Amid the endless expanse of whiteness, two figures shifted their gaze away from the hovering screen hanging in front of them.
One exhaled shimmering golden smoke rings that drifted lazily through the air, while the other rumbled in a deep, primal voice, resonating with an otherworldly energy.
"Haraharahrahara! Wow! Not too shabby, I like this one! Very much so! Chose to become a hideous beast! What a man! Haraharahrahara!"
Grey-ger slapped his armored knee repeatedly while floating in the air near Vespera, cross-legged, laughing so hard that he was almost crying.
"I told you! ...It was a little hard to watch my little cutie looking that way though... Thank goodness that's over. Whenever Maxie... wait, no no, tee-hee-hee, I mean 'Fluxie's' mask was off, I had to concentrate on the other three." Vespera chuckled while holding her delicate hand in front of her mouth.
Grey-ger looked back at the screen, regarded every Jumper with his gaze ending up on the problem child, Alaric.
His eyes narrowed briefly before a toothy grin spread across his face, teetering between playful and sinister.
"Indeed. Well, color me impressed, same goes for the other two good ones, Sasha and Jan was it? Not too shabby. Say, how much of these 'God Points' would this buy them?"
Grey-ger's long dark mane started floating upwards, and his eyes turned scarlet, pupils looking especially cat like suddenly.
The air around the two gods distorted, and a oppressive black, purple and pink aura developed around Grey-ger in an instant.
"Whew!" Vespera waved her hand dramatically in front of her face, leaning back slightly as the temperature rose several dozen degrees.
"What are you up to, pretty kitty?" She looked at Grey-ger with an interested look on her face.
Two dark, clawed fingers were held like a blade in front of Grey-ger's beasty nose.
In an instant, the aura around him drew in tight, gathering into three distinct points that soon formed into shimmering orbs, each pulsing with energy. They were tiny, around the size of a small bead. With every rhythmic glow and fade, their colors shifted between a vivid pink and a sleek, lustrous black.
The atmosphere returned exactly as it had been before Grey-ger created these strange baubles.
He floated down to the couch and handed the three round orbs to Vespera. She took them and glanced down, evaluating the tiny, energy-filled spheres.
"Hmmm, how generous. I would say this should cover around fifteen-hundred each."
"Consider it a one time gift. I think they deserve an edge against the other one..."
"Fair enough."
The corners of Vespera's mouth rose up slightly and she lifted the hand holding the small energy beads to her lips, then blew gently.
Three glowing beads drifted gently towards the monitor, each one entering a different corner, minus one.
"So... How about another one of those sodas?.."
...
Before summoning the text for the next Jump, Max released the look the image inducer was displaying over his body. Nothing changed really.
He had returned to his regular, beautiful self.
Max grinned, recalling the countless disgusted expressions he'd managed to wring from unsuspecting strangers over the years, each one a tiny badge of honor in his peculiar collection.
The thought that he could now wield the image inducer for future covert shenanigans made him as pleased as a cat finding an unattended roast chicken on the table, moments before thanksgiving dinner is supposed to begin.
Max decided to carefully review his stats and abilities, wanting to double-check himself and his gear before concentrating on the next jump. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a sandwich.
He started munching and looked at the interface.
--------------------------------------
-Maximilian Nakamura-
Class: Jumper - Grade 2 Planes-Walker
Race: Human - Mutated. God seed empowered.
Age: 42
Lifespan: ?
Body Modifications: [Cosmetic Refinement]... expand/collapse
Abilities/Skills/Powers/Perks: [Blending in]... expand/collapse
Items on hand: Flux Helmet, Flux Suit, Stark collapsible bow mk.3... expand/collapse
(GP) Pool: (1600 GP)
Bank: $413,630,555.00
Status: Normal
--------------------------------------
"Eh? Where did this extra 1500 GP come from?!"
Max was shocked to see a value of (1600 GP) in his interface, it had remained at that same old (100 GP) for the longest time, more or less ten years to be exact.
'Huh. Well, I'm just going to assume Vespera had something to do with this, maybe?'
Max was almost certain that his 'Benefactor' had given him a massive GP boost for finishing the first Jump.
His old remaining GP pool had still been at (100 GP) while he was being sent off by the Spider-Men, not even 5 minutes ago.
The old GP value had only changed when he had crossed the threshold of the mystical door at the end of the Marvel Jump after all. What else could it be?
"Well, whatever... Hey! The extra GP... Whoever hooked it up... Thank you!"
Max had cupped his hands and yelled out his appreciation in several different directions before feeling like he had done his due diligence.
He cupped a hand to his ear, half expecting to hear a voice yell back thank you, maybe throw in an echo for a 'Your welcome... welcome... welcome... welc...' effect, that would be pretty top shelf in Max's opinion.
Not receiving a response, Max decided to get the ball rolling on the next Jump; since he already had experience in the 'Loading Screen' he was standing in, it only took him a few seconds to bring up the index of Jumps and pick one.
The chosen document floated in front of his eyes and he smiled deeply while starting to read it and spend GP.
...
-Jump Document, Super God Gene Version 1.2 By MaxPowerJumper-
That's right, Max had indeed picked the Jump document he created and uploaded to the Jumpchain Discord the very night before this whole adventure had started!
-Welcome to the Super Gene (or Super God Gene) Jump, Jumper!-
-You have arrived in a future where humanity has conquered the stars and mastered interstellar travel, only to stumble upon a mystery while mastering teleportation that technology cannot solve: God's Sanctuary.-
-It's a place where science takes a backseat to survival, and "you are what you eat" isn't a metaphor—it's the local law. You'll be teleported into a world of ancient shelters, sprawling deserts, icy mountains and monsters that look like they walked off a rare holographic trading card.-
-Upon entering this dimension, your high-tech weapons are useless, and your sleek starships are nowhere to be found. This is a realm of primitive survival and supernatural evolution. Here, power isn't measured in credits or code, but in Geno Points.-
-To survive, you must hunt the bizarre and deadly creatures that roam these lands, consume their flesh, and refine their essence into your very DNA.-
-Whether you are here to become a god-tier combatant, a master of the mysterious "Beast Souls," or simply to see the sights of a multiverse that defies logic, the Sanctuary offers endless possibilities—and even more ways to die. You have 1000 GP (plus any banked GP) to navigate this brave new world. Try to keep your wits and your appetite sharp; you're going to need it.-
-Left over GP from prior Jump... (100 GP)-
*DONATION VIA His Excellency, THE DARK MAULER: GREY-GER* +(1500 GP)
-(2600 GP) available.-
"Ah! That's where all the extra GP came from... who the hell is 'Grey-ger'?"
Max squinted at the strange sounding name, then shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and decided not to worry about it.
-ORIGINS-
-The Drop-In (0 CP) - You wake up in a teleportation device with no local history, no family, and no identification. You are a complete enigma to the Alliance, which is perfect for those who want to move through the shadows. - Choose a new look for yourself if you pick this origin, or keep the one you currently have!(This form can be switched back and forth with your original look upon the end of this Jump!-
-The Scion (200 CP) - You are born into one of the elite families of the Interstellar Alliance. You have the best education, a wealth of resources, and perhaps a few high-tier "Beast Souls" already in your pocket.-
-The Combatant (300CP) -You are a trained soldier or a seasoned martial artist from one of the Martial Halls. You know your way around a blade and a bow, and you have the discipline required to survive the grueling hunts of the First Sanctuary. This origin comes along with three Martial Arts of your choice, along with a geno solution if required.-
...
Max promptly chose 'The Drop-In' without any hesitation. He already had developed some plans for what he wanted to do, and having a history with the Alliance would totally ruin that.
-LOCATIONS-
-Pick any location you would like to start your adventure in! Maybe think twice before picking somewhere other than the Alliance or First God's Sanctuary. You daredevil you.-
-Steel Armor Shelter - The starting line for Han Sen. There may or may not be a powerful artifact nearby...-
-Glory Shelter-
-Battle Pine Shelter...-
...
-The Alliance - Random Planet-
-The Alliance - Planet Roca (Han Sen's home planet)-
-The Alliance...-
'Easy choice.'
Max quickly selected Steel Armor Shelter, this was where the main character of the book, Han Sen, had been based, and even though he didn't intend to cross paths with him too much, he would be more familiar with the surrounding areas due to his knowledge of the book.
-ITEMS AND PERKS-
-Here are a few things to help you out during your time here.-
-Sea of Soul - Jumper version (Free)- All people that enter the Sanctuaries gain a 'system' and a storage within their mind's eye, able to contain all of their beast souls and certain other things!-
-Copy of The Black Crystal/Super Gene(1000 GP) - Exactly what it sounds like. A version of the black crystal that changed everything for Han Sen, but this one doesn't have a mind/will of it's own and will obey your commands.-
-Beastsoulification (500 GP) - Convert your items into Beast Souls! Ever wanted to have a subspace inventory, that resides in your soul? Well now you can do that! More or less. Any item you convert will naturally be graded and turned into the right class of beast soul. For example, an ordinary coat will be an ordinary beast soul, where as a legendary sword would become a sacred blood or perhaps even a super beast soul. This doesn't apply to advanced technology unless you purchase the perk: Techno-lock bypass.-
-Techno-Lock Bypass (500 GP)- The strange laws of physics in the Sanctuaries preventing technology from normally working no longer affects you or your gear, as long as you are the one operating it. This applies to you and you only, no one will be able to use your things.-
-'Hard Copy' of Super God Gene, in a beast soul form (Free) - The entire book, in case you need a refresher of the story! It's free and recommended!-
-Map of First Gods Sanctuary, in a beast soul form (Free) - A map of the entire first sanctuary, a handful of Super Creatures that aren't nomads lairs will be stamped as locations as a bonus, you lucky Jumper you! Think about getting some other Geno Points before you visit these locations, perhaps.-
-Endless Gourd (100 GP) - Food is plentiful here, but sometimes water can be scarce! This gourd will magically fill itself 4 times per day!-
-Endless Seasoning (100 GP) - Sometimes cooking food in the Sanctuaries can get a little bland... Not anymore! These vials of spices will refresh themselves once a week! Bon Appetite! -
-Kung Fu Hustle (100 GP)- Pick a Hyper Geno Art from the book, it will be as if you have practiced it from birth till now.-
...
"Well, one Hyper Geno Art is good but, I remember these two go together? Coupled with [Domino]... this is going to be like ultra instinct hahaha!"
Max clicked on Kung Fu Hustle one more time, ending up with two special movement skills, one was called Heavenly Go, the other Seven Twists.
Out of all of the Jump documents out there, Max was most familiar with this one, after all, he had written it himself so it didn't take long for him to pick his items and perks out, moving onto beast souls., He selected three that he remembered
-Cursed Wolf Dagger(300GP) - Super Beast Soul Dagger Copy of Super Creature: Ghost Curse Wolf-
-Super Pet Armor(300 GP) - Super Pet Armor Beast Soul Copy of Super Creature: Blood Snail-
-Fairy Queen Shape Shifter(200 GP) - Sacred Blood Armor - Shape shifting Beast Soul Copy of Sacred Blood Creature: Fairy Queen-
"That will do just nicely..." Max knew exactly what he wanted as far as beast souls went. He had big plans for these three Beast Souls.
All that remained now was to click a few boxes in the 'drawback' section. Max was the most excited about this, believe it or not. When he was making the Jumpchain originally, he had been extra generous with this section, believing that Jumpers should have more CP, or in this case, GP as rewards for the sometimes insane and impossible restrictions that drawback sections contained.
-Barred from Entry +(1000 GP) - Teleporters will no longer be able to bring you to the Alliance, you may consider this whole adventure one giant camping trip from now on! Oh, you need to move onto another Sanctuary or sell something? You have 1 day pass to use, once per year over your stay for a total of 10 days. What a deal! Use your time wisely! -
-Theft Target +(500GP) - Is it your swag? Your Beast Souls? Maybe you just look like an easy target, but at least once a month a group or two of greedy people will suddenly forget their manners and focus on their greed, and you're the target! This won't affect close friends and acquaintances, but boy oh boy do stranger now lust after your stuff! -
-What is timing? +(100 GP) - You are starting your adventure in God Sanctuary at a different time period than the start of the book. (Chosen time to start: 5 years before start of Super God Gene Novel.)-
Max looked over everything and nodded to himself. There were a few other drawbacks he had been willing to take to get what he wanted, but since he had gotten all that extra GP from that Grey-ger guy... might as well save himself some trouble!
' If I had known I was going to have excess GP... I wouldn't have taken on any sort of ugly drawback in Marvel... well whatever. Let's do this!
As is reading his mind, the document presented Max with the final option, just as it had with the prior Marvel Jump.
-Begin with these Options selected? Y/N?-
"Hell yea!"
-Entering Jump with (1000 GP) Banked. Generating Door.-