Chapter 109: Scumbag Clone One, Darling Clone Two!

A boiling, searing heat erupted within Li Yu's body. His heart felt as though it were about to explode. His physical data chart grew unstable, every single metric skyrocketing.

Gene fusion carried inherent risks. The reason he needed to develop the fused Gene Chain to its absolute limits was precisely to enhance his physical constitution to withstand these dangers.

Li Yu's entire body felt as if it were on fire. Blistering heat surged out of him, causing the temperature in the room to rise rapidly.

However, the Goblin present in the room did not panic. Instead, he remained completely calm.

"Abnormal high temperature detected. Initiating emergency cooling procedures..." a mechanical voice chimed. Plumes of white freezing mist sprayed from the four corners of the room, neutralizing the intense heat and condensing into liquid that pooled into the corners.

The room's temperature was quickly brought under control. Streaks of purple electrical arcs gradually surfaced across Li Yu's body. His skin looked as though it were cracking open, revealing numerous fissures.

Beneath those cracks lay not flesh and blood, but a crimson liquid that resembled magma.

This was the critical moment of the fusion. Fortunately, Li Yu's physical stats were truly exceptional, and he swiftly passed the danger period.

The fissures across his body gradually healed. Li Yu abruptly opened his eyes, feeling terribly parched. "Water... give me some water..."

He drank continuously for over ten minutes before finally pulling the tube away. Despite the massive volume of water entering his stomach, his belly did not bulge in the slightest.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency Jesus, on becoming a C-Tier Lifeform. I believe that your legend will surely be etched into the universe."

The Goblin offered his flattery. Li Yu raised his hand, watching as an entire finger turned a deep crimson, radiating a searing heat.

According to the Black Hole Network, reaching the level of a B-Tier Lifeform allowed one to transform into an elemental body, and even utilize their Genetic True Form in combat.

Still, becoming a C-Tier Lifeform was already the absolute limit that many interstellar races strove for their entire lives.

The cost of both B-tier Gene Chains and B-tier mechanical cybernetic enhancements was simply unimaginable.

Many people would never even encounter a B-Tier Lifeform in their lifetime, leaving them to only brag and dream about it on the Black Hole Network.

As for the even higher A-Tier Lifeform... tsk, one could only imagine such a thing in their wildest dreams.

"It's merely C-Minus Tier..." Li Yu shook his head.

"C-Tier is only your beginning. I believe that one day, your name will echo throughout the entire universe..." The Goblin's flattery poured out in an endless stream.

"No matter how much you brown-nose, I'm not giving you a tip," Li Yu said, glancing at the beaming Goblin.

Instantly, the Goblin's smile grew even brighter. "I'm merely speaking the truth, no tip is necessary."

Despite his words, the Goblin indeed stopped flattering and proceeded to escort Li Yu out in a highly methodical, programmed manner.

"Stingy bastard..." he muttered under his breath, watching Li Yu's departing back.

Spending money truly brought joy—this saying was incredibly accurate. Stepping out of the Tyron Chamber of Commerce, Li Yu felt that the sky was bluer, the water greener, and even the marauders on the street looked somewhat adorable.

"The will of The Reformers shall never be extinguished!" a loud roar echoed from a short distance away, accompanied by the sound of explosions. Li Yu's eyes flickered with interest.

"Is there a show to watch?" He sneaked toward the commotion, heading in the direction of the Opto-Electric Technology company entrance.

Opto-Electric Technology specialized primarily in cybernetic enhancements, which differed from the core Gene Chain business of the Tyron Chamber of Commerce.

Although their businesses overlapped at the lower tiers, there was very little interference between them at the higher stages.

A crowd of various interstellar races had already gathered here to watch the spectacle. Marauders loved a good show, even if standing around meant they might accidentally become part of the bloodbath themselves.

Soldiers from Dark Star had surrounded three Azure Remnants in the center. They held up their scarlet energy rifles but refrained from firing for the moment.

The three Azure Remnants leaned back-to-back, brandishing their scimitars with sharp, unwavering gazes.

It was clear that they had suffered numerous injuries, and several corpses of Dark Star soldiers littered the ground nearby.

"Drop your weapons, or we will be forced to open fire..." a Dark Star squad leader warned.

"Damn, since when did Dark Star become so polite... actually giving warnings?" The onlookers murmured in surprise.

"Idiot, Dark Star obviously wants to take them alive..." someone replied.

"Who the hell is calling me an idiot?! Step out!" the insulted man roared in fury, glancing around, but no one answered him.

"You damn marauders, acting as lapdogs for the Star Glory Empire! I truly overestimated your bottom line!" one of the Azure Remnants suddenly shouted angrily.

Then, as if remembering something, he quickly added, "Except for the Black Skull..."

He seemingly remembered that during their rescue operation, it was the Black Skull who had lent them a helping hand.

"Why is the Black Skull an exception?"

"Damn! That's a huge drop of information. Don't tell me the Black Skull has secretly allied with The Reformers..."

"That's crazy!"

The spectators began to chatter excitedly. Some even started a live stream on the Black Hole Network immediately: "Shocking! Is the Black Skull actually a hidden pawn for The Reformers?"

Li Yu's expression turned incredibly odd. These Azure Remnants were truly good brothers; even now, they didn't forget to slander the Black Skull.

Crackle!

An electrical net descended from the sky, directly enveloping the three of them. It paralyzed their bodies, causing them to collapse onto the ground as a Dark Star flying vehicle hovered down from above.

"Fuck, either commit suicide or fight your way out! What's the point of striking poses over there..."

"Now they've been wiped out in one go. Bet they feel stupid now, what a bunch of morons!"

"No wonder they ended up as a remnant race..." Clearly, someone had looked up the information on the Azure Remnants and was loudly mocking them without a shred of empathy.

The onlookers dispersed in disappointment. The corpses of the Dark Star soldiers were also carried away; their armor would be stripped off and given to their remaining brothers-in-arms.

There were simply too many Azure Remnants, making it incredibly difficult for The Reformers to stay hidden. They were forced to scatter into smaller groups, which meant some would inevitably be discovered. It was unavoidable.

Li Yu followed the departing crowd. He couldn't care less about the ultimate fate of The Reformers.

By the time he returned to the spaceship, Li Ping had already woken up. Hunter was looking after him. Seeing Li Yu return, Hunter immediately threw his hands up in frustration and complained, "What is wrong with this kid? I try asking him questions, and he doesn't say a single word. He just stays completely silent."

However, upon seeing Li Yu, Li Ping hurriedly spoke up, "Mr. Li Yu, I have completed your orders."

Li Ping had actually already told him this when he was barely conscious, but he had clearly forgotten. Li Yu took out a vial of rapid-healing vitality serum and had Li Ping drink it.

"You are truly too kind to me..." Li Ping choked up, tears welling in his eyes. The sight made Hunter's scalp tingle with dread, afraid that he too might be molded into one of Li Yu's devout followers one day.

"Rest and recover from your wounds," Li Yu advised, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yes!" Li Ping replied loudly, his eyes still red.

"What is the situation outside? How much longer will the lockdown last..." Hunter could not help but ask.

"It's hard to say..." Li Yu shook his head, unsure of the exact timeline himself.

He handed the energy blocks and other miscellaneous items over to Hunter, telling him to sort them out under the beautiful pretense that he 'didn't keep idlers around.'

Hunter left in a huff, glancing resentfully at Mo Duo, who was so bored she was literally counting the stars. He felt deeply that this was incredibly unfair.

He had thought that with Li Ping's arrival, his status would finally no longer be at the absolute bottom, but now something seemed terribly wrong.

The artificial sun gradually dimmed as night fell... and the System Log refreshed once again.

[Day Four - Biohazard World: Amidst the zombie crisis, you remained carefree and relaxed, but Alice astutely noticed the flirtatious glances exchanged between you and Jill. She expressed her immense anger.

You attempted to explain to her that if the apocalypse had truly arrived, the lot of you were Adam and the Eves... tasked with shouldering the heavy burden of carrying on the human lineage.

However, Alice did not buy your nonsense and chose to leave you. You felt a sense of profound loss, but looking at Jill and the female reporter who required your tender care... you could only endure the pain as you watched Alice depart.]

He had actually turned into a scumbag! Li Yu felt a surge of indignation. He wasn't angry that Clone One was acting like a playboy; he was furious that the idiot had driven Alice away. What was he supposed to do about his future rewards?!

Muttering curses, Li Yu felt extremely annoyed. Abiding by the principle of 'do not go out unless absolutely necessary' to prevent his identity from being exposed, the group spent the rest of their time cooped up in the spaceship, staring blankly at each other.

Over the next two days, the actions of Clone One became increasingly surreal...

[Day Five - Biohazard World: You encountered a man attempting to trade his own wife and daughter for supplies. You found it incredibly difficult to imagine that someone like this could exist on only the third day of the crisis.

You pitied them and brought the mother and daughter along on your journey. The number of occupants in your RV has increased once again...]

[Day Six - Biohazard World: The zombies are growing in number. Standing atop the RV and gazing at the devastated earth, the sorrow in your heart became increasingly apparent.

You decided to establish a settlement to provide humanity with a final sanctuary...]

[Acquired Green Title: Lewdness. Do you wish to extract it?]

'Was this settlement... actually legitimate?' Li Yu could not help but wonder. 'This Clone One truly has no scruples whatsoever.'

Simply building a harem wasn't enough to satisfy him; this guy was out to forge an entire harem kingdom.

"Sigh..." Li Yu let out a long breath. He had zero interest in this new title, as it was clearly designed to disgust him.

However, right around the time Clone One decided to establish his harem kingdom, Clone Two's journey in the Marvel World finally produced its first System Log entry.

[Day One - Marvel World: You opened your eyes in confusion amidst a world of ice and snow. Biting cold gnawed at you, yet you felt absolutely nothing in response.

You looked around blankly, only to be startled by a man's face. His eyes were tightly shut, as if he were dead, and the Star-Stripes Shield on his body was unmistakably clear.

You instantly recognized his identity: Captain Bubble Butt. You were somewhat surprised, never expecting the deployment location this time to be so outrageous.

Hearing the sound of cutting from above, you hurriedly closed your eyes, pretending to be fast asleep.

You and Captain America were excavated together, and you both ended up lying on examination tables. Since there was no immediate risk of being dissected, you chose not to expose your strength.]

[Acquired Special Item: Even Match Card. Do you wish to extract it?]

An inexplicable surge of excitement suddenly flooded Li Yu's mind. He extracted it immediately.

[Acquired Special Item - Even Match Card: Regardless of the opponent, the curvy butt can temporarily match them evenly.

Upon use on a target during combat, forcibly reduces the opponent's strength to match the host's level.]

It was a card imprinted with an image of Captain Bubble Butt, looking extremely majestic!

'Damn, as expected of Clone Two! What a darling!'

Li Yu was having his daily bout of temporary insanity. The others had long since grown accustomed to this and simply ignored him.

An incoming communication link on his smart terminal jolted the excited Li Yu back to reality. He coughed dryly, restoring his calm and indifferent demeanor.

To his surprise, it was an acquaintance...

Li Yu answered the call. Given that this communication request was initiated by Tu Rui, it was finally not a video link.

Li Yu had picked up a bad habit from who knows where: always forcing video links when communicating with others, which often made the other party quite uncomfortable.

Tu Rui had suffered greatly from this...

"Manager Tu, you're still alive?" Li Yu asked in confusion.

Tu Rui's voice sounded weathered, as if he had undergone some major upheaval. It was deep and hoarse. "Someone sought me out asking for your communication link."

"Who? Someone from the Star Glory Empire?" Li Yu asked instinctively.

For a while, he had honestly believed that Tu Rui had been captured by the Star Glory Empire.

"No... it's The Howler's daughter..." Tu Rui's voice also carried an undeniable trace of strangeness.

The Howler, Gore—the last fighter under his management who had been on the verge of achieving a hundred victories, a man who was once incredibly popular. Yet even he had no idea that The Howler actually had a daughter.

Li Yu suddenly recalled the two letters printed on the clothing The Howler had gifted him: QQ.

"Should I give it to her?" Tu Rui actually asked for Li Yu's permission.

Li Yu looked as if he had just heard something utterly unbelievable, his eyes widening. "Oh my god! Hunter... Mo Duo, are you listening to this? Is this actually Manager Tu asking for my opinion?"

Then, he reined in his exaggerated expression and said coolly, "I remember someone seemingly wanting to kill me just because I took his seat..."

"I..." Tu Rui paused for a moment. "Apologize to you..."

Li Yu narrowed his eyes, not taking the bait, and continued, "The choice is in your hands. There is no need to ask me."

"She said she once saved your life..." Tu Rui added.

Li Yu frowned instantly. After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Give it to her..."

"Alright," Tu Rui answered concisely before hanging up the call. From the corner, Hunter spoke up, "He needs a favor from you..."

Li Yu cast a glance at Hunter, who continued, "To bow and scrape before a former enemy, I can't think of any other reason."

Li Yu gave a noncommittal response.

......

In the boundless starry sky, the brilliant stars in the distance seemed as though they would never extinguish. A dilapidated spaceship abruptly appeared here. The emblem on its hull was rusted over, suggesting its owner couldn't be bothered to maintain it.

"Respected passengers... we must rest for three minutes before we can initiate a warp..."

Inside the cabin, they were called passengers... but in reality, they were merely a group of refugees. Clothed in rags and reduced to skin and bones... most of them were moaning weakly.

In the corner sat a tall, shadowy figure draped in a gray robe. He was holding a child in his arms. The child's face was deathly pale... Their eyes were tightly shut, and their entire body was interwoven with hues of red, blue, and purple, looking absolutely terrifying.

He ended the call, searched for another contact, shared a link, and then turned off his smart terminal.

Gazing at the child in his embrace... he murmured, "We are almost home. Just endure it a little longer... The Inheritance Skull can definitely save you..."

"A Three-Blood Troll... even those elders wouldn't bear to do anything to you..."

"Even if... it requires me to atone for my sins..."

The universe was so vast... evading a pursuit from the Troll Star shouldn't have been difficult... unfortunately, the heavens did not grant a man's wishes...

......

"QQ?"

Li Yu probed as he looked at the valiant and spirited woman on the screen. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. The term 'chiseled' was rarely used to describe women, but Li Yu felt it suited her perfectly.

Mo Duo cast a subtle, scrutinizing gaze his way...

The woman's expression shifted for a fraction of a second. "You can call me Kiki..."

"Miss... Kiki? Is there something you need from me?" Li Yu observed the woman.

"I want to ask you for a favor..." Kiki spoke up with some hesitation.

"Hmm..." Li Yu neither agreed nor declined, nor did he press the issue further. Instead, he deflected, "I heard from that old enemy of mine that you claimed to have saved my life?"

"I'm sorry... my father didn't have your communication link, only Tu Rui's..." Kiki replied, slightly apologetic.

"It's fine... please answer my question..." Li Yu didn't care about such minor details.

"I also have another name—Liu Xing. Although... you are probably more familiar with the Scarlet Commander..." Kiki, who was in fact Liu Xing, explained.

"Scarlet Commander..." Li Yu slightly narrowed his eyes, continuing to listen as Liu Xing said, "Back then, you spared my father's life. So, at the final moment, I went a bit easy on you..."

"It could barely be considered... repaying the life you spared of my father..."

"And here I thought you were going to use that life-saving grace to blackmail me..." Li Yu said half-jokingly, genuinely surprised that there was such a backstory involved.

However, as Liu Xing stated, whether her 'going easy' had actually saved Li Yu's life remained unknown. Just as Li Yu sparing The Howler had merely been a ploy to spite the Tyron Chamber of Commerce, the two favors barely canceled each other out.

"What is the favor you need my help with?" Li Yu finally got to the point.

"My father has been imprisoned by Dark Star..." Liu Xing began, proceeding to tell a relatively short story.

Her hometown was on a colonial planet of the Star Glory Empire. However, since it hadn't been colonized for very long, riots broke out frequently.

She had been abducted during one of those chaotic times. After being tossed around for a while, she was integrated into Dark Star's forces and eventually became the illustrious Scarlet Commander.

The Howler had never stopped searching for her. Following her trail, he arrived at the Heavenly Desolation Star, which eventually led to his involvement with Li Yu and the Imperial Noble...

After Dark Star discovered her covert activities, he sent her on an extremely dangerous mission, using Gore as leverage to control her.

"That man, Dark Star, is ruthless and cruel. There is absolutely no way he will ever grant me freedom... I have to find my own way out..."

Liu Xing's eyes were exceptionally resolute. Years of a wandering, perilous existence had forged an unyielding will within her.

"Go on a rescue mission? Fight against Dark Star?" Li Yu shook his head, displaying completely zero interest.

That guy, Dark Star, was simply far too strong.

"I went undercover in a key department of the Star Glory Empire and learned some critical information..." Liu Xing pivoted. "That Starlight Fleet has already headed to the nearby Aaron Civilization, intending to force them to hand over the items excavated from the Titan Ruins."

"What does that have to do with me..." Li Yu felt a slight stir in his heart.

Liu Xing continued her explanation, "It was a small ruin. What they obtained shouldn't be large-scale scientific research equipment, but rather some form of weaponry or armor."

"With the construction of the Stargate imminent, the fleet likely won't return to the Star Glory Empire just yet to avoid any accidents. I can help you acquire it."

"And if I get it... I'll be able to use it?" Li Yu asked probingly. It was obvious that Liu Xing had no idea the key was in his possession, or even that this Titan Ruin involved a key in the first place.

"How else...?" Liu Xing was a bit confused as well. "Most of the weapons and armors from the Titan Ruins can be used directly by the majority of interstellar races."

"But... there is still Dark Star. He's not easy to deal with..." Li Yu remained resistant. Although he had already formed a grudge with the man, he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks without sufficient strength.

"Dark Star had previously demanded an A-Class Gene Chain from the Star Glory Empire. Since he failed to stop Hel back then, the Star Glory Empire likely rejected his request."

Holding nothing back, Liu Xing explained in detail, "But now, the Star Glory Empire must have agreed to it again, otherwise Dark Star would never have brought the Imperial Fleet into No Man's Land."

"Dark Star trusts absolutely no one. For something as critical as fusing an A-Class Gene Chain, he will definitely leave No Man's Land to find a safe and secure location."

"Oh..." Li Yu's eyes gleamed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.