Authors note: There are some spoilers for Super God Gene upcoming, if you haven't read the book, just know this will cover some things from 1st and 2nd God's Sanctuaries, but not much past that, which is early into that huge novel! As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!
...
"Yup... That's still very, very bright."
Max wasn't the least bit fazed by the sudden burst of blinding light spilling from the rapidly materializing, overly fancy doorway that he had become used to seeing, despite it only having appeared a handful of times to him.
This time, he was prepared—sporting his trusty 'Reed-Specials' (that pair of sunglasses Reed Richards had prepared for Max with the HUD function) to take the edge off that initial, retina-melting glare.
The interface once again asked Max if he wanted to continue onwards, just like it had when he felt that first notification almost exactly ten years ago—on the dot.
...
The 'God Seed' inside of you is reacting to a nearby power, allow genetic changes and spiritual upgrades to occur? Y/N?
...
'Ah, just like last time... Uh oh, I better concentrate so this one doesn't hurt as badly as when I became a mutant... Man, that was trash.'
"Yes."
...
Outside 'System/Interface/Menu detected... Absorb or link with your interface? Y/N?
...
Max was about to say yes again, but then a funny look entered his eyes. He quickly stripped off the tracksuit and everything else he was wearing, along with the backpack and that folding contraption he had been holding onto, placing them on the same 'surface' he was standing on.
Max was now naked.
Just the sandwich remained in his hand.
"Don't want the ol' sweats to stretch too badly with the new look I've got in mind, haha... Okay, I'm ready. Go ahead... let's get this gourmet camping trip goin'!"
Max spoke the words aloud, and in an instant, every strand of highlighted golden text from the Jump document erupted into life, tearing free from the wall of words—just like Max had expected them to.
He shoved the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed rapidly, and swallowed. Then he braced himself as the luminous letters soared through the air toward him.
As soon as they reached Max, they swirled and spun around him in a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic display—just like they had when he first got his new body, and again when he triggered the Marvel Jump document to begin.
Same as before, after one more lazy circle around Max, the golden words flew back and crashed into his eyes, causing him to hover as if weightless.
"Ugh..."
Max started squirming a bit when the golden text entered his eyes. However, this time, the pain wasn't as severe at all.
Once again, he was in the midst of a wild appearance-altering transformation, though this time it was not occurring on a genetic level.
Instead, the changes were manifesting in his outward physical appearance, marking a dramatic shift from the last Jump—when his very DNA had been altered and he had emerged as a mutant.
Over the course of this grand adventure, his pain tolerance had increased tremendously, shaped by the countless trials and battles he had weathered over the past decade. Now, in this very moment, it was his [electromagnetism] abilities that stood out above all else—taking on the most critical and treasured role of the entire journey.
Pain is just electrical signals traveling along the nervous system to the brain.
Since magnetism and electricity are two sides of the same coin, Max could employ micro-magnetic fields to disrupt or "scramble" the electrical impulses traveling through his nerves. In the event of a severe impact, he could effectively "short-circuit" the pain signals before they reached his conscious mind.
If his body were to undergo extensive changes again—as it was currently experiencing—he would be able to depend on his abilities to significantly reduce the resulting discomfort.
In fact, there was more than one way he could use his [Electromagnetism] to deal with physical trauma.
Iron is a key component of hemoglobin in the blood, and therefore Max, like Magneto, possessed a sort of 'blood flow control'—sometimes called 'Hemokinesis'—a term Max had used over the years while living in the Marvel Jump.
This hemokinesis could produce an active numbing effect: Max could magnetically restrict blood flow to an injured limb, creating a localized "numbness"—similar to how a limb falls asleep—except instantly.
Most importantly, he could prevent shock, which is often the true cause of death or incapacitation for a fighter, even before a wound proves fatal. By harnessing [Electromagnetism] to maintain stable blood pressure and regulate heart rate in the face of trauma, he could effectively override the body's natural "shut down" response, ensuring he stays conscious and capable when it matters most.
Finally, Max had created a sort of synergy between these abilities and the healing factor that had come along with his new body years ago, during his time in Marvel.
As his body changed shape, he activated those abilities, and his regeneration started to accommodate the excess size he had just gained. He grit his teeth, but a small, "toothy" smile still managed to appear on his face.
Max's feet touched down again. An extra-large hand patted around here and there as he felt his almost 7-foot-tall new body, flexing and posing while he did.
Scales would now be tipped if he stood on one right now—he weighed an impressive 450 pounds atop his extra height gain!
He ran his fingers through his new hair, the vibrant strands seeming as if they could glow if only there were light to catch them, before reaching up to trace the fresh scars carved across his cheek.
The new, unruly blue hair that crowned his head looked like it was straight out of an anime, and for good reason... it was! Each strand was extremely wild, looking as though they had been styled by the gales of a mountain peak.
It was thick and coarse, falling in heavy, bright blue and deep sapphire locks that brushed against his collar. There was no order to it—just a chaotic, vibrant blue that stood in stark contrast to the new, manly, rugged lines of his face, giving him the air of someone who had long ago traded a comb for the open wilderness.
Three deep, jagged grooves marred his skin—each one a stark reminder of an event he would never actually know. Their shapes unmistakably resembled the savage swipe of a massive claw.
Damage from another life Max had never lived.
Max smiled even wider, chuckling to himself, his fangs on full display.
He had adopted a slightly scaled-down version of the main character's appearance from another manga—one that bore a striking resemblance to the world he was about to explore: Toriko.
Max had focused not only on blocking out the pain but also on looking like the super muscly Toriko, especially as soon as the golden light had entered his body a few moments ago.
The drop-in option he selected in the Super God Gene Jump document allowed him to adjust his appearance, and this idea had immediately popped into his mind.
"Well. That wasn't that bad at all... Ah... I'm extra ripped now! Huh... I kinda feel... full?"
Max drew a deep breath, curious about this unfamiliar sensation.
He exhaled a long breath, with a little bit of golden smoke rolling out of his mouth—as if he had just puffed on a cigar made of light.
His question was quickly answered when he glanced at his interface next to check for updates.
Several new features had appeared, and one in particular provided a clear indication of the situation.
His focus sharpened as his eyes fell on a new entry in his basic information, positioned directly beneath his 'Status' section, labeled: 'Beast Souls.'
"Ahhh, it's because of the new 'sea of soul' changes. I bet my spirit—or my soul, or whatever—has gotten bigger... hhhmmm. I can't wait to check it out!"
Max remembered how the book of the Super God Gene described Han Sen taking stock of himself and his soul's inventory, so it didn't take long for him to look. When he did, he was stunned.
In another white void—similar to the one Vespera hung out in—Max took a look at the Beast Souls just floating there, since he had read not only the novel but the manhwa as well.
An enormous, jet-black wolf tilted its head, its piercing eyes locking onto Max with a gaze brimming with curiosity. At its side, a snail sculpted entirely from luminous jade remained utterly motionless, as though suspended in a timeless spell. Not far away, a blonde, breathtakingly voluptuous woman watched him with an alluring, almost hypnotic smile. Her ruby armor shimmered like liquid fire—a celestial vision that, in reality, was the living manifestation of the Fairy Queen's shape-shifting beast soul.
They appeared as an almost perfect mix of what Max had both remembered from the manhwa and vividly imagined while reading the novel, their presence a perfect reflection of the visions and memories etched in his mind.
Yet it was not the untamed, mysterious beings themselves, nor the awe-inspiring, drop-dead-sexy goddess-like warrior at their forefront that truly caught him off guard.
No, the true shock was the impossible sight before him—in the very center of it all, suspended in midair, hovered the Porsche.
"What the?.. "