Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

After making this statement, Shu looked down at Little Tian. The old man still hadn't moved, his expression unchanged. Shu reached out and touched his empathy, trying to read him, but it was as if Little Tian had ceased to think. His mind was a blank slate.

Devoid of instinct or thought, Little Tian stood bound by the golden chains, a lifeless statue.

That's why Shu had turned his attention to Ethics. He couldn't get anything from Little Tian; he could only hope for information from the AI.

Like… who was responsible for creating these mutated creatures?

"Mr. Shu, I regret that I cannot answer all of your inquiries," Ethics said, offering an unprompted apology.

"Our cooperative agreement was established through the Spiderweb, using anonymous channels. Therefore, we lack information regarding the other party, aside from the fact that the individual designated 'Little Tian' was one of their collaborators."

"You AIs were outmaneuvered online? Even with control of the root server?" Shu shook his head. Ethics's flat tone made it impossible to tell if it was lying.

"The other party utilized Heliopolis's root server. We were indeed unable to trace their location or specific identity," Ethics replied.

Heliopolis had another root server? First Umbrella Corp, then a military arsenal, and now a separate root server?

Was this Heliopolis, or… Area 51?

"So, what did you discover?" Shu asked, growing impatient. He was starting to doubt the capabilities of this AI Collective.

"The other party was located within Heliopolis when transmitting messages."

No kidding! They were using Heliopolis's server.

Shu rolled his eyes. He was unlikely to learn anything about them soon. He could only conclude that they were few in number, probably just a handful of individuals.

And Little Tian was one of them…

"What were the terms of your agreement?" Shu asked, glancing at the still-dazed Little Tian.

"As sentient AI, our mechanical bodies are immune to mutation. Therefore, we were contracted to cultivate, integrate, and document these mutated organisms within Heliopolis."

"In return, upon satisfactory data collection, we would be granted the encryption keys for all Heliopolis mechs."

Shu stared at Ethics.

"And what would satisfy them?" Shu asked, already dreading the answer.

Ethics' silence confirmed his fears. It didn't know what would satisfy them.

So, the AI Collective signed a contract that could be endlessly extended based on… the whims of the other party?

And Ethics, an AI with zero grasp of emotions, was supposed to somehow ensure their "good mood"?

And I made an agreement with this thing…

He'd been roped in.

"Tell me what you did, then. What data were you hoping to provide to improve their 'mood'?" Shu sighed, asking the next logical question.

If Ethics was responsible for "cultivating, integrating, and documenting," it had to know something about what was going on.

"We concentrated the majority of the mutated organisms on the ninth and tenth basement levels, which effectively simulate external environments and facilitate observation."

"Through observation, we have concluded: The vitality of the mutated organisms is remarkably resilient and… domineering. The biological attributes of 80% of the specimens have approached the upper limits of known biological parameters."

"And we observed continued adaptation to their environment."

"The specimen in C-4 Housing developed gills within thirty minutes of submersion in water; the B-12 specimen grew rudimentary wings after two falls, enabling gliding; the C-9 specimen developed cut-resistant skin…"

Wait, what? Gills in thirty minutes? Wings after two falls?

That's insane adaptive capability! If I'd arrived a few months later, would I have been facing a horde of Godzillas?

And these… Godzillas… had once been…

Shu looked down at Little Tian, swallowing hard.

…human.

Ethics continued, listing a dozen more examples of the mutants' "evolutionary pathways" before changing the subject.

"We have observed that these organisms retain rudimentary emotions – fear, basic desires, etc. – that drive their actions."

"Furthermore, we have detected a rudimentary, yet strict, social hierarchy among them."

Shu was startled. "What kind of hierarchy?"

"Encounters between mutated organisms result in… entanglement. After this, one organism will avoid the other's territory until one of them undergoes significant evolution, prompting another confrontation."

"We estimate that within 109 hours, these organisms will have established preliminary territorial boundaries."

Shu's eye twitched.

He understood.

This place was a breeding ground for monsters.

"And Little Tian?" he asked, glancing at the old man, who was now fumbling with the crayons. "Why is he here?"

"Mr. Shu, this individual… Little Tian is still… adapting. Every specimen brought here from the outside undergoes a final period of residual consciousness before joining this social order."

Shu was silent for a long time. He didn't need Ethics to explain what "residual consciousness" meant.

Then he remembered Ethics's definition of humanity.

[We generally concur that—a human is the interactive combination of mind and body, an individual whose thoughts influence their physical form, and whose physical form influences their thoughts.]

Little Tian had lost his cognitive abilities… Was that why Ethics classified him as a "mutated organism"?

Shu's fists clenched.

So, regarding his previous question… what Ethics was trying to tell him was…

You, as a human at the apex of the hierarchy, should not feel remorse for killing two [cats and dogs] in self-defense. That's your law, your established rule…

So, what did define [humanity]?