Chapter Forty: Restoring the Blue Potion

The group pressed onward, but their luck from the beginning did not hold. The flock of crows seemed to have singled them out, swooping back to attack every so often, forcing everyone to remain on high alert. Each awakened one had to join the fight against these birds, and even Shen Lie took action twice.

Yet Wang Qingshan, lacking any means for ranged attacks, hadn’t participated directly, and the crows seized their chance to rake his back. Two deep wounds, nearly to the bone, tore open his shirt and soaked it red with blood. Though such injuries would be insignificant for an awakened one and posed little hindrance after being bandaged, Wang Qingshan’s expression grew exceedingly grim.

“Listen, everyone,” he said, his voice heavy, “if we keep going like this, we’re all doomed. Not only is our group too large and slow, but we’re just too easy a target. We’re practically courting death.” A few awakened ones gathered with Yang Weiguo, keeping watch for another shadowy attack while they discussed their next steps. Wang Qingshan was the first to speak, and Ma Zhanlin nodded in agreement. Even Du Lili did not object, which was as good as her assent.

Unlike Yang Weiguo, these awakened ones lacked any lofty ideals. They followed his lead only because he supplied them with antidote pills and held the locator device; without those, they would have long taken their loved ones and gone off alone. The convoy’s pace was glacial, and repeated use of their abilities drained them rapidly. At this rate, none could guarantee survival through the forest.

Wang Qingshan’s words darkened Yang Weiguo’s face. He was a military man, but not an awakened one, and had no real power to check Wang Qingshan and his companions. Persuasion was futile—three months in the town had shown these awakened ones were not charitable souls. Or rather, they already saw themselves as a cut above, no longer ordinary, but superhuman.

Why would a superhuman submit to an ordinary man's command? Yang Weiguo’s eyes were full of helplessness as he looked to Shen Lie. Shen’s earlier efforts to rescue survivors had left Yang with the impression that he was a responsible man, and that spectral hammer attack had made a lasting impression.

“What does King Shen think?” Yang Weiguo asked, touching the locator in his hand. If Shen Lie agreed with Wang Qingshan’s proposal, Yang doubted he would be able to keep it.

“Ahem, may I say a word?” Just as Shen Lie hesitated, Professor Liu suddenly spoke up.

Wang Qingshan, seeing Du Lili’s lack of objection, felt assured that as long as she stood with him, no one could oppose them, and the proposal benefited all awakened ones. There was no reason for Ma Zhanlin or Shen Lie to object.

“What’s your suggestion, Professor Liu?” Wang Qingshan’s tone was growing impatient. No one knew how many of those mutant crows lurked nearby, and every extra second heightened their danger.

Shen Lie also turned his gaze to Professor Liu. Though elderly, the professor still appeared spirited, as if the apocalypse had left him largely unscathed.

Professor Liu’s demeanor remained calm as he produced a small, elegant box from his satchel and carefully opened it to reveal its contents.

“What’s that?” Shen Lie asked, seeing a row of slender glass vials inside.

“Professor, have you succeeded?” Yang Weiguo came over, his voice trembling with excitement as he gazed at the vials.

“I wouldn’t call it a complete success,” Professor Liu replied, shaking his head with a hint of melancholy.

“Then what is this?” Yang Weiguo asked, hope shining in his eyes.

“Could you two stop speaking in riddles?” Wang Qingshan interjected impatiently. “We don’t have time to waste. If you can’t give us a good enough reason, then hand over the locator, Sergeant Yang. And you’re welcome to join us—your constitution won’t slow us down.” He made to seize the device directly.

“Wait!” Professor Liu raised his hand, stopping Wang Qingshan’s advance. He took one of the vials and held it up, the golden liquid inside swirling with his movement.

“This is an evolutionary serum!” Professor Liu announced with excitement, his gaze sweeping over Shen Lie and the other awakened ones.

“Evolutionary serum? What does that mean?” Ma Zhanlin asked, his eyes lighting up as he guessed its significance.

Not just Ma Zhanlin—all eyes, including Shen Lie’s, were fixed on the vial. But Shen Lie’s gaze was not only bright; he seemed momentarily dazed. The liquid brought to mind the golden elixir he’d once seen in the underground palace.

“Evolutionary serum—naturally, it’s something that can trigger human evolution,” explained Professor Liu, drawing their attention away from the threat of the crows. “This serum was extracted from the Phantom Mushrooms near the mushroom fields, with some other ingredients added. Since we had no awakened ones here, all the Phantom Mushrooms were used for my experiments. In fact, this catastrophe was sensed by various nations a year ago; mutated species were discovered, and six months ago, the first human awakening occurred. Countries began researching the conditions for awakening.”

“I was a member of our nation’s research team. We found that the other side of the space rifts is likely an unknown world, and the gray mist emanating from there is what triggers species mutations. This mist changes everything you’ve experienced. Most importantly, it can awaken latent bloodline abilities in living beings.”

“Bloodline? Professor, do you mean our abilities come from our own blood?” Du Lili’s clear voice expressed the question on everyone’s mind.

“Exactly. Our research found this energy exists in the blood, and everyone carries these genetic factors to varying degrees. But even those with a high concentration might not awaken on their own. So we wondered if a catalyst could speed up the process, making humans even stronger.”

“Did you succeed? And why are you here, Professor?” Du Lili pressed.

“Succeed? Of course not. No one expected the apocalypse to come so soon; we had little time. The so-called catalyst was only theoretical, and progress was slow. At least, when I left the institute, nothing was certain.

“As for why I’m here—my hometown is here. My father died of illness, and I returned for the funeral. The crisis escalated while I was here. Xiao Yang and his men were sent to fetch me, but we became trapped in this town.”

At this, Shen Lie realized why two full squads had been assigned to a small town, and why their weapons and equipment were so advanced. Their real task was to protect this professor; evacuating civilians was secondary.

“Enough, let’s keep it brief. You’ll learn more about the bloodline when we survive this. Let’s talk about the evolutionary serum.”

“My original intent was for this serum to accelerate awakening in those with abundant bloodline genes, but that failed. However, I discovered another effect: it can hasten the recovery of bloodline power in awakened ones, and to some extent, accelerate their evolution.”

“In simpler terms, it’s like a mana potion in a game—one that, if used in large quantities, can even help the user level up.”

At this, Shen Lie immediately understood the serum’s value, and Du Lili’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Only Ma Zhanlin and Wang Qingshan looked confused; their age left them unfamiliar with games. As for Yang Weiguo, his eyes dimmed at the explanation—the serum was useless to ordinary people, for now.