The soundless door to the lab's core chamber slid open, revealing the interior.
It was far more spacious than the entrance hall, ringed by dense arrays of precision instruments.
At the center stood a cylindrical, transparent containment field—impossible to miss.
Inside it, a severed arm floated in still suspension.
Even though Wei Qing had seen this coming, he still almost lost composure.
It was the arm he had once "gifted" to Ruan Mei and Herta.
Seeing his own limb displayed like a museum specimen triggered an indescribably uncomfortable sensation in his chest.
The instant his gaze landed on it, an extremely faint resonance flickered.
The arm seemed to sense its owner's presence; it subtly adjusted angle, the fingertips drifting—almost imperceptibly—toward Wei Qing's position.
A change too fine for ordinary eyes.
But no one here was ordinary.
Still, nobody reacted much. The others didn't yet know what the arm truly represented, and Herta and Ruan Mei had long since grown used to its "activity."
Screwllum's mechanical voice gained a rare edge of curiosity."A severed arm. Its energy signature… is unusually complex."
Herta lifted her chin, smug, as if showing off a treasure."Complex? Screwllum, you're being polite. Get closer, feel it properly, and tell me what you find."
Screwllum complied, stepping nearer. After a quiet scan, he delivered his verdict.
"Conclusion: multiple Paths exhibit high-degree fusion. This arm resembles a living organism contaminated—no, integrated—with Path phenomena. Abundance. Destruction. The Hunt. And an additional Path I cannot yet identify."
He paused, then asked:"Question: Lady Herta, what is the origin of this arm?"
Herta folded her arms, smile widening."Origin? If I tell you, you probably won't believe it. It's a 'gift' left for us by a certain annoying bastard."
"An annoying individual?" Screwllum's tone hesitated for a fraction. "Question: Who is this 'annoying' individual?"
Herta didn't answer immediately. She was clearly savoring the attention.
After a deliberate silence, she spoke.
"Screwllum, you just proposed the 'Path Candidate' hypothesis and claimed this Yi Qing is the strongest theoretical match to inherit the seat of Trailblaze, right?"
Screwllum inclined his head."Based on current data and theoretical models—yes."
Herta's grin sharpened, playful and absolutely self-assured.
"Then what if I tell you… the owner of this arm is already a verified Path Candidate?"
The lab sank into a deeper silence.
Even Acheron—normally blank as a shadow—tilted her gaze toward the containment field.
If "Path Candidate" truly existed, then such a person would be the closest thing to a god without being one.
They had only just heard the concept.
And now Herta was holding a sample from one?
"A Path Candidate…'s severed arm?" Screwllum asked, carefully. "Lady Herta, can you confirm this?"
"Of course I can." Herta snapped her fingers.
A dense wall of data bloomed in the air like a storm of white text.
"Screwllum, did you not notice?" she said with relish. "The Path purity in this arm is far above ours."
Ruan Mei joined in, voice gentle but certain."Herta is correct. We've performed repeated validations. The Paths within this arm are not only exceptionally pure, they also show… near-origin activity."
"It isn't merely carrying Paths. It resembles something that can interpret—甚至—evolve them."
Herta shot Screwllum a sideways look, full of "I'm back on top now."
"So yes, your theory is pretty. But the evidence is right here. We didn't just think of it—we obtained a real sample."
Screwllum ignored the competitiveness and locked onto the key question.
"This is extraordinary. I now understand your excitement. If true, the value of this 'gift' is incalculable."
"Question: Which Path is the owner a Candidate for? And who is this person?"
"Abundance." Herta answered immediately. "Yaoshi hasn't fallen, but their status is… special. If Candidates exist, it's theoretically possible."
Then she sneered.
"Too bad the owner is a scumbag. The idea of that guy becoming an Aeon makes me think the universe has gone blind."
Before Herta could finally reveal the identity, Wei Qing spoke first—calmly, almost too casually.
"Abundance's Candidate?" he echoed.
"Shouldn't it be Destruction?"
Herta and Ruan Mei both froze.
They'd concluded "Abundance" not only because the owner had said so, but because their own research and behavioral modeling of Aeons supported it.
And now this Astral Express Navigator was calmly tossing out "Destruction" instead?
Herta's eyes narrowed.
"Destruction? Why do you think that, Mr. Yi Qing?"
Wei Qing's expression didn't change.
"Lady Herta, you've been cryptic for dramatic effect, but the owner of that arm… isn't it Lord Ravager Qingzhou?"
Herta: "???"
Not just Herta—Screwllum and Granholm also went still.
Unlike Acheron, who tended to drift through galactic news like fog, Screwllum and Granholm kept a close eye on current events.
Qingzhou's name had been erupting across the galaxy.
A Lord Ravager Qingzhou… was also an Abundance Candidate?
Screwllum's optics brightened slightly with calculation.
Herta's voice sharpened, impatience spilling over."Hey—Yi Qing. I asked you a question. How do you know this arm belongs to Qingzhou?"
Wei Qing still didn't answer immediately.
Herta's tone snapped from "Mr." to "kid," almost on reflex."I'm talking to you, kid."
Wei Qing finally spoke, measured.
"Before I joined the Astral Express, I crossed paths with him during my travels. I've exchanged blows with Qingzhou. His Destruction aura was far purer—and far stronger—than his Abundance."
"As for why I suspect he's a Destruction Candidate… call it instinct."
He continued smoothly, building the logic.
"Any being that can stably bear both Destruction and Abundance—two near-opposing top-tier Paths—has already stepped beyond normality."
"If the seat of Destruction ever requires a successor, wouldn't he be among the most plausible candidates?"
The lab fell into a strange, delicate quiet.
Wei Qing didn't know why, but seeing Herta so smug made him want—on principle—to kick her pedestal.
Herta's brows knitted as she processed the implications at speed.
A Destruction Candidate…
It wasn't impossible.
From their research, Destruction and Abundance were indeed "cleaner" than The Hunt inside this arm.
Why hadn't they considered it earlier?
Because of bias.
Qingzhou was born from Destruction's side. High Destruction purity seemed "normal."
And the idea of two Candidate-level paths in one existence was too absurd to touch.
"…Instinct?" Herta said slowly, suspicious. "Science doesn't trust instinct. But you fought him? Tell me everything."
Her gaze pinned Wei Qing like a scalpel.
Wei Qing had already prepared the script.
"It happened near Xianzhou Alliance space. Qingzhou was tracking a target. We collided. Brief exchange."
He paused, as if recalling."His power… was unusual."
Herta fired another question, sharp as a needle.
"And the result?"
"The result?" Wei Qing let out a restrained, self-deprecating smile. "I lost. I ran."
"To leave alive is already luck."
Acheron reacted first.
She knew Wei Qing's strength better than anyone here.
Even among Emanators, he sat near the very top.
So Qingzhou being stronger than this?
Her eyes darkened, the quiet kind of shock she rarely showed.
Herta, meanwhile, found the answer… plausible.
She didn't press further on details.
"…Fine." She crossed her arms harder, refusing to lose face.
"Qingzhou's annoying, but his strength is… yeah. So-so."
Her eyes, however, were brighter than ever—hungry.
"But if you're right, and his Destruction is deeper—if he's even a Destruction Candidate…"
Herta and Ruan Mei exchanged a look.
Ruan Mei spoke softly, decisive.
"Then the research value of this arm is higher than our original estimate."
"A single subject touching both Abundance and Destruction at the Candidate threshold…"
She exhaled, almost reverent.
"This is not merely rare. It is—by any practical definition—unrepeatable."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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