~ Baby's Pov, A few days Later ~
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How long have I been in this body now? Three days? Four? I couldn't tell anymore. Time felt meaningless when I was fused with something so... primal. But one thing was certain: it was definitely time to leave.
With a deep breath, I initiated the separation. Slowly, I began to de-merge, my presence peeling away from the creature's body. Its once massive frame began to shrink, its once-mighty muscles withering as I reclaimed all the energy I'd poured into it.
The process lasted only a few seconds, but to me, it felt longer—a surreal unspooling of power and connection. When I fully emerged, I felt... brand new.
Taller, stronger, sharper.
I flexed my hands, marveling at the way my enhanced body moved. Every muscle hummed with energy, every sense tuned to a razor's edge.
When I finally turned to look back at the creature, I wasn't surprised by what I saw—but it still left a strange feeling in my chest. What remained of the once-mighty predator was a malnourished husk, its obsidian scales dull and brittle, its body lifeless.
It was completely dead.
"It's gonna take me a while to get used to that..." The words felt hollow even to my own ears.
I knew that the power I gained came at a cost, I really did. But seeing it so clearly—the remnants of what had once been something dominant, reduced to nothing—was still, well... unsettling.
I shook off the thought though. There wasn't time to dwell on it given my situation.
I turned my attention inward, focusing on the new strength coursing through me... My power had skyrocketed far beyond what it was before. My body felt like it had been completely rebuilt, with every part of me optimized for survival, speed, and strength...
My senses and raw power had even increased too...
"This is definitely more like it," I said, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.
But I wasn't done. If this creature's memories were accurate, there were more Apex predators out there—each likely stronger than the last; and given my memories, this should be its territory...
But before that, status!
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Name: Michael Murphey | Baby
Height: 84.2 cm ⇛ 110.2 cm
Power Level: 38.5 ⇛ 853.22
Potential: 7.2 ⇛ 18.9
Latent Potential: 8.1 ⇛ 20.1
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.
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.
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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I was much stronger, nearly as strong as my fusion was... Isn't that real interesting? Oh, and it looks like my previous senses perk was replaced by the new one, which makes sense... But what I'm most curious about was my appearance... It had definitely changed.
To get a better look; I split a part of my body off, creating a mini-me and sending a fragment of my consciousness into it.
"Alright." I said to myself—or rather, to him. "What's the verdict?"
Mini-me tilted his head, inspecting me from every angle before smirking.
"Not bad, me. You've definitely gotten taller—way taller. You're way broader too. Look at those arms! Your muscles are huge. Think that's the Apex's perk of increased strength? Anyway, your skin looks about the same, though those bracers are new—starting to get the iconic look going. Overall? You look pretty damn good."
I grinned, "Thanks, me. I'll take it."
I quickly absorbed him back into myself. For now, I think I should try to get used to my new power and body, and keep looking for creatures with any interesting perks I could absorb. Preferably a perk that has me increase my speed.
I think I need to look into using my 'ki' as well. Ever since detaching myself. I feel something in me was sitting there, just waiting to be let out; and my instincts told me it had to be my ki. I'm sure I could get it with enough practice, and I knew the method.
Maybe I should start to work out as well? I hadn't even begun to exercise or even train myself since coming to this place... I'm going to do so, I won't be playing hero, and be unprepared then get myself killed by something silly as under-preparing.
But, what should I do? I don't know how much I could even lift at the moment, plus I'm fairly sure I was powerful already.
I guess I'd just have to do this the old fashioned way of going until failure, then meditating to feel my ki. Then look for the other beasts that lurk the planet...
Yeah, that sounds like a good plan, for now at least.
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END