Chapter 36: The Role of the Virus
Ian took a deep breath as he began to feel the changes in his body once again. But this time, carefully, to not miss any details. The changes were rapid and still ongoing.
Ian wasn't aware that a smile had crept up on his face due to the exhilaration of having his strength go up. After all, the feeling of getting stronger was quite addictive!
It took five minutes before the process ended. "Alas, this potion has such a drawback. If I could consume a few more times, I might reach the Grand Elder level of strength in no time." A hint of regret appeared in Ian's eyes. He found it a pity, but he wasn't truly desperate for it.
Ian understood that he didn't need to take unnecessary risks. Even though he had the system, he couldn't ignore the risk of genetic collapse that the virus had. It was also at this moment that he realized why there was a huge gap in terms of strength even among Elder-level vampires. It might be due to the virus!
The difference between Elders who had consumed the virus and those who hadn't lay in the quality of their muscular strength, testosterone level beyond racial limits, etc...
'This world makes no sense sometimes,' Ian thought. 'How can even testosterone affect a vampire? Aren't vampires undead? Shouldn't testosterone only affect humans?'
Ian frowned. Yet he couldn't make sense of it even if he tried to think about it. 'Could it be that vampires are actually still affected by damned hormones?'
His skepticism was well-founded... On the surface, it does seem absurd that something as human as testosterone would impact an undead creature like a vampire. However, the explanation lies in the unique physiology of vampires.
You see, vampires, though classified as undead, are not entirely devoid of biological functions. When a human is turned into a vampire, their body undergoes a unique transmutation, a process wherein key hormonal pathways are restructured, not eliminated.