Chapter 15: Genetic Constraints Unveiled

The group huddled in a dimly lit corridor, their breath forming small clouds in the chilly air. Blood dripped from a gash in Jack's arm where he'd been hit by falling debris during their earlier escape. Despite the injury, his enhanced Cell Vitality was already working to slow the bleeding.

Jack-B emerged from the shadows, his movements perfectly mirroring his creator's combat stance. The clone's presence made the narrow corridor feel even more cramped, but provided an extra layer of security that the group desperately needed.

"We need to split up," Zheng said, his voice low but firm. "We'll cover more ground and have a better chance of finding a way out."

Jack nodded, but Chu Xuan held up a hand. "Before we do, there's something you all need to know. It might explain why we're here, and more importantly, how we might survive."

The others turned to him, curiosity momentarily overriding their fear. Chu Xuan pushed his glasses up and began to speak.

"Have you ever wondered why humans evolved so rapidly from apes? The latest genetic studies show it happened in just 120 years, not millions. And do you know what appeared in our genetic code during that time? A constraint."

He paused, making sure he had everyone's attention. "Our evolution exploded for 120 years, then it was sealed off. Since then, our biological evolution has been minimal. But what if we could remove that constraint?"

"You mean like how mothers can suddenly lift cars to save their children?" Len asked, her eyes widening with understanding.

"Exactly," Chu Xuan nodded. "It's called Emergency Genetic Evolution. When a mother sees her child in danger, her body releases not just adrenaline, but triggers a temporary genetic evolution. Her muscles density increases, her bone structure strengthens, allowing her to perform seemingly impossible feats. But there's a price."

The body can't withstand that kind of rapid evolution; the cellular damage would be catastrophic."," Jack added, thinking, "So, this is the scene where the novel's original power explains, the gene lock."

"Precisely," Chu Xuan confirmed. "Most mothers who perform such feats either die shortly after or suffer severe physical trauma. The human body isn't designed to handle such rapid evolutionary changes. The genetic constraints exist to protect us from destroying ourselves."

Zero's eyes narrowed. "But you think this 'God Space' is different?"

"I believe it's designed to help us evolve safely," Chu Xuan explained. "Each challenge we face pushes our genes to evolve, but in a controlled environment that prevents the usual fatal consequences. It's like training wheels for human evolution."

Jack felt Chu Xuan was not wrong to say this, but what I'm going to do is I'm not from this world, and I arrived here with my own body, therefore my body does not have gene lock. But there's another motive behind my Naruto world bloodline switch. I believe that with this lineage, if I do not have gene lock, I can survive in God space. Following that, he exclaimed, "So each battle, each near-death experience..."

"Is forcing our genes to evolve," Chu Xuan said. "However, unlike when the mother lifted the car, these modifications are irreversible. We are gradually evolving into something greater than humans."

The implications hung heavy in the air. Zheng broke the silence. "As crucial as this information is, we need to move. We'll split into two groups. Jack, take Jack-b, Chu Xuan, and Zero. I'll go with Len and Kampa."

With a final nod, the two groups parted ways, each disappearing into the shadowy corridors of the spaceship.

---

Jack's group moved cautiously through the winding passages, Jack-B taking point while Jack covered their rear. The faint hum of machinery grew louder as they approached the engine room. Despite his injury, Jack's enhanced Reaction Speed kept him alert to every shadow and sound.

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"Wait," Zero whispered, raising his hand. "I hear something."

They froze, straining their ears. Jack's improved senses picked up the faint scraping sound echoing from around the corner, followed by a low, menacing hiss.

"It's the injured alien," Jack said, his Intelligence analyzing the irregular pattern of its movements. "Get ready. Jack-B, flanking position."

His clone moved silently into position as they raised their weapons. The creature burst into view, its armor cracked and oozing a viscous fluid, but its eyes burned with primal fury. It lunged at them with surprising speed.

The alien recovered from their initial shots with frightening speed, its massive form launching directly at Jack. In that moment, time seemed to stretch. Jack saw death in those soulless eyes, his heart pounding against his ribs. The creature's claws extended toward his throat—there was no way to dodge in time. No way to survive.

*I can't die here... not like this!*

The primal fear of death crashed over him like a tidal wave, his emotions spiking to heights he'd never experienced before. In that crucial moment between life and death, something deep within Jack's DNA responded to his desperate need to survive.

Searing pain shot through his eyes, the world blurring before snapping into crystal clarity. Colors became vibrant, movements crisp and defined. The alien's attack, which had seemed impossibly fast before, now appeared to move through water. Jack could see every detail—muscle tensing, claws extending, the subtle shift of its weight—all in perfect clarity.

"Those eyes..." Jack-B's voice cut through the chaos, recognition clear in his tone. "So you have awakened them, creator."

A single tomoe spun to life in each of Jack's now-crimson eyes, the legendary Sharingan manifesting in its most basic form. The alien's movements, once blindingly fast, now seemed almost predictable. He could see the minute tells before each attack, the subtle shifts that telegraphed its intentions.

Chu Xuan's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Those red eyes... So you possessed the Uchiha bloodline? The legendary doujutsu of perception in the Naruto?"

Jack dodged the alien's strike with newfound grace, his movements guided by his awakened Sharingan. "Yes," he confirmed, never taking his eyes off the creature. "It was locked until now."

With his Sharingan active, Jack could now see the exact point where the alien's armor was weakest. But mere sight wasn't enough—he needed speed. Drawing upon his knowledge from the Naruto world, Jack focused inward, feeling for the familiar energy that had always been part of him. *The tree-climbing exercise... focus chakra to the feet!*

He channeled chakra to his feet, trying to remember the basics he'd seen in the anime. The energy flowed roughly, far from the refined control of a trained shinobi. Too late, he realized his mistake—he'd pushed too much chakra into the technique.

CRACK!

The metal floor beneath his feet dented as chakra exploded from his soles, launching him forward like a human rocket. The sudden burst of speed caught both Jack and the alien by surprise. Jack's eyes widened as he flew past the creature, barely managing to twist his body mid-flight to avoid its claws.

"Too much chakra!" he grunted, tumbling into a roll as he hit the ground. But his Sharingan had kept tracking the alien even during the uncontrolled movement. The creature turned to face him, exposing its weak point—exactly where he needed it.

"Jack-B, now!" he shouted, using another burst of chakra to propel himself off the floor, this time intentionally overloading it to create an explosive distraction. The metal paneling buckled under the force, and the alien's attention split between the two threats.

"The emotional catalyst of near-death," Chu Xuan observed, maintaining his covering fire. "Just like in the records. The Sharingan awakens in moments of extreme emotional stress—when an Uchiha faces death or loses someone precious to them. It's just like I was previously saying about the gene lock. God Space must have created the perfect conditions for its activation."

The creature's movements left traceable patterns in his enhanced vision, like ghostly afterimages that predicted its next attack. "There!" he shouted to Jack-B. "The junction between the plates, just below the wounded eye! Three seconds after it lunges, that spot will be exposed!"

Jack-B, sharing his creator's tactical insight, understood immediately. The clone moved to position himself exactly where they needed the alien to be. Their coordination was perfect—creator and clone moving in harmony, guided by the predictive power of the Sharingan.

The alien lunged exactly as Jack had foreseen. One second... two... three... The weak point exposed itself just as predicted. The final blast caught the creature precisely where Jack had aimed, the shell penetrating deep into its brain through the gap in its armor. The alien collapsed, its death throes shaking the corridor.

Jack slumped against the wall, breathing heavily, his newly awakened Sharingan fading as exhaustion set in. "Zero, how bad?"

"Deep," Zero grimaced, examining his leg. "But I can move."

Chu Xuan helped Zero to his feet, his eyes thoughtful. "Your wounds... they're already starting to clot. Faster than they should. We're evolving, even now."

---

Meanwhile, Zheng's group had reached a bridge. The room was a mess of flickering screens and sparking consoles. Scattered across the floor were maintenance supplies—including several steel bars and a container of heavy steel balls, likely used for bearing replacements in the ship's machinery. Len moved to one of the less damaged terminals, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

"I might be able to access the ship's systems from here," she said, carefully stepping over a fallen steel bar. "Give me a minute."

"I might be able to access the ship's systems from here," she said. "Give me a minute."

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the ceiling. Before anyone could react, a ceiling panel crashed to the floor, and a sleek, uninjured alien dropped into the room.

"Contact!" Kampa shouted, opening fire with his assault rifle. The bullets pinged harmlessly off the alien's pristine armor.

The creature moved like lightning, its tail sweeping Kampa's legs from under him before anyone could react. The Russian hit the ground hard, his weapon skittering away.

Zheng emptied his clip into the alien, but the bullets might as well have been raindrops. Len abandoned the console and drew her weapon, adding her fire to the mix, but the alien seemed to anticipate their moves, dodging with inhuman speed.

The creature cornered Kampa, who had drawn his Desert Eagle but couldn't get a clean shot. Zheng saw what was about to happen but was too far away to intervene.

"Kampa, move!" he shouted, but it was too late.

The alien's claws descended toward the Russian's chest just as Len's scream echoed through the bridge. In that moment, Zheng felt something stir within his genes, an evolutionary response to the imminent death of his teammate. But would it be enough? And would his body survive the change?

The scene froze in a tableau of horror as Jack's radio crackled to life.

"Zheng," Jack's strained voice came through, his enhanced senses already picking up something wrong in the background noise. "We've killed one, but we're injured. What's your status?"

Zheng's finger pressed the comm button, but before he could respond, the alien's claws continued their deadly arc toward Kampa's heart...

[End of Chapter 15]