Speedrun 23

(A/N: Warning it's a bit of an info dump...)

"Andrew, who was the woman just now, and what did you do to her?" Aly asked once more, her expression tinged with worry.

"No one," I replied, and she gave me a deadpan look. "No, literally, that thing was no one—a Homunculus, an empty husk without a soul, created by magic itself," I explained with a shrug. "For a brief moment, she might have looked alive, but she truly wasn't."

"Huh, why did you make it?"

"I needed something from this specific specimen," I replied without going into details.

"Could I learn to do something like that? Also... I'd like to know how you did this," she asked tentatively while emphasizing her breasts, for some reason.

"You have Metamorphosis and Evolution magic. Try experimenting with them," I commented with a deadpan voice. However, as I spoke, an idea flashed through my mind, and I activated [Mental Domain], transferring the information I'd received from the first Labyrinth I'd conquered.

Aly wobbled on her feet, a grunt escaping her lips, but her eyes widened as her mind started processing the vast amount of information that had just been shoved into it.

"What is this?" She asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Spirit Magic. I gained it before we met up," I said with a shrug. "Go and play around with it while I finish what I was doing."

She timidly nodded but still asked, "Actually, what are you doing?"

"Combining skills," I specified, and she furrowed her brows.

"There isn't anything that allows you to do that," she stated, squinting her eyes. "Or at least nothing that I know of," she added, sounding unsure.

"You're right; there is nothing that allows one to do so in this world's system," I replied with a grin, and realization flashed through her eyes.

"How is that possible?" She asked, confused.

"Well, I did tell you I'm not from around here," I said, giving her a pointed look.

She squinted her eyes and gave me a slow nod. "Does that mean your world has a system, and it can work between worlds?"

"Technically, it doesn't and they don't tend to work across worlds," I answered, confusing her even more. "I'm a special case," I added, as if that explained everything.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and a smile bloomed on her face. "I can agree with the 'special' part," she said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," I replied, rolling my eyes. "This system is a special one, and I'll tell you all about it when the time is right," I said, flashing her a smile. "But for now, let me do my thing."

"Alright," she shrugged, moving back to the bed and sitting down, her fingers dancing as she slowly waved a spell for creating life. For a moment, I observed her, noticing the minuscule errors she had made in her magical matrix, then with a smile, I refocused my attention on my task, leaving her to explore her abilities on her own.

For my next merger, prompted by [Universal Sense], I resolved to combine my mental skills. First, I activated the Advanced Skill Management, extracting enhanced mental clarity and focus, along with increased intelligence and wisdom from [Mind Discipline]. These abilities were then seamlessly integrated into [Einstein's Genius].

Next, I initiated the Merging System and added Archive, Focus, Intuitive Aptitude, Language, Data Savant, Optimize, Parallel Processing, Creative Insight, Analytical Mind, Scientific Method, Einstein's Genius, Astral Cognition, Arcane Brilliance, and Mathematics. Then, I pressed the imaginary "combine" button, and [Hypercognition] was born.

[Hypercognition LVL: 1/100]

- Elevates the user's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Perception attributes by 5 points per level, exponentially expanding their cognitive capacity.

- Infuses the user with a permanent 15% enhancement in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Perception, ensuring their mental prowess and observational capabilities are unrivaled.

- Endows the user with perfect recall, astral cognition, and the ability to create and manage astral mental instances.

- Maximizes all cognitive skills, including creativity, imagination, reasoning, and problem-solving.

(A/N: Some of the stuff encompassed in the cognitive skills category include creativity, imagination, visualization, insight, intuition, instincts, understanding, reasoning, logic, pattern recognition, self-awareness, problem-solving, adaptability, critical thinking, associative thinking, analytical abilities, calculation speed, probability prediction, and mental agility amongst other things.)

For a moment, the world appeared dull, devoid of any brilliance, but as the skill settled within my soul, my understanding of reality was rewritten. Patterns, probabilities, distances, statistics, and sizes became apparent to me, it didn't require thinking, the answers simply appeared. My consciousness expanded to such an extent that I couldn't discern where it began or ended, nor could I distinguish between "I" and my seemingly infinite mental instances. There was no separation between me and myself, but all I knew was that "I" remained in control.

I had become an infinitely vast ocean of mental capacity, and for the first time in a while, my Intelligence and Wisdom surpassed my Vitality, exceeding 3,000 attribute points. My thoughts operated at such speed that it felt like answers were revealed to me before questions were even asked.

And I wasn't referring to basic arithmetic, as I had transcended quick math's. Now, I explored the realms of quantum probabilities on a universe-wide scale without breaking a sweat.

Every Planck second birthed new ideas, followed by improvements on those very concepts, all within the boundless expanse of my mind. My consciousness had transformed into a bustling universe of limitless possibilities.

I couldn't help but grin as the idea of a new mana generator, incomparable to anything I had ever created, violently surged into my mind, akin to the birth of a new universe.

"Your creepy grin is quite unsettling," Aly remarked, and I couldn't suppress a hearty laugh.

"If you discovered a method to generate an endless supply of free energy, you'd be wearing the same grin," I replied, my smile growing wider. Then, an even more exciting thought crossed my mind, and my smile became positively mischievous. "And now, I even devised a means to store it!"

"How?" Aly asked her expression a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment.

"Two words: Big Bang," I responded with a grin.

"An explosion?" Aly looked even more puzzled, but I decided not to delve into the complexities of my plan just yet.

"Not 'An' explosion, but 'The' explosion. I'll give you a demonstration of it a bit later," I teased with a wink.

"You always get me all worked up," Aly grumbled, her lips forming a cute pout as she huffed and turned away.

"My apologies," I chuckled, "Maybe once I've finished everything, you can be the first to witness my true power!" I announced dramatically, raising my fist in the air and letting out a maniacal laugh.

Aly joined in with her own chuckle and shook her head. "I have no idea how your girlfriend puts up with your antics."

"You and me both," I agreed, feigning a serious nod, "It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm a beast in bed," I added with a confident grin, making Aly blush and avert her eyes. "That's the only explanation I can think of."

"Heh," she chuckled awkwardly, scratching her cheek, while I stifled an internal laugh.

We fell into a moment of comfortable silence, and I decided not to mention that I was just joking, returning my focus to the system.

Our little chat hadn't been a waste of time, as I really enjoyed teasing her. Though, while doing so, my main attention had been mainly on the system itself.

While we conversed, I meticulously organized my magical skills for a merger. To start, I relocated the damage amplification and uninterruptible chants abilities from [Mana's Blessing] into [Sage's Wisdom]. Once this was accomplished, I turned my attention to the merger screen itself.

There, in the Skill Merging interface, Sage's Wisdom, Magic Penetration, Mage, Multicasting, Arcane Amplification, Mana Conservation, Curse Creation, Mana Mastery, Spellcraft, Runic Language, and Counterspell were all neatly arranged, ready for my final approval.

Unfortunately, I couldn't include Arcana in the mix, as the skill was still tied to my Arcanist class, which had 53 more levels to go before it was maxed out. So, with a tinge of regret, I accepted the merger prompt, gaining a new skill.

[Arcane Arts Lvl:1/100]

- Augments the potency, range, and effects of all arcane talents by 350%.

- Augments arcane incantations with a 25% boost in magic penetration, simultaneously reducing their cost by an equal measure.

- Grants the user the ability to negate incantation restrictions, materialize magical matrices, seamlessly embed runes into their spellcasting, and gain complete immunity to the harmful effects of their own spells.

- Enhances arcane capabilities with uninterrupted spellcasting, multicasting, oversaturation, interweaving, interference, and arraying.

Honestly, the result was a bit underwhelming, especially when compared to the impressive mergers I had experienced previously. Nevertheless, it did serve its purpose well, enhancing both the range and effectiveness of my spells significantly. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that once I add [Arcana] to the mix, this skill's potential would skyrocket.

I didn't dwell on the disappointment too long. Instead, I turned my attention back to the screen and selected all of my physique-related skills, adding them to the merging process. Divine Empowerment, Mana's Blessing, Magical Embodiment, Shapeshift, Astral Projection, Holy Enhancement, Temporal Singularity, Ageless, Adapt, Bestial Physique, Unwavering Resilience, Mindguard, Mind Discipline, and to add an interesting twist, the skill known as Pass On.

[Universal Physique LVL: N/A]

- Grants a 25% overall attribute enhancement and the capacity to fortify one's essence with various forms of energies, each imbuing distinct enhancements based on their type and potency.

- Grants the user the unparalleled ability to seamlessly transition their form into astral or any other energy state, attaining complete immunity to the chosen energy type.

- Endows the user with the power to adapt and manipulate their biology at will, enabling them to bestow their race and a chosen skill upon their offspring.

- Provides total immunity against paradoxes, time loops, temporal locks, temporal erasure, mind-altering spells, illusions, psychic attacks, poisons, toxins, diseases, pain, fear, mental instability, madness, insanity, paralysis, petrification, and other status effects.

- Allows the user's causality to exist independently of causality itself, granting them immunity to causality-related abilities, and natural and supernatural laws.

- Allows the user to transcend the confines of time, allowing them to choose to exist solely in their own present.

- Provides an unwavering 50% resistance against negative magic, soul-based, and physical damage.

Disregarding the fact that I had lost all attribute point increases in my physical attributes originally granted by Bestial Physique, this new ability was bonkers. It not only provided immunity to status effects but also offered a twenty-five percent boost to my overall attributes.

It was powerful, but that was nothing compared to the skill's newfound capability, gained from Magical Embodiment and Mana's Blessing, allowing me to shift into various energy forms and enhance my attributes with a single energy type.

My previous mana-based boost seemed trivial in comparison. I still had the option to raise all my attributes by four times their current values using mana. However, the other energy forms could take me much further. For instance, I could use stamina, which would allow me to raise all my physical attributes, Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, and Agility, by six times their current values, or do the same with electricity to boost my Agility, Dexterity, and Intelligence to ten times their normal levels while providing a ten percent attack penetration bonus.

Yet, all these energy sources paled in comparison to divinity. Thanks to the ability taken from Divine Empowerment, I could transform myself directly into a divine form, increasing my overall abilities by ten time their current values, and enhancing my skills' potency by a staggering twenty-five percent.

Unfortunately, this divine form was unsustainable in prolonged combat due to the absence of a constant divinity regeneration source, which still remained separate from my Energy pool and resisted conversion.

Don't get me wrong; with my current reserves and the skill's divinity consumption rate, I could maintain this form for about fifteen minutes. But this also indicated the immense drain it imposed, as I could create an entirely new divine domain for myself using the same reserves.

Shifting my focus from energy manipulation, the next ability was equally potent but entirely different. I had gained the power to adapt and manipulate my own biology, a combination of Bestial Physique, Shapeshift, and Adapt. I still possessed self-fertility manipulation, but the rest of the abilities from these three skills had merged into one. This ability allowed my body to adapt to the environment, alter organ functionality, and even...

I glanced downward, and my little guy extended by a good nine inches.

'I've got Wukong's staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang,' I thought to myself with a chuckle before reverting it to normal. I intended to experiment with this newfound capability later on, in the hopes of making Olivia limp for a day or two.

However, the size enhancement wasn't the only aspect of this ability. I could freely transform my appearance, changing my height, weight, muscle size, hair color, and even eye color without any apparent limitations. I could technically even make myself a female and even get pregnant, which mainly, because I can only see myself as a male, I definitively won't be doing.

While the Race inheritance was already a feature of Bestial Physique, it had gained an unexpected twist with the addition of the Pass On. It allowed me to grant my offspring a skill at the moment of conception without losing it myself.

I could even choose which skill to bestow upon them. Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to endow my future children with reality-warping powers, nor did I plan to give them this skill, as its pain immunity would be of little use without a solid regeneration skill.

However, my current regeneration skill could not only benefit them but also provide a form of immortality, alleviating most, if not all, of my concerns about Olivia's future pregnancy and childbirth, as well as preventing the child from suffering any injuries during its formative years.

With all these seemingly perfect abilities, there was still a trace of concern on my face as I focused on a single line: Independent causality. I had a feeling that this single line was the reason behind the following system notification.

[Chains of causality broken.]

[Tier of your being has increased to 6.]

"Damn..." I exclaimed loudly, taken aback by the unexpected development. "Well, that kind of threw a wrench in some of my plans..." I muttered to myself, as I hadn't anticipated this outcome, especially not with this particular skill combination.

"Well, it is what it is," I sighed, brushing off the awkward glance I received from Aly, who had been in the middle of recounting one of her cherished childhood moments. "Sorry," I added with a wry smile, "Please continue."

"Why should I even bother?" she sighed, looking disappointed. "You don't seem to be paying attention at all."

"Oh, I was paying attention," I replied, placing my hand on my heart with mock sincerity. "You were just telling the story of your debut and how you broke your heels while going down the stairs. Embarrassed, you ran away in a hurry. You just got to the part where your mother, the queen, arrived at your hiding place in the garden..." In truth, it wasn't me paying attention at all; one of my mental instances had been handling the task.

"Shocking, you really were listening..." she muttered, her surprise evident in her expression, before continuing her story. I tuned her out, delegating the task of listening and replying with comments like "Wow, that's crazy!" and "You go, girl!" to a competent mental instance, while I refocused on my system.

The sudden advancement in tier, even with my seemingly infinite wisdom, was unexpected. For my next skill merger, I opted for a safer choice: my movement abilities. With a single thought, I added Dual-wielding, Dodge, Counter, Acrobatics, and Dancing to the merger system, immediately combining them into a single skill.

[Flawless Coordination LVL: 1/100]

- Elevates reflexes and muscle contractions to near-instantaneous levels, breaking free from the constraints of physical limitations, while also endowing the user with absolute control over these functions.

- Amplifies the effects of Dexterity, Agility, and Perception twofold while in combat, resulting in heightened movement speed, balance, flexibility, and fluidity.

- Bestows a fleeting moment of invulnerability lasting 0.01 seconds following each significant motion.

(A/N: This does not double those attributes, only their effects, for example: Andy's movement speed is 1,689 m/s, and as a result of the new skill in combat it can go up to 3,379 m/s.)

The resulting skill, much like [Arcane Arts], didn't hold any particularly remarkable aspects. It mainly expanded and enhanced some of the abilities from its component skills. However, there were two notable improvements that came out of this merger. First, I gained the ability to move at the speed of thought, without the usual delay caused by my nervous system. Second, I could consciously control my muscles at will, granting me a new level of precision and control.

Once again feeling confident in my skill-merging, I turned my attention back to my space, time, and gravity-related skills, which had stood separated for far too long. Without hesitation, I initiated the merger process for Space-Time Manipulation, Time Affinity, Space Affinity, Gravity Manipulation, Spatial Synergy, Temporal Synergy, and Dimensional Wave Manipulation.

What emerged from this merger was something that wasn't exactly a skill, yet at the same time, it... was?

[Authority: Relativity]

- Gain absolute dominion over the five-dimensional axis.

"W-what?" I stuttered, blinking in surprise, as my perception of reality once again violently shifted.

(A/N: I had planned to complete the mergers in this chapter, but it took me too fucking long to come up with the abilities... On the side note, Andy will have only 25 skills from next chapter on.)

(BTW: New cover art image - here - Your thoughts?)