1153 A gift (2)
Erik paused. He wished it could work like for the Chimaeric Demons' brain crystal powers, but that was a perk they got because their brain crystal was a peculiar one. It was most likely impossible for humans to replicate that.
Of course, that ca with its downsides, because while they could use powers more, if they didn't sufficiently train them, they would end mana quickly, and having that many powers ant it was hard to bring them all to a good number of neural links.
"Third, you can strengthen your bodies by making new neural links, but you know this already."
The three won listened with a mix of excitent and worry on their faces. Mira's eyes got big when Erik talked about DNA changes. Emily thought about how this might affect her ability to fight. Amber observed Erik, interested in the idea of getting new powers.
"The initial ones will be easy to do as always, aning you might have a way to get strong enough to not be devoured by any random insect thaid on Mur. However, rapid and extensive DNA changes from creating new neural links could transform you into sothing monstrous. That's why the biological supercomputer severely limited my ability to grow stronger through them. You should allow ti for your DNA to stabilize before making new ones."
He paused.
"Fourth, and last. I can give you so powerful abilities of mine. They are all highly ranked, but if you want sothing specific I do not have, you can just tell ."
"What powers can you share with us?" Amber asked. Her eyes were full of interest. After all, it wasn't common to pick a new brain crystal power and have rather powerful and high-leveled ones as starting ones. She knew how powerful Erik was, and it was all thanks to those powers.
"Can you tell us about the abilities you might give us?" She leaned closer.
"Sure."
Erik took a deep breath. "First off, there's Chimaeric Demon. You know this already: I can create clones of myself—permanent, with the sa mories, skills, and abilities as at the ti I made them. They co from eggs, and while they take weeks to hatch and mature, once they're fully grown, they're my equal in every way. They're... well, they're invaluable."
He glanced at the three won. "Then there's Instability. This lets ss with creatures' emotions—make them feel whatever I want them to, or even read their thoughts. Subtle, but when used right, it can dismantle soone's ntal defenses before they even realize it, and it's great to get information from people, willing or not."
He held up his hand, conjuring a small vine that twisted around his fingers. "This is Verdant Architect, a new acquisition of mine I got from my birth brain crystal power after so rgings. It gives complete control over plants. I can grow, shape, and even strengthen them to withstand the toughest forces. Thanks to Restro's brain crystal power, I can now alter their molecular structure—make them as hard as tal or as flexible as water. I can create botanical defenses, weapons, and even blend plants with elental forces. It's versatile, and, in the right hands... deadly."
Erik paused, his gaze sharpening. "Will of the Hydra. This one I got it from Uncle Benjamin. This ability's more ntal than physical. I can split my mind and create parallel consciousnesses. Every ti I 'grow a new head,' I get faster, sharper, and more perceptive. But there's a risk; lose control, and I could lose myself in the split. Still, it gives a cognitive edge."
He began listing off his remaining powers with a hint of reluctance. "Phantom Veil—I can make myself invisible and create illusions, even mimic the surrounding environnt, and confuse anyone nearby. Telekinesis lets lift, throw, or shield myself with anything I can see, though heavier and faster objects drain more mana. With Beastwalker, I can shapeshift into any animal I choose, which has its own advantages."
He smirked slightly. "Then there's Ti Freeze. It lets slow down or even stop ti for a short while, though the mana cost is astronomical. Warp lets alter distances or shift objects and even myself and other people, depending on the mana I put in. It's a great way to get out—or into—danger fast, and it has a lot of fighting potential."
Erik's voice grew more intense. "Then sothing I got from Monica, Rejuvenating Touch. It allows to heal any injury and even regenerate limbs if I have the ti and mana. And Tower Bastion—an armor I can summon that adapts to threats, bolstering my strength and agility, even shielding with force fields. It also cos with the ability to create energy shields and create concussive shocks I can use to hit harder or move faster."
"This looks similar too."
"To Nathaniel's powers... Yes, because it was a power resulting from rging his power with others."
"Right… I forgot you killed him," Amber said.
"In self-defense, there are differences between killing in self-defense and murder."
"Yes."
Erik sighed. "The last one is Elental Lord, which lets control fire, water, earth, air, and lightning. I can even blend elents to create weapons or change the temperature to an extre. It's... powerful."
He crossed his arms, a flash of defiance in his gaze. "But as powerful as all of these are, I'm not giving up Chimaeric Demon, Instability, Verdant Architect, or Will of the Hydra. They're not just brain crystal powers—they're part of who I am. The rest... they're strong, but they're... I wouldn't say secondary, but it won't pain to give them up as much as those I listed. These four, I can't give them to you."
There was silence.
"I want you to consider your options carefully. We could always ask the Chimaeric Demons to search for powers that might better suit your needs, but that would take ti. In alternative, you can choose one of mine, which I strongly recomnd. The choice is yours, but think it through."
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