"Something like this really depends on the severity of the Oripathy infection. But yeah, your medicine is indeed a bit too potent. Ordinary infected usually have weak bodies, and whether they can handle this drug is indeed a big question."
Regardless of everything else, Gavial was still a doctor.
After overhearing Steven's murmuring, she quickly agreed with his assessment.
Even with her strong physique, she had nearly fainted earlier.
Although the drug's effects had worn off, the deep weakness she felt now was undeniable proof of its potency.
The medicine's effectiveness was astonishing, but naturally, it came at a cost.
No wonder Steven had mentioned the necessity of optimizing the dosage.
Sure, it could cure Oripathy, but if the patient's life ended up being sacrificed in the process, that would defeat the purpose.
Not everyone possessed a body capable of enduring that intense pain.
Excluding exceptional cases like the Abyssal Hunter, Gavial considered herself tougher than most people on Rhodes Island, yet even she struggled with it.
"Hmm, didn't you volunteer to be my guinea pig before? Now's your chance. Help me figure out how to adjust the dosage to make it safer. You wouldn't refuse, would you?"
Steven nodded after hearing Gavial's conclusion.
He wasn't a medical expert, and he was completely out of his depth in this area. Entrusting Gavial with such professional matters was definitely a sensible choice.
"Are you doing this…for the infected? What exactly did you go through on the tundra?"
Gavial gave an emphatic nod.
This was precisely what she aspired to do.
Helping someone develop a medicine to treat Oripathy was something that genuinely made her happy.
But she was still curious about why Steven suddenly decided to research this.
Previously, Steven had always maintained an indifferent attitude, keeping to himself and ignoring the world around him.
It was hard not to wonder if something impactful had occurred during his recent journey to Ursus.
"Nothing special. Just saw firsthand how infected in this world have to survive."
Steven shrugged slightly.
Compared to the infected on Rhodes Island, who at least had someone looking after them, the ones struggling to survive on the tundra had left a deeper impression on him.
At the same time, it made him realize how utterly hopeless the world could be for people trapped in it.
To be honest, Steven didn't exactly feel pity for these people.
Instead, he felt regret.
If these infected hadn't been afflicted by Oripathy, they could have accomplished something meaningful rather than being ostracized, discriminated against, and left waiting helplessly for their inevitable demise.
"So that's your reason for wanting to help the infected?"
"Huh? Who said anything about helping the infected? This is just a tool for making money. I'm certainly not doing this out of some noble desire to help anyone."
"Do you even realize how profitable this thing is? Oh, wait, you probably do. But that's fine. I have plenty of medicine in hand, and it's cheap. At least I don't think anyone else out there can beat me in terms of cost-effectiveness."
Steven casually shook the milk bottle in his hand.
To the infected, it was a lifesaver.
To him, however, it was basically a cost-free item.
In fact, the medicine itself wasn't even as valuable as the bottle it was in.
How could any other special medicine in this world compete with him?
Rhodes Island was, after all, in the pharmaceutical industry; naturally, they knew exactly how profitable such medicine could be.
Steven didn't deny that his decision was partly influenced by Talulah and those guerrilla fighters.
Having witnessed people becoming warriors and fighters just to survive, just to save other infected, Steven wasn't emotionless—of course, it affected him somewhat.
To lend them a helping hand, at least within the range of what he considered not too troublesome, Steven saw nothing wrong with that.
After all, his main concern was simply pleasing himself.
"That's good enough," Gavial smiled gently. "A medicine capable of saving lives is already a wonderful thing. Could it be sold? I'm sure Kal'tsit would be more than willing to buy it from you."
Gavial could easily sense the unspoken thoughts behind Steven's actions.
As long as Steven was willing to put effort into researching something like this, there was hope, wasn't there?
"Hmm. To be honest, I don't know whether you'll pass this along to Kal'tsit later. But I have to say, I personally don't entirely trust Rhodes Island yet. Even if I figure out the right dosage, I don't want to casually sell it to you guys."
Steven expressed his thoughts frankly.
Although it was blunt, Gavial fully understood him.
Steven had always lacked a sense of belonging towards Rhodes Island, and he hadn't seen much concrete proof of Rhodes Island's actions yet.
On the surface, Rhodes Island looked no different from any ordinary medical company.
"Do you want me to relay these words to Kal'tsit?"
"Whether you tell her or not, don't you think that old cucumber has already guessed it? She's just waiting for an opportunity to prove Rhodes Island to me. That opportunity just hasn't come yet."
"What about this medicine…?"
"I won't sell it for now. However, if someone's Oripathy reaches a critical stage, you can come to me. If it's purely to save someone, I can sell you some."
Steven waved his hand dismissively.
He had considered this earlier and had no intention of repeating himself.
Gavial appeared a bit disappointed but quickly hid it.
Such matters would naturally require time.
But at least there was now a sense of hope and possibility, right?
Steven wasn't going to disappear suddenly.
Rhodes Island still had plenty of time.
Moreover, with Steven's statement, it was practically like handing out a lifeline to all the Oripathy patients there.
As long as there was time, there was still a chance.
"Alright then. Do you still need me to keep testing this medicine? I think I can handle it."
Gavial didn't dwell further on the earlier topic. Instead, she smiled lightly at Steven, asking if he needed her for further experiments.
"Don't. You look like you're barely holding it together. Just go back and rest properly. Let me think about adding something else into this."
Steven shook his head.
Gavial might claim she was fine, but her pale face betrayed otherwise.
He had gathered enough data from this test already. Next, he needed to think about how to minimize side effects after the medicine took effect.
Rather, it wasn't really about side effects; it was more about mitigating the immediate physical strain the medicine caused patients once it purged the Oripathy from their bodies.
He still needed to optimize that further.
"Oh, by the way, did you really manage to find that so-called 'Dragon's Breath' you were looking for? Don't tell me you actually found a Draco out in the frozen borderlands of Ursus?"
When Gavial heard Steven mention this, she seemed to remember something and shot a curious glance his way.
She recalled that one of Steven's stated purposes for traveling to Ursus had been to find a Draco and acquire its Dragon's Breath.
Seeing the satisfied look on his face, could he have truly succeeded?
"Yeah, perhaps it was just fate. But that thing has no effect on this medicine I'm making. It's intended for something else entirely."
As he spoke about the Draco girl, Talulah's pouting, annoyed expression flashed through Steven's mind, inadvertently bringing a faint smile to his lips.
Come to think of it, he'd only left for about a day—surely that girl and the guerrilla fighters wouldn't have encountered trouble that quickly?
"So…you really did find a Draco and got her to spit for you?"
When Gavial thought about the peculiar material Steven needed, she felt at a loss for words.
Frankly, she was relieved he hadn't added any of that so-called Dragon's Breath to what she'd just consumed.
Otherwise, she'd probably have felt a bit queasy.
"What's wrong? Relax. She was a...well, a pretty young girl, after all. You know how it is—cute girls don't have bad breath. In fact, it smelled sweet and pleasant."
Steven naturally understood what Gavial was thinking.
He'd indeed considered this aspect carefully.
After all, it was a component he'd be relying on, and ensuring product quality was a priority.
And honestly, things turned out exactly as he'd described—not simply exaggerating to compliment Talulah.
Somehow, perhaps owing to her natural qualities, her Dragon's Breath lacked any unpleasant odor. Instead, it carried a unique fragrance characteristic of a girl her age.
"Never mind. The more you describe it that way, the stranger it sounds. And really—a Draco girl? Your luck is truly something else..."
Gavial sighed helplessly, giving Steven an amused look.
This guy seemed to have an unusually strong affinity with attractive women.
Even the Draco he encountered turned out to be a girl?
Weren't Dracos nearly extinct?
Could there really still be youthful, beautiful Draco girls around?
"Oh well, no need to worry about it. Anyway, you should head back and get some rest. I'll let you know if I need you to test anything else."
Steven motioned to indicate she could leave, but then suddenly remembered something else, casually asking Gavial a less important question:
"By the way, where is Rhodes Island heading now?"
"From what Dr. Kal'tsit mentioned, our next stop...should be Kazimierz?"
<+>
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