Chapter 11

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Chapter 11: Disgusting

Since it’s a banned drug, there’s a good reason for it to be prohibited. Once someone uses this drug, their body becomes infected with a bacterium called “Black Element,” which is lethal and currently incurable.

The more it’s used, the more severe the infection, and the faster one dies. But even if someone uses it just once, their fate is already sealed.

At first, there were no noticeable symptoms. Within two months, however, the user begins experiencing frequent dizziness and vomiting. Soon after, they become so weak that they’re confined to bed, unable to move, and gradually lose their appetite. Ultimately, they die in a haze of pain and confusion.

Historically, the longest someone survived after using it was ten years, though those final years were spent in constant agony.

What’s worse, certain abilities come with immediate side effects. The physical enhancement variant is the most obvious. While it temporarily boosts the user’s strength, the muscles swell excessively. Once the drug wears off, the extreme muscle shrinkage often causes the user’s original muscles to atrophy as well.

That’s unlikely, right? He’s only thirteen. What could have driven him to such desperation…?

“Mi Xiaoliu, are you in any clubs?” Yiwen asked, resting her head on the desk and turning to look at Mi Xiaoliu.

“Clubs?”

“Yeah. With your kind of ability, improving your physical fitness could enhance it. If you’re not in a club yet, why don’t you join the tennis club with me?” She gave her a wink.

Jim commented, “Even I, as a guy, felt my heart skip a beat when Yiwen winked like that.”

“Will being fit mean I won’t go hungry?” Mi Xiaoliu asked.

That unexpected question left Yiwen momentarily at a loss for words.

A strange pang of sadness rose in her chest.

“Everyone, quiet down for a moment,” a voice interrupted.

Three students with red armbands walked into the classroom. Judging by their appearances, they were likely a year or two older—members of the student council.

“Sorry to interrupt. We just need two minutes of your time. Is there anyone in this class with self-healing abilities? Please raise your hand.”

Including Mi Xiaoliu, seven students raised their hands. It was surprising to see so many. Self-healing abilities weren’t exactly common, and for a class of fewer than fifty students to have seven such individuals was almost unheard of.

Two student council members moved to the multi-media station and plugged in a USB drive, opening a prepared slideshow.

The screen displayed a series of hospital scenes:

– A man crying in pain after an amputation.

– A child who had lost all their hair due to chemotherapy.

– A girl about to enter surgery, smiling and giving a thumbs-up to the camera, contrasted by her tearful family nearby.

Accompanied by somber music, one heart-wrenching image after another played, silencing the previously whispering class.

Though most students understood that the student council’s visit likely had little to do with them, no one dared break the somber mood by acting out.

The lead student, a boy with neatly parted hair, stepped forward:

“I assume many of you are new transfers. Before I came in, I noticed some of you keeping your heads down, not really talking to anyone.” He glanced briefly at Mi Xiaoliu.

“I know some of you might be feeling a bit lost, having just awakened your abilities. Maybe people you used to know and trust have started avoiding you, and the future seems uncertain. That’s normal. Everyone here, including us and even some of the teachers, has been through it. But really, what we’re going through isn’t the end of the world…”

He began with a speech meant to build rapport and ease tension. Then, stepping aside, he gestured to the tragic, sorrowful images displayed on the screen.

The speaker began with a heartfelt opening meant to foster connection and comfort the audience. Then, stepping aside, he gestured toward the sorrowful and tragic images projected on the screen.

“As we enjoy our carefree and peaceful time on campus… Yes, I believe we are indeed living a carefree life. Because elsewhere in the world, countless desperate families are facing devastating pain and illness. They sell their homes, they scrape together everything they have—because lying in that hospital bed might be their parents, their children, or their spouses.”

“But even if they manage to gather the money, all they can buy is a slim chance at surgery. For over a century, what has tormented humanity most is illness and the heartbreak of loss.”

“Today, thanks to advances in medical technology and the emergence of individuals with self-healing abilities, we’ve been able to overcome many diseases that were once considered terminal…”

At this point, even those who had just awakened their abilities and weren’t entirely sure what was happening began to realize the purpose of this visit.

“Our school is currently hosting a voluntary blood donation drive exclusively for self-healing ability users. The blood you donate will be used for medical research to help save these desperate patients. For you, this might just be a routine blood donation. But this 400ml of blood could potentially save countless families.”

“The hospital will remember the name of every donor. As self-healers, you may not have the opportunity to fight evil directly, but you still have the chance to be heroes behind the scenes, saving lives…”

The impassioned and emotional speech stretched across the entire ten-minute break. Even the prepared and waiting chubby teacher at the door didn’t have the heart to interrupt them.

Apart from Mi Xiaoliu, the other six self-healing students volunteered their names.

After Sasha explained the meaning of blood donation to her, Mi Xiaoliu lowered her head deeply, much like she had when drawing memories earlier. She instinctively hugged her arms tightly—holding herself close.

“Classmate, aren’t you going to participate?” The lead student council member approached Mi Xiaoliu. His memory was sharp enough to recall that she was among those who had raised their hands earlier. He also remembered her as the quiet, withdrawn student he had referred to in his speech.

Mi Xiaoliu shook her head.

Disgusting. That was the feeling. She had learned the meaning of the word Disgusting on her first day—not just the physical sensation but also the deep psychological unease.

The thought of someone taking her blood filled her with an overwhelming sense of revulsion, like molten lava surging from a volcano.

The thought of someone wanting to draw her blood caused a surge of revulsion to erupt like molten lava within her.

It was a visceral, instinctive disgust, so intense that she even felt a fleeting urge to pull the red pen from her personal space and drive it straight into the boy’s brain—despite the fact that he hadn’t actually tried to force her.

“Self-healers who participate in blood donation are eligible for certain social benefits, such as…” The student council member tried to continue persuading her.

Many self-healers possessed unique recovery traits, and it was possible that the blood of one overlooked individual could lead to the discovery of a miracle cure for countless diseases.

“If you keep talking, this will become moral coercion,” Yiwen gently reminded him in a calm voice.

Hearing this, the student council member could only sigh and leave with the registration form.

Though it was indeed a form of moral coercion, after Mi Xiaoliu refused to donate blood, it seemed that many of her classmates began whispering about her.

It wasn’t that they thought she had to donate blood, but her behavior stood out for being so out of sync with the group.

The other six had all volunteered, leaving her as the sole outlier.