Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 507 Forging an Identity (Third Update)

The continued covert observation of Rei Ayanami further confirmed Chen Yu's (second clone) initial conclusions from the genetic analysis.

Her behavior pattern exhibits characteristics typical of an unnaturally nurtured individual: her emotional responses are thin to the point of being almost nonexistent, she has a large gap in her understanding of social common sense and interpersonal rules, her personality structure appears extremely thin, and she lacks the desires, curiosity, and autonomous decision-making abilities that ordinary people possess.

She strictly followed NERV's schedule and instructions, her life was simple and repetitive, like a device that only performed basic functions.

This unusual state of being echoed peculiarly with her environment.

Although Tokyo-3 was rebuilt as a fortress city to fight against the Angels, the entire city was still shrouded in the long shadow of the Second Impact.

That global catastrophe that began in Antarctica not only claimed billions of lives and drastically altered the planet's climate and landscape, but its scars remain clearly visible to this day.

Everywhere in the city, traces of the old and the new can be seen. Some areas are filled with brand-new high-tech buildings, while other areas are still scattered with ruins that have not been completely cleared, or old buildings that have been barely repaired and show obvious signs of damage.

The apartment building where Rei Ayanami lived was a microcosm of this post-traumatic urban landscape.

It was an old building located in a relatively remote area. Its exterior was worn, and the walls bore traces of weathering and damage that appeared to be caused by past conflicts and had not been carefully repaired.

Several windows were broken and were sealed with simple boards.

The entire building seemed to have been abandoned by other residents long ago, becoming a nearly forgotten corner due to NERV's deliberate arrangement or simply the natural decay of the city.

Based on vital sign scans and environmental monitoring, Chen Yu (his second clone) confirmed that Rei Ayanami is currently the only resident in the entire building.

She travels daily between this lonely residence, the school, and the NERV headquarters, a routine she follows almost without any unnecessary interaction with anyone.

NERV provided her with the most basic living space, but seemed to have no intention of improving the quality of her living environment. This arrangement revealed a kind of indifference in placing tools at the lowest possible maintenance cost.

Chen Yu (the second clone) recorded all of this: the unnatural personality traits of the target individual, together with the isolated environment in which they lived, shaped by the shadow of disaster and human factors, constitute a complete case study of the survival status of "artificial life" under a specific social structure, which is of great research value.

This gave him a more concrete understanding of the operational logic and ethical boundaries of NERV.

However, in his psychic perception, the situation was quite different. Deep within that seemingly fragile, empty shell lay a vast, ancient, and silent spiritual presence.

The nature of this consciousness was unlike any human or psychic he had ever encountered before; it was more expansive, more primal, and possessed an inhuman, almost divine quality.

Based on the memories transmitted from the original body, this is undoubtedly the soul of "Lilith," currently in a deep slumber. However, its existence itself is like a dormant star, containing immeasurable power and mystery.

This discovery greatly stimulated Chen Yu's (second clone) research desire.

A living clone sample that combines specific human genes with "divine" genes and carries a dormant ancient soul has a research value far exceeding that of an EVA unit or an Angel's remains.

She herself is a walking treasure trove of knowledge about the shaping of life, the essence of the soul, and the core secrets of this world.

His desire to possess her had become stronger than ever before. But the obstacles in reality were equally enormous.

NERV's protective measures for Rei Ayanami far exceeded those for Shinji Ikari.

She lives in a special isolation zone deep within NERV headquarters, with a fixed route and is under multiple layers of surveillance, always accompanied by covert agents.

Even with Chen Yu's (second clone) individual combat power and psionic abilities as a Space Marine, the success rate of forcibly abducting a target from the heavily guarded NERV headquarters and dealing with the ensuing full-scale counterattack, including the possible rampage of EVAs, is extremely low, and the risks are completely uncontrollable.
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He discussed this dilemma with his own being through the dimensional communicator.

"The biological and spiritual value of the target 'Rei Ayanami' has been confirmed to exceed expectations," Chen Yu (his second clone) conveyed the assessment results. "However, forcibly seizing it carries too high a risk, and a more prudent approach to intervention is needed."

The entity's response was calm and pragmatic: "A positive assessment is warranted, and an infiltration strategy is recommended. Utilize the information chaos in this world caused by the Second Impact to establish an identity."

“Agreed. We need to establish an identity that allows us to reasonably access the driver.” Chen Yu (his second avatar) began to conduct a feasibility study. “Simply having the identity and authority of an external expert is insufficient; we need a more attractive entry point.”

They quickly analyzed the overt crisis facing the world today—the devastating impact of the Second Shock on the global ecosystem.

The once azure ocean has now been stained an ominous red, and the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse.

“We can use our findings on the reshaping of the Genesis Particle environment as a starting point,” Ontology proposed, “to demonstrate the theoretical feasibility of partially restoring marine ecosystems. This would provide a sound professional background, and the research area would be attractive enough to NERV.”

“Understood. I will build an identity profile by hacking into a global database and publish the relevant research results under my real name.” Chen Yu (the second clone) accepted the plan.

Given the chaotic information management following the Second Impact, establishing a complete resume for "Chen Yu," an expert in marine life and environmental restoration, was not difficult.

He used data on the application of genesis particles in microscopic material recombination and ecological guidance to write several forward-looking papers on "the theory of highly active environmental catalytic particles" and "the feasibility of LCL water purification," which were published through controlled academic channels.

These papers present a novel approach to environmental remediation that is ahead of its time but has a rigorous theoretical framework, with the core focus on how to reverse the "red pollution" caused by the second wave of the pandemic to the ocean.

He predicts that NERV, which has been dedicated to dealing with various crises following the impact of the pandemic, is very likely to take notice of this suddenly appearing expert with a unique research focus.

In particular, Misato Katsuragi, as the Tactical Operations Director, has witnessed firsthand the destruction of the world and may be even more concerned about such technologies.

Once NERV took the initiative to contact "Chen Yu," he obtained an official and legitimate identity cover.

With this identity, he could legitimately request research on the environmental impact of the Angel's residual LCL, and even extend it to research on the physiological reactions of EVA pilots in special environments, thereby gradually gaining the authority to have regular and legal contact with Rei Ayanami.

After the consciousness link ended, Chen Yu temporarily stopped close-range physical observations and devoted her main energy to identity construction and academic preparation.

In order to gain access to that unique research sample, he chose to first become an "expert" capable of solving a certain overt crisis in the world.

(End of this chapter)