Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 234 - 055.BETA (Beta Rank)

Chapter 234: 055.BETA (Beta Rank)

After the new Arcane Awakening, Li Aozi’s gene sequence trembled, his metabolism quickened, and his veins visibly bulged on his skin as dead skin sloughed off.

[Warning: Gene sequence unstable!]

[You have undergone a beneficial mutation, integrating gene fragments...]

[Your superior genetic traits have manifested, please choose a direction from the following mutation options]

Li Aozi glanced at the mutation traits; his luck had apparently run out as no perfect mutations appeared. He resolutely used another chance for a perfect reset and chose again.

[Reset complete]

[Presenting the flawless genetic engineering:]

A——[Gene Integration · Superbrain Colonial Armor]: Your genes have achieved an excellent integration direction. Now, your mind is no longer just the computer of your genes; you are able to control your own body temperature, and your flesh will transform into biological armor manifested by your consciousness.

Your every flesh body will be treated as ’Implant Gear,’ which can be strengthened and modified through the transplantation and modification of gene fragments.

If you retain this trait, your genes will no longer focus on reproduction and prolonging life. Instead, options for mutations involving combat, intelligence, and evolution will increase, but the occurrence of reproductive mutation directions will decrease.

B——[Gene Screening · Chosen Prophet Sage]: Screening for stronger memory, learning, and imaginative direction genes, significantly raising your intelligence level. The learning of skills and knowledge will no longer have hierarchical and level restrictions; all knowledge will flow towards you, and you only need to accept it.

If you retain this trait, your [Charm] attribute will transform into [Intelligence], greatly enhancing your learning capability, but you will definitely suffer from depression, and during bouts of severe depression, your suicide rate will increase by 90%.

C——[Gene Recombination · Eternal Flame]: Your consciousness and genes have reached a consensus. To let your bloodline dominate the world, you can reproduce via individual fission, removing some of your own genes to create another offspring with independent consciousness, who will inherit designated ancestral genes and can continue to reproduce.

If you retain this trait, every cell in your body will have the ability to split, but the occurrence of non-reproductive mutation directions will significantly decrease.

————————————

When Li Aozi saw option A, he chose it without hesitation.

It wasn’t that B and C were bad, but A was just too good.

[Superbrain Colonial Armor], is the most suitable mutation direction for [Meteor Fall Master] and [Torchbearer] within these two pathways of the [Sovereign] occupation.

In the [Sovereign] occupation, [Meteor Fall Master] and [Torchbearer] represent two diametrically opposed pathways in the study of consciousness and body.

[Meteor Fall Master] believes in subjective materialism—my subjective will, if strong enough, can distort the objective world; my will can conquer and even become the new physical laws.

[Torchbearer] believes in subjective idealism—the objective world is merely what my subjective will perceives to exist; the mind prevails over matter, and the world is a holographic projection of my mind.

[Meteor Fall Master] believes that will is absolute; after experiencing enough memories and social status, it will naturally ascend to govern oneself.

[Torchbearer] believes that will is free; even without the world, will can exist independently.

However, no matter the pathway, both believe in one point: human will relies on the body, but must transcend it.

The principle is simple, both pathways think the same: genes are a selfish driver, driving the body as a mecha, while consciousness is the computer of the mecha.

Genes, will, body—Trinity; they together sustain the motion and progression of life.

But in this process, there lies a fatal problem.

Was the ultimate purpose of a pilot to drive a mecha, conquer the enemy and the natural environment, or was it to advance, explore, accumulate learning experience, and obtain a more powerful computer system?

No, because driving the mecha and acquiring a more powerful computer were merely results of the pilot’s actions.

The pilot just wanted to survive.

Put another way, genes only feel that the body and consciousness are just means to pass on their gene sequence; nothing else really matters.

Many people always feel as if life is meaningless—they are right.

In nature, the vast majority of life forms only need to reproduce successfully, and then they can die peacefully.

For genes, life itself has no meaning; from this perspective, there is no difference between a paramecium and a giant dragon; their existence is solely to propagate their offspring.

It is the will that wants to dominate life, to fulfill the desires of individual wills, that gives meaning to life.

Thus, for the Meteor Fall Masters and the Torchbearers, who possess an intense desire to dominate, only by subjugating the pilots to the control of computers can the mechas be liberated from the destiny of reproduction, and serve as more efficient, powerful tools to fulfill their own mighty will.

Colonizing the body may sound a bit hard to understand, but the many sub-bodies of Mingji Professor exemplify this perfectly.

This might sound like the aspiration of a cosmic villain—but in fact, Li Aozi felt that what the Sovereigns truly craved was not direct control but to recognize and transform the world using means they deemed appropriate.

This is not domination; it is love.

Upon liberation from the shackles of genes and the physical body, the will would ascend to a powerful dimension, no longer influenced by time and life; only then could it truly love the world and its people.

Too moving, Li Aozi felt himself almost tear up.

[Gene Integration Complete]

[Your shell ’Li Aozi’ has been colonized]

[Specialty: Flesh Affinity—Triggered]

[Now, you can voluntarily shut off your pain and sensory systems.]

[You can now cultivate new colonized bodies through genetic transplantation or transfer your will to other organisms.]

His body was rapidly covered with a layer of red-black crystals; through the Eye of Truth, he saw the name of these crystals for the first time:

’Haines Crystal’

[You can spend experience to adjust and modify your colonized body, the first modification is free, do you wish to commence the initial modification?]

"In that case..." Li Aozi pondered, combining what he had learned from Assistant Doctor Anna in Doctoral Level, Basic Pharmacology and his own knowledge of biology, he began to earnestly modify his own body.

The red-black Haines Crystals pierced his blood vessels, enveloping Li Aozi completely like an egg-shaped incubator, and began comprehensively modifying the impractical aspects of his body.

First was to correctly adjust his human retinas, which had been inverted, and to effectively construct blood supply channels allowing free regulation of eye pressure and the lens, preventing any symptoms of myopia.

The photoreceptor cells were correctly aligned, instantly dissipating the shadows on the retina; the brain power previously occupied for rendering these shadows was immediately freed, leaving brain space available for processing various types of information, pulling Li Aozi’s Intelligence attribute forcibly up to 7 points.

The human recurrent laryngeal nerve, which had to loop a long way around a major arterial blood vessel to reach the lower jaw, was directly and neatly pulled out by the Haines Crystal, and properly shortened and reconnected.

"These still aren’t enough."

Li Aozi thought for a moment, then began the transformation again.

To enable upright walking, the long-term accumulation of gravity that caused issues like varicose veins was repaired, and the exposed reproductive organs could now be concealed to prevent being struck by enemies.

The kidneys, prone to forming crystals and stones, were broadly reinforced and modified.

The trachea and the esophagus were separated, eliminating the possibility of choking.

The previously insignificant appendix was reactivated to serve as a digestive aid system that stores a large number of probiotics.

The secretion of hormones could be controlled freely like an accelerator, secreting adrenaline when burst strength was needed, antagonizing dopamine when calmness was required, and secreting large amounts of dopamine and endorphins when happiness was needed.

This body would no longer become addicted to any drug; it would become the most excellent biological armor.

Finally, Li Aozi modified the brain.

In human brains, once the corpus callosum was severed, the left and right hemispheres could no longer unify their perception and control.

His brain’s computing power had been unleashed, and the nervous system was fully optimized, no longer requiring division of tasks.

[Implant gear body, modulation complete]

[Your attributes have changed]

Strength——16

Dexterity——15

Constitution——20

Charm——77[Actual gain: 100.1]

Intelligence——7

[Promotion task completed]

[Individual sublimation in progress...]

[Under the influence of your will, genes begin to converge]

[They attract each other, understand each other, devour each other——finally merging into one]

Li Aozi’s body slowly levitated on the spot without utilizing gravity; it was the entire world gently lifting him up.

The supernatural excellence of [Charm] made the world accept him, adore him, and unconditionally bestow good things upon him.

The red-black crystals slowly dissolved, merging with the textures of his flesh, gently imprinted in his skin under the affectionate care of the whole world.

Li Aozi’s body discreetly activated the Overseer Form.

The muscles no longer rudely flipped inside out, but grew and proliferated naturally, the exoskeleton armor covered with exquisitely red-black crystals, his stature gradually increased, pale bone plates covered his body, enhancing its overall aesthetics, and the skin, no longer wet and sticky flesh, appeared as if seared, presenting a firm hardness.

His hair too was enveloped by crystals, and slowly, from his previously unremarkable skull, spikes grew, forming a crown similar to thorns.

[Sublimation complete]

[Your lifespan +80 natural years.]

[Hierarchy special effect: Any attacks and attribute checks from targets below your hierarchy are considered to have only 80% effectiveness. When you attack or perform attribute checks on targets below your own hierarchy, they are considered to have 200% effectiveness (Beta Rank).]

[Overseer Form has evolved]

[Under Overseer Form, your Arcane Energy gain increases by 20%, you gain 30% extra Health Points, and your movement speed increases by 80%.]

[Specialty: Flesh Affinity——Triggered]

[When you are in the Overseer Form, implant gear weapons will also integrate into the Overseer Form, functioning as skills...]

[Now, you can integrate biological limbs and organs into your body, letting the Overseer Form acquire more biological traits.]

Finally, he had been promoted to Beta Rank.

[Mutants] required an implant gear specialty, which he now mastered. Next, as long as he focused on creating implant gear, he would be able to enhance his combat efficiency.

Li Aozi hadn’t even had a chance to catch a breath when he immediately opened the task panel.

[Side Task "Roar of Freedom" settlement conditions have been met]

[Rewards settlement]:

A. "Child of Volcano"—You must completely overthrow Grante’s comprador groups, help the people of Grante reclaim power, and reconstruct the republic.

Current progress: Republic regime stability—77.7% (Meets settlement criteria)

Reward: 1.2 million Experience

B. "Buried in the Ultramarine"—The largest resistance for the rebel army is the rulers of the old world; assassinate the Duke of Grante Duchy.

Current progress: Gamos Luwenqi Grante (1/1)

Reward: Random reward (Determined by task rating, the higher the rating, the better the final reward)

Task rating calculation in progress...

No teammates died in this mission (√)

People witnessed your final kill (√)

Damage output reached 80% (√)

Calculation complete, task rating: excellence.

[Would you like to reveal the content of the random reward?]

[Rewards issued]

[You have acquired the skill—[Aura of Goodwill]]