[You have reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm.]
[Breakthrough conditions have not been met. ]
[Breakthrough requirement: 100 Origin.]
The message flickered at the edge of my awareness, but I dismissed it without a second thought. My focus was entirely on Tina. The cocoon trembled violently, its surface pulsing as if something inside fought desperately to break free. Instinctively, I took a step back, my eyes narrowed.
Then—crack.
The sound split the air like a gunshot as the cocoon shattered into a mist of glowing green dust, swirling like emerald pollen caught in a storm. From within, a blinding light erupted, flooding the room with an otherworldly radiance.
Congratulations, Master, on creating your first Synth.
[Lab Unlocked.]
Tina emerged, descending gracefully—like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze. But there was nothing gentle about her now. Her body shimmered with scales that glistened like polished adamantite, their edges glowing with a faint green luminescence. She had grown, her form now as massive as a basilisk, yet far more regal. This wasn't just evolution. It was transcendence.
Then her eyes opened.
The moment her gaze met the world, an overwhelming pressure exploded from her body. The air itself trembled. The ground stilled. For a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze.
Nephilik: Lv. 15
Power Level: 800
Nephilik: The first lizard created by the Creator.
Bloodline Purity: 30%
Skills Unlocked: Dominion, Petrifying Gaze, Guillotine Glide, Abyssal Hiss
**Dominion:** As the first cold-blooded king, she could command lesser lizard species.
**Petrifying Gaze:** A single look could turn flesh to stone.
**Gulletine Glide:** Explosive speed mid-flight, turning her into a living blade.
**Abyssal Hiss:** A sonic scream that paralyzed enemies in their tracks.
"Quite the upgrade," I murmured, running a hand along her snout. Tina responded with a low, contented growl. When her eyes met mine again, there was no primal instinct—only reverence.
*Is Master… a god?*
Frida's unspoken thought hung in the air as she watched, silent and awestruck.
"Epoch," I whispered.
A black hole tore open before us like an eyelid peeling back to reveal an endless void. Tina and Frida recoiled, muscles tensed, instincts screaming at them to fight or flee.
"Follow me," I said, my voice calm.
They hesitated—only for a second—before steeling themselves and stepping through.
The transition was seamless. One moment, darkness. The next—my lab.
Familiarity washed over me. The cold, metallic air, the hum of dormant machinery, the scent of ozone and polished steel—it was all exactly as I'd left it. My fingers trailed along the walls, savoring the return.
Welcome back, Master.
A small silver orb floated into view, its surface humming with artificial life.
"Good to see you, Ceron."
How's that bit—Inerous—doing?
I chuckled. "Still insufferable. Some things never change."
Ceron's form flickered, and suddenly her face appeared on the massive lab screen, her digital expression indignant.
Master, she wanted to call me a bitch.
The robotic whine in her voice was so childishly exaggerated that I couldn't help but laugh. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the lab, admiring the intricate designs I'd once crafted.
Ceron drifted beside me, her mechanical limbs extending curiously toward Tina.
What kind of beast is this?
It's… beautiful.
Tina lifted her head, pride radiating from her.
"She's a Nephilik," I said. "The first of her kind." Then, to Ceron: "Run full-body scans on both Tina and Frida. I want detailed reports by tomorrow."
My feet carried me to the place I'd been longing to see—the Star Farm.
When I first created it, I'd infused the soil with stardust, remnants of a shattered celestial body. The result? Infinium—a substance that defied nature. Trees that should have taken a century to grow reached maturity in months. Plants developed properties beyond comprehension.
As we approached, Tina let out an excited screech, her nostrils flaring at the scent of alien fruit thick in the air.
Before us stretched forty acres of lush, vibrant vegetation. Above, a massive artificial sun hovered, bathing the farm in perfect, golden light. Tiny harvesters zipped through the air like mechanical bees, tending to crops that existed nowhere else in the universe.
Frida's eyes widened. "Master… what is this place?"
"It's my farm," I said simply.
We walked between rows of flora that defied logic. Some were products of Synthesis. Others, ancient relics I'd preserved. All of them were deadly in the wrong hands.
I stopped before a towering tree—Spraw. To the untrained eye, it looked ordinary. But I knew better.
Once, I'd planted a single seed of this tree on an enemy planet. Quietly, unnoticed, it grew. Its fruit ripened and fell, releasing parasitic seeds that latched onto everything—fauna, flora, even the soil itself. The creatures that consumed them twisted into grotesque guardians, their bodies erupting with blades and tendrils.
Within months, the planet was a graveyard. Ninety percent of all life—extinguished.
Now, the tree stood barren. Every last fruit had been harvested.
Those very fruits had birthed two of my most potent creations: The Awakening Potion and The Dark Elixir. Gifts to myself. A curse upon the world.
This lab… this domain…
It was where new epochs were born.
And I was only getting started.
On my lead, we walked to an empty stretch of land.
Perfect.
"Ceron, dig a hole wide enough for a tree," I commanded.
A moment later, the swarm of drones descended, their mechanical limbs whirring as they carved out a deep, gaping cavity in the soil. I knelt pressing my palm against the exposed earth.
Do you wish to transplant? Y/N
Yes.
Instantly, the tree materialized in the pit, its roots writhing like serpents as they burrowed deep, anchoring themselves with unnatural vitality.
-6 Origin.
My reserves dwindled further. A cold thought slithered into my mind: What happens when my Origin runs dry? The moment the question formed, an icy shudder raced down my spine. My instincts screamed at me—not in fear, but in warning.
*Is this some kind of safeguard?*
Now, more than ever, I needed answers.
Then—the air shifted.
I looked up just as the tree erupted in a radiant golden glow, its leaves shimmering with gilded light. A single fruit detached itself, floating gently into my open palm, pulsing with warmth.
*You want me to eat this?*
The tree hummed in response, as if alive. Beside me, Tina's jaws dripped with saliva, intoxicated by the fruit's fragrance. Without hesitation, I took a bite.
The effect was instantaneous.
Life force surged through me like a tidal wave, mending every hidden fracture, every scar, every lingering weakness in my body.
+10 Origin.
My eyes widened. "It's almost like rebirth... No, something beyond that. Reforging." I muttered, flexing my fingers as raw vitality thrummed beneath my skin.
*Imagine the possibilities.*
The best lab rats were always the ones in perfect condition.
Next, we entered the gene chambers.
I paused, surprised. The room housed ten Okiron tubes—three of which were already occupied by my last test subjects.
The tubes themselves were crafted from a rare material: Okiron gemstone, a substance I'd harvested from the heart of a dying asteroid. Its unique suspension properties made it invaluable for preservation.
**First tube:** A pale, slender being with antler-like horns—**Belfegore the Lawless.** As I passed, his hollow eyes tracked me, but the restraints held him immobile.
**Second tube:** A hulking, one-eyed brute, its emerald skin taut over corded muscle—**Gagarion, Artist of War.** It stood frozen, its single pupil locked forward like a statue.
**Third tube:** A **Grena**—a creature of terrifying intellect, capable of terraforming entire planets. This species, all female, possessed four distinct consciousnesses, their minds akin to vast, unfathomable libraries.
*I remember now… I wanted to dissect her brain.*
"Tina, Frida—stay here. Ceron will run your tests."
I needed to think… and there was only one place where thought came sharp as blades.