Infinite Genesis Book 3: Maturation: Infinite Genesis, #3

By Adam Pimentel

Since the end of the previous book, Fenris and the others have spent what time they have reflecting on themselves and on some of the consequences of their actions as best as they can. Now a few years have gone by and they all feel like they may be on the verge of a breakthrough, their fullest potential practically within their grasp. 

 

They will certainly need to hurry it up, however; the other New Geneses are feeling a little impatient with the current state of affairs and after so long, it would seem that Urizen's own seemingly small machinations are finally bearing fruit. With an undefined time limit hanging over their heads, all parties involved feel hurried into reaching their 'answers' as soon as possible lest it be too late.

 

And in Fenris' case, this feels especially true. Having always sought to take the initiative yet always feeling as if it's for nothing, the now 19-year-old New Genesis seeks to shake things up in time for what he believes will be the finale of it all. Will he finally achieve what he's always been craving for in the end? Or will he once again fail to make a difference in the situation?

 

In the final book of the Infinite Genesis series, bear witness to his final struggle... and the potential beginning of a new world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adam Pimentel
• Release date: Aug 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201826451

Adam Pimentel

Adam Pimentel is a very simple man. He unabashedly loves anime/manga, a few light novels, visual novels, video games and a plethora of novels as well. Said novels more often than not tend to be written by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jonathan Maberry, John Grisham, Micahel Connelly, and Greg Iles. But more than that, he loves to write. Always thinking up stories and tinkering around with ideas until he has something definitive in mind, drawing a good deal of inspiration from the things mentioned above.  It's his hope to not simply write stories, but to gradually improve and write great stories for others to enjoy. "If I'm not writing, then I'm not living. And if I'm not improving and writing good stories, then I'm only doing readers and myself a disservice. May future stories only continue to be better than the previous ones."

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Fenris Wolf, the New Genesis bearing the Identity of Destruction, sighed airily. As always, it was such a lovely day today. Though the sensation of the breeze and the light of the sun shining down on this side of the world were among the many things forever lost to him, he still was able to wholeheartedly appreciate these little things. It was things like this that made existence so great.

And what could possibly make such a day even better-?

Stop following me, you annoying fucker! cried out an angry and desperate voice.

-Why, that, of course.

Fenris dodged a strike aimed at his left eye with the smallest of movements, chuckling as he did so. Sorry, but that’s something I’m afraid I can’t do, he replied in a jovial tone which was contrasted heavily by the savage two blows he unleashed in retaliation. These two blows, in the form of a simple one-two combo, impacted against his opponent’s left ribs and jaw, shattering the bones instantly.

Said opponent, clearly an Awakened, made some noise out of the pain but managed to admirably recover and try leaping away to put some distance between the two of them.

A true pity that such a maneuver was completely pointless.

The Awakened, currently a man, let out a screech as Fenris broke space itself to grab at him despite the distance between them and keep him pinned. Said screeching lasted only an attosecond before Fenris proceeded to break the man’s kneecaps with a single kick before flipping over and into the ground hard enough to leave a mile-wide crater.

Sand went flying in all directions as this happened, this little chase currently taking place in the middle of a massive desert. Fenris, dressed in casual clothes as usual, was completely unbothered as his plain grey long sleeve shirt and black fatigues got covered in sand. He didn’t even squint as sand got in his eyes and hair and mouth, proceeding to stride down the crater towards the currently downed Awakened.

Now then, he began, his tone noticeably more serious than it had been an instant before. I will offer you just one final chance – surrender or face the consequences.

This Awakened before him, named Jason Morrison, was born in the Great States – and this was also where the desert in which they were traveling through was located as well. Anyways, the man bore the Identity of Parasite and he’s been consumed enough by it to develop a Distortion... and a rather dangerous and terrifying one at that too. Quite simply, the man was able to body-hop, having long since discarded his original body in favor of searching out those who caught his eyes and implanting his very existence in them, consuming their minds and souls in the process. Once rooted in another person’s body and their existences were consumed, that body was then his permanently... or at least, was his until he tired of it and opted to move onto another host.

The man’s Distortion had only come to be about a few years ago, but in this relatively short time, the Awakened had built up quite the kill count, subsuming hundreds of people’s lives and living them out as he pleased while occasionally deciding to ‘spice things up’ along the way. More often than not, he made it a point to ruin whatever image the original people had by indulging in numerous acts of debauchery and horrors before then moving onto his next host. And sadly, he wasn’t too picky about who his hosts would be. He’s picked quite primarily men close to his initial age – late twenties – but has indulged in more than a few women and has picked hosts ranging from the age of eight all the way up to the age of sixty throughout his time out there.

It was a true mark of shame that it wasn’t until more recently that his general pattern had been noticed and brought to the attention of him and his friends, but now that Fenris was on the case, it hadn’t taken much time at all to search out the irregular sensation the man’s twisted existence gave off and pursue him. Alas, the man had also picked up Fenris’ own unique spiritual signature and had immediately bolted whilst in the middle of his most recent activity – whoring out his current body, that of a boy in his late teens to some small party of women, having immediately dressed and ran off to the east as soon as he’d detected the New Genesis.

Alas, to the man’s misfortune, he just hadn’t been quick enough and Fenris hadn’t wasted much time landing some hits in while letting the man run a little farther away from inhabited areas. But now that they were out here in the middle of the desert? Well, Fenris wouldn’t have to worry too much anymore about collateral.

Now, that all said...

Oh, piss off! the man in the teen’s body roared out as he got back up. He was still in the process of healing from the few hits Fenris had landed on him, but didn’t care as he threw an uppercut from his current position at Fenris’ crotch.

Fenris hummed as he nonchalantly raised his left foot and intercepted the uppercut with his sole, stopping the attack dead in its tracks. About the only damage Jason inflicted was to himself, the knuckles of his attacking fist cracking from the impact. Then, just before Jason could even seem to think to do anything else, Fenris lashed out with his other foot, kicking the man hard in the throat.

Blood went spitting everywhere as Jason’s throat was torn open from the kick, the man also skidding back several meters with violent force before stopping.

I’ll take that as a sign you mean to fight to your dying breath, Fenris commented, a predatory gleam appearing in his pupil-less eyes. While I won’t be condoning your actions any time soon, I can at least respect that sincerity and tenacity of yours...

Aside from just letting Jason get to somewhere safer to fight more seriously, Fenris had held off on truly fighting him until now in order to better study the man’s soul and his Identity. The New Genesis had been curious if the man somehow gained any new types of abilities or skills from each soul he consumed, but aside from a rather straightforward power increase and absorption of skills, his Distortion didn’t seem too concerning in a fight. This was a good thing... but also kind of a let down – it would’ve been interesting if Jason could somehow take in other people’s Identities and potential awakening prowess or whatever.

Oh well, he wasn’t about to complain – after all, one way or the other, Jason must be dealt with. He was far too much of a threat to be allowed to roam around any longer and it’s not as if there was a prison out there capable of keeping him contained, not with what his Distortion can accomplish.

Jason looked like he was about to say something, but Fenris didn’t bother letting him finish. He closed the gap between them instantly and delivered a flurry of blows that struck every vital spot possible. His attacks, while relatively light, sent the man reeling with each successive hit as the organs and more fragile bones of his current body were targeted with masterful precision.

Splattering the man’s entire body in a single strike would be easy, but something Fenris has come to learn over the years is that such a straightforward ‘tactic’ can be quite pointless, even counterproductive. More often than not, the people he’s gone up against nowadays can easily regenerate their bodies and however long that process takes only stretches out the battle that much more. That means his foes would have more time to think through their next moves and depending on their battle capabilities, they could potentially just ‘respawn’ elsewhere that would place them at a better advantage, whether said advantage be against him or for the sake of escaping.

Thus, it was actually better to just pepper his opponents with ‘light’ strikes meant to simply hurt and debilitate them. Wearing down their bodies would simply be impossible through pure physical means, but the damage done directly to their souls will add up over time, especially since his Identity ensured he always held a certain, undeniable advantage over all that exists. But what really counted was the damage done to their minds – their sense of morale and self-esteem.

This new way of instinctual thinking, developed in the wake of his realization before facing Vali back then, was not unlike how a beast would hunt prey, chasing them and wearing them down before going in for the final and fatal strike...

...And this seemed to be something Jason realized, for Fenris could see a flash of genuine fear appear in the parasite’s eyes in between the continuous blows. And as this fear genuinely consumed Jason, the man acted out on pure instinct.

Something that a lot of the more developed Awakened can do was channel their very spiritual essence into energy, allowing them to shoot out energy blasts like something out of a cartoon. And that’s exactly what Jason did during the briefest respite that Fenris allowed him between his strikes. The man cried out as he thrust out a fist, shooting out a straightforward ball of energy that contained more than enough power to wipe out the solar system several times over.

Fenris simply reached out with a hand and slapped the energy ball upwards, upon which it travelled out of the galaxy in the span of several nanoseconds. Then he used that same hand to chop Jason right across the nose, reducing it to mulch. This strike caused Jason to practically spin in place and Fenris followed up his attack with a palm strike that connected against the back of his foe’s skull, cracking it wide open.

Jason stumbled forward – and Fenris broke space itself as he stomped forward and slammed his left foot into the very base of Jason’s spine. Though his strike contained power well above the energy ball Jason had just launched, the only collateral damage caused was the deepening of the crater they were still in, which was now almost twice as deep as it was before. Again, in the wake of his battle with Vali, Fenris had undergone some more changes, having learned how to better concentrate the power within his strikes as to avoid unwanted collateral damage.

With impossible speed, Fenris kicked Jason upwards and proceeded to continue his assault on the now slightly airborne man, the speed of rapid-fire punches varying wildly in order to keep Jason from properly reacting to any one attack.

Fenris peppered the man’s torso and face but made sure to especially target his limbs and even his crotch to ensure that the parasite’s entire existence was nothing but pain. He felt no remorse as the body of the teen was relentlessly destroyed over and over, bits of flesh and blood and bone quickly littering the crater all around them as he slowly upped the strength of his punches.

After several microseconds, Fenris chose to deliver a massive haymaker that literally obliterated the entire lower half of Jason’s current body and then kicked the upper half upwards and out of the crater.

... Fenris made a little sound of intimidation, his eyes narrowing into a glare that carried an almost palpable force.

As he leapt out of the crater and landed by Jason, the man in question let out a shrill sound of terror and flailed about in the sand even as his body regenerated... until it didn’t.

Jason had been surprisingly attached to this body for some reason, but now in the face of Fenris’ all too brief but potent display of might, the parasitic Awakened had finally opted to just abandon ship – or rather, body in this case. In a literal instant, the current body of the Awakened went completely limp and ceased regenerating as a result. The body of the unnamed teen was dead and Jason’s soul, colored a rather appropriate light brown like certain actual parasites, took off at speeds far exceeding light-.

-But it didn’t even get more than a few inches away from the now discarded body before Fenris had snatched the soul out of the air, the New Genesis physically holding Jason’s soul in his left hand as if it were like any other physical object despite this clearly not being the case.

Jason’s soul squirmed within his grip, the man’s terror now truly palpable, akin to a law of physics at this point as he now is just a naked soul out in the world. But to Fenris, Jason’s efforts meant absolutely nothing.

...Goodbye. Fenris murmured just that single word before effortlessly channeling his Distortion internally, his power activating within his grip. And just like that, Jason’s very existence just ceased to be.

The battle, hilariously brief as it was, was now over, leaving Fenris all on his lonesome.

The New Genesis looked back up at the sky, once again noting the gentle breeze and the sun’s rays, this time with a somewhat more somber outlook as opposed to before. But he allowed himself to indulge in this sensation for only a moment before deciding to take his life.

It was time to head back home.

CHAPTER 2

Fenris headed home without any fanfare, simply crossing the distance between the desert and the rooftop of the apartment complex he and his family lived at in just an instant. After doing so, he casually dropped off the roof onto the floor their apartment was located on and entered it.

As soon as he did so, his sister Sophie was quick to take notice. Hey, bro. Back already? she called out from where she sat on the couch, a textbook in her hands.

Mhm. Only reason it even took this is long is because I wanted to let the guy move of his own accord away from civilians. Luckily, he ended up trying to cross through a desert, which is where I opted to put him down, Fenris replied with just a small smile. Anyways, how goes things?

That he could so casually mention such a thing just went to show how normal this was to him. That Sophie in turn could just bob her head up and down in acknowledgement of those words before proceeding to respond also went to show how routine this has become for her too. Just been studying. I have a test coming up for physics next week... and I think I might be screwed. The girl chuckled sheepishly. She was a smart girl, but certain subjects just escaped her comprehension.

Fenris just laughed lightly as he walked on by to get to the other side of the couch, ruffling his sister’s hair as he did so. The girl grimaced in an overly dramatic fashion and tried to swat his hand away, but to no success given the sheer size difference between them, to say nothing of the obvious strength difference.

The New Genesis just smiled as her attempt to bat his hand away failed and his sister just huffed at him instead. Looks like she was finally hitting that rebellious phase somewhat. To be expected since the girl was now sixteen.

Yes, his sister had celebrated her sweet sixteenth just a few months ago. As for himself, he was now nineteen. Hard to believe three years could go by so quickly following the battle with Vali, but people’s general perception of time can be pretty finicky like that, his own being no exception in that regard.

Taking a seat, he lightly stretched and just blankly stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking out the nearest window.

You’re doing it again.

Hmm?

You’re looking rather listless again, Sophie clarified, putting her textbook down for a moment and crossed her arms under her bust. The girl’s expression seemed calm enough but the hint of concern in her sharpening features couldn’t be hidden. ...You’ve been like that pretty often lately.

I suppose so, Fenris freely admitted with a sigh. He held up his hands and glanced down at them before looking to Sophie.

As was naturally the case, three years was plenty of time for things to change. The two siblings had both gotten taller to varying degrees and filled out considerably, their already sharp and youthful facial features having sharpened even more. Sophie has grown into quite the shapely young woman and though nowhere near to the same extent as their mother, she was certainly blessed in the curves department, curves tempered by all the physical activity she engaged in to build up and maintain a certain level of muscle. As for Fenris himself, his already tall stature had grown a bit more in height so that he was just a centimeter or two shy of six and a half feet in height and his already muscular and impossibly defined physique had only filled out more without losing the leanness he’s always had. Other than that, he was sporting just a bit of a fade around the bottom of his otherwise wild and spiky hair.

However, for all the physical growth he and his sister have undergone, it was their emotional growth that had him concerned... or rather, his own to be much more precise. The battle with Vali had certainly been an eyeopener in various ways, ways that he’d taken to heart. But while he could safely say it’d been an enlightening experience, it had only served to open his eyes to the faults he still possessed.

And it was these faults of his, these flaws and uncertainties, that have been slowly eating away at him during the course of these past three years.

Alas, this was not the first time he’s noted himself feeling this way nor was this struggle of his unknown to his sister and mother.

...Growing up sure is rough, Sophie said with a sigh as she shifted positions on the couch.

Fenris snorted. You could say that again.

Sophie nodded before proceeding to just stare at him intensely. You know, I don’t think you’ve ever really explained this struggle of yours, beyond the general gist... want to talk, brother?

Fenris lowered his hands and looked fully at her. ...Shouldn’t you still be studying?

Sophie waved him off. Eh, I’m fine getting a C or C+. Not like physics ever made much sense to me considering how often I see you and the others breaking them anyways. She managed a little smile at that before then giving him a light punch in his shoulder. Soooo... come on. Talk. Profess your worries to your dear little sister here.

Her final words, spoken dramatically, got a chuckle out of him and helped to lighten his mood. After his chuckling ceased, he kicked off his shoes just as he began to talk. Well, if you insist... tell me, Sophie, just how often do you think about what it is you want to do? When you do, just how do you feel when doing so? Do you feel empty? Anxious?

Sophie quirked an eyebrow, leveling her blue eyes at him in confusion. Can’t say I feel super anxious... but I’ll admit that whenever I do, it’s never a good feeling I have... I take it that’s how you feel? Anxious?

To put it mildly, Fenris said. He stared off into no particular direction as he pondered his next words.

For so long, he’s always wondered just what it is that he wants to really do and accomplish. And for so long, he’s thought that he wants to ‘love’ everything that there is. Sure, he’s done his fair share of pontificating over the years on this initial desire of his, but as his encounters with his fellow New Geneses have pointed out to him, especially the battle with Vali, his initial desire to ‘love’ everything wasn’t quite what he wanted after all... at least not entirely.

After reviewing his actions throughout the years, he’s come to realize for good that ‘loving’ all there is isn’t his primary goal, for so many things he’s done and thought contradict said desire in some form or another. In other words, what he truly wanted was something else and for the life of him, he just couldn’t figure it out.

At first, it hadn’t been too big an issue – he’d been confident that with time, he’d discover what it is he wanted, but after three entire years of failing to do so, coupled with the steady rise of Awakened going around stirring up trouble again, he was starting to actually feel very frustrated with himself. To think he could ever be so wishy-washy, so uncertain... he couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

To an extent, he’d made his family aware of this struggle of his, but only so far as him reevaluating his goals and priorities go. He hadn’t opened up to them about how big of a struggle he was having emotionally here, but as his sister just made clear a moment ago, they were plenty aware that something was up with him and that it was serious.

I can’t help but feel like a failure... he admitted in a quiet tone. Granted, it’s not as if I’m the only one to ever feel this way... but even so – I honestly feel like shit. He stood up and walked a few small steps, only to catch himself before he could start pacing. He looked his sister dead in the eyes, his pupil-less and vibrant blue eyes boring into her normal blue eyes. And the fact that I feel like I’m on a time crunch isn’t helping either.

At that, Sophie grimaced. For she understood right away what he was getting at.

Following the battle with Vali, Awakened activity had once again started to rise, to the point where Fenris had taken up working unofficially with the government alongside Christopher in tracking down Awakened and stopping them before they could truly go too far. In exchange, he would receive quite a nice bit of money for every Awakened he took down, effectively making him a bounty hunter of sorts. It paid well enough that he actually decided last year to finally quit his job at the park, much to his own reluctance... alas, it was but one of several small steps he felt needed to be taken in order to really learn what it is he needed to do, a change of perspective so to speak.

Incidentally, he was also considering finding his own place to live as well for this very same reason – perhaps being on his own could help him grow a bit, though he wouldn’t hesitate to admit that not living together with his mother and sister anymore would be a rather new and uncertain experience. Thankfully, it wasn’t as if him leaving would make things financially harder for them – their mom was making more money now than ever before due to her own advancing career, and it wasn’t as if he’d never be able to see them again, but still, it was the thought that counted. But the idea of moving out was something on the backburner for now anyways, at least until he’s a better idea of other things.

Anyways, to focus back on the matter at hand, the rise in Awakened activity has naturally brought with it a continually rising level of danger to the world at large. That the entire planet, hell, even the entire galaxy, hadn’t been wiped out multiple times over due to how powerful some Awakened were proving to be was legitimately amazing. Good thing that so many Awakened were too caught up in their own goals and petty wants to just flat out destroy the world, though even if that ever did happen before he and his friends could stop them, Indrajit would just use his Distortion to undo the damage.

But the fact that Awakened were becoming so much more active over the years... well, it was all building up to something. That some Awakened from Indrajit’s kingdom were also popping up here and there throughout the world to cause some trouble was also a major concern. At least said damage in all those cases was rather mild, all things considered... but at the same time, it was extremely worrying; Indrajit was always the type to start small and then work his way up. Such was the result of his obsession with processes and the like. That his forces were getting out there and getting more active as a result... the oldest of the current New Geneses was building up to something.

And of course, there was also Vali, who had made it clear his desire to eventually come back and do away with him properly this time. Plus wherever the hell Xochil was at.

Things were slowly building up to a head and though there’s been no overt signs of things getting impossibly bad any time too soon, Fenris could just sense something truly amiss in the works. This was why he couldn’t help but feel as if he and his friends were on a time crunch, which was a major contributor to his frustrations. It was bad enough to feel the way he does right now, but more so to know that him and the others had only so much time left before their indecision could make or break something.

Slowly, he sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair. ...Man, what a feeling this is. He looked to his sister, who was eyeing him with open concern now. ...Sorry. Didn’t mean to stand up so suddenly.

She shook her head. No, it’s fine. For what it’s worth, I sort of feel the same way too, at least as far as the time crunch thing goes. In fact, I’d say about the whole world feels that. Has been feeling that way ever since the battle with Vali.

... Fenris made a quiet sound as he took those words in. His sister was right. Though life was moving on as always, people going about their own lives at their own pace, it did feel as if the entire world was one big pressure cooker right about now. But he’d been so focused on his own issues that he hadn’t quite noticed that, at least not consciously.

Sophie suddenly clapped her hands together, trying to get his attention. Okay, she began awkwardly. How about this? What can you do right now? Forget about not knowing your true desire and whatnot. Let’s try and look at things from a practical perspective. What can be done right now? Maybe if you and the others can focus on bringing some balance to the world first, you’ll be able to truly have the time needed to figure out your own issues first. Hell, you might even figure out what it is you want as you do this, anyways – that’s how it’s always been, hasn’t it? She concluded her little spiel with a small smile. It was strained, but genuine nonetheless, full of hope.

Fenris blinked once, then twice before managing a small smile. You’re... you’ve a point. He paused as he tried to reorient his thoughts. He stretched out a hand to ruffle her head again and this time Sophie didn’t fight it at all. His smile grew a bit. Just when did you get so wise, hmm? Considering you’re lost when it comes to physics, maybe you should focus on becoming a therapist or life coach instead. You don’t need physics knowledge for that.

Sophie giggled. Well, I’m just stating what you’ve always done. After all, you and the others have always been impulsive like that. No point trying to change things up if it’s always worked for you.

I take back what I said – you’d be a horrible life coach if your best advice is ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ Fenris lightly drawled as he ruffled her hair a little more roughly.

Sophie huffed. Hey, I’ll have you know that the simplest advice exists for a reason. Though she was huffing, she was letting out a smile of her own.

"Hmm, well, I guess I’ll let you know when it works. But as for what can be done right now... well, I suppose I should be calling in to my government contact, let them know the Awakened has been neutralized and all that," Fenris murmured.

But of course, Sophie replied in a dry tone. Have to make that money, you know? How else will I be spoiled if you don’t have money to spend on me? Have to keep that money flowing, big bro.

Fenris rolled his eyes but was still smiling. She wasn’t entirely wrong there. Act that entitled and I’ll just spoil mom more than usual instead of you, he fired back in a teasing tone. Then I’ll start spoiling your friends instead of you too. They at least know not to sass me.

Sophie faked a betrayed look on her face, which only got Fenris to laugh. This in turn only made Sophie laugh after a few seconds of continuing the faked expression.

After the siblings’ laughter died down a moment later, Fenris glanced at her softly and when he next spoke, it was in the gentlest of tones. Thanks, sis.

Sophie smiled. Wouldn’t be very fair now if you were always taking care of me and I never bothered to return the favor at least once, right?

That’s not true. You’re always helping me out just as much, he said before finally bringing it in him to sit back down. As he did so, he closed his eyes for a split second and expanded his working senses. In an attosecond, he immediately located his mother. Looks like mom just finished paying at the grocery store. She should be home in about twenty minutes. And from what I can tell... seems like she plans to make Eintopf for dinner.

Due to how early in the day it was over in the desert, it was much later in the day over here in Central, when dinner was usually being made. And on that note...

Sophie, who’d been about to go back to studying, just as quickly dropped the textbook again and got up with a bright smile on her face. Whelp, guess I should start prepping the pot and other stuff, eh?

Fenris snorted. His sister was always a sucker for Eintopf. If only you were this enthusiastic in studying physics, maybe then you’d ace the class.

Says the guy who just told me to effectively give up on the subject a minute ago, Sophie shot back with a cheeky smirk as she got up.

Doesn’t mean you have to take my comments and quips at face value all the time, Sophie, Fenris shot back with his own smirk. His sister snorted before taking off to the kitchen. He watched her go before getting up himself and heading to his room.

He did have a call to make, after all. Wouldn’t do to keep his handler anxiously waiting for word on what happened with Jason over in the Great States.

There was plenty of anxiety going about anyways. No point in adding to it.

XXXXXXX

Dinner came and went by for the Wolf family, a simple affair that Milla never tired of enjoying. Call her a sappy woman, a hopeless romantic or what have you, but the mother of two was always able to so easily enjoy the little things...

...And with all that’s been going on lately, such simple joys were becoming paramount.

How was work? asked the thirty-two-year-old woman of her eldest child. Currently, she was just resting on the couch after having gone through a long but always rewarding day of work followed by grocery shopping and cooking dinner.

As for her son, Fenris was washing the dishes since it was his turn to do so. Whenever she cooked dinner, he would wash the dishes one day and Sophie would do it the next and so on and so forth.

It was alright, answered Fenris in a casual tone, but Milla was able to easily detect a trace of disappointment there too. Such was the sharpness of her motherly intuition since no one else would’ve been able to pick this up. And Fenris knew that all too well, for he spoke again as he was wiping down the pot. ...The ‘parasite’ wasn’t quite what I’d been unconsciously hyping him up to be. It was truly an anticlimactic ‘fight,’ all things considered. But at least he will no longer be a threat.

I see. Good work as always, Fenris, Milla said with a soft smile.

Her son always told her damn near everything, but ever since he took up hunting down particularly dangerous Awakened, he’d been keeping certain things from her. By no means was this a big deal, plus she could surmise that he was keeping the exact details of said criminals’ past activities under wraps out of consideration for her... but still, it was kind of saddening to know her children were now telling her just a bit less than they would before. Alas, such was the nature of growing up.

Even so, being the kind of person she is, Milla spoke again as her son finished doing the dishes. I’m sure you’ll find a good challenge soon.

Fenris smiled as he dried his hands and stepped away from the sink. Thanks... I honestly have high hopes for the future on that front.

It really said something about how different her life was from others when she could genuinely encourage her son to find someone truly worth fighting and likely killing whereas other parents encouraged their children in pursuing ‘normal’ dreams like becoming celebrities or scientists or whatever. And yet here she was, doing just that.

Not like this was much different from her encouraging him in the past either, but the difference between then and now is that she no longer had to fret over him not doing things in moderation. Back then, her son had been a bundle of barely suppressed energy, having been longing so terribly hard for when he could fully cut loose and the numerous little escapades he and his friends have gone on in search of situations where they could push their limits had certainly worried her despite her faith in him and the others.

However, now things were different. Ever since the battle against the New Genesis named Vali, something had markedly changed in her son. He was more subdued, more thorough in his perpetual thinking. There was no missing the almost literal sparks in his eyes as he constantly thought about... something, but unlike before where he would act almost instantly on his impulsive thoughts, he’d really learned to restrain himself without anyone’s input.

It was rather disconcerting, to be perfectly honest... and rather saddening too. While Milla wouldn’t dare to describe her son as being listless, compared to how he was before, he hadn’t quite been the same.

That being said...

So, what is next then? she asked of him as he neared her. Will you be resting for a few days or do you intend to see if there’s anything else that you feel needs to be done?

...Well, for now, just stay home, he answered as he thought about it, folding his arms across his chest. Awakened activity may be spiking, but it’s also fluctuating wildly too at times. I think this is going to be one of those times where activity will lag for a while before going back up. Which leaves me with a fair bit of free time on my hands. Perhaps I’ll ask Viktoria if I can go train again in her dimension. If that doesn’t work out, though... He trailed off and closed his eyes, thinking a million lightyears a second, no doubt.

From where she sat, Milla observed her dear son in silence. And the tension that has been filling this entire world now filled her. She wouldn’t claim to be more perceptive than anyone else (though others would disagree, her children first and foremost), but she liked to think raising a child like Fenris made her a bit more aware on the nature of things than most others, a spiritual attunement of sorts.

Her son was undergoing a slow but major shift, had been ever since three years ago. In some respects, he’d come closer to discerning what it is he wishes to do with his life, what his true desire really is. This showed through in his greater sense of introspection and restraint. However, in other respects, he was still just as far from the answer he sought.

Yes, her son was lost. Before, he’d been so thoroughly convinced he wished to ‘love’ everything through fighting and destroying it, but not anymore, it seems. While he still very clearly loves everything, he no longer sought the destruction of everything. His initial desire, which he’d been so fixated on, had crumbled away into nothingness, meaning he was currently a void on the inside.

Slowly, she stood up and gently gripped Fenris by his right arm. Despite the considerable difference in both height and physique between them, Milla was still able to immediately get his attention and budge him from where he stood. That was just one thing, at least, that would never really change. A mother always had that sort of power over her child, no matter what the circumstances were.

Maybe you should take this time off to just relax, she suggested. Play some of your games or focus on your guitar practice. Hit the cinemas or go on a little walk throughout Central. You’re always doing something or thinking of doing something major... maybe you should just let your instincts guide you in this case, just as you let them do when in battle.

Fenris hummed in response. ...Yeah. Yeah, I should maybe do that, right? He chuckled as if only now remembering all of the things he could spend his time on aside from training or hunting Awakened. He then chuckled. Thanks, mom.

You’re welcome. Now go rest, sweetie. I’ll just be here for now, watching TV for a while, she replied. Oh and check in on your sister too – see if she’s in the mood for some dessert soon. I’m sure all that studying she’s still doing is tiring her out.

Fenris nodded before striding down the hall towards Sophie’s room.

While that happened, Milla allowed herself to sigh now, albeit very quietly lest she alert Fenris. She then collapsed onto the couch again and turned on the TV.

She wasted no time channel surfing and while there were plenty of interesting programs on, she couldn’t bring herself to focus on them at the moment; she was just that worried about her son... and about the state of affairs in general too.

Again, she wasn’t blind to all that was going on out there in the world. Awakened activity being on the rise aside, there was just this mounting pressure, as if something big was going to happen soon. And though nothing has really been said about this, she couldn’t help but believe that the New Geneses would be at the center of it all... or perhaps even the instigators of whatever is to occur.

Her grip on the remote tightened steadily. Time was running short. She just couldn’t help feeling that such was the case. And unlike before, where things had been a rather straightforward series of affairs with little personal risk to her son and his friends, this time around Fenris and the others really would be put at risk...

As accepting of her son’s nature as she is, could she really be truly okay with him potentially being at risk of dying for once? She’d been so sure he’d always survive anything and everything even when she’d doubted everything else. But as his recounting of his battle with Vali had shown her, Fenris was not, in fact, truly unkillable.

But if this developing situation, whatever it ends up being exactly, ends up being what he wants... helps him discover for himself his ‘answer’... does she even have the right to try interfering?

Now more than ever, Milla simply didn’t know... and this uncertainty gnawed at her like a vicious beast.

CHAPTER 3

As his mother had suggested, Fenris opted to unwind as best as he could. Said unwinding had taken the form of some additional guitar practice – mainly creating covers for some songs that caught his attention in recent weeks – before eventually calling up Christopher and Viktoria before trying to get some sleep.

He’d felt that perhaps it’d be best if the three of them could meet up to just hang out. No training or discussing plans for the future, just to be with one another and have some general fun like anyone else would. Sadly, Christopher had to reluctantly decline – while his status as a New Genesis therefore made him special to the government, he had still gone through a military academy and had become a soldier years back and thus he had other responsibilities that he couldn’t just brush aside.

However, Viktoria had said she’d be free and was quite excited to just have some fun, so that helped lift his spirits a fair bit.

Now, it was the next day and Fenris was taking his time walking to the restaurant Viktoria had suggested meeting up at for an early lunch. The pupil-less young man chuckled a bit as he ended up passing by several advertisements with Viktoria herself on it. The 18-year-old woman’s career really had taken off. Calling it meteoric wouldn’t be entirely off the mark, considering Viktoria’s origins and how she’d come to be here in Central. Fenris imagined that if his friend so desired, she could easily branch out into other fields like acting and whatnot, but Viktoria had so far seemed perfectly fine with remaining in the modeling field for fashion.

Approaching the restaurant, Fenris could sense Viktoria even without trying to detect. Looks like she’d already gotten a table for them somewhere near the back of the place, likely for privacy’s sake considering her growing fame.

Said restaurant was a quaint little place, not being exceptionally fancy nor was it some random cheap place. In other words, a rather homey looking place to eat at, if Fenris had to try and describe it as succinctly as possible. Not that eating at either an upscale restaurant or some hole in the wall joint was a bad thing to him, but he could really appreciate the feeling it gave off.

Entering the restaurant and explaining to the host that he was here to meet with a friend, he was shown his way to a booth in the back. And right there, Viktoria waited for him patiently.

Hope I didn’t make you wait too long, Fenris said apologetically as he took a seat across from her.

Viktoria smiled as she shook her head. Not at all. I just got here a few minutes ago myself. She then laughed a little. If anything, I should apologize for my current attire. I bet it looks rather different on me.

In these past three years, Viktoria had only grown ever more beautiful. Her soft and elegant facial features had only lost whatever traces of childishness they’ve had before and her curves had only grown much more abundant than they’d already been yet without being considered obscene. Her black hair had only gotten longer too and were it not for the fact that she had it up in a rather elaborate bun, her hair would easily trail down past her butt.

As for her current attire, it certainly was different. Normally, Viktoria preferred simple dresses and blouses, but now she wore jeans, a long sleeve that was just baggy enough to obscure parts of her body shape and a small dark purple sun hat that complimented the glasses she was wearing.

It’s certainly a new look for you, Fenris started with a chuckle. But it suits you just like everything else does.

Oh my, how flattering of you, she replied in a gentle but teasing tone.

If that’s how you define truth to be, then I suppose it is flattery, he fired back with a small smirk, enjoying their banter. But you know I always mean what I say.

That actually got Viktoria to blush just a bit and look away. Oh, I know. Thank you.

Fenris really couldn’t help but find her lightly blushing state to be so terribly cute but held his tongue for that brief second before he said anything more. In more recent times, the bonds between him and his friends have been shifting in some ways that they’ve yet to really identify, but one thing he could say for sure is that he and Viktoria were getting quite invested in one another in certain ways.

After a moment, which involved a waiter swinging by to ask them what they’d like to order, the two New Geneses started to speak again.

I take it you’re trying to be incognito? Fenris asked after they’d placed their orders. Fame really does have its own troubles.

Ha ha, it does, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, it’s certainly helped me hone my Distortion some more and get to understand things a bit more. But it does make going out sometimes a rather hard thing to do, Viktoria replied. More than once, people have called out to me and wanted to just talk for bit. Many girls around our age and younger have also wanted to ask me for tips too. She smiled as she said that. Knowing the sort of person Viktoria is, she must have done whatever she could to provide the answers these people so desperately sought at the time. While her Identity likely had an influence in this part of her, the young woman really was a well-meaning person.

I see... that’s good. Still, can’t imagine how that must actually feel like. Fenris snickered. After all, in comparison to you, Christopher and I are as incognito as could be.

Indeed. Whereas Viktoria made a living as a fashion model, he and Christopher effectively operated behind the scenes. Sure, people in certain positions of power – the government and some soldiers – knew of them but aside from these people and others that had been close to them, that was it. He and his blond friend were very much unknown outside of that.

On that note, the same could probably be said about their fellow New Geneses too for the most part. Now that he really thought about it, the only exception to this was likely Indrajit consider the man was a king of his own kingdom and all that, who knew he what he really was for the most part. In comparison to that, only a very select few within the fashion industry knew Viktoria wasn’t a normal girl, primarily her manager and just a handful of helpers.

Mm, almost makes me jealous, just how free you two are, Viktoria commented, faking a pout.

Fenris smirked. Considering a career change now? Not sure your fanbase would like that very much.

Ah, I’m sure they’d appreciate the mystery behind such a decision if anything else, Viktoria said with a small and somewhat embarrassed smile. After all, that article that one time...

Oh, right, that.

Near the beginning of this year, when Viktoria’s career was really hitting a peak, she’d been interviewed by a fashion magazine. It’d been a fairly standard interview – where did Viktoria come from? What had inspired her to pick this sort of job, etc. Alas, these standard questions had been ones Viktoria couldn’t really elaborate on. After all, just how could she so casually say she came from an isolated town that worshipped and objectified women like Karlek? Or that she’d only come to Central because of the bond established between her, him and Christopher after fighting the latter two? It wasn’t exactly the sort of things the general public would be so ready to hear. Thankfully, what could have been an awkward mess, Viktoria had been able to instead remain rather vague in her answers and allowed the air of mystique that had always been about her to only grow stronger.

Still, it’d been a close call at the time and it was actually an experience that Viktoria had expressed no desire to go through again anytime too soon.

Hmm, quite the dilemma... Fenris muttered, trying to envision what that kind of position must be like.

He was roused from his thoughts not even a full second later though as Viktoria just laughed quietly and waved off the concern. Well, it’s not as if I am considering a career change. Again, it’s quite beneficial... plus, I really do like modeling. It’s just the occasional struggles that make me balk somewhat.

Alright, but just don’t force yourself, okay? he responded with, gently reaching across the table to grip one of her hands which she’d placed before her on the table.

She seemed a little surprised by the gesture, but gently squeezed back. I won’t. After all, we’ve other things to focus on, don’t we?

Before he could respond, they sensed their waiter approach with their order in tow. Letting go of Viktoria’s hand, Fenris leaned back in his spot a bit so that the waiter could place their orders down and give them the associated cutlery for it. After thanking the man and ensuring they were all good, the two of them opted to focus on their meals for a while first.

Fenris had ordered some extravagant pasta dish while Viktoria had selected a large bowl of meatball soup. The two of them dug in and proceeded to just enjoy the food. Well, Viktoria more so than Fenris since she could actually taste it all. As for Fenris, he more enjoyed the cozy atmosphere than anything else. That said, the pasta did look delicious if nothing else so that had to count for something.

It wasn’t until about halfway through their meals that they bothered to really speak again.

I know the point of this wasn’t to discuss the situation at hand, Viktoria started off in a quiet and apologetic tone. But it does bear mentioning that things have been... tense recently.

Fenris inwardly grimaced and outwardly nodded. Setting down his fork for a moment, he tried to organize his thoughts. To think that the day would come where we’re all this worked up... goes to show that the future is indeed an unpredictable thing at times, he drawled out. ...Doesn’t help either that it feels like we’re really on a deadline now.

Viktoria could only nod gravely. Much like himself, she too could clearly sense things were building up to something. The time needed for them all to reach their respective ‘answers’ was thus being cut very short. But by how much? Just how much time did they really have here to figure out things? That was much harder to determine and the lack of information on this front had been gnawing at them both for quite a while.

To think the three of us too were so eager and excited to just keep on marching ahead in search of challenge and growth, Viktoria murmured. Ah, how naïve we were back then.

Well, we were kids at the time. Plus it’s not as if everyone just knows what it is they want to do from so young an age nor are just able to go through life without consequences, Fenris said quietly.

As he said that, he thought back to all that’s happened over the years. Back when he was just a kid, it’d felt there’d been nothing to worry about, at least until Markus had tried targeting his mother and sister. That incident had taught him that his impulsive actions could have consequences for his family... but it hadn’t really been until the incidents with Xochil and Vali that he realized his actions could have consequences for everyone. The battle with Vali in particular had taught him too that not even he and his friends were exempt from personal risk – after all, that had been without question the closest he’s ever come to death, or at least whatever passes as death for New Geneses.

It really was interesting, though. On the one hand, these events had really opened their eyes to how destructive battles with Awakened and fellow New Geneses could easily be and thus how dangerous this made said battles to the world at large, hell, to even the entire universe. It certainly did a lot in making them rethink certain approaches and try to temper their own actions. But on the other hand, it helped the three of them grow immensely and all that new info they’ve obtained from each and every battle they’d taken part in had only helped them expand their own horizons greatly.

Alas, now they were all at a crossroads here. The trio may have finally realized that what they initially had wanted turned out to not be what they actually wanted, but that didn’t provide them the answers they really sought. And it’s not like said answers were ones that someone else was going to just tell them – these were the sorts of ‘answers’ that they had to figure out for themselves or else they’d forever remain in a rut. Additionally, all the information they’d received during their encounters with the other New Geneses were but fragments of a greater whole, smaller truths that were part of an infinitely bigger truth... or so Fenris liked to think of it as being like.

There was still so much that they didn’t know. Just what exactly are the origins behind New Geneses? Why is it that New Geneses were the only ones who effectively created and contained their own Creations while all the Awakened out there didn’t? Did it have something to do with the nature of their souls or was there something else responsible for it? These were but a few of the many questions Fenris constantly had bouncing around in some part of his mind, but these questions in particular were ones that he believed absolutely had to be answered.

And on a more personal note... their growth rates.

The three of them have only continued to grow stronger over these past three years. Such was the nature of their states as New Geneses. However, as strong as they’ve gotten and as strong as they’re continuing to get even just by existing... while certainly faster than ever before, their growth rate was remaining at a constant speed. It may not be slowing down but it was showing no signs of speeding up anymore or otherwise undergoing some sudden spike.

Naturally, this had to do with them having yet to discover their ‘answers,’ but Fenris also believed that it had to do with the relative lack of challenge recently. It was honestly quite frustrating. Back then, this hadn’t been much of an issue since at the time, there’d been plenty of Awakened out there that could push their limits but now Fenris felt he and his friends have a reached a level of power where likely only the strongest of Awakened could really push them to grow stronger and evolve. Not to say that the Awakened he and Christopher have been hunting down in more recent months haven’t been fun to take down or have possessed uninteresting abilities, but they hadn’t been particularly challenging opponents to defeat.

Sadly, the strongest of Awakened were either staying hidden for some reason or were otherwise in the employ of Indrajit and the only way to draw them out would be to attack Samsara Kshetra head on... and that was something even Fenris didn’t feel all too willing to do. Not that the idea of fighting Indrajit was something scary or anything, but after having fought Vali, the New Genesis has come to the conclusion that the only real way he could really hope to grow in battle and as a person against Indrajit would be if the king opted to hold back that much... and he highly doubted the man would be that kind anymore.

Vali too had made it clear that next time they fight, he wasn’t going to be so gentle on him, so unless something changes drastically, the inevitable rematch with Vali was going to go very poorly.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, their fellow New Geneses and the strongest of Awakened were only opponents that could truly push him and his friends past their current limitations. Anyone else simply wouldn’t do.

...Hmm, I wonder if this is what it’s like to be sexually frustrated, only without the ‘sexual’ part, Fenris unconsciously murmured.

Hmm? Viktoria, having heard him just now, was understandably confused.

Blinking upon realizing what he’d just said, Fenris did his best to avoid blushing in embarrassment and chose to explain his thoughts just now.

Viktoria listened patiently as he explained, continuing to eat away at her soup as he did so. After a few minutes, she set down her spoon again and then nodded. I see... huh. That’s actually something I haven’t really considered before.

To be fair, you’re not quite as much of a fighting maniac as I am, Fenris said in a light tone, hoping to lift the rather dour mood that had fallen upon them.

To his credit, Viktoria giggled. I suppose not. Even so, you should know that I too love a good challenge here and there. And I can’t believe I haven’t quite noticed that before. She paused. Then... is the answer to our current dilemma to just keep on fighting? Not that I would be against such a thing, but... just how would we even go about doing so?

And right there was yet another issue. He, Viktoria, and Christopher could be as proactive as they fucking want, but all their initiative means nothing if they’ve no way of actually drawing out the challenges they so desperately need. This was yet another thing that ties into the whole power disparity here; they could track down weaker Awakened and fight them without too much trouble, but when it came to those on their level and far above, well, those people had plenty of options for staying as far away from them as possible until they decided otherwise, at which point the three youngest New Geneses could only ever react to.

It really was an annoying situation and it made Fenris miss when he’d been a stupid kid, effectively raiding Indrajit’s palace. At least there, his impulsivity and reckless initiative had rewarded him. Ever since then, he and his friends have only ever been on the receiving end of surprise after surprise. It was one thing to enjoy battle regardless if he was actually winning or losing because as long as he was able to grow from the experience then all was well. But here, there was no growing to really be done, nothing new to really be learned and it was driving him nuts.

They were all just... just stuck. Stuck in this odd and tense mess of a situation.

The two of them were silent for a long minute afterwards and it wasn’t until their waiter came by to check on them that they snapped out of it.

After assuring the man everything was