CHAPTER 132 - GENE RECOMBINATION

Han Wu felt the surge of power from his new skill and instantly grasped its capabilities. Although Gene Recombination and Controlled Mutation ultimately led to similar results, they operated on entirely different fundamental principles.

Controlled Mutation operated by forcibly inducing mutations, creating new traits or structures where none existed before. Although the direction of these mutations could be precisely controlled, the process invariably caused considerable injury to the target’s physical body.

Gene Recombination, in contrast, functioned by merging two distinct genes, thereby altering the target’s fundamental body structure. This process caused no detrimental effects to the target’s body.

Han Wu carefully considered his options, trying to figure out how he could utilize Gene Recombination to escape from Hu Hai’s divine realm. He was still engrossed in his thoughts when the unit responsible for delivering his food daily arrived once again.

The Tigermen were Hu Hai’s core race. To safeguard against any deception from Han Wu, Hu Hai deliberately appointed a Tigerman who was born deaf to be responsible for bringing Han Wu’s food.

It had been 28 days in the real world, meaning Han Wu had been in the divine realm for 28 realm years. The Tigerman responsible for his meals had begun this duty when it was still young, and the daily delivery had long since become a fixed part of its routine.

Just as the Tigerman placed the meal and turned to leave, he seized its paws, catching it completely by surprise. Due to the Origin of Mutation’s rank-up, he had become a Rank 3 Super Genesoldier, which had, in turn, boosted his physical strength once more. Despite still having his other abilities sealed, his raw physical power was now equivalent to that of a Heroic life form.

The grip strength of a Heroic life form proved too overwhelming for the Elite Tigerman to overcome. It struggled desperately to free itself but failed, so it let out a roar, which quickly attracted numerous armed Tigermen guarding the area. The squad’s leader, a Unique Tigerman, tried to forcibly remove Han Wu’s hands, but was unexpectedly caught in Han Wu’s grasp as well.

With the genes of two different Tigermen now within his grasp, Han Wu activated Gene Recombination to restructure their genes. Given that both were from the same species, their genes proved highly compatible, allowing Han Wu to easily complete the process with minimal energy expenditure.

To the utter shock of the other Tigermen, they witnessed the deaf Tigerman sprout two new ears while the Unique Tigerman simultaneously lost its own. Both affected individuals were equally bewildered by the sudden transformation.

The previously deaf Tigerman, experiencing sound for the very first time in its life, excitedly perked up its new ears to fully embrace its newfound sense. Meanwhile, the other, now without ears, cradled its head in profound despair. A chilling fear coursed through its body as it discovered it was completely deaf and couldn’t even feel the presence of its ears.

Witnessing the terrifying transformation, the remaining Tigermen quickly backed away, gripped by the fear that Han Wu might also remove their ears. Seizing the moment, Han Wu delivered a powerful kick that tore his prison door clean off its hinges.

He came up to the Tigerman who had consistently delivered his food for years and expressed his gratitude. “Thank you for delivering so many meals to me over the years. Consider those new ears a personal gift from me.”

The Tigerman, hearing Han Wu’s voice for the very first time, instantly grew excited, quickly kowtowing and mumbling something incoherently in its joy. Though the other Tigermen couldn’t make out its exact words, they knew it was thanking Han Wu for its newly gained ears. As it kowtowed, a thin strand of Faith extended, linking it directly to his body—he had obtained his first Tigerman Devotee!

Han Wu had finally found a method to escape Hu Hai’s divine realm. The strategy was clear: he would spread his faith throughout the realm to amass followers, then leverage their collective power to destroy Hu Hai’s Core. Once the Core was obliterated, Han Wu would be able to break free from the divine realm.

Han Wu knew time was rapidly running out. He made a rough calculation, deducing that he had three more realm months at the absolute most. Furthermore, he also had the exceptionally difficult task of converting the faith of a core race, especially one that still offered worship to a living God, Hu Hai himself.

Regardless of the obstacles, Han Wu was left with no alternative. From his brief exchange with Hu Hai, he already had a strong suspicion that the God King, seeking the Origin of Mutation, would almost certainly attempt to forcibly extract it from his body regardless of his condition.

Given that he and the Origin of Mutation had already completely fused, the forceful extraction of the Origin of Mutation would almost certainly result in his death. As a result, in order to survive, he had no choice but to stake everything on a single, desperate attempt.

As Han Wu was deep in thought, contemplating how to effectively spread his faith, the earless Tigerman let out a furious roar and charged directly at him. The creature, in its desperation, believed that by killing Han Wu, it would somehow regain its lost ears. However, the earless Tigerman had severely underestimated its own capabilities. As a Unique life form, its power was significantly inferior when compared to Han Wu’s strength.

While Han Wu typically showed no mercy to those trying to kill him, he chose not to squander any resources, especially now that he possessed Gene Recombination. Before the watchful eyes of the other Tigermen, he beckoned the previously deaf Tigerman to his side. He then placed a reassuring hand on its paws before forcefully seizing the earless Tigerman.

Using Gene Recombination again, Han Wu transferred all beneficial genes from the earless Tigerman to its companion. The moment Han Wu released his hands, the earless Tigerman had been reduced to a pile of rotten flesh, while the other Tigerman surged with renewed life.

Possessing an imposing, muscular physique with four arms and four eyes, the Tigerman had successfully ascended from an Elite to a Unique rank. Overwhelmed by its newly acquired strength, it unleashed an excited roar into the air, a power it had never before known. The other Tigermen recoiled in fear, struck by the shocking transformation.

One of the older Tigermen, his hands trembling visibly, pointed a shaky finger at Han Wu. “He’s an Evil God! A heretic! Seize him.”

Despite the older one’s command, the other Tigermen were paralyzed by fear, none daring to approach Han Wu. The older one, exasperated, roared, “Capture him! Whoever accomplishes this feat will be named the next village chief!”

The position of village chief was highly coveted among the Tigermen, as it granted the exclusive privilege of journeying to the temple to pray to their God every year. Furthermore, if they were lucky, individuals possessing exceptional abilities could be chosen to join the Sacred Guards, thereby becoming a part of God’s personal army, a role that also came with the benefit of receiving numerous resources.

The attractive offer swayed the other Tigermen, who, fueled by greed, launched an attack on Han Wu. One Tigerman surged forward, and the others quickly poured in behind. Han Wu was certainly capable of defending himself, but battling against so many at once would undoubtedly present a significant challenge.

More importantly, the Tigermen appeared to have mastered some form of martial arts, rendering their paws exceptionally deadly in combat. As Han Wu tried to fend them off, he soon began to feel his body breaking down under the sustained assault.

Just as Han Wu was prepared to make his last stand, an unexpected turn of events occurred. The mutated Tigerman betrayed its own kind, choosing instead to align itself with Han Wu. It flailed its four front paws, attempting to fend off its former comrades’ attacks, but it was a losing battle; the Tigermen swiftly overwhelmed and wrestled it to the ground.

Moved by its unexpected loyalty, Han Wu chose to gamble again. “I shall make you stronger once more,” he declared.

He launched himself into the midst of the Tigerman group, swiftly rescuing the mutated Tigerman and simultaneously seizing another to serve as genetic material. Activating Gene Recombination once more, he transformed the captured Tigerman into a mere lump of flesh while further enhancing his first Tigerman Devotee.

With six arms and six eyes, the mutated Tigerman became significantly stronger. Its incredible life force surged, surpassing that of a Unique life form and elevating it to the status of a Heroic life form. Witnessing its grotesque new form, the other Tigermen were struck with fear and began to back away nervously.

With its ascension to a Heroic life form, the mutated Tigerman’s intelligence also sharpened. It cast its gaze upon the Tigermen who had once tormented it in its youth and, breaking its silence for the first time, declared, “Those who hurt my God shall die!”