Chapter 133: Keep Your Hands to Yourself
"Hmm."
Lin Mo nodded.
"Let's get the original compound v early."
"And we'll be back for the meeting tomorrow anyway."
Joanna narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What if she refuses to hand it over?"
"Then we'll make her hand it over."
Lin Mo didn't think there was any problem.
The three of them were just about to set off when Lin Mosuddenly paused, looking at the documents in his hand as something suddenly crossed his mind.
Clara used to be Liberty, and she seemed to be Soldier Boy's ex-partner. Meanwhile, Soldier Boy, theoretically speaking, was Joanna's father.
Thinking of this, Lin Mo's expression suddenly became a bit peculiar.
In that case, strictly speaking, wouldn't this Clara count as Joanna's nominal mother?
Wasn't this relationship a bit too messy?
Joanna seemed to notice the peculiarity in Lin Mo's expression; she leaned in closer and looked up at him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lin Mo snapped back to his senses and glanced at her.
"Nothing."
Of course, he couldn't just say that out loud. Was he supposed to tell Joanna that he had just been thinking that Clara, that Nazi, might technically be her nominal stepmother?
If he said that, Joanna would probably blow her top on the spot and might even ask him if she had any other father. However, given Joanna's current personality, she wouldn't necessarily acknowledge that nominal stepmother or that biological father.
Whatever, he'd just find an excuse to release Soldier Boylater and see what expression Joanna would make then. As long as they didn't start a fight, that was fine.
Joanna stared at him for two seconds, clearly not entirely convinced.
"Really nothing?"
"Really."
Lin Mo nodded with a straight face.
Joanna curled her lip. Of course she could tell that Lin Mowas definitely hiding something from her, but with Maeve still standing nearby, it wasn't convenient for her to directly hug Lin Mo, act spoiled, and force him to tell her.
Whatever, she would properly interrogate him tonight when they got back, and see if he could keep acting stubborn then.
Joanna gave a soft snort and didn't continue questioning him, simply walking quietly to Lin Mo's side.
Maeve followed behind the two of them without speaking the entire time. Anyway, she really couldn't squeeze her way between them right now; the tacit understanding and reliance between Lin Mo and Joanna were simply not something an outsider could intervene in.
Compared to that, Maeve wanted to digest what had just happened in the office even more.
She had always thought that Lin Mo must have a deep background, perhaps being connected to some big shot at Vought, and coupled with his own formidable strength, these two factors made Vought's upper management turn a blind eye to him.
But from watching the way Lin Mo spoke with Edgar just now...
Maeve gradually realized that Lin Mo's background might not matter at all. What truly made Edgar back down was never who Lin Mo had behind him.
Rather, it was Lin Mo himself—the strength possessed by him and Joanna.
Vought didn't dare touch them, and neither did Edgar.
Those shareholders were probably going to have bad luck tomorrow too. Thinking of how casually Lin Mo had said earlier that he was going to give Vought a blood transfusion, Maeve still felt somewhat conflicted inside.
She had always wanted to be a true hero, but now, she suddenly found that the world she lived in was far darker than she had imagined.
And Lin Mo seemed to have already stood outside the rules of this world.
However, these matters were not for her to consider for the time being; they were going to look for Clara now.
The outskirts of New York were not close from here.
Just as Maeve was thinking this, Lin Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He looked up at the sky.
"Let's head straight there."
Joanna nodded.
"Alright."
Just as Lin Mo was about to fly away with Joanna, his gaze landed on Maeve.
Maeve was also slightly stunned.
Right, Lin Mo and Joanna could fly, but she couldn't.
Was she supposed to take a taxi there by herself?
From Vought Tower to the outskirts of New York, even without traffic jams, it would take quite a bit of time. Furthermore, the person they were going to find was Liberty; having Maeve slowly ride a car over by herself was obviously inappropriate.
Lin Mo thought for a moment and spoke directly.
"Maeve, I'll take you with us."
"Taking a taxi is too slow."
Maeve was slightly startled, then nodded.
"Alright."
Joanna beside them instantly frowned. She originally wanted to say that she could take Maeve with her, but the words stopped at the tip of her tongue.
Because she suddenly realized that if she took Maeve, then no one would be carrying Lin Mo.
Wouldn't that mean Lin Mo would have to fly over by himself?
She definitely didn't want that; she preferred being held and flown by Lin Mo. Thinking of this, Joanna fell silent for a moment and could only stand in place looking somewhat reluctant.
Lin Mo glanced at her, seemingly seeing through her thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Joanna immediately shook her head, though her voice clearly sounded somewhat unhappy.
Lin Mo didn't ask further and walked directly to Maeve's side.
"Hold on tight."
Maeve took a deep breath. She glanced secretly at Joannaagain, and seeing that she didn't say anything, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She reached out and grabbed one of Lin Mo's arms.
Seeing Maeve grab Lin Mo's arm, the expression on Joanna's face instantly became even more displeased.
The next second, without hesitation, she stepped forward and hugged Lin Mo around the waist from behind.
She hugged him very tightly, as if declaring her ownership.
Maeve: "..."
She had just been thinking that since Joanna didn't say anything, she could rest a bit easier.
But looking at it now, it wasn't that Joanna had no objections; she just hadn't reacted in time earlier.
After hugging Lin Mo, Joanna raised her head and looked at Maeve, her eyes clearly carrying a hint of vigilance.
"You can grab on if you want."
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself."
Maeve was instantly speechless. What kind of funny business could she possibly pull?
She was merely grabbing Lin Mo's arm to prevent herself from falling out of the sky later. Besides, even if she really had any ideas, it was impossible for her to do anything right in front of Joanna.
She had seen Joanna's possessiveness very clearly over this period of time.
Maeve even suspected that as long as she got slightly closer to Lin Mo, Joanna would immediately target her.
"Of course I know."
Maeve could only speak with some helplessness.
Joanna let out a soft snort, but her arms tightened around him even more.
Lin Mo looked down. On his left was Maeve gripping his arm, and behind him was Joanna hugging his waist.
For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat strange.
However, Lin Mo was sensible enough not to say anything.
If he spoke up at a time like this, it might instead make Joanna even more displeased.
Besides, Maeve really looked a bit awkward right now.
Fortunately, he had his Bio-field; otherwise, if he flew with two people, Maeve would probably be blown by the high-altitude strong winds to the point where she couldn't even open her eyes.
With a thought from Lin Mo, an invisible layer of Bio-fieldimmediately enveloped the three of them.
Joanna, on the other hand, was very natural. Hugging Lin Mo, she rested her chin lightly against his back, with no intention of letting go whatsoever.
Chapter 134 Treated her like a wild man
Seeing that both of them were ready, Lin Mo did not waste any time.
"Hold on tight."
As soon as he spoke,
Boom!
The ground shook slightly.
The figures of the three instantly shot up into the sky, flying towards the address on Clara's information.
Maeve's body was a bit stiff at first. After all, this Flightspeed was no less than when Lin Mo carried her before, but under the protection of the Bio-field, she couldn't even feel the strong wind pressure.
She could only see the New York buildings below rapidly shrinking, while Joanna kept hugging Lin Mo, a hint of a satisfied expression finally appearing on her face.
Regardless of whether Maeve was following along, at least for now, Lin Mo was still hers.
Not long after, the urban area of New York was left far behind.
Lin Mo brought Joanna and Maeve, flying directly towards the location on the information.
That was a relatively remote residential area with not many high-rise buildings around, only standalone houses, with forests and roads intersecting.
Soon Lin Mo's gaze locked onto a place. It was a seemingly ordinary two-story residence with a small yard outside, and an old-fashioned car parked in the yard.
At the doorway stood a woman wearing a light-colored trench coat, with her brown-black short hair loose, seemingly holding something in her hand, as if she had just prepared to go out.
When the three of Lin Mo descended from the sky,
Clara also raised her head and glanced at the sky.
Boom!
The three landed in the open space outside the yard.
Joanna let go of Lin Mo, and Maeve also released his arm.
Clara did not show much surprise; she just quietly looked at Lin Mo, then glanced at Joanna and Maeve.
Finally, her gaze fell back onto Lin Mo.
"Lin Mo."
Clara spoke first.
Lin Mo raised his eyebrows slightly. Before he could speak, Joanna frowned first.
"You know him?"
Clara glanced at Joanna, then rolled her eyes speechlessly.
"Of course I know him."
"You wouldn't really think that just because I'm here, I don't know anything, right?"
Really treating her like a savage.
Joanna did not speak, just looked at her.
Clara chuckled softly.
"I have the internet, and I watch the news."
"During this time, two incredibly troublesome young superhumans appeared in Godolkin: one can fly, and the other can fly too."
"Vought even specially made up such a huge story for you guys."
"It's hard for me not to know."
As she spoke, she looked at Lin Mo again.
"What's more, I have informants in Godolkin, and inside Vought too."
"With my status right here, even though I've already retired, there will always be people willing to pass messages to me."
Hearing this, Maeve's gaze sank slightly.
Clara having people in both Godolkin and Vought was not good news. It seemed this woman was even more troublesome than they imagined.
As for Joanna, she was a bit unhappy. She didn't like people secretly staring at her and Lin Mo, especially since this person was the Clara Lin Mo mentioned just now.
As if she didn't see Joanna's expression, Clara continued.
"If not for the previous matter causing such a big fuss, I wouldn't have left the public eye so early."
Her tone was very calm, as if she were just talking about a trivial matter.
"Those—"
Clara had just prepared to continue speaking.
Lin Mo directly interrupted her.
"Alright."
"There's no need to tell us these things."
Lin Mo had no interest in listening to her explanations of what she had done in the past, nor did he have any interest in listening to a Nazi talk about media and public opinion here.
Clara glanced at him, then shrugged and did not continue.
"Fine."
"Then you guys ran all the way here specifically to find me, it couldn't just be to meet a former superhero like me, right?"
"Or are you planning to ask me for advice on how to be a popular hero?"
There was a slightly mocking expression on her face. Clearly, she didn't believe at all that Lin Mo and the others had come over for no reason.
Hearing this, Joanna's expression immediately turned a bit unsightly.
This Clara looked uncomfortable no matter how one looked at it. If Lin Mo hadn't made a move yet, she would have wanted to directly grab this woman and interrogate her about what she knew.
Sensing Joanna's emotions, Lin Mo reached out and gently patted the back of her hand.
Joanna glanced at him. Although she was still a bit unhappy, she ultimately didn't make a direct move.
Only then did Lin Mo look back at Clara.
"I came to find you indeed to get something."
Clara's gaze shifted slightly.
"Oh?"
"What thing?"
Lin Mo did not beat around the bush.
"original compound v."
"You should still have some hidden in your hands."
As the words fell, Maeve beside him also turned serious.
Joanna stared at Clara; as long as Clara dared to say a single "no", she would probably make a move immediately.
But to the surprise of a few, Clara only fell silent for two seconds.
Afterwards, she actually nodded directly.
"Sure."
Lin Mo was slightly stunned, and Joanna and Maeve were also taken aback.
So simple?
Edgar had previously specifically reminded them that Clarawas an extreme racist and very difficult to communicate with, but looking at it now, this woman didn't seem to have any intention of refusing at all.
Lin Mo looked at Clara, feeling some doubts in his heart as well.
But soon, he discovered that the look Clara gave him had already become somewhat different.
That was an undisguised fiery gaze, as if looking at something extremely precious. Lin Mo frowned, but Claraseemed completely indifferent to his expression, her gaze remaining fixed on him all along.
Of course she knew Lin Mo, and not just from the news. Her subordinates had long collected a massive amount of intelligence on Lin Mo: a first-year student at Godolkin University, possessing Flight ability, with absurdly strong strength and defense.
She could even suppress Joanna, a monster who walked out of Vought's laboratory.
In the intelligence Clara obtained, Lin Mo was almost called the strongest superhuman in history.
Clara had always revered the strong; otherwise, back then, she wouldn't have gotten together with Soldier Boy. Lin Mo now was obviously even stronger than Soldier Boyback then.
No wonder she had this attitude; turns out, she had taken a fancy to his strength.
Thinking of this, Lin Mo roughly understood as well.
However, he ignored Clara's fiery gaze and just asked calmly.
"You agreed just like that?"
"Of course."
Clara smiled.
"However, I have conditions."
Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds.
"Let's hear it."
The smile on Clara's face became a bit more obvious.
"It won't be long before I return to Vought and make a comeback. At that time, I need you to stand on my side."
She paused, her gaze falling straight onto Lin Mo.
"Also, at the appropriate time, support some of my ideas."
Chapter 135: If I can avoid fighting, I'd still rather not fight
Hearing this, Lin Mo's gaze flickered slightly.
The first half is easy to understand. Clara wants to return to Vought and become a superhero in the public eye again.
Her reputation isn't great right now, and Vought might not easily accept her back.
If she has a superhuman like Lin Mo, who is currently in the spotlight, standing on her side, her return to Vought would be much easier.
But the second half was a bit different.
Support her ideas? This sentence sounds simple, but applied to Clara, it wasn't simple at all.
Lin Mo knew Clara's true identity. She wasn't just Liberty; she was a genuine Nazi, and those so-called ideas of hers were probably nothing normal.
Standing nearby, although Joanna didn't fully understand Clara's meaning, she instinctively felt that this woman didn't harbor any good intentions.
She didn't speak, just stared at Clara, quietly waiting for Lin Mo to make a decision.
Lin Mo looked at Clara and suddenly chuckled.
"You don't really think I'd believe you're being this kind-hearted, do you?"
"You just hand over something like original compound vjust like that."
"Just to have me back you up in the future?"
Clara didn't answer immediately, and Lin Mo continued.
"Besides, I seem to have heard some other news."
"Back when Liberty stepped down, it probably wasn't just because of a racial discrimination scandal, right?"
"Clara Rissinger, I remember you're also a Nazi."
As the last two words fell, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly went quiet.
Maeve also glared at Clara with an unfriendly expression, her heart sinking. Was this the rhythm of a fight about to break out?
Joanna narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and looked at Clara.
She also had some understanding of history. Although not much, she knew Nazis weren't good things. Judging by Lin Mo's intent, was he planning to make her suffer a bit?
The smile on Clara's face slowly faded a bit. She didn't deny it, just looked at Lin Mo with some surprise.
"It seems you know more than I imagined."
Lin Mo didn't answer.
In fact, Vought's public statement back then had indeed packaged the reason for Clara's retirement as an uncontrollable public opinion storm.
In the eyes of Vought's upper management, racial discrimination itself wasn't even considered that serious of a problem. What truly couldn't be exposed was Clara's past, her relationship with the Nazis, and those things about her that Vought was unwilling to let the public know.
Clara originally did have other plans. After learning about Lin Mo's intel, she had even seriously considered having a child with this strongest superhuman in history.
The bloodline of the strong was meant to be continued, after all.
Yet now, looking at Joanna standing beside Lin Mo with that clearly formidable look.
Clara temporarily dismissed the thought; she didn't want to completely fall out with Joanna right upon meeting.
So she temporarily changed her condition.
"That's right."
Clara nodded very simply.
"I am a Nazi."
"So what?"
"So?"
Lin Mo looked at her.
"So you want me to help you revive that set of things in the future?"
Clara's gaze changed slightly. She had spoken very vaguely just now, without even mentioning what she actually wanted to do, but Lin Mo clearly understood.
"You'd better drop that thought early on."
Lin Mo's tone calmed down.
"I have no interest in standing in the same team with a Nazi."
Beside her, Joanna also nodded. Although she didn't know what Clara was specifically planning, since Lin Mo said so, she naturally stood on Lin Mo's side.
Furthermore, ever since just now, the way this woman looked at Lin Mo made her very uncomfortable.
Maeve also spoke up.
"If you want to return to Vought, or even enter The Seven, I won't agree either."
Realizing what kind of trash Vought truly was, she had already grown almost numb to Vought. Vought was already rotten enough, and she especially didn't want to see a Nazi put on a hero's uniform and stand in front of the cameras accepting cheers.
The smile on Clara's face completely vanished. She silently swept her gaze over everyone present, finally locking onto Lin Mo.
"It seems we have nothing left to talk about."
She put the things in her hand by the door and turned to go back inside.
"You can leave."
"As for original compound v, don't expect to get a single drop from me."
Joanna's gaze instantly turned cold.
"If there's nothing to talk about, then there isn't."
"Leave the things behind."
Clara paused her steps and turned back to look at her.
"You want to rob me?"
Joanna didn't answer, just turned her head to look at Lin Mo. Lin Mo happened to glance back at her, and the meaning in his eyes was already very clear.
He didn't stop her. The corners of Joanna's mouth raised slightly; she had been waiting for this for a long time.
As for Lin Mo, he stepped back half a step. Maeve noticed his action and couldn't help glancing at him.
"You're not going to make a move?"
"A matter like hitting a woman..."
Lin Mo said with a straight face.
"If I can avoid fighting, I'd still rather not fight."
Maeve: "..."
She glanced again at Joanna, who was already getting ready to strike, momentarily not knowing what to say.
Lin Mo didn't feel embarrassed in the least. Anyway, Joanna had wanted to beat up Clara for a while now, and if they really wanted original compound v, making Clararecognize her current situation first would save trouble later.
Clara also seemed to sense something. Just as she was about to open her mouth, she realized that Joanna in front of her had already disappeared.
The next second, a hand directly grabbed her by the neck!
Bang!
Clara was hoisted up entirely by Joanna, her back slamming heavily against the doorframe, her toes leaving the ground.
The items placed by the door were shaken loose and rolled twice down the steps.
"What did you just say?"
Joanna looked up at her.
"Not giving it?"
Clara's expression changed abruptly. She hadn't expected Joanna's speed to be so fast.
From the moment Joanna moved until her own neck was grabbed, she hadn't even had time to clearly see the other party's movements.
Even so, she still hadn't conceded defeat. Blue-purple electrical arcs suddenly burst from her hands, surging all the way up Joanna's arm, and a harsh sound of electric current rang through the courtyard.
Maeve subconsciously took a step forward, but Lin Mo still stood in place.
The electrical light dissipated, and Joanna's hand didn't even tremble.
She just lowered her head to look at her own arm, then looked back up at Clara with a disdainful smile.
"Is this your only trick?"
The expression on Clara's face finally changed.
She tried again. An even stronger current surged from her palms, scorching even the doorframe with charred marks.
Yet Joanna was still standing there, and the hand gripping her neck even tightened a fraction.
"Stop..."
Clara finally squeezed out a word.
Joanna didn't let go, just turned back to glance at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo still didn't say anything. Looking at this scene, Clara's heart suddenly sank.
She had always known Joanna was strong, but the intel delivered to her hands and actually being hoisted into midair by Joanna with a single hand were completely two different things.
Chapter 136: Could It Possibly Run Away?
Her own abilities couldn't hurt her, and her strength and speed were simply on a completely different level.
She was, after all, considered the first woman in the world to inject Compound V, but now compared to Joanna, she seemed... rather weak?
And Lin Mo hadn't moved from start to finish. Glancing back at the youth standing off to the side, Clara realized for the first time just how ridiculous her earlier thought of wanting him to stand by her side had been.
She wasn't even a match for Joanna, let alone Lin Mo.
As for Maeve, she had completely ignored her.
Seeing that Lin Mo still hadn't spoken, Joanna applied a bit more force to the hand clutching Clara's neck.
Clara's expression changed instantly. She reached out to grab Joanna's wrist, desperately trying to pry that hand away, but no matter how hard she tried, the other person's hand didn't budge at all.
If this went on, she would really die.
"Wait..."
Clara squeezed out the words with difficulty.
"original compound v... can be given to you."
"Let me go first."
"I need to go inside... to get it for you."
Having lived for so many years, she naturally knew when she needed to bow her head. The reason she was negotiating earlier was because she thought she had the qualifications to do so.
Now that Joanna's hand was clamped around her neck, she finally discovered that she seemingly didn't even have the qualification to refuse.
But Joanna didn't let go; she merely looked at Lin Mo, waiting for him to speak.
"Just tell me where the item is."
Lin Mo stepped forward and looked at Clara.
"After I get it, I'll inspect the goods myself. Once I confirm it's real, Joanna will naturally let you go."
Clara opened her mouth, but for a moment she couldn't say anything.
Lin Mo's tone remained calm, "I didn't plan on resorting to force to begin with."
These words made Maeve glance at him again. Lin Moindeed hadn't done it himself, but Joanna was currently on the verge of choking someone to death.
Lin Mo didn't explain either. If an ordinary person were standing here, he wouldn't use this method to force the other party to submit just to get a vial of serum.
But Clara was different. To someone who had lived until now and still harbored thoughts of getting him to support those Nazi ideas, Lin Mo truly had no patience to reason with her.
"Since you've investigated me, you should know that I'm not someone who's easy to talk to."
Lin Mo continued.
"If you had just handed over the thing properly a moment ago, wouldn't everyone have been happy?"
"You just had to make it turn out like this."
Clara stared at him dead-eyed. She had indeed thought before that since Lin Mo wanted original compound v and she had it in her hands, they could negotiate terms.
Even if Lin Mo disliked her identity, he still had to consider whether he could get the item.
But Lin Mo didn't act the way she thought he would at all; he didn't even show any intention of bargaining further.
Lin Mo saw what she was thinking.
"Do you still feel like we're making a trade?"
"Clara, you've got it wrong. When I ask you for something, you can choose not to give it, but whatever happens afterward for not giving it is something you'll have to bear yourself."
Hearing this, Joanna's fingers tightened slightly again. Clara's body stiffened, and a muffled sound came from her throat.
Lin Mo glanced at Joanna and reminded her, whereupon she didn't continue exerting force.
Otherwise, if she choked her to death, it would be very troublesome to find it afterwards.
"Hand over the item now, and I can let you leave alive. If you had been this obedient earlier, maybe I would have thought more of you."
Clara was both shocked and angry in her heart. The intelligence collected by her subordinates only stated that Lin Mo was going head-to-head with Vought, yet Vought could never do anything about him.
But no one told her that Lin Mo would come right to her door and rob her so directly.
Who on earth sent that intelligence?
She had been completely harmed by those people.
Clara gritted her teeth, enduring the pain coming from her neck, and finally managed to draw in a breath with difficulty.
Not daring to drag it out any longer, Clara immediately spoke.
"The basement in my house..."
"In the freezer."
"There's a metal box in the very back, and the original compound v is inside."
After she finished speaking, her eyes were still fixed on Joanna's hand.
A moment later, and she would really suspect that her head no longer belonged to her.
"It would have been better if you'd just said so earlier."
Lin Mo nodded and then looked at Maeve.
Noticing his gaze, Maeve paused for a moment and pointed at herself with her hand.
"Me?"
"Mhm."
Lin Mo said.
"Go take a look for it."
Maeve glanced at Clara, who was being held suspended in mid-air by Joanna, and then looked at Lin Mo. She suddenly felt that ever since she tagged along, she hadn't really done anything.
Along the way, Lin Mo had carried her flying, and once they arrived here, Joanna was the one who took action. If she didn't even need to look for the item, then today she really would just be standing to the side watching the show.
"Alright."
Without declining, Maeve walked straight into the house.
Clara opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to remind her where the basement door was, but feeling the strength of the hand on her neck, she swallowed her words back down.
Anyway, they'd already been told the location; surely they wouldn't fail to find a basement.
The courtyard temporarily quieted down.
Lin Mo stood to the side, occasionally glancing into the house.
Joanna was still holding Clara aloft, her face not showing much sign of strain.
To her, holding up a Clara made no difference from holding a bag of groceries.
It's just that Clara clearly didn't think so; her toes couldn't reach the ground, and her neck was continuously gripped. As time passed, her complexion grew increasingly ugly.
Before long, Maeve walked out from the basement. Hearing the footsteps, Clara immediately looked toward the house.
"I've already told you where the things are."
She said with difficulty.
"Can you let me down first now?"
Joanna lifted her eyes to look at her, her hand seeming to tighten with a bit more force.
"Don't speak."
"The item hasn't reached Lin Mo's hands yet."
For a moment, Clara was speechless. Maeve had already come out of the basement, could original compound vpossibly run away?
But Joanna had no intention of letting go at all, so she could only continue enduring the pain in her neck, cursing both Lin Mo and Joanna over and over in her heart.
And that Maeve—clearly she had already come out, why was she walking so slowly?
Could she be doing it on purpose, just wanting to let Joanna hang her for a bit longer?
Maeve walked out of the house, indeed holding a metal box in her hand. She came up to Lin Mo and handed the box over.
"I found it in the very back of the freezer she mentioned."
Lin Mo took it, opened it, and took a look. Inside were five neatly placed vials.
"Five?"
Lin Mo was slightly surprised.
"You've hidden quite a lot in your hands."
Clara gave him a difficult look and didn't speak.
She did want to say something, but Joanna was still clutching her neck; every word she could spare was a word saved.
Lin Mo picked up one of them. Although original compound v sounded precious, its lethality rate was ridiculously high. For ordinary people, even if they got their hands on it, they wouldn't necessarily dare to use it.
Come to think of it, the value of the five vials was probably not even as high as Clara herself—after all, she was an example of someone who successfully injected original compound v and lived up to the present day.
Chapter 137: Is there something wrong with the original compound v?
"Can you put me down now?"
Clara finally couldn't help asking again.
Lin Mo put the serum back into the box and waved his hand at her.
"Don't rush."
"I need to inspect the goods first."
Maeve stood to the side, feeling a bit ashamed as she listened. One was responsible for choking people, and the other was responsible for inspecting the looted items. No matter how you looked at it, they both looked like underworld forces coming to collect debts.
She had even taken the initiative to go into the house just now and helped bring the things out. Thinking about it this way, she didn't seem much better either.
Lin Mo didn't pay attention to Maeve's expression. He looked at the serum in the box and shouted in his heart.
"System."
"Scan it and see if this is the original compound v."
[Scan complete.]
[Target: original compound v V1.]
[Test result: All five samples are genuine.]
Lin Mo's eyes lit up slightly.
It really was. The clues given by Edgar were not problematic, and this trip wasn't made in vain.
But before he could be happy for long, the system popped out another sentence.
[The first scan is free. Subsequent tests of similar items will incur energy points.]
Lin Mo: "..."
The expression on his face suddenly became speechless. Even inspecting the goods required energy points? The system really didn't let go of any opportunity to charge fees.
But this expression fell into the eyes of others as a completely different matter.
Maeve looked at the box, then looked at Lin Mo.
Could there be something wrong with the items?
Joanna also noticed this. She turned her head to look at Clara in her hand, and her eyes suddenly turned cold.
"What you gave is fake?"
"Wh—"
Clara had just squeezed out a single word when Joanna's hand tightened abruptly. Her face quickly turned purple, and the rest of her words were stuck in her throat.
Clara frantically tried to pry open Joanna's hand, cursing like crazy in her heart.
That thing was obviously real! Lin Mo didn't know what he was thinking himself, so why did it fall on her head again? He hadn't even spoken yet!
When Lin Mo looked up, he happened to see this scene and hurriedly spoke out.
"Joanna, the goods are fine."
"Put her down."
Hearing Lin Mo's words, Joanna slowly loosened her grip.
Clara's feet finally landed back on the ground, but her body was still somewhat weak. As soon as she was put down, she leaned against the doorframe and coughed several times.
Holding her aching neck, the look in her eyes towards Lin Mo and Joanna was almost ready to breathe fire.
Having lived for so many years, she had never been treated like this before. First she was choked and hung in mid-air, and then she was almost directly strangled to death by Joanna because of a single expression from Lin Mo.
Clara almost hated them to death now. However, this time, she didn't dare to say the words in her heart aloud, mainly because Joanna would still glance at her occasionally.
That gaze was clearly telling her that what happened just now was not over yet.
Clara could only clutch her neck and silently moved a step aside. She was truly afraid that if she said one more wrong word, Joanna would grab her back and hang her up again.
Joanna ignored her further. She walked to Lin Mo's side and looked at the five tubes of original compound v in the metal box.
"What is the use of this thing?"
She curiously picked up one of them, held it up to her eyes to look at it, and the serum inside swayed gently with her movement.
"Didn't you say before that you were going to give it to me after getting it?"
Lin Mo didn't explain. He took the serum from Joanna's hand, checked the needle, and then handed it back.
"Want to know what it does? Just give yourself an injection."
Joanna blinked. At this moment, Lin Mo suddenly thought of a scene from the original work.
After Homelander injected the original compound v, his performance looked no matter how you looked at it like he had taken some kind of potent stimulant.
Trembling all over, emotional out of control, and even the Laser Eyes shot straight into the sky. The momentum looked quite terrifying, but when it came to the final battle with Butcher, he couldn't even break through Kimiko's defense.
That had angered him so much that he was even struck by lightning, and then he came straight into this world. Lin Mowas very suspicious at the time.
Was that injection definitely some kind of strengthening serum?
Why did it look more like a drug? Or was it suppressed by some invisible power during the final battle?
But no matter what the situation was in the original work, that scene certainly wouldn't be seen now.
Joanna had no idea what Lin Mo was thinking. She lowered her head and glanced at the serum in her hand without much hesitation. Since Lin Mo asked her to inject it, it meant this thing was useful to her.
Could Lin Mo possibly harm her?
Joanna raised her left hand, and two faint red lights flashed in her eyes.
The next second.
A beam of Laser Eyes compressed to an extreme fineness fell on her wrist.
Zzz!
A very small wound was cut open on Joanna's tough skin. She picked up the syringe, pierced it along the wound, and pushed all the original compound v inside into her body.
Seeing this scene, Clara's expression changed slightly. She had just recovered and originally wanted to say something.
But seeing that Joanna had already injected the entire dose of original compound v, a bad premonition suddenly surged in her heart.
Maeve stood quietly to the side. She had many questions she wanted to ask: What on earth is the original compound v?
Why did Lin Mo want Joanna to use it?
Joanna was already so strong, what would happen after the injection? However, now was obviously not the time to pursue the questions. It wouldn't be too late to ask after Joanna finished the injection.
Just as Maeve was thinking this, Joanna's body suddenly trembled, and the empty syringe in her hand dropped to the ground with a soft click.
"Joanna?"
Maeve's expression changed, and she called out to her with some concern, but suddenly seeing Lin Mo's calm expression, she swallowed back the rest of her words.
Presumably... Lin Mo had his own purpose for doing this.
Joanna didn't answer. Her breathing rapidly became rapid, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. In her two eyes, the red light grew brighter and brighter, and the surrounding air heated up rapidly, which was obviously a sign that her Laser Eyes were about to go out of control.
At the same time, Joanna staggered under her feet and almost fell directly to the ground.
Lin Mo immediately reached out and supported her arm.
At this moment, Joanna happened to be facing the direction where Clara was located.
The next moment, the red light in Joanna's eyes completely went out of control.
Boom!
Two scorching beams of Laser Eyes instantly erupted.
The moment Clara saw the red light light up, she already felt that things were bad. She couldn't even care about the pain in her body and wanted to turn around and flee.
But she had just taken a step, and Joanna's Laser Eyes had already arrived.
The scorching red light swept straight across Clara's body, and then, without any obstruction, blasted into the house behind her.
Rumble!
The wall was pierced instantly.
The entire house split apart from the middle, and a large amount of gravel and wood chips splashed around. The red beam of light penetrated the house all the way, carving a charred trace into the woods behind.
Joanna's head lifted upward uncontrollably, and those two beams of Laser Eyes also rushed into the sky along with it. The clouds nearby were directly torn apart, and the dazzling red light could be seen even from far away.
After several seconds, the light in Joanna's eyes gradually dimmed.
Chapter 138: She's Not Dead Right Away, Is She?
A lingering smell of burning hung in the air, and the house that had been reasonably normal was now completely reduced to ruins.
Lin Mo supported Joanna, momentarily at a loss for words.
How did this scene feel somewhat familiar?
He rubbed his nose, looked at the house in front of him that had collapsed halfway, and then looked at Clara buried in the ruins.
Wasn't this pretty much the same end Clara met in the original work?
Both were hit directly head-on by Laser Eyes, except that Clara in the original work could at least manage to hang on by a thread, while the one in front of him seemed a bit more miserable.
Looking at the charred figure in the ruins, Lin Mo fell silent.
Clara wouldn't just be completely gone, would she?
Things had happened too fast just now, and his attention had constantly been on Joanna. After all, Joanna had just been injected with original compound v, and her body was reacting so violently all of a sudden, so naturally, he had to make sure Joanna was okay first.
As for Clara, Lin Mo truly hadn't reacted in time back then, nor had he expected Joanna's Laser Eyes to shoot right toward her.
Maeve stood to the side, completely dumbfounded.
She looked up at the clouds dispersed by the red light, and then at the house completely reduced to ruins. Clara, who had been standing there talking just moments ago, now didn't even make a sound.
"She…"
Maeve opened her mouth, momentarily not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Dead?"
Lin Mo didn't answer. He stared at the ruins for a few seconds before suddenly noticing that something beneath the rubble seemed to move slightly.
No, it seemed she wasn't completely dead yet.
Lin Mo looked at Maeve, tilting his head to signal her.
"Go take a look."
Maeve only then snapped out of her shock, reaching out to point at herself.
"Me again?"
"Mn."
Lin Mo nodded.
"Go quickly and see if Clara can still be saved."
He paused for a moment and glanced again at the figure in the ruins that had almost ceased moving entirely.
"She seems a bit…"
"Dead."
Maeve immediately trotted over to the ruins to check on Clara's condition; when it came to saving people, she was still quite proficient.
Joanna's breathing beside him gradually steadied, and the red light in her eyes completely vanished. After briefly adapting to her body, Joanna suddenly raised her head, looking at Lin Mo with fiery eyes.
"Lin Mo."
"I feel amazing right now."
Lin Mo glanced at her, then looked at the smoking ruins not far away, and nodded in full agreement.
"Of course you feel great."
"However, someone else's condition doesn't seem so good."
Joanna didn't understand for a moment. Still immersed in the excitement of her body growing stronger, she clenched her fists and continued telling Lin Mo about her feelings.
"I feel like my strength has increased a lot, and there seems to be endless power inside my body."
"Before, I could take down ten Maeves with one hand."
"Now I should be able to take down even more!"
Good grief, she had directly turned Maeve into a unit of combat power measurement. Maeve, who was checking Clara's condition in the ruins, paused in her movements.
She glanced back at Joanna, her expression somewhat complicated. She admitted that she indeed couldn't beat Joanna in a fight.
But what did it mean by being able to take down ten before and even more now?
Couldn't she use something else as a unit of measurement? Lin Mo was just about to remind Joanna that saying such things right in front of Maeve was somewhat inappropriate.
Yet Joanna suddenly looked around, and the excitement on her face turned into puzzlement.
"Where is Clara? Why is she gone?"
Lin Mo exasperatedly raised his hand and pointed at the unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood in front of Maeve.
"Isn't that right there?"
Joanna looked in the direction he pointed, and when she saw the situation in the ruins clearly, her expression instantly turned startled.
"This is Clara?"
Lin Mo nodded. A rare look of embarrassment appeared on Joanna's face; she really hadn't controlled herself well just then, and furthermore, she hadn't paid any attention at the time to the fact that Clara was standing directly in front of her.
However, this embarrassment only lasted a few seconds before Joanna quickly felt that this matter shouldn't be blamed entirely on her.
"Who told her to just stand there and not dodge."
Lin Mo rolled his eyes at her. Clara certainly wanted to dodge, but Joanna's Laser Eyes were so fast that she had to have enough time to do so.
At this moment, Maeve in the ruins suddenly shouted.
"Lin Mo."
"She seems to still have a breath left."
Lin Mo brought Joanna over, and after getting closer, the two of them clearly saw Clara's current appearance.
They had to admit, it was indeed somewhat miserable.
Her entire body looked almost like a piece of burnt crab meat; a large area of her left side was missing, and even one of her arms was gone. The remaining parts were also covered in burns, lying motionless among the rubble.
That appearance almost made Lin Mo instinctively take a step back, but being able to survive could be considered quite lucky.
Just at the instant the Laser Eyes shot over, Clara must have instinctively dodged a little, otherwise if those two beams of Laser Eyes had shifted just a bit higher toward the center and hit her heart directly,
she definitely would have been dead as a doornail by now.
Joanna looked at the mass on the ground that was almost unrecognizable as human shape, and then instinctively glanced at Lin Mo's expression. Although she had felt moments ago that Clara deserved it, now that the person was truly on the verge of perishing, she still felt somewhat uneasy in her heart.
Lin Mo wouldn't blame her over this matter, right?
Joanna hesitated for a moment and rarely took the initiative to speak.
"Should we send her to the hospital for emergency treatment?"
Maeve was just about to say that it would be best to send her to the hospital.
No matter what Clara had done in the past, she still had a breath left now; they couldn't just leave her here to wait for death.
But the words stopped right at the tip of her tongue.
Lin Mo hadn't made a decision yet, and looking at Clara's current state, even if she were sent to the hospital, it didn't seem certain she could be saved.
Forget it, let's see what Lin Mo has to say first.
Lin Mo squatted down and carefully looked at Clara. Right now, he could barely even find Clara's face.
Could someone in this state really still be saved? Could she still speak?
This appearance felt even more miserable than Thomas Godolkin's body from a few days ago.
Lin Mo was just about to say they should take her somewhere to get treated when that charred mass of flesh and blood in front of them suddenly moved violently a few times.
Maeve immediately leaned down, but the next second, Clara completely quieted down again.
This time, even the last trace of weak breathing vanished.
Lin Mo checked.
It seemed… she was dead.
Those few movements just now should have just been a final flash of lucidity.
It was also possible that Clara sensed her own physical condition, knowing that even if she survived, she would only be able to maintain this appearance forever, so she willingly gave up her final struggle.
However, this was no longer something Lin Mo needed to worry about.
The person was already gone; could it be that he was expected to specially hold a funeral for Clara?
Joanna had been keeping an eye on Lin Mo. Finding that there was no sign of blame on his face, she slowly set her mind at ease; after all, it was Clara herself who hadn't dodged.
What did it have to do with her?
Anyway, she was just a Nazi dog, and it wouldn't be wrong even if she died.
Chapter 139: Stepping on your right foot with your left foot, spiraling straight up into the sky
"Maeve."
Lin Mo stood up and sighed.
"Bury her right here."
Maeve looked up at him.
"It's me again?"
Lin Mo patted her shoulder.
"The capable ones bear the heavier load."
Maeve blinked and obediently prepared to bury Clara right on the spot; anyway, she had come here prepared to clean up their mess anyway—first going to the basement to get things, and now being responsible for digging a hole and burying someone.
Lin Mo turned to look at Joanna beside him. Joanna had almost blasted Clara down to nothingness with a single blast of Laser Eyes earlier, but now she was full of energy.
The enhancement effect of original compound v was clearly already manifesting, and for a moment Lin Modidn't know whether to laugh or praise her a couple of times.
Right at that moment, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[Important plot character Clara Risinger detected as deceased.]
[Host has caused significant changes to the world line.]
[Energy points obtained: 500.]
[Current energy points: 12,000.]
Lin Mo's eyes instantly lit up.
Five hundred points?
Then Clara didn't die in vain.
Just a moment ago, he had felt it was somewhat a pity that Joanna accidentally killed someone. Now it seemed that Death wasn't bad either; regardless of whether Clara was dead or alive, as long as she could contribute energy points to him, she was a good person.
Joanna acutely sensed that Lin Mo's mood seemed to have suddenly improved. Although she didn't know the reason, she followed along and grew happy as well.
Afterwards, she suddenly looked at the metal box in Lin Mo's hand.
"Lin Mo, there are still four doses of original compound vleft."
"Aren't you going to inject it?"
"I won't need it."
Lin Mo casually explained.
"original compound v is of no use to me."
His power came from the Krypton bloodline; as long as he absorbed solar energy, he could continuously grow stronger.
To other superhumans, original compound v might be considered a rare enhancement serum, but to Lin Mo, the effect probably wasn't even as noticeable as basking in the sun for a while.
After hearing this, Joanna's gaze fell back onto the metal box.
"Then can I inject another dose?"
She raised her head, her gaze carrying a hint of anticipation. That single injection earlier had made her stronger by this much.
If she took another injection, wouldn't she be able to keep getting stronger?
Lin Mo looked at her, somewhat speechless.
"How did you end up craving it? For this kind of thing, injecting a second dose has hardly any effect."
If one could truly grow infinitely stronger by repeated injections, Vought would have created a bunch of monsters long ago.
Get an injection to get stronger once, then get another injection, and keep injecting like that—might as well step on your own right foot with your left foot and spiral straight up into the sky.
How could there be such an illogical thing.
"Alright."
Joanna nodded, not too disappointed.
Anyway, she was already stronger than before, and what she was more curious about now was how much the gap between herself and Lin Mo had narrowed.
However, after thinking about it, Joanna still gave up the idea of trying it out personally.
She wouldn't really make a move against Lin Mo anyway, and even if she wanted to know, there was no way to have a serious fight. Moreover, now that she had grown stronger, she would be able to better protect Lin Mo in the future.
Thinking of this, a smile reappeared on Joanna's face.
Not long after, Maeve also walked back from not far away.
One had to admit that her efficiency was indeed very high; only a short while had passed, and Clara was already buried.
As Maeve walked, she patted the dirt off her hands.
"It's taken care of."
"Buried very deep; ordinary people shouldn't be able to find it."
Her face and clothes were stained with quite a bit of dust, making her look a bit dirty. Yet she reported the situation to Lin Mo with a completely serious expression, almost as if telling Lin Mo that she had completed her mission.
Looking at her like this, Lin Mo inexplicably felt a sudden pang of guilt.
Along the way, Maeve had first helped them clean up the aftermath of Godolkin's underground base, and when it came to Clara, she had also helped find the original compound v.
Now even burying people was something she had to do. Constantly ordering Maeve around like this really didn't seem quite appropriate.
Lin Mo lowered his head to look at the metal box in his hand. There were still four doses of original compound vleft in the box. This stuff was useless to him, and since Joanna had already injected one dose, continuing to inject more wouldn't have much effect.
His original purpose in coming to find Clara was to strengthen Joanna. Now that the goal had been achieved, how to handle the remaining original compound v wasn't that important anymore.
Thinking of this, Lin Mo took a vial from the box and handed it toward Maeve.
"This is for you."
Just as Maeve walked up to the two of them and saw the original compound v handed out in front of her, she instantly froze.
"For me?"
Maeve looked at the vial in Lin Mo's hand, feeling somewhat at a loss for a moment.
This was original compound v; just hearing the name told her it wasn't an ordinary item.
Lin Mo and Joanna had first gone to Vought Headquarters, then specifically rushed over here to find Clara, and finally beat Clara into that state just to get these vials.
Yet now, Lin Mo casually pulled out one and prepared to give it to her?
Maeve found it hard to believe.
"Really for me?"
"Of course."
Lin Mo nodded, but seeing Maeve's flattered expression, he suddenly got the urge to tease her.
"What?"
"You don't want it?"
As Lin Mo spoke, he made a motion to take the vial back.
"Then I'm taking it back."
Maeve reacted immediately. Although she had been hesitating just moments ago, her movements weren't slow at all as she immediately reached out and took the original compound v.
"Who said I don't want it?"
"We're all teammates now, and since you've given it to me, I won't stand on ceremony."
Maeve clutched the vial in her hand, a smile unable to help blooming on her face.
She was indeed very happy. Having just seen Joanna inject original compound v and hearing Joanna say she had grown stronger, to say she wasn't envious at all would definitely be a lie.
She wanted it too; who would complain about being too strong?
It was just that this kind of thing was specifically found by Lin Mo for Joanna, so Maeve naturally couldn't ask for it proactively. Moreover, what she envied wasn't actually just that vial of original compound v.
She also somewhat envied Joanna, envying that she always had Lin Mo by her side.
Someone who would find original compound v for her, support her the very first moment she lost control, and tolerate her somewhat excessive little tempers.
Maeve occasionally wondered if it wouldn't be bad to have someone by her side who treated her the way Lin Motreated Joanna.
But of course, she could never say words like that out loud.
Maeve lowered her head to look at the vial in her hand, feeling better and better. Sure enough, siding with the right person made all the difference.
In the past, she had worked herself to the bone for Vought and filmed who knows how many commercials, only to barely boost her ranking by just a little bit. Vought had never given her such good stuff.
Looking at Lin Mo again, she had only done a few things following him, and the other party had directly given her a vial of original compound v.
By this comparison, all the suffering she had endured before really went in vain.
Just as Maeve was already starting to anticipate how much stronger she would become after the injection—
Lin Mo suddenly spoke.
"However, I have to remind you first."
"original compound v comes with risks."
The smile on Maeve's face instantly froze.
Chapter 140: Fighting Ten Maeves
Maeve felt like she was being played with again. She lowered her head to look at the original compound v in her hand, then looked up at Lin Mo.
"There is a risk?"
"Then why did you dare to inject it directly into Joannaearlier?"
Joanna was standing to the side. Hearing this, she also looked over at Lin Mo, who didn't hesitate.
"You guys forgot about back in Thomas's basement? Thomas mentioned it back then."
"The fatality rate of original compound v is very high. After ordinary people inject it, there is a high probability they will die directly."
The expression on Maeve's face grew even stiffer. She remembered it too. Such an important matter—
Why didn't he say it earlier?
Just a moment ago, she thought she had scored a huge bargain. Now it seemed that this wasn't any kind of enhancement serum at all; it was clearly a bomb that might explode at any moment.
Lin Mo saw through her thoughts and continued to explain.
"However, that applies to ordinary people."
"Joanna is already strong enough on her own, so original compound v definitely won't pose much of a risk to her."
"As for you..."
He paused, reached out to rub his chin, and looked Maeve up and down.
Maeve felt a bit creeped out by his gaze.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You probably have a little bit of risk." After a moment, Lin Mo concluded with a serious face.
Maeve: "..."
Why didn't those words sound comforting at all?
Seeing her bad expression, Lin Mo scratched his head awkwardly and reached out to pat her shoulder.
"Rest assured."
"You actually aren't weak either."
The corner of Maeve's mouth twitched.
What kind of comfort was that?
"Your physical strength is already considered among the strongest batch of current superheroes."
"Injecting original compound v shouldn't cause any major issues."
Lin Mo started making guarantees to her.
"Even if an accident really happens, I can save you back."
He wasn't just saying that casually; Maeve was now someone who contributed energy points to him every day.
If a real problem arose, at worst he could spend some energy points to exchange items from the system that could save her. As long as she didn't die on the spot until not even scraps were left, Lin Mo could always find a way to save her.
Besides, Maeve was at least one of the main characters of this world, and she belonged to the faction leaning toward the good guys; she should carry some degree of fortune on her.
In the original work, she took Soldier Boy's chest blast head-on and still survived falling off Vought Tower. That kind of luck wasn't something ordinary people could have.
No matter how dangerous original compound v was, it wouldn't send her away just like that, right?
Of course, Lin Mo was indeed a bit curious. After Joannainjected it, both her strength and Laser Eyes were enhanced.
What kind of changes would happen if Maeve injected original compound v?
After hearing Lin Mo's words, Maeve didn't dwell on it further. Lin Mo had already said he could protect her life.
Then what was there to be afraid of?
Perhaps Lin Mo had some healing ability she didn't know about.
Thinking of this, Maeve glanced at the serum in her hand and directly pulled off the protective cap on the needle.
But soon, she ran into the same problem as Joanna: the needle couldn't pierce her skin at all. Since Maeve didn't have Laser Eyes, she naturally couldn't cut a small opening on her wrist first like Joanna.
She thought about it for a moment, simply raised her arm, and bit down on it.
"What are you..."
Watching her actions, Lin Mo wore a somewhat odd expression.
Maeve ignored him. She forcefully bit a wound into her own arm, then picked up the syringe and stabbed it into her body along the wound.
Direct primitive-method injection.
A moment later, the entire dose of original compound vwas pushed entirely into her body.
Lin Mo and Joanna tactfully remained silent. The two of them stood quietly to the side, looking expectantly at Maeve's subsequent reaction.
After watching for a while, Joanna suddenly seemed to think of something, and the expression on her face became a bit sorrowful.
"Lin Mo."
"After Maeve injects it, will she become very strong?"
Lin Mo turned his head to look at her with novelty.
"What? You don't want to let her inject it?"
"I didn't say I didn't want to let her inject it."
Joanna whispered in explanation.
How could she be that petty? Maeve was one of their own now.
Sharing some good things with her wasn't a problem either.
It's just that Joanna suddenly thought that after she had injected original compound v earlier, she originally could beat ten Maeves, and now could already beat dozens of Maeves. But since Maeve was also injecting it, her strength would definitely increase along with it.
Wouldn't she just return to her original position then?
Able to fight only ten Maeves again?
The more Joanna thought about it, the more she felt it was possible.
"I just feel that—"
"If she gets too strong, wouldn't my injection just now have been for nothing?"
Hearing her thoughts, Lin Mo rolled his eyes at her directly. Having just finished injecting original compound v, she already felt she could beat dozens of Maeves.
Wasn't that a bit too immodest?
However, Lin Mo quickly realized that Joanna might be saying that on purpose. She most likely saw that he kept staring at Maeve and wanted to make him pay more attention to her.
Thinking of this, Lin Mo reached out to ruffle Joanna's hair.
"Rest assured."
"Even if Maeve becomes stronger, you are still stronger than her."
Hearing these words, the sorrow on Joanna's face instantly vanished. She leaned closer to Lin Mo's side and looked back at Maeve.
As expected, she had been doing it on purpose just now!
At this moment, original compound v also began to take effect on Maeve.
Maeve's body suddenly tightened. She exerted sudden force with the hand holding the empty syringe, and the glass shell instantly shattered in her palm, tiny glass fragments falling to the ground.
Her expression became somewhat distorted, and a layer of sweat quickly broke out on her forehead and neck.
"Maeve?"
Lin Mo became a bit more serious. This shouldn't fail, right...
Joanna was also staring at her.
Compared to Joanna's reaction earlier, the commotion on Maeve's side was obviously much smaller. She didn't have Laser Eyes, so naturally she wouldn't suddenly shoot out two beams of light and blast the house in front of her all over again.
She just stood in place, her body trembling slightly and uncontrollably. The muscles beneath her skin kept tightening and rapidly recovering, as if a force was forcibly remodeling her body.
Maeve clenched her teeth tightly and managed not to cry out. Fortunately, this state didn't last too long.
After about a dozen seconds, her body slowly relaxed.
Maeve lowered her head, panting heavily. Sweat had already dampened the hair in front of her forehead, and her entire person looked as though she had just been through an extremely fierce battle.
Yet her eyes were exceptionally bright. That sense of fatigue was rapidly fading away, replaced by an unprecedented sense of fullness. Maeve slowly clenched her fists.
She could clearly feel that her condition was shockingly good.
She could take on ten of her former self—of course, that was just an exaggeration.
Looking at Maeve, out of concern, Lin Mo still asked a question.
"Are you alright?"
Maeve raised her head, stretched her shoulders a bit, and clenched her fists again.
"I'm fine."
She could clearly feel that her strength, speed, and physical fortitude had all improved significantly, and even her senses were much keener than before.