Chapter 2: 2- Raphael
"Hello, Raphael, you listening?"
[Yes, master, loud and clear.]
An almost mechanical female voice rang inside my head.
"Well, a pleasure to meet you, Raphael. I would love to introduce myself, but as you can see, I'm currently lacking a birth certificate—so the name will have to wait." I chuckled, already contemplating my next steps.
[No problem, master. I am Raphael, the King of Wisdom, one of the seven ultimate skills of the Virtues. I possess the power of wisdom and can assist you with learning, magic, and invention. I can even harness all your abilities if you allow me to—and I can micro-control your body if you wish. There is much more I can do, but let's learn about each other slowly, master. So, is there anything you need help with?]
She sounded overly serious, but that was fine; after all, we had an eternity to perfect our rapport.
"So, I'm in the womb, right? Can you scan and check if my sister is beside me?"
I needed confirmation of my current situation.
[Scanning... Yes, your to-be sister, Hela, is beside you, master. Judging by both your growth rates, you should take around five more months to be born.]
"I see… Do a complete scan of myself and then one for Hela too. After that, study the genetic makeup of the Aèsir—spend a month delving into every secret you can find. I want to improve it even further. I know I'm born with top-tier genes, but if they can be enhanced, why stop there?"
Understanding more about my new race was essential—and with Raphael's knack for assistance, I intended to maximize every opportunity.
[Yes, master. Starting a complete genetic checkup... Scanning complete. Proceeding to scan Hela... Complete. For further references: scanning master's mother, God Queen Frigga; scanning Vanir genes... Complete.]
[The initial scans of you, your sister, and your mother's genes have been completed. Extensive research into these will take some time. Would you like to enter sleep mode until then, or is there anything else, master?]
I paused. "Ah, right—I'm in the womb. Good job, Raphael. And scanning the Vanir genes too… Perfect."
"No, put me in sleep mode, and continue researching everything about both Aèsir and Vanir genes. If the research takes too long, wake me in a month; or, if you finish earlier, wake me as soon as you're done."
Since my body wasn't fully formed yet, staying awake was proving difficult. It was best to rest while Raphael did the work.
[Yes, master. Sleep mode initiated, and genetic research underway.]
Everything faded to darkness. It felt like only a blink before I awoke, as though no time had passed at all.
[Research on the genetic makeup of the Aèsir and Vanir has been completed, master. It has been 21 days since you slept.]
"Oh, so you've already finished, Raphael?" I marveled. I felt refreshed, and the fact that all the hard work was done was exhilarating. Raphael was, without a doubt, goated.
[Yes, master. I can confidently say that now no one knows more than you about Aèsir and Vanir genes.]
"Oh? But I don't really know anything about them."
[Well, master—since I am part of your soul, what I know, you know. Would you prefer a brief overview or detailed knowledge about both races?]
I paused, hearing a hint of emotional fluctuation in her tone.
"Ugh… Let's go with the brief version. I'm not exactly an expert in genetics, so start with the Aèsir and my own genes."
[Yes, master. The Aèsir are a race of warrior gods with incredibly strong physiques. Your Aèsir genes grant you an unnatural level of physical potential—especially with your royal lineage—and imbue you with a divinity, an innate power that marks the gods. You possess the divinity of Life, which stands in stark contrast to your sister's dominion over Death. Additionally, further based on information from your memory, the Aèsir rely on robust bodies, runic magic, and advanced technology for warfare, making them among the universe's mightiest. They can live up to 10,000 years.]
"Wow… Looks like I've really lucked out. But God of Life? Isn't that a bit underwhelming for combat? I mean, it makes sense paired with Hela being the goddess of Death—but still, I want something more. First, let's examine everything about myself; let's check out the Vanir genes next, and we can worry about the divinity later."
[Yes, master. Your divinity can be refined later since you haven't been born yet. Now is the perfect time to enhance both your genes and divinity. You will be born at your peak, without raising any suspicions. I will now brief you on the Vanir genes.]
[The Vanir are gods of nature, more attuned to magic than physical strength. They possess a strong aptitude for magic and also have their own form of divinity, more aligned with life than warfare. You inherit your divinity from your Vanir side, which is amplified by your Aèsir heritage, elevating it to a major divinity. Your natural talent for magic is impressive, though it can be further boosted.]
"Okay, so one set for raw strength and another for magic—good enough, I guess. Now, can you enhance these both genes to the peak of what the two races have to offer, then merge them genes, fusing them perfectly to enhance my potential to its absolute peak?"
I knew it was a long shot, but maybe Raphael could really pull it off.
[Indeed, master. That is why the research took so long; otherwise, I could have finished in mere hours. I can elevate both gene sets to their ultimate form and combine them optimally. Of course, this will alter your genes—and as you know, your looks are determined by them. If you wish, you can now customize your future appearance, master.]
Was that smugness? I couldn't help but think she deserved some credit for it. And holy fuck—I could even customize my own looks!
"Really? It can be done? And I can design how I look? Alright then, create a screen like a game model—it's designing time."
According to Raphael, it took me around four hours to craft the perfect design for myself. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wasn't about to waste it.
I opted for the most handsome version I could imagine. Like my sister, I chose jet-black hair paired with piercing blue eyes—just the way I liked it. I steered clear of an over-the-top anime look, aiming instead for a handsome, masculine style. I designed a sculpted physique, one that Raphael assured would evolve naturally with minimal effort.
Once I was satisfied, I said, "Okay, Raphael dear, let's begin the process. Meanwhile, put me in sleep mode while you implement the changes and start parallel processing research on divinity. Estimate how long that will take."
[Yes, master. If we begin research on your divinity now, it will take around 45 days. I assume you want to evolve your divinity and acquire additional aspects of it. It will require time, as divinity is a rather mysterious form of energy. Besides, do not underestimate your divinity—it may surprise you later.]
That's my Raphael; she always seems to know exactly what I need.
"Alright then, let's start, Raphael."
And with that, everything went dark once more.