"A hero name? I don't have one—because…"
Having long witnessed the citizens' almost fanatical enthusiasm for heroes in this world, Jack remained calm under the spotlight, giving an answer that stunned everyone.
"I am not a hero."
"Eh—!?"
This time, Jack truly was just passing by. Eliminating the Beverage Monster family was merely incidental. After speaking, he walked directly into the crowd amidst astonished and bewildered gazes. Before the onlookers could react, his figure flickered a few times and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
The twin-tailed reporter stood frozen, muttering, "Not a hero… then…?" She stared blankly, watching the tall young man's back as he walked straight away.
---
*Corner Coffee Shop*
Escaping the bustling disaster scene, Jack arrived here alone.
At an outdoor seating area under a parasol, a man wearing glasses and a white lab coat—his demeanor slightly gloomy—had been waiting for a long time. It was none other than the founder of the House of Evolution, *Dr. Genus*.
"Boss."
Upon seeing Jack, Dr. Genus immediately stood up, his attitude respectful.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Doctor."
When out and about, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Jack had Dr. Genus address him directly as "Boss."
"No—I just arrived not long ago myself."
After shaking hands, they both took their seats. Dr. Genus pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the ruins of the supermarket not far away.
"However… your hobby is truly unique."
He had heard many urban legends about serial killers, but this was the first time he'd seen someone like Jack—so keen on slaughtering Monsters.
—Killing his own kind to gain a different kind of pleasure? I think I understand something…
Noticing that Dr. Genus across from him had suddenly become even more respectful, Jack felt a bit bewildered but didn't think much of it. He picked up the coffee the doctor had ordered in advance, took a sip, and stated matter-of-factly, "Of course. Otherwise, why would I actively seek to cooperate with you, Doctor?"
Dr. Genus fell silent for a moment.
—You like to slaughter Monsters. I am good at researching and creating Monsters. This combination… is truly a match made in heaven in some sense.
What a fated encounter…
---
Since being "recruited" by Jack, Dr. Genus's research progress had advanced by leaps and bounds. It wasn't that Jack brought a lot of funding or top-tier scientific equipment—for a top scientist, making money was merely incidental. Moreover, for Dr. Genus—who had been deeply engaged in cutting-edge biological science for decades—the wealth pursued by ordinary people was just a string of boring numbers necessary for his research.
What excited Dr. Genus was the new research direction and the infinitely promising research material Jack had provided…
*Monster Cell.*
"Regarding the mass production project for cloning and cultivation of Monster Cell…"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Dr. Genus began reporting on his work. His usually calm tone carried a rare hint of excitement.
"Boss, please take a look."
He took out a tablet from his briefcase. On the holographic screen that rose from it, a ferocious Wolf-level Monster model roared wildly.
"The initial culture medium for the mass production project of Monster Cell has been debugged and is ready for optimized cultivation at any time. However…"
He paused, frowning slightly.
"In the final activation and stabilization phase, it seems to require a large amount of energy—or rather, high concentrations of life force—for catalysis. That still needs time to overcome."
His eyes gleamed with fanaticism as he tapped the light screen.
"But—based on my research with Monster Cell, I have designed a more controllable enhancement plan. I've named it—*'Evolution Cell 1.0'*!"
The virtual Wolf-level Monster howled and swallowed a strange chunk of flesh. Immediately, its body began to swell violently. Muscles bulged explosively. Sharp bone spikes broke through its skin. Its aura surged at a visible speed.
The 'Wolf' character representing the disaster level on the screen flashed wildly, finally settling on 'Demon-level' with a definitive thud.
"'Evolution Cell 1.0' does not directly transform humans into Monsters. Rather, it optimizes and strengthens the cellular structure of existing Monsters by extracting beneficial mutated factors from the Monster Cell you provided!"
Dr. Genus suppressed his excitement, as if he could already see the dawn of "human evolution"—his lifelong pursuit.
"Theoretically, once the plan is complete, we can batch-upgrade Tiger-level Monsters to Demon-level—and this is just version 1.0! After testing, the Monster tissue samples you recently provided can almost perfectly integrate into the genetic lineage of 'Evolution Cell.' As long as we continue iteration, the potential of 'Evolution Cell' is far beyond this!"
Jack looked at the Monster model on the virtual screen—which had evolved from Wolf-level to Demon-level—and nodded with satisfaction.
As for the other party's praise of "Evolution Cell," he wasn't particularly surprised. After all, the source of this thing was Disaster Level Dragon or higher—King Orochi. It was itself a top-tier Monster that had developed the "devouring" characteristic to its extreme. Its compatibility with different Monster genes was naturally extremely high.
"Speaking of Monster samples, Doctor…"
Jack picked up his coffee. As if remembering something, he casually said, "Recently, I just gained control of an underwater Monster lair. I wonder if you're interested in samples of marine Monsters?"
"Marine Monsters?"
Dr. Genus's movement of adjusting his glasses paused. The left lens suddenly flared with a dazzling white reflection.
—The Boss's sphere of influence actually extends into the ocean as well?
The genius's brain whirred at high speed. Countless gene sequences and biological models flashed rapidly through his mind.
He couldn't help but muse, "Compared to the barren land, the ocean's expanse is hundreds of times vaster. Its biodiversity is simply incomparable to land. Deep-sea high pressure, lightless environments, hydrothermal vent ecosystems… the Monsters born there must contain secrets unimaginable to terrestrial life."
He leaned forward slightly.
"If I could have the honor of studying them—that would naturally be excellent."
"Alright then."
Jack nodded with satisfaction, a plan forming in his mind.
"You provide the technology, equipment, and research team. We'll build an underwater research institute in the waters near J City. That place can serve as a secondary backup base and also allow us to collect nearby materials to directly research marine Monsters. I will dispatch my subordinates to assist with the base's construction."
He met Dr. Genus's gaze.
"Any problems?"
"Of course… no problem!"
Dr. Genus sat up straight. His seemingly calm gaze flashed with the excitement of discovering a new continent.
"I will have the clones assemble a team and depart immediately!"
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