Chapter 25: The ECHO Serum
Arthur's footsteps echoed down the pristine metallic corridor as a soldier led him toward the lab. His mind was a swirling mix of anticipation about the procedure.
The ECHO serum procedure was the moment he had been preparing for over the past three months. Each step seemed to amplify the weight of his decision.
When the door to the lab slid open, Arthur was greeted by a flurry of activity. Scientists scurried between consoles, calibrating equipment and double-checking measurements.
In the center of the room stood a sleek, intimidating machine, its glass chamber radiating a faint, cold light. The air buzzed with the sterile scent of antiseptics and the faint hum of machinery.
Waiting for him were Admiral Kane, Kael, and Lira. Alongside them stood a woman in a crisp white lab coat, her dark hair tied back neatly, Dr. Elara Vynn, the lead genetic scientist.
"Arthur," Admiral Kane called, his tone firm yet encouraging. "This is it. How are you feeling?"
Arthur managed a small smile. "Ready as I'll ever be, sir."
Kael clapped him on the shoulder. "You've got this, rookie. If anyone can take this serum and come out stronger, it's you."
Lira, Kyle and the Admiral wished him luck as the success rate of surviving the procedure is currently only 71%, though they thought with Arthur's current strength he can easily overcome the procedure and come out safely.
Lira added, her voice softer, "You've worked harder than anyone. Trust yourself. You'll make it through."
Arthur nodded, their words bolstering his confidence.
Dr. Elara interjected and said,"Arthur the success rate of the procedure is approximately 71%, you have to keep that in mind before going through it, you still have a chance to back out if you want."
"71% success rate," he said. "Not exactly comforting odds, but I've faced worse." Arthur said confidently.
Dr. Vynn nodded and didn't say anything on it, holding a holographic clipboard. "We've calibrated everything to your unique physiology," she said, her voice calm and clinical. "Given your current strength and resilience, I'm confident you'll come through this safely."
Arthur inhaled deeply. "Let's do it."
…
Arthur stepped into the central machine, the chamber sealing around him with a hiss. Inside, the walls were lined with intricate tubing and pulsating lights, giving the impression of being inside a living organism. His reflection in the glass showed a mix of determination and confidence.
Dr. Vynn's voice came through the intercom. "We're starting the process. You'll feel some discomfort at first, but it's crucial to remain as still as possible. The serum is designed to integrate with your DNA and enhance your abilities exponentially."
Arthur braced himself as a series of mechanical arms extended from the walls, each holding a syringe-like device. One by one, they injected a glowing, viscous liquid into various points on his body.
A searing pain shot through him, unlike anything he had ever felt. It was as if his very cells were being set on fire. His muscles spasmed involuntarily, his teeth clenched so hard he thought they might crack.
"Vitals are spiking," one scientist reported, monitoring a holographic display. "Heart rate is at 190 bpm. His blood pressure is surging, but gradually it's stabilizing."
Kael leaned closer to the console. "How's he holding up?"
Dr. Vynn's brow furrowed. "His pain tolerance is higher than expected. He's enduring the process remarkably well."
Inside the chamber, Arthur gritted his teeth, his mind a whirlwind of agony.The procedure was very painful for Arthur at first. But he can feel his pain tolerance increasing gradually, though he still showed painful expressions to hide his ability.
Lira watched, her fists clenched at her sides. "He's more resilient than we thought," she murmured.
Admiral Kane nodded. "He'll make it."
…
Minutes turned into what felt like hours. Gradually, the slight pain Arthur was feeling began to subside, replaced by a strange warmth spreading through Arthur's body. His vital signs, which had been erratic at first, began to stabilize.
Inside his body, profound changes were occurring. The serum had triggered a complete overhaul of his physiology. The serum had catalyzed the formation of hyper-dense muscle fibers, dramatically increasing his strength and endurance.
His muscles no longer relied solely on oxygen for energy; instead, they utilized a hybrid metabolic process that allowed them to operate efficiently even under extreme stress.
Arthur's skeletal system had undergone a remarkable transformation. His bones, now infused with a lattice of newly formed, hyper-dense minerals, were as strong as high density alloy while retaining their natural flexibility. This made them nearly unbreakable while still allowing for agility.
The connective tissues anchoring his muscles to his bones had become remarkably resilient, their toughness exponentially enhanced. This adaptation ensured that his body could withstand the increased force his muscles generated without risk of tearing or injury.
At a microscopic level, the serum had unlocked a revolutionary shift in his cellular structure. Mitochondria, the powerhouses of his cells, were now capable of producing multiple times the energy of a normal human's. This enhancement enabled a level of physical vitality far beyond ordinary limits.
"Procedure nearing completion," Dr. Vynn announced.
After what felt like an eternity, the machine hissed again, and the chamber opened. Arthur staggered out, his body drenched in sweat. Yet, despite the ordeal, he felt...different. Stronger.
"How do you feel?" Lira asked, her voice laced with concern.
Arthur took a deep breath, flexing his fingers. "It's hard to describe. It's like...my strength has multiplied, but I'll need to test it to know for sure."
The room erupted in applause, the team congratulating him on surviving the procedure.
…
Dr. Vynn stepped forward, her expression serious. "Not so fast," she interjected, cutting through the celebration. "We still have one more procedure to complete, the nanobot injection."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Nanobots? Oh…I nearly forgot about that?"
Dr. Vynn nodded. "It's standard for ECHOs. The nanobots enhance cellular communication, provide toxin immunity, suppress pain, and even assist in energy harvesting to sustain their enhanced body. Without them, you'd lack key functions vital to ECHO operatives."
Arthur sighed. "Alright, let's get it over with."
He was led to a second machine, this one sleeker and more compact. Lying down, he watched as a mechanical arm extended, holding a needle filled with a mercury-like silver substance.
"This will be quick," Dr. Vynn assured him, pressing a sequence on the holographic console.
The needle pierced his arm, and the silver liquid flowed into his veins. At first, everything seemed normal. The monitors showed the nanobots integrating with his cells seamlessly.
"Integration is proceeding as expected," a scientist reported.
But then, the console screens began to glitch. Alarms blared, and the holograms turned red.
"Malfunction detected!" another scientist shouted.
"What's happening?" Admiral Kane demanded.
Dr. Vynn's eyes widened as she noticed silver liquid seeping out of Arthur's skin. She quickly collected a sample, analyzing it. "The nanobots...they're being damaged."
"Damaged? How?" Kael asked, his tone incredulous.
"I don't know!" Dr. Vynn replied, panic creeping into her voice. "This has never happened before."
Arthur looked at the silver liquid dripping from his arm, bewildered. "What the hell is going on?"
…
Unbeknownst to everyone, within Arthur's body, something extraordinary was happening. His soul pulsed with a golden energy wave, coursing through his veins like a sentient force. This energy seemed to study the nanobots, understanding their function and structure.
Moments later, the golden energy rejected the foreign substance, pushing them out of his body. It then seeped into every cell, creating something new, an organelle capable of mimicking and surpassing the nanobots' abilities.
Back in the lab, the team conducted several tests, trying to understand the anomaly.
"His body is rejecting the nanobots as if they were a threat," Dr. Vynn said, baffled.
"Is this going to affect his performance?" Admiral Kane asked.
Dr. Vynn sighed. "Without the nanobots, he'll lose several key functions. But he's still an ECHO. We can integrate those functions into his armor instead. Though he will not be able to use some of the functions that the nanobots provide to each ECHOs"
Arthur, keeping his thoughts to himself, nodded. "That's fine. I'll make do without them." as he didn't need those functions as he is able to adapt to harmful things to his body, but they do not need to know his abilities.
…
Later that night, Arthur returned to his quarters, cleaning the silver residue off his skin. As he sat down to continue his studies, he noticed something strange, a loading bar in the corner of his vision.
"What the...?" he muttered, trying to move his head. The bar followed his gaze.
When the loading completed, a holographic interface appeared before him. Arthur's jaw dropped. "This...this is the ECHO interface! But I don't have the nanobots to be able to have this capability!"
He made some connection with his ability to adapt and evolve and widened his eyes. He exclaimed "My ability is also able to do something like this!" He was excited and started to go through the panel.
On the first page there were few options like Status, Abilities, Functions. He mentally selected the Status option, and a new screen appeared, displaying his name, age, and various attributes. His strength and speed had increased dramatically, far beyond his expectations.
//--------------------//
[STATUS]
Name: Arthur Sully
Designation: ECHO
Age: 27
Height: 6'3"
Strength: 6904.6 Tons
Speed: 357.2 m/s
Durability: 45567 Mega Pascal (A/N: The serum was not focused on increasing his durability. So, it did not increase by much.)
//--------------------//
He then checked the Functions section.
//--------------------//
[FUNCTIONS]
-Map: Direct integration with sensors or external networks could provide real-time data about surroundings, enemy positions, and potential threats.
-Analyze: Identifying components of a target, enemy strength, abilities etc.
//--------------------//
Next, he navigated to the Abilities section. The list stunned him.
//--------------------//
[ABILITIES]
[Reactive Evolution]
-Develops greater statistics (Accelerated Development).
-Develops new resistances.
-Develops new powers or abilities (Partially Unlocked).
[Technopathy (Lv1)]: The power to psychically interact, communicate and manipulate technology with the power of the mind. Restricted to physical touch for now.
[Energy Absorption (Lv1)]: Currently only able to absorb ambient dark energy passively to sustain the body's energy requirements.
[Superior Regeneration]: Capable of rapidly healing at a level drastically beyond what is naturally possible. Able to instantly heal from minor wounds like cuts, and bruises, and able to regenerate lost limbs, organ rupture, and broken bones rapidly.
[Toxin Immunity]: Immune to most of the toxins found in nature.
[Gene Lock]: Restricts others from finding out the host's abilities by studying your DNA, or to copy, clone and steal, host's abilities using any means without the host's consent.
//--------------------//
[A/N: The levels represent Arthur's level of mastery of the said ability]
Arthur stared at the list, his mind racing. He has some new abilities that he never heard ECHOs possessing. It must have been his ability that improved the already existing functions of the nanobots. Like Hacking Assist must have been improved to Technopathy and such.
After looking at his main ability [Reactive Evolution] and seeing its description and sub abilities under it he felt satisfied, although he guessed about his ability but seeing a tangible description is still better.
And seeing some part of his ability partially unlocked, at first he felt confused then thought it must be slowly mastered to fully unlock.
Arthur felt he should also test the other new abilities he acquired soon.
***
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