《The Seer of Myriad Selves》 Prologue - The Seer of Myriad Self Levi felt conflicted as he continued to observe the passing life of his other self... Another variation of reality¡­ Another him¡­ His other self had a wife, a family, an empire that spanned across multiple realities. He¨C His other self stood at the pinnacle. Something that¡¯s only to be expected of his other self. A life almost unachievable for his current self. A life too much for pretty much everyone else. A life where he is lucky enough to be a once in a reality genius. Physically and mentally gifted enough to be envied by those ancients who deem themselves to be free from all desire. The destiny to have enough time and room to grow... And an impossible challenge, surmounted at the peak of his life. Time slowed as Levi mused. His standards unknowingly raised based on the perfect variation in front of him. The very possibility made Levi genuinely smile. If fate would have it he would create a new pinnacle even greater than the version in front of him. He already stood at the pinnacle. Who can he even exceed if not another variation of himself. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ... . Across the vision, the emperor sensed the watchful gaze of his other self, his amusement heightening after seeing the person smile. The emperor stared back at the direction the feeling was coming from, before smiling himself. Just as the onlooker expected excellence from his alter, the emperor expects no less. ... ... ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Time lapsed as Levi¡¯s thoughts gradually resurfaced¡­ Before switching to another, His consciousness almost bleeding as the vision shifted towards one timeline after another. Levi marveling at the different paths his other lives took. Different skills, different professions, different challenges. Some, living a life of suffering¡­ Some, currently drowning in failure¡­ teeth gritted as they grinded for a comeback. The Majority having mild - great success, yet all of them seek something greater¡­ As if asking to be burned away by the sun in the sky, attempting to devour all light till they reach perfection. Like himself, the other variations yearned to reach the peak¡­ Desiring to take on the Grandest of fates¡­ To conquer all peaks and create higher ones... To conquer and re-conquer, until the end of time¡­ ... ... ¡­ Cancelling the skill, Levi regained consciousness. He stared at the air in contemplation for a long while. Still overwhelmed at the visions he saw. The sheer number of timelines and versions of himself¡­ The possibilities¡­ Everything. All of it could¡¯ve made anyone question if they had walked the correct path, yet for Levi, the skill only confused him. What¡¯s the point of seeing these visions? How would that help him fight off monsters? How would fare against other people who got actual combat classes? How would this skill even help him? Levi didn¡¯t know. [Info] Class: Seer of Myriad Self, Rank: F Description: A seer who can only see his alters. Unique Skill: Echoes of Myriad Self - See visions of your alters. ¡­ ... ... To be continued. Chapter 1 - Completionist Levi stood looking at the morning sky, his thoughts drifting, his thoughts solemn and tame as he watched the clouds pass beside his condominium unit. Fun fact: It''s boring after reaching the top, not lonely. Life... was mundane for Levi. Rather, had turned mundane after a series of successes. A doctorate degree in Biomechanics at 15, A veteran soldier and commander who enlisted and successfully lived through two whole wars. From creating serums and equipment designed to help increase the survival rate of soldiers to being somewhat of a hidden culinary master, being the owner that sired several of the most popular restaurant chains the past few years. Levi had done a lot even before reaching twenty eight. Among of these had even led him being published in magazines and news, yet somehow he felt numb and unfulfilled. Sometimes even running out of time. Life was finite after all. In a different timeline he knew there were versions of himself that dabbled in things he wouldn''t even dream of. Different lives, different skills. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even for all the realism in him, Levi was addicted to the feeling of learning. The beauty of mastering each and every skill. Embodying new found knowledge and creating new studies and applications that were not accessible to him before. With his wealth, he could have hired experts to fill in the gaps, but that wasn¡¯t his goal. He wanted to push his limits, to test how his updated set of skills would overlap and show him avenues he never considered before... An ever-growing cycle of learning and unlocking possibilities¡­ Of internalizing and innovating... To expand his mastery to an unlimited number of fields, to seek beauty and at the same time ease the boredom of after having conquered a challenge you worked so hard for¡­ As much as Levi loved the feeling of mastering a skill, the intense feeling of boredom was always there to accompany it. Comes then the questions¡­ Questions of an almost unlimited number. ¡®What¡¯s next after this?¡¯ ¡®This will take years, what else could I do instead of this?¡¯ ¡®This project is too big. Will I even get to finish this project during my lifetime?¡¯ ¡­ Anything finite becomes meaningless if you yearn to learn everything. And everything is finite. Always too big for a single man. That¡¯s why humans pass down their knowledge for the next generation. But Levi¡­ Levi had nothing to do with the next generation. He wanted to learn everything. Everything or else, nothing. So he chose to be bored. ¡®If only there''s time to do everything in life¡­¡¯ ¡®If only. Then¡­ What would life be if not fun.'' ... ... ... To be continued. Chapter 2 - Not just another day. Levi looked at the sea of clouds passing by his unit. The glass wall of his high rise unit fogging. The brief moment of natural cold in the morning bringing a routinely solemn feeling, fueling the ambition of countless people around the world as well as the clear mind needed to navigate the challenging day ahead¡­ ¡®Coffee would be just about perfect right now...¡¯ Levi mumbled with utmost relaxation through his eyes, glinted a hint of coldness as he subtly position himself to engage the unknown presence from behind¡­ . Subtlety broke as Levi dodged a spinning back kick aimed at his liver. Before pushing his enemy back using a light palm to force some distance. The well sequenced movement almost caused his enemy to lose his balance, but the man being experienced in melee however simply did a back flip to save him from the fall. The man¡¯s colleagues coming in just in time prevent Levi from taking the offensive. As if in sync, two other men wearing the same all black attire came at him carrying knives and daggers. But Levi had already anticipated multiple enemies allowing him to swiftly react. A mindset that he¡¯d well learned after surviving two consecutive wars, expecting an unlimited number of enemies until clear of danger. . Swiping the knife mid swing from one of the assailants in motion, he stabbed it to the temple of the other attacker before redirecting the now dead body to slam into the attacker whom he just stole the knife from. A boot then to the skull swiftly ended the other mans life. Levi having enough power and technique to crack a skull. Leaving his foot at the splattered face of the man as he looked at the final assassin. His eyes carrying the same cold bored expression as he looked at the final assassin causing the latter to reevaluate his given mission¡­ Without a word of retort, the last of the assassins tried to sprint away, but didn''t even got the chance to reach outside of the living room before a hand grabbed the back of the man¡¯s head and lifted his head from the ground. The assassin¡¯s eyes dropped in horror as he pushed all his might against the hand that was grabbing him but quickly found out in horror that it wouldn''t even budge. The assassin almost sighed in relief after knowing that he had enough reach to hurt the man, but his face slowly drained of blood as he once again saw the cold bored expression in Levi¡¯s eyes. The assassin then found how desperate the situation really was. Despite his grand and well trained structure, the target was a lot stronger than him. He tried to pull out his weapons, but it was swiftly disarmed. He tried punching, kicking, rattling with all his might, but his meager strength seemed to be unable to hurt the man. Levi''s hand sealing the blood flow of the assassin''s brain, as he gripped head tighter and tighter. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Slowly, the assassin lost more and more his strength¡­ he tried to struggle for a while before finally giving up his fate, his eyes focused on the cold and bored expression of his target as he lost consciousness. ... ... ... Levi dropped the unconscious body on the floor, the cleaners as well as the authorities already notified ahead of time. Having stepped and conquered too many industries, he had long stopped caring of who sent whom and for whatever reason they were sent for. He''d even welcome it... Up to a certain degree. ¡®This isn¡¯t it¡­¡¯ Staring at the assassin, Levi paced back and fort. The revelation of the assassin not enough to calm the gnawing feeling that was starting to rise at the back of his mind. Somehow, Levi felt off. His instincts in overdrive, his body somehow crying desperately for him to notice the inevitable feeling of dread enveloping him causing mild anxiety even to his trained mind. ¡®What is it then¡­¡¯ . It was then that Levi''s senses severely heightened. His 7 years of active duty, literally kicking in, reactively throwing his body to the side before a literal chunk of... something slammed against his window and tore half of his apartment down. His condo unit having been rid of the isolation, unmuting the echoes and the screams of people from below. Chills running down from his spine as he saw the calamity that was about to befall him¡­ The dark skies, which were supposed to be now bright, were illuminated by what seems to be portals, huge forms of land masses and buildings being terraformed¡­ transformed right in front of his eyes. Monsters spawning¡­ materializing from everywhere... The Sewers, The Skies, and even from buildings within. Levi¡¯s face scrunching both in relief now that the threat has been revealed, as well as the sheer magnitude of what¡¯s happening right in front of him. His military trained mind easily reframing his stance to fit cope and think despite the situation. Clairty soon returned to Levi as he stood at the edge, in open air of his now wrecked unit. A cold sensation filling the back of his mind allowing him to enter a state of calculative focus. . "So this was the feeling." Levi mumbled, a hint of both amusement and focus painted on his face. A break of monotony, his life and death once again hanging by a thread. His mind whirling as he constructed a plan in his mind, eventually deciding to finally revisit a recent project of his¡­ The sheer screams and wails coming in from below the streets were something that even the battlefield didn¡¯t have. Levi knew it himself, despite his advantages, he will need to make use of everything he¡¯s got in order to survive. ... ... ... To be continued. Chapter 3 - EVA ''I mean, see... Who doesn''t overprepare for an Apocalypse?'' Levi murmured as he rushed towards his lab, recalling a popular line from the hit webnovel he was reading a few months ago¡­ He didn''t actually follow the advice. It was illogical and highly unlikely¡­ And never had he thought that he would swallow his own words back then¡­ Until it was revealed that he was being drafted for war for the very first time. And over-prepare he did. What is being conscripted if not the end of the world for a Biomechanic? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . From minor Genetic enhancements to elevating his already rigorous training regime, Levi kept breaking his own records, competing well above human standards¡­ Expanding his already relevant skills to far greater detail. Revisiting free running, melee combat mastery, tactical deployment, stealth and target shooting in a more ¡®wartime¡¯ standpoint. Continuing to improve himself. Making use of the 2 Years Advanced Notice he had been given due to the ¡®Merits¡¯ he had earned from his country. His efforts and contributions only amounted to such, an issue he was forced to accept after seeing modern warfare for the very first time. Tactical weaponry that can blast cities, swarms of drones carrying ranged weaponry and even explosives... Soldiers were simply cannon fodder in the modern age. And while the papers he had published were significant in itself in pushing human physiology, and improving soldier capabilities¡­ They are nothing, if not minor when explosives and drones start raining down from the sky¡­ Or at least that was what he thought until his superiors published a modified version of his research not even a year after Levi migrated to another country. Earning him the magnitude of contribution Levi should have had. Nevertheless the issue was, unless he could advance his study to allow fleshly bodies to have the capability to rebuild at a molecular level, there wasn¡¯t even any point in improving soldier capabilities at least when it comes to open combat. So he switched his focus on another project. A technology he used to sweep up victories and thrive earning him several promotions in the short amount of time he was active on the battlefield during the second war. ¡­ . . [EVA] "Booting up Core functionalities..." [EVA] "Requesting Access to Sensory and Core Memory Functions..." ¡®Granted.¡¯ [EVA] "Connection Established." ¡®Initiated emergency protocols.¡¯ [EVA] ¡°Analyzing the current situation¡­ Unable to detect the presence of the public network¡­¡± [EVA] "Creating assessment based on recent observations stored in memory." [EVA] ¡°Creating a list of essential supplies, and equipment¡­¡± ¡­ . [EVA] "All Crucial Supplies and Equipment confirmed to have been equipped." [EVA] "Creating a navigation plan towards the nearest safe zone..." [EVA] ¡°Calculating¡­¡± [EVA] ¡°...¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. [EVA] ¡°...¡± [EVA] ¡°...¡± [EVA] ¡°---- Overridden." Levi¡¯s eyes opened, gradually allowing his state of mind to stabilize, once again familiarizing himself to the foreign consciousness giving himself some time to stabilize, immediately turning off the Core Automated Mapping Functionalities having read the information prompted within his inner mind. EVA is an AI directly embedded in Levi''s Brain. Unlike traditional tech, EVA take''s energy directly from the Body''s energy conversion system, allowing the AI to function perpetually as long as the user sustains it. A Biotech created by Levi, that even for him was ahead of time. The earlier versions of [EVA] was battery powered and was something he attach as part of his glasses. That severely limited it¡¯s capabilities but Levi had to make do with what he can to prepare as he got drafted for the second war of his life. Levi knowing that there would eventually come a third¡­ continued working on [EVA]. His position allowing him to leverage access towards life-sentenced filth. Levi being cold enough to ignore ethics after having fought countless battlefields. The chance of his brain shutting down, the only thing preventing him from directly embedding the AI at the back of his skull, settling for having the surgeons installing all the necessary components. The Core, the only thing missing, should there come a time for Levi to need it. And such time eventually came. . Removing all unnecessary functionalities, Levi slowly walked towards the ledge. Chills running down through his spine urgency, dread and excitement filling him as he walked towards the edge of the now divided unit, With a deep breath, Levi took his final step over the ledge, exhaled, and allowed himself to fall. ¡­ . . ... [EVA] Turning on Gliding Suit as Instructed. Whoshum! The gliders integrated into his military suit activated, causing his fall to halt and then slightly lift up in the air. Swinging and circling to maneuver, Levi easily evaded the huge chunks of debris seemingly aimed at him. [EVA] easily predicting the motions, feeding information in Levi¡¯s brain, feeding assistive routes directly to Levi¡¯s brain. Helping him adapt to the chaotic situation. Aside from gaining the ability to temporarily enhance his vision up to adjustable telescopic levels, EVA is able to detect presences in a short 360 field. This includes Heat Vision, Night vision, and a limited X Ray field. This, along with the ability to directly send information and project images into Levi''s brain at real time speeds was the core functionalities Levi worked hard to integrate during the production stage of the project. An after thought of awe and fulfillment filling Levi despite the circumstances after confirming that the project he worked so hard for is now confirmed to be a full success. . [EVA] Unknown Presence Approaching. Would you like me to enable Core Aiming functionalities? ''Denied.'' Levi rejected, as he examined the three screens that appeared on the side of his vision. The visual showed a more focused and zoomed in version of Levi¡¯s point of view, the screen showing what looks to be human sized birds... [EVA] as Levi designed, automatically showing the measurements and suggesting size comparisons, as well as speed projections as the AI detected Levi¡¯s subconscious thoughts. ''Besides their size, these... Ravens seem to be emanating black fog...'' Levi noted, commanding EVA to disable the glider on his left arm, Levi switching his route to gain a better line of fire towards the direction of the nearest monster instantly shooting at the human sized raven before it could even react. It took two bullets but he finally managed to hit the raven''s shoulder, or at least he thought so. Strangely his bullet simply passed through the raven. The Raven didn¡¯t even flinch, continuing to circle around before accelerating towards him. Even faster this time. . [EVA] Estimating that the nearest raven would be able to catch up to Levi within 10 to 15 seconds. Levi¡¯s mind turned cold, as he focused on gliding away from the three ravens. Commanding EVA to project a slowed down recap of what happened just now¡­ ''Odd.'' Levi murmured, noticing something peculiar with the behavior of the raven just now. From there on Levi started testing the bird¡¯s capabilities. Controlling his stance to glide nearby the other buildings, randomly firing gunshots while intentionally leading the birds to blindspots. The utter lack of caution of the birds, obvious at first while a second take told him otherwise¡­ ''They seem to be driven by instinct¡­ If not violence. Another thing is that...'' Landing on the railing after a sharp turn, Levi waited for the Raven to pass by him doing a quick double tap directly aiming at the Raven leading the flock. The raven seemingly confident at first, didn''t even try to dodge and continued charging at Levi. It¡¯s body slightly shifting to the side knowing that Levi would follow up with another shot. What happened however was clearly different than the bird expected. Similar to before, smoke emanated from the human sized raven causing one of the bullets to pass through, it was soon revealed however that the bird only had the ability to phase through a very short amount of time. The intentionally delayed second bullet slamming against the head of the Raven, smoke gushing out of it as the impact stunned the creature causing it to fall rapidly towards the ground. Crashing into the ground, blood, flesh and smoke soon spread out from the raven planted to the ground. The first of the Winged terrors chasing Levi now finally dead. ¡­ . Without delay, Levi was already falling once again by the time the two other Ravens closed in. One of the two Ravens crashed into the glass wall in an attempt to rush at Levi, while the other one simply phased through. Causing screams and echoes from other people that were hiding inside the building. . Turning his head slightly, he breathed out a sigh of relief as the two ravens opted to follow their ''prey'' rather than looking for easy targets. Carrying on with his plan, Levi deployed his parachute and navigated towards a relatively open field that was just outside the edge of the city. ... ... ... To be continued. Chapter 4 - Beings of Slaughter Chapter 4 - Beings of Slaughter [EVA] deployed the parachute as Levi commanded. The brief slowdown mid-air, allowing Levi to take a deep breath and the plan for his next course of action. Levi successfully dealing with one of the three birds, taking off a huge pressure in his mind. The situation now significantly lighter, not just because there were now only two of the monsters left¡­ But because he now knew several ways to deal with the human-sized ravens. ... . Levi had identified three pieces of information during his encounter with the birds. Asking [EVA] to do a slow mo of the brief encounter¡­ The first key was soon revealed, the Raven¡¯s odd aggression pattern serving as a clue. . Even while driven by instincts, it was odd how the Ravens charge without a shred of thought, not caring and even placing themselves at line of fire just to get to their prey faster. At first glance, it was easy enough to attribute this to the Giant bird¡¯s reckless predatory nature, but it¡¯s instinctual movements hinted at something hidden. Asking [EVA] to replay the preview multiple times, it was easily revealed that the birds had the ability to momentarily turn corporeal. It¡¯s dark smoke in sync with the color of the bird masking the bird¡¯s ability from the naked eye. . Disregarding the science and even the logic of what just happened, It was easy enough to see the bird¡¯s limitation after that. These human-sized ravens, despite their reckless aggression backed by their phasing ability, had an odd habit of doing an unconventional loop in the air, before speeding up once again towards their pray. This at first looked like their own unique way of maneuvering, but after watching the ravens charge at for several times, it was easy enough to notice the obvious inefficiency that instinctual beings wouldn¡¯t tolerate. Thus after a simple round of testing, another bullet to the side of the now dead bird¡¯s head easily revealed second and probably the most important fact when dealing against the life-sized ravens¡­ In a quick summary, the unconventional loops the ravens were doing, was a way to buy time and mask a delay in their flight path, safely biding time before once again charging even faster once the cooldown of their bizarre phasing ability is up. Given the info however Levi simply had to ask [EVA] to track the phase duration from the recording, easily letting him know of the short delay needed in order to successfully hit the birds. Revealing a procedural way to counter their momentary invulnerability. If only that was the only problem the ravens posed¡­ . ¡­ . Unlike majority of the living things in this world, a bullet not to mention a round powerful enough to breakthrough modern day Kevlar, should have been to enough to kill if not splatter and crack a side of the a T-Rex¡¯s skull, but the bird didn¡¯t even bleed nor tore it¡¯s skin. The bullet simply slammed to the head of the life sized bird, knocking it unconscious rather than piercing through it¡¯s head. The successful kill having more to do with the raven falling down from the sky and crashing down to the ground, rather than the bullet actually killing the raven. Levi instantly re-evaluate his plan of engaging the two in the air. As judging by his distance from the birds, he doubt he would have another opportunity to setup a shot to the temple of one of the ravens, not to mention two of them. There was also the instinctual nature of the ravens, making adjust to their flight and attack patterns after seeing one their own die. It would be hard pressed for Levi to get another clear shot to the temple within his remaining time gliding in the air¡­ His current position lacking the blindspot needed for another surprise attack. . The more problematic threat was the instinctual nature of the ravens. The Winged Abysses continuously adapting and making changes to their approach as the aerial battle went on. Not to mention a bullet through the temple even a normal headshot would be near impossible given the aggressive but erratic flight pattern, and brief phasing ability of the birds¡­ Killing one was possible, but killing the other one right after? Given how close the birds are to each other, that would require nothing short of a miracle. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Landing on his feet, Levi quickly made his way towards the middle of the open field. EVA already retracting the parachute even before he had landed, shortening his landing time, minimizing the air resistance that he would have had to drag had the parachute not been stored by the time he was sprinting. He had first thought of going indoors, but the skyscraper view he had earlier showed people by the hundreds screaming away as they all tried to get as far away from the buildings. The terraforming buildings being a magnet to the monsters who seem to be looking to ¡®settle¡¯ in. Levi wary of the ravens¡¯s possible level of destructiveness should they have the strength and weight to match their human-sized sturdy bodies. He could imagine the birds dive bombing into buildings, attempting to bury him in rubble, but more importantly¡­ The City was full of humans. Rather than get shot by a random citizen in panic while he''s entangled with the two ravens¡­ Levi had no choice, but to try and eliminate these birds in an openfield¨Cmelee. Levi standing in place, as he took a deep breath and readied himself for another life and death battle¡­ The Beings of Slaughter, more than happy to comply. ... ... ¡­ . . Win the battle, survive the war. Levi mumbled as he continued hitting deep breathes, making use of the seconds as he watched the incoming blurs of darkness. While he was fairly confident in his blade skills¡­ Unlike gunshot wounds which he can easily pull out stitch and wrap up¡­ These human sized birds were strong enough to break his bones and likely cripple him off of a single mistake. And that wasn¡¯t something that Levi can¡¯t afford. He has a feeling that this Apocalyptic Event was just getting started and it would be fatal for him should he break or lose limbs crucial to battle and mobility. What¡¯s worse is that he would have to deal with the two birds, while on a time limit. Given the chaotic situation, it was inevitable for unexpected variables to popup. And Levi didn¡¯t want more monsters nor untrustworthy people circling him like vultures as his battle went on¡­ Making it crucial for Levi to end this battle short and clean. Yet as the pressure mounted, a cold sensation ran through his spine, the dire situation somehow only making him think calmer. ... ... ¡­ . . Wind shattered as the two ravens charged at Levi. Doing another double tap once the two winged abysses got in range before pulling out a blade and in preparation of the upcoming melee. As expected, the raven he targeted easily dodge his bullet, evidently learning Levi¡¯s attack pattern though be it more instinctive. Phasing through the first bullet and dodging the next one, the first raven circled it¡¯s flight attempting to get behind Levi¡¯s field of view, while the second raven literally dove into the ground. Levi¡¯s mind was cold as he somehow expected the possibility. Time slowing down for him as he utilized every sensory advantage he had making use of EVA¡¯s Spherical point of view that was directly connected to him. One¡­ Two¡­ ¡®Now.¡¯ Sensing the second raven¡¯s presence, Levi took stepped to the side, dodging the Winged Abyss diving up from the ground, Levi linking his step to position himself for a swift diagonal arc from his blade. Not remaining static as he used the momentum of his swing to into a roll, preventing the large bird from falling down at him. The unexpected dodge followed by a swing being a short end to the second winged darkness. The now dead raven having not anticipated a swift strike from Levi as soon as it tried to dive up as if a shark breaking the water¡¯s surface only to meet its end in an instant, causing a thud to be heard. Levi Sighing in relief as the blade''s sharpness as well as the momentum from the Bird diving up, was enough to tear at the hard gummy flesh, allowing him to decapitate it¡¯s head with as single slash. . He didn¡¯t have the time to contemplate however, as the First Raven was happy enough to take advantage of him being distracted after just recovering his momentum from doing an evasive roll. The First Raven¡¯s phasing ability now even more dangerous after having successfully entered Melee. With Levi¡¯s passive extended vision however, it was easy enough link his movement and positioning himself to an aiming position. His aim directly pointed towards Bird¡¯s skull. Bang! CRAAAW!!! The bird cawed as it¡¯s phasing ability involuntarily activated. It¡¯s bloodlust flaring as it knew that despite having it¡¯s phasing ability on cooldown, it still had the momentum to end the human in front of it¡¯s eyes¡­ The human wouldn¡¯t have the time to¡­¨C A chill ran through the final bird¡¯s spine as it briefly saw Levi¡¯s cold and calculating eyes. Once again using the enemy''s momentum against itself, Levi swung his blade. He cleaved the monster in two, the blade slicing off the bird¡¯s wing, the main body crashing to the ground after being caught off guard. With his eyes turned cold, Levi watched the beast try to crawl away. It would have been a deadly encounter had it not been for [EVA] easily being able to calculate the proper position for Levi to not get caught as he cleaved the body in two. Just the sheer impact and weight of it¡¯s body would have been enough to kill if not heavily injure Levi¡­ Doing a double tap to it¡¯s skull to knock the winged abyss out. Levi walked towards the bird before ending it¡¯s life, spending extra effort to cleanly decapitate the bird from it¡¯s neck. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ To be continued. Chapter 5 - Anatomy of a Wraith Chapter 5 - Anatomy of a Wraith Levi took his time to recover. Wiping the blood on his face as he looked at the two dead human-sized ravens around him¡­ before focusing his view to the city, [EVA] showing a more closed up version, making him shiver at the view of more ravens terrorizing the city, making Levi appreciate his decision to leave the city even more. ¡®Good Riddance¡¯ After a quick scan of his surroundings through EVA, Levi took effort to drag one of the dead raven all the way to a hidden corner. The viscosity of the blood is the only thing making it possible for Levi to even move the heavy carcass¡­ . . . . After finally relocating the body, Levi made sure to wear a mask and surgical gloves, before once again drawing his blade to collect a reasonable amount of skin, as well as the claws. He also disassembled the beak, and took one of it¡¯s bonearm for study. Both the bones as well as the skin of the creature being light but somehow strong enough to support the staggeringly dense and heavy weight of the meat. Once this was over, he wanted to find possible uses for the new ¡®material¡¯ he got¡­ Or if it was as worse as it looked like, use it as a weapon for what seemed to be an Apocalypse¡­ Levi also wanted to bring back some meat and blood for examination, though called it off as soon as he looked at the thing, his instincts literally screaming at him not to consume or even touch the thing¡­ The meat exuding some form of boundless dark colored smoke which Levi suspected to be linked with the phasing ability of the [Wraith]s. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A name he had [EVA] label after getting tired of randomly naming the three whenever brought up. . Cutting the meat and dividing it into pieces Levi, noted the lack of smell as well as absence of Organs. The bird made of purely blood and meat. It was the same for it¡¯s head. Making Levi even wonder why it had stopped moving after he decapitated the thing. Which was in itself either magic¡­ or something else. Checking the clock to see how much time he has left, Levi continued dismembering the body and only when until he got to the part where the Wraith¡¯s heart was supposed to be did he find an explanation to how the literal meat, bones and flesh stuffed animal were moving. At the center of it¡¯s being, an orb the size of a tennis ball played in the middle. The glass orb had tendrils of what it looks to be dark smoke spreading outwards from it¡¯s center, the tendrils noticeably attracted to the flesh of the dead Wraith¡­ looking as if it¡¯s attempting to connect back to it. Carefully Pulling the orb out of the wraith, Levi instantly noticed the smoke disappearing from the chopped out meat and flesh. Seconds later the meat crumbled into a pile of mush spreading everywhere, lacking any semblance of cohesion or form. The lack of smell saving Levi from having an adverse reaction. The phenomenon making Levi certain that this orb, was the actual lifeform itself. As if the meat that held together everything, including the parts he had cut out was disconnected. Severing its purpose, hence its form. Placing the orb back at the flesh mush, the mush wiggled for a bit, before ultimately stopping orb, the orb seemingly not having the ability to rebuild bodies, making Levi conclude that the life form was some form of parasite. A mind controlling¡­ Flesh Deforming parasite at that¡­ ¡®Fascinating¡­¡¯ Levi mumbled as he held the orb up close to him. Such a small thing managed to change and even alter the physical property of what it¡¯s host was. Even while wearing gloves, Levi could feel a weak intent sending him suggestions to swallow the thing, almost making him laugh, before garnering a more serious impression as he recalled the time limit he had set for himself before he evacuates the area. Placing the orb on top of a Biohazard Container, the tendrils shivered, it¡¯s ¡®all consuming¡¯ spite now reduced to visual whimpering, once it knew it failed it¡¯s last chance of saving itself. Making sure the container is tightly sealed and secured¡­ Levi looked at the second carcass lying on the bloodied battlefield, his intuition kicking in as he recalled the phasing ability of [Wraith]s. If he could somehow transfer the orb¡¯s properties to an object, then maybe¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ To be continued. Chapter 6 - New Generation Craftsman Chapter 6 - Black-Dyed Dagger ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . . . Levi in the end, decided to risk and extend his experimentation session. Skipping the dragging part, and immediately started to skim through the flesh of the final [Wraith], going directly for it¡¯s heart after confirming there was no visible difference in the flesh and bones of the thing. He can see bite marks, and a failed cleave marks on the body wIth four to five sets of small baby-like footprints that at some point wandered and seemingly played with the carcass, the footprints were probably the area was still empty even now. Levi concluded after EVA verified the impossibility of the tiny footprints belonging to a human not to mention six of them at that size. Logging the direction of the tiny footprints for safe measure. Levi set [EVA] to do a tighter interval on scanning his surroundings, all the while reminding himself that he needed to make haste. ¡­ . Once again, flesh turned into mush as Levi pulled out the Orb making orb from the opening he made. EVA noting a slight difference in the amount of tendrils, pattern and behavior of the tendrils inside the second orb indicating possible variance of effects or possibly a semblance of proper individuality, Levi opting to store the Orb for now. As he rushed off to get as far as possible from the city. Levi continued moving from location to location. Relying on the extended senses from [EVA] for mapping and evasion. Watching in horror as the places he once knew transformed into a forest with trees resembling tendrils of darkness. A top the branches were more [Wraith]s nabbing people, sometimes eating, sometimes killing them¡­ People inside houses, even those in makeshift fortresses and bunkers slaughtered as the [Wraiths] phased through walls and grounds, their sheer strength and weight, more importantly their resistance to bullets allowing them to easily bulldoze a squadron of untrained gun men. Screams of pain and cries of help sounded everywhere but Levi was forced to grit his teeth. Knowing that these people would only slow him down. That majority of them, even with his help will simply die as soon as the [Wraith]s set out to feed or expand their territory. His heart ached and only his sheer will kept his weapons in check. The cold and calculating side of him resurfacing as he hid himself from the chaos, slowly passing alley after alley, tree after tree, his pitch black suit perfectly blending with the background¡­ Levi¡¯s body moving more instinctively as he tried to grasp what he¡¯s seeing now. The full blown situation kicking in as soon as the adrenaline from the battle faded, the curiosity with the orbs as well as the other materials now at the back of his mind. Whether this was really an Apocalypse or not, these [Wraith]s would sooner or later expand their territory. And he knew that these birds wouldn¡¯t fly from the ground as soon as they saw the military forming their position. Not to mention the baby-like footprints that he saw just a while ago¡­ It would be best if Levi could find any semblance of a proper military gathering. The main problem was the cut off communication. With [EVA] directly embedded to his brain he could have easily sent and received messages through the web that should have been easily accessible, but other than distress calls from radio signals from nearby distress calls, there was nothing viable he could get. Least thing he could do was to have [EVA] imitate his voice and relay his findings to the different frequencies. Purposely omitting the information about the orb in fear that people would do stupid shit given the hopelessness of the situation. He simply didn¡¯t want to be the cause of people: ¡°Joining the other side¡± by swallowing one or two of the orbs. Levi couldn¡¯t even start to imagine what would happen if a human swallowed those orbs¡­ Though he had a feeling he would encounter those people sooner or later. ¡­ . . If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. . . It was night time when Levi finally arrived at a relatively empty warehouse, the place already having been already cleaned of its survivors, the scattered bloodstains and puddles along with the limbs being a relatively short story of what happened. Confirming with Eva that the area is clear¡­ Levi took a bit of time to recover before once again forcing himself up to revisit the earlier experiment. Having observed no reinforcements from the military, it was highly likely that similar occurrences are happening in nearby cities. If not the whole country, the world. Despite the advantages he held, the lack of melee is a weakness he would soon need to alleviate. His Blade and dagger being weapons more designed to cut the necks of people rather than chewy gummy flesh of those [Wraith]s or whatever else that could popup at any moment. It was ludicrous but he had to do it, he needed an edge if he wants to survive. ¡­ ¡­ . Setting up his station, Levi went through what he knew about the orb in detail. Evaluation:
  1. The orb seems to be functioning as the heart of the [Wraith].
  2. Cutting of the head of it¡¯s host, stops it¡¯s movement confirming that the it''s brain is still in play, though opening up the thing reveals just chunks of flesh, revealing that the orb has the ability to make physical alterations to organs and alike while maintaining bodily functions.
  3. The Behavior reinforces how the [Wraith]s seem to still favor devouring their prey rather than simply killing them using their physical advantage.
- - -
  1. Behavior aside, it''s ability phase through objects and even the ground. Conjures a slight change in hue of the subject while in corporeal form. Though barely noticeable due to the color of the beast itself.
  2. A side note to #4 is what seems like an automated function to avoid attacks. ¨CThis however could be limited to ¡®Lethal¡¯ attacks, though further tests would be needed as he didn¡¯t have the luxury to chip away at the enemy slowly back then.
  3. There¡¯s also possible 6-7¨C8ish second Cooldown of the phasing ability.
  4. As well as the ability to link up with cut off limbs despite having only one part of the body linked up proves that the ability can be used to a certain ¡®scope¡¯ rather than being only able to use it after getting close. *** Levi noting that this opens up the possible use in ranged weaponry.
  5. The Opportunity for self use / consumption of the orb will be strictly prohibited until there''s guaranteed immunity / cure is present. *** Levi making sure to observe and experiment / if not ask questions should he encounter a living person that had consumed the orb.
  6. ¡­
  7. ¡­
His list went on and on, Levi adding more details as he used [EVA]s help to review the footage. Manually sorting and excluding irrelevant details so that he doesn¡¯t miss crucial information in the process. Crossing out the more improbable ones, Levi was left with the more relevant details. As for containment purposes¡­ There was none. The Tendrils don¡¯t react even when placed at the direction of concentrated light. The Tendrils ¡°Bypassing the orb¡±only when it can extend to flesh. Quickly receding back to it¡¯s shell as soon as it deemed that the flesh was unreachable. The orb serving more of a protection, rather than a way to contain the thing. It doesn¡¯t seem to be able to connect with innate objects¨C Which leaves Levi to his conclusion. Intent. Recalling the whispers he heard when he held the orb directly on his hand¡­ The tendrils seems to be able to deliver intent as well as a connection through direct contact. Given how insistent it whispers to be swallowed, suggests either a possibility of a more rapid rate of corruption or that it seeks a situation where the host can¡¯t remove the orb himself. Adjusting his records, Levi had [EVA] bump up the level of sentience logged in her database. Tagging the tendrils to have confirmed mind-control rather than simple manipulation or derivation of instincts. Similar to those zombie-ant fungus that affects ants and other smaller insects. This also adjusted the Level of danger of those birds into *Infinitely Dangerous* as it was now confirmed that they possessed true intelligence, unlike ordinary beasts. ¡­ ¡­ . Going over the details for a second and third time, Levi finally opened the container and picked up the orb wearing the gloves more by habit, even if he knew that the tendrils wouldn¡¯t be able to affect him. As expected the whispers once again invaded his mind, the orb having learned as it adjusted it¡¯s pitch this time promising endless power upon swallowing it, slightly removing the tense situation for Levi as it made him laugh for what it seemed to be the second time. . Securely placing the same orb to the ground. Levi took three to four steps away from turning around before throwing the dagger placed on sheathed hidden on the side of his chest. The target hit the mark, and the orb shattered. The tendrils shrieked in intent. Levi¡¯s mind receiving it¡¯s angry howl even while at a distance. The intent was a scream of evil, violent and vengeful anger. The tendrils wanting to tear Levi into pieces but could do nothing as it had started to dissipate without it¡¯s protective shell. The Tendrils tried to stretch and crawl, but there was no living tear near. It needed a host or atleast a shell. Something that will keep it from dissipating. But there wasn¡¯t any glass of the same nature as the orb. In panic, it shrieked once again at Levi, it¡¯s dissipation ramping up faster seemingly due to the anger it couldn¡¯t bear. The tendrils threw cuss words as if singing them amusement once again in Levi¡¯s face as he watched the tendrils try to reach him but even without moving it was easy enough to tell that they¡¯ll fail. Majority of the tendrils trying to spring at Levi, but the other tendrils¡­ They weren¡¯t willing to die just like that. They wanted to at least inflict their pain on to others. They started embedding themselves on the only nearby thing they could find. But there was only the dagger. More started to fade, indecision costing more and more of the tendrils until one relented, the rest following. Embedding themselves to the Dagger embedded on the sand, then to the blade itself. Creating patterns of pitch darkness, adding a natural tint to the rest of the blade, the patterns that were once the tendrils squirming and screaming, until finally, they stopped moving, their consciousness ceasing to be as their very existence merged with the inanimate the dagger. The seemingly normal Glass, orb disintegrating as the last of the tendrils turned into patterns. ... ... ... To be continued.