《My Clones Are Special》 Chapter 1: Awakening In the year 2026, the most beautiful and peaceful sight humans had witnessed introduced itself in the form of an aurora. Ironic considering the era would, later on, bring nothing but carnage in its wake. The event would thereafter be dubbed by many names such as "The superhuman era", "God''s judgement", "The apocalypse" etc. but mainly it was referred to as "The Aurora Event" or "AE" for short. The aurora lasted roughly 3 days and scientists could not make heads or tails out of it. Several months later, individuals around the globe started showing signs of the supernatural. Needless to say, the age of humanity became the age of superhumans or "gifted" as medically diagnosed by mainstream science. At first, many people were excited with the thoughts of gaining abilities themselves. Of course, most were skeptical of the things that may follow and held themselves indoors for what seemed to be like a lifetime to them. As if to prove their worries correct, reports from around the globe started flooding in from lootings to the most heinous crimes imaginable. As you would expect, the aftermath was abysmal. Moreover, it seemed it was not just humans that had gained abilities, but animals and plants as well. Your next-door neighbour''s pet who used to leave its droppings around your house may have suddenly become a ferocious three-headed hell-hound bent on making your life more miserable, or even the orchid on your shelf may have become a poisonous flytrap. Lives were being lost at a tremendous rate and this era would last for approximately 80 years until authorities from around the world finally managed to put a system in place that would keep gifted individuals from abusing their power. Most countries also built districts around their cities to keep the mutated monsters and plants away. Although it was not considered foolproof, especially in some countries, it did more than enough to usher in a somewhat peaceful environment at the least. In the end, a total of 3.6 billion people lost their lives in this era. It was not all doom and gloom, however, as with the coming of abilities came a technological revolution that catapulted the world to greater heights, and made life easier for most. Fast forward to the year 2148, a young light-skinned man who seemed to be roughly about 5''9" with light brown eyes and silky, curly black hair was enjoying his final weeks of term break. This young man goes by the name Liam Holdsworth and he turned 17 a couple of months ago. Currently, he was laying flat down on his stomach with one eye open staring at his alarm clock. A few minutes later, the alarm clock started to beep and the time displayed was [11:30 AM]. Liam quickly slapped it to get to stop beeping and brought out his phone. He opened up the ''World Gifted Organization'' or ''WGO'' website and entered his login details. He swiftly read through the details that they had sent him with no hopes or expectations in mind. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''Third time''s the charm my ass.'' He had just read an unfortunate piece of text explaining to him that with the blood sample he had sent them, they were able to determine that he had not been awakened as a gifted, but should he ever, he is to inform the WGO. It concluded with the consequences that the gifted would face should they not, as it did not just affect society, but in most cases may bring harm to the individual as well. He put his phone down and went to make himself some breakfast. He lived alone as his parents died when he was 13 years old on a mission to exterminate mutated monsters around the district border. The news came down on him especially hard as they were his only relatives. Ever since then, he has been living off government funding as well as the remaining money they had left him in their will. ''Mum awakened the ability to attract and repel small objects when she was 12, and dad awakened the ability to harden any body part when he was 13. I thought I would have awakened one of these abilities by now'' Liam thought as he spread jam on his toast. He didn''t eat much as he liked to conserve his money. It took him $350 just to confirm whether or not he had awakened, and he had already done this 3 times in the span of a year. He had every right to be worried though because there have been no known cases where someone awakens as a gifted after the age of 22, so every year that he remained unawakened pretty much signalled that he should stop having any expectations. It''s not as if it was a death sentence to those who had not awakened an ability as they still lived a relatively easy life with technological advancements, and the really rich could afford gadgets that could keep up or even overtake most of the gifted. However, with the way Liam''s bank account was set up, it seems he would not be able to afford any of these gadgets any time soon. He hopped back into bed to binge watch some anime for the rest of the day, seeing as he had nothing else to do other than study for the upcoming term, but who was he kidding, he knew was never going to get anything above average, which he didn''t mind. Days turned into weeks, and there was only 1 week left until the new term began where Liam would reunite with his old classmates. Liam was scrolling past videos on the ''WorldTube'' website when he suddenly felt a small migraine. He thought it would go away, but it was still persisting even after a couple minutes, so he stood up to grab a glass of water, but on the way to the kitchen... *Thud* He had passed out. ''Ow... my head hurts... w-what time is it?'' he thought as he looked over at his alarm clock The time displayed was [05:27 AM] ''Holy crap that can''t be right.'' He took his phone from the bedside table and checked that the date was Friday the 23rd of August and the time was now [05:28 AM]. ''I was out cold for most of the day yesterday, what the hell happened? Wait, something feels weird'' Instinctively, as if he felt he had grown another limb, Liam tried moving this ''limb'' to get it to move. "O-Ow, what the fu- Ah-AHHHHHHH" It felt as if his body was being ripped into millions of pieces and there was nothing he could do to get the pain to stop. Once again, Liam passed out cold. Waking up as if he had just been hit by a truck, he felt as if all the muscles in his body had contorted, and ended up staring at the ceiling for a couple of seconds, but certain words spoken by an unknown person brought him out of his stupor. "So are you just gonna lay down there for the rest of your life?" Liam turned his head to the side only to question what the hell he was seeing. ''Why am I over there? And more importantly, why am I naked?'' ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: And so begins my first ever novel. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a comment, review, follow and favourite if possible, thanks. Chapter 2: Clone "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?!" Liam shouted at the skinny naked man that strangely resembled him too well. "I''m you, idiot. I''ve had a chance to somewhat figure out what happened while you were passed out. I think we''ve awakened an ability of some sort" replied the naked man. Liam''s eyes almost popped out of his socket when he heard those words and tried to stand up only to be met with pain all over his body. "So this is what I look like from someone else''s view? I''m pretty damn handsome if I do say so myself" said the naked man as he nodded his head. "What are talking about? What ability? Why are you naked?" In the end, the naked man explained to Liam his summary of events. A couple of hours had gone by and Liam had finally gained back some mobility, albeit his muscles were still hurting. "So just to summarize one more time, when I passed out, you noticed me on the floor, but you still had the same memories that I had up until that point?" "Exactly" "And you think that I have the ability to make an exact clone of myself?" "It''s the only solution I can think of at the moment, I tried ''activating'' the ability myself but it didn''t seem to do anything." "So basically I can create a clone of myself?" asked Liam still not believing what he was able to hear. "How many times do we have to go over this dumbass?" said the clone. "Fuck you" "No. Fuck you. Wait, I am you so we''re basically fucking each other." "Sorry dude, but I like girls." Said Liam holding his arms crossed against his chest. "Ugh, god you''re annoying. This is why Jennifer broke up with you. You never take anything seriously." Said the clone with his palm sliding down his face. "Whatever I can''t stand your voice anymore, how do I cancel this ability, is it even possible?" Instantly the clone''s eyes nearly popped out, although he was aware that he was a clone, he did not feel like one. He didn''t know what would happen if Liam were to cancel the ability, but he thought it would be the same as death. All he knew was that he did not want to die. At that moment, he bolted towards the door. "H-hey where are you going?" Liam said, but then instantly realised he would have done the same thing if the positions were swapped. However, the last thing Liam wanted was for anyone to see a naked version of himself running out of his apartment complex. "STOP!" Liam shouted as he felt something within him channelling his desire for the clone to stop his movements. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Wh-what did you do to me, why can''t I move?!" "No idea, I just wanted you to stop and you did, so I think I''m able to control you?" Liam said as he walked towards his clone, albeit slowly as his muscles were still aching. "I wonder to what extent am I able to control you?" Liam said smirking. "So you get a bit of power and it instantly goes to your head? Why don''t you fight me like a man and we''ll see who''s really in charge." "Shut up" said Liam "If you tell me what 5+5 is I''ll let you move again" Liam said trying to tempt the clone just in case he was being tricked. ... ... "Holy shit it works, you really can''t speak?" "Nice, I think I''m getting the hang of this. I know you must be cursing the hell out of me right now" Liam said as he stared his clone in the eyes. "Well now, what to do with you..." Liam said as he pinched the clone by his cheekbones. As if feeling a spark, Liam felt a stronger connection with his clone and instinctively felt he knew how to cancel it. It seemed to him that he had to be in contact with his clone in order to withdraw it, but he felt with time he would be able to cancel it from anywhere. As he ''cancelled'' his ability, the clone merged back into him as if he was a whirlpool that was sucking in everything around him. "Ah- AHHHH FUCK that hurts!" Liam shouted as he massaged his head. ''Wait a minute...'' Liam felt strange, although he remembered most of the conversation he was having with his clone in these last few hours, for some reason he was able to remember everything his clone had said and done, word by word, and every little movement. ''Trippy... my memory has never been that good. If this is my ability then I have to experiment more with what I am able to do with it. I thought if I ever did get an ability it would be like mum or dad, but who would have guessed I''m part of the percentile that awakens a completely different ability than their parents?'' "Argh, everything hurts." As excited as he was for finally awakening an ability, he could no longer go against his tired body and crashed back onto his bed. *** [Saturday the 24th of August 11:48 AM] "Holy shit!" "I can recall everything the clone did perfectly... so it wasn''t a dream?" ''Only one way to confirm this... but how do I make sure that the clone doesn''t just run off again, or even worse, kill me? Nah, I don''t think I would do that.'' ''Wait, if I can control it after it''s created, maybe I can control it before?'' "Please don''t kill me, please don''t kill me, please don''t kill me." He kept on repeating. As if acting on instinct, and although he still felt like control over his ability was still somewhat weak, he felt as if he knew how to alter his clone''s ''setting'' to be more inclined to behave in the way he expected. ''Here goes nothing'' Liam sighed knowing the amount of pain that he was about to go through. "A-Arghh AGHHHH!" "FUCK" Liam shouted, and although it hurt, it didn''t hurt as much as it did yesterday. "Holy" Liam said as he stared at the naked person to his side. "It really is another me..." "Hey... I''m going to cancel the ability now okay?" ... ... "You don''t want to run away? Now''s your chance." ... ... ''Perfect'' Liam made sure that the clone would not be able to run away from him, hurt him or talk unless instructed. "Okay, go to the living room and bring the dictionary." "Read a random page, and tell me when you''re done." After roughly half an hour, the clone had finished reading a single page. Liam then promptly recalled his ability, which brought him another, less slightly wave of pain. He spent the next hour going through ''his'' memory and what the clone had read from the dictionary. Afterwards, he went through the words starting with ''J'' from the page the clone had opened and compared them line by line, word for word until he was satisfied with his findings. "Yes, I feel quite jubilant indeed." Liam said while closing the book with one hand and smirking. "Well then, shall we get started?" ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Jubilant: feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph. Chapter 3: Researching Ability ''So anything my clone sees or learns I never forget.'' ''Not very helpful in terms of raw power or combat, especially in a world where I could get killed at any moment. But what is the extent of this ability? I need to find out more.'' It was clear to Liam that any actions his clone took, he would never forget as long as the clone was merged back into him. However, was that really all to his ability? He couldn''t be sure so he had to do more research, and the best place to start was on the official WGO website. Here, one could learn everything related to gifted. ''No.. no, not that.. ah, here it is, replication abilities.'' --- Abilities are categorized into different types, Enhancement, Elementalist, Manipulation, Psionic, Transformation and Special: Enhancement: Gifted that specialize in being able to physically strengthen themselves or objects. - Common enhancement abilities include super strength, super speed etc. - About 40% of gifted fall into this category. Elementalist: Gifted that specialize in manipulating a certain element. - Common elementalist abilities include manipulation of fire, earth, water and wind. There are even those who can manipulate rarer elements such as lightning. - About 25% of gifted fall into this category. Manipulation: Gifted that specialize in controlling animate or inanimate things. - Common manipulation abilities include telekinesis and animal control. - About 18% of gifted fall into this category. Transformation: Gifted that specialize in morphing into superior shapes or forms. - Common transformation abilities include shape-shifting and beast transformation. - About 12% of gifted fall into this category. Psionic: Gifted that specialize in mental as well as psychic-based powers. - Common psionic abilities include telepathy, teleportation and precognition. - About 5% of gifted fall into this category. Special: Gifted that do not fit in any of the five other categories, most that fall under this category contain a unique gift. - No known common ability - About < 1% of gifted fall into this category --- ''No.. not that.. ah, this seems similar to what I have.'' Liam said as he read the words on his monitor. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. --- Doppelg?nger Physiology: The ability to create a duplicate of oneself that is composed of energy. Category: Manipulation Ability rank: D- Rank explanation: As with the case with all duplication abilities, the clone will disappear after the user has run out of energy. Not very useful in combat, unlike elemental clones. Serves as a distraction at best. --- "Wha...?" ''So my ability is called Doppelg?nger Physiology? And it''s a Manipulation type of ability, and... it''s rank is only D-?'' "Well that sucks." ''I wonder why it''s not mentioned that the clone has perfect memory of everything it experiences? Wouldn''t that bump up the rank? Or did they factor that in as well? Maybe it''s just not up to date or there aren''t that many users with the same type of ability.'' ''Even if it''s not an overpowered ability, an ability is an ability. For now at least I have a slav- a ''helper'' to do my homework for me.'' Liam smirked as he thought about what he planned to do later on in the evening. *** [10:02 PM] ''Alright, I think I''ve rested enough, time to clone my sexy ass'' Liam thought as he activated his ability and instilled his will towards his clone. "mRGH argh.." ''Still painful, but definitely not as much as before. So I guess it''s like a muscle, I''ll get used to it the more I use it?'' Liam thought as he stared at his newly created clone. "Alright, now what to do with you?" "See that pile of books over there? Pick up the one about Economic and Social History" ''I think that''s the one I''m failing most in right? I don''t even know at this point'' "If you finish that then pick up the one about General Studies, then whatever tickles your fancy, nod if you understand" *Nods* The clone gave a nod then headed towards the pile of books that looked like they haven''t been touched in years. "I''m leaving my education in your capable hands, don''t let me down" Liam said as he watched his clone walk away. ''Time to get some shut eye'' *** [Sunday the 25th of August 10:19 AM] Liam was confused when he woke up, he completely forgot about the fact that his clone relied on an ''energy'' source, he wasn''t exactly sure what that source was or where it was coming from, but that''s not what left him confused. In front of him, the clone had moved to the living room and was still reading. But what irked him was that the clone was reading a book called ''Basic Maths for Dummies''. ''I didn''t even know I had that book...'' "What the hell are you doing, this isn''t what I told you to read idiot" ... ... "Oh right, forgot I made it so you can''t talk back to me... ugh" "Whatever... how long have you been awake?" ... .. "Just use your fingers, aren''t you the one reading maths for dummies?" Liam said with a smirk on his face, proud of his diss to himself. "...12 hours? How is that even possible, I mean, I don''t think I consciously activated you again while I was sleeping, but I thought I needed to draw out energy from somewhere to keep you activated?" ''Is this like that anime where the guy has an unlimited amount of mana, is that what I have?!'' Liam thought as he rested his chin on his hand. ''No it''s too soon to assume anything, I have to do more research into this'' "For now I hope you had your fun learning about your times tables, but next time focus on what I tell you to do moron" Liam said as he withdrew his clone back into himself. .. .. "ARRGGGHHHHHH- MMgHh" Liam belted out for a couple of minutes, only to try to then muffle his screams. "What the hell was that" Liam said panting. He felt as if he had a bad hangover, but forgot all about the pain in the next second. "The first case of a gifted individual was discovered on the border of Namibia which has now become one of the desolate zones..." "Professor Charlie Xanov''s widely acclaimed hypothesis on the source of gifted power was proven to be false due to..." "A decimal number in which all the digits repeat looks something like 0.123123..." Liam kept speaking words as if he was possessed. It was only after 10 minutes did he realize what he was doing. "Holy shit, I''m a goddamn genius!" ''So he wasn''t just messing around all night? Oh, right I did tell him he could read anything after he was done with the other books. Oh well, not like I can apologize to him anyway. Wait, yes I can. I''m sorry me, I''m awesome so don''t take it personally'' ''Jokes aside, I can see myself getting smarter with this ability, but just being smart isn''t going to help me in a world overrun by beasts.'' ''I need to properly plan a course of action on what I want to achieve from here on out.'' Liam thought as he walked towards his drawer to get a pen and pencil. After thinking for a while, he noted down the 3 things he wanted to achieve most. ''Power, Wealth, Influence'' Chapter 4: Another Clone Liam started making notes on the goals he wanted to achieve now that he had awakened an ability. It''s not as if he did not have goals before, but now they needed to be altered due to the appearance of his newfound gift. [Power: I still need to learn more about my ability, but as it stands, it''s clear as day that my clone won''t be able to help me out in a fight. Wealth: Unless I sell my clone to those with strange fetishes, I''m not sure how I can make money from this ability. Influence: I can barely talk to my classmates without them thinking I''m some sort of fool, how would I be able to influence anybody.] Liam kept pondering and scratching his head on how he would be able to achieve all of this but could not come to any conclusion. Upon looking to his side, he saw a stack of books that had still been left untouched. ''Oh right, I should test how long I can have the clone active.'' Liam thought, noticing that his migraine had disappeared. *Splits* "Make me breakfast, then get to reading." Liam commanded as he stared at the time displayed on the alarm clock. [10:49 AM] *Nods* The clone gave a nod then headed towards the kitchen to prepare a dish while Liam kept pondering more about how to achieve his goals. A few minutes later the Clone came back with buttered toast and jam, then immediately picked up the nearest book ''Intermediate Maths for Dummies''. ''Ah, this is the life, getting someone else to do your work for you while you reap the benefits without a care in the world. Nice and relaxing.'' Liam said while he folded his hands behind his head. "Wait a minute, relaxing?" Liam said, noticing something was strange. ''That''s weird, why do I not feel any pain? Or any muscle ache like before?'' ''Have I adapted? It was definitely getting less painful each time I activated it.'' "Hah, so I guess I can activate it now without feeling like I''m getting hit by a truck." Liam said, but then instantly realized something. ''Hold on, each time I activated my ability, I didn''t have a clone active in the first place... what would happen if I ''activate'' it again, would the clone just disappear or would it be replaced?'' Liam said as he looked towards his clone sitting in the living room. ''Well, here goes nothing I guess'' Liam said as he activated his ability once more. "ARGGGH-MMRARGHHHHH" Liam shouted causing his clone to stare at him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Fuck that hur-" Liam stopped as he noticed a naked version of himself was standing next to him. Liam slowly looked over at the clone in the living room, then turned his head back to look besides him. He was staring at another clone of himself. "Holy shit" ''So I can make another clone? Just how many am I able to make? Can I make another one now?'' "mRHM" Liam groaned as he tried to stand up. ''Probably best to wait until I recover before trying something like that again. But this opens up a lot more capabilities of what I''m able to do with my ability.'' ''But what sort of ability is this? It''s clear that it''s not Doppelg?nger Physiology which I thought it was, but I definitely don''t remember seeing an ability that creates an exact copy of oneself multiple times, unless it''s an elemental ability, but this definitely isn''t an elemental ability.'' ''Well, it''s not as if all abilities are known and noted on the site anyway...'' ''There''s so much I have to figure out, but one thing''s for sure, I have another slav- helper.'' "Now what to do with you?" "For now I''ll name you number 2." "Your mission should you choose to accept, and you will, is to first clean up the apartment, and after that do some workouts. So sit ups, push ups, pull ups... I don''t know any other workout, but those 3 will do for now, and you are to do it until I tell you otherwise." *Nods* Clone #2 nodded and went to pick up a mop nearby. "Wait, put on some shorts at least, it''s one thing to not look at clone 01, but if you''re cleaning up the apartment and working out, I don''t want to see your dick swinging everywhere". ''Alright, I think I should be able to learn more about my power with this. I''ll learn how long I can have the first clone active while he does some studying, and now I should be able to learn if i''m able to absorb the physical training a clone has done.'' "Needs more butter..." Liam said taking a munch of his breakfast. *** [11:49 PM] Liam was unable to believe what he was seeing. He created the first clone at 10:49 AM and had been doing different activities to pass the time. Currently it had just turned 23:49 PM but the clone was still active and reading away, albeit, his eyes were a little red. Previously the clone he created had stayed activated for 12 hours, but this time Liam was awake to see it, and not only that, but this clone had stayed activated even longer. Meanwhile the other clone had practically made the apartment spotless, then had been working out for over 5 hours. "Number 2 come over here." ''I''ll absorb back the second clone for now before I head to bed.'' Liam decided it was better for him to absorb the clone now, rather than next morning as he assumed it would be harder for him to move around due to the headache he receives when he absorbs a clone like the last time. Moreover, the clone had his frame which was quite scrawny and had been struggling to do physical activity for the last couple hours, so it had to take some breaks in between. *Absorb* Liam willed as he put his hand on the shoulder of his second clone. As expected, a wave of pain rushed into Liam as he tried his best to stifle his groans. It wasn''t until about half an hour later did he regain some sense of relief. ''I know there are abilities that have their own sort of backlash when used but this is just ridiculous. Do I have to go through this every single time?'' Liam said said as he laid sprawled across his bedroom floor, drenched in his own sweat. "Goddamn it I just cleaned this place." ''At least I don''t lose my clothes.'' Liam said has he noticed the pants that the clone was wearing were now laying on the floor next to him. "So tired" Liam said as his eyes became heavy. Using whatever strength he had left, he removed his clothes and passed out on the bed. *** [Monday the 26th of August 1:08 PM] "Everything hurts..." Liam said as he got out of bed. ''Usually by now most of the pain would have gone, but it feels as if my bones have been crushed. Could this be due to absorbing the clones physical workout? It''s too soon to assume anything for now I guess.'' "More importantly..." Liam said as he stared at his alarm clock and then to the person of interest. ''This fucker is still active and has been reading for an entire day?!'' Liam thought as he stared dumbfound at his clone who seemed to have bloodshot eyes. Chapter 5: The Ones Who Cure ''I''m not religious, but Jesus H. Christ.'' "Dude, put the book down and get some sleep." *Nods* The clone nodded and went to get some much-needed shut-eye. ''Awake for an entire day, doing nothing but reading. I could never.'' ''So my clones need rest as much as any other person.'' Liam thought thinking about his last 2 clones. ''The clone that I assigned physical activity could barely do 15 push-ups, 10 sit-ups and 5 pull-ups before it needed to rest. And the clone that I assigned to do nothing but read seemed as if his eyes were going to pop any minute from stress.'' ''I guess 8 hours of sleep should be enough... I''ll wake him up then.'' Liam considered absorbing back the clone, but he thought he was not in the best condition to do so just yet. More importantly, he still wanted to know if he had a limit on how long he could have his clones activated, and although the clone had already been active for more than 24 hours, he needed to experiment more. "Shit, does this mean I have to make my own breakfast?" Liam said as he realized he did not have a clone at the moment to rely on so had to grab a snack from the kitchen counter. "Welp, in the meantime, I guess I''ll continue watching 21st-century anime." "I still can''t believe the ending of One Piece, truly brilliant. And it''s a shame Hunter x Hunter was never finished, I wanted to learn more about the dark continent." *** [9:37 PM] *Yawns* "Well, would you look at that, time flies by when watching greatness." Liam said as he walked towards the living room. "Oi, get your ass up." The clone slowly opened his eyelids and made eye contact with Liam. *Growls* "..." "Was that me or you?" Liam said hearing the sounds of stomach grumbling. ... ... "Ah right, I guess you do require food, sorry about that. I''m a bit peckish as well." ''I think enough time has passed to allow my body some rest, so I should be able to create another.'' *Splits* "MRaAGH- MOTHERFUCKER THAT HURTS!" Liam shouted as he fell on the couch. "g-Go.. make the two of us... food.. now." Liam said while panting." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. *Nods* The newly created clone nodded and headed to the kitchen. "As... as for you.. keep reading." *Nods* The first clone nodded and carried on reading from where he left off. By this point, he had already read most of the books in the apartment and was currently going through the dictionary. The second clone had come back half an hour later with 2 plates of pasta mixed with bacon and mayonnaise. Liam wasn''t sure what to do with the clone yet, so it was made to stand there as it watched the other two eat in the meantime. *** [10:33 PM] By now Liam had finished eating, and the first clone carried on with his reading, but Liam wasn''t sure what to do with his other clone. He thought he should carry on giving it physical exercise but realized he had put too much of a strain on the first clone that did it, which ended up causing him even more backlash, and he did not want this to happen again, as he wanted his body to rest after what it''s been through the last couple of days. But he couldn''t think of anything for the clone to do. He gave the first clone the task of reading all the books in the apartment and didn''t feel the need to give the same order to the second clone since most of the books had already been finished. ''Wait a minute, why does it have to be just books?'' Liam said and stared in the direction of his mobile phone. ''My clones can remember everything they see, so why do books have to be the only source of information to learn from?'' "God bless the internet." Liam said with a massive grin on his face. "Number 2, go pick up my phone and start learning about ways to make me smarter, I don''t care what you start with, just get it done." "Also, delete my browsing history before you start..." *Nods* The second clone nodded heavily in response. ''That takes care of everything I guess. I''ll have the first clone increase my vocabulary, and have the other find new ways to make me smarter.'' ''But what will happen if I''m able to make a 3rd clone? I''m fine with having someone use my phone while I''m not using it, but I can''t have them use my laptop as well...'' ''I''ll cross that bridge when I get there I guess.'' ''It seems number 1 will run out of books soon, I should make a trip to the library tomorrow to get some more.'' ''Now that I think about it, I can''t even remember the last time I went to the library.'' "I''ve only got one week left of vacation until the next term of school starts, can''t waste even a second of it." Liam said while yawning. He planned to continue his session of binge-watching anime before he headed to bed. But before that, Liam decided to head back to his laptop and check social media to see how his friends were doing before he would meet them a week from now. Just as he was about to search for their names, he noticed that the trending tab on twatter was filled with the same topic. He clicked on the first link on the trending tab out of curiosity and played the video from what seemed to be a popular broadcasting news network. "BREAKING NEWS" "The grade B gifted ''Howard Lowe'' also known as ''Ursa Major'' has been found dead in an alleyway near District 4." "We warn you that the following video contains graphic content that may be disturbing to some viewers, discretion is advised." In the video, it seemed that a battle had taken place in an alleyway due to the amount of damage that could also be seen on the nearby buildings. At the end of the alleyway, one would be able to see the body of a middle-aged man in his thirties with ripped clothing, slumped down against the wall. The ground was dyed in a pool of red, and one would be able to see deep claw marks if zoomed in. Resting on top of the man''s legs and within his arms was none other than his head, with one of his eyes seeming to have been ripped out of its socket. Behind him, on the wall was the WGO logo of a lotus with a shield behind. It seemed to have been crossed out and painted with what could most likely be seen as his own blood, with the following words written above: You are not gifted. You are cursed. You are a virus. We are the cure. We will not rest until your kind has been eradicated. In equality we stand -ILLISTAD ''It''s happening even more often... To think they are even targeting grade B gifted now.'' Liam thought as he stared at the decapitated corpse on the screen. ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Hopefully the novel is enjoyable so far. Unfortunately fight scenes come much later, as I''m more focused on world-building right now. Please favourite and follow if you''re enjoying, and leave a comment and a review to keep me motivated on this, thanks. Chapter 6: Illistad "The body has been confirmed to be that of Howard Lowe, a rank-B gifted with the ability Ursine Physiology." The female news reporter stated as the broadcast stopped showing scenes of the tragedy. "For those not familiar, Ursine Physiology is a transformation type on the higher side which allows the user to have bear-like traits. If I remember correctly, Mr. Lowe was able to transform into a grizzly bear, isn''t that right Jill?" The male news reporter questioned his associate. "That''s right Brian, he would gain an immense boost in strength which makes me wonder how they are able to commit such heinous crimes without using abilities themselves." "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Lowe''s family." Liam stopped the video to take a look at the comment section. ======================================== Alex Marucio ?? (@amarucio): [Scumbags, he was a good man, and did not deserve this. RIP] [??8.3k | ??1k | ??258] -- Mary J. Kartzovitz (@itsMaryK): [What a cruel thing to do. Why has nothing been done about these criminals?!] [??120 | ??13 | ??4] -- Thanos Was Right (@5xterbos): [He and the rest of them have it coming parading themselves as if they are some sort of gods lmao] [??227 | ??138 | ??374] Caterino Mollarton (@catMollarton): [@5xterbos you''re part of the problem. Stop assuming everyone is the same] [??18 | ??2 | ??3] Thanos Was Right (@5xterbos): [@catMollarton Hold this ratio.] [??48 | ??4 | ??5] ======================================== Liam figured that the WGO would put out a statement addressing the situation shortly, as this matter could no longer be contained due to the passing of a rank-B. "Illistad..." He muttered. No one knew when the group was originally formed, but it''s assumed to be a few years after the aurora event. They started off as a small group that would protest against gifted individuals. Claiming that they are a menace to society and needed to be separated from ''normal'' people. They quickly picked up traction, gaining support from different parts of the world. After all, it wasn''t uncommon to see groups of people dying everyday due to a gifted individual. It was harder for a gifted person to control their abilities back then, as they didn''t have the support that existed today. There was a lot of back and forth between pro and anti-gifted, with neither side wanting to let up. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. However, the spectrum started to shift when a young gifted girl started panicking in a political rally due to losing sight of her mother. Needless to say, the girl accidentally let off her ability which caused several blue miniature pulse bombs to be generated around her. The people near her noticed this and started screaming and pushing the people near them, trying to do anything in their power to escape the girl who they mistook as a terrorist, most likely sent from some other country. There were some who considered themselves brave and tackled the girl to the ground, thinking they would be able to stop her. Feeling cornered, she let out a devastating scream, and unwillingly set off the bombs. The damage was terrible. It was reported that 47,382 people died that day, including the young girl. It was speculated that at least 4 times the amount of people were injured. This was also the first time that an ability of this type was seen. The incident introduced the ''Special'' ability category, and caused an influx of anti-gifted supporters. A few months after that tragedy, a gifted individual with the ability to change his hair colour was found dead outside of a bar. CCTV showed he was confronted by a group of 4 men who seemed to have drank too much and noticed him demonstrating his ''trick'' to a co-worker. The video showed them beating him senseless, and the man ended up cracking his head on the pavement. The video was spread on the internet, and the 4 men were found guilty of manslaughter and were each given a sentence of 6 years and a fine. Once again riots and protests occurred, but this time the voices of gifted individuals grew louder. They were tired of the injustice that was being received. Being blamed for another person''s crime and having to take the brunt of it. There were lots of people who realized it wasn''t their fault of course, and deep down knew they needed the gifted to deal with most of the beasts that roam the lands. But most were too scared to voice their true opinion. Illistad, who had grown into a significant force at this point in time could no longer afford to be passive aggressive and started taking matters into their own hands. They would start confronting low rank gifted individuals, making trouble for them here and there, knowing they wouldn''t be able to do anything to gifted with strong abilities. At first it started small, pooping on their doorstep, keying their cars, stealing their deliveries. But several of the members who couldn''t get past the death of their loved ones came together to take matters into their own hands. Gifted individuals on the lower end of the spectrum would start disappearing every month. The stress over the last few years had caused social unrest for everyone. Gifted individuals, strong ability or not, had started to panic, believing they were the next to somehow disappear. Whilst those without abilities were worried if they were able to see the next day. It was a never-ending cycle of unrest. It was truly a darker time. Over the years, the authorities had arrested countless individuals belonging to Illistad, but it did not help the overall situation. It seemed as if one member was arrested, another citizen would take their place. It was hard to differentiate who was for and against their cause unless they spoke their mind. This would go on for decades, until the members started fizzling out, and the authorities created better countermeasures to protect gifted individuals. Like so, the group was considered to be a relic of the past, until 5 years ago when they publicly reappeared with a message, accompanied with the dead body of a rank-D gifted. Since then they have been increasing the number of their targets, as well as aiming for higher ranked gifted. However, this was the first time they had ever targeted a gifted who had a higher rank than C. Or at least, the first time known to the public. It was only natural for the WGO to put out a statement addressing how they would approach this matter to put people at ease. It didn''t take long for them to make a post, after all, the trending tab was filled with nothing but the topic at hand. ======================================== World Gifted Organization ?? (@WGO): [It pains us that such a tragedy would happen to a good man. We send our thoughts and prayers to Mr. Lowe''s family, and will make sure that THE COWARDS behind this spend the rest of their lives locked up.] ~ 7m ago. [??48k | ??5.6k | ??1332] ======================================== Liam closed his laptop, no longer in the mood to message his friends. With the murders of gifted individuals, he started contemplating on something he had not thought of ever since he awakened his ability. "If one of my clones were to die... what would happen to me?" ___________________ [WGO Database] Ursine Physiology: The ability to use the traits of bears or transform into one. Variation of bear may differ. Category: Transformation Ability rank: C ~ B Rank explanation: Greatly enhances the individuals strength, speed, and durability depending on which part of the body is transformed. May also result in a decrease of intelligence. ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Apologies if the chapter felt like an info dump, will try to improve. Leave a comment, follow and favourite if you enjoy so far for faster + more chapters. Chapter 7: Preparations "If one of my clones were to die... what would happen to me?" Liam shuddered at the thought. Now realizing just how limited his knowledge was, he knew he needed to take advantage of his ability to learn as much as he could. *** [Tuesday the 27th of August 11:13 AM] It has been 2 days since his first clone had been created. The first clone had finished reading all the books in the apartment at this point. "Time to get some more books." Liam said admiring the stack of completed books on the table. Liam believed this would be the best time to experiment with how his clones would act in a real-life scenario. However, he wasn''t comfortable enough yet to leave the clone alone, in case something unexpected were to happen. It''s not as if they could communicate mentally as far as he was aware. Like so, Liam mapped out several tasks that his clone needed to go through before he was at a point where he could send out a clone by itself without him worrying about an unexpected variable. Whether it was gaming, shopping or public exercise, he needed to test how his clones would react, as well as how people would react to them in different environments. And once a clone was done with their assigned task, they would head back to his apartment and merge with Liam. *** [1:12 PM] Liam wore casual clothes with a black cap and a face mask to disguise himself. It wasn''t uncommon to see people with face masks due to hygiene purposes, as well as a global pandemic that affected the world a couple of years before the aurora event. His clone wore a grey flannel with black shorts. Liam wanted his clone to also dress casual to not draw much attention. His second clone would remain at home, and carry on researching ''ways to make him smarter'' on his laptop. With plans for the first test mapped out, they headed to the library located a couple of streets from his apartment. *** [2:27 PM] The journey to the library was smooth. Liam always made sure to stay a few buildings away from his clone but made sure it was also within his sight. After the clone entered the library, Liam waited half an hour before heading in himself. Countless bookshelves appeared before him, stretched far and wide, and arranged in such a way that anyone could easily find the information they were looking for. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The scenery made him feel as if he was basking in the warm glow of a higher intelligence as it enveloped and allowed him to become part of its everlasting glory. Liam noticed that there were not many people present. He believed that it was because it was a weekday, and many would be at their workplace. Another reason could be due to physical books not being as popular as e-books in this century due to the advancements in technology. Most preferred the portability, access and comfort they brought as opposed to paperback. However, most that would read physical books would compare them to tools used to stimulate the brain and adjust thinking; a mental tuning; the feeling of the paper against their fingers causing a momentary sensation when they turn each page. The familiar smell of pulp and glue brought them a joy that just couldn''t be brought by digital copies. Although not exactly the same, Liam would describe it as how he prefers 21st-century anime over the 22nd-century, as most anime nowadays would be CGI, but back then animators may spend weeks just to bring about the perfect scene. At a far end corner of the library, he noticed that the clone had already picked up a few books of its choosing, and sat on an empty table, already beginning his reading session. The books mainly consisted of Biology, Mathematics, Economic and Social History. Liam, who did not want to read sat a few tables away and watched WorldTube videos on his phone. And so, hours passed, with no one being none the wiser about the clone. It did get some casual looks here and there as the number of books started piling up on his table, but nothing to warrant suspicion. At times the clone would regularly get up to ask people where he could find a certain book, or make small talk, as per Liam''s instructions earlier in the day. Liam would occasionally smirk when people stared at his clone, thinking that they must believe he is a diligent reader. In reality, most thought he was messing around due to how frequently he would flip the pages, and then went on to mind their own business. The trip to the library was fruitful, with no one having the slightest idea they were interacting with a clone. It wasn''t unusual for gifted to use their abilities in public properties, but most would still require permission from the establishment owner or manager. If caught, there is a chance that they may get into legal trouble. However, no one called Liam out, further reassuring himself that no one would be able to spot the difference unless he told them. This was only natural of course, as the clone was an exact copy of himself, just without the will to go against him. *** [7:24 PM] Arriving back home, Liam decided that the first clone had more than served its purpose. He was contempt with the amount of time it had been activated, and could no longer wait to gain the knowledge it had gathered. *Absorb* Liam willed as he put his hand on the shoulder of his first clone. It felt as if a hurricane of information had swept over his mind. The feeling was only natural as the clone did nothing but study in those two days it had been created. After a couple hours of rest, Liam kept thinking of a certain biology book his clone had read while in the library, and couldn''t help recalling a certain passage. "Mitosis..." "The process in which a cell divides into two cells that each have the same amount of DNA as the original cell." "In essence, I''m not channelling energy like in other abilities, but replicating asexually, creating a genetically identical offspring." ''That would explain the backslash every time I create a new clone...'' "And here I thought it was similar to Shadow Clone Jutsu. Dumbass." ''But still, that does not explain how I''m able to absorb the clone, or the speed of absorption.'' ''After all, there is no opposite of mitosis...'' ''And what is the catalyst which allows me to absorb the clone in seconds?'' *Sigh* ''There''s still too much I don''t know...'' "How do you feel about books?" Liam smiled as he turned his head towards his remaining clone. Like so, he spent the remainder of his week resting and sorting out the memories the first clone had collected. *** [Monday the 2nd of September 7:20 AM] Liam stared at himself in the mirror, admiring his looks. It had been a while since he had last put on his uniform. His holiday had passed in no time at all. It was time for him to head back to school. ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Liam''s vocabulary will gradually increase from here on out, but not to the point you can''t understand anything. Leave a comment, follow and favourite, or I''ll steal your cookies. Chapter 8: Back To School Liam spent the last 3 years of his school life in Merrydale Academy, and was now in his final year. The school was named after the city''s location, and enrolled about 650 students per year. The number was on the higher side due to it being a public school. The school was open for both gifted and non-gifted individuals. However, gifted were unauthorised to use their abilities without a supervisors permission. Of course, this wouldn''t stop most of them from using it. A non-gifted individual with gifted parents would need to submit a mandatory blood test once per year. Liam was one of these people. However, he had already submitted his result several days after he got confirmation from the WGO that he hadn''t awakened an ability. There were 3 other high schools located in his district alone, so it was easier to differentiate students based on their uniform. His school uniform mainly consisted of a maroon blazer with grey trousers or skirts for the girls if they choose, and a striped maroon and white coloured tie. His school was about a 40 minute walk away from his apartment. "I''m heading out now, remember to clean up before I get back." Liam said staring at a clone of himself reading on the couch. *Nods* [8:26 AM] Liam stared at the seating arrangement for class [D-04] This would be his new class for his final year. Most students would be put in a class based on their average grade. It wasn''t discrimination, but mainly to offer better support. Classes ranged from A to E, with E being the students with the worst grades. The "D" stood for his average grade, and the "04" represented the classroom number. The seating arrangement was to stop friends from interfering with each other''s studies, as well as pair some of the better students in the class with the worst. Hoping their studiousness would rub off on them. "Once more into the fray." Liam said getting ready to head in. "H-hey L-Liam!" Said a voice that stopped Liam in his tracks. "Long time no see Akash, how was your holiday?" "G-good" Suddenly Liam felt an arm hang on his shoulder. "Don''t forget about me man." "Of course not. How was your holiday, Lorenzo?" "Parents got divorced, my hamster died, and my sister is still a whore." replied Lorenzo. "...I''m sorry to hear that." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Yeah, I really loved that hamster." These three had been friends since they started at the academy. Akash was of Indian descent, with clear brown skin and silky long black hair, standing at around 5''7". Lorenzo was from a country which had long been overrun by monsters and was now considered a desolate zone. He had white skin with a few pimples around his face, short brown hair, and was roughly the same height as Liam. *Slap* A hand slapped the back of Akash''s head. A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes stood in front of the three friends. He stood at roughly 5''11" and his mannerisms screamed condescending. "Well if it isn''t the 3 rejects, looks like we''re in the same class this term." "Oh.. hey N-N-Nathan." "Still stuttering like a bitch I see." Nathan said while looking down at Akash. "It''s called Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder, asshole. He can''t help it." Lorenzo said glaring at him. "It''s called, call me an asshole again, and I''ll ''borrow'' your lunch money this year as well." Nathan said slapping Lorenzo in the face 3 times before walking away. "I hope Illistad takes him next." whispered Lorenzo. "Dude, inner thoughts, don''t let people hear you say that shit." Liam said. "Don''t act as if you''ve never thought about it." "Obviously I''ve thought about it, I just don''t say it out loud." Liam retorted. *Ding* *Ding* *Ding* "Class is s-starting" Akash said hearing the bells chiming. "Talk to you guys later on?" Liam said looking at his two friends. "Yeah" they both replied as they went to take their seats. A white middle-aged woman in her late 30''s walked into the room and stood in front of the class. She wore a black tailored blazer with a white shirt and brown velvet trousers which matched her hair. With one arm in her pocket, she looked at all the students in front of her and addressed them all. "I hope you all enjoyed your vacation. For those who do not know me, I am Mrs. Lumberg. I will be your homeroom teacher for the year." "I do not have gifts. I do not like my time being wasted. I do not stand for foolishness." "That being said, I''ve been tasked with giving you a surprise mock exam to better understand which subjects you are lacking in, and whether you took your studies seriously during your break." Groans could be heard from the class when she said that. "Shut up." she responded. "Although this is just a mock exam, I expect you to take this seriously." "The mock exam is a mix of multiple-choice, deduction and theory from different subjects." "The time is now [8:35]. You have an hour and a half on the clock." "Begin" The room was filled with the sound of silence, as students typed away on their virtual holograms. Liam had a brief look-through of each of the questions to see what he would be dealing with. Happy with what was to come, he smirked. ======================================== [Q4: Solve 7( f ¨C 5) = 28] ''At least give me a challenge.'' [Q18: Which of the following will lead to an increase of total peripheral resistance?] A. A decrease in the firing frequency of all the carotid artery baroreceptors. B. A decrease in the diameter of every arteriole. C. A decrease in the firing rate in all the sympathetic neurons that innervate smooth muscles that surround arterioles. D. A and B. E. A and C. F. B and C. G. A, B, and C. H. None of the above. ''Too easy.'' [Q43: It is stated that Professor Charlie Xanov''s hypothesis on the source of gifted power was proven false due to the first law of thermodynamics. In less than 300 words, explain how this affects research based on this hypothesis.] ''A bit harder, but nothing I can''t bullshit my way out of.'' ======================================== [10:38 AM] Finally finished with their mock exam, the students in the classroom gathered around their cliques to have their discussions, mainly about how they all found the mock exam or how their holiday went. "So, which University do you guys have in mind?" said Lorenzo as he walked towards his friends. "Gredo-Gredora Institute o-of arts." said Akash. "Oh right, makes sense considering your family is a bunch of artists." "I''m thinking of Rochdale, I hear they are accepting more students next year. Honestly, anything that will get me far away from my family." said Lorenzo. "Wh-what about you Liam?" said Akash staring at Liam who was looking down at his phone. "University of Avalon" said Liam nonchalantly. "WHAT?!" They both shouted, drawing the attention of several onlookers. "Isn''t that the University for gifted people?" whispered Lorenzo, feeling a bit embarrassed. "D-did you f-finally awaken?" said Akash with hopeful eyes. "Nope" Liam said with a smile on his face. ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Leave a comment, follow and favourite, or I''ll delete your account. Chapter 9: Magic Vs Science "Then how do you plan to get in?" "I plan on joining their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program." Akash and Lorenzo looked at each other silently. "PFFFTTTT" Both friends laughed, not believing a word he said. "I''m being serious." "They allow non-gifted into their research departments." "We know, but with your grades, not likely." Lorenzo said still trying to contain his laughter. "Plus even if you do get perfect grades, there are hundreds of thousands applying each year." "I''ll also have a recommendation by then, probably." Liam said assuring himself. "Sure sure, but even if you do get in, how do you expect to compete with their gifted in rank wars?" "I h-h-hear they''re th-the best of the best." "It''s one of the best schools so obviously their power isn''t a joke." Lorenzo added on. "Power comes and goes, but knowledge is forever. And I assure you, I have no equal." Akash and Lorenzo faced each other once again. "PFFFFTTT" "That was so cringe! And you said it with a straight face too!" "You''ve been watching too much anime again haven''t you?" "Who knows?" Liam said with a smile on his face thinking back to the day before school started. *** [Sunday the 1st of September] Liam stared at his journal, looking over his updated notes. ''After merging with a clone who performed some workout, it seems I was able to absorb it''s physical activity. However, this is not a feasible strategy for the long term. Even if I were to have hundreds of clones working out, I would be no better off than a body builder. Even then, a gifted with an enhancement type ability would still most likely be stronger than me. I could stay safe at the comfort of my home while my clones do my daily activities, but more research on how they perform in the outside world is still necessary for now. Even then it does not guarantee my safety for all situations. Also, with all the murders of gifted recently, I''ll have to be careful to not let my ability known anytime soon. It is irrational of me to rely on one power alone. With that said, I believe I have come up with the best solution.'' "We''ve got a lot of work to do." Liam said to his clone who was giving him a back massage. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. *** [Present Day 11:00 AM] "Well Mr. I have no equal, better start taking your studies seriously from now on. If you can that is." "And th-that means no more sleeping i-in class from now on." "Or watching porn." "I don''t do that..." Liam retorted. "Mhm, sure you don''t." Lorenzo said, not believing his friend. "Break time is over, get back to your seats." Mrs. Lumberg instructed the class. "The scores have been calculated." "I''ll now announce the top 10 results." Rank 10: Luis E. Garcia III (50/100) Rank 9: Park Min Jun (51/100) Rank 8: Akash Kumar (52/100) Rank 7: Lera Semenov (55/100) Rank 6: Xia Eu-meh (55/100) Rank 5: Jonah J. Jovelon (58/100) Rank 4: Deiondre Olahime (60/100) Rank 3: Meredith O''Connors (65/100) Rank 2: Amandla Yortunheim (69/100) Rank 1: Liam Holdsworth (87/100) Instantly, all eyes fell on the first rank. "..." "..." "He cheated." A voice came from a student in the class. "Defo, ain''e like, always round the bottom?" "If he cheated, he would have gotten a perfect score, no?" "Nah, he purposefully didn''t get full marks to not draw attention." "How is anyone even able to cheat, can''t the holograms detect that sort of thing?" "Anything is possible, I heard about one dude that¡ª" The class was filled with the sound of rambling. Even Akash and Lorenzo stared at their friend in disbelief. "SHUT UP" Mrs Lumberg yelled gaining the classes attention. "Clearly he worked hard during his break, unlike you miscreants." "Your results and feedback will now be sent to your holopads." ''As expected, I didn''t do very well in theory.'' Liam said as he looked over the questions he failed. ''I guess ''I'' have a lot of homework to do when I get home.'' "I hope you all now realise what you need to work on. I expect to see better results when you take your real exam in rank wars 3 months from now." "This morning''s curricular is on 22nd century Botany. Turn to slide 42c." *** [3:40 PM] "...ave that much..." "Oi new fish." "When I tell you to do something, do it." En route to his destination, Liam could see Nathan and his cronies ganging up on a new student. "Bu.. but I don''t get paid that much, please just let me go... I didn''t do anything to you." All of a sudden, his right arm transformed into silver as he held the freshman student by the neck. "Bu Bu Bu, the amount of stuttering bitches in this school sickens me." "Hey new fish, do you even know who my dad is?" "I can make your life simple, or hell. And all I ask is $15 per day for your protection fee." "You should be grateful." ''None of my business.'' Liam thought as he walked away. [Science Wing E-Block 02] Finally arriving at his destination, Liam opened the door of the science wing. All the valuable equipment provided by the school was present and kept tidy. There were some students who seemed to be dissecting what looked like a frog with 6 legs and 4 eyes. "NO NO NO!" A middle aged man in a lab coat, dishevelled gray hair, and worn down sandals could be seen shouting at a student. "This is not good enough!" "You need to think outside of the box!" "How is this going to impress the judges if it''s something my 3-year-old daughter could think of!" "Go back and start from scratch!" "Don''t you dare call something like this an invention or I''ll slap you with my left sandal!" "Hm?" "Do you plan on standing there for the rest of your life?!" "Get in here!" "Who are ya and what do you want?!" "Liam Holdsworth and I''d like to join your club." "OH?! HAHA! Another fledgling who has decided to walk down the glorious path of science!" "I am Dr. Angello Cooper. That''s right! THE Dr. Angello Cooper!" "Who?" "..." "The Genius of Parabridge University? Graduated rank 4 in his entire year?!" "Not much of a genius if you ranked 4th are you?" "Preposterous!" "The only reason I ranked 4th was due to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks being gifted that specialise in combat!" "If I had the equipment and intelligence I possess today, I would have easily destroyed those brats!" "Now I work as the professor for this department, passing down my wisdom to young fledglings who wish to be enlightened on the magnificent path that is science, such as yourself!" "Just know that I only accept the best! And if you work with me, I expect nothing but the best!" "So tell me Mr. Holdsworth, what class are you in?" "D class." "..." "..." "No matter! Science does not discriminate!" "Well then Mr. Holdsworth, before I allow you to join our ranks, I''ve got a question for you!" "What do you believe to be stronger, Magic or Science?" ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Leave a comment, follow and favourite, or I''ll tell your crush what you did with your right hand. Chapter 10: Biased "Is there even a difference? I assume you mean whether technology will one day surpass gifts?" "Well, textbook states that science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Whereas magic is the power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces." "F*ck textbook, tell me what YOU think." Dr. Angello responded seemingly getting angry over Liam not forming his own opinions, and relying on some book that he must have memorized. "I suppose the difference between science and magic is that science endeavors to understand phenomena and reproduce them, but magic is the manipulation of forces that are not fully understood. Hence science is a sword; magic is a sword without a hilt." "But as magic is considered to be supernatural which is attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature, I would say magic would win between the two." "NONSENSE!" "Science is a language that crosses borders, traverses languages, and brings together cultures." "For example, take the earliest form of the development of human civilization; fire. It can be seen as the major factor in the agrarian revolution." "Making fire to generate heat and light made it possible for people to cook food, simultaneously increasing the variety and availability of nutrients and reducing disease by killing organisms in the food. The heat produced would also help people stay warm in cold weather, enabling them to live in cooler climates." "Yes, one could make a case that there are abilities that dwarf what we are capable of understanding, but most gifted don''t even know how to use their abilities properly; leaving their potential untapped for the remainder of their life." "Take the most common elemental ability; to create fire. If you ask most of them how their ability works, they can hardly give you a coherent sentence. They just create fire, and that''s about it. That is probably what most would say." "But the real smarter ones utilise their knowledge of science, asking the real questions; what is fire? Why does it burn? As a result, they not only think of the outcome but grasp the mechanisms to give rise to a stronger power. One can''t become stronger if they can''t even understand the principles behind their ability." "Thus, science can be said to be a refined form of magic. As you said, if science is a sword then magic is a sword without a hilt. But I would rather have a complete weapon over a dud." "What I''m trying to say is that which we can comprehend is far more useful than that which we can not." Dr. Angello said with his arms spread out, reaffirming his belief. "Even though you got the answer wrong, I like your thinking kid, are you really in D-class?" "...Yes" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "No matter, I accept you into our ranks. I''m expecting big things from you." "...Are you sure you''re not just accepting me because you need to fill the quota?" "..." "I have no idea what you mean." Dr. Angello said and started whistling. "I heard that due to a lack of members there''s a chance for your club to get shut down." "Belay that remark! They just don''t appreciate the beauty of science! But they will understand when we win this year''s academic decathlon! They''ll have no choice but to increase our budget and give me my well-deserved pay raise." "OI, YOU MEAT-HEAD PUT THAT DOWN! Mr Holdsworth, feel free to take a look around while I deal with this student." "YOU''RE ON THIN ICE DELAROSA, DON''T MAKE ME TAKE OFF MY SANDAL!" "..." ''What did I get myself into?'' Liam thought starting to regret his decision a little. "Is your name Liam?" A voice interrupted Liam from his thoughts. He turned his head to notice a short tan girl with prominent cheekbones and glossy black hair, most likely of Asian descent, but could not make out exactly where she was from. "Apologies for eavesdropping, but I was impressed with what you said. The analogy could have used some work, but overall it was very impressive." "Also, don''t mind our instructor, he asks everyone that question. As you can see, he''s sort of biased." "And a bit coocoo for science it seems." Liam retorted raising an eyebrow. "Can''t blame him really... he''s worked hard his entire life to prove himself, just to be overshadowed by gifted in each corner." "Oh right, I''m Alexa Primintel, final year student, A-class. Pleasure to meet you." "Liam Holdsworth, final year student, D-class. Nice to meet you too. If you don''t mind my asking, where are you from?" "I was born in district 8, but my family relocated to this district shortly after." "...I mean what''s your background." "Ah, I''m Filipino, my great great great grandparents were originally from a country called the Philippines before... you know." "Sorry to hear that, my mom''s great great grandparents were from South Africa before it was overrun by beasts. And my dad''s great great grandparents were from France before the bombings." "Ok... it''s not a competition. Anyway, would you like a tour?" "Why not." "We''re always working on something new, or trying to improve upon something. For example, over here we have this device here which is redesigned from the phoropter, which is the device used to determine eyeglass prescriptions. A design that hasn''t changed in the last few centuries." "We''ve miniaturized the design to be portable so people don''t have to go all the way to an ophthalmologist just to get a prescription. It''s one of the several inventions we have to submit in the academic decathlon at the end of the school year. I''m voting for the portable geodesic dome, but that''s still a work in progress." "Over there you can see some of our fellow students dissecting that Callidryas Oxus, a cross between a frog, beetle, and some other breeds. It''s mainly so our junior students learn more about the anatomy of complex organisms." "Woah, and what''s this? Some cool object that prints out snacks?" "No, that''s the vending machine." "..." "Over here we have our past and failed inventions, pay them no mind. Some I can''t even believe they were given the green light. I mean who the hell needs a toilet that tells you a joke every time you flush." "We''ve tried our best recruit a lot of talented students this year. It''s humiliating always losing back to back." "No matter what, this year we have to win. We''ll show that preppy private school that they aren''t better than us." "Oh right, you mentioned you were from A-class. You''re not what I expected. Usually they would be the stuck up snobs thinking that they are better than everyone. "You read too much novels." "Last but not least on our tour is my personal favorite, and what we like to call, "The War Room". Here we build and improve upon gadgets that can even give most of the gifted in the school a run for their money." "You''ve probably seen a few of them being used in rank wars." "And this baby right here is our greatest invention so far." "What in the Tony Stark is that?" ___________________ UnpaidAuthor: Double digit chapters! Apology for late uploads, dealing with last exams before the Christmas Holiday. 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