Lin Xinghai opened the system panel, and his personal stats immediately appeared.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 54
Power: 49
Speed: 60
Blood Qi Power: 7,888
Genetic Optimization Level: 60%+
Second Level Superpower: Speed (Increases Speed by 200%, Duration: one minute) (Energy Value: 10/10)
Intermediate Shooting Skill: Proficiency 1%+
Phantom Body Technique (Minor Success): Proficiency 1%+
A look of joy instantly appeared on Lin Xinghaiâs face when he saw his Superpower.
This Second Level Superpower was a massive improvement compared to the previous First Level Superpower.
First, its duration had increased from the original ten seconds to a full minute.
This meant the Speed Superpower now had real combat value. Before, when it only lasted ten seconds, he had to time its activation perfectly, which had a significant impact on his overall combat strength.
But now, the duration had been extended to one minute. While that was still a little short, if he activated it multiple times in a row, the Superpower could last him through an entire battle.
Besides duration, the most important aspect of a Superpower was, of course, its potency. The speed boost from the Second Level Superpower had actually doubled compared to before. This kind of boost was terrifying.
A percentage-based boost like this made the difference even more apparent.
With a thought, Lin Xinghai activated his Speed Superpower.
Instantly, a peculiar energy surged from his body and spread through his limbs.
With Lin Xinghaiâs current base Speed of 60, the Superpowerâs 200% boost was equivalent to an additional 120 points.
Combined with his original 60 points, his Speed reached 180 just from activating the Superpower.
Whatâs more, this wasnât even his top speed.
When Lin Xinghai activated his Phantom Body Technique, his Speed doubled again, reaching a terrifying 360.
Lin Xinghai was confident that at this speed, no one among the Optimized could match him.
Even others with Speed-type Superpowers couldnât possibly compare to him.
In fact, he was moving so fast that even he had a little trouble adjusting.
His figure darted back and forth inside the narrow room. Even though Lin Xinghai wasnât using any Blood Qi Power, his speed was so great that his body seemed to leave a faint afterimage.
Under these circumstances, Lin Xinghai even had to use his Perception Power to keep up. Otherwise, moving at such extreme speeds, he would likely crash into things.
In the room, Lin Xinghai tested the upper limits of his speed. Only after the Superpower ended a minute later did he stop, feeling thoroughly exhilarated.
âIf I ran into that crippled Hunter again, I could probably kill it with just a Vibrating Dagger.â
Of course, while he could kill it, the fight would probably last a long time. After all, despite his speed, his body was too fragile, so he could only use hit-and-run tactics.
And even a squishy Mutated Zombie like a Hunter probably couldnât be stabbed to death in just one or two hits. In a real fight, Lin Xinghai estimated it would take him at least ten minutes to wear it down and kill it.
âMaybe I should switch to a melee weapon with higher Attack Power,â Lin Xinghai pondered, but after a momentâs thought, he cast the idea aside.
At least, at the stage of the Optimized, the dominant position of firearms was unshakable.
His test complete, Lin Xinghai glanced at the system panel again and was about to close it, but he suddenly saw that a note had appeared next to the Energy Value for his Superpower.
He tapped on it, and a system prompt immediately popped up.
"DING! Due to the increased consumption of the Second Level Superpower, replenishing the Energy Value will cost 1,000 Blood Qi Power."
Seeing this system prompt, Lin Xinghaiâs face immediately darkened. He had just managed to save up some Blood Qi Power, and now the system was trying to rip him off.
Fortunately, the Energy Value recovered naturally over time. Before, when the duration was only ten seconds, he never had to use the system to replenish it. Now that the duration was extended to one minute, the chance of needing to do so was probably even lower.
This thought put him somewhat at ease. He pushed open the door and walked out.
At this moment, Fang Tianhe and the others were waiting outside the door. They were chatting idly, their gazes occasionally drifting toward the door.
However, when they actually saw Lin Xinghai push the door open and emerge, a trace of astonishment appeared on their faces.
"How are you out so fast?" Roger was the first to ask in surprise.
After asking, he even released his Perception Power to confirm that Lin Xinghai had indeed broken his second Genetic Lock. The surprise on his face grew.
"Uh... is there a problem?" Lin Xinghai asked, glancing at his wrist-mounted computer. It had been twenty minutes since he had started his breakthrough.
âTo him, that was plenty of time. After all, every minute had been agonizing!â
"Of course thereâs a problem! A normal person takes about an hour to break through. The fastest Iâve heard of was over thirty minutes. You just shattered the record!" Roger couldnât help but exclaim.
"Iâm a genius. Donât be surprised," Lin Xinghai said, pulling out his all-purpose excuse while taking a jab at Roger.
"Alright, what matters is that the breakthrough was successful. Letâs go to the meeting room and discuss how to deal with the Morgan Conglomerate," Fang Tianhe said directly.
At Fang Tianheâs words, the groupâs joyful mood was instantly dampened, and everyoneâs expression turned grim.
After all, when facing a behemoth like the Morgan Conglomerate, no one felt confident, not even Lin Xinghai. At least, he couldnât handle them at his current level.
Soon, the group returned to a small living room on the second floor. After everyone was seated, Fang Tianhe, knowing that Lin Xinghai wasnât up to speed, repeated the intel he had previously received from the Military Department.
He opened the holographic display on his wrist-mounted computer and pulled up the email from the Military Department.
The Military Department had dug up a mountain of information, including a lot of trivial details.
However, Fang Tianhe had specifically circled a few items.
The first was that the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corpsâ account had received a transfer of 500,000 Points the night before last. According to the investigation, these Points were transferred by a junior manager in the logistics department.
The Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps used these Points to purchase a Mecha, and they used the remaining funds to upgrade their mercenariesâ equipment.
Also, yesterday, the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps held a private recruitment, and a total of ten Mercenaries joined their corps.
These ten Mercenaries were originally scattered among various Hunter squads, and they were all quite strong. At a minimum, they were all veteran mercenaries who had broken their second Genetic Lock; one had even broken their third.
None of this information mentioned the Morgan Conglomerate, at least not on the surface.
But anyone who wasnât a fool could see that an unseen hand was pulling the strings behind all of this.
To be able to easily produce 500,000 Points and mobilize ten such elite members, only the Morgan Conglomerate had that kind of power.
After reviewing the information, Lin Xinghaiâs brow furrowed slightly. "So youâre saying the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps has become a pawn for the Morgan Conglomerate to use against us?"
"Mhm! Yes. And itâs no exaggeration to say that their overall strength is now more than double ours," Fang Tianhe said with a grim expression.