4 Prologue 4/4: True Augmentation

Having been training on my own for the past couple of months, I decided it was finally time to use my Ability, True Augmentation, but before hand...

Regarding my Elemental Essences, I know I have the Lightning Essence, and a black Essence. The only 3 people that I knew, even couldn't tell me the name of what it was, or who else had it. All of the information they knew they had kept pretty tight lipped. Not much I can really do about them, but I sure as hell can figure out what it is on my own.

I pulled out a Scope Crystal, after injecting Manacules the density of the the 2 Essences had increased dramatically. When looking at the to distinct colors in the crystal, a singular thought had crossed my mind. Their auras are completely separate, but when I release my Manacules their fused in an aura around my body? I had focused on just the Lightning Essence.

Shortly after, the crystal was surging with pure Lightning Essence. I must have been subconsciously using both essences. Let's try doing it with the black essence now.

I closed my eyes and focused my manacules, when I opened my eyes the crystal had turned solid black, Void of all light, you couldn't even see the edges of the crystal anymore. Looking into the crystal, I had the sudden feeling that something was staring back at me... I quickly retracted my manacules from the crystal and left it alone.... After that I had decided to keep that black essence sealed until I have a better idea of what it is.

Now when ever I ignite my manacules it should just be the color of the Lightning Essence.

Now it's time for True Augmentation.

Let's simplify the ability real quick; To Augment is to Modify, Add, Enhance, Multiply, and Increase, already existing Matter, Emotions, or Concepts. Now the meaning of true is absolute, and undeniable. The application in which I can use it sounds pretty open, so I guess Imagination is the limit huh?

Thankfully Mom had let me into her private study around this time, and luckily for me she had books on the general knowledge of this world. Races, Cultivation, and Magic.

There were 5 different books for the races, Humans, Demons, Dwarves, Elves, and Homunculi. I only wanted the 2 on Homunculi and Elves, so I could better understand my physiology. Mainly my strengths and weaknesses.

There still isn't anything on how a Homunculus is made, but there is definitely a lot about them. Homunculi have a unique physiology that gives them what we would already call an Augmented Body, meaning that the body of a Homunculus' is several times stronger than that of a human's, and a hundred times stronger when fueled with Manacules.

Humonculi are unable to Cultivate any Manacules within themselves, but they can store them through Empty Essence Crystals, that have been modified into their body. In order to produce Manacules they have to assimilate an Organ or the crystallized essence of another being. Most notable traits even after assimilation are : Gray in the iris of the eyes, graying skin tone, assimilated body parts and modifications.

Elves, can naturally produce Manacules, and have a high cultivation rate, but their physique is severely lacking. The Elves even if Prideful, and arrogant, were true Elementalists. Training, Cultivating, and breathing, the very essence of the element they were cultivating. Known traits: Long pointed ears, and youthful appearance.

She had looked at me puzzled and noticed the books I was carrying, having a slight shocked expression after seeing the Homunculi book, she had quickly changed the subject to the Magic book that I was also carrying.

She was confused as to why I had chosen to grab it out of all the books she had in her private study, surely there was plenty of other books that would be best suited for my cultivation, and attention.

Back when Cultivation had been founded, magic was no longer necessary. The power of cultivating Elemental Essence was 10x stronger than regular magic, because instead of channeling essence through incantation and magic seals, one would use their own body to store essence and purify their cells through manacules. Thus it was no longer pursued, leaving the world of what was an old system of Magic behind, and coming into a world of Elemental Cultivation. So I had left the rest of the knowledge back in my mothers study.

Going back to True Augmentation, as long as whatever it is, it has to be already "Existing," or at least a "Concept" of. Then it can be augmented. So let's use my Visualization method for cultivating essence real quick.

Imagine a simple square circuit board from any piece of technology. The Board it'self is the body, Processor is the Soul Essence, and all of the extra components relate to one's capabilities, all of them are named of course. Such as, Physical Attributes, Abilities and Essences.

We'll just call this the Cultivation Circuit.

Imagining this in my mind, it looked just like a small technologically advanced city! Everything was completely scattered, and disorganized. I could see basic Physical Attributes scattered all over the place, in the upper right corner was strength, while in the lower left corner, was intelligence. I couldn't bare looking at it any longer, this has to change...

Let's use it here, so this is the concept of my being, everything I am is in the form of a circuit board.

With this image in my mind I had started to enhance the Cultivation Board, rearranging everything. Picking up similar components, from body components, to cultivation components. I organized everything accordingly, I even combined a few of the components just because I didn't like the clutter....

It was a little strange but every time I had removed a component from the board, I would twitch as if I had gotten shocked. I thought that it was just my Lightning essence growing restless inside my body, so I didn't think anything of it.

The Cultivation Circuit was coming together! In the center sat the processor, making it's existence known. Above it sat the Race Component, not really thinking anything of it I had combined the Elf and Homunculus Components together. The entire left side of the Cultivation Circuit was dedicated to my entire body, while the entirety of the left is dedicated to Cultivation.

Left side: Senses Component, Muscles Component, Reflexes Component, and the Mind Component.

Right side has 2 dome like crystals embedded into the board filled with Elemental Essence, One being my Lightning Essence, and the other black essence.

But there is on problem, where is the True Augmentation ability? I was sure that I created my visualization correctly...

I looked all over the front of the board but found nothing... Then I realized the thickness of the circuit board and turned it over, sure enough there it was. This giant flat component that had incorporated it'self into the entire back of the Cultivation Circuit, written in bold letters.

"True Augmentation" When they say that something is apart of you they really mean it...

Shortly after rearranging everything the way I had wanted it on the Cultivation Circuit, I had finally applied it...

Suddenly my body had dropped to its knees and all of the energy in my body had left. The light I could see with my eyes had begun to fade, and I had genuinely thought that I had screwed the pooch. Messing with something that I shouldn't have...

Then it started... Pain had shot through my body, and I had started screaming. My skin had started to tear itself apart, stretching it'self to the highest tension it can then suddenly tearing and ripping it'self to ribbons. I had started vomiting blood from my organs rupturing themselves. Laying face down in a puddle of my own blood from the constant destruction and restoration of my body, I could only pray for death.

A sudden influx of manacules had surged into and through my body. My body was still in the process of being destroyed and restored, but my manacules had subsided the pain. I could still very much feel the tearing, and ripping of my skin, as well as the rupturing of my organs.

The manacules had begun to form a dark shadowed dome, with purple lightning arcs dancing around it, emitting large waves of manacules in pulsations, that had even stirred the ocean around the island.

Mother had come running from the tree line, because the pulsations had alerted her to her very core. The horror she must of felt from the scene that she from the scene that she had met with. I could hear her screams as she cried out my name, but my consciousness had faded shortly afterwards...

Little did I know that from augmenting my entire being, I had gathered unwanted attention....