Chapter 128: A Reciprocal Inquiry

Well, it seems everyone is indeed entangled in this.

The brilliant purple glow in Shale’s eyes faded, returning to their original hue. A faint smile played on his lips as he cradled Firefly, stepped out of the alleyway, and merged into the crowd. His badge had vibrated moments ago; Garfield had summoned him to the laboratory, claiming there was a batch of experimental materials that needed processing.

"Shale, have you heard? Lord Clark has gone missing!" Peter, with his thick eyebrows and wide eyes, leaned in and lowered his voice.

"Oh? When did this happen? Perhaps he's off on some secret mission?" Shale’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to busily process the materials in his hands.

"No, according to internal reports, Lord Clark vanished without a trace, as if he simply evaporated..."

"You’re overthinking it. Lord Clark is a Tier 3 powerhouse and possesses an Ultimate-class psychic totem with immense combat capability. The number of people in this world who could pose a threat to him can be counted on one hand."

"I suppose that’s true..." The man shook his head, feeling somewhat foolish for his own apprehension.

After successfully soothing the other man, Shale’s mind raced, his thoughts far from as calm as his exterior suggested. As one of the academy’s titans, Clark had countless affairs to attend to daily; his disappearance was bound to attract the attention of the high-ranking elite. He possessed an Enforcer’s Badge, which allowed him to communicate across the entire Atlantic region. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for him to be unreachable. There was only one explanation: he had encountered a crisis so sudden that he had no time to contact the academy’s powerhouses.

*Clark traveled to the desolate island in secret. He likely didn't even carry his Enforcer’s Badge for fear of being tracked. Not to mention, the situation at the time was dire—a head-on collision between two Ultimate-class psychic totems—leaving him with no capacity to seek external aid,* Shale speculated internally, organizing the clues to ensure he left no trail.

*The production process for the Enforcer’s Badge is unknown. For all I know, it could be like the mobile phones from my past life, equipped with tracking functions. If he had it on him, the trail would lead straight to that island, and they would undoubtedly treat us as eyewitnesses.*

Of course, Shale wasn't overly concerned about being labeled a suspect. After all, the highest combat strength he had displayed was merely at the peak of Tier 2; he couldn't possibly threaten a Tier 3 powerhouse. Furthermore, the idea that someone could incapacitate a peak Tier 3 expert so thoroughly that they couldn't even send a distress signal was unbelievable; anyone who suggested it would be dismissed as a lunatic.

Yet, Shale had to remain vigilant. Who knew what special totems or source artifacts the academy possessed? If they had some heaven-defying ability like foresight, finding him would be a trivial matter.

During the break, Garfield suddenly pulled him aside. After assessing his grasp of the subject matter, the mentor seemed increasingly satisfied.

"Shale, in all honesty, you are the most outstanding student I have ever seen. I want you to stay and work alongside me for the sake of knowledge," Garfield said, looking at him with great solemnity.

"Thank you for the praise, Professor. I have given it some thought. I plan to return home in a few days to visit my father, treat his illness, and bring him back with me when I return." Shale crossed his hands, his face full of sincere smiles. "Professor, I truly love this city and I hope you will continue to teach me."

"An excellent choice." The man’s eyebrows twitched, looking pleasantly surprised, but he quickly regained his composure and said as if in passing, "Shale, what are your thoughts on the Evolved Warriors?"

"Well, I haven't had much exposure, but I can offer a superficial view. I believe the Evolved Warrior project is a milestone achievement—a defiance of nature that allows ordinary people to embark on the path of evolution, truly ushering humanity into an age of transcendence..." Shale spoke with high spirits, gesturing as he went. Everything he said came from the heart, as he was a firm supporter of the program.

In his view, human hyper-evolution was the greatest invention of this era, far surpassing the industrial revolutions of his past world. It fundamentally altered the human way of life, elevated the overall strength of the species, and propelled humanity into a grand era of universal cultivation. Perhaps, in time, it would become a mandatory part of the nine-year compulsory curriculum, making everyone a powerhouse.

"Then, what is your opinion on human cloning technology?"

The man’s follow-up question sent a shiver through Shale. He kept his smile and replied, "I think it is a good thing."

"Why?"

Faced with Garfield’s calm, piercing gaze, Shale knew the man was likely testing him to see if he was ready to be brought into the most top-secret project. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and he spoke with the knowledge he had acquired in his former life: "It’s simple. Human development cannot exist without cloning technology. To give a basic example: if a limb is burned away, one must recreate it to heal the patient."

"However, expecting the patient to regrow it naturally is asking the impossible; even the most powerful Evolved Warrior, Leslie, cannot do that today. Therefore, cloning technology must be used to cultivate a complete limb using the patient’s own bloodline as the source."

"Or, for instance, if a patient’s heart or lungs are damaged, cloning technology can be used to cultivate replacement organs. The Source-Power Transplantation technique you taught is a piece of cake for the subsequent grafting process."

He ended with a small, well-placed compliment. It was obvious that the flattery was well-received; a faint look of pride appeared on Garfield’s face. After all, it was one of his three core composite spiritual arts and his proudest masterpiece.

Garfield fell silent for a moment before staring intently at him. "Then, what are your thoughts on cloning human beings?"

The crucial moment had arrived. This answer would determine the mentor's evaluation of him and, consequently, whether he would be invited to join this top-secret project.

"Weapons are neither right nor wrong; it depends on who is using them. The same applies to cloning technology. If it is used for a righteous purpose, I fully support it." Shale did not shy away from the man's gaze, stating his views clearly and directly.

"Well said. Weapons are neither right nor wrong, and science is the same; it only matters where it is applied." Garfield grinned, his already large mouth stretching nearly to his ears. "In that case, come work with me. I shall let you witness the academy’s most guarded secret!"

"I am honored to serve."