Chapter 171: Full Crew Monitoring

Having a clear plan, Lin Xian went to the No. 3 research car to find Ding Junyi and arrange her accommodation, only to see her still engrossed in studying the black nematodes taken from the corpse crows.

“I don’t like being disturbed when I’m working,” Ding Junyi stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Lin Xian. “But you’re an exception.”

Lin Xian was taken aback for a moment. “Well, that’s a surprise.”

“You are now my employer and also the partner I have chosen. I should show you respect and importance.”

Lin Xian smiled and walked over to her. “I’m not paying you, so I’m not your employer. And I don’t think people who have gone through life and death together are called partners…”

“This world is already full of dangers and challenges for us. Since I’ve already agreed to let you on the train, you don’t need to judge the pros and cons of communicating with me from the perspective of a cooperative relationship. Relax a little. I have no requirements for your research results. If you insist on setting contribution conditions for yourself, just help me grow those seeds.”

Lin Xian’s mentality had indeed changed a lot. When he first formulated the Infinity Train plan, he hoped that everyone could contribute their greatest value to the train. At that time, he was both nervous and cautious.

But now, he no longer wanted to simply evaluate people on the train based on their contributions. For survival, everyone was shining in their own way. These people gathered around him, making him feel the support of a team. This united force was the source that supported everyone’s belief in the endless long night.

Ding Junyi’s gaze shifted slightly as she looked at him. She then broke the silence, “Thank you. Your attitude towards me has made me feel much more pleasant.”

“However, I am a scientist, not a gardener. Besides the planting car you want, my research on dark creatures will not stop. This is my self-worth realization, and also the effort I… want to make.”

“Alright.” Lin Xian understood and was very supportive.

He had now specially made a radio for Ding Junyi to listen to various useful scientific research information on the doomsday radio. Combined with her research, she could indeed provide the team with a lot of valuable analysis.

“By the way,” Lin Xian remembered the main reason for his visit. “I’m reorganizing the cars. I haven’t arranged a place for you to live yet.”

“No need to arrange it.”

Ding Junyi pointed to a compartment not far from the research station. “The disinfection room is quite spacious. I’ve already tidied it up. I can rest on a nap bed, and it can also serve as my personal rest area.”

Lin Xian looked at the compartment with some surprise. It could fit a single bed, but the space was indeed a bit cramped.

Seeing Lin Xian’s expression, Ding Junyi said directly, “It’s just a place to sleep. My work area spans two entire cars, making me the person who uses the most space on the entire train. So it’s not crowded for me. Of course, if you want to sleep with me, it is indeed a bit crowded, and not soundproof.”

Ahem~

Lin Xian cleared his throat and changed the subject. “After passing the Sky-Corridor, we’ve gained some time for repairs. If you need anything for the train upgrade, you can mention it now.”

“I do, actually.”

Ding Junyi walked to a computer nearby and opened a panel. “Now that we have more members, there are also more samples to study. So I want to conduct a test on the Esper evolution data of all personnel on the train for research on the power of darkness.”

“A test? What aspect are you talking about?”

“Physical examination.”

Ding Junyi said, “People like Shu Qin and Chen Sixuan, who don’t have Esper abilities, have already clearly shown a state of evolution, and the physical mechanisms they’ve enhanced are not the same. Others will also have changes in different aspects. I believe the Phoenix Society is also observing this pattern. If this aspect becomes clearer, then ordinary people without Esper abilities can also find ways to improve their survivability.”

“Do you think everyone will evolve?” Lin Xian asked.

“Yes, it’s just that individuals are different, so extensive data sampling is needed, including the type of evolution, growth rate, causes of induced evolution, individual differences, and so on. If we can regularly conduct surveys and monitoring of all personnel on the train and combine it with the data released by the Phoenix Society, I might be able to provide the entire train with an ‘Evolution Plan’.”

Evolution Plan.

When Ding Junyi said these words, Lin Xian felt a jolt in his heart. He immediately asked, “What about the evolution of Espers? The Phoenix Society probably doesn’t have a very clear plan right now. The Black Crow Four we encountered before were hunting other Espers everywhere. I also once met a strange-limbed Esper who said that killing Aberrations or Espers could lead to evolution, but the problem is…”

“It’s not accurate enough,” Ding Junyi adjusted her glasses. “An early experiment in the Angel Project did yield a result. After Aberrations and Espers are killed, a kind of energy overflow occurs. This energy has a certain similarity to the Spirit Fluctuation Value and can be absorbed by the test subject to obtain a certain degree of enhancement. However, after our research on Aberration blood essence, we found that the energy density of this overflowing energy is completely incomparable to the energy carried by Aberration blood essence. So if you want to evolve your Esper ability, whether you are an ordinary person or an Esper, directly consuming Aberration blood essence is the most direct way.”

Lin Xian frowned upon hearing this. “Is it that simple?”

“Theoretically, yes. But consuming Aberration blood essence is a very dangerous act. The first human-faced Aberration in the Angel Project’s former laboratory was produced after a test subject consumed Aberration blood essence, leading to an evolutionary mutation.”

“Corruption?”

“That’s right.”

Ding Junyi said, “You can think of the dark tide as some kind of energy invasion from a higher-dimensional world. Aberrations are creatures of this world. The vast majority of humans cannot withstand such an energy invasion, so they corrupt into zombies. Those of us who have survived represent that we are gradually adapting to this invasive force. But this dark invasive force has too many unknowns for us. Why do we gain Esper abilities? Why can some people evolve faster than others? We haven’t found the exact reason. So, without understanding this principle, forcibly consuming blood essence in an attempt to directly obtain evolution is obviously a very reckless act.”

Lin Xian fell silent for a moment. He remembered when KIKI was undergoing corruption, he had given her Aberration blood essence to consume. It was indeed a bit reckless, but at that time, they were at their wit’s end and had no other choice.

“So evolution is not just about obtaining this dark invasive force, but also has different prerequisites, or… triggers, depending on the individual?”

Ding Junyi nodded. “Yes, but there is one condition that is currently widely recognized, and that is mental willpower. This is also why many Espers feel that they have a better chance of evolving in near-death situations, because people often burst out with extremely powerful mental willpower when facing death, commonly known as the survival instinct. For example, Lou Ye’s evolution this time seemed very dangerous, but Chen Sixuan’s evolution is more in line with the path of a normal person’s mental growth. This is also a very crucial factor.”

Lin Xian let out a long breath. “So, if one’s willpower collapses in this environment, or if one consumes blood essence and exceeds the limit of the dark invasive force that the body can withstand, it will easily lead to incorrect evolution, turning into a zombie or a human-faced Aberration?”

“This point has been confirmed,” Ding Junyi said. “So I think regular testing of all personnel on the train is very necessary. Besides being used for research, it can also help us understand the situation of our internal personnel and prevent our people from being corrupted, which could trigger a chain infection.”

“Okay.” Captain Lin nodded. He looked at the Hell Black Chrysanthemum, the red light on it still bright. “What about this?”

Ding Junyi looked at the black flower in the plant cultivation chamber behind her and said faintly, “I’m still observing the red light reaction on it. There’s no obvious pattern yet. What I said before was just my personal speculation.”

“Then can we take a small piece of the flower to study?” Lin Xian asked.

“This is not a plant from our world. From our previous research and analysis, it has an energy density far exceeding that of Aberration blood essence. But we can’t do specific experiments now because it’s the only experimental object in our laboratory. Our superiors have ordered us not to physically damage it, so we haven’t taken any samples for experiments.”

“I understand.” Lin Xian smiled and pointed at the flower. “Besides not being able to do human experiments, you can do whatever you want with it.”

What’s the point of keeping a treasure if you don’t study it? Lin Xian didn’t care if it was the only sample. If it couldn’t provide value, then it was just a useless weed.

Ding Junyi raised her eyebrows and looked at Lin Xian with appreciation. “I was just thinking the same thing. Thank you for giving me the authorization.”