Chapter 26: Genetic Serum

Zhu Ning had been able to trade blows with the merman earlier only because the merman’s body had not been covered in scales; he still possessed a human form. Furthermore, at the time, Zhu Ning had been wearing her work uniform, which, in its inflated state, had helped her deflect many attacks.

However, the white-haired mechanical female warrior before her was eighty percent mechanized; she could crush a steel pillar with one hand. Meanwhile, Zhu Ning’s body had yet to undergo any baptism by genetic serum.

If this were truly a fair competition, Zhu Ning would have wanted to shout, "Referee! The opponent is cheating!"

Alas, this was the wasteland, a world where human composition was bizarre and varied. This girl was simply an ordinary human who had chosen mechanization—nothing more than a plain, super-strong, soft-hearted girl.

The audience was stunned, and some immediately spotted the discrepancy.

"She... she hasn't injected genetic serum?"

This was unbelievable. Every employee at the Cleaning Center had received genetic serum injections, including Li Nianchuan. The first money they earned always went toward these injections because their line of work required a "body of steel." If one relied on an original human body, they would likely be broken after only two missions. In the eyes of her colleagues, Zhu Ning was effectively running naked—entering the battlefield without any equipment whatsoever.

For a moment, they were unsure whether to call Zhu Ning courageous; after all, such honest people were a rare sight these days.

The audience’s discussion didn't focus on Zhu Ning being knocked down in one punch; instead, they focused entirely on her admirable courage. The opponent was eighty percent mechanized! Surely, this was the true spirit of human competitive sports! Amidst the shock and the chatter, even the combat instructor hadn't reacted in time.

Zhu Ning, lying on the ground, thought, "..."

"Is anyone going to help me?" Zhu Ning asked. If no one helped, she was going to call the police.

Li Nianchuan finally snapped out of it. "I’ve contacted the Medical Department. Don’t move."

Zhu Ning gritted her teeth. "I thank you so much."

Li Nianchuan: "..."

Why did he detect a sense of resentment in that sentence?

...

Zhu Ning was placed into a medical pod in the Medical Department.

The situation was worse than she had imagined; she had nearly fractured her spine. Had her spine actually snapped, she would have either been paralyzed for life or required major surgery. She received an injection of high-potency healing serum and spent half an hour under the lights of the medical pod.

The doctor in charge of the Medical Department was named Fu. He watched Zhu Ning’s data with a beaming smile. Zhu Ning couldn't help but feel that this doctor was a pervert; he was giggling while looking at her X-rays.

Dr. Fu had worked in the Medical Department for years and hadn't seen such "pristine" scapulae in a long time—and these belonged to the forum’s current celebrity, no less. Seeing Zhu Ning, Dr. Fu set down the films, adjusted his glasses, and resumed a composed expression.

Zhu Ning thought: Don't bother acting, I saw you smiling.

Dr. Fu said, "Don't worry, medical expenses for full-time employees are fully covered."

Oh, at least that was some good news.

Zhu Ning flexed her arm. Under the effect of the high-potency healing serum, her body felt perfectly normal. It was great that technology was so advanced; shattered bones could recover in half an hour, just like the originals.

Dr. Fu asked, "You haven't injected any genetic serum?"

Zhu Ning nodded. Fang Ying had mentioned it before, but she had been busy investigating the truth behind her own death. Later, she had been pulled into training and only had time to squeeze in a quick search on genetic serum knowledge. It was said to be painful and carried unknown side effects. While the research into genetic serum was quite mature, there was still plenty of room for improvement. As for the documents Xu Meng had given her, she hadn't even had the chance to look at them yet.

Dr. Fu: "Do you want to get the injection? The Medical Department has stock. I’ve checked your data; you meet all the requirements."

Zhu Ning: "I don't know much about it."

Dr. Fu, thinking to himself that she was indeed a newcomer, explained: "There are many types of genetic serum. To put it simply, you modify whatever you aren't satisfied with. You can become more beautiful, paler, taller, or stronger. Of course, there are also modifications like yours, where you turn yourself into a weapon."

It sounded very convenient—no need for plastic surgery or incisions. You could inject a tailored genetic serum to precisely modify your facial features.

"Mother no longer has to worry about me not growing tall," she thought. As long as you had money, you could grow as tall as you wanted.

Zhu Ning suddenly understood why "Natural Humans" were considered first-class citizens. As long as you had money, you could improve your genes. With humans being mass-produced, beauty and strength were actually depreciating, making a "natural-born face" even more valuable.

Dr. Fu: "If you want the injection, the Cleaning Center’s Medical Department is actually your best choice. We share resources with the Federal First Medical College. If there’s any advanced technology, we are usually the first to know. In other words, we are definitely more advanced than outside hospitals."

Dr. Fu’s words dispelled any thoughts Zhu Ning might have had about getting the injection elsewhere.

"We have very mature experience here. As you know, we have more 'lab rats' than others, so the regimen we design will be more suitable for you. After all, you have a special profession."

Zhu Ning: "..."

Doctor, you really sound like a salesperson, you know that?

Dr. Fu: "A course consists of six injections. It will gradually enhance your various functions, including cardiopulmonary capacity, bone density, and skin toughness. To put it bluntly, you will be more like a steel warrior."

In the wasteland, to combat pollutants, humans had internalized their armor into their very bones, directly increasing bone hardness so that human bones could rival steel. At the same time, as cardiopulmonary functions and internal organs were synchronized, humans achieved a different kind of "evolution."

Dr. Fu: "It takes effect immediately after the injection."

You could step off the operating table and onto the battlefield. Such high efficiency.

"Do you want it?" Dr. Fu asked.

Zhu Ning: "Yes."

She had realized that if everyone else was evolving, standing still was equivalent to regressing. She had to possess a stronger body to even talk about what came next. She might face B-rank, A-rank, or even S-rank missions in the future. Furthermore, the people at the Cleaning Center were extremely competitive; many chose to use mechanical prosthetics directly. With everyone pushing themselves so hard, it would be easy for Zhu Ning to be crushed into dust if she didn't act.

As soon as Zhu Ning said yes, Dr. Fu’s eyes lit up. He stood up and shouted, "Assistant Wang! Prepare the genetic serum, we have a job!"

Zhu Ning: "..."

She looked up at the sign outside. It was indeed the Medical Department, right? She hadn't accidentally walked into a shady clinic, had she?

Zhu Ning’s subsequent training was pushed back; Xu Meng had personally approved her leave. She received the genetic serum that very day. There was no need for surgery; only precise injections were required. Zhu Ning lay down in the medical pod.

...

After the injection, Dr. Fu said she could get up. Zhu Ning sat on the edge of the medical pod, feeling dazed.

She didn't feel anything. Didn't the internet say it was very painful? She didn't feel any pain at all.

Was she sure she’d been given genetic serum and not just saline? Had she been scammed?

Zhu Ning looked up and suddenly felt that the things around her had changed. She was facing a window, and with a single glance, she could suddenly see a scene a kilometer away. A man had just dropped his ice cream cone on the ground; he looked pained, wanting to pick it up but unable to bring himself to do it.

*Whoosh.*

Zhu Ning blinked. What was that? How could she see so far?

At the same time, her hearing became sharper. The world was noisier than before. She could hear two doctors chatting three hallways away about how they hadn't had a chance to take their annual leave yet.

*Boom.*

The sound of the doctors' chatter flooded from her left ear into her right. A massive wave of sound poured into her brain like the tide. Zhu Ning covered her ears, suddenly hearing the sound of her own heartbeat.

*Thump, thump, thump.*

Her heart was contracting sharply; she could even perceive the moment her heart surged. In her blood vessels, the blood was flowing. In short, Zhu Ning had never perceived the location of her own heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and stomach so clearly before.

"Having side effects is a natural phenomenon," Dr. Fu's voice came through. "The essence of genetic serum is to make your body regenerate."

"Rest for a while nearby, I'll keep an eye on you."

Zhu Ning stepped out of the medical pod and rested for a full twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, she finally adapted to her new body and learned to control her senses.

After blocking out some of the noise, the world didn't feel so loud. Once she consciously controlled her vision, she didn't find herself looking so far away recklessly.

"Feeling better?" Dr. Fu asked. "How do you feel now?"

How did she feel?

Zhu Ning clenched her fist. It felt like nothing had changed, yet it felt like everything had changed.

"Something feels a bit off," Zhu Ning said.

Dr. Fu asked while taking notes, "What feels off?"

Zhu Ning: "I feel like... I’m a bit irritable."

She felt she wasn't as calm as before; her emotions were a bit skewed.

Dr. Fu glanced at the computer. "Your mental stability value hasn't fluctuated; it should just be a simple emotional issue."

The Medical Department’s equipment wasn't as precise as the Research Department’s; they could only see if there were fluctuations in mental stability, not read precise values.

Dr. Fu: "It’s considered normal. After injecting genetic serum, hormone levels are prone to imbalance."

Zhu Ning: "How long until I recover?"

Dr. Fu: "It depends on the individual. Fast ones recover today, slow ones take a month."

The human body needed time to adapt to the new state.

Dr. Fu: "Come back for a follow-up in a month. I need to test your data."

Zhu Ning nodded.

Dr. Fu: "The effects of the genetic serum vary for everyone. Some have excellent results, others quite poor."

The principle of the genetic serum wasn't that it would definitely make the weak strong; otherwise, Xu Meng wouldn't have given up on it and chosen to use mechanical prosthetics instead.

Dr. Fu: "I’ve read your medical records. You were a 'defective product'; the organs in your body didn't have a long lifespan. After the injection, if you're lucky, it can help extend your life."

"But what the final outcome will be can only be known after more precise data collection at the Research Department," Dr. Fu added. "I hope you recover fully."

Dr. Fu was sincere. He knew that Zhu Ning had a mental stability value of 1200; it would be a huge waste for such a promising talent to be dragged down by her body. Every employee at the 103rd District Cleaning Center shared a common goal: they didn't want to give up on any talent.

Zhu Ning was silent. Was it her imagination, or were the people at the Cleaning Center genuinely warm-hearted?

Dr. Fu: "Let me add you on the communicator. If you notice anything unusual, let me know."

Zhu Ning asked: "No precautions?"

Dr. Fu: "Just eat and drink as usual; you can even go on missions normally."

Zhu Ning: "..."

There was really no need to emphasize that.

Zhu Ning: "Don't you want me to do some tests?"

Dr. Fu: "Like what?"

Zhu Ning: "Like having me throw a punch to check my strength and defense values?"