Oz and Brow had taken a trip into the City of Asero.
After walking for quite sometime Oz had been pondering on all of the information that had been quite literally thrown in his face.
Everything that had happened on that island was all just a virtual reality, His body had a complication from the first time that he was released from the incubator and so they suspended him back in the incubator for those next few years while his body grew.
But shortly there after was an accident and his mother had wound up in the state she is currently in. They had managed to make a virtual world while he was being suspended, making it so he was completely conscious while his body was asleep. Also allowing his mother to take up a tangible form in the Virtual World, and to give him a sense of being "Raised," as well as to train him.
When he asked them if he had finished growing, that all paused for a brief moment, before saying yes in unison...
They still weren't being direct on specific details that he had wanted to know, but he lived with it.
Brow: " You seem to be accustoming just fine to your body, that virtual world must have really helped! I really wish I could still have my old body..." He said with a spiteful tone in his voice.
After a brief flash back of the hospital room.
Brow and Marina had told Oz their story and how they had acquired their bodies. When they were still primarily conducting experiments on their own bodies, the Homunculi had found a way to crystallize the Essence of a living being. In hopes they would be able to modify the crystal into their own body, and further increase their power. Around this time they had been caught and were the primary specimens for the next test...
Fortunately for Brow and Marina, they hadn't found out how to extract Soul Essence. The defining Essence of someone's entire being.
When they had awoken in their new bodies they could control it to any extent. Their Essence that had been extracted from their bodies and placed into crystals where then modified into the female and male Homunculi. Their Essence had completely wiped out the souls that had previously inhabited their bodies completely taking over it, but retaining the memories of the individuals altering their personalities only slightly.
Explaining why Brow had punched Oz in the gut.
They had both continued to walk through the city for sometime, seeing all of the different stores, shops, and new technology, and all of the Homunculi.
But that wasn't the only thing that had caught Oz's attention. After reaching the central area of the the city, everyone was modified....
Brow: "Oz listen carefully, in this world. Elves, Dwarves, and Demons no longer exist. So they have named these new Humonculi Hybrids respectively..." Brow had a fire in his eyes when he started to speak.
The Homunculi that had incorporated Elf DNA into their bodies had a mutation causing them to turn into Dark Elves and are respectively called.
The Dwarves DNA, had actually had a mutation after being assimilated, skin turning into many different shades of green. Males had bulked up and become more muscular standing anywhere from 7' to 8' as adults. While females only grew slightly in size and became more agile. Growing sharp teeth and 2 tusks from their newly shaped cleft jaw. Unwillingly named Orcs.
Those that received DNA from Demons are called Demis.
In Brow's case when they had escaped from the lab, they hadn't yet infused the dna from his old body into his new one, so he stayed as a homunculus this entire time. While Marina had already received the DNA splicing from her old body, explaining why she looks the way she does now.
Then Oz had looked over at his Uncle Brow to see him deep in thought with a lewd smile on his face.
Oz: "I knew it!"
Brow: "Ww-w-what?!" Snapping out of his fantasy and embarrassed.
Oz: "Oooooooohh, nothing." He smiled and turned away whistling with his hands in his pockets.
But after turning back towards the crowd he could see furry ears and tails, some had fins, and feathers.
Oz: "Beast people?" Oz tilted his head in confusion.
Brow: "No, very far from it. Disgusting monsters...." The last part Brow had said with a very low tone so only Oz could hear it. "Because the other races ran to hiding the Homunculi didn't have enough DNA to let everyone be a Demon, Dwarf or Elf. So they could either choose to be modified with an empty essence crystal to cultivate, or they were provided with another option.
Essence Beasts...
While those 3 races had stayed within the higher-ups of the ASERO Organization, the rest of the populace had become Beastmen. Modifying their bodies with the different creatures of Terra Morte, Mammals, Aquatics, and Birds. Everything they could get their hands on.
All so they could try to satisfy their never ending hunger for power, to be able to harness Essence within themselves, and cultivate...
The Homunculi that look almost human, but with the usual tone of hair and skin. Their eyes did have color as well, but they didn't have any racial features. They had chosen to not Modify their bodies with another living creatures genes, and had instead chose to modify Essence Crystals into their body.
After seeing that there were still people with good morals in the world, he could only sigh with relief.
Brow: "Hey kid, let's get you some new clothes." Brow had placed his hand on Oz's shoulder and pointed to a clothing store just off to the right of them.
Oz: "*huff* E-tek? What kind of store name is that?" He had left out a huff of air from the weight of Brow's hand dropping on his shoulder.
Brow: "It's the last set of clothes you'll ever need thanks to the technology of the Science&Magic Division of Asero!" He had triumphantly yelled while beating his hand to his chest proudly.
Oz: He raised one eyebrow and looked at him, "That's great! Now are you going to tell me what they are?" He chuckled as he said sarcastically
Brow: "Okay, okay, you don't have to be a little asshole now." He said embarrassingly, after recollectiong himself he continued.
Brow works in the Science&Magic Division of Asero, being that he has the soul of a Dwarf he would be naturally drawn to technology and magic.
He was apart of the team that had designed "E-Tek" clothing. After being put on the clothes will sync to the host's body, and scan their brain waves and determine the look best suited for them.
After walking into the store that was filled to the brim with all different types and sizes of body suits. There were the low cost suits that would only have the function for one preset outfit after syncing with it's user. As well as the higher end costing suits that had the look of elegance gleaming off of them. They were able to store up to at 10 preset outfits of the user's choice, and varying ones ranging in between.
Brow: "Hurry kid, take this one and go put it on! I ain't getting any younger here!" Brow said with a big laugh while throwing a suit into his hands.
Oz: "Fine..." Oz huffed with an agitated look, grabbing the suit he makes his way back to the dressing room. After taking off the sweat pants and t-shirt that brow had given him earlier. He starts to put on the suit.
After finally getting it on he stands in front of the mirror looking at himself, now looking to be about 16-17 years of age, his height 6'3". Broad and wide chest, His elf ears were short, under his left eye, the black "0Z (Zero-Zee) tattoo. Smokey brown skin, and defining pitch black hair. A stern and smooth jawline, with a small triangular soul patch under his bottom lip. His eyes from the pupil, blooming an amethyst purple into an obelisk gray.
He had covered his genitalia with his hands, because the suit was way to skin tight. Even the muscles on his body were totally defined through the suit.
Oz: "How the hell do I close up the back?" He asked as he tried to foolishly struggle to close the back of his suit. Looking down he saw that there was a crystal that was embedded into the center of the chest.
Putting his hand on the crystal he instinctively injected Manacules into the crystal. Purple and black light has started to stream into the crystal, after noticing the black essence had begun to pour into the crystal as well he retracted it.
What looked like LED lights had appeared across the suit, illuminating the suit, and the entire room. After being blinded by his suit, the light had faded, and he looked in the mirror to see his new outfit.
A black short sleeved t shirt underneath a gray and white hooded cargo vest, beige and black cargo shorts, and black and white converse with gray socks.
Oz: "This is totally wicked!" After looking at himself in the mirror, he noticed that the crystal was no longer in the chest area and had moved. He looked all over himself and couldn't find it.
Slumping his head, he felt a weight tug on his left ear. Reaching up he felt an earring, in confusion he hurriedly looked in the mirror to see that the crystal had turned into an earring.
Oz: "Apparently the materials of the suit use the manacules of the user to change shape. Technology and Magic have definitely come a long way!" Once finished admiring himself he returned back to the main lobby to his Uncle Brow having a conversation with an Orc who, I would have to guess was a friend.
???: "Greg, it was great to see you again! But I gotta be heading back to the Soldier Academy, we will definitely have to catch up!" The giant male orc said before he hurriedly made his exit.
Oz: After walking up to Brow, he looked at his uncle with an eyebrow lifted and a smirk on his face. "So Greg, tell me about this Soldier Academy on our way home!" Oz calling him by the name he was just referred to as sarcastically.
Brow: "Come here you litt-" After just barely missing Oz from his attempt at grabbing him.
Brow had chased Oz all the way back to their home just on the outside of the city.