Chapter 187 — The Strengthening Serum Prototype
S.C. 1512 — Late Afternoon
Hidden Island — Hive Lab, Sector B
The Hive Lab hummed softly.
Pipes hissed.
Water circulated through narrow glass tubes.
The air smelled faintly of herbs and minerals.
Ren stood in front of the biological mixing chamber, sleeves rolled up.
Inside the cylindrical glass chamber, a faint green-gold swirl moved slowly in controlled rotation.
The first formula of the day.
The Strengthening Serum — Prototype Alpha.
Ren wasn't building anything miraculous.
Only something practical:
faster muscle recovery
better nutrient absorption
improved stamina
increased bone strength
blood-oxygen efficiency
A lifeline for refugees whose bodies had been damaged by starvation.
Zemo sat beside him, watching the swirl with patient curiosity.
1. Why Today Mattered
Yesterday he had only prepared ingredients:
herbal extracts
mineral powder
Compound X (micro-dose, stabilized)
oxygen-binding plant enzymes
cell-repair algae solution
Today was mixing day.
And not only for the Strengthening Serum.
On the table behind him sat two additional mixing cylinders, each half-filled with faint, unfinished liquids:
Mixture B — a faint silver solution
Mixture C — a cloudy red-tinted solvent
They weren't serums yet.
Ren had simply begun preparing their bases:
Mixture B — might one day help bodies accept external traits more easily (grafting compatibility).
Mixture C — an unstable formula that reacted strongly to dormant traits in cells (inert gene response).
But all three were still in the earliest stages.
Nothing defined.
Nothing complete.
Just research moving forward naturally.
2. First Focus — Strengthening Serum Alpha
Ren approached the main chamber.
"Let's check stability again."
Zemo barked softly.
Ren opened a valve a fraction of an inch.
The swirl inside the chamber thickened slightly.
Behind him, the door slid open.
Leo walked in carrying mineral powder.
"Boss, brought the refined batch."
Ren nodded. "Perfect timing. Set it there."
Leo placed the pouch on the table, then looked at the three chambers.
His eyes lingered on the other two unfamiliar mixtures.
"Are those… also medicines?"
Ren nodded very slightly.
"Possibly. They're early concepts. Today we work only on Alpha."
Leo relaxed and stepped aside.
Ren added the mineral powder.
The liquid darkened—
Leo panicked—
Zemo stiffened—
then the mixture slowly brightened back into the correct shade.
Ren monitored it calmly.
"The enzymes adapted. Good."
Leo sighed. "Thought it would blow up."
"If it was dangerous," Ren replied evenly, "I would not be standing this close."
Zemo snorted as if agreeing.
3. The Other Two Mixtures — Just Notes Today
While Alpha stabilized, Ren walked to the second cylinder.
A faint silver mixture rotated slowly.
It was thin, almost watery.
Leo pointed at it. "What's that supposed to do?"
Ren inspected the rotation speed.
"It's a compatibility base. Helps cells accept external changes more easily. Not ready yet."
"So…?"
"Today is only a solubility test. Nothing more."
Leo nodded.
Ren continued to the third cylinder.
A red-tinted solvent pulsed faintly.
This one vibrated more than it rotated.
Leo stepped back instinctively.
"That one feels… angry."
Ren eyed it carefully.
"It responds aggressively to dormant cell signatures. If I can stabilize it, it might help awaken weak or inactive traits."
Leo frowned.
"Might?"
"Yes. It's unstable. Very unstable. One wrong ingredient and it collapses."
Ren didn't touch it further.
No predictions.
No applications.
No big explanations.
Just a scientist looking at unfinished liquids.
He returned to the main chamber.
4. Telekinetic Stirring — Precision Above All
Ren lifted his hand.
A thin metal rod floated into the air.
It dipped into the Alpha mixture and began a gentle, controlled rotation.
No contamination.
No shaking.
Microscopic precision.
Leo watched in awe.
Zemo wagged his tail proudly.
Ren whispered, "Keep the speed steady…"
The serum shimmered again—clear, calm, stable.
Good.
5. Testing Batch Zero
Ren filled three vials from the chamber.
He placed them under the condenser light.
The liquid glowed faintly green-gold.
Leo leaned closer.
"So… this actually works?"
Ren didn't answer immediately.
He checked:
centrifuge behavior
heat stability
enzyme retention
blood-simulation reaction
contaminant level
All tests passed.
Finally he nodded.
"It works. It strengthens the body. Safely."
Leo smiled slowly.
"This is… huge."
Ren wrote:
Strengthening Serum — Prototype Alpha
Batch Zero — Stable
He set the vials in the rack.
Behind him, the two unfinished mixtures shimmered silently.
Not ready.
Not tested.
Just ideas for later.
For now, Alpha came first.
6. Evening — Quiet Satisfaction
The door opened quietly.
Makino entered with a basket of soup and bread.
"You three skipped lunch again."
Leo grinned sheepishly. "We were working."
She glanced at the glowing vials.
"And these?"
Ren answered simply:
"A medicine to help the refugees recover."
Makino's expression softened.
"You're doing something beautiful, Ren."
He didn't reply.
He didn't feel beautiful.
He felt tired.
Focused.
Determined.
Zemo nudged his leg.
Ren rested a hand on his fur.
On the table behind him:
Alpha prototype — stable
Mixture B — still unfinished
Mixture C — too unstable to touch
Tomorrow he would return to all three.
One step at a time.
End of Chapter 187