HI3: Starting from the Previous Civilization

A café near Mobius's research institute.

Fan arrived early and was already on his third cup of coffee. But there was still no sign of Mobius.

Fortunately, he'd brought a few books to work on his daily reading mission—otherwise, these hours would have been wasted.

"Seems Dr. Mobius isn't someone who sticks to scheduled appointments."

He had even prepared a small gift—a vial containing Honkai Beast genes.

Sighing, Fan patted the pocket containing that vial. 

"Should I really hand this over to Mobius? 

If I do, it might raise her favorable impression of me."

In the past three days, Fan hadn't been idle. Using the knowledge he'd gained in that time—plus some black-tech from the system—he built an underground lab at home and analyzed the Honkai Beast remains.

His old knowledge finally proved useful. In the official storyline, it's said that Honkai Beasts aren't genetic organisms but rather energy-based ones. Knowing that saves a lot of detours. Even so, they still have basic biological components, though they're not of much practical use.

He also spent 100 Crossover Coins to buy top-grade lab equipment available in this era. By rights, advanced technology like that should have cost far more in the system shop, but it turned out to be pretty cheap. 

But if he wanted something beyond this era, or state-of-the-art research gear, the price was astronomical. A single generation-ahead gene extraction machine cost 1000 coins alone. The one-use items weren't cheap either. For instance, that single-use space expansion device from the Xiling Empire set him back 100 coins—and the next time, the price would be ten times higher. After all, rarity drives up cost. Unless he could craft one himself, and while design blueprints were cheaper, he couldn't afford them yet. Even if he did buy them, current technology wouldn't allow him to build it.

Nevertheless, in three sleepless days, he successfully extracted the Honkai Beast's genes from the remains. That's the pinkish vial in his pocket. He also managed to neutralize the vicious will that lingered inside.

In theory, if one injected this pink gene solution into a human, there'd be a 90% chance of successful fusion. The other 10% would end up turning into a Honkai Beast. 

Fan had no intention of injecting himself. To him, a 90% success rate was no different from 0%. It's like those online gear-enhancement jokes: if it's not 100%, you've got a 50% chance to succeed or fail.

Taking another sip of coffee, Fan sighed again. 

'Shame I used up the entire corpse. Where can I find more test material?'

Then he recalled his system-given abilities, brightening up. 

"That ability from the system is incredible—especially the Eye of Analysis. It's practically a cheat skill. Although it's somewhat slow, after these last few days, I even managed to decode the blueprint for the grenade launcher. Sure, it's slightly weaker than the original, but it should still handle Honkai Beasts. 

"Wonder how that 100-coin engineering robot I bought is doing. Has it finished setting up the launcher production line?" 

Thinking of this, Fan heaved a long sigh. 

"I'm still terribly short-handed, and I'm definitely lacking the strength to protect myself."

A new idea popped up in his head: 'What if I build my own organization?' But he quickly shook his head and dismissed it. 

"It's silly. Totally laughable. 

Hahaha… it's basically a joke. Human beings can't be trusted. Everything's tied to interests and profit. Sooner or later, if the reward is large enough, any subordinate might betray you."

He had no desire to get tangled in all that scheming. Humans are selfish, arrogant—maybe "hubris" is the right word. The ruling powers of each nation will never truly believe that the Honkai threat can destroy them. They treat it like a minor problem to be cleaned up hastily.

'Should I pull an 'Orochimaru move'—brainwash a bunch of edgy teens?' 

"Ugh…" Fan stroked his chin, considering the possibility. "Where to find teenage edgelords, though?" 

First place that came to mind: an orphanage. 

Second place: Dusk Street—after all, that place is known for producing all sorts of talent.

Suddenly, a name surfaced in his mind. 

"Aponia! If I had Aponia's help, building a faction would go much more smoothly." 

But he quickly gave up on that, remembering that Aponia was still just a kid—only a bit older than Kevin, Su, and Mei, who themselves were junior-high age. What use could a little kid be? And if he headed to Dusk Street now, he might not survive. Those criminals wouldn't care who he was, unless he could overpower them outright.

Glancing over the cross-world missions, he noticed that one reward was 'Steel Imprint for the Mind'—he'd probably have to risk it sometime. But before that, he needed experimental materials. Perhaps he could leverage the connections left by his parents. He could intercept the remains of Honkai Beasts that Fire Moth disposed of, and if they refused, he'd pay them off.

…

Meanwhile, in a convent, Aponia was at prayer, clothed in a loose nun's habit that was noticeably snug in the front—suggesting future growth, despite her young age. She opened her clear eyes and gazed through the ceiling, as though seeing threads of destiny being disturbed by something, twitching like they were dancing.

"Destiny's threads have changed again. I can't tell if it's for good or ill." 

The future that had once been so clear to her was now hidden. Ever since a few days ago, destiny had been shifting constantly. Each time Fan had some new idea, the threads got twisted or started 'dancing.'

…

Back at the café, Fan withdrew his hand from his pocket and took a sip of coffee. 

Truth be told, he wasn't a fan of coffee's flavor. He preferred tea. But with barely any sleep these days, he needed something to keep him alert. Otherwise, he'd conk out at once.

…

In the research institute's lab, a few instruments stood around a workbench, and inside a large jar, some Honkai Beast remains soaked in a preserving solution. They'd been delivered two days earlier—someone claimed a wild animal had suddenly mutated into that creature and become violently aggressive. They noted it also emitted a strange substance that corroded surrounding animals and plants, so researchers had to wear hazmat suits while examining it.

Confronted with such an unusual specimen, Mobius peered at the jar with burning curiosity, her lips pulling into a broad grin. The other researchers backed off in fear, huddling together.

From that Honkai Beast's remains, Mobius perceived a potential path for human evolution. If she could figure out the cause of that transformation—and harness it—human advancement might be within reach.

She began working around the clock, staying at the institute when everyone else went home. 

After these few days, Mobius realized the Honkai Beast's remains differed from any lifeform she knew. The muscle tissue resembled some silicone-based compound, and the outer shell was so tough that theoretically, bullets shouldn't pierce it easily.

Yet the remains were heavily damaged, probably by large-caliber weaponry. She also discovered a few special organs inside—likely for attack. Residual fluids were still there, but one detail caught her attention: the creature's digestive system. There was no sign of any acidic solution or leftover matter, meaning she had no clue how it digested anything.

Typically, all organisms break down food with acids, aided by intestinal flora. But these organs were spotless—like they'd been scrubbed clean. 

After pulling two all-nighters, her exhaustion caught up with her. 

Bang! 

Mobius slumped onto the desk, sleeping like a baby.

…

Finally, on the appointed meeting day, at noon, she cracked open her eyes in a daze. Rubbing them, she mumbled, "I must've fallen asleep at the lab again."

She grabbed her phone to check the time, stared blankly at the screen for a few seconds, then realized, "That's right, I have to meet that person today!" 

She instantly jolted awake—this was her soon-to-be big investor, after all.