Gene potions are a profound and intricate field of study in themselves. Every mature potion formula is the result of countless gene masters painstakingly exploring and refining it through numerous clinical trials, ensuring stable and reliable efficacy—otherwise, it wouldn’t be recognized as a finished prescription by peers. To improve upon such a foundation is incredibly, almost impossibly difficult!
But the R&D department is the core technical division of any company, let alone a solar system giant like Giant Pharmaceuticals. Surviving here is no easy feat; the competition is fierce. Thus, despite the challenge, Feng Lin had to complete this task. If he failed once, it might be forgivable, but too many failures would eventually see him sidelined from the core project, or even kicked out of the research department. That outcome was not what Feng Lin wanted. Only by staying in R&D could he learn Giant Pharmaceuticals’ core technology.
Feng Lin opened the formula for the adrenaline gene potion and began studying it intently. His new colleagues in the R&D department, witnessing his misfortune, exchanged glances with strange expressions, secretly gloating. “Our R&D department isn’t so easy to get into. This newbie’s in for a rough time!” “Don’t take on a job without the skills! Everyone who makes it into R&D is a genius among gene scholars. If this newbie doesn’t have real talent, he’ll be out soon enough!” “This guy’s really unlucky, and now he’s pissed off the team leader—he’s pretty petty!” …
In their eyes, Feng Lin was destined to be a fleeting visitor. Without enough strength and having offended the team leader, his luck was at rock bottom. He’d be gone soon, so no one bothered to befriend him. But Feng Lin paid them no mind, focusing entirely on his adrenaline potion research.
This wasn’t a high-grade gene potion; like the life potion, it was ungraded. Its formula was simple, requiring only seven ingredients and thirty-one steps to prepare. Yet, paradoxically, the simpler something is, the harder it is to improve. When a formula is already as simple as it can get, how do you refine it? It’s like a glass of plain water—can you turn it into something fancy? Obviously, it’s extremely difficult, almost impossible!
Still, as a subordinate, there was little room to refuse or justify dodging an assigned task. Feng Lin had no other choice. To silence Team Leader Aike, he had to deliver an improved potion formula. And to improve the formula, he first had to understand it.
Feng Lin delved into it seriously. The adrenaline potion, as its name suggests, is a gene potion that stimulates the body to secrete adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone naturally released by the human body, flooding the system during intense stimuli like excitement, fear, or tension. It speeds up breathing, fully excites the nerves, and sharpens reaction times far beyond normal. In essence, this potion is a powerful stimulant. When consumed in battle, it accelerates thought processes, heightens reflexes, and quickens movements. In a fight to the death, being even a split second faster can mean the difference between life and death. Thus, the adrenaline potion’s remarkable effects made it one of the most famous and widely used gene potions across the galaxy.
Fortunately, the R&D department provided all raw materials for free, so Feng Lin began experimenting. The adrenaline potion formula: 30 ml of dragon blood flower extract, 15 grams of water jade powder, 100 ml of Losoto solution, 10 grams of catalytic paste, 12 grams of spirit sand… Following the formula, Feng Lin gathered the ingredients and started preparing. He adhered to the techniques recorded in the formula, first gently heating the dragon blood flower extract to sixty degrees, then diluting it with Losoto solution, and steadily adding water jade powder to create a turbid mixture.
Even at this preliminary stage, a faint, unusual scent emanated from the liquid, stirring the blood and rousing a restless urge. Clearly, the potion was already showing its effects halfway through. Feng Lin’s hands moved without pause, adding each ingredient in a specific order with practiced precision. Finally, he heated it over a flame, letting the water vapor evaporate. Soon, he held a 20-milliliter vial of clear, transparent potion, with all components perfectly fused and free of impurities.
Only the final step—sensing the spirit—remained. Feng Lin tasted a drop to gauge the potency. Finding it too mild and insufficiently stimulating to the nerves, he added a small amount of dragon blood flower extract and spirit sand, adjusting it until it was just right.
“That rookie actually succeeded in making the adrenaline potion on his first try!” “Maybe he’s not completely useless after all!” “He might have learned it before…” …
Some curious new colleagues observed this and muttered under their breaths. But Feng Lin paid them no mind. He downed the potion he’d prepared in one gulp. To improve it, he had to experience it firsthand to identify the formula’s flaws and shortcomings.
Unlike the life potion, the adrenaline potion had a fiercer nature. Once ingested, it turned into scalding, magma-like energy, burning intensely. Fire, fire, fire… It felt as if the potion were made of flames, threatening to incinerate Feng Lin into ashes. Yet this fiery heat didn’t tear through his body or enhance his vitality. Instead, it seeped subtly into his depths, relentlessly stimulating his nerves. Veins bulged on Feng Lin’s face, pulsing rhythmically, twisting his features into a grimace.
The heat surged like a torrent of fire into his mind, leaving his thoughts blank. His soul seemed to detach from his body, and the surroundings instantly fell into his perception, moving in excruciating slow motion. It was a bizarre sensation. Everything in the world slowed down. The voices of those around him stretched out endlessly, their lips moving and tongues rolling, every detail crystal clear… For a moment, Feng Lin felt his consciousness ascend to an unknown space, looking down on the world from a godlike vantage point.
But the feeling vanished in an instant. A massive suction force arose from his body, like a black hole, yanking his soul back. His spirit returned to its vessel, and Feng Lin snapped back to reality, panting heavily, drenched in sweat. His mind was under immense strain, placing a huge burden on his body.
No wonder it was called the adrenaline potion—its effects were powerful. That brief sensation of the world slowing down was truly remarkable. But for Feng Lin, this wasn’t a good thing. The better the effect, the more perfect the formula, leaving little room for improvement. Aside from the potion lasting only ten seconds—far too short—it had almost no flaws. Feng Lin was at a loss, unsure how to improve it.
Gene potential: -8%! Suddenly, the change in his gene potential caught his attention. He hadn’t done anything—why had it decreased? Puzzled, Feng Lin looked at the empty adrenaline potion vial. Could it be because of the potion? He examined it closely and noticed that on the three-dimensional human gene map of the gene equation, a silver dark star had brightened slightly. With a sweep of his mind, he identified it as the adrenaline gene, and information flowed out.
“Gene: Adrenaline Grade: Perfect Basic Gene Enhancement Points: 0 (8%) Ability: Bullet Time (massively secretes adrenaline, accelerating thought processes to achieve reaction speeds capable of dodging bullets).”
A smile crept onto Feng Lin’s lips. He thought, now he knew how to improve the formula!