He shuddered as he observed me attach his freshly harvested organ to myself, then swiftly detach it as I harvested its Law fragment. What I was doing must seem incomprehensible to them, but I didn’t bother explaining myself.
I handed him a Troll Blood Potion and with that, I’d finished harvesting everyone.
The Troll Blood Potions had been available for purchase for 2,000 points each after I bought another Shop Upgrade. They were rather pricey, but I could afford it with the recent windfall of points I’d obtained. Obtaining a wider variety of parts as well as additional Law fragments was one of my highest priorities at the moment, so I considered it as an investment for the future.
As I finished cleaning everything up and sorting my Inventory, Khaelen walked over to me and began to speak.
“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you properly yet. You’re certainly looking quite a bit more.... unique than the last time I saw you.”
With a half smile, I replied, “Yeah well, it is what it is. This is the only way for me to survive.”
He nodded with a look of understanding.
“Indeed. That’s all that any of us here can hope for, really. To keep surviving even just one more day. Which brings me to my question.... what are your plans after this?”
A good question indeed. I pondered for a moment before replying.
“I need to first take a certain part from those Tier 4 otherworlders that’ll hopefully solve a big problem I’m having. If it works out.... I’ll probably start searching for the exit to the next layer. Which reminds me, do you guys have any information on where it might be located?”
Khaelen shook his head, saying, “We’re just about as clueless as you are. There was someone with a weak divination ability in the previous group of one of our members, but the only thing they could discern was that the area it was located in was very bright. Haven't seen or heard of anywhere like that in the Canopy. So we were all wondering... if you wanted to travel with us and look for it together.”
Mom, I finally got asked to be part of a group project. I wasn’t picked just because I was the last one without a group yet!
In all seriousness however, having some companionship would be quite nice after all this time on my own. Melchior was a bore, and my only form of communication was the occasional messages exchanged with Khaelen.
Yet, I hesitated.
Truth be told, the entire group, except maybe Khaelen, would just be dead weight to me at this point. At the first sign of trouble, having to protect them would place massive shackles on my abilities. I was currently in a position where I was just barely getting my own footing, and I didn’t have the capabilities to look after others as well.
Perhaps noticing my reservations, Khaelen quickly spoke up.
“If you’re worried about us holding you back, it’s fine. None of us expect you to give your life for us. If things go south, it’s every person for themself. This is just a simple cooperation so that we can pool our abilities and make things easier. Besides, two of our members have support abilities that can strengthen you, so they wouldn’t be completely useless.”
Well, if that was the case, I didn’t mind going along with them. I would still try to help however I could, but my priority would be ensuring my own safety.
“Alright, I don’t mind tagging along for a bit then. Strength in numbers and all that. Just a heads up though, I’m probably going to be the first one to run away.”
Khaelen chuckled as he said, “I’d expect nothing less from you. The first time we met, all you did was run. Still, I’m glad you’re coming with us. Misha will be happy too, she seems to be rather fond of you.”
That little squirt? Seems like I need to traumatize her a little bit more.
“I can’t start moving right away though. The thing I’m about to do.... even I’m not entirely sure what’s going to happen. I might need some time to recover.”
With a puzzled look, Khaelen said, “That’s fine, we’re not in any rush right now. But what exactly are you talking about? Is it something dangerous?”
“Let’s just say.... I’m going to be a bit more mindful from now on.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
After I informing Khaelen that I’d be back later, I walked a fair distance away from the camp the group had set up, and attached the Talpiderys claws.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
I began to burrow down deep, with my broad claws effortlessly cleaving through the soft soil. I didn’t stop until I had dug a tunnel that stretched dozens of meters underground and had reached bedrock.
Upon doing so, I equipped Storm Caller and began to smash away at the brittle rock as countless tiny shards flew by my face.
The mighty Onisha arms shattered huge chunks of rocks and shale with each swing and a large opening began to quickly form.
After only a few minutes, I managed to excavate a moderately sized underground cavern that I could comfortably stand or lie down in.
Before I did so, however, I decided to consult with Melchior first.
“How’s it look, Melchior? It’s not going to collapse and suffocate me while I’m in there is it?”
“Although its aesthetic value could be improved upon, Master Adun, it appears to be structurally sound. You may proceed without worry.”
Excellent. This was where I’d be spending the next potentially hours or even days in, so I had to make sure it’d be safe to stay in. I’d left a small hole for ventilation at the top of the tunnel, but otherwise it’d be incredibly difficult to detect my presence down here.
I didn’t necessarily distrust Khaelen and his group, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. The part I’d be attaching this time was vastly different from all the others I’d grafted so far, and I’d most likely be defenseless while doing so. At least down here, I’d have some semblance of peace of mind that I’d be safe.
I settled down in the makeshift cave I’d made and pulled out the two cyborg corpses in my Inventory.
Finally, the moment had come.
I’d be grafting their brains onto my body.
No matter how I had analyzed it, currently this seemed to be the only option of resolving the issue of my intelligence stat, which was still hard capped at 21.
If my own brain wasn’t powerful enough, then I simply had to add more “cores.”
I was ready to become the first dual processor human being. Watch out, Intel!
The only problem was.... I had no idea what the effects would potentially be. Mere body parts with no conscious thought had already nearly overwhelmed me with just their residual instincts.
And now, I’d be attaching an actual brain, something that would undoubtedly be much more potent and dangerous than a mindless arm or leg.
Would doing this cause my own brain to be turned into mush? Would reactivating their brains revive them as well?
The best-case scenario would obviously be if the grafted brain simply assimilated into my own neural network without a hitch but....
Let’s be real, things never quite go the way I need them to.
Nevertheless, it had to be done. My current body parts would only carry me so far, and I had no way to continue upgrading unless my intelligence also increased.
With the Void Dagger, I began to carefully slice through the cyborg’s skull, inch by inch. The blade occasionally screeched as it sawed through metal fused with bone and blood began to pool on the ground.
Finally, I saw it; a blue-grey wrinkled mass with various electrical wires and organic nerves attached to it. I severed all of its connections with a swift swipe and removed it, leaving the cyborg quite literally brainless.
The brain felt quite squishy and slimy as I held it, with cerebral fluid slowly dripping onto the floor in measured drops.
Ding!
Brain still in hand, I made a deep incision in my lower left abdomen and exposed an empty cavity. Before I completed the process however, I left one contingency in place.
“Melchior, activate the Dorai bot. If you see me starting to lose control, I need you to do something.”
“Certainly, Master Adun.”
With that settled, I firmly set the cold brain deep within my stomach and completed the activation of
BAM!
Almost instantly, a flood of memories, sensations, feelings, and desires assaulted my consciousness in an unstoppable onslaught.
A lush jungle world, with three suns shining in the sky. Growing up in a rural village, happily playing in the river every day.
One day, forced into conscription for a terrible war. An elderly woman, sobbing as I was led away.
The first cybernetic part received, after losing an arm in an ambush.
Gradually, becoming more metal than flesh. Enemy after enemy slain on the battlefield. Glory upon glory.
Selected for the Realm Wars, a great honor and burden.
Must not show any mercy.
Must not fail.
The world faded to black as I drowned within the tidal wave of information, an entire life I had never lived.
Who was I?
Am I Adun, or am I Aurex?
As I lost consciousness, the two conflicting streams of memories and thoughts continued to clash. Akin to oil and water, they refused to merge into one and fiercely fought for supreme control.
A raging tempest of havoc and chaos swirled in my mind.
Eventually, the two streams separated briefly, a momentary lull in the storm.
As they did, I opened my eyes once more and found myself in a familiar place.
The tall, gleaming skyscrapers that I walked by every day. The old library I frequented. The small street vendor that always gave me an extra skewer.
My world.
But how? Surely I was in Bellona just a moment ago.....
Perhaps it had all just been a long, terrible dream. My old life was back, and I could happily rot away in peace. An end to the suffering at last.
A beastly growl, filled with rage, interrupted my reverie.
Of course, it had been too good to be true.
I looked up and saw a large, scaled creature closely resembling a humanoid crocodile standing in front of me.
It struggled to speak, gasping and snarling between each breath.
“I....You....kill....my world....”
It seems like it's time for round 2. Bring it on, then.
But was I always this short? And this near-sighted?
I don’t remember my legs being this small and weak. Where was my extra set of arms?
Ah.
This might be a little difficult.