Don't Chase Me!

Once he actually got started, he deeply realized the difficulty of crafting medicine.

The entire process was divided into ten steps, with each step further broken down into three or four sub-steps.

It wasn't just the quantity of ingredients that had to be measured; there was also the control of temperature and timing.

He also encountered things he had never seen before, such as the activation factor of beasts.

For example, erythropoietin, growth hormone, caffeine...

There were only four main ingredients, but the auxiliary materials numbered as many as seven.

The primary function of these seven was to make the medicinal effects within the main ingredients more compatible with the human body.

He wasn't just crafting one type of enhancement serum, but two: one to strengthen the body and one to strengthen the nerves.

Since the injection requirements dictated that both must be used simultaneously—otherwise, one could only inject one—he had no choice but to craft both at the same time.

Three hours later, Yagami Shizuka nearly collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.

[Crafting successful. Please adjust your physical state as soon as possible and use within half an hour. Inject the body-strengthening serum first.]

After getting up, Yagami Shizuka went to wash his face, struggling to calm his heart rate.

A few minutes later, on the bed, he finally steeled himself to plunge the needle into his chest.

It was a deep yellow syringe of serum.

Hiss!

To say it didn't hurt would be a lie; he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

As the serum flowed through his entire body, he felt as if all his blood were boiling, as if something were scouring his body, making his veins feel as though they were about to burst out of his skin.

He could see yellow blood flowing within his body.

[Please use the other test tube as soon as possible, aiming for the temple.]

Yes, the second one was even more dangerous; it actually required injecting into the temple.

There was no time for him to overthink it; he picked up the blue serum from the table.

Hiss!

As the serum entered his brain, he felt his thoughts become incredibly clear, as if he could see every detail of the changes occurring within his body.

His cells were reorganizing and being remodeled, and the neural networks in his brain were lighting up, neuron by neuron.

He felt his whole body heating up, a burning sensation that was extremely uncomfortable.

After enduring it to a certain point, he rushed to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and let the cold water continuously wash over his body.

After ten minutes of rinsing, his body temperature finally dropped, leaving only a fiery heat in his abdomen and chest.

[To allow the serum to fully integrate, get moving, young man.]

"Ahhhhh! I can't take it anymore."

He put on his clothes and quickly ran downstairs.

Upon entering the track, Yagami Shizuka accelerated from a slow jog to a sprint.

It was already evening.

There were only a few people passing by on the track, and very few were actually running.

He ran faster and faster, overtaking one student after another.

As he passed one person, that individual looked slightly surprised, because it was the second time he had seen Yagami Shizuka pass by.

In other words, in less than three minutes, the other person had run a full lap more than him.

This was a four-hundred-meter track, and he had been running as well.

Unless he was seeing a ghost, it was simply impossible.

"Hahaha!" He laughed loudly and strode forward to give chase. As his speed increased, he quickly caught up behind Yagami Shizuka.

"Koenji?" Yagami Shizuka glanced back and, upon realizing it was Koenji, a bitter expression appeared on his face.

"Ha! Do you know me? Who are you?" Koenji Rokusuke became even more excited, running faster.

"I don't have time for you, don't follow me!"

"Tell me your name!"

Yagami Shizuka ignored him; he didn't want to expose himself yet.

A battle with Koenji should happen after his second year; facing him now would be highly disadvantageous.

After accelerating again, Yagami Shizuka widened the gap, but Koenji soon caught up once more.

This pursuit did not last long.

Because Koenji's stamina had its limits, while the medicinal effects within Yagami Shizuka's body had yet to be fully unleashed.

Realizing he couldn't catch up, Koenji stopped, intending to wait for Yagami Shizuka there.

Yagami Shizuka, while running, also noticed this situation.

[You have entered the line of sight of Koenji Rokusuke, who is waiting for you ahead. You have received a prompt.]

[1. Continue running as you are. A deep friendship awaits you; Koenji will display his full strength in d, solely to battle you.]

[2. Bypass Koenji and play a game of cat and mouse. You will attract attention from multiple parties.]

[3. Turn back. Physical torment is always better than the possibility of exposing yourself.]

What a joke. It's not you who's in pain, so of course you'd think it doesn't matter.

It really hurts.

Only exercise makes him feel comfortable; he can't stand not moving.

"Activate! Total Concentration!"

[Huh? What's going on? So you have hidden strength that exceeds my calculations?

You have entered a state of high mental focus. Your mental power and attention have significantly increased. A new escape plan is being generated for you. You have received a prompt.]

[1. You have activated your latent potential, possessing reaction speed and judgment beyond the reach of ordinary people. Follow my instructions to avoid all surveillance, and no one will be able to see your face.

Select this option to receive follow-up prompts.]

[2. Become a campus celebrity and be sure to have tea in the Student Council President's office tomorrow.]

Yagami Shizuka chose 1 without a second thought; he wanted to bypass Koenji while avoiding surveillance.

And so, a monster appeared under the dim night sky.

In the center of the field was a standard soccer pitch, where members of the soccer club were focused on chasing the ball.

Suddenly, a figure rushed over. Someone immediately scolded, "Hey student, we're playing soccer here. It's dangerous, don't run this way."

The ball quickly rolled to Yagami Shizuka's feet. With a few dodges and shifts, he dribbled the ball in a serpentine motion, bypassing everyone. No one could take the ball from his feet.

The ten people on the field felt as if they had seen a ghost; ten of them couldn't even stop him alone.

While everyone was dazed, he lifted his foot and kicked the ball.

With a mid-air strike, the ball crossed half the field and entered the net with an astonishing arc. The ball was still spinning against the netting, leaving the goalkeeper in a cold sweat.

"This..."

Everyone on the field was stunned.

"What was that just now? A Deep-fried Meatball?"

"What kind of footwork was that? Have you guys ever seen it?"

By the time they turned around, Yagami Shizuka had already run off.

"Who was that guy! Is he from our club?" someone shouted excitedly.

Their attention had been entirely on the soccer ball, and no one had seen the person's face.

"Right, we must get him to join the club!" The soccer club members rushed out.

But there was no way they could catch up to him.

The person chasing after Yagami Shizuka was none other than Student Council Vice President Nagumo Miyabi, a handsome and capable leader who ruled over the second-year students.

He had dominated his entire grade in just one year.

He prided himself on never losing to anyone, yet at this moment, he felt a small sense of shock.

To avoid surveillance, Yagami Shizuka ran with a sense of artistry.

Upon discovering he was being followed, Yagami Shizuka began to dart around erratically.