"I do, but you're the bastard who banned me from using my powers inside the Mansion. What else am I supposed to do?" Erza shot back, pausing to point at the collar around her neck. Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel.
"What, you think I want you blowing the place up?" Zack retorted, rolling his eyes. "I said no magic inside. I never said you couldn't go outside."
Erza froze mid-punch, her expression lighting up. "Wait, I can leave the Mansion?"
"Obviously," Zack said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Without another word, Erza bolted back inside to grab her coat. "I'm going to the steel mill!" she yelled, running out the gate like an overexcited husky finally unleashed after days of confinement.
Zack opened his mouth to respond, but she was already out of sight. "Why do I even bother…" he muttered, shaking his head. Turning to Ego, he said, "Track her GPS and alert me if anything weird happens."
By the time Zack arrived, Mansion No. 13 looked nothing like it had the day before. The building now resembled a high-tech research institute. "Not bad," Zack said, stepping through the single entryway.
Inside, the renovations were clean and functional. The walls gleamed white, and the floors, though simple, had been treated with a non-slip coating. Research equipment was neatly arranged in designated zones, and overhead lighting provided ample illumination to every corner. "What about the ventilation system?" Zack asked, inspecting the enclosed structure.
"Sir, the ventilation system is designed for maximum efficiency," Ego responded. "It uses a dual-pipe layout with gate-off functionality. If abnormal gases or foreign matter are detected, the main ducts automatically close, and secondary ducts take over."
"Well done." Zack nodded, satisfied. He stepped into a private elevator that led to the underground levels. The basement of Mansion No. 13 mirrored that of Mansion No. 9. This was where the real work would happen. Whether on the first or second underground levels, access required strict security and the same private elevator system.
"Time to begin," Zack said, his voice filled with anticipation.
Ding! The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing Zack as he stepped into the dimly lit basement. His gaze immediately landed on six individuals housed in separate rooms, their faces pale and worn, evidence of sleepless nights etched into the deep circles under their eyes.
Each room was fitted with one-way glass, allowing Zack to observe without being seen. The walls were no ordinary concrete but reinforced high-strength steel, designed to eliminate any possibility of a breakout by sheer manpower.
Zack's voice was as cold as the metal surrounding them. "Didn't I tell you all to get some sleep?"
Hearing his voice, the six detainees scrambled to the iron doors, desperation flooding their faces.
"Sir, please let me go!"
"You've got the wrong person!"
"I swear I'm not one of Samson's men!"
Their pleas came in frantic waves, their voices cracking under the weight of fear. The rooms, while equipped with basic necessities like beds, toilets, and sinks, unmistakably resembled prison cells. Zack's expression remained unchanged. He turned to Ego. "Release the anesthetic gas. Once they're unconscious, inject them with nutrient solutions to keep them healthy."
The faint hope that had flickered in their eyes extinguished instantly.
"No! Please, no!"
"You can't do this!"
They pounded on the steel doors, their cries echoing in the confined space. But it was futile. As the anesthetic gas filled the rooms, their movements slowed, and soon, all six were slumped in unconscious silence.
Zack watched impassively as the process unfolded. "Make sure they stay in good health," he added, his tone detached.
For the six detainees, that phrase was all too familiar—cold, clinical, and devoid of compassion. While the captives were sedated and hooked to nutrient drips, Zack shifted his focus to a far more critical task: configuring the Super Serum. In the brightly lit lab, rows of complex formulas glowed on multiple screens.
"The formula looks fine," Zack muttered, "but these materials… seriously?"
His brow furrowed as he scanned the list. Most of the chemical compounds were familiar—amino acids, enzymes, and nanopolymers that could theoretically enhance cellular regeneration and strength. But a few were problematic, relying on rare elements and theoretical molecules that he couldn't easily source.
"What the hell is this 'Catalytic Bio-Matrix' supposed to be?" Zack groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. The material was described as a molecular scaffold to bind and amplify the serum's active compounds, but its real-world equivalent was elusive.
"Ego, search for possible alternatives."
The AI hummed in response, displaying a list of substitute materials on the screen. Zack's eyes scanned through advanced biopolymers, synthetic peptides, and modified protein scaffolds. Each came with detailed compatibility notes, but the manufacturing methods were far from simple.
"Figures," Zack muttered. "Guess we're building it from scratch."
Using Ego's guidance, Zack worked through the night. He synthesized biopolymers by breaking down organic matter and reassembling the molecular chains in his improvised lab. Enzymatic reactions were carefully controlled to produce protein scaffolds capable of replicating the effects of the original Bio-Matrix. It was slow, meticulous work, with each failure setting him back hours. But by dawn, he had a functional replacement.
"Close enough," he murmured, wiping sweat from his brow. Next came the real challenge: stabilizing the serum's energy transfer. The formula called for ionized microcells, a theoretical medium capable of enhancing the flow of bioelectric signals through the body without causing cellular burnout. The idea was grounded in science—bioelectricity governs muscle contraction, neuron firing, and even wound healing—but creating something that could amplify it safely was no small task.
"Ego, any ideas on synthesizing ionized microcells?" Zack asked, already dreading the answer.
"Silver nanowires embedded in a graphene hydrogel could serve as a functional substitute," Ego replied. "The hydrogel would enhance conductivity while maintaining cellular integrity."
"Great," Zack muttered sarcastically, "because I've got piles of silver and graphene just lying around."
Despite his frustration, Zack scavenged materials from old electronics, extracting trace amounts of silver and repurposing carbon components to create graphene. Using a makeshift reactor, he suspended the silver nanowires in a hydrogel matrix, carefully ionizing the mixture with a controlled electrical charge. As the hydrogel stabilized, Zack inspected the results under a microscope. "Not perfect," he muttered, "but it'll have to do."
With the key components ready, Zack began synthesizing the serum. Each step required precise measurements and constant monitoring to prevent the mixture from destabilizing. The active compounds had to bind seamlessly with the biopolymer matrix and the ionized hydrogel, forming a cohesive solution that could interact with human biology without causing catastrophic side effects. "Ego, run a cohesion check," Zack ordered, his hands steady despite the tension.
"Cohesion is at 83%. Molecular stability within acceptable limits," the AI reported.