Super Genetics
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B2 - Chapter 45: Empyrean Covenant
🕑 Added 2024-12-27 19:58:43 +0000 UTC[A/N]: A day late! Christmas sucked more out of me than I expected. But I hope you all enjoy this chapter :D!
I'm going to take the next week off to fine-tune the next couple of chapters and spend time with the family. I will be back on January 7th with more content!
Have a happy new year! 2025 is going to be a great year!
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The Weaver let him sit in silence for a minute as he processed everything it had said and not said.
When he finally felt back in a state of balance after the heady experience of living Timothy’s memories, he asked the question it had dodged earlier.
“What is the Empyrean Covenant?”
Silver’s face didn’t react, but he was beginning to get a surface read on the Weaver’s towering aura. He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he was seeing anything it didn’t want him to, but he suspected he was simply becoming aware of a series of expressions that he had been too inexperienced to recognize.
And the Weaver was pleased at the question.
“We are a collection of ascended beings, banded together against a common foe.”
“Chaos?”
The Weaver made a yes-and-no gesture with Silver’s head.
“Chaos is one of their weapons, not the totality of their existence.”
“You’re doing it again,” he said wryly. “Being purposefully oblique.”
The avatar smiled. “I am, aren’t I?” The Weaver’s aura took on a thoughtful tinge and Terry resisted the urge to press. “I will tell you some things I normally wouldn’t. Yes, I sense your initial reaction. You are wondering if I am playing you once more, making you feel special to bend you to my will.”
Terry hemmed and hawed a bit before replying. “Well, not in so many words…”
The avatar smiled. “We are creatures of manipulation, Terry. You would be naive not to question my motives. But in this instance, I will tell you my motives so that you understand the manipulation occurring. In this way, I will impress upon you the truthfulness of what I say next.”
He felt a thrill in his chest that he tried to suppress. Despite the Weaver’s warning, he was eager to hear more than its usual taciturn explanations.
“I intend for you to be my Champion on Earth, Terry.”
The words rocked him, resonating deeply with that very lever he had guarded against: his need to be a hero.
The Weaver recognized his thoughts immediately, nodding.
“Yes, I understand the difficulty in hearing those words, but they are true. Not only have I chosen you as my Champion, but I aim for you to become the Omega—when you are ready.”
The sequence of events leading to this moment took on a different flavor at that revelation.
“Were you using me when I kept my mother from becoming the Omega?” It was the burning question etched into his mind. “Were you lying earlier about the Spectral Singularity being infected?”
“No.” That single word carried a weight to it, peeling back the layers of reality to expose the resonating truth in the Weaver’s aura. “I say again: No. Your mother becoming the Omega would have had devastating consequences, not just for your world, but the connected worlds, as well.”
He chewed his lip in thought, trying to separate the emotional resonance of its aura and the rational thoughts of his brain. This was a creature so utterly above him in power and experience, that it was stupid not to be skeptical of anything and everything it said.
And yet, he felt like he was glimpsing into the heart of a god. The connection he felt to its aura was so naked and exposed; he felt a soul-deep certainty that the Weaver couldn’t lie to him in this moment.
Maybe that was another layer of manipulation all in itself. But he didn’t need to commit one way or the other to hear it out.
“Okay, let’s say I believe you. Why me? And what does being your Champion even mean?”
“Do you remember what I said to you when we first met? I am the teacher, training you to be the lion, for there are horrors beyond your world that would turn it all to ash. By selecting you as my Champion, it means I am specifically shepherding you to delve out into the universe and turn back those that would see it all burn.”
The Silver avatar smiled, a twinkle of humor in its eyes.
“As for why you. Well, I think I showed you that reason when we witnessed young Timothy’s memories.”
He wrinkled his nose at that. “There’s lots of people who would have done the same.”
The Weaver tilted its head. “Less than you might think. But I am extrapolating on not only what you’ve done, but will do. You’re a touch too humble to believe me, so let’s leave it at that until our next meeting.”
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t press. The Weaver was right, he didn’t think he was some paragon of justice or good. He wanted to be, but he also knew he possessed plenty of faults as well.
“So I’ll be your Champion, delving out into the universe to turn back evil or something. But who’s our enemy? It seems like we’re fighting the other Systems more than anything.”
“You are correct, my fellow members of the Empyrean Covenant are united against the enemy, but that is all. We impose rules upon ourselves to limit collateral damage, which is why we operate through proxies. But we are aligned on only two purposes: defense against the enemy, and pursuit of greater power. What we do with that power differs. I aim to bring harmony and strength to our worlds. Some align with my purpose. Others, less so.”
He chewed on those statements for a moment, trying to separate the two relevant thoughts bubbling to the surface.
“Why do you say ‘the enemy?’ This is one being that has you all scared?”
“In a word: yes. But there are two reasons I phrase it as such. One, I am restricted from revealing much more unless you were to become the Omega of your world. And two, I hesitate to say any of its names and potentially draw its attention to you.”
A shiver traced up his back at that.
“Me? But I’m just a D-ranker—well, C-ranker now, I guess.”
“Even its regard is not something you are ready for—not yet.” The Weaver settled back into the couch, waving away the concern etched into his face. “Don’t think about it anymore. You are blossoming into your potential, Terry, but there is still a long way to travel before you face its proxies.
“For now, I want you to focus on growing as strong as you can, as fast as you can.”
Terry nodded, leaning forward in anxious anticipation.
“How?”
“Lean into the powers you’ve been cultivating. I’ll direct you with Quests as best I can, but this is the only time we’ll be able to communicate directly until your Capstone.”
He felt a flush of disappointment at those words.
“I have been leaning into my powers, haven’t I? Don’t you have anything more concrete to…”
He trailed off as the Silver avatar adopted a whimsical smile that was foreign on his features.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
The far wall of the office distorted, revealing three posters like the ones that used to hang in his bedroom.
His eyes lit up as he realized what that meant—Class choices!
He shot to his feet, quick-stepping to the posters with a haste that made the Silver avatar chuckle.
Even before it spoke, he could feel the options before him.
“You no doubt recognize the form I’ve taken in the leftmost option.” Sure enough, an image of Silver occupied that poster, his skin sheathed in metal as he crashed against the flaming figure of Qui Shen. “Your maternal grandfather has fully digested two of the Singularities and stands as one of the strongest Awakened on Earth. Despite his physical strength, his foundation was built during his time as an Elementalist. Should you choose to follow in his footsteps, I see you continuing the work you started with your Master of Telekinesis Skill, acquiring the ability to manipulate a spectrum of elements at will.”
An image flashed in his mind, him flying through the sky as he harnessed air, wrapped himself in metal armor like Silver, and wielded fire like Qui Shen. Once upon a time, it would have been the purest form of a superhero he could envision. Now, it felt more like a Saturday morning cartoon brought to life rather than his path.
The Weaver seemed to sense his thoughts, because it moved on immediately to the next poster. The images came to life as his mother appeared before him. All the years of adoration and love he felt for her flared bright in that moment. It was an overwhelming feeling, one of respect and awe that threatened to hijack his thoughts.
He pushed them down, observing her in action as the Weaver spoke.
“The White Rose began as a Hypnotist before transitioning to Distorter, and ultimately, Alterant. She has achieved a level of aura control and projection that is unrivaled on Earth. Not only would I rank her as the strongest Awakened among your people, I would also put forth that she possesses a pure spirit and has used that strength admirably. I gave you the choice in our last meeting to follow your mother’s path, which you refused. Now, I offer you the reverse. If you choose to realign with her, you will transition to Distorter. With your natural sensitivity for aura control and manipulation, your enemies would find their own powers neutered or turned against them. Coupled with your ability to catalog powersets, you would be nearly unbeatable in one-on-one fights.”
That statement appealed to Terry’s childhood dreams even more than the Saturday morning cartoon caricature that was Silver’s path. But there was something in the Weaver’s tone—and his own intuition—that was telling him that wasn’t the right path for him either.
As much as it might have annoyed him that the Weaver was clearly burying the lede, he also found it freeing to see those tempting paths and find that he had no desire to follow them.
“And finally, just as before, I offer you the Resonance. It’s a confirmation more than a first step. Perhaps less exciting than flinging elements or smashing your enemies—”
“Let me guess: it’s the one I can do the most good.”
The Weaver snorted, a very human gesture that made Terry smile.
“I thought we established good and evil were subjective?” the Weaver asked in Silver’s wry tone. “But yes, subjectively, it’s the path that yields the most Terry-good.”
Terry laughed at that, shaking his head.
“Fine, I’m okay with that term. Tell me what Class leads to the most Terry-good.”
Silver-Weaver tilted its head. “Alterant, of course.”
“How did I know you were gonna say that…”
It smiled at him, an eerie smile filled with the portent of something to come.
“Because you understand that your strength has never been the portals you learned from Marlon. Neither was it the metal manipulation you learned from Silver. Not even the Body Tempering from your father, except in the literal sense.” Its smile widened. “Your strength has been your experimentations, your cataloging of other’s Skills and the subsequent creation of new Skills. But believe me when I tell you, Terry…you’ve only begun to scratch the surface.”
Excitement gripped his chest, his eyes trailing over the third poster in anticipation.
“What? No cool visions of me workshopping late into the night over some revolutionary new power?”
The Weaver shook its head. “Unlike the other paths, yours is your own. If I give you too much, I’d only end up leading you astray.”
“Oh, so you are fallible?” he asked with a sarcastic tone.
“I am.” The Silver avatar leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t tell anyone.”
Terry chuckled, shaking his head before turning back to the poster of him. It was just…him. Older, wounded and weary as before. But there was a sense of solidness to that image, of power and inevitability that seemed to vibrate on the same frequency as the current him.
“You already know what I’m gonna pick.” He turned back. “So how do I pick—”
The Weaver began to dissipate, a beaming smile on Silver’s face.
“You already have.”
He groaned in annoyance as the Weaver’s presence pulled back. There were so many more questions to ask!
But as his consciousness seemed to fall back into his body, that sense of glimpsing beneath the fabric of the universe seemed to pull away from him.
When his limbs registered once more in his mind, he realized he was drifting in a pool of thick liquid. Notifications streamed across his eyelids, nearly overwhelming him.
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C-rank achieved! Status Sheet updated!
New Affixation slots created — 3 C-ranked slots
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New Class Skill: [Combine Skills]
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Combine Skills — C (Upgradeable)
Activate to identify compatible Skill combinations in user’s catalog or aura perception.
Note: Class Skills upgrade as the user ranks up.
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Combine Powers has automatically combined Genetic Analysis and Metaphysical Analysis into Master of Analysis.
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New Skill: [Master of Analysis]
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Master of Analysis — C (Upgradeable)
Activate to attempt identification of all active powers in a radius. Radius and success of identification are dependent on aura perception and strength.
Cataloging no longer requires genetic data.
Note: This is an upgradeable Skill. As users rank, understanding, and aura control increase, so can this Skill.
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Skills upgraded!
High-Efficiency Light and Matter Transportation, Aura Snapshot, Master of Light, and Master of Telekinesis upgraded to C-rank
Choose Affixations now?
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Bonus Objective reward calculated
Two talent points awarded
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Stronger Together reward calculated
New Skill awarded: [Loan Skill]
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Loan Skill (C — Upgradeable)
Target an individual and activate to temporarily loan one of the user’s Affixed Skills. Selected Skill will be downranked if target’s aura is not at the Skill’s rank. Selected Skill can be upranked if target’s aura is at an appropriate rank and compatible with the loaned Skill.
Length of loan is dependent on both target and loaned Skill’s rank. User cannot loan Class Skills. User cannot activate loaned Skills while the loan is in effect.
Note: This is an upgradeable Skill. As caster’s rank increases, so will this Skill.
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Summons home prepared. Accept?
As much as he wanted to dive more into those notifications, he felt a number of presences looming over him.
Even before his eyes opened, he knew who it was and he smiled.
“Hey, Juan.” His voice was hoarse, his body itched and burned…but he was alive and so were his friends.
“He’s awake!” the man cried, his hands reaching down to grip Terry’s arm. “Bro! We thought you were toast!”
“Welcome back.”
Terry looked to the left to see Ben standing there, no longer covered in ice armor. As he glanced toward the large man, Terry spotted black, inky substance pooling along the ground.
The sight brought him back to the present and he sat up in a daze.
“Whoa, take it slow, bro.”
Despite the dizziness, the terrible wounds in his arm and shoulder that had almost bled him dry, and the sheer aura he had been forced to expend…he felt great.
Better than great, actually.
As he glanced about, he noticed his entire team arrayed around him, all standing ankle-deep in the Blood of the Mother. Al’Ruzan was on one knee, while Mara-Lin-Jaid applied Blood gently to his wounds. Crimson Spear and Obsidian Blade were conversing in low tones, but nodded toward him as he looked over.
“What happened?” he asked, then the confused looks on the others’ faces reminded him to use the team chat.
[Terry]: What happened?
[Chialpuncritis]: We won!
[Py Dar]: The bloodsuckers fled once we came through!
[Chialpuncritis]: They heard of our triumphant descent and trembled in our presence! All fled before Chippy!
Terry laughed at that, then caught Mara-Lin-Jaid’s eyes. There was a hint of amusement there, strange on her normally serious face. She stood beside Al’Ruzan whose yellow eyes were difficult to read.
[Terry]: You saw all of this, didn’t you?
She shrugged, the corner of her lip turning up for the briefest flash.
[Mara-Lin-Jaid]: I don’t know what you mean. My visions are useless.
As his thoughts cleared from his meeting with the Weaver, the sequence of events played out in his mind. He’d originally intended for Al’Ruzan to sneak past the dukes and return the Lakarot. He suspected that would have sealed their fate and they would all have died before restoring the Blood of the Mother.
But Mara-Lin-Jaid had somehow known Lilith was hiding inside the Chamber. The part that tickled at the back of his brain was Juan’s presence. His fire illuminating the Chamber had been what sapped Lilith’s speed in that pivotal moment.
He thought back to that Quest he’d received when he’d arrived: Stronger Together. It was only in this moment that he understood that the Weaver had orchestrated this whole thing.
Without Chippy and Py, the Bonesplatter Clan never would have made it in range of the bone charm. The bone charm might not even have occurred to him as an idea without the two of them.
And without Juan, the two of them and the Bloodsplatter Clan never would have made it past the sanguine attacks—not even factoring in his impact on the battle with Lilith.
Without Al’Ruzan, Terry would have died to the sanguine elite that took him over the side of the bridge.
And without Mara-Lin-Jaid’s vision, Lilith killed them all and took the Lakarot for herself.
[Terry]: That’s too bad. Here I was thinking you actually saved us all.
She shrugged casually and he had to laugh. Looking around, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest. They’d all made it through—even most of the Bloodsplatter Clan—and they now had their return ticket home.
[Terry]: I suppose this is where we part ways? As much as I’ll miss you all, I did leave home a bit of a mess before I left.
[Juan Carlos]: Yeah, my abuela’s gonna rip me a new one…
Juan’s face dropped and Terry snorted.
[Chialpuncritis]: Simply tell this abuela that you saved an entire world and personally slayed hundreds of vampires! She will surely wish to mate with you then!
Juan’s eyes bugged out and he did a double-take between Terry and Chippy. Terry laughed out loud as Ben shook his head in disbelief.
[Juan Carlos]: Um, bro…what do you think abuela means?
[Chialpuncritis]: Your prospective mate…?
[Juan Carlos]: It’s my grandmother, bro! My father’s mother! Oh my, God, I’m gonna have that image in my head for months.
[Chialpuncritis]: How could Chippy know this?
Chippy squeaked, raising his tiny hoverboard with a flex of aura until he was face-to-face with everyone.
[Chialpuncritis]: Did you all know this word?
Py Dar shrugged her four arms.
[Py Dar]: Certainly didn’t think it meant prospective mate…
Chippy squeaked indignantly, a cute, high-pitched sound that made most of them laugh. Only Al’Ruzan and Mara-Lin-Jaid remained quiet, an obvious undercurrent in their postures.
[Terry]: And you two?
He almost didn’t ask, but he was curious. The two of them had lived together in that small cave for over a year and there were clearly feelings there that extended beyond simple survival.
Mara-Lin-Jaid looked up into Al’Ruzan’s eyes, her arm reaching around his waist.
[Mara-Lin-Jaid]: We decided to stay. We will help these people rebuild. After that, who knows?
Py, Juan, and Chippy shared surprised looks, but Terry simply nodded.
[Terry]: I wish you two the best. If you ever make it to a place called Earth, any of you, know you’ll have at least two friends.
He indicated Juan with a wave, who nodded agreement.
[Ben]: Three.
Terry looked over in surprise.
[Terry]: You’re coming home?
Ben shrugged casually, though Terry could see he was masking his aura carefully.
His mouth opened a few times, then clamped shut, typing out a group response instead.
[Ben]: Did what I came here to do. It’s time.
Terry smiled at that, thinking of his mother and grandfather’s reunion with his uncle. Ben scowled at first, then twisted the scowl into a smile.
[Ben]: Suppose there’s no reason to wait around. I’m going to say farewell to Crimson Spear, then I’ll return to Earth. Good luck to you all.
He inclined his head to Al’Ruzan, then waved to the group, turning to find the Bloodsplatter leader.
With the reality of their parting setting in, Chippy and Py approached Juan and Terry. They gave each other a group hug, Chippy snuggled in the center on Terry’s lap while Py wrapped her long arms around them all.
When the moment passed, they separated reluctantly, and Terry spotted tears streaming down Juan’s eyes.
“Oh, come on,” Terry joked, slapping Juan’s arm. “Your abuela isn’t gonna be that nasty.”
Juan cry-laughed, a little snort sneaking out. Wiping at his eyes, he smiled toward Py and Chippy.
[Juan Carlos]: Gonna miss you guys!
[Py Dar]: We will miss your cooking, Juan Carlos! Terry, thank you for getting us back home!
[Terry]: It was a team effort, Py. I’m just glad we all made it.
[Chialpuncritis]: Yes, thank you, Terry. Both of you be safe. Juan Carlos, do not mate with your abuela!
Before Juan could protest, a rush of aura enveloped Chippy, pulling him from Py’s arms with a mastery of space travel that made Marlon look like an amateur.
Terry narrowed his eyes, trying to glean even a small insight into that level of finesse, when Py also was enveloped, disappearing from view.
Juan shrugged, looking down at Terry.
“Okay, bro, I think I better get going.” A grimace twisted his face. “She really is going to kill me.”
“Maybe. But she’s also gonna be so happy to see you.”
He nodded, forcing a smile on as he took a deep breath.
“Better rip the band-aid off, no?” He lightly punched Terry’s shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger, bro. We’re in the same postal code, after all.”
Terry chuckled. “I’ll message you when I’m back. Hey, who knows, maybe I’ll portal down to Mexico and you can host me once things settle down?”
Juan’s face turned serious. “Y-you’d come visit me?”
Terry’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah…” He punched Juan’s arm. “Bro.”
Juan snorted, pointing at Terry. “I’m gonna hold you to that, prince.”
Before Terry could give him shit for that, Juan disappeared.
With everyone gone but Mara-Lin-Jaid, Al’Ruzan, and Ben, Terry turned to see his uncle talking with Crimson Spear. The ghoul leader had Obsidian Blade beside him and there seemed to be a new hierarchy developing in realtime.
Mustering his strength, he got to his feet, the tar-like Blood seeping into his clothes wherever he had laid in it. Beside him, the Aura Filtering Container that once housed the Singularity lay discarded in the pool of liquid. Picking it up, he realized that it had filled with the Blood. He closed it, sealing a decent amount of the substance inside before tucking it in his waistband—it’s not like they had a shortage anymore, he thought wryly.
As he walked over to Crimson Spear and Ben, he felt that he was joining a conversation near its end.
The two ghoul leaders spotted him coming and their auras flexed outward, creating the shape of gratitude.
“We owe as much to you, Lightbringer, as we do to the Lord of Ice.” Crimson Spear and Obsidian Blade bowed low, causing Terry’s cheeks to redden. “Should you ever find yourself in the Underworld once more, call upon us.”
“Were we able to reach your world,” Obsidian Blade added, “we would offer our aid there, too. We owe you the survival of our entire species.”
That statement gave Terry pause. Who knew what he might be capable of at the S-rank—perhaps he’d be able to teleport between worlds eventually.
“You honor me, both of you. I’d only ask that you hold onto the bone charm in Crimson Spear’s possession. Perhaps, one day, we may use it to bridge our two worlds.”
Crimson Spear nodded, indicating he had it in his bag with a pat.
“And I’d ask one more thing, if it’s not too much.”
“Ask,” Obsidian Blade said.
He considered his words, trying to frame them in a way that wouldn’t offend the two.
“I know us Outsiders have caused your people untold grief. But it was also Outsiders who helped fix their mess.” He hesitated, feeling that what he was about to say might be too bold. “I…I’d only ask that you treat future Outsiders independently, judging them on their own merits, rather than the sins of those that came before.”
Crimson Spear and Obsidian Blade shared a look, their aura intermingling privately. Terry thought maybe they were preparing to tell him off, when Crimson Spear spoke.
“Since you requested it, it shall be so, Lightbringer.”
Terry nodded gratefully, smiling though he suspected the ghouls didn’t quite understand the gesture.
“Then I’ll make my way back home.” Turning to Ben, he raised his eyebrows in question. “Will I…see you there?”
Ben’s eyes twinkled in the dim cavern, a blue-white magic swirling there.
“Yes,” he replied after a moment. “Yes, I think you will.”
Terry nodded, reaching out a hand to pat his arm before changing his mind and pulling the man in for a hug. He felt Ben tense initially, then relax into the embrace.
“Then I’ll see you soon.”
He waved goodbye before turning toward Al’Ruzan and Mara-Lin-Jaid in the distance.
[Terry]: You two be safe.
[Al’Ruzan, third of his name]: And you as well.
He waited a moment, but when Mara-Lin-Jaid didn’t immediately respond, he reached with his mind to accept the Summons home. As he did, her message came through.
[Mara-Lin-Jaid]: Thank you, Terry…for trusting me.
He was taken aback by the statement at first, then nodded toward her before accepting the prompt.
Summons accepted.
That same presence wrapped around him, a stifling, incomprehensible force that felt like a fisherman picking up a guppy. His senses diffracted, vision and sound and touch losing their boundaries as he was transported across space.
When his eyes opened, the sun shone down on him, warming his skin. A light breeze ruffled his hair across his eyes and the smell of grass pulled at his nose.
A single notification drifted across his vision.
Welcome to Earth…
Comments
Andrew Simpson
It's a good thing Terry is coming home with his long lost uncle to show for it, because his parents are gonna be *pissed* lmfao. I don't even know if he's thought about exactly what he left behind. Also isn't this confirmation that Terry and Ben are both playing for the Weaver?
Matt w Lichens
Great ending to that arc!
White Rose
Awesome to hear! The 7th will be here before you know it!
Wandakin
Now impatiently waiting for the 7th 😄. Thanks for the story, I am super enjoying it.
