Great, we're doomed now!

In mid-air, as the Asura rhinoceros beetle's half-head flew, its last thought flashed through its mind:

Oh no!

"Forgot I'm not a dog!"

Chapter 319: Dreams Never End

Clang!

The metal door was violently slammed open, and Dr. Genus staggered into the training space, the thrusters of the power equipment still spewing out ion tails.

He had barely steadied himself when his gaze was fixed on the mangled, bloody corpse in the center of the courtyard. His feet moved forward uncontrollably until he finally collapsed to his knees, powerless.

Snapped!

A portable computer was thrown out, displaying a live feed of the training space—he had witnessed the entire process of the rhinoceros beetle's defeat.

His hands trembled as he took off his glasses, not because he doubted his eyesight, but because he subconsciously wanted to ease his tension.

The shattered carapace, the freely flowing pale green blood, and the still slightly twitching limbs—everything about them told him that the strongest experimental subject, painstakingly created by the House of Evolution, the trump card on which so much hope was placed, was now nothing but a pool of unknown matter.

"Asura Rhinoceros Beetle... with just two punches?" Genus muttered to himself, putting his glasses back on. After the light flashed, his eyes, with their pupils shrank, were bloodshot and filled with disbelief.

"Impossible... Although it was a defective product, its power was undoubtedly the strongest. How could it have turned out like this?"

That attack just now generated over a million units of energy in an instant?! Are you kidding me?! It's like having a miniature sun shoved into your body!

What exactly are you—"

Until his gaze passed over the mangled body and landed on the figure in the center of the arena, all the words stuck in his throat.

His fiery red figure was enveloped in flawless radiance. The Warrior of Light stood tall and straight, his metallic skin gleaming with a cold light. Every muscle line was perfectly flawless, as if it were a work of art meticulously sculpted by the gods, fully demonstrating the combination of strength and beauty.

Those crystal eyes, devoid of any fluctuation, were as calm as a god looking down upon all living beings, as if nothing could move him.

"—!"

Kinos's breathing suddenly quickened, and his nervous system became uncontrollably excited, which manifested as slight twitching of his skin and fingers.

He had been obsessed with finding the perfect life form his entire life, but only now had he truly seen the true form of "perfection":

That is an ultimate existence that transcends human cognition.

“Hmm…” Genus’s lips trembled as he slowly raised his hands, his eyes glazed over, as if he were seeing the ultimate secrets of the wings flowing in the radiance.

"This is... the ultimate life form..."

He subconsciously wanted to call out, to pour out his decades-long obsession, to tell Ye Shou all his feelings at this moment, but his voice was as weak as a mosquito's buzz.

Ye Shou quietly watched the strange man. Fubuki reminded him not to be careless, as this man could very well be the BOSS behind the weirdo organization, but Ye Shou still walked over without any precautions.

...The radiance enveloping his body gradually receded, like the tide receding.

Ye Shou's figure gradually became clearer. He was still the human youth dressed in ordinary clothes, but there were still faint traces of light in the air. His eyes were still calm, but deep inside there was a trace of imperceptible pity as he looked down at Genus, who was kneeling on the ground.

"What do I look like in your eyes?" Ye Shou's voice was calm and even, yet it struck Genus's heart like a heavy hammer.

Genus looked up abruptly, his eyes still burning with fervor: "God's creation!"

You are the perfect proof! My theory was indeed correct; humanity can enter a completely new life form, and you are the endpoint of evolution!

“I don’t know if the ‘god’ you’re talking about is an abstract concept or has a specific target, but I’m sure I have nothing to do with it. I’m just a mere ‘human being’.”

"impossible!"

Genus retorted loudly: "How could such a power, capable of conquering or destroying the world, possibly belong to humans of the old era? It must be a being of a much higher status!"

This cannot be achieved through exercise or technology; it must be from a higher-dimensional life form that initiated the evolutionary path within you!

There exists a force in this world that can induce humans, animals, and even inanimate objects to evolve and mutate.

I believe 'He' possesses some form of intelligence, or rather, a set of operating principles... Once mastered, it can unlock the secrets of the monster and break humanity's limitations!"

So that's how it is. That's why the monsters in the House of Evolution are basically "beastmen" based on human bodies—it's all in an effort to unlock humanity's potential...

"A high position exists? But what if I deny it?" Ye Shou smiled helplessly.

“No…” Genus shook his head subconsciously, “Humans could not possibly be enhanced to this extent through normal means.”

“I have indeed ‘evolved’—by your standards.”

But it truly had nothing to do with being in a high position; it was simply about upholding one's own will, choosing to remain human, and then breaking through constraints time and time again… It wasn't complicated; at most, it was just about mustering the courage to take a step forward.

Ye Shou shook his head slightly, a hint of melancholy in his voice: "God's creation? Do you think that only by understanding 'God's laws' can we unlock humanity's limitations and deny the possibility of humanity evolving through its own efforts?"

This is not the kind of thinking a scientist should have!

You've spent your entire life studying evolution, creating one weirdo after another. What do you really want?

If you simply attribute all unknown and incomprehensible existences to gods, then what is the point of the things you created with your own hands?

"Look, you can observe my body as you please—is there even the slightest resemblance to that of a monster?"

"Well!"

Genos froze, the fervor on his face gradually fading, replaced by bewilderment.

He looked into Ye Shou's clear, unadulterated eyes, which were like a lake reflecting his disheveled kneeling figure—and for a moment he was in a daze.

His thoughts drifted back to the past.

Back then, his research was driven by pure passion. He could stay up for days and nights for a single data point, and he would cheer with joy at even the smallest breakthrough, his eyes shining brighter than the alcohol lamp in the laboratory.

The change occurred after he turned thirty... As his fame grew, the attitudes of those around him gradually changed.

His parents, who had once encouraged him to explore the unknown, began to be seduced by the title of "educational expert for child prodigy" and accepted invitations from television stations almost every day, gradually making their home quiet and deserted.

His teachers from his alma mater held his hand, hoping he could secure corporate sponsorship for the school and help him compete for a higher position. Their obsequious and fawning manner shattered the filter of his childhood.

Even government officials came to him, ignoring his wishes, and pushed his immature research to the forefront to compete for world-class honorary awards.

Finally, his patient funders also hinted that he should focus his efforts on technologies that could boost the economy.

"Your talent shouldn't be wasted on useless things."

"Only by doing something practical can more people benefit."

"Everyone has high hopes for you, so don't let us down."

"Human evolution and all that, we're not gods."

"You can't make money from this kind of thing in a short time! If it gets shut down by the ethics review team, won't all your initial investment go down the drain?"

Each word felt like a heavy shackle binding him, forcing Genos to abandon his areas of interest and instead devote himself to the research and development of commercial projects.

The spontaneous cheers in the laboratory were gone, replaced by cold KPIs and schedules. The interesting experiments that he was once obsessed with had become a monotonous routine day after day.

As time slipped away in his neglect, his hair gradually turned gray, wrinkles appeared around his eyes, and his health deteriorated.

What's even more frightening is that the passion for science in my heart slowly cooled down amidst endless compromises and utilitarianism, and inspiration, like a dried-up spring, never flowed again...

One day, he felt liberated and suddenly understood many things!

He looked at those "mediocre people" who only cared about their own interests and felt a deep sense of disgust.

They don't understand the meaning of exploration itself, nor do they have the awareness of being human elites; they only use his talent as a tool to make money!

Should we waste such a precious brain in the world of capital?

Unforgivable! That was a colossal crime!

Science exists to help humanity grasp the truth of the universe and get closer to the divine!

Therefore, someone must step forward to guide the four types of humans to continue evolving!

Just as he was about to be consumed by boredom and despair, this thought flashed through his mind like lightning—to create the perfect ultimate life form!

Human greed, weakness, and shortsightedness all stem from genetic defects. However, by creating a flawless "perfect being," all societal conflicts can be eliminated, civilization can be significantly elevated, humanity can be guided in the right direction, and the salvation of all humankind can be achieved!

"This is the mission God has given me," he murmured to himself in the mirror more than once.

To achieve this goal, he did not hesitate to break taboos, and devoted all his efforts to developing gene modification technology, so that he could reverse his aging and regain his vigorous energy. He even cloned himself one after another, and worked day and night to advance the research...

He believed he was on the right path, and he never wavered, even if the whole world misunderstood him or his hands were stained with blood. He believed that all sacrifices would be worthwhile once the ultimate life form was born!

But the harsh reality told him just how terribly wrong he had been...

Ye Shou's seemingly effortless punch just now displayed a power and domineering force that transcended common sense, like a hammer shattering his decades-long obsession.

What he pursued with all his might was nothing more than a self-righteous castle in the air, insignificant in the face of true power.

From any perspective, Ye Shou is impeccable as a living being, achieving harmony between mind and body. What is truly admirable is that he retains human rationality, making him worlds apart from monsters like rhinoceros beetles.

—And he's really handsome!

The contrast with the monsters he created is immediately apparent!

Does this mean that his entire research direction is wrong?

In other words, he always considered himself a wise man who led human evolution, but in reality he was just a Faker who kept producing defective products!

The crimes committed in those years under the guise of "for a noble cause" have all become a self-deceiving joke.

"So... that's how it is..." Genus murmured to himself, his eyes becoming vacant, all the previous fervor gone, leaving only a deep sense of powerlessness.

Ye Shou's face showed neither joy nor sorrow, while Fubuki, watching this scene, although unaware of Genus's story, was inexplicably moved by the conversation between the two men.

Genus raised his head with blurred vision, staring blankly at the young man who called himself human. His voice was hoarse and broken, filled with indescribable bewilderment.

"what should I do?"

He curled up, his shoulders trembling violently: "To spend one's whole life chasing castles in the air, isn't that kind of life... utterly ridiculous?"

--Snapped!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the empty training space. Genus was knocked to the side, and a clear red mark instantly appeared on his cheek.

He was stunned, staring at Ye Shou in disbelief.

Ye Shou looked down at him, his eyes sharp as knives: "You think your life is ridiculous?"

What about the innocent people who were harmed or even lost their lives by your weirdos?

Do you see their suffering and their sacrifices as meaningless, along with your research?

Since you've done it, you must bear the consequences of your sins! Do you really think you're the most tragic one in this whole affair?

His voice was devoid of warmth, yet every word struck Genos's heart like a hammer blow.