A vast forest stretched endlessly, its dense canopy casting deep shadows that swallowed the sunlight. The air was thick with the scent of damp soil and wild greenery. Towering above all, an ancient tree loomed—its massive trunk spanning three meters in diameter, its height piercing the sky at over a hundred meters. Beneath its sprawling roots lay a hidden passage—a small green gate, seamlessly blending into the forest, almost invisible to the untrained eye.


    A young man in a sleek black combat suit stood near the massive tree, his sharp gaze fixed on the middle-aged man beside him. His dark hair merged with the forest''s shadows as he spoke in a calm yet firm tone.


    "Master, this is it—the lab of the Mad Scientist. The one who''s been using slum dwellers as test subjects for his virus experiments."


    The middle-aged man, clad in a similar black combat suit, had sword-like eyebrows and gripped a large sword tightly in his hand. His expression remained indifferent as he glanced at the camouflaged green gate beneath the tree''s roots.


    "We never cared about experiments on slum rats," he scoffed. "But our intelligence reports say he''s developing a virus that could affect Origin Cultivators. That, we cannot ignore."


    Without hesitation, he gestured to the squad behind him—fifty elite operatives, all clad in black combat suits. They swiftly spread out, securing the perimeter and cutting off any possible escape routes. Each soldier wore a specialized mask, ensuring protection from any potential biohazards within the hidden laboratory.


    Deep Underground…


    Machines beeped rhythmically, vapors hissed from pressurized tubes, and containers of strange, glowing liquids boiled over flickering flames. In the midst of the chaos stood a haggard old man in a tattered white lab coat, his sunken eyes gleaming with madness.


    "At last... I''ve done it!" Garen muttered, a manic grin twisting his lips. Then, he threw his head back and laughed—"Hahahahaha! I''ve discovered something that will destroy everything!"


    His laughter abruptly stopped as he turned to a monitor displaying the security feed. Outside, figures in sleek black combat suits surrounded the entrance. His gaze darkened.


    "The Federation has found me, huh? Hah... no matter. My work is already complete. What happens next depends only on my creation."


    Without hesitation, Garen grabbed a large syringe filled with a blue liquid—his latest creation, born from merging countless virus strains into the XN-927 Strain. A virus that could multiply within minutes upon entering the body.


    But he showed no fear. Tilting his head, he plunged the needle into the side of his neck. The fluid surged into his veins, the XN-927 Strain latching onto his cells, following its primal instinct. Weakness washed over him momentarily, but his body adapted.


    Still grinning, he grabbed a Spike Blade Bomb—a weapon forged from strong metal that could injure even Origin Masters. These devices had no explosive force, but once activated, they would unleash an edge so sharp that even cultivators, with all their regeneration abilities, would suffer wounds that refused to heal.


    This was the Mad Scientist, a man whose mind had long abandoned reason. He had no grand ambitions, no thirst for power—only an obsession with destruction. Lacking the strength to destroy the world himself, he had turned to science.


    His past experiments had all failed. Ordinary viruses could only harm mortals. Some infected cultivators, but their effects were slow, siphoning life essence over time. Worse, their infection rate was weak—they would die before spreading far enough.


    But now… now, he had created something perfect.


    A virus with intelligence.


    A virus that adapts, evolves, and overcomes resistance.


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    A virus that infects all living things—nearly impossible to eradicate.


    His twisted smile widened.


    "Let''s see how the world handles this."


    Above Ground…


    Near the massive tree, the middle-aged man glanced at his disciple and said in a firm tone, "Claus, don''t get involved in the fight. Just treat this as a learning experience. Stay behind me at all times."


    With a simple gesture, two men stepped forward, swiftly placing explosive charges on the camouflaged green gate. BOOM! The explosion shattered the entrance, sending shockwaves through the air.


    The moment the dust settled, a swarm of mutated, bat-like creatures burst out. Their crimson eyes gleamed with bloodlust, black scales covering their twisted bodies. Razor-sharp claws and jagged fangs glistened under the dim light, capable of slicing through flesh—and even a cultivator''s head—with ease.


    Worse yet, their sheer numbers, combined with their small, agile forms, made them a nightmare to deal with—even for seasoned cultivators.


    But all the beasts were only Tier 1, ranging from Low to Peak levels.


    Fortunately, the combat team was well-equipped. Numerous Origin Warriors and seasoned Origin Masters formed the vanguard, led by their commander, a Peak-level Origin Grandmaster.


    The warriors raised their laser guns and fired with precise headshots, swiftly taking down the mutated bats. However, each fallen beast exploded upon death, releasing a thick cloud of poisonous gas that rapidly filled the area.


    The team remained unaffected, equipped with face masks and fortified by anti-poison potions granting complete immunity for three hours. Without hesitation, they pressed forward, their relentless gunfire reducing the swarm of bats to nothing more than blood mist.


    Throughout the battle, their leader, Krez, had yet to make a move.


    With the path cleared, they advanced into the underground lab. The first chamber was lined with automated gun turrets, each capable of tearing through an unprepared Origin Warrior in seconds. But before they could fire, Krez unleashed his sword. A single slash, and a wave of Sword Qi tore through the room, slicing the turrets apart.


    Beyond the turrets, humanoid puppets powered by Origin Stones stood guard. Unlike the bats, these constructs were formidable, reaching Tier 2, equal to a Human Origin Master.


    Krez stepped forward. His sword hummed with energy, a crimson aura enveloping the blade as he slashed. The puppets fell instantly. But within the broken husks lay corpses of cultivators—a gruesome revelation.


    They stepped into the heart of the lab, where the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and chemicals. Countless beasts and human corpses had been dissected, their organs carefully separated. The sheer brutality of the experiments would churn the stomach of any ordinary person. But the combat team, hardened by battle, pressed forward.


    At the end of the lab, Garen stood waiting, clutching a spiked sphere that pulsed with an eerie glow.


    Before anyone could react, he charged.


    Leader Krez wasted no time. A flick of his sword, and a beam of Sword Qi pierced straight through Garen''s forehead—a clean kill.


    Or so he thought.


    Even with a gaping hole in his head, Garen did not fall. His body kept moving, sprinting forward with terrifying momentum. Before the team could fully react, he had already reached Claus.


    Then—BOOM!


    No explosion, no fire. Instead, the sphere detonated in a burst of razor-sharp spike blades.


    Blood splattered.


    Garen''s body was torn apart, his fragmented flesh and blood showering Claus. The young warrior barely managed to react in time, his body shredded by countless deep gashes.


    Leader Krez''s expression darkened. Garen''s attack should''ve been meaningless. Why target Claus specifically?


    Before he could dwell further, Claus''s agonized scream jolted him back to reality. Without hesitation, Krez retrieved a Tier 3 Regeneration Potion and poured it into Claus''s mouth.


    The effect was instantaneous. His disciple''s torn flesh knitted together rapidly, the deep gashes sealing as if they had never existed.


    Unbeknownst to him… something had already changed.


    Deep within Claus''s bloodstream, a consciousness stirred.


    The XN-927 strain had already infiltrated Claus''s body through Garen''s fragmented flesh, seeping into his open wounds. Each viral fragment—part of a single, connected consciousness—latched onto his millions of cells, multiplying and spreading with primal instinct.


    Claus felt a sudden weakness but dismissed it, assuming his body simply needed energy to recover from the rapid healing.


    Suddenly, Claus''s immune system activated like soldiers. As a Mid Origin Warrior, his body was strong enough to eliminate most viruses. Instantly, his immune cells launched a full-scale attack, wiping out nearly three-fourths of the invading strains.


    But the remaining virus adapted. Learning from the immune system''s tactics, it evolved. Instead of fleeing, it turned predatory—waiting in clusters, ambushing and consuming immune cells the moment they approached. This unnatural cycle continued, the virus multiplying while Claus''s body desperately fought back.


    His fever skyrocketed. Pain wracked his body, as if every cell in his being was rebelling.


    With no time to waste, the battle team razed Garen''s lab to the ground before retreating to the city. Meanwhile, Krez rushed Claus to the hospital, aware that something was deeply wrong.