Why it never ends

Chapter 1193 Cells
Hershta saw the laboratory classification marked with the letter "S," below the Triple Crescent sign. Reaching this point, even someone completely ignorant of biohazards would instinctively sense danger.

When Victoria was silent, the only sound in the world was the wind whistling through her protective suit. Hester followed closely, the subtle unease growing stronger, as if death itself lurked in the darkness, in every silent corner. Anyone who passed by could be slashed by its scythe with an unhealable wound, and she and Victoria were powerless to stop it.

The speed, power, and combat experience of mercury needles are meaningless here... Their only weapon is this clumsy, heavy protective suit.

"Do you know about NDM-1?" Victoria suddenly asked.

Hershta's eyes flickered slightly—did she know NDM-1? Of course she did; it was Boheng's code name in the Pious Front. And Victoria obviously knew she did too—after all, they had met and chatted together. Hershta didn't understand why Victoria would suddenly bring up this person at this time, especially in such a way that she already knew the answer.

“I know,” Hersta replied cautiously.

This time it was Victoria's turn to be shocked. She looked at Hester with some surprise: "...Oh, you know? How did you know?"

"...What exactly do you want to say? Just say it."

Victoria chuckled twice, then gestured as she always did when explaining things: "The function of the NDM-1 enzyme is to cut key segments of antibiotic molecules, rendering the antibiotic ineffective. Its activity depends on zinc ions..."

Hersta was confused again until she finally realized that NDM-1, which Victoria had mentioned, was actually what it was: an enzyme that could render many antibiotics ineffective.

“The same principle,” Victoria continued, “is why mercury injections provide immunity against chelating bacteria because we have a special defense protein in our bodies. When special receptors on our vascular endothelial cells and immune cells detect the signal of spores approaching, they can precisely identify the outer membrane glycopeptides of chelating bacteria, rejecting the attachment and invasion of spores. Subsequently, our immune system releases this protein—which we call the ZNF factor—which can cause the chelating bacteria spores to calcify and become inactive…”

Victoria raised her arm and made a peace sign.

"But have you ever considered that this protein itself can also be destroyed? Just as NDM-1 cuts through key fragments of antibiotics, is there something in this world that can cut through all mercury-based immunity against chelation disease?"

Hester held his breath again: "What...is it?"

“It hasn’t been officially named yet. It’s a virus, and we’ll call it the ‘Clementine Sample’ for now… This virus produces an enzyme in the infected person’s body that destroys the ZNF factor,” Victoria said softly. “Ordinary people don’t experience any symptoms from it, and neither do mercury injections… It seems so.”

Victoria paused for a moment.

"Until chelation bacteria invade."

Victoria led Hersta into a laboratory. She operated a microscope inside a biosafety cabinet, while Hersta stood in the control room watching the images on the screen—images magnified nearly 20,000 times.

Initially, Victoria showed her a group of healthy human cells, which served as a control group; each cell was plump and intact.

Next, she showed ordinary human cells invaded by chelated fungal spores. These were noticeably deformed, with hyphae and buds growing extracellularly, and the cell membranes appeared damaged. Victoria then demonstrated ordinary human cells infected with clemontine and invaded by spores; they looked largely the same. In contrast, the cells from the mercury needle were much healthier; although some cells showed slight deformation, almost no hyphae or buds were visible. Victoria explained that if left untreated, these cells would eventually be destroyed, given that this was done in vitro.

"So, the last sample was a mercury needle cell that had been infected with 'Clemontin' and then invaded by chelating bacteria."

The image began to shake as Victoria replaced the sample, searching for the target in her field of vision. When the image finally stabilized, Hershta's pupils trembled slightly—almost none of the cells in front of him were normal. The hyphae were thicker than the previous human sample, and most of the cells had been ruptured, broken, and their cytoplasm had leaked out.

“The full power of ‘Clematis’ will be unleashed within the mercury needle,” Victoria said softly, “but we don’t yet know why…”

Hershta frowned in disbelief. She could vaguely detect a slight excitement in Victoria's tone, like a teacher suddenly discovering a gifted student in her class, or a playful child finding a powerful toy on the roadside... She seemed completely unaware that she was also one of the hosts that this deadly virus could attack.

But that's impossible, because the one currently handling these deadly viruses in the glove box is Victoria herself.

Having completed the demonstration, Victoria emerged from the control room. Hershta's reaction pleased her greatly—she didn't shout or scream, nor did she groan or sigh in despair, as if she had known this reality all along and thus calmly accepted everything.

Just as Victoria was about to go up and joke with her, she noticed that Hersta's eyes were filled with an indescribable terror, and her face was almost bloodless.

“Jane…?” Victoria stepped forward. “Jane, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

"This thing... being placed here means... it's highly contagious, right?"

Victoria nodded: "Yes, contaminated blood products, contaminated water or injections, bodily fluids... can all transmit the virus. Currently, it has been found to be extremely stable in water, while its aerosol transmission ability is relatively weak—"

"You just said that after infection, mercury injections will not cause any symptoms until they are invaded by chelate bacteria—so during the asymptomatic period, does this virus continue to replicate? Or is it possible that it is metabolized by the body?"

“...it is virtually impossible for the virus to be eliminated through its own metabolism, but it will not continue to replicate,” Victoria said. “The virus will maintain an average concentration.”

Is it still contagious during this period?

"of course."

silence.

In the silence, Victoria sensed a hint of danger: "Jane, you..."

“Do we have any testing methods to confirm whether we are infected?” Hesta murmured. “Last year, I might… I might have come into contact with someone…”