Chapter 7: Test Subject
At the sound of a whistle, Yang Bo's face went pale. The sound's waves, echoing in his mind, revealed that the Wu Bing who had just been speaking to him didn't really exist—something about it felt off.
In the direction of the fishpond, a vast patch of darkness lay like a black hole.
Yang Bo felt his legs trembling—not out of fear, but with an excited, almost familiar sensation, reminiscent of the uncontrollable shaking after a fight.
Taking a deep breath, he retrieved his tool—a shovel—and cautiously approached the fishpond.
The pond was small, covering perhaps only three to five square meters. It contained a rockery adorned with moss and ferns, some aquatic plants, and a dozen or so small goldfish.
Bang!
Just as he neared the pond, Yang Bo swung his shovel and smashed it into the water without waiting to see the result. He bolted toward the courtyard door, thinking, "Better to run now and deal with the consequences later."
The moment he burst out of the courtyard, his peripheral vision caught sight of the shovel plunging into the pond, sending water splashing everywhere. In that instant, a grotesque black fish emerged—it had a massively oversized head, and as it opened its mouth wide, it spouted a jet of water straight at him.
Realizing the ominous nature of this monstrous fish, Yang Bo instantly rolled on the spot and tumbled out of the courtyard.
Disguise +4!
A message flashed in his mind, leaving him momentarily stunned.
He continued running until he reached a stone about ten meters outside the door. There, gasping for breath, he peered back into the courtyard. What he saw left him dumbfounded: Wu Bing stood there, holding a short sword, facing a large black fish with an abnormally oversized head—lacking a proper abdomen or waist, with only a tail at the back. The sword in Wu Bing's hand was thrust into the fish's head.
"Yang Bo, come in," Wu Bing called as he noticed Yang Bo peeking from behind the stone. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, he thought that if Yang Bo stayed out here, it would be a complete joke.
"Brother Wu, is it really you?" Yang Bo asked hesitantly, afraid that this might be an impostor.
"It's me. This time, it was my mistake. Come on in," Wu Bing replied.
After hearing this, Yang Bo called out, "Brother Wu, what did we do yesterday?"
"We went to help someone clean up a garden."
"And what did we have for lunch…?"
Only after Wu Bing finished answering did Yang Bo step out, his legs still trembling.
"I'm sorry—this time it was my mistake," Wu Bing said apologetically, noticing Yang Bo's rapid heartbeat.
"Brother Wu, what's going on? My head feels like mush," Yang Bo said as he observed the fish—a deformed creature with a head nearly half a meter in diameter and a total length of just over a meter.
"First, take out the bag you were given. Once you've cleaned up, I'll explain everything in detail," Wu Bing instructed.
Yang Bo retrieved the bag, and Wu Bing promptly tossed the fearsome fish inside it before cleaning up the dark reddish bloodstains on the ground. He then threw in his gloves along with the shovel Yang Bo had discarded. After sealing the bag, Wu Bing said, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."
"Yang Bo, what I'm about to tell you is not to be shared with anyone. If you do, you will vanish," Wu Bing warned.
Yang Bo nodded, and Wu Bing continued, "First of all, you need to understand that humanity is not the master of the stars. In the interstellar realm, we are incredibly insignificant. If you go back and check how many administrative stars there are, you'll find that several have vanished without a trace—destroyed, in fact.
"Genetic evolution wasn't originally invented by humans—it came from interstellar life. You might not know this, but the planet-destroying technologies that humanity developed were not aimed at us; they were designed to counter unknown extraterrestrial beings.
"As for what you just witnessed, it's also due to humanity. The blood or waste from genetically enhanced humans contaminates other organisms, triggering evolution even in wild creatures.
"The most powerful creatures that humanity has discovered in this world defy description. I don't have all the details, but it's known that an entire human main fleet was crippled.
"Now, let me tell you about my work. I serve the wealthy—those who own their own interstellar spacecraft. It's hard to imagine what incredible items might be hidden among their collections.
"Yesterday, when we cleaned that garden, I recognized thirty-eight different species—plants listed on the Interstellar Federation's endangered registry. Ordinary people who even touch these plants would face severe penalties, yet in someone's garden, they were treated like mere trash for us to clear away.
"As for today's assignment, I'm not sure what happened to the owner here. I suspect it might be due to death or something else; all we know is that our employer is a powerful genetic evolver.
"You won't find any information about this fish anywhere else. All I can tell you is that it has been rated D-level and possesses both illusion and camouflage abilities. Moreover, this fish is one of the raw materials for genetic evolution agents."
At this point, Yang Bo murmured to himself, "This fish has two abilities—while I've only managed to acquire one?"
"Speaking of genetic evolution agents, Yang Bo, you don't really think that those B-level—or even higher-level—genetic evolvers achieved their status solely through their own efforts, do you?"
"Wrong. They use B-level or even higher-grade genetic agents—the materials differ, and so do the potency levels."
"You failed in your genetic evolution. I suspect that the pharmaceutical company may have developed a new type of genetic agent, or perhaps it isn't even a genetic agent at all—you're merely a test subject, or they simply don't need as many genetic evolvers."
At that, Yang Bo's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that his original self died for this very reason?
"Let me tell you one more thing: a few hundred years ago, genetic agents could achieve a 100% success rate—only, the outcomes vary from person to person."
Yang Bo was momentarily dumbfounded, though he reasoned that if genetic evolution were universally successful, how could social hierarchy ever be established?
"Think about it carefully. Had I not been negligent today—nearly costing you your life—you might never have learned any of this," Wu Bing concluded, waiting for Yang Bo to process his words.
After carefully mulling it over, Yang Bo finally asked, "Brother Wu, is society really that dark?"
"Heh, study history and see what human society was really like in the past," Wu Bing replied, clearly impressed that Yang Bo had remained so composed despite everything.
Yang Bo nodded in agreement—wherever human society exists, its dark side is inevitable.
After a pause, Wu Bing asked, "Is there nothing you'd like to ask?"
"Brother Wu, what level would you say your abilities are equivalent to?" Yang Bo asked, his curiosity unmistakable.
(End of Chapter)