Clone Ascension

“Sis… you mean those sick children were taken

because they’re more likely to… mutate?”

Evan’s pupils tightened.

Wendy Lewis nodded.

“Compared to healthy people,

those with congenital illnesses

have a higher chance of mutating

after becoming evolvers.

But mutation is extremely rare.

And I’ve told you—mutation isn’t always good.

It can make someone stronger…

or weaker…

or bring terrifying side effects.”

“Like Wind Buqing?”

Evan immediately thought of him—

stronger after mutation,

but also insane,

twisted into something

neither human nor plant.

Wendy sighed.

“Only a tiny fraction mutate successfully.

Those children were likely taken

as experimental subjects.

If they mutate successfully,

they’re valuable.

If they fail…

they’re discarded.”

She didn’t explain what “discarded” meant.

Evan didn’t need her to.

“Who would conduct experiments like this?” he asked.

Wendy replied,

“Anyone with the capability

wouldn’t be a small group.

At minimum, a nation‑level force.

Possibly even higher.”

Evan understood.

Only a handful of forces

in the entire Linhua Continent

were above the Six Nations.

He exhaled.

“I wonder if this case has more to it.”

🕯️ Training and Two Phone Calls

Back home, Evan didn’t rest.

He trained relentlessly—

swallowing Tomorrow Flower petals

while practicing Swan Dance.

He had to complete his second evolution

before the freshman assessment.

Only then could he take first place

and earn a Tier‑3 S‑grade extract.

Otherwise, he’d only get a Tier‑2 S‑grade—

worth dozens of times less.

Not long into training,

Evan received two calls.

📞 Call 1 — Shawn Miller

“Mr. Cole,

I’ve obtained the locations

where Gravity Demons appear.

It was dangerous—

I was almost caught by the company…”

“Good work.

I’ll send the remaining payment.”

“No rush, no rush.

I’ll send the files right away.”

Evan waited.

No files came.

So he transferred the remaining 8,000 points.

The moment the points left his account—

the files arrived.

Evan opened them.

They were detailed records

of every Gravity Demon

EvolutionTech had hunted

in the past two years.

He saved the data.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

He wouldn’t hunt one

until after his second evolution.

📞 Call 2 — From the Muke Republic

The second call

was from an unfamiliar number

in the Muke Republic.

Evan answered.

“Master Lingxiao,

it’s me—Warren King.”

“Secretary King?”

Evan recognized the voice

of Elias Zhao’s secretary.

“And don’t call me that.

I’m Evan Cole,

not Liam Zhao the death‑row criminal.

Call me that again

and I’ll sue you for defamation.”

“Hehe…

you can call yourself whatever you like.

But your bloodline is still Zhao blood.

The Minister’s intention is…”

After listening,

Evan froze.

Elias Zhao wanted to acknowledge him as a son?

What was he thinking?

Actually…

it made sense.

Now that Evan had risen,

and the Zhao family couldn’t control him,

they wanted to turn hostility

into kinship.

Heh.

Back then,

they threw him into prison.

Now they wanted to climb up to him.

Evan agreed cheerfully.

“Tell Minister Zhao—

when people recognize a godfather,

they get gifts.

If I’m recognizing a biological father,

he’d better show sincerity.

Let me see his courage.”

He hung up

and tossed his phone aside.

He had no idea

how Elias Zhao got his number.

He didn’t care.

If Elias really sent him

tens of billions,

calling him “Dad” was nothing.

He’d done it before.

As long as he didn’t have to return

to the Muke Republic—

that was impossible.

But something puzzled him.

He had appeared publicly

at the Judgment Battle

days ago.

The Muke King

should’ve known by now.

Why hadn’t he punished Elias Zhao?

Evan couldn’t understand.

He had always felt

the Muke King’s behavior

was strange.

Others might not know

the effect of Evolution’s Grace,

but the Muke King definitely did.

Yet he acted

as if he didn’t care.

And when his beloved daughter

was killed by Liam Zhao,

he didn’t kill him on the spot—

he merely imprisoned him.

Unfathomable.

Evan stopped thinking about it.

Whatever the Muke King was planning,

as long as Evan stayed far away

and focused on growing stronger,

he’d be fine.

Once he reached Saint‑tier,

no matter what schemes the Muke King had—

if they harmed him,

he’d crush them with one slap.

🌅 The Next Morning — New Developments

Evan trained all night.

He had barely fallen asleep

when Wendy woke him.

“Hannah just contacted me.

The Security Bureau has results.

I’m heading to the Welfare Home.

Are you coming?”

“Yes!”

Evan leaped out of bed.

After a quick wash,

he grabbed the breakfast rice ball

Wendy made for him

and headed out.

They took a taxi

to Sunshine Children’s Welfare Home.

Hannah Keane

was already waiting at the gate.

“What did they find?” Evan asked eagerly.

Hannah replied,

“The officers said

that Lynn Dillon—

or Sophie Lane—

whatever her real name is…

she’s involved in multiple missing‑children cases

across the country.

Every case involved children

with rare diseases.”

The three entered the building.

The same officer from yesterday

was inside.

He handed Wendy a file.

“Professor Lewis,

we checked the missing‑children cases

from the past decade.

In most of them,

she appears.

Every time,

she uses a different name,

infiltrates an orphanage,

and becomes one of the missing children.

“She’s cautious.

After committing a crime in one city,

she won’t return for three to five years.

She moves from city to city.”

Evan and Wendy

looked through the documents.

Sophie Lane’s six‑year‑old face

appeared again and again

in missing‑children photos—

same expression,

different hairstyles.

The more Evan looked,

the more distorted her face seemed—

no innocence,

only something ugly and terrifying.

Wendy closed the file.

“Did you check the vehicles

around the time of the incident?

Any suspicious ones?”

The officer nodded

and handed her another file.

“We checked all vehicles

passing through the area

two hours before and after the incident.

We recorded all owners.

So far, nothing suspicious.

Would you like to review it?”

“Yes.”

Wendy took the file

and scanned the list quickly.

Her finger stopped

on one entry.

“Check this vehicle.

I want to know

every place it has been recently.”