Half an hour later, his body gradually warmed up. After changing into a set of clean clothes, Brian Carter walked into the living room.

He had absolutely no memory of why he had fallen asleep in the bathroom, nor why he was soaked through. He only remembered taking the gene optimization serum, and now he was eager to figure out exactly what ability he had gained.

He tried moving his body. The gene optimization serum he took last night hadn’t left any side effects. Now, both physically and mentally, Brian Carter felt great—he felt power surging through his whole body.

In the living room hung a canvas punching bag, patched all over, old and heavy.

Brian Carter narrowed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

He swung his right fist out fiercely!

Bang!

The heavy punching bag swayed slightly.

“Huh?”

Brian Carter could hardly believe his eyes. That punch just now was obviously much faster than before—almost like the legendary “shadowless hand.”

There were two possibilities: either Brian Carter’s eyes were playing tricks on him, or the gene optimization serum had increased his speed.

The room was far too cramped to really stretch out.

Brian Carter walked down the stairs to the backyard.

The backyard was the abandoned workshop of a leather factory. Walking through it, you could still smell that sour stench. The weeds showed remarkable vitality in this environment, growing wildly from the road and rooftops.

It was early morning, and all around was empty. A white stray cat was lazily lounging on the roof, yawning.

Brian Carter broke into a run along the weed-choked path, the wind howling past his ears. “Such speed—this must be a superpower! A speed ability!” Brian Carter was overjoyed.

Combat-type abilities were the most common. Among all humans who had unlocked the seventh brain region, over seventy percent would gain combat-type abilities.

Combat abilities were divided into three main categories: speed abilities, strength abilities, and special abilities.

Of these, strength abilities were the most common, accounting for over eighty percent. Speed abilities came next, at about fifteen percent, and less than five percent of people would gain special abilities.

Ahead on the path was a low wall, about 1.78 meters high. Brian Carter pushed off hard with his left foot and vaulted over the wall, his form more perfect than a professional hurdler.

This was what it meant to be “as fast as flying”!

By Brian Carter’s estimation, his current 100-meter dash time should be around five seconds.

The ten-second barrier, which ordinary people found insurmountable, had been shattered overnight. Brian Carter had transformed from an ordinary bicycle courier into one of the rare superpowered individuals on Earth.

Amid his excitement, Brian Carter couldn’t help but marvel at the power of the seventh brain region.

A five-second 100 meters was by no means his limit. In the foreseeable future, Brian Carter was sure he could reach even greater speeds—speeds unimaginable to ordinary people!

Back home, Brian Carter took a cold shower as fast as he could, then changed into a fresh set of clothes—the previous set was already soaked with sweat.

Riding his Giant-brand road bike, Brian Carter headed straight for the west side of the city, where the Federal A-Class Citizen Administration was located.

The Beijing branch of the Earth Federation A-Class Citizen Administration was situated in the bustling western district. This area used to be home to various embassies, but now that the Federation had been established and all 224 countries had been abolished, embassies had gradually faded from people’s memories.

A-Class citizens, also known as superpowered citizens, were a hallmark of the new era. Ever since humanity discovered the seventh brain region, federal citizens had been classified by rank.

Those who hadn’t unlocked the seventh brain region were called ordinary citizens, while those who had were A-Class citizens.

The Earth Federation was still in the early stages of cosmic civilization, and every superpowered individual was extremely valuable. The government, military, and large multinational corporations were all scrambling to recruit them, offering incredibly generous benefits.

Once you became a Federal A-Class citizen, you not only enjoyed numerous privileges, but also immediately received a cash reward of 100,000 Federation credits.

“Once I get the money, I’ll move out of the slums, then find a decent job. I’ll never have to look at Wang Er’s wife’s tragic face again,” Brian Carter thought happily.

Brian Carter weaved through the streets on his bike like a nimble eel. From a distance, he could already see the imposing twelve-story building and the large golden emblem.

A giant letter “A” was engraved on the building, dazzlingly bright, as if constantly reminding people of the uniqueness of this place.

Brian Carter parked his bike and strode inside.

At the reception desk stood a young woman, looking to be in her early twenties.

“Hello, I’m here to register for A-Class citizen status.”

As soon as he said this, the people who had been scattered around the lobby hurried over, each holding a beautifully wrapped package, all trying to shove them into Brian Carter’s hands.

“I represent Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. I hope you’ll consider joining our company in the future. We offer excellent pay and benefits,” a young business representative said as he handed over his company’s brochure and a gift.

“Pfizer! One of the world’s top 500 companies—the one that invented Viagra!” Brian Carter thought in amazement.