Mifeng answered quickly.
No! Only a tiny fraction of people in this world could do that. It was so rare it was almost unheard of. Most people would die if they tried!
"Holy crap, you bastard! You nearly got me killed!" Zhang Hao broke out in a cold sweat.
Mifeng even offered a word of reassurance.
You can do it! That's a very, very important reason why I chose you.
Zhang Hao felt a little better and asked, "If I died, then..."
That's ridiculous. If you were dead, how would you still be talking to me?
Zhang Hao was left speechless. Talking to Mifeng often left him feeling helpless. The guy said whatever he wanted and had no understanding of social niceties, though he was remarkably good at reading people. When he'd first lured Zhang Hao in, for instance, he'd dangled the prospect of making money, and Zhang Hao had been won over immediately.
Zhang Hao wiped away his cold sweat. Now he understood that this must have been a very important reason he'd been chosen. Luckily, he'd made it through; otherwise, he would have died without anyone noticing. After all, he was making his way alone in the city. His parents had died while he was in college, so if he died, no one would really care. At most, there'd be one more missing-person case.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed!
Mifeng said, "Your clone should be ready in about ten days. You need to confirm it before then."
Zhang Hao now understood how a jar and water were related—that is, the relationship between a body and a soul. His clone would be the jar best suited to his soul.
He went down to the underground level where he'd first gotten the Nano-machine and asked, "What do I do?"
As he watched a small cylinder rise from the table, Zhang Hao placed his palm on it. A human figure appeared, then quickly grew until it stood face-to-face with him.
You can modify any part of the body, from the face and height to the muscles. The clone will grow to match what you want.
Zhang Hao started making changes. After all, he worked in design and could paint in oils. The chance to alter his own face and body fascinated him. He could even change the looks and body his parents had given him! Of course he was excited.
In just a moment, an incredibly handsome face appeared. Zhang Hao sighed. "I mean, I'm not bad-looking to begin with, but if I can make myself even more handsome, I'd like to. Haha, this looks good! Let's grow this one first."
One isn't enough. Design a few more! Your current body is your initial body, also known as your Original Body, and it needs to be preserved. All future clones will use it as their template. Once you're done adjusting it, it must be sealed away in the River of Time, where time will stop. This body can be kept for a very, very long time. It's your foundation, and you can't be too careful with it.
"What? Zhang Hao was stunned. "You can do that? That's amazing!" He understood the benefits almost immediately.
So that was how they extended a person's life. It was simply mind-boggling!
You can clone at most two bodies at a time. Any more would be a waste!
Zhang Hao said, "Couldn't we put the extras in the space-time stronghold? If we stop time, they'll be preserved, right?"
Preserving your Original Body—do you know how many resources that takes? To put it in terms you can understand, preserving it costs an astronomical amount of money. Do you understand?
Zhang Hao promptly stopped arguing. He really hadn't thought of that.
Then another question occurred to him. "If my current body is preserved, I'll have to use this cloned body instead. But if I change it to look like this, who'll recognize me?"
Don't worry about it. Who cares about you?
Zhang Hao was at a loss for words. But when he thought about it, who would care about him?
"What about my ID?" Zhang Hao asked anyway.
Easy. We'll get you a replacement.
Mifeng really did whatever he wanted. He had terrifying capabilities, and there was nothing he couldn't handle as long as it was in a database.
Zhang Hao privately guessed that Mifeng must have had access to incredibly advanced technology. He just didn't know how it had ended up on Blue Star in the first place.
The figure being modified was made of light. Since it was the same size as him, Zhang Hao could examine it closely and change whatever he wanted. His mind returned to the task, and he carefully considered each adjustment. He could make major changes to his body, but only minor ones to his face. He couldn't alter it beyond recognition.
Soon, after a few small adjustments, his whole appearance had changed.
He left his height alone. At six feet tall, he was already tall enough; changing it to over six and a half feet would be too much. He gave himself a pair of long legs, something he'd wanted for ages. Longer legs meant running faster and improved his appearance, so he made the change without hesitation.
When he was done, Zhang Hao was extremely pleased. "How does it look?" he asked, rather smugly.
It's just okay!
A little better than you look now!
Zhang Hao was unconvinced. "It's a lot better. This is good. I'm done changing it."
Mifeng said, "That'll do. Put your hand here... We'll draw some blood."
Some of Zhang Hao's blood was drawn for the cloning process, then sent directly to the stronghold, where Mifeng took control and began the work.
According to Mifeng, this blood would be enough for many clones. Zhang Hao's Original Body would soon be moved into the stronghold for safekeeping, and his soul would enter the new clone. Thanks to the stronghold's special properties, the clone could grow in a pocket of space-time where time flowed rapidly; eighteen years would pass in an instant.
Zhang Hao didn't want a clone with a thirty-year-old body. He'd originally wanted one that was sixteen, but Mifeng had explained that a sixteen-year-old body couldn't house his soul and would collapse. An eighteen-year-old body could be cultivated to meet his basic needs.
Of course, if Mifeng came up with new cloning technology, they could lower the age.
So a few days later, Zhang Hao took a shower and eagerly returned to the stronghold.
As soon as he entered, he saw a crystal coffin. Inside the beautiful coffin lay a person. Zhang Hao recognized him at once: it was the person whose appearance he'd modified based on his own just a few days earlier. Seeing him there, so vividly alive, felt both strange and familiar, leaving Zhang Hao with complicated feelings.
Then another crystal coffin appeared. It was larger, but empty.
Mifeng said, "This coffin is yours! Once your soul has been transferred, your Original Body will be sealed away completely and placed at a fixed point in space-time. It won't appear again unless something special happens."
Zhang Hao said, "I'm supposed to lie in that coffin? Uh, why does this thing feel like a coffin to me?"
What it's called doesn't matter. What matters is what it does.
By the way, this newly cloned body has already been fitted with a Nano-machine. It was cultivated over a full eighteen years, not grown rapidly. Rapid cultivation would take only a few years, but that kind of body is disposable; it might collapse after only ten years or so.
This body can be used as a backup. Be careful with it, and try to make it last!
Before you continue