Pact of the Broken Sun
Chapter 10 - The Apex Chimera (2)
Location: Earth - The Collapsed Realm, Capital of the Feral Collective
Year: Y.P. 100
Designation: The Lunar Sanctuary
There was a deluge of questions Kaelen wanted to ask, a torrent of confirmations he desperately sought.
Who exactly was this "Lucifer"? What was this enigmatic "Echo Codex" system that had seemingly bonded with his very being? What precisely was happening to his body, transforming it in impossible ways, and what did Lucifer mean by him being an "Administrator"?
All this, along with a crapton of other bewildering thoughts, swirled in his mind. However, a sharp, insistent knock on the ornate door of his lavish room abruptly interrupted the burgeoning, one-sided conversation between Kaelen and the mysterious Lucifer.
"Someone's here," Kaelen muttered, his enhanced hearing immediately picking up the subtle scuff of boots and the low murmur of voices outside the door.
He looked around the opulent bedroom, now a chaotic mess. The shattered fragments of the mirror gleamed ominously on the rich carpet, a stark reminder of his uncontrolled outburst and his terrifying new appearance.
He knew, with a sinking feeling, that he couldn't let anyone see him like this. His startling white hair, his crimson eyes, the subtle green pallor of his skin, the newly prominent canines his secret would be out instantly. He might as well be tossed out into the Collapsed Realm or, worse, become a test subject for grotesque experimentation.
"What do I do? What do I do?" Kaelen frantically whispered, his panic rising.
[Just deactivate the traits you don't want.] Lucifer's voice, calm and detached, echoed directly in his mind, cutting through the chaos of his thoughts.
"What do you mean?" Kaelen pressed, desperate for guidance.
[See the black light in front of you? Imagine it is a switch, a control panel for your integrated genetic sequences. Now, try to click it.]
Kaelen, with a surge of desperate hope, did as he was told. He focused on the hovering black light, a mental command to interact with it, and instantly, the familiar, semi-transparent tab containing his detailed information his Echo Codex Status Plate popped up directly in his field of vision.
[Can you see (Active) written against all of your species? Thrall (Active), Crimson Eidolon (Active), Lunar Striker (Active). Just click on them, and they will deactivate. But be careful]
Before Lucifer could complete his warning, before the full implications could sink in, Kaelen, in a burst of panicked adrenaline, quickly, almost instinctively, deactivated the Thrall and Crimson Eidolon traits simultaneously. As he did that, a gut-wrenching, agonizing pain ripped through his entire being, forcing a choked gasp from his throat as he crumpled to his knees.
[…Because it would hurt like hell, moron.] Lucifer's voice finished, a hint of sardonic amusement in its tone.
Slowly, agonizingly, Kaelen's unnaturally pale skin began to revert to its normal, human shade. His elongated canines receded, replaced by the familiar, normal teeth he had possessed all his life. Even his startling white hair shifted, flowing back to its original dark color. But as all this was happening, Kaelen felt like his insides were being churned and pulled apart at the same time, his very molecular structure violently rearranging itself. The only traits that remained unchanged were his slightly pointy ears and his intensely crimson eyes, which now served as the sole visible indicators that he had indeed become one of the Lunar Strikers. Or, more specifically, he had become one of the Matriarch's 'dogs,' a chilling thought.
[Look, kid, I know you are hurting and all, but I don't have much time here. The connection is unstable, and they're trying to cut me off. So, I'll continue to tell you what I can before they manage it. Or better yet, I'll leave a comprehensive memo. See you later, Apex Chimera.]
And just like that, Lucifer's disembodied voice vanished, leaving Kaelen alone in his agony before he could even voice another question. However, as Lucifer's presence receded, a luminous wall of text, urgent and detailed, immediately appeared in front of him, floating in the dark void of his internal sight.
Echo Codex Memo - Urgent Directives:
Points to remember, Apex Chimera:
Critical Warning: Never, ever deactivate all three of your active species traits simultaneously. If you do so, your fourth dormant species trait will activate, which is: Deceased Human. Meaning, you will cease to exist. This time, it will be for real.
Transformation Pain: Also be extremely careful while activating and deactivating traits due to the excruciating pain caused during transformation. If you activate or deactivate more than one trait simultaneously, the pain you will feel would become at least 10 times worse than what it would be while switching only one of the traits. Consider this your first lesson in pain management.
Genetic Harmony: Mind that the levels of a certain species (Thrall, Crimson Eidolon, Lunar Striker) should never exceed more than 5 levels than the others. That is, try to maintain relatively equal levels for all your genetic components. For example, if your Lunar Striker Level is 10, then your Thrall and Crimson Eidolon traits must be at Level 5 at the very least.
Catastrophic Imbalance: In case you are unable to maintain that level gap, then it would destroy the delicate harmony between your integrated genes, and they will begin overpowering one another. Once again, this process would be excruciatingly painful, and you might even die as a result. Or, worse, your unique powers will be exposed to the higher-ups here within the Feral Collective, and they will undoubtedly kill me along with you, as my core function is tied to your genetic stability.
Leveling Mechanisms: You can gain levels for each species by transforming into that form and engaging in combat or utilizing its specific abilities. For example, if you fight while in your Lunar Striker form, you will gain Lunar Striker experience and level up as a Lunar Striker. The same applies to every other species as well.
Status Plate Visibility: The others can technically see your Echo Codex Status Plate if you were to project it outwardly. However, I've tinkered around with it so that they will only be able to see the base stats and specific superficial information you want them to see. Your true nature remains hidden.
Blessing Color: If anyone, particularly the Matriarch or Donovan, asks about the color of your 'blessing' or aura, always say it's yellow. Not red, blue, or black. Always yellow. This is a critical lie.
Administrator Disconnect: Lastly, you won't be able to talk with me or anyone else from the Aetherium Collective association from now on. Our direct connection has been compromised. Thus, you are effectively on your own for a period. I will pop up every now and then to check up on you, provided they don't block me entirely. But for now, this is it. Good luck, Apex Chimera.
Kaelen was still reeling, feeling dizzy and disoriented from the agonizing pain of his forced transformation, when the door to his room was violently thrown open. A dozen or so imposing Lunar Strikers came rushing in, led by the formidable Donovan.
"So it's true. This little bastard was awake but didn't think he needed to open the door," Donovan mumbled, his voice a low growl, after sparing Kaelen one scrutinizing look.
A predatory smile, devoid of warmth, stretched his lips. "The Matriarch truly has an eye for talented individuals. A transformation that should have taken a full cycle was completed in only four cycles… impressive. Very impressive. Let's begin your training then, shall we, Kaelen Vance?"
Kaelen, still staggering from the pain, tried desperately to get back up to his feet, to compose himself, but before he could, Donovan moved with shocking speed. A powerful, swift kick slammed into Kaelen's face, sending a jarring shockwave through his skull.
Kaelen's head was still a mess from the mental and physical ordeal, and he couldn't balance himself. As a result, he collapsed, falling directly onto the pile of shattered mirror shards, their sharp edges biting into his skin as the plush carpet was quickly marked with his fresh, crimson blood.
"Argh!!!" Kaelen let out a raw, guttural groan of pain as the glass shards bit deeper, burying themselves into his back and arms.
"Impressive potential, but weak… truly weak. You'll have to train a lot if you want to get into the academy, boy," Donovan said, his voice laced with cold disdain, before deliberately pushing Kaelen even further into the pile of glass shards with the tip of his boot. "Oh, sorry. I thought there was a piece of shit on the floor, so I had to check whether what I saw was correct or not. But it looks like it was just you."
"ARGH!!!" Kaelen yelled again, the agony almost unbearable, but the louder he screamed, the more pressure Donovan applied, and the deeper the shards embedded themselves within his body.
Kaelen was consumed by pain, a searing inferno in his back. But then, to his utter bewilderment, the intense pain he was feeling suddenly, subtly, decreased by a fraction. He was still hurting pretty bad, raw and exposed, and he almost wanted to cry from the sheer torment, but it wasn't as utterly devastating as it had been moments before.
Suddenly, just as Donovan twisted his boot again, Kaelen received another internal 'notification.'
[You have obtained a new skill: Pain Tolerance (Lvl 1).]
>> Pain Tolerance (Lvl 1): A common passive ability found in hardened Lunar Strikers. This skill lessens the pain one experiences by 2%. Each subsequent level improves the tolerance by an additional 2%. This passive skill can be leveled up automatically by enduring significant pain.
Grade: Low
Condition to upgrade the skill: Get intimately acquainted with pain.
'Yeah… I'll do that… Argh!!!' Kaelen thought, a dark, sardonic humor flickering through the agony as Donovan applied more pressure, grinding the glass into his flesh. His path to strength, it seemed, was paved with torment.