"Have Simona wait for me in the top-floor office. I'll be there shortly."
Lucian gave Jade Balance the casual instruction, but did not leave the laboratory immediately. Instead, he turned to Helen Cho behind the main console.
"How has your work with Maya on improving Compound V been going these past few days?"
At the mention of her field of expertise, Helen Cho instantly put aside her shock at the miracle she had just witnessed, her cool features becoming focused again. She turned and tapped the console a few times. The temperature-controlled refrigerator beside her slid slowly open, revealing a row of transparent syringes glowing faintly orange.
"We've developed the first preliminary version of the new combined formula."
Helen Cho took out a sample and handed it to Lucian, delivering an orderly report. "Building on Compound V's physical enhancements, we removed the volatile factors in the Extremis Virus that could easily cause genetic collapse, while retaining its high-temperature energy release and rapid cellular regeneration properties."
She paused and glanced at the white-haired girl's projection beside her. "According to the internal rating standards Jade Balance provided earlier, compatible recipients of this injection should be able to reliably acquire LV3 super physique, LV3 super healing, and LV3 high-temperature enchantment, along with some possible benign mutations."
At this point, Helen Cho furrowed her delicate brows slightly, her tone carrying a researcher's exacting standards. "Although we've almost perfectly resolved the Extremis Virus's rejection-induced explosions, the overall ability levels are still too low."
Lucian took the pale orange serum and sensed the energy activity within it.
An all-around LV3 profile was naturally unimpressive in his eyes, but for ordinary humans or even regular agents, it was already enough to let them tear through steel plates barehanded, withstand rifle fire, and become walking human artillery.
"For