Chapter 154: Twilight Human
A twin-headed ogre wasn’t exactly a rare sight in this part of the district—Adyr had seen one earlier, lumbering between the vendor tents, both heads chewing on different ends of a burnt meat skewer. The Lizardman’s assumption didn’t surprise him. What did catch his attention, however, was the name Gemnarch. A race born with two entirely separate bodies governed by a single mind. That was new.
"No, he’s just like me. Not from some rare race," Adyr replied calmly, choosing not to spin a pointless lie. The truth was obvious—the race he referenced was far from common. But drawing attention to it was an unnecessary risk. The less the merchant speculated, the better.
The Lizardman gave a shrug and leaned back, his excitement vanishing. "I see..."
Adyr didn’t let it drop. "Then why’d you assume he was a twin-headed ogre? Or... what did you call it? Gemnarch?"
The merchant’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone shifting to something more scrutinizing. "Isn’t it obvious? The only ones interested in evolving with that Spark are races like them—those with two bodies, or at least something similar. The Spark strengthens the neural and spiritual link between dual forms or extra limbs. It boosts reflexes and improves thought synchronization. For someone like you or me? Completely useless. Unless you’re planning to gamble on a third evolution with a doppelganger-type Spark or something, and let’s be honest, reaching Rank 3 isn’t exactly a given."
Adyr filed the information away, sifting useful grains from the merchant’s bluster. So there really are Sparks that let you duplicate or extend the body.
Still keeping up the mask of a curious amateur, he tilted his head slightly. "So what happens when someone actually evolves with it? Aside from gaining the innate Shared Cognition talent, I’m curious—what kind of physical trait do they get?"
By now, Adyr was already certain of one thing: Shared Cognition was locked in as the Spark’s innate talent. That alone made it a tempting choice. But before he finalized anything, he needed to understand the full cost, especially the kind that came in the form of permanent, physical changes.
If the Spark imposed some grotesque mutation or disfigurement, that would be a problem. But if the effect was internal and manageable, his decision was already made.