"It's your body."
"What's holding you back is your own body. Every time you transform, you're preoccupied with not destroying your conscious core. That very thought process is a major hidden danger when you're trying to alter your genetic structure."
"Come on, you're a Herrscher. You can store your consciousness in your Stigmata. You don't have to worry about what happens if your brain accidentally disappears."
"The Stigmata is a material product of a mental reality. Its inherent Imaginary attribute isn't affected by genetic information. You don't need to worry that losing your head will make you lose your sanity and consciousness."
Noldrei was diligently coaching Tesla on the transformation process, hoping she could make more drastic changes to her body.
But this process always made Tesla uneasy. It was as if she instinctively believed that a Tesla without a human body was a dead Tesla, just another material structure that had stolen the original Tesla's memories and consciousness.
But Noldrei insisted that this idea was a delusion, a fantasy born from consciousness being attached to organic matter.
Tesla still found it difficult to break free. The fact that she could turn herself into a goat was already a remarkable feat. Asking her to abandon her original human values would make it difficult for her consciousness to anchor its own existence.
"Don't rush me. I want to try this slowly on my own..."
Dr. Tesla put on a pitiful, teary-eyed expression, like a puppy that had just been harshly scolded. It was hard to believe the straightforward, foul-mouthed woman could look like this.
"Your consciousness is the continuity of this activity. Don't worry, and don't be afraid. As long as that continuity isn't lost, your consciousness has simply swapped one material substitute for another. You yourself know that your desires are nothing more than electrical activity in your brain. After studying physics for so many years, you still don't see it? If something else replaced the function of your cerebral cortex, would your consciousness no longer be yours?"
Noldrei's reassurance did nothing to change Tesla's mind. She said with a long face, "It's precisely because I've studied it for so many years that I can't see it!"
Noldrei retorted in exasperation, "But hasn't your body already been altered? You've become someone whose appearance won't change for decades. You're already like this, so why do you still consider yourself a normal human? When you're out there researching mechs and fighting, do you ever spare a thought for your hands? Is it because your hands don't have consciousness and can't think, so it's fine to modify them however you want?"
"A flexible baseline for body modification?! The organic body is what I'm willing to change, but the sacred foundation is what I won't? That's my essence?"
"As a scientist, isn't it a bit shameless of you to have such a double standard?!"
His Majesty the Emperor berated her soundly, believing Tesla's mentality was detrimental to her own genetic modification and would sooner or later cause problems.
Tesla's face flushed red from the scolding. She promised to follow his teachings in the future and become a worthy leader of the new, genetically upgraded human race as soon as possible.
Honestly, her hesitation was just instinct. For someone who dared to experiment on herself with anti-Honkai serums, to say she cherished her life was a joke.
But not cherishing her life was one thing; wanting to preserve the foundation of her own existence was another.
Otherwise, Tesla wouldn't be so fond of cosmetics and designer clothes. It was a subconscious belief that these external things held value that corresponded to her own body, a sign that she still considered her body very important.
After being chewed out, Tesla was extremely dejected. She had thought that improving her appearance would earn her some favor, but the moment she hesitated on this path, Noldrei labeled her a conservative, content to rest on her laurels.
It was a bit like being scolded by a teacher in her childhood. The slightest bit of slack in a subject she disliked would earn her a "You're wasting your brain!"
It had been years since she'd felt anything like it...
And now, her good friend from Anti-Entropy had flown to Academy City to meet her at home.
"Einstein, what are you doing in Academy City? Is the SELENE all fixed up? The data I sent over should have been enough. The miniaturized SELENE engine I made can already take people into the sky. In theory, you shouldn't have any problems on your end."
Einstein had rushed over from Anti-Entropy headquarters, looking a bit like a refugee. But Einstein had never paid much attention to her appearance, so Tesla didn't notice anything amiss.
What surprised Einstein, however, was how docile and well-behaved Tesla had become here.
Could this be the power of a perverted masochist?
Einstein never thought the electricity-obsessed Tesla would be into such kinky stuff. It must be the dazzling, corrupting influence of the Far East that had ruined Tesla's principles.
No, wait. Could the Far East really be more dazzling and corrupting than North America?
Einstein didn't get it. Naturally, she didn't know about Dr. Tesla's... unfortunate past with tentacles.
"I came to see you. I was originally going to talk to you and the Sovereign about the situation at headquarters. Things are complicated over there. A lot of the staff feel like we've abandoned them to come make money here in the Far East. So, I need to find someone to go back with me and figure out a way to stabilize morale. We can't just let you live comfortably over here, can we?"
"Besides, I saw the news about Academy City before I came. The outside world is in a panic, terrified of letting anyone from in here out. But from what I can see, the pharmaceutical companies associated with you have created a chasm between the cost of medical care inside and outside."
Einstein sat down across from Tesla and said calmly, "Haven't you paid any attention to this? You can't just stand by and watch the inside and outside become two different worlds, can you?"
Tesla felt helpless. She tried to explain Noldrei's future plans for the internal society of Academy City, but she didn't know where to start.
Even if she explained it clearly, the outside world, with its myriad of religions and beliefs, would find it hard to accept such a drastic change. The ideological conflicts brought about by these three million people were already giving everyone a headache.
Tesla thought for a moment and said, "Is two worlds such a bad thing? From my personal point of view, the top rulers of the future world will only need a few million people. Why should the inside and outside become one world?"
Tesla's words stunned Einstein. She never thought that Tesla could give such a decisive and cold answer.
"Do you know what you're saying, Dr. Tesla?! Have you forgotten our dream of defeating the Honkai?"
Tesla shook her head and replied, "Of course I haven't forgotten. That's why I want these people, who are fundamentally incompatible with the Honkai, to be the ruling class. Only then can we lead all of humanity towards defeating the Honkai. The Stigmata is the complete opposite of the Honkai, yet they both originate from the power of the Imaginary, don't they?"
"As long as they hold the ruling position, if the Honkai wants to destroy humanity, it will have to kill all the vested interests first. To unite all of humanity, we must ensure that all of humanity benefits from defeating the Honkai. That's the fundamental point."
"Currently, only Academy City can achieve this. Other places can't even accept such a new social structure. How can you expect me to casually connect the inside and outside worlds?"