LIGHTNOVELONLINE CHAPTER 76
Chapter 76: The Path to Awakening
Turning ordinary people into Awakened individuals was a topic Meng Jie had broached before. However, Guangping Street lacked the necessary resources and expertise. Meng Jie's research on Awakened evolution through devouring zombie crystals was already impressive given the limitations she faced.
But Huo Sheng, backed by the full support of the official shelter, possessed both the knowledge and resources to delve deeper into this field. For quite some time, he had been working on a method to artificially create Awakened individuals.
"The key lies in the mystery factor," Huo Sheng explained, his eyes gleaming with scientific fervor. "It's known that for ordinary people to become Awakened, their cells need to combine with the mystery factor. And zombie crystals are pure amalgams of this factor."
The method, in theory, was straightforward: extract and dilute the mystery factor from a zombie crystal, mix it with specific substances, and inject it intravenously into a human subject.
"The challenge lies in the quantity of the mystery factor," Huo Sheng continued. "Even the smallest Tier 1 zombie crystal can overwhelm an ordinary person, turning them into a zombie. Therefore, the crux of the experiment is figuring out how to further separate the mystery factor within the crystal."
Huo Sheng's demeanor shifted as he delved into the technical details, his passion for the subject evident. However, noticing Lu Ming and Zhang Chengcheng's lack of enthusiasm, he quickly got to the point.
"Mr. Lu's body is different from ordinary people," Huo Sheng stated. "If an average person directly consumed a zombie crystal, their cells would be destroyed by the mystery factor, turning them into a zombie within seconds. However, due to the strength of your physical abilities, Mr. Lu, you can directly consume the crystal and fully absorb the mystery factor."
He paused for dramatic effect. "Once the concentration of the mystery factor in your body reaches a certain threshold, you will awaken and become a Level 1 Awakened!"
Lu Ming and Zhang Chengcheng finally grasped the essence of Huo Sheng's explanation. Lu Ming’s extraordinary strength allowed him to bypass the risks associated with absorbing the mystery factor directly, opening up a unique path to Awakening.
The idea was simple enough. If Lu Ming wanted to awaken, he just needed to consume zombie crystals—Tier 1, 2, or 3, it didn’t matter. He could keep consuming them until his body reached the threshold for Awakening.
Zhang Chengcheng's face lit up with excitement. Brother Lu was already incredibly strong; how much more powerful would he become as an Awakened?
Lu Ming, however, remained calm. He paused to consider the proposition, then asked, "Are you sure it's not dangerous?"
Huo Sheng nodded emphatically. "I'm sure! There's absolutely no danger."
However, the thought of eating a zombie's crystal was repulsive to Lu Ming. But for the sake of strength, he was willing to endure a bit of disgust. The real concern was the level of risk involved. Unlike Zhang Chengcheng, Wang Xiong, and Meng Jie, Lu Ming didn’t know Huo Sheng well enough to trust his word implicitly.
After some thought, Lu Ming spoke again. "I want to witness the entire process of an ordinary person becoming Awakened. Can we start from the stage of processing the zombie crystal?"
Huo Sheng was not surprised by Lu Ming's cautiousness. In fact, he seemed to have anticipated this request. "Coincidentally," he replied with a sly smile, "I also intend to become an Awakened myself this time. Let me demonstrate it for you personally. What do you think?"
This was the ideal scenario for Lu Ming. Huo Sheng was a clever man who, despite limited interaction with Lu Ming, had gleaned insights into his personality. Lu Ming was an introvert with a touch of paranoia, often assuming the worst and believing that others might want to harm him. This was evident in his refusal to allow anyone, even Zhang Chengcheng, into his home.
Gaining the trust of such a person required time and consistent interaction. But with the emergence of the Tier 4 tentacle monster, Huo Sheng realized that humanity was running out of time.
The evolution of zombies was outpacing that of Awakened humans. Tyrants were rare, zombie crystals were scarce, and venturing outside the safe zone to hunt them was perilous.
Huo Sheng's true objective was to persuade Lu Ming to become Awakened. He believed that Lu Ming's further evolution was crucial for humanity’s survival.
Although Lu Ming wasn’t Awakened, Huo Sheng suspected he possessed a hidden secret. However, that didn’t matter. Prying into a powerful individual's secrets and potentially alienating them would be detrimental to the cause.
The experiment took place in Meng Jie’s laboratory. Bai Tianyu assisted Huo Sheng, retrieving a small centrifuge resembling a blender. As Lu Ming watched with interest, Huo Sheng placed a Tier 1 zombie crystal into the device and activated it. The crystal melted, transforming into a shimmering stream of air laden with the mystery factor.
Bai Tianyu and his team brought in additional equipment and materials as Huo Sheng concocted a pale red liquid. "The challenge lies in the quantity of the mystery factor," he explained. "Those streams of air are diluted mystery factors. You could directly inhale them to awaken, but while not dangerous, the process is excruciatingly painful."
Huo Sheng shook a test tube containing the mixed liquid. "This is a painkiller that fuses with the mystery factor, reducing the pain to a tolerable level."
Meng Jie stepped forward, rolling up her sleeve. Huo Sheng injected the mixture into her arm. She soon began to experience fever and convulsions, signs of the intense pain she was enduring.
Huo Sheng, however, turned his attention back to the experimental table. He picked up a portion of the collected mystery factor, uncapped a test tube, took a deep breath, and inhaled the remaining portion through his nostrils.
His face contorted in agony, veins bulging on his forehead as cold sweat erupted. In the midst of everyone’s gasps and exclamations, Huo Sheng turned to Lu Ming with a trembling smile. "I recommend Mr. Lu to consume the zombie crystals directly," he rasped, his voice strained. "Just like... what I’m doing now..."
End of Chapter 76