Hybrid Dominion

 **Chapter 17: Evolution II**

Maxim stepped into the Pod, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and fear. The sleek, metallic machine hummed softly as the door closed behind him, sealing him inside.

Paul and Alfred watched intently, their breaths held as the gas filled the chamber, lulling Maxim into a deep sleep.

"Here we go," Paul muttered, inserting the serums into the side compartment of the pod.

The process began smoothly, just as it had with Alfred.

But then, something went wrong. 

Maxim's body began to convulse violently, his muscles contracting and expanding as if they were being torn apart and rebuilt.

The Pod's lights flickered, and a red warning light began to blink rapidly.

"Master, What's happening?!" Alfred shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Paul's golden eyes narrowed as he studied the pod's display. "The serums are working, but his body is struggling to adapt. It's… too much for him."

"Can we stop it?" Alfred asked, his hands trembling.

Paul shook his head. "No. We have to let it run its course. If we stop it now, it could kill him."

The two watched in horror as Maxim's transformation continued, his body writhing in pain.

The red light blinked faster, and the pod's mechanisms whirred loudly, struggling to stabilize him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the convulsions subsided, and the red light turned green.

When the pod door opened, Maxim stepped out, his new form leaving Paul and Alfred speechless.

He was taller now, his height nearly matching Paul's height of 8 feet.

His muscles were rippling and defined, his frame bulkier and more powerful than ever before.

His red hair had orange tips at the base, giving him a fiery, almost otherworldly appearance.

But the most striking change was the aura of heat that surrounded him.

His hands glowed faintly with a fiery light, and the air around him shimmered with warmth.

"How do you feel?" Paul asked, his voice filled with concern.

Maxim flexed his hands, a grin spreading across his face.

"Like I could punch through a mountain," he said, his voice deeper and more resonant than before. "And… I can feel it. Fire. It's like it's a part of me now."

Paul nodded, his golden eyes narrowing as he studied Maxim.

"The Awakening Serum must have granted you an innate ability to manipulate fire. Try to meditate, like I taught you in the past. You need to learn to control this gift."

Maxim obeyed, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he focused on the fiery energy within him, trying his possible best to understand his new ability.

Alfred, meanwhile, squirmed away from the heat, his new dark-elemental abilities making him somehow, sensitive to the flames. 

Surprisingly, Paul didn't feel the heat at all—a fact that Alfred noted but didn't mention.

------

As Maxim meditated, Paul turned to Alfred. "We need to understand these serums better," he said, flipping through the scientist's log. "Here's what I've gathered."

1.Evolution Potion: This serum allows a person to evolve to the peak of their racial limit. For example, a human could become a High Human, an elf could become a High Elf, and so on. It essentially unlocks the full potential and talent of a person, enhancing both physical and mental capabilities to their absolute maximum.

2. Genetic Enhancement Serum: This serum pushes the limits of a person's base strength, speed, and endurance to the highest it can possibly hold. It works in tandem with the Evolution Potion, ensuring that the body can handle the increased power. 

3. Awakening Serum: This serum grants innate abilities based on the person's personality and latent potential. These abilities are often tied to elemental forces, such as fire, water, earth, or darkness. The stronger the personality, the more powerful the ability.

[A/N: Imagine the a person's body as a container, now pour in the Evolution potion to expand the container, Beyond its current size.Then pour in the Genetic serum to fill the container to the brim.]

Paul closed the log, his mind racing. 

"Based on Maxim's reaction, I think most people should only take two serums—the Genetic Enhancement Serum and the Awakening Serum. The Evolution Potion is too risky for anyone who isn't exceptional."

"Are you sure about this, master?" Alfred asked, his voice filled with concern.

His new form—taller, more robust, and radiating dark energy—stood beside Paul, his glowing eyes studying the container.

Paul hesitated, his golden eyes falling on the unopened box in the corner of the lab. "Not yet. There's something I need to check first."

Paul approached the box cautiously, his instincts screaming at him to be careful. 

As he placed his hand on the latch, a monotonous AI voice filled the room.

[Scanning… Identity confirmed] 

[Paul Vaneke] 

[Age: 8 years.] 

[Race: Hybrid of barbarian and orc origin] 

[Access granted.]

Paul froze, his heart pounding.

The box opened with a soft click, revealing a small container filled with a golden liquid that seemed to move on its own.

It shimmered like metal, its surface rippling as if alive.

Inside the container were tiny, moving, almost imperceptible particles—nanites, though Paul didn't know the term yet.

"What… is this?" Paul whispered, his voice filled with awe.

Next to the container was a sheet of paper with detailed instructions. Paul read them carefully, his golden eyes narrowing as he absorbed the information.

1.Inject the living metal into your bloodstream before using the Evolution Potion, Genetic Enhancement Serum, and Awakening Serum.

2.The living metal will integrate with your body, enhancing the effects of the serums and granting you unique abilities.

3.Follow the instructions precisely. Any deviation could result in catastrophic failure.

While reading, Paul felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone—or something—was watching him.

He glanced around the lab, but there was no one else apart from him ,Maxim and Alfred. Still, the feeling lingered.

---

Unbeknownst to Paul, a mysterious God watched from the void, his eyes filled with amusement and satisfaction.

He had removed the weapon from the box and replaced it with the living metal, knowing that the weapon's power would have destroyed the world and affected the galaxy at large.

The Council of Gods had decided that Paul, as a hybrid, was the only one who could handle the responsibility of wielding such power.

"You've done well, Paul," the God murmured, his voice echoing in the void. 

The God watched as Paul read the instructions, his golden eyes filled with determination.

"If you can pass this hurdle," the God said, "you'll reap benefits beyond your wildest dreams.The Council and I will be watching."

---

Paul assured himself, his expression resolute. "I don't have a choice. If I'm going to face what's coming, I need to be stronger. This… this is the key."

Maxim, now a towering figure with fiery orange-tipped hair and an aura of heat, crossed his arms. "Just don't die on us, Paul. We've come too far for that."

Paul smirked, though his heart was pounding. "I'll do my best."

Paul took a deep breath, his mind made up. He turned to Alfred. "Prepare the serums. I'm going to do this."

Alfred nodded, his hands trembling slightly as he inserted the Evolution Potion, Genetic Enhancement Serum, and Awakening Serum into the Pod.

He pressed the needle to his arm, the cold metal piercing his skin.

As the Living Metal entered his bloodstream, a wave of warmth spread through his body, followed by a strange, tingling sensation.

His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt as if he were floating, his mind drifting through a sea of light and shadow.

He stepped into the pod, the door closing behind him with a soft hiss.

As the gas filled the chamber, Paul's golden eyes closed, his mind focused on the task ahead.

At first, it was subtle—a warmth spreading through his limbs, a faint hum in his ears.

But then, the intensity grew.

His muscles contracted and expanded, his bones shifting and reshaping as if they were being reforged.

His golden eyes glowed brighter, their light piercing through the haze of the gas.

Outside the pod, Alfred and Maxim watched in awe.

The Pod's lights flickered, and the air around it seemed to shimmer with energy.

Paul's body was undergoing a metamorphosis, his hybrid nature pushed to its absolute limit.

The God's hand moved, a subtle gesture that sent a ripple through the fabric of reality. The MedPod's systems surged, their mechanisms working faster, more efficiently. The God's intervention ensured that Paul's body could handle the strain, but it also amplified the intensity of the transformation.

Inside the pod, Paul's mind was flooded with visions. He saw the continents of Eryndor, and all its inhabitants. The wars, The schemes , he saw it all. And More.

He could not fathom how large the planet was, but he knew what he had to do.

Plans and schemes began taking shape in his mind. All for the sake of bringing peace to the Planet and ensuring his own survival.

Soon the transformation was complete, the pod door opened, and Paul stepped out.

His body was taller, he felt more powerful, his muscles rippling with strength.With his black hair Shuffling around as dark as night. 

His golden eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and an aura of energy surrounded him, crackling with power.

He looked down at his chest and saw Golden Tattoos on his arms and Chest. 

"Master…" Alfred whispered, his voice filled with awe.

Maxim grinned, his fiery aura flaring. "You look like a god, Paul."

Paul flexed his hands, feeling the energy coursing through him. "I feel… different. Stronger. But there's

more. I can feel it. Something is part of me now."

The journey was far from over, and the challenges ahead were greater than anything he had faced before. But he was ready. He had to be.