assets he could currently utilize.

Nine standard Mutant gene materials, six aberration fillers, plus the remnants of the original ninja skeleton, fragments of The Hand's Dark Energy, and the scraps leftover from stitching the Knight and the Brute.

A vertical line was drawn in the center of the blank paper, with available materials written on the left and the right side left blank for filling in plans.

"Compatibility Simulator."

The system panel popped up a new interface, with gene names listed in two columns on the left and right, and matching degrees marked with green and red lines in the middle.

Green lines meant compatible. Red lines meant rejection. Gray lines meant neutral.

Yan Zheng: ( ˵ ꐦ ≖ ꒳ ≖ ˵ ) "Start pairing."

"Ice Crystallization and Sonic Resonance." A green line popped up between the two gene names.

[Ice Crystallization Gene + Sonic Resonance Gene: Compatibility 78%, high compatibility. Sound waves can serve as a carrier medium for ice crystal diffusion, amplifying the freezing range.]

"Second group." "Acid Secretion and Elastic Physique."

[Acid Secretion Gene + Elastic Physique Gene: Compatibility 71%, high compatibility. Elastic Physique can increase the capacity of the acid storage chamber and jet pressure.]

"Third group." "Electric Shock Gland and Metal Skin."

[Electric Shock Gland Gene + Metal Skin Gene: Compatibility 83%, extremely high compatibility. The metal skin acts as a natural conductive layer, significantly increasing the efficiency of electric shock release.]

Yan Zheng picked up the pen and wrote three lines on the right side of the blank paper. "Three core pairings have emerged."

"But Elite-level creations cannot just have two genes; they also need a skeletal substrate, filler layers, and behavioral modules."

He called up the data for the six aberration materials.

[Scale Armor Gene (Aberration): Can be used as outer armor filler, low compatibility requirements.]

[Electric Pulse Gene (Aberration): Can be used as a neural circuit auxiliary module, increasing reaction speed.]

[Bone Eversion Gene (Severe Aberration): Can be used for skeletal reinforcement filling, low quality but sufficient quantity.]

[Sensory Enhancement Gene: Can be used as a sensory module, allowing the creation to autonomously identify targets in combat.]

[Cell Hardening Gene (Aberration): Can be used for joint reinforcement filling.]

[Stress Division Gene (Aberration): Can be used as an emergency split escape module. High risk, may lead to structural instability.]

Yan Zheng drew a question mark next to Stress Division. "This is interesting, but unstable. Set it aside for now, don't put it into the first batch."

He started putting the puzzle together. The ninja skeleton would serve as the base frame, the aberration materials as the filler layer, and the core pairing genes as the main ability modules.

Yan Zheng: ( ˵ ꐦ ✧ ⌓ ✧ ˵ ) "Plan A."

He drew a rough outline of the first creation on the blank paper. "Codename tentatively set as Frost Archer."

"Skeleton, ninja skeleton medium frame, agility-oriented."

"Filler layer, Scale Armor aberration plus Bone Eversion aberration, providing basic protection and skeletal hardness."

"Core Gene One, Ice Crystallization, freezing attack."

"Core Gene Two, Sonic Resonance, long-range diffusion."

"Auxiliary module, Sensory Enhancement, autonomous target locking."

"Positioning: Long-range freezing type, no need to get close, emitting ice crystal sonic pulses from the back row, freezing large areas."

The system popped up the simulation results.

[Frost Archer Plan: Success rate 87%. Expected quality Elite-level upper tier. Control slot consumption two. Stitching time approximately six hours.]

Yan Zheng nodded with satisfaction. "The first one is secure."

He flipped to the second section of the blank paper. "Plan B, codename Acid Walker."

"Skeleton, ninja skeleton, agility-oriented."

"Filler layer, Cell Hardening aberration plus Electric Pulse aberration, joint reinforcement and reaction speed improvement."

"Core Gene One, Acid Secretion, corrosive attack."

"Core Gene Two, Elastic Physique, enhanced mobility and acid jet pressure."

"Auxiliary module, Thermal Sensing, infrared tracking."

"Positioning: Infiltration assassination type, high mobility, close-range acid jet to corrode target armor and skin."

[Acid Walker Plan: Success rate 79%. Expected quality Elite-level middle tier. Control slot consumption two. Stitching time approximately eight hours.]

Yan Zheng: ( ꐦ ˘ ᗜ ˘ ) "The success rate is a bit low."

"The stitching interface between Acid Secretion and Elastic Physique needs extra stabilization, taking two more hours."

"But it's worth it."

He wrote down the third plan. "Plan C, codename Thunder Guard."

"Skeleton, reinforced version of the ninja skeleton."

"Filler layer, Scale Armor aberration plus Bone Eversion aberration, double-layer armor."

"Core Gene One, Electric Shock Gland, discharge attack."

"Core Gene Two, Metal Skin, conductive amplification plus physical defense."

"Auxiliary module, Electric Pulse aberration, reaction speed improvement."

"Positioning: Heavy melee type, close-quarters output, electrified all over, Metal Skin balances defense and conductivity, discharging upon contact."

[Thunder Guard Plan: Success rate 91%. Expected quality Elite-level upper tier. Control slot consumption three. Stitching time approximately five hours.]

Yan Zheng's pen circled the last number. "Three control slots."

"Elite-level upper tier items take up three slots, one more expensive than the Frost Archer."

"But it can do melee, defense, and control; its overall combat capability is the highest among the three plans."

The three plans were placed side-by-side on the paper, and he scanned them from left to right.

Frost Archer, long-range freezing, two control slots, six hours. Acid Walker, infiltration assassination, two control slots, eight hours. Thunder Guard, heavy melee, three control slots, five hours.

Doing them all would take seven control slots. His current total Mental Power is twelve; subtracting the four for the Knight and the three for the Brute, only five slots remain. Not enough.

Yan Zheng: ( ˵ ꐦ ≖ ‸ ≖ ˵ ) "I can only make two for now."

"Or I could recycle the four Reinforced Skeleton Soldiers, freeing up four slots."

"Adding the remaining five, that makes nine."

"Recycle four Skeleton Soldiers, exchange them for two Elite-level ones."

"Quantity decreases, quality skyrockets."

"Worth it."

He pulled up the Skeleton Soldier panel. No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7. They performed well tonight.

No. 4 jammed the door hinge in the cold storage, No. 5 controlled the researcher, and No. 6 blew up the power distribution room.

But the combat capability of an Elite-level is five to eight times that of a Skeleton Soldier. He picked up the scalpel and spun it half a turn between his fingers.

"Gentlemen." Four green pulses lit up simultaneously in the Mental Link.

"I will remember your performance tonight."

"But when the company undergoes restructuring, the grassroots are the first to be optimized."

"Don't worry, your skeletons and inscriptions will be preserved and merged into the filler layers of the new creations."

"Look at it from a different angle; this is called job restructuring."

"You are going from independent employees to core components."

"There will always be a place for you within the organization."

No. 4's phosphor fire flickered twice.

Yan Zheng: ( ˵ ꐦ ˘ ͈ ᴗ ˘ ͈ ˵ ) "List confirmed."

"No. 4 through No. 7 will all be recycled."

"The four released control slots plus the existing margin are enough to run both the Frost Archer and the Thunder Guard simultaneously."

"Acid Walker will be put on hold."

"Once Mental Power increases a bit more, the third Elite-level will be put on the agenda."

The final decision was framed with a pen on the blank paper.

First phase, recycle four Skeleton Soldiers. Second phase, stitch the Frost Archer. Third phase, stitch the Thunder Guard. Fourth phase, gain combat experience in The Bronx to increase Mental Power to above fifteen. Fifth phase, stitch the Acid Walker. Sixth phase, depending on material progress, aim for Rare-level.

Yan Zheng put down the pen and leaned back in his chair. The workbench was covered with three pages of densely written paper, and the system panel stood by silently in the corner of his vision.

The Knight's golden light sphere beat with a faint rhythm on the east side, the Brute's inscriptions crawled slowly along the edges of the wounds, and the stone armor crystal layer was a bit thicker than in the morning.

The four Skeleton Soldiers stood at the entrance of the niche, their phosphor fires lined up, their brightness very stable. They didn't know they were about to be dismantled. Or maybe they did. The undead didn't care about these things. Yan Zheng did.

But the way he cared was to ensure that every piece of bone was placed in the position with the highest output. Yan Zheng: ( ꐦ ˘ ͈ ω ˘ ͈ )

He picked up the freshly brewed black tea, the steam hitting his lenses and blurring his vision for half a second. "First breadth, then depth."

"First, fill up the Elite-level framework, and let the hyenas in the dark alleys see the new faces."

He took a sip of tea; the temperature was just right, and the astringency was much lighter than the previous cup. "After wearing enough Elite-level, then wear Rare-level."

"After getting tired of wearing Rare-level, then find the complete plan for the Legendary-level."

"Bridging material, Metal Manipulation gene."

"News of Mr. Magneto will eventually land on my table."

He put down the cup and moved his gaze from the stitching plans on the blank paper to the strategic map on the wall.

The markings for The Bronx were still there, as was the whetstone for increasing Mental Power; the counterattack from the remnants of Weapon X would come, but the time window was sufficient.

He stood up, picked up the scalpel from the table, spun it twice, put it in his pocket, and walked to the niche to look at the Skeleton Soldiers, No. 4 through No. 7, lined up neatly.

"Mr. No. 4."

"You performed the best in Operation Termite, so I'll give you a privilege."

"Your skull will be kept to serve as the core head frame for the Frost Archer."

"To some extent, you will become the face of the new generation of Elites."

"That counts as a promotion and a raise, right."

No. 4's phosphor fire flickered. Yan Zheng took off his gold-rimmed glasses and wiped the lenses with the hem of his shirt.

"Gentlemen, rest well."

"After work starts tomorrow, the Hells Kitchen Underground Room will no longer be a warehouse."

"It will be an operating table."