Seeing Li Ban quickly adapt to the Brain-Controlled Prosthesis, the Director nodded, turning to lead the two of them through the metal door.
The metal door opened silently, and they filed inside one by one.
Beyond the door wasn't the corridor Li Ban had expected, but a narrow, enclosed square space. It looked like an elevator.
Did they have to take an elevator between different laboratories?
"Seal this laboratory for now. Keep it closed until the researchers figure out exactly what went wrong," the Director instructed Chen Dong as the metal door slowly slid shut.
Chen Dong nodded, tapping a few more symbols on his tablet.
Li Ban looked around the elevator-like space.
Silver metal walls enclosed them on all sides.
Colorful halos of light flowed through the seams between each panel.
The entire "elevator" didn't vibrate in the slightest. It felt as if they had remained completely still the entire time.
What kind of technology could achieve this? Li Ban wondered. Why can't I even feel the inertia of our movement?
The technological level of the world housing this Laboratory seemed far higher than his previous life's world.
With his ordinary education and work experience, he simply couldn't comprehend things so far beyond his common sense.
About five or six seconds later, the flowing lights slowed and then stopped entirely.
The metal door opened again.
Li Ban looked out through the gap.
Outside was a laboratory in the exact same style, but three times the size.
Li Ban felt a little disappointed.
It was like transferring from one small box into a slightly larger small box.
During the transfer, he hadn't caught a single glimpse of the outside world.
He looked at Chen Dong's back again.
Compared to the cold and strict Director, Chen Dong was far more expressive and soft-spoken.
But for someone like that to live year-round in such a highly repetitive environment—wouldn't he go mad?
Just as Li Ban was lost in thought, his arms and legs suddenly moved on their own, refusing to follow his commands.
A moment later, he saw Chen Dong shoot him an apologetic smile.
He was controlling his limbs!
"What are you doing?"
The Brain-Controlled Prosthesis forced Li Ban to walk to the center of the room.
There were twenty Experimental Capsules in this room, most of them occupied.
In the middle stood a hollow glass pillar containing suspended metal probes and brackets. Indicator lights flowed across its surface, showing it was in use.
"What are you so nervous about?" the Director snapped. "Even if you've lost your past memories, you should still know how to obey orders! This is just a routine calibration before entering the new Experimental Capsule."
He ordered Chen Dong, "Stop dawdling and put him in!"
Li Ban's current body simply couldn't resist the Brain-Controlled Prosthesis. He could only suppress his unease and enter the glass pillar.
If it was just a routine calibration, why did they use the machine to control his limbs without saying a word?
Li Ban might not understand the technology here, but he understood human nature well enough.
But the situation left him no choice, and he was powerless to resist. As the metal probes attached to his skin one by one, he gave a violent shudder.
Then, a half-cover helmet descended onto his head.
"Bzzzt—"
A piercing electric buzz rang out.
Li Ban's shudder instantly turned into violent convulsions.
He thrashed frantically, the excruciating pain threatening to tear his brain apart.
It felt as if a hand had ripped off his skull and was brutally scrubbing his cerebral cortex.
Every muscle and tendon in his body seemed to melt into mud. He could only endure in silence, unable to even voice a scream of agony!
Watching Li Ban's extreme suffering inside the glass pillar, Chen Dong lowered his head in concern, monitoring the numbers and graphs on his tablet.
"Director, Li Ban is a junior researcher. He hasn't been in the Wizard World for long. If we use the maximum frequency for brainwashing right from the start, won't it cause permanent damage?"
The Director was also watching the machine's operation, but his focus clearly wasn't on Li Ban's safety.
"We have no choice. We finally confirmed the location of the Core Element. We must complete the identity verification and core transfer as quickly as possible."
"All twenty people here will participate in this operation, and every single one must be brainwashed. We only have one chance. We must succeed, and we cannot afford any mistakes due to someone's selfish desires."
Knowing further dissuasion was useless, Chen Dong murmured, "But Li Ban was only responsible for observing the warden in the Death Prison. He hasn't participated in any other tasks. Will he really be able to participate in this operation involving the Myriad Ancient Pagoda?"
"It's possible! Don't forget that Du An, the Death Prison warden, was promoted by Wan Chengming of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. According to the intel provided by Qin You, the corpses from the Death Prison are sent to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. This matches all our other information. If something happens at the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, Du An won't just sit by and watch."
"That aligns with what Li Ban reported," Chen Dong said in sudden realization. "Most of the corpses from the Death Prison are sent to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. So the one actually using the corpses is the Myriad Ancient Pagoda—it's Wan Chengming!"
Chen Dong grew excited.
Qin You's discovery of the Core Element's location had mobilized the entire Laboratory.
If they could really bring the Core Element back, the Laboratory's ultimate goal would be achieved.
Everyone, including himself, would be able to end this dark, sunless existence.
The Director nodded, feeling deeply emotional himself.
"We suspected Wan Chengming was the General before, but we never had reliable evidence. We originally intended to use the Assassin Hall's upcoming operation to test him in the chaos. But Qin You gave us a pleasant surprise by confirming it on his own. Wan Chengming's identity is now verified. The Core Element... haha, we've finally found the Core Element."
"The General would never hand the Core Element to anyone else, so Wan Chengming must be the General," the Director said decisively. "Prioritize transferring the Core Element. If the opportunity arises, kill the General!"
The Director assigned Chen Dong his tasks.
"To transfer the Core Element, we need to buy at least one hour of transfer time. Therefore, we must do everything possible to simultaneously gain the trust of both sides. In the chaos, we will rush the seventh floor first and lock it down!"
"There is still some time before the Assassin Hall attacks the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. Starting tomorrow night, Chen Dong, you will forcefully recall one sleeper agent each day for brainwashing. No one is to be greedy for merit; everyone must complete this mission with their lives."
"Understood!" Chen Dong said, then asked, "Director, how much preparation time do we have left? Will the Assassin Hall move ahead of schedule?"
"According to current intelligence, no. The Assassin Hall is still waiting for a key figure to arrive."
Seeing Chen Dong's curious and surprised gaze, the Director smiled smugly. "It is the current grand prince of the Wizard World's Imperial Dynasty, Li Yuan."
"Li Yuan?" Chen Dong repeated, immediately looking down to check his tablet. "Li Yuan's current identity is a grand prince—a Seventh-Tier identity!"
"What is Li Yuan doing in a remote place like Yu Province? The Assassin Hall isn't planning to assassinate him, are they?"
Chen Dong didn't normally care about the power struggles within the Wizard World, but now that they were using the situation to muddy the waters, he had to pay closer attention to the intel.
"We aren't entirely sure yet. Send more personnel into Yu Province and have them find a way to infiltrate the grand prince's reception entourage."
"I'm afraid we don't have enough researchers," Chen Dong said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a headache. "A couple of days ago, another researcher forcefully logged out and triggered side effects. He's still in emergency care."
"Then recruit more. If there's one thing the outside world doesn't lack, it's idle people with nothing better to do."
"...Alright." Chen Dong's hand paused over his tablet.
After a moment, he asked casually, "Director, can we determine exactly what Li Yuan is coming here for? It will help me arrange people to follow him in advance."
The Director didn't need to check a tablet as frequently as Chen Dong; his brain seemed to memorize all the intel.
"Li Yuan is the backer of Vice-Tower Master Gao Jingyan. His purpose for coming here is absolutely not simple. Qin You and Jiang Yue suspect that Wan Chengming's corpse-stitching might have been discovered."
"Corpse-stitching?" Chen Dong didn't quite understand the Director's meaning.
"It means taking ten corpses, dismembering parts from nine of them to stitch together a tenth, and then taking away the actual, intact tenth corpse. This way, the numbers don't appear to have decreased."
"I see." Realization dawned on Chen Dong. "Only the tower masters with the most power could pull off something like that."
As for what he did with the hidden corpses?
Naturally, it was to feed them to the Core Element!
Now that almost all the intel matched up, Chen Dong only hoped things would proceed according to their plan. At that moment, the glass pillar containing Li Ban stopped operating, and the probes and instruments retracted from his body one by one.
Li Ban, who had been in excruciating agony moments before, was now as peaceful as if he were asleep.
Seeing Li Ban's condition and the numbers on the tablet, the Director smiled in satisfaction.
"You see? The researchers we worked so hard to select are truly excellent. The brainwashing is complete, and the damage is minimal."
Chen Dong had been distracted by the Director's talk about the Myriad Ancient Pagoda and had forgotten to monitor Li Ban's condition, leaving him feeling slightly guilty.
He opened the glass pillar and manipulated the Brain-Controlled Prosthesis to walk Li Ban down.
Li Ban was still unconscious, so Chen Dong had to use mild electrical stimulation to wake him up as quickly as possible. As he operated the machine, the Director's voice rang out again. "When the Myriad Ancient Pagoda descends into chaos, that will be our time to strike. These people must be put into position in advance. If we wait until the incident happens to make our move, it will be too late."
Pausing, the Director added firmly, "When it happens, I want our people in every single corner of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, inside and out! I refuse to believe we won't secure the Core Element!"
Chen Dong tightened his grip on the tablet.
He was full of anticipation for this operation.
Looking up, he saw Li Ban slowly open his eyes. He stepped forward and asked with concern, "Li Ban, how are you feeling?"
Li Ban's gaze was tranquil and his expression natural, as if he hadn't just endured torment but had merely woken from a wonderful sleep.
He moved his hands and feet, discovering he could control his own body again.
"I feel... pretty comfortable."
The Director smiled in satisfaction.
"Exactly. The calibration is painful, but the machine forces your brain to forget the pain as quickly as possible, leaving only the comfort of a successful tuning. It will also help you complete your missions. Whenever you encounter difficulties, the mission assistance system will tell you the best way to handle it."
Li Ban nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Director."
Confirming that Li Ban's physical and mental states were normal, the Director prepared to leave. He had too many other things to arrange.
He left the remaining mission briefing to Chen Dong.
After the Director left, Chen Dong retracted the Brain-Controlled Prosthesis from Li Ban. He expected Li Ban to complain, but surprisingly, Li Ban merely rolled his wrists, readjusting to the control of his body without the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.
This was the effect of the brainwashing.
Chen Dong felt another wave of sorrow and helplessness.
He could only muster his spirits and smile at Li Ban. "It's about time. Enter your new Experimental Capsule first, and I'll brief you on the mission."
Li Ban nodded and, with Chen Dong's help, climbed into the new Experimental Capsule and lay down.
Standing to the side, Chen Dong checked the data on his tablet while speaking to Li Ban. "Your mission this time is primarily to assist our colleagues in the Myriad Ancient Pagoda. To prevent leaks, I'll notify you of the specifics a few days before the operation. You aren't part of the main strike team, but your task might change depending on the situation. During this period, ensure your own safety and keep an eye out for any missions issued by the Assassin Hall regarding the Fanggu Pagoda!"
"No problem." Li Ban nodded, lying back on the liquid metal that perfectly molded to his body.
"If someone speaks your number, 444, and the words 'Yun Du,' you must follow their arrangements. Their orders take the highest priority, even if it means exposing your identity as a sleeper agent."
"Understood," Li Ban echoed mechanically.
Chen Dong assured him, "This new Experimental Capsule allows for forced logouts. You don't need to worry about dying during the mission."
Li Ban merely gave a calm nod.
He seemed completely unconcerned about the issue that had troubled him for over a year.
Seeing the man's total disregard for his own well-being, the smile on Chen Dong's face was replaced by a mix of complex emotions.
"I'll send you back now. Because we're in an emergency state, I will initiate a forced awakening if any sudden incidents occur. If it's inconvenient for you, you can reject it the first time, but I will initiate a second attempt half an hour later. During that time, you must find a secure location and ensure you remain undisturbed."
"Understood."
Chen Dong operated the machine, closing the Experimental Capsule's lid. He watched as the life-support fluid enveloped Li Ban's body, and once the data confirmed that Li Ban had entered the Wizard World, he finally got up to leave.
Passing through the transfer chamber, Chen Dong arrived at another laboratory.
This laboratory was even smaller, containing only a single Experimental Capsule.
The Director, who had left moments ago, was currently standing in front of it, running calibrations.
A person was lying inside the Experimental Capsule.
"Director, you sent for me?"
The Director smiled. "Chen Dong, this is the new data character I've prepared for you. He holds a 5th-Tier identity."
"How did you obtain such a high-ranking identity?" Chen Dong asked in shock. He realized the Director truly had many hidden trump cards.
"The moment I confirmed the General's betrayal, I ordered people to prepare characters whose sole mission was to grow stronger and advance. By remaining completely hidden and taking on no other tasks, a few of them eventually climbed to the 5th Tier just when I needed them. And the one before you is highly relevant to our mission."
As a senior researcher who had entered the Wizard World multiple times, Chen Dong knew exactly how difficult it was to secure a 5th-Tier identity.
Advancement in the Wizard World didn't rely solely on talent and strength; background and connections were equally crucial resources.
Yet, the Laboratory's initial characters entering the Wizard World could only inhabit ownerless corpses from the River of Forgetfulness.
That meant they started with absolutely zero background, essentially climbing their way up from slavery.
"Should I prepare for the identity data transfer now?" Chen Dong asked.
But the Director shook his head. "No. Continue to oversee those twenty people; I don't trust anyone else. At the critical moment, I will wipe the original data, and you will directly enter this body."
Chen Dong's mouth fell open slightly.
Wiping the original data meant... the researcher currently controlling this 5th-Tier identity would suffer immediate brain death.
Assuming Chen Dong was worried about something else, the Director added, "Don't worry. I've prepared all his experience logs; you can review them at any time. He will also write down vital information on his body using ciphered text."
Chen Dong smiled bitterly. "Director, this is an outstanding researcher who managed to reach the 5th Tier. It wouldn't hurt to just let him complete the mission."
The Director, however, firmly refused. "No. This mission is far too important, and I only trust you. I know that no matter what happens, you will never betray the Laboratory or the Leader. As for the others, I have no such faith in them."
Chen Dong lacked the Director's unwavering conviction. "I don't even trust myself."
"Heh," the Director chuckled softly. "That's because you're too kindhearted."
"That isn't exactly a virtue for a researcher, is it? I still don't understand how I ever became a senior researcher," Chen Dong said, genuinely perplexed.
The Director merely smiled, offering no further explanation.
The Wizard World.
Li Ban finally opened his eyes.
The yellowed window paper was already shining white from the sunlight outside.
Judging by the brightness, he had probably slept right through until noon.
Expressionless, Li Ban sat up in bed.
A second later, he heard a prompt from the mission assistance system.
[The "Flute Sound" element has acquired a second ability: Mental Piercing.]