19 C19 Running in Circles.
Chuckling, I said, "Yes. It's different." I rest my hand on the wall, "It's more than just a tree since I put some of my soul in it, but it isn't like you—at least not yet."
"Soul…" SE swayed back and forth for a while before returning to me.
The tree is more than just a tree. It's also my second Engine, only this time its specialty is external energies.
While both are technically 'Soul Engines,' that being engines or converters made from my soul. The first one is specialized for using my soul energy for all soul-related things. But mainly Soulfire and its related abilities, hence its name, 'Soulfire Engine.'
The second is for making and manipulating external energies and using the abilities they are capable of. Right now, it's focused on Netherworld energy, the energy of all Hell dimensions.
So far, it knows how to manipulate it but not make it. Once it learns how to, it will naturally know how to reverse that process, and then I can start using external energies to strengthen my soul, however inefficient it may be.
'It's either that or I go to some cultivator multiverse—and I don't really wanna deal with arrogant young masters or have billion-year-old grannies after my handsome ass, even if they don't look like grannies.'
There is one BIG downside, though. The External Engine has to stay outside my soul to learn, and that doesn't feel good, not at all.
That's one of the reasons I made a tree for its body. I can live in it, which relieves the discomfort enough to not think about it constantly. But I will still have to take back the Engine every week or so just to feel whole again.
'Damn. The first Engine became overprotective. Now this one will probably become—' I look down at my feet, "clingy." My feet are already completely entwined in vines.
"I haven't even been standing here for more than two minutes!"
--- [A/N: If you are confused about what the engines are, I will explain in the notes below. They aren't clones!] ---
Surrounded by holographic images and scribbling, I stand in thought.
"Hmm. My genetic knowledge is about a decade old. Should I go and get more up-to-date research?" I ask myself out loud.
Then I look down to see my thoroughly rooted legs, "Guess not. Angel genetics are different enough anyway, so it won't really matter. Besides, I already know enough to accomplish the first stage."
'All that's left now is to identify the source of the problem,' I look at the vial of blood in my hand.
Directing attention to my two engines, "You two lockdown the realm; I mustn't be disturbed."
---
"Mortals," came a voice from thin air.
"Why must they continuously study things completely beyond their reach?" it came from outside a group of tents, though nobody heard the voice, even if they were right next to it.
"It's not like they will ever understand it," the voice was laced with confusion. "At least, no better than an ant understands them."
"No matter, I've wasted enough time." The air shimmered slightly, revealing a man in a lab coat.
He had black hair, green eyes, and was handsome, though not so handsome it would draw much attention.
Walking up to one of the many flaps, he flashed a badge to one of the guards who then allowed him entry. Once inside he made his way to the center of the complex.
As he was about to enter the central tent's flap, he was stopped by a man with a quiver on his back, "You are?"
With flawlessly faked nervousness, he replies, "Uh, Orson. I mean Professor Orson—Of Meteorology. I was called for a consultation; something about a strange weather phenomenon—melting the ground."
Before the archer can respond, he quickly adds, "Oh! Here's my badge."
Receiving the badge, the man looks at it intently before mumbling to himself, "Why does HQ never let us know about mid-deployment personal changes?"
Handing it back, he says, "Go on ahead, but watch your step, it's a bit—bumpy—in there."
Taking back the badge with a nod, 'Orson' walks through the flap and stops to get a good look.
The central area is a cooled molten floor. There is a mound with an indent, like something used to be there. Also, a trail runs through the center and ends nearby; it has footprints surrounding one spot, as well.
In a low voice 'Orsin' speaks, "I already know where you came from, now, I just need to find where you went."
--- [A/N: I'm not a biologist, so just assume the below works because of Marvel logic.] ---
"Seven." That's how many backdoors and bottlenecks there are.
Two are backdoors into the mind. They alter thinking patterns slightly and make it easier for God to alter and influence the mind. It obviously, has its limitations, else God would have 'fixed' Zadkiel.
Another two are backdoors for the body, but one has a connection to the mind backdoors. One determines if the angel has 'fallen,' if so, it works with the other to activate a part of the genetic code locked behind a bottleneck. God can change the angel into a devil, as well, by changing the code that's partially activated.
'The four backdoors are easy enough to edit out, but the same cannot be said for the bottlenecks.' They are far more integrated, and removing them is no different than removing what I'm trying to unlock.
'I can't use the backdoors to activate them either. They only partially activate the dormant genes.' I don't want to look like a devil either.
The three bottlenecks restrict the activation and expression of some genes. While all of them affect the whole body, I can tell they also specialize in certain areas.
One has more effect on the brain, another on the body, and the last—I can't quite tell. But I think it has to do with energy manipulation, which in a way, is both mind and body.
"Argh, so troublesome," they can forcibly activate if I energize them with soul energy, but the genes just collapse from all the raw power.
"Maybe—healing magic would work."
---
I've changed my approach. Instead of unlocking the genes throughout my whole body, I will unlock only one gene chain. From that, I will literally regrow my body, one cell at a time.
All I need to do is keep that one chain from breaking under the power. Still hard, but much easier than doing that for the entire body.
Before I can think further, I feel my body start sinking into the floor, "Huh, it's been a week already? It doesn't feel like it."
---
After resting for a while, I'm back to work.
Floating in front of me is a drop of blood. Surrounding it are magic and runic circles shining with golden energy.
I found that only one gene chain was too few and brought along other difficulties. So, I increased it to the amount in one drop of blood, and so far it has worked fine—aside from not being successful.
"Test eighty-four," this time I will strengthen the healing rune on circle four, section three.
The entire magic array starts to shine brightly while I keep track of every speck of DNA, with my in-realm omniscience. 'No breakage so far,' one bottleneck was overcome.
After the first bottleneck, the genes started collapsing from the overload of energy. "This is the furthest, so far."
'I guess I'm moving in the right direction.' I just need to keep improving the technique and lower the energy input to as little as possible.
---
"To think I, Loki, would be led in a circle!" a black-haired man was standing on the top of a skyscraper, looking down on the bustling city underneath.
"To come from Hell, I understand. Perhaps he was taken prisoner or was sent there on a mission. But, to then return to a Hell Dimension—with its Hell Lord! It makes no sense!" Loki paced, now in his normal attire.
Sighing heavily, "I won't return now, not when Father would likely have me try and find out more anyway."
"I'll have to infiltrate that realm and find out what's happening," he came to a stop.
"I will prepare to the utmost, however. I mustn't be caught by the realm lord." Loki started to smirk, "Luckily, I brought along—"
"Coo! Coo!"
Loki spun around, eyes widening, "Away, you vile creatures! You've already soiled one of my robes!"
---
"Test—four hundred...sixty-six," this is getting old.
"Just work already, DAMMIT!" I input a massive amount of energy.
The array quickly shined at maximum capacity and then exploded in a cloud of smoke. It left behind a single crystalline drop of blood that looked identical to the numerous others that came before.
Picking it up, I expect it to be another failure—it is. "Uugh, this is long past being old."
I can unlock all the bottlenecks, but the genome always collapses afterward. I know several possible ways to make the DNA itself stronger but they will take too much time, 'The Chitauri would be in New York by the time I worked them out.'
"I only need to keep it from falling apart," I mumble while looking down—down at my thoroughly encased feet. My feet, which are held completely still, and unable to move.
A smile spreads on my face, 'Maybe that would work.'
Half an hour and a few explosions later, a burst of mad, hysterical laughter came from my lab.
---
//Note//
The Soul Engines are not clones.
I HATE clones!
I remember watching Farscape, I fucking LOVED that show so much I binge-watched it on a crappy old 4:3 screen since I was staying over someplace. But then Crichton got cloned, it fucked EVERYTHING up! But the show was still so good I had to watch it!
One emotional rollercoaster after another! AH FUCK! I'm getting all worked up over it again, just thinking about it, and it was five years ago!
When I finished watching it, I completely shunned N*tfl*x for a MONTH and only watched funny videos on Y*uT*be. I was traumatized, or some shit, because I was literally AFRAID of watching anything and having that happen again.
I don't just hate clones, I fucking LOATHE them!
They ruined one of, if not the BEST, shows SYFY has EVER had.
--
Back to the main topic:
The MC turned his soul into three different parts: The Core, the Fuel, and the Engines. (Or Core, Mantle, and Crust, if you think of it as a planet). *Remember, he did this to more easily burn his soul.*
The CORE is where 'he' is. His memories, ego, 'soul brain,' etc. If he wanted to make a clone then he would have to split his core or take some part of it.
-
The FUEL is the part of his soul that he burns. It's basically just pure pieces of soul, they don't think or store anything, it's just an energy source for the most part. Fuel can also be repurposed and used as building blocks for making engines and vice-versa since they are just 'plain' pieces of soul.
-
The ENGINES are tools built from his soul to better make and control specific energies. They also have cores, made from his soul, as well. That way, they could learn. *Remember, he did this because he couldn't learn to use Hellfire and absorb Zadkiel at the same time.*
This may sound like clones, but it isn't. The engine cores are not made from his core, they are only modeled after it, i.e. they have the same structure. They do not have his memories or ego and are separate entities he made from his soul.
**Also keep in mind that he can still use all his abilities. He doesn't need the engines. They just make it easier, and he doesn't have to focus on it since they can control it for him.**
-
There are two things that all the parts have in common: They are made out of the same "fabric," and they all carry the MCs will as the most rudimentary element. Without these, it wouldn't be his soul. Due to his eternal attribute, this can't ever change.
*He also doesn't have to worry about his engines ever betraying him. This is because his will is in every iota of his soul, and thus anything made from his soul will never go against him. How could his will go against himself, that's a non sequitur.*
--
Hopefully, that was clear enough. If it wasn't, then just know they aren't clones because I said so.
