Chapter 487: Progression After Clairvoyance
{Additionally, the two individuals have gotten a mutual ability that only they share in the world: [Paradox], where they can switch bodies at will, and turn their own forms into the other gender. Because for the individuals, Neelei and Khüch Khan, gender is not distinct anymore. They have become something new, something that transcends the binary of male and female.}
[Arggghhh! Teah, there’s NO way this isn’t coming to bite me in the butt later! I told you to stop with the weird experiments!] Benjamin’s mental voice was exasperated, his expression one of weary resignation. [You just can’t help yourself, can you? You see something interesting and you have to tinker with it.] [Ben]
{All for the glory of Master, whether Master likes it or not.} Sys’s voice carried a note of smug satisfaction, utterly unrepentant.
[You cheeky voice in my head!] Benjamin’s mental voice was sharp with indignation, his brow furrowing as he processed the sheer audacity. [Well, we will talk about this later. For now, I have acquired two abilities, right? {Clairvoyance} and {Progression}...]
{That is correct.} Sys confirmed, her tone returning to its usual clinical efficiency. {Both abilities are now fully integrated into Master’s system and ready for use at Master’s discretion.}
[I just got a very juicy idea, then.] A slow, mischievous smile spread across Benjamin’s face, his blue eyes gleaming with the light of sudden inspiration.
The possibilities were racing through his mind, each one more intriguing than the last.
After the mental board meeting, Benjamin dressed up quickly, pulling on his grey tunic and loose brown pants with efficient movements.
He told Heka and Lei who were still in the room, their bodies still tangled together on the furs, that he was going to do something in the woods and will be back.
His voice was casual, unconcerned, as if he was simply going for a morning stroll rather than something far more significant.
Leaving the large tent with a mischievous smile, the morning light had begun to rise slowly over the horizon.
The sky was painted in shades of pink and gold, the first rays of sunlight creeping over the treetops and casting long shadows across the ground.
The air was cool and fresh, carrying the scent of dew and earth and the distant salt of the sea.
***
"Hehehe... I just got me two powers that makes something unnatural very possible," Master chuckled as he made his way into the forests, his footsteps crunching softly against the fallen leaves and twigs beneath his feet.
He spread his senses wide, his perception expanding outward to see if anyone was in the area.
The forest was quiet, the birds just beginning their morning songs, the animals stirring from their slumber.
Satisfied that he was alone, he pressed onward.
He soon reached a cliff of which the sea was several levels below, the waves crashing against the rocks far beneath with a rhythmic, thunderous roar.
The view was breathtaking, the endless blue ocean stretching to the horizon, the sky above painted in the soft colors of dawn.
He stood there for a while, taking in the sight, feeling the cool breeze against his skin.
Then he moved back and sat on the green grasses, the soft blades cushioning his weight as he settled into a comfortable position.
"I bet you already know what I have planned, right?" Master asked me, all smiles and cheer, his voice light and playful.
His blue eyes sparkled with excitement, his posture relaxed and confident.
{Knowing Master, it is nothing that has the safety of the world in mind. Nevertheless, I can imagine what Master does want to do.}
"How rude! Wait, Sys, you’ve been disrespecting me a lot these days!" Master began to nag as always, in a manner one would think he was seriously talking to an invisible person.
He gestured wildly with his hands, his expression one of real offense. "Is it a rebellious phase or something? Or maybe you have a boyfriend who is telling you things and giving you confidence, spill it! I want to know who is corrupting my precious voice in my head!"
It took a while of placation—offering a series of reassurances and deflections, carefully avoiding the absurd topic of any hypothetical romantic partners—before Master decided to drop the case and begin the real reason master came out here.
It was something I personally felt was not a good idea, but I reasoned it would have no damage to Master so... I let him do it.
The logic was sound, the risks seemed minimal, and Master’s enthusiasm was truly infectious.
CR... CRACKKKK!!
That was the sharp, thunderous sound that echoed when the first barrier shattered like ice to hammers, the sound reverberating through the forest and startling the birds into flight.
The shockwave rippled outward, hitting the second barrier and cracking it thoroughly, spiderwebs of fractures spreading across its surface.
The moment master did the experiment, his entire aura and magical energy left his body at once, both I and himself unable to hold it anymore.
It poured out of him like water from a broken dam, uncontrollable and overwhelming, flooding the space around him with raw, untamed power.
Not just because it became hard to hold, or because his mental fortitude collapsed... but Master’s energy that is normally able to consume several human cities by only existing there suddenly increased by a thousand fold.
The sheer magnitude of it was incomprehensible, a tidal wave of power that threatened to wash over everything in its path.
Upon realizing it before a second had completed, I personally erected three ironclad barriers surrounding Master, layering them with desperate speed and precision, lest he threatens the balance of the world and attract troublesome adversaries.
The barriers had shimmered into place, their surfaces invisible to a normal eye, containing the explosive release of power within a confined space.
Master began to hold his head as his hair began to shift from light brown to white, the color draining away like sand through an hourglass.
Then it went an unnaturally pitch blackness, darker than any natural shade, seemingly absorbing the light around it.
And the hair began to extend over his back, growing longer and longer until it cascaded down his shoulders like a dark waterfall.
Master’s blue eyes turned red, then black, and became bloodshot with unspeakable pain and suffering, the whites filling with crimson as his body convulsed.
His light skin went even lighter till it became completely white, pale as fresh snow, devoid of any warmth or color.
His teeth went jagged and his canines extended out a little, sharp and predatory. His nails turned black and elongated like claws, curling against his palms.
He began to vomit on the ground, still holding his head but sometimes stomach as he rolled on the ground in utter pain, crying "NO, NO, NO, NO! THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT!! THAT IS NOT TRUE!!"
His voice was raw, desperate, filled with a anguish that seemed to come from somewhere deep within his soul.