200: Section 200

Jing Yuan nodded; he had reviewed the data, and many experimental findings could prove this point.

"There is one scenario that can explain it!"

Chapter 202: Turning You into a Phage Beast

Jing Yuan said, "In the old world, clones were typically manufactured by cultivating them to a specific age, or even into adult individuals. Such clones, of course, do not possess life source essence."

"However, if the human pregnancy process is fully simulated, allowing the clone to develop from the fertilized egg stage like a normal infant—ten months of pregnancy followed by a normal birth—there is a certain chance of obtaining life source essence. You were cultivated in this way."

Although Jing Nan found it hard to accept, she still asked, "Then what did they cultivate me for?"

"To serve as a spare body for Mevy. Mevy's body had genetic defects, and you are a clone with repaired genes. Once you reached adulthood, they would have transplanted Mevy's brain into your body. Bodies with identical genes can minimize rejection reactions."

"Does Morgan know about this?"

"He definitely knows. Would he really tolerate his woman having a child with another man?"

Jing Nan knew that if she weren't a clone, she would be Mevy's daughter.

If she were Mevy's daughter, then Morgan certainly wouldn't be the father.

Otherwise, why would they claim their biological daughter was an adopted one?

Perhaps even Charles believed Jing Nan was his half-sister, but given their status, how could they be willing to admit it?

"So..."

"Yes! Before Mevy died, you were raised only as her spare body. Because of the brain transplant surgery, the other body also had to have life source essence, and you were the only clone who possessed it. After Mevy's death, Morgan was good to you out of guilt toward her. As for whether he had other motives, I don't know."

Jing Yuan looked at Jing Nan; he hadn't originally wanted to tell her these things.

However, to ensure Jing Nan stood completely on his side, he chose to tell her anyway.

She had no blood relation to Morgan's family to begin with. There was no need to maintain that last bit of familial connection.

"Don't be too sad," Jing Yuan comforted. "Possessing life source essence makes you a complete life form. Besides, you're not the only clone on the Lighthouse; Mark is too!"

"What? Mark is a clone!" This news was even more shocking to Jing Nan than learning she was a clone herself.

"Whom did he clone?"

"A Humanoid Rending Beast. That's why he is seen by Morgan and Bai Yuekui as the hope for solving the ecology."

Jing Nan looked shocked.

Jing Yuan, however, had a worried expression, because he still didn't know how Mark, with his special identity, was supposed to save the world... The Lighthouse was currently sailing high in the sky.

After leaving the Ecological Core Zone, the Lighthouse encountered no more flying Phage Beasts, and the people on board returned to their usual calm.

Mark held a memorial service for those who had sacrificed themselves on the Lighthouse.

Charles, Victor, Senge, and others were labeled as rebels; an announcement was issued, but it wasn't overly sensationalized.

As for Morgan and Elon, Mark still granted them their statuses as "Former City Lord" and "Wasteland Hunters Instructor," listing them among the crowd at the memorial service.

After the memorial service, Mark sought out Bai Yuekui with a heavy heart.

Bai Yuekui and the group from Dragon Bone Village were temporarily residing on the Lighthouse, their next step still uncertain.

Mark brought Bai Yuekui to the Central Command Hall; at this moment, they were the only two in the hall.

Much was weighing on Mark's heart. He was silent for a moment, then looked at Bai Yuekui. "I once thought that finding you all might lead to a way to survive on The Surface. But now it seems that without solving the mana ecology, it's impossible for us to survive on this planet."

Bai Yuekui nodded. "That's right!"

Now, even the people from Dragon Bone Village had come up to the Lighthouse; there was no point talking about surviving on The Surface.

"How can the mana ecology be solved?"

"I have a plan!"

Mark looked at her. "What plan?"

"This plan requires sacrifice!"

Mark was startled but still asked, "How many people are needed?"

"One person!"

"Who?" Mark reacted immediately. "Me?"

Bai Yuekui said one person needed to be sacrificed, and she was saying it to Mark; who else could it be but him?

"Yes! You need to be sacrificed!"

Mark didn't hesitate and asked directly, "What do I need to do?"

"You are more decisive than I imagined."

Mark smiled and said, "Sacrificing just me to save the entire planet is a very good bargain."

Bai Yuekui hesitated and said, "Why don't you listen to me finish before making a decision."

Mark looked puzzled.

"You know now that you are a clone of Cranial Birth. Cranial Birth was a life born within the brain of a Mana Giant; his essence is of the same source as mana."

"Perhaps because both we and the Ancient Civilization injected life source essence into the Mana Giant's brain, Cranial Birth felt an affinity for us humans after he was born."

"It was also through him that we learned a lot about mana."

"Cranial Birth discovered that through the Bloody Vortex, one can go to the Higher Dimensional World where mana resides. There, it might be possible to destroy mana."

"Cranial Birth and I went there, but we failed."

"Cranial Birth shared the same source as the ecology, and he was assimilated by it, which ultimately led to his death!"

Hearing this, Mark understood. "So you need a clone to continue this plan, and at the same time, you need to ensure the clone won't be assimilated again."

"Yes!"

"How many such experiments have you done? How many clones were successful?"

Bai Yuekui was taken aback. "What experiment are you talking about?"

Mark was a bit confused. "Didn't you say that one must enter the Higher Dimensional World where mana resides to destroy it? The Humanoid Bioweapon you modified was intended to be used to enter the mana world, right? Although you certainly couldn't destroy mana, you must have at least entered the Higher Dimensional World!"

Bai Yuekui thought Mark was asking how many clone experiments she had done, but it turned out he was asking how many times she had entered the Higher Dimensional World.

"Not even once!" Bai Yuekui said. "To enter the Higher Dimensional World where mana resides, one needs the special genes of a Mana Creature. So far, I haven't been able to restore Cranial Birth's genes in the lab, which means we can't even enter the door to the mana world right now."

"You have more than one clone in your hands, right? How can there not be even one successful case?"

"How do you know I have more than one clone here?"

Mark laughed. "Since you're cloning, why would you only clone one!"

"True, but they all failed!" Bai Yuekui stared at Mark.

Her gaze made Mark feel a bit uncomfortable.

"What was the reason for the failures?"

"Because the clones didn't have life source essence, I couldn't even manage to restore Cranial Birth's genes!"

"No life source essence..." Mark mulled over her words and suddenly realized, "So it's simply because I possess life source essence..."

"You are the only clone with life source essence. Using you to restore Cranial Birth's genes has a high probability of success!"

"Is it just a probability?"

"For us, even a small possibility cannot be abandoned!"

"What needs to be done?"

"Your genes have the ability to devour. As long as Mana Creature genes are implanted into your body, you can use devouring to complete the genes that were previously removed."

"If Mana Creature genes are implanted, what will I become?"

"You will take on the appearance of Cranial Birth. He... was actually a Humanoid Rending Beast."

Mark's eyes widened. "You mean, I will become a Phage Beast?"

How could a human become a Phage Beast?

Wait, this was exactly what Jing Yuan had said before.

Jing Yuan had told Mark back then that he could foresee the future, and in that future, he saw Mark turning into a Phage Beast.

"You want to turn me into a Phage Beast?"

Bai Yuekui nodded solemnly. "Only in this way can you enter the Bloody Vortex and solve the mana ecology."

Mark felt shocked, but also aggrieved.

He had always thought he was a human, with friends and family.

But now he learned that he was just a clone of a Humanoid Rending Beast, and that he had to become a Phage Beast to solve the ecology.

Genetically speaking, Mark belonged to the Mana Creatures.

But in terms of belonging, he was human.