Chapter 603: Turn The Tides Of War

Lila's laughter echoed, "Haha, how cute of you to worry, and rightfully so. But let me assure you, this is the safest piece of tech out there. The end product you see now is the culmination of decades of research, sweetie. We didn't proceed to human trials until we were certain there would be no harmful or irreversible effects," Lila explained with infectious enthusiasm.

Lucy chimed in with a warm smile, "Ms. Sterling, Dr. Lila is right. I've been here a few weeks now, and after the initial day of installation, I've never felt better. These tubes are just for calibration or something along those lines."

Rachel nodded, feeling slightly reassured by Lucy's smile, yet one question lingered, "But how will you replenish mana if you plan to take a long walk outside? Mars doesn't have mana in its atmosphere like Earth," she inquired, looking from Lucy to Lila for answers.

"That's where this comes in," Before Lucy could respond, Lila was already holding up a syringe filled with a shimmering transparent liquid. Rachel furrowed her brows as she saw Lila pressing a button on the syringe to extend the needle while she explained, "We call it the Mana Syringe, far more efficient and quicker than any mana potion. Just stab this into your arm, and it replenishes your mana to full within seconds. Of course, you need the M.A.M module installed for it to work."

Rachel's eyes widened, a mix of amazement and slight apprehension evident in her gaze, "You mean a mana-born can use this syringe whenever they're about to run out of mana?"

"Exactly," Lila confirmed with a proud smirk, "For mana-less individuals, it lets them walk freely on Mars. For people like us, especially Hunters, it means more than that. Imagine engaging in combat without worrying about mana depletion. Unlike mana potions, which require time and safety to take effect, you can use the Mana Syringe mid-battle. Do you realize how revolutionary this is?" Lila asked with a crazed light in her eyes.

Rachel slowly nodded with her gaze fixed on the syringe. Even without Lila telling her, she knew how mind-blowing this product was. If what Lila said was true, then this alone could change the tide of the war against the demons.

It would be so easy to crush demons when they can replenish mana rapidly during combat. Every expert knew that the key to surviving a battle was to prioritize the usage of mana and never be the first to run out of it.

Rachel couldn't help but feel the weight of the potential such technology held.

Lucy let out a wistful sigh, her eyes reflecting a longing for her younger days, "I wish I were young enough to see what it's like to use this syringe in combat."

Lila reached over to pat Lucy's hand gently, "You're such a darling, Lucy. Who knows, maybe one day we'll develop something that lets you experience that again. The possibilities with mana-tech are practically endless," Lila claimed with a fervid smile.

Rachel watched the exchange, noticing the fervor in Lila's eyes as if she might have more such tech stowed away.

Lucy responded with hopeful anticipation, "I believe you can invent even the impossible, Dr. Lila."

Lila laughed and gave a mock shy smile, "I might blush like a little girl with all your compliments. Why don't you take some rest now, Lucy? Rachel and I will continue our tour without disturbing you further."

Lucy nodded with a warm smile as Lila led Rachel towards the center of the hall, bustling with activity.

"All the health and institutional boards approved these trials easily?" Rachel's voice broke the silence between them, her tone laced with a mix of disbelief and veiled concern. She was careful to mask her deeper worries about the ethical dimensions of what she was witnessing; too much skepticism might make people like Lila suspicious of her true intentions.

"Ahuhu," Lila's laughter echoed lightly through the hall as she patted Rachel's shoulder, a gesture that felt both condescending and dismissive, "Sweetie, when have we ever stopped to ask permission from those primitive beings who run these boards? They throw around their so-called ethical guidelines like roadblocks to progress. Ethics evolve just as our needs do. Waiting for their approval means stalling humanity's victory against demons. Our volunteers, like Lucy, are not mere subjects; they are pioneers forging the path for humanity's evolution."

Rachel's eyes narrowed subtly. She hadn't anticipated that these trials might bypass standard regulatory oversights, but Lila's cavalier attitude was unveiling a different layer of operation within the WHA—one that operated under its own rules, perhaps even outside of them.

She didn't know if she should feel shocked to know that the most revered and respected association on Earth considered them above the law. Were they doing as they pleased for all these years, unchecked? Why would her dad not do things the proper way when he always preached integrity and morals to the people?

Even if this tech was safe and her dad ignored these things for the sake of humanity, what's to stop anyone else in WHA from trying something dangerous or unethical without any approvals by using his acts as precedent?

As the President, shouldn't he pave the right path and be a role model? Why would he work with people like Lila who used eloquent words to justify whatever these things? Why was he getting more unrecognizable the more she was digging deeper into these things?

Despite her internal turmoil, Rachel maintained a composed exterior, "You're right, Lila. Who cares about the backward opinions of those committees? I've been on the front lines enough to understand that advancements like these are what will secure our future. Besides the Mana Adaptation Module, are there other technologies here that could shift the tide in our war against demons?"

Lila's smile widened, a spark of excitement flickering in her eyes, "Oh, absolutely, sweetie. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Your daddy particularly wants your expertise on our mini-project M.A.M first. Once we make headway there, I'll introduce you to other groundbreaking initiatives. One step at a time, yes?" Her head tilted slightly, her demeanor both inviting and mysterious.

Rachel nodded, her smile firm yet thoughtful, "That sounds reasonable. I'm eager to contribute and learn."

Rachel knew she shouldn't push, and Lila probably wouldn't trust her with more details until she earned her confidence.

"Excellent!" Lila exclaimed, her energy seemingly boundless, "I'll let Lenny bring you up to speed with everything while I check on our other pioneers. We'll catch up later, sweetie," With a playful wink, Lila turned away, her white lab coat swishing behind her as she walked away.

Rachel remained standing on the spot, her expression becoming contemplative. She was still processing what she learned right after coming here, especially the MAM module.

Ignoring the ambitious goals of Project Mars, just the MAM module alone could be a game changer. At least, Hunters would have less to worry about when going up against demons. They will never win in a battle of attrition.

But how would the demon king himself...Asher, react to this?

"Hey! I bet you must have found it cool too?"

Lenny's voice echoed suddenly beside Rachel's ears, making her reel her thoughts back in, and she turned around with a light smile, "It's groundbreaking. But..." Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "What do you do here, Lenny? Does your or...our guild run any operations here?"

Lenny narrowed his eyes and chuckled as he scratched his chin, "Of course. But it's nothing interesting. Just menial stuff."

Rachel slowly nodded, though she felt that he was hiding something that he definitely didn't want her to know.

"Why don't I show you the ropes now? Come on!" Lenny said with a wave of his hand as he turned around while Rachel followed behind.

The dark hallway stretched before Lila, its shadowed length only broken by intermittent pools of dim light. With confident strides, she approached the imposing steel doors at the end. A soft beep signaled the retinal scan's completion, and the doors parted with a pneumatic hiss, revealing the chamber within, bathed in an unsettling reddish glow from a small window.

Inside, the room was dominated by a large chair at its center, occupied by a figure in a heavy, dark golden armored suit designed like a rhinoceros, complete with a horned helmet and a visor that obscured the eyes. The subtly glimmering armor was not only stronger than steel but meticulously crafted, exuding an aura of power and danger. Transparent tubes were connected to, ran from various equipment around the room to the suit, pulsing with an unseen energy.

Lila's smile was a stark contrast to the grim atmosphere as she tapped on her tablet, her voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space, "How are you doing today, my Hornbud?" She bit down on her lip as she added with a fervid light in her eyes, "I already feel a bit turned on, seeing you all ready in that sexy, big armor. I just need to run a few more tests to see if your body is perfectly getting along with your special armor. After all, I have to be careful with a man who's supposed to be dead."

"Grnnn..."

The figure in the chair responded with a rough grunt. His helmet's visor suddenly lit up with a pair of eerie red lights from his eyes as he slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"Attaboy," Lila chuckled, pressing a button on her tablet. Immediately, the black tubes glowed with a sinister red light. "RAARGHHH!!"

The figure jolted, limbs extending as if shocked by the surge of power, and a roar of pain filled the chamber, echoing off the walls in a haunting cacophony.

As his roars reverberated, Lila watched intently, her expression one of fascination, her smile fervid, "Just hang in there. Once we are through this then you will be the most dangerous living weapon to exist. Golden Prince will greatly regret from his grave for not crushing your heart that day. But more importantly, you will be remembered as the fallen knight who will help our kind evolve. Ahahahahaha..."

His agonizing roars and her crazed laughter echoed in the chamber while his fists slowly clenched together, the metal creaking.