After the cheers subsided, the team entered a cooling-off period. Everyone's eyes gleamed as they watched Erica Simmons—not because of her upcoming wedding with Mu, which they already knew about, but because of the next phase of testing. If the subsequent tests succeeded, the Quasi-GN Drive would be declared a complete success.
"Alright everyone, good work today," Erica Simmons said, clapping her hands as she understood the anticipation in her team's eyes. "But tomorrow will be even tougher. Get some rest tonight—we'll be conducting mobility tests, combat simulations, and stress testing tomorrow!"
"Yes, ma'am!" they chorused.
They were brimming with energy, far from feeling exhausted. This was a historic opportunity, one that could etch their names into the annals of history. The mere thought sent adrenaline surging through their veins.
"How are you feeling?" Yang Hui approached Morgan Chevalier, who had been standing alone, seemingly out of place.
"..." Morgan Chevalier was taken aback. As a defector, he expected to be treated with cold indifference. His first meeting with Yang Hui had been far from cordial, and after being assigned to Dawn Company, he hadn't heard from him since. He never imagined Yang Hui would seek him out.
"What? Something on my face?" Yang Hui joked, noticing Morgan's stunned silence, trying to ease the tension.
"...You're different."
"Compared to Atlantic Federation officials?"
"...Yeah."
"Orb is different too, isn't it?"
"...Yeah."
"Then stay in Orb with peace of mind. Whatever the Atlantic Federation could give you, Orb can provide—and more."
With that, Yang Hui patted Morgan Chevalier on the shoulder and left the command center with Sumeragi and the others. They needed a good night's rest before observing the next day's experiments.
Only Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, Tieria, Athrun, and Canard Pars would continue watching the tests. Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, and Creuset had too much work to spare another day—attending today's session was already pushing their limits.
As he watched the group walk away, chatting and laughing, Morgan Chevalier's gaze flickered with hesitation and complexity. His fists clenched as he wrestled with a decision.
After sending Athrun and Canard Pars away, the group gathered in their private meeting room.
"Is this technology from another world too?" Creuset asked Yang Hui and the others.
"Correct. It's from our homeland," Yang Hui replied, exchanging knowing smiles with Sumeragi and the rest.
To Yang Hui, the world of Gundam 00 would always be his second home—the place where his second life began, the starting point of his journey. It held immeasurable significance for him.
"Don't tell me you invented it?" Creuset raised an eyebrow. If GN Particles and the Quasi-GN Drive were Yang Hui's creations, his estimation of the man would skyrocket—from prodigy to outright monster.
"Flattering, but no," Yang Hui rolled his eyes. "An old genius from our world developed this. And this isn't even the complete version—just a scaled-down model suitable for mass production."
"This is only the reduced version?" Creuset was shocked. Without mincing words, the emergence of GN Particles would completely rewrite the world's landscape and methods of warfare.
For starters, once Quasi-GN Drives became widespread and research deepened, naval fleets and aerial strike forces could be rendered obsolete. By installing Quasi-GN Drives on space battleships and utilizing their anti-gravity properties, true aerospace integration could be achieved. Paired with suitable supporting technologies, they could freely traverse both within and beyond the atmosphere.
Even underwater-specialized MS would only be suitable for covert operations or infiltration missions. All air-specialized MS would become obsolete, eliminating the need for cumbersome equipment like flight units or jetpacks.
Moreover, according to tests, GN Particles could serve as fuel for propulsion systems, ammunition for weapons, and even be condensed around the body to form energy shields capable of defending against both physical and beam attacks—truly a universal particle.
And now, Yang Hui was telling him this was only the reduced version? What would the complete version look like? What other special capabilities did it possess?
"This world lacks a certain special substance present in our world, so we can't manufacture the complete version. In terms of output and characteristics, there isn't much difference between GN Drives and Quasi-GN Drives. The real gap lies in the fact that complete GN Drives can generate GN Particles on their own, rather than acting as converters that transform electrical energy into GN Particles. They are a semi-permanent energy source."
"Semi-permanent energy!"
"Yes. And also..." As he spoke, under Creuset's astonished gaze, Yang Hui and Tieria's eyes transformed—the whites of their eyes filled with multicolored light. "...Prolonged exposure to high-concentration, high-purity GN Particles can trigger evolution into Innovators. In such an environment, Innovators can engage in unobstructed Brain Quantum Wave communication."
"Innovators... Brain Quantum Waves... Heh, it seems I still have much to learn." Creuset chuckled, his initial shock giving way to awe. Other worlds truly were vibrant and diverse.
"Here, take a look." Yang Hui handed over intelligence on the Gundam 00 and Gundam AGE worlds for Creuset to review. "These two worlds are the third we've visited. The Gundam AGE world has already stabilized, and many like-minded comrades have joined us—though they're currently on other missions. We still need to return to the Gundam 00 world; it's our homeland."
As he read the intelligence, Creuset fell silent for a moment, then regarded Yang Hui and the others with a meaningful gaze.
"Aren't you... afraid I might leak this information? If it gets out, no matter your status or reputation, you'll become enemies of the world."
This intelligence was irrefutable proof that Yang Hui and his group were not natives of this world. If leaked, most factions in this world would turn against them—such was the nature of exclusionism. "We are all people of this world; internal conflicts are one thing. But you are outsiders. No matter what, we can't let this world fall into the hands of outsiders." As Yang Hui had once said, it was about redirecting internal contradictions toward an external threat.
"From the moment you witnessed the Quasi-GN Drive, you became one of us," Yang Hui said to Creuset.
"...!" Creuset froze momentarily before lowering his head with a sudden laugh. "Hahahaha... What an honor indeed, Yang Hui. And to all present here."
"Though slightly belated, let me formally welcome you aboard as a member of Prometheus Fortress, Rau Le Creuset."
"The honor is mine. Now then... might you enlighten me further about other worlds? About Prometheus Fortress?"
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