Chapter 77: Reconfiguration… Again
Lily was placed into the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber as everyone else looked on. As the chamber doors slowly shut, Hao Ren’s heart sank.
“Will this work?” He looked at Raven 12345 wearily as the latter was glued to the machine’s user manual, trying to figure out the workings. Seeing how unreliable Raven 12345 was most of the time, Hao Ren could not help but worry. “Speaking of which, do you even know how to operate this thing?”
“Oh, goodness aren’t you an annoying one! As clueless as I am, I’m still better than you. Using the MDT as a blunt force weapon; it’s a wonder you still have the audacity to criticize me.” Raven 12345 leered at Hao Ren. She quickly set her sights on Lily, who was lying in the chamber pod. “Relax, it’s fully automatic. I’m just confirming the command code in the manual.”
“Will this actually prevent her from going berserk again?” Vivian asked as she stared at the mixed-alloy equipment. She was awed by the high-tech toy before her. “She just needs to lie in it for while and she’ll be cured?”
Raven 12345 shrugged. “This is just a temporary measure. The device can forcefully pacify her. After a few days, she will reach the peak of her evolution. When that time comes, just let her run free; somewhere spacious enough. Don’t worry. With this reconfiguration, even if she goes berserk again, she’ll still retain her thoughts. At most she’ll be in her wolfen form but she’ll be harmless. That, I guarantee you.”
This was the ‘treatment’ that Raven 12345 prescribed for Lily. In her words, Lily’s growth was a normal process; one she would have to go through eventually and only fools would have prevented it. All she needed to do was let Lily past through this volatile period smoothly, with some tweaks here and there to her physical as well as psychological profile. The facilities available to them should do the job.
Using the Reconfiguration Chamber, Lily’s mental state was pacified and suppressed to its usual state, allowing her to regain control of her body. Her growth was progressing normally and the reconfiguration allowed her to safely go through the period of volatility. It would have counted as a blessing if she had undergone her evolution in one single, explosive transformation.
Of course, letting her loose meant finding a suitable location. According to Raven 12345’s estimates, a pup like Lily, who was undergoing such an explosive burst of power for the first time would not be able to hold their form. They could turn into full, beast mode or go feral altogether. Having such a transformation take place in the living room would be a disaster waiting to happen.
Hao Ren had that figured out. A barren place like the Southern Suburbs had no lack of wide, running plains. Beyond the backdoor of his house was a stretch of empty land reaching towards the hills. The area had no known inhabitants, not even a dirt path. Even if he allowed Lily to go wild all night long over there, he would not have to worry about disturbing the locals.
“Then again, werewolves are really one of a kind aren’t they?” Hao Ren looked at the Reconfiguration Chamber, which reminded him of a casket. He had nothing noteworthy to say about Lily being in the pod and tried to change the topic awkwardly. “Can she really turn into an actual wolf? She’s adorably dimwitted most of the time, I can’t quite imagine her going all feral.”
“Blessed be the ignorant…” Vivian scratched her head as she looked at Hao Ren. The latter’s face was brimming with curiosity. “When a werewolf goes feral, it will succumb to madness. What? Do you think it’ll be like a lazy dog sprawled on the floor, playing dead? I was there when Fenrir ripped Odin in half. Oh, all that blood spurt. It was a bloody sight. Even most highborn vampires won’t risk taking on a feral werewolf. Who cares if she’s an idiot, that won’t matter when she turns feral.”
Hao Ren decided to ignore the details about Fenrir ripping Odin to shreds. He knew that it was part of Vivian’s foreboding past. He could only pat his chest to calm himself down. “Well.. Raven 12345’s guaranteed that if she transforms, she’ll still keep her sanity… I’ll just believe her this once. Aren’t you interested to see how she’ll turn out to be? Do you have any idea just how cute this contrast of character is?
Vivian gave Hao Ren a very odd look. “What does that even mean? I turned into a bat to clean the house plenty of times. Never saw you noticing that.”
Hao Ren was stunned. “Uh… yeah? Why didn’t I?”
As Hao Ren and Vivian’s topic of conversation was getting way out of hand, Raven 12345 interjected. “Right, are you guys done with your nonsense? If so, get into the pods as well. I’ll be installing the translation module.”
Hao Ren almost forgot about that and was grimly reminded by Raven 12345 that he still had a date with the casket-shaped device. His looked forlornly at her. “Eh? I thought you said that was not due for another two days…”
“Oh, stop your whining. Let’s get it done already since you’re here.” Raven 12345 snapped her fingers and the floor not far from them split apart. Three new Bioenhacement and Reconfiguration Chambers slowly rose from the ground. “Anyhow, just get into the pod. Using the MDT as a translation tool is all fine and dandy but impractical at times. I’ll install a translation module into your psyche and this will allow you to speak with all races of the Empire without impediment. Which is more convenient, you’ll see in good time. Oh right, Y’zaks, go into the one on the right most. It’s a special variant which has a spatial regulator that can adjust itself to the shape of the user. It may look dainty but it’ll fit.”
Vivian was the first to nod and seemed totally unfazed by the prospect of going into the coffin looking machine. “We just lie down in there, right? Me first!”
“That’s a bloody casket!” Hao Ren reminded her but all he got was an unapologetic smile from Vivian. “So, what’s wrong if it‘s a casket? Not that I’ve never slept in one, mind you. There was a time where sleeping in caskets was a fad in the vampiric world. It had to do with one’s status. I even saved up for one made out of walnut wood with a decorative cross to boot. Too bad I lost it during the wars in Europe.”
Vivian slowly approached the device as she spoke. She gently touched the alloy surface of the machine, a nostalgic look appearing on her face. “This shape… this style… how I miss it. I loved sleeping in caskets shaped like this.”
A chill went down Hao Ren’s spine as he heard what Vivian said. Additionally, a cold sweat started to form on his forehead. He was even more adamant about not going into the machine.
However his protests were of no avail. By the time he realized it, Vivian and Y’zaks had already gone into their respective ‘caskets’, leaving Hao Ren alone in the room and Raven 12345 eyeing him dangerously.
That dangerous look was not merely a psychological reaction…
“Do you want to go in yourself or do I have to haul your ass into it?” Raven 12345 pointed towards the Reconfiguration Chamber. “If you really need me to…”
Before Raven 12345 could finish her sentence, Hao Ren leapt into the casket with utmost agility.
As the Reconfiguration Chamber sealed itself, Hao Ren quickly lost his consciousness.
In a semi-lucid state, Hao Ren started dreaming.
He saw himself standing on the surface of a body of water. It was indeed illogical but, he stood on it like it was firm ground. He looked around and saw familiar scenes on the shore: old-style houses, a noisy morning market and rolling hills as well as rivers he had never seen before. Yet, they were familiar.
The phantasmagoria by the shore was ever changing and ever moving. Hao Ren was surprised by the sight. He clearly knew he was dreaming but this did not happen the last time he was in the machine.
He suddenly felt a shudder underneath him. As he peered down, a dark, foreboding shadow slowly surfaced.
An unknown fear suddenly smothered Hao Ren. He felt that something particularly devilish was coming up from the deep abyss beneath him. The shadow in the water threatened to devour everything on the surface and beyond but foremost, Hao Ren.
“Boooommmm!!!”
A loud bang rang inside Hao Ren’s head and he realized that the phantasmagoria around him had disappeared. He was now floating in a dark void. It was a familiar feeling. He knew it from when he first underwent the reconfiguration process.
The short dream sequence earlier had seemingly disappeared without a trace.
From a distance, Raven 12345’s voice could be heard, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t hit the wrong button but why is the red light lit?”
Hao Ren could not muster a response in that state.
He was pretty sure the only reason he had not been killed by that lunatic of a goddess was his luck!
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