The Monarch.
That title again, the one that had appeared when he'd first evolved into the prime Genus.
He had no idea what it was, some entity or force that his powers were connected to, that grew stronger as he grew stronger? Whichever it was, seeing the notification that his bond with it was growing stronger, Akhil couldn't help but be worried.
He still didn't understand what it meant, and he could only hope it wasn't what he was thinking.
The pain was ebbing now, not gone but manageable, fading from unbearable to merely excruciating. Akhil lay on the platform gasping, his new white skin slick with sweat that looked almost luminous against the pale background, his lengthened hair spread around his head like a dark halo.
He could feel the power coursing through him. Not just the restored blood essence, though that was substantial. Something deeper—a fundamental change to what he was, what his body could do, what limits he no longer had.
But he was also profoundly disoriented.
