Humans have always found it difficult to understand themselves.
Previously, Roy didn't consider himself particularly interested in becoming stronger through physical means. He wasn't the type to resort to violence at the first sign of trouble, opting for brute force solutions without much thought. However, he didn't deny that violence was indeed a means to an end, a convenient and fast one at that.
Upon careful reflection, he realized that violence wasn't just about overpowering others; there was a principle behind it.
It's like the saying goes, Cultivating one's moral character allows one to speak calmly with idiots, while strength allows idiots to speak calmly with oneself.
The wise men, must have thought the same way.
After all, scholars during that time were proficient in both literature and martial arts.
Archery, one of the Six Arts of a gentleman, was a mandatory subject.
This world is not a peaceful one. In such circumstances, leveraging the experiences of predecessors seemed like a wise approach.
The order, laws, and knowledge of the previous world couldn't be fully applied here. Although there were still police and heroes protecting personal and public safety, the most reliable means of protection and security came from one's own extraordinary abilities.
In a world without a strong government and with weak public authority, maintaining the current order was already miraculous.
Perhaps it was because humanity inhabited a single continent and a single country. In any case, attempting to decipher the social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of this world, while not impossible, would be a waste of time. Roy wasn't completely disinterested in doing so; it was just that he didn't have the luxury at the moment.
Humans are easily influenced by their environment.
Considering the world Roy found himself in, one plagued by crime, monsters, and frequent disasters, knowing how to wield one's fists seemed like the right means to survive.
Once he came to terms with this, there was no need to persist in outdated notions.
Currently, Roy was in the underground laboratory beneath Yumemi Okazaki's residence.
After dealing with the incident involving the House of Evolution, Roy returned home and prepared to delve into the data obtained from Dr. Genus.
Of course, since it wasn't purely academic, the core content revolved around the body... specifically, the development and utilization at the genetic level. Therefore, the size of his apartment was far from sufficient for Roy's activities.
But finding a suitable place wasn't easy.
So, there was no choice but to trouble Yumemi Okazaki.
However, Yumemi Okazaki didn't have the necessary testing equipment on hand. In the end, after the two of them drafted the designs, Roy used his Dark Matter to bring them to life.
Since the work was done here, Roy decided to stay.
Yumemi Okazaki didn't mind.
After all, Roy had lived here for a while before. The room was still left for him.
In hindsight, these designs would undoubtedly be criticized as impractical and fanciful, as many of the requirements couldn't be supported by current materials and theories. If they couldn't be realized, it would be considered nothing more than scientific fantasy.
But for Roy, it wasn't difficult.
Unless it was something that went against the laws of the universe and couldn't be compatible with this world, Roy's Dark Matter could bring it to fruition.
Dr. Genus's proposal regarding the use of Roy's supernatural abilities.
Unlike Yumemi Okazaki's suggestion to fully utilize the versatile nature of Dark Matter to create various kinds of props, Dr. Genus focused on the biological effects of Dark Matter, such as panacea, self-modification, and gene locks.
Previously, Roy had been passively allowing Dark Matter to transform his body.
From the special substance produced by hematopoietic marrow in his bones.
Mixed in the form of blood cells circulating throughout his body.
At first, it was just subtle changes.
Roy's body underwent gradual changes, so much so that he wasn't entirely aware of the ongoing transformation.
His senses became sharper, his body stronger, and his mind quicker.
But because it was all gradual, Roy didn't notice.
It wasn't until Yumemi Okazaki conducted a longitudinal comparative examination and compared the differences between the two examinations that Roy finally realized his body was constantly changing.
From that moment on, Roy deliberately observed his own changes.
This led to discoveries like being able to utilize his skin for photosynthesis and respiration. However, these were accidental occurrences, and Roy had no idea how to intentionally guide them.
Perhaps bioelectric signals were transmitting information to the Dark Matter.
According to Dr. Genus's speculation, Dark Matter should also be capable of simulating this function.
"If Dark Matter can store and transmit biological signals like brain cells, then even if the brain's structure is damaged, it wouldn't be fatal. No, in that case, unless my entire being is vaporized, killing me would be quite difficult."
As he scrolled through the data on the computer, Roy suddenly wondered, "Am I still considered human?"
"Hmm... From a genetic standpoint, I'm undoubtedly still human. And from the perspective of basic biological knowledge, ordinary mammals probably can't survive with a shattered heart while their brain continues to function."
He chuckled wryly, "But, if humanity is defined by emotional cognition, as long as I adhere to universal human cognition, morals, and goodness, then I'm not exactly being ousted from humanity."
His thoughts, prone to overthinking, quickly reached a conclusion.
"But at this point, I can confirm the two states of Dark Matter: internal and external."
Based on repeated experiments and observations, it was concluded that Dark Matter inside the body was more active and unstable compared to its external counterpart. This corresponded to the respective specialties of Dr. Genus and Yumemi Okazaki.
"The scope of internal isn't limited to just my body; in fact, any organism's body could be considered internal. Compared to a material, Dark Matter inside the body is more akin to microorganisms... Heh, truly a supernatural abilities, this omnipresent existence."
If the adversary were biological... carbon-based life forms... this characteristic would be extremely lethal.
"Not only could it be a panacea for all diseases, plagues, and injuries, but it could also be an almost unbeatable super pathogen. It could be a virus, fungus, bacteria, or even a bioweapon, like something straight out of Plague Inc."
But that would be too anti-human, and Roy wasn't inclined to use it.
Otherwise, wiping out all of humanity wouldn't take too long. Apart from individuals like Saitama who couldn't be affected by supernatural beings, there were no defenses against such a cunning, ever-evolving super pathogen.
"However, it's precisely because of this characteristic that the Gene Lock project has merit in being worth a try."
Organisms themselves couldn't possess the ability to fully export their genetic blueprint, as cell replication itself was an extremely delicate process. Even a slight error could lead to unpredictable genetic mutations.
"To unlock a lock, you need a key. So, if the Gene Lock is the lock, then what needs to be done next is to forge this key of evolution."
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