Chapter 187: Evolution
This time, Su Hao doesn’t intend to let Yashan evolve into a “Child of Fate” ahead of him because “Child of Fate” possesses a highly dangerous ability, which is ‘decay.’
Within its domain, it is nearly invincible.
Until Su Hao fully understands the workings of ‘decay,’ he won’t hand over such a perilous ability.
The human heart can be controlled, but it can also be uncontrollable.
Su Hao never conducts any tests of human nature; he considers it irresponsible to both himself and others.
Su Hao believes that dissecting the heart and soul, exposing them to the sun, serves no purpose.
Keeping them hidden, away from prying eyes, that’s what makes the world colorful.
After making preparations, Su Hao swallows flesh and starts evolving.
You might wonder why he doesn’t design his own genes and cultivate gene fluid for injection; he could do that, but Su Hao finds the method of devouring flesh to be more secure.
It’s not that he doesn’t trust his own technology, but because there’s too little data on the seventh-level evolution process.
If he had enough data, he wouldn’t need flesh; he could achieve the evolution he desires at any time.
Drowsiness hits, and Su Hao falls into a deep sleep. When he wakes up again, he discovers something different about himself.
It’s as if all the abilities he obtained previously have become innate instincts; they don’t require conscious control and can be triggered at will.
This difference is akin to driving a manual transmission car versus an automatic one.
Manual driving requires synchronous use of hands and feet to perform various driving operations.
But with automatic driving, a single command or thought is all it takes to automatically perform the desired driving operation.
Seventh-level mutants are like automatic drivers; a mere thought triggers a bodily response, executing complex operations without the need for gradual formation like the “Earth Lord.”
“Child of Fate” doesn’t require these steps; just imagine having a long knife in hand, any kind of knife, and the body’s program activates, generating the desired shape.
Su Hao exclaims, “Biological intelligence program! So powerful!”
These new genes formed from superhuman gene combinations possess this astonishing ability, which is beyond Su Hao’s expectations.
And after his transformation, his black crystal armor loses its black color, turning into a transparent crystal with a faint white mist inside. It conceals what’s inside, giving the entire suit a white appearance, making it look much more advanced than the black crystal armor.
Su Hao tests the strength; the diamond armor is approximately 1.5 times stronger than the black crystal armor, considerably reducing the amplification effect, almost reaching the limit of biological armor.
But what concerns Su Hao isn’t this; it’s the new special ability ‘decay’ acquired by “Child of Fate.”
Su Hao captures a small round mouse and activates ‘decay.’
Immediately, an invisible ripple emanates from the diamond armor, slowly spreading over the entire body of the small round mouse. The mouse rapidly ages, losing its fur, its eyes turning cloudy, and its flesh withering. It quickly dies.
Su Hao records the entire process, entering the pinball space to examine the differences before and after the ability’s activation.
After a while, Su Hao gains some insight.
“At the cost of a significant amount of vitality and life force, it triggers a mysterious ripple or force field. Under the influence of this ripple, genes within the cells rapidly disintegrate and then chaotically dehydrate and die. However, the range of this force field’s effect isn’t large, and it consumes one’s own vitality. It doesn’t seem practical.”
This process directly contradicts the super-strong healing and repair abilities of “Child of Fate.” In Su Hao’s view, this ability is more for research.
Perhaps it can be realized through runes without needing to consume life force. By that time, ‘decay’ would truly have realized its value.
Su Hao discovers that this ability is inherent to the “Shell People” sequence itself. The powerful healing and repair ability of the “Shell People” sequence, once it reaches the end of evolution, gains the opposite ability of ‘decay’!
“Things in excess will reverse!” Su Hao exits the pinball space, looking at his incredibly strong power.
“Perhaps, my body being too powerful might not be a good thing for me at the moment. I must keep up with my control over the body’s abilities.”
…
After some time of adaptation and replenishing his energy, Su Hao directly transmits to Yashan, saying, “Yashan, come to my lab!”
A moment later, Yashan arrives at Su Hao’s lab and says, “Boss Wei, I’m here!”
Su Hao first asks, “How are the people from the Four Kings Gang?”
Yashan replies, “No different, they’re following others, learning the ‘Code of Conduct for Mutants.’ In just over two months, they’ve bonded well with our ‘Temple Forest Association,’ showing strong learning and adaptability. They are truly exceptional talents.”
Su Hao continues, “How is the adaptation of the ‘Earth Lord’ going recently?”
Excitedly, Yashan says, “Incredible! My control has improved significantly. Combined with runes, I’m almost invincible. I even think I could compete with a seventh-level mutant in arm-wrestling. As for those ‘Evil Children,’ I don’t find them as terrifying as I used to. If they dare to come, I might be able to take them down!”
Su Hao chuckles, “Seventh-level mutants aren’t as powerful as you imagined. But, as you said, it’s a ‘maybe’ you can defeat them. What if you can’t? Do you plan to lead a group of people to their deaths?”
Yashan awkwardly laughs, “Boss Wei is right.”
Then he adds, “Boss Wei, we’ve received confirmed information. The massacres of mutants by ‘Evil Childern’ in the vicinity of Anliang City are real. Mutants from nearby cities are either killed or have fled. So, we can’t confirm ‘Evil Childern’s’ exact location now, and we don’t know which city he might appear in next. Running in our direction is also a possibility. Many mutants in the city have heard some rumors. Under a climate of fear, some have started leaving Temple Forest City, heading east.”
Su Hao nods and advises, “Be cautious. If you sense anything amiss, flee immediately with your people.”
In his mind, Su Hao silently adds, “There’s a high probability ‘Evil Children’ will run in our direction and inexplicably find his way to me. Don’t ask why; it’s just a habit.”
But Su Hao remains completely composed. Even he doesn’t know his limits at the moment. Regardless of the ‘[Children],’ once he discovers them, they will become subjects of his research.
Yashan nods and, as if recalling something, adds, “Boss Wei, recently, Taini’s mutant training has reached her body’s limits. She keeps talking about evolving and has become less focused on her work. Would you consider letting her evolve?”
Su Hao raises an eyebrow, understanding that Yashan wants his daughter to have more self-defense capabilities. He says, “I almost forgot that the little girl hasn’t evolved yet. Which sequence does she want to choose?”
Yashan replies, “She says she wants to become a ‘Earth Lord’…”
Su Hao nods and says, “There’s nothing wrong with ‘Earth Lord.’ Just go ahead and arrange it for her. But you need to think it through; ‘Evil Children’ is targeting mutants, and having Taini evolve at this time might not be a good thing.”
Yashan says, “I understand, Boss Wei, but I can’t talk Taini out of her desire to fly. We’ll make sure she stays away from ‘Evil Children,’ and in the chaos that’s likely to follow, it’s better to give her some self-defense capabilities.”
Su Hao agrees, “As long as you’ve thought it through.”
“By the way, Yashan, I recently went to Huixiang City and found a seventh-level mutant ‘Child of Fate’ from the ‘Shell People’ sequence. I brought back some flesh. If you’re prepared, you can evolve into a ‘Child of Fate’ anytime.”
Yashan’s eyes widen, and he stammers, “Wh… what? Boss Wei, I didn’t catch that.”
Su Hao adds, “Also, Temple Forest City is good, but it’s a bit small. Coincidentally, several seventh-level mutants from that side of Huixiang City have all been killed. After you evolve into a seventh-level mutant, you can move our Temple Forest Association over there. It’s a better place for our association to grow!”
Yashan: “…”
He’s taken quite a shock and needs time to digest this.
(End of this chapter)
