Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Chapter 065 The Power of the Five 'Wei'!

The hustle and bustle of the press conference hall at Tokyo's Arasaka Tower seemed to be silenced at that moment.

With an introspective perspective that seems to be a superposition of soul and thought, Vera gazes at the deep, dark reflection of herself.

It's like looking down at an old-fashioned vertical shaft that seems to have no bottom in reality.

A pool of water.

The only difference was that Vera suddenly found herself standing before thousands of 'well mouths,' and as far as the eye could see, whether looking up or down, all she could see was that boundless pool of water.

Profound and serene, it seems to be able to devour and encompass everything.

She couldn't quite describe the feeling, but each encounter brought her a unique and profound experience. Especially the moments when she embraced "God-given," breaking down boundaries and transforming the abstract into the concrete.

This was the second time Vera had experienced such a clearly audible sensation of ruptured membranes, broken windows, and climbing.

The first time was when she was desperately pushing herself to study hard at Arasaka Academy in Night City.

She rediscovered and embraced the Resident Evil version of herself that she knew.

What will it be this time?

Standing before the 'well', Vera gazed at the dark abyss beyond, as if looking through a tube at a leopard, vaguely observing the popping bubbles and spheres on the outer membrane, as rounds of light and shadow rose and fell. Her soul was filled with anticipation and longing.

A desire for unity.

And the rejection, the fear...

Just like the instinct of living beings to seek advantage and avoid harm, a very mysterious intuition told Vera that some of her 'soul fragments' were not something she could retrieve now.

Especially those things that are too distant, indescribable, silent and distorted, eerie and strange, dark, oppressive and heavy to the extreme, chaotic and murky, or a hodgepodge of colorful filth all crammed into it...

Even from a distance beyond the heavens, merely observing the traces of staining her own soul, Vera felt a slight yet incredibly pure and genuine sting and dizziness.

Interconnectivity and collaboration mean both unparalleled benefits and opportunities, as well as unknown negative risks.

There are endless temptations there, as well as unknown fears.

Vera chose to follow her heart.

She followed her deepest desires, along that unseen, ineffable sense of connection and the intertwined veins, and under an indescribable sense of constraint, she took a steady step forward.

To penetrate that barrier that is both unattainable and yet within reach.

In the instant the tides rose over the boundless sea beyond, Vera reached out to the "veins" surrounding her, and—

She remained in a state of perfect harmony with "God-given," which seemed to last only a moment, yet also seemed to have been a long time.

Well.

An unprecedented feeling of fullness, and a tingling sensation as if everything from perception to thought to body to soul was being filled.

Countless chaotic images began to overlap, and light and shadow slowly and precisely categorized, summarized, and focused. With her eyes closed and her fingers lightly touching her forehead, Vera quietly followed the fresh thoughts that resonated continuously in unison with the same frequency of "pulse".

Three.

Vera had a sudden realization.

This is the maximum threshold she can currently safely engage with.

This time, she seized the opportunity and rediscovered the three "other selves".

Um, right?

Well, it seems a bit weak.

Could it be that her subconscious, her "true self" as Wei, is always picking on the weak and opportunistic?

Firstly, in Vera's 'intuition', the world that seemed safest was becoming increasingly dull as synchronized memories continued to flood in.

It's just an ordinary, modern, secular world, without supernatural urban legends, distorted history, hidden superpowered individuals, strange and unusual subspecies, mutants, or well-known international powers...

The ordinary rise and entrepreneurial history of a young arms dealer.

From an ordinary person's perspective, that life might seem exciting and fulfilling, but for Vera, who was used to fieldwork in the cyberpunk world and had been a senior executive of an international pharmaceutical giant and now the CEO of a military enterprise in the Resident Evil world, it was bland, really too bland.

However, she quickly accepted her 'ordinary' self and didn't complain about it too much.

Come to think of it, there aren't that many perfect things in the world, where you can always draw the best lot. If you have a natural 'intuition' to avoid harm, you should be secretly happy. Things have good and bad aspects, as long as it's not the worst, why complain?

Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, isn't it?

Secondly, it was a world Vera chose based on her intuition, a world suitable for her current stage of digestion, solidifying her foundation, experiencing different things, and accumulating some new technological reserves.

As the synchronized memories of this world were sorted out, Vera's expression became slightly strange.

Some of the institutions and things inside looked increasingly familiar the more you looked at them.

This world has also naturally progressed through the Industrial Revolution and entered the modern secular world of the 21st century. History has not gone astray; it's just that there are now more cannibalistic creatures in the cities.

Ghouls are ghouls who, under normal circumstances, are no different from ordinary people in appearance, have higher physical strength than humans, possess the predatory organ kagune, and can only consume human flesh and coffee.

The Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau (CCG) is an organization that investigates ghoul-related incidents worldwide.

He created special living weapons called Quinques by killing ghouls or removing their kagune, using their kagune, and the manufacturing technology.

The story of a ghoul investigator (White Dove) who routinely clocks in and out, kills ghouls, extracts kagune to create quinques, and then advances through the ranks of the CCG in a workplace setting within the system.

Vera nodded with a hint of satisfaction.

It's alright. Although it's not exactly gourmet food, it's still a decent side dish.

Vera was very interested in the manufacturing technology and related modification processes of Quinque.

Third...

"Vera."

"Vera?"

"Vera Adelheid..."

The call caused Vera to shift some of her attention from her inner turmoil to the realities of the outside world.

click!

The new extraterrestrial interaction, the power of the three 'Wei' combined, the body instantly filled with power, the all-round enhancement, exhilarating! It felt as if even the combat prosthetics of the whole body were joyfully connecting, bursting out with a 99.99999% compatibility that only existed in theory. The sudden increase in power caused the touch screen of the data panel to crack the moment Vera lightly clenched her fist as usual.

The touchscreen emitted a crisp click, and a tiny electric arc was emitted momentarily from the failure of an electronic component.

"Sir?"

"Director Russell?!"

Vera turned her head and saw Shintaro Takayama looking at her with a puzzled expression. Goro Takemura, Santayu Oda, and the cyber ninja Arasaka, who was in charge of security in the press conference hall, also looked at her with vigilance and questions.

You startled them. Why did you crush the data board at Lord Saburo's press conference?

"Ah, sorry, I was just thinking of an improvement plan when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me. Do you know what that feels like?"

Without any discomfort, as if it were meant to be, Vera quickly and smoothly adapted to the new 'Oneness' amplification power, her expression unchanged, as she gestured.

"I see."

Takemura and Oda nodded and continued to perform their duties, their sharp eyes scanning the faces and bodies of the reporters and media personnel present in the press conference hall. Shintaro Takayama gestured for Vera to follow, as it was time for Saburo-sama's press conference to end and for him to leave safely.

Vera nodded without hesitation.

At this moment, although she had just woken up from her sudden enlightenment, she had no desire to stay here and watch Saburo Arasaka's performance any longer. She couldn't wait to focus her attention and explore what new insights she might gain.

Unfortunately, it's impossible. She's currently a favorite of Sanlang, and even the top boss isn't resting, so she can't get away.

After all, the news that she had been promoted to a candidate for the North American Management Council had been made public internally, and everyone in Arasaka Corporation knew that this manager, who came from the cesspool of Night City to study in Tokyo, had reached the highest levels of government.

The three great joys in life are passing the imperial examination, getting a promotion and a raise, and meeting an old friend in a foreign land, finding one's true self again.

Double the joy.

Let's play drills together for now, you old man.

Vera suppressed her inner desire and looked at Saburo Arasaka, who was walking towards her with a powerful, domineering yet amiable air as he finished his speech and hype for the newly released product.

"Sir Saburo."

Vera placed her right hand on her chest and then naturally followed Saburo as they left the press conference venue.

Saburo was only there to deliver a visionary speech; the specific R-618 'New Life' medicine and its accompanying physiotherapy and maintenance products will naturally be explained and promoted by dedicated marketing experts and sales specialists.

“Vera,” he said, “come closer.”

After offering a perfunctory apology to Shintaro Takayama, Vera stepped forward, three steps behind Saburo's right, almost alongside Hanako Arasaka on his left.

This scene, captured almost instantly by countless reporters based on their professional instincts.

Saburo ignored him, speaking in a halting Tokyo accent, as if discussing official business:

"Vera, what would you say if I partially revealed the Solar Staircase project and released a partially crippled version of the R-618 'Rebirth' drug, in cooperation with biotechnology and the European Community?"

"Your will."

Vera answered almost instantly.

"It's better to guide than to block. Your 'rejuvenation' method must have already been placed on the desks of the key figures in our friendly nations and companies in Arasaka. Abandoning it is not giving up, but rather acting after careful planning. It is often the short-sighted who are petty. Arasaka needs allies. At least until it is revived, it needs allies."

Vera explained her understanding, emphasizing the last syllable when she mentioned "friendly nations and companies".

"continue."

Nodding, Saburo Arasaka's lips curled up slightly.

He seemed quite satisfied with Vera's attitude and response.

“I will not underestimate the wisdom of others. Only fools think others are fools. Similarly, I do not think I am worse than them. Rather than letting them steal, cheat, and rob, we should provide some benefits to regulate them. We, Arasaka, have set industry standards for our products.”

Vera isn't actually afraid if it's just about having her technology stolen.

The most valuable components of the Solar Ladder project are probably the Solar Ladder flower and its purified progenitor virus, while other improvements, such as the R-618 'Newborn' agent, are derived from byproducts of virus research.