New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

By the time Kary had reached home and fallen asleep, Alexander was being called back into the testing facilities.

When he got there, he looked around at the modifications and hummed.

"Hmm. I'm not sure this is going to be enough. What kind of standards are you guys looking at?"

The scientists scoffed at him, looking at him with lifted noses.

"Sir. Please do not look down on our efforts. I doubt even the demon you fought last time in the woods near the hospital could break out of this. Just get into the chamber."

Alexander felt an urge to slap some sense into him but resisted. It wasn't his fault.

The poor man wouldn't know better if that demon he mentioned stared him in the face.

So he got into the chamber and silently hoped. Hoped it wouldn't shatter the moment he used the demon's strength.contemporary romance

Alexander started the tests slowly, only using the power of his own new body. He could already tell it was much stronger than before, without even needing the testing, but it allowed him to figure out just how much stronger.

He started by completely sealing his mana, so his body wasn't naturally enhanced and did all the physical tests. When the scientists declared they were satisfied with his physical, he shook his head.

"We aren't done. We are doing those again at least twice. Possibly even four times, depending on a theory I have."

The lead scientist wanted to tear into Alex for giving him orders. But a voice came over the speakers, and he had to grit his teeth and accept things as they were.

"Do as he says, Mark. What we want is the full picture. If he says he has more to show, repeat the tests until he's satisfied."

Alex recognized Jack's voice and smiled at the camera.

"Glad to hear you hear, Jack. It's been a long month, and I have a couple of things I need to test out. Thanks for getting them to cooperate."

Jack's voice popped over the speaker again.

"I'm doing this for posterity, Mr. Leduc. I want to know what I am up against. We have no idea what you came back as. This is nothing personal. You get it, right?"

Alex chuckled.

"I get it. I take no offence. Your wariness lets me figure out what I have become, just as much as you. I know we have grown friendly, but ours was always a business relationship, wasn't it?"

No answer came this time as the scientist nodded at him to prepare for a second round of physical testing.

Jack sat in his office, a saddened look on his face.

Although Alex was right that their relationship had started as a business one, he wished that Alex had grown to view it as a partnership over the time they worked together.

But it was better to stay realistic at the moment.

No one was even sure that this was still Alexander Leduc. For all they knew, his mind might be someone else's, mimicking him until the opportune time to strike.

It was better to play it safe than to be sorry.

Alex let his mana out during the second round, naturally enhancing his body with it, and the results wildly varied from the first round.

The scientists were confused.

They knew Mr. Leduc could enhance himself through some sort of fusion, but he would always have a change in appearance when he did. This time was different.

And he insisted on doing another round of testing.lights

The tests ranged from testing his strength, speed, and stamina to testing his body's natural resistance and regeneration.

And he was already showing results far past human standards before using his mana. When he let his mana enhance his body, he was already basically a superhuman.

He was getting results similar to when he melded to White before this incident. And Jack knew he wasn't melded right now.

Jack was in the loop about Alex's soul companions being left alone in New Eden. He was also fairly familiar with the appearance change it brought.

This was all him.

It frightened Jack to think about how strong he had become.

Alex readied up for a third round of testing, but he warned the scientists.

"I'm about to use something that I haven't used much before. I don't know how it will affect the surrounding people. It would be better if you all went into the remote testing lab."

A few of them, who were already terrified at his results, immediately started moving.

But the head scientist was being arrogant.

"Stop! No one leaves this room. I've had it with your empty warnings. Just do what you must, and let us do our job, kid. I studied for a decade for this PhD and will not let a child mock my achievements."

Alex looked at him with a frown. He was only trying to keep them safe.

"Fine. I've warned you; the rest is on you and your big head."

Alex morphed his body entirely into Geminae's body, even absorbing some of his power from the soul space.

It wasn't permanent, but Geminae felt it and almost panicked.

'Couldn't you at least have warned me you were sapping my strength away?' he asked in Alex's head.

'I thought you were always watching what was going on?' Alex replied.

'I was busy lecturing the red skin. You took me by surprise…'

Alex chuckled mentally, keeping a straight face.

Too bad for him, he thought.

He wanted to know everything he could, so it was a given he would morph into both his new forms for testing as well.

And already, he was seeing changes in the people testing him.

The looks they gave him had gone from fear to awe. He would even venture to say some looked at him with reverence.

Maybe a touch of worship?

All he knew for sure was that the weaker-willed ones seemed most affected.

'How are they going to react when I morph into a full-on demon?' Alex mused.

There was no point in doing guessing games. He would find out sooner than later.

done.co