At the very least, they needed formidable numbers.
The backing resources, the endless capital, the sprawling research teams... the total investment would be astronomical.
However, a buyer from The Deep-Web Medical Syndicate immediately pushed back against that logic. "That's a narrow way to look at it. To you, perhaps Specimen Fourteen is just an overpriced bodyguard."
“But to us, a single Obsidian Augment holds immeasurable value."
“Just because the finished product is expensive doesn't mean the foundational technology behind it isn't worth the price.”
That sentiment was instantly echoed by several other experts in the room.
For these scientists, the appeal was never about how many people a single Obsidian Augment could slaughter in a firefight.
It was about how its biology had been stabilized.
How did it evolve from a volatile semi-finished asset like Specimen Seven into this near-complete miracle!
Serena took in the crowd's shifting dynamics, absorbing every reaction.
She offered a cool smile, her fingertips lightly tapping the console. "Creating one near-complete human specimen does not guarantee the ability to stably produce a second or a third."
"Maintaining a single specimen and sustaining an entire army are two entirely different beasts."
"Is this a one-off miracle, or do they already possess the framework for repeatable success? Those questions... are far more valuable than simply asking what this single unit is worth."
A brief, heavy silence fell over the buyers.
Finally, someone spoke up slowly. "Then, Ms. Panacea, how far along is the creator of Specimen Fourteen?"
"How many more of these human specimens does this faction have in their possession? And how many more can they realistically produce?”
That single question immediately snuffed out the remaining debates over price.
One by one, every set of eyes locked back onto the stage.
Serena lifted her gaze, her
expression remaining impeccably detached “I car I can
only tell you what
this asset is, what it does, and
whether it is worth your money."
"As for how many Specimen Fourteens have been manufactured, how many failures
litter their labs, or whether they can continue mass production..."
She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "You'll have to ask the people who made it." The people who made it.
Those few words subtly altered the tension in the room.
Previously, all their focus had been fiercely locked onto Specimen Fourteen itself.
They were obsessing over its value, over what secrets they could extract if they managed to buy it.
But now, thanks to The Panacea's deliberate nudge, they began to obsess over a much darker reality.
Exactly what kind of shadow organization possessed the power to create something like this?
Whether it was the volatile semi-finished Specimen Seven of this near-perfect Specimen
Fourteen, how much time anel. ne
unfathomable wealth had been, poured into them?
How many researchers, how much data, how much funding, and how many failed human subjects were required?
To sustain research of this magnitude, there had to be a world-class, top-tier laboratory operating in the shadows, armed with a fully mature R&D infrastructure.
In fact..... it was undoubtedly far more than just a single laboratory.
And it had likely been operating in the dark for years.
At that thought, several buyers instinctively exchanged uneasy glances.
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This was especially true for the representatives from Aurelius Bio-Genetics, The Deep-Web Medical Syndicate, and various privatestate-sponsored labs. They understood far better than the average buyer what the existence of Specimen Fourteen truly signified.
Like they had just discussed, if it was just one Specimen Fourteen, it was nothing
more than an insanely expensive biological weapon.
But what if the shadowy faction behind Fourteen had already mastered a
sustainable method for mass-producing these Obsidian Augments?