Chapter 98: Awakening Time

Chapter 98: Awakening Time

There was no second vial of genetic serum. As for the first one, given the circumstances at the time, even if they could travel back now, it would be useless. It simply couldn’t have been preserved. The Cat-folk had long since prepared for this contingency.

Without considering external sources, Blue Star had its own research efforts. Over time, they'd made some headway, but there was still a long way to go before achieving stable and safe results.

Nobody would risk using an untested formula.

The serum was off the table, but that didn’t mean there were no other options.

Blue Star had weathered its share of disasters—crises, but also opportunities.

Over time, Blue Star had accumulated its fair share of valuable resources.

"Maybe we can try Wildflower Honey."

"Wildflower Honey!" One of the technicians chimed in, mirroring Sheng Qingquan's idea.

Wildflower Honey from the pixies' world, like the genetic serum, had the effect of improving the body. However, compared to the genetic serum, Wildflower Honey’s effects paled in comparison.

It was a bare-bones, watered-down version of the genetic serum.

But Wildflower Honey wasn’t without its merits. It was gentler in its effects, with absolutely no side effects when consumed.

Unlike the genetic serum, which was much more intense and demanded the user be in peak physical condition. One wrong move and it could be catastrophic.

It was like drinking water on a hot day.

Tap-water temp mineral water did the job and was gentle on the stomach, but its cooling effect was minimal.

Frosty-cold mineral water, gulped down, not only quenched thirst but also knocked out the heat in seconds. Yet while the whole body felt refreshed, your stomach would pay the price. Anyone with a sensitive stomach might end up running to the bathroom after drinking it.

Wildflower Honey was like tap-water temp water, while the genetic serum was like frosty-cold water.

In the summer, people entering a convenience store would grab an ice-cold one first, but if none was available, regular water would work in a pinch.

Blue Star had a working arrangement with the pixies. They could periodically obtain some resources from them.

Wildflower Honey was one such resource.

Though the quantity was limited.

After deciding it might work, the higher-ups quickly decided: "There are three portions of Wildflower Honey left in the inventory—send all three her way!"

Aside from its gentler nature, Wildflower Honey had another notable advantage.

Unlike the genetic serum, which couldn’t be taken back-to-back after one dose, Wildflower Honey could be consumed multiple times.

It would take time for the Wildflower Honey to be delivered. While waiting, Li Hongli slumped against the headboard, staring blankly.

She just couldn’t process it.

How was she not human anymore?

Li Hongli grabbed a nearby jewelry box and peered into the mirror embedded in its lid, examining herself several times.

Her face was still the same.

Compared to before her pregnancy, aside from looking a bit paler, slightly swollen, and with some spots, there were no other changes.

Her eyebrows and eyes remained the same as always, with no change in color.

Her face hadn’t sprouted scales or feathers.

Li Hongli snapped the jewelry box shut and tossed it aside.

She held up her hands, turning them over like a jeweler inspecting diamonds.

Her hands were still the same hands.

Her fingers weren’t as slender anymore—swollen, they looked like stubby little radishes. But there was no doubt these were still human hands.

No nails had grown unusually sharp, no bony spikes protruded from her hands, and there was no webbing between her fingers.

No matter how you sliced it, she was still human.

And it wasn’t just her appearance. Even though the story said she could link to other worlds, Li Hongli tried hard to sense this power now. Maybe she was doing it wrong, or maybe it just wasn’t working. She felt nothing at all.

Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

As she kept trying, she even began to wonder if everyone had made a mistake. Maybe the "Li Hongli" mentioned in the novel wasn’t actually her?!

She toyed with the idea, but let’s face it—the odds were zilch.

Same name, same pregnancy—what were the chances?

Still, prophecies? Old hat by now. By now, everyone knew the unwritten rule: every time a prophecy appeared, the apocalyptic crisis was either already unfolding or about to. In any case, it wouldn’t be far off.

Which meant she’d probably cross over any day now.

If she was going to transmigrate in a few days, shouldn’t there already be signs of her awakening?

But honestly? Aside from brutal morning sickness, nada.

No way pregnancy symptoms counted as awakening signs. If that were the case, maternity wards would be packed with ‘awakened’ moms.

Sure, she had it rough, but some at the hospital had it rougher.

So it probably wasn’t related.

Moreover, Li Hongli had another worry deep down.

When she awakened, would she still look *mostly* human?

Scales? Extra ears? Even horns? Fine. But—

What if she lost her human shape entirely?

She shot her husband a look. Divorce? Please. She had a job, and even if she lost it, as an ‘awakened,’ the government would probably bankroll her.

But forget her family—could *she* handle it?

Cats? Cute. Dogs? Adorable. Birds? Tiny ones fluffy, big ones regal—but actually *being* one? Yeah, no thanks.

And hey, plants weren’t off the table. What if she had some *photosynthesis* in her genes?

The idea of being a *lawn*? Hard pass.

In the story, post-crossing, she’d be target #1. Was it just the pregnancy, or did she *morph* in front of them?

Even though she knew she was probably overthinking it, Li Hongli couldn't stop her thoughts from spiraling.

"Ahhhh, this is so annoying!" Li Hongli slammed her hands against the bed, startling the person beside her. Just as he was fumbling for how to comfort her, the Wildflower Honey arrived.

However, it wasn't delivered directly to Li Hongli but to a nearby hospital equipped with a medical cabin.

At the same time, Li Hongli was escorted there by the staff.

Before drinking the Wildflower Honey, Li Hongli had to undergo a comprehensive physical examination.

Especially since she had previously experienced some pregnancy complications, which were promptly addressed, but it was still better to check again.

It wasn't that she couldn't drink the Wildflower Honey without the examination, but it was mainly to ensure her body was in a relatively good condition, preventing most of the honey's healing properties from being used to treat any lingering issues instead of achieving their desired results.

Additionally, it was to collect data. This was the first recorded case of bloodline awakening on Tianlanxing, making it incredibly valuable research data.

About ten minutes later, Li Hongli emerged from the medical cabin as the picture of health.

Not only had the previous pregnancy complications been completely resolved, but any other lingering problems were also gone.

"I've never felt this good before!"

Li Hongli stepped out feeling rejuvenated and sat down on a chair. As soon as she settled, three vials of Wildflower Honey were neatly placed in front of her.

Li Hongli hesitated briefly, but considering the consequences of uncontrolled abilities, she picked up one vial and downed it.

"How is it? How is it?"

Sheng Qingquan, masked and mingling with staff, stared intently, eyes wide.

His gaze was fixed on Li Hongli, not wanting to miss a single twitch.

The others were equally focused.

Under their collective gaze, Li Hongli finished one vial of Wildflower Honey, put down the empty bottle, and said uncertainly, "Sweet... it's sweet?"

"No physical changes?"

"Didn't you feel a cooling sensation when drinking it?"

He thought this and blurted it out.

Sheng Qingquan recalled the changes he experienced when he first drank Wildflower Honey and then looked at Li Hongli's blank look.

Clearly, she really didn't feel anything.

The others noticed this too, and a technician piped up anxiously, "Maybe one dose isn't enough?"

"Try drinking another one."

Li Hongli drank another vial of Wildflower Honey. Nothing.

If it weren't for the sweet taste, she would have thought she was drinking tap water.

But now, it was just like switching from water to Kool-Aid.

Other than being sweeter, it was nothing special.

"I felt better right after the medical cabin."

At least when she emerged from the medical pod, she felt transformed. It was as if her entire body had been overhauled and refreshed, feeling amazingly light.

Her belly felt lighter.

All the discomfort caused by pregnancy had vanished.

Even the blemishes, pimples, and other minor skin issues on her face were gone. Running her fingers over her skin, it felt perfectly smooth. Even before her pregnancy, she had some blackheads.

Her pores had never been this fine either.

"Go ahead and try another bottle," a staff member suggested.

The third bottle. Also the last one.

After drinking it, Li Hongli still felt nothing.

It was as if she hadn’t consumed magical Wildflower Honey but just three small bottles of ordinary Wildflower Honey.

Li Hongli made sure to sip slowly each time, hoping to catch any effects.

But there was simply no effect. Drinking it might as well have been drinking water.

Setting down the empty bottle, Li Hongli couldn’t help but feel guilt-ridden.

She had kept telling herself that the lack of noticeable effects was due to not drinking enough. But now, three bottles were gone. Though the bottles were ridiculously small, and the total amount wasn’t much, Li Hongli knew this was already a significant quantity.

Even top-tier experts crucial to the nation might not be allocated three bottles.

Each bottle of Wildflower Honey was incredibly precious, and she had just wasted three of them.

She should have cut her losses early after the first bottle showed no effect.

She shouldn’t have drunk the next two.

Or at least, after the second bottle still yielded nothing, she should’ve snapped out of it, saving at least one bottle.

But now, only three tiny empties remained in front of her. Guilt-ridden, Li Hongli didn’t dare meet the hopeful looks of the staff.

Yet, her expression made the outcome obvious to everyone.

Clearly, even after drinking, there was still no reaction.

"Could it still be too little?"

"Or maybe the Wildflower Honey just didn’t work?"

After all, Li Hongli had mixed heritage within her. Just because Wildflower Honey was effective for pure humans didn’t mean it would work for those with mixed heritage.

"Let’s run some tests first. If she can’t feel it, it might be because the amount of Wildflower Honey was too slight to notice. But no matter how minor, as long as there’s any effect, the instruments will pick it up," a medical staff member suggested, leading Li Hongli back into the inner room.

After some poking and prodding.

"According to the results, Li Hongli has gotten stronger."

Hearing this, Li Hongli let out a quiet sigh of relief, a weight off her shoulders.

As long as there was some effect, those three bottles of Wildflower Honey didn’t go to waste after all!

"But—" Li Hongli tensed at that single word, her anxiety spiking. The medical staff, absorbed in the data, didn’t notice her distress. His brow furrowed deeply. "Her physical improvement is barely noticeable."

"No wonder Li Hongli hadn’t noticed any difference." It really wasn’t her fault.

Because the change was almost negligible.

"Three bottles had less effect on her than one does for others."

"And not just slightly worse—it’s not even one-tenth as effective."

Li Hongli was crushed. Her husband quietly took her hand, offering silent comfort.

The other staff picked up on the tension. As they pondered how to console her, Sheng Qingquan spoke up again.

"Wait—isn’t this actually good?"

"It means the Wildflower Honey has some effect on her. Even if the effect is weak, it’s still better than nothing, right?"

"The real issue here is that we don’t have enough Wildflower Honey. That’s the biggest problem," Sheng Qingquan said. "If we had enough, we could bombard her with doses until it works."

But currently, Tianlanxing’s only source (the planet’s) of Wildflower Honey is through the pixies.

"We’ve already made the trade for this month." So we’re basically out of options. The next trade is still over ten days away. One staff member said with a resigned sigh.

"The higher-ups will try to negotiate for an early exchange of some Wildflower Honey. But don’t hold your breath. Even if we succeed, the amount we get won’t be much. Based on Li Hongli’s results after drinking the honey, it’s far from enough."

"A drop in the bucket."

"And even if we had enough, negotiating with the pixies takes time." Who knows if she’ll awaken in time?

"But we’ve got to try anyway."

While the authorities were making efforts, Sheng Qingquan wasn’t idle either. He began rereading the book, trying to pinpoint the exact time of Li Hongli’s awakening.

"‘Pregnant women tend to urinate frequently, and Li Hongli has been especially thirsty lately. So even though drinking water before bed worsens her swelling, she can’t help it. She not only drinks before bed but even keeps a glass of water by her bedside for nighttime drinks. This makes her trips to the bathroom even more frequent.’”

"Li Hongli’s dimensional shift didn’t happen during her first trip that night."

"‘She went to bed early and woke up for the first time just past ten, disturbed by music outside.’”

"She shifted during her fourth trip to the bathroom, in the early hours."

Previously, Sheng Qingquan had focused solely on the fourth trip, repeatedly reviewing the transition scene. But now, as he reread, his attention shifted to Li Hongli’s first awakening that night.

"The music—could it have been violin music?!"

"Residents in the neighborhood are generally considerate. After 8 p.m., most people lower their TV volumes to avoid disturbing others or switch to tablets with headphones."

"Nobody’s usually loud after ten. Except recently, with violin exams approaching—video submissions for online exams are due within a set timeframe. To pass, the student in the opposite building has been practicing diligently."

"Knowing it might bother others, he even delivered apology gifts to every apartment, apologizing in advance and promising to stop by 11 p.m."

"People these days are night owls, so 11 p.m. is still within tolerance. His attitude was good, and since it’s for exams—Tianlanxing people inherently value exams—no one objected."

"Especially now, with everyone exhausted from martial training. Even if a marching band played beside them, they’d still fall asleep instantly. If he played all night, nobody would even notice."

Recalling the violin sounds from the opposite building lately, Sheng Qingquan quickly checked online for the violin exam deadline.

The cutoff is the end of the month—the 30th.

It's the 26th now. So that’s just these four days.

"On Tianlanxing, online and offline violin exams are separate. The online exams are held in the first half of the year. The offline exams won’t start until several months later, in the second half of the year."

"Back when they sent gifts, they also promised that the late-night practice sessions wouldn’t last long and would stop after the exams. They probably meant after the *online* exams."

To confirm this, Sheng Qingquan pulled up the contact info he’d saved and sent a message to ask.

“Yeah, I’ll quit after the online exams. I’m not some hard worker—just cramming last-minute. When the offline exams start, if I even start grinding half a month early, that would already count as hard work for me.”

“No way I’m grinding day and night till the second half! You overestimate me.”

"Good."

Sheng Qingquan relaxed. But then he realized he had been relieved too soon.