NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: Wrathbane Extract
Being scolded by Mirelle for acting recklessly was fine, but Leonard glanced at his hand, which was somewhat red from the slap.
He had reason to suspect that Mirelle purposely took the chance to slap his hand hard as revenge under the guise of protection. 'This Mirelle sure knows how to latch onto the opportunity.'
Mirelle feigned ignorance and focused her attention on the white substance in the plates of food.
She did a quick scan of the substance and failed to detect any abnormality.
As if that wasn't enough, she even alleviated some of the substance to give it a sniff through a protective layer.
"The smell and appearance resembled that of salt. It's hard to even suspect this white substance to be something else." Mirelle explained. If it weren't for the faint magical residue, then she wouldn't have believed it to be the so-called Wrathbane Extract.
What made it more complicated was that she could only barely sense it as a sixth circle mage after scrutinizing it deeply.
Such concealment was truly hard to defend!
While Mirelle was stunned by the uniqueness, Leonard's expression was filled with a mixture of complication and ugliness.
Mirelle was slow and incapable of understanding the long-term conflict, but Leonard understood the implications.
If this Wrathbane Extract were massively produced and spread all across, then it would be no different than an epidemic—no, possibly even worse.
'I cannot allow this extract to remain in existence.' A fierce aura was soon exuded by him.
The consequences of allowing this substance to leak were dangerous enough to topple an empire.
"You said that this substance is still in the development process, so tell me who is responsible for it. And what are their usages besides causing people to go berserk?" He stared at Claudia and questioned. His eyes glinted, giving others a sense of oppression and extreme danger.
Claudia's facial complexion turned ugly when she faced this kind of oppression directly.
'How can his stare cause me to be so afraid?' She swallowed a mouthful of saliva nervously. She couldn't understand why she felt so scared and almost submissive toward him at this moment.
There was no physical contact whatsoever.
Just two blazing eyes piercing right at her, almost like it was threatening her to submit and reveal the truth.
Facing the dreadful pressure, Claudia didn't bother to say any of her usual snide or sarcastic remarks.
"I've only read a file briefly when assigned on a mission to assassinate a researcher who dabbled in the Wrathbane Extract." She said and proceeded to reveal what she knew.
Based on her investigation, the Wrathbane Extract was intended to temporarily boost physical strength, speed, and endurance. This included even those who were originally powerless or incapable of forming a magic circle to gain power that could contend against those.
Unfortunately, in the researcher's last words before she commenced the kill, they mentioned that the Wrathbane Extract had a terrible side effect and required extensive research to resolve.
"So you've heard the researcher's stern warning of the side effect, but still committed the assassination. What a great ambition you have there." Leonard coolly said.
Since the beginning, Claudia held herself on the moral high ground, constantly mocking them and calling them out for being immoral.
Yet the fact remained that she was cold-hearted enough to even be willing to kill a researcher who claimed the Wrathbane Extract was not ready for usage at all.
It also didn't take him long to know the researcher was probably silenced because of his repeated hindrance and warning, resulting in the delay of the development process.
Claudia's facial complexion was ugly. As much as she hated his sarcasm, she realized she was indeed no different than the people she despised.
For her vengeance and ideals, she had compromised on the very subject she despised.
"Stop with the sulking soap opera drama!" Leonard suddenly said. "Explain what the terrible side effect was and why they insisted on stopping the project!"
The focal point of the conversation wasn't about Claudia's hypocritical act.
Instead, it was the slain researcher's final warning to her.
Claudia pursed her lips and relayed, "The researcher said the boost was effective in testing. But it resulted in the consumer having an intense craving for blood, specifically women's blood, which led to uncontrollable aggression and predatory behavior."
"How long ago was this?" Leonard questioned.
"Not that long ago," Claudia replied. "It was a few weeks ago before my attempt against you."
The attempt she mentioned was naturally the assassination incident back at the Virellian Sea.
She thought her words had caused him to be angered. But little did she know, Leonard was actually piecing together the jigsaw puzzles.
A few weeks prior to his announcement to visit Velastra.
In other words, the experiment was already in process before his investiture.
And during this time, the incident occurring at the Sunfire Road wasn't done by some brainless yet courageous folks.
For such an experiment to proceed and collect valuable information, what they required was test subjects.
It wouldn't be any random test subjects such as white mice or other animals, either. Instead, they required live humans or other races to physically consume the Wrathbane Extract to check and verify their success rate.
After all, only through humans or other races could they determine the potency and its dosages.
'No wonder there was an outbreak of berserk slaves at the capital.' Leonard took a deep breath.
His thinking had been incorrect from the start!
The mastermind was untouchable not because they were in the capital and held tremendous power, but because they were merely a bystander who decided to give a push to someone else.
The mastermind had begun their actions before the poison incident in his palace was even in motion.
Everything finally became clear in his mind why he felt a sense of familiarity and pain when he was thinking about the substance.
It was the fact that he had consumed a brief amount of the Wrathbane Extract—or it was more correct to say that the old Leonard had consumed them.
The Wrathbane Extract was no different than an addiction. Once addicted, you would become hooked and behave erratically.
'Too bad not much effects had been shown, forcing the mastermind to demand an increased dosage.' Leonard's expression turned cold. The sudden demand, followed by his arrival, resulted in Bea being caught red-handed, which had become the catalyst up to this point.
What a damn endless world he was trapped in!