[ 10,000 years is uh, a very long time. Not immortal but it might as well feel like. ]

Izo was about to go into a bitter diatribe about how life was already for the short 80 or so years humans can live but stopped. This new lifeform should not be inundated by negative feelings. It’ll have to live through life itself and make her own opinion of it.

[ I see. ]

[ Now, what were you saying about making this creature become unconscious by command. ]

[ Yes. Since I have fully analyzed its DNA, modify it has now become possible. For this Knockout switch… it would take 20 minutes to research it and 5 minutes after editing for it to take effect. ]

[ Do it. This is for our and its safety. It make it so we can restrain it in a less harmful way than simply knocking it out with a blow. ]

After reading again (he would rather eschew all relaxation activities for now), the orb reported the modification completion.

[ It’s done. Just like that? ]

[ Yup! ]

Izo only say another laser focus on the spaced eye creatures head. Nothing changed with it physically.

[ This is a simple modification anyway. Izo only has to say the words “Heel friend” or me send the message through a soul link and it would be knocked out. ]

He was asked for the code word and just said whatever he thought of first.

[ How does this modification work? ]

[ Simple. I create a gene template, target one of its cell with it, it will now replicate as a virus that would begin targeting other cells to become more of it. Once it has enough mass, it will move towards the modification target and changing it to the gene template. Easy right? ]

[ Uh. Does the virus die or whatever it does after finishing its task? ]

[ It deactivates. Is that death? ]

[ I suppose so. ]

When humans die, wasn’t it simply the cells deactivating due to lack of energy given?

[ This is an amazing technology. What kind of modifications can we do right now? ]

[ Uhh. It can be made to have the traits of other organism I’ve analyzed. ]

[ What if I want it to be able to teleport? ]

[ What is “teleport”? ]

Izo got excited suddenly making him do a slight jump. There was this superhero on Earth that could teleport at will to anywhere. It was his childhood fantasy to be able to do so. If he had to modify his genes, though he was scared of it, Izo might just do it for teleportation powers.

Izo explained teleportation as well as other supernatural abilities that’s popular in Earth’s fiction. Of course, most the orb’s answer was “What is that?” or “How does it work?”. It seemed if he needed to get the genes of a creature who could do those before being able to allow himself to do so.

Another thing he noticed was how the orb lacked imagination. It simply l made short sighted logical guesses and couldn’t imagine crazy things.

‘I would have to direct the research directions huh?’

The computations and how to make it possible would be left to this young but genius A.I. to handle.

[ Wait. I just had an idea. Since this thing is human that only violently mutated, can it regain its intelligence? Can it have back its personality? ]

[ Hmm. I would have to compare to your DNA then fit it to this creature’s new biology. Calculating. 4 hours analysis, 1 hour modification time! ]

[ Do it. After that analyze all other DNA. Create two progress bars; one for the “Regaining Intelligence” project the other for all progress. Also when reporting calculation time, combine both analysis and modification time from now on. ]

[ Understood! ]

‘Is it just me or does it sound excited?’

It was definitely learning from his mannerisms and tone so maybe it was mimicking Izo. Doesn’t matter anyway, its cute young girl voice was very effective.

‘Curse you the ones who designed it!’

For now, Izo ordered the orb to send the knockout order and keep the spaced eye creature down. He then placed it in the first-floor kitchen before leaping down the fountain hole.

He set up a 3 hours 30 minutes timer in the Ural then began going back to the underground lake area. This time however he chose to take the straightest route. Based on the many tunnels leading to and from the area, there should be a shorter path.

Indeed, Izo was correct as he took only 15 minutes compared to the 45 before. Of course, he was a lot less tense and wasn’t blindly going wherever.

“Ural show me the underground map.”

Izo had only explored less than 4% of the underground. The city was higher at 8% seen.

He ordered it to overlay the two for he had an idea. A longshot one but still a possibility.

If he was to plot a grid over the city with 10,10 being the northeastern edge and -10,-10 as the southwestern one, Izo was 1,-3 on the southeast quadrant. Each change by 1 would correlate to 2 kilometers.

[ Can you gather more DNA while analyzing or researching? ]

[ Can do. ]

He ordered it to do so as Izo traveled east at a moderate pace. Every sound, marks on the ground, or change in plant types was weighed on the scale of danger. Since he knew little about this place and had no experience with animals and wildlife, Izo was guessing more than half of the time.

He encountered a pack of dogs with two heads at -1,4 but they escaped after seeing him. Thinking nothing of this behavior, it was only later when a more of these things appeared that Izo understood. They called for more back up and they didn’t escape in fear at all.

They underestimated him either as their mouth became bloody as they bit the hard metal of the Ural. Izo placed the Maxima on his backpack then fought them with his fist.

After taking care of 30 of them, the other dogs retreated instantly. Izo continued to -1,5 until 200 of the dogs appeared again. 10 of them were a larger variety with three heads.

Izo just ran this time. Even if he beat them, they would simply keep coming back with more. They had great stamina too so the chase ended only after 5 more kilometers.

‘How are they sensing me? Is it from my smell?’

That’s the only thing he could think of since Earth dogs were known for that.

‘How do you counter a creature’s sense of smell?’

Izo imagined how a hunter acts. Only to realize the images he was coming up was from shows and movies that might as well be as realistic as horoscopes.

‘I hope there are tips in the manual.’

For now, he decided to cancel his plan and return to the inn homebase.

[ Alarm for 3 hours, 30 minutes! ]

Once he was close, Izo realized an issue. The Ural had gotten muddy all over. There were cleaning agents that an explorer was supposed to have that due to suddenly being brought here, he didn’t have.

‘How do you wash this off? Soap?’

The production process of which he had no idea of. So, he checked the manual that was quickly becoming a holy tome to Izo.

[ …animal fat or vegetable oil, water, lye… lye can be made from boiling hardwood ashes… one may add fragrant oil or colorants… mix then heat to begin saponification. Then you will have soap. ]

‘I wish I learned this in class. Unfortunately, his city schooling had no classes that taught skills like this.’

He added this soap project to his secondary priority tasks. The Ural would take long before rusting and he could live in a pigsty for a while but if he had the time, why shouldn’t he make himself comfortable?

[ Regaining Intelligence project complete! We can begin Izo! ]

That was his signal to stop staring at the rock wall while thinking. Izo got up from the underground and quickly checked on the spaced eye creature.

The ethics of injecting a virus on an incapacitated living being maybe sketchy but Izo didn’t hesitate much. Regaining the memories of an inhabitant of this world and having a guide was too important. Perhaps, he would be thanked for allowing a human that’s suffering to regain humanity.

A laser targeted its forehead then an hour later, the orb announced the modification was done. Though not much changed physically, Izo felt something changed within it.

[ Awaken it. ]

Izo waited to hear the first words from this being long laid low to an animal’s mind. It eyes opened, the non-existent eyelashes possibly blinding it. It blinked multiple times before its mouth whispered. It was too quiet so Izo kneeled to hear it better.

“Yamar novzh ve.”

[ Let me connect you both. ]

[ Oh. Of course. ]

Labored as if dying of thirst, it spoke once more.

[ What the fuck. ]