The hologram showed a small cutout of the spiritual dimension, frozen in space. Usually, the information would be uncertain, the spiritual dimension depended entirely on perception, but somehow these people managed to turn subjective truths into reality… Magic.

  Utilizing the powerful scouters in the trait crafting desk, I searched for that exact intersection of the fourth dimension that would be the easiest to traverse. It was not necessary – trait crafting was mostly vibes-based, but I wanted to have that exact image I needed.

  The orcish genome was just as expansive as the human one, probably even more. After millennia of genetic engineering, it was far different from an Earth’s human. There was an additional chromosome added, which supposedly encoded starpower-aligned proteins and RNA, as well as some biological starpower constructs…

  There was no junk DNA, as far as I knew, and if there were some hidden virus fragments, the hologram didn’t project any of it. All but 2% of the genome was decoded, and the meaning of each protein, its functions, and more biological knowledge were known. Fascinating really.

  My entire focus was on that one additional magical chromosome, as well as some parts of the normal genome that somehow interacted with starpower. Under the watchful gazes of Simona and Steel, I selected the specific abilities I wanted to include.

  The desk automatically highlighted the portions of DNA that were responsible for the abilities and then transcribed them onto the spiritual dimension.

  The hologram spun around in the fourth dimension, shapes of colors that represented affinities flickered in and out of existence. The screen separated into three, each supremely focused on the small cutouts responsible for the abilities.

  Vectors of rotation were displayed. I knew there was a way to show all three on one screen, or at least a better way to connect all the emerald stuff to onyx. I played with them for some time.

  Then there was a cake. A magnificent orcish cake. Whirling trails of onyx hunger rested on the bottom, supporting the entire structure, above growing like grass was the regeneration, not just simple regeneration, but adaptation.

  I could see tiny flickers of sapphire there, a primal intent of self-assembling properties. Those would be a nice way to connect.

  There were many ways this regeneration transitioned into different adaptive abilities, a tougher body, a faster mind, and resistance to innumerable things. My focus was on the soul.

  The body influences the soul, and traits reside directly inside the soul. Therefore, if one were to slightly change the concept of ‘growing stronger’ and apply it to the soul, it’d be a pretty interesting ability.

  I ruined several adept cores trying to make that exact ability, but it always fell short – now I could understand why; it lacked that regenerative foundation.

  “I want it all~” Assistant sang; I could feel the slithering drool of hunger cover my mind.

  “Stop! Control yourself.”

  God’s Flesh gasped. “I’m so sorry, master, I lost focus. I will not make this mistake again. Please, if you have the heart~”

  “Stop with the bullshit.” I could feel an emotion or a sensation resembling a teasing grin somewhere there.

  I cleared my mind and shoved starpower into the spiritual dimension, using the trait harvesting form. The magical drill pierced into the primer; the intent infused in the idea was simple necrosis.

  It nearly made me grab the concept of cell apoptosis, but just in time, I used the concept inversion. The drill shone brightly with emerald. On the hologram, I saw my drill near the slithering ideas of primordial hunger from which regeneration appeared.

  If I were to extract those, the trait would become cursed with making you hungry. I planned to compress the needed concepts together. With my other hand, I directed a conceptual isolation inside.

  With my increased knowledge of trait crafting forms, there was little need to wrestle with the ideas directly. The idea I infused was a special one – I have been using the Archive’s mindscape to learn its language.

  And it just so happens that it allows transmission of precise ideas. I could feel my soul speak, speak so loud that even my assistant shuddered. “Orcish adaptation, regeneration: soul/body connection intensification, aim: trait crafting.”

  It was by far the longest sentence I concocted in that splendid language. In the hologram, my purple energy wrapped up around the cake; it seeped beyond the three-dimensional projection, deeper within. That idea was so specific; it would need at least five thousand words in English to describe it. And as such, the concept was isolated immediately.

  Everything but the trait abilities froze; all the movement was gone, even beyond the limits of the metaphysical stabilization.

  The basic trait harvesting construct wiggled. It spread open and surrounded the idea. I ordered it to ‘touch’ the concepts. My mind intersected.

  I saw cells multiplying, felt their mindless quest for reproduction. It was the essence of life – I reaffirmed it, but I added something else, a goal. Grow stronger. The regeneration moved, and so did the ideas.

  Life moved at a higher level, the healing of the wound, complex process of protecting the body. I didn’t need protection, I wanted pure healing. My mind ran at super speed, and it was easy to twist the perception to my goal. From the wound to a body part, to a person, regeneration was conflated with reproduction.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I discarded these ideas quickly, viciously cutting them off, while leaving the useful parts. It was about continuity, eternity. To continue to exist forever. With each removed, the cake came closer to material. When there were no more contradictory ideas within the regeneration layer, I moved higher.

  Adaptation. The core of adaptation lay in the inheritance of useful traits across generations. But life was complex, consisting of thousands of different types of cells, each with different ways to change, and millions of ways they could impact.

  I always messed up in this part, but I wasn’t going to let it happen this time. I had to focus on the idea that I made regeneration support. Body/soul connection.

  I saw all those lineages of cells, all those infinite ways they could change in a psychedelic fractal blur of colors and ideas. I was almost tempted to explore them, just to see that life.

  Instead, I cut them. There was a greater idea hiding behind all the biological muck, one I had to extract. To be more fit for existence.

  It was as simple as that. The lineages faded, it abstracted together – the metaphysical lines weren’t really cut, but they became whole. It was shaped by my perception, but also by truth. Fitness was determined by outside factors – I am the outside factor.

  I needed to convince myself to convince the noosphere. And so I selected for the fitness of soul. It was on the very top of the cake, distanced from those ideas by layers of metaphysical connections, and I pushed it closer.

  Soul determines fitness for existence, regeneration of the body influences the soul, and adaptation influences the soul. These things were extremely far-fetched, but I had magic.

  Idea strengthening, directed idea, recursion pathing, and idea infusion. It was pure brute force. I barraged the noosphere with my starpower, reinforcing these idealized concepts even if they weren’t directly supported by this orc primer. They didn’t need direct support.

  The plaster of concepts compressed, the regeneration intersected with adaptation, and the soul empowerment was just a cherry on top. I kept going, carefully monitoring just how tense the connection could get.

  “Regenerate, adapt, soul, regenerate, adapt, soul-”

  It cracked. Snapped right in the middle, by the fact that orcs didn’t do that. They just didn’t. Some achieved it indirectly, but that was through the merit of their agency, not biology. I could tell that to the spiritual dimension, however many times I wanted, but it wouldn’t be reality.

  A tentacle shot out from my VITA. It touched the primer, and a wave of incredibly concentrated ideas passed through. I could see that within there was a small patch of starpower. It held a concept.

  Eternal growth. Like superglue, the patch slammed into the gash right before the whole concept could fade away. It pulled inwards, in ways that I couldn’t understand – so far beyond my comprehension, so alien, yet so familiar.

  Eternal growth meant adaptation, for an unchanging thing could never be eternal. And souls were eternal, and they could adapt.

  That was a tiny glimpse I got from this… idea. Just a shallow reflection made by my own mind. My assistant made this, my assistant who was supposed to be a splinter of me.

  It took less than a millisecond for the trait to snap together, as if nothing had changed at all. My mouth was left wide open. So was Simona’s.

  “Did I do a good job, master? Of course I did~”

  I grabbed the completed concept. The trait harvesting form was breaking at the seams. I didn’t have nearly enough starpower to hold such a massive concept, so I had to be fast.

  I slammed the drill into the core. The hologram didn’t have the time to shift. I sent hundreds of pre-prepared pings of energy, trying to bring the idea into the potential.

  It wasn’t necessary; when the hologram caught on and switched to show the noosphere of the core, the concept was wrapped around the ball of energy. Completely and totally.

  The potential fused with the concept and became real. The core didn’t change outwardly, but there was a glint of eternal growth within, that general idea of soul becoming stronger.

  I exhaled.

  “Fuck yeah…”

  “Your assistant trait is beyond impressive… I have never heard of anything like that.” Simona slithered closer, her eyes focused on the giant gem. “Not even specialized trait-crafting assistants could do what your little friend did.” Simona shook her head. “I don’t know how exactly you modified the ritual you got from the Archive, but if you ever shared that knowledge, it would change the world.”

  “See, master. I’m beyond amazing~”

  “I… well. It’s complicated.” I gulped. “There will be time to share, I’m sure.”

  Simona nodded. “And this new trait you made – incredible. Third-years couldn’t make such a sophisticated piece. I was wrong to doubt you, sorry.”

  “No need to apologize.” I smiled. “Steel, check this thing out.”

  She didn’t need my words. Her eyes were already carefully reading through the robust scouter description. Oh, and what a description it was.

  Eternal Warbeast

  Type: Growing Trait

  Rank: Baron (436 SE)

  Affinity: Emerald

  Description:

  An artificial trait gem created to facilitate exponential growth, survivability, and power. Based on orcish death-growth, but amplified multitudes of times.

  Deathless Reconstruction

  - Enhances the user’s regenerative capacity by up to 5 times, with effectiveness rising proportionally to the user’s proximity to death.

  - Once every five days, prevents death in a fight and rapidly regenerates the user to the maximum capacity.

  Rampant Adaptation

  - When the user comes close to death, increases all physical abilities by 1% permanently. (Current bonus 0%)

  - When the user comes close to death, increases SE by 2,5% permanently. (Current bonus 0%)

  Eternal Evogogy (Locked until Count)

  Natural Apex (Locked until Duke)

  ??? (Locked until Lord)

  ??? (Locked until Overlord)

  “This is… Incredible.” She grabbed the gem. “Will this make me a true dragon?”

  I nearly burst out laughing. “No, but it will make you stronger.”

  “It could make us stronger, it’s not too late to take it back, master~”

  Starpower shone from Steel, but before she could absorb the trait, Simona grabbed it from her hands.

  “Don’t hurry, please. I want to do a proper check on these higher-ranked abilities. Who knows, it might become a cursed trait at some point.” She stared specifically closely at me… Or maybe at my assistant.

  Simona sent a burst of starpower at the table, and it changed back into the normal hologram. She placed the trait there and weaved a detection technique. While Simona worked, I looked at Steel.

  “What do you think? Do you like it?”

  Steel clenched her fists. “I’ll have to fight a lot to make it better… fight until death.” She sighed. “For Kory.”

  I put a hand on her shoulder. “Not just for Kory.” I poked her. “For yourself. Be true to what you want and you’ll find freedom.”

  A crooked smile appeared on her face. “I guess…”

  Simona finished examining the trait. “Preliminary projections didn’t find anything deadly, so I will allow Steel to absorb this trait. But you should always be careful when using growth traits. Their potential is unlimited, but there are dangers hidden where you least expect. You have to care for your body and your soul, and only then will the trait grow in a proper way-”

  “Professor, Steel already absorbed it.”

  “Oh…”

  Steel spread open her shoulders. Her scales glinted with a deeper shade of green. Her pupils narrowed to their serpentine shapes. “I feel great! And hungry.”

  In moments like these, I almost forgot we were in a state of constant danger.