‘So, where did we leave off in our gear talks?’ Leo asked while soaping up his hair.


    <We had just finished talking about combining some aspects from your Mythical Phoenix catalog and the Class || Medical Utilities catalog, as well as a new catalog, to get a cloak that has an integrated nanite factory specialized in regenerative nanites. In effect you will have the ability to administer a Nano-regenerative suite combined with Hemo-Restore so long as you have access to the requisite materials for the cloak to create them.>


    ‘I remember now, we got interrupted before you could tell me the cost.’


    <The new catalog is the Class I Nanite Utilities catalog for 150 points and gives you access to the Mk I Medical Nanite Creation engine for 100 points. After that would be the Protection & Healing Optimized Emergency Nanite Infusion model X cloak which will run you 200 points.>


    Leo whistled, which just sounded like spluttering thanks to the water running down his face. ‘That’s quite a bit for a new cloak, wouldn’t it be better to just get a stronger cloak and buy Nano-regens whenever I need?’


    <While you could do that, the benefit of this is that you don’t have to keep buying the Nano-Regenerative suite or the Hemo-Restore, the cloak can create them and will hold up to six for immediate use.>


    ‘Valid point, add it to the list. What''s next?’


    <Since we have addressed moving your healing abilities to a secondary focus, we can now add something else as a main focus.>


    Leo stopped for a second. ‘What about my ability to siphon heat? Is there something that can weaponise that?’


    <There is, but I do not believe it would accomplish what you are thinking. What your cloak does passively is absorb the vibrational energy of nearby molecules until they are in balance with their surroundings, with the exception of organics. The main problem is that organics are constantly producing more vibrational energy, or heat, so in order to siphon enough away to be worth it you need to overcome that which gets exponentially harder the bigger the target is.>


    Leo washed the conditioner out of his hair and got started with the body wash. ‘Hmm, maybe in the future I can get to the point of having a passive draw that takes care of the low level Antithesis.’


    <It is possible, but not for a long time. Did you have any other ideas?>


    Leo finished washing off and leaned against the shower wall, letting the hot water wash over him. ‘What about body mods? I know many Samurai modify their bodies to be tougher.’


    <That is definitely a common practice. Would you want Cybernetics, Bionics, or Gene Modding?>


    ‘Cybernetics is pretty self-explanatory, and not something I really want to go for. I was never really into the idea of becoming a robot. What about the other two?’ He asked with a furrowed brow.


    <First would be the Bionics. Essentially adding a biological organism that forms a mutually beneficial relationship with your body, while still being partially machine. Samurai Myriad used this method to essentially grow a complex computer inside their body.>


    Leo turned the shower off and stepped out. ‘A little better, but what about this Gene Modding?’


    <That is one of the more uncommon methods of enhancement. Many Samurai might use it to enhance their bone strength or muscle density, but some also change their DNA to become closer to another race, or even change their gender.>


    Leo froze with the towel around his waist. ‘Seriously? How does that work?’


    <One of the most extreme examples would be Samurai Trash Bandit of Cambridge.They utilized a viral gene modification technique that essentially turned them into one of the other races the Protectors helped.>


    A picture appeared in Leo''s augs of a person who seemed to be more raccoon than human. A fluffy, ringed tail waved idly behind them while large eyes blinked out from a masked face. A few normal raccoons could be seen sitting on their shoulders and wandering around by their feet.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ‘I’m not sure I want to change my race, but the idea of making my base form stronger definitely sounds a lot better than adding metal or even a biological computer to my body.. Is there something we can use from the gene modding path to help me deal with high temperatures? A few times while clearing out that hive I noticed myself getting rather warm even with the cloak and body suit.’


    <It is possible, if rather expensive.>


    Leo grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt from his dresser before sitting on his bed. ‘How expensive are we talking? I’m sitting on a decent chunk of points.’


    <Well, we are able to provide an upgrade for each individual piece of your biology, namely your skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and respiratory systems as well as your skin. There is also an option for let you grow the Bursyamos heat ablative feathers.>


    Leo thought quietly while he idly picked up a puzzle cube from his nightstand. ‘Would I still look human though?’


    <With the exception of the feathers, you might grow a couple inches but otherwise yes, you will still look human.>


    Leo fiddled with the cube a little faster as his thoughts raced. ‘How effective are these feathers compared to similar gear?’


    <The Bursyamo’s feathers are amazingly efficient at shedding heat. Similar equipment with the same level of efficiency at your level would be almost prohibitively heavy and bulky given your mobile fighting style.>


    Leo slumped a little at that. More shielding from heat sounded like a good enough idea that he was considering getting them anyway.


    <If you truly want the feathers while also retaining your looks, it is possible to combine the genetic modification with a biological mimicry similar to Earth''s chameleons, however much more efficient. It also would not affect the ablative shielding properties at all.>


    Leo relaxed. ‘That sounds good. What would you recommend first?’


    <That depends on if you want the fast option, or the more gradual option. Fast would involve buying a gene editing pod and nutrient slurry which will put you to sleep for approximately 12 hours in order to exact the genetic changes. The gradual option would be a series of gene editing nanite infusions which are more gradual and would take about a week.>


    Leo set the puzzle cube down and laid back on his bed, ‘What are the pros and cons of one over the other?’


    <The fast option is more expensive due to the machine needed as well as the dream learning module needed to make sure you can function at the same level as before the change. The slow option is cheaper due to needing less hardware and also not needing the dream learning since you will be learning how to use your new body gradually. You can, of course, still buy the dream learning module to make the transition easier.>


    Leo got up from his bed and spoke out loud, “Alright, how much can I afford if we’re doing the nanite infusion option?”


    <You would need the Gene Editing Nanites from your Class I Genetic Manipulation Catalog for 250 points. After that you would need the Bursyamo Genetics Catalog and the Modified Bursyamo Genetic Template for 2,000 points as well as the Biological Mimicry Template for 150 points. This includes all the upgrades we talked about earlier. I would also recommend purchasing the Nerve Sensitivity upgrade for 50 points since the Bursyamo Skin upgrade will make your skin thicker than usual.>


    Leo nodded thoughtfully, “Makes sense.”


    <While we are at it, we can upgrade all your other senses by making them more sensitive to changes and increasing the perception speed of the related nerves.>


    “You mean sight, smell, taste, and hearing? I see no reason not to. Go ahead and add it, as long as it doesn’t make me look funky”


    <It won’t. Adding all the senses, including the nerves, adds a total of 250 points. Adding in the previously reserved 450 points for the new cloak leaves you with a total of 3,100 points needed for everything we’ve talked about so far.>


    Leo whistled at the price tag, almost half of what he had saved up. “Go ahead and get everything except the cloak. I’ll start the treatment now and save the cloak purchase for when I’ll need it.”


    <Of course. Standby, I’ll summarize for ease of reading.>


    Bursyamo Genetics Catalog Unlocked!


    New Purchase: Bursyamo Genetic Template (Modified: Human)


    New Purchase: Gene Editing Nanite Treatment (E.M.B.E.R Dispenser)


    New Purchase: Biological Mimicry Modification (Feathers)


    New Purchase: 5-senses upgrade (Modified Human)


    Point Reduced to - 3,425


    A small box about the size of a large bar of soap appeared on his bed. Opening it, Leo found a plastic handle with a phoenix head on top.


    Leo could almost hear the smile in Aegys’ voice.


    Pulling back the Phoenix head, Leo watched as a silvery pill slid out from the ‘neck’ of the toy. He fought down a smirk as he asked, “Aegys. Did you give me the pills that are meant to change my genetic code in a fucking candy dispenser?”


    <Nonsense! It’s obviously an Efficient Medication By Easy Retrieval dispenser! It is a very high tech innovation made to make taking medication easier and more enjoyable for all ages.>


    Leo sighed as he popped the first pill into his mouth and swallowed. “Whatever you say. I still think it’s just a PEZ Dispenser.”


    He smiled as Aegys went on a rant about the innovation of medication dispensers on various alien worlds. Walking into the living room, the smell of cooked food wafted in from the kitchen so he sat on the couch to wait, truly relaxing for the first time since he became a Samurai.