Having lived for fifty thousand years, Lilith sometimes would take the opportunity and sleep for decades when she got bored. She had a long lifespan as after fifty thousand years had passed, she hadnât shown the slightest sign of aging. It was even possible that her lifespan was infinite. Each of her activities was measured in units of ten or a hundred years.
Because of this, she had never really considered the issue of Leoâs shorter lifespan.
She nodded as if she had suddenly grasped something and said, âYouâre correct. I hadnât thought about this issue.â
But then, she became extremely disheartened, âHowever, throughout my fifty thousand years of existence, you are the only person I encountered who can talk with me and I canât find anyone else to aid me.â
Feigning to think for a moment, Leo then replied, âHold on, Lilith. Hear me out, what do you think about this idea?â
Lilithâs attention was immediately attracted by Leo.
âAfter I return to the real world, I can try to help you find that person, and if possible, I can even help you in searching for your home planet in the universe. But I canât guarantee that Iâll be successful. If I fail, please donât blame me.â
âMmm, I wonât blame you, Leo. Thank you, youâre really kind.â With just a few words, Lilith was swayed by Leo and agreed to his proposal.
And that was exactly what Leo wanted. A relatively unrestrained agreement.
Although he couldnât comprehend why Lilith, a being that lived for fifty thousand years, still had such a naive and innocent demeanor, at least she was reasonable.
After Leo mooched off the benefits Lilith gave, he now had a legitimate reason to avoid doing anything without worrying that the goddess would suddenly appear before him one day and deliver a fatal divine punishment.
With this assurance, he could comfortably start demanding his share of benefits.
Without further waiting, he unabashedly began making his requests, âLilith, as you know, my lifespan is short. But if I want to try to fulfill your two requests, Iâll have to invest more time, which will further reduce my limited lifespan. So, can you give me some compensation?â
âThatâs only fair,â Lilith responded with a serious expression. It was her first time making a deal with someone and she didnât want it to be unfair. But she was unsure what she could offer to Leo to achieve true fairness. After all, Leo was sacrificing his time and limited lifespan. So she made up her mind and decided to give Leo everything she could offer.
âHe shouldnât come out at a loss, right?â Lilith thought to herself.
Noticing that Litith remained silent and appeared to be lost in thought, Leo chose to remain silent, determined not to ask for any benefits for himself because he had no idea what Lilith would offer him in return. Besides, the goddess appeared to be completely unfamiliar with worldly affairs. If he were to speak up hastily, he felt he would end up at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Lilith had made up her mind as her ethereal voice resounded once again, âLeo, I can summon an ample amount of life essence to strengthen your physical body in the real world. But how much energy your body can absorb and how far it can be enhanced depends on your physical qualities. I canât decide that for you. Itâll depend on your capabilities.â
Leo nodded calmly without expressing any trace of excitement in his heart. This treatment was something Bucky also had. It was merely a matter of quantity, nothing special. He firmly believed that Lilith couldnât possibly offer only this much in return.
As expected, Lilith continued, âThe life essence contained in the heart-shaped herb carries an imprint of my soul. So any living being that undergoes enhancement will have its cells marked with the âenhancedâ label. Unless they drink a potion made from the roots and stems of the herb to dispel the enhancement effect, they wonât be able to benefit from consuming the herb again. No matter how much you consume, it wonât have any effect.â
Since Bucky already made attempts before, Leo was well aware of this.
Lilith continued her words, âHowever, I can place a mark within your body which will automatically negate the âenhancedâ label through the influence of the mark. This way, if your physical qualities are further enhanced through other means in the future, you can still consume the herb and undergo body enhancement once more through the life essence.â
Leo was aware that the enhancement effect of the herb could be removed because it was depicted in the movie âBlack Panther.â Now, having heard Lilithâs explanation, he became more knowledgeable.
It turned out that grinding the roots and stems of the herb into a potion and drinking it could remove the enhancement effect.
However, regarding the matter of the âenhancedâ label, he had no clear idea about it.
If what Liltih said was true, once she removed this restriction from Leo, would he gain another means of continuous growth?
Just think about it, Leoâs Mechanical Force could slowly increase his physical qualities. Since he obtained the âSuper Soldier Physique (Inferior)â last time, his Mechanical Force had surged in quantity.
Now, after nearly three years had passed, the sudden increase in Mechanical Force had gradually elevated his physical qualities to a level comparable to Buckyâs.
So, if he were to consume the herb now, his physical qualities would undoubtedly increase once again and his Mechanical Force would experience a sudden surge in power.
With just another year or so of patient waiting, once the surging Mechanical Force feedbacks to his body, his physique would improve greatly. Then, he could consume the herb once more and undergo further enhancement.
In this repetitive cycle, as long as he had enough time, his physical qualities could steadily improve.
By doing so, his physical qualities could catch up to, or even surpass, Thor, the God of Thunder. Who knows, in the future, he might be able to survive in the vacuum of space with just his body and even withstand the concentrated energy impact of an entire star.
The heart-shaped herb was a perfect match for Leo!
But the prerequisite was that Lilith needed to place a mark within his body and he felt somewhat hesitant about this mark, so he openly voiced his concerns.
Lilith chuckled lightly and explained, âDonât worry about it. The mark Iâll place on your body is essentially the same as the âenhancedâ label that comes with consuming the herb. They both enable your body to secrete a special protein. If you have reservations about the mark, then I suppose you wouldnât even be able to consume the herb.â
Despite having a slight hesitation in his mind, Leo wasnât too bothered by it. After all, he already possessed an enigmatic system and inexplicably acquired incredible strength. Wasnât he using it happily?
Furthermore, if he were to fret over this, he wouldâve been tangled up when he received vaccinations in his past lifeâŚ
Now, with the secretion of a special protein within his body, it bore a striking resemblance to the production of antibodies through vaccines in the real world.
Realizing this, he completely let go of his concerns.
Since he desired to become stronger, the herb was an opportunity he couldnât afford to miss. The fact that both the Black Panther and Bucky had consumed it helped alleviate his worries through the principle of following the crowd.
After resolving this psychological hurdle, he remembered an important issue, âLilith, even if you remove the restrictions in my body, what should I do in the future when I want to continue strengthening myself with the herb? Frankly speaking, I do have the intention of helping you find your home planet. If I happen to be in space and my body undergoes enhancement through some means, will I have to rush back here to consume the herb? Itâs quite inconvenient, isnât it?â