Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Has human cloning progressed to this point?

The ghost's voice came through the mask, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

The sudden appearance of this human was unexpected by everyone; they had thought they would encounter an equally strange monster.

But unexpectedly, what was inside the culture flask was a perfect person.

Moreover, he possessed the same aura as Jiang Nian, even exhibiting a remarkably similar degree of similarity.

The ghost slightly raised the weapon in its hand, the muzzle instinctively pointing at the boy in the nutrient tank.

A clone possessing more than 60% of the energy characteristics of Jiang Nian.

No matter how harmless he may seem at this moment, his potential danger far exceeds that of the mutated monsters outside.

Only those who fought alongside Jiang Nian knew how terrifying he was.

This is why those organizations go to great lengths to obtain his genes.

The detector in the barrier's hand emitted a faint beeping sound.

"His vital signs are stable, and his energy level is slowly rising. He is absorbing free energy from the environment! The tank structure is intact, with an independent life support and monitoring system inside, and it appears to be unaffected by external damage."

I never imagined that with such frequent battles outside, the laboratory inside would remain so stable.

It seems that this person is a treasure to the entire laboratory.

Lingque had already quickly located the control terminal on one side of the room, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard.

"Attempting to access the system, high privileges granted, but the defense protocol appears to be dormant. Downloading relevant experimental data, the perfect cloning project, gene sequence adaptive adjustment, energy resonance cultivation..."

With each word she uttered, the atmosphere in the room grew more oppressive.

We are all smart people.

He naturally understood what these words meant; it was obvious that someone was conducting genetic experiments on this boy.

And the most important genetic origin is from Jiang Nian!

Jiang Nian stood still, his gaze fixed on the boy's face in the nutrient tank.

That face bore a six or seven-point resemblance to his.

A complex emotion, difficult to describe, welled up inside me.

His genes were used to create such a clone.

Unlike those cyborgs, who ultimately only use his genes to enhance their own strength.

It's not a perfect clone yet.

But the boy in front of me is clearly already a half-finished product!
"Can you determine his status? Is he in hibernation, or...?"

Jiang Nian asked in a deep voice, his voice slightly hoarse without him even realizing it.

"The system is showing as being in deep sleep mode."

Lingque responded quickly, "The logs show that he was in the energy synchronization phase before the attack. The external energy outburst seems to have interfered with this process, but the life support system has remained operational independently. He can theoretically be awakened now."

Fortunately, a lot of data was left in the laboratory.

They can also understand the general situation based on this data.

"Wake him up?"

"Boss, this is too risky!" Bulwark exclaimed.

"A clone possessing some of Consultant Jiang's power—we cannot predict the risks involved! What if he has independent consciousness and his allegiance is unclear..."

The battle they just fought made them see themselves clearly.

Without Jiang Nian, they would never have been able to defeat that strange monster.

Even going so far as to enter here.

And now, even if this boy only has half of Jiang Nian's genes.

His strength far exceeded his own expectations!

The ghost didn't speak, but looked at Jiang Nian.

This decision could only be made by Jiang Nian.

Whether to live or die, to stay or leave, everything was left to Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed her turbulent emotions.

Reason told him that the simplest solution was to destroy the room along with the room.

This uncontrollable factor must be nipped in the bud.

But deep down, there was a strong curiosity and a kind of inexplicable intuition.

He wanted to know what this life, created based on him, really was.
Why would an organization spend such a huge amount of money just to create an obedient weapon?

Does this clone know anything about the organization's core plans?

"Preparing to wake up the program."

Jiang Nian opened her eyes, her gaze now calm and sharp.

"But be prepared for the highest level of control. If there are any signs of things getting out of control, I will handle it personally."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

At the same time, he gestured for the others to step back.

Only he knew the terror he was in.

The strength of the clone in front of us is still uncertain. If any unexpected events occur, he will be the one to handle them.

The ghost nodded and made a gesture.

The barrier immediately deployed miniature energy binders around the entrance and the nutrient tank.

Lingque then began operating the console, entering complex commands.

"Wake-up program initiated."

The pale blue liquid in the nutrient tank began to slowly descend, and the boy's eyelashes, which resembled Jiang Nian's, trembled slightly.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment his gaze met Jiang Nian's, an indescribable brilliance suddenly burst forth in his bewildered eyes!

"Father...Father?"

A slightly raw, electronically synthesized voice, yet strangely imbued with emotion, rang out from the room's speakers.

This title struck Jiang Nian like a thunderclap.

It froze him completely.

Not only was Jiang Nian shocked, but everyone else was stunned, staring incredulously at the clone in front of them.

Father? !
The three members of the Dark Blade team instantly went into high alert, their weapons aimed at the nutrient tanks.

This clone not only possesses consciousness, but also regards Jiang Nian as its "father"?
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Jiang Nian stepped forward: "Who are you?"

This organization's technological level has indeed exceeded everyone's expectations; it's truly unexpected that clones can reach this level.

The boy seemed to shrink back slightly under Jiang Nian's sharp gaze, but the affection in his eyes did not diminish.

He said timidly.

“I am Zero, that’s what they call me. You are my prototype, my origin, and according to human ethical relationships, you are my father.”

Although he stuttered a little when he spoke, his consciousness was exceptionally clear.

It was as if a computer was running inside my brain, quickly retrieving the relevant information.
"Who are they? The organization you created?"

Jiang Nian pressed for an answer.

Although I have many questions, I still want to ask for the key information.

This clone seems to know quite a bit about the organization.
Zero's face showed a thoughtful expression, but then a trace of pain and confusion appeared: "They were wearing white clothes, and they had a lot of equipment. They made me learn and adapt to energy, but then it became noisy and chaotic... There were explosions and terrible screams."

He covered his head, his body trembling slightly.

He seemed to be recalling the horrific scene of the attack on the research institute. "I don't remember very clearly; a lot of the data was corrupted."

Jiang Nian and You Hun exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

It appears that Zero was indeed in some special state when the attack occurred, and his memory may have been damaged or interfered with.

However, his perception of Jiang Nian as a father figure is highly likely a low-level instruction implanted by the organization to control him. Moreover, just as Jiang Nian suspected, his consciousness is probably connected to the entire computer.

That's why the information was recorded so clearly.

"Can you control your power?"

Jiang Nian changed the subject.

This is actually the question that the Dark Blade squad and other special forces members next door are most concerned about.

After all, if he couldn't control his power, they would probably have to destroy it here.

We must never allow an out-of-control person to leave the laboratory.

Ling raised her head, trying to calm herself down. "I'm studying."

His eyes were filled with longing as he looked at Jiang Nian. "Can you teach me?"

These words made Jiang Nian breathe a sigh of relief.

But I couldn't help feeling conflicted.

This means he is unaware of how destructive he is, or whether he can control himself perfectly.

Just then, Lingque suddenly exclaimed, "Not good! A high-intensity energy signal has been detected approaching rapidly! It's coming from the direction we came in! It's moving extremely fast!"

The ghost immediately growled into the communicator.

"Command center, this is Dark Blade. An unidentified high-speed energy signal has been detected approaching the entrance to the Flint Research Institute. Requesting identification and early warning!"

However, only a more piercing static came through the communicator, clearly indicating that the interference had worsened.

"It's the organization! They're back! Or it's their reinforcements!"

The barrier made its judgment instantly.

The only people who could be here at this time are probably members of the organization!
Jiang Nian's eyes narrowed; he hadn't expected the other party to react so quickly.

"Spirit Sparrow, interrupt the awakening process and put him back into hibernation, or is there a way to take him away?"

Jiang Nian asked quickly.

Traveling with a clone whose status is unknown is extremely risky.

But leaving him here would be tantamount to sending him back into the hands of the organization.

"The tank has a portable detachment function! But it requires authorization and will take time!"

"That's too late!"

The ghost sensed the approaching threat and spoke urgently.

"The enemy is too fast; they'll reach the entrance in a minute at most! We must decide immediately whether to fight or retreat!"

Time was of the essence, and no one knew how many people the organization had sent.

Jiang Nian's gaze swept over Ling's eyes, which were filled with dependence and confusion.

Then I thought of the organization's unfathomable technology and insane plans.

Leaving a zero behind would have unimaginable consequences!

"Take him away!" Jiang Nian said decisively. "Ling Que, complete the decryption as quickly as possible!"

"Ghosts, Barriers, prepare to hold them off and buy us time!"

"understand!"

The ghosts and the ramparts carried out the order without hesitation, quickly setting up makeshift fortifications and explosives at the entrance to the passage.

Lingque's fingers blurred across the keyboard, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Zero seemed to sense the tense atmosphere as well, and he looked at Jiang Nian anxiously: "Is there any danger?"

"Stay inside and don't move," Jiang Nian said in a deep voice.

He knew very well that this group's return to the area was probably not for their own purposes.

It was for the clone that wasn't taken with it.

So this time they'll be even more insane than before; this is their organization's real research treasure!

"Permissions successfully unlocked! Portable mode activated!"

Lingque finally breathed a sigh of relief.

A mechanical sound came from the bottom of the nutrient tank, and the pipes and lines connecting the entire tank to the ground automatically detached.

Several levitation devices extended from the bottom of the tank, emitting a faint blue light, causing the heavy nutrient tank to float slowly.

"It's okay! But the movement speed won't be very fast, and the energy consumption is very high. The backup energy we carry won't last long!"

"The sparrow reported."

"go!"

Jiang Nian grabbed the floating nutrient tank and pushed it to a relatively hidden backup passage on the other side of the room.

This is what he noted down from the institute's structural diagram.

"Wraith, retreat!"

"Roger! Withdraw!"

The ghost gave the order, and at the same time, the barrier fired backwards while quickly retreating into the room.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions and flashes of energy emanated from the entrance to the passage.

Clearly, the pursuers have arrived and triggered the trap.

But this can only temporarily stop them for a moment.

The four people protected the floating nutrient tank and quickly slipped into the dark backup passage.

The passage was even narrower, filled with abandoned pipes and equipment, making travel difficult.

"The signal source is hot on our heels! They've locked onto us!" Lingque looked at the detector, her face grim.

"You can't go out directly; you'll be blocked at the entrance."

As Jiang Nian moved forward quickly, his mind raced.

"Go to the backup energy core! The structure there is more robust, and there might be other exits, or we can use the energy there to disrupt them!"

I had already looked at many topographic maps before I came here, and now is the time to put that knowledge to use.

Based on the structural diagram in his memory, Jiang Nian led his team through the maze-like passages.

The pursuers behind them seemed to have slowed down due to the complexity of the passage and the interference of residual energy.

But they still followed closely.

Finally, they rushed into a relatively spacious area.

The area is filled with massive energy conduits and the remains of fusion reactors that have ceased operation, and the air is thick with the smell of ozone and residual high-energy radiation.

This is the core area of ​​the research institute's backup energy system.

"Barriers, set up barriers! Sparrow, try to find other exits, or see if you can restart some of the jamming devices!"

The ghost swiftly gave the order.

They truly lived up to their reputation as a professional special operations team; even in such a chaotic situation, they were able to calmly issue various commands.

The fortress immediately sprang into action, deploying the last of its high explosives and energy jammers at the entrance.

The sparrow then quickly connected to a control interface that still had some power remaining.

Jiang Nian placed the nutrient tank in a relatively safe corner and focused on sensing the movements of the pursuers.

"A maintenance passage has been found! It seems to lead to an abandoned ventilation shaft on the other side of the mountain! But the passage is long and the situation is unclear!"

Lingque reported good news, but also uncertainty.

"It's better than staying here and getting trapped like a turtle in a jar!"

The ghost decisively said, "Prepare..."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud bang suddenly came from the entrance!
The explosives were triggered. (End of Chapter)