Chapter 129: The King of Gluttons

Science has always been a double-edged sword. On Aquamarine, technology has advanced to the point of true human cloning. However, cloning, much like atomic technology, holds the potential to both benefit humanity and wreak immeasurable havoc.

The core of public fear, however, stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the technology, coupled with ethical and human rights concerns. Cloning can only replicate genetic traits; it is not the science-fiction fantasy of duplicating memories. The scenario of cloning a single "leader" into an army of identical copies to ignite a Third World War is entirely impossible.

The most critical hurdle for the development of cloning is ethics. Many seek to use cloning to create children, yet what they produce is essentially their own "twin sibling." This gives rise to countless ethical dilemmas. For instance, if a man uses his own cells to clone a human, what should his child or descendants call this newborn? If they call him a younger brother, it ignores the fact that the clone possesses the man's exact genetic makeup, looks identical to him, and may even share the same physical habits and mannerisms.

Yet, this is Molent—an independent mini-kingdom that presents itself as a democratic civilization but remains, in reality, ruled by powerful families. Many hold views on clones no different from the extremist ideologies of the past: they treat clones purely as "objects" rather than "people." In short, they view clones as a species that merely resembles humans, much like androids or artificial beings in sci-fi films. This mindset allows the elite to promote cloning experiments without moral burden, treating human subjects with the same status as laboratory mice—to be traded at will or placed upon the dissecting table.

The day after his tentative inquiries, Charles returned to the Central Laboratory, a mysterious place he had assumed he would only ever be able to enter through clandestine means. As a standard newcomer, he was not yet qualified to touch the experiments themselves; his assigned tasks were limited to organ cultivation and transplantation. Like a surgeon, he donned a white lab coat and a mask, wielding a sharp scalpel to perform various dissections.

Charles was dissecting a bizarre creature, a distant relative of the rodent family. It was entirely purple with patches of dark violet. It possessed a pair of large, cyan ears nearly the length of its body, a small, black, venomous horn atop its head, and three rows of poisonous spines along its back. The creature was highly toxic, and the venom from its sacs was a common experimental material used in the development of antidotes.

Charles was currently extracting a special substance from the creature’s anti-toxin-secreting organ, which served as a primary ingredient for a specific potion. Having attained master-level knowledge in pharmacology, he keenly realized that these substances were not intended for healing the sick, but for experiments in cultivating toxin resistance. If his assumptions were correct, these were materials meant to enhance the resistance of "Evolved Ones."

Once a human completes evolution, their physique, strength, and overall attributes skyrocket, along with their resistance to toxins, diseases, and harsh environments. Their healing capacity after injury also surges. In the visions of the future Charles had witnessed, Leslie, after completing her super-evolution, could bathe in molten lava, and the regeneration of severed limbs was as effortless as eating or drinking. Generally, an Evolved warrior possesses immense combat power, surpassing that of a General-rank martial artist. This is because, beyond the surge in physical strength, they are enveloped in a protective layer of "guardian aura" that clings to their skin. In the early stages, this aura fuses with the skin, but upon reaching ultimate evolution, it separates to become an omnidirectional defense far superior to any ordinary shielding.

Therefore, in the early stages of evolution, warriors are still susceptible to blades and various toxic attacks. Consequently, maximizing their survival rate during this period is the academy’s primary research focus. Though human super-evolution has been proposed for decades, researchers have only managed to produce the crudest and most aggressive evolution serums; these allow for evolution but come with horrific side effects, keeping mortality rates stubbornly high.

Charles worked in a large laboratory, bigger than a middle-school classroom, alongside a dozen other researchers. Time flowed swiftly in the bustle, with only the soft sounds of tools echoing through the room, undisturbed by idle chatter. When the crisp ringing of a bell signaled mealtime, the group tidied their stations and departed for the canteen.

The Central Laboratory, covering an area equivalent to four soccer fields, was a massive structure resembling a domed stadium, with four-fifths of its volume located underground. It comprised two levels above ground and nine below; access beyond the sixth basement level was restricted to those with appropriate clearance. The first floor above ground housed a luxurious canteen, offering a vast array of delicacies, including meat from rare, powerful creatures and various potent tonics.

The prices were a third of what one would pay in the outside world—a top-tier perk for any food lover in the lab. Charles ordered a pound of grilled Spiny-Backed Dragon meat, cheese-baked crocodile, emperor ray fillets, assorted chicken, and a glass of fruit juice. Carrying his heavy tray, he scanned the room and took an empty seat.

As his own four-dimensional attributes continued to climb, Charles felt his appetite growing, though it was nothing compared to the person sitting opposite him. A girl with golden hair, pale, soft skin, and emerald-green eyes sat there, a stack of empty plates already piled before her—she had consumed three times as much as he had.

"Hi, hello?" Charles greeted with a smile.

She paid him no mind. He didn't press the matter, continuing to eat with the elegance of a nobleman at a banquet, a stark contrast to her ravenous devouring. As he enjoyed his meal, he felt a scorching gaze upon him. He looked up, puzzled. "Hello? Is something wrong?"

He took a bite of the grilled dragon meat as he spoke. It was made from an artificially bred creature similar to a dinosaur, offering a rich, chewy, and superlative flavor. The girl didn't answer; she remained focused on him—or, more accurately, on the meat in his hand.

Charles chuckled in surprise and offered her a skewer from his tray. "Here, have one."

"No," she replied, though she swallowed hard, struggling to refuse.

"Don't be shy. Consider it a gesture of friendship," Charles said with a smile.

*Swish!*

A blur passed by. The skewer vanished from his hand and into her cherry-red lips in an instant.

The smile on Charles's face grew brighter. He couldn't help but mutter to himself: *Truly a queen among gluttons. A mere skewer was enough to capture her...*