Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots

Chapter 1193: Chapter 487: Retreating Amid Turbulence

A week later, just as Ron expected, Cassandra approved Cedric’s field test application.

When he received the notification, Ron could only comply with the arrangements and headed to the deep area of the laboratory first.

After passing through triple identity verification and a thorough decontamination process, he finally entered the experimental zone.

Three Vital prisoners were held here, placed in specially designed transparent cells.

The appearance of the three Vital people was indeed as legendary, vastly different from the subhuman species in this quadrant.

The prisoners didn’t seem fearful; instead, they exhibited expressions resembling curiosity.

”The way Vital people express emotions is completely different from ours.”

Cedric explained to the observers present while tuning the monitoring equipment:

”Their collective consciousness rarely allows them to experience true loneliness, fear, or despair.

This psychological trait makes them formidable enemies on the battlefield, but now it turns to our advantage—they’re more open to new, unknown experiences.”

The experimental setup was installed in a specially isolated chamber.

The three Vital individuals were placed separately in different experience pods, each connected to a myriad of monitoring devices.

”We’ll start with the most basic experiences.”

Cedric’s fingers flew over the control panel, precisely adjusting various parameters under his manipulation:

”Let’s inject them with some simple feelings of joy and satisfaction first, and observe their response patterns and adaptation speeds.”

As the equipment started, subtle changes began to occur on the faces of the three Vital individuals.

Their once calm and curious expressions first showed confusion—that instinctive reaction when encountering a completely unfamiliar experience.

Then came surprise and curiosity, finally transforming into an almost intoxicated expression.

The data on the monitoring equipment changed at an alarming rate.

Their brainwave activity rapidly intensified, while the secretion levels of neurotransmitters soared to abnormally high values.

”As expected, the effect is excellent...”

Cedric’s eyes were fixed on the constantly jumping data:

”Their reaction intensity is much stronger than that of human subjects.

The prolonged suppression of collective consciousness makes them unusually sensitive to individualized sensory experiences.”

”This sensitivity is precisely what we need.

If they have such strong reactions to basic experiences, then when we administer the full version of the cognitive virus...”

Ten minutes later, when the experience program ended, the reactions of the three Vital individuals surprised everyone present.

Their eyes showed obvious disappointment and longing.

One of the Vital people even started using mental tendrils to tap on the transparent panel of the experience pod, trying to reactivate the sensory connection they just had.

”They’ve already developed a clear dependency reaction.”

A nearby Alchemist exclaimed in shock:

”Just ten minutes of basic experience have induced symptoms similar to drug addiction.”

”This perfectly proves the correctness of our theory.”

Cedric excitedly recorded various data, his fingers trembling slightly from excitement:

”The Vital people’s craving for virtual sensory experiences far exceeds our most optimistic estimates.

If we can design more complex and enticing experience content...”

At that moment, an unexpected incident occurred.

One of the Vital individuals suddenly started convulsing violently, his body twitching as if electrically shocked.

His eyes began to shed fluid akin to tears.

Simultaneously, a noise resembling metal friction emanated from his mouth, sharp and piercing, making everyone present feel a chill down their spines.

”What is he saying?”

Ron asked nervously, instinctively sensing the situation was spiraling out of control.

Cedric hurriedly retrieved the language translation device.

When the Vital language was translated into human language, everyone present turned pale:

”More... give me more... I need to experience that feeling again... I cannot exist without it...”

The voice was filled with a desperate longing, akin to a dying person’s struggle for life.

Meanwhile, the other two Vital individuals began to exhibit similar symptoms.

Their silver skin started to ripple mysteriously, as if something was moving beneath the surface.

”This is wrong...”

Cedric stared at the monitoring data, cold sweat dripping from his forehead:

”Their neural activity patterns have become abnormal; this transformation is beyond our anticipated scope...”

”Immediately abort the experiment!”

Ron decisively ordered, but it was too late.

The symptoms of the three Vital individuals further deteriorated; they started banging their heads against the walls of their cells, emitting even more harrowing howls.

Ultimately, after deploying high-pressure sedation gas and a Spiritual Force Field suppressor, the research team barely managed to subdue the three Vital individuals, who had almost entirely become ”addicts.”

But without a doubt, this experiment also fully demonstrated to Cassandra the terrifying power of the ”cognitive virus” program.

When those struggling Vital people were dragged out of the laboratory, Cedric was nearly jumping with excitement.

In his view, this was not a failure but an unexpectedly successful outcome.

And because of this achievement, when the technical route divergence was presented to Cassandra, she made a choice with hardly any hesitation.

”Time is our most scarce resource.”

In the conference room, Cassandra stood before the star map:

”According to the latest intelligence from the front lines, the Vital people are assembling an unprecedentedly huge fleet; that ’Star Domain Lord’ I expended considerable effort to repel might also make a comeback.”