Alice had left earlier in the afternoon, as she still needed to spend some time working on her school assignments. Theo had questioned why she hadn't used her vampiric speed to complete the work in minutes, but she'd stated that focusing on the mundane tasks made time pass faster. Seeing as they couldn't sleep, finding small mercies in the monotony of life was essential.
Seated back on the couch, Theo finally had an opportunity to address the notification he'd received earlier. He was curious, and with a thought, he pulled up the panel. Blinking in front of his eyes was a string of text he'd never thought would appear.
[Do you wish to upgrade User Sheet?]
[Cost: 7 Draws]
[Y/N]
'What?' Theo thought in wonder. 'It was just an idle thought; why the hell is this appearing now? I've spent weeks wishing I could see a proper display of my existence.'
He mulled over the sudden change in the System's responsiveness but couldn't pinpoint any specific action that had triggered the prompt.
Sure, he didn't like the idea of spending his hard-earned pulls, but this opportunity would give him a better understanding of his own capabilities. If it self-updated, he'd always be able to gauge himself against potential enemies.
'Sure, System,' Theo thought as he mentally hit the confirmation button.
The blue panel flickered for a moment before disappearing from his vision. He assumed it was recalibrating or remodeling itself. After five tense minutes, the panel popped back into existence.
Leaning forward, Theo slowly perused the new interface, and a large smile began to blossom on his face.
'Oh, baby! This is what I'm talkin' about!'
STATUS PANEL: THEO
Race: Ancient Human (Conquest Variant) Class: Progenitor
BODY (Physiology & Attributes)
Infinite Evolutionary Engine: The user's biology possesses Uncapped Biological Growth. There are no genetic limiters. Every act of physical exertion or stress forces the body to re-knit stronger, faster, and denser. Stats are not fixed; they are in a state of constant, compounding expansion.
Strength: Baseline of 100+ Tons. The assimilation of One Piece Sea King biomass has condensed the power of a "Leviathan-class" monster into a human frame.
Speed: 150+ MPH. Leg muscles capable of moving 100 tons generate insane burst acceleration. You can outrun a supercar and speed-specialized Vampires.
Regeneration: Accelerated healing factor (seconds for minor wounds, sub-1 minute for fatal wounds).
Durability / Resistance: A fusion of Sea King scales and Cold One diamond-lattices. Completely impervious to small-arms fire, high-caliber sniper rounds, and immense pressure. Can withstand direct impacts from speeding trains without structural damage.
Metabolism: Closed Loop.
Stamina: Infinite. (Null-Fatigue).
Respiration: None. (Self-Sustaining).
MIND (Senses & Control)
Kinesthetic Precision: You possess 100% fine motor control over your output. You can dial your strength down from "100 Tons" to "Normal Human" instantly, allowing you to interact with fragile objects or humans without risk of accidental damage.
Physiological Control: You can manually regulate your heartbeat, hormone production, adrenaline levels, and pain receptors.
Intellect: Chemically accelerated processing speed and memory retention.
Instant Physical Mastery: Photographic Reflexes. Witness a move once = Execute it perfectly.
Sensory Matrix:
Vampiric: Telescopic vision and telescopic hearing (Heartbeat isolation).
Spider-Sense: Precognitive danger reflex wired into the nervous system.
Future Sight: Subjective precognition perceiving fluid visual flashes of future timelines based on intent.
SOUL (Essence & Defense)
Void Mind (Psychic Immunity): The consciousness is a singularity. It absorbs all mental intrusion (Telepathy, Empathy, Mind Reading) and returns zero data.
Primal Origin: The Ancient Human DNA acts as a "Dominator." It strips beneficial traits from consumed DNA (Sea King/Vampire) and purifies them, rejecting all weaknesses (Sunlight/Silver).
POWERS (Active Abilities)
Absolute Reactive Adaptation: A defensive evolutionary trigger. Upon exposure to any lethal stimulus (Fire, Vacuum, Acid), the biology forces a targeted mutation to nullify that specific threat.
Genesis Venom:
Corrosive: Acidic saliva that cauterizes wounds and halts regeneration (Anti-Heal).
Grant: Can inject specific abilities (e.g., Durability, Speed) into a host.
Bestowal: Can overwrite a target's DNA to create a Second Generation Ancient Human. (No Evolution / Adaptation / DNA Assimilation Included - Potential and Limits are Increased).
Active Camouflage: Biological manipulation of chromatophores and heat regulation to perfectly mimic the appearance, temperature, and pheromones of a Vampire.
SKILLS (Passive Traits)
The Grey Scent: A passive enzyme secretion that neutralizes body odor and releases a predator hunger-suppressant. Chemically registers the user as "inanimate background noise" to bypass tracking instincts.
'Oh,' Theo thought as he scanned the values. His eyes sparkled at the information he had finally obtained, finding that some of his lingering questions were finally answered. 'I wasn't expecting those numbers... I thought assimilating Sea King and Vampire DNA bolstered me to a vampiric level of power, but I must have been wrong.'
Reviewing the panel, Theo began to realize he'd been off about his baseline levels, and the answer was becoming obvious. The fact that he had a power that could seamlessly regulate his strength meant he'd been automatically adjusting his output in everyday life without even thinking about it.
His body had obviously skyrocketed in potential; his overall levels were absurd for this particular world.
'There must be a reason my body naturally doesn't exert certain levels of power. Maybe it's because if I used any more, my movement would begin to destroy my surroundings? Pushing off with 100 tons of force just to run... I'd probably shatter the pavement.'
That thought sparked the memory of Superman, who possessed a natural bio-field that prevented his sheer power from destroying everything around him. Though Theo didn't liken himself to the Man of Steel entirely, he could see the validity in the comparison.
Everything else was as he expected, but he paused at the 'Bestowal' section of his Genesis Venom power. The ability to share his genetics and rewrite a person into a second generation of himself was an incredible boon, but he had strong reservations about using it.
He'd never grant the opportunity to anyone but his partner, and even then, the reason he'd bestow it would be for their survival. He thought about Alice; he knew she was already supernatural and powerful, but there were shortcomings to being a vampire in this world.
Unlike many fictional variations, Twilight vampires didn't grow. The moment they were turned, their physical capabilities were frozen; they were unable to get stronger, tougher, or enhance themselves any further. Sure, they could train their combat skills, and if they were lucky, hone a personal gift, but that was the ceiling.
It meant that Theo could grant her the opportunity to become stronger, eat food, sleep like a human, and possibly create a family in the future. Though that last point was moot for now, and he disregarded it for the very distant future.
Her family? He'd never grant them the chance. It might have sounded selfish to others, but he would never allow this power to go unchecked, especially since the Cullens were known for making questionable decisions based on emotion.
He wouldn't grant Alice the opportunity yet, as they had just started dating, but in the future? He'd definitely be open to it. He wanted her by his side, and if she could survive anything thrown at her without being limited to the strength of a standard vampire, he'd grant it in a heartbeat.
Closing the panel, Theo stood up and walked to the fridge. Pulling out a bottle of water, he gulped down its contents in seconds and sighed with relief.
'That information was better than I expected. Now that I can see it represented properly, it gives me plenty of ways to fully utilize those plans of assimilating other DNA. I'll spend some time this week searching the forest for those insects I noted down.'
Tossing the empty bottle into the recycling bin, Theo made his way down from his apartment and into the store. It was quiet, but there were plenty of people inside. Angela brought the cafe to life; even though it only sold coffee and tea, she made them surprisingly well, and it had people coming back for more.
Bella was currently rummaging through a box of books, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Deciding to leave her alone for the moment, Theo moved to the reading section of the store. Taking a seat, he stared at his phone where a message sat waiting for him to reply.
Alice:There should be some thunderstorms happening in about two weeks. Would you like to play baseball with the family?
Theo:Baseball? Since when did vampires do recreational sporting events?
Alice:Since being unable to sleep means we need to find other hobbies. Now answer!
Theo:Sure, sure. Sounds like a good plan. Does your family know anything about me after we spoke?
Alice:Nope! Carlisle and Esme are just happy to invite you over before the baseball game. I won't tell them anything you don't want to share, obviously. I'll never tell anyone your secrets, Theo.
He smiled at what she wrote, his hand pausing for a moment as he appreciated that she'd already shown how committed she was to protecting his secrets. Sending off a final affirmative reply, Theo placed the phone back in his pocket.
Standing up, he walked over to the comic book section of the store and raised an eyebrow at the sight before him.
"Damn, she's hot as hell, Mike."
"Dude, it's a comic book character. Why are you thirsting over Catwoman so hard?"
He watched as Mike Newton, one of Bella's 'friends', shook his head in exasperation while Eric Yorkie looked at the comic pages with a somewhat lecherous smile on his lips.
'Ew,' Theo thought. 'I swear if he busts a nut in my store, he's getting a lifetime ban. I'll need to burn that copy if he keeps holding it like that.'
"Gentlemen," Theo said, a polite but firm smile on his face. "Couldn't help but notice you were reading the books but not purchasing them. You know the normal rules of a bookstore: check a couple of pages, and if you like it, buy it. It's not a public library... or whatever else you think it might be, Eric."
Mike snorted at the words. "Sorry Theo, but he's being weird again. I tried to stop him, but you might need to move these ones onto a higher shelf so he can't touch them."
Theo quite liked Mike; he had in the movies as well. He was a stereotypical high school student, but always quite happy, similar to a golden retriever. Unfortunately, the boy was smitten with Bella from the moment they met and kept trying to date her throughout the series.
"It's fine, because Eric's going to buy this copy, right?" Theo said, his eyes flickering to the other boy. "You've already bent the pages a little, and I won't be able to sell it as new now."
"Ah, damn," Eric sighed, looking at the comic in his hands. "Y-yeah, I'll get it. Sorry Theo, I didn't mean to do that."
Waving off his apologies, Theo directed Eric to the register where Bella rang him up, a smile on her face as she watched the byplay between the trio.
After saying their goodbyes to the boys, Theo stood beside Bella.
"So, are you going to prom with Mike?" he asked. "He was giving you that look again, you know."
"No, no," she said, looking flustered. "I told him to go with Jessica. I said I was going to Jacksonville for the weekend."
"Which was a lie, right?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.
With a grimace, she nodded. "He's just... too nice? I feel like he sees me as someone I'm not, and Jess has been pining for him, so I made it easier for everyone."
"That's a solid wingwoman move, Bella. Are you waiting for someone special to ask you instead?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.
Her face turned beet red, and Theo knew he had hit the mark. Even though she was an independent girl, he could easily see her pining after Edward, despite his confusing behavior.
"Shut up," she said, playfully pushing him. "Don't you have a Cullen to go fawn over? One date, and you're already locking lips at work."
Feigning a heart attack by clutching his chest, Theo laughed and walked away with his laptop in hand, leaving her to the eternal puzzle pieces that were slowly combining in her mind about Edward Cullen.
Moving back to his apartment, he settled back on the couch and launched a blank Word document.
'I know I don't need to worry much about money, but I'd like to have that financial freedom to simply book a trip overseas, spend six months away doing whatever I want, and spend money without thinking about how I would make it back.'
Remembering the words he'd once read from Eragon, Theo stared at the keyboard before coming to a decision. His fingers moved deftly across the keys, and every single word that was published from the final release of the books began to slowly appear on the screen.
He estimated it would take around a week to type the almost 160,000 words, ensuring he followed his perfect memory of the text.
Theo disliked that he was essentially plagiarizing someone else's work, but he wasn't heartbroken over it. He'd never be 'proud' of the work, but it was a means to an end, and he really liked the idea of low-effort income.
He could already hear the money being deposited in his bank account.
**********
Hello everyone, here's another chapter. I wanted to take a second to say that I appreciate everyone's words, even though some can be quiet.. rude regarding my work. I try and read everything, and it can be disheartening to see people invalidate my work, either because they don't like a certain tropes, or a specific additions to the story. Unfortunately, I can't cater to everyones wants and needs, and I appreciate the time spent reading, but please remember there's another person at the end of the screen.
Anyway, much love! I've probably got one more chapter coming for today, keep up the comments, reviews and powerstones!