Chapter 120: Surprises and Doubts (First Installment)

"How do you feel?"

"Is there any discomfort or anything that feels off?"

In their eagerness, the moment the ten soldiers were enhanced by the Little Deer, Professor Qin and a group of researchers immediately stepped forward to inquire.

To demonstrate its sincerity and to allow humanity to more clearly recognize the power of its abilities, the Little Deer had prioritized the enhancement of these ten soldiers during this negotiation.

Once the enhancement was complete, the Little Deer left immediately.

Its current level of communication with humans was sufficient; for the time being, it only needed to wait for these people to bring more deer herds.

Overflowing with vital essence, the Little Deer had to continue constructing its third forest ring after departing from the base camp, so it had no interest in lingering to observe their discussions.

"I don't feel any discomfort at all. On the contrary, I feel as though my entire body is brimming with strength."

Military representative Deng Wenbin clenched his fists, then performed a few light jumps to stretch his body.

At this moment, he felt an immense sense of power throughout his frame, though he also felt somewhat strange due to his sudden, significant increase in height.

How should he put it? It felt fantastic, but it would take some time to adapt.

"Brimming with power?"

Professor Qin looked hesitant, then said, "Colonel Deng, could you demonstrate this strength for us now?"

"Yes, I can try. I'm also curious to see what level of physical fitness this so-called limit of enhancement has brought me to."

Deng Wenbin nodded and looked around.

Finding nothing suitable for a test, he finally said, "Let's do this: I'll try to punch the ground beneath our feet with all my might."

The group nodded.

Deng Wenbin smiled, and without hesitation, his expression turned serious.

He looked down at the ground, his face calm, and then—

"Hah!"

With a fierce shout, Deng Wenbin lunged forward. Veins popped out on his arm as he struck with powerful momentum and a whistling sound of displaced air.

"Thud!"

His fist connected with the seemingly ordinary, dry, packed earth, producing a dull, muffled sound that wasn't particularly loud.

Those standing nearby felt only a slight tremor beneath their feet.

Deng Wenbin’s fist had left a dent several centimeters deep in the ground, roughly the size of his fist.

For a moment, his knuckles were congested with blood, appearing intensely red.

It looked like an injury, but in reality, it was merely a natural phenomenon caused by the surge of blood to his arm during the explosive release of power.

As such, shortly after the strike, the bulging veins and the reddish flush on his knuckles began to subside.

For a normal person, even someone at the level of a world-class martial artist, punching dry, packed earth with a bare fist would result in a dent, but the skin on the hand would undoubtedly be damaged.

Furthermore, the reactive force of the hard earth could not be underestimated; striking it without protection could easily lead to a dislocated arm.

But what about Deng Wenbin?

After leaving a crater in the ground, he merely let out a soft breath. He lifted his arm, and as the crimson color faded, his hand remained completely intact, with no signs of discomfort in his body whatsoever.

The limit of a Tier 1 lifeform granted Deng Wenbin a specific trait related to power and physical durability. Under the amplification of this trait, his strength and physical condition were entirely on par with the state Ji Yu had previously reached at his own Tier 1 limit.

"This?"

Looking at the deep fist print on the ground and then at the perfectly intact back of Deng Wenbin's hand, which he held up to the crowd, the researchers' faces immediately lit up with joy.

However, unlike the others, Professor Qin appeared lost in thought. "Colonel Deng’s increase in strength is indeed not to be underestimated, but it doesn't seem to be a qualitative transformation, does it?"

"Colonel Deng, do you have any other unique changes, such as in your mental state? Or perhaps some other peculiar sensations?"

Deng Wenbin looked regretful at the professor's question.

He shook his head and replied, "The only change I can feel at the moment is in my strength. As for the mental or other unique changes you mentioned, I truly don't have any."

"However, my vision has improved, and I feel very light on my feet. Perhaps my speed has also increased significantly."

"An increase in strength inevitably leads to an improvement in overall physical quality; feeling light doesn't necessarily mean anything," Professor Qin sighed.

"It seems this 'Spirit Fawn' is still holding back on us."

As Professor Qin said this, Deng Wenbin unexpectedly spoke up to refute him.

Deng Wenbin turned serious and said, "Professor, you might be wrong about that. Unless you felt what we felt during the enhancement, you wouldn't understand."

"I am certain that the Spirit Fawn did not hold back."

"During the process, I could feel that at a certain moment, the power from the Spirit Fawn could no longer be absorbed by my body."

"That feeling was very clear. I could even sense the power the Spirit Fawn gave us dissipating rapidly from our bodies at a certain point."

"Perhaps this is an expression of the body's limit in containing such mysterious energy."

"Furthermore, Professor Qin, have you noticed? The Spirit Fawn has such a large herd, but why are there only those ten or so deer that are significantly larger than the rest?"

When Deng Wenbin said this, Professor Qin seemed to have a sudden realization.

"I think I understand. Colonel Deng, you mean that every creature has a limit, and this limit varies depending on the individual, which is why there are so few of those rare, second-type deer in the herd?"

Deng Wenbin nodded. "That might be the true meaning of the 'limit' that that fairy-like creature spoke of. The limit can be broken, but it may involve a great deal of luck. That is the conclusion I have reached for now."

Hearing Deng Wenbin’s explanation, Professor Qin suddenly grasped the situation.

"Perhaps that is indeed the case. However, whether this change is entirely beneficial remains to be seen. We will have to wait until we finish analyzing the blood samples from you and the other soldiers."

"Additionally, we must report our situation back immediately. Overall, establishing contact with the Spirit Fawn is a rare achievement, not to mention reaching this current trade agreement."

"However, I am now even more curious: how did the Spirit Fawn, or that lady fairy, learn the Ryan language? This is truly full of suspicious points."

"An otherworldly creature, a giant deer born less than two months ago—how did it learn our human language without any contact with humans?"

"There may be secrets here that are worth us digging deeper into."