BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM - Chapter 886: Would it be worthwhile? (1)
Having all those DNA points was good and all, but there was one tiny problem. <What should I merge? >
Erik didn’t absorb new brain crystal powers until now. Shade’s one was the only exception he made, and the reason was that even having all those, even with his insanely strong training technique, was taxing, and things were becoming much harder as the number of neural links increased. Not having the time to train all those powers made it superfluous to add new ones. Aside from that, merging powers had a huge downside: losing the neural links.
Erik had thought many times about getting a lot of them and training them only at the initial levels. That would have increased his strength by a lot, but the powers’ efficiency would have remained low. The number of neural links directly affected the amount of mana drawn from the brain crystal, meaning that the higher the number of neural links, the lesser the mana used was, and Erik needed mana, and a lot at that. There was only so much he could do with physical ability alone.
But something changed in the past few months. Erik realized he had to focus on a few powerful brain crystal powers.
The problem was that he didn’t have that many powers with great synergy to merge, and if he wasn’t careful, the result could be disastrous. The biological supercomputer explained that merging results could be unpredictable.
A very strong power, if merged with another good one but with no synergy, could create something different from both. That was why Erik always stuck to merging things that were relatively similar. <But now I have little choice. > He could combine beast and human shapeshifting, and he was certain he would get a shapeshifting ability.
Maybe he could merge the wyvern flames with the solid Frostwind so that he could not only imbue his hardened slime weapons with the frost and wind elements but even with the wyvern fire, which was much stronger than normal fire.
<Aside from that, I do not have many alternatives… > He turned to look at June. <What do you think? > The clone remained silent for a bit, but he actually had some ideas.
<You could merge those powers. I suggest you do so, actually, but… >
<But? >
<Did you forget what I told you? >
Right. Erik wasn’t alone anymore. If he wanted to fight and defeat the Blackguards, he needed strong companions. That became clear when he saw June struggle during the last missions.
Besides, he knew little about the situation in Frant, but based on what Noah said, it was not that good. Most likely, many of the clones he made before leaving for New Alexandria were dead. While it hurt him and June, of course, that many of their brothers died, it was also clear he needed to make more of them, and they needed to get stronger. Based on what Shade said, or rather thought, Doran’s research was now being implemented, and that meant that many blackguards were going to have multiple brain crystal powers. But they weren’t the only ones. If Shade convened a meeting with other criminal lords to discuss this matter, it implied that the Blackguards intended to use them as foot soldiers, or so Erik thought.
That wasn’t all, because these guys were also arming their man with brain crystal guns, along with other brain crystal equipment. This would complicate Erik’s situation even further.
He could buy or learn how to craft them; that was true, but he doubted he would earn enough money to equip all his troops or even find enough people and make enough machines to create them. <No. I must use what I can, which will give me a bigger but immediate advantage. >
He then turned to June. < I remember. So I assume you are thinking of sacrificing those two powers? >
<Yes, Master. Maybe the effect won’t be that great given the lack of mana for the clones, but I think the result of the merging will make it so that they will at least get a passive but finite boost. >
June was suggesting giving the clones the strength enhancer and the parallel will brain crystal powers.
The idea was that the strength enhancer would increase the clone’s strengths further, bypassing the limit that made the clones get half of Erik’s physical stats. Similarly, the parallel will brain crystal power should make the clones smarter. <System, what happens if I lose the parallel wills brain crystal power? There will be aftereffects? >
[There will be.]
The biological supercomputer said. Fighting the feeling of weirdness Erik was experiencing while talking to the AI as if it were a person, he asked, <What would happen? >
The biological supercomputer paused for a second.
[Hais’ Brain Crystal Power allows you to create a mana brain that enhances your cognitive abilities, to the point where you can think as if you have two brains. The secondary effect is that it boosts your intelligence in a passive way. Approximately, you get around five intelligence points for each neural link you make. Of course, by sacrificing this ability, you will lose those points that should be around 80.]
<Damn! > Both June and Erik thought. <Do you think it will be worthwhile merging those powers with the clone-making brain crystal power? >
The biological supercomputer paused again. [It depends. Until I get my hands on them and start the merging process, I can’t really tell what will happen. There are many things I must consider. ]
The biological supercomputer paused, as if it were thinking about what to say and how to convey it to Erik and June.
[The complexities of the merging process are grounded in the multidimensional aspect of DNA, which is far more complex than the classic double-helix model. It concerns the overlay of quantum entanglement theories upon genetic markers, adjusting the resonant frequencies of each brain crystal power’s unique mana signature. ]
[Attention must be given to the harmonization of the resonant mana wavelengths; a dissonance could cause catastrophic feedback loops. This is where mana parity conservation comes into play. It ensures that the output remains within the thresholds that your physiology can withstand without causing mana burns or DNA fragmentation. ]
