Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Qi Suian's life was calm; he spent every day studying.
However, he had reduced the frequency of taking the death potion. Instead, he intensified his use of the Profound suppression potion—a derivative of the death potion—to enhance his talent.
The results were quite apparent. At the very least, the rate at which his own infection level increased had dropped significantly.
And today, Qi Suian finally saw his talent change.
[E-Rank Talent: Virus Suppression: Profound]
'If it didn't have the 'Profound' suffix and was just Virus Suppression, it would probably be at least an A-rank talent.'
The suffix meant the talent was only effective against the Profound Virus; its suppressive abilities would be useless against any other virus.
Of course, this didn't matter to Qi Suian. His own immune system was practically shot, so any other virus entering his body would first have to get past the Profound Virus.
Through his modifications of the Profound Virus antibodies in his system, he had essentially turned the virus into a line of defense for his own immunity.
It sounded incredibly problematic, but it couldn't stand up against his protagonist halo—a triple-strength protagonist halo, no less. It was as if, his time having come, heaven and earth themselves were lending him their strength.
Although his own efforts played a much larger role this time, it was undeniable that luck had still helped.
Luck was a part of strength, and Qi Suian certainly wouldn't deny or look down on himself for relying on it.
As for others who might look down on it, that was only because they didn't have it. If they did, they would probably use it even more gleefully than he did.
'Looking at it now, the core of the system I've built around the Profound Virus isn't Celestial Fate: Profound or Death Recast, but this E-rank talent.'
'Without the Profound Virus and without it being under my control, those two talents would be useless.'
'And the fact that it successfully evolved confirms that this was the prototype for the Zombie Dominator's Devouring Evolution.'
'This means that the Doomsday Game's talent ranking system is flawed.'
'The gap between high-rank and low-rank talents is just a result of insufficient cultivation of the talent.'
'The fact that the Reborn One could evolve Primary Regeneration into Undying Body wasn't just because of his Hyper-Dimensional Evolution; it was also because talents themselves have inherent potential for growth.'
'It's just that survivors are constantly struggling to stay alive and lack the right environment to cultivate and unlock that potential, which is why the idea that talents are fixed became so common.'
Of course, Qi Suian wasn't dismissing the power of the Reborn One's Hyper-Dimensional Evolution. After all, that talent could evolve not only talents and skills but even equipment and items. It was truly extraordinary.
'However, my current Virus Suppression probably can't become the Zombie Dominator's Devouring Evolution talent anymore.'
Qi Suian's self-modification had taken a completely different path from the Zombie Dominator's, so it was naturally impossible for him to end up with the exact same talent.
His former Virus Resistance had been a blank slate. In the hands of the Zombie Dominator, it became Devouring Evolution. In his hands, however, the outcome was not so certain.
But Qi Suian didn't need the Devouring Evolution talent anyway. What suited him best was what was strongest, not coveting what others had.
There was no way the Zombie Dominator would be born. Why would Qi Suian court death for no reason?
'Next, I need to go all-out and rack up evolutions for the Tai Sui God to get a new module slot.'
'Without enough power, there's no way I can take down the Watchman Morning Company.'
Most of Watchman Morning's research on the Profound Virus was stored at their true headquarters on a remote island. A small amount of data was available externally, but it was all relatively low-level.
Of course, it wasn't just research on the Profound Virus; a vast number of illegal and taboo experimental projects were conducted on that island.
The island was located in international waters and had been occupied by Watchman Morning, which defended it with a massive military force. Trying to go there without sufficient strength was just asking to die.
[Suspected survivor approaching...]
Qi Suian received a notification from his AI.
He was in one of Watchman Morning's biological labs, and the surveillance and defense systems had, of course, been taken over by the AI.
It had also erased any interference from higher-level permissions.
The location he had occupied wasn't a main branch of Watchman Morning, so its security controls weren't as strict.
In addition, the Tai Sui God had reached two evolutions, allowing the AI to exert more processing power and achieve complete control. It was a result of various contributing factors.
"What's the situation? Pull up the feed," Qi Suian said directly.
Instantly, a holographic screen appeared in his field of vision.
'I know this script,' Qi Suian couldn't help but chuckle. A survivor had indeed snuck into his biological lab.
According to the Reborn One's memories, she was even a major figure in the past life.
Qi Suian had read about the tropes of rebirth in novels; you could run into a famous expert from a past life in any old nook or cranny.
More importantly, this person hadn't reached their full potential yet, making it the perfect opportunity to either subdue them or intercept their destined fortune.
If it was the former, it was also possible they would be a beautiful woman.
And that was exactly the situation Qi Suian found himself in now.
'It's not a problem for a woman to become a powerhouse, but the problem is, after all this time, how does she still look so pristine?'
Qi Suian stroked his chin and came to a conclusion: 'She has a fated opportunity!'
'Steal it!'
As for getting horny just because she was good-looking... this was the apocalypse. Who had time to let their little head do the thinking for the big one?
Therefore, murder and robbery was the proper way to survive.
Would there be more benefit in subduing her? Qi Suian didn't need any companions. As long as the Tai Sui God had the right modules in the future, how hard would it be to mass-produce an army?
Human nature was complex. The Reborn One was a cautionary tale.
Besides, Zhang Wuji's mother once said that the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive.
Turning her into a fated opportunity for himself—that was what Qi Suian should be doing.
'Floating Cannons... never mind, let's not use those. If she's blown to bits, the opportunity might be lost with her.'
'I'll just find a sniper rifle and go for a headshot.'
Qi Suian's thinking was simple: he wanted to keep the corpse as intact as possible.
[Recommendation: Capture alive. You require a test subject for further experimentation and research on the Profound Virus.]
[Recommended Action: Use a high-potency tranquilizer gun.]
The AI reminded Qi Suian, its message clear: don't let a good resource go to waste.
Otherwise, Qi Suian would just keep using himself as a test subject. It was economical, sure, but ultimately inconvenient.
Having a living specimen would be best.
'You're always one step ahead. Without taking the death potion, my thinking still has some gaps.' Qi Suian felt the AI was doing an excellent job of covering his blind spots.
[It is my duty.]
"Alright, I'll leave it to you." Qi Suian had no intention of going into battle himself. With his clumsy skills, it was better to let the AI control the Tai Sui God and handle it.
An amateur trying to direct a professional was a huge taboo. Qi Suian wasn't arrogant enough to think his own actions would be smoother or more perfect than the AI's.