~ Baby's Pov, A few days later ~
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"I think I'm finally getting the hang of this..."
No, scratch that—I definitely was. I've been on this planet for about two days now. At least, I think it's been two days. Time feels strange here. During that time, I've body-hopped between multiple creatures, picking up some useful perks along the way. Nothing too groundbreaking yet, but enough to give me an edge.
Most of the beasts here are mindless but powerful, so I've had to spend hours in their bodies, siphoning what I needed. What I've realized is fascinating—and terrifying. Whatever traits I've been stealing, they're not from animals native to Earth. These creatures are alien, from some foreign planet entirely.
Strangely, I'm not panicking about any of this. Maybe it's the nature of this body I'm inhabiting—calm, calculating, and adaptable. Or maybe I'm just getting used to the absurdity of it all. Other than that, I still have the core abilities of Baby. Each time I body-hop, my size grows slightly, and my appearance changes, though not by much.
So far, I've grown about 10 centimeters taller. My body still has that slick, metallic texture, though it's no longer as silvery—it's darkened slightly. My eyes, or rather, my visors, have shifted from blood red to a deep purple. The real change, however, is in my power. It's grown exponentially since I arrived, along with the new abilities I've gained.
One curious thing I've noticed is that as I possess creatures, our appearances start to merge. Their traits blend into my own, and so do our powers. It's as though my physiology is evolving, trying to achieve the apex form of whatever species I'm hosting. That might explain why Baby-Vegeta grew taller and bulkier over time. Did his Saiyan transformations become stronger as a result? Was that unique to Saiyans, or does it apply to anything I possess? The scientist in me can't help but wonder.
For now, I'll have to keep experimenting—and surviving. This planet is unforgiving, and I'm not at the top of the food chain yet. Somewhere out there is a true Apex predator, something I've learned from the memories I've stolen. I've been searching for it for days.
While I hunt for it, I might as well see how far I've come.
"Status."
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Name: Michael Murphey | Baby
Height: 72.34 cm → 84.2 cm
Power Level: 1.1 → 38.5
Potential: 1 → 7.2
Latent Potential: 1 → 8.1
Abilities;
Possession (Active): Allows the user to possess hosts, permanently stealing their power level, memories, and potential. There's a chance to gain a bloodline-specific trait after possessing a host for at least 10 seconds. The user can also select one ability at a time to acquire from the host. (Note: Possession fails if the target's power level exceeds the user's by 1,000,000-fold.)
Bio-Fusion (Passive): Exponentially increases the host's power by fusing with/possessing them. The increase varies based on the user's and host's power levels.
Physiology Manipulation: Grants the ability to alter the user's body within reasonable limits.
Hive-Mind (Active/Passive): Enables the user to split into possessed bodies, leaving a fragment of their consciousness in each and forming a hive-mind network.
Perfect Mind (Passive): Grants flawless memory, analysis, strategy, and understanding...
Statistic Reader (Active/Passive): Allows the user to view the stats of others, though stats may be obscured if the power gap is too large.
Unreadable Mind (Passive): Prevents any being from reading the user's mind.
Calculating Mind (Passive): Keeps the user's thoughts calm and precise.
Adhesive Skin (Passive): Grants the ability to cling to most surfaces.
Enhanced Senses (Passive): Enhances all senses by tenfold.
Ki-Sensitivity (Passive): Triples the user's sensitivity to ki.
Armored Skin (Passive): Increases the user's durability by 50%.
Corrosive Blood (Passive): The user's blood has corrosive properties.
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I whistled softly as while reviewing the changes. I was leagues stronger than when I'd first arrived, and the abilities I'd gained were nothing short of incredible, for what they were. But getting them had been no walk in the park. That Armored Skin ability, in particular, had been a real pain to even get.
Rough doesn't even begin to describe it...
Though, through my little time of absorbing creatures... I've realized a discrepancy in both my potential and latent potential. It didn't grow like my power level did, and after possessing the weak monsters, my potential grew but eventually halted... Now I I've been stuck at those low digits.
But, that was interesting to me. Potential seemed to be non-linear in a sense, and it's also interesting to me that it even has a value attached to it. Imagine if scouters could quantify someone's potential too? Dragon ball would probably be way different than I knew...
Boom~
"What?"
Boom~
Why was the ground shaking so damn much?
The shaking grew so violent that I was forced to leap onto a higher parts of a tree ledge to avoid being swallowed by cracks forming in the ground itself... From this vantage point, I scanned the horizon, searching for the source of it...
And then I saw it.
Emerging from the dense, alien forest below was a colossal creature. Its size dwarfed anything I had encountered so far, standing at least ten meters tall, with jagged black scales that gleamed like obsidian in the dim light. Its eyes glowed a piercing yellow, and its long, sinuous tail carved deep grooves into the ground as it moved...
"This is definitely it..." I muttered under my breath. "The Apex predator…"
The creature let out a guttural roar, the sound reverberating through the ground and air. It turned its massive head in my direction, and I felt its gaze lock onto me. My instincts screamed to run, but I clenched my fists instead.
No. Not this time.
This was the moment I'd been preparing for—the ultimate test of my power and abilities. If I could possess this thing, absorb its and take it's potential, I would undoubtedly become the Apex myself.
"Alright!" I said, a grin creeping across my face. "Let's see what you've got!"
The creature charged, its massive frame moving with terrifying speed for something so large. The ground quaked with every step, and I launched myself backward.
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Name: Splagus
Height: 452.2 cm
Power Level: 512.6
Potential: 13.5
Latent Potential: 15.4
Abilities;
Supreme Strength (Passive): Enhances physical strength by threefold and increases physical speed by 50% .
Enhanced Senses II (Passive): Enhances all senses by fifty-fold.
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My heart fucking pounded. Five hundred and twelve?!
For a moment, I could barely even process it. The strongest creature I'd possessed so far had a power level of around 20, and even that had been a grueling ordeal itself, at least to fight it 1 on 1. This thing was beyond anything I'd ever encountered. I wasn't just outclassed—I was insignificant in comparison.
The creature stepped fully into view, its massive frame towering over the alien terrain. The jagged, obsidian scales that covered its body shimmered faintly with a deep, crimson glow. Its eyes burned with a malevolent intensity, and its claws—longer than I was tall—scraped against the ground, leaving molten trails in their wake.
It let out a low, rumbling growl that seemed to shake the very air around it... Even at this distance, the sheer force of its presence was staggering.
"Alright," I was forcing myself to stay calm despite the storm of thoughts racing through my mind at the moment. "Five hundred-plus... That's just ridiculous."
But as terrifying as it was, a part of me couldn't help but feel, exhilarated about this... This was like an ultimate boss fight. If I could take this thing down—if I could even possess it—there was no telling how far my power could rise.
I willed my physiology to shed a small part of myself... If I was going to face this beast, I'd need every advantage I could get.
The Splagus' head snapped toward me, its glowing eyes narrowing. It had noticed my movements.
And then, it roared.
The force of its cry was like a physical blow itself, shattering nearby rocks and sending a shockwave rippling through the forest. My ears rang, and I instinctively raised my arms to shield myself as debris flew in all directions...
"Damn it!"
Oh yeah... This was gonna be rough.
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END