BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Erik's body became the epicenter of a tumultuous surge of mana. It streamed through him like a river, unrelenting and unstoppable, threatening to engulf everything in its wake.

This internal torrent of energy swelled, growing in intensity, reminiscent of water rushing over a submerged volcano, heating to an almost unbearable temperature.

Warmth radiated from the core of his being, diffusing outwards to every limb, every extremity. This wave of heat traversed his entire body, leaving no part untouched, before waning, leaving a peculiar stillness in its wake.

As the biological supercomputer's message echoed in his mind, Erik experienced a fleeting moment of disorientation.

His eyelids grew heavy, weighed down by the overwhelming force of the system's influence. With an effort that seemed beyond his waning strength, he squeezed his eyes shut, surrendering to the encroaching darkness.

Within seconds, he succumbed to the depths of unconsciousness, his body yielding to the exhaustive demands of the transformative process.

...

...

...

[PROCEDURE COMPLETE. LEYLARHAD'S BRAIN CRYSTAL POWER ASTRAL WOLF BITE EXTRACTED. CONGRATULATION.]

The sound of the system notification resonated within Erik's mind, its visual counterpart hovering in his peripheral vision, signaling the completion of the power absorption.

Roused by this prompt, Erik's eyes fluttered open. He looked around until he recognized he was in his own home.

The clock on the wall showed it was 06:14 AM. The procedure, having consumed a short amount of time, allowed him an early awakening.

His room remained unchanged; the computer sat idly on the desk, his backpack rested at the table's foot, keys lay scattered atop it, and both door and windows were securely shut.

Erik rose from the couch, feeling a slight dizziness that stemmed from the intense procedure. He made his way to the bathroom, splashing water on his face to clear the remnants of grogginess.

Refreshed, he returned to the living room, anticipation building within him to test the newly assimilated power.

He recalled the information he gained about the Leylarhad—a Thaid known for its intelligence. It had a brain crystal power that amplified its bite force and reinforced its teeth.

Erik, not being a Leylarhad, was curious to see how this power would manifest in him.

If it followed the same logic as the Mana Venomous Quills, he should be able to create a Wolfish jaw made out of mana. Speculations aside, he could only test it to see.

Erik concentrated, directing mana into the newly formed neural link. A few seconds passed, and then, as if summoned from thin air, mana coalesced above his left shoulder, materializing into the bluish-transparent visage of an adult Leylarhad's head.

The sight was extraordinary, unlike anything Erik had witnessed in his eventful life. The spectral head hovered in the air.

Erik gazed in awe at the massive wolf-like head that materialized before him, its proportions dwarfing his own.

The head's mouth was immense, almost twice the size of Erik's head, with a tongue unusually long for human standards. The creature's teeth, each measuring around 20 centimeters, added to the imposing spectacle.

Despite its intimidating appearance, the wolf's head merely growled, performing no other action. Erik realized he had not provided a specific target for the head to attack, which explained its lack of further activity.

After a brief period of observation, Erik ceased channeling mana into the brain crystal link, causing the spectral head to vanish.

"I was right."

This new power, he mused, was akin to the one he had gained from the bush hedgehog. As his body lacked the physical and biological features of these creatures, his power manifested as a solid mana projection, a creative compensation for these absences.

Since he increased his intelligence, he noticed he was right most of the times he made a prediction. Erik considered the utility of this power, recognizing it as unique and perhaps only useful in certain situations.

Despite a tinge of disappointment in its specific nature, Erik wasn't discouraged, buoyed by the fact that he gained some levels from his encounter with the Leylarhad.

The thought reminded him of his unallocated attribute points. "System, show me the status." Instantly, a white and blue screen materialized before him.

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[Host Information]

NAME: Erik Romano

AGE: 16

POWER LEVEL: 44

SYSTEM LEVEL: 12

EXPERIENCE: 1932/ 3540

DNA POINTS: 2260

HEALTH: 640 / 640

MANA: 570 / 570

{Attributes}

STRENGTH: 20

INTELLIGENCE: 17

DEXTERITY: 17

ENERGY: 27

Available Attributes points: 10

{Powers}

[Biological Super Computer Powers]

-Brain Crystal Manipulation

Brain Crystal Power Extraction (Allows the absorption of the brain crystal, making the host able to gain the power contained within. Notice: the DNA must be changed in order to allow the body to use the power. See DNA extraction.)

- (LOCKED)

- (LOCKED)

- (LOCKED)

- Brain Crystal Power Strengthening (Allows the gaining of the energy attribute points)

-DNA Manipulation

DNA Extraction (Allows the absorption of foreign DNA, making the host able to replicate it inside his own body. Notice: Changing the DNA is a slow process unless more DNA points are provided, and it is required to use of new brain crystal powers.)

- (LOCKED)

- (LOCKED)

- (LOCKED)

DNA Strengthening (Allows the gaining of the Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity attribute points)

-Analysis (Gives the host information about his surroundings, plants, creatures, and ores.)

-Brain Information Injector (It allows the injection of information directly to the brain. Based on touch)

-Device Manipulation (Allows the Host to manipulate electrical and mana-driven devices. Based on touch)

[Host's Powers]

-PLANT GROWING: Eσ2E-RANKED (Allows the host to make Plants Grow Faster)

-SHARPENING: Eσ2D-RANKED (Makes Everything sharper according to the quantity of mana imbued into the item or body part.)

-POISONOUS MANA QUILLS: Eσ2E-RANKED (Create Mana Venomous spikes from the user's back. The amount of toxicity and the spike's length depends on the mana used. )

-VENOMOUS MANA DARTS: Eσ2E-RANKED (This ability enables the user to create and project mana darts infused with potent toxins. The effectiveness and lethality of these darts are directly proportional to the amount of mana channeled into their creation.)

-SHAPESHIFTING: Eσ1A-RANKED (This skill allows the user to transform their physical form into that of other creatures. The prerequisite for each transformation is the prior absorption of its specific DNA, unlocking the ability to assume its form.)

-BONE MANIPULATION: Eσ1E-RANKED (This power grants the user the capacity to control and change their skeletal structure. It includes the ability to enhance the density, size, and form of the bones, as well as to sharpen them for defensive or offensive purposes.)

-MANA EXOKELETON: Eσ1E-RANKED (This power grants the user the ability to create a mana exoskeleton. The exoskeleton protects the body from harm, but its resistance to external stimuli depends on the quantity of mana used.)

-ASTRAL WOLF BITE: Eσ1D-RANKED (Allows the user to turn his mana into a massive Leylarhad's mana head. Taking material form it can attack opponents or being used for other purposes. Notice: It won't last long. Mana consumption is very high.)

{Skills}

-Kyokar hand-to-hand style (BEGINNER) (A military fighting style developed in Frant)

-Whispering Willow Sword Technique (BEGINNER) (A sword fighting style developed in Khunelerp by a renowned fighter.)

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Upon reviewing his status, Erik first acknowledged that the power he had gained from the Leylarhad was classified as D-ranked. This classification aligned with the known fact that Leylarhads often possessed D-ranked brain crystals.

He also deduced the reason behind the wolf-like head's inaction. The power required a specific target for the astral projection to activate and act, something he couldn't clearly know with no prior information.

Erik's attention then shifted to his experience points. He noted he had accumulated 1932 out of 3540 points. He needed a lot of experience to level up again. The encounter with the Leylarhad cub, despite its danger, had proven to be beneficial, as he gained two levels and a new brain crystal power.

This recent brush with death had led Erik to an important realization—the need to have more mana. He had so far managed his mana well, ensuring it was enough to fuel his powers and maintain them for an acceptable period.

However, Erik realized that his victories over the Lomalins and the bush hedgehog were because of their inherent weaknesses.

His confrontations with Conal, Orson, and Logan were different scenarios. These adversaries lacked experience and strength, primarily because they had few neural links and their mana reserves were comparatively low.

Logan's substantial mana reserves, attributed to his D-ranked brain crystal, were not enough to compensate for his lack of battle acumen.

His failure to assess his opponents' capabilities, inexperience in combat with both humans and thaids, and imprudent expenditure of mana in his skirmish with the Lomalins had led to his death at Erik's hands.

The young man realized that his victories were partly because of his superior strength compared with his adversaries.

However, he recognized he could not depend on his physical prowess. His encounter with Zakir was a prime example.

While Erik possessed greater physical strength, Zakir's ability to create multiple tendrils capable of shattering stone showed the limitations of relying on physical attributes in battles involving brain crystal powers. That, unless one had stats so high as to make higher mana pools useless.

More neural links did indeed contribute to enhanced strength and speed, but relying on one's body wasn't the right thing to do for humans. Thaids excelled in physical combat, an advantage humans could not replicate.

Their basic difference in stats was too much. Humans needed to wield their brain crystal powers adeptly to fight thaids on an equal footing.

The human approach to combat emphasized the importance of techniques, strategies, tactics, and skills. Those with the ability to manifest mana weapons focused on honing their usage.

This method was central to human combat styles, contrasting with the innate physical dominance of thaids.

Erik acknowledged that as a species, humans were less powerful than thaids, both in physical strength and mana. The key distinction between humans and these wild creatures lay in human intellect, which had led to the development of neural links and the adept utilization of powers.

"Mana, mana, mana... Everything revolves around mana."

Since he contemplated over the central role of mana in combat, Erik resolved to enhance his own capabilities. "System, allocate all the attribute points into energy!" he instructed.

[ACKNOWLEDGED. DISTRIBUTING 10 ATTRIBUTE POINTS TO ENERGY. COMPLETION ACHIEVED. CURRENT ENERGY LEVEL: 37, MANA: 770.]

While reviewing the update, Erik noted the substantial increase in his mana reserves and energy points. This improvement meant he might exert twice the strength he exerted in the past.

He could only use his sharpening power among humans. When compared to the powers possessed by Anderson or Amber, this power was relatively weak.

Instead, while fighting thaids, he had several powers at his disposal, and with twice as much mana, he was bound to make leveling much easier.