After getting dressed, Chang Yuan found a reflective surface to examine himself, just as Elysia had done earlier.
"Not bad, no Honkai beast features."
Seeing that he didn't have any Honkai beast traits, Chang Yuan felt a strange sense of disappointment.
After all, having some features would have made him look cooler.
"You don't have any, but Elysia does. She's really worried about how you'll see her now."
As Chang Yuan marveled at his appearance, Vill-V chimed in at the perfect moment.
Hearing this, Chang Yuan turned to Vill-V.
"Big V Teacher, are Elysia's ears elf-like?"
"Oh? You noticed? Or is this something you saw in the future?"
Hearing Chang Yuan's question, Vill-V looked at him with interest.
"Something from the future, and I just noticed it now. Those elf ears are hard to miss."
Chang Yuan recalled the scene earlier.
Those long, pointed elf ears—Elysia hadn't tried to hide them at all, so it was impossible not to notice.
But this was exactly what made Elysia so uniquely charming.
"So, what's your take? Do you think they're ugly?"
Seeing Chang Yuan lost in thought, Vill-V seized the opportunity to ask.
After all, this was somewhat related to her. If this ruined the relationship between the two, she would feel incredibly guilty.
"Ugly? Who said that? They're beautiful! And I'm curious—are elf ears soft, or do they have bones like human ears?"
"...You'll have to ask Elysia that yourself. I don't know."
Vill-V rolled her eyes at Chang Yuan, but she also felt relieved.
It seemed the ship she was rooting for wouldn't sink.
That's right—our Big V Teacher was also a shipper.
Having witnessed a part of their journey together, Vill-V was optimistic about their relationship.
"Alright then, Big V Teacher, I'll head out now. I need to test how much my strength has improved."
"Go ahead. It's such a shame that there's still no suitable Honkai beast factor for me."
Vill-V sighed helplessly.
After all, these things really depended on luck. Take Elysia, for example—there was no compatible gene in the current database for her.
But who would have thought she'd randomly pick up a piece of an unknown Honkai beast on her way back, and it turned out to be a perfect match?
During the time Elysia and Chang Yuan were in the cultivation pods, Mobius had also visited, and Vill-V learned where Elysia's gene had come from.
Every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but marvel at Elysia's incredible luck.
"Elysia, what are you doing here alone? Or are you waiting for me?"
Seeing Elysia wandering around the Spiral Workshop by herself, Chang Yuan walked up and tapped her fair shoulder.
"N-nothing, Yuan. Are... are you okay?"
Startled, Elysia immediately covered her ears and stammered in response.
Seeing her cautious demeanor, Chang Yuan couldn't help but find it amusing.
He then reached out and placed his hands over hers, gently pulling them away.
"It's okay. Those elf ears are adorable, and so are you."
"Mm, Yuan, you're so mean."
With her hands still held by Chang Yuan, Elysia could only blush and whisper while staring into his eyes.
At such a close distance, both could feel each other's warm breath.
Realizing his actions might have been inappropriate, Chang Yuan quickly let go of Elysia's hands.
"Ahem, sorry, Elysia. I just wanted to show you that I'm not scared of your elf ears, so I acted on instinct."
"It's... it's fine. If it's Yuan..."
Elysia's voice grew softer as she spoke.
But this time, Chang Yuan, with his enhanced senses, didn't miss a word.
Hearing this, Chang Yuan's heart skipped a beat.
It seemed... he might have succeeded?
But Chang Yuan still wasn't entirely sure, so he cautiously asked, "Elysia, can I... touch your ears?"
"...Y-you can. If it's Yuan..."
Elysia's face turned crimson as she softly agreed.
Hearing her confirmation, Chang Yuan could clearly feel his heart racing.
This was what he had hoped for, and it was definitely an opportunity to take their relationship a step further.
Just as Chang Yuan was about to reach out, a voice interrupted.
"Vill-V, help me with the MANTIS surgery."
The door to the Spiral Workshop swung open, and a certain green-haired Dr. Mobius called out.
The sudden interruption caused the already nervous pair to quickly separate.
Realizing he had missed a golden opportunity to deepen his relationship with Elysia, Chang Yuan couldn't help but wish he could cut off all of Mobius's funding.
Why did she have to show up now, of all times?
It was beyond frustrating.
"Oh? You two are done? But why do you both look so red? Is it a side effect of the MANTIS surgery?"
Mobius naturally didn't associate their blushing with shyness.
After all, she herself didn't experience such emotions—or rather, no one had made her feel that way yet.
"No, I don't have any side effects. But Elysia's ears are a side effect."
Although he regretted the missed opportunity, Chang Yuan didn't say much.
He could only hope for another chance soon.
"Just that side effect? Did you gain any new abilities?"
Hearing Mobius's question, Chang Yuan was momentarily stunned.
That's right—MANTIS soldiers usually gained a special ability.
Kevin could create ice, Elysia could form pink crystals, Vill-V had multiple personalities, Mobius could resurrect from death, and Sakura had extreme speed.
Moreover, using their abilities felt like second nature to them.
Chang Yuan began to ponder what his ability might be.
But after some thought, he realized he might not have gained any special ability at all. What he had was an overall enhancement of his resistance to Honkai and physical reinforcement.
"This... sigh."
Helpless, Chang Yuan could only accept his fate.
Surviving the MANTIS surgery was already a great stroke of luck, even though Vill-V had significantly increased the success rate.
But there was still a chance of failure. He had almost failed earlier—if not for that voice pulling him back, he might have fallen into eternal slumber, never to wake up again.