Chapter 23: -Infinite-
~Omniscient Pov, 1 month later...~
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I woke slowly, the faint hum of my bunker's Computer's working. It was a comforting background noise for me... Immediately, I realized that my body felt different, not stronger, but altered in ways I couldn't immediately pinpoint. As I blinked my eyes open, the dim light of the room revealed my surroundings, unchanged but somehow new to me...
I looked around myself a bit, not feeling or seeing much of the dark sludge that used to be around me when I went through my other evolutions. 'Odd...' That's all I could think of it at this point. But, I wasn't going to complain either.
[Good morning, master Ezra. How do you feel?] ECHO's voice broke the silence...
"...Different, I guess..." I replied, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the tub. The floor was cool beneath my feet, grounding me a bit in the present moment. "Not stronger, but... changed."
I stretched, my movements smooth and precise, There was an unfamiliar fluidity in my muscles again. Not only that but there was a sense of alignment and balance that hadn't been there before... I made my way to the mirror, studying my reflection. My eyes seemed brighter, my skin was subtly clearer and slightly luminescent.
As soon as I saw myself, I swore I could feel my own eyes widening...
First off, I had grown taller, maybe 2 inches taller?... My face was slightly more angular, and my eyes had some emerald green mixed into it too. Not to mention my physique. It had changed as well, my arms were now thicker as well as my shoulders even broader, my waist was slightly slimmer, as well as my muscles were even more defined than before...
Not only that... Over the past few weeks, my hair had changed, for the lack of a better term. It wasn't as wild as it used to be, It was slightly smoother if anything, hell... It wasn't even the same color as it used to be either. I used to have black hair, and now it's a mixture of a dark, yet deep-burning crimson hue...
'Just what the hell happened to me in those few weeks?...' How the hell would I even begin to explain this to those around me?
[The integration process has been completed successfully.] ECHO reported. [Your physical parameters haven't increased significantly, but your cellular structure and energy systems have undergone profound modifications.]
I nodded, absorbing the information, but it was the least of my concerns right now... my internal organs felt weird like they weren't exactly the same. No... It felt like there were more organs there, to begin with...
'Wait... How could I know that?'
"Umm... ECHO... Why do I feel so different, internally?..." I needed to check if I was right.
[Hmmm... That is because I had to create more organs for your body... And creating new organs from scratch wasn't particularly simple... But I digress, your body's resilience, adaptability, and efficiency have improved... You're now optimized for even future enhancements, so that is good...]
I took a deep breath, feeling odd, I felt hungry, yet full. Like I didn't have something I needed to have. But, I put the feeling at the back of my mind for now...
As I moved throughout the morning, I noticed subtle yet significant changes within myself... My reflexes were sharper, my mind was strangely clearer. I could sense my surroundings with clarity, every detail more vivid and precise than before...
I sat down on the couch, thinking bout it all for a moment...
"ECHO... Could you tell me why the changes were this obvious this time? I'm barely the same person."
[The nature of the sample you integrated was highly advanced. The modifications were not just about strength, but about optimizing every aspect of your physiology. This involved altering your genetic structure significantly, hence the pronounced changes. However, some genetic samples will cause changes beyond what is possible, and there are some I cannot control whilst altering your physiology without sacrificing beneficial traits or maximizing already existing traits to an extreme...] ECHO explained to me...
[However... As I was changing your body, I realized and uncovered more secrets of Superman's blood sample. And, I came upon a somewhat interesting discovery... And that is something, or someone had restricted certain aspects of their powers and physiology. It was as if it allowed certain basic components to be left, and some weakened on purpose.]
"What? Explain..." I was a little curious about that part. I always thought that Kryptonians were perfection, but this? This was news to me.
[From my analysis, it seems that the restrictions in Superman's physiology were deliberate. Some aspects of his powers were intentionally limited, possibly as a form of control, or to prevent certain abilities from manifesting to their full potential. This could explain why his abilities, while extraordinary, had boundaries that seemed artificial.]
I furrowed my brow, absorbing this new information. "Are you saying someone intentionally handicapped Kryptonian abilities?"
[Precisely.] ECHO confirmed. [The alterations in his genetic structure suggest external interference, possibly to ensure he remained within a certain power threshold. The restrictions were subtle, and some were possibly not readily identified, but their presence indicates a level of genetic engineering that goes beyond natural evolution.]
"What? Who could have done something like this?", I guess what she was saying made some level of sense. Things like kryptonite felt like a bullshit weakness for Superman, especially considering how powerful he was in certain continuities...
[The possibilities are between two extremes, master Ezra. It could have been done by Kryptonian scientists who are extremely proficient in biology as a safety measure, or perhaps by an external force that sought to control or limit Superman's or his species' true potential, or in better terms, a God.]
I took a deep breath, letting the gravity of this revelation settle in for a bit... "So, what does this mean for me?"
[Well, with the restrictions identified, I was able to remove them during your integration process. Your physiology is now free of these artificial limits, allowing for a more complete and optimized enhancement. You have more superior combinations compared to what Superman was, combined with your genetic makeup... You technically aren't what Superman is, at least not truly... This also means you possess potential abilities and traits that even Superman might not have fully realized.]
I stood there, contemplating the magnitude of what ECHO was really saying, "So, I could potentially surpass even Superman?" I was genuinely curious now...
[Oh definitely! I optimized your growth to be the absolute peak of both your species with your powers as well... Interestingly, enough, if I were to give Superman a 2.5 on the potential scale, I would have to give you a 72.54.]
"Huh... Holy shit..." What else could I say in this situation? I was more than 30 times a prodigy compared to Kal. I don't think I can fully wrap my head around that yet. Not only that. I might be immune to kryptonite, red sun radiation, and much more than what he is vulnerable to...
"Show me my statistics, please..." I was curious now, what would she show?
[That might be a bit difficult to represent master... I can show you your current strength, however, I can no longer see the end of your potential strength... In a sense. You now have unlimited potential... Would you still like to see it?
"Yes..."
[As you wish...
Physical Age: 16 years / 682.33 Years --> 7,341.55 Years...
Height: 5'10.2" --> 6'1.5" / 6'9.5" --> 6'11.3"
Weight: 221.24 kg --> 389.22 kg (Effectively 149.44 kg)
Physical Strength: 39.2 / 39.2 Kilotons --> ♾
Physicality: 243.23 / 311.1 --> ♾
Perception/Reaction speeds: Mach 24,551 / Mach 24,551 --> ♾
Movement-Speed: Mach 341.2 / Mach 341.2 --> ♾
Intelligence: Low Genius / Mid Genius --> ♾]
Tachypsychia+: You can dilate your perception by approximately 483.12% for 46 seconds, per 1.3 seconds.
Knife Proficiency: Easily high master level.
Hand-to-hand proficiency: You are a high master in the ways of hand-to-hand combat.
6th Sense: Via intuition and experience, you can make out danger extremely well before it heads your way.
Muscle-Reading: You can predict where someone will attack based on their muscle movements easily.
Enhanced Stamina+++: Your stamina amount and recovery have been increased by 17.98 times.
Electricity Sense: Allows you to sense anything that has electricity powering or utilizing it.
Solar absorption++++: You can absorb the sun's energy, and metabolize it at immense speeds...
Enhanced-Electrokinesis: Allows you to manipulate electricity, with overwhelming ease.
Bio-Electric forcefield- Allows you to resist the natural gravitational forces, as well as keep your body from natural harm to forces or elements weaker than yourself.
Super Enhanced Regeneration+: Your natural recovery from injury has increased by 1321.39%.
Shock Immune: Immunity to conventional electricity.
Supreme Enhanced senses++: Your sense of smell, and hearing have been augmented by 228.1 times greater than normal.
Enhanced Tastebuds: Your tastebuds can both identify and distinguish between flavors with greater ease, as well as being 6.31 times more potent.
Enhanced eyesight: Your eyes are 9.33 times more powerful.
Increased bone Density++: Your bone density has increased by 151.49%.
Nocturnal vision: You can see in the night without any issues.
X-ray vision: You see the bones and musculature of individuals...
Heat vision: You can track heat through solid objects.
Denser-Skin++: Your skin density is 7.4 times higher.
Denser-Musculature++: Your muscle density has increased by 82.35%.
Heightened Neuromuscular system++: Increases the control of your muscles by 256.38%.
Resistant Telomere cells: Allows you to remain younger and active for far longer than normal...
Enhanced Muscle Memory++++: Your muscle memory is 1231.89% more efficient...]
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"What the? ECHO... Why do I have larger height parameters? Didn't I say to avoid it at all costs?" I was pretty bugged about it. And most sane men would question why I'm complaining, but being too tall feels and likely looks ridiculous. I was practically 7 feet...
[I am sorry Ezra... If I reduced certain strands of DNA. I would be reducing your powerset in some aspects, and a genetic code of this magnitude is very potent. I cannot just pick and choose lower-level samples without carrying over specific traits... It could have been worse as well. A strain had a height parameter of 7'5".]
I sighed... "It's, fine..." Sometimes it was hard to tell if she wasn't some biological God instead of a super tiny sentient robot living in my body. Even she likely had limits in terms of what she could manipulate, and what she couldn't... But I wished I could have at least avoided another jump...
Other than that, my potential was truly infinite now. She even placed the symbol there and everything. My lifespan is more than 10 fold as well... But, I should have the capacity to live forever, so I won't worry about that aspect.
Taking a look at my proficiencies, I guess most powers wouldn't be there since ECHO doesn't know about all of them. But she does know some. That's good enough for me. For now, I wanted to test out the solar radiation bit.
I even had the bioelectric aura passively. And my control over my electric part of energy felt even greater than before too. To think he would give me this much of an increase... And I haven't stepped outside yet...
Before I did so, I quickly took a shower. Still felt a sense of emptiness since I woke up. I wasn't particularly drained or anything, since I had reserves of stored energy in my cells, but it was just nagging me now...
Heading out, and washing myself at least 30 times. I headed outside my room. It was around 8 in the morning last I checked.
I stepped outside by the bunker. Walking through the rooms, I could see the rays of sunlight... Almost as if it was calling me... I reached out towards it slowly, and as my hand got closer, I saw the rays coming towards me instead.
"What the?" I was surprised... But... I felt my body absorbing it all quickly. Like a dry sponge that craved the taste of water.
I must have stood there for minutes basking in the sunlight, I could feel an almost immediate surge of power coursing through me. It was as though each ray of light was feeding into me, amplifying my already heightened senses and invigorating every fiber of my being...
The sensation was intense at first, almost overwhelming as if the sunlight was not just a source of energy but a fundamental part of my new capabilities... I felt my cells rapidly metabolizing the radiation, converting it into a potent, rejuvenating force...
The emptiness I was feeling earlier seemed to vanish completely, replaced by an odd sense of both vitality and power...
A growing vitality and power. It was as if my strength was increasing each second that passed. I could feel my power growing.
Curious, I began to test the extent of my ability, experimenting with my control over the sun's energy. I extended my hand and focused, attempting to direct the absorbed energy. To my amazement, I was able to manipulate it with precision, creating small bursts of radiant energy that danced around my fingertips...
'This... Is this what Kal feels?' I felt everything about my body improving, my senses, strength, and speed, even my mental faculties. It feels too much... Yet, I couldn't stop absorbing it. it's as if I wasn't just absorbing it all. I was using it with perfect efficiency. Like no radiation would go unutilized...
I stepped back, already full of solar energy. But that wasn't the reason why I stepped back, no... I was afraid of myself. Afraid of what I had-No, could become. ECHO couldn't even consider me of the same species as Superman, she said I was different, being beyond both human or Kryptonian beyond the very peak of both on top of my current abilities.
I felt myself lowering towards the floor, I looked up, 'Lord... Just what have I become?...'
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END
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