Ki Horizons - [Litrpg, Adventure, Power Levels]

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Maxim the 30th."

"Today marks the first day for Subject S-1. There seems to be a problem. The subject responded well to sped-up growth but it seems to have interfered with their development. They are stuck with a Ki Power Level of [1]. A bizarre mutation that still could hold some value as a data point if nothing else. More of Series S is being developed. The standardized procedure has been approved but the results will most likely be as expected."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 1st."

"S-1 died today, unable to handle the standard procedures. Not unexpected. Valuable data was gained however. The body, while having an abysmal level of power, was stable. There were no signs of deterioration, malnourishment, instability, or many other signs that would naturally be seen in an adult with such a low power level. Remarkable in its weakness. It seems as though the body was a healthy adult male, simply with the power of that of a weak child. No mental issues nor lack of intelligence was seen, full conversations were even had, making it unlikely to be a human lookalike or alternate species with a young mind but grown body. Perhaps something in the ancestry rather than a pure mutation? We've slowed down the growth supplement for future batches and the replacement clones should be ready shortly."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 4th."

"All of them! Ahem. Excuse me. All of the S Series has the same mutation! All at Ki Power Level [1]. In this event, outside research needed to be conducted. The original has been found and the original officers questioned. It has been found that this is not merely a mutation but a fact of this being. They not only start at this power level but seem to be stuck there forevermore. Why Vega would allow such a survivor is strange. Novelty? It bears consideration. The secret to Vega's Power and long life must be obtained. Perhaps this… may be a new turning point in our research."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 7th."

"The only current survivor of the S-Series is S-4. He is struggling to heal within our tanks but is otherwise alive. Shockingly, his power level has not changed. It has been two days now and he remains at the same power level. Is such a thing possible? Can there be an Ultimate Weakling? A creature that starts as low as can be healthy and can never rise? I do not believe so but the S-Series represents a new control on all fronts. The element of power itself has been taken out of the equation and yet still we are left with a healthy human. We shall see how the younger versions do and proceed carefully."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 9th."

"None of the younger S-Series survived. Their bodies collapsed in on themselves. The reasoning is obvious but the results are confusing. They simply couldn't hold themselves together at such a weak power. Yet the adult versions are able. What is the secret? Did the original start at a higher level of power at birth and then go down over time? How could they have survived their own creation? Is this a different experiment I'm looking at or were there methods used to keep the original alive like we must do for our own? The world remains full of mysteries but sadly, the results are clear. We must at least develop the S-Series past a certain point or simply be wasting resources."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 11th."

"S-4 died today. An annoying setback but death often brings more information than life. The compounds didn't bond right. While that would've been nice to know before, we have already started looking into what exactly went wrong. The further we research the S-Series, the more I become convinced. Their value is not in their life but in their death. Finding out exactly how and why our medicines don't work on such a level of weakness could open new doors. The very foundation may be improved upon regarding our research!"

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 24th."

"S-35 has shown a strange reaction to our latest formula for X-26. They seem to have developed tumors and growths across their body. Yet still they live beyond what would be normal for their condition. An endurance increase perhaps? Their power level remains the same. Perhaps an alteration in how the cells themselves work? The biological research could prove promising."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Trek the 28th."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Diyano the 6th."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Diyano the 18th."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Ryugin the 1st."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Ryugin the 13th."

"Vega Calendar, Year 952, Bahna the 18th"

"Vega Calendar, Year 953…"

"Vega Calendar, Year 954…"

They kept going. They just kept going. On and on and on and on and on. Hundreds, hundreds of entries. The words all blended together. Cooler didn't play all of them. But a few in particular, he did. The ones marked with a black star next to them.

"Vega Calendar, Year 953, Maxim the 12th."

"The tumor research has finally born fruit and in the most unexpected way! Reanimation. S-518 came back to us today. This is, unprecedented! His faculties were sadly, completely destroyed. His body even more so. But still, bringing the dead back to life. I've allowed the researchers to celebrate such a momentous occasion a bit more 'thoroughly' than otherwise. A few have already gotten drunk-"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Cooler shivered at those words.

"-And gone to some of the standard series for stress relief. Today marks a true turning point in our efforts for eternal life! Decades of research have led to this and this one subject has revolutionized everything we knew to be possible. The secret to eternal life is so close but we must restrain ourselves by at least a small modicum. We will need to test this out more thoroughly. I always knew the S-series was more valuable deceased but I had no idea it was by this much. It will be a strain on our resources but we will begin trying to replicate this. At least three dead a day will be necessary."

"Vega Calendar, Year 954, Maxim the 6th."

"All of our research into such profound weakness has finally paid off. Using the Ki signature of the S-Series itself, we've developed something new. It still needs to be studied, more based on energy principles than typical chemistry, but the proof is clear.'

"Today, we broke the S-Series Wall. It's Power Level increased from [1] to [2]. A feat few would ever be proud of but that has been out of reach for us for years. It will take far more research and development, but this is ground breaking. S-1253 will go down in our lab's history. A universal strength increase, able to be applied at the foundational level. The normal Series will be injected with this soon but we must first-"

Cooler turned it off.

He stared at me and I caught a hint of horror.

"Mutai…"

I barely heard him. My mind pounded and pounded and pounded.

Zombies. Dead bodies walking the sewers. A creature whose meat slapped on the floor, echoing down the halls. Being eaten alive by rats, yet already long dead. Wearing a smile company T-shirt, stained and bloody.

[2]

Another falls down.

They were me. They were me, all along, the bodies, the people, they had been me. Me. They'd not been kidnapping and killing strangers, they'd been cloning and killing me.

Cooler said words but they didn't reach me. Everything was muffled, everything seemed so bright, my heartbeat was so loud. My breathing hurt, it hurt so much, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe.

Me. They were killing me. All along, for Years.

Years and years. Dead me, hundreds, thousands, of dead me's all underneath the ground.

While I worked, I died.

While I drank, I died.

While I thought about suicide I died.

Born and dead, born and dead, life and death, empty. Born just to die. Cursed by eternal weakness. Dead. Dead. Dead. So many dead. My fault. This was my fault. Used to kill so many more. All of them died. This… this… this wasn't a prison or a lab.

This was a tomb. A tomb of hell.

"Mutai!"

A shout came into my ear and I blinked.

Cooler had yelled… but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were narrowed elsewhere.

"I do love to hear of our past success. But you've gone and ruined quite a bit this time Seventy Four."

I turned, my body feeling far too light and heavy and my mind feeling distant, taking in someone new.

[???]

There was a very old man standing where the airlock used to be. Silently, or at least I'd missed it somehow, there was now a sizable hole through it shaped like a person.

The man wasn't like Master, he was not well built. He was human, maybe, but probably with a diverse ancestry. His eyes had a mix of shapes and stars floating through them, as if on a magical screen. He was wearing a smile and I truly got the feeling he was wearing it. As if he'd somehow put it on while he actually wanted to scowl. He was balding, with long white hairs going down the sides. He wore a lab coat, underneath which was a suit and tie of all things.

"Imagine my surprise when I get an emergency alert in the middle of a board meeting, only to find the police trying to access this area after fighting a 'Male Kitsune wearing a Kimono.' And if that wasn't anxiety inducing enough, I then find out that there'd been a break in by another person shortly after. Camera's showing a survivor of all things, a survivor whose face I'd seen many, many times before. Only to finally get down here after, to see my staff murdered and most of our long term subjects terminated. Did you know I was there when you launched that blast or was that simply bad luck? My forcefield was destroyed thanks to you. That cost me a year's worth of pay. My staff, my subjects, and all the data and the backups? Priceless."

Cooler listened while I rapidly came back to awareness. This was death. This was an executioner. The one who'd cloned me and killed me.

I felt fear. Deeper fear than I'd ever known I could feel. Like despair but worse. Like I was looking into an afterlife and seeing hell on the other side.

He looked at me and I shivered.

"I don't know how you two got into contact or what the original plan was. Perhaps you sought to destroy my facilities? In that case, you have succeeded. Building beneath the main headquarters was meant to be safe and secret. The police are one thing but this will inevitably get to other sections of the company or worse, the military. Those bastards will drain us dry for the technology in this very room. It has been decided…"

He swallowed, visibly angry despite the smile on his face.

"...to have my research be terminated till further notice and a new site can be established. You have set me back decades."

A pure white aura began to radiate off him, blowing the air away as he seemed to grow even stronger.

"I took little pleasure in any of my subject's deaths. Yet I think I will enjoy this."

Cooler stared, clear eyed, back straight. He breathed deep, his aura growing, his Kimono flapping in the winds produced.

He opened his mouth and said only one thing.

"My name is Cooler. Prepare to die."