Chereads / Epsilon gene / Chapter 16 - Chpater 16

Chapter 16 - Chpater 16

"As you all know, the groups ending in 1 are considered the most powerful groups, so they tend to be the classes where the most resources are invested. Of course, this isn't free; the school expects you, as investments, to show results."

Teacher Lila paused as she scanned the classroom with a gaze that, compared to when she had entered, was now more serious.

"In this class, there are only twenty-five students, fewer compared to the average of thirty to forty students in other classrooms... Of course, if you don't show sufficient results, those resources will be cut."

This comment made everyone serious as the teacher continued.

"But the reverse is also true: if you show outstanding results, you'll be assigned more resources. This applies to all the courses, so while this group may receive more resources initially, it will ultimately depend entirely on your performance—yours and the other groups'."

"Then why give Group 1 more resources at the beginning?" asked a red-haired boy. Honestly, I had the same question.

The teacher smiled before replying, "That's a great question, and the reason is simple: competition."

"'Competition?'" several of us asked at the same time.

"Yes. To simplify, it's about creating a competitive environment within the school. Students from other courses don't like being behind you, which motivates them to improve. And you wouldn't want others surpassing you, so you give your best."

That... is pretty clever. It's a good way to motivate people, especially in a place filled with future superheroes, where egos are rarely in short supply among the heroic community.

"Changing the subject, I will be both your homeroom teacher and your instructor in heroic studies, where we will cover knowledge not so common outside the heroic realm. I'll also prepare you for situations you might encounter in your professional careers."

This wasn't news; it had been mentioned in the pamphlet we received, outlining our classes and what to expect from them.

"Now, while the usual thing would be to move on to the first topic... we'll do something I'm sure you'll enjoy much more. So, follow me."

With that, she walked toward the door and looked back at us as if expecting us to follow her—which, in fact, we all began to do.

...

We followed the teacher to a room much larger than ours, filled with various scientific equipment and what I assumed were parts of monsters.

"Welcome to the academy's genetics lab! As you know, the academy, aside from offering hero courses, also provides courses in mechanics and genetics. This is the main lab for the latter."

These two branches of science had boomed shortly after civilization was restored, thanks to the opportunities provided by both epsilon genes and epsilon energy, which, at the very least, can be called revolutionary.

"And as you all know, one of a geneticist's primary activities is creating genetic serums—serums like the ones you're about to receive now."

To say this surprised us would be an understatement. It had been barely thirty minutes since she told us our class had an advantage, yes, but we didn't expect it to come this quickly.

Seeing our surprised faces, the teacher simply smiled before saying, "As I mentioned, this class is the one that receives the most resources initially. Or did you think I was lying?"

She approached a door, opened it after entering a code, and gestured for us to enter. The room was filled with vials of different colors, which were unmistakably serums, and there were a lot—several hundred.

"I'm sure you already know, but protocol requires me to explain how the serums work. First, you need to determine whether you're compatible with a particular serum or not. We have a machine here to handle that, so don't worry. Second, you must have a certain amount of epsilon cells in your body before you can receive a serum. If you haven't received one yet, there shouldn't be any problem." She paused, seemingly to confirm we understood.

"Of course, if you've already received one, you'll need to increase your cell count to receive another. This isn't something you can just know on your own, but the machine also has the capability to analyze this."

She looked at all of us before turning on the aforementioned machine and saying, "So, step up one at a time. The compatibility analyzer will test your blood and then give you a slip of paper listing the numbers of the serums you're compatible with."

...

We went one by one to the analyzer, and as the teacher had said, after analyzing our blood, it gave each of us a small slip of paper. The size of the slip varied from person to person, mine being the longest by a wide margin, which earned me a curious glance from the teacher, though she said nothing about it.

"As you all know, the effect of a serum depends on each gene. So if two people choose the same type of serum and get different results, don't be surprised," she paused and added, "Oh, and if you break a serum, it will be considered as used, and you won't get another one. If you use one and then break another, the second will be charged to you, so be careful."

With this warning, we all dispersed throughout the room.

"Alright... What do I need most right now?" A few days ago, I had a conversation with Dr. Ernesto. He told me that since I have multiple genes, a single serum could react with two or more genes. This is generally good but has a significant downside—I can't be entirely sure which gene the serum will react with.

After thinking for several minutes while wandering around, I decided to simply read the list of serums I was compatible with and choose the one that seemed best.

"Poisonous porcupine, large-clawed tiger, giant rat, green eagle, three-eyed crow..." I kept reading the list until one name caught my attention. "Explosive wasp. It says here it's... well, a type of wasp that explodes when it feels close to death. And the notes say it's generally compatible with genes that create things... The only gene I have that allows me to create something is my wings."

I paused while thinking before realizing something and saying:

"This could be interesting."

Sorry for the delay; I admit I postponed this chapter more than I thought I would.

Related Books

Popular novel hashtag