Chapter 258: Chapter 257: Bottle? Bottle! Chapter 258: Chapter 257: Bottle? Bottle! Genetic engineering, difficult yet simple,
In modern Earth’s education, high school students already encounter some knowledge related to it. Simply put, it involves constructing hybrid DNA molecules outside the body, then introducing them into living cells to alter the organisms’ original genetic traits, obtaining new breeds, new products.
The steps required are only four—just one more step than putting an elephant in a refrigerator:
First, extract the target gene;
Second, combine the target gene with a carrier;
Third, introduce the target gene into the recipient cells;
Fourth, detect and express the target gene.
But while it’s simple in theory, practically it’s quite challenging, technically speaking.
Genetic engineering changes genes, operating at the base level, requiring “Nucleic Acid Gel Electrophoresis Technology,” “Nucleic Acid Molecule Hybridization Technology,” “DNA Sequence Analysis Technology,” “Gene Site Mutation Technology,” and other advanced techniques for support.
For this reason, genetic engineering didn’t develop until the 1970s on modern Earth, only then was there adequate technological capacity and the necessary equipment for operations.
In a current Medieval Wizard World, let alone other considerations, even making an electronic microscope would be difficult, not to mention the required PCR machines and electrophoresis equipment.
This has nothing to do with personal wisdom, but rather the limitations of the world.
Undertaking genetic engineering with the capabilities of this world is like asking a hundred-meter giant to hold an embroidery needle and perform micro-carving on a walnut.
That’s simply impossible.
Richard frowned, unwilling to give up so easily, pacing back and forth in the room, pondering.
Meanwhile, Gutas, tied to a chair, made a “tsk tsk” sound.
Richard raised his eyebrows at him. Gutas appeared unconcerned, as if saying, “Don’t mind me, I’m just happy seeing you worry”—this might be the only revenge he could muster.
Richard ignored him and continued pacing, while Gutas’s “tsk tsk” sound kept ringing out.
Richard stopped, looking at Gutas.
At this moment, Gutas wasn’t gagged and he said, “Don’t look at me, you evil alchemist. You must have encountered some problem, huh? Heh, just keep thinking, I won’t disturb you, tsk tsk.”
Richard frowned deeply and said, “The reason I haven’t gagged you is that you have been reasonably cooperative lately, or rather, you’re left with no choice. But if you intend to disturb my thoughts with your clucking, then I don’t mind gagging your mouth forever—after all, you don’t need it to eat, do you?”
As he spoke, Richard flipped his hand and pulled out a conical bottle from the Space Iron Ring, stepping towards Gutas.
“You probably haven’t heard about people swallowing light bulbs? Well, swallowing a conical bottle is much the same. Because of the temporomandibular joint, I can easily put this conical bottle into your mouth, but once inside, the bottle occupies the oral cavity space, preventing the temporomandibular joint from sliding forward, ensuring you absolutely cannot remove the conical bottle intact. Want to give it a try?”
“I…” Gutas fell silent. He didn’t understand Richard’s meaning, but he understood one thing—standing up to Richard would never end well.
Gutas promptly cowered, turning his head away in silence.
“That’s best,” Richard said, turning to pace again, his hands continuously stroking the surface of the conical bottle, thinking relentlessly.
Richard twirled the conical bottle in his hands, thoughts racing through his mind…
After a while, Richard couldn’t find any leads. He sat down in a nearby chair, somewhat frustrated. His gaze naturally fell on the conical bottle in his hand, just as he was about to put it back into the Space Iron Ring, his eyes suddenly flickered.
Flicker, flicker, flicker thrice.
Conical bottle? Bottle?
Richard thought of something, casually placed the conical bottle on the table next to him, flipped his hand, and took out another bottle from the Space Iron Ring—a Drifting Bottle.
Why was he researching the secret of the “Spartan Heroic Potion” and the Bloodline Seed? It was because he had completed a phase in his research on the Drifting Bottle and had hit a bottleneck.
So, why had he completed a phase in his research on the Drifting Bottle and hit a bottleneck? It was because the basic Magic Rune on the Drifting Bottle had been successfully deciphered. The remaining runes were either unclear in their effects or too complex, like hybrid cells.
DNA-level hereditary material modification?
Isn’t this just genetic engineering?!
Well, of course, to be precise, this belonged to the genetic engineering means of wizards in this world. Its mechanism was unknown; one could only know it emulated some effects of genetic engineering.
This effect was in some ways uncontrollable; it might give a different output than what was desired.
But if it didn’t work once, he could experiment twice; if not twice, then three times; if not thrice, then ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times—as long as he kept going, eventually, there would be a successful attempt.
Richard’s gaze sharpened, feeling he had found a way to solve the problem.
He could foresee that for a long period to come, he would devote a certain amount of time every day to researching cell fusion cultivation, and it would be a long time before he succeeded.
However, he was confident that as long as he persevered, he would eventually achieve the desired results.
This could totally be considered a routine task.
And in addition to this daily work, he could completely engage in other research simultaneously—like studying the mechanism of Magic Runes.
Of course, before embarking on all this, the first thing he needed to do was… to draw some blood from Gutas first.
Richard turned his head to look at Gutas, who was behaving obediently, then suddenly felt a chill all over, staring at Richard and his distinctly different gaze, his voice trembling, “What… what are you going to do?”
“Nothing much, just drawing some blood, you’re used to it.”
“Used to it my foot, hold on! You said you’re drawing blood, why are you holding such a large needle? Why is that blood-collecting tube so much thicker than before, are you really drawing blood? How much are you planning to draw this time, are you planning to drain me? Dammit, you evil alchemist, don’t come any closer! Get away, get away, you’re not just drawing blood, you’re going to kill me! Ah, get away, ge—mmm mmm mmm…”
Struggling, Gutas was effectively silenced by Richard stuffing a conical bottle into his mouth. Then the large needle pierced into his body, and he started to draw blood fiercely.
After a while, Gutas stopped struggling, lying limply in the chair, feeling waves of darkness before his eyes, dizzy, panicky, his hands and feet growing cold, feeling like he was about to die, his heart filled with utter despair, though it was really just from having too much blood drawn too quickly.
Richard ignored Gutas, busied himself saving the blood, preparing cell culture medium, and getting ready for the following plans.