Clone Ascension

Evan smiled faintly.

He didn’t believe in gods.

Many people across the Linhua Continent spoke of the “God of Evolution,”

and even Liam Zhao had named a skill Evolution’s Grace.

But that didn’t mean they were true believers.

It was like people in his previous life saying,

“Oh my God!”

without actually believing in God.

Phrases like

“return to the God of Evolution’s embrace”

or

“receive the God of Evolution’s blessing”

had become common idioms.

To most people,

“the God of Evolution”

wasn’t a literal deity—

just a symbol of power.

According to reliable records,

the legend of the God of Evolution came first among the people.

Only later did someone establish the Church of Evolution.

In other words,

the Church had simply ridden the wave of a popular myth.

Evan believed a true God of Evolution might exist somewhere—

but it definitely wasn’t

the stitched‑together monstrosity the Church worshipped.

“Well then, I’ll give it a try.”

He accepted the Divine Stone

from Cleric Samuel Price.

It was warm to the touch.

When he looked again

at the towering statue of the God of Evolution,

something had changed.

He felt something

he had never felt before.

The half‑human, half‑beast statue

seemed to come alive,

gazing down at him—

stern yet compassionate.

For a moment,

Evan truly felt

as if a god were watching him.

It must be the stone…

This is an evolutionary artifact affecting my mind.

He tried to lower the stone—

but the statue suddenly moved.

It stepped forward,

looming over him.

A wave of awe and submission

rose uncontrollably in Evan’s heart.

Those divine eyes

seemed to whisper

how small he was,

and how great the god was.

“The Church really does have something…

No wonder they attract believers.”

Just as Evan prepared

to throw the stone away,

something inside him stirred.

A faint silhouette

rose behind him.

It was blurry—

almost nonexistent—

yet it radiated

a domineering, pure,

overwhelmingly divine aura.

Far more divine

than the God of Evolution.

Before this phantom,

the statue was nothing—

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

an ant before a mountain.

What is that…?

Evan’s heart trembled.

He had no idea

where the phantom came from

or why it appeared behind him.

Could it be Evolution’s Grace?

CRACK!

A sharp sound snapped him back.

The phantom vanished.

The statue returned to its original place.

Except—

A crack split the statue

from the top of its head

down to its crotch.

Then it broke cleanly in half.

Evan froze.

Cleric Samuel Price froze.

Evan shoved the Divine Stone

back into the cleric’s hands.

“You saw that.

I didn’t touch the statue.

Don’t you dare blame this on me!”

The cleric stared blankly,

still processing what happened.

He had only seen Evan

holding the stone and zoning out—

then the statue shattered on its own.

He had never encountered

anything like this.

He forced himself to calm down.

“This is serious.

Please wait here.

I must report this to the Bishop.”

Normally, Evan would have run by now.

But he glanced around

and didn’t see FangBro.

Which meant FangBro

had already begun his infiltration.

So Evan nodded,

choosing to stay

and draw more attention.

This hall

was the deepest place

ordinary believers could enter.

Anything truly secret

would be hidden beyond it.

🕳️ FangBro’s Infiltration

FangBro slipped unnoticed

into the restricted area behind the hall.

This was where temple clergy lived.

The entrance door was locked.

Inside, dim candlelight

lined the corridor.

Rooms on both sides

were silent and empty.

FangBro checked them one by one—

simple bedrooms,

most unoccupied.

Only five or six

showed signs of being lived in.

The Eastplain Evolution Temple

was deserted to begin with.

Few clergy was normal.

He continued deeper

until he found

a staircase leading underground—

blocked by a locked wooden door.

He didn’t bother with the door.

He burrowed straight through the floor.

The underground chamber was empty—

but FangBro was ready.

He slipped into stealth,

moving silently like a gecko,

and hid in a corner.

The underground space

was the size of a basketball court.

On one side

stood a massive iron cage

holding fifteen or sixteen children—

all visibly ill.

Their clothes were filthy,

their eyes dull,

their spirits broken.

The cage reeked

of accumulated waste.

Outside the cage

stood another statue

of the God of Evolution.

The children clutched Divine Stones

and stared at the statue,

murmuring:

“He is the King of Glory,

the Supreme Sovereign,

the source of all life,

and the end of all life…”

Beside the statue

stood a cold‑faced woman—

Sister Miriam Hale.

Her voice was emotionless.

“Only those who can recite

The Divine Codex

will receive the God’s favor.

Whoever recites it perfectly

may leave the cage

and earn the honor

of becoming a Warrior of God.”

The promise of leaving

sparked faint hope

in the children’s empty eyes.

But how could children so young

memorize an entire holy book?

None stepped forward.

They only gripped their stones tighter,

as if hearing sacred whispers.

On the other side of the chamber,

a middle‑aged man

in a silver‑trimmed white robe

sat at a wooden table—

Bishop Aldric Rowan.

He cut into a bloody steak

with elegant precision,

chewing with satisfaction

despite the stench around him.

Behind him stood

a towering man in black armor—

Knight Commander Brutus Kane.

Suddenly,

Bishop Rowan paused mid‑bite

and looked toward FangBro’s hiding place,

frowning.

FangBro’s heart tightened.

Did he notice me?

“Bishop, what’s wrong?”

Brutus asked.

The Bishop took two steps

toward FangBro—

Then his phone rang.

He turned back

and answered.

“The statue cracked?

Don’t let him leave.

I’m coming.”

He hung up

and said coldly:

“Brutus, with me.

We’re going to catch someone.”

“Catch who?”

“A blasphemer.”