It was to a blanket gently being pulled over me that I blinked my eyes open. I fell asleep working again… and now, I awoke to the startled gaze of Myla, recoiling away from me. “Y-you told me to meet you down here at dawn,” she stuttered defensively.

Tiredly pulling myself upright, I could see that, indeed, it was getting brighter outside. The night had come and passed without me noticing.

“Have you seen Celian around?” I asked through dry lips, not quite brave enough to look at the screens yet. If I’d ended up failing, I wanted some time to figure out how to break it to her.

“No, but…d-do you want me to go look for him?”

I could see the nervous flicker in her eye. Despite the time we’d spent here at the outpost, she still wasn’t all that comfortable around the alien man. Hopefully, them going to the Academy together would help with some of that.

“Would you, please?”

Myla had barely, reluctantly, left the room as I turned to the computer screens, allowing my heart to relax just a little.

There were no immediate signs of disaster, but I couldn’t be sure until I uploaded the mod. If this one began unraveling during transfer, it simply wasn’t good enough for Myla. Not that I was any less anxious as I executed the command.

A moment of tense anticipation, and my heart sank as that first read came back empty.

Had something broken? No, the mod is still there…

A second read brought me the same enigmatic result, and I rapidly switched to look over its genetic structure. Only then did I draw a quivering sigh of relief.

Even if the computer couldn’t get a read on it, it was still there: the chaotic lattice where barely anything seemed like it would hold together, yet still did.

At places, the bindings were barely thick enough to be seen, leaving several nodes to seem as if they were hovering in isolation. It hadn’t ended up that way through intent as much as necessity, brought on by lacking materials. Now, it was the very essence of a growing mod, weak and fragile in its inception, but capable of adapting and becoming stronger over time.

Or so I hoped, at least – that the pathways of scrap I’d laid out would begin filling out as it was integrated with a more complete genome. Exactly where said pathways would lead, however, I wasn’t sure.

It was just an empty scaffolding meant to grow.

I knew that the traces of some seventeen dying mods were hidden in there, even if I couldn’t see them right now. Perhaps with time, some of them would come alive. Maybe it’s fine even if they don’t…

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at the mod I’d made. I wasn’t sure how good it was, but it was beautifully chaotic in the way first creations are, barely balanced on a needle’s edge.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was stable, and, at last, I understood why those readings had come back empty: it was unique. There was nothing in the System’s database to reference it against.

U-grade, huh…?

In a sense, I was glad that I’d tailored it after Myla’s genome just then. If I hadn’t, I would’ve been tempted to keep it for myself.

Now, there was no choice but to settle for the two I’d already prepared beforehand.

I glanced towards the splicing chambers. If it begins to unravel now, I should be able to keep it stable until Celian arrives…

After the success with Myla’s mod, my curiosity was killing me. And so, with bated breath, I began uploading the first of them. As disaster never struck as its readings were taken, I uploaded the second one as well.

General grading, Strength Augmentation: C

Expected integration rate with Nyamien Yerak Astera: 96.8%

Harvested species: Adult Cryak Male (Partially Synthesized)

Chance for genetic deviation: 2%

—Expected mutation rate: minor aesthetic

Accelerated Growth: 38%

Aerial Movement: 98%

Antiseptic Saliva: 57%

…

General grading, Body Fortification: D

Expected integration rate with Nyamien Yerak Astera: 100%

Harvested species: Unknown (Synthesized)

Chance for genetic deviation: .0%

(3) Detected major strands:

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Enhanced Bone Density

Environmental Adaptability

Reinforced Metabolism

…

On another screen, I opened up their gene structures, my stomach tight all the while. Even as I saw them, however, I wasn’t sure how to feel.

They were…alright? As good as I could’ve hoped for, by all means. They were stable, decently graded, and even had good modifiers.

There was nothing wrong with them, but there wasn’t anything incredible either.

Compared to Myla’s, they seemed painfully uninspired.

They’re still far better compared to what you had in your past life, Yamien, and they have good potential for growth. What you see right now is only half of what you’ll get…

I gave a silent nod.

Indeed, this was only the beginning of my journey. If my sixth sense felt content that these ones wouldn’t break me, then so would I be. Their strength lay in their synergy anyway.

The Cryak mod was skewed to punch above its weight-class as a C, and the fortification one was meant to ensure my body could handle it. While the two mods wouldn’t define me completely — I would still need weapons, caution, and a plan — they’d set me on the right path.

Eventually, I’d have to upgrade into something better, and these would get me there. Yeah, they’re good. Better than what I could’ve hoped for and…I’d only just started learning synthesizing.

I was only scraping the surface of my potential.

My journey had only just begun, and within a few years, I wasn’t planning on being anything like the current or past me.

This was merely the first step of a thousand I was fated to take. I wouldn’t let some C or D grading put me down.

𐫰 𐫰 𐫰

“These are the mods you plan to integrate with?” Celian asked, glancing over at me with an expression I couldn’t read.

Ever since that night, the colors upon his face had remained muted around me – as if there was something he didn’t want me to see – and now, the back glare of the computer screens weren’t helping.

“The latter two,” I corrected. “The first one is for Myla.”

“I see…” Despite his unchanging tattoos, I’d been able to sense the struggle going on within the Luminesari’s head for quite some time now. He was dying to probe my mind in order to figure out what I’d done.

Over these past weeks, I’d learned that his connection to these computers wasn’t omniscient. At most, he would’ve had a vague understanding of where these mods came from.

When everything was said and done, there was no doubt in my mind that he’d be obsessively combing through the computer logs in order to figure out what magic I’d called upon. If he found anything, good for him.

Celian was too nice for me to deliberately hide anything from him, but I didn’t feel like giving everything away for free either.

I’d started to understand the Luminesari’s disposition for mystery and secrets. It was enjoyable. If he only knew half of it…

“Three mods for you then, and one for the young lady,” Celian said, causing the smirk on my face to disappear.

“Three?” I repeated, looking over at the screen to see where his math had gone wrong. But no, there are still only my two mods there, and Myla’s single…

Now, it was Celian’s turn to smile.

He even managed to make it look cheeky, which annoyed me to no end. Unlike a human, every muscle contraction on the Luminesari’s face was deliberate.

“When I showed you those mental mods, it was with the full awareness of your financial situation,” he calmly explained. “I wasn’t intending for you to buy them yourself.”

“Then how…” I slowly asked, brow furrowed.

I knew exactly how. The Luminesari man had intended to buy them for me, but asking why he’d intended do that would’ve sounded way too presumptions. But I already know why as well…

“Space worms?”

Celian’s smile grew wider.

“Fate,” he said.

Myla’s eyes kept darting back and forth between us, her face warped in uncertain concentration. It was clear that the girl had no clue what was going on, but she’d still taken up a stance behind me, sending Celian occasional, defiant glares whenever he seemed to disagree with me.

She was doing it now, too.

“Just like there are things you seemingly hold over me,” the Luminesari continued, “so do I hold things over you, Young Nyamien. As I’ve said, it was no mere coincidence that we met the way we did, and it’s no coincidence that we are here right now.

“Three mods for you, and one for the young lady.”

My heart started to pound faster.

It wouldn’t be that mod, would it…?

I didn’t ask. If Celian had intended to tell me, he already would have. Even if it wasn’t that one, whatever he gave me was bound to be better than what I was already committed to.

I trusted that he wouldn’t let anything go wrong. I had to.

So, as he gestured us towards a plastic covered table each with a gentle, “Please, go ahead,” I obediently laid down.

Myla did as well, only hesitating a little bit.

“Normally, I wouldn’t recommend integrating with three mods at once,” Celian continued, “but I’ve realized that time is a commodity you can’t afford.”

I knew he was talking to me, but I just gave a short nod as the lights around us dimmed. Only the lamps suspended right above us grew brighter.

“Myla, this is going to hurt a bit,” I said, and I could feel her hand stiffly meet mine as I reached out towards her. She was shaking. “But trust me, everything will be fine.”

“Breathe in deeply,” Celian instructed, and for the second time in my life, I could feel the daunting presence of his mind brush up against mine. It dulled everything else, even the whir of several drills that’d sprung to life.

I barely even heard the second part of his sentence, “This will hurt a lot.”

Then I saw them, the bone needles he’d just pulled out, and I realized my mistake. Celian had never intended to go through our UI grafts to install the mods, he was going to fuse them directly to our genomes.

While the procedure was certainly more effective — and technically safer if performed by one of its rare practitioners — there was a reason it was banned on most civilized planets.

The Luminesari man was more sadistic than I’d thought.

I couldn’t even ask him to stop as that first dozen needles hand punched themselves into my neck, spine, and joints.

By the time those first microscopic blades came for my eyes, my screams were drowning out all else. I didn’t even feel it as Myla’s nails dug into the back of my hand, pulling blood.

All I heard was her gritting teeth, mixing with my own cries of pain. Where I felt as if I was getting ripped apart, her tear-streaked eyes never once wavered in their determination.

Indeed, she really was stronger than me.

Pain Tolerance > 1

Mental Fortitude 8 > 9

Stress +5%

Warning!

Stress Levels Have Reached Initial Threshold

> Odds For Good Sleep

>

> -20%

>

> Temper

>

> -10%

>

> Risk For Status Condition - Jumbled Thoughts - Increased

Preventative Action Is Advised

If Stress Levels Are Not Reduced, Permanent Stat Reduction May Occur

Congratulations!

New Classes Detected:

> Cryak Warrior

>

> Unnamed Synthetic Compound

>

> ???

Error…

Unable To Support 4 Classes In Current State

To Prevent Unnecessary Strain,

Fusion Of (Unnamed Synthetic Compound) To Base Genome: Initiating

In Progress…

Waiting…

Waiting…

…

Completing…

Updating…

Current EXP: 0

Available Genomes (3/3):

> Human (Strengthened) 0/7B EXP

>

> Cryak Warrior (Male) 0/500 EXP

>

> ??? ??/?? ???

Genome Upgrades, Unavailable

Insufficient EXP