Chapter 1706

Since it was a poison, an antidote must exist. Finding the poisoner offered the most direct route to obtaining it. Who would have thought the man would be "dead" before finding her? This sudden change left Elijah relying solely on Dominic.

"He's not poisoned. He's been injected with a catalyst."

Elijah was stunned. He blinked, questioning his hearing. If his ears functioned correctly, his comprehension must be at fault.

"What is...a catalyst?" he asked. "I don't understand." This was his first encounter with the term.

"It's similar to poison, damaging bodily functions," Lily explained. "The difference is that catalysts accelerate cell growth and division, supposedly improving physical fitness."

Elijah tilted his head, then hesitantly asked, "So, it's a stimulant?"

"Yes and no. Similar, but fundamentally different," Lily replied, shaking her head. "It's counterproductive. Every cell has its own growth cycle. The drug forcibly accelerates this, making the body unstable. The resulting contrast causes the pain." She demonstrated with her hands, pulling a rope—representing Austin's body—in opposite directions. "He's in extreme pain during attacks."

"Barbarous! Monster!" Elijah cursed, clenching his fists. He understood his son's suffering from this "catalyst," far more vicious than ordinary poison. "What kind of cruel experiment is this?!"

"That's why I found no poison initially. This isn't a common toxin; it's an artificial medicine," Dominic concluded calmly. He had thoroughly examined Austin while he remained comatose, finding nothing unusual besides physical trauma. Only after Austin awoke and described being poisoned, and Dominic observed the changes in his body, did he become convinced. This unusual poison, unlike anything he’d encountered, had him tying Austin up to prevent self-harm during seizures. He'd been searching his texts for days, until Lily's timely arrival. Her medical expertise surpassed his, though his long seclusion left him lacking in modern medical knowledge. He'd only seen such things in science fiction; the reality was a harsh blow.

"Is there a way to stop this catalyst?" Elijah asked anxiously. "To detoxify Austin?"