Chapter 583: Not Bright

San Yue Qi was stunned.

Lin was also stunned.

Clone? This thing can even clone?

Jiaoshou looked at their bewildered expressions, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

It walked to a chair, plopped down flamboyantly, crossed its legs, and kept munching on a banana.

"Look at you two, how amusing."

It said, "Just like two real Monkeys, running around, looking everywhere, understanding nothing. I haven't even activated the machine yet, how come someone has already turned into a Monkey early?"

San Yue Qi's eyebrows twitched.

Why does that sound so like it deserves a beating?

She didn't hesitate, raising her hand outright—

"Zawa Rudo—!!!"

Time Stop!

The world solidified.

Jiaoshou kept his banana‑munching pose, the banana suspended at his mouth, the eyes behind the Vortex Glasses unmoving.

San Yue Qi inhaled deeply and drew the bowstring.

Ice Arrow poured out like a downpour, instantly turning Jiaoshou into a sieve!

Time Resume!

"Pupupupupu—!!!"

Jiaoshou's body was pierced by those dozen‑plus Ice Arrows, the whole figure— the whole Monkey—tumbled backward, crashed to the ground, and then turned into a banana.

San Yue Qi lowered the bow and let out a sigh.

"I told you to shut your mouth."

But the next second, the expression on her face froze.

Because that hidden door opened again.

Another Monkey wearing a white coat and Vortex Glasses stepped out.

It also held a banana, leisurely munching, and stared at them with that same beat‑up‑looking gaze.

"You can't kill me."

It said, "I know your ability—Time Stop, or rather a time‑type ability. It's truly absurd, truly a bug‑level ability."

San Yue Qi stared at it, saying nothing.

Jiaoshou continued:

"Fortunately, such a powerful ability happened to be paired with a... hmm, how to describe it? A not‑very‑bright brain."

It tilted its head, thought for a moment, then displayed an epiphany expression.

"Let's put it this way: the strength of this ability and its user's IQ balance out to the average. From that perspective, it seems rather normal."

San Yue Qi clenched her fist.

"Are you calling me stupid?"

Jiaoshou waved a hand.

"No, no, no, I didn't say that. I just said your brain isn't suited for such a complex ability. If it were that black‑haired little girl over there, she might have taken me out long ago."

Lin heard that, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Is this Monkey praising her or sowing discord?

Jiaoshou stood, hands behind his back, pacing the room, completely ignoring San Yue Qi's face that was about to erupt.

It walked to Lin's front, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

"You're interesting, little girl. You've already entered the Second Stage, right? In a little while, you'll completely forget how to speak, only saying 'banana banana banana'. Then, do you want to stay in this world as a Monkey, or return to the real world as a human?"

It smiled, "Oh right, you can't go back, because you're already in Fusion."

Lin's complexion turned deathly pale.

Jiaoshou looked back at San Yue Qi.

"And you, Fen Mao little girl. Your Time Stop ability is indeed impressive, but how long can you stop it? Seven seconds? Eight seconds? Can you find a solution within seven seconds?"

It shook its head, "You can't, because you can't even read those characters."

San Yue Qi's hand tightened on the bow.

"But you also have a virtue," Jiaoshou suddenly said, "You're very stupid."

San Yue Qi: "……"

"Really, I'm not insulting you. I'm serious."

Jiaoshou's expression became sincere, "You're so stupid, yet you won't be affected by Fusion—because Fusion requires a certain level of Cognition, and a brain as empty as yours is actually the safest."

San Yue Qi's complexion turned spectacular.

"So,"

Jiaoshou said with a smile, "Let me give you a name—how about calling you San Yue Banana from now on? And you, Lin Banana, that name sounds nice too."

San Yue Qi's face reddened further.

"Who wants that kind of name!"

Jiaoshou shrugged.

"Whatever, you'll soon become real Monkeys anyway, the name doesn't matter."

It walked to the massive metal device, patted its smooth shell, and a satisfied smile spread across its face.

"I've prepared this plan for a very long time. Since the moment humans were born, I've been watching you. Watching you evolve from apes to humans, watching you build civilization, watching you arrogantly dominate this planet. Then I wondered—if all of this were reversed, what would it look like?"

It turned around and looked at San Yue Qi and Lin.

"Now, this idea is finally about to be realized. After countless hardships, I have at last turned this plan into reality. Of course, there is still the final step, the most crucial step."

It pointed at that metal device.

"That's also why I can still chat leisurely with you now. It's like during an exam when the last question is already finished; I deliberately leave the first question blank, not to answer it, just to see how you scramble."

San Yue Qi's eyebrows furrowed even tighter.

"What do you mean?"

Jiaoshou smiled, his smile full of smugness.

"It means that Fusion has already begun and cannot be reversed. I am here simply to see how you already display monkey-like behavior before fully becoming Monkeys. Look at your frantic expression just now—how much like an enraged Monkey."

It turned toward Lin.

"And you, flipping those documents so earnestly—doesn't it look like a Monkey trying to understand human writing? Clearly you're almost becoming one of them, yet still making a final struggle; how amusing."

Lin bit her lip and remained silent.

But her gaze never left those documents.

At that moment, her finger turned a page and suddenly she saw a familiar name.

Ying.

The two characters were written in normal script, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding Reverse Characters.

It was like a lamp in the darkness, instantly capturing Lin's full attention.

She quickly scanned that passage.

"Special individual... codename Ying... suspected Breeding residual carrier... possesses extremely high research value... authorized for capture..."

Lin's pupils contracted instantly.

"Ying...?!"

Perspective shift.

Night shrouded the outskirts of Dongmu City, and the ancient church cast a massive shadow under the moonlight.

Yuanban Shichen stood at the church entrance, watching the half‑closed wooden door, his brows slightly furrowed.

The surrounding air was tinged with a faint, lingering stench of decay, as if something were rotting in the shadows.

He lifted his hand and gently pushed the door open.

The door let out a "creak" that sounded especially harsh in the silent night.

The interior of the church was darker than he had imagined.

The stained‑glass windows sliced the moonlight into colored fragments, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

Rows of long benches were neatly arranged, leading straight to the altar ahead.

The cross on the altar glowed faintly in the darkness, like a final hope.

But Yuanban Shichen's gaze did not fall on the altar; it rested on the priest lying on the pulpit.

The priest wore a black robe, his whole body sprawled on the pulpit, motionless.