Chapter 1170: A Dangerous Experiment


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    Deep in the jungle of Mur, an undergroundb was swarming with personnel. Scientists inb coats worked at their stations, checking instruments, adjusting equipment, and writing notes about thetest experiments.


    Theb was heavily guarded, with armed security personnel making regr patrols while carrying high-tech scanning devices.


    Their faces were hidden behind protective helmets and masks. Up above, in the treetops, camouged scouts kept an eye on the surroundings, working in groups of three to maintain constant surveince.


    The thaids in the area were powerful and very aggressive. In a ce like Mur, where fighting for survival was a constant, the monsters developed an aggressiveness that even those on Mannard did not have.


    It was a hostile and unforgiving expanse.


    The ckguards had learned this lesson through painful experience. In just the past month, three patrol units had been attacked. The first lost two men when a thaid burst from


    underground. The second unit barely escaped when their barrier master''s mana ended. The third never made it back to base.


    That was, with the ckguards doing their best not to be seen, even resorting to moving underground. The problem was that thaids were everywhere.


    Traditional military tactics proved ineffective here. The thaids showed an uncanny ability to adapt to their strategies, and their attack patterns grew more sophisticated with each


    encounter.


    The ckguards were at a disadvantage here. Their technology, advanced as it was, often proved insufficient against the unpredictable nature of the thaids, while brain crystal powers were not powerful enough to kill such creatures.


    Equipment malfunctioned in the oppressive humidity, and the creatures'' endless variety made even the most detailed contingency ns ineffective.


    The jungle was the monsters'' domain, and every step the ckguards took felt like an intrusion into something ancient and malevolent.


    For all their discipline and firepower, they knew they were vulnerable here, which made them feel deeply unsettled, given that they were the apex predators on Mannard continent.


    Vania, standing amidst the sterile light of theboratory, understood this all too well. She had seen the reports, read the statistics, and even joined many fights on their way to the Lorogia region.


    She had been a salvation many times, but she, the stronger fighter here, was but an antpared to the thaids.


    Vania came here to make sure the work their scientists were working on proceeded smoothly. Yet she didn''t know the specifics; she only knew what the goal was. That wasn''t her role, and for sure, she didn''t care about the process. She wanted results.


    As soon as she saw her, Dr. Lena jumped to her feet and greeted her.


    "First divisionmander... To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" The woman kept a respectful tone.


    "Dr. Lena," Vania said. "I came to know about the current status of the serum."


    The lead scientist averted her eyes from her leader. Dark circles under her eyes betrayed long hours of work, and her voice betrayed a hint of anxiousness.


    "Commander, we''re in the final stages of stabilization," she said. "The initial tests are encouraging, but we had a significant problem."


    The first divisionmander didn''t like those words. "The test subjects experienced severe behavioral changes-they became extremely aggressive and lost control of their rational faculties, requiring immediate sedation. We had to suppress them on several asions."


    Vania stepped closer, her boots clicking against the floor.


    "What''s causing this loss of control?" Vania asked. If that was the result, the serum could not be used.


    Dr. Lena hesitated. Then she started exining the problem. The woman could not tell the first divisionmander about this. She was the one who was going to make thest decision, and she needed to know everything that was needed to do that.


    "The feral behavior seems to result from the serum''s interaction with the amygd and limbic system. We''ve seen a significant increase in neural activity within these regions, particrly in the basteralplex. This seems to be triggering an overproduction of norepinephrine and cortisol, essentially putting the subjects into a constant state of fight-or- flight."


    She paused, pulling up a holographic model of a brain. "We''ve also noticed a marked decrease in activity in the prefrontal cortex, specifically in the areas responsible for impulse control and decision-making. When the emotional parts of the brain be too active and the thinking parts be less active, people be more aggressive and have trouble controlling their behavior. The same is for thaids. No, it''s worse, because thaids do not have our developed brain."


    Vania remained silent.


    "We''re currently exploring ways to solve this problem," Dr. Lena said. "We identified two main ways to solve this," the woman said.


    "First, we''re trying to use certain chemicals that can calm down overactive brain cells. Second, we''re working on particles that can deliver medication directly to specific parts of the brain. Both of these methods are meant to reduce the aggressive behavior we''ve seen in our


    test subjects."


    Vania nodded. "Okay. How long will it take to fix this problem?"


    "We don''t know yet, sir..." The woman paused.


    The first divisionmander sighed. With Erik Romano steadily advancing toward Mur, their window of opportunity was shrinking.


    <If only we had caught Lucius before he gave his son that damn thing...>


    They would have been not only in possession of the biological supeputer but even of the crafting procedure, because with the biological supeputer, there would be someone strong enough to protect them from thaids. They would have found the old Silverline corporation''sboratories much faster, and not at a snail''s pace like this.


    "How many brain crystal powers could your specimen get with this version of the serum?" "Nine, Commander," Dr. Lena said. "The serum''s current formtion would allow for that many stable integrations. The problem is that our specimen never kept their sanity. It is almost like..."


    "It is almost like the sinister cold, right?"


    The doctor nodded. "If I may ask, sir, is there a connection to this and...?"


    "Them? Indeed."


    Vania sighed. "Mind If I ask you, sir?"


    The first divisionmander hesitated. In the end, she didn''t reply, and doctor Lena didn''t


    pry further.


    Vania''s expression tightened. She wasn''t sure nine powers were enough to defeat Erik Romano and get the biological supeputer, but maybe it was enough for them to get strong enough to search theboratories for the biological supeputer crafting procedure. While their research did a lot to make them stronger, in the end, it was just a pale imitation of what Erik Romano had.


    The ckguards'' main goal had always been to get it from him. The problem was that the kid was getting stronger and stronger, meaning that they had to get stronger too if they wanted to get their hands on it.


    "That''s not enough," Vania said, running her fingers along the edge of the desk. Her tone made it clear she was not satisfied with the current results.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But Commander, there''s more to the serum than just that," Dr. Lena said eagerly. "Its real strength is in how it improves neural links formation. It acts as a potent catalyst, making the creation process much faster and more reliable than before."


    This caught Vania''s attention. Their greatest disadvantage against Erik had been his inexplicable ability to form neural links at a fast pace. If they could match that capability...


    "Exin further," she said, moving to examine the models floating on the holographic


    disy.


    "The serum enhances mana control, creating better conditions for the formation of neural links," Dr. Lena said. "Our projections suggest a five-fold increase in formation speed and sess ratepared to brain-stimting serums, which means 25 times the normal


    speed."


    If that was true, then they might have a chance. "Excellent, Doctor."


    Dr. Lena adjusted her sses, hesitating before speaking again. "Commander, has there been


    any progress regarding finding... that location?"


    They were talking about theb where the biological supeputer was made. It was somewhere in the Lorogia region. Years ago, Lucius Romano was seen in that area, and not long after, Erik''s Romano got in possession of the biological supeputer.


    As a researcher, she was interested in knowing how Erik''s biological supeputer worked and how it was made. If she got her hands on it, or on the crafting project, she might be able to


    do much more.


    Vania''s jaw tightened. The search for thatb had consumed a lot of resources, yet they failed to find it. The jungle concealed its secrets well, and Lucius had covered his tracks masterfully. He was Lucius Romano, after all. A shadow among shadows. The best agent in Frant. "Nothing concrete yet, but we''re narrowing down the search area. Lucius Romano''s presence in the region wasn''t coincidental, and his son''s abilities prove the facility is here."


    "The biological supeputer''s creation process..."


    There was silence after that.


    "Continue your work on the serum, Doctor," the first divisionmander said.


    "I''ll assign additional search teams to find theb." "Commander," Dr. Lena said before Vania left. "There''s one more thing. The serum''s testing phase... we''ll need volunteers to see if it works the same on humans as it does on Thaids."


    Vania stopped at the door. "Use the prisoners. Their sentences were death anyway—at least this way, they serve a purpose."