Chapter 39: Coincidence?
Ou Yang became even more curious. Exactly what had this woman developed? Still, he didn’t ask any questions.
Within minutes, the laboratory’s legal department prepared another confidentiality agreement. The five volunteers signed it.
Ni Mengxue also signed one together with Ou Yang as the witness. Only then did she return to the laboratory.
She carefully filled five syringes with the lavender-coloured liquid. The pleasant fragrance still lingered around it. "Please extend your arms."
The five men silently obeyed. One after another, the syringes emptied.
Ni Mengxue immediately picked up her notebook. "Tell me every sensation you experience."
The first volunteer, a young man with short brown hair, frowned. "...Nothing."
The second nodded. "I feel... refreshed."
The third stretched his shoulders. "My body feels lighter."
The fourth smiled. "I suddenly feel energetic."
Ni Mengxue quickly recorded every response. Finally, she looked toward the last volunteer.
He was the only awakened superhuman among them. His name was Jia Liang.
His awakened ability was wind. At first, Jia Liang’s expression remained normal. However, only half a minute later, his face gradually turned pale.
Sweat slowly formed on his forehead.
"My body..." He frowned tightly. "It suddenly feels... hot."
Ni Mengxue immediately became serious. "Anything else?"
"I feel like thousands of ants are crawling all over my body."
His breathing gradually became heavier. "The heat, it’s getting stronger..."
Three minutes later, Jia Liang’s entire body trembled violently, and his veins bulged beneath his skin. He clenched his fists tightly while enduring the pain.
Five minutes later... thud. He collapsed onto the floor. Ni Mengxue calmly checked his pulse and found it stable.
She quietly noted everything down. The other four volunteers continued standing normally. None of them displayed any abnormalities.
Instead, all four repeatedly reported feeling refreshed, full of energy, and physically lighter than before.
Exactly ten minutes later, Jia Liang’s breathing gradually steadied. His tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Finally, he opened his eyes.
"...It’s over?"
Ni Mengxue nodded. "Stand up."
Jia Liang slowly climbed to his feet. Apart from looking somewhat exhausted, there were no visible problems.
Ni Mengxue calmly said, "Use your ability."
Jia Liang instinctively raised one hand. Whoosh!
A gust of wind instantly erupted. The surrounding papers flew into the air. Even Ou Yang staggered backward several steps.
Jia Liang froze. He stared blankly at his own palm. "My wind ability has increased by 20%. Is it a temporary buff..."
His eyes were filled with disbelief. The increase wasn’t small.
Ni Mengxue immediately wrote another line inside her notebook while asking Jia Liang to stand on measuring devices and confirming her conclusion.
’Effect confirmed. Can strengthen awakened abilities by 23%’
She looked toward the five volunteers. "I’ll need all of you to return tomorrow. I’ll continue observing the aftereffects."
The five men simultaneously nodded. This time the way they looked at Ni Mengxue had completely changed.
Previously, she had merely been another researcher. Now, she was someone capable of creating medicines that temporarily strengthened superpowers.
To every awakened person, such medicine was priceless. Jia Liang quietly stared at Ni Mengxue.
His gaze became unusually complicated. Months ago, he had married a vicious woman.
When she learnt that Cang Laboratory paid ten thousand zombie crystals to long-term experimental volunteers, she had personally signed him up.
Since then, he had become little more than a disposable test subject.
If only... if only he had met someone like Ni Mengxue earlier, perhaps his life would’ve been completely different. The remaining four also introduced themselves.
Ren Qin was a former trainee athlete.
Although an old injury prevented him from fighting zombies, his physical condition remained excellent, so he had voluntarily enrolled as a laboratory volunteer.
Yang Tian, an ordinary commoner with no awakened ability and no family.
Zhang Ni, a middle-aged divorced man, was raising four children alone. Every zombie crystal he earned was carefully divided among them.
Finally, Qiao Erlang, a sickly-looking young man with a pale complexion. His only family was his bedridden mother.
Supporting her was the reason he had risked becoming a test subject. Before leaving, each of them wrote down their home address.
Ni Mengxue quietly collected every slip of paper.
If she needed volunteers again in the future, she could simply contact them directly.
There would be no need for Cang Laboratory to act as the middleman.
.....................
The following several days passed in almost the same rhythm.
Every morning, the five volunteers arrived at the laboratory. Every afternoon, Ni Mengxue modified the formula.
The levelling potion had already been successfully produced.
However, compared to the true Level-Up Serum from her previous life, its effects were simply too weak.
Rather than permanently increasing one’s level, it only temporarily enhanced the user’s existing strength.
She refused to settle. One failed formula after another filled her notebook.
Until finally, on the fifth day, something unexpected happened. Qiao Erlang suddenly clutched his chest.
His breathing became erratic. A faint fluctuation slowly spread around his body. Ni Mengxue’s eyes immediately narrowed. "...Awakening?"
Several minutes later, a tiny spark danced across Qiao Erlang’s fingertips. His expression instantly turned blank.
"I... I awakened..."
The laboratory became completely silent. The other three ordinary volunteers stared at him with widened eyes.
Then, almost simultaneously, they turned toward Ni Mengxue; their eyes were filled with hope. "Miss Ni!"
Ren Qin stepped forward. "Can we buy that potion?"
Yang Tian also hurriedly nodded. "I don’t mind becoming a test subject forever! I’ll even sign a lifetime agreement!"
Ni Mengxue frowned and shook her head. "You all are overthinking. It must be a coincidence."
Zhang Ni suddenly knelt on the ground. Tears streamed down his weathered face.
"I know... I know awakening might’ve been a coincidence... But... I’ve finally seen light at the end of the tunnel. My children, they’ll finally have hope."
He lowered his head until it touched the floor. "If you’re willing to sell me the potion... I’ll repay you for the rest of my life."
Ni Mengxue frowned slightly. She immediately helped Zhang Ni to his feet. "Don’t kneel."