Chapter 19: Strength Test, Humanoid Weapon, Close Observation…

Chapter 19: Strength Testing – An Up-Close Look at the Human Weapon...

Just doing my job.

In the afternoon, standing inside the Mimic data laboratory and facing the stone-faced iceberg she hadn't seen for a week, Qi Heyin once again consoled herself with those words.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Li Chen's impassive face before quietly shifting away.

She wondered what kind of week he had gone through—his killing intent seemed far heavier than before...

"Qi Heyin, may we begin the assessment?" The tall man raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone cool as he looked at her.

"Please wait a moment while the machine makes adjustments," Qi Heyin replied.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard as she calmly observed the fluctuating numbers on the screen. After a brief wait, she finally said, "Alright, adjustments complete."

Qi Heyin summoned Little Snowy and, before starting the assessment, confirmed with Li Chen, "Mr. Li, how was Alpha's training progress this week?"

Li Chen glanced at her, his aristocratic features remaining silent as he directly dismissed the majestic adult black wolf.

When the large wolf appeared in the laboratory, Little Snowy startled, scrambling to hide behind its owner.

Qi Heyin gently stroked Little Snowy's head to soothe it.

This time, however, the adult black wolf was clearly well-trained. Though its eyes remained just as intensely focused as before, fixed unwaveringly on Little Snowy, its body stayed obediently still, lying submissively in place.

"...It seems Alpha's training went quite well this week," Qi Heyin remarked with a faint smile, turning to the man. "Mr. Li, we can now proceed with today's data assessment. Please do your best to cooperate with me."

After studying her smile for a moment, Li Chen responded indifferently with a casual "Mn."

Hearing his affirmation, Qi Heyin quietly sighed in relief.

Setting aside his peculiar personality, when it came to project cooperation, this research subject was relatively low-maintenance.

Today's assessment primarily involved measuring the strength enhancement of a power-type Mimic user after summoning their Mimic.

To establish control data, Qi Heyin had Li Chen dismiss Alpha, preparing first to test his physical capabilities without the Mimic summoned.

Standing by the calibration console, she instructed, "Mr. Li, once the test prompt sounds, please strike the central disk of this instrument with your full strength using your right fist."

Li Chen nodded impassively. For convenience, he casually removed his long black coat, leaving only the form-fitting tactical suit underneath.

The high-collared black bodysuit clung tightly to his powerful, muscular frame, the thin fabric accentuating the smooth contours of his broad chest and defined muscles, exuding an undeniable masculine presence.

As always, approaching the instrument, Li Chen raised one arm. Beneath his dark bangs, his cool gray eyes narrowed slightly like a predator locking onto prey, focusing intently on the disk ahead. His muscles tensed gradually, gathering tremendous power.

"Beep!"

His fist slammed forward with full force—

The disk shuddered momentarily as the numbers on the display surged upward, the impact force finally stabilizing at 335 kilograms (738 lbs)!

Qi Heyin quietly noted down the result.

It was an incredible reading. Even without his Mimic, this man's physical strength far exceeded that of an ordinary human.

"Next, we'll test your left fist," Qi Heyin said. "After that, we'll use another instrument to measure the burst strength of your legs, waist, and back muscles."

Li Chen showed no reaction, wordless but cooperative as he followed her instructions.

Soon, a set of conventional physical strength data without Mimic boost was completed.

"Mr. Li, you can release Alpha now," Qi Heyin instructed.

"Next, repeat the same tests as before. We need to fully unleash the enhanced strength under Mimic influence."

The moment Alpha appeared, Li Chen's appearance underwent subtle changes. His irises shifted from their original smoky gray to a steely blue-gray, while black-gray wolf ears grew from his head, followed by a fluffy wolf tail appearing behind him.

Qi Heyin stared at the tail that had suddenly appeared with surprise.

During their last meeting, she had noticed the man's wolf ears and the color shift in his pupils. However, since he had been wearing that long black-and-gold military coat, she'd missed the tail.

This big, furry tail... Somehow, the moment it appeared, Li Chen's whole demeanor shifted.

With the Mimic boost active, the tests began again.

Unexpectedly, this time, Li Chen easily maxed out the machine to its upper limit—1,000 kilograms.

Hitting the limit meant that no strength-type Mimic Warrior had ever recorded such data before. Thus, prior to this test, the researchers responsible for calibrating and upgrading the machine never thought to increase the upper threshold.

They had completely underestimated the power of a level-five strength-type Mimic.

After making a note that the punching machine needed optimization and upgrades, Qi Heyin proceeded to have Li Chen test his leg strength, abdominal strength, and back muscle power—all of which also topped out the scales.

After a rough estimation, Qi Heyin concluded that the level-five strength-type Mimic boosted his strength by at least 500%.

...He was basically a weapon.

At this moment, that was the only phrase she could think of to describe Li Chen under the influence of Mimic power.

A Mimic Warrior this formidable could very well take down a whole battalion single-handedly in battle.

No wonder the Imperial Military had been so focused on developing Mimic Warriors in recent years.

Since the machines’ limits couldn’t keep up with the man’s evolution, the strength assessment had to end prematurely. To avoid wasting time, Qi Heyin started the next phase ahead of schedule.

Currently, the Mimic levels she had explored had five levels. Below level four, summoning a Mimic would only cause changes in eye and hair color. It wasn’t until reaching level five that the Mimic Warrior would exhibit animal features relevant to their Mimic.

Qi Heyin needed to provide a detailed description of the physical transformations in level-five Mimic Warriors for reference by the military and research institute.

"Mr. Li, please sit," she said, bringing over a chair for Li Chen.

"Next, I’ll closely observe the changes in your appearance after summoning your Mimic and record them." Qi Heyin paused, then added earnestly, "If I inadvertently offend you in any way, I hope you’ll forgive me."

Hearing this, Li Chen frowned slightly, looking down at her with barely concealed annoyance in his eyes.

Seeing his expression, Qi Heyin thought he might refuse this time.

Just as she was about to persuade him, he spoke coldly and succinctly, "Proceed."

Qi Heyin nodded. As he sat down, she leaned in slightly, her face gradually drawing closer to his.

Her Snowy Owl Mimic began taking effect, allowing her to pick up on minute details with her naked eyes.

From the subtle gradient in his iris color, to the fresh downy fur near his wolf ears, and finally to the slightly coarse texture of the fur on his tail...

Qi Heyin moved closer to examine his pupils. She speculated that, aside from strength, he had also gained the wolf’s exceptional night vision. As for how advanced this ability was, that could be tested in later studies.

Then, she reached out a hand and tentatively touched the wolf ears on his forehead, recording the sensation.

Li Chen felt his wolf ears tremble slightly. He raised his eyes and silently swept a cold gaze over the young woman before him, feeling that her actions had already been an affront to him.

But recalling her earlier apology, he could only endure it for now, his expression icy as he watched her.

At this moment, they were close enough to feel each other's breath. As the researcher leaned in to examine his eyes closely, he, too, could clearly see her focused eyes.

Her light golden irises glistening like a sunlit golden sea.

Equally visible was her fair, delicate face—as soft as fresh tofu, looking like it would bruise at a touch—a stark contrast to his own cold, hardened features.

...How could someone look like this? Utterly defenseless.

Li Chen remained expressionless, thought to himself.

He watched coldly as the researcher boldly touched his wolf ears.

Yet, to his surprise, she lowered her head, and a warm breath unknowingly grazed his ear, making his brow twitch again as his face tensed in discomfort.

Qi Heyin took a moment to feel the texture of the wolf ears before tactfully withdrawing her hand.

She had only wanted to compare the fur of these ears to that of real wolf ears, not push him too far. It was obvious that despite his verbal consent, his frown had been deepening involuntarily.

Honestly, she quite liked soft, furry textures... but this was Li Chen—someone to neither admire from afar nor trifle with.

Qi Heyin then gave a quick look at the wolf tail behind him, this time without touching it.

"...That's all."

After recording all the details in her notebook, she closed the pen cap and smiled at Li Chen. "Thank you for your cooperation today, Mr. Li."

"I’ll go update my colleagues about the lab equipment issues first and will return shortly."

Li Chen silently watched as the young woman walked away.

Then, he suddenly lowered his gaze and shot a sardonic look at the adult black wolf lying on the floor nearby.

Its ears were perked up, its gray-black body quivering with barely-contained excitement, as if it were about to roll around in delight any second.

Li Chen observed his spirit companion with a calm gaze before letting out a mocking snort.

"What, did she pet you good?"