The few remaining external hidden camera feeds were retrieved and projected onto the main screen.
The next second, the control room fell into dead silence.
All the clones—including Dr. Genus himself—stared blankly at the scene as if frozen. Their eyes filled with disbelief.
The eight-story research institute building—the trap and disguise—had completely vanished. No, more accurately, it had been erased from the surface by an unimaginable act of violence. Only the foundation structure, made with special materials, remained standing—along with the heavy alloy emergency gate leading to the underground base.
In the magnified, high-definition footage, a tall, incredibly handsome young man dressed in an indigo-blue shirt and ivory-white casual trousers bent down. His long, powerful fingers easily gripped the gap of the alloy gate—strong enough to withstand heavy artillery bombardment—and then…
*RIIIIIIP—! *
Amidst the teeth-grinding screech of twisting metal, the indestructible steel gate was forcibly torn open, twisted like paper.
The next moment, the tall young man suddenly turned his head. He smiled at one of the hidden cameras transmitting the footage. Then, as if returning home, he walked briskly into the deep, dark passage leading to the underground base.
Dr. Genus & numerous clones: … × N
In that terrifying, screen-piercing gaze, every Genus clone felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to their heads. Their backs instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Th-This… this this this…!"
Clone No. 42's controller dropped to the ground with a clatter. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
His carefully prepared traps and mechanisms had been completely nullified. Directly undermined.
"How did he even discover the hidden cameras?!"
"The enemy's energy signature is extremely terrifying… completely off the charts!"
The clone responsible for data analysis spoke with a trembling voice. On the virtual screen, the red bar graph representing energy readings had already maxed out.
"Is it an S-Class Hero from the Hero Association? No—there's no matching individual in the database!"
"Could it be some hidden official organization?"
Panic spread. The clones discussed animatedly, fear permeating the air.
Dr. Genus was also drenched in sweat. But he took a deep breath and slammed his hand onto the control panel.
*BANG. *
The sound silenced everyone.
"Quiet, all of you!"
He adjusted his glasses. His eyes gleamed with the calm and madness characteristic of a high-intelligence villain.
"It is now confirmed—the enemy's strength is unprecedentedly powerful. Conventional methods are no longer sufficient to deal with them."
His voice sharpened.
"Immediately activate Emergency Protocol No. 2. Gather all cyborg combatants within the base. Awaken the cyborg units undergoing debugging. Buy me time at all costs."
"What?!" Clone No. 71, responsible for cyborg management, cried out in alarm. "Doctor—the current cyborg units are merely prototypes. They're not as mature and controllable as the combatants. The risk of them going out of control is extremely high—"
"Say no more." Dr. Genus sighed, his voice uncharacteristically trembling. "In the face of death, no risk matters anymore."
He paused.
"And… I have decided to deploy our last trump card."
Another pause. Then, word by word—
"Prepare to go to the bottom prison. Release the ultimate biological weapon."
His voice dropped.
"Asura Kabuto. "
"…WHAT?!!!!!!!" × N
At these words, the clones all turned pale. The control room immediately erupted into chaos.
"No! Doctor!"
"That guy is completely uncontrollable! If he's released, we'll all die!"
"It's too risky… it's practically suicide!"
"You must think this through!!"
At the mention of that name, every clone's face filled with terror and despair.
That was their greatest masterpiece—into which they had poured countless efforts. And also their most terrifying failure.
"Do…" Dr. Genus's faint words hung in the air. "…you have a better solution?"
Dead silence.
"No. 22, No. 31—you two, execute the order."
The two named clones looked ashen. They took deep breaths to compose themselves. They exchanged glances, seeing the same despair reflected in each other's eyes.
Still—they silently turned and left.
On the path to pursuing evolution and truth, someone always has to make a sacrifice.
This time, it was probably their turn.
Jack strolled through the spacious, brightly lit underground passage.
The alloy floor and walls gleamed like mirrors. The air lacked the perennial stench of blood and decay found in the Monster Association's lair.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Jack clicked his tongue. "Both underground bases—but the House of Evolution's hygiene conditions are simply on another level compared to the Monster Association's."
(Psykos: "…")
His steps were unhurried. He exuded calm and relaxation.
The Dr. Genus clones monitoring his movements through the surveillance cameras, however, were drenched in sweat. They felt as though every secret had been thoroughly seen through by this tall, handsome young man.
Jack turned a corner. An elevator platform entrance appeared ahead.
*BOOM—! *
The alloy wall on the left suddenly exploded. Debris and metal fragments flew in all directions.
"Die, intruder!!"
A Mole-like Monster burst through the wall. Its claws—ten gleaming daggers—whistled sharply as they aimed directly for Jack's face.
"Die by the incomparably sharp claws of my Lord Earth Dragon—URGH AHHH AHHH—!!!"
Jack retracted his smoking fist. A sneaky mole's head dropped to the ground and rolled far away, its frozen expression filled with bewilderment.
[Killed Tiger-level Monster 'Earth Dragon' | Gained Origin Points × 96!]
"Oh my…" Jack commented cheerfully as nearly one Monster Cell's worth of Origin Points arrived. "I didn't expect this guy—so unassuming—to actually be a peak Tiger-level combatant."
A pause.
"Appearing so suddenly—you really gave me a fright!"
The unseeing Earth Dragon: …
Before he finished speaking, dozens—even hundreds—of cyborg Monsters of various forms surged out from the broken hole.
Some resembled enlarged insects. Others were mutated beasts. Still others looked like Radiation Fish that had crawled ashore. Their eyes glowed with a not-so-intelligent, bloodthirsty red light. They roared and charged toward Jack.
Jack was not surprised. He was pleased.
"Oh? Mass-produced cyborg Monster units?"
In the original work, the named Monsters that appeared from the House of Evolution could be counted on one hand. But with Dr. Genus's decades of deep cultivation in biological genetics, it was impossible for him to have produced only those few finished products.
A glint flashed in Jack's eyes.
He completely disregarded the army of cyborg Monsters charging at him. His gaze suddenly turned to a certain spot on the wall—where he felt a strong sense of being watched.
"Not enough." His voice was calm. Dismissive. "Completely not enough."
A smile.
"Give me billions more."
Dr. Genus clones behind the monitors: …