Chapter 448: Chapter 342: The Anxious Dwarves
Before they knew it, they were onto the fifth round of testing. In the sealed containers nearby, four groups of mice had already turned into crystals. They each had different experiences, but in the end, they all became crystals. However, through careful observation and adjustment over time, the experimental group was ready to carry out the fifth round of testing.
This time, everybody’s confidence level was through the roof!
After being heightened in strength, the mice stayed alive for a whole hour! Everyone initially thought the experiment was successful, but after an hour, the mice turned into crystals again, a discouraging outcome.
After intense number-crunching, Ma Deburg and a few other researchers finally grasped the chemical mechanism. The crystal poison, once it infiltrated a new host, it would not remain stable as it did in Long Yi, but instinctively go through a series of multiplications. This process would happen numerous times within an hour. When it ended, the crystal poison would stop multiplying and start releasing energy steadily.
Unless a way to interrupt the replicating process during the first hour can be found, it’s a pipe dream to hope for anything else.
"If that is the case... this substance might be useful."
With that said, Long Yi brought out a mysterious vial.
It contained some remaining crystal poison vaccines from their last mission. Though they weren’t abundant, they were enough for several people. And in the case of mice, the dosage required was even lower.
"What are we waiting for? Let’s continue!" Shouted an excited Dean Ma Deburg, and just like that, the experiment was underway again.
After receiving the vaccine, the mice were extremely placid. After the injection, their physical form clearly changed. Just like that, one hour... two hours passed. After three hours, the crystal fell off from the forehead of the mouse without any further changes in the mouse!
"Did we... succeed or fail?" The researchers looked at each other in shock.
All of a sudden, the mouse squeaked and, with a sudden chomp, broke through its cage and bolted out!
"Catch it!"
Before Ma Deburg could even finish his sentence, Little Zi had already grabbed the mouse by its tail and walked back.
Under the mental oppression of the female demons, the mouse had no resistance at all.
A night, a day, and three days had passed.
The mouse treated with the experimental drug continued to exhibit an excess of energy, and its cage had to be reinforced with steel due to the mouse’s increased strength.
The drug experiment had been a success.
Surprisingly, the little mouse seemed to develop a bond with Ding Ge, the researcher who observed and cared for it the most. If Ding Ge left, the mouse would attempt to breakout, and upon inevitably failing, would wail from inside its cage. When Ding Ge returned, it would obediently lie in the cage, without making a move.
One day, Ding Ge opened the cage and reached out to the little mouse. At first, it obligingly crawled onto Ding Ge’s hand, but then it suddenly lunged at his throat!
However, being a Mage himself, Ding Ge was prepared. Just before anything could happen, a snake head shot out from his chest, caught the mouse and instantly poisoned it to death.
Seeing this, Long Yi burst into laughter.
"This proves something. Our drug won’t dumb down our Dragon Knights. Instead, it seems to have the potential to sharpen the wit of even the dullest creature. Look at that mouse who knew enough to employ tactics."
A successful experiment did not directly imply the drug was safe to use on humans. However, it was indeed a promising start. The remaining crystal poison vaccine was handed to Ma Deburg by Long Yi, hoping to explore a method for large-scale production. However, how to administer the new drug to humans no longer fell under Long Yi’s purview.
The Giant’s scepter was a fantastic tool, but the problem was handling it. Long Yi was willing to experiment on himself because he was a giant and had a lifeline. However, he dared not risk others’ lives as a mishap could be fatal.
Meanwhile, the dwarves were continuously refining the process of creating battle armor, drastically reducing the assembly time. Almost each day, a batch of battle armors would be delivered to the White Dragon Empire via their airships. The selection of warriors was also ongoing. To be honest, the White Dragon Empire’s widespread use of battle armors was not much of a secret anymore; almost every country worldwide knew about it. What was not known was the power this battle armor truly possessed; however, given how keenly the Emperor of the White Dragon Empire was ordering them from the dwarves, it was assumed to be immense.
A team from the White Dragon Empire was permanently stationed at the dwarven Furnace Fortress, ensuring that every part needed for the assembly of battle armors was delivered back to the White Dragon Empire. This was due to a theft by the Black Dragon Empire’s spies. Having turned a dwarf traitor, the Black Dragon Empire stole some critical components. However, the stolen components were retrieved successfully by the White Dragon Dragon Riders who ambushed the spies on their way back to the Black Dragon Empire. Since this incident, the White Dragon Empire had kept a close watch on the parts.
This caused considerable embarrassment to the dwarf Empire, known for its integrity. However, even the noblest of cultures were bound to have unworthy individuals. Hence, the elders of the dwarves agreed to the demands of the White Dragon Empire and allowed their representatives to be stationed at the Furnace Fortress.
