Foul Odor

"You can have Aunt Yun's number," Liu Wenyin said with a light smile.

No need!

"I was just kidding. Actually, I wanted to ask another question."

Su Ze silently put away his phone, feeling no embarrassment at all. Boldness, meticulousness, and a thick skin were his mottos.

"What question?"

"I just heard Aunt Yun call you Dr. Liu. You must be an expert in evolution, right?"

As he asked, Su Ze paid close attention to Liu Wenyin and Aunt Yun's expressions. He noticed that both of them looked a bit strange, a mix of surprise and suspicion.

"How did you figure that out?" Aunt Yun, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, indirectly confirming Su Ze's guess.

"Do I even need to guess? Besides evolution, what other field would require a master like you to escort someone?" Su Ze subtly flattered Aunt Yun.

Since the dawn of the Evolution Era, the development of evolution had always been prioritized above all other disciplines. It was the most crucial subject, the hope for humanity to regain dominance over Earth in the future.

Five hundred years ago, after the War of Evolution ended, human life returned to stability. The "Biology" textbooks in middle schools were replaced by "Evolution" textbooks. Moreover, evolution was the sole major subject, which showed how much importance humanity placed on it.

It was precisely this emphasis that had led to continuous breakthroughs in evolution over the past five hundred years.

Liu Wenyin shook her head at this point. "I wouldn't call myself an expert, but you're right, I've been engaged in evolutionary research."

Su Ze's playful expression vanished. He lowered his voice and said seriously, "I have a question I'd like to ask, and it should be related to evolution."

"Go ahead," Liu Wenyin said, preparing to listen attentively.

"I want to know, under what circumstances would an Evolver emit a foul odor?"

"I don't know how to describe it, but it's not the kind of stench you get from not bathing. It's an indescribable, unbearable smell... I don't know if you can understand."

This doubt had been weighing on Su Ze's mind for a long time... well, less than a week.

He had only been in this world for a week since his transmigration, and the first three days were spent in a prison cell.

However, he had encountered that nauseating stench quite a bit during this time.

The foul odor first appeared in Zhao Lingxiao's memories. The mysterious person from the mysterious organization that Zhao Lingxiao had made a deal with, a punk rocker with a colorful explosion of hair, had a foul odor about him.

The second time it appeared was in Pebble Prison. Su Ze smelled the stench on Zhao Lingxiao's corpse. Although the stench on Zhao Lingxiao was so faint it was negligible compared to the punk rocker, and could even be masked by strong perfume, it was indeed the same smell.

The last time was two days ago, outside the hotel. The foul-smelling old man and his two subordinates were fighting Zhang Fantie, and all three of them had a strong foul odor.

From this, Su Ze could conclude that the people from the mysterious organization all carried a foul odor. But what he couldn't understand was, where did Zhao Lingxiao's stench come from?

Su Ze noticed that after he asked this question, Liu Wenyin and Aunt Yun's expressions became even more serious.

"You've seen people like that?" Liu Wenyin asked.

"I've seen one or two."

"Next time you encounter them, stay far away. They are very dangerous," Liu Wenyin said solemnly.

"I've already experienced it," Su Ze pressed. "I want to know what that foul odor is."

After a long silence, Liu Wenyin finally spoke. "All countries strictly prohibit the production, sale, and absorption of human extracts. Do you know why?"

"To maintain social order, reduce internal conflict among humans, and protect the growth of young, talented Evolvers," Su Ze replied without hesitation.

Without legal protection, an Evolver like Su Ze, with his exceptional skills, would be a target for hunters. If he were killed and made into an extract, it would be far more valuable and useful than any S-grade extract.

"That's only one aspect," Liu Wenyin said, her gaze deep as she stared at Su Ze. "In reality, when humans absorb extracts from their own kind, they contract a disease."

"A disease?" A spark of realization flashed in Su Ze's mind, and he exclaimed, "So the foul odor is a manifestation of the disease?!"

Liu Wenyin nodded and explained, "The Evolution Substance in the extracts modifies the cells of the absorber's body and rewrites their genes. Absorbing extracts from one's own kind is akin to cannibalism. It's a genetic prohibition. Violators will contract a special, incurable disease."

"Some people believe it's a curse. Absorbing extracts from one's own kind violates ethics and morals, and some believe it's the God of Evolution's punishment for them."

"The only symptom of this disease is the foul odor emanating from their bodies. The more human extracts they absorb, the stronger the stench will become, and it cannot be masked. This also makes them unable to hide among ordinary people, forcing them to stay away from crowds and lurk in the shadows."

Hearing this, Su Ze finally understood the origin of Zhao Lingxiao's foul odor.

Zhao Lingxiao had absorbed Princess Zhuzhi's extract and thus contracted the foul odor!

Liu Wenyin continued her explanation. "Those who are tainted with the foul odor are called 'Tainted Ones.' They are not tolerated by society and are wanted by the authorities. Tainted Ones themselves cannot smell the stench, so they often gather in groups for mutual comfort."

So Tainted Ones can't smell their own stench. No wonder I didn't find any memories related to the foul odor in Zhao Lingxiao's memories... Su Ze recalled that Zhao Lingxiao hadn't noticed the stench on himself for half a month after absorbing Princess Zhuzhi's extract, simply because he couldn't smell it.

And when Zhao Lingxiao died, he had sprayed himself with strong perfume to mask the odor. He must have learned about the stench from others, but that would have been about half a month before his death, a period Su Ze didn't have memories of.

Wait!

Su Ze suddenly realized a very serious problem.

If Zhao Lingxiao had a foul odor, would he, as Zhao Lingxiao's clone, also contract the "Foul Odor Sickness"?

He might have been stinking all along, just like Zhao Lingxiao, but he couldn't smell it himself!

No, no... Su Ze suddenly reacted. If he also had the foul odor, then he would be a Tainted One and shouldn't be able to smell other Tainted Ones.

But since he could smell Zhao Lingxiao and the foul-smelling old man, it meant he hadn't become stinky.

Su Ze breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to reek with that disgusting smell.

It seemed the "Foul Odor Sickness" couldn't be cured or replicated, and he, as a clone, hadn't inherited it.

Through Liu Wenyin's explanation, Su Ze gained some new insights into the mysterious organization hunting him. It was highly likely to be a force composed of "Tainted Ones."