-What? - Eva asked, confused.
Lena also tilted her head, trying to understand.
Ringo didn't answer. Instead, a purple mist slowly separated from him. Before their astonished eyes, another Ringo formed beside the original, completely unrelated, leaving the pair shocked.
-Wait, wasn't your power to evolve? How does evolving create clones? - Eva asked, confused.
-It's not my Esper ability, but my species that has changed. - Ringo explained.
-Your species? - Lena frowned. -You look human to me.
Ringo sighed and had to explain further, about the universe, alien civilizations, about the millions of species that exist or have existed. Finally, he explained what he is.
-So, because of your evolutionary ability, you can control your evolutionary direction. It's amazing that Supers can evolve their genes, but you even have the entire genetic base at your fingertips, your power is truly powerful. - Lena seemed very curious about this, while Eva seemed preoccupied with something else.
-Can we still have kids? - Eva asked quickly.
Both Ringo and Lena stopped and looked at her. For a moment, Ringo couldn't tell if she was smart for thinking something like that or if she was just weird for the timing.
I mean, Ringo basically said he could evolve into a dragon or an amoeba, but she wondered if they could have kids.
Ringo burst out laughing, soon followed by Lena. The pair laughed happily, leaving Eva blushing. - What?! That's an important question! I didn't spend all that time learning biology to not know what reproductive isolation is!
Ringo finished laughing, wiping his eyes, and smiled. - Don't worry, with my power, even if you were a mechanical life, I could still have a child with you.
-Are there mechanical lives? - Lena seemed interested.
-Yes. - Ringo agreed.
-How can a machine create life? - Lena took his arm and asked with great interest. It was only then that Ringo remembered she was a mechanical.
Ringo knew, but he was too lazy to explain, so he shrugged and said. -Who knows? I'm not one of them to know.
Lena looked disappointed, but Eva, on the other hand, after learning that her offspring was guaranteed, turned her attention to Ringo's evolution.
-So, you're one of those nightmares, that's cool. I wonder if we can become that too? - Eva asked interestedly.
-No. - Ringo quickly denied.
Eva frowned and asked. -Why?
-Nightmares, in general, are spiritual life forms. I only take physical form because I'm not a pure nightmare. Through my ability, I transformed into something like a hybrid. You, on the other hand, wouldn't be so lucky and would become a fully spiritual being if you tried. - Ringo explained, then added. -Besides, the difference in lifespan is too great. You might die in the process even with my energy helping.
Eva opened her mouth, then closed it, stunned. -I see, no nightmare.
Lena, tempted, also took a step back. Neither of them wanted to change their way of life so drastically.
-There are still many good races out there. With my help, your evolution won't be difficult. I can even speed up the process from months or years to perhaps hours or days, but for that we need some powerful genetic reagents. - Ringo explained. - We can only achieve that by leaving the planet.
Eva's eyes lit up, as did Lena's, they both looked excited.
-Okay, we can wait. We're nowhere near that point anyway. - Lena nodded.
Ringo thought he could speed up their evolution, but he wouldn't do it now. He wanted to go into the galaxy first and look for some good things, maybe help them evolve into the void race or another powerful race.
Lena is a Mechanic, a race that improves her mechanics or protects her body is a good idea. Eva is a Pugilist, she focused on speed and strength, so a race that enhances her characteristics or lessens her weaknesses. The demonic race with accelerated regeneration is a good choice.
That would be for the future.
-What about this clone?- Lena turned her attention to Ringo's clone.
-Him? - Ringo smiled subtly. -He's going to cause some damage.
With that, the clone turned into mist and flew away. The girls were curious, but Ringo didn't intend to talk about his plan yet.
He, on the other hand, successfully shifted their focus by pointing out a different event.
-You want to invade the Bell of Death Island? - Lena was shocked, while Eva looked excited.
-Fine. - Eva agreed quickly, earning an exasperated look from Lena.
-Don't encourage him! - she complained.
-What? Sounds fun. - Eva shrugged.
-I need someone from there, well, two people. - Ringo explained lightly.
-Who? - Lena asked curiously.
-A pharmacist to help me produce serums and improve my evolution. She's probably the best pharmacist on this planet. - Ringo explained, making Lena nod, finding it to be reasonable. - And Black Spider.
Eva gave her a confused look while Lena looked puzzled. -The one arrested by Division 13? He's not a good guy, what do you want with him?
-His Esper power is very good, it can be reused. - Ringo explained, stepping outside to remove the meat from the grill.
Lena sighed while Eva looked very excited. Ringo didn't have the heart to say he would go in spirit form. Well, they can drive the car, that should console Eva.
Spoiler: It didn't.
--x--
A week later, during twilight in a settlement in Stardragon territory, Ringo appeared, not the current Ringo, but his post-germinal form, powerfully built, two meters tall and bald.
Inside the city lord's mansion, Ringo sat on the roof, his eyes black as his consciousness expanded steadily into the distance, observing the entire city and beyond.
Thousands of souls were within the city, glowing with intensity. He could sense their emotions, sense whether they were asleep or awake, dreaming or not, or even whether they were good dreams or bad.
His consciousness expanded beyond the high walls of the settlement, to the souls of animals, weaker, simpler, their emotions rawer and far less complicated.
He didn't focus on any of that, he was searching, waiting for their arrival.
Who were they? Well...
Ringo smiled amusedly as his perception focused on a group rapidly approaching the city. He could sense their targets had arrived, and... she was among them.
Ringo's figure became incorporeal like a purple mist before disappearing from the rooftop. No one noticed the stranger who had been there all day.
On the other side, a group of black armored cars sped along quickly, carrying 18 armed agents wearing black suits engraved with the Germinal symbol. Among them, a woman stood out.
Wearing the same style of attire, she sat in the passenger seat of the car in front, her red hair fluttering in the wind as she frowned.
This seemed too easy.
No news of Ringo for months, and then he appears out of nowhere? For the past week, Ringo's whereabouts have been extremely unclear, wandering through Stardragon territory. But he hasn't been caught by their agents, instead, he continues to circle the area.
It was clearly a trap, everyone could see it, but the fact was, Ringo was very important and the Leader wouldn't give up on him.
So, even knowing it was a trap, this operation still went ahead. She and several other Supers joined a task force to capture Ringo.
The strangest thing is that she was the weakest there, only an E Grade, but due to her involvement with Ringo, she was still assigned to this mission.
Hila didn't know what Six was doing, but she didn't think he was ready to move, he should wait a few more years to grow up enough before coming.
There was even a C Grade Super on this mission! Hila bit her lip. She hoped Ringo could escape, she had no idea he would be able to resist.
But as she thought, she felt a momentary drowsiness. Not only that, she sensed a slight spiritual movement. This made her narrow her eyes and become alarmed!
Hila didn't move, confused, but she didn't feel anything in the air and it was only a moment of sleep, it wasn't enough to alarm the convoy.
Even though she felt doubtful, she controlled her expression to keep it from showing.
The group continued into the city. This was already the third city they had passed through in search of Ringo, but as the group dispersed, it wasn't long before the news that Ringo had already left again was discovered, leaving them frustrated!
-Son of a bitch! If I catch him, I swear I'll make him regret wasting my time. - A short, hunched, elderly and yellow man spat on the ground. There was a black centipede tattoo on his neck, but the wrinkles were barely visible.
A group of hundreds of venomous centipedes continued to crawl up the hem of his pants, never to be seen again.
This is Hei Yun, also known as Centipede, a C Grade esper. His ability is obvious, he can control centipedes.
Hila didn't comment, she just leaned against the car and waited. Her job was simply to exist and be an bait, so no one cared about her.
After two hours of searching deeply, the lord of this city, as well as his wife and daughter, were eaten alive by Hei Yun's thousands of centipedes.
Hila narrowed her eyes, but didn't look away. She couldn't show weakness. She'd seen the same scene several times during this mission, yet her back was still cold and her palms were sweaty.
-Let's go. - Hei Yun said in a low and hoarse voice, returning to the car. The agents quickly followed.
Hila opened the car door and got back in. They would search the nearby settlements before getting any news. Of course, all was fruitless. Late that night, the group stopped to rest at a settlement, staying at an inn where the owner was rudely awakened and fed to the centipedes. Hila was left alone in a room as the only woman.
In truth, the Leader rarely used Hei Yun. Germinal also relies on the facade of revolutionaries and avengers to recruit. Hei Yun's actions contradict this, so the Leader only lets him out at critical moments.
She went to the window and watched the night sky, her fists clenched. She didn't think for a moment that she was alone, so she was not comfortable.
Hei Yun's centipedes are not only extremely venomous, but through their energy, he can strengthen them and even use them to see and hear from a distance. This is why Hei Yun tends to appear on secret missions. This was an exception due to a lack of personnel.
She went to take a shower, but for the same reason, she only used a damp cloth to clean herself. Then, she returned to her room to sleep. Since they were on a mission, she slept fully armed and ready for combat.
Hila didn't know why, but as soon as she laid her head down to sleep, she fell right into sleep.
.
--x--
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+25 chapters of Jugo - Father of Devils on P_treon.
+34 chapters of The Legendary Mechanic - Triple Six on P_treon.
+11 chapters of Hunger Games - I Choose to be a Tribute on P_treon.(Read the first 10 chapters for free on P_treon.)
P_treon: March_Rain