Eli relaxed under the scathing flow of the shower with all the heat he could force out of it. Between Body of Light, Restoration, and Lumencloud Invigoration, the scalding water felt reassuring instead of agonizing. Hygiene went beyond teleporting all the blood, guts, and gunk off him. He needed to cleanse himself of the psychological stains too.
Spatial Dominion soothed him with its precise spatial awareness of everything in its boundary. He couldn't dig as deep with it as he could with Voidspace Mastery, but it was like the difference between a camera and an x-ray machine. One only showed a surface level image while the other penetrated deeper to show what was beneath the pesky... surface.
Eli frowned with his hands tangled in his hair while a cascade of epiphanies ignited in his brain.
He’d been wasting the potential Body of Light and Lumencloud Invigoration had this whole time.
Light was an entire spectrum, but he only ever used the visible part of it.
He charged up as much light as he could with both Lumencloud Invigoration and Body of Light working in tandem. Scalding water splashed over him while his skin seethed with a scarlet radiance. Water steamed as it struck his skin before Lumencloud Invigoration guzzled it into his body to fuel his rapidly diminishing stores of light.
Eli lifted his hands as the cells of his body vibrated as he manifested more and more of his latent power. Streams of water tickled him as it phased through his body.
Pools of water at the bottom of the tub boiled where it puddled around his feet. He tried to force it lower with gritted teeth, but he couldn't push it any farther. Infrared was as far as he could go down, but what about ultraviolet? He loosened his stranglehold on bunching all of his charged light up as he rapidly shined through all the colors.
Blue shifted with violet as they intermeshed throughout his body outward.
He flexed his hands while wondering if this was partially why he really didn't seem to get sunburnt anymore. Heat didn't bother him as much, either. Except for when he fought Daniels—
Woeful Sunfire Ev. 3/Lv. 4 Auto-Ethereal Projection Ev. 3/Lv. 9 Stats: Mind of Carnage (Hunter's Massacre) You may now select from one of the following options: Siphon Power Experience Gain a Power Perk Obtain Power from the Conquered> Natural Autonomy Ethereal Paradox Replicate Projection BACK> Eli groaned as he pushed the notification away. Later. He'd deal with that later. Rays of violet spilled from his body across the tile and porcelain of the... oh. That was disgusting. Eli turned on the spot while he studied the room only lit under his powers, he'd long since absorbed all ambient light. He turned the dial on the wall to shut off the water before he stepped out of the shower and glanced around. Color fuzzed all around him while he peered around at all the various stains smeared across the bathtub and tile of the bathroom floor. He looked at the toilet with a wince. Evidence of splatters coated the counters. Eli walked into the main dorm room and watched as the light shifted into broken bands as rainbows crawled up the walls and across the floor and ceiling before it drained into him. Only his manmade blacklight radiance lit the room so it looked like a skating rink. "Oh, no. This is the best people can clean with fucking super powers?" Eli grimaced at the slovenly state of the dorm room. He tried to soften his partially radiant form with a grimace, but found it separated his feet into visible light again. Clouds roiled beneath him as he willed himself to float. He never wanted to touch a single surface here again. Eli explored the rest of the massively unsanitary world while he continued his attempt to push past the ultraviolet or even infrared range of his Body of Light. No matter how hard he tightened his control and pushed, it refused to slip any further. He couldn't even fully pass into infrared or ultraviolet. He could only tap into them and blow nearly his entire storage of light to keep it fueled. Thankfully, it was daytime and he had Lumencloud Invigoration, but it drained that inflow of light as quick as his powers could transfer it. Eventually, he grew bored and sat on his bed with a grimace at the distasteful horror a college dorm room was. He tried something different. Soft and hard light were known quantities to him. They were a simple transition, but he hadn't pushed Body of Light or Lumencloud Invigoration to their full limits. Why would he take it for granted now? He tried to charge infrared and ultraviolet at the same time while radiant. The light ran incandescent throughout his body as he found an equilibrium. Eli poked the squishy part of his palm and marveled at how it dipped and flexed like regular skin. It was no longer rigid, unflinching radiance rendered as brittle as it was solid. Soft light always left his body a loose blob of light that'd let anything he touched phase through him. But this was different. Where it was meant to be soft or hard, it was. But there was a strength to it he lacked in the other states. Eli pushed his hand down into the comforter on his bed and felt possibilities open itself up to him. He felt the layers of enchantments sewn in through every multithreaded inch of the fabric as his hand smushed into the fabric. He felt how he could burn it with a push, harden his hand and stab through it. Or even soften his light a bit more and shine through it like regular light. He glanced at his status, ignoring the pending notifications for Daniels power and what he got from the Delve. [Stats: Body: Light (Photon Shot) Perks Equipped: [Might] Mind: None Will: None ] [Equipped Power List: Slot One -- Spatial Dominion Ev. 0/Lv. 4 Slot Two -- Lumencloud Invigoration Ev. 0/Lv. 5 (Maxed) Perks Equipped: [Armory] Slot Three -- Restoration Ev. 2/Lv. 3 Perks Equipped: [Restoration] ] [Unequipped Powers: Voidspace Mastery Ev. 1/Lv. 9 Perks Equipped: [Subspace] Imbue Ev. 0/Lv.5 (Maxed) Augumentative Elemental Absorption Ev. 0/Lv. 5 (Maxed) ] [Unequipped Perks: Blight ] It was time to get that last level from Spatial Dominion and decide if he wanted to recycle Restoration or not. Boundaries of space sharpened around him as he stretched his will out. He blinked slowly as he felt his perception through Spatial Dominion sharpen as information flooded into his brain with far more detail than Voidspace Mastery gave him even now at Ev. 1/Lv. 9. He stared at the world around him his power only, his eyes closed as he withdrew his attention from the light that bathed the room. Threads in the comforter, blankets, sheets, and mattress spread out beneath him. Motes of dust stirred in the air around him and spun with his every exhale. Eli opened his eyes as every iota of space inside of his zone became subservient. He was lord and master of it and this zone was his territory. With a thought and twist of intent, he claimed it. Spatial Dominion Ev. 0 Imbue Ev. 0 Augumentative Elemental Absorption Ev. 0 Lumencloud Invigoration Ev. 0 You may now select from one of the following options: Evolve Power Merge Power Obtain New Power N/A> What would happen if he tried to merge all these powers together? What would he get? Eli hit the prompt and blinked as the System seemed to lag for a few moments before a new line of text scrolled across the air. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Interesting, but definitely not. It felt like a mess of puzzle pieces thrown together that didn’t fit. He had a fair idea what Imbue and Spatial Dominion would give him and figured it'd be a great addition right away. Depending on what the result was, he'd be able to narrow his choice for what perk he wanted from Daniels's powers. Eli beamed at the notification. It was a perfect merge between the two powers. He wondered if that was because of how basic they were or something else, but he was thankful for it. He'd keep the spatial dominion part, but he'd be able to enchant anything in its range. It'd be even better, though, in a moment. Before he confirmed, new notifications popped up with the perk list from Daniels's Auto-Ethereal Projection Ev. 3 power. Natural Autonomy Ethereal Paradox Replicate Projection BACK> Ethereal Paradox or Projection were his top choices now. Ethereal Paradox would let him enchant anything in his dominion with that sense of incongruity and warped reality, but he hoped it'd let him stack far more enchantments than he could otherwise. Maybe if he figured it out well enough, he'd be able to figure out other dimensions. He was pretty certain about picking this, but Projection would help him boost his range, push the limits of his enchantments, and maybe even help him burrow deeper through space. Especially if he combined whatever perk he got from Daniels with [Subspace]. It'd suck to lose it from Voidspace Mastery, but he was pretty certain he could achieve the same without it. Once he maxed Enchanter's Dominion and whatever power he got, he'd have a perfect mix. Or... he could slot both perks on Imbue and Spatial Dominion, then merge them together that way and see what it changed. Eli chose Ethereal Paradox, unequipped [Subspace] from Voidspace Mastery and then grafted both perks onto Imbue and Spatial Dominion, respectively. But before he could confirm, he realized with widening eyes he could probably use Subspace to recycle Voidspace Mastery once it maxed out in one level. He unequipped it from Spatial Dominion, then confirmed the merge. Nothing changed in the name, but he felt the sheer level of differences and options available with it now. He had been paranoid about hoarding an evo-0 power so he could continue to get new powers if he needed to, but now that he knew how easy it was to harvest them from sys-spawn in this world? Why would he hold back? Besides, he'd be able to keep one maxed out evo-0 power when he and Roman went back home and they lost their easy attainment of new abilities. He accepted it only to study another pair of screens and choices. The power from the Delve and what to do with the possibility of recycling Restoration. At evo-2 it was his greatest asset, but he could tell that recycling it would give him far more options and allow him to create a better version of Lumencloud Invigoration in the end. Eli stared at the two screens while he fidgeted with a cylinder of hardened light. Empowered By Earth Macro-Control Earth Earthen Protection BACK> Note: This option will be available if declined> Macro-Control would be an incredible asset to pump into his growing power with Lumencloud Invigoration. Or even Voidspace Mastery. He didn't want to start all the way over, but if he also merged Lumencloud Invigoration with Augmentative Elemental Absorption now, he'd be able to optimize his power and only have one merge left before he evolved it. Eli accepted all the changes and shivered while two powers vanished from his status and senses before they were slotted back changed on a fundamental level. Lumencloud Fortification Ev. 0 Hyper-Regeneration Ev. 0 Perk: Macro-Control Would you like to equip it? Y/N> Macro-Control Blight Might Subspace> Eli frowned while he read through his listed perks with widening eyes. He had forgotten [Armory] had been equipped to Lumencloud Invigoration when he had merged it and it had been consumed. He sighed with a small shrug. It would've been nice to keep so he could try to alter other powers to be fit for combat, but he appreciated that his largest growing ability was nearly ready to be evolved after one more round of merges. [Stats: Body: Light (Photon Shot) Perks Equipped: [Might] Mind: None Will: None ] [Equipped Power List: Slot One -- Enchanter's Dominion Ev. 0/Lv. 0 Slot Two -- Lumencloud Fortification Ev. 0/Lv. 0 Slot Three -- Hyper-Regeneration Ev. 0/Lv. 0 ] [Unequipped Powers: Voidspace Mastery Ev. 1/Lv. 9 ] [Unequipped Perks: Macro-Control Blight Subspace ] Eli took a breath in and twitched at the sheer euphoria that steamrolled through his lungs and into his veins before spreading throughout the rest of his system. He had thought Lumencloud Invigoration had been good, but this? This was incredible. He transformed into a stream of soft radiance to flash himself over in the middle point of the dorm room while he studied his near blinding light. It felt remarkably the same, but its scale extended far deeper than before. Exhilaration pounded through his radiant veins as he transitioned back into flesh and blood. He pushed out the tiniest bit of power from his palm and smirked as a small cyclone of glittering cloud burst from his hand. It threatened to expand rapidly, but he restrained it with an effort of will. Before, his clouds had been merely illuminated by wind and water vapor, but this was a spotlight condensed into a far greater form. A tug on the cloud sank it back into his body. Wellsprings of newfounded Strength, Perception, and Stamina seared through his body as he refined then reabsorbed it. Eli couldn't believe how much merging the two powers together had improved it. He willed it to form a blade of lumencloud that puffed into existence like a sliver of radiance. Wisps of cold, balanced light and vapor wafting from the edge. He absorbed it back into himself with a snap. Armor sprang around him in interlocking sheets of lumencloud meshed in various states of vapor, cloud, and light before it locked into solidity. It was no longer armor crafted from cloudy ice that creaked and groaned with his every movement, but a perfectly balanced set that moved like an extension of his body. He glanced at his status again as he re-read its name. Lumencloud Fortification. He assumed that had to do with how much it enhanced him, but his ability with the [Armory] part of the power had improved in leaps and bounds. But what if there was more to it? With a furrowed brow he pushed out a contained gentle wave of lumencloud that he visualized erecting itself into a solid wall of power. Ripples stirred the air as lumenclouds rolled out of him like an incandescent fog that rose to the height of his chest before it hardened until a shimmering wall of light. He didn't need to freeze it or use Body of Light to force it solid. But, he bet it'd be even stronger when he did. Eli reached out mentally to his perception of it where he siphoned its attributes into Strength while he froze and hardened the light as much as he could. Bands of ice rasped as the wall froze with locked motes of radiance. Ideas and images flashed through his mind in a torrent while he ran his hand across the wall. Would he be able to create other items? Or was it more literally restricted to constructing fortifications out of lumencloud? He absorbed back into himself with a shudder at the crash of ecstasy and sheer power dumped straight into his body. Each time his reserves of lumencloud improved, so did his Body of Light. Eli eyed Hyper-Regeneration while he wondered how that would change the power once it was merged into Lumencloud Fortification. Would it only help him heal or would it make his storage of lumencloud near infinite? He nudged his will into Hyper-Regeneration, expecting to feel a rush as his body healed itself from all kinds of hidden faults and issues. Nothing happened, though. No matter how he tried to cajole the power to respond. It felt more like it had transformed from a resource he could guide and control to an entirely passive ability. Well, fuck that. Enchanter's Dominion sprang around him as he willed it into existence. Possibilities spread out in his mind as if his brain were plugged into a database for what everything in his Dominion could be. Eli tried teleporting his phone out of his pocket into his hand with the power, but frowned when all the power did was give him a wealth of information about his phone instead. He felt the array of wires, the firm durable plastic and panes of glass in the touchscreen. The battery and chips. All of it screamed out to him as if he were a teacher performing roll call. Yet Eli was aware of far more than that. He felt the enchantments already strung through it until they melded with the structure of the phone perfectly. An enchantment that relied on electricity to boost its performance far beyond what most computers were capable of back home. Multiple that ran parallel to cycle information from the device to the System and vice versa. Durability enchantments to keep it from breaking and even a slight one for limited self-repair. Under all of those enchantments, he felt space for him to push one of his own in. Eli almost shoved Lumencloud Fortification into it, but he wanted to see what it would do first. What if it broke it or flooded the processors and system with far too much power? He didn't want to break it when it wasn't even his in the first place. He walked over to the desk where he pushed the Dominion part of his power to search its hiding holes for any technology he could test it on. Half-dead batteries, a set of small lightbulbs for some reason, notebooks, and spare change that looked both similar and bizarre all at the same time. Just a ton of junk. Until he found a calculator that he didn't even have to pull out of the drawer to look at. He felt its dimensions and information pour into his brain just by focusing on it. He smiled at the tiny rows of buttons, miniature light panel, the simple battery. All of it was perfect. It only had basic enchantments to keep it from shattering if someone with too much strength grabbed it without paying attention. Even then, it would still break under an easily attainable amount of force. A gentle nudge of Lumencloud Fortification guided the internal radiant turbulence into the calculator where he felt it fill with power near instantly. He stopped before he guided it to occupy the entire structure while he pushed and pulled it this way and that. Basic plastic firmed until it could've survived being crushed by a pre-System hydraulic press. Energy crackled in the battery as he taught it how to process the power Lumencloud Fortification provided it when in contact with air, water, or light. Perception and Stamina mingled in the processors to enable it to crunch numbers even faster than before. A pointless adjustment, but still easy. Eli tugged the bottom drawer open before he moved all the clutter of folders, notebooks, and other junk out of the way to reveal the shining calculator. Instead of a matte black, it now glittered like pearlescent crystal. He pulled with Enchanter's Dominion and Lumencloud Fortification and caught it as it flew up toward him. He chuckled with mad laughter while he held the enchanted calculator in his hand in his still gauntleted hand. That was when he noticed that his armor had tiny gaps available within the power for an enchantment. Enchanter’s Dominion showed the loose tangle and snarl of infinitesimal weaknesses in armor. Where and how it would fracture or break under enough pressure or force. He used it to guide Hyper--Regeneration through the network of faults until he felt it crystallize with perfection. Any damage that was inflicted wouldn't last if his armor repaired himself. But what if it went further? Eli absorbed the suit of dense armor into himself. A never ending cascade of twitches jolted through his nerves as a growing tsunami of power barreled through his body. He collapsed even as he felt the rejuvenation soothe his body as it tore itself apart under the riptide of power. Threads of Hyper-Regeneration from the enchantment embedded themselves into his body even while the genuine power restored him faster than he could feel the damage. "What the fuck was that?" Roman asked while he stood in the doorway studying Eli with slack-jawed horror. He held a bag of takeout food in his arms with his powersuit helmet resting on top of the bag. "Growth." Eli pushed himself up to his feet while he beamed at Roman. His sweat reabsorbed into his body to add to the growing stockpile of power that fueled Lumencloud Fortification. He was finally taking his final steps to finishing out Lumencloud and reaching his goals of slotting it into his Mind stat. Eli clenched his fists as the harsh memory of being chomped in half surged through his mind. Instead of fading away in the evaporation of Restoration, it settled as his anger and determination grew. He smiled bitterly at that. He wondered what Dr. Simmons would say about his fresh start. Probably that he shouldn't grind so much and enjoy life, but he wasn't paranoid about lashing out anymore. He was preparing to take them home while doing what he had to. "Tell me about your Delve." Eli said while he took the bag out of Roman's hands and set it down on his mostly bare desk. It was time for them to make a game plan for fitting in here and getting out of here. His phone dinged, and he checked it with a small smile before he portioned out a bowl of noodles. Even if he was starting to like it here.