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—[3 Days Before Deadline]—
" How is the serum?" A Scientist Markus clone asked, having just thrashed one of his serums also focused on creating the True Chimera Serum.
" It's still stable, but the Potentia–Gene is a bit agitated at having nothing to connect to." Markus replied, his mind riddled with calculations and theories on their project.
" It's better than last time atleast, it immediately unraveled when simply used as it was." The Clone replied, sighing before taking a sit." So what now?"
" Now we continue our experiments, but in the meantime I'm gonna go see how far Magic Markus is doing and also see how our new captives are doing." Markus told it, leaving the small sample of what would be their magnum opus in the patry dish under the microscope.
" Also, while waiting for more data, start creating more varying serums, we have the resources to finally test them out in real time afterall." He ordered, walking out if the lab after getting a nod.
While walking down the hall his mind was racing, one part on their project and another on how well he can make his plans when deadline day hits.
He didn't get to dwell on those thoughts for long though, reaching the basement of their base, a new addition which had been singlehandedly created by his Magic Clone.
Immediately he found the clone, which was infront of a man who was dressed up in rags—who looked dazed with their eyes unfocused.
Anyone who were to see the scene would have been confused as to what was going on.
Markus though saw what was truly happening.
As his clone had their aura flared and connecting to the homeless looking man, who inadvertently was actually homeless.
He stood behind his clone for a couple seconds before watching the aura dissipate.
And immediately the homeless man's eyes gained focus again, and when one would expect him to act erratically or scream—instead he stood up as they had been sitting, walked off slowly to one of the multiple cells build down there and locked himself in.
" I'm gonna guess that your magical experiments are progressing perfectly?" Markus asked, staring around him and snorting.
Their basement unlike the top two floors which looked like something out of a low end sci-fi movie was a picture perfect showing of a mad scientists lab.
With cauldrons bubbling with clear pink liquid, a mortar with paste and varying amount of herbs which all had a plant bed where they were grown at the end of the huge room they were in.
All in all, his Magical Clone had taken this mad wizard thing like a fish in water—but then again, so had he with science, becoming a mad scientist.
" Yeah, I've managed to level up the skill to a point where I'm able to manipulate their minds to do more difficult tasks but it's still not good enough for what we need." Magic Markus said, scribbling down on a leather tome.
Markus hearing that raised a brow, making the clone talk on.
" While the skill is now able to give more than just suggestions now that it evolved, it's still not able to make the controlled show their personality while doing any task ordered." The clone explained with a frustrated look." I've found that suggestions lack deep control and is more susceptible to breaking."
" And I'm guessing what you were doing was supposed to go around that flaw?" Markus asked, looking back at the homeless man who was sitting on the ground of their cell unmoving.
" Yes, this time I'm rewriting their minds but it's a hard thing to do as I'm bombarded by nonsensical memories which I have to swim through while making changes in order for them instinctually obey our orders without needing to give suggestions all the time." The clone explained with a sigh, rubbing its head.
" Well, as long as we get results." Markus told it." Deadline day is close, I need them under our control as soon as possible and if you need more hands or in this case—minds, you can ask one of the scientist clones." He told it, nodding to it before walking off.
On his way out though he looked at the multiple cells in their basement, each one with a clone either sitting unresponsive or unconscious.
' What I do for power....' He thought with a small smile walking up the stairs.
While doing so though he decided to look through his skills, or more so the skills his magic clone had learnt and the one he was mastering right now.
—[Skills]—
—[3/5]—
—Lifestyle Skills—
- Sports[6]
- Academics[8]
- Acting-[7]
- Lying[3]
- Dancing[2]
- Singing[2]
- Instrumental Mastery[1]
- Gardening[3]
—Science Skills—
- Computers[8]
- Electronics[8]
- Genetics[9]
- Virology[8]
- Chemistry[8]
—Combat Skills—
- Swordplay[8]
- Martial Arts[7]
—Crafting Skills—
- Cooking[9]
- Crafts Mastery[6]
- Jury-rig[8]
- Artificing[8]
- Blacksmithing[4]
- Metallurgy[3]
- Architecture[5]
—Magic Skills—
- Aura Enhancement Technique[7]
- Mana Enhancement Technique[6]
- Aura Stealth[8]
- Cooking Magic[4]
- Water Magic[7]
- Fire Magic[6]
- Mana Control[8]
- State Of Matter Magic[8]
- Rune-Script Magic[7]
- Transmutation Magic[8]
- Sigil Magic[5]
- Refiner[8]
- Fuinjutsu[7]
- Brewing Magic[4]
- Aura Analysis[3]
- Aura Intent[2]
- Aura Suggestion[10]
- Wind Magic[3][New]
- Earth Magic[4][New]
- Aura Decryption[2][New]
—[-]—
His magic clone had been busy, utilising the magic skills they had while also learning new ones.
It had managed to learn Wind and Earth Magic, thus completing their set of elemental magic.
But as soon as Markus realised that he didn't have time, he put him up on their reprogramming endeavours.
An idea on how to better sell the story he had been inching towards.
It had started with [Aura Suggestion], having seen its potential first hand and theoretically.
But the clone hit a bottleneck, aura suggestion hadn't been what they were looking for—and as much as the clone tried, it still didn't grant them their desired results which was to manipulate the mind completely.
That endeavour though did grow results, because as soon as the skill maxed out, they had obtained a screen they hadn't seen before from their system.
[—Ding! Aura Suggestion has reached the maximum level!
—Searching for Skill Evolutions!....
—Aura Suggestion does not have an evolution tree, only a singular evolution! Would you like to initiate for [Skill - Aura Suggestion] to evolve?]
And of course he had agreed, feeling a bout of excitement from seeing his system stirring up.
And the result was his skill [Aura Decryption].
When he saw the skill he hadn't thought much about it, but when his clone sent it's results with experimenting with it, he was a bit befuddled.
The skill not only allowed him to see through someone or something in the form of code but allowed him the ability to Jack inside said code and change the properties of said code while learning through it.
With it his clone had been able to rewrite his captives memories by linking his aura to them and jacking inside their memories, from there he simply had to change the memories which were in the form of code.
That wasn't the only use of the ability though, but at its level they didn't have enough experience with it even though they had instinctual understanding of the code and how to utilise it.
And as he was walking up to his lab while thinking of his ability, he suddenly froze.
An unsettling grin suddenly spreading through his face before facepalming himself.
" Of course! Decryption! If I can Decrypt and modify the Potentia-Gene then I could stabilize it from within without the need of outside interference!"
And just like that, the lab was a tide of bodies again, his mind fully connecting to his clones in a rare moment of true unity as he used his clones as if they were third limbs.