“This is a minor life extension serum?” Leon mumbled as he observed the small glass bottle with the blue liquid inside.

  Although he had heard about its effect from Trey, it was strange to hold it in his own hands. This wasn’t just some new technical device with improved software and hardware.

  No, this was something completely different. This bottle signifies humanity’s first step beyond what nature has given it, the first step to exceed biological limits. At least, that was the case for the vast majority of people.

  After all, this bottle is merely one of the products created by GenoTech’s research lab. Through their close partnership with the government, Citizens who reach Tier 3 can enjoy the first benefits of practical life extension.

  Even if it’s only a minor gene serum, its potency is enough to extend life by roughly thirty years.

  Going further, the advanced gene serum that is provided to Tier 2 citizens extends life by sixty years, while the superior gene serum for Tier 1 citizens extends life by approximately ninety years.

  Considering the current average life expectancy in the United Human Territories of ninety years, Tier 1 citizens alone might live twice as long as regular Tier 5 citizens solely by using their advanced gene serum.

  Not to mention, this is only a citizen privilege granted by the government. Those closely associated with GenoTech themselves are able to get even better serums or genetic enhancements as long as they have the money to spend.

  Shaking his head, Leon opened the glass bottle before drinking it in one go. The liquid was cool as the slightly thick liquid flowed down his throat.

  A moment later, it completely disappeared as the cool, refreshing taste of the gene serum completely vanished. Standing motionlessly in the living room, Leon waited for a few more minutes but nothing happened.

  ‘Huh, what is going on?’ He questioned in his mind, taking another look at the now-empty bottle.

  Based on what he read in the AllNet, the effects of the gene serum would take time to manifest.

  There would be symptoms of sweating and waves of fever as his body was adapting to the changes being made, but those symptoms would appear only after sleeping during the first night. Right after consumption, the body would be energized by the nutrients, with high adrenaline being released from the body.

  Leon, however, didn’t feel any burst of energy. His body felt the same as always, as if he had just had another glass of juice or something.

  ‘Did I get scammed?’ This thought couldn’t help but pop up in his mind, but he soon shook his head.

  Although Alpha Dynamics has pulled a lot of nasty stunts, they wouldn’t be able to do something like this. The citizen benefits came directly from the government in association with GenoTech, and neither of them had any personal grudges with him.

  Besides, he was sure that the gene serum was legit. The problem must lie with him.

  Thinking about it for a few more minutes, Leon stopped after no explanation he thought up made any sense. Either way, he wasn’t at an age where dying of old age concerned him, so he soon pushed the matter into the back of his mind.

  For now, there were more important things he had to worry about.

  Like finding a way to make Trey’s race car even faster, so he would at least have a chance to compete for the championship. Another problem was how to handle Dr. Irvine and Alpha Dynamics after they stabbed him in the back so blatantly.

  Did they think he was an idiot? That he couldn’t retaliate because their influence as a mega-corporation scared him?

  No. Leon wasn’t planning to let them off lightly, that was for sure. But still, some part of him hesitated.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  It wasn’t difficult for him to cook up a revenge plan and turn things around; hell, it wouldn’t even need a plan to get back at them.

  However, he wasn’t willing to waste more of his valuable time on them any longer, not when he had more important things to tend to. Whatever he had in store for them, it had to wait for another day.

  Scratching the back of his neck, Leon put the empty bottle on the dining table before grabbing his phone and leaving the apartment. It was a shitty day and he needed to clear his head.

  It was twenty minutes later that he arrived at the familiar park bench. Usually, he only frequented the place at nighttime when everything was empty. The stars would be high up in the sky while Old Man Howard would sit next to him, telling him of his old stories.

  Today, however, the sun hasn’t yet set, and many people were at the park. Some were walking their pets while others, college kids the same age as his, sat down on the green patch of grass in groups, talking and laughing.

  “Excuse me, are you possibly Leon Harper?” A sudden voice grabbed Leon’s attention, making him turn his head.

  That’s when he saw a woman, seemingly in her thirties, with long black hair wearing a white dress and sunhat, standing next to the bench.

  She gently smiled, patiently waiting for an answer until Leon nodded shortly.

  “Yes, that’s me. Who’s asking?”

  The woman’s smile widened further as she sat down next to him, putting her bag on the ground.

  “My name is Aina Whitaker. My father told me I would maybe be able to find you here. I believe you know him under the name Howard.”

  “Old man Howard?” Leon asked, surprised. He only ever met the old man when he came by at night, but now his daughter was suddenly looking for him. Truth be told, he never thought old man Howard had any children in the first place.

  “Yes, I came here because there’s something he entrusted me with to give you.” The woman said with a nod.

  “Why isn’t he giving it to me himself?” He asked with a slightly confused expression, but a certain thought had already started brewing in the back of his mind.

  The woman, on the other hand, smiled wryly, looking ahead. She was silent for a few moments before looking back at him.

  “I don’t know if he ever told you anything about this, but my father has been seriously ill for months now. Several past health afflictions started acting up again, and his situation turned for the worse two days ago. He had surgery, but in the end, he wasn’t able to pull through.”

  “Old Howard passed away?” Leon asked quietly while the woman nodded. He had suspicions the old man wasn’t doing well because of his increased coughing, but he didn’t think he would leave the world so suddenly. Leon talked to him just a few days ago, after all.

  “Yes, he did.”

  “Are you okay?” Leon asked the woman, Aina, who hesitated slightly.

  “I’m fine. We’ve grown a bit distant over the years, but we still got along very well. He didn’t hide his health problems, so we knew this would be happening sooner or later.”

  “But it still must feel terrible,” Leon added to her words. “I lost my father two years ago, and I still can’t quite let go, trying to chase after every little thing he left in this world, even if nothing changes in the end.”

  ‘Well, that’s life for you.” The woman replied.

  Leon’s lips formed a smile. “That’s what the old man always said to me.”

  Aina laughed slightly. “Indeed. He was always like that. Trying to find a piece of wisdom in every situation.”

  Finishing her sentence, she leaned down to her bag, pulling out a large brown envelope.

  “My father’s biggest inheritance is the small junkyard he owns on the eastern side of the edge of the central territory. Neither my younger brother nor I has any interest in managing it, so he left in his will that he would leave it to you. If you want to sell it, you’d probably get a decent sum.”

  Handing him the envelope, she added, “My father was a bit old-fashioned, so the documents and title are on paper, so you have to transfer it in person over into your name. The keys are inside as well.”

  Leon looked at the envelope for a moment. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s no need for that.” The woman waved her hand. “He wanted you to have this. I guess he grew attached to you over time.”

  “I see.” Leon nodded once again. He was feeling complicated in his heart, thinking about his conversations with old man Howard over these last few months. Now, they would never happen again.

  ‘What a shitty day.’ He thought in his head. First, his fallout with Dr. Irvine in the morning, and not soon after, another piece of bad news came out of nowhere, giving Leon no time to breathe.

  ‘Murphy was right. All that can go wrong, will go wrong.’

  ……….

  ‘When have humans stopped chasing the beauty of life?’

  ~~Dr. Benjamin Harper’s Memoirs~~