Speedrun 11

A brilliant burst of light enveloped my surroundings, and I was suddenly transported to a new world of my own choosing. This world held the key to my future pet, its genetic base, and the substance to evolve it beyond what it actually was. I had no intention of relying on creatures available across the multiverse; I had the power to design my own creature, enhance it, and even bestow upon it godlike abilities.

My time in the Stargate world had come to an end, and I was exceptionally pleased with the progress I had made. Not only had my class and skill levels skyrocketed, but I had also accumulated a vast wealth of knowledge about technology and the inner workings of the universe.

However, my gains from that world extended beyond those things. While scouting for suitable planets, I populated the secret garden I made with exotic flowers I had discovered. My only criteria for selecting these were their uniqueness and beauty, although some of them did require a bit of an overhaul to meet my standards.

This garden, whimsically named the Garden of Eden, now housed thousands of distinctive flowers and nothing else. I had specific plans for it, but those were still a few weeks away from fruition.

During my travels, I selected eleven uninhabited planets and, with the assistance of Mai, transported them to my own universe. I was particularly satisfied with my choices; not only were these planets stunning blue marbles, but they also hosted a diverse array of captivating plant and animal life.

Among the planets I had acquired, a few could be classified as Super-Earths. These massive worlds exceeded Earth's size but were lighter than gas giants like Neptune or Jupiter. The classification didn't require them to be capable of supporting life, yet the two I had managed just that.

One of them had an extremely intriguing biosphere, featuring a plethora of short plant life composed of various types of bushes and ferns but devoid of any trees on its surface. It also hosted a diverse range of animal species, all relatively short but impressively muscular.

Yet, my favorite among all the planets I had gathered was one with dark blue vegetation.

Upon my initial arrival, the entire planet fell into a profound silence. Meanwhile, the vines around me acted like curious little puppies, inspecting me from head to toe and playfully tickling me. Intrigued by this discovery, I used my [Master of Natural Creation] skill to establish a mental connection with the plants that were poking and prodding at me. That's when I realized that it was a single, living entity—a semi-sentient plant spanning the entire globe.

The place reminded me of the movie Avatar, not the Air Bender kind, but the one where most of the flora and fauna on this planet shared a symbiotic relationship and created something akin to an enormous Hive Mind, but without the negative connotations.

This Mega Plant, which I had dubbed Yggdrasil, thrived by providing nourishment to the animal life, and in return, most of the animals played a crucial role in protecting the plant and enriching it with their biological waste. However, it wasn't a harmonious utopia; a significant portion of the fauna voraciously consumed the plant, while the rest of the creatures struggled to keep them at bay. On this planet, it was a perpetual war for survival.

I couldn't help but grin as I recalled my plans for that place. The idea was to introduce a new species to this ecosystem, and not just any species, but a sapient one, to add an intriguing twist to this dynamic.

More precisely, I intended to create Wood Elves, a species of elves who thrived in forests, while also deeply attuned to the environment. I hoped that granting them a Natural affinity through [Master of Natural Creation] would be sufficient to guide their species towards living in harmony with Yggdrasil.

If, for some reason, the Wood Elves failed to form a connection with the "World Tree", I had a contingency plan. I could exert my power to compel it to behave as needed or even subject it to a complete mental and biological rewrite if necessary.

However, it was not the time to dwell on the past or even the future plans, as my immediate concerns were rapidly approaching.

My entrance to this world was pre-planned, and I found myself atop a towering structure on an alien planet, surrounded by thousands of adorable yet ominous black quadrupeds, alerted by the sudden flash of my arrival.

The sound of thousands of feet hitting the stone walls reverberated around me, as the genetic bases of my future pets drew near.

"David was quite thorough," I muttered with a nod, my perception of time shifting to a complete standstill as some of the puppies lunged at me. With a chuckle, I raised my hand and poked the extended secondary jaw of the creature floating before me, then shook my head and spread my senses across the globe using spatial gates.

What I discovered aligned with what I had seen in a movie; everything on this planet had been infected by airborne spores, resulting in their deaths while giving birth to the puppies that now surrounded me.

Though I called them "puppies", they were anything but gentle creatures. They were the product of a potent and virulent mutagenic pathogen, consisting of millions of microorganisms engineered by an alien species known as Engineers.

To my knowledge, this mutagen had a dual purpose: creating life and serving as a weapon. When exposed to other organisms, it had three known effects. Incompatible hosts were killed instantly, while compatible hosts mutated into highly aggressive monsters known as Anathema, which often gestated parasitic organisms within them. These parasitic organisms, once released, could impregnate a second host, leading to the gestation of a hybridized predatory organism called a neomorph.

"I need to analyze that mutagen," I muttered with a determined nod, but before setting out to search the ancient building for its container, I activated the scanning feature on my wristwatch and aimed it at the dangerous puppy.

The holographic screen above my wrist displayed a detailed analysis of the creature, including its genetic structure and internal biological processes.

These puppies were terrifyingly efficient and deadly creatures, known for their resilience and adaptability. Their genetic makeup was a marvel of biological engineering, optimized for survival and predation. Its exoskeleton provided formidable protection, while its inner jaw, concealed within its mouth, could extend with deadly force. Their acidic blood served as a potent defense mechanism, capable of corroding most substances upon contact.

The creature's reproductive cycle was both gruesome and efficient. They possessed a unique life cycle involving multiple stages, starting as a Facehugger, then evolving into a Chestburster, and ultimately becoming an adult Xenomorph.

As I studied the holographic data, I couldn't help but be both fascinated and alarmed by the intricacies of the Xenomorph's biology. It was a creature born to hunt and kill, and its genetic adaptations were a testament to its success in that regard.

With the genetic data in hand, I decided to test the potency of my new skill. I activated [Electromagnetic Spectrum Manipulation] and ripped out all of the Xenomorphs' bioelectricity, instantly killing nearly a thousand of them around me. The gathered energy was safely discharged into the atmosphere. I simultaneously deactivated my temporal acceleration and watched as the lifeless bodies fell to the floor or slid down the walls of the structure.

[Xenomorph (T2) x948 slain (474,000) 47,400 XP Received]

[Class: [Necromancer] has reached Level 39]

Following that display of power, I saturated my immediate environment with mana and theatrically raised my hand upward, calling out the skill, "[Raise Dead]." While the theatrics were unnecessary, I needed the practice to maintain my image as a powerful necromancer, even if no one was watching.

As the skill took hold of the mana-saturated environment, it channeled into the deceased beings around me. They convulsed before forming a telepathic and mana link to me, standing upright and awaiting orders.

I felt a thin mana tether connecting me to all of them, realizing it was what kept them alive. It consumed only a fraction of my generated mana, such a minuscule amount that I could likely raise several million more before experiencing a significant drop in mana regeneration.

The skill granted me full control over them if I wished, but it also allowed them a degree of autonomy, with minimal ability to think and react. This autonomy was welcome, as I had no desire to micromanage them all.

A neon green mist emanated from their mouths, and if they had eyes, I could only imagine them glowing with the same eerie color. They didn't breathe, and their hearts didn't beat. Their muscles were controlled by the sigils engraved on their bodies, which also served as their sole weakness.

"I can't wait to use this skill in a religious world," I mused, the thought of the population's outrage bringing a chuckle to my lips.

I refocused my attention to my surroundings, noticing a few creatures lurking in the shadows, and with a single thought commanded my army.

With a collective hiss that echoed like a roar, my undead Xenomorph army sprang into action, obeying my command to hunt down any remaining Xenomorphs in the area. Their eerie neon green mist trailed behind them as they moved with deadly intent.

I focused my attention on the task at hand, determined to locate the source of the mutagenic pathogen created by the Engineers. I teleported myself underground, using my powers to navigate and sense the presence of the hidden alien spaceship concealed beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, my undead Xenomorph army continued to fulfill my orders, hunting down and eliminating any remaining creatures in the area. My notifications were inundated with kill-and-death reports as my forces carried out their grim task.

[Xenomorph (T2) x1 slain (500) 50 XP Received]

[Controlled Entity: Undead Xenomorph has met its demise.]

The hunt was on, and I pressed forward in my search for answers, determined to unravel the mysteries of the mutagen and the Engineers who had created it.

Following the guidance of [Electromagnetic Spectrum Manipulation], I ventured deeper into the cave, disintegrating any stray Xenomorphs and their eggs that crossed my path. My kill count continued to climb, reaching a three-digit figure as I pressed onward.

I eventually reached a colossal ancient spaceship with a distinctive C-shaped design. While it certainly impressed by the standards of this world, it couldn't hold a candle to the advanced technology of the Ancients that resided in my mind.

Even without stepping inside, my skills and heightened senses allowed me to gauge their technological level. To me, it appeared outdated and irrelevant when compared to my own capabilities. However, what piqued my interest in the Engineers was their extensive biological research, which surpassed even the Ancients, and that's precisely what I sought.

With a wave of my hand, I disintegrated the hatch and boarded it. My mental instances immediately activated [Technopathy], infiltrating the spaceship's control units and databases, extracting valuable information and data.

A small smirk formed on my face as I delved into the spaceship's database and found a treasure trove of genetic engineering experiments conducted on various worlds. This data provided real-world insights into how the mutagenic pathogen reacted in different environments, and I couldn't wait to delve deeper into it.

I thoroughly explored the spaceship, eventually locating a storage unit filled with special containers the databases labeled as Steatite Ampules. These cylindrical enclosures were designed by the Engineers to maintain a controlled environment necessary for storing the unstable pathogen.

The ampules were arranged in rows, with a one-meter gap between them to ensure temperature stability. Each had an exterior placard describing the pathogen version it contained, and inside were four conical-shaped glass vials holding the pathogen.

Despite having the Immune System System at my disposal, I hesitated to directly get in contact with the pathogen myself. I didn't know if it could alter my biology similar to [Overhaul], or perhaps even worse, potentially creating a Xenomorph with godlike abilities.

Nevertheless, I needed to open one of the ampules since my scanner refused to penetrate the material they were made of. The initial scan had identified them as an alloy designed to repel electromagnetic waves, likely to maintain the pathogen's stability.

With a sigh, I altered my attire to a hazmat suit and used a telekinetic tether to gently unscrew the top of the ampule. Just as the data from the spaceship database said, inside of it were four glass vials filled with a black substance, which I humorously labeled "fuck off juice." Without further delay, I aimed my scanner at the contents to gather more information.

The holographic display on my wrist immediately presented a comprehensible analysis of the substance. The watch's automatic simulations, which activated upon scanning a new element, swiftly classified the pathogen as exceedingly perilous to all forms of biological life. It sternly cautioned against any physical contact with the substance.

"Tell me something new," I muttered with a wry chuckle. I continued to peruse the data and genetic composition of the pathogen contained in the vials while unscrewing and scanning through the rest of the ampules.

Having scanned all the available ampules and gained a thorough understanding of the substance and its various forms, I nodded in satisfaction and deactivated my scanner. "No need to extract it; replicating it with a replicator should be straightforward."

The replicator was designed to handle biological matter, making it capable of replicating substances like meat or vegetables. While the pathogen existed in a gray area between life and death, similar to viruses, the replicator, with its origin from teleportation technology, could easily handle it.

While I was dwelling on this, some of my mental instances had already taken it upon themselves to brainstorm ideas for modifying the pathogen's genetic makeup. This would transform it into a powerful tool akin to CRISPR on steroids, enabling widespread genetic alterations within a targeted species.

While this concept held immense potential, I pushed those ideas, along with those mental instances aside for now. My immediate need was for the pathogen to function on a single target.

My work here was done; I had obtained what I needed. However, I wanted to depart with a touch of style. The chronological story of this world was yet to unfold, with the spacecraft called Prometheus en route to the planet, and the rogue android David having eradicated every species upon it.

"I can't help but wonder about their expressions when they arrive and find the planet is missing," I mused with a chuckle, then teleported myself into space, forming a sizable sphere of [Annihilation] above my palm before directing it toward the planet.

The planet offered no resistance as the destructive energies seeped into its crust, swiftly consuming it and reaching the core. Unable to support its own weight, the planet crumpled before completely vanishing from the night sky.

[Xenomorph (T2) x2,497 slain (1,248,500) 124,850 XP Received]

[Class: [Soul Mage] has reached Level 37]

"Eject," I commanded. After confirming with the system that I didn't wish to extract anything, I waited for five minutes until the process was complete, and I was transported back to the Library.

"Hey, Index, send me straight to the next world we discussed," I greeted the magical book, which I had parted with only fifteen minutes earlier.

{You're giving me quite the workload...} grumbled the book, but it dutifully summoned the world book we had discussed.

"Thanks! See you in 15 minutes!" I said with a smile as I placed my palm on the book. After setting the entrance parameters, I found myself deep underwater, right before the eyes of an enormous lizard.

"Hey, Lizzy, be the mother of my child!" I exclaimed with a radiant smile, as the yellow, reptilian, house-sized eyes blinked in confusion.