Chapter 471
At this moment, Shaer was writing down the formula and preparation method for the "Crimson Pathogen," the terrifying bacteria he had used to "decimate cities" in the last simulation.
This pathogen was highly dangerous and had immense potential for further exploration. Shaer wanted to prepare a sample in reality for safekeeping, so that when he used the "Cholera Source" archive, he wouldn't find himself in the awkward situation of having no usable toxins.
After all, the paths of "Toxic Master" and "Physician" were different from others; they relied on years of accumulation to create various unique potions or viruses and bacteria for combat, somewhat akin to the "Coroner" path.
To fully unleash the combat power of the "Coroner" path, one must also "prepare" corpses or stitched monsters in advance.
In reality, Shaer could have directly asked Adele to help him create the pathogen, but he chose not to.
Shaer was unsure if using Adele's virus to kill would affect her resurrection ritual, so for safety's sake, it was better to use a tool.
Now, Mond was the perfect toxic tool for him.
Once everything was completed, all he needed to do was orchestrate a death for Mond that no one would suspect, just like a true "Keybearer."
Rustle, rustle—
Shaer quickly scribbled down the formulas and processes. Even with his fast writing speed, it took nearly half an hour to complete the entire preparation method for the Crimson Pathogen.
This plan was a product of the combined genius of Adele and Shaer, blending Adele's brilliant ideas with his own "creative thoughts."
As he finished the last paragraph, Shaer let out a long breath, set down his pen, and handed the notebook to Mond, who stood before him.
Since entering the study, Mond had not dared to breathe, the fear Shaer instilled in her lingering in her heart, more terrifying than facing her own teacher.
This left her with no doubt about Shaer's identity; she was certain he was a top-tier powerhouse within the secret organization, here to assign her a task.
At that moment, she casually flipped through a few pages of the notebook, and her breath caught slightly.
"What is this...?"
Mond's pace of flipping pages slowed down as she returned to the first page, examining it carefully. It took her nearly ten minutes to read through the entire content of the notebook.
"Whose invention is this?" Mond momentarily forgot the fear Shaer had instilled in her, looking excitedly in his direction. "Genius... I once thought about whether it was possible to create an infectious entity for virus transmission, but I never imagined this solution..."
In her excitement, Mond accidentally made eye contact with Shaer, which startled her into lowering her head, her words trailing off. After a while, she spoke again, still looking down:
"Previously, the toxic masters' ideas were mostly stuck at the stage of infectious diseases, primarily aimed at increasing transmission routes and enhancing the virus's various resistances. They never considered using pathogens or viruses to strengthen the host they parasitize..."
"I don't understand this part. How does it give them a 'kin' consciousness and a desire to devour other flesh? Is this inherent to the new strain?"
"Ahem... Sorry, I might have said too much..."
Mond realized she had gotten a bit too carried away.
This new pathogen was clearly an extremely powerful one. If it could be developed and controlled, it could easily facilitate the resurrection ritual from "Plague Bearer" to "Cholera Source."
Moreover, the denser the population, the stronger this pathogen's effects would be... Just from the descriptions on the paper, Mond couldn't guess the upper limits of this pathogen.
If released in the densely populated East District, it could potentially kill seventy to eighty thousand, even a hundred thousand people!
If that were the case... completing the fourth-tier "Disaster Apostle" resurrection ritual wouldn't be impossible...
"I need you to help me prepare a sample of the 'Crimson Pathogen,'" Shaer said, looking at Mond. "Can you do it in one day?"
"Of course, Lord Shaer. But about the last material without annotations..."
Mond directly used the title "Lord" for Shaer, causing Shaer to narrow his eyes slightly and glance at her.
"I can provide it," Shaer nodded. "You just need to complete the earlier preparations."
He wasn't worried about Mond taking the formula because the materials were irreplaceable.
One essential ingredient was Shaer's diluted blood.
Compared to other extraordinary beings, Shaer's blood could provide the pathogen with enough energy to revive it, turning it into a true "Crimson Pathogen."
However, it had to be diluted; if a drop of blood was applied directly, the pathogen would die instantly.
"Understood."
Mond nodded, but she couldn't help but ask, "May I know... whose work this pathogen is? Is it from our organization?"
"It was created by me and another member of the organization," Shaer did not deny.
"So it's you..." Mond had no doubts, as Shaer had no reason to deceive her.
Mond seemed eager to continue the discussion, but Shaer didn't want to waste too much time, especially since he needed her to quickly produce the Crimson Pathogen.
Shaer didn't let Mond take the notebook; instead, he had her copy it down and take the copied template with her.
The original remained at home, to be burned by Tara.
By the time Mond left, it was already ten o'clock at night. The sky had completely darkened, and there were few pedestrians on the streets, only the gas lamps flickering with a yellow glow.
Shaer glanced at the simulation time; the originally planned 1 Day had turned into 20 hours. If he proceeded with the next simulation, it could only extend to 20 hours later.
Such a short simulation time would be of no help to the plan of killing Qiangyin; at best, it would allow Shaer to save another potion archive.
Since Shaer couldn't actually kill Qiangyin in the simulation, the more times he attempted it, the more likely he was to leave behind useful information.
Saving a potion archive and staying in the simulation for 24 hours also required mental energy, and the remaining potions Shaer hadn't digested were mostly those he hadn't completed the resurrection ritual for. Preparing for the ritual would consume a significant amount of his time.
It would be better to quietly pass these 20 hours, waiting for Peirxi to arrive in Ansu City, and then continue with the real-world plan, preserving the most mental energy for future endeavors.
At least, regarding the collaboration with the Pope of the Order of God, Shaer no longer needed to experiment in the simulation zone.
The two successful collaborations in previous simulations had already informed Shaer that the Pope was someone extremely superstitious and fanatical about the other realm. As long as Shaer could demonstrate his understanding of that realm, the Pope would cooperate willingly.
Though Shaer wasn't feeling sleepy at the moment, he still took a shower and forced himself to get six hours of sleep. By five in the morning, he awoke from his slumber.
Shaer got out of bed, preparing to change out of his pajamas.
His movements were quiet, but they still stirred Tara, whose room was opened on the right side of Shaer's room. That was where his personal maid slept, and it was currently Tara's room.
"Lord Shaer... Tara will get your... clothes..."
Tara was still in her pajamas, seemingly not fully awake, swaying as she walked toward the dressing room. Her hair was a mess, looking as if it had been electrified.
"It's fine, you can keep sleeping," Shaer said, gently pressing down on Tara's head, slowly turning her around, guiding her back toward her room. "Sleep for another two hours before coming out. That's an order."
"Okay... Lord Shaer..."
Tara stumbled back into her room, forgetting to close the door, and flopped back onto her bed, falling asleep again.
Shaer walked to his desk, lit the oil lamp, picked up his pen, and began to ponder a crucial problem that had yet to be solved.
That was, how to pinpoint Qiangyin's location immediately after killing him...
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PS1: Thanks to @2BB for the commission! Tara with a pointer! I'll post the original image on Bilibili later.
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PS2:
Hahaha! My schedule is completely wrecked! When it falls apart, my brain stops working! I only realize what I need to write when I'm up against a deadline!!!
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