Chapter 38
Aftermath
Matthew sighed inwardly. He had already stepped halfway out the door when he was called back.
He clenched his fists. "I was still recognized..."
The giant black rock python had somehow circled behind Matthew, raised its upper body, and slowly poked its head out from beside his face.
The snake's tongue flicked in and out, licking Matthew's chin.
Matthew felt his heart skip a beat, but his face remained expressionless, showing no emotion whatsoever.
"I never thought you were still alive." Angela leaned forward, their eyes meeting, her face so close it seemed she wanted to see right through Matthew.
"But I examined your body that day, and it was already lifeless."
Angela raised her hand and gently stroked Matthew's face. "How intriguing."
All of this felt so familiar, like when Matthew picked up those lab mice and examined the changes in their bodies.
Matthew stood still without dodging. The man and the snake surrounded him from both sides, leaving him nowhere to hide.
However, he was not worried about his life being in danger. Important places like the teaching building had defensive barriers. Once the barriers detected energy fluctuations, they would actively eliminate the source of the fluctuations. Even fluctuations caused by physical attacks could trigger the barriers.
That was an attack comparable to that of a formal wizard, and Matthew believed that Angela wouldn't be so foolish as to choose this place to attack him.
[Insufficient mental energy; item cannot be detected.]
[Insufficient mental energy; item cannot be detected.]
"As expected..." Matthew tried to use the system to check Angela and the Black Rock Python's information, but the two prompts that popped up from the system were exactly what he expected.
Angela stared intently at Matthew, a charming smile suddenly appearing on her face.
"I never expected that you would not only survive, but also that your weakness would lessen."
However… the aftereffects on your body probably haven’t completely resolved yet.”
Matthew didn't speak. He looked directly at Angela. He knew she hadn't stopped him out of concern, and that Angela definitely had more to say.
After a moment, Angela spoke, "My experiment needs you."
If you continue to help me complete the experiment, I promise I will definitely help you resolve the aftereffects after the experiment is completed.
Moreover, you will be reborn!
Even stronger mental power!
A more powerful soul!
Even life itself will be elevated!!!
Angela's tone grew increasingly agitated, her face flushed with a sickly redness, as if she could already see the moment the experiment was completed.
Matthew sneered inwardly, thinking to himself, "But there's one condition: I have to survive your experiment!"
He remained unmoved and calmly said, "No need, Lady Angela. I will handle the aftereffects myself."
Angela was not surprised by Matthew's answer. Judging from the reduction in his weakness, Matthew must have mastered some means to alleviate his symptoms.
She composed herself and gradually calmed down.
Now that you've returned from the Realm of Winter, I bet you're worried about the sect's missions. With your aptitude, the sect will definitely assign you the most dangerous tasks.
If you continue to serve as my experimental subject, I can help you complete your mission.
Matthew remained unmoved; he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes his predecessor had made.
Compared to Angela's experiment, which was far more dangerous because her predecessor died there, the School's mission at least offered a chance of survival, and he also had time to prepare.
As for the aftereffects, apart from the skin around his heart being a little dry, they haven't had much of an impact on him so far.
Matthew believed that as long as he kept improving his physical condition, it was only a matter of time before the problem was solved.
His fate has always been in his own hands.
Without the slightest hesitation, Matthew declined, saying, "No need."
Angela stared at Matthew as if she could read his mind, then suddenly a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"Judging from your confident appearance, do you perhaps think you can resolve the aftereffects?"
I guess you're trying to get rid of it by improving your physical condition, but you don't really think that will solve the problem, do you?
This was indeed Matthew's idea. Although he had questioned the method, he dispelled his doubts after seeing his improved health after his physique improved. But now, listening to what the other party said, it seemed that it was not so simple.
Matthew couldn't help but feel alarmed.
"Also, you don't think that this side effect has no other impact besides making your skin wrinkled, do you?"
"Thinking back, I think you've probably noticed some changes in your body recently."
Angela's words struck him like a thunderclap.
Matthew was startled. "Could it be...?"
"It seems you already know that your meditation time... will gradually decrease."
"When you can no longer meditate, your soul will also wither."
Then it withers away little by little.
until...
die!"
Matthew remained silent.
No wonder he found that his meditation time had shortened by two minutes recently. At first, he thought it was because of the forgetting diagram, but now he finally understood that it was a side effect of the experiment.
He recalled that Milo had told him that Angela was the one who cultivated the hallucinogenic mushrooms, and it seemed that she had been engaged in research on the spiritual realm.
"Therefore, activating the Flame-Eating Wyvern bloodline did not completely resolve the aftereffects, because that experiment was not a physical experiment, but rather..."
A soul experiment.
Seeing Matthew deep in thought with his head down, Angela moved even closer.
"Come back, Matthew."
"You are the most satisfactory test subject to me so far. Your body actually lasted until the fourth phase of the experiment, when we were just a little short of success."
"Unfortunately..."
At this point, Angela leaned close to Matthew's ear, and he could feel her breathing.
"But it's okay, I'll be more careful this time."
"I promise, after you complete the experiment, you will definitely..."
"I refuse!" Matthew interrupted before the other person could finish speaking.
Angela's smile froze; she was somewhat taken aback.
"Don't you want to know what task this school has assigned you?"
"I refuse!" Matthew repeated his words firmly.
Angela pulled back from her forward lean, her expression returning to its initial indifference.
"How unlovable."
"It seems that your personality has changed quite a bit since you came back to life."
"It's okay, you can come to me anytime."
Hopefully, this will happen before the sect's mission, otherwise, it won't be able to speak after becoming a corpse.
Angela turned around and slowly walked away.
The giant black rock python also retracted its head, crawling on the ground and moving its body closely behind her.
Matthew watched the figure of the man and the snake gradually disappear into the distance, and his expression grew serious.
"Oh, right..." Angela stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs and turned around.
"Simply strengthening the soul cannot solve the aftereffects."
After saying that, she turned the corner and disappeared into the stairwell.