Chapter Thirty-Six: Breaking the Genetic Lock

Under Xu Mingxiong’s guidance, the four of them stepped forward, and the four gene pods came into clearer view. Each pod stood about twice the height of a person and was roughly a meter deep. The doors were already open, revealing interiors bristling with spikes and contact points of varying sizes and lengths, crowded together like some medieval instrument of torment. The remaining space inside was barely enough for a single person to stand.

Ji Cheng, looking closely, immediately noticed faint sparks of electricity crackling between the spikes and contacts. Clearly, stepping in would be anything but pleasant.

He couldn’t help but click his tongue in astonishment—he hadn’t expected that unlocking the gene lock in real life would be so troublesome. In the game, it was all over in the blink of an eye.

As he mulled this over, Xu Mingxiong began his explanation in a rambling tone:

“I imagine you’ve all heard of gene locks before, but don’t really know what they are, am I right?”

“I don’t know,” Li Ying grinned openly and shook his head.

“To understand gene locks, you first need to grasp the concept of core genes.” Xu Mingxiong patted the pod door, its dull echo resonating, “For most creatures in the universe, gene sequences are remarkably similar.”

Liang Wu seemed a little excited, raising his hand to answer first: “I know this one! Chimpanzee and human genes are ninety-nine percent identical, right?”

“Correct. And it’s that remaining one percent that determines whether you’re a chimpanzee or a human—it’s what makes you you, and not someone else.”

Xu Mingxiong veered into philosophical territory for a moment but quickly pulled himself back to the main topic.

“That one percent of key genetic material is called the core gene.”

“The core gene is incredibly precise and fragile, easily damaged by ultraviolet rays, ionizing radiation, or certain viruses. To protect their core genes, all living things have, through natural evolution, developed a layer of protective mechanisms.”

“Like a metal lock protecting the core of a lock—that’s the gene lock.”

Xu Mingxiong took a deep breath and continued.

“Why do those with abilities possess physical qualities far beyond ordinary people? Why does a newly awakened ability user, who has received the same grade-one gene prototype, easily defeat all of you, punch through steel plates, and dodge bullets with mere reflexes? It’s because they’ve unlocked the gene lock.”

“Without the gene lock’s obstruction, the gene prototype can act directly on the core gene, achieving a resonance of life.”

“Only then can the full potential of the gene prototype be realized. You might leap sixty times your height like a tree frog, lift a hundred times your own weight like an ant, withstand scorching temperatures like a blind shrimp, or endure the crushing pressure of the deep sea like a lionfish.”

“That is the true power of the gene prototype.”

“But this isn’t entirely a blessing. As I’ve said, the core gene is extremely delicate. In humans, it’s the most intricate and fragile among all living things. Once the gene lock’s protection is lost, even with the strength the prototype brings, your genes could collapse and turn you into a monster at any moment.”

Xu Mingxiong paused, gazing into the distance as if lost in memory. A full minute passed before he spoke again.

“Does anyone wish to back out?” He drew his gaze back, his voice low and weighty as he looked at the four.

No one chose to withdraw. Each of them had endured countless hardships to reach this point—risking their lives to get through the selection. Why give up now out of fear?

Ji Cheng spoke up directly, “Let’s get started. I can hardly wait.”

He was hardly joking. If he didn’t unlock the gene lock, his strength would remain forever stagnant—what was the point of coming to this world then? As for the risk of gene collapse, he had fully assimilated the wildcat prototype; with no residual incompatibility, his risk was already much lower than most.

“In that case, let’s begin.” Xu Mingxiong reached for the first gene pod. This pod was entirely different from the other three, its shell resembling quartz, with a dozen or so delicate holes arranged in order, exuding a sense of artistic beauty.

Xu Mingxiong pressed the center of the pod. All the spikes and contact points inside lit up with a ghostly blue glow, adding a touch of mystery.

“This one is yours, Ji Cheng,” Xu Mingxiong explained. “The first place gets to use the imperial relic gene pod—the rest will use our imitations.”

“Is there a difference?” Lei Junming asked, appearing calm.

“Not really, it’s just ceremonial.”

Ji Cheng smiled, stepped into the gene pod without waiting for Xu Mingxiong’s urging, and turned to face out.

A faint hum sounded as the pod door slid shut, leaving the outside world invisible and utterly silent.

Ji Cheng instinctively held his breath, feeling a touch of nervousness.

“Hello. I am the intelligent lifeform assisting with the unlocking of your gene lock. It is a pleasure to serve you.”

An ethereal, almost unreal electronic voice spoke within the pod.

“Alright, what should I do?” Ji Cheng shifted his stance, glancing around to ease his tension. The spikes and contacts flickered close to his body, that eerie blue light completely filling the narrow space, as if he stood beneath a star-studded sky.

“There is nothing you need to do. Please remain calm. I am now preparing a radioactive source to damage your DNA double helix.”

“During this process, your circulatory, immune, respiratory, and other bodily systems will fail one after another. Your flesh will begin to decay, and hemorrhaging will be uncontrollable. You will experience the collapse of your body and some excruciating pain. Please forgive the discomfort.”

As the words faded, the dense spikes and contacts moved toward Ji Cheng, stopping only when their needle-fine tips pierced through his clothing and pressed against his skin.

Ji Cheng shuddered violently, forcing a weak smile. “That’s a pretty unsettling joke.”

“This is not a joke. Only by breaking the gene chain can the lock be removed,” the intelligent lifeform replied. “We are about to begin. Are you ready?”

Suppressing his doubts and a sliver of excitement, Ji Cheng nodded with difficulty.

“Very well. Let us begin.”

A sensation like a warm current, tinged with an electric numbness, surged through him.

One second, two seconds… ten seconds…

Waves of warmth rose from his feet, spreading to his head—subtle, slow, but unmistakably real.

Dazzling lights danced before his eyes. His vision blurred.

A tremor from deep within his marrow made his legs go weak.

Boom!

A thunderous roar seemed to reverberate by his ears—then again, perhaps not. He felt as if he were being dragged underwater.

Ji Cheng’s consciousness grew hazy. His body felt caught in a vortex, the warmth probing like needles, piercing every part of him—skin, muscle, bone, organs—down to the nucleus of every cell, confronting every strand of his DNA.

The warmth turned searing, slicing through him like knives as drastic changes erupted within.

“Because a gene lock is not a lock, but a series of protective gene segments.” The intelligent lifeform’s voice drifted to his ears, but to Ji Cheng, it sounded infinitely far away.

Within Ji Cheng’s cells, DNA spirals unraveled, base pairs breaking apart. These segments, once the gene lock that both protected and limited the core gene, were now being destroyed one by one. The gene chain visibly shortened, while the telomeres lengthened.

It itched—everywhere, unbearably so.

A sudden, inexplicable terror seized Ji Cheng, as if he were plummeting backward into an endless abyss.

“These protective segments are embedded within the core gene. Outwardly, they add stability, but in truth, they impede the imprinting and expression of the core gene.”

“They are impurities, redundancies, dross—the cage of your potential, the shackles of evolution.”

The intelligent lifeform’s explanation was vastly different from Xu Mingxiong’s.

Breathing grew labored.

Ji Cheng felt as if he were truly drowning, neck straining, chin tilted, arms raised slightly at his sides.

His legs trembled uncontrollably.

Scalding currents burst upward from his feet, detonated at his crown like fireworks, and cascaded through his limbs and bones.

“Only the core gene stripped of its gene lock is pure—this is the most precious gift the universe can bestow upon you,” the intelligent voice said, tinged with envy.

Within Ji Cheng’s genetic chain, certain segments were peeled away, the remaining pieces reassembled into a new whole. If one could see it, the harmony of this new sequence would be apparent—seamless, natural.

It was as if a string of letters, once interspersed with chaotic numbers, now had those numbers removed, allowing the letters to form a complete sentence once more.

“The gene prototype you injected has long influenced your core gene, but those protective segments suppressed its expression,” the intelligent lifeform continued.

“Now the protective segments have been removed, but the damage to your cells is about to erupt.”

Ji Cheng convulsed violently. Darkness engulfed his vision; a metallic, acrid taste surged up his throat.

From the depths of his being came an indescribable sense of separation, as if life itself was ebbing away, little by little.

“Please hold on.”

He felt his body collapsing—blood oozed from every pore, his skin cracked, his organs melted away.

“Please hold on.”

His consciousness faded; he vaguely realized he was dying—or, at some medical level, perhaps already dead.

“Please hold on.”

The intelligent lifeform’s voice echoed, distant and ethereal, like a chant from some solemn rite.