“You can take Yvonne’s number instead,” Wendy Lewis said with a soft smile.

  Absolutely not.

  “I’m kidding,” Evan replied smoothly, pocketing his phone without a hint of embarrassment. Thick skin and quick thinking were his survival traits. “Actually, I wanted to ask something else.”

  Wendy tilted her head. “What is it?”

  “I heard Yvonne call you Dr. Lewis. That means you’re an expert in evolutionary science, right?”

  As he spoke, Evan watched both Wendy and Yvonne closely.

  Their expressions shifted — surprise, suspicion, and something heavier.

  Yvonne, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

  “How did you figure that out?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? Aside from evolutionary science, what other field would warrant someone like you protecting her?” Evan said, casually flattering Yvonne.

  Since the dawn of the Evolution Era, evolutionary science had become humanity’s top priority — more important than any other discipline.

  It was the foundation of humanity’s hope to reclaim dominance over Blue Star.

  Five centuries ago, after the Evolution War ended, biology textbooks were replaced with Evolution Studies, the only core subject in every school.

  Wendy shook her head modestly.

  “I wouldn’t call myself an expert. But yes, I’ve been doing evolutionary research for years.”

  Evan’s expression turned serious.

  He lowered his voice.

  “Then I have a question — something that’s been bothering me. It should be related to evolutionary science.”

  “Go ahead,” Wendy said, giving him her full attention.

  “What kind of situation would cause an evolver to emit a foul stench?”

  He hesitated, searching for the right words.

  “Not the smell of not showering. I mean a horrific, indescribable stench — something that makes you want to vomit. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

  This question had been stuck in his mind for days — well, technically less than a week, since he’d only been in this world for seven days, and the first three were spent in a prison cell.

  But he’d encountered that stench more times than he cared to remember.

  The first time was in Liam Zhao’s memories — the mysterious man from the shadowy organization, the one with the rainbow explosion hairstyle. His body reeked.

  The second time was in Panshi Prison, when Evan smelled the faint stench on Liam Zhao’s corpse.

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  It was weaker — almost masked by cologne — but unmistakably the same odor.

  The third time was two days ago, outside the hotel, when the “stench elder” and his two subordinates fought Zhang Fante.

  All three of them carried that overwhelming foul smell.

  From these encounters, Evan concluded that members of the mysterious organization all carried that stench.

  But what he couldn’t understand was:

  Why did Liam Zhao have it too?

  When he asked the question, Wendy and Yvonne’s expressions turned grave.

  “You’ve met people like that?” Wendy asked.

  “One or two.”

  “Next time, stay far away from them,” Wendy warned. “They’re extremely dangerous.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Evan said. “But I want to know what that stench actually is.”

  Wendy fell silent for a long moment before speaking.

  “Every nation strictly forbids the creation, sale, or absorption of human extracts. Do you know why?”

  “To protect society, reduce internal conflict, and safeguard young evolver talents,” Evan answered immediately.

  Without such laws, someone like him — loaded with top?tier skills — would be hunted like prey.

  Killing him and turning him into an extract would be more profitable than any S?grade beast.

  “That’s only part of it,” Wendy said quietly.

  Her gaze sharpened.

  “The real reason is this: anyone who absorbs a human extract becomes afflicted with a disease.”

  “A disease?” Evan’s mind flashed. “So the stench is… a symptom?!”

  Wendy nodded.

  “Extracts rewrite the user’s cells and genes. Absorbing a human extract is equivalent to cannibalism at the genetic level. It violates a fundamental biological taboo. Those who do so develop a unique, incurable condition.”

  “Some call it a curse — punishment for violating morality. Others say it’s divine retribution from the God of Evolution.”

  “The only symptom is the stench. And the more human extracts they absorb, the stronger the odor becomes. It cannot be hidden. They can’t live among normal people. They’re forced into the shadows.”

  Evan finally understood why Liam Zhao had smelled faintly of that odor.

  He had absorbed Princess Zhu Zhi’s extract.

  Wendy continued,

  “People afflicted with this condition are called Corrupted. They’re rejected by society and hunted by authorities. And here’s the key — Corrupted individuals cannot smell their own stench. That’s why they often gather together.”

  That explained everything.

  Liam Zhao had never noticed his own odor because Corrupted cannot smell Corrupted.

  And the perfume on his corpse…

  he must have learned about the stench from someone else shortly before his death.

  Then a terrifying thought struck Evan.

  If Liam Zhao had the stench…

  and Evan was his clone…

  Did he inherit the disease too?

  His heart skipped.

  But then—

  No. If I had it, I wouldn’t be able to smell the others.

  He had smelled Liam Zhao.

  He had smelled the stench elder.

  He had smelled the rainbow?haired man.

  That meant—

  He was clean.

  He exhaled in relief.

  The last thing he wanted was to walk around smelling like a corpse.

  It seemed the “Corruption Disease” couldn’t be copied through cloning.

  And now, thanks to Wendy Lewis, Evan finally understood the truth:

  The mysterious organization hunting him…

  was likely a faction composed entirely of Corrupted.

  The truth behind the stench is finally revealed — and it’s far worse than Evan imagined.

  A disease born from human extracts.

  A curse that marks its victims forever.

  And an entire organization built from those who can no longer live among normal people.

  If you were Evan, would you fear them… or pity them?