Name: Nathaniel AldermanTitle: [ NONE ]Resonance level: 1 Tier: 2 Percentage: 30.92%
STR: 82 INT: 77 VIT: 80STA: 87 DUR: 92 SEN: 92
Augment(s): Kinetic Muscle, Hellcharge, Resin, Compound Peacock Mantis Shrimp Sight (Meta-vision)
Stat cap required for next stage of Resonance: 300
[MAX-REGEN] active Fatigue: 0%
Nathaniel woke in the guild med bay, his eyes glowing their unusual white as the last threads of regenerative light closed across his skin. His body repaired itself in real time. Any side effects of Arete's aura transfer had been nullified. No fractures, no bruising, no internal structural compromise. His frame felt reinforced. Stronger. Half the baseline of Alucard's raw physical output. He blinked up at the interface as it displayed a white screen with a message.
The temporary power infusion had left behind side effects. Side effects in the form of evolutions. The system had compiled them from his most used variations of his own skills.
Skill: Kinetic Flash has branched.
Variations including utility derived from other augments are as follows:
• Armour Piercing Round BulletDescription: Hyper condensed resin filled with uratsu. The core combusts on command. Fired using the initial explosive release from Kinetic Muscle. Functionally a living round that impacts with layered kinetic and thermal force.
• Piercing Wave / Gale StrikeDescription: Manipulates pressure waves by exploiting Bernoulli's principle. Uratsu is rapidly dispersed into the surrounding air then pulled back in an instant, causing a controlled implosion. When directed in a single vector the rebounding air crashes into the target. Uratsu provides the structural stability needed to violate normal physics.
• Lethal ImpactDescription: Stored kinetic energy and uratsu condense into the fingertips. The fingers harden and glow with heat generated through Hellcharge. Meta-vision tracks vitals while uratsu flow awareness prevents tunnel perception. On contact, stored uratsu converts into invasive resin, locking joints and damaging ligaments from within. A living nail gun.
• Resin TorrentDescription: Floods the field with dispersed uratsu that hardens into crystal resin. The effect resembles amber but its color and properties depend on the energy type used during formation. Jade-light healing energy forms jade resin. Base uratsu produces cyan volatile resin that holds condensed potential. These constructs can be primed to detonate into a burst of heat and concussive force.
Nathaniel's eyes opened to white light. The med bay ceiling came into focus as his vision stabilized. To anyone watching, it looked like a standard recovery cycle. MAX-REGEN doing its job. No twitching. No bursts of uratsu. No indicators of internal changes beyond the familiar pale glow that washed through his eyes like mist.
He pushed a slow breath out.
Good. Normal enough.
On the inside, though, the interface continued its silent stream of evolution notices. New branches. New variations. A reshaping of what he could do when his instincts ran ahead of his thoughts. The kind of information he did not plan to share with anyone. Not Arete. Not the guild medics. Not even George.
He blinked once, letting the white glow fade to a dull ring. Controlled.
His fingers curled experimentally beneath the blanket, hidden from any view. The faint heat threading under the nails confirmed what the system told him. Hellcharge integration. Resin conversion. Kinetic compression. All of it real. All of it quiet.
He kept his face neutral.
Just another regen. Nothing more.
He sat up, stretching his shoulders with the slow, lazy motion of someone who simply finished healing and wanted to check his stiffness. Nothing that hinted at the new weight in his frame or the precision humming in his senses.
"Alright," he muttered, just loud enough for himself. "Back online."
He slid off the bed calmly.
No one would suspect anything.They would see a recovered Knight, nothing changed except the usual oddity of his glowing eyes.
Everything else stayed exactly where he wanted it.Inside.
Nathaniel stepped away from the bed, rolling his shoulders once more, testing the balance of his weight. To the med bay staff, it looked like routine post-regeneration movement. Nothing suspicious. Nothing sharp. Nothing that suggested the system had just rewritten half his combat potential.
A medic glanced up from a terminal."You good to stand, Alderman?"
Nathaniel gave a small nod."healing factor handled everything. I'm clear."
The medic checked the monitor beside the bed. Readouts showed stable vitals, uratsu flow within expected limits, no spikes, no erratic behavior. Exactly what Nathaniel wanted them to see.
"Eyes still doing the white-glow thing," the medic said casually. "Side effect from the spar?"
"Probably. It fades," Nathaniel replied.
He didn't add that it faded because he chose to make it fade. He didn't add that Meta-vision was already adjusting, taking in airflow, light temperature, heartbeat patterns in the hallway beyond the door. All of it seamless. All of it hidden beneath the calm expression he wore like a second skin.
The medic nodded and returned to his work. No alarms. No questions.
Nathaniel slipped his hands into the pockets of the loose med bay pants they gave him, hiding the faint tremor of energy ready to thread into resin if he let it. Not a loss of control. Just new reflexes he needed to cage.
He walked toward the exit. Quiet steps. Measured. Normal.
Nathaniel exhaled through his nose and dismissed it with a blink.
No one needed to know.
He stepped into the hallway. The distant hum of the guild's training sector vibrated through the floor. members moving. Weights clashing. Energy surges echoing faintly.
He felt all of it.
But he kept walking, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed, expression unreadable.
Just Nathaniel Alderman,
same old him.
he said looking at the interface at one particular gain from the bout
Override: Template: Radiant ,gained after adopting Arete's energy signature and augment function. This mode divides current uratsu reserves to one-tenth of their original volume in exchange for a tenfold amplification to all abilities and physical stats.
He glanced at the addition and decided to deal with it later. Radiant could wait. What could not wait was the part he hated most, tracking down Ginah just to get his stuff back. He groaned internally at the thought.
Later on, Nathaniel regrouped with Ginah as they made their way out of the building. From the overhanging break room, Arete stood beside Ria as they watched the duo leave. Ria's eyes slid sideways toward her mother, narrowing slightly. She noticed the mild signs of recent healing on Arete's body, the split ends in her hair, and that sheepish look Arete only wore when she had been doing something she should not have been doing.
Ria finally spoke."Mom… why did you bring one of my co-workers to your place of business?"
Arete pretended to focus on something far away."He is not just your co-worker. He is part of my new intake program. Strictly professional."
Ria crossed her arms."Strictly professional does not usually involve you looking like you fought a small war. And lost a little."
Arete sputtered."I did not lose anything. And I did not fight a war. It was sparring."
Ria raised an eyebrow."You found another punching bag. You know you did. Dad would laugh if he saw you right now."
Arete's expression softened for a second."If Sung were here, he would say I need healthier hobbies."
Ria sighed."If Sung were here, you would not be dragging random super rookies into private arenas."
Arete let out a soft exhale."Your father said he had obligations with the Empire. They needed him for something long term. He will be back."
Ria clicked her tongue."He better be. Things feel tense everywhere. And you pick now of all times to cultivate a new favourite toy."
Arete gave her a sharp look."He is not a toy. He needs guidance. And I am providing it."
Ria smirked."Right. Guidance. That is what we are calling it."
Arete faced forward again, refusing to rise to the bait."Just keep an eye on him from a distance. He has potential but he is reckless."
Ria leaned on the railing."I will keep an eye on him. But I am also keeping an eye on you. Because the moment Dad comes home and sees you doing this again, he is going to give both of us a lecture."
Arete groaned quietly."Please do not remind me."
The two of them watched Nathaniel and Ginah disappear past the lower exit. The building felt a little too empty without Sung's grounding presence, and both of them silently hoped he would return soon.