A few hours later, Ethan arrived at the zoo. Around him, couples were lost in their own world, and happy families enjoyed each other's company as they watched their children play.
Standing alone, Ethan felt a bit out of place. A single adult at the zoo wasn't a common sight, especially someone just there to look at monkeys. He might as well have been on display himself.
A nearby family whispered to each other:
"Dad, look at that man. He's balding, but he looks strong!"
"Now, now, just because he's bald doesn't mean he's like that superhero One-Punch Man. He looks older, maybe due to illness. Poor guy… he's here all alone, looking at animals."
Though Ethan was in his early twenties, chemotherapy had taken a toll. His hair was thinning, and he looked older than his years. Still, he found it funny that they thought he was pitiful.
"Poor?" he thought with a grin. "Maybe I was before, but not now!"
"Just wait till tomorrow, and this balding youth will evolve a full head of hair, modify my genes, cure my cancer, and reclaim my youth! What, you don't believe me?" he chuckled. "Fine, I don't believe it either. Evolution takes time, and I'm still in the Paleozoic Era."
After browsing the monkey exhibit, he picked the healthiest-looking monkey and made his way to the manager, explaining he was a medical student working on a research project that needed a sample of monkey blood.
"You're a lab assistant for a professor, a dedicated student, so that explains your thinning hair," the manager said, sounding convinced. "But no, I won't let you take blood from my precious monkey! I raised it myself and love it like a son! Bribes, threats, nothing will change my mind!"
"Just one test tube," Ethan replied, taking out three thousand euros and setting it on the table.
The manager's eyes widened. That was a month's worth of salary. Smiling, he said, "You only need one tube of blood? I could give you more."
"No need," Ethan replied with a grin.
Running a hand over his thinning hair, he added, "Don't worry, I won't tell your boss. But I might need your help in the future. I'm also interested in the peacocks and cranes you have here."
"Fine, fine," the manager agreed, visibly excited.
With that, Ethan left, feeling content. Between his savings and his frugal lifestyle, he could afford these expenses for now.
"So what if I'm a little bald? Who needs to be modest when you've got cash?" he thought.
After leaving, he picked up a few termites he saw nearby. "These little guys are incredibly strong for their size," he thought. "And best of all, they're free."
It was late afternoon when he finally got back to his front gate, but just as he was about to enter, he heard someone calling his name.
"Hey, are you Ethan?"
He turned to see a young woman on an electric scooter. She looked striking, with thick, shoulder-length black hair that framed her round face, and large, almond-shaped eyes that held a bright, almost playful sparkle. She was about his height, with a slender frame that gave her a graceful air. Her fair skin glowed softly in the afternoon light, and her warm smile was inviting, accentuating the natural charm in her youthful appearance. She wore a loose, casual dress that fluttered slightly as she moved, and her cheerful energy was unmistakable.
Ethan stared, unsure if he knew her.
"It's Mia," she said. "I used to come over to your house as a kid. Are you really back? I noticed the lights on at your place at night." She didn't seem to believe it was him at first, then gasped in shock. "How… what happened? You didn't look like this before."
Mia?
Ethan remembered her vaguely. She'd changed a lot, from a little girl to a young woman with warm, expressive eyes.
"Stomach cancer, hair loss, chemotherapy," he replied simply. His skin looked pale, his posture hunched, and his hair was sparse. It was clear he was weary.
"Cancer? How could this be…" Mia's face softened with shock. Ethan had once been the pride of the village, their top college student, working his way up to a management position in a foreign company with a salary of over 100,000 euros. All his hard work, only to be struck down with a terminal illness and sent back home.
Trying to change the subject, she said, "I started university last year, at the same college you went to."
"Good luck," he replied, remembering it was likely summer break, and she was home for the holidays.
But his thoughts were elsewhere. Eager to return to his lab and his experiments, he only half-listened. Who knew what those absurdly adaptable Tyranis species would have evolved into while he was gone?
Before, he had waited silently, resigned to his fate. But now, his life had taken a fascinating, unexpected turn.
"Are you leaving?" Mia asked, a complicated expression crossing her face. She looked at him, her former idol. It was clear he didn't want to linger, and she could see through his attempts at a cheerful facade.
After all, he was going bald.
That sorry patch of hair—just thinking about it was painful.
The dream she had chased as a girl had come crumbling down. Still, she forced a smile. "Hey! Come visit sometime, will you? If you need anything, you know where to find us."
As he walked away, Ethan sighed. "Why is everyone staring at my head and acting all sympathetic?" he thought. "This hair loss is a normal part of chemo!"
Sure, his cancer wasn't cured, but now that chemo had stopped, he should gradually recover, and his hair would eventually grow back.
"I should evolve a species that's naturally bald, just to show everyone the power of One-Punch Man," he mused. Smiling to himself, he returned to his lab and examined the pond.
The Tyranis species had already taken to land, reproducing at an astonishing pace. The 100-square-meter miniature world was teeming with life. Lush greenery covered the hills, strange plants grew on the plains, and creatures swam in rivers.
"There are freshwater fish now. They've left the sea and adapted to rivers," he observed.
In just ten days, they had evolved from single-celled organisms into complex multicellular life and achieved biodiversity. It was astounding.
If he hadn't used the Hive Mother's authority to keep the Tyranis contained in the sandbox, they might have already spread beyond. Who knew what havoc these adaptable creatures might wreak on Earth?
With full control over organisms created from Tyranis spores, he had shaped this world. No matter how they evolved, they retained an insect-like core. Fish had insect traits, and even humanoid creatures would carry insect characteristics.
It was a miniature world with a fully functioning ecosystem.
As for Ethan?
Apologies, but it seemed he had become the Evil Scientist, the mad creator. Watching his sandbox and experimenting on its inhabitants, he felt a sense of exhilaration.
"All right, time to conduct my first experiment," he thought with a smirk. He would introduce monkey and termite genes to a species, initiating an evolutionary test. Many would die, but the survivors would transform into the ancient insect-apes of the Paleozoic era.
Putting on his blue plastic boots, he entered the massive testing ground, trampling over countless ant-sized plants and creatures along the way.
Survival of the fittest, after all. "Being trampled to death only means you were too weak," he thought with a chuckle, squatting down to examine his test subjects. "Now, which one has the best potential to evolve into Homo sapiens?"
After a moment, he added with a sly grin, "Oh, and preferably bald."