A Chronometric Defect

I end my connection with Leario.

He wants me to face this so-called 'warp bug.' I have no idea what it is, but since it's him asking... Hrem.

Plus, he claimed to be going behind their backs. This suggests he's asking because he's witnessed my strength firsthand and believes only I can beat it. If someone else asked, I'd have immediately written it off as a trap. Not that it likely would've mattered if it was a trap.

Which is because I'm very interested in this experimental monster breeding program. Of course, it needs to be shut down if it's going to keep creating apocalypse monsters.

I look down to admire my apocalyptic self.

...

...

Rhar. I'm so amazing.

...

...

I'm already absurdly strong. Sure, but why not snag a little more power? Dragons adore loot— especially when it's handed right to them. Reh, and Leario's effectively telling me only I'm strong enough to grasp this particular loot.

I feel an immense sense of pride from his tacit acknowledgment of my equally immense power. Rmh!

Are you trying to tickle my draconic instincts?

Well— it's working.

I make a toothy dragon smile.

That said, I didn't know I was an experiment until Leario confirmed it. I'd only heard from Adelia that I wandered into Achiton from the western badlands. So, the moment this talk of 'experiments' came up? I was thinking about Rafien and Parasite. The west. Eritromi. The money.

Everything adds up like a well-fitting puzzle.

If I'm going to take on a pair of experiments, I can't be taken by surprise. I, am two experiments. This bug is also two. In terms of that number? It's equal to my current self.

Data is helpful, data is inviolable, but enough raw power can bury even the best data.

If reality is undesirable, just change it!

*snap*

I snap my fingers for effect, which weirdly works just fine, unlike last time.

*shuf*

*chud*

*skre*

*chok*

*skep*

*thud*

*skup*

Nobody else can hear my thoughts, of course. Thus, everyone currently at my Tengerii city meeting drops out of their chairs, falls onto the floor, and prostrates in my direction.

I look around with surprise.

That's... Not why I did that, you guys.

"It's fine, get up. This meeting is postponed. I have an emergency I must tend to at Venifera. Please leave so I may focus. You may re-enter the room in twenty minutes. Continue the meeting without me if I am not present. I trust you all know how I want my city managed. Properly."

(tshhshshh)

My Tengerii officials stand and flee from the room with panicked haste. I'm not sure whether those folks respect me even slightly, but their fear is plain for all to witness.

Status.

Name: Pure Evil

Level: 112

Job: Dragon Acolyte (Pure Evil Variant, Ready)

Skills: Devour

Talents: Parasitic Body and Mind (Evolved)

Stats:

Str: 877

Sta: 938

Int: 1078

Wis: 1051

Free Points: 5550

I've cleaned up the whole Tengerii sex trafficking ring. It stretched pretty far outside the city, even having its gross tentacles in many tiny villages. These villages were, of course, not the clientele, but the workers. The best samples would be selected for clients and shipped in upon request. Just thinking about how cleanly this dirty operation ran makes me feel intense disgust.

In any case, my stats are really getting up there, and, most importantly, my free points are above 5,000. That's roughly what I decided to aim for before confirming my level 100 job advancement. Level 80 was good since I could branch out from the mage job. Then I figured, why not keep going? See what I can get next time?

Hrah, I'm so glad I waited.

Status, Job.

Job: Dragon Acolyte (Pure Evil Variant)

Your body has transformed from mere kaizen into full-blooded dragon. Rejoice! For the dragon lineage within you has awakened. As a Dragon Acolyte, your lineal talents will further awaken as you gain stats and will likewise grow stronger as you level up. This job can be advanced to Dragon Mage at level 20.

This job can be advanced to Dragon Archmage at level 40 for a free points scalar. Skipping the previous stage currently has no downsides.

This job can be advanced to several options at level 80 for a free points scalar. Skipping the previous stage may result in less future choices.

This job can be advanced to Autogenous Scion at level 100 for a free points scalar. Skipping the previous stages will result in no further job advancements being available. This job is available only if all other options are skipped.

Bonuses:

Perfect Body, Perfect Mind

Overmind

Autogenous Scion. Such a strange name. Rawh, what makes it good enough to give up everything else?

Status, Autogenous Scion.

Job: Autogenous Scion (Not Activated)

As you are a monster possessing multiple powerful lineages, you've gained a single opportunity to merge your diverse heritage and be reborn.

Consumes your current levels. Your job rank will reset and gain new advancement options. Your skills, talents, and bonuses will become innate parts of your lineage instead of on-use skills or Mana-activated talents. You will retain all free points and stats.

Your shown stats will include the stats of your lineage in addition to the stats of your body. Its numerical values will be based on a newborn of your new species. Specifically, as a multiple of your own newborn body. The previous measure, a multiple of a Kaizen newborn, may still be shown for comparison purposes via extended stats.

Bonuses:

This job cannot unlock bonuses.

Rah, this is truly impressive. In short, it consolidates all my various messed up stats. Hopefully, the weirdly hidden Chronometric Fixation talent will either become visible or merge into it as well. I'm not sure what to make of that talent. What's doubly strange is that it's the only thing Aitos could see when he hacked my status panel, but it's not properly visible on mine normally. I wasn't trying to block his hacking; I didn't even know what he was doing.

I look at Autogenous Scion again.

It's kind of disappointing that the job can't unlock bonuses, but then, I guess the job itself IS a bonus. I'm also mildly annoyed that my own status panel called me a monster. I'mma dragon! Rawr!

I do note something odd, however. The status panel says 'no further job advancements will be available' while Autogenous Scion says '...gain new advancement options.' Am I getting so overpowered that my status panel contradicts itself?

Hrah!

I go to make my happy dragon roar out loud this time.

I stop myself, because duh.

{"Rawr!"}

(tshhshshh)

Rawh, good enough.

Alright. Let's do this!

Advance Job, Autogenous Scion.

My body and the space nearby begin squirming and folding in upon themselves. It's like bits of me vanish into black holes and then pop out again. I don't feel weird, however. Instead, I feel a vast and almost inviolable strength.

I was already strong before, but this sensation goes well beyond that. Such a dramatic step up and... It just started.

I wonder if I'll be on par with the Dragon God afterward.

The spatial twisting continues for a few moments, then settles down. How anticlimactic? I always thought it was wild when the stories I read had crazy transformation scenes... But I guess simplicity is nice in its own way.

I should check my status.

Status.

Name: Origin

Level: Origin

Stats:

Str: 1

Sta: 1

Int: 1

Wis: 1

Free Points: 1,217,910

Rehhhh. Excuse me? What happened to my job? I don't even have a talent or skill section? And the free points?

Hremm.

You know what?

Free Points, Refine Origin.

I sit for a moment and... Nothing.

Hra?

Status.

Name: Origin

Stats:

Str: 1.2

Sta: 1.2

Int: 1.4

Wis: 1.3

Whaaaaat? My free points vanished? And my level, too, although it didn't make sense anyway. Not this again! This is what happened with Chronometric Fixation! Damnit!

Status, Free Points.

Free Points: Origin

What the hell's that supposed to mean? My new name ate my free points? This has got to be that stupid talent.

Status, Chronometric Fixation.

...

It's gone? Then, what about extended stats?

Status, Stats.

Stats:

Str: 1.2 (1,240,811)[1]

Sta: 1.2 (1,261,019)[1]

Int: 1.4 (1,402,816)[1]

Wis: 1.3 (1,317,266)[1]

Oh. Ohhhhhh. Raha, I forgive you, Status. That's absurd— but I'm not complaining.

I recall that my stats didn't previously scale with my lineage. So, for the longest time I was unsure of my real power. I wonder how what I have now compares with my original stats.

I also notice the [1] next to each number. What does that mean? I haven't the slightest clue! Then, what about—

Status, Name.

Name: Origin

You have no lineage for you are the Origin.

Rank: Immortal

Fine. Fine! Take my dragon heritage away, why don't you? I still feel like a dragon, I look like a dragon, and I act like a dragon. I'll call myself Chronometric Dragon. That sounds way less weird than Origin.

Can I do that? If I still can't change my own name— if I, the Origin for myself's sake, can't change my own name?

That would be all kinds of screwed up.

Change Name, Chronometric Dragon.

Name: Chronometric Dragon

I'm finally free of my freakish name! I can finally choose it myself! Rawh!

Hrah, what if I change my name to God?

Change Name, God.

Name: Chronometric Dragon God

Faaaaaaa.

Maybe that was asking too much. Can my Origin only add to itself? If so, I'd better not add anything else. I don't want a name like 'Clawdius Cuteboots Purrtholimewlian Pretty Kitty the Pawteenth of Whiskerenstine.'

...

Hreh, actually that's not a terrible cat name. It's apocalyptic.

Speaking of apocalyptic...

Did anything change in my name's description?

Status, Name.

Name: Chronometric Dragon God

You are Π||¿

Rank: Immortal

Greh? I broke something. Well, good. This status panel has given me nothing but trouble. Not having to look at all my cryptically worded skills and talents is so much better. They can be incomprehensible, instead.

...

No, no, that isn't better. But I don't know how to fix it.

...

Never mind, let's contact Leario. His reaction should be hilarious. I mentally bring up Aitos' green communication array. I enter 'Leario' and hit 'accept.'

It swiftly connects.

"Hello? Is this Pure Evil?"

Greagh. Smart people.

"Rea, it's me."

"How'd your name change? And why does your voice sound like that? I mean, it was strange before, but this..."

He's right. I hear my own grating voice from every angle. Yet despite all the chaos my voice causes, I can't not hear it. Like it's a voice inside my head. No, wait. I actually can't tell the difference between my thoughts and my voice.

Incredible. Awesome. Now I sound far worse, which I didn't know was possible. Whhhyyyy???

...

Let's ignore that and respond to Leario.

"I decided to use my free points, don't worry about it. I'm casting transference. Are you on the east side of Venifera?"

"I regret my entire life's choices. Haah. Yes, I'm here."

I check Pathfinder. I swiftly realize that my reliable Pathfinder has turned into an immense, three-dimensional, highly detailed, and realistic map. Like it's a copy of the world itself.

Wrah, this is badass. I can fly around in here!

...

Ereh. I'm literally a dragon. I can fly anyway.

Uhrm.

I'mma dragon. Rawr!

Whilst I happily dismiss my sudden bout of idiocy, I zoom in on Venifera. I see a white dot over on the east side by a wooden fence, so I zoom in again. I'm greeted with a crystal clear mental image of Leario in his white suit and tall hat. Even a mild wind is blowing through his hair. It's as though I'm standing right next to him.

"Okay, I see you."

Annnd he facepalms.