Choosing a gene

"Tiger gene?"

Ji Zhixing approached the metal stand holding the tiger gene and lightly activated his gene apertures. One of them immediately lit up a tenth of the way.

That meant his compatibility with this tiger gene was roughly ten percent.

As for his other gene aperture...

Only a tiny sliver lit up, probably just one or two percent.

Absurdly low.

Only ten percent at best, Ji Zhixing sighed inwardly. Far too low.

He was about to move on when a voice suddenly rang out.

"Ji Zhixing, Huang Yu, Yu Zhirou, you three can go straight to the second floor."

Their homeroom teacher, He Yanbing, called out, "The second-tier gene samples are all upstairs. Everyone else, choose your genes on the first floor. Don't wander off."

"Yes!"

Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou both answered excitedly.

The second floor? Second-tier genes? Ji Zhixing's heart sank. I only have first-tier gene apertures. What can I do up there?

But he had no way to refuse. His homeroom teacher had called him out in front of everyone; he could hardly say he wasn't going.

Ji Zhixing could only follow them upstairs.

I'll sneak back down when the teacher isn't looking, Ji Zhixing thought as he walked. There are so many first-tier genes downstairs. Hopefully I can find one with over fifty percent compatibility.

The second floor was laid out almost exactly like the first, with rows of metal stands arranged neatly across a spacious hall.

Ji Zhixing glanced around. Besides the three of them, more than a dozen others had come upstairs.

Yet after those students reached the second floor, a boy in a No. 1 High School uniform followed a teacher up to the third floor.

"Who's that?"

"Why's he going to the third floor?"

"That's Cui Wencheng from our No. 1 High School. He's going up there because he awakened a third-tier gene aperture, of course."

"A third-tier gene aperture? He's that talented?"

The dozen or so students on the second floor all looked envious.

"We can't compete with that!"

Huang Yu shook his head with a sigh as well.

"Don't dwell on it. Let's choose our genes first. With high enough compatibility, we might still advance to the third tier someday."

Yu Zhirou went straight to the metal stands and activated her gene aperture, sensing her compatibility with each gene at close range.

"Right, let's pick our genes first!"

Huang Yu agreed and walked over too.

Since I'm already here, I might as well try.

Ji Zhixing approached the nearest stand and lightly activated his gene apertures.

There was no response whatsoever.

Neither of his gene apertures lit up even slightly in response to the [ironclad rhino gene] resting quietly inside the stand.

Just as I expected, Ji Zhixing thought, unsurprised. It would be strange if I could sense a second-tier gene.

Without betraying anything, he moved to the next stand.

This one held a [storm wolf gene].

He activated his gene apertures, but they remained utterly still.

As expected.

His face expressionless, Ji Zhixing kept walking.

He passed seven or eight stands in succession, yet his gene apertures remained still, without even the faintest glimmer.

I can't form a contract with a single one of these second-tier genes. Ji Zhixing gritted his teeth slightly, but he knew this was inevitable.

After all, he only had first-tier gene apertures.

Forget it. There's no point wasting time here.

He looked up. Huang Yu stood before a [lightning leopard gene], his face full of delight, while Yu Zhirou was intently sensing a gene at another stand.

The gene samples held their attention completely. Neither had any time to spare for him.

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath and walked casually toward the stairs, slipping downstairs without a sound.

The first floor was still bustling. His classmates had split up and were choosing genes in different sections.

I can't let the teacher catch me.

From a distance, Ji Zhixing saw He Yanbing talking to several students on the other side of the hall. He lowered his head slightly and unobtrusively headed toward the farthest corner.

I need to hurry.

He began passing from stand to stand, activating his gene apertures to sense the samples.

[Wild boar gene].

He lightly activated both gene apertures. One lit up a little more than a tenth of the way, while the other barely responded.

Less than fifteen percent. Ji Zhixing shook his head and sighed inwardly. Too low. What future would I have if I fused with a gene like this?

He moved on.

[Gray wolf gene].

This time, the result was a little better. The light in his gene aperture was slightly stronger than before, but not by much.

Still no good. Ji Zhixing stopped sensing it and moved to the next stand.

[Gibbon gene].

He activated his gene apertures, and one immediately lit up more than a third of the way.

That's about thirty-nine percent, isn't it? A flicker of delight rose in Ji Zhixing's heart. This was the highest he had found so far.

But he quickly calmed down. Thirty-nine percent is still a little low. I still have time. I'll keep looking.

He hesitated before the [gibbon gene] for two seconds.

If I really can't find anything better, I'll have to choose this, Ji Zhixing thought. And it looks like I really do have higher compatibility with ape and monkey genes.

He memorized its location and moved on.

Next, he checked several more gene samples.

[Lynx gene], roughly twenty percent compatibility.

[Blue wolf gene], barely twenty percent compatibility.

[Wild horse gene], not even fifteen percent compatibility.

He was about to move on and look for ape and monkey genes when a surprised voice called out beside him.

"Ji Zhixing? Why are you on the first floor? Weren't you supposed to go upstairs?"

Ji Zhixing turned and saw Zhang Haocheng. His classmate, whose half-bald hairstyle featured a tough-looking donkey head shaved into the hair beside his right ear, was staring at him in confusion.

"I was curious, so I came down to look," Ji Zhixing said evenly.

"How's your search going?" Ji Zhixing asked in return, hoping to change the subject.

Zhang Haocheng's face immediately fell. He pointed at the tough-looking donkey design beside his ear. "I've been looking forever. The most compatible one I've found is a wild donkey king gene. Forty-six percent."

"That high?"

Ji Zhixing gave him a surprised look.

A wild donkey king gene?

It does suit him.

Forty-six percent compatibility really is high, Ji Zhixing thought.

Gene cultivators generally had less than fifty percent compatibility with any given gene. Very few reached more than fifty percent.

Forty-six percent was already an excellent result.

"Well, it'll do." Zhang Haocheng waved a hand. "I'll keep looking. If I can't find anything else, I'll have to choose that wild donkey king gene."

Watching him leave, Ji Zhixing felt a twinge of anxiety. He won't tell the teacher, will he?

Then he relaxed. Probably not. Everyone's busy choosing genes. Who'd bother sticking their nose into this?

Ji Zhixing looked away and continued onward.

I'll focus on ape and monkey genes next, Ji Zhixing thought. I have thirty-nine percent compatibility with the gibbon gene, so this type really does suit me.

He began deliberately searching the stands for ape and monkey genes.

[Macaque gene].

He activated his gene apertures, and one immediately lit up.

Thirty-five percent compatibility? Not bad, but worse than the gibbon.

Ji Zhixing noted its location and moved on.

[Leaf monkey gene].

The light was weaker this time, only a little over thirty percent.

Too low.

Ji Zhixing shook his head and approached the next stand.

[Golden snub-nosed monkey gene].

He came to another stand and activated his gene apertures again.

One gene aperture lit up roughly forty-five percent of the way.

Forty-five percent compatibility? Ji Zhixing's eyes brightened slightly.

The gibbon primarily enhanced strength, while the golden snub-nosed monkey primarily enhanced agility.

But he didn't stop. He kept moving, hoping to find something better.

[Stump-tailed macaque gene].

One gene aperture lit up forty percent of the way.

Around forty percent. Ji Zhixing shook his head.

He was about to leave when he spotted another stand in the corner out of the corner of his eye. A pillar in front of it had blocked it from view, so he hadn't noticed it earlier.

Ji Zhixing walked over.

[Cave monkey gene].

He activated his gene apertures.

One gene aperture instantly lit up halfway!

This... Ji Zhixing's eyes lit up. Fifty percent compatibility?

He hurriedly read the description on the stand.

[Name: cave monkey gene

Tier: first tier

Description: a small primate that lives in caves deep in the mountains. Petite in build, adults stand only one foot tall.

Primary ability tendencies: dark vision, enhanced agility.

Main advancement paths: cave monkey king gene, shadow cave monkey gene...]

One foot tall? Ji Zhixing frowned slightly. That small?

He read the description carefully once more, growing more hesitant the longer he looked.

The cave monkey gene's primary ability tendencies were dark vision and enhanced agility.

But it was far too small. Adults stood only one foot tall, which meant that fusing with this gene would surely provide a pitiful boost to his combat strength.

Even with fifty percent compatibility, the gene itself is too weak, Ji Zhixing thought, torn. The combat boost it gives me early on definitely won't compare to the golden snub-nosed monkey.

He stood before the [cave monkey gene], his brow tightly furrowed.

Should I choose a weak gene with high compatibility, or a stronger gene with slightly lower compatibility? Ji Zhixing wondered. High compatibility will make future advancement easier, but if I'm too weak early on, I won't be able to venture out for resources at all.

I'll keep looking! After hesitating for quite a while, he finally gritted his teeth and resumed his search. Maybe I can find something with even higher compatibility.

Ji Zhixing continued onward, running into several more classmates along the way.

Each time, he brushed off their questions by saying he was curious.

Fortunately, everyone was focused on choosing genes, and nobody pressed him.

Hmm?

Suddenly, Ji Zhixing stopped in his tracks before a metal stand.