SCP-3125 didn't just grant Luo Shu its power—it also submitted itself as a subordinate.
The Anomaly Encyclopedia listed its status as: [Status: Subordinate]
Though Luo Shu didn't understand why SCP-3125 would willingly pledge allegiance, the benefits were undeniable.
The Anomaly Lord milestone leveled up.
In truth, this milestone had already reached 9/10 during his time at Olympus Mountain's Area-13. But afterward, Luo Shu hadn't encountered any suitable humanoid anomalies for subjugation.
The only two he'd met were:
SCP-196 (Time Paradox)
SCP-3211 (Marion Wheeler)
Both became Anomaly Allies outright, leaving no room for mental domination.
As for using his Cultist abilities to brainwash allies?
Luo Shu wasn't that shameless.
But now, seeing Effect 3 of the Level 2 Anomaly Lord milestone, he regretted his earlier restraint.
[Milestone: Anomaly Lord]
[Level: 2]
[Effects:]
Revoke an anomaly's abilities at will.
Temporarily borrow an anomaly's abilities (owner loses them during borrowing).
"Your followers and subordinates stand with you"—you may draw upon 10% of their mental strength.
The first two effects were expected. But Effect 3?
A game-changer.
The moment Luo Shu tapped into his followers' mental reserves, his own spiritual power more than doubled. Most of it came from SCP-3125's contribution.
And that only underscored the gulf between them.
The Roster of Subordinates
His Anomaly Lord milestone currently listed:
SCP-126 (Invisible Friend) - IR1901
The first to submit.
Weak-willed. Negligible mental boost.
SCP-CN-722 (Child Laborers)
Originally four, now three (one died to Heracles).
Collectively weaker than IR1901.
Aeolus (Area-14 Reality Bender)
Level 2. Minimal impact.
Xin Chen-8-C-011 ("God's" Artificial Reality Bender)
Also Level 2.
Area-14's Brainwashed Reality Benders:
Stalker & O-Yi (Level 2)
Twins: Dream of Ruin & Land of Awakening (Level 3)
Thought Laboratory (Level 4)
Reality bender tiers are exponential.
Level 4 (Thought Laboratory) was Luo Shu's strongest subordinate before SCP-3125.
Even restrained by Restraint Cuffs, its mental strength likely surpassed Luo Shu's.
Combined, these followers boosted Luo Shu's mental power by ~50%.
The remaining 150% came solely from SCP-3125.
Meaning:
Pre-upgrade, SCP-3125's mental strength was 15 times Luo Shu's.
Post-upgrade, with Luo Shu's temporary 3x multiplier, the gap narrowed to 5x.
Still vast—but progress.
Time to grind.
Next Targets
To grow stronger, Luo Shu needed more anomalies. A quick inventory:
Cleared Sites:
Site-19
Area-14
Site-CN-02
Site-CN-06
Site-41
Remaining Options:
Site-17 - "The God's" domain. Too risky.
Site-403 (Tel Aviv) - Only houses SCP-2128 (Liar's Grill). Not worth a dedicated trip.
Area-13 - Home to Zeus-tier threats (e.g., Omega-12-C-002, Level 5 reality bender). Suicide.
Area-█████ - Location of SCP-231-7 (Scarlet Bride). Unknown coordinates.
That left Site-167's flooded sublevels.
Two approaches:
Pump out the seawater - Requires heavy equipment, risks alerting the naval base.
Dive in - Faster, but demands training.
Luo Shu chose Option 2.
Diving Training
Cuba, an island nation, had no shortage of dive spots.
After leaving Viñales Valley, Luo Shu headed northeast to Varadero Beach—a top-10 global diving destination with 30+ dive sites.
At a beachside bar, he ordered a mojito and hired a private instructor.
Money talks. Within a day, he mastered basic diving.
But Site-167's depths required technical scuba gear:
Oxygen tanks.
Underwater propulsion.
Depth training.
Another two days of intensive coaching, and Luo Shu was ready.
Certification? Irrelevant. He needed practical skills, not paperwork.
Return to Site-167
Equipment secured, Luo Shu set off.
The flooded sublevels awaited.