Messimah lay limp, his life slipping away, unable to muster even the smallest movement. Darkness clouded his vision, consuming what little hope remained.
But then, without warning, his bleak world was pierced by a soft yet radiant purple glow. The light seeped into his senses, spreading an unexplainable calm over his fractured mind and broken body.
Before Messimah could process what was happening, a crisp, mechanical voice resonated in his ears:
[Accessing host…]
[No existing Awakened Genetic Code found… initiating Genesis System Genetic Code implant...]
[Implant successful. Attempting fusion.]
Suddenly, an excruciating pain surged through Messimah's skull, as if struck by a sledgehammer.
His dying body convulsed violently, jerking with such force that the Federation Officer's grip on his neck faltered for a moment.
The officer frowned, confused by the unexpected resistance. Dismissing it as a final spasm, he tightened his grip, intending to end Messimah's life quickly.
[First fusion attempt unsuccessful. Attempting synthesis of host's genes and Genesis System's Genetic Code implant...]
[Synthesis successful. Attempting fusion (2).]
[Fusion 23%...]
[Host's body under significant damage, unable to continue the fusion in such conditions. Following Administrator protocols, Genesis System will source supplements for host at a cost… initiating process.]
As the Federation Officer applied more pressure, he noticed his fingers could no longer press deeper into Messimah's neck—not due to lack of strength but an invisible force preventing him.
Irritated, the officer clenched his other hand into a fist and delivered a powerful punch aimed directly at Messimah.
But just before his strike connected, an unseen force field materialized, absorbing the blow with a resonant thud.
Ripples of energy radiated outward, neutralizing the attack entirely.
Simultaneously, a shockwave pushed the Federation Officer back, breaking his grip and sending him skidding across the sand until he came to a halt ten feet away.
The officer's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Messimah's mangled form, still lying where he had been flung, yet now suspended in mid-air.
Messimah's body floated, glowing with an otherworldly purple aura. His eyes burned with the same color, their intensity casting an oppressive pressure across a small radius.
"Impossible!" The officer muttered, frozen in shock. "A Genetic Code Awakening… without a catalyst? How is it this powerful—strong enough to overpower me at the awakening stage?"
He stood motionless for a brief moment, stunned by the phenomenon unfolding before him. But then, his expression hardened.
"I knew it was right to kill you and your friends from the beginning," He growled. "Letting someone like you complete an awakening would be foolish."
Without hesitation, the Federation Officer charged toward Messimah, his movements swift and deliberate.
In one fluid motion, he snatched up the javelin lying nearby and, with every ounce of strength he could muster, hurled it straight toward Messimah's glowing forehead.
The tip of the javelin breached the force field, managing only a few inches of penetration before halting abruptly.
The Federation Officer tugged at the weapon, but it wouldn't budge—it was firmly stuck in the invisible barrier.
[Metahuman detected nearby. Target fits supplement criteria. Initiating Gene Extraction.]
The force field suddenly expanded, enveloping the Federation Officer entirely. It was as if the very air around him solidified, trapping him in an unseen mire.
"What is this power?!" He growled, his usual composure giving way to panic. His confident, detached demeanor now warped into a grimace of frustration and worry.
"I can't believe I have to go all out against a backwater boy who hasn't even completed his awakening!"
His shout echoed as a faint green glow flickered in his eyes.
Summoning every ounce of his strength, he felt a slight loosening of the force field's grip.
Slowly, he reached for the javelin still poised toward Messimah's head.
Clenching his fist, the officer delivered a crushing punch to the base of the weapon, driving it further into the force field.
A thin, glowing purple line traced the javelin's path as it cut through the barrier. Just as the tip was about to touch Messimah's skin, it halted once more—the force field had grown even stronger.
[Beginning Gene Extraction process...]
"What?" The Federation Officer's voice trembled as he noticed the increasing resistance, his movements becoming slower despite his immense effort.
Suddenly, he gasped, his lungs struggling to draw air. His chest tightened, his stomach knotted, and an overwhelming weakness spread through him.
What's happening?
The Federation Officer's thoughts raced as the blood in his veins seemed to slow, his heartbeat reduced to a feeble pulse every four seconds.
Yet, he remained alive—conscious to endure the horrifying experience.
The force field's nature shifted again.
No longer just a restraint, it became a siphon, pulling not his body but the Genetic Code embedded within his very cells.
An unbearable nausea overtook him as he convulsed violently. He fought back with sheer willpower, but his resistance only deepened his suffering.
[Gene Extraction—12%...]
Piece by piece, the Federation Officer's Awakened Genetic Code was being stripped from his blood and body.
How is this possible? How is he absorbing my Awakened Genetic Code?
Desperation clawed at his mind. Determined to survive, he focused all his strength on protecting his core—the Gene Formation.
As long as I protect my Gene Formation, he can't erase my Genetic Code entirely. I'll survive this.
But his decision only accelerated the extraction process.
[Gene Extraction—48%. 53%. 57%. 66%.]
The higher the extraction progress climbed, the more emaciated the Federation Officer's body became.
Meanwhile, Messimah's condition steadily improved. Though his external injuries remained, his internal organs regenerated enough to stabilize him.
The officer's hair began to fall out in clumps, leaving his scalp bare as if ravaged by illness.
Yet, despite his worsening state, his Gene Formation remained untouched—a faint glimmer of hope amidst the nightmare.
[Gene Extraction—98%. 99%. Extraction complete.]
[Continuing fusion process… Fusion complete.]
[Initiating Genesis System Genetic Code Awakening...]
As the awakening progressed, Messimah's body radiated an intense purple light. Despite his newfound vitality, he couldn't move—his mind felt as if it were being ripped apart by invisible claws.
[Genetic Code Awakening—90%. 92%. Error! Reattempting Genetic Code Awakening... Error! Error! Error!]
The mechanical voice echoed in Messimah's mind, compounding his discomfort.
[Attempting to troubleshoot...]
[Host's body attempting to self-awaken a Genetic Code. Countermeasures initiated...]
[Attempt one failed. Attempt two failed. Attempt thirty failed.]
The Genesis System faltered. Unable to suppress Messimah's self-awakening, it shifted strategies.
[Facilitating host's self-awakening...]
The purple glow surrounding Messimah deepened, laced with an ominous red hue. A suffocating pressure descended upon the desert.
The desert skies darkened, clouds gathering unnaturally fast, even stretching as far Jejity. From a point, even the fortress in the sky was overcome by the clouds. Thunder roared, and the earth seemed to wail in agony.
The Federation Officer, who had once stood unshaken, now quaked with fear. The scent of death permeated his senses.
"What... is this?" he whispered, his voice breaking.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and then, with a sickening pop, his eyeballs burst, spilling blood and mucus. The invisible force tugged mercilessly at his Gene Formation, tearing through his last defenses.
Blood began to flow from every orifice, drawn toward Messimah like a river seeking its source. Each drop vanished into the glow surrounding him, leaving no trace behind.
As Messimah absorbed the blood, his injuries healed—his torn muscles and broken bones knitted back together. The Federation Officer's once-proud frame withered into a husk, his life force fueling Messimah's awakening and recovery.
Messimah's mind was suddenly inundated with a flood of unfamiliar information—fragments of memories that belonged to the Federation Officer. The sheer volume overwhelmed him, and soon the darkness consumed him once more, pulling him into unconsciousness.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before Messimah stirred again.
With his eyes still closed, he felt as though his entire body was submerged in icy water, while droplets of that same chilling source relentlessly pelted him.
When he attempted to open his eyes, cold water stung them, forcing him to shut them tightly again.
It's raining,
Messimah thought, the realization piercing through his groggy mind.
At first, his thoughts were fragmented, unable to fully piece together what had transpired.
Rain?
But as seconds ticked by, panic struck.
With a sudden jolt, Messimah shot to his feet, remembering the deadly nature of the rain in the region—it was radioactive and lethal upon prolonged exposure.
Yet the moment he stood, the sight of the desert and the hollow Nano-tech suit lying nearby rooted him in place.
A deep frown etched itself onto his face as the memories of the harrowing battle came rushing back, vivid and unrelenting.
Messimah could feel every ounce of the pain his body had endured, but none of it compared to the anguish now gripping his heart.
Grief overshadowed every other sensation or thought.
The voice, the strange system, the unimaginable events that had saved him—all of it was pushed to the periphery of his mind.
Messimah's focus shifted to the crash site. His feet moved instinctively, carrying him to what little remained of the bikes his friends had ridden.
Kneeling by the charred remnants of metal, his eyes stared blankly for a moment, as if devoid of thought. Then, slowly, tears began to fall, mixing with the radioactive rain that splashed down upon him.
He no longer cared about the dangers of the rain or the harm it could cause. Grief had consumed him entirely, eclipsing all concern for his own well-being.
It was a silent cry…