July 4th, Evening.

On a private jet...

 

I enjoyed some wine while seeing Tess and Zhu Li happily chatting.

Over the last two days, the two women got along nicely, almost like old friends.

It was hardly surprising, considering Tess knows everything Liao Lan knows... And isn't a bitch like her.

In contrast, I got less action with Tess, especially in bed. Absolutely zero action. She said she wasn't in the mood.

Instead, she was training at night, like a well-oiled machine.

Infected by her, I also trained at night. However, I felt my sexual frustrations building up.

I was in the company of two gorgeous women, one of which is my girlfriend, and I had to abstain.

Usually, it wouldn't be much of a problem. Regular guys also go through such periods, even for weeks or months, let alone three days.

However, I am not a regular guy. A literal god-piece is fused into my body and soul, changing me to become similar to the god it once belonged to. And that god just so happens to be a god of fertility and manhood, among many other things.

Because of that, my libido is increasing, whether I like it or not, reaching the level of a sex addict.

I could barely stop myself from leering at the two girls.

And this wasn't all...

At this moment, Zhu Li lightly turned her head in my direction, boldly looking at me with amorous eyes. Her cheeks lightly flushed as she raised her cheongsam, boldly revealing her thighs while suggestively biting her lower lip before continuing her chat with Tess.

I felt my boner rising again, painfully pressing against my pants. I had to cross my legs to restrain it.

Zhu Li has been seducing me for the last two days. At first, it was slight, only glancing at me occasionally. However, it slowly evolved into bolder, more suggestive moves like this one.

And it seems like Tess gave her silent consent or even encouraged it. Perhaps she was the one who instigated it in the first place, which would make sense given the timeframe.

"Well, Tess did say I can sleep with whoever I want. Should I?" - I asked myself, my balls slowly overpowering my reasoning.

"... I'll ask them tonight, just in case I misunderstood something, however unlikely it is." - I thought.

And so, the flight continued until we reached our destination, Macau.

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After our plane landed, we were escorted to the Four Seasons hotel, entering the already-booked Royal Suite with two king-sized beds.

As for why they wanted to go to the Four Seasons hotel? Zeng Wei and Liao Lan were meeting with some other influential scions on a previously agreed-upon private gambling event in three days. Boring and cliche, I know, but the Chinese culturally love gambling due to being associated with luck, fate, and chance in life. This doubles for the wealthy and powerful.

So, besides the tourist attractions, they also came here to gamble since it is illegal in China.

Like before, we stayed with Zhu Li in the same suite while the guards got some adjacent guest rooms. I see it as a perfect waste of money, but it's not mine. Even if it was, I don't give a damn. Money is a non-issue to me, especially now.

Anyways...

After putting down the luggage and eating a lavish steak dinner, Tess and I chatted about my predicament...

"Iver, just have sex with Zhu Li. I already gave her the okay." - Tess bluntly said, her expression unmoved.

"Are you sure you are okay with it, though? Don't you want to have sex at all? Did reading the mind of those two harm your libido?" - I asked in concern.

If that were the case, our sex life might get damaged.

Tess shook her head.

"No, it's nothing like that... It is more biological. My current evolutionary form is making me sexually unattracted to you. My heart wants it, but my body and mind reject it. To put it bluntly, it is like how most men wouldn't want to sleep with me when I was fat and ugly. I think you need to evolve into a high-tier Ascended for me to be sexually attracted to you again." - Tess pursed her lips, clearly not pleased with the situation.

"Damn... Then we can't have sex for the next few weeks." - I muttered, feeling down.

I read it in the analysis but didn't expect it to hurt my sex life.

Tess gently smiled and tightly hugged me.

"It's okay, Iver. We can go without sex for a few weeks. Besides, we have a half-open relationship, so you can sleep with whoever you want. You don't need to restrain yourself." - Tess comfortingly said.

"Hah... Alright." - I smiled and hugged her back.

After hugging her for some time, I pecked her lips and got up.

"I need to go to the other world now. I have to check on the situation over there." - I said.

"Okay, come back soon." - Tess smiled.

I silently nodded before vanishing.

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In front of me was a beautiful young girl with platinum hair, pearly eyes, and a snow-white gem on her forehead. Although visually unchanged, I felt great power emitting from her childish body.

Of course, that young girl was...

"Primrose, I see you have successfully evolved." - I smiled at her.

"It is all thanks to Iver." - Primrose cheerfully smiled.

Primrose has successfully evolved into Royalty II, making her the Kin with the highest authority on the planet.

And that wasn't all...

"As you instructed, all the Kin on the planet are under my control. After converting all the Spore Spreaders into Dark Idols, I had Zemira teleport to them all, making new Zealots and evolving the Large Spore Spreaders while leaving the Giant Spore Spreaders as is. We now have over five thousand Spore Spreaders under our control worldwide!" - Primrose said excitedly.

"Nice! Good job, Primrose. You too, Zemira." - I smiled.

Next to Primrose, a young girl with Chocolate-Brown skin, dark indigo hair, eyes, and crystal respectfully bowed.

"By your will, Sir Iver." - Zemira gently said.

"Hm. Good. I think you should receive a reward. Go and re-evolve into a Polymath." - I instructed, uncaring about the energy.

I thought of making Zemira a Polymath before, but the energy I had at hand at the time was low. Now that I had an excess of it, she can evolve into a Polymath, fully becoming Primrose's right-hand woman and advisor.

"Yes, Sir Iver." - Zemira's face brightened as she bowed and left.

"Now... time for me to get some energy..." - I muttered.

And with that, I teleported away.

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Sometime later...

After visiting all the new Dark Idols, I collected all the remaining energy before returning.

Over a billion points. A goddamn billion Enhancement Energy. I had enough to finish upgrading almost everything, so I did.

This is the result...

 

Name: Divine fragment of Ic'thotl'itrod

Powers: Dark Offering(Dark Idol), Camouflage(Alter Appearance 10, Alter Touch 10, Alter Sound 10, Alter Scent 10, Alter Taste 10, Alter Temperature 10, Conceal Presence 10), Storage(Increase Storage size 8, Time Flow Control 10, Segmentation 10, Gravity Adjustment 10, Automatic Ordering), Teleport(Increase Range 9, Reduce Cost 10, Reduce Cooldown 10, Mass Teleportation 10, Waypoint), Reality Travel(Decrease Cost 10, Decrease Cooldown 10, Add Reality Anchor 2, Improved Selection 2, Information Gathering 2, Strategic Insertion 2, Unanchor, Arrival at Waypoint), Evolution(Devolve, Synthesize), Enhancement, Sanitization(Empowered Sanitization 2, Sanitize Area 2, Sanitize Other), Energy Conversion, Increase Compatibility 2, Grant Affinity (Mortal Tier)

Spells: Touch of the True Sun 2, Analytical Eye 2, Empower Words 2, Mark of Zeal 2, Void Shield 2, Displace Object 2, Divine Might 2, Disruptive Void Coating 2, Unreality Barrier 2, True Sun Fireball 2, Space Grip 2

Host Abilities: True Tongue 2, Unreality Affinity 2, Void Affinity 2, Space Affinity 2, True Sun Affinity 2, Immortal Body 2, Immortal Soul 2, Divinity 2

Basic Energy: 100,000,000

Evolution Energy A: 100,000,000

Enhancement Energy A: 100,000,000

 

 

Yeah, I now have everything at level 10, the max level. The only thing left that didn't reach 10 is the increased size of Storage and increased range of Teleport. In any case, upgrading those two is useless now and more for the completionist OCD within me.

Anyway, the most significant thing was reducing the cost and cooldown of teleporting to 1%. I can teleport a kilometer away with 1 point and do it every 0.1 seconds, which is next to nothing. And the max range reached the point of me being unable to perceive the limit. It is broken. Oh, and I can mass Teleport without additional costs as many people as I can carry.

Upgrading everything totaled 808,544,000 points, which is enough to be considered a billionaire spending. And the ridiculous part is that I still have over 300 million to spare. I also have over twice that in evolution energy. However, I only kept 100 million each with me for OCD reasons. It looked better to the eye. The rest I left inside Primrose's Dark Idol for her to play with.

Speaking of which, that insane monster finished digesting the energy I gave it and is evolving into its subsequent evolutionary form. Also, thanks to Primrose funneling an unproportionate amount of energy into it, it reached Grade 10 with over 100 million to spare... Which I took until I got 100 million for OCD reasons. She wouldn't miss that energy because she gets over 200 million daily by doing nothing. For her, 100 million is chump change.

This also raised an important question.

"Should I evolve all my Zealots into Royalty and Polymaths? While at it, should I also create an elite honor guard of Polymath II?" - I asked myself.

Evolving 5,000 Ascended into top-tier Ascended would cost around 50 million Evolution Energy and 500 million Basic Energy, which would only take several days to accumulate. And that is assuming they are adults. If they are in child form, the price can be halved.

They can form the first elites of the Ascended, the leader caste. To quickly develop, the Ascended needed the superintelligent Polymaths as guides. This is even more true when facing the alien menace.

As for creating an elite honor guard of Polymath II? Say, 200 strong? That would be around 200 million Evolution Energy and 2 billion Basic Energy. Although costly, I can afford that soon.

Why would I do that, you might ask? Because I can. Do I need a better reason? No, but I have a personal motivation. I promised them that they would lead the Ascended to a better future. I gave them my word. Should I break my word because of some pennies? The answer is no.

However, my current profits are not even close to optimal. I have an obstacle in this world blocking my advancement.

"Primrose." - I called.

"Yes, Iver." - Primrose responded.

"How have things developed with the humans so far?" - I asked.

"According to what I have gathered, the survivors seem to have started turtling up in their bases and shelters. They have likely realized the Spore Spreaders evolved, and they will die soon." - Primrose said.

That didn't surprise me. The survivors are not stupid. They likely have a reconnaissance network to check the surroundings. If they realize all the Spore Spreaders have evolved, they are likely feeling despair. It wouldn't strike me odd if they started rioting.

"Hm. And what about Apex Technology?" - I asked.

"Nothing yet. They are dormant." - Primrose shook her head.

"As expected..." - I rubbed my chin.

After thinking, I spoke.

"For now, indirectly contact them using the Kin and request a meeting on neutral ground. Don't needlessly risk the Ascended." - I said.

"Yes, Iver. I will do as you say." - Primrose nodded.

"Hm. Continue as is. Oh, and have all the Zealots either evolve into Polymaths or Royalty, according to your judgment. As for your 200 guards... aside from Zemira, postpone their evolution. I plan on making them into a Zealot Polymath Honor Guard. I'll convert them into Zealots later when I create more Spore Spreaders." - I said.

"Yes, Iver!" - Primrose's eyes lit up at the mention of a Polymath Honor Guard.

I could already guess she was excited about it. After all, this was an extravagant waste of good energy... who wouldn't love it?! And this would be her guard, after all. Having many superintelligent Polymaths at her side would be beneficial and a sign of great prestige.

"Oh, and one more thing. Change the energy feedback to 50%. Since they worship me, they should get something in return." - I said.

I promised Nix to do it, so I am doing it.

"Yes, Iver." - Primrose nodded.

"I'll be back tomorrow for the news." - I said and then vanished.

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Inside a walled Survivor settlement...

The 10,000-odd survivors held grim and tense expressions.

News of the simultaneous evolution of all the nearby Kin Fields has spread like wildfire, and they were waiting for the inevitable doomsday, what they knew would come eventually.

They lived in a hellhole for a dozen years, with processed monster meat that tasted like crap as food and recycled water as, well, water. Those days they ate delicious food were gone, left in only the sweetest dreams. People mistrusted each other, and backstabbing was common. All those who didn't adapt died.

In these twelve years, love was a luxury many didn't have. Most children born were not out of love or passion but lust, transactions, and violence. 

Although the population remained roughly the same, it was because new births filled in the ones who died. Juveniles aged seven and above had to pick up guns to defend their homes alongside their parents... or the people who raised them.

Everyone who survived up to this point evolved or mutated. The lucky ones became like the Kin Soldiers and Stalkers, while the unlucky ones grew bodily malformations or even died. However, most merely became more powerful, not looking much different than they did before.

The mayor was a man with an equivalent strength to a Kin Lord of the Soldier type, a 3-meter-tall hulk clad in metallic armor customized for melee combat. Since ammunition and guns were finite resources, some stronger survivors engaged in melee combat.

People call him mayor, but it wasn't because of his managing skills but because he scared the troublemakers into obedience. It was more apt to call him the sheriff, the most respected and feared man in the settlement.

His name is Grayham, a man who used to be a bar owner before this entire mess started.

At this moment, he and the other strongmen of the stronghold were in a meeting.

"The Kin Fields are rapidly growing. It is expected that within less than a month, they will finish their expansion." - One of the men said.

"Roads and communication with other settlements will be more difficult, and the risk would increase." - A stalker-type slim woman said.

"Should we consider using biological WMD?" - Another one of the men asked.

"Don't bother. We don't have enough firepower to wipe them all. If we did, we would have used it long ago." - Grayham shook his head.

"Then what should we do? Wait until they munch us to death?" - One of the men asked sarcastically.

"... Sadly, yes. We can only stay and fight. That is the only thing we can do now." - Grayham grimly said.

"Heh, never thought of you as a co—MMPH*!!!"

Suddenly, the man found his mouth... no, head, grabbed by Grayham's massive hand.

"Don't you DARE finish that sentence, or I might just squeeze a little." - Grayham growled and let go.

The man was shaken, his mouth shut. If he continued speaking, his head would have gone squash.

"So, fight to the last?" - One of the other men asked.

"Yes. They might eventually win, but we won't go down without a fight. That's our human spirit." - Grayham nodded.

"So... Rig the place up to explode when they overrun us?" - A soldier-type bulky woman asked.

"That is the plan. Any better ideas?" - Grayham asked.

The others looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Then that is settled. Have the men start preparing—"

BEEP* BEEP* BEEP*

Suddenly, a sharp sound came from the intercom on the wall, making the conference stop. That was the emergency signal that was only activated when something urgent happened.

"Answer it." - Grayham ordered the man who almost got his skull crushed.

The man meekly complied and pressed the intercom, the others curiously looking over.

"Mayor! Mayor! This is urgent! A group of monsters came to... came to..." - A shaky voice sounded.

"Came to what?! Say it, man!" - Grayham impatiently yelled.

"Y-Yes, Sir! They came to... negotiate our surrender..."

"... What?"