"Do you know what just happened?" the Beast God Shadow asked, leaning in.
Malrick frowned, still dazed. "I'm not sure. Nothing like that has ever happened before."
The Shadow's eyes gleamed. "Maybe… a hidden talent? Some rare lifeforms have dormant abilities that only awaken under certain conditions."
But it quickly shook its head. "No, that doesn't add up. Even hidden talents have limits. A gene increase over a hundredfold before becoming a Law Master is unheard of."
"Try again," it urged. "Recall the sensation just now. What triggered the change?"
Malrick closed his eyes. "It felt like… my genes were responding to my will."
It reminded him—oddly enough—of the Superman archetype from the DC Universe.
Power tied directly to willpower. But this was different.
"It happened when I was on the edge of collapse," he muttered. "My mind was breaking, but I forced myself to keep going. I kept thinking—I had to reach the eight hundredth step."
The Beast God Shadow snapped its claws. "Yes! That's it! Focus on that state of mind. Try again!"
Malrick exhaled slowly, eyes shut. He visualized the pressure, the strain, the sensation of his will tightening like a rope, unbreakable.
He climbed the steps again.
Step 801… then 999.
The pressure mounted. Pain lanced through his body. His bones screamed.
"Ahhh!" Malrick let out a strained cry, muscles locking in agony, forcing himself up another step.
But this time, despite the pain, no surge of power came.
The miracle didn't repeat itself.
The Beast God Shadow brought him back to the bottom.
After a moment's recovery, Malrick lay on the ground, drained, his willpower completely tapped.
"I was hoping it'd be easier," he muttered.
Then, unexpectedly, he thought of Tony Stark.
Malrick stared at the sky, jaw clenched. If Tony were here, he would've already broken it down, identified the trigger, run some models…
"Tell me about your origin," the Shadow said. "I've seen a lot. Maybe I can help."
Malrick hesitated, then gave a vague explanation of his Kryptonian bloodline—its Source, the traversal ability, and how the Source Will altered it.
A long silence followed.
The Shadow looked at him as if he'd grown three heads.
"You're saying your Kryptonian bloodline came from a force comparable to the Source Will, but it had a cap, and the Source Will modified it into something a hundred times stronger?"
"That doesn't make sense," the Shadow growled. "The Source Will doesn't bother helping cosmic-level beings fine-tune their biology."
"And even if that other entity is as powerful as you say… why give you a limited version of a Kryptonian bloodline?"
It began pacing, snorting heavy bursts of air through its nose.
"There's more to this. You're missing something."
The words hit Malrick like lightning.
Of course.
Why would the original world give him a low-tier Kryptonian bloodline?
He had obtained both the bloodline and his traversal ability from the same Source. One couldn't be groundbreaking and the other underwhelming.
It made no sense.
They were born together. They had to be linked.
He thought back to what happened when he crossed between two worlds.
How his Kryptonian genes had modified effortlessly—flawlessly—without error.
And when he broke through at the steps, both his will and genes evolved together.
"It's evolution and inclusivity," Malrick whispered.
His voice grew stronger. "My Kryptonian bloodline evolves when I reach my limit. It absorbs and integrates systems that make it stronger."
"It doesn't just adapt. It transforms. It includes."
He rose to his feet, clarity sharp in his eyes.
"All this time, I've misunderstood its nature."
"The same way my traversal ability has unlimited growth potential…"
"My bloodline can evolve through repeated breakthroughs. I just have to keep reaching the edge—keep climbing."
He paced now, mind racing.
"Among those traits, inclusivity is simpler. Like in that Resident Evil world—my cells integrated the virus's mutations even though I was immune to infection."
"But true evolution is tougher."
"That moment on the steps, it wasn't just physical pain—it was will. I had to break through mentally. Only then did the Kryptonian bloodline react."
He rubbed his chin.
"It's like every cliché in American comics. Desperation, hopelessness, and just when all seems lost—'Save the world!'—and boom, the hero evolves."
"But it's real. It's how I function."
"If my genes can evolve even once—then why not ten times, a hundred, a thousand?"
"One day… I'll become a Silver Superman, a Golden Superman… even a Supreme Superman."
The Beast God Shadow watched Malrick mutter to himself, increasingly bewildered.
"You… figured yourself out?"
Malrick nodded, calm and confident. "I've never seen it this clearly."
The Shadow tilted its head. "Well, looks like you've passed all your trials."
It gave him a long, thoughtful look—clearly wanting to pry deeper—but finally nodded.
"Congratulations. You've inherited the legacy of the Light-Time Beast God."
Its tail swayed as it chuckled, clearly pleased.
"Now, let me show you the fortress."
With a stomp, the world around them shifted.
Malrick and the Shadow appeared in a vast dimension.
Towering mountains rose in the distance, with white clouds drifting below them. A crystal lake shimmered beneath their feet. A courtyard floated atop a distant peak.
But none of it looked natural.
The scale was insane.
Malrick blinked. The lake alone had to be millions of kilometers wide. The mountains were more like planets. The clouds drifted like nebulae.
"This is the foundation of the fortress," the Shadow explained. "Back when Shadow wandered the universe, this was his resting place."
"All of it—the water, air, soil—is composed of rare resources. You're free to use any of it."
Malrick's eyes lit up with restrained excitement.
But the Shadow wasn't done.
It pointed toward the courtyard on the mountain.
"The world ring that holds the stars you need—it's up there. Go retrieve it whenever you're ready."
With a wave of its massive limb, the scenery shifted again.
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