Modification and Enhancement

"As for how to buy those expensive medicinal ingredients..."

Mu Xiao decided to try contacting that terrifying existence and see whether he could produce the Miracle Formula. But first, he had to solve another problem: he needed an enormous amount of money. Or rather, he had to obtain an enormous sum in a short time to buy large quantities of rare medicinal materials.

There was no way to obtain a huge sum of money quickly through normal means, so he could only resort to abnormal ones.

After all, once today was over, the world would lose all order. Who would care about restraints then? Mu Xiao intended to exploit this loophole and play the role of a master thief to solve his funding problem. Fortunately, the former Mu Xiao's job gave him an advantage.

He was a management employee at the renowned Bauhinia Group, a colossal corporation within the Earth Federation.

The Bauhinia Group was an extremely famous company in the City of Magic. Even ordinary employees received better benefits, and their education, competence, bearing, and overall qualities far surpassed those of employees from corporations in other regions. Otherwise, the former Mu Xiao could not have amassed a fortune of three hundred thousand in just three years.

Therefore, everyone working at Bauhinia possessed a humble yet confident pride—in other words, a sense of superiority.

But Mu Xiao did not care about any sense of superiority. Once today passed, everyone would be reduced to primitive people. Only constant evolution could earn respect.

After forming a rough plan, he began preparing other matters.

First, he modified a blade. It had originally been an ordinary Microwave Blade used for cutting metal, a tool capable of slicing through metal with ease.

This was a blade that emitted electromagnetic radiation. Many households owned one as a work tool. In the advanced Earth Federation, it was as commonplace as a screwdriver had been in the past. But after Mu Xiao modified it into an Overclocked Microwave Blade, it was no longer an ordinary tool—it became a weapon specifically used by special police.

Among ordinary people, only he could transform a common tool into a dangerous weapon.

"I never expected the mechanical knowledge stored in my memories to become one of my abilities. It's a pity I didn't inherit my psychic abilities." Mu Xiao knew that he possessed only instinctive knowledge. When it came to highly advanced mechanical modifications, he simply lacked the capability.

Still, he could relearn this mechanical knowledge, and with the foundational knowledge retained in his memory instincts, he would certainly improve faster than others. But that was something for after the apocalypse.

Next, Mu Xiao modified another defensive weapon: a Paralysis Gun.

It was a weapon that could incapacitate people with electric shocks. Since electric shocks were not lethal and were relatively safe, many people kept one for self-defense. However, Mu Xiao directly modified the Paralysis Gun into an Electromagnetic Gun. Its paralyzing power was much greater, and it could even electrocute someone to death.

Just as he finished the modification, the household AI sent out a notification. Someone was contacting him from outside.

"The goods should be here."

Mu Xiao checked the three-dimensional image generated by the AI, and sure enough, it was a delivery worker from an online store.

After signing for the delivery, he carried a box made of neither metal nor wood back into his room. He entered the password he had set online, opened the box, and saw the vials of medicine he had ordered, along with several small pharmaceutical tools. Then he began producing the S-Rank Physique Enhancement Drug.

This was a drug capable of raising the human body's attributes to an S-Class Physique.

The Earth Federation had clear classifications for physiques: SSS-Class Physique—experts who had cultivated profound inner strength, known as earthly immortals; SS-Class Physique—beyond the limits of ordinary people; S-Class Physique—the physique of elite special forces; A-Class Physique—the baseline standards for special police and soldiers; B-Class Physique—the physical standard of those who exercised year-round, suitable for becoming police officers; and C-Class Physique—the level of ordinary people.

"An S-Class Physique will give me an additional foundation of strength. If I want to become truly strong,

it seems I'll still need the abilities of the apocalyptic evolutionary era." Mu Xiao knew that before long, everyone would possess immense potential to surpass an SSS-Class Physique. By the later stages of the apocalypse, New Humans would all be existences beyond SSS-Class Physique, and the Earth Federation's classifications would become obsolete. After extracting and blending the properties of numerous medicinal ingredients, Mu Xiao successfully produced a colorless, odorless vial of medicine.

"This vial alone proves just how great an advantage the information in my memories gives me in this world." Mu Xiao smiled faintly and, without hesitation, poured the colorless medicine into his mouth. A rich, bitter-sweet vegetal flavor instantly filled his mouth, but it soon became tasteless, as though he had drunk nothing at all.

"The taste is right. Unfortunately, it's only a simplified enhancement drug." Mu Xiao murmured. He packed away his things and prepared to wait for the first stage of the drug's effects to take hold before heading to the company to carry out the next step of his plan.

The simplified version absorbed a little more slowly, but its effects were the same. It could still raise the human body to an S-Class Physique. A standard enhancement drug would absorb two or three times faster, while an enhanced version could directly achieve the purpose of strengthening the body.

The first stage of the drug's effects would not take long and would not waste much of Mu Xiao's time.

His entire body alternated between cold and heat, and his muscles twitched from time to time. Mu Xiao remained calm, knowing that the information in his memories truly worked in this world. Taking advantage of the time while the drug took effect, he dragged his strengthening body into the bathroom to wash up before returning to the company. After all, the strengthened body would produce too much oil and sweat, so bathing in advance would save some time.

With time passing rather dully, Mu Xiao summoned the household robot to trim his hair.

"This looks a little more like my former self..." Mu Xiao looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar reflection in the mirror. His previously neat and conservative hairstyle had become a tousled cut, giving him a slightly unruly and casual air.

The drug's effects had reached their final stage, and Mu Xiao's consciousness gradually became a little hazy. Although he knew these were only minor effects, memories and thoughts kept surfacing...

This is the beginning of my new life...

Mu Xiao closed his eyes and immersed himself in the bathtub as his thoughts gradually became chaotic.

In the early twenty-second century, unknown Spatial Vibrations occurred in many places across Earth. A great number of items beyond contemporary technology spilled out, along with some powerful and vicious unknown creatures and strange plants that had never existed on Earth. However, the Spatial Vibrations lasted only half a year before all space settled and stabilized once more.

The Spatial Vibrations shocked the entire world. Countless people obtained large quantities of advanced technological items that had spilled out from them, but those items were soon forcibly confiscated by governments. As for the powerful and vicious unknown creatures, they caused only a brief period of chaos before vanishing without a trace.

Some said the creatures had been taken away by governments for research. Others said they could not adapt to Earth's environment and died out. Still others claimed that they had already hidden somewhere on Earth. There were countless theories, but many people leaned toward the first explanation.

Soon afterward, technology around the world entered a period of rapid and flourishing development, which was undoubtedly the best proof.

At the beginning of the twenty-third century, a super alliance formed from several powerful nations was established on Earth—the Earth Federation!

The first thing the Earth Federation did after its founding was implement a policy to "improve human genes." A product called the Life Gene Elixir was thus born. The Life Gene Elixir successfully altered human genes, strengthening the human immune system and completely eliminating many minor ailments. Gradually, the Life Gene Elixir replaced medicines such as vaccines, becoming a necessity for every newborn baby.

The Life Gene Elixir advanced the human body further and naturally extended lifespan. It could be said that this was humanity's first step toward evolution.

Having experienced the benefits of gene elixirs, people placed increasing importance on life science. Within five years, gene elixirs of various grades had been developed. Different grades offered different benefits, and some could even strengthen human potential and awaken special abilities. Naturally, the more advanced the gene elixir, the more expensive it was.

The Earth Federation was constantly absorbing the advanced technological knowledge gained from the Spatial Vibrations. After more than a decade of rapid development across various technological fields, the Earth Federation gained the ability to extract resources unavailable on Earth from nearby planets. At the peak of this unprecedented technological era, a plan known as the "New Human Plan" began!

It was also the beginning of the world's disaster...

The New Human Plan was today.

As Mu Xiao's consciousness gradually cleared, the memories of Earth's former beginning made him feel the world around him more vividly. He had even become one of the white mice of this world's New Human Plan, but he had also become a variable in the future.

"At last, I can feel the strength I once had. Though it's still a little weak, it's enough to create a good beginning." Mu Xiao rose from the bathtub in high spirits. He had a slender body, muscles filled with flexibility, and when he clenched his fist, a sense of abundant vitality and powerful flesh and blood naturally surged within him.

Mu Xiao put on a set of sportswear, took his Overclocked Microwave Blade and miniature optical computer, and set off for the company.

When he left home, it was already around ten in the morning, and the remaining time was steadily shrinking.

The azure sky was as pure as an ocean, free of pollution and impurities. The sunlight was brilliant yet gentle, while the air carried a soft, fresh breeze. Amid buildings resembling steel monsters, people could feel both their grandeur and their own insignificance. Magnetic levitation vehicles flew through the air in orderly streams, while pedestrians had replaced traditional transportation with all manner of high-tech devices...

"If there had been no so-called New Human Plan and no deep-seated hatred, then being reborn into this world would surely have brought countless wonderful and interesting things..." Mu Xiao smiled wistfully. Although nothing before him seemed new according to his memories, looking back and personally experiencing an age of peace, the people and things around him filled him with nostalgia.

Mu Xiao had his own means of transportation: a magnetic levitation scooter used by most office workers, one of the pieces of "inheritance" his former self had left for his current self.

Riding the sheep-like levitation scooter, Mu Xiao watched the scenery of this technological world as though he were merely an observer, all while heading toward the Bauhinia Group.