With no time wasting, Roberion spoke to the system, “System, what is Verge?”
“VERGE: State between improvements. Increasing volatility. VERGE for materials: increase in dangerous fluctuations. VERGE for beings: fluctuation in the being characteristics.”
“What kind of characteristics changes?”, again his only answer was silence. “Damn system, how many stats will I increase?”
“Suitable body integration found. Utilization of the whole body required. Stats upgrade: 7 STR, 36 DEX, 16 INT, 9 END. cost of the process is all the unnecessary materials do you accept? Yes/No”
“First let start with the Gecko”. The gecko process was painful, but nothing Roberion couldn’t endure. His stats were increased in 4 STR and 12 END. “Alright. System, let start again the process”
“Suitable body integration found. Utilization of the whole body required. Stats upgrade: 6 STR, 36 DEX, 16 INT, 2 END. cost of the process is all the unnecessary materials do you accept? Yes/No. WARNING: RISK OF TRUE DEATH. WARNING: USER WILL ENTER VERGE STATE”
"So the order of harvest changes the results, I will keep in mind. Obviously, the system won’t be useful in that anyway. Percival, see you later”, I hope. Roberion got down and lied down near the feline beast, and selected Yes.
Everything I do has a risk of death, anyway, was everything Roberion could think before his muscles contracted as the process started and the colorful lines appeared.
This time, the pain was the least of his problems. Roberion couldn’t watch, but the colorful lines are erasing his body and inserted the already processed materials in its place, like ants forming an anthill. The process was inhuman. It’s easy to see the risk of death, the body has numeral places vital for its function, a Null wasn’t so much different.
The Null biology main difference is the lack of genital, nipples, navel, hair. Their reproduction organs removed, their digestive system improved. Their direct vital body parts were their brain and their heart. Although a malfunction of other organs, lack of oxygen, nutrients, blood-loss and other complication, could result in their death.
This time for Roberion, his heart and brain were the real problem. First was his skin, his muscle being exposed to the air contracting and spasming. The sensation was both painful and uncomfortable. His skin was on fire and itching, the itch discomfort almost surpassing his pain. He tried with all his forces to move and scratch his skin. Luckily, the spams and contract of his exposed and now being improved muscles stopped him of doing such a mistake.
His muscles improvement, aside from the blood-loss, was a process without too many complications. The system helped him to keep his ligaments, tendons, and joints connected. Although it didn’t show any compassion, the system tried to facilitate the process, as far as his poor made proto-engram and ambient conditions permitted.
The bones suffer micro-fractures as the improvement affects his body; the restoration is slow. The only improvement is a passive way to harden his skeleton, but the damage to his junctions diminish this returns. During all the process, when Roberion could think, it was on how wrong this process was. Imagine all beings, even animals, have to go through such a process, even the deceased feline beast. It didn’t make sense.
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As the improvement continued, his heart was the next target. As the lines removed minuscule pieces of his heart, small blood loss accrued, the small hole is sun filled with blood and expanded. The only thing that could help was his innate regeneration. That could only be of help as some time was already passed. Luckily the micro damage was restored in milliseconds, but this process wasn’t an only one thing. It was millions of times.
The blood loss was monstrous, blood invading his organs, only his regeneration could fix such a problem. As death was nearing, his perk activated, his regeneration on overclock. The process continue and his body got weaker and weaker until the improvements of his heart finished.
His neck has gone without problems, some blood loss occurred. His body entering again in overdrive, he didn’t feel any pain as soon the heart improvement finished; he fainted. Next was his brain. Now the mystic played a crucial role. How he could have his brain totally substituted and still being himself. Would he die and a new being be reborn? Would he be the same person but modified? Would he become two people in the same body? That was questions that Roberion would ask if the system hadn’t gone full force on it.
One option was to the engram go full capacity, trying to remove and incorporate the material at the same time, but the engram would be destroyed, especially as his engram is low quality, resulting in the death of the user. Or do a slow steady modification of his brain, reducing any imperfection as it goes, but endangering the user, in an enclosed environment it wouldn’t be a problem, but he was outdoors that was dangerous in itself. The system had protocols already installed, so it has gone the second option.
During this time, Percival had to work doubled. The danger of death and the reward of Roberion enticed the monsters as they discovered the scene. First, he had installed the landmines as instructed. Second, he had some explosives near, like dynamite for emergencies, he had even some of the flammable liquid; he makes a type of barrage if all hell would go loose and the monster neared them, with an exit to the river.
The river could be dangerous but he didn’t have other option. The first 4 hours were calm but, later, some type of rats with scales showed up, they were easily dispatched by Percival with his weapons equipped. Even with his strange way of fighting, the rats didn’t stand a chance. Later, innumerous types of weak monster tried to attack, Percival could finish them easily if not by the sheer number of such beasts. Explosive after explosive was used to reduce their numbers, but it wasn’t enough. Nine hours in the process stopped. Roberion ended his improvement. The problem it that he was unconscious, without a way of fighting. He was dead weight.
Percival activated the flammable liquid, the flames stronger than he thought, started to burning him and Percival. Without a better choice, he picked Roberion and swam to the river. It didn’t work. The current wasn’t powerful enough. At first, the creatures were afraid of the water. But as time goes, they started swimming after them. Even with his power, Percival wasn’t fast enough, and carrying Roberion only make things worse. He unlocked and left his armor to take out more weight, put Roberion again on his back and swam.
The more he kept swimming, the better he got good at it. Trying, learning to use his body at the extreme. "As a knight, my duty is to defend my patron, but there is something wrong with me. It’s like I’m me but I’m not". Percival did his best as he was assaulted by this sudden revelation. He wasn’t normal, but he still was a knight with a duty.
Roberion woke up with water on his body. Weakened, starving, his body all pained. He tried to talk, but his body was too weak. His powers weren’t enough, so he slept again. That would repeat time after time. Sometimes he would have only the strength to eat some rations, others drink water. Percival kept swimming, as if he swam enough Roberion would be free from harm and safe.
After a long time. Roberion felt good enough, his perk and his supplies did the job, sadly his equipment, especially his clothes, were damaged. It wasn’t a normal damage though; it seemed like his harvest was the culprit. With enough strength he started talking to Percival, “Hey Percival, are you ok? What happened?”, Percival didn’t answer. “Percival?”. Still not talking, Roberion tried to nudge him. After some time, he finally replies.
“Oh sir, it was horrendous. I tried my best, but was far from enough. That doesn’t matter you are finally safe, such a wondrous thing. Alas, I fear we are lost.”