Chapter 23: Exhibitionist
"System" Leon said, his voice sharp as he activated his gene-extraction system. "Burn a thousand bio-energy points and extract the eel's gene."
[Acknowledged. Consuming one thousand bio-energy points. Initiating random extraction of the electric eel's genetic traits.]
[Extracting Eel DNA…]
[Ability acquired: Underwater Survival Gene.]
[Would you like to fuse?]
Leon's brow lifted, a flicker of skepticism crossing his face. "Underwater survival? That's….not exactly the lightning show I had in mind." He shot a sidelong glance at the eel, a half-smirk tugging at his lips. "What, am I sprouting gills now?"
[Negative] System answered flatly. [It enhances your swimming and diving capabilities and adaptability to aquatic environments. You'll move like the eel: fluid, resilient, immune to pressure or currents.]
Leon huffed, a mix of mild disappointment and curiosity in the sound. "So, Aquaman lite. No fish-whispering included." He'd been banking on raw electric power, not a swim upgrade. "Still it is not useless," he muttered to himself.
"Alright, fuse it."
A ripple of energy washed through him, subtle but undeniable. He could feel it, if he jumped into a raging sea, he'd cut through it like a blade, unruffled by waves or depth. Untested, sure, but the certainty was there, buzzing in his bones. 'Okay' he thought, smirking faintly. 'Not total garbage.'
"Next," he snapped, refocusing. "Another thousand points. Extract again."
[Consuming one thousand bio-energy points] System replied.
[Extracting Eel DNA…]
[Ability acquired: Electric Discharge Gene]
[Would you like to fuse?]
Leon's pulse kicked up a notch, a grin tugging at his lips. "Oh, hell yes. Fuse it now!"
The jolt hit harder this time, a live wire threading through his veins. Electricity sparked beneath his skin, faint currents flickering between his fingertips as he flexed them experimentally. This was it, the real deal. He could generate electric discharge and feel it humming in his muscles like a coiled beast. But when he pushed it, the discharge sputtered, weak and fleeting. Frowning, he glanced at the power socket across the room. The problem clicked: no storage. He was a live wire with no battery, all flash and no staying power.
The System spoke in a neutral tone [Friendly heads-up: you can discharge, but without the electricity storage gene, sucking up external currents might knock you out or fry you. Want to absorb power? You'll need to extract again.]
Leon's jaw tightened. "Yeah, I figured. Another thousand points, extract."
[Extracting Eel DNA…]
[Ability acquired: High-Pressure Pulse Gene]
[Would you like to fuse?]
"Obviously," Leon shot back, adrenaline spiking. "Do it."
Simply put, the high-voltage pulse gene is what separates the masters from the rookies when compared to a standard discharge. While a basic discharge simply releases an electric shock-a neat trick at best, the high-voltage pulse gene delivers a refined, technical discharge that significantly amplifies the current, making it far more potent.
But System wasn't done playing buzzkill. [You still can't store electricity. Output's capped without that last piece.]
"Didn't ask," Leon growled. "Extract once more. Let's finish this."
[Extracting Eel DNA…]
[Ability acquired: Electricity Storage Gene]
[Would you like to fuse?]
"Yes!," he said, voice tight with anticipation. This was the clincher, four thousand points deep, only two hundred left in the tank. I
The system whirred, and then, *boom* Energy flooded him, settling into his core like a dam locking into place. He could feel it: a reservoir, a deep well of power he could draw from, store up, and unleash whenever he damn well pleased. His body was a living battery now, soaking up electricity and ready to dish it out on his terms.
"System" he said, voice steady but edged with curiosity, "I can absorb currents now, right?"
[Yes, host] the system replied, [You can store external electricity but your body's not built for infinite capacity yet. There's a limit.]
Leon snorted, rolling his eyes. "No kidding. Even Electro couldn't chug power endlessly, and I'm not about to try outdoing him." He waved off the obvious warning, already pacing toward the gym's power outlet.
He hesitated, fingers hovering an inch from the plug. Sure, he knew he could handle it, his new genes screamed it but years of basic safety instincts weren't so quick to shut up. 'Don't stick your hand in the damn wall, idiot.'
"Alright, let's baby-step this," he muttered, shaking his head. No point frying himself over a hunch. He returned back to his room, grabbed a beat-up phone charger, and returned to the gym. Better to test the waters than dive headfirst into a power grid.
He jammed the plug into the socket, tugged the cable free from its casing, and exposed the copper wires with a quick yank. No hesitation now, he pinched the bare wire between his fingers. A faint tingle buzzed up his arm, sharp but manageable. His body drank it in, the current pooling into his muscles like water into a sponge. "Well, damn," he said, a grin spreading. "It works."
Emboldened, he shut off the socket's power switch, yanked the plug out, and got creative. He smashed the charger's prongs apart, leaving two jagged metal stubs, then shoved them back into the outlet. Flicking the switch back on, he watched a lightning arc between the stubs *snap-crackle-pop*. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, biting down on a curse as he gripped the metal.
His body jolted, muscles spasming as raw current roared in. A normal person would've blacked out or worse, fried to a crisp. But Leon? After the initial "holy hell" numbness, a rush of adrenaline took over. His nerves sang, his whole frame buzzing with life as the electricity poured into his reserves. It wasn't pain, it was power, pure and intoxicating.
He barely had time to revel in it before the flow cut off with a sharp click. The room dimmed, the socket dead. "What the?" he snapped, frowning.
[Host] The system chimed in, [It seems that the villa's safety switch tripped.]
Leon groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course it did." Typical built-in safeguards screwing him over just when it got good.
He strode out of the gym, leaving the wrecked charger behind, and headed for the beach outside the villa. Time to test the other trick up his sleeve: underwater survival.
The bay stretched out before him, waves glinting under the sun. And there, cutting through the water like a smug dolphin, was Tony Stark in his swim trunks.
"Hey, Leon!" Tony called, spotting him as he swam back toward shore. His grin was all teeth, dripping with that patented Stark charm. "What's up?"
"Testing something," Leon replied, kicking off his shoes. He stripped down to nothing–no trunks, no fuss. Why bother with modesty when you own the damn bay?
Tony's jaw dropped, halfway between shock and delight. "Whoa, whoa—going full commando? Didn't think you were an exhibitionist!" He laughed, splashing water as he treaded closer. "You sure you're not about to drown out there? Last I checked, you swim like a brick. Want a lesson from the master?"
Leon didn't answer with words. He smirked, took a running leap, and plunged into the sea. The water swallowed him whole and then he was gone.
"Leon? Leon?!" Tony's voice spiked with alarm when a minute ticked by with no sign of him. "Shit, where'd he go?"