Soul Trigger

Chapter 705 St. Martin's Asylum
Clementine, who had just emerged from the inverted cross, looked resentful.

Inside, she had to endure different time flows.
"I spent a full six months inside this time..."

"So, do you want kisses, hugs, and to be lifted up high?"

Clementine shrank back:
"Not really..."

"Shall I take you to the chocolate street after we go out?"

Clementine immediately flashed a smile, then realized she had messed up and quickly straightened her face.

"it is good."

I know what you're thinking, don't I? A lonely little girl, starved of love:

"Alright, can you sense the dimension we're currently in?"

"Limbo...and there's a lot of danger there."

Clementine scanned her surroundings, her spiritual black hair spreading out, but Ji Li stopped her:

"Keep your movements small, look over there first."

At Ji Li's prompting, Clementine looked towards the corner and spotted the surveillance camera there, sensing its activation:

“I can sense that it is an extension of some kind of sustenance, but it cannot observe me as long as I don’t make eye contact with it. But something feels very wrong here.”

Clementine opened her eyes and instinctively tightened her distinctive nun's habit:
"The surrounding area is filled with the territories of other resting places, some of which could reach the boundary with just a little extension."

There were whispers within those spirits… something wanted to speak to me.

"Ignore them and don't respond. Avoid those resting objects, quickly familiarize yourself with the space here, and then come back and report to me."

Unlike ordinary personal relics, the most distinctive feature of burial objects is "rules above all else." Within a certain threshold, these rules can even be above the spiritual level.

Therefore, Clementine's ghost nun traits are very powerful here. As long as the taboo of "interaction" in her rules is violated, she is almost impossible to be discovered, provided that she does not trespass on the territory of other resting beings.

Because Ji Li didn't know whether the rules of those pacifiers would expose Clementine, or even put her in danger.

As the largest burial site in Saint Root County, the Saint Martin Vault contains a dense and diverse number of burial sites, including several high-risk entities that could endanger immortals. Even Ji Li has to be careful here.

"Don't act rashly. Before we get serious, you are my greatest asset here. You absolutely cannot die."

Clementine's eyes flickered, and she gritted her teeth slightly:

"understand!"

After Clementine left, Ji Li also left the dormitory and headed to the activity area for D-level personnel.

Although there is no full-area map yet, the commuting map given by the old doctor has marked the dormitories and activity areas of Class D personnel. He can go and scout out the locations first to prepare for finding Rabbit Girl quickly later.

If all goes well, we can also quickly ascertain the situation of Jasmine and Che Li.

Dinner was eaten in the cafeteria. The cafeterias for people below level B were not separate, so Ji Li was able to see most of the level D people.

Ji Li saw Jasmine in the cafeteria area, with a handsome male researcher staying by her side the whole time.

Since Jasmine has been spotted, Kari, who works with her, should be nearby too, but...

Ji Li looked around for a while, and even after scraping the pig feed off his plate, he still couldn't see any female D-level personnel who looked like Che Li.

Just as he was about to give up, a figure came into view.

The person was dressed in the uniform of a Class D personnel. While not exactly disheveled, she was dressed as a female ghost, with long hair that basically covered her entire face. She was escorted in by two armed men.

This didn't attract much attention, but Ji Li noticed subtle changes in Jasmine's expression, especially after the Ascension Agreement magnified her face, which stood out particularly in Ji Li's eyes:

This is obviously Kurani.

However, the way he was completely handcuffed and shackled made him look different from other ordinary Class D personnel.

"Hey, Amuro, why are you sitting here all alone?"

Interrupted from his thoughts, Ji Li turned his head and saw the C-level intern who had tried to get close to him earlier.

The two sat down next to him, clearly wanting to get closer.

The Ludwig family were considered elites in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and they received all sorts of sycophancy.

Ji Li noticed the two men's attitude and turned to them with a warmer attitude, asking about the situation of the D-level personnel being held captive.

The two were immediately flattered:
"This kind of setup is usually used for D-level personnel involved in 'deep experiments,' who are at least peak-level knights, so they are strictly escorted. It is generally used for deep experiments involving A-level susceptibles."

Within the vault, experiments involving benzoin were also categorized into several levels.

The lowest level is "contact experiment", the middle level is "interactive experiment", and the highest level is called "deep experiment".

The higher the level, the more dangerous the experimental activities are for Class D personnel. This classification is not so much related to the level of the pacifier itself.

Because regardless of the grade of benzodiazepines (A, B, C, D), any experiment involving it will almost always result in death.

"Also used as a consumable?"

"Pretty much. The more resilient an awakened being is, the thicker their skin will be when facing the costs and punishments of those resting objects and rules. Naturally, they will be more durable consumables."

"Moreover, these people are said to be in special custody, in a different area from the regular D-level personnel... This information should all be in the files our mentor gave us, haven't you looked at it yet?"

The old doctor's face appeared in Ji Li's mind:
"I haven't finished watching it yet."

Then, while exchanging pleasantries with the two men, the Ascension Protocol panel appeared on his retina, displaying the documents he had previously scanned and showing the contents of their conversation.

In addition to information related to deep experiments and high-risk Class D personnel, there is a special situation called "Deep Alert".

When an in-depth experiment begins, a warning will appear on everyone's wristwatch, and these time periods will be strictly scheduled on the calendar.

Because deep experiments often involve uncertainty and may lead to unexpected events, all personnel must be prepared.

However, the schedule the senior researcher gave him did not show any "deep" experiments during those three days.

In other words, Cherry's current situation is the identity that Jasmine specially arranged for her.

They appear to be the most dangerous "Deep" Class D personnel, but in fact, they have been protected because there have been no Deep experiments recently.

Besides Che Li, several other people dressed similarly were also pushed in by the guards and began to eat.

There were men and women, but unlike the ghostly aura of Chari, these people looked much more formidable, probably carrying a natural "prison bandit" vibe.

The leader had a shiny bald head, and his mere presence scared away two C-level personnel.

After gathering some intelligence, Ji Li returned to his dormitory after finishing his meal.

Having confirmed Jasmine and Che Li's situation, Ji Li had not yet found anything that could be used or where he could help. On the contrary, the matter involved Rabbit Girl and the Remains of God, which might disrupt Jasmine and Che Li's plans.

We can get them out too, then. As for the matter between Cherry and Hoshimon...

When the Tower of Babel's Dead Apostles attack the city, will your Star Gate still have time to think about causing trouble for others?

That night, Clementine returned, still shaken, and showed Ji Li the terrain she had recorded.

Because she couldn't enter the territories of those resting objects, which were within the containment chambers, she only showed Ji Li most of the commuting space.

The reason she was still shaken was that when she passed by one of the Class A Resting Object territories, she was almost dragged in by something inside.

"Have you checked the archives? Where is the person I'm looking for?"

"I've seen her. Isn't she an Asian woman with long gray hair, shorter than me, with a less attractive figure, and a rather unsightly appearance who has had plastic surgery?"

Ji Li turned his head away expressionlessly:
"Putting one down to praise another?"

Clementine looked away:

"...She is not a Class D personnel."

Ji Li raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"She is a containment object, stored in containment chamber A-289, in the perilous Area A!"

Was the little rabbit girl locked up as a burial object?

This was something Ji Li hadn't expected.

However, this guy's situation is indeed quite rare.

One issue is the dual-soul, twin existence; the other is the latent power within her, which could indeed lead to her being imprisoned as a containment object.

The St. Martin Vault is itself a prison, and it doesn't specify that the items it contains must be resting objects.

How is she?

Clementine immediately curled her lip:

"The patient's physical condition is shown as good in the database... so I guess there's no problem."

"Then what about the path to the remains of the gods?"

"I discovered a peculiar hollow area deep within Area A. My senses penetrated into it, and all I saw was complete chaos. I think that must be it. But I don't know any further details..."

"It's alright, let's call it a day for tonight."

Therefore, the ultimate goal is to reach the depths of Area A.

Ji Li glanced at the documents given to him by his "mentor". Tomorrow morning was for a tour and an overview of the vault, while in the afternoon he would participate in a very ordinary "contact" experiment with a Class B benzoin.

This clearly doesn't meet the threshold for Class A styrax.

Ji Li glanced at the locked door. It was nighttime, and travel was basically prohibited for all personnel.

The "Eye of the Overlord" will allow him to do most of his things, so as long as he can get an A-level identity card, he can go directly to the depths of Area A.

Whether it's finding the remains of a god or dealing with the rabbit and Che Li, Ji Li first needs to obtain the permission to freely enter and exit all rooms of the vault.

As long as action is not hindered, most goals are within easy reach.

Therefore, the primary goal for tomorrow is to obtain an access card for Class A personnel.

After sleeping with Clementine in his arms for a night, Ji Li, who had abstained from sex for a week, didn't feel any pleasure and even felt a little cold.

This thing is absolutely the best way to beat the summer heat, after all, the ghost nun has no body temperature, and if you sleep with her, you'll dream about Antarctica.

After leaving her in the dormitory to watch over the house and to be available for summons at any time, Ji Li followed the commuting schedule the old professor had given him the day before and went to his project team.

There were no elaborate self-introductions or enthusiastic welcome parties; everything was just a cold, impersonal work arrangement.

The people here all had a numb and cold expression on their faces, and their conversations revolved around the benzoin experiments.

The pacification experiments here mainly revolve around the rules governing pacification itself.

One is to explore the rules of pacifics themselves, and the other is to explore the boundaries of the rules of pacifics, as well as their uses and applications.

The dangers of mortises are immense, so they require living consumables, which is why these Class D personnel risk their lives to explore them.

Besides Ji Li, there are two other C-level newcomers here.

The morning is the visiting time:
"Do you see that thing?"

The old doctor pointed to the huge area below. Inside the open door, five Class D personnel were looking at an unknown "creature" leaning against the wall.

Or perhaps the word "biological" shouldn't be used, because it looks like an abstract sculpture cast from unknown materials with a non-human face.

"A-173 'Twisted Neck'. It was discovered alongside the Black Sun Palace, but so far we have not been able to explore all its rules."

What is known is that it is extremely fast, almost teleporting, and possesses a strong killing intent, killing any living thing by snapping its neck from behind.

The soul of anyone whose neck is snapped by it will be instantly annihilated. The most powerful Awakened being it has ever killed was the previous Chief Administrator, an Echo-level Immortal.

However, it can only move when it is not being watched, so at least five Class D personnel are required to blink in sequence to ensure the experiment can proceed normally.

It's intelligent; it can open doors, and only sealed containers can quiet it down.

A resting place capable of killing immortals... a malevolent anomaly of the level of the Netherworld?

This was one of the most noteworthy sedatives Veronica told Ji Li about, because it was deadly enough.

At this moment, a riot broke out below. It seemed that the D-level personnel had made a mistake, causing Twisted Neck to go berserk and instantly kill three people.

His neck snapped and exploded, splattering blood everywhere.

The old doctor, who witnessed this scene, burst into laughter:
“You see, sometimes things do go wrong... but generally it’s not a big problem. As long as we close the gate, we can seal it off directly.”

The operators nearby were indeed doing the same thing, but Ji Li noticed that there seemed to be someone still alive inside:

What about those Level D personnel inside?

The old doctor gave him a strange look:
"Of course it was consumed; they signed a contract after all."

The sealed chamber had been completely closed, sealing away all the screams and blood within.

Ji Li shook his head slightly:

The plight of the weak.

Call it cold-blooded or just a safeguard for containment, the researchers here are completely absorbed in their research, oblivious to the world around them.

If he lets these 173cm guys go out and have some fun killing, Ji Li feels he won't need to feign humanitarian mourning.

After touring around, besides the Neck Twist Guy, the old doctor also showed Ji Li the "Death Record," which attracts spirits to compose music with their own blood; the "Black Old Man," which can absorb shadows and chaos and release a decaying black body; and the "All-World Coffee Machine," which is said to be able to mix any liquid mixture in the world.

It is worth noting a spatial respite object called "Heart-Palking Cube," one of the respite objects that Veronica had warned Ji Li about in advance, which has the terrifying ability to distort spacetime.

The old doctor led them around, using his Class A identification card to open various containment chambers and educate them on scientific concepts.

Although his attitude was that of a visitor, strictly speaking, this was an emergency drill.

"If containment goes completely out of control, the first thing to watch out for is these most dangerous resting objects. You'd better pray that your three-day internship goes smoothly."

"Thank you very much for your explanation and introduction."

Ji Li smiled broadly and sincerely thanked him.

Now I know the fastest way to break into this shelter.

Just as Ji Li was pondering how to obtain an A-level access card like his, the old doctor led them to a special door:
C-914 means that the contained items here are very safe, and even the observation post is unguarded.

Seemingly pleased with the naiveté of Ji Li and the other two, he led them inside, got three cups of coffee at the observation post, and then went directly into the containment chamber.

Inside was a huge machine:

"C-914, a universal converter. It has multiple processing methods, including deterioration and finishing. Let me show you."

He put the coffee into the channel on the left side of the machine and turned the knob, closing the door.

After a roar, the hatch on the right opened, revealing the three cups of coffee inside.

The old doctor handed three cups of coffee to Ji Li and the other two, telling them to enjoy them without worry.

Ji Li took a sip and felt his spiritual energy surge dramatically:
"what is this?"

"Haha, it can directly process some items into items with spiritual properties and endow them with extraordinary power. Once it processes the right things, it can continuously transform them into resources that are beneficial to us."

However, it is not omnipotent. Even if the items it processes are the same, slight differences can lead to huge differences. For example, coffee from different places of origin can produce very different results.

It might become a powerful spiritual restorative agent in your hands, or it might become an extremely potent poison, or even a super caffeine strong enough to keep even immortals awake... Therefore, it is still in the midst of a long period of experimentation.

These words immediately dampened the enthusiasm of the other two who were initially tempted.

If you modify your own psychic tools, wouldn't they turn into divine artifacts?
This idea has now been dispelled by the old doctor's explanation, but Ji Li doesn't think so.

"Don't overthink it. Because the object is very fragile, although this is a Class C containment chamber, only Class A personnel can freely enter and exit, except for designated experimental projects."

Really?

After the group left, Ji Li immediately instructed Clementine:

"Come here and get your access card."

The ghost nun passed through as if she were in an empty room, took Ji Li's key card, and then passed through layers of walls to enter the room of the universal converter.

Since it can process coffee into top-quality coffee, can this same thing also be used to process access cards into top-level access cards?
After examining the machine in front of her, Clementine spat out the access card from her spiritual black hair and placed it into the passage according to the remote instructions that Ji Li had just observed the old doctor using, selecting "refined processing".

After lunch, Ji Li returned to his dormitory and took the key card that Clementine handed him.

The "C" above has disappeared, replaced by a large "Prime".

"how?"

The latter looked excited:
"It can now open all rooms, including Class A containment chambers; it has become a universal key card!"

It really works...

Ji Li flipped the key card over and looked at it. Apart from the eye-catching gold-plated "Prime" lettering, he was extremely satisfied.

If everything goes smoothly, then he can spend the afternoon's experiment first, and it will be time for him to take action in the evening.

As Ji Li flipped the card in his hand, a smile inevitably crept onto his face.

We need to make some preparations, lest that Rabbit Girl, upon seeing me, treats me like a death knell and starts fighting desperately, just like Jasmine did.

After lunch, as Ji Li leisurely walked towards the experimental site, a security team hurriedly pushed aside the researchers in the road ahead and brushed past Ji Li.

He frowned: What's going on?

The next moment, bright red words flashed on his watch:
High alert.

[All personnel are requested to be on high alert to prevent any leakage of burial goods...]

[Repeated: All personnel are requested to be on high alert to prevent any leakage of burial materials!]

(End of this chapter)