Beyond the Apocalypse

There were many things Vlad needed to take care of right now, but before making a single move, he sharpened his focus and turned to Overlord once more.

Vlad’s gaze was sharp, cutting through the dimly lit underground level as he stood before the core code of Overlord.

The A.I. Chip Clone had generated a massive change to Xaos Kingdom, so he wasn’t about to trust blindly again after everything that had transpired. Even if Vald had accepted the plan of godhood, that did not mean he was fine with it and would not allow something like that to happen again.

Before making any move and allowing the Overlord to proceed with its plans, Vlad needed answers. Even if everything the A.i. Chip Clone did was for the Xaos Kingdom’s progress and safety, it could easily turn into someone Vlad could never accept, so he needed to understand all the new moves.

"What are your plans for the Divine Force?" Vlad asked, his voice steady but firm. He had no time for games or cryptic responses. The stakes were too high.

Overlord, incapable of lying to its Prime Master or disobeying his commands, responded immediately. "I have two main goals. The first is to use half of the Divine Force to supercharge the alchemy and runic factories. This will significantly increase the production of weapons, armor, and potions that will bolster the frontlines."

There was a brief pause. Although devoid of fear or hesitation, Overlord seemed aware that his following statement might not be as well-received. Still, there was no way to conceal the truth from Vlad, so it continued, "The second half will be used for Genetic Coding projects."

Mirena, Frank, Roman, Amara, and Clasius exchanged puzzled looks as they heard the term "Genetic Coding." Though they were educated, the idea of genetic engineering seemed irrelevant in the post-apocalyptic world they lived in. With the collapse of the laws of physics as they had once understood them, any mention of genetic manipulation felt outdated, even absurd.

However, Vlad, Jormungandr, and Ouroboros knew better. They had knowledge from Vlad’s second past life, memories that revealed Genetic Coding to be a powerful, albeit specialized, profession. Like Runecrafting and Alchemy, it held immense potential but required materials that could not be found in Terra. That was why neither Jormungandr nor Vlad had focused on it before. It had seemed impossible to practice. But with the introduction of Divine Force, a new possibility arose.