The General looked at Luke in deep thought. He knew the effect of methamphetamine as had used it in the past to help him a little to overcome the side effects of the black pill.
Why does Luke look fine? Is it really due to genetic factors?
"So, it's time for you to take the pill. I must remind you that the effect of the drug is 10 minutes at most." Klay reminded the two.
Through human trials, the ability to concentrate brought by the Methamphetamine only lasts ten minutes. Well, of course, it still depends on the grade. For the calming effect, it lasts much longer, but it wasn't documented so he didn't know.
The two men nodded. Although they're high, the drug still helped them stay clear-headed and calm. It had contradictory effects, but now, it helped them make decisions.
With that, the two picked up a black pill respectively out of the remaining four pills. A trace of solemnity appeared on their face as the cold touch of the pill awoke them. They couldn't help but replay the scene of Eleven and his fate. Fear gripped their heart, and their lips quivered.
However, the Hyper Focus and Calm Spirit were in effect. It quickly suppressed the negative thoughts that arose in their hearts and stabilized their mind.
Luke noticed this. He couldn't help but feel amazed by the effect of methamphetamine. He went beside them and took the black pill. "Let's do it."
The other two nodded at Luke in surprise. They didn't expect Luke to muster the courage. They thought he would do it after them.
"How about you, Klay? Won't you take it with them now?" The priest had a teasing smile
The general sighed. "Don't tease him or you'll face his wrath.
The priest only snorted.
On the other hand, the 2nd prince was silent with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"I'll watch them first in case something happens." Klay only scoffed at the priest's attempt to annoy him.
He doesn't have the intention to interact too much with hypocrites or crazy people. In his heart, the believers of Storm God are all lunatics and hypocrites. A bunch of madmen that thirst for battle. They believed that the Storm God was the God of War and the most powerful god among the eight gods.
Do you have a bad opinion of the Storm God? They'll try to crucify you. Unable to crucify you? They will challenge you to death battle. They're not only brute, they're also shameless and fanatic.
A damn cult instead of a church in Klay's eyes. They're a tumor in the Kingdom.
Just like that, the three swallowed the black pill under the watchful eye of the prince and the others.
The effect of the drug seemed to really help as one minute had passed, but the state of the three hadn't changed.
Suddenly, one of the two had his head explode. Then, the other one and Luke began to show signs of transformation to abomination.
Luke calmly stared at his hands and saw maggots begin to emerge, and his skin began to wrinkle. Yes, even with this, the effect of Calm Spirit made him abnormally calm and collected when he should have been peeing his pants now or, at least, sent him into a panic. Yet, he was so clear that fear was unable to take hold.
Luke began to doubt. Is he still a human or an AI? Such calmness had reached the point of being scary! Not to mention, it's now a permanent buff.
Although it didn't directly increase his combat power, it definitely increased his combat prowess. After all, the ability to stay calm in battle and any desperate circumstances and make the right decision without the influence of negative emotions at all times is valuable. The help was immense. Not to mention laser-sharp concentration.
[You've been affected by a negative state "Abomination Metamorphosis!"]
Every second, Luke could feel his body change. In a minute, he knew that he would transform into Abomination, just like Eleven.
He looked at the one beside him whose face had begun to crack. In the crack, worms had formed eerily.
Luke didn't wait any longer. He eliminated the negative status on his panel. Following that, he instantly felt his body stabilize. The maggots on his skin that just spawned quickly decomposed. The twitching on the random parts of his body, his skin that was morphing returned to calm.
He thought the process was finished and wondered if he was safe when suddenly...
An electrifying rush of energy spread throughout his body. Unbeknownst to Luke, it changed his cellular DNA structure.
The only obvious change was his body began to change drastically outside.
The general was the first to notice the anomaly of Luke. "He succeeded!?"
"What? How is this possible? His state had stabilized in just a minute!?" The priest exclaimed.
"Hmmm... It seems we have an outlier here." The prince smiled as he watched Luke's entire state of being elevated. "You're about to become a Beyonder. Don't panic. With a mortality rate of 99%, you've managed to overcome it. Impressive!"
"Didn't expect this." Klay heaved a sigh of relief.
If all three died, he would be the only one to survive this experiment and thread this new lesser path alone. Although he could walk it alone. He still preferred to have people explore the way with him.
Just like that, Luke's entire body was wrapped with a transparent green glow. His entire physique experienced a drastic change. His eyes became sharper and the sounds of metallic shackles bursting sounded in everyone's ears.
The prince's lips curled up while the priest and general beside him had a complicated expression. The sound of shackles bursting is a phenomenon only available to those who officially took their first step on the Path of Beyonders!
Unshackled Stage!
After the green glow receded, Luke's shoulders had striations like two boulders. His front, side, and rear delts were well-defined. His chest, bicep, tricep, and back were comparable to a bodybuilder on a 3-year cycle of anabolic steroids.
"Hmmm... So the 1st Stage of Shadow Serpent Pathway increases the physique like this."
The prince smiled as he acquired the data of the first successful experiment.