Chapter 86 ：Knowledge Is Power
Zach Hayes froze.
He didn’t understand why his father suddenly changed his mind the moment Evan arrived.
A moment later, Evan walked into Tyler Hayes’s office, sat down casually, and looked at Zach—
who was standing stiffly like a soldier.
“Zach, why aren’t you sitting? Why’re you standing like that?”
Zach’s expression stiffened, but he still sat down beside Evan.
Tyler looked at Evan.
“Finished digesting?”
Evan nodded.
“Thanks to the natural medicines the organization provided.”
Tyler asked knowingly,
“So you’re here to return the leftovers?”
“All eaten. Otherwise how could I digest so fast?”
Evan said.
“I mainly came to see you, Uncle Hayes. And… I have something to ask.”
Tyler snorted.
“Alright, drop the act. Just say it—what kind of extract do you want?”
Evan grinned.
“Uncle Hayes, you’re straightforward as always.
I want to take a look at our nation’s heritage first.
Is that okay?”
“You’re getting picky now?”
Tyler shook his head with a smile, but still picked up the phone and gave a few instructions.
Soon, an assistant brought a folder and placed it on Tyler’s desk.
Tyler handed it to Evan.
“These are all the Tier‑2 S‑grade extracts currently in Dongli’s national treasury.
Not many.
There’s no point hoarding them—turning them into combat power is what matters.”
Evan skimmed the list.
Tyler said “not many,”
but there were seventy to eighty entries.
Each extract had detailed notes:
The beast it came from
The skills it granted
Skill effects
The date it entered the treasury
Tyler reminded him,
“The list is sorted by entry date.
Newest at the top.
Start from there.
The ones at the bottom are leftovers—usually with issues.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Evan nodded.
Some S‑grade extracts had impractical skills,
some were purely support‑type,
so they were ignored by those who could afford better ones.
He began reading carefully.
Zach watched with envy.
Although he had absorbed three S‑grade extracts,
only one was a birthday gift from his father.
The other two were earned through missions and competitions.
He had never enjoyed the privilege of choosing from dozens of S‑grade extracts with the government paying the bill.
Evan continued reading.
No one rushed him.
He noticed many extracts came from marine beasts—
reasonable, since Dongli bordered the sea and hunted there often.
The first half of the list had some decent options,
but nothing that truly excited him.
The second half was worse—
many skills only worked underwater,
or were meant for researchers like Wendy Lewis,
with no combat value.
Evan’s heart sank.
If this were before he absorbed the Undying Salamander and mutated crocodile extracts,
he would’ve had plenty of choices.
But now—
His standards were higher
Many skills overlapped with what he already had
If only my sister were here…
Evan sighed inwardly.
Wendy would’ve instantly picked the best one for him.
He skimmed the bottom of the list—
just as Tyler said,
the lower the entry, the worse the extract.
Some had been in storage for over five years.
And the very last one—
Twenty‑three years in storage.
Older than Evan himself.
Ridiculous.
Wait.
What extract was this?
Evan froze.
His eyes locked onto the final entry.
He read it carefully.
🦍 [Mutated Upright Ape Extract]
Grade: Tier‑2 S+
Skills obtainable:
Knowledge Is Power, Brutal Smash, Frenzied Bite, Savage Charge, Merciless Roar, Falling Hammer, Iron Mountain Rush…
Note:
The Mutated Upright Ape is a highly intelligent variant beast capable of learning simple skills from other beasts and converting them into innate abilities.
Evan noticed the S+ rating.
Not an official grade,
but clearly Dongli considered it above normal S‑grade.
He guessed this beast was similar to the mutated crocodile—
a variant far stronger than its tier.
The extract granted far too many skills.
A normal beast couldn’t possibly have so many.
It must’ve learned them, just as the note said.
But among all those skills,
one stood out.
⭐ Knowledge Is Power
Type: Passive
Effect: For every skill the evolver possesses, their physical attributes (strength, speed, durability) increase once.
This skill was perfect for the Upright Ape—
the more skills it learned,
the stronger its body became.
But Evan suddenly realized—
It was perfect for him too.
Because of Evolution’s Grace,
he had more skills than others.
Meaning—
He would gain more attribute boosts than anyone else.
And when he didn’t know what skill to choose,
a passive attribute‑boosting skill was always the safest bet.
Stats were always useful.
Evan put down the list and looked at Tyler.
“Uncle Hayes, I’ve decided.
I want the Mutated Upright Ape extract.”
Tyler’s hand trembled.
Hot tea spilled onto his leg—
he didn’t even notice.
He stared at Evan.
“You’re sure?”