For the task at hand, Jake considered various approaches. One option was the direct and violent route of severing the remaining infected flesh, including a corresponding portion of the Spirit Body. However, Jake preferred to avoid this method as it could lead to unpredictable consequences, ranging from transient amnesia to permanent memory loss or personality shifts. Not everyone possessed a Grade 10 Energy Spirit Body and Soul like him, which allowed for a relatively swift recovery from otherwise irreversible injuries. Furthermore, only a few bloodlines had the innate ability to regenerate a Spirit Body, let alone a severely damaged Soul. The regenerative abilities of Digestors, who spontaneously originated from Aether, were highly envied, yet the origin of their existence remained a mystery.
Another option involved Soul Cultivation Techniques, similar to those found in fictional works about Ghost Cultivators. These techniques could potentially heal a damaged Spirit Body or Soul. Although Jake had never encountered such techniques himself, he knew they existed, having seen several listed at exorbitant prices in the Oracle Store. Alternatively, external aids such as potions, pills, medicines, herbs, or ingredients with spirit-revitalizing properties could be used to restore a damaged soul. However, such ingredients were rare, and the recipes and technologies involved in creating the corresponding potions and pills were fiercely guarded by their possessors.
In this situation, the direct and violent method was ruled out, leaving the gentler option: a vaccine or, in its absence, the injection of an antibody serum. However, Jake faced a problem - he had neither of these solutions.
"If given enough time, I might have been able to research a vaccine based on this virus, but I have a feeling it wouldn't have gone smoothly," Jake said with a wry smile, realizing the bitter truth of what he would have to do to save Ulfar.
[You don't mean to tell me you plan to voluntarily inject the virus and let it run free until your lymphocytes recognize the threat?] Xi critiqued, her tone a mix of reproach and disbelief.
Aware of her legitimate concerns, Jake replied undeterred, "If you already know, why ask? Don't overthink it. What's the worst that could happen? Become a Digestor? I already am one..."
Unamused, Xi retorted in an aggrieved voice, [Become a Sinewshade? In case you hadn't noticed, not all Digestors are created equal...]
Jake shivered at her reminder but ultimately said, "I'll be fine. Just trust me. As always."
[...]
Jake's lips curved, knowing he had gained her implicit agreement. Determined, he crouched next to the unconscious Ulfar and flipped him onto his stomach to access the purulent lacerations on his back. Ignoring his revulsion, he traced his Cosmic Force-laden index finger down his friend's back, carving out several small samples of infected flesh. Following this, he thrust the same claw, wrapped in a faint force field, into his wrist, slashing it open.
Without regret, Jake then injected the harvested samples into his bloodstream and waited for the first symptoms to manifest. As expected, his resistance to the virus was much stronger than that of his comrades'. Not only were his Constitution and Vitality vastly superior, but he also possessed the true Cosmic D Starfeyrves Body, as well as the Starfeyrves Spirit Body and Soul.
Jake had grossly underestimated the resilience of his own body against this virus, and when his wrist healed perfectly within the blink of an eye, he grimaced with a sense of bitterness. A quick glimpse into his Oracle Status confirmed that the virus had been instantly purged from his system.
"Damn... At this rate, I'll never be able to naturally develop antibodies," Jake mused with a rueful laugh. Although his companions might have envied his situation, he was determined to become infected like them. If the virus was vanquished before it even became a threat, how could he save them?
For those uninitiated in immunology, the immune system is comprised of various units, commonly referred to as white blood cells, with macrophages and lymphocytes being the most well-known. Macrophages acted as the body's default police force, devouring any unauthorized foreign bodies on sight. Lymphocytes, on the other hand, served as strategists or scientists, devising specific weapons against these foreign bodies when the macrophages were overwhelmed.
Developing targeted countermeasures, known as antibodies, required time for the lymphocytes. Once developed, these antibodies could be quickly mobilized in the future at the first recurrence of the virus, which was the goal of vaccines. However, in Jake's case, his macrophages had no trouble handling the virus. It was like having a single policeman armed with only a humble baton quelling a rebellion alone, rendering the need for researchers to develop a nuclear bomb unnecessary.
Jake's immune system was simply too robust.
"I'll have to take direct control of my immune system to prevent it from doing its job," Jake's brows twitched at the realization that he would have to slit his wrist again.
With the knowledge from his previous experience, he expertly extracted new samples, eliciting a groan from the King of Beskyr, then injected the contents into his veins with an expression as flat as a calm sea.
This time, he gave his white blood cells no chance to display their capabilities. Like a general, he commanded his troops to ignore the invader and beat a strategic retreat.
Thankfully, his Agility (Body Control) and Perception were high enough to handle this situation. He didn't even need to resort to his telekinesis.
Intrigued as a child watching a colony of ants go about their business, Jake watched with interest as the virus managed to penetrate the core of his cells with ease, but his face fell when he saw the virus exiting them without any repercussions.
"Damn, I forgot about my luck stat," Jake cursed inwardly, observing how an array of improbable micro-events was preventing the virus within him from achieving its purpose.
[Be patient.] Xi chided, holding back her laughter. [If even Ulfar was infected, you don't have to worry.]
Jake wanted to remind her that Ulfar only ended up in this state after overdrafting his luck, but he held back upon seeing a luckier virus sample successfully integrating into his DNA.
Impatient, he observed the enzyme responsible for reading his DNA with restrained excitement and nearly let out a cry of joy when, after a myriad of failures, the virus managed to replicate. This was only because Jake had allowed it to do so all along, even personally controlling his enzymes to guarantee the result.
With this initial success, Jake replicated the same process in his other cells, literally assisting the virus in the conquest of his body. It was likely the first time in human history someone deliberately sought to fall ill with a zombie virus without a cure.
Regardless, where there's a will, there's a way. After a few minutes, Jake coughed up his first gout of tainted blood with a sense of exhilarating satisfaction.
"At last!"
The truth was, the antibodies had been ready for a long time. He had merely allowed his symptoms to worsen intentionally to ensure his antibodies could not only defeat the virus but also reverse the damage already inflicted.
His goal was not only to save Ulfar but also Lucia and the other disciples.
[You're taking unnecessary risks.] Xi admonished him without a trace of humor this time. She was visibly upset, and rightly so. [What if your antibodies fail? Does Lucia's life really mean more than yours? What am I supposed to do if you die? Follow you to your grave? Become a Sinewshade too?]
Jake grew solemn at his AI's complaints. His actions were indeed risky. He was nearly 100% confident everything would go as planned, hence his stoicism. But from the perspective of those who cared about him, it merely looked like recklessness and a suicidal act.
"I'm sorry, Xi. I won't do it again."
[Hmmm. As long as you understand your mistakes.] Xi hummed in a pacified tone.
With the issue settled, Jake let his symptoms deteriorate even further, until his skin began to peel away in flakes, revealing the vermilion flesh beneath.
At this stage, murderous impulses and a familiar hunger began to torment him, and his vision started to blur, as his cognitive abilities rapidly deteriorated. It would take more than that to make him forget who he was, but it was a sign that the infection had reached not only his brain but also his Spirit Body.
Odd, disconcerting things began to happen beyond this stage, making him rethink his understanding of the virus.
"Alright, it's enough," Jake decided suddenly, feeling that he had seen enough.
With a single thought, he unleashed all the antibodies his lymphocytes had been continuously producing as if breaking a dam. The result was immediate.
A lightning-fast counterattack and a total victory!
If it wasn't for the remnants of skin and tainted blood at his feet, one might have thought he had rewound time with a snap of his fingers. He was completely healed.
With the matter of the antibodies settled, the next steps were child's play. Having extracted his own antibodies to create a standardized serum - one Ulfar's body wouldn't reject - he injected it without hesitation into the heart of his companion's infected wounds, standing back to let the magic unfold.
A few heartbeats later, the purulent slashes ceased their oozing. The wounds then began to close, his back transforming into a canvas of smooth, flawless skin once more.
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