Berserk Gene Serum

"Young Master, that chick who just went in is quite something! Two of them..." Watching Tang Yu and Meng Xuanxuan enter the hotel, the hunched old man behind the bald man said with green light glowing in his eyes.

"We have serious business to handle these next few days. We'll talk after we're done!" The bald man licked his lips and strode toward the exit of White Street without looking back.

The hotel's facilities were no different from those outside. After showering and sitting down, Tang Yu recalled what Big Fei had said in the car: the black market only came alive at night, and Old Black had even told him to buy a black market guide. His gaze fell on the black market map on the wall. Wasn't this a proper guide? It saved him the trouble of asking around to buy one.

Starting from White Street, a web of roads spread in all directions, forming the present-day black market. The first street was the Exchange Market. As its name implied, it was a place for buyers and sellers to trade. One could post all sorts of jobs, offer high-priced rewards for desired items, and browse shops of every kind.

Past the first street was an arena built in imitation of an ancient Roman coliseum. Every match there was a life-or-death battle, the kind that did not end until someone died. There were not only fights between people, but also battles against all kinds of mutant creatures, for gambling and entertainment.

Beside the arena was a merchant association. It was said to have been established by the founder of the black market and specialized in dealing in valuable goods. The entrance fee alone was ten thousand Federal Credits per person. Did they think money grew on trees?

The remaining areas had no clear divisions and were occupied by all manner of forces.

Knock! Knock! At that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the door. There was no need to guess—it had to be Meng Xuanxuan.

"I want to go to the Exchange Market and see whether they have anything I need!" Meng Xuanxuan said bluntly as soon as she entered.

"That was exactly what I was thinking!" The two hit it off immediately, went downstairs, left White Street, and headed for the Exchange Market.

After walking only a few hundred meters, they entered another street. At night, it somewhat resembled the night markets of Suhang City, bustling with activity. The rents for shops here were ten times higher than outside, but the profits were substantial as well. As long as one had connections, it was all exorbitant profit!

The first shop they came across was a materials store. Numerous dried mutant beast carcasses hung outside its entrance, including the beak and talons of a Two-Headed Falcon Tang Yu had seen before.

"Are you two here to buy or sell?" As soon as they entered, a portly, slick-faced middle-aged man greeted them with a smile plastered across his face. The store seemed to have just opened, and there were no other customers for the moment.

"We're looking to buy some things. I wonder if you have them?" Before Tang Yu could speak, Meng Xuanxuan had already opened her mouth.

"Oh? Let's hear it! Even if I don't have it here, I might know where to find it!" The owner's interest was piqued, and he motioned for her to continue.

"One portion of Deep-Blue Jellyfish body fluid, one Hundred-Fathom Vine main root... three live Nine-Tailed Venom Bee queens..." Meng Xuanxuan rattled off more than a dozen strange items in one breath. Not only Tang Yu, but even the chubby owner was left dumbfounded.

The things Meng Xuanxuan had listed were not particularly valuable in themselves, but every one of them was extremely difficult to obtain. Take the Deep-Blue Jellyfish, for example. It was only a level-two mutant, not very high-level, but this type of jellyfish usually lived in the deep sea thousands of meters below the surface. The dangers at sea were no less than those of the vast starry sky. Countless powerful mutant creatures lived there, including many level-ten mutants equivalent to human Divine Transformation experts. How could it possibly be easy to obtain?

Then there was the Hundred-Fathom Vine. It was a rare plant to begin with, and powerful mutant creatures often lived nearby. Flame Pythons liked Hundred-Fathom Vines the most; most adult Flame Pythons preferred to nest within them. Flame Pythons were level-five mutants. Their level was neither especially high nor low, but they were cold-blooded creatures that lived in groups. If you wanted to dig up the roots of a Hundred-Fathom Vine, wouldn't you need their permission first?

If not for the serious look on the girl's face, the owner would have thought she had come deliberately to cause trouble!

"Deep-Blue Jellyfish are difficult to come by, but they aren't very useful. I happen to have some in stock. The other things should be manageable too; I can probably find them in the warehouse. As for the live Nine-Tailed Venom Bee queens you mentioned, those aren't exactly rare, but live ones are hard to capture, especially queens. I'll have to send someone to get them, and it'll probably take two or three days. It depends on whether you can wait!" It was a thankless task, but he could not ruin his own reputation. He had been established in the black market for more than a decade. If word got out, people would laugh at him!

"Fine! We'll do as you say!" Without a moment's hesitation, Meng Xuanxuan agreed.

"One portion of Deep-Blue Jellyfish costs one hundred thousand, one portion of Hundred-Fathom Vine roots costs two hundred and fifty thousand... the total comes to eight hundred and twenty thousand. As for the Nine-Tailed Venom Bees, I'd normally charge you one hundred thousand, but since you're buying so much at once, I'll give you a discount and round it off. Nine hundred thousand!" The owner calculated the price as he spoke.

Hearing that, Tang Yu nearly cursed aloud. So expensive—why not just rob them? And those Nine-Tailed Venom Bees had not even been delivered yet, but he was already demanding payment?

"Boss, you haven't even gathered everything yet, and you dare ask for money?"

"Young man, that's where you're wrong. People here might cheat you, but no one would ever extort you. Not only would they ruin their own reputation, being driven out of the black market would be the least of it. If the black market boss found out, they might not even keep their lives! Come back in three days. If I have the goods, you take them; if I don't, I refund your money. What are you afraid of?"

After the owner put it that way, Tang Yu thought it over and realized it seemed reasonable. Nine hundred thousand was not a small sum, but it was not worth taking such a huge risk over it.

"Fine. Get the things ready, and we'll come back for them later."

Hearing Meng Xuanxuan say that, the owner looked troubled. "Young lady, don't stand me up. Don't make me tear through my whole warehouse to gather everything, only for you to disappear afterward and leave me working for nothing!"

"Isn't it just money? I'll transfer you a few tens of thousands as a deposit first. You can relax now, right? Even if I don't come back, you won't have worked for nothing!"

Before Meng Xuanxuan had finished speaking, the owner eagerly pulled out his phone and showed them his account. Meng Xuanxuan did not waste words and directly transferred ten thousand Federal Credits to him. Then she gave a soft snort and left with Tang Yu.

By the time the two came out, the street was gradually becoming more crowded. People stood around in twos and threes, whispering to one another, but even when Meng Xuanxuan strained her ears, she could not make out what they were saying.

"You'll easily make people dislike you if you keep doing that!" Tang Yu could not help but advise her when he saw her acting like that.

However, when he passed a shop selling various medicines, he stopped unconsciously.

Seeing this, Meng Xuanxuan looked at him in confusion. "What do you want to buy? Nutrient solution? Gene serum?"

"Let's go in and have a look!"

Nutrient solution was something they would definitely need later, that went without saying. As for gene enhancement serum, Tang Yu had been thinking about it for a long time. Although his origin force had already awakened and his gene count had reached 122, Tang Yu knew every step ahead would be incredibly difficult. Gene count was unlike other things. If one was bad at martial arts, one could learn and make up for it through diligence. If one was bad at mech control, one could practice until skill came with repetition. But gene count could not be improved through diligence and practice.

Personal effort was one aspect, talent was another, and external aid was also indispensable. Look at those powerful warriors: either they possessed vast wealth and all kinds of resources beneficial to cultivation, or they ventured into dangerous regions to hunt for riches and exchange them for the resources they needed. The ancients spoke of wealth, companions, methods, locations, and treasures in cultivation. There was a reason wealth came first!

The shop was not large. All kinds of medicines were displayed in upright glass cabinets, each with a label. Basic nutrient solution, intermediate nutrient solution, advanced nutrient solution... gene enhancement serum... Suddenly, Tang Yu's eyelid twitched. What the hell was Berserk Gene Serum? He had never even heard of it before!

Seeing Tang Yu's gaze land on the Berserk Gene Serum, Meng Xuanxuan tugged at the corner of his clothes. "Berserk Gene Serum stimulates gene cells at twice the intensity of ordinary gene enhancement serum. If it succeeds, its effects are naturally far better than ordinary gene serum! But its drawback is that the medicinal effect is fierce and overbearing. Quite a few people have exploded and died from it. It's no different from what ancient people called cultivation deviation!"

Tang Yu suddenly understood after Meng Xuanxuan explained it. Sure enough, high returns meant high risks. Yet a little idea formed in his mind. His origin force had already awakened, so perhaps he might be able to withstand it?

"Eight nutrient solutions," Tang Yu said to the saleswoman, pointing at the glass test tubes on the counter that were as thick as his index finger.

However, the saleswoman was serving another customer and clearly had no time to attend to Tang Yu. She asked him to wait, gave him an apologetic look, and only turned to face him after completing the other transaction.

"Eight thousand each. Eight come to sixty-four thousand!"

Tang Yu immediately paid. Nutrient solution had already been driven up to ten thousand Federal Credits outside the black market, so it was quite a bit cheaper here.

"Aren't you only allowed to bring three? Why are you buying so many?" Meng Xuanxuan asked curiously as she watched Tang Yu carefully put away the medicine.

Hearing her question, Tang Yu smiled. "Don't you need any? Besides, I read in the military training guide that it's best to use one before going, so you can hold out a little longer!"

It had to be said, after knowing Tang Yu for so long, this was the first time Meng Xuanxuan had seen such a caring side of him. It was rare for him not to be stingy and to be willing to spend money on something for her. It made her heart bloom with joy.

"How much is this gene enhancement serum?" Looking at the vivid red serum sealed in exquisite crystal, Tang Yu finally could not help asking. With this, his gene count could rise by at least another ten points.

But the saleswoman's next words made Tang Yu's brow twitch.

"One million one hundred thousand!"