Chapter 958: Permutations, and Plenty of DNA Points


    ?


    But that wasn''t the only thing he had to do. He had to train; he had to make the clones, and find a time to do so.


    But he managed. The number of eggs reached the two thousand, and a lot of Chimaeric Demons matured in the meantime.


    All that training also got him 18 neural links divided among the Chimaeric Demon''s, the Self Healing''s and the Instability''s brain crystal powers.


    Erik focused on them a lot, but the most important one was going to be the Instability brain crystal power.


    It would make easier for him to influence others and to read their mind, it would lessen his mana expenditures. It was a must power up.


    Erik was thrilled about his progress, especially with the increased neural links and the boost to his powers.


    <System, show me the status.>


    The same old semi-transparent screen, in its bluish and white glory, appeared out of thin air. The screen, only seen by Erik, floated in the air with all the info he wanted.


    - [Host Information]


    NAME: Erik Romano AGE: 18 POWER LEVEL: 885 SYSTEM LEVEL: 180 EXPERIENCE: 309496 DNA POINTS: 56772.95 HEALTH: 16840 MANA: 16770


    {Attributes} STRENGTH: 348 INTELLIGENCE: 280 DEXTERITY: 328 ENERGY: 837 Avable Attributes points: 0


    {Powers} [Biological SuperComputer Powers] Brain Crystal Maniption - Brain Crystal Power Extraction -Brain Crystal power Merging - Brain Crystal Power Analysis -Brain Crystal Power Editing


    -Brain Crystal Power Strengthening -(LOCKED)


    DNA Maniption -DNA Extraction -DNA Merging -DNA Analysis -DNA Editing -DNA Strengthening -(LOCKED)


    -Analysis - Brain Information Injector - Device Maniption


    [Host''s Powers] FORCE MANIPULATION: BA1B-RANKED ILLUSION WEAVER: B01B-RANKED CHIMAERIC DEMON: BvLX-RANKED SELF HEALING: Bu1A-RANKED WYVERN''S FLAMES: B01A-RANKED PLANT MASTER: B13B-RANKED CHAMELEON VEIL: B2C-RANKED VIBRATION BURST: B?зA-RANKED INSTABILITY: Bλ2B-RANKED SOLID FROSTWIND: B02A- RANKED EXOSHIELD: B01B-RANKED HUMAN SHAPESHIFTING: B?зC-RANKED BEAST


    SHAPESHIFTING: B?зC-RANKED SWORD CONJURING: B01D-RANKED


    {Skills} Kyokar hand-to-hand style (MASTER) Etrium''s sword style (ADVANCED) Crypt of the Desert Style (MASTER) —


    <These are too many...>


    One thing Erik never got rid of during these three years was his uncertainty.


    Even after thinking about it a lot, Erik still wasn''t sure which powers tobine.


    He thought about it a lot and found somebinations that could pack a punch.


    But he was always afraid of messing up and getting worse. The unknown oues made him feel stuck and unable to decide.


    What if he irrevocably messed up, forever altering the powers he had gained and nurtured, getting something that would not be as useful as they were now?


    In the past, the powers were simple and weak. To lose them, or getting something unpredictable, was not a problem. But now it was different, because these powers were not only strong, but were very useful.


    <I got enough DNA points to merge the powers. I should really decide what to do. At least to prepare for the uing attack.>


    He paused. <Let''s see.>


    <Force Maniption and Exoshield... now that''s abination. But I do not know what the result would be. Hopefully something simr to Gwen''s armor but with Nathaniel''s destructiveness.>


    He thought about this for a while. <Maybe I should ask the biological supeputer to make it so that''s exactly thebination that muste out, but the usage of DNA points will increase.>


    He spent a lot of time going through all the brain crystal powers in his collection.


    He was thorough, dedicating ample time to evaluate the specifics of each power, reflecting on their individual merits and drawbacks, and brainstorming on how these could result if he merged them.


    <Chimaeric Demon and Self-Healing... an army of me, each one able to heal and keep fighting. Overwhelming odds with sheer numbers, a tempting strategy. The problem is, I would be left without the Self-Healing power. The best thing would be to get a healing brain crystal power, and merge it with the Chimaeric Demons, so that I could get as many healers as I want. >


    He thought about it for a second. That was the best thing he could do.


    <I can''t dy this any longer.> He was hit hard when his dad died. That event seriously messed him up. He really didn''t want to go through the pain of losing someone else.


    The thought was so unbearable that he desperately wanted to avoid it, and killing a healer to get his or her brain crystal power seemed the only thing he could do.


    <I can ''lend'' a clone to Mira, Emily, Amber and June, so that, if they get into troubles, they will survive, at least.>


    Erik knew he had to get that brain crystal power, but that would have had to wait. Right now, he needed to decide on the brain crystal powers to merge.


    So, he kept going through the list and found two brain crystal powers that would work fine together.


    <Wyvern''s mes and Solid Frostwind... If I ask the biological supeputer to steer the merging to give the Solid Frostwind fire powers, then it should work.>


    He went on in the list.


    <Human and Beast Shapeshifting... That''s a no brain... but...>


    Erik wasn''t able to decide between somebinations.


    <Illusion Weaver and Chameleon Veil... The first might make the second make mepletely invisible. But there were other alternatives, for example, Illusion Weaver and Instability


    could also be viable.>


    Erik''s ability to influence the others might be formidable. Illusion Weaver was a good power, one that allowed him to fool the ckguards whenever he had to leave to make clones.


    Bringing the powers of Instability and Illusion Weaver together might lead to entirely new opportunities.


    Enhancing the Instability brain crystal power could change how it affected other people and open up fresh possibilities for mind reading.


    Thisbination might let Erik to create visions and hallucinations in the heads of his


    opponents.


    In a fight, this might be a very effective weapon even if the Illusion Weaver by itself was effective for this purpose.


    What Erik really wanted from a possiblebination was to make people consider particr facts or concepts without directly posing questions meant to do so, so improving and hiding


    his mind-reading skills.


    The actual results might differ from these hypotheses, though.


    Still, the best results would be to keep the illusion weaver able to produce illusions in real life or acquire invisibility abilities.


    <An alternative could be to merge the result of the shapeshifting abilities with the Chameleon


    Veil.>


    But somehow, that didn''t sound good to Erik. The shapeshifting ability had nothing to do with ''concealment'' in a strict sense.


    It morphed Erik physically. It was great to infiltrate and fool people, but the shapeshifters he''d got these powers from didn''t use their abilities for disguise. Well, not everyone, at least.


    They weaponized their transformations, partially shapeshifting into the creatures, and gain their strength.


    Some could be able to fly, some got a strength multiplier. Most could increase their senses.


    <I have to make a choice.>


    Erik stopped to think for a second. Then he decided.


    <All right, I''ve reached a conclusion. System, I want you to merge the following powers: Force Maniption and Exoshield, Wyvern''s mes and Solid Frostwind, Illusion Weaver and Chameleon Veil, Human and Beast Shapeshifting. Now, while merging them, use the editing ability to steer the merging into this direction: Exoshield and Force Maniption must create something simr to Gwen''s armor, but with Nathaniel''s destructiveness. Illusion Weaver and Chameleon Veil must be merged, but choose yourself in what direction they must go. I will trust your judgment. Then, merge Human and beast shapeshifting. I want something that makes me shapeshift in whatever I want. Don''t be stingy with the DNA points. Thest, well, you can understand what I want with Wyvern''s mes and Solid frostwind.>


    <You took your time with this, uh? And here I thought everything I forced you to do made you


    more firm.>


    <Yeah... thanks for having reminded me how cruel you are!>


    <Oh, you are wee, of course!>


    Erik paused for a second. <How much DNA points do you think I will need to spend?>


    The biological supeputer didn''t immediately reply.


    <Let me make a quickputation.>


    Erik nodded. <Take your time.>N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With that, the biological supeputer''s gears started spinning. It took little for the AI to


    come up with a result, despite it having to not only find out how to merge and modify the powers, find a bnce, achieve the best result, andst,puting the requirements. And with that theplex structures of the biological supeputer spun. Though the artificial intelligence was unfazed, despite how difficult the nature of its job was.


    The challenge was enormous because the AI not only had to find a way tobine and alter


    the current brain crystalpowers but also to find a careful bnce and get the best result, one that was suitable for Erik and his requests.


    Apart from this, the AI also had to calcte what was needed for sessful implementation


    of its master''s ideas.


    <All of them, and you have enough.>


    <Ah... fuck... this means I will have to grind again, right?>


    <Yes.>