It was as if every organ in his body had been massaged, or as if he had just finished bathing on a scorching summer day, changed into fresh clothes, and stood beneath the trees, letting the cool breeze wash over him.
The sincere comfort reached his very soul. A clarity that flowed from within to without, and a refreshing ease beyond words.
That was the wonder of evolution. Every cell was rejoicing.
Under this mental sensation, even though his muscles and bones were shifting in substance, bringing a feeling of soreness, numbness, and itchiness, he selectively ignored it. There was only pleasure to be felt.
After the five-hour effective period of the Genetic Potion ended, Li Yang felt his entirely renewed self with a faint smile, as though he had been reborn.
He had grown five centimeters taller, and his muscles had become more compact. Looking at his arms and legs, it seemed they had been adjusted, becoming more aesthetically pleasing and slender. The proportions between his upper and lower body were harmonious and comfortable, while his five fingers were long and straight.
More importantly, it seemed that his internal organs had been strengthened. He felt as though his entire body was brimming with energy and vitality.
Unable to resist, he took out a mirror and looked himself over. A version of himself that seemed to have undergone minute adjustments appeared in his sight. There was no major change in his appearance, but upon closer inspection, his entire face looked more harmonious and natural.
The mirror in his hand moved downward, and his expression immediately turned solemn.
"This is bad."
Li Yang stood on the rooftop, sensing the state of his body as his expression shifted repeatedly.
How had it changed so much all of a sudden? It seemed as though he could no longer put on his underwear.
Although it gave him a very pleasurable sensation,
if he could not put on his underwear, was he supposed to go home commando?
"Why is everywhere else so harmonious, while only this place changed so much?"
Li Yang could not help looking himself over from top to bottom in the mirror. Then he looked toward the female slave lying limp on the ground, drenched in sweat, and could not help asking her.
He had already experienced the miraculous effects of the Genetic Potion and no longer doubted this wondrous medicine. It was just that this incongruity left him somewhat puzzled.
During those five hours, this female slave had experienced his changes most directly. She had a clear sense of just how great the transformation was.
"Master, some strange, unknown virus appeared during the nuclear pollution before the apocalypse. That virus reduced the fertility rate of all humans by ninety percent. Back then, to solve this problem, they kept making breakthroughs in biological technology. That's why nearly every generation of Genetic Potion focuses on enhancing this aspect."
"But please rest assured. You can try sensing that area. How large it becomes actually depends entirely on your own will. No matter how large it is, though, it can bring you the happiest experience. The purpose is to allow you to successfully reproduce with an opposite-sex partner of any body type."
The fivefold dose of the potion had indeed been fierce. Even Chang Yanyan, who had undergone genetic evolution for a long time, had found it somewhat unbearable. She lay limp on a blanket she had brought with her, gazing at Li Yang with sultry eyes as she spoke.
"What? The fertility rate dropped by ninety percent?"
After hearing her, Li Yang suddenly understood the reason. But when he heard that this was what had caused such a drastic change in that area, his entire expression froze.
There had actually been such a thing?
"That's right. Back then, this became major news throughout the human world. Everyone was deeply worried. Fortunately, after the zombie virus, which no one knew how to explain, appeared, the surviving humans no longer had to worry about that problem."
Chang Yanyan answered with a trace of emotion and confusion in her expression. Then she gathered her spirits, blushed, and looked at Li Yang. "Master, the Basic Genetic Potion I took was only one-fifth as effective as yours. Being able to accompany you through the entire evolution process was already my limit. If you want to use me again next time, I'll need a day to recover."
"However, if Master wants to, I can also take a Recovery Potion and continue exercising with you."
The woman spoke in a delicate voice. Li Yang calmly shook his head. Instead, he was curious about the fertility issue she had mentioned. "Did the new generation of Genetic Potion break through this restriction?"
"I heard that the Gene Laboratory in Base City Number One, where the most cutting-edge technology is concentrated, is developing the latest seventh-generation Genetic Potion. If this potion is successful enough, it might be able to break the shackles. But right now..."
Chang Yanyan shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. "After the zombie virus infected the entire world, the humans left to us have... completely lost the ability to reproduce. In these fifteen years of the apocalypse, there hasn't been a single case of pregnancy, nor has a single newborn been born."
"Ever since these results came out, we stopped thinking about such things. Under the orders of the Base Cities, men and women were forcibly paired up to survive, and then we amused ourselves while waiting for further scientific results—or for death."
The confusion in Chang Yanyan's expression gradually faded along with her voice. She then shook her head and turned to look at the surrounding city, speaking with a sigh. "If not for this, these zombies, which pose little threat, would have been wiped out long ago, and we wouldn't be trapped here."
"But the zombie virus is beneficial to genetic research. Besides, our surviving population is scarce. Even if we killed all the zombies in the world, we wouldn't need all the cities we reclaimed, and we would only waste more time that could have been invested in genetic research."
"Moreover, these cities have been severely contaminated by nuclear pollution and are no longer worth living in. With the help of Genetic Potions and all kinds of weapons, zombies pose no real threat to humanity. Not wasting time here is only natural, isn't it?"
"After all, if the reproduction problem can't be properly resolved, then once all the surviving humans die, humanity will perish as well. In that case, destroying the zombies would lose its meaning."
"On the contrary, if we keep them around, perhaps one day they'll all evolve into a new humanity."
Chang Yanyan finished murmuring, only then realizing that the five hours of high-intensity battle had caused her to relax far too much.
As a slave, she should not have said all this useless nonsense to her master and added to his anxiety.
Chang Yanyan hurriedly rose and knelt before Li Yang, apologizing. "Master, I'm sorry. I've never been a slave before and didn't know the rules. I've burdened you with so much pointless talk."
"..."
"It's fine. Get up. Can this second bottle of potion be taken now?"
Li Yang was dazed for a moment before slowly shaking his head at the woman. As he took out a test tube labeled Nerve Reaction Potion, he looked at her with a strange expression.
This was a little absurd.
The reason the zombies had not been completely purged, and the reason the world had fallen into apocalypse, was actually that the surviving humans had lost the ability to reproduce!
But thinking about it carefully, it did seem to make some sense. Otherwise, with such advanced technology, how could they be unable to deal with zombies he could kill with a crossbow?
Then again... did he still need to make her take birth control pills?
"Master, your compatibility with these two potions is extremely high. You can take them consecutively without any problem."
Before you continue