Chapter 1639: Dr. Wu's Topic
Xu Huo chose to open and read it.
The use of the phrase "open and read" suggested that the instance reward was probably not a physical object, so he wasn't surprised when an operating table appeared before him.
This should be a simulated environment. Besides the operating table, there was a small whiteboard at the front of the room with no writing on it. However, a spiral staircase was suspended above the operating table. The miniature staircase was only a finger's width wide, but its ends connected, and the structure itself continuously rotated, somewhat resembling a gene chain or a Mobius strip.
Of course, he didn't ignore the external environment either. This was a very brightly lit operating room.
With the sound of clicking footsteps, a man wearing leather shoes and a white lab coat pushed open the door to the operating room. He appeared to be about fifty or sixty years old, with naturally curly hair tied back in a bundle, adorned with a white bow made of silk ribbon, which looked somewhat mismatched with his appearance.
"Hello, I am Dr. Wu," the man greeted him proactively.
Hearing his self-introduction, Xu Huo felt a sense of finality. Having traveled through so many districts and instances, he had been consciously or unconsciously searching for Dr. Wu. He never expected the man to now be standing right before him, even if only in a virtual state.
"I'm very glad to see you here," Dr. Wu said, looking at him. "Your arrival here means you made the best choice."
"I left three options in this instance."
"First, obtain the J13 gene potion."
"Second, obtain the perfect potion."
"Third, give up the perfect potion."
"Among the three options, only by choosing the third could you see me."
"Unfortunately, due to technical limitations, our conversation is not face-to-face. The image I left behind is unchanging, so from now on, you can only listen as I speak."
"An important topic I will discuss today is that genes cannot be controlled."
As he spoke, Dr. Wu tapped the object suspended above the operating table, causing it to arrange vertically into the common image of a gene chain diagram.
"The game began with evolution. First came human evolution, and then the dimensional rift game was born. And the birth of the game, in turn, promoted human evolution."
"The game and humanity are not in opposition. In terms of evolution, the two complement each other."
"The conveniences brought by the game and evolution have unprecedentedly expanded human power, thus causing some people to become unprecedentedly arrogant, believing that as long as our starships and trains can travel between dimensions, we can unlock the genetic code of humanity."
"I once participated in evolution agent research. After years of experience, I only came to one conclusion: humanity can never control genes."
"I know that in some technologically backward districts, gene-edited babies have already appeared. Humans edit genes, often out of the original intention to combat genetic diseases and infectious diseases, or to obtain genetic samples for higher intelligence and stronger physiques. But human understanding of genes is not comprehensive. Just as the smallest constituent units of matter are still being continuously studied, genes are also an eternal topic, and this topic is more complex than ordinary matter."
"Because genes make up a person. A person cannot be withdrawn and rebuilt. And the consequences of gene editing may not manifest within one or two generations."
Dr. Wu paused here, then said solemnly, "But evolution agents accelerate this process."
Hearing this, Xu Huo understood. The evolution agent was essentially a gene modification potion. Whether it was the game brought about by evolvers, or the game that brought about evolvers, the evolution agent was a catalyst that accelerated the evolution of evolvers. But this catalyst was not suitable for everyone, so some died from evolution, and some degenerated into xenomorphs. And even players who could evolve normally still had strong aftereffects—all of this was the adverse result of gene modification.
Of course, there were also positive aspects. Players who successfully survived experienced a tremendous increase in physical fitness and lifespan. Compared to those distant aftereffects, this was a tangible benefit. Even if he had known about this risk before evolving, he believed the vast majority of people would still choose to evolve.
"All versions of evolution agents released by the game to players cannot avoid aftereffects. The difference lies only in timing and severity. Currently, humanity has reaped benefits, but as reproduction progresses, humanity will evolve more incurable genetic diseases and even harder-to-solve infectious diseases."
"In addition, humans who have become xenomorphs currently have no possibility of a cure, and the reproductive behavior among xenomorphs will gradually become a disaster for humanity."
"Because the first batch of xenomorphs in the game were experimental subjects of evolution agent research, and the gene-strengthening samples subsequently obtained from them will also be put into various potions of the game."
As Dr. Wu's fingers moved, the gene chain connected into a ring again.
"The indiscriminate use of evolution agents will inevitably lead to a rapid expansion of the human gene pool. Depending on the evolution situation at different wormhole points, some wormhole points have already developed specialized potions targeting specific gene populations. This situation will intensify in the future. D07-013 district is an example."
"The J13 gene potion is an antidote I developed specifically for the genes of people in district 013. Since you're here, you can take as much of it as possible to save people."
"The root of human evolution has gone wrong, and it, like the game, cannot be completely controlled by humanity."
Regarding the topic of evolution, anyone could understand it if they thought carefully. But upon hearing this last sentence, Xu Huo's expression became serious. Did he mean that the game and evolution were the same—once started, humanity could never fully control it?
"Can I ask you two questions?" he suddenly spoke.
Dr. Wu's image stuttered, paused for two seconds, then moved again. He smiled and said to him, "Go ahead."
"First question: Is there a part of the game's operation that humanity cannot control?"
"Second question: Is there time power control in this instance?"
Dr. Wu stared at him for a long moment before answering: "The first question is yes. The game is not only the crystallization of human wisdom but also a product of nature. When it is endowed with powers that humanity does not fully understand, it is destined to slip out of human control."
Then he added meaningfully: "Just like humanity itself."
"As for the second question, since you have found it, it belongs to you."
As soon as Dr. Wu finished speaking, the operating room before him instantly disintegrated. Xu Huo returned to the water. With a force surging from the bottom of the pool, the calm underwater seemed to shed its shackles. The current suddenly became turbulent, not only washing away the potion accumulated around the tank but also causing the tank itself to shift with the current.
He quickly reached out to steady the tank. This time, it wasn't as fragile as before and was indeed an item. But that wasn't the main point, because after that force was released, unusual ray fluctuations appeared underwater.
(Chapter End)