Erik said goodbye to his friends as they parted ways after their pleasant dinner. He felt content and full but was also tired, so eating didn't help him that much. It had been a long day, and he had been looking forward to returning to his room since today. He would get Nathaniel's power during the night.
He felt ecstatic and giggled as he returned to his dorm room with Benedict in tow.
"What are you smiling for?" Benedict asked.
Erik noticed his blunder and said, "Sorry, it's just that I'm tired, and I can't wait to sleep."
"Man, you are this happy just because you are going to sleep?" He laughed.
"Yeah, make fun of me, but you are no better!" Erik smiled back. His response made Benedict laugh, and he replied, "Well, I guess it's the little things in life that bring us joy." They both chuckled and continued their conversation.
When he finally arrived at his apartment, he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. The place was quiet, and he could hear the faint sound of music coming from one of his neighbors' rooms. He closed the door behind him and removed his shoes, feeling the soft carpet beneath his feet. He then went to his room, but not before saying goodbye to Benedict.
After he closed the door behind him, Erik went over to his bed and sat down, taking a moment to collect his thoughts and breathing deeply. He was exhausted after a long day at work and needed to unwind. As he sat there, he realized how much he missed the sound of silence and vowed to make more time for himself in the future.
But he felt grateful for his friends, who had made him feel loved and supported—something he had never felt before he got the System. He thought about how lucky he was to have such wonderful people in his life and that, despite everything, he was finally achieving happiness.
<System, is there a way for someone to find out I'm absorbing Nathaniel's power here?>
[ANSWER: DETECTING THE SYSTEM IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE USER CAN REST ASSURED NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT HE IS DOING AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE SYSTEM UNLESS HE SAYS SOMETHING.]
<Good. Then start the DNA-extracting process; I want Nathaniel's power ASAP!>
[UNDERSTOOD: HIGH-LEVEL DNA FOUND. A HUNDRED DNA POINTS REQUIRED. DO YOU WANT TO PROCEED?]
<This is good… Uh, YES, go on!>
[SYSTEM READY. A HUNDRED DNA POINTS USED. COMMENCING EXTRACTION. HOST IS ADVISED TO LAY ON A BED.]
As the procedure started, Erik's body tensed. At first, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, like a thousand tiny needles piercing his skin. It was as if his entire body was being infused with a scalding hot liquid, which was boiling through his veins and scorching his flesh.
The pain grew more intense with each passing moment as if he was being torn apart from the inside out. It was as if he were being slowly burned alive, with every nerve in his body aflame with agony.
Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his muscles strained against the convulsions wracking his body. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as he fought to stay conscious. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced before, a primal agony that seemed to seep into his very soul.
It felt like an eternity, but the pain eventually began to subside, leaving Erik panting and gasping for air. He felt as if he had been through a war, his body battered and bruised but somehow still intact.
As he lay there, feeling the last remnants of the pain slowly fade away, Erik knew that he had just taken the first step to getting one of the most powerful brain crystal powers he had ever seen. Still, he didn't know how effective it would be without all that mana Nathaniel could boast.
If he really wanted to be as powerful as Nathaniel, he needed to increase his energy, but he couldn't do so before going to military school.
[PROCEDURE COMPLETE. YOUR DNA IS NOW ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE NATHANIEL'S BRAIN CRYSTAL POWER.]
"Good, start the procedure," Erik said. Erik took a deep breath and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the procedure. He knew it would be a long and painful process, but he was determined to get Nathaniel's power.
[NATHANIEL'S BRAIN CRYSTAL HAS ALREADY BEEN ANALYZED.]
[SYSTEM READY. A HUNDRED DNA POINTS USED. COMMENCING EXTRACTION. SIX HOURS AND A HALF ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE EXTRACTION. HOST IS ADVISED TO LAY ON A BED.]
As Erik did start the procedure, everything started going as it had the last time he absorbed a new power. He felt a strange sensation coursing through his body. Initially, it was only a subtle tingle, but it quickly intensified into a surge of power that seemed to flow through every centimeter of his being. He closed his eyes and tried to steady himself, but the energy was too much to contain.
As he stood there, he felt the mana flowing through him like a river. It passed through his limbs, chest, and gut, and he could feel it swirling around in his head. He was simultaneously overwhelmed and exhilarated by the experience. He was going to get Nathaniel's power!
Suddenly, he felt a mana surge in his brain and knew the neural link-establishing process had started. He tried to open his eyes but found he couldn't. His eyelids felt heavy as if they were made of lead.
The mana continued to flow through his body. It felt like an invasive force, probing and prodding at his neural links. He tried to move his limbs, but they were unresponsive.
Erik embraced the feeling, knowing that this was the normal occurrence when he absorbed a new power and started losing consciousness rapidly. His thoughts became muddled, and his body felt heavy and unresponsive. The mana continued to surge through him while dragging him down into darkness.
He felt like he was drowning, suffocating under the weight of the mana. His last conscious thought was the joyful thought of becoming unstoppable, and then everything went black.
***
The following day, Erik woke up in his room, feeling groggy and disoriented. However, he felt a sense of excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. He quickly sat up in bed and took a deep breath, savoring the moment. Today was the day he finally got Nathaniel's power.
For months, Erik had been undergoing a changing process, one that led him to change very much. Still, despite having absorbed many brain crystal powers during these months, he got nothing remotely similar to what Nathaniel wielded. Now everything was different; Erik finally got something that put him in Amber's and Anderson's same place. He not only had higher stats than them now, but he also had a very strong power. Only his mana capacity tied him down, but he was going to solve that too.
As he got out of bed, Erik felt a surge of mana coursing through his veins, the after-effects of the procedure. He felt different, more alive as if a part of him that had been missing was now complete.
< System, show me my status.> Immediately, the usual window appeared in his peripheral vision.
____________________________________________
[Host Information]
NAME: Erik Romano
AGE: 16
POWER LEVEL: 108
SYSTEM LEVEL: 23
EXPERIENCE: 1680.825/12100
DNA POINTS: 2400
HEALTH: 840/840
MANA: 770/770
[Attributes]
STRENGTH: 51
INTELLIGENCE: 26
DEXTERITY: 29
ENERGY: 37
Available Attributes points: 15
[Powers]
[Biological Supercomputer's Powers]
…
[Host's Powers]
…
…
…
Force Manipulation (ESIGMA1B-Ranked)
(Manipulate a mana-driven force to produce powerful shockwaves that can change in intensity, radius, speed, and power. It is also possible to use the power differently, such as to generate force shields.)
[Skills]
…
____________________________________________
The young man observed his new power, "Force Manipulation," which was still at the E rank on the Ferebitz scale since his brain crystal was still relatively weak. Erik doubted he could use Nathaniel's power efficiently without all that mana the prick could use, as it probably consumed a lot.
However, he still had his sharpening power, which was very efficient from that point of view. Clearly, he only had the native neural link, so it was clear that he was still at the SIGMA1. Though the System was trying to develop a new way to increase the neural links, and knowing the biological supercomputer's capabilities, it was clear it would succeed. He only needed to wait until the 24th to find out the results.
Erik then quickly glanced at his clock and noticed it was still early in the morning, but since he had to start his usual training, it was better to prepare for the day ahead immediately. He entered the bathroom and looked in the mirror, seeing his reflection staring back at him. He had gone very far during this month. He wondered what his mother and father would have thought about him.
Erik took a moment to savor the feeling of happiness before getting dressed and preparing for the day. He knew he had to be careful with his new power, which he couldn't use inside Frant, but he knew he had it at his disposal if needed. However, he needed to learn to control it before using it in battle. After he was ready, he quickly went out of his room.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om