“Its structural logic is very similar to some kind of forced induction drug.”

Shen Qingshu pointed at the pale gold liquid in the vial and said:

“It contains high-concentration Mana Carriers and some unknown active ingredient that can stimulate the deeper layers of the psyche. Theoretically, after an ordinary person consumes it, it is indeed possible to briefly open the ‘door’ to awakening abilities.”

Monica was left dazed as she listened.

“Huh? Then isn’t this incredible?”

Tang Xiaoman also said subconsciously:

“If it can allow ordinary people to awaken their abilities, wouldn’t that mean…”

She stopped before she could finish.

Because she saw that Lin Han’s expression was grim.

“The problem is, that’s not how the ‘door’ is opened,” Lin Han explained.

“Ability awakening is essentially a resonance between the human body, mind, soul, and the external mana environment. This process is very complex and very unstable.”

“Natural awakening is uncontrollable enough as it is. Even someone detected with a high probability of awakening might still fail in the end due to emotional fluctuations, let alone relying on a drug to force stimulation.”

Shen Qingshu added indifferently:

“It’s like someone who doesn’t have a key but insists on using explosives to blast the door open. The door might indeed open, but the person inside is very likely to be killed in the blast as well.”

Monica finally realized the danger of the liquid in the vial and shrank back instinctively.

“So, what happens if someone drinks it?”

“If they’re lucky enough, they might briefly gain an ability.”

Shen Qingshu tapped the glass surface of the vial with her fingertip. A hint of contempt flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled into a disdainful arc, as if she were looking at some crude, inferior creation.

“But I suspect it won’t last more than two hours at most. The unstable resonance will quickly dissipate, and the ability will vanish along with it.”

“What’s more problematic is that once the ‘door’ has been forced open in such a crude manner, your body will no longer be able to tolerate the sensation of emptiness.”

“This has nothing to do with willpower. Because this method of stimulating the mind is so crude, it inevitably leaves lasting side effects. Therefore, once an ability is awakened this way, the user will likely remain dependent on it for a long time.”

“And what I just said was the best-case scenario.”

It was rare for Shen Qingshu to say so much in one breath, and she seemed a bit out of sorts. She cleared her throat and took another sip of water.

The others were still digesting the information she had just shared. After a moment, Monica, having finally straightened out her thoughts, asked the question that was on everyone’s mind:

“Then… what if you’re unlucky?”

“If you’re unlucky, you suffer a mental breakdown, physical mutation, and your mana goes out of control.”

Shen Qingshu didn’t explain further.

But everyone present knew exactly what that meant—

Mutant transformation.

“You can be lucky once, twice, or even many times,” Shen Qingshu said, shaking her head. “But as I just said, this drug creates a dependency. With long-term use, there will eventually come a day when you slip up. In other words…”

“This drug leads only to destruction.”

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

At the thought of such a drug circulating in X City—at a scale large enough for even her to discover it—Monica found it somewhat hard to believe.

“But… why would anyone buy something like this?”

“…The answer is actually quite obvious, isn’t it?” Lin Han replied.

Not everyone can become an Ability User.

And even fewer people are willing to remain ordinary for their entire lives.

In this era where Transcendents hold the lion’s share of resources and influence, some will gamble everything they have for a mere sliver of a possibility.

As long as someone tells an ordinary person, “Drink this and you’ll gain power,” there will always be someone who reaches for it.

Monica fell silent for a moment, and it was quite a while before she continued, “What about SAVE? What about the Transcendent factions? Are they just standing by while something this dangerous circulates through the city? Aren’t they going to do anything?”

Lin Han was about to speak, but Shen Qingshu cut in front of him and asked a seemingly unrelated question.

“Do you think this drug is already a finished product?”

“…A finished product?”

Monica was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. “How could this be a finished product? This is nothing but a meaningless trap.”

“Then do you think the Metamorphosis Society would experiment on so many people and create so many ‘failures’ just to obtain such a half-baked product?”

Shen Qingshu lowered her eyes and answered her own question:

“Of course not.”

“So…”

A chill rushed from the soles of her feet straight to her head as an answer Monica dared not believe surfaced in her mind.

“So, they—the Metamorphosis Society—are using the people of X City as test subjects to perfect their drug?”

“As things stand, I’m afraid that is exactly the case,” Shen Qingshu said calmly.

“They—not just the Metamorphosis Society, but also the Transcendent Families and the Ability Users who truly hold power in X City—want to obtain a truly finished drug. That is precisely why they allow the Metamorphosis Society to act so boldly.”

“To put it simply, the ‘regulators’ you imagined will not only refrain from stepping in to stop this, but they will even be happy to see it succeed. The more ordinary people who suffer, the closer they get to the time to reap the rewards.”

Monica’s pupils trembled incessantly, finding this difficult to accept.

In reality, Shen Qingshu was explaining all of this solely for Monica’s benefit.

Including Tang Xiaoman, the members of Team 7 had a rough understanding of the situation as soon as Shen Qingshu mentioned that the Metamorphosis Society was conducting experiments.

After all, they were all in the intelligence business; they possessed at least basic inductive reasoning and sensitivity.

“But… isn’t this like playing with fire? How do they dare?”

Monica’s eyes were filled with a rare fury.

“This stuff kills people, it ruins so many families… Are they really not afraid?”

“And didn’t that boy who bought the drug say it? His father is a director at Blue Ray Technology.”

Monica grew more agitated as she spoke.

“Doesn’t that mean the thing they let circulate has already come back to bite their own people?”

Shen Qingshu didn’t show much surprise at this, her voice remaining calm.

“If you dealt with them more often, you would find that the leaders of those so-called Transcendent Factions are actually just mortals. They make the same mistakes that mortals do.”

She paused.

“In fact, they might even be a bit stupider.”

Monica froze.

Shen Qingshu continued:

“Because when ordinary people make mistakes, they only ruin themselves and those around them at most.”

“But for people in their positions, the cost of a mistake is destined to be far greater. A single word, a moment of acquiescence, or a single act of greed could destroy an entire city and countless people.”

“As for that boy…”

“To that director of Blue Ray Technology, it’s uncertain if an ordinary person with no talent and little intelligence even qualified as a ‘son’ in the true sense of the word.”

“In his father’s eyes, perhaps he only provided some value when he was used for drug trials.”

Monica instinctively wanted to say something, but the words died in her throat.

She suddenly realized that what Shen Qingshu said might actually be the truth.

To Monica, family was everything.

Just like how everyone in the orphanage shared no blood relation with her, yet living together for years had made them a true family; she cherished them even more than herself.

But in the eyes of some, perhaps even their own biological children were divided into two categories: “valuable” and “worthless.”

“How could it be like this…”