“No. Your breakthrough unleashed a lot of pent up transformations that your obsessive training had kept suppressed. You are catching up on many of them, but you are also utilizing a power that the Sha’kier never possessed, though I have learned of it since. Your adaptation does not come from Essence, but Essence can trigger it. In this way, you are not confined to your physical form’s limitations. You can customize to greater heights if you attain the necessary prerequisites, and that is what you have attained. Thus your Essence is triggering a rewrite of your genetic code to level up your avatar while other adaptations kept pending are also unfurling simultaneously. There is a hierarchy amongst the universe. Not all races are equal, and your Human race is not the equal of the Sha’kier. This is why we were able to reach the breakthrough point with many of our people. But you are now transcending your race and becoming a new one. One which you can reproduce if you wish, assuming the changes aren’t so radical to make you incompatible with female Humans.”
A weight on Paul suddenly left him, as well as a facepalm moment hitting him luxuriously hard. He and the other trailblazers had felt constrained after they reached Goku level and their bodies had very little room to improve based on their cellular density. It was a plateau that they could not break, but then was cheated with the Saiyan genetics, and then even more so with Essence. But the plateau remained none the less, and that had always felt wrong to Paul. As if plateaus were meant to be temporary, and that there was always a way to break through them, even if you never discovered it.
Now he was breaking that myth, and his own physical limitations as his Essence was somehow rewriting him into the next level of ‘avatar’ that would unlock more physical levels to train towards.
The last bit of wrongness with the universe that he had been carrying around like a noose finally broke free, and despite all the horrors and unfairness inherent in life, Paul now saw he was back on his path…and in fact had never left it. Rather, he had been going through a foggy section where he couldn’t see where to go or chart his course, but his aim had been true and he had gotten to the other side…after relaxing and making himself ‘small’ again.
He owed Cal-com for that, but now that he was past the blind spot everything felt right again, and more potent than ever.
Limits were a myth, and however cruel the universe was, it had layered in a pathway of continual advancement if you were worthy enough to discover and utilize it.
“This is the way,” he said, quoting the Mandalorian, and knowing that Azoro would know what he meant since he was able to hear his active thoughts.
“It is, for your empire. You have a long way to go to catch up to what we were, but with the combination of your knowledge and mine, you have a possibility to one day exceed us. And for that reason…along with a healthy dose of revenge…I am willing to share my knowledge with you, if you want it.”
“And a new Avatar?”
“That is far beyond your biotech capabilities now and in the near future, but one day later, if you and I can succeed in this endeavor, then yes. I would like to breathe the air once again and take part in the universe.”
“There is one condition,” Paul said warily.
“I may be no Jedi, but I abhor the Sith as much as you. I will not turn to the darkside. Your lightside philosophy is the greatest strength your civilization has, and it is one that exceeds our own, in retrospect. You must continue to pursue it, for it is the glue that holds your many races together. Without it, you would crumble quickly. This I say from great experience observing others fail.”
“Well then, Azoro. What’s the next step?”
“You need to complete your physical upgrades. Be patient and let them unfurl. You cannot force this. Once you are finished, we will speak again. Until then I must let your connection rest. It is taxed greatly already. Do not attempt to connect to the Saiolum for several days. Now rest, youngling. You have much work and many adventures ahead of you, and you need to begin on a solid footing.”
The Zen’zat image disappeared and a huge wave of fatigue smacked Paul so hard he fell back onto the dirt/sand and nearly passed out, but he resisted enough to sit up and look at nearby Cal-com who was noticeably worried.
He gave him a thumbs up gesture, then laid back and passed out again.
9
July 8, 154930
Solar System (Home One Kingdom)
Earth
Jason blinked his very groggy eyes as he woke up, feeling stiff as he rolled over and realized he wasn’t in his own bed. He was in a medbay, with numerous people around him.
“Welcome back, sunshine,” Wilson said sarcastically from his right. “That was a 22 hour nap.”
“What…the…fuck…”Jason said, sitting up as everything in him hurt in some ambiguous way.
“Did you use your Essence at all prior to blacking out?”
“I haven’t used it at all recently.”
“They’re pulling data constantly,” Wilson said, gesturing towards the medtechs that surrounded him. “But I think you and Vitor have hit a Limit Break and your Essence auto triggered some effect that is so efficient it doesn’t produce an Essence rush.”
“Vitor?” Jason said, looking around.
“In another room, still blacked out. When he touched you, he went out too, but I didn’t. I think you’re all so close to the Limit Break being exposed to the transitional Essence was enough to trigger him. The others have been told to keep
