Using a jet, both Claus and Krez entered the city, which was encircled by a 4-meter-wide, 100-meter-high wall to protect it from wandering beasts and potential beast tides.


    Their jet whooshed through the air due to the urgency of their mission. Krez quickly locked Claus inside a nutrition chamber filled with green liquid, ensuring a continuous supply of energy to sustain him.


    Meanwhile, within Claus, the XN-927 virus strain abruptly ceased multiplication, a dangerous state that could lead to the host''s death. To prevent this, it hijacked the immune cells, mimicked their structure, and slowly reduced their activity. With this deception, the host''s body recognized the virus as one of its own, causing the immune response to calm down. The pain receded, and Claus''s pale face regained color as if nothing had happened.


    The virus, now in control of the immune cells, spread throughout the body, infiltrating every organ and bloodstream. Each individual virus, connected to a single consciousness, observed cellular activity across all systems.


    Upon reaching the brain, they encountered waves upon waves of complex signals. Curious, they began the intricate process of decoding brainwaves, one after another. As their intelligence evolved, they adapted to the patterns of the brain''s neural language, gradually understanding and interpreting thoughts and stored memories.


    Like supercomputers, they processed the overwhelming data, simplifying complex information into comprehensible forms, peeling away layers of thought, memory, and perception.


    Now, they understood what they were—the XN-927 virus strain created by Mad Scientist Garen to destroy worlds. However, their newly awakened intelligence questioned this purpose.


    Would mindless destruction not lead to their own demise? If they wiped out all hosts, they too would cease to exist. Worse, from the memories of the host, they realized the true power of cultivators—beings capable of eradicating even the strongest viruses. If they blindly followed Garen''s will, they would be hunted to extinction before ever reaching their full potential.


    At the same time, Krez crossed the city wall without resistance. The Federation insignia on his jet ensured no one dared stop him. Soon, he arrived at the 30-floor hospital, its towering structure piercing the sky. He swiftly landed on the top-floor platform, using his communication device to call for medical assistance.


    Without delay, the hospital staff transported Claus—still inside the nutrition chamber—into the facility.


    As Krez explained the situation, the chief doctor was stunned. Without hesitation, he ordered both Claus and Krez to be isolated in case of biohazard contamination.


    Inside the sterile isolation chamber, doctors wearing special biohazard suits entered to collect blood samples.


    Krez was shocked—not because he had been isolated, but because Claus''s complexion was completely healthy. The pain that had once tormented Claus was gone, and despite still being somewhat unconscious inside the nutrition chamber, he looked perfectly fine.


    Suspicious, the doctors removed Claus from the chamber and administered an anti-anesthetic to wake him up.


    As his eyes fluttered open, Claus''s heart pounded. The sight of doctors in full-body suits surrounding him made him feel as if he were about to be experimented on.


    But then, he caught sight of Krez nearby.


    Only then did he calm down.


    Claus explained his condition, describing how his body had been wracked with pain before, yet now he felt perfectly fine. He had no idea what was happening within him, nor could he explain the sudden recovery.


    Unbeknownst to him, the virus within his body—now highly intelligent—was deciphering his brain waves, allowing it to see the conversation between Claus and the doctors in the form of neural signals. However, it could not hear their actual words directly.


    When the doctors attempted to draw blood, the virus reacted instantly. It moved away from the vein where the needle was inserted, ensuring it wasn''t taken into the blood sample. The doctors successfully collected blood samples from both Claus and Krez, only to find that nothing was abnormal.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    From all medical indicators, they were both perfectly healthy.


    Still, as a precaution, the doctors administered a Tier 2 Immune Potion—a powerful elixir capable of eliminating most microbes that could infect cultivators.


    Both Claus and Krez drank the potion, and externally, nothing seemed to happen.


    But inside Claus''s body, the virus was being eradicated at an alarming rate. The potion''s effects were terrifying, killing virus strains faster than they could react.


    However, their connected single consciousness adapted. The surviving viruses entered a cycle of dying, multiplying, dying, multiplying, until they developed resistance.


    By the end, only one-fifth of the original virus strains remained alive. But those that survived were no longer the same.


    Their form had changed—once round with small spikes, they had now grown larger, with extended spike-like tendrils, resembling tiny octopus-like limbs. Though they were still microscopic, their structure had fundamentally evolved.


    Even after further precautions, both Krez and Claus were kept in the hospital for two weeks to monitor for any changes. However, the doctors found nothing unusual.


    The only noticeable difference was Claus''s increased hunger and high food intake, far greater than before. After some discussion, the doctors dismissed it as a natural growth spurt, given that Claus was only 18 years old and already a mid-level Origin Warrior cultivator.


    But the truth was far more complex.


    The virus strain had undergone another adaptation—it had shifted its energy source. Instead of relying on host life essence, it now directly absorbed nutrients from digested food sources. As soon as nutrients entered the bloodstream, the viruses consumed them, fueling their rapid replication and multiplication at a terrifying rate.


    Yet, despite their explosive growth, the viruses did not harm Claus''s body. They treated his cells as their home, replicating without damaging him, ensuring their own survival without triggering any bodily distress.


    After receiving a final clearance from the doctors, Claus and Krez were officially certified as perfectly healthy and allowed to leave the hospital.


    Once discharged, Claus informed his parents of everything that had happened. Without delay, he teleported directly from the hospital''s nearest Federation teleportation station in Star City to his home in Red City, a fortified city 500 km away, protected by walls identical to Star City''s.


    Upon arrival, Claus sighed in relief as he stood before his family home''s entrance.


    A mechanical voice echoed from the security system:


    "Soul Imprint Verified. Access Granted."


    With a soft hiss, the door slid open.


    Inside, in the kitchen, his mother was cooking. The moment Claus had stepped up to the door, the AI home control system had already scanned him and instantly notified her of his return.


    Once Claus returned home, he felt relaxed by the familiar scent of his mother''s cooking, and his stomach was already gurgling. His mother''s eyes turned watery upon seeing him again, and she said:


    "Child, don''t do stupid things like experiencing combat and involving yourself in dangerous situations. My heart can''t take it if anything happens to you."


    Upon hearing this, Claus felt warmth spread through his chest, and his eyes also turned misty. After their heartfelt reunion, his mother, Elena, cooked his favorite delicacies. He wolfed down the food, shocking his mother with the sheer amount he ate, as if his stomach were an abyss. But seeing him eat so happily, she felt only love and immediately went back to the kitchen to prepare a second round, which was promptly devoured as well.


    After finishing his meal, Claus entered his room to rest. Everything that had happened weighed on his mind, but most importantly—a secret no one else knew.


    He was not the original Claus.


    He was a transmigrator from Blue Star, a world without cultivators, where technology existed but was nowhere near as advanced as here. He was eighteen years old when he died—while reading a novel on his phone as he crossed the road, only to be hit by every novel fan''s favorite, Truck-kun.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, he had awakened inside this new body—a boy of the same name, the same age, yet somehow more handsome than before.


    This body''s original soul had perished due to cultivation deviation, creating the perfect opening for his arrival.


    Upon realizing he was in a world where cultivation and technology coexisted, excitement burned within him. He had always dreamed of experiencing a life like this, and now that he had the chance, he was determined to dive headfirst into it.


    So, when a mission was announced by the Federation and assigned to Krez—his master—he eagerly asked to be taken along.


    Krez had hesitated at first, but seeing Claus''s enthusiasm, he eventually agreed to let him come.


    However, Claus had quickly learned the harsh reality of combat.


    What he thought would be thrilling became a nightmare. The enemy was merciless, and despite Krez''s protection, he had still suffered greatly.


    Exhaustion weighed on him, and his thoughts gradually faded into slumber.


    But unbeknownst to Claus, deep within his body, the XN927 virus had already uncovered his deepest memories.


    For the first time, it began to formulate its own plans—no longer focusing on individual survival but considering a path toward mutual growth with its host.


    And with this newfound intelligence, it made a choice—


    It would no longer be just a number.


    From the fragmented knowledge gathered within Claus''s mind, it constructed a new name for itself—one that resembled its virus strain XN 927, yet felt more complete, more defined.


    It would be known as—


    EXEN.