Lin Zhen smiled and nodded, "Although the private customization has a high risk, Brother Zhao, please believe me, I feel confident that I can pass this hurdle."
Zhao Liang also agreed, "If you really have such confidence, that's fantastic news. Private customization can at least increase physical fitness by 70%. If you're lucky enough, it's not impossible to exceed 80%. If you, Lin Zhen, achieve an 80% increase, your strength could very well reach the Seventh-level Early Stage, or at least become a Sixth-Level Warrior at the Late Stage."
"That's what I think too. Oh, Brother Zhao, I'll take that last first-class student spot."
"If you succeed, I'll make sure the last first-class student spot is yours. Lin Zhen, as a first-class student, you can enjoy a 9.3% discount and 100% monthly salary. More importantly, the hunting team at the Martial Arts Hall will soon recruit this batch of students. At that time, first-class students will definitely be sought after by good teams. If you join a strong hunting team, our future as martial artists will be secure, and you'll make a fortune hunting monsters."
"Hehe! That would be great! Brother Zhao, I'm going to start the Gene Optimization."
"Go ahead, good luck!"
Hearing that Lin Zhen would be the first to undergo the Gene Optimization, many fellow students gathered around.
If Lin Zhen succeeded, he would be the first second-class student in the Martial Arts Hall to complete the optimization, and the first-class spot would undoubtedly be his.
Even Shen Yuhua and Fu Chengya came over, considering Lin Zhen a threat to their positions. They wanted to see the outcome of Lin Zhen's optimization. If Lin Zhen's results weren't as good as expected, even giving him a first-class spot wouldn't pose a threat to them.
Completely ignoring the people around him, Lin Zhen stepped into a small room.
The room only had a wooden bed and a clock on the wall for timing. Lin Zhen sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the Genetic Potion.
"This potion is the result of my experimentation from my previous life. With my current age, the ingredients of this potion are the most suitable."
"According to the tests in the interstellar world, after taking a privately customized Genetic Potion, the starting point of enhancement is 90%. As for reaching 90% or higher, it depends on one's luck. I hope my luck won't be too bad."
Lin Zhen didn't consider himself unlucky. Even if he was, it was only in his previous life. How could he be reborn by a cosmic black hole if his luck was bad?
Thus, he was full of confidence in this potion.
After drinking it in one gulp, the potion started to take effect inside his body.
The genetic transformation didn't mean he was no longer human, but rather his cells began to rapidly divide, recombine, and strengthen, becoming more active.')
Gene Optimization is a crucial step. Without the Genetic Potion, humans can only reach the Fourth or Fifth Level through training. But with the Genetic Potion altering their body cells, warriors can continue to advance.
After the first optimization, warriors can't fully absorb the medicinal effects, leaving some residual potion in their body. The better the first optimization, the easier it will be to advance later, making it the best opportunity to widen the gap between oneself and other warriors. That's why people value the results of the first optimization so much.
Lin Zhen had experienced gene optimization in his previous life, but it was nowhere as pleasant as this time. The process felt like rehydrating a withered body, suddenly immersing each and every cell in a nutritious bath, spreading strength throughout his body.
"What a powerful feeling! I can clearly sense my strength increasing, my body's durability and flexibility have greatly improved. This is an all-around enhancement - success!"
Lin Zhen didn't know how long the process lasted, but when the last cell had been strengthened, he slowly opened his eyes.
He looked at the clock on the wall and was stunned – it had been 45 minutes!
Usually, the gene enhancement process takes no more than half an hour. In extreme cases, it could exceed 30 minutes.
In his previous life, Lin Zhen only took 15 minutes for gene optimization. This time, it took three times as long!
"It seems that the optimization result is excellent this time. I hope it brings me a pleasant surprise."
Lin Zhen stood up and walked out of the small room.
As soon as he stepped out, a clamor of noise erupted from outside.
At the forefront was Fu Chengya, a grade-one student who looked at Lin Zhen disdainfully, "Lin Zhen, what the hell are you doing? Don't you know there are so many people waiting outside? You deliberately took forty-five minutes inside, what were you doing?"
"I was optimizing."
"Pssh! Put on what act? Does optimization take forty-five minutes? My optimization result is good, and it took less than twenty minutes. Even if yours is excellent, it won't take more than thirty minutes. I think you did it on purpose, trying to be mysterious!"
Shen Yuhua also had a disdainful expression, "Lin Zhen, there's a limit to acting. You're a grade-two student. Even if you performed well at the bar last time, it was only because I wasn't there. It's already a blessing for a grade-two student to get a good evaluation. You're not going to tell me you got an excellent, are you?"
Fu Chengya continued, "I guess he might get a poor rating, and since he's too ashamed to show his face, he deliberately dawdled inside the room."
He was still jealous of Lin Zhen because of the fight at the bar and always wanted to take a jab at him.
Lin Zhen looked at the two grade-one students, "You both say I was deliberately wasting time, but what if I wasn't?"
"Pssh! How do you prove it?"
"I have my ways, of course. If I can't prove it, I'll give you each 5 million, but if I prove it, do you dare to lose 5 million to me?"
Fu Chengya and Shen Yuhua exchanged a glance, both feeling a little uncertain.
One of them came from First High School, and the other from Second High School. Both were prestigious schools, and these two were quite wealthy. However, they had spent a lot of money to buy martial arts weapons and skills. Unlike Lin Zhen, who had received 20 million free reward from Gale Martial Arts Hall, they didn't have much money left.
They couldn't believe that someone could take forty-five minutes to optimize their genes. Especially with so many students looking on, it would be embarrassing not to accept the challenge.
"I'll bet with you. Since you want to give the money away, there's no reason for me, Fu Chengya, not to accept."
"Fine, let's bet. Everyone in the room is a witness. Lin Zhen, don't go back on your word if you lose."
With the bet settled, Lin Zhen looked at the two with a cold smile, "Don't you know? I took a customized genetic potion."
"Customized!"
Everyone gasped in surprise.
Zhao Liang hadn't told anyone that Lin Zhen had used a customized potion. If it was a customized potion, then the time could indeed exceed half an hour.
Once the customization was successful, the transformation effect would be at least 70%, which naturally took longer.
Seventy percent! If Lin Zhen succeeded, wouldn't he become the top student in Gale Martial Arts Hall?
"Did...did you succeed?" Shen Yuhua and Fu Chengya asked in unison.
"Do I look like I failed?" Lin Zhen asked in reply, stepping directly in front of the Punch Power Tester.
The students behind him followed, as did some passing martial artists who stopped to pay attention to the matter.
If Lin Zhen succeeded, it was very likely that martial artists would come to recruit him to join their teams. After all, it was rare for someone to succeed with a customized potion.
As a matter of fact, the martial artists in the Gale Martial Arts Hall who went out hunting were already paying attention to this batch of students.
Casualties in the Wilderness Area were normal, and even complete wipeouts happened sometimes. Many teams were short of members. After taking gene potions, these students' strength would grow rapidly, and after being trained in the Wilderness Area for a while, they would become skilled fighters. Some outstanding students had already caught the attention of these martial artists' teams.
Lin Zhen was among them. Now that the news of his customized potion had spread, many martial artists came to see how he performed, and some even took out their phones to record.