Marvel : the Author

Hello, everyone ! Watching the Boys, here. But that's not what I'm gonna talk about. Hardspace Shipbreaker. That's the game I want to talk about. Addictive, yet simple. Gives you a sense of accomplishment. Only downside is the story, while interesting is kind of short. Anyways, the principle is that you play as a cutter, cutting ships into pieces and recycling, one bit at a time. Also, you do it in zero G. Try it, it's surprisingly addictive. At least, it is to me.

Now… as always, please leave any unattended power stones, comments and reviews behind and check out my Patréon. In case you're curious and want to read ahead or discover some of my other stories. Search for Cathbel on their search engine.

Good day to you all and enjoy !

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It's been a week since the last attack on our school and, surprisingly, things are quiet. Well, around us, that is. Which is all I can hope for. I'm not about to comment out loud and jinx it, but I cross my fingers that it'll remain this way. At least until Kingpin is behind bars or changes target for his fixation toward someone else.

It's a little callous, I know. And cowardly too, given the fact that I'm an Alter-Human with reality bending powers probably strong enough to defend myself but… I can't help it.

Sometimes, I feel like punching the me from my past life in the face. To him, I'd be living the dream : a life of adventure in one of the reality I fantasized about. Moreover, with an 'OP' power ! The moron had no idea how much work getting, and most importantly staying, strong requires. Not that I am all that strong anyway… Plus, the inconvenient thing about reality is that, even in a comic book one, all it takes is one moment of inattention and… Poof ! Gone. Dead. Buried and forgotten.

So that's why I continue my work on my dimension. Writing and coding tirelessly. Well, my arm sometimes does get cramped so during those times, I use my nifty belt artifact and my will. Unfortunately, that too is exhausting in itself.

Still, after so much work, I feel like I'm reaching one of my goals : improving my survivability. How, you ask ? By adding to my natural form… Which I still can't actually consider natural. I want my body to be stretchy, like Luffy's so I don't get hurt as much when I get punched or bullets are fired. Unlike in manga, I don't think I'll be bulletproof… Unless I write it ? Another thing to code.

Also, I want to be able to freely change the shape and placement of my tentacles. It'll be gross and turn me more into some sort of Cthulhu abomination but, well… I prefer to be alive and well, even if I sometimes look like a monster.

In addition, I'm working on a healing factor but… It's slow going. I mean, I already have healing spells so that is easily reproducible. The problem lies in the healing, or rather regeneration, process itself. Since it speeds up and boosts the natural regenerative properties of the human body, it presents the same drawbacks, meaning a slow decaying of the cells. What I'm looking for is something better. Something that might give me a greater longevity.

At the moment, I'm standing in an open prairie, experimenting with the changes in my 'natural' body. I feel strength coursing through each of my limbs and with a simple thought, my tentacles whip through the air so swiftly the air is split by a sharp sound. A series of whip strike follow, randomly changing directions as my tentacle-feet try to maintain my balance. Needless to say, that is the worst weakness of having such a body : having no bones or legs makes it difficult to remain standing.

Using only the muscles in my 'legs' is unusual, counterintuitive and gravity makes it difficult. Nature has its reasons for not allowing cephalopods to roam the lands. And it's not just because it would give birth to the hentai fantasies of some degenerates…

I stop myself from swinging my limbs in the air - like I just don't care… - and breath deeply. This kind of exercises are pretty useless. I'm not training any martial arts because I don't know any which mimic a cephalopod's way of fighting so what I'm doing is exactly that : swinging my limbs. Uselessly I might add. So now…

I spit four globs of ink and will them toward large boulders. I'd written and drawn these boulders into existence a few day ago. I wanted to incorporate them into these training grounds as sorts of dummies/training partners. Basically, they were slumbering stone golems. And my ink would serve to awaken them.

Slowly, but with a distinct and loud continuous rumble, the four golems extracts themselves from the soil. It somewhat resembles the sounds of an avalanche. At least, that's how I think it sounds. To be honest, I'm pretty bad at recognizing sounds, smells and faces. If they have similarities, I usually associate them with known sounds, smells or faces. I don't know why… Maybe because I can ?

I shake my head and train my attention on the golems.

« Let's start with one ! » I comment aloud and order one of the golem to stand in front of me.

First, I start to see how much damage my tentacles can do. I notice immediately that, although my whip strikes leaves small indentations in the rock, it also stings quite a bit. I'm guessing my body isn't sufficiently trained, making my physical energy too low. At least, that's how it's supposed to work according to the Laws I put in place. Another way to increase physical energy and reinforcing the body is through the medium of Universal energy. Through a ritual, or an artifact, or the use of other special methods. Yeah, it's pretty vague, I know… But I'm only laying the Laws, after that, the way the inhabitants and visitors apply them is… Well, up to them ! Which also means that I have to find my own way to increase my Physical Energy more quickly.

Stopping my attacks both because of the pain and my train of thoughts, I mutter :

« The Physical Energy governs the attributes of the body, enhancing my speed, dexterity, strength, my senses etc… I can increase my energy by training my body or… I could create some kind of elixir to fill my body with energy ? Maybe magic food ? Or I can temper my body like they do in Eastern cultivation novel… I think there also exist external cultivation techniques in those stories as well. So many possibilities. I'll have to limit the efficacy of those methods, especially if several are used together. Maybe one or two. Three at the most. Unless they are very demanding… »

Body tempering for instance, can be considered punishment or even torture for some. Walking on embers or glass, striking sand with an open hand or wood with fists and legs, enduring the pressure of water falling from a high place…

Feeling exhausted just thinking about the physical work ahead of me, I fall on my ass and sigh.