Super Gene Evolution

"Old Wei, I'll carry you. Let's find a hidden spot first," Lin Shen said, reaching out to Wei Wufu.

"I have hands." Wei Wufu supported himself with both hands and crawled forward. He was still very fast, and Lin Shen, walking on two legs, almost couldn't keep up.

The two hurried towards the Reef Area and finally hid behind a relatively secluded reef.

While traveling, the translucent armor on Lin Shen's body had gradually become cloudy. Now it was completely opaque. Not long after sitting down, it returned to its previous mirror-like steel armor appearance.

Lin Shen was certainly not Crystal Gene Level. He had only looked like it just now.

Sitting down against the reef, Lin Shen looked at the information displayed on his watch.

User: Super Gene Steel Creature (Evolvable).

Strength: 11.

Speed: 11.

Hardness: 11.

Toughness: 11.

Gene Mutation Rate: 1%.

Theoretical Maximum Lifespan: 200 years.

Gene Mutation Talent: Super Gene Evolution.

Super Gene Steel Creature was another term Lin Shen had never heard of. He figured "Super Gene" might correspond to "Mutated," or perhaps a higher grade than Mutated.

Could this "Super Gene" be related to those failed Super Gene Evolution sparks? Lin Shen speculated.

All four stats were 11, which was slightly higher than the maximum value of 10 for Steel Grade that Lin Shen had heard of. Given the previous example of Dead Powder, Lin Shen wasn't surprised.

He had actually heard the term "Gene Mutation Rate" before, but never with such detailed data.

For a Steel Grade to advance to Alloy Grade, it needed to absorb Gene Mutation Fluid. The more Gene Mutation Fluid absorbed, and the better the quality, the higher the success rate of advancing to Alloy Grade in the future.

He figured this Gene Mutation Rate was a direct representation of the probability of successful gene mutation after absorbing Gene Mutation Fluid.

Theoretical Maximum Lifespan should be the theoretical maximum age one could live. Before gene mutation, it was one hundred years; now it was two hundred years, doubling.

The Gene Mutation Talent "Super Gene Evolution" was the ability that made Lin Shen's Steel Body appear like it was Crystal Gene Level.

Without detailed information, based on Lin Shen's own understanding of Super Gene Evolution, this talent ability was somewhat similar to the tempering process for glass or the heat treatment often used when forging steel.

Glass tempering and steel heat treatment are essentially the same technique: heating glass or steel to a state just before melting, then rapidly cooling it to increase the strength of the glass or steel.

Super Gene Evolution's enhancement of the Steel Body was very similar, but there were also differences.

After being heated, glass or steel's own hardness decreases. Hardness decreases during this period and only increases after rapid cooling.

During the heating process of Super Gene Evolution, hardness not only didn't decrease but continuously increased. After rapid cooling, hardness increased significantly.

Not just hardness, but all four stats would significantly increase during this process. Even speed and strength would increase simultaneously.

Super Gene Evolution also had its drawbacks. After heat treatment, glass and steel normally maintain the enhanced effect.

Super Gene Evolution, however, could not be maintained indefinitely and would slowly revert to its previous state.

Furthermore, using Super Gene Evolution consumes a tremendous amount of energy. Just like now, Lin Shen felt as if his body had been completely drained, and he was incredibly hungry, finding it difficult even to maintain his Steel Body state.

Deactivating his Steel Body, Lin Shen took out the Steel Thorn Turtle Gene Mutation Fluid he had collected earlier and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

If he had a choice, Lin Shen wouldn't want to drink these unprocessed Gene Mutation Fluids directly. Unfortunately, he had no other option now; he could only replenish his strength.

After gulping down several large mouthfuls, the Gene Mutation Fluid entered his stomach, making Lin Shen feel as if his body was a dried-up sponge encountering water, rapidly absorbing the fluid.

After continuously drinking Gene Mutation Fluid several more times, Lin Shen felt his condition improve significantly. Not long after drinking the Gene Mutation Fluid, his watch vibrated again.

"Absorbing Steel Gene Mutation Fluid... Gene Mutation Rate +0... Absorbing Steel Gene Mutation Fluid... Gene Mutation Rate +0..."

Lin Shen had drunk so much Gene Mutation Fluid, yet his Gene Mutation Rate hadn't increased at all.

"Want some?" Lin Shen handed the waterskin containing the Gene Mutation Fluid to Wei Wufu.

Wei Wufu didn't stand on ceremony, took the waterskin, and also drank a lot. He wiped his mouth and returned it to Lin Shen.

"Mutated?" Wei Wufu looked at Lin Shen and asked.

"The Gene Mutation Egg you gave me was a Mutated Gene Mutation Egg?" Lin Shen pondered and asked back. It seemed Wei Wufu didn't know the true quality of that Gene Mutation Egg.

"No, Original Seed Egg, number fourteen," Wei Wufu replied.

Lin Shen said with some distress, "Old Wei, I didn't study much, my education level isn't high, and my comprehension is also limited. Could you please explain it in simpler terms?"

"Social anxiety, speaking, difficult," Wei Wufu replied.

"You... social anxiety..." Lin Shen looked at Wei Wufu with a strange expression.

Who would have thought that this towering, muscular man, who wore a cool, cold expression all day and whose single glance could turn someone with poor psychological resilience into someone with social anxiety, would himself be someone with social anxiety?

"Then let's talk slowly," Lin Shen had no choice but to patiently continue talking with Wei Wufu.

When he underwent Gene Mutation, he had already realized there was something wrong with this Gene Mutation Egg. The entire Gene Mutation process was very different from the experiences he had heard about before.

During the Gene Mutation, he truly felt as if his body was being melted down and rebuilt. The pain still sent shivers down Lin Shen's spine just thinking about it.

After a long conversation with Wei Wufu, Lin Shen finally roughly understood what was going on.

"Six died before me?" Lin Shen suddenly felt a bit of lingering fear now.

According to Wei Wufu, Gene Mutators who used Original Seed Eggs for Gene Mutation also varied in strength.

But no matter how weak they were, they were still Mutated Gene Mutators, significantly stronger than ordinary Gene Mutators.

Wei Wufu actually didn't know much information, because most Gene Mutators who used Original Seed Eggs for Gene Mutation wouldn't easily tell others about their Gene Mutation information. Most of the information about them was judged based on their performance in actual combat.

What was certain was that Wei Wufu himself was a Gene Mutator who used an Original Seed Egg. He started as a Mutated Steel Creature, and after advancing to Alloy Grade, he became a Mutated Alloy Grade.

From Wei Wufu's words, Lin Shen also learned a very crucial piece of information.

Mutated Gene Mutators could only increase their Gene Mutation Rate by absorbing the Mutated Gene Mutation Fluid of Mutated Creatures. Ordinary Gene Mutation Fluid was ineffective for them.

"Where am I supposed to find Super Gene Creatures?" Lin Shen smiled bitterly to himself, unsure whether this was a blessing or a curse.

If he couldn't find Super Gene Creatures, would he be stuck at the Steel Grade forever, making it difficult to break through further in this lifetime?

"Old Wei, are your legs okay?" When Lin Shen looked at Wei Wufu, he saw Wei Wufu make a silencing gesture to him.

Lin Shen immediately shut his mouth, then followed Wei Wufu's gaze, looking out through the gaps between the reefs. Upon seeing it, he instantly opened his mouth wide in astonishment.

"What did I see? Is that an Angel? Could I have already died? Is this world the legendary Heaven?" Lin Shen saw a beautiful creature flying over the sea, wearing a white robe, with pure white wings on its back and golden curly hair.

That was clearly not a Gene Mutation Creature, and even less likely to be human. Lin Shen could only assume it was a creature from myths and legends.