Blind Box

[Premium Black-Market Gene Serum]*4?

Cheng Qi shook his head. "A success rate of only 23%, and failure causes disability... this really is trash. Keep synthesizing!"

[Broken down into raw materials]

[Synthesis successful]

[Valente Gene Drug]*2!

Cheng Qi blinked. "That broke the pattern. Shouldn't it be something like 'Super Black-Market Gene Serum'?"

[Valente Gene Drug]

[Produced by the black-market pharmacist Valente, a legendary genius pharmacist. Building on CRISPR-Cas9, he developed his own gene-sequencing technology and fully incorporated it into his genetic modification drugs, achieving a catalysis success rate of 90.8% with negligible side effects. These figures have already crushed those of the Milky Way Scientific Association.]

[However, this drug is now one of a kind. After producing thirteen doses of his proprietary drug, Valente vanished without a trace. Rumor has it that he was most likely recruited by the Milky Way Scientific Association, or abducted by certain dark powers.]

"A 90.8% success rate?!"

Cheng Qi's heart raced. "That's an absolutely terrifying probability!"

Evolution in genetic rank had always been an unlikely event, but in Valente's hands, it seemed to be completely under control!

Two doses of pale cyan drug lay before Cheng Qi.

After three rounds of synthesis, the improvement in the drug's effects was nothing short of explosive.

He could still synthesize it one last time.

Even the slightest hesitation would be disrespectful to the Standard Template Construct.

Cheng Qi let out a long breath. "Keep synthesizing!"

[Broken down into raw materials]

[Synthesis successful]

[Valente Fantasy Drug]!

Cheng Qi's eyes widened slightly. "Valente Fantasy?"

[This drug was a concept recorded in the genius pharmacist Valente's notes, representing his ultimate vision for his technology. However, he had not managed to bring that vision into reality before he disappeared.]

[The core of this technology allows specific gene segments to be replicated. Using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), it amplifies specific genes in large quantities, repeatedly copying and stacking advantageous segments of human genes to overwrite inferior genes.]

Cheng Qi nodded, a little awed.

Did the Standard Template Construct really cover every field? It could even turn ideas from someone's notes into reality?

[Valente Fantasy Drug]

[Genetic evolution success rate: 99.9%. As this technology replicates and amplifies existing high-quality segments, the final outcome of genetic optimization varies with individual constitution. It may result in advancement beyond a rank, or no noticeable change.]

After taking a moment to digest that information.

Cheng Qi understood what this Genetic Serum did.

Simply put, different talent meant different results.

If every last segment of his genes was the trashiest of trash, then drinking this drug would still leave him trash.

It was like a loser suddenly putting on a fine outfit. From then on, he would transform into-a loser wearing clothes!

But if.

There were a few high-quality genes among his gene segments.

Then this Genetic Serum would copy those high-quality genes and replace the inferior ones, steadily magnifying his strengths.

If he had enough high-quality genes, he might improve by leaps and bounds, perhaps even evolving past an entire rank.

In short.

The final drug synthesized from these sixteen doses of trash... was a "blind box"!

"Interesting."

Cheng Qi instinctively rubbed his hands together.

He had no other choice now. All he could do was take this dose of Valente Fantasy Drug.

"Just how much potential do I have?"

"Let's find out!"

Cheng Qi raised the test tube. Inside was a pure cyan drug, free of impurities and not at all viscous. It didn't look too hard to swallow.

Pop!

Cheng Qi pulled out the stopper, tipped his head back, and chugged the entire tube of Valente Fantasy Drug!

The next moment.

Cheng Qi sat on a battered stool, his back straight, his hands on his knees, and his eyes fixed ahead.

After swallowing the drug, he felt only a burning heat in his throat, as though he had downed a glass of hard liquor.

Aside from that, however, he felt nothing.

Cheng Qi tilted his head and closed his eyes, carefully checking how he felt. Still nothing.

*???*

No way?

No way!

I'm a fucking "loser wearing clothes"!

For a moment, Cheng Qi felt his whole world go dark.

Nothing in this world could be more terrifying than "suddenly discovering you're a colossal loser"!

Cheng Qi wasn't thinking big enough.

There really was something more terrifying than "discovering you're a loser."

Pfft!

Cheng Qi spat a mouthful of blood into the air, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight onto the ground.

He had become a dead loser.

Time trickled by, and the clouds shifted overhead.

Everything in this world seemed to have changed, yet seemed unchanged.

In the dark world.

A white slit suddenly appeared. It opened and closed, before finally opening fully under the force of a powerful will.

Cheng Qi stared at the beautiful, colorful domed ceiling in his field of vision, his mind utterly blank.

Oh, I passed out just now.

Foolish Boy must have saved me. Now I'm lying here safely.

Foolish Boy really is a companion I can trust with my life.

Feeling a little weak, Cheng Qi struggled to sit up.

Only then did he discover a white sheet draped over him, with stacked firewood and battered diesel barrels beneath him.

Meanwhile, Foolish Boy and Xiao Qiong were crouching nearby, sobbing in mourning clothes made from white plastic sheeting.

"Oh, Cheng Qi, you're really dead this time!"

"You got yourself some drugs and drank yourself to death!"

"You're truly one of a kind!"

"..."

Cheng Qi's face turned livid. They sure worked fast. They were already ready to cremate him?

Click.

Without even turning his head, Foolish Boy pressed the ignition switch beside him.

Electricity crackled along the wire, and with a boom, the diesel beneath Cheng Qi burst into flames.

"???"

"What the fuck?!"

Cheng Qi froze, but in that very instant, a sense of danger erupted from deep within his mind, striking his nerves like a bolt of lightning.

Whoosh-!

Within milliseconds, Cheng Qi rose, his body moving like a swift gust of wind as he shot seven or eight meters sideways.

It all seemed instinctive. Cheng Qi's conscious mind hadn't even caught up yet.

"What just happened?"

"Did I turn into a bolt of lightning?"

He stared at his hands in disbelief. "No, that was the Extreme Warrior Armor's emergency evasion response!"

The next moment.

Cheng Qi saw something rather shocking.

That traitor, Foolish Boy!

He'd stripped off my Extreme Warrior Armor and put it nearby!

Was he even human? He actually worried the armor would end up buried with me!

"Wait..."

Cheng Qi's eyes widened again. "I'm not wearing the armor!"