Tech First

Alexis focused on something and a screen appeared in the dreamscape. It was the image she saw when she checked her system. She wasn't sure if it would show up in a dream but it didn't seem to have any issues. There was a new option on her menu which opened something similar to a cash shop. Each option was greyed out except for the first few. The greyed-out ones required a previous purchase to become available. The cost for all of these options were Support Points.

Matt inspected each option and realized this made sense. In the game, any player that was infected and changed to the parasites team would have access to upgrades which could be bought similar to how the Parasite evolves. The reason this existed is because parasite subordinates can't evolve past a certain point. Therefore, instead of being a weakness to the main Parasite, they would be able to spend their excess points on minor upgrades for the main body.

Based on the choices listed and descriptions, Matt seemed to understand the logic behind them. These upgrades were like data for the main body. The sub-body explores an avenue of evolution that is deemed inefficient or dangerous and then reports the findings to the main body. Then, the main body is able to take the most useful pieces of that data and then turn it into small advancements. He read the two available upgrades and contemplated.

[Genetic Divergence: The Mind Slug is a powerful evolution pathway that has been tested through billions of iterations and become the most efficient. However, the Mind Toad was once favored. Unlock the genetic information of the Mind Toad and optimize the Main Body's genome.

>Reward: Main Body Gains 50 Evolution Points

>Cost: 20 Support Points]

[Hybridization: Many pioneers in the Parasite family attempted to mix their ancestral evolutionary pathways to become something new. Explore the genetic structure of mixed branches in order to enhance the Main Body's skills.

>Reward: Main Body Evolves 1 Path Skill

>Cost: 50 Support Points]

"I don't really understand the mechanism, but I guess it works…" Alexis said. Matt looked at the top of her status and saw that she had already accumulated twenty-two support points. The last he saw she only had a few. He wondered how she was accumulating them since this was a new avenue for him. Alexis noticed where he was looking and explained.

"I've figured out a few things that give me points and have been doing my best to gather them. I felt that they would be very useful at some point. The upgrade shop appeared once I gathered twenty points."

"This is good. With fifty evolution points, I'll be able to upgrade and evolve one of my skills to the next tier. Once I have an offensive skill, I'll come rescue you."

"Tsk, just deal with the device jamming my suit and I'll clean everything up." She crossed her arms and had a defiant expression.

"Don't worry, you'll get plenty of chances to take your revenge. For now, if you do wake up, focus on trying to make contact with me."

Before Alexis could respond, the dream began to break apart from the edges. A black wave slowly encroached on them and Matt realized that Alexis was waking up. He quickly urged her to spend and buy the upgrade. Once completed, it greyed out and a new option lit up. It was similar to the previous upgrade but more expensive with a higher reward. He didn't get a chance to study it since his body began to burn with pain.

Matt woke up and felt waves coursing through him. He could feel the waves of mental energy entering his head and forcing changes in his body. This must be the mechanism at which the system uses to create changes. Matt had never noticed it before since it was all internal, but now that it is coming from Alexis, he can feel the sub-space frequency penetrating into his mind. Once the transmission stopped, he saw his evolution points shoot up.

Not only did he receive a large amount of evolution points, his instincts seemed to improve. However, now wasn't the time to admire himself. Matt needed to quickly decide which skill he would improve. The main issue was not knowing which of his two base skills would become attacks. It was likely they both became attacks, but their usefulness wasn't guaranteed. Thinking back to the game, the two attacks a player could get in the Mind Flayer path were Mind Blast and Illusory Field.

Mind Blast was a direct damaging ability. It does a flat amount of damage to a player since they do not have any special resistances to it. Each suit, however, has different rates of protection. Most suits simply take ninety-percent of the damage from the attack where the ESP suit takes fifty-percent.

Illusory Field was a more difficult ability to use. In the game, it simply created a few special effects in a large area and anyone in it would take damage over time. Based on the description that he remembered, the ability would be much stronger in reality than its game counterpart. Since it was able to create an illusion in a large area while harming those inside of it, group combat would be very easy. There also were no particular resistances against it since you could simply leave the area.

Based on the game, Telepathy should become Mind Blast and Dream Walking should become Illusory Field. With the assumption that there was not another step needed to reach these skills, Matt could consider them equally. He didn't need long to consider. Although Illusory Field was really powerful, Mind Blast could quickly take someone out without them even getting a chance to retaliate.

[Host: Matthew O'Connely

Status: Grade 1+ Mind Slug

Evolution Points (EP): 88

Abilities: <Perfect Mimicry Lv. Max>, <Improved Metabolism Lv. 2>, <Mental Resistance Lv. 3>

Skills: <DNA Absorption Lv. 10>, <Toxin Resistance Lv. 5>, <Weak Hypnosis Lv. 2>, <Dream Walking Lv. 1>, <Primary Reproduction Lv. Max>, <Telepathy Lv. 1>]

[Telepathy Lv. 1->2: Utilizing your mental energy, (…)

>Ability: Telepathy

>Level Cost: 10->20]

[Telepathy Lv. 2->3: Utilizing your mental energy, (…)

>Ability: Telepathy

>Evolve Cost: 40]

<Telepathy Lv. 3 has evolved to Psionics Lv. 1>

[Psionics Lv. 1: Your continued practice and training in mental energies has reached a new realm. Due to your mutation towards the Eldritch Horror pathway, new abilities have awakened. You are able to utilize your mental energy to execute various forms of Psionics.

>Ability: Telepathy

>Ability: Mind Blast

>Ability (Locked): Phantom Voices

>Ability (Locked): Sundering Strike

>Level Cost: 80]

[Mind Blast: A concentrated blast of mental energy capable of penetrating directly into the mind of another creature and detonating. Those unable to resist or defend will break and be unable to function or die immediately. Those with greater mental strength will only be stunned for a duration.

Activation: Concentration

Duration: Special

Range: 10 meters]

[Phantom Voices: A scholar of an extinct race once said that the voice you hear behind you with no source is the sound of all the tortured souls in hell. However, the truth is far more terrifying.

>Unlock: Level 2 Psionics]

[Sundering Strike: The soul is a tricky subject for intelligent life. However, if you ask the parasites, their answer is simple. Since it can be split in two, it must exist.

>Unlock: Level 3 Psionics]

Matt could only describe his current change as powerful. Absolutely powerful. His mental energy that was formless and difficult to grasp now felt like a natural appendage. Every object seemed to have residue of mental energy on it and Matt could recognize some of them as his own signature. His mind felt like a fortress compared to the shack it was before. The first thing he did was attempt to create a Mind Blast. It went smoothly without issue. However, since there wasn't a target, it simple dissipated.

Based on how much energy he expended to create, Matt calculated he could do it five times until he reached his limit. Any more would risk unconsciousness or even permanent brain damage. He breathed out and focused his mind. He spread his perception to their limits and was able to sense the whole room and even the hallway outside. The black and white world was still difficult to decipher but it no longer felt lonely and isolated.

Matt dressed in his uniform and put on his black field jacket. He made sure he remembered everything and then left. His first destination was the lab to check on Martha, and then he would retrace his astral body's movements to find where Alexis was taken. Normally this would be an ordeal, but his advancements gave him a lot more sensitivity to the black and white world.

When he entered his lab, it was an absolute mess. Someone had broken in here as well. Matt had used his Life Sense outside but only saw Martha's signature. As he walked into the area Martha was hiding, he didn't see anything. Just as he was about to activate Life Sense again, a shifting of light caused him to snap his attention to one point. Martha slowly became visible and trotted toward Matt gleefully.