Chapter 216: Bone Age: 17.5 years
As evening descended over region, Alex received an unexpected summons from Captain Berdin.
The moment the message reached him, a faint smile appeared on his face.
He had been waiting for this opportunity ever since he had examined Berdin’s condition.
If everything went according to plan, he would finally take another important step toward establishing himself in the Genesis Realm.
Without wasting any time, Alex walked toward Berdin’s residence.
A few minutes later, he arrived outside the captain’s room.
After gently knocking on the door, he heard Berdin’s voice from inside.
"Come in."
Alex pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Captain Berdin was already waiting for him.
Unlike before, there was no trace of the cold and indifferent expression that usually rested on his face.
Instead, he looked unusually approachable.
Alex respectfully cupped his fists.
"Good evening, Captain."
Berdin nodded with a calm smile.
He did not waste time with unnecessary formalities.
"Alex, tell me honestly."
"Can you truly heal my injury?"
His voice was calm, but Alex could sense the hope hidden beneath those words.
Alex met his gaze confidently.
"Please trust me."
"I can heal your injury."
His answer carried absolute certainty.
Berdin studied his face for several seconds before speaking again.
"What do you need?"
Alex thought for a moment.
"Before anything else, I need to examine your injury personally."
"I have to inspect it from close range."
"May I?"
Berdin immediately extended his shoulder.
"Of course."
"You may."
Alex stepped closer.
Without showing the slightest hesitation, he gently placed his right hand on Berdin’s shoulder.
The moment physical contact was established, a familiar notification echoed inside his mind.
[Ding! You have copied the Celestial Grade Talent: Clones.]
Alex’s expression remained perfectly calm.
However, inwardly, he was laughing hysterically.
The talent’s name sounded extremely ordinary.
There was nothing flashy or intimidating about it.
Yet Alex instinctively understood that abilities with simple names were often the most terrifying.
He immediately became interested in experimenting with it later.
After withdrawing his hand, Alex spoke once more.
"Captain, although I can heal your injury directly, the process will place some burden on your body."
"If you can gather several medicinal ingredients beforehand, you will not suffer any backlash after the treatment."
He took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the required materials.
Most of them were common medicinal herbs used for strengthening the body.
Berdin accepted the list and carefully examined every ingredient.
A moment later, relief appeared on his face.
None of the materials were especially rare.
Obtaining them would not be difficult.
"All right."
"I shall gather everything within three days."
Alex nodded with satisfaction.
"That will be perfect."
Seeing that their discussion had concluded, Alex turned around, preparing to leave.
However, after taking only two steps, another thought suddenly entered his mind.
He stopped.
Turning back toward Berdin, he asked expectantly,
"Captain, do you know of any place where many geniuses gather?"
Berdin raised an eyebrow.
"Geniuses?"
He leaned back in his chair while thinking.
"There are quite a few such places."
"For example, every major organization maintains an elite squad directly under its command."
"Only the most talented individuals are accepted into those squads."
He paused before continuing.
"Then there is the Origin Academy."
"The young geniuses of every empire gather there."
"It is considered the greatest academy in the Origin Domain."
"Only the absolute best among the younger generation are admitted."
Berdin looked at Alex curiously.
"Why are you asking?"
The moment Alex heard the academy’s name, his eyes immediately lit up.
An academy filled with countless geniuses...
To other people, it represented status and education.
To Alex, it was a priceless treasure house.
Every talented student there possessed extraordinary talents waiting to be copied.
He suppressed the excitement in his heart before asking,
"What are the requirements for joining Origin Academy?"
Berdin looked slightly surprised.
"You want to enroll?"
Alex nodded honestly.
"I do."
Berdin smiled faintly.
"The requirements are actually very strict."
"Only cultivators below eighteen years of age who have already reached Grade Two are eligible."
After saying that, Berdin suddenly looked at Alex.
"How old are you?"
Alex froze.
His expression became slightly awkward.
Thousands of years.
That was his true age.
For a brief moment, he became completely speechless.
Just then, the World System spoke.
[Ding! Host’s bone age within the Genesis Realm is approximately seventeen to eighteen years.]
[The age system here is completely different.]
[Lower beings who ascend to the Genesis Realm have their age adjusted according to their accomplishments.]
Alex’s eyes immediately brightened.
A smile almost appeared on his face.
Looking back at Berdin, he answered honestly.
"My bone age should be around eighteen."
"Perhaps even slightly younger."
At that very moment, Berdin was still silently calculating where he could obtain all the medicinal ingredients.
However...
The instant those words entered his ears...
Every hair on his body stood upright. A powerful chill spread across his spine. Goosebumps instantly covered his entire body.
His eyes slowly widened.
He stared at Alex as though he had just witnessed something impossible.
"W... what did you just say?"
Alex blinked innocently.
"What is wrong, Captain?"
Berdin suddenly stood up.
"You stay here."
"Do not move."
Before Alex could respond, Berdin disappeared.
Boom!
A sonic explosion echoed through the room.
His figure vanished instantly.
Alex quietly waited.
Almost exactly one minute later...
Another sonic boom echoed.
Berdin reappeared while holding a small metallic device.
Without saying another word, he immediately activated the device.
A soft beam of light swept across Alex’s body.
Several seconds later, glowing words appeared above the device.
[Bone Age: 17.5 Years.]
Silence filled the room. Berdin swallowed hard. His throat suddenly felt dry.
Seventeen and a half years old.
Yet already a Grade Three entity.
How was that even possible?
It completely shattered every piece of common sense he possessed.
He himself had reached the Grade Three Realm only after one hundred years of cultivation.
Even then, countless people had praised him as a once in a millennium genius.
Now...
Standing before him was someone who had achieved the same realm before even turning eighteen.
What kind of terrifying monster was this?
Calling him a genius no longer seemed appropriate.
He was more like a primordial beast wearing human skin.
Berdin slowly took a deep breath before calming himself.
His eyes now carried undisguised excitement.
"You wish to join Origin Academy?"
Alex nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes."
"I truly wish to enroll."
Berdin immediately replied,
"Please wait a bit."
"I must contact the higher authorities immediately."
His voice had unconsciously become much more respectful.
He had never heard of such an existence in his entire life.
This was no ordinary genius.
This was someone capable of shaking the entire Origin Domain.
Alex smiled politely.
"Very well, Captain."
"I shall take my leave for now."
"Please inform me if there is any news."
Berdin nodded repeatedly.
"I certainly will."
Alex bowed slightly before leaving the room.
The moment the door closed behind him...
Berdin immediately activated his communication device.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Grandfather..."
...
Meanwhile...
Alex could no longer suppress the grin on his face.
"Hahahaha..."
He laughed quietly while walking through the corridor.
"I was just wondering how I could obtain a powerful backing."
"I am already an absolute cultivation genius."
"What more could I possibly need?"
He snorted playfully.
"System! You are truly useless sometimes. You did not tell me any of this. I had to discover everything by myself."
The System naturally remained silent.
Alex did not mind.
Judging from Berdin’s reaction alone, he knew that an enormous storm was about to sweep through the higher ranks.
Instead of returning to his residence, Alex changed direction.
A few minutes later, he entered a private training room.
The heavy stone door slowly closed behind him.
After confirming that nobody could disturb him, Alex locked the room completely.
His eyes shone with anticipation. He wanted to test his newly acquired talent.
Without hesitation, he activated it.
Instantly...
Ten identical figures walked out from his body.
Every single one possessed the exact same appearance, aura, and strength as Alex himself.
They quietly stood in perfect formation.
None of them spoke a single word.
Alex stared at them with astonishment.
Originally, he had assumed each clone would possess an independent personality from the description.
Instead...
His own consciousness divided into eleven perfectly synchronized parts.
His vision instantly expanded.
He could simultaneously see through the eyes of every clone as though each one were his real body.
The experience felt incredibly strange.
Yet it was also unbelievably natural.
"System."
"How long can I maintain them?" he asked.
[Ding!]
[If the clones merely exist without using combat techniques, they can remain indefinitely.]
[Their passive energy consumption is lower than the amount of energy your body naturally absorbs from the surroundings.]
[If they begin using combat techniques, I will need to calculate the duration based on the energy expenditure.]
Alex nodded thoughtfully.
He immediately decided to perform another experiment.
"Archangel Transformation."
The next instant...
Ten magnificent Archangels appeared inside the training room.
Every clone transformed into a 16 winged Arch Angel.
Holy light filled the entire chamber.
Terrifying divine pressure erupted in every direction.
The surrounding walls trembled violently.
Even the reinforced training room began developing tiny cracks under the overwhelming aura.
Alex calmly asked again,
"And now?"
The World System replied almost instantly.
[Twelve hours.]
[However, if your main body continuously absorbs surrounding energy while the clones stand still independently, the energy balance will remain stable.]
[In that situation, they can theoretically continue keep the form forever.]
Alex’s eyes immediately brightened.
Without wasting another second, he gave a simple order.
"Fight."
Boom!
The ten clones disappeared like streaks of lightning.
Violent explosions echoed throughout the training room.
Each clone attacked the others without mercy.
Every punch possessed apocalyptic force.
Shockwaves collided continuously. Soon, they began using martial techniques.
Then they unleashed their ultimate abilities one after another.
Meanwhile, Alex’s main body quietly remained seated in meditation.
Instead of participating, he continuously absorbed the surrounding energy to replenish the clones’ enormous consumption.
The experiment continued without interruption.
One entire day passed.
Finally, the battle came to an end.
Alex dismissed every clone before slowly walking out of the training room.
His face looked slightly pale.
Although the experiment had been successful, continuously supporting ten clones for an entire day had still placed considerable strain on him.
Even so, he had confirmed one astonishing fact.
As long as his main body actively absorbed energy, the ten clones could continue fighting almost 3 days.
However...
The moment Alex stepped outside the training room...
Every hair on his body suddenly stood upright.
A terrifying instinctive warning exploded inside his mind.
It felt as though five primordial beasts had locked onto him simultaneously.
The overwhelming pressure froze him where he stood.