Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Bio-Metal Bones
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After passing through the thick security door, a narrow passageway stretched out ahead, unlike the spacious corridors we'd traversed so far.
On both sides of the passage were walls made of a transparent material that allowed a clear view inside.
It resembled an exhibition hall at first glance.
Similar to the museum I visited on Earth last time, perhaps.
But unlike then, the things beyond the walls were all in a 'living' state.
'Congenital mutants?'
Each isolation chamber housed a single human.
They didn't look like ordinary humans.
Every one of them had some part of their body unnaturally enlarged or deformed.
Commonly referred to as congenital mutants, there were quite a few people in the world afflicted with such conditions.
These mutants were Mutant Corporation's primary experimental subjects.
To sift out the genes they possessed—stronger and superior to those of ordinary humans—and use them to create the 'perfect human.'
At first, they didn't cross any lines recklessly.
But as the scale grew and they achieved a dominant position in the field, things gradually changed.
'Hard to procure test subjects, I suppose.'
There were probably various reasons.
The experiments would have intensified over time, including types that no standard ethical framework would permit.
Naturally, the number of volunteers willing to serve as subjects would have dwindled.
Who would readily volunteer themselves for experiments, no matter how dire the circumstances?
Moreover, Mutant Corporation had reached a level where they wouldn't even bother with run-of-the-mill mutants.
They targeted those with unique mutations or variations beneficial to creating the perfect human—individuals who weren't exactly hurting for money.
-Ughhhh...
A groan came through the speaker from one of the isolated subjects.
Judging by the unfocused eyes staring at the wall and the constant moaning, it seemed several experiments had already been conducted.
There was no will to live.
Restraints and anti-self-harm devices were the only things keeping them alive.
I stared at him intently.
Though separated by the transparent wall and less than 50cm away, he didn't register my presence.
The wall was like a one-way mirror, transparent only from this side.
'For now...'
I swallowed my bitterness and pressed on deeper inside.
At some point, the passageway widened again.
The isolation chambers on either side were also larger, unlike those holding humans.
And there, standing alone, was the mercenary leader.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes. Everything you asked for is gathered here."
The mercenary leader was a hulking man with piercing eyes.
Even in the widened corridor, his bulk—enhanced by a body volume-increasing bio-armor suit—made it feel cramped.
What stood out were his arms: mechanical prosthetics painted matte black to avoid glare for stealth purposes, exuding that classic cyborg vibe.
"You're not curious why I made this a condition?"
"Questioning an employer is a failing grade in our line of work."
With that, the mercenary leader pressed a button on the wall.
The previously opaque wall turned transparent, revealing the interior.
Inside the isolation chamber was an alien.
"But today has been eventful. Even if it costs me a failing grade, I have to ask this: can you ensure we won't have to raise our fists against you?"
He raised his mechanical arm as he spoke.
A distinctive mechanical whir echoed from the gears as he flexed his wrist.
I met his gaze and answered.
"Yes."
He studied my eyes for a moment before relaxing his stance.
Then, in a much more casual tone, he tossed out a jest.
"Still, I can't help but wonder what you're planning to use them for."
"Don't worry. It's definitely for the sake of 'humanity.'"
"That's a relief, then. How much time do you need?"
"How many are there in total?"
"I haven't finished checking yet. I confirmed up to here, sent my team back, and was waiting."
"Got it. I'll contact you again midway. For now, proceed with the plan as discussed."
"Understood."
I watched his back as he nodded and walked past me, then turned my gaze to the alien.
This place was a treasure trove to me.
Mutant Corporation had been conducting ongoing research on aliens.
Unlike the now-defunct Elohim Church, their focus was on humans, not aliens.
Ultimately, the end product had to be 'human,' so aliens were sidelined from primary experimentation.
'High intelligence, superior physical abilities, aesthetic appeal, and a body structure capable of heritability for all of it.'
There were various perspectives on the perfect human dreamed of by groups like Mutant Corporation and the 'Next Generation,' but the common view boiled down to fulfilling those four criteria.
Regardless, aliens possessed the most powerful physical traits discovered by humanity thus far.
It was only natural they'd draw interest.
That's why every lab they operated had a setup for storing aliens—and it checked out.
'Four in total. All rare species I've never seen before.'
True to Mutant Corporation form, the aliens they kept were all elusive rarities not easily encountered.
Among them, I took particular interest in the first one.
It resembled a human, aside from the arms sprouting from its back and its ant-like upper body.
The creature was bound head to toe and chained to the wall, yet it thrashed ceaselessly with overflowing strength, producing grating noises.
What was astonishing were the metallic 'bones' visible beneath patches of peeled skin, likely from experiments.
'That...'
I'd seen it before.
Or rather, read about it.
It was the baseline trait of those called Nexters.
In the human body, bones account for about 20% of body weight, and including the closely linked skeletal muscles, they make up nearly 50%—a critical component.
Naturally, extensive research had been conducted.
But metal and the human body had long been seen as incompatible in biological terms.
Despite relentless development of technologies like bio-metals and others, none surpassed the bones humans were born with.
Still, persistence yielded results over time.
Several technologies emerged that were definitively superior to natural bones and caused no issues even after 30+ years of integration.
Some radical martial artists even showcased body enhancement by periodically replacing natural bones with higher-performance artificial ones via surgery.
But for Nexters to use it meant something different.
'Heritable genetically.'
One of the four key elements of the perfect human.
Mutant Corporation had succeeded in implanting metal bones superior to natural ones into humans.
I wasn't sure if the alien before me contributed to that, but timeline-wise, it seemed plausible.
I entered the isolation chamber.
Spotting me, the alien thrashed even more violently.
Of course, the excessively robust restraints didn't budge an inch.
"Guard the perimeter."
-Understood. Beep!
R3D3 disengaged from clothing mode and detached from my body.
Its waddling gait toward the door was cute no matter how many times I saw it.
Over time, I'd grown so accustomed that I often forgot it was even there when attached.
'It wants me to send it for an upgrade...'
A bit tricky.
After experiencing R3D3's custom AI, other robot assistants felt inexplicably stifling.
Now it handled its tasks proactively without needing instructions.
'I'll think about it once this job is fully wrapped up.'
I made contact with the alien.
As a mutant strain, it had no designated individual name.
The lab seemed to just slap on codes and numbers.
As I drew close, its compound eyes reflected hundreds of versions of me.
Not wanting to touch the grotesque head, I placed my hand on its exposed forearm where bone protruded.
Connection established smoothly after brief resistance.
Everything comprising the alien surged turbulently into my mind.
Right now, it felt like I could crush this entire specimen with one hand.
In fact, its life and death were in my hands.
???[61,800]
Based on total data volume, it rated as a Class 4 hazard.
But experience had taught me such raw volume meant little.
What mattered was the amount of meaningful information.
And the capacity of traits I could apply to myself.
I'd once fully assimilated a massive red left arm, gaining profound insight into my ability from the ground up.
In the process, I discovered I had a sort of limit on how much alien genetic material I could incorporate.
No matter how tempting the traits, I couldn't stuff everything into my body.
High-data traits especially, given their correlation with greater power.
But during that insight, I uncovered one new fact.
High data volume didn't necessarily equate to 'alienization.'
Why not?
Simple.
Not every aspect of an alien's physical structure was inherently harmful to humans.
Some traits were so human-like they'd cause no dissonance even if acquired.
If akin to native human features, even high data caused minimal impact.
Roze had copied some such traits via self-modification, after all.
'Horns, left arm, healing fluid—those are different.'
Conversely, organs or functions absent in baseline humans posed risks proportional to their data volume.
That said, evolved versions of existing functions—like deeper lungs or a secondary liver—surprisingly had negligible effects.
Likewise, I had high hopes for this alien's bones.
The fact Nexters used them implied superior function without bodily harm.
-Bio-Metal Bones[102]
Bones evolved for greater power output in a compact frame. Exceptional at supporting skeletal muscles. Also boasts superior hematopoiesis, purging weak cells and greatly aiding new blood cell production. Bone toughness and other properties follow the traits of ingested metals. To maintain excellence, periodic intake of growth-promoting metals is required.
Jackpot.
Confirming the trait details, it matched the bones Nexters used.
'Must ingest metals.'
To utilize this properly, I'd literally have to eat iron.
The relatively low data volume compared to its bone superiority made sense.
Considering its utility even for ordinary humans, absorbing the Bio-Metal Bones trait would deal me near-zero backlash.
Ways to consume metal were no issue.
Pulverize into digestible powder and take in small doses—it'd absorb naturally.
The question of beneficial metals was solvable with my author knowledge.
'Guess I need to experiment a bit...'
Various alloys came to mind.
Even setting aside standard Nexter mixes, notes from my world-building scribbles.
Once refined, while physical conditioning would need to keep pace, output would easily hit 2-3x current strength, with durability and stamina improving even more.
I passed on all other traits.
It had specialized mouth, jaw, and stomach structures for pulverizing metal, but they held no appeal.
By my newly established criteria for absorption, they didn't qualify.
The old me might've racked my brain for ways to adapt them, but I discarded them decisively.
The priority was the Bio-Metal Bones trait alone.