Chapter 371 Drug
Natasha looked at Neil, "Test him? You mean figure out what he's really got going on?"
Neil grinned. "If he's got the chops, maybe we can bring him in. We could use someone like him to take down the other bases."
Natasha's frown eased, and a hint of curiosity crossed her face.
Neil continued to persuade, "In all of Starlight City, the key resources are locked down by the four shelters. We've got numbers, but we're running on empty. Yeah, we have Bloodfeeder Vine to trade for food, but that's just a Band-Aid. Take today—Silverlake and Emberwick ganged up on us, and we barely held it together. If they hadn't chickened out, the Snowfall Cult might've been toast. That's why we need an ally."
She paused, then drove it home, "Especially one of our kind."
Natasha thought for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
She had to admit, Neil had a point.
The Snowfall Cult was hanging by a thread. If it came down to a full-on war, any one of the three major bases in Starlight City could wipe them out.
She needed time—time to get stronger, to level up!
"Alright," she finally said. "Let's send Jordan to test him. If he's got what it takes to stand up to the bases, things in Starlight City might just get shaken up—big time!"
In the shelter, inside Elinor's medical room.
She was wearing a white lab coat, carefully examining a slide under the microscope.
Steven leaned lazily against the table behind her and asked, "So, do you recognize this stuff?"
Elinor was currently studying a stimulant that Steven had previously obtained from Christian and his group.
At that time, it had given ordinary people the physical strength comparable to a Psychic, which had truly shocked Steven.
Therefore, he had developed a strong interest in this drug and wanted to study it.
If the effects were really good, he could use it for the people in the shelter.
Even if the side effects were significant, it could still save lives in critical moments.
Or, just knowing its effects would help in dealing with people who possessed such drugs in the future.
Elinor slowly raised her head, turned to Steven, and said, "This drug is a military-grade stimulant, only for soldiers in the thick of it. It's a beast—boosts your strength big time and keeps you wired for three days straight."
She let out a heavy sigh. "I've seen it in my mentor's lab, but this is the first time I've seen someone actually using it. And trust me, it's ten times more potent than what I gave you before. Of course, the side effects are also very severe!"
Steven asked curiously, "How severe?"
Elinor smiled mysteriously, "This thing? It cranks up your energy burn and metabolism to the max. Basically, it's like running a marathon on steroids. One hit, and you're dropping over ten pounds easy. Plus, your muscles feel like they've been hit by a truck—takes a solid two weeks for someone in decent shape to bounce back. And if you're not..." She shrugged. "You might just check out for good."
Steven chuckled and shook his head. "Figures. No such thing as a free ride to power."
But Elinor furrowed her brow, paused, then said slowly, "Maybe... not so fast."
"Oh?" Steven's eyes narrowed. "You're saying there's actually a way?"
Elinor nodded, then shook her head. "Rumor is, the military's been working on some next-level stuff—drugs that boost combat skills without wrecking you. Not zero side effects, but way less brutal. Thing is, those are crazy expensive and still in the testing phase. Not exactly standard issue yet.”
Steven said, "So, there's a chance we might encounter it in the future, but the probability isn't that high, right? Got it, that's all I need to know."
He crossed his arms and murmured, "Looks like I'll have to be cautious even when dealing with ordinary people in the future. The power of technology shouldn't be underestimated!"
Elinor took off her gloves and prepared to clean the lab equipment.
Steven casually shifted gears. "Hey, Elinor, remember that rat poison I used a while back?"
"Rat poison?" She turned to him, puzzled. "Last time was at Sunshine Community, right? You still got some lying around?"
Steven's smile turned cryptic. "Holding onto it could be useful. Better safe than sorry, right?"
He tapped his nose. "You mentioned before that just a tiny dose could be deadly. What if it's a really small amount?"
Elinor, still unsure where he was going, answered honestly, "Too little, and the body can flush it out. But if you hit about 5%, the kidneys can't keep up. That's when it starts doing damage."
Steven nodded, "Will it be fatal?"
Elinor shook her head, "Of course not! Otherwise, why would there be a lethal dose?"
But she added, "But if you keep taking it? That's a whole different story. It'd make your organs slowly shut down. Without treatment, yeah, it'd still kill you."
She chuckled. "But let's be real, with the conditions we're in now, the human body's already hanging by a thread. Adding this stuff is just a slow death sentence."
Steven nodded, "I see. You make a lot of sense."
Elinor glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Are you dealing with a rat problem at home?"
Steven's smile grew even more mysterious. "Not at home. Outside."
Elinor looked puzzled, "In this freezing mess? Where the hell would you find rats outside? Then again, I guess it's not impossible. They're probably holed up in the sewers."
Rats, used to living in filth, have a knack for surviving disasters better than humans.
Steven shrugged. "Maybe! If cats can mutate, why not rats? Hell, maybe one day they'll be running the show. Who knows?"
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