The mysterious research paper appeared, and Leon immediately immersed himself in its contents.

Back in his university days, Leon's record was reading and analyzing twenty medium-length SCI papers in a single day. But this time was different - the challenge wasn't his brain's capacity, but rather his inability to comprehend some of the knowledge within the paper.

Quantum physics... involving fourth-dimensional applications, using subjective consciousness to intervene in quantum domains? Using the human brain as a 'carrier' to subjectively 'influence' and 'regulate' quantum space? Damn, reading this cross-disciplinary literature is killing me."

Every field has its specialists.

Leon's physics knowledge had stayed at an undergraduate level.

"If the hypotheses in this paper are correct, bringing them back to my world would probably trigger a revolutionary storm in physics... However, this paper also contains magical principles from this world, and these last few pages with strange text are completely beyond my comprehension."

"In other words, this technology can only be realized in this world."

"Forget it, my head hurts!"

"Anyway, the so-called [Subspace Containment Technology] is all contained within this head."

Leon turned to look at the head in the hydraulic container.

Following the operational methods described in the literature, he opened the container and reached out to touch the 'smooth' head.

Unknown (Identity unknown in life)

[Head of the Faceless] - Modified product, possessing abilities of "Mimicry" and "Pocket Prison"

Load Requirement: 100

"Maximum load?!"

"This head isn't just integrated with quantum space - it also has the ability to transform appearances. Plus, its description differs slightly from other bodies in the prison."

Should he choose a complete prisoner's body, or just this head?

"That settles it!"

The female devotee's upper body instantly lost its vitality, collapsing onto the desk.

A cluster of cells crawled out from the mouth, slowly moving toward the smooth, round faceless head.

『[Head of the Faceless (Modified)], Load requirement: 100. Once occupied, no other body parts can be selected. Proceed with occupation?』

Yes!

The decision was resolute.

However, this body acceptance process was completely different from before.

The time to accept the head was extremely long.

One minute... one hour... ten hours.

During this acceptance process, Leon's consciousness remained in a 'suspended' state of integration with the brain.

Time passed indefinitely.

When consciousness returned and his eyes opened, the scene before him had completely changed.

Cool wind brushed past Leon's ears.

A silver moon hung in the star-studded night sky, casting its ethereal glow.

Beneath, pine needles carpeted the forest floor, their fragrance mixing with the cool earth as ancient trees stood sentinel in the darkness.

The prison had vanished, and Leon existed as just a head, lying in a pine forest.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Did the prison automatically disappear because I completed my 'body' selection?"

Just then, the familiar system voice returned.

『Body selection complete. Due to the host's incompleteness, [Head of the Faceless] abilities cannot be activated yet.

Please quickly find a complete ordinary human body.

Note: Current load has reached 100%, cannot possess special individual bodies. Please select a 'normal person' with below-average physical qualities for body possession.

This possession will not increase load.』

After receiving this information, Leon tried to move.

When his brain issued the 'move' command, an itchy sensation emerged from his neck.

Looking down... One by one, thick fungal hyphae sprouted from his neck. Each hyphae moved with tentacle-like precision, intertwining with the others to form a living support structure, carrying the head in rapid movement, reaching speeds comparable to a normal person's running pace.

Shortly after Leon started moving...

The sound of hooves broke the forest's silence.

In the moonlight, Leon clearly saw a scientific creation different from his own 'world view' racing through the forest.

A carriage.

But one that incorporated steam technology and brass metal.

The horse's four limbs had been replaced with brass steam piston devices, providing ample power.

Combined with precise gear construction to perfectly replicate the horse's leg running patterns.

Perfect streamlined metal design made the running more natural and stable.

As for the horse's body and head, they remained intact, covered in armor made of an otherworldly metal, its surface alive with flowing colors that seemed to change with each passing moment.

The specific metal used in the armor couldn't be identified by eye.

Two brass horses pulled a tightly-enclosed brass carriage.

Steam continuously leaked from neat rows of pipes along the carriage's edges, indicating it was running at full speed.

"A steam carriage? Running at full speed through the forest - is something chasing them?"

Leon quietly lurked in a pile of grass, retracting all the tentacles from his neck.

Holding his breath, he waited for the carriage to pass.

However...

The metal side door opened, and a person wrapped in a black cloak and wearing a mask，with lightning precision, reached down and seized the head that had been perfectly camouflaged in the grass

Note that the carriage was moving at 80km/h, yet the person on board directly locked onto a head hidden in the night forest.

The movement was smooth and fluid.

The moment the head was brought into the carriage, it was casually thrown into a burlap sack.

A putrid smell filled Leon's nostrils.

The burlap sack contained two already decomposing corpses.

However, as someone who had spent years in the pungent lab environment dissecting countless lab rats, Leon was completely unfazed by such odors... pretending to be dead while eavesdropping on the situation outside.

In standard British English:

"Danise! Do you know how dangerous that action was!? There are 'Mutants' mixed among those chasing us!"

Following was an elegant yet determined female voice:

"Even if it's just a head, we can't give them a chance to eat..."

"You're too stubborn! Your recklessness will one day make you a member of the corpse bag... Strange, though the Holy City is within reach, where did this head come from?"

"If it were a coward sneaking out of the Holy City, they'd either leave no remains or leave a complete corpse! Why would there just be a head? Better take a closer look at this!"

Leon in the corpse bag suddenly tensed.

Though they were human, if they discovered Leon existing as a 'living head,' things would get complicated.

If this were in Leon's previous world, his fate would be getting sent to the Science Academy for research, neither able to live nor allowed to die.

Even in a parallel world, the outcome would probably be similar.

The corpse bag opened, and a pair of eyes behind a mask stared directly at Leon's head.

Just then...

BOOM!

The carriage suffered a violent impact, and the corpse bag closed.

"They actually caught up to the steam carriage! Using brass bullets for counterattack... We're not far from the Holy City, our ammunition should last until we get inside."

Tat-tat-tat!!!

The deafening sound of machine gun fire rang out.

Leon in the corpse bag breathed a sigh of relief - at the critical moment, the so-called 'Mutants' had helped him avoid danger.

As he gradually adapted to the gunfire and calmed down, Leon became curious about the world he had crossed into, based on these people's conversations.

What were Mutants? Some kind of monster?

Holy City? Never heard of it? A nation that evolved in this parallel world?

"Too little information to make any real deductions... Once the carriage reaches the Holy City, I need to find a way to escape! After separating from these people, I can slowly explore and understand this world. Perfect if those pursuing monsters could tear a hole in this carriage."

Just as Leon thought this, he heard a 'crunch'.

It seemed the carriage's metal shell had indeed been cut by something sharp.

"Quick, signal! Get those useless gate guards to open the door for us!"

"Yes!"

A flare shot from the carriage roof.

Soon after, Leon heard the deafening roar of colossal gates swinging open.

About five minutes.

The machine gun fire stopped, and the carriage gradually slowed down.

"Inside the city? Time to escape the carriage."

Leon could roughly guess the situation outside.

Once past the gates, the group would lower their guard, their bodies and minds no longer on high alert.

Before the city gate closed, they would definitely be watching the situation outside the gate... their attention wouldn't shift.

Using the fungal hyphae from his neck, he slowly lifted the corpse bag's opening.

A tear in the carriage's side was large enough for Leon's head to pass through.

"Wait!"

Leon was waiting for the perfect moment when he absolutely wouldn't be discovered.

BOOM!

The instant the city gate closed, its sound covered everything else.

A head flew out from the carriage's side, and the moment it hit the ground, it quickly crawled into a dark alley.

Hearing the continuing sound of metal hooves.

Leon smiled in the dark alley, continuing his search for a suitable ordinary human body.