Chapter 78 78: [Rule: Gene Lock]

— — — — — — The Gene Lock. The Genetic Constraint. Two names for the same thing—a power system from the world of Terror Infinity. In that universe, Gene Lock was created to help humans break free from the natural limits of their biology. Humans carry genetic limitations that prevent them from evolving further. Unlocking the Gene Lock lets a person break through those limitations, allowing them to reach their full physical and mental potential. And in the world of Terror Infinity, as long as you still identify as human—even if you're a pureblood, half-vampire, werewolf, or a full-on cyborg—you can still access the rules of Gene Lock. You can awaken it. But in Veyron's case, things took a slightly different turn. His Gene Lock didn't come from personal growth or intense willpower. It came from a chat group gacha— a guaranteed prize when the chat group unlocked the [Group Gacha] feature. Each member got one spin. Veyron's result was listed as: "Potential: Gene Lock" — meaning "you now have the potential to unlock a Gene Lock." But once it showed up in his Trait System interface, that description changed. Now it was labeled as [Gene Lock (Gold)] as his Talent Trait. Then, there was a new note after he reached tier 4: ["You've grasped the Rule: Gene Lock."] Veyron always thought the names just represented different styles of saying the same thing — one by the chat group system, the other by his Trait System. But after watching Yagokoro Eirin inject herself with that T-Virus earlier, and suddenly feeling a strange spark of insight... he realized something big. By using [Rule: Gene Lock], he could give others [Potential: Gene Lock]. So people like Eirin, who met certain hidden conditions, could also be granted the potential to unlock their own Gene Lock — just like in the Terror Infinity. The difference? In the Terror Infinity world, you triggered your Gene Lock by believing, "No matter how my body changes, deep down I'm still human." Veyron's version of the rule was simpler — as long as he believed someone was "human," he could grant them the potential for Gene Lock awakening. — — — "I see." "Not to deny my origins," Eirin raised an eyebrow, "but are you really sure you can still call me human?" His explanation wasn't complicated. And with her intellect — someone praised as the "Brain of the Moon" — Eirin quickly grasped what he meant. That didn't stop her from thinking it sounded a bit like he was trying to cheat the system in the dumbest way possible. Compared to Veyron's "rule logic," the spiritual energy system suddenly felt scientific. "I say you're human. So, you are." Veyron clapped a hand on her shoulder, totally casual — especially after their awkward experiment earlier. "That virus you just took in? That alone should be enough to unlock Tier-1. Try to feel it." Eirin: "..." She thought back to Veyron's explanation of Tier-1 Gene Lock. About 30 seconds passed before her eyes went slightly blank. "...So this is Gene Lock?" A constant flow of instinctive combat awareness surged through her mind. Her physical stats, senses — everything felt like it had just leveled up out of nowhere. And yet... "Huh. Looks like this version of Gene Lock potential has a time limit?" Eirin's connection to the power faded just as she said it, her tone a little disappointed. "Yeah, so... I kind of tested what would happen if I revoked the rule. As in, I temporarily stopped considering you human." Veyron coughed lightly, trying not to meet her eyes. Eirin: " ಠ_ಠ " Veyron: " ̄▽ ̄ " "Still," she sighed, letting it go, "just that short burst from Tier-1 was beyond what I expected." "If Tier-2, Tier-3, and the Tier-4 level you're at give even greater boosts... for people like us, who already have supernatural foundations, it could mean a true leap in life level. Having a power like this under control is definitely useful." She didn't dwell on Veyron's cheeky behavior and instead analyzed it calmly. "So... if you withdraw the potential, and then want to give it back, do we have to go through the whole process again? Another virus injection and all that?" "Hmm..." "Technically, the progress with the Gene Lock should be retained," Veyron replied thoughtfully. "I only withdrew the rule that recognized you as 'human.' I didn't actually take the potential back..." He paused for a second, then added, "But this is my first time trying it too, so... want to test it and see?" "No need to overcomplicate things," Eirin replied casually. She picked up a pipette, drew a drop from the nearby semen flask, and swallowed it without hesitation. Sure enough, the next moment, she regained the potential to unlock the Gene Lock. Without Veyron messing around this time, Eirin took a proper moment to focus and carefully feel the effects of activating the first stage of the Gene Lock. "Okay, cut off your 'rule authorization' for me again. Let's move on to the next test." After a brief while, she deactivated the mode and spoke again. "Next test... oh, this one, huh." She glanced toward a test tube on the table. It contained what she had previously collected from Kaguya's room. Veyron understood immediately what she was getting at. Before long, the new round of testing yielded results. Then finally, there was one last combo to try—just the fresh semen substance, without the T-virus. Could Veyron directly grant Gene Lock potential to someone who took only that? "Uh... Eirin, maybe you'd get better results if you, y'know... used your mouth instead?" — — — After three days of testing "Well, that one's for you and the princess to test," Eirin said, handing Veyron a freshly synthesized T-virus, infused with the same white substance. This version could strengthen the body, awaken psychic abilities, and also let Veyron choose whether or not to grant Gene Lock potential to the user. She warned him: "Don't tell Kaguya how the Gene Lock potential works. Just say you developed a new method. That's it." "...Got it." Thinking back to the crazy things they did while drug-testing, Veyron gave a guilty grin and nodded. "Don't overthink it. I just didn't want that incident to leave any bad feelings between me and Kaguya. I know what I asked of you was... unusual. But considering how close you and the princess are now, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other for a long time." Eirin continued calmly, "As for keeping the formula secret... it's not just about this one time. If you're going to keep giving others the ability to unlock the Gene Lock in the future, or if I'm going to use your semen as a base for new drugs, it's better if this remains between just the two of us." "Otherwise, even if I make a completely normal medicine later on, people who know what we did will start to wonder what's really in it." "You know how it goes—once suspicion starts, it only snowballs. If we run into someone troublesome, even if I brew a standard version in front of them, they could still go, 'Just because this one's clean doesn't mean the last one was.'" Veyron agreed with her logic—it made sense. Though, deep down, he didn't really think this justified keeping it secret from Kaguya. She was hardly the chatty type. Eirin could've just told her the truth and reminded her not to tell anyone. Kaguya wasn't someone who'd casually leak sensitive info. Still... he had to admit, Eirin's reasoning was sound. Even Veyron found himself eyeing every one of Eirin's medicines differently now, wondering if something extra might've been slipped in. After a while, Veyron left with the two vials—T-virus and serum. . . .