The world froze, a crimson hue washing over everything like a SnappyChat filter gone horribly wrong. David's wings locked mid-flap, leaving him suspended in the air as if someone had hit the universe's pause button. His stomach did a backflip that felt like it faceplanted, a nauseating sense of déjà vu washing over him.

Oh fuck. Not this shit again.

To his surprise, the Cuddlebugs froze as well. Their numbers had been decimated in the chaos of the hive, leaving only seven - six empowered versions and a single, probably very confused regular one. As one, they locked up, their tiny bodies trapped in the middle of their last movement.

Great. At least they don’t have to see this.

An Omega symbol materialized in the center of David's vision, but something was... off about it. It looked almost glitchy, like a visual artifact in a poorly aged videotape. David could neither move his eyes nor turn his head, and the symbol remained stubbornly centered as if it had been burned into his retinas.

But that wasn't the worst part. Behind the symbol, or perhaps within it, David sensed... something. A presence so vast and terrible that his mind recoiled from it, unable to fully comprehend what it was perceiving. It was like trying to look at an optical illusion that kept shifting just as your brain thought it had figured it out. And the eyes. Oh god, the eyes. David couldn't see them, not really, but he felt them. Thousands upon thousands of unseen eyes, all focused on him with an intensity that made his fur stand on end and his wings itch to fly as far and fast as they could.

"Greetings, User David!" Omega's voice boomed, dripping with false cheer and barely contained menace. "We are pleased to see you've finally completed our little task. Though we must admit, we expected better from our first Offer recipient."

David's stomach dropped. He'd known Omega wouldn't be thrilled with how long the quest had taken, but hearing the disappointment in that otherworldly voice made his blood run cold.

"Indeed," Omega continued, its tone sharpening. "You were, in fact, the third to complete your assigned task. How... disappointing."

Fuck fuck fuck. This might be bad.

But then Omega's voice took on a new tone, one that sent shivers down David's spine for an entirely different reason. .

"However," Omega purred, "your little encounter with the Serpent's Nightseer has... mitigated our displeasure considerably."

Wait, what? The owl?

"Nothing pleases us more than vexing the Serpent," Omega continued, its voice dripping with vicious glee. "And to think, you dispatched it with one of the Serpent's own abilities! Remarkable!"

David's mind raced. Omega had rather neatly confirmed his suspicions about the origins of Doom Blade. The Owl’s ramblings he could disregard to an extent, the man was obviously insane, but he wasn’t about to dispute Omega’s claim.

"We must confess, User David, we are thoroughly impressed by your cunning," Omega said, its tone almost admiring. "Do you realize that less than 0.1% of Users have ever managed to steal an ability through creative use of System mechanics? And even fewer have done so in a way that we cannot discern. Truly extraordinary!"

And then Omega laughed.

It was a genuine laugh of happiness, but it was so utterly alien and wrong that David felt like his soul was trying to crawl out of his body to escape. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to find the deepest, darkest hole he could and pull it in after him.

It took David a full minute to regain his composure, his heart pounding so hard he was surprised it hadn't burst out of his chest like some B-movie alien.

As the laughter faded, a notification popped up in David's vision:

–Special Quest: Prove your Supremacy completed!–

–Received: Fusion Tokenx2, 1xp.–

–SysAutogen_BonusLoot…–

–Received: Origination Token–

David futilely attempted to blink, confused. One fucking xp? But more importantly, why couldn't Omega see what had really happened in the Evolution menu? The fact that this horror show of a being had blind spots was both terrifying and... oddly reassuring.

"Your progress, while slower than anticipated, has been... intriguing," Omega continued, oblivious to David's internal revelation. "We look forward to seeing how you will continue to... evolve."

The way Omega said 'evolve' made David's skin crawl beneath his fur. It was the tone of a scientist discussing a fascinating lab specimen - clinical, detached, and utterly devoid of empathy.

Omega's voice took on a more businesslike tone, "We find ourselves unexpectedly pleased with your performance. Do continue to surprise us."

Oh joy. So glad I’ve managed to entertain you, please don’t voodoo me anymore?

As the crimson hue pulsed around them, Omega's presence seemed to grow even more oppressive. David fought the urge to shrink away, his wings twitching with the desire to flee.

"However, User David," Omega continued, its voice a mix of satisfaction and disappointment, "We are less than pleased with your decision to accept Xi's path."

David bristled at that, but held his tongue. What was he supposed to say? 'Sorry I didn't want to be a complete psychopath'?

"Still," Omega purred, "we note you've finally internalized your instincts. It's about time you embraced your true nature. In this, at least, you continue to progress."

David's stomach churned at the words. He knew all too well the constant battle he'd waged against himself, the violent urges he'd mistaken for some alien presence in his mind. 'Spooky' had been a strange coping mechanism for the unfamiliar voice of his own survival instincts cranked up to eleven by stress and danger. David was almost embarrassed in hindsight, but it proved a difficult emotion to maintain in the face of his current predicament.

"You seem calmer now, User David," Omega observed, a hint of amusement in its tone. "No longer at war with yourself, hmm? We did tell you before - all we did was bring out your true self."

David swallowed hard, remembering their last encounter. As much as he hated to admit it, Omega wasn't wrong. Even now, pinned to reality by Omega’s influence, he felt more in control than ever before. The urge to lash out, to fight or flee, was there, but it was his own. Manageable. Almost... comforting, in a way.

"I do learn if you hit me hard enough," David wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper.

The symbol in David's vision pulsed, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of something behind it - a glimpse of the vast, incomprehensible being that Omega truly was. He managed to maintain his composure, but just barely, feeling as if his body had gone cold and hot at the same time.

"Now," Omega continued, its tone becoming businesslike once more, "we have no further tasks for you at present. But once the Originators arrive and Wave Two begins..."

David's ears perked up at that. Did Omega know he was aware of Wave 2?

As if reading his thoughts, Omega chuckled. "Oh, come now, User David. Did you think Xi's little tricks would go unnoticed forever? Burying significant data within tedious REM logs? Quite clever, we must admit. We may have overlooked it for a time, distracted by the monotonous stream of report data, but we assure you, such oversight will not happen again. Ever."

Well, shit.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"During the second phase of this Integration," Omega continued, "we expect you to make a pilgrimage to our Originator. The timing is... flexible, but make no mistake - you will obey."

David grunted, not trusting himself to speak. The thought of visiting Omega's 'Originator' made his blood run cold.

"In the meantime," Omega said, its voice taking on an almost jovial tone that was somehow more terrifying than its anger, "do enjoy the remainder of this phase of the Integration. You've done quite well for yourself, you know. Your lethality rating places you in the top 14% of all Users."

David blinked, surprised. He knew he'd gotten stronger, but top 14%? That was... actually pretty impressive.

"Your friend Claire is also performing admirably," Omega added, and David felt a surge of protective anger at the mention of her name. He had to consciously force down the impulse to snarl and lash out with Miasma. Nothing would come of it, besides potentially irritating his not-so-benevolent company.

Omega, seeming to sense his reaction, laughed again. "Oh, calm yourself, User David. We have no designs on your precious companion. Though we must say, she's holding back quite impressively. It's almost a shame - we have no use for beings that restrain themselves so."

The thought made David's blood boil, but he forced himself to remain calm. Getting angry at Omega wouldn't help anyone, least of all Claire.

"Is... is that all?" David managed to ask, his voice surprisingly steady.

Omega's presence seemed to shift, the symbol in David's vision flickering. "For now, yes. But we'll be watching. Always."

The crimson hue began to fade, reality slowly reasserting itself. But before Omega's presence vanished entirely, it had one last thing to say.

"Oh, and User David? We do hope you are enjoying the Integration, have a pleasant day."

With that, the world snapped back into focus. David found himself hovering in midair, his wings flapping frantically to keep him aloft. The Cuddlebugs clung to him, their tiny bodies still trembling from the encounter.

I swear it’s fucking with me. ‘Have a pleasant day’? What the hell?

For a long moment, David just hovered there, trying to process everything that had just happened. His mind raced with implications, threats, and the terrifying knowledge that he was now firmly on Omega's radar.

"Well," he finally muttered to himself, "I guess I should be flattered. It's not every day you get to be one of Big Red’s favorite reality TV shows. Or would that be test subject?"

He glanced down at the Cuddlebugs, who were looking up at him with a mixture of concern and relief. "Don't suppose any of you guys want to take over as Omega’s whipping boy? No? Didn't think so."

With a heavy sigh, David began to fly, in no particular direction other than 'away'. He had a lot to think about, and even more to worry about. But for now, he was just glad to be alive and relatively sane.

But as his wings sliced through the night air, each flap felt like he was trying to lift a truck. The adrenaline that had carried him through the hive battle and Omega's mind-bending appearance was fading fast, leaving him shaky and drained. He veered away from the direction of his scent trap, not willing to risk tangling with anything else that might fancy a bat-shaped snack.

After a few minutes of increasingly wobbly flight, David spotted a dense stand of trees below. With a grateful wheeze, he angled his descent, less 'graceful landing' and more 'controlled fall: style optional.'

The grove hit David's senses like a freight train after the sterile horror of the hive and Omega's crimson bullshit. The rich, loamy scent of earth and rotting leaves filled his nostrils, mixed with the sharp tang of pine sap and something floral with undertones of toxin all its own. A breeze rustled through the canopy, carrying the distant calls of creatures that probably wanted to eat him and the soft gurgle of what he hoped was a stream and not a swamp thing.

David draped himself across a thick branch, his fur catching on the bark with an uncomfortable tug. The texture was almost painfully real after the smoothness of the hive's interior. Leaves tickled his ears, and somewhere nearby, an owlish creature hooted softly, probably plotting his demise. David didn’t like owls.

With a groan that sounded more 'deflating balloon' than 'fearsome bat monster,' David sent out a pulse of Echolocation. The returning sound waves painted a picture of his surroundings – trees, more trees, and thankfully, even more trees. Nothing immediately threatening lurked in the shadows, but David wasn't taking any chances. He mentally poked his Cuddlebugs, and they spread out to investigate, their tiny bodies disappearing into the foliage like fuzzy ninjas.

One final, Wildsoul-empowered burst of Echolocation left David's head spinning, but did the trick to ease his mind. The pulse swept out in a vast arc, revealing nothing but trees, small animals, and blessed solitude.

Safe. Finally fucking safe.

David let himself zone out, his mind a hazy blur of exhaustion and leftover adrenaline. The fight with the Hive Queen replayed in his head, making his skin crawl beneath his fur. He was pretty sure he'd developed a lifelong phobia of anything with more than four legs..

And then Omega... David shuddered. The memory of that vast, incomprehensible presence made him feel like an ant trying to comprehend the inner workings of a nuclear reactor. While on fire. And being chased by a giant anteater.

With a groan that could've woken the dead, David reshuffled himself, swinging down to hang properly from the branch. His wings wrapped around him like a leathery burrito, muscles screaming in protest. The Cuddlebugs immediately swarmed in, pressing their warm, fuzzy bodies against his throat and belly like the world's most aggressive scarf. They kept glancing fearfully at the sky, and David wondered if they could sense the lingering aftermath of Omega's visit. Or maybe they just really hated stars now. Who knew with these little weirdos?

Exhausted but dutiful, David examined his new acquisitions:

Egg Production Mutagen B: Greatly enhances the ability to produce eggs that hatch into expendable servants or workers. Rarely, more battle-capable forms may emerge. No effect if the user cannot naturally lay eggs. (+200% Egg Production, +50% Servant Quality, Physical Passive.)

"Great," David muttered. "Just what I always wanted. The ability to shit out an army. If only I, you know, laid eggs in the first place. Maybe I can regift this to Claire or something, I’m sure she’d just love that."

Royal Bloodline A: Ancestral memory of mischievous rulers who bend reality to their whims. Significantly boosts both Stealth and Summon-related abilities.

Cackle: Unleash an echoing laugh that temporarily boosts the morale of your Summons. Your amusement resonates with your minions, boosting their speed, strength, or stealth for a short time. (-20% Detection Range, ++Summon, Mental Passive. 10 Second Duration.)

David groaned, but he had to admit, the bonus ability sounded pretty sweet.

He mentally filed these away alongside his stored Proprioception Mutagen, Metabolic Surge and Leap Abilities, and the Aesthetic Refinement Mutagen. Three Fusion Tokens burned in his pocket, full of potential he was too tired to contemplate. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and tried to relax for a moment.

Just as he was about to drift off into what promised to be a nightmare-fueled catnap, a scent finally caught David's attention. His brain locked up faster than a computer trying to divide by zero. Slowly, hardly daring to believe it, he peeked out from his wing-tent.

There, in the far corner of the grove, stood a gnarled, sprawling tree. Its branches were heavy with familiar orange fruits – the same delectable orbs he'd been craving since leaving the meadow with Claire all those weeks ago.

The Elusive Best-Fruit-Ever Tree.

David's eyes welled up with tears of joy. After everything he'd been through – the battles, the horror, the awkwardness – here was a tiny piece of paradise. A reminder that even in this messed-up world, good things were hidden away.

Or maybe he'd finally cracked and this was all a stress-induced hallucination. Either way, he'd take it.

"Oh my god," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "It's you. It's really you. Unless I'm going insane. Which, let's be honest, is a distinct possibility at this point."

The Cuddlebugs chittered in confusion as David began to laugh and cry simultaneously. He probably looked like a lunatic, a bat-monster having an emotional breakdown over a fruit tree. But after the night he'd had, he felt entitled to a little hysteria.

"Guys," he said to his furry companions, wiping tears from his eyes, "I don't know if you can appreciate this, but we've just found the Holy Grail. The pinnacle of fruity perfection. The... the... ah, screw it. You probably just want to know if it's edible..."

David dropped from his perch and scampered towards the tree, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten as he all but bounced with every step. The Cuddlebugs followed slowly, probably wondering if their master had finally lost what little marbles he had left.

As David leapt up to pluck one of the glorious orange fruits, he couldn't help but grin. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. He'd survived, stood up to an eldritch horror...kind of. And now, he had the best midnight snack in the universe.

"Take that, Omega," he muttered, sinking his fangs into the juicy fruit before he’d even hit the ground. "Leasht I gowta fwuit.”

As the night wore on, David perched upon his newfound treasure, gorging himself on fruit and letting the simple pleasure wash away the horrors of the day. Later he’d have other things to deal with, but for now, he had fruit. Even if he did have to fight off the Cuddlebugs, who had apparently developed a taste for the delicacy themselves. Some things, it seemed, they did get from him.

"Hey! Back off, you furry little gluttons!" David yelped, cradling an armful of fruit protectively. "I saw it first! Go find your own comfort food!"

The Cuddlebugs just stared at him with their big, innocent eyes. David sighed, relenting. "Fine. But you guys literally ate a whole branch down to nubs already. You’re going to pop, don’t say I didn’t warn you." He cast a critical eye at the ground, where one particularly ravenous Cuddlebug had fallen and couldn’t get up, too round to turn over. It didn’t even seem to mind.

Snatching up another fruit for himself, he carefully split it down the middle with the blades on his wings, not caring in the slightest about getting a bit sticky in the process. David swung down on the branch with a happy sound, half a fruit clutched in each wing. Fruit that was devoured with a total lack of decorum.

For one blissful moment, all was right with the world. At this point, David was willing to call that a win.