"Paradise?" Sylar repeated, confusion etched across his face. "You mean like heaven? Does it really exist?"
He had never been the religious type. His grandfather had taught him to question everything, and he had grown up an atheist. But if heaven—Paradise—was real, the idea was staggering. Yet, judging from what he had learned so far, it clearly wasn't a place of peace and happiness. If beings like the Apostles came from there, then whatever Paradise was, it was no divine sanctuary.
Instead of jumping to conclusions, Sylar fixed his eyes on Captain Benjamin, his expression serious and curious. The Captain looked reluctant to answer at first, but after a moment's thought—and seeing the spark of genuine interest in the boy's gaze—he finally nodded.
"You were born in a fairly advanced world," Benjamin began slowly, "so I assume you know about the principle of the Big Bang."
Sylar nodded immediately. "It explains that the universe began about more than 10 billion years ago as an incredibly hot, dense singularity. It expanded rapidly, cooled, and eventually gave rise to matter, stars, and galaxies. The expansion continued over time, creating the vast cosmos we know today."
Benjamin gave a faint smile but then shook his head. "You're right—but your answer is incomplete." He leaned forward slightly, his tone lowering. "When that explosion occurred, it didn't create one universe—it created two."
Sylar's eyes widened. Every ounce of his attention was now on the Captain. He could feel that what was coming next was of immense importance.
"One side was born of light and matter," Benjamin continued, "the other of silence and thought. We live in the first—the Realspace—the physical plane of existence governed by the four natural forces and the laws of matter. But the second universe…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "The second was forged from the same essence that gives rise to thought, consciousness, and the soul. The scientific name for it is the Antiverse."
Sylar felt a chill run through him. The idea of a twin universe, one made not of atoms but of minds and spirits, was both fascinating and terrifying.
"In the beginning," Benjamin went on, "the two realms were completely separate, unable to interact. But things changed when consciousness evolved. Intelligent beings began to reach into the Antiverse in their dreams. What they saw there was so beautiful, so radiant, that it defied description. That is how the notion of Paradise came to be."
He paused, his eyes darkening. "Unfortunately, it didn't remain pure."
Sylar could tell from his tone that whatever came next was dangerous knowledge. Benjamin met his eyes and said sharply, "Do not share what I'm telling you—not even with another Shooting Star—until you become one yourself."
Sylar nodded solemnly. He understood immediately that the Captain was bending protocol by telling him this. His expression hardened with determination.
Benjamin's stern features softened slightly, and he gave a small approving smile before gesturing for Sylar to continue his questions.
Sylar thought for a moment, then asked the one that had been burning in his mind since the battle. "The ability the Apostle used—it didn't seem like a mutation or a genetic trait. Was that… a psychic power?"
The reaction in the room was immediate. Both Lieutenant Astro and Lieutenant Oscar turned toward him with sharp, tense expressions, and the relaxed air from before vanished. Even Captain Benjamin's posture stiffened, his gaze sharpening.
Sylar noticed the sudden change but stayed calm. "I ask because it looked similar to a psychic ability I once saw in a comic book sold in my world."
At that, the tension in the room eased slightly. The officers exchanged glances and nodded. Benjamin exhaled slowly. "So that's where you learned the term." He studied Sylar for a moment longer, then continued in a grave tone.
"Psychic powers are the hallmark of the Apostles. There are exceptions, of course—rare individuals who can control those forces without being tainted by Paradise—but even among them, such power is dangerous."
He paused, his voice lowering to a near whisper. "Those are the kind of people who can look into the abyss—and the abyss looks back."
Sylar felt his stomach tighten. One of his own innate abilities was psychic in nature—his strongest one.
"How dangerous are they, exactly?" Sylar asked quietly.
Benjamin's eyes grew cold. When he spoke again, his voice carried the tone of absolute conviction. "Most likely, it was one of those people who open the gate for the power of Paradise and its abominations of flesh and metal to invade your world."
Sylar froze. His eyes sharpened as the realization struck him. He now knew how the invasion had begun.
The Thinking Rot and the Luminarchs came from outer space. However, things were different with the Apostles. Someone had invited them in.
And now, he also understood why the Kingdom of Man viewed psychic powers with fear and suspicion. If even a single mistake could bring such horrors into existence, then possessing that power was a curse as much as a gift.
From that moment, Sylar silently swore to be careful when it came to psychic abilities.
"Do you have any more questions?" Captain Benjamin finally asked.
Sylar hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No, sir."
"Good." Benjamin straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "Then we'll proceed with your assessment."
"Assessment?" Sylar asked, curious.
"You've survived the Omega Compound," Benjamin said. "That means you'll soon face the Star Crucible. But before that, we need to evaluate certain qualities—your abilities, limitations, and potential. These results will be recorded in your military file. They'll also affect your ranking once you complete your journey to becoming a Shooting Star, as well as determine the grade of the power armor you'll be issued."
At the mention of power armor, Sylar's eyes lit up. He still remembered how awe-inspiring Benjamin's armor had been—how it shimmered like living metal and moved with impossible grace. Determination surged through him, igniting every nerve in his body.
He clenched his fists and stood tall, his expression fierce with resolve.
Captain Benjamin led Sylar into a vast training chamber filled with all kinds of machines and equipment. Lieutenants Astro and Oscar followed close behind, clearly curious to see what the boy could do after his transformation.
"Do your best," Benjamin said firmly. "And don't hesitate to use your mutations."
Sylar nodded with determination. For a brief moment, he considered spending his unused Free Points, but he quickly decided against it. The challenges ahead would likely be far more dangerous than any test, so conserving them was the smarter choice.
Instead, he accessed the Mutation Interface through the Nemesis System and silently activated two of his available abilities—Tendon Bloom and Chitinous Sheath. Both were semi-compatible, yet the Entropy levels stayed below twenty-two percent, well within a safe margin. With his body adapting, his muscles tensed in anticipation.
Without wasting any time, Sylar began a grueling series of physical trials. Some tests were simple: punching reinforced surfaces as hard and fast as possible for ten seconds or running sprints across narrow beams. Others were far more complex—navigating an obstacle course while only allowed to use one arm or hopping through electrified platforms without touching the ground.
He pushed himself relentlessly, his movements precise, his breathing steady. For hours, he trained, and by the end of the day, his body ached as if every fiber had been torn apart and rebuilt again.
When the final test concluded, Captain Benjamin stood before a holographic console, reviewing the streams of data scrolling across its surface. After a long moment of silence, he turned toward Sylar and read the results aloud.
"Strength: Grade -3. Agility: Grade 3. Vitality: Grade 3. Adaptability: Grade -3."
Though Benjamin's tone remained neutral, the impressed glances exchanged between Astro and Oscar said everything. Both officers had seen countless recruits tested before, but rarely did a new candidate achieve such results after a single transformation.
Sylar smiled faintly, satisfaction burning in his chest. His current abilities would finally allow him to face a Symbiarch from the Myceliarch head-on. It would still be dangerous, but at least now he could fight.
Captain Benjamin let him rest for several minutes before speaking again. "Now," he said, "we'll assess the limits of your mind and intellect."
They moved into an adjacent chamber, one that looked more like a strategy lab than a gym. Walls were lined with maps, diagrams, and holographic star charts. In the center stood a massive tactical table.
Benjamin gestured for Sylar to sit. "Let's see how sharp your thinking really is."
What followed was a long series of mental trials—games of war strategy, logic puzzles, and pattern recognition challenges. Benjamin even had Sylar construct memory palaces and recall hundreds of complex symbols under time pressure.
Each time Sylar succeeded, the next task became exponentially harder. Yet that only made his smile grow due to the message that was constantly repeating itself in his mind.
[Cognition has increased by 1 point.]
Since the Omega Compound transformation, Sylar's body had reached physical maturity thanks to the healing pod's nutrients. His mind, however, had not yet caught up. The limiters were gone, and now these tests were forging that missing link, turning potential into capability.
As the hours passed, the mental strain deepened. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His thoughts began to blur, his focus slipping under the weight of endless problems. Finally, the simulations reached a level too advanced for him to solve, and he leaned back in exhaustion.
Benjamin observed silently before marking the result. "Cognition: Grade -3."
Sylar nodded, accepting the result without protest. He could feel the difference already, his thoughts sharper, his perception clearer. "What's next?" he asked with a faint grin.
The Captain didn't return it. Instead, his expression darkened. The atmosphere in the room shifted, and both Lieutenants fell silent.
"Now comes the assessment of willpower," Benjamin said gravely.
A strange light crossed his eyes. Whatever this next test was, it wasn't something he took lightly.