80: National Strengthening

October 31st, afternoon.

In the Raccoon City Police Department meeting room.

"You mean you've already developed a virus with only a one-in-a-thousand chance of mutation after infection?" Jill stood up abruptly, disbelief in her voice. "Are you serious, Lyon?"

She wasn't the only one.

Everyone in the meeting room stood up as well. All kinds of expressions—surprise, excitement, and nervousness—were directed at Lyon and Tony, seated at the table.

The virus that had left scientists around the world helpless…

Now, in just two days, this pair of brothers had completely conquered it.

At this moment, if someone were to shout, "Stark is God!" it seemed that everyone would be inclined to believe it.

"No need to be so excited, everyone. I understand you're probably thinking, 'Wow, did God play a joke on me when I woke up this morning?'" Tony nudged Lyon aside, taking the spotlight for himself.

"But this is the reality. I guarantee, as Iron Man, the apocalypse is over. It ends today!"

He spread his arms dramatically, as if to embrace the whole world.

But no one responded to him, because everyone was still in shock, overwhelmed by the sudden "miracle" that had fallen into their laps.

"Ahem, you all… shouldn't you be doing something right now?" Tony held the pose for a few seconds before awkwardly waving his hands. "Like, cheering, screaming, celebrating?"

The people in the meeting room snapped out of their daze, shouting to fulfill Tony's wish.

They rushed forward, lifting him into the air and tossing him up, chanting "Iron Man" over and over.

Lyon quietly retreated to a corner, watching with a sigh as his brother was tossed into the air, grinning and yelling for them to throw him even higher.

"Your brother is quite... different from you," Ada said, standing beside him.

"He's always like that, loves being the center of attention," Lyon replied.

"That's not exactly what I meant. Haven't you noticed that you also like attention?" Ada smirked.

"I mean he's more flamboyant, and you like to stay low-key, only stepping into the spotlight when no one expects it, and making a big impact."

Lyon raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for pointing out the common ground between us."

"You're welcome." Ada's pinky curled into Lyon's palm. "Since they're all celebrating, how about tonight we…"

"Old place," Lyon responded immediately.

"Got it, boss~" Ada winked at him.

However, the celebration Tony had been looking forward to never happened in the end.

In the post-apocalyptic environment, there weren't enough resources or time to waste on such things. Besides, upon hearing the news that a new virus had been successfully developed, no one was willing to relax just yet.

Everyone was filled with energy, their hearts burning with hope. They couldn't wait to get injected with the new virus and charge out to reclaim lost territories.

The first batch of volunteers for the experiment was quickly filled. When asked, not a single person in the meeting room hesitated for even a second.

They weren't afraid of dying in the lab; they only feared the experiment might not yield the desired results.

The public servants Jill had recruited were indeed warriors ready to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

In the end, the order of participation was decided by drawing lots.

Leon S. Kennedy.

This newly appointed officer, who had just earned the honorable nickname "Three-Light" from the saviors at the banquet two days ago, was lucky enough to be chosen first.

Half an hour later.

In front of a sealed laboratory in the underground research facility, several people were closely watching Kennedy on the other side of the high-strength glass.

He was strapped to the test bed, tubes filled with nutrient fluids connected all over his body, while Lyon, dressed in protective gear, was administering the final version of the S-virus.

As the golden viral serum was injected into Kennedy's body, the volunteers waiting outside clenched their fists one by one.

"Three-Light, hang in there! You can definitely do it!"

"Three-Light! To be given such a nickname by Mr. Lyon, you can't fail now!"

At the banquet two days ago, Kennedy had shyly asked Lyon to give him a nickname.

After "serious" thought, Lyon had said that Kennedy embodied bright light, sunlight, and a gentle glow, and therefore, the only fitting nickname was "Three-Light."

And so, Kennedy's nickname was decided.

Ever since the banquet, Kennedy had proudly referred to himself as "Three-Light" Kennedy.

This nickname had made everyone at the police station envious.

Now, every day when they saw Kennedy, they'd grab him by the neck and teasingly throw a few jealous remarks his way.

In the laboratory, after the virus serum was injected into Kennedy, there was a brief moment of calm before his veins suddenly bulged, his muscles swelled, and he let out a harrowing scream.

Even restrained by the steel shackles, his back arched upward with force, almost breaking free.

Lyon, with quick reflexes, pressed him back onto the test bed, maintaining a calm expression despite Kennedy's agonizing howls.

For about five minutes, Kennedy screamed in agony, and for five minutes, everyone outside the lab watched with bated breath.

Once Kennedy finally calmed down, Lyon used his X-ray vision to scan his body, then checked his bones and muscles with a firm squeeze.

"He's good to go. The experiment is successful. The virus enhancement went smoothly, with no signs of mutation. Next!"

Lyon concluded, then lifted the now much heavier Kennedy and placed him on a hospital bed outside the lab.

At that moment, everyone erupted into cheers and celebration.

The following experiments went much more smoothly.

With Kennedy's experience as a reference, everyone was mentally prepared.

Soon, Marvin, Elliott, the fat officer, Carlos, and others were injected with the final version of the S-virus one by one.

They all successfully underwent enhancement without any mutations.

To improve efficiency, they joined Lyon in assisting with the virus injections.

By nightfall, all personnel in the temporary headquarters of the Colorado Commonwealth had completed their virus injections.

Out of the more than 1,500 people, only one showed signs of infection and mutation, but they recovered after being injected with the anti-virus serum.

For this unfortunate individual, Lyon could only offer a simple, "Good luck."

Those who escaped mutation by injecting the anti-virus serum had already developed antibodies, meaning they would no longer be able to undergo another round of virus enhancement.

In the upcoming era of global evolution, these individuals were destined to be left behind by the times.

If they needed someone to blame, they could only curse the world's consciousness.

After arranging for all those who had been enhanced by the virus to remain in the research facility for observation, Lyon, accompanied by Ada, Jill, and Sherry, returned to the lab once more.

This time, Lyon injected the three of them with the SS2 serum, which was infused with the characteristics of the Extremis virus.

After the serum was injected...

All three of them developed super regenerative abilities!

Except for Sherry, who was still growing.

Jill and Ada, however, had transformed into near-superhuman beings, with strength exceeding 40 tons and running speeds approaching the speed of sound.

Moreover, their physical capabilities would continue to rise over time.

What surprised Lyon was that, after hearing the World Consciousness's explanation about the evolutionary serum, all three of them expressed understanding.

They even believed that the potential for continued evolution in the world shouldn't be stifled.

This made Lyon reflect, wondering if he had misunderstood the World Consciousness too deeply. Perhaps its intentions weren't as extreme as he had thought?

...

In the days that followed, after the Stark brothers observed and confirmed that all the enhanced individuals showed no signs of abnormalities, the temporary government Jill had established began to widely distribute the final version of the S virus throughout the city.

For anyone willing to undergo the virus enhancement, the government provided a comprehensive set of services.

The people in the city clearly had great trust in the temporary government.

As soon as the announcement was made, the registration sites were packed with people.

Some people even began calling Jill the "Goddess of Victory," shouting that they were willing to do anything for her.

Over the past month, Jill had consistently been at the forefront, shielding everyone from deadly attacks by the super zombies. She had become the heart and soul of the nation.

Meanwhile, as the virus enhancement efforts in Raccoon City were in full swing, Lyon and Tony completed the injection experiments for the SS3 serum.

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