The SuperGod Academy buzzed with chaos after yesterday's fiasco. The faculty, led by the grizzled instructor Ryze, had arranged a demonstration to show students the power of their Gene Engines. They'd invited Lena, the Sun's Light, from the blazing world of Solarion. But poor timing and Lena's laid-back attitude meant she was teleported straight from her bathtub, dripping wet and barely covered. The sight sent students like Galen, Zane, and Marvin into a frenzy, shouting about "conquering the goddess" or begging her to "ravage" them. Lena, unimpressed, donned her armor and pummeled them into submission.
Even Rose, wielding the power of spacetime, challenged Lena, only to be thrashed so thoroughly she questioned her own existence. The academy's halls echoed with the groans of bruised egos and bodies.
The next day, Lena, her fiery confidence undimmed, sought out the Emperor. She was determined to cement her status as the academy's top dog. Clad in sleek, radiant armor that mirrored Solarion's burning skies, she strutted into the courtyard, her golden hair blazing like a corona. "Hey, you!" she called, her voice sharp with authority. "I'm the goddess here. Show some respect!"
The Emperor, standing at the edge of the courtyard in his mundane civilian guise, glanced at her. His dark eyes, sharp as a blade, took in her fiery beauty and brash demeanor. She was powerful, no doubt, but to him, she was a child playing at divinity. Without a word, he turned to walk away, his focus already on his next goal: a meeting with Ryze to pry more secrets about the Gene Engine.
Raven, perched on his shoulder, let out a low whistle. "Damn, Lena's a knockout. That fiery temper's probably from her Sun's Light Gene Engine. Top-tier strength, top-tier curves. No wonder she's the goddess who sent me running for tissues back in the day."
The Emperor ignored Raven's chatter, his long strides carrying him toward the faculty wing. Since grasping the Gene Engine's potential, he'd thrown himself into study with relentless focus. His godlike intellect devoured every scrap of knowledge Ryze and the other instructors let slip. In mere days, he'd unraveled the technology's core: a system that encoded genes to harness dark energy, granting superhuman strength, speed, and resilience. Applied to his Astartes or Custodes, it could elevate them to unimaginable heights. Whoever devised this technology was a genius, he mused, their innovation a testament to a system: a civilization advanced enough to achieve such a feat.
Lena, undeterred by his dismissal, stormed after him, her voice rising. "Hey, mortal! I'm talking to you! Look at me!"
She planted herself in his path, her eyes blazing with indignation. As the main goddess of Solarion, Lena was used to adoration, her beauty and power drawing every eye. Being ignored was a new and infuriating experience. "I'm the Sun's Light," she snapped, puffing up with divine arrogance. "You don't just walk away!"
The Emperor paused, his towering two-meter frame radiating quiet menace. Raven's voice cut in, a sly murmur. "Take her down, big guy. It'll shift the fate node."
Without a word, the Emperor extended a hand. A surge of psychic energy erupted, hurling Lena backward through the air. She crashed into the dirt, stunned, as an invisible force pinned her down.
(■-■)
Void Energy Detected. Host Under Attack.
Critical Alert: Host Lena's Self-Perception Altered. Suspected Sub-Bio Energy Influence. Attempting Repair.
Repair Failed. Unable to Analyze Target's Sub-Bio Energy.
Initiating Self-Protection Protocol. Establishing Hyperlink to Solarion. Support Available.
(■-■)
Lena's Gene Engine, designed to protect her divine physiology, blared warnings in her mind. Solarion's high command, led by General Pan, had installed safeguards to summon aid in dire emergencies. But the Emperor's psychic power defied analysis, overwhelming her system.
She struggled to rise, only to be slammed back by another wave of invisible force. "What the hell are you?" she gasped, her confidence crumbling.
The Emperor loomed over her, his voice calm but unyielding. "There are no gods in this world, child. Humanity needs none. Submit to my guidance. Call me Boss."
"Dream on!" Lena spat, her pride flaring despite her predicament.
The Emperor snapped his fingers. Lena shot upward, caught in a psychic vortex that tossed her between two shimmering portals, tumbling through the air in a dizzying free-fall. Her Gene Engine screamed:
(■-■)
Warning: Sub-Bio Energy Detected. Core Logic Being Rewritten. Protection Protocol Engaged.
Countermeasures Failed. Core Logic Overwritten. Sun's Light Engine Deactivated.
(■-■)
Lena's eyes widened in horror. Her divine power—gone. The portals vanished, and she plummeted, landing hard but unharmed. As a mortal, the fall was terrifying, her heart pounding with unfamiliar fear. She staggered to her feet, legs trembling, and glared at the Emperor. "What are you?"
"Boss," he said simply.
Rose, watching from a distance, shivered. She'd felt Lena's power firsthand, and seeing her humbled so easily sent a chill down her spine.
"Boss," Lena muttered, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry, Boss."
(■-■)
Fate Node Altered: 4% Complete
(■-■)
Raven hopped excitedly on the Emperor's shoulder. "One percent to go, big guy! Then we're back to Terra with the prize. Gotta say, I thought you'd have to work harder to take down the Sun's Light. You're even scarier than I thought."
The Emperor ignored Raven's prattle, his mind already on his next task: extracting more Gene Engine knowledge from Ryze. He strode off, leaving Lena to pick herself up, her pride as battered as her body.
Galen, Lucas, and the others stared, jaws dropped. "She's a goddess," Lucas whispered. "And he just… one-shotted her."
Over the next few days, the Emperor immersed himself in study, using his psychic prowess to subtly alter the instructors' perceptions, ensuring they saw no issue with his absence from training. While Galen, Lucas, and Lena honed their skills under Ryze's guidance, the Emperor delved into the secrets of the Shenhe Civilization, the Ultimate Fear, and sub-bio technology, his mind racing to adapt it for his Imperium.
Then, chaos struck. Sun Wukong, a beastly super-soldier long dormant on Earth, awoke. His speed and strength overwhelmed the military, forcing the academy to deploy its fledgling super-soldiers. The Emperor, engrossed in his studies, had no interest in joining the fight. "Wukong's irrelevant," he said, flipping through a holographic data-slate. "Knowledge is the priority. I'll forge my own super-soldiers back on Terra."
Raven fluttered onto his shoulder. "Help Galen and the others take him down, and we'll hit 5%. You can head back, check on Malcador and Valdor, and kickstart your super-soldier project."
The Emperor considered this, his gaze distant. "Very well."
On the battlefield, Lena, still stinging from her defeat, shouted, "Hey, Monkey King!" Her taunt drew Wukong's wrath. The beastly warrior, wielding a massive golden staff, swept her aside with a single blow, sending her crashing into a wall. He tore through the super-soldiers, his speed a blur, his strength unmatched.
The Emperor stepped forward, his presence silencing the chaos. With a gesture, he conjured a colossal psychic hand that slammed Wukong into the ground, pinning him like an insect. Galen seized the moment, raising his greatsword and unleashing a surge of sub-bio energy—Final Judgment—that corrected Wukong's corrupted data, restoring his sanity.
The battle ended, and cheers erupted from the team. Raven's eyes glinted as a notification pulsed in its mind:
(■-■)
Fate Node Altered: 5% Complete
(■-■)
A holographic screen, visible only to the Emperor and Raven, flickered into existence:
(⌐■-■)
SuperGod Universe Fate Node 5% Altered. First-Stage Reward Unlocked: Basic Gene Engine]
Basic Gene Engine: A genetic programming system that transforms the human body into a computational platform, enabling dark energy manipulation for enhanced strength, speed, and reflexes.
(⌐■-■)
A surge of origin force flooded the Emperor's body, amplifying his already godlike power. He stepped away from the celebrating crowd, finding a quiet corner with Raven. "We've reached 5%," he said. "Time to return."
"Yep," Raven chirped, hopping from foot to foot. "I'll anchor time—one day on Terra, no matter how long we're gone. But a heads-up: the more we mess with fate and hop between universes, the more their timelines will sync. Eventually, time anchoring won't work, and a day here will be a day there."
The Emperor nodded, absorbing the information. "Understood. Let's go."
Raven spread its wings, summoning a vortex of cosmic light. "Time to head back and celebrate with some fries!"
The vortex engulfed the Emperor, and he vanished.
---
On Terra, Malcador and Valdor paced the command tent, their faces etched with worry. The hour was late, the deadline Raven had given—midnight—approaching. If the Emperor didn't return, it would mean the bird had lied, and their lord was lost. Malcador's staff trembled in his grip, his psychic senses strained for any sign of his friend. Valdor's stoic facade cracked, his halberd clutched tightly as he fought the urge to act.
As the clock struck midnight, despair gripped them. Then, a radiant vortex flared, and the Emperor stepped out, his presence banishing the gloom. "Majesty!" Malcador exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.
Valdor's stern face broke into a rare smile. "You're back."
"I'm sorry for your worry," the Emperor said, his voice calm but warm. "Raven spoke the truth. Travel between universes is real, and I've gained something extraordinary."
He raised a hand, and a holographic blueprint of the Basic Gene Engine shimmered in the air. "We must forge a new plan—a greater one. With this technology, we'll create warriors to conquer the stars, the galaxy, and beyond."
His eyes blazed with vision. "To rule the multiverse is humanity's divine destiny."