C 83 (1)

"I can really bring it back, but it's definitely dangerous. Snakes aren't okay with this kind of thing. Boa, I've wronged you. I'll go and prepare something delicious for you."

After speaking, Kain took the green snake and headed to the kitchen. He remembered there was plenty of meat in the refrigerator.

The green snake from Ryūchi Cave clung to Kain in fear, its body twisting constantly. It had felt as though it was about to die earlier. 

Snakes are extremely sensitive to low temperatures, and if Kain weren't a contractor of Ryūchi Cave, the green snake wouldn't have agreed to come at all.

The green snake, though, was no ordinary reptile; it was a snake with human-like intelligence. In time, it would even be able to speak. The snakes of Ryūchi Cave grew quickly, and within ten years, this one would likely have a body several meters thick.

By then, as long as Kain continued to develop his strength, protecting the snake shouldn't be a problem.

After feeding it all the meat from the refrigerator, the green snake calmed down and lazily fell asleep in the living room. The conditions in Kain's villa were far better than those of Ryūchi Cave. 

It seemed the snake didn't hold a grudge for nearly being frozen during the journey.

"Why do you sleep as soon as you're full..."

Kain kicked the green snake twice in annoyance. The snake responded by shaking its tail like a rattlesnake but didn't bother opening its eyes. 

He had initially planned to take the snake to the Biological Research Center for an examination, but seeing it sound asleep, he still decided to let it rest later.

Still, there were plenty of matters to attend to. The pharmaceutical wholesale company required his attention, as did the accumulated emails. On top of that, the military security company Laura was managing had recently been established.

Kain created three Shadow Clones: one to handle emails and communicate with Laura, another two to review the Biological Research Center's monitoring systems to ensure there hadn't been any incidents while he was away.

Meanwhile, Kain headed to the Biological Research Center himself. The optimization of the new Extremis virus and the research on dragon's blood were his main priorities.

"Boss, why did you come here so suddenly? You could've asked Paul to pick you up!" Betty greeted Kain enthusiastically, but then she noticed the two-meter-long snake he brought out from the back seat. 

Her expression shifted to panic as she stumbled back, nearly tripping over herself.

"What is this!?"

"It's for research," Kain replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry, Betty. It won't attack anyone unprovoked. You can even touch it if you want."

"I don't like snakes—so no, thank you!" Betty refused firmly, retreating several more meters as she shook her head.

Kain shook his head and said, "Then you're out of luck. How can you not dare to touch such a cute creature? Come on, tell me about recent events."

The corners of Betty's mouth twitched. She seriously doubted Kain's sense of aesthetics. Since when was a boa constrictor considered cute?

Still, as an assistant, Betty Ross was highly competent. She reported on property expenditures, personnel recruitment, equipment procurement, and other business matters in an orderly manner. She even ensured all relevant emails were sent.

However, she had no control over the experiments themselves, nor access to monitor the labs. This lack of access made her feel somewhat helpless, but in all other respects, she was an exemplary assistant.

"You've done a good job. I'll consider giving you a bonus, Betty," Kain said as they arrived at the door leading to the laboratory. Hugging the green snake, he added, "The next area is off-limits for you."

"Thank you. By the way, boss, there's a nice new restaurant in town. If you're free tonight, I think it'd be worth trying."

As Kain was about to enter the experimental area, Betty quickly spoke up. Her interest in this job wasn't solely for the hefty annual salary of over a million dollars. Tempting as it was, she had other motives.

As an assistant, she might not gain access to the experimental area for years, if ever. To understand the research happening inside, she realized she'd have to get closer to the boss himself.

It wasn't that Betty hadn't tried to glean information from the researchers, but Kain was meticulous about safeguarding the lab's secrets.

Firstly, the non-disclosure agreements were strict, with penalties that could ruin a person financially. Secondly, security at the Biological Research Center closely monitored anyone attempting to privately contact a researcher.

Betty had been questioned by security once, which scared her off from further attempts. She couldn't risk drawing unnecessary attention.

"Go ahead and reserve a table," Kain replied. "If I have time, I'll try it tonight. If not, we'll go another time."

With that, the door to the experimental area closed, leaving Betty Ross simmering with determination. Since Kain had agreed, she felt this was her chance.

The last time Kain had invited her out to dinner, she hadn't managed to get the chance to glean information. 

But this time, she thought, she might have an opportunity to glean something useful—or at least reveal a bit about her background.

Betty wasn't just any college student. She knew the importance of networking with the upper class. Though her relationship with her father was distant, she could still leverage his influence to aid her cause.

She also recalled stumbling across A.I.M.'s research venture capital details by accident. As a biologist, she recognized its immense value. Unfortunately, before she could act, the A.I.M. team had been completely acquired and cut off from her reach.

Kain had no idea what Betty Ross was plotting, nor did he care much. Her attempts at espionage were laughably amateurish.

He first headed to Rick's research laboratory. The new Extremis virus only required continuous optimization and refinement, but what Rick was working on held far greater significance—it was tied to Kain's potential ability to wield magic.

"Mr. Kain, I've sent you three emails and was about to ask Ms. Ross for your address," Rick said excitedly upon seeing him, immediately leading him to the core laboratory.

"The core experiments are all conducted by me alone," Rick assured. "There's absolutely no risk of leaks. The rest of the team only handles data calculations and routine operations. They're completely unaware of the true nature of this lab's research."

Kain nodded in acknowledgment, confirming Rick's adherence to confidentiality. His Shadow Clone's memories had already verified Rick's meticulousness in maintaining secrecy.

"Mr. Kain, while I don't fully understand the origin of these two types of biological cells, they exhibit remarkable vitality. One of them has even broken the Hayflick limit," Rick said, his excitement evident.

"Even after extensive study and accelerated cell division during experimentation, these cells remain active. One particular type has undergone 271 divisions and shows no signs of degeneration. On the contrary, the cells rejuvenate from a state of decline, almost as if they're reborn. I haven't yet determined their survival limit."

Kain listened intently, then asked, "And the other aspect? How is the serum study involving the other cell line progressing?"

Rick took a deep breath before answering. "The other serum appears to have been injected with the Extremis virus and incorporates traces of a second cell line. Interestingly, it shows no strong rejection of the Extremis virus' characteristics. However, to be cautious, I'd recommend conducting several more human trials before proceeding."

Though Rick had been reassigned to this lab, the research on the Extremis virus continued elsewhere. What intrigued him was the combination of the serum infused with Extremis and the second cell line, which seemed capable of theoretically achieving longevity. 

Despite his scientific curiosity, Rick refrained from prying too deeply—his last experience and the memory of his daughter had instilled a healthy fear.

"The test results align closely with the simulated data," Kain noted, scanning the latest reports. "So, the only hurdle left is human trials?"

He paused, feeling a twinge of hesitation. The Phoenix sample he had wasn't abundant enough to support multiple trials, and he couldn't fully control the emotional and psychological stability of human test subjects. 

If things went wrong, they could pose a serious threat to both him and the laboratory.

Rick added, "There have been numerous experiments on animals, and all the processes have gone smoothly, with no signs of rejection. But for safety reasons, human trials would still be necessary."

As he spoke, Rick led Kain to observe the experimental specimens.

….

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