In Zeeford's Primary Kin Field...
Thousands of plant spheres were built around a giant mega sphere.
Ascended men and women walked about, chatted, cooked, ate, played, trained, and worked.
The oldest among them looked barely 18, while the youngest were babies that had yet to wean. All of them were so handsome and beautiful that nature couldn't craft such masterpieces. Indeed, they are all genetically engineered transhumanism, and the humans they were based on genetically engineered themselves to look handsome and beautiful. Even the "Ugliest" Ascended looked good enough to be a model.
And, among the inner circle of spheres closest to the giant plant dome, a violet-haired man wearing a leather loincloth cradled a vermillion-haired baby with a soft smile. Next to him, a vermillion-haired woman with a bulging belly leaned on his shoulder.
"Must you go again, Nix? The moment you returned, you started eating non-stop for four days straight. You barely spent time with me and the kids." - The woman complained.
"You saw it yourself, Ziahra. It is a great opportunity for me, so I had to take it." - Nix bitterly smiled.
"Yes, I saw it. All the council did. They also want to recruit him as soon as possible. He can be the key to changing the deadlock with the humans." - Ziahra said with yearning.
"For our future." - Nix smiled.
"For our children." - Ziahra smiled back.
After giving her their baby, Nix donned his armor and picked up his spear.
"Stay safe, my love. And come back soon." - Ziahra smiled and approached him.
"I will, dearest. I will." - Nix's face softened and kissed her.
After reluctantly separating from her, Nix was about to leave when he felt his crystal network tremble.
It wasn't just him.
Everyone, including his wife and youngest son, felt that powerful tremor.
It was majestic and awe-inspiring. It demanded respect and authority, like a natural ruler over his subjects. He even had the urge to kneel then and there.
However, Nix felt it was familiar.
"Primrose?" - He thought.
And soon, his guess proved spot-on.
"By the holy investiture of Our God, the True Sun, I, Primrose Goodman, first of his Zealots, am the first Royalty of the Ascended!" - Primrose's voice sounded in everyone's minds.
"Primrose? Isn't that the girl you talked about?" - Ziahra asked in shock and awe.
"Yes." - Nix nodded.
"How is this possible?! It's been barely a few days! Wasn't she just a civilian?! She feels even above an expert like us!" - Ziahra questioned.
"It seems like she received special grooming from Iver and likely evolved into a mutant, too." - Nix helplessly said.
Just as they finished talking, the voice spoke again.
"We shall serve Our God, the True Sun, with all our hearts. And in return, we shall have the world, galaxy, and even universe! So Pray, my brothers and sisters! Pray! For we shall find salvation in faith, fire, and steel!" - Primrose's voice echoed in their minds.
And just then...
Nix felt it.
He turned to the giant sphere, where the Spore Spreader was tightly guarded.
That familiar holy feeling. It was there. Somehow, their Spore Spreader became a Dark Idol, too.
"Nix, what is all of this nonsense about faith? Is she mad?" - Ziahra skeptically asked.
"You will understand soon, my love." - Nix pursed his lips.
"Ah~ Ah~" - The baby in Ziahra's arms reached out his hand to the Spore Spreader.
"Adit, what is it." - Ziahra asked her infant son.
However, all Adit did was reach out longingly as if seeing his favorite toy.
"... It's that strong, hah?" - Nix bitterly muttered.
"What is?" - Ziahra suspiciously asked.
"Can't you feel it?" - Nix asked and looked at the Spore Spreader.
"I... I feel something now that you mention it." - Ziahra frowned.
Just then, they heard a commotion outside.
Nix and Ziahra looked at each other and stepped out. And then they saw it.
The Kin and Ascended, young and adult, gathered close to the Spore Spreader.
The first to kneel were the mindless Minions, followed by the evolved Kin and children. And then, the adults also knelt.
"Nix? I... Something is wrong." - Ziahra grimaced as she saw things unfold.
"What is going on?! Why are you all kneeling?!" - An angry voice sounded.
Nyx looked over and saw an orange-haired man screaming at some of the adults.
"Can't you feel it, Sir Aedard? Can't you feel the presence of the True Sun?" - One of the adults turned to him and answered.
"What?! What are you talking about?! Have you gone... Mad... Hah..."
Mid-sentence, Aedard was lost for words as he looked at the giant sphere. He felt something. The more he looked at it, the more precise it felt.
"Nix... I am seeing... A black sun..." - Ziahra muttered.
"That is our god, the True Sun." - Nix smiled with mixed feelings.
"The True Sun... our... God." - Ziahra uttered.
Instinctively, she carefully sat on the floor while holding her baby and looked at the giant sphere.
Nix, the one with a religious dogma, was the only one who didn't kneel. He knew that this was not the will of his new god.
"No... I have to spread his intent." - Nix thought.
Just as he was about to speak, another message resounded in everyone's minds.
"Our God, the True Sun, favors the freedom of our mind and spirit! While it is encouraged to pray every day, do not neglect your duties, family, and life over it. Praise be to the True Sun's loving heart!"
After these words were spoken, the kneeling people slowly got up.
Ziahra, with Nix's help, also got up.
"Nix... You knew, didn't you?" - Ziahra asked.
However, there was no blame in her voice.
"I did." - Nix apologetically smiled.
"Then what will happen now?" - Ziahra asked.
"From now on... We will have a better future." - Nix smiled and stroked Ziahra's belly.
...
A young girl woke up.
She had platinum hair, silvery eyes, and a pearly crystal on her forehead.
When she woke up, she instinctively spread her crystal network and was shocked to discover how strong it was.
She sensed hundreds of Spore Spreaders, tens of thousands of Ascended, and hundreds of millions of Kin.
Except for a spare few Kin Rulers, everyone was under her command, all of them.
"Such raw power..."
"Such omniscience..."
"Such perfect unity..."
"And it is all thanks to him. My god. My creator. The one I love the most. My everything..."
An urge filled the young girl's mind.
"I will make him proud... I will prove that I am worthy of this fine gift. I will show him that I am better than that other woman. I will... give him this world."
And with that thought, she began her speech.
"By the holy investiture of Our God, the True Sun, I, Primrose Goodman, first of his Zealots, am the first Royalty of the Ascended!" - The young girl spoke.
She didn't need to add the "First of his Zealots.", but her heart was still jealous of that woman, so she subconsciously added it.
She then noticed that she could control far-away Spore Spreaders, including their energy, and a thought rose.
"Can I remotely convert them into Dark Idols?"
So she tried doing it on one of the Large Spore Spreaders... And it worked. It was as if the Spore Spreader converted itself.
That gave her another idea.
"Can I make every Spore Spreader a Dark Idol and thus achieve conquest through faith?"
Her idea sounded feasible, so she decided to do it.
She also found that she could simultaneously convert all the Spore Spreaders, so she did it while sending a message.
"We shall serve Our God, the True Sun, with all our hearts. And in return, we shall have the world, galaxy, and even universe! So Pray, my brothers and sisters! Pray! For we shall find salvation in faith, fire, and steel!"
And soon after she sent that message, all of the Spore Spreaders, bigger or smaller, became Dark Idols.
"Hahaha! It's done! It's done!!! With this, I will surely get praised!" - Primrose thought jubiliantly.
Just as she thought that...
"Primrose?" - A familiar and loveable voice sounded.
"Iver!" - Primrose's eyes lit up.
She looked over and saw Iver standing by the entrance.
However, for some reason, he looked like an Asian man. But her connection to him and his crystal wavelength was unmistakable.
"Hm... I prefer his usual looks, but no matter what form he takes, I still love him." - She thought.
"I am glad your evolution was successful, Primrose." - Iver smiled.
"Yes! It is all thanks to you, Iver!" - Primrose happily smiled back.
"Hm. So, what is it like? How many Spore Spreaders did you reach?" - Iver asked.
"Yes! I reached around 1,500 miles and contacted 485 Spore Spreaders, with 22 being Primary Fields. I also sense 116,745 Ascended, among which 1,421 are Experts, not including the ones here. The Kin number in the hundreds of millions, with the Minions numbering around 1.9 billion, the evolved Kin numbering 18 million, the Kin Leaders 173 thousand, Kin Lords 1,562, and Kin Rulers exactly 22." - Primrose reported.
"..."
"How the fuck did the humans survive until now? I salute them..." - Iver thought.
"Okay, good. Anything else you discovered?" - Iver asked.
"Yes, Iver! I converted all the Spore Spreaders into Dark Idols." - Primrose said.
"... How?" - Iver asked with a weird look.
"I can control them, including their energy, so I manipulated their energy to make them into Dark Idols." - Primrose said with a proud look.
She looked as if she was waiting to be praised.
"Holy fuck..." - Iver thought.
But then, a thought came to his mind.
"Wouldn't that make everyone start worshipping the Dark Idols?" - Iver shivered.
That scene of countless Kin worshipping the Dark Idol flashed in his mind.
"Well done, Primrose. But can you please pass on a message?" - Iver said.
"Yes! Anything, Iver! The Kin are yours to command!" - Primrose jubilantly smiled.
"Tell them it is fine to pray. But don't let it turn them into faith slaves." - Iver said.
"Yes! Of course!" - Primrose repeatedly nodded.
However, she was cursing herself in her mind.
"DRATS! I forgot Iver doesn't like that. I better fix this..." - Primrose thought.
With that thought in mind, she sent another message.
"Our God, the True Sun, favors the freedom of our mind and spirit! While it is encouraged to pray every day, do not neglect your duties, family, and life over it. Praise be to the True Sun's loving heart!"
"Hm, well done, Primrose." - Iver nodded, satisfied.
"Ah... I've been praised..." - Primrose smiled from ear to ear.
Then, Iver suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right! Primrose, if you can remotely control the Spore Spreaders, can you make them perform some tasks? Like remotely converting a Minion into a Zealot?" - Iver asked.
Primrose shook her head.
"I am afraid I can't do that, Iver. The Dark Idol needs a medium to channel its power." - Primrose said apologetically.
"Hm... It was worth the try..." - Iver nodded with understanding.
To him, this outcome was already good enough.
He then tried asking Trod.
"Trod! Can I remotely get the energy from the Dark Idols?" - He asked.
{Not yet. You need to become a Lesser God to do that. In other words, have Divinity 11.}
"Damn." - Iver pursed his lips.
But then, another thought crossed his mind.
"What if... I use Waypoint to travel between Dark Idols and get all their energy while converting new Zealots and evolving the Large Spore Spreaders into Giant Spore Spreaders?" - Iver thought.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it sounded.
"Okay! Let's do that!" - Iver thought.
"Primrose. I'm going to the other Large Spore Spreaders to collect their crystals. Have the Lords and any Ascended there cooperate with me. And also, call for a Minion to each of them." - Iver said.
"Okay!" - Primrose readily nodded.
...
With that decided, I focused on the Dark Idol, selected Teleportation, and selected Waypoint.
Waypoint: Allows an authorized target to travel between two Dark Idols at a reduced cost.
Range: Within Same Reality
Cost: (Teleportation Cost)/(1 + Influence Power(Lesser between Origin and Destination))
{Waypoint has been selected.}
{Please select a Destination.}
And then, a 3-dimensional projection appeared in my mind. I could select any of the Dark Idols I wanted.
Also, the cost reduction is based on the Influence Power. The influence power of a Large Spore Spreader is 300, which means, along with the 70% cost reduction from enhancement, it costs less than 1 point for a 10km travel. Ridiculous, I know.
I currently have 782,167 Basic Energy, meaning I can travel 7,821,670km or 4,860,160 miles.
In other words, I can travel 1,500 miles back and forth 1,620 times.
"Yeah. It is enough to travel to the moon and back. Fucking nuts." - I thought.
I was about to select the nearest Large Spore Spreader when a thought occurred to me.
"I haven't analyzed Primrose yet, right?" - I thought.
But then I cast the thought to the back of my head.
"Meh... I'll do it later. It isn't urgent." - I thought.
And then, after selecting a Dark Idol, I vanished.
Arriving at the new Dark Idol, I was greeted by the local Lord, an armored Stalker with claw gauntlets.
"Greetings, Sir Iver. The queen spoke of your arrival. I am Lord Yeim." - The Lord bowed.
"Hm. Where are your crystals?" - I cut to the chase.
"In the back, Sir Iver." - Lord Yeim pointed at a mini-sphere.
"Good." - I nodded.
And then, without saying anything, I offered everything inside the mini-dome.
A torrent of black flames gushed into the Spore Spreader.
"Unbelievable..." - Lord Yeim muttered.
But I ignored him and checked the energy inside the Dark Idol.
Stored Energy: Basic Energy: 3.1(Stored), Evolution Energy A: 257,416(Stored), Enhancement Energy A: 257,416(Stored)
"Nice." - I thought.
I absorbed all the energy before infusing the Spore Spreader with 100,000 Evolution Energy.
Basic Energy: 782,167 -> 782,152
Evolution Energy A: 149,839 -> 307,255
Enhancement Energy A: 130,568 -> 387,984
Just like that, I got a ridiculous amount of energy.
"And that is just 1 out of 463." - I thought, my mouth dry.
Just then, I noticed that a Minion entered the dome.
"Daddy! I brought the Minion!" - Primrose spoke through the crystal network.
"Good work." - I nodded and pointed at the Minion.
Basic Energy: 782,152 -> 781,652
After barely a second or two, the Minion became my Zealot.
After setting the new Zealot as the controlling Zealot, I immediately teleported to the next place.
Averaging 20-25 seconds each, I teleported to each of the Large Spore Spreaders and repeated the process.
After teleporting another 463 times...
"Iver, your back!" - Primrose happily said.
"Yeah, I'm back." - I nodded, mentally exhausted from all the travel, and checked my energy.
Basic Energy: 781,652 -> 543,245
Evolution Energy A: 307,255 -> 69,726,371
Enhancement Energy A: 387,984 -> 116,007,100
"... I don't know what to think anymore."
Seriously. I think I broke the game. It's like the infamous meme, "All Your Base Are Belong To Us."
In the literal sense, their base belongs to us. I never thought I would turn this meme into reality.
Not only that, their energy also belongs to us. I have 116 million Enhancement energy. This is enough to reach Increase Compatibility 7.
"Trod? Did Ic'thotl'itrod ever foresee I could do this in less than a month?" - I strangely asked.
{He didn't. He didn't want to foresee the future, to leave your growth to randomness. It should have taken you several lifetimes to reach this amount of energy. Although your development is still within his calculated range, it is still, by far, improbable. I can only say you have extreme luck within extreme unluck.}
"Yeah, I thought as much." - I mentally nodded.
I fucking broke the game. Take note that this is barely the beginning.
I only carved a small continent's worth of energy. There is still an entire world left, full of energy ripe for the picking. I can AT LEAST get ten times the amount. And this is not counting the fact that I just created another 462 Giant Spore Spreaders, meaning I can farm absurd amounts of energy in the foreseeable future through growing Minions.
And this is still when survivors are blocking my development range.
"I'll deal with them soon." - I thought.
I then looked at Primrose and analyzed her.
Name: Primrose Goodman(Ic'thotl'itrod's Zealot)
Race: Ascended Royalty
Species: Kin (Human/Flora/Fungus hybrid)
Age: 10 days
Lifespan: 3,011
Gender: Female
Body Type: Human (Child, Rapid Growth)
Intelligence Level: Overmind I
Mental Energy: 835 (2,000) (Child, Rapid Growth)
Notable Racial Characteristics: High Overall Performance, High Pain Tolerance, Overmind I, Unyielding Mind, Fast Regeneration, Inherited Knowledge, High Evolutionary Potential, Night Vision, Partial Ambient Energy Sustenance, Fast Digestion, High Energy Crystal, Crystal Wavelength Communication(1,500 Miles), Kin Domination, Royal Command Authority, Superior Mental Curtain, Mental Affinity(Mortal 6), Shapeshifting Affinity(Mortal 6), Energy Infusion Affinity(Local)(Mortal 6), Elemental Control-Solid(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Liquid(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Gas(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Plasma(Mortal 5), Susceptible to Hierarchy Commands.
Granted Affinities: Universal Energy(Mortal 5), Universal Body Manipulation(Mortal 4)
Stable Evolutionary Branches: Ascended Royalty II
Description: If the Ascended Mindweaver is a nerve center, then the Ascended Royalty is the brain. Serving as the top of the ladder of the crystal network, the Royalties brain is restructured, granting unparalleled Vision over the Kin hivemind. Using the Mindweavers as neural links, they can command an entire continent, and their next evolution can allow them to control a planet, making them the unquestionable monarch of the Kin, and having the corresponding royal authority by birthright. The only ones that can call their actions into question are other Royalty, Polymaths, and Dreamers.
Combat Ability Evaluation: The Ascended Royalty is like a combination of the Mindweaver, Shapeshifter, and Psi-Warrior, but superior in mind and body. Of course, with their royal status, they would rarely engage in combat unless a skilled enough assassin sneaked through the uncountable amount of Kin protecting them. This child, although untrained, can kill you in many ways.
Reproductive Notes: A female Royalty is very selective in her mate selection. They are so demanding that anything less than another Royalty, Polymath, or Dreamer would virtually never have the chance to mate with them, as the resulting child would never be a Royalty. When mating with another top-tier Ascended, the resulting child will either be a top-tier Ascended or a superior Ascended of any kind. Male Royalty, on the other hand, is not as picky and would mate with anyone they fancy, usually resulting in superior offspring, making them top-tier mating targets.
In Zeeford's Primary Kin Field...
Thousands of plant spheres were built around a giant mega sphere.
Ascended men and women walked about, chatted, cooked, ate, played, trained, and worked.
The oldest among them looked barely 18, while the youngest were babies that had yet to wean. All of them were so handsome and beautiful that nature couldn't craft such masterpieces. Indeed, they are all genetically engineered transhumanism, and the humans they were based on genetically engineered themselves to look handsome and beautiful. Even the "Ugliest" Ascended looked good enough to be a model.
And, among the inner circle of spheres closest to the giant plant dome, a violet-haired man wearing a leather loincloth cradled a vermillion-haired baby with a soft smile. Next to him, a vermillion-haired woman with a bulging belly leaned on his shoulder.
"Must you go again, Nix? The moment you returned, you started eating non-stop for four days straight. You barely spent time with me and the kids." - The woman complained.
"You saw it yourself, Ziahra. It is a great opportunity for me, so I had to take it." - Nix bitterly smiled.
"Yes, I saw it. All the council did. They also want to recruit him as soon as possible. He can be the key to changing the deadlock with the humans." - Ziahra said with yearning.
"For our future." - Nix smiled.
"For our children." - Ziahra smiled back.
After giving her their baby, Nix donned his armor and picked up his spear.
"Stay safe, my love. And come back soon." - Ziahra smiled and approached him.
"I will, dearest. I will." - Nix's face softened and kissed her.
After reluctantly separating from her, Nix was about to leave when he felt his crystal network tremble.
It wasn't just him.
Everyone, including his wife and youngest son, felt that powerful tremor.
It was majestic and awe-inspiring. It demanded respect and authority, like a natural ruler over his subjects. He even had the urge to kneel then and there.
However, Nix felt it was familiar.
"Primrose?" - He thought.
And soon, his guess proved spot-on.
"By the holy investiture of Our God, the True Sun, I, Primrose Goodman, first of his Zealots, am the first Royalty of the Ascended!" - Primrose's voice sounded in everyone's minds.
"Primrose? Isn't that the girl you talked about?" - Ziahra asked in shock and awe.
"Yes." - Nix nodded.
"How is this possible?! It's been barely a few days! Wasn't she just a civilian?! She feels even above an expert like us!" - Ziahra questioned.
"It seems like she received special grooming from Iver and likely evolved into a mutant, too." - Nix helplessly said.
Just as they finished talking, the voice spoke again.
"We shall serve Our God, the True Sun, with all our hearts. And in return, we shall have the world, galaxy, and even universe! So Pray, my brothers and sisters! Pray! For we shall find salvation in faith, fire, and steel!" - Primrose's voice echoed in their minds.
And just then...
Nix felt it.
He turned to the giant sphere, where the Spore Spreader was tightly guarded.
That familiar holy feeling. It was there. Somehow, their Spore Spreader became a Dark Idol, too.
"Nix, what is all of this nonsense about faith? Is she mad?" - Ziahra skeptically asked.
"You will understand soon, my love." - Nix pursed his lips.
"Ah~ Ah~" - The baby in Ziahra's arms reached out his hand to the Spore Spreader.
"Adit, what is it." - Ziahra asked her infant son.
However, all Adit did was reach out longingly as if seeing his favorite toy.
"... It's that strong, hah?" - Nix bitterly muttered.
"What is?" - Ziahra suspiciously asked.
"Can't you feel it?" - Nix asked and looked at the Spore Spreader.
"I... I feel something now that you mention it." - Ziahra frowned.
Just then, they heard a commotion outside.
Nix and Ziahra looked at each other and stepped out. And then they saw it.
The Kin and Ascended, young and adult, gathered close to the Spore Spreader.
The first to kneel were the mindless Minions, followed by the evolved Kin and children. And then, the adults also knelt.
"Nix? I... Something is wrong." - Ziahra grimaced as she saw things unfold.
"What is going on?! Why are you all kneeling?!" - An angry voice sounded.
Nyx looked over and saw an orange-haired man screaming at some of the adults.
"Can't you feel it, Sir Aedard? Can't you feel the presence of the True Sun?" - One of the adults turned to him and answered.
"What?! What are you talking about?! Have you gone... Mad... Hah..."
Mid-sentence, Aedard was lost for words as he looked at the giant sphere. He felt something. The more he looked at it, the more precise it felt.
"Nix... I am seeing... A black sun..." - Ziahra muttered.
"That is our god, the True Sun." - Nix smiled with mixed feelings.
"The True Sun... our... God." - Ziahra uttered.
Instinctively, she carefully sat on the floor while holding her baby and looked at the giant sphere.
Nix, the one with a religious dogma, was the only one who didn't kneel. He knew that this was not the will of his new god.
"No... I have to spread his intent." - Nix thought.
Just as he was about to speak, another message resounded in everyone's minds.
"Our God, the True Sun, favors the freedom of our mind and spirit! While it is encouraged to pray every day, do not neglect your duties, family, and life over it. Praise be to the True Sun's loving heart!"
After these words were spoken, the kneeling people slowly got up.
Ziahra, with Nix's help, also got up.
"Nix... You knew, didn't you?" - Ziahra asked.
However, there was no blame in her voice.
"I did." - Nix apologetically smiled.
"Then what will happen now?" - Ziahra asked.
"From now on... We will have a better future." - Nix smiled and stroked Ziahra's belly.
...
A young girl woke up.
She had platinum hair, silvery eyes, and a pearly crystal on her forehead.
When she woke up, she instinctively spread her crystal network and was shocked to discover how strong it was.
She sensed hundreds of Spore Spreaders, tens of thousands of Ascended, and hundreds of millions of Kin.
Except for a spare few Kin Rulers, everyone was under her command, all of them.
"Such raw power..."
"Such omniscience..."
"Such perfect unity..."
"And it is all thanks to him. My god. My creator. The one I love the most. My everything..."
An urge filled the young girl's mind.
"I will make him proud... I will prove that I am worthy of this fine gift. I will show him that I am better than that other woman. I will... give him this world."
And with that thought, she began her speech.
"By the holy investiture of Our God, the True Sun, I, Primrose Goodman, first of his Zealots, am the first Royalty of the Ascended!" - The young girl spoke.
She didn't need to add the "First of his Zealots.", but her heart was still jealous of that woman, so she subconsciously added it.
She then noticed that she could control far-away Spore Spreaders, including their energy, and a thought rose.
"Can I remotely convert them into Dark Idols?"
So she tried doing it on one of the Large Spore Spreaders... And it worked. It was as if the Spore Spreader converted itself.
That gave her another idea.
"Can I make every Spore Spreader a Dark Idol and thus achieve conquest through faith?"
Her idea sounded feasible, so she decided to do it.
She also found that she could simultaneously convert all the Spore Spreaders, so she did it while sending a message.
"We shall serve Our God, the True Sun, with all our hearts. And in return, we shall have the world, galaxy, and even universe! So Pray, my brothers and sisters! Pray! For we shall find salvation in faith, fire, and steel!"
And soon after she sent that message, all of the Spore Spreaders, bigger or smaller, became Dark Idols.
"Hahaha! It's done! It's done!!! With this, I will surely get praised!" - Primrose thought jubiliantly.
Just as she thought that...
"Primrose?" - A familiar and loveable voice sounded.
"Iver!" - Primrose's eyes lit up.
She looked over and saw Iver standing by the entrance.
However, for some reason, he looked like an Asian man. But her connection to him and his crystal wavelength was unmistakable.
"Hm... I prefer his usual looks, but no matter what form he takes, I still love him." - She thought.
"I am glad your evolution was successful, Primrose." - Iver smiled.
"Yes! It is all thanks to you, Iver!" - Primrose happily smiled back.
"Hm. So, what is it like? How many Spore Spreaders did you reach?" - Iver asked.
"Yes! I reached around 1,500 miles and contacted 485 Spore Spreaders, with 22 being Primary Fields. I also sense 116,745 Ascended, among which 1,421 are Experts, not including the ones here. The Kin number in the hundreds of millions, with the Minions numbering around 1.9 billion, the evolved Kin numbering 18 million, the Kin Leaders 173 thousand, Kin Lords 1,562, and Kin Rulers exactly 22." - Primrose reported.
"..."
"How the fuck did the humans survive until now? I salute them..." - Iver thought.
"Okay, good. Anything else you discovered?" - Iver asked.
"Yes, Iver! I converted all the Spore Spreaders into Dark Idols." - Primrose said.
"... How?" - Iver asked with a weird look.
"I can control them, including their energy, so I manipulated their energy to make them into Dark Idols." - Primrose said with a proud look.
She looked as if she was waiting to be praised.
"Holy fuck..." - Iver thought.
But then, a thought came to his mind.
"Wouldn't that make everyone start worshipping the Dark Idols?" - Iver shivered.
That scene of countless Kin worshipping the Dark Idol flashed in his mind.
"Well done, Primrose. But can you please pass on a message?" - Iver said.
"Yes! Anything, Iver! The Kin are yours to command!" - Primrose jubilantly smiled.
"Tell them it is fine to pray. But don't let it turn them into faith slaves." - Iver said.
"Yes! Of course!" - Primrose repeatedly nodded.
However, she was cursing herself in her mind.
"DRATS! I forgot Iver doesn't like that. I better fix this..." - Primrose thought.
With that thought in mind, she sent another message.
"Our God, the True Sun, favors the freedom of our mind and spirit! While it is encouraged to pray every day, do not neglect your duties, family, and life over it. Praise be to the True Sun's loving heart!"
"Hm, well done, Primrose." - Iver nodded, satisfied.
"Ah... I've been praised..." - Primrose smiled from ear to ear.
Then, Iver suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right! Primrose, if you can remotely control the Spore Spreaders, can you make them perform some tasks? Like remotely converting a Minion into a Zealot?" - Iver asked.
Primrose shook her head.
"I am afraid I can't do that, Iver. The Dark Idol needs a medium to channel its power." - Primrose said apologetically.
"Hm... It was worth the try..." - Iver nodded with understanding.
To him, this outcome was already good enough.
He then tried asking Trod.
"Trod! Can I remotely get the energy from the Dark Idols?" - He asked.
{Not yet. You need to become a Lesser God to do that. In other words, have Divinity 11.}
"Damn." - Iver pursed his lips.
But then, another thought crossed his mind.
"What if... I use Waypoint to travel between Dark Idols and get all their energy while converting new Zealots and evolving the Large Spore Spreaders into Giant Spore Spreaders?" - Iver thought.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it sounded.
"Okay! Let's do that!" - Iver thought.
"Primrose. I'm going to the other Large Spore Spreaders to collect their crystals. Have the Lords and any Ascended there cooperate with me. And also, call for a Minion to each of them." - Iver said.
"Okay!" - Primrose readily nodded.
...
With that decided, I focused on the Dark Idol, selected Teleportation, and selected Waypoint.
Waypoint: Allows an authorized target to travel between two Dark Idols at a reduced cost.
Range: Within Same Reality
Cost: (Teleportation Cost)/(1 + Influence Power(Lesser between Origin and Destination))
{Waypoint has been selected.}
{Please select a Destination.}
And then, a 3-dimensional projection appeared in my mind. I could select any of the Dark Idols I wanted.
Also, the cost reduction is based on the Influence Power. The influence power of a Large Spore Spreader is 300, which means, along with the 70% cost reduction from enhancement, it costs less than 1 point for a 10km travel. Ridiculous, I know.
I currently have 782,167 Basic Energy, meaning I can travel 7,821,670km or 4,860,160 miles.
In other words, I can travel 1,500 miles back and forth 1,620 times.
"Yeah. It is enough to travel to the moon and back. Fucking nuts." - I thought.
I was about to select the nearest Large Spore Spreader when a thought occurred to me.
"I haven't analyzed Primrose yet, right?" - I thought.
But then I cast the thought to the back of my head.
"Meh... I'll do it later. It isn't urgent." - I thought.
And then, after selecting a Dark Idol, I vanished.
Arriving at the new Dark Idol, I was greeted by the local Lord, an armored Stalker with claw gauntlets.
"Greetings, Sir Iver. The queen spoke of your arrival. I am Lord Yeim." - The Lord bowed.
"Hm. Where are your crystals?" - I cut to the chase.
"In the back, Sir Iver." - Lord Yeim pointed at a mini-sphere.
"Good." - I nodded.
And then, without saying anything, I offered everything inside the mini-dome.
A torrent of black flames gushed into the Spore Spreader.
"Unbelievable..." - Lord Yeim muttered.
But I ignored him and checked the energy inside the Dark Idol.
Stored Energy: Basic Energy: 3.1(Stored), Evolution Energy A: 257,416(Stored), Enhancement Energy A: 257,416(Stored)
"Nice." - I thought.
I absorbed all the energy before infusing the Spore Spreader with 100,000 Evolution Energy.
Basic Energy: 782,167 -> 782,152
Evolution Energy A: 149,839 -> 307,255
Enhancement Energy A: 130,568 -> 387,984
Just like that, I got a ridiculous amount of energy.
"And that is just 1 out of 463." - I thought, my mouth dry.
Just then, I noticed that a Minion entered the dome.
"Daddy! I brought the Minion!" - Primrose spoke through the crystal network.
"Good work." - I nodded and pointed at the Minion.
Basic Energy: 782,152 -> 781,652
After barely a second or two, the Minion became my Zealot.
After setting the new Zealot as the controlling Zealot, I immediately teleported to the next place.
Averaging 20-25 seconds each, I teleported to each of the Large Spore Spreaders and repeated the process.
After teleporting another 463 times...
"Iver, your back!" - Primrose happily said.
"Yeah, I'm back." - I nodded, mentally exhausted from all the travel, and checked my energy.
Basic Energy: 781,652 -> 543,245
Evolution Energy A: 307,255 -> 69,726,371
Enhancement Energy A: 387,984 -> 116,007,100
"... I don't know what to think anymore."
Seriously. I think I broke the game. It's like the infamous meme, "All Your Base Are Belong To Us."
In the literal sense, their base belongs to us. I never thought I would turn this meme into reality.
Not only that, their energy also belongs to us. I have 116 million Enhancement energy. This is enough to reach Increase Compatibility 7.
"Trod? Did Ic'thotl'itrod ever foresee I could do this in less than a month?" - I strangely asked.
{He didn't. He didn't want to foresee the future, to leave your growth to randomness. It should have taken you several lifetimes to reach this amount of energy. Although your development is still within his calculated range, it is still, by far, improbable. I can only say you have extreme luck within extreme unluck.}
"Yeah, I thought as much." - I mentally nodded.
I fucking broke the game. Take note that this is barely the beginning.
I only carved a small continent's worth of energy. There is still an entire world left, full of energy ripe for the picking. I can AT LEAST get ten times the amount. And this is not counting the fact that I just created another 462 Giant Spore Spreaders, meaning I can farm absurd amounts of energy in the foreseeable future through growing Minions.
And this is still when survivors are blocking my development range.
"I'll deal with them soon." - I thought.
I then looked at Primrose and analyzed her.
Name: Primrose Goodman(Ic'thotl'itrod's Zealot)
Race: Ascended Royalty
Species: Kin (Human/Flora/Fungus hybrid)
Age: 10 days
Lifespan: 3,011
Gender: Female
Body Type: Human (Child, Rapid Growth)
Intelligence Level: Overmind I
Mental Energy: 835 (2,000) (Child, Rapid Growth)
Notable Racial Characteristics: High Overall Performance, High Pain Tolerance, Overmind I, Unyielding Mind, Fast Regeneration, Inherited Knowledge, High Evolutionary Potential, Night Vision, Partial Ambient Energy Sustenance, Fast Digestion, High Energy Crystal, Crystal Wavelength Communication(1,500 Miles), Kin Domination, Royal Command Authority, Superior Mental Curtain, Mental Affinity(Mortal 6), Shapeshifting Affinity(Mortal 6), Energy Infusion Affinity(Local)(Mortal 6), Elemental Control-Solid(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Liquid(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Gas(Mortal 5), Elemental Control-Plasma(Mortal 5), Susceptible to Hierarchy Commands.
Granted Affinities: Universal Energy(Mortal 5), Universal Body Manipulation(Mortal 4)
Stable Evolutionary Branches: Ascended Royalty II
Description: If the Ascended Mindweaver is a nerve center, then the Ascended Royalty is the brain. Serving as the top of the ladder of the crystal network, the Royalties brain is restructured, granting unparalleled Vision over the Kin hivemind. Using the Mindweavers as neural links, they can command an entire continent, and their next evolution can allow them to control a planet, making them the unquestionable monarch of the Kin, and having the corresponding royal authority by birthright. The only ones that can call their actions into question are other Royalty, Polymaths, and Dreamers.
Combat Ability Evaluation: The Ascended Royalty is like a combination of the Mindweaver, Shapeshifter, and Psi-Warrior, but superior in mind and body. Of course, with their royal status, they would rarely engage in combat unless a skilled enough assassin sneaked through the uncountable amount of Kin protecting them. This child, although untrained, can kill you in many ways.
Reproductive Notes: A female Royalty is very selective in her mate selection. They are so demanding that anything less than another Royalty, Polymath, or Dreamer would virtually never have the chance to mate with them, as the resulting child would never be a Royalty. When mating with another top-tier Ascended, the resulting child will either be a top-tier Ascended or a superior Ascended of any kind. Male Royalty, on the other hand, is not as picky and would mate with anyone they fancy, usually resulting in superior offspring, making them top-tier mating targets.
