《Stellar Remnant: City Rebellion》

Chapter 12: Su Xiaoxiao’s Condition! Become My Test Subject

In the Rust Iron Club’s training room, pale blue Starcore energy surged and dissipated repeatedly. Lin Feng maintained his Iron Claw form, channeling energy into the claw tip over and over, yet he still couldn’t break through the 60% energy compatibility ceiling. Each swing of the claw caused minor fluctuations in midair, and the force applied to the training posts was inconsistent. His brow was furrowed, sweat dripping down his face, soaking the front of his training uniform.

Since defeating Zhao Hu, his desire to grow stronger had only intensified. The Alliance had already set their sights on him through Zhao Hu’s tip-off. That red-glowing energy detector floating above, like a sword hanging over his head, left him with no room to relax. But no matter how hard he tried, his energy compatibility stubbornly stuck at 60%, filling him with a restless frustration he could hardly describe.

“The energy guidance path is wrong. Forcing Biological energy into a Mechanical form? Of course it’s chaotic.” The familiar sharp voice came from the doorway. Su Xiaoxiao entered the training room, carrying a silver metallic box etched with complex mechanical patterns. A faint hum of machinery came from within.

Lin Feng retracted his Iron Claw and turned to her, his voice tinged with urgency. “How should I adjust it? I tried evenly distributing the energy like you taught before, but it still doesn’t work.” Over their time together, he had grown to respect Su Xiaoxiao’s expertise, knowing that no one in the base rivaled her knowledge of Starcore energy and Shifter forms.

Su Xiaoxiao set the box down on the central workstation and opened it. Inside were neatly arranged precision instruments—energy fluctuation detectors, gene fusion calibrators, Starcore conduits—each exuding a professional aura. She didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, she picked up the energy fluctuation detector and scanned Lin Feng. A dense stream of data immediately appeared on the screen.

“Your problem lies in dual-class gene fusion,” she said, pointing at the data with a serious tone. “Single-class Shifters only need to control one type of energy. You’re Mechanical + Biological. Forcing them apart just causes interference. To break through the ceiling, you must first merge the two energies so they can adapt to the same Shifter form.”

“Dual-class fusion?” Lin Feng’s heart skipped a beat. He had tried channeling both energies before, but it always led to loss of control. He hadn’t realized this was the key to his breakthrough.

“Exactly.” Su Xiaoxiao put the detector away, crossing her arms as she scrutinized him. “I can help you refine your Shifter form, guide your dual energies into preliminary fusion, and even raise your energy compatibility above 70%. But I have one condition.”

“What condition?” Lin Feng asked immediately. As long as it increased his strength and protected the Rust Iron Club, he was willing to accept even harsh conditions.

“Be my Starcore energy test subject.” Su Xiaoxiao said it casually, as if it were a trivial matter. “I’ve been researching the fusion mechanism of Starcore energy and dual-class genes, but I lack a live experimental subject. As a dual-class Shifter, you’re the perfect candidate. I’ll help refine your form, and in return, you’ll participate in a series of experiments—energy guidance tests, form fusion calibration, and gene fluctuation recordings.”

“Test subject?” Lin Feng froze. He hadn’t expected this. He instinctively thought of what Uncle Tie had mentioned before—the cruel experiments the Alliance performed on lower-class Shifters—and a flicker of caution crossed his mind.

Seeming to see through his worry, Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, a hint of impatience in her tone. “Don’t overthink it. I won’t conduct harmful experiments like the Alliance’s maniacs. All tests are to optimize your Shifter form. They will only enhance your power, never cause irreversible damage. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you can stop.”

She paused, then added, “I need your energy fluctuation data and gene fusion responses. These will advance my research and help you find the best training path. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement; you won’t lose anything.”

Lin Feng was silent. He studied Su Xiaoxiao’s serious eyes and thought of his training bottleneck, the threat of the Alliance patrol, and the trust his teammates had in him. Taking a deep breath, his caution slowly faded—though harsh, Su Xiaoxiao had never harmed any club member. She had even given him a miniature energy amplifier. He trusted her.

“Alright, I agree.” Lin Feng’s eyes were firm. “I’ll cooperate with your experiments, but you must guarantee safety. My life cannot be endangered, and my combat abilities must remain intact.”

A faint glint of satisfaction crossed Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes before she returned to her usual cold expression. “Don’t worry. I need you for continued research; you won’t be harmed. Come with me to the lab. We’ll start the first basic test, recording your raw dual energy fluctuations.”

Lin Feng nodded and followed her deeper into the base. The lab was more spartan than the training room, yet equipped with all the necessary precision instruments. Charts analyzing Starcore energy and Shifter forms covered the walls. The workstation held various experimental samples—discarded mech parts, mutated genetic fragments, purified Starcore crystals.

“Sit here.” Su Xiaoxiao indicated a metal chair at the workstation. Wires with sensors were attached to it. Lin Feng complied. She connected wires to his wrists, chest, and forehead. Each connection lit up a corresponding indicator on the instruments.

“First, channel Mechanical energy alone and summon the Iron Claw form, keeping it stable.” She focused on the monitor.

Lin Feng inhaled deeply, concentrating, guiding Mechanical Starcore energy to his right hand. The Iron Claw emerged steadily, claw tip glinting coldly. The sensors transmitted real-time data, showing smooth curves with no disorder.

“Good, hold that,” she said while recording. “Now try Biological energy. Don’t summon a form; just circulate the energy within.”

He did as instructed. The Biological energy awoke, warm and flowing through his meridians. The two energies, one cold and one warm, remained distinct, non-interfering. The monitor showed slight fluctuations but remained overall stable.

“Now comes the critical step.” Her tone grew serious. “Try to let the two energies meet at your Starcore in the chest. Control the intensity—don’t force fusion. Just let them touch gently.”

Lin Feng’s heart tightened. He focused entirely, guiding both energies to his chest’s Starcore. Upon contact, violent fluctuations surged, and a sharp pain stabbed his chest. He groaned, and his Iron Claw instantly vanished.

“Stop!” Su Xiaoxiao shouted, swiftly shutting down the instruments. She rushed over to check him. “Are you alright?” Her voice carried subtle concern, unlike her usual harshness.

“I’m fine. Just a bit of chest pain.” Lin Feng rubbed his chest; the sharp sensation faded. “The energies repel each other; they can’t really come together.”

She exhaled, returning to the workstation. Examining the recorded energy collision data, her brow furrowed. “As expected, the attribute differences of dual-class energy are too great. Direct contact produces repulsion. We’ll need a Starcore conduit to guide gradual fusion.”

From the metal box, she took a silver conduit, one end connected to the energy calibrator, the other with a small suction pad. “Place this on your Starcore,” she instructed. “It neutralizes some repulsion and guides stable convergence.”

Lin Feng applied the conduit as instructed. Su Xiaoxiao adjusted the calibrator and nodded. “This time, we’ll go slowly. Channel a small amount of Mechanical energy first, then add a bit of Biological energy. Let the conduit guide gradual fusion.”

He inhaled, attempting it again. With the conduit, repulsion eased. Carefully, he guided small amounts of Mechanical energy, then added Biological energy. The energies met in the conduit, forming a pale purple hybrid, flowing back into his body.

“Success!” Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up at the monitor. “Fusion reached 30%! Not high, but a major breakthrough. Keep it steady, gradually increase input!”

Following her instructions, Lin Feng slowly increased the energy input. The hybrid deepened from pale to dark purple, flowing smoothly through his meridians. He could feel his control improving; the previous sluggishness in training was greatly reduced.

Half an hour later, Su Xiaoxiao shut down the instruments. “First experiment successful. Your dual energies preliminarily fused; energy compatibility rose to 68%. For the next week, we’ll train daily to gradually increase fusion. When fusion reaches 50%, I can optimize the Iron Claw, giving it Biological attributes.”

Lin Feng retracted his energy, filled with joy. The feeling of control strengthened his resolve to become stronger. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao sincerely. “Thank you.”

Without looking up, she continued organizing data, her tone still sharp. “No need to thank me. You’re my test subject. Your progress is just proof the experiment worked. Be here tomorrow at six; I’ll have the next instruments ready.”

Lin Feng smiled, unfazed, turning back to the training room to consolidate his newly enhanced energy compatibility.

After he left, Su Xiaoxiao paused, then glanced at his departing figure, a faint smile forming. She reopened the instruments, reviewing the recorded data. When she saw one energy fluctuation curve of Lin Feng’s Starcore during dual-class fusion, her smile froze, replaced by seriousness.

On the screen, the energy curve showed a faint anomaly, different from any Starcore energy she had studied, carrying an ancient, mysterious aura. Oddly, it appeared only for an instant, vanishing without a trace, as if it had never existed.

“What energy fluctuation is this?” she frowned, replaying the data, yet the source remained elusive. Analyzing with various instruments yielded nothing.

Was the equipment faulty? She checked every device; all were functioning. Then this anomaly must have come from Lin Feng’s Starcore. What secrets did it hide? Staring at the data, a surge of doubt and unease rose in her chest. She didn’t yet know how this anomaly would affect Lin Feng—or the entire Rust Iron Club…