Chapter 588: Settled Situation (Third Update)

As to whether the genetic lock could truly be opened, whether this concept was fact or fiction...

The truth was that when Boss Fang first received the T-virus enhancement, his physical fitness, reaction speed, and various other attributes had indeed experienced a massive leap forward.

Yet similar outcomes did not mean they were the exact same thing; these improvements were merely the inherent benefits brought by the T-virus, nothing more than its intrinsic upgrades.

Whether such a thing truly existed or not, Boss Fang had certainly failing to manifest it.

But if one were to ask whether humans could truly unleash bursts of latent potential in times of peril, or achieve breakthroughs under sheer pressure, the answer was an absolute yes, requiring no further examples.

On the other side of things, just as Helen began sitting down at her machine to play Resident Evil 2, Boss Fang suddenly recalled the dream he had just woken from.

An instantaneous synchronization was an operation that perhaps belonged exclusively to him alone; if it could truly be realized, he might possess the defensive capabilities of Dante's Royal Guard at the exact moment of blocking, while wielding the offensive power of the Swordmaster or other awakened skills at the exact moment of striking, all while ensuring that the cost of synchronization time would allow him to synchronize almost whenever he pleased.

In truth, the original meaning of this word referred to "reaching a state of extreme refinement and subtlety."

Could a person's technique and mastery reach such a refined and subtle degree...

The answer was undoubtedly yes.

If one were to refine and further refine upon this level of precision, the realm it manifested... though somewhat ambiguous, it was pointless to search for another term to describe it, as the effects were ultimately much the same.

Thus, certain old-timers in the shop, inside a discussion group concerning a certain "Railgun"...

Su Tianji: "I feel like I've already opened the first stage of the genetic lock! After playing Resident Evil 2, my reaction speed and control have visibly improved (laughs out loud)"

Tang Yu: "I feel like I'll be able to open the first stage once I clear the game!"

Jiang Xiaoyue: "I think I've opened the first stage too! (Jiang Xiaoyue cute peace sign expression)"

A certain Great White Deer player: "Hahaha, I think I'm about to unlock my genetic lock too!"

"..."

They all quite thoughtlessly believed they were about to break through their genetic locks.

They had even gone so far as to categorize the manifestations of the first stage, the second stage, and so on...

Nalan Hongwu: "This old man feels he has already reached the third stage!"

Su Tianji: "Pfft!"

Jiang Xiaoyue: "(Horrified)"

Zong Wu: "(Boss Fang's chaotic clapping expression, awesome awesome)"

Looking at the group chat, Boss Fang nearly wanted to crawl through the network cables to beat them up.

Meanwhile, Helen had been bitten to death by Lickers and chewed apart by zombies in the game, dying a dozen times over in every imaginable way.

She stared open-mouthed at the screen; she had managed to dodge a Licker attack that completely exceeded the limits of human reaction, and could now masterfully control every fragment of power within her body, leading her to also begin wondering...

"Could it be that I've opened the genetic lock too..."

"How did I get so amazing?"

A surge of excitement welled up in her heart, filling her with a frantic urge to keep playing.

Just as she was preparing to dive deeper into this so-called "genetic lock"...

"Thud!"

The sound of a hand slamming onto the table nearly made Helen leap out of her computer chair.

A thoroughly ordinary face leaned in closer, wearing a completely harmless smile: "The shop is closing!"

"Oh... oh..."

She scrambled out of the door like a streak of smoke.

Revenge! This was blatant, unadulterated revenge!

"Ahhhhh!" Once outside the shop, a lone figure could be seen throwing a wild tantrum.

...

Regardless of whether it was a genetic lock or not, it was undeniable that their techniques had seen an immense elevation, and as the later stages of the game allowed them to choose Chris and Ada (selectable late in the first playthrough for the system version, and directly available in the second playthrough), the monsters they encountered and the difficulty they faced were also escalating dramatically.

Here lay countless shadows that would forever haunt them, alongside countless brilliant moments of their astonishing maneuvers.

Perhaps... even after a long time had passed, these would remain unforgettable, shining memories in the minds of these cultivators and warriors.

And at this very moment.

On the other side of this world.

For the Blazing Bird Family and the Thorny Flower Family...

This might truly be a splendid opportunity—a chance to stand supreme above the other great families.

Even though it was late at night, the council chamber remained brilliantly illuminated.

At the head of the conference table sat a rotund, obese man clad in a pristine white military uniform, his chest adorned with over a dozen various medals, his large belly protruding high. He was the speaker for the Blazing Bird Family; to look at his appearance, one might not deem him a man of intellect, and his slightly thinning hair even lent him a somewhat comical air, yet his narrowed eyes and the occasional sharp glint flashing within them offered a subtle hint that this was a deeply calculating and cunning fellow.

Beside him sat a lean, ancient-faced, middle-aged man dressed in formal black attire; he resembled a thoroughly elegant gentleman, the expression on his face perpetually solemn and meticulous.

Spread across the table was an exceedingly detailed map, which could be seen dividing every single region of the Immortal Relic Continent with immense precision.

It was refined down to every nation, every territory, and even explicitly marked down what manner of figures resided there, detailing everything without omission.

"Is there any new intelligence?" the obese, middle-aged man inquired.

"This is already the absolute limit of the intelligence we can gather, Lord Alex," a white-haired elder nearby replied. "They have destroyed the passage; if we force our way in, we will surely be discovered and intercepted."

The obese Alex frowned: "That these natives could capture the Vanguard General and several other figures proves on one hand that those men are becoming increasingly useless, but on the other... perhaps it also indicates the natives possess certain means we must guard against."

"It is said they possess treasures left behind by ancient immortals." The lean-faced, middle-aged man was none other than the master of the Thorny Flower Family; his brown, curly hair and slender face made him look exceptionally capable as he traced a circle with his finger over the Heavenly Abyss Ocean on the map. "We are the attackers, and they are the defenders. These wretched natives will surely lay a dragnet, and this place, being the weakest point, should also be the absolute core of their defense. Dammit, I believe we should abandon this area."

"That would leave us in a very passive position, Lord Rhine."

"But we have no choice. The elites of my Thorny Flower are not cannon fodder; they should not throw their lives away here," the lean Rhine countered. "We need a glorious victory, nothing less! I dare not imagine how they would look upon us if any other outcome were to occur!"

"Then what do you propose, my lord?"

"We go from here, and here." Rhine pointed to two locations, namely the borders of the Western Polar Region and the Desolate Sea Region. "These are their weakest areas. According to past intelligence, the strength in these parts is also the feeblest. We would rather pay a greater price to assault from here, catching them entirely off guard, establishing a foothold in that wretched native world with minimal losses, and then deploy our forces inward to take it in one fell swoop..."

He gestured toward the region of the Heavenly Abyss Ocean: "Take this place in one swoop. Once we reign supreme over this land, everything will be set in stone!"

"For this war, the higher-ups have already prepared spell projections." A look of resolve, laced with a heavy dose of raw ambition, surfaced on Alex's fat face. "We must allow everyone to witness our monumental achievements. We are permitted only success, not failure!"