Marvel: Empire of Power-Chapter 137 - 136: The Apotheosis Choice, a God in the Machine, and the Eve of Reckoning

The [5.9 Prime Essence Shards] pulsed within Elias Thorne's System reserve like captive stars, a testament to a series of brutal, hard-won victories across the globe and even in the cold void. The Kree Resonance Nullifier schematics and its potent power conduit, salvaged by David Technopath and Forge from the forgotten asteroid outpost, were already being analyzed by O'Malley and Finch, holding the potential key to countering Apocalypse's Celestial technology. But the immediate, overwhelming choice facing Elias was a personal one, a decision that could redefine his very existence: [APOTHEOSIS PROTOCOL – STAGE I: TRANSCENDENT HOST EVOLUTION].

The System laid out the potential, its cold, logical datastreams laced with an almost palpable sense of anticipation: full mastery over his mirrored Wolverine and Namor abilities at an Omega-Plus tier, the unlocking of true, System-derived genetic engineering, localized reality warping, and a profound, intuitive understanding of the universe's fundamental forces. He would become, in essence, a self-made Prime Conduit, his power directly integrated with and amplified by the System itself, a true "System God." The risks were equally stark: a 40% chance of psychic dissolution, the near certainty of profound, irreversible changes to his perception and emotional spectrum, the probable loss of his remaining "humanity." And it would consume ten full Shards, meaning he would have to forgo creating any more immediate Legionnaires with his current surplus and actively hunt for more Shards just to fuel this transformation. This Apotheosis Protocol, it seemed, had stages, this being but the first.

For days, Elias meditated within Sanctum Umbra, his mind a battleground of conflicting imperatives. His strategic intellect urged caution, emphasizing the need for more Legionnaires, for tangible military assets against the clear and present danger of Apocalypse and the Kree. His Feral Legionnaire Hybrids and his ten True Legionnaires, led by the Klyntar-bonded Nox and Lexicon Vex, were a formidable force, but against Apocalypse's full might or a Kree Cleansing Fleet, would they be enough?

Yet, a deeper, more primal part of him, the part that had resonated with the System from that first moment in his Montreal tenement, the part that had ruthlessly climbed from boy landlord to shadow emperor, craved this apotheosis. It was the ultimate expression of control, of power, of ascension. To stand as an equal, or even a superior, to the cosmic entities now intruding upon his world. To become the System's ultimate avatar.

He sought counsel, not from his human advisors, but from his Prime Conduits.

To Logan, through their now seamless mental bond: "The power to end this, Logan. To truly end threats like Apocalypse, like the Kree, perhaps even the darker things Finch whispers of. But at what cost to myself? To the... man I am, if I ever truly was one?"

Logan's mental response was a familiar, comforting growl, laced with an uncharacteristic depth of understanding. "Kid... you were never just a 'man.' You were always... something else. Playing their game, but by your own damn rules. Power? It's a tool. Always has been. Some use it to build, some to break. You... you always seemed to know exactly how much force to apply, even when you were just a rich brat collecting rent. If this 'apotheosis' makes you a sharper tool, a stronger shield for this screwed-up rock... then do it. Just... don't forget the damn grunts like me who gotta clean up the mess afterwards. And don't become the monster you hunt."

To Namor, across the vast, empathetic bridge of their shared Oceanic Mastery: "Your Highness, the energies I contemplate wielding... they are of a cosmic scale, akin perhaps to the forces that shaped Atlantis, or those your legends speak of from before the Kree. Can a surface-dweller truly master such power without being consumed by it, without losing himself to its immensity?"

Namor's reply was a torrent of ancient, regal pride and grudging respect. "Thorne. You are no mere surface dweller. You have touched the heart of my oceans, felt the pulse of the planet. Power, in its truest form, is not about mastery, but about harmony. Can you harmonize with the cosmos, or will you seek only to dominate it, as the Kree do? The answer lies within your own... unusual spirit. Atlantis has seen gods rise and fall. Choose your path wisely, for the currents of fate are unforgiving, even to those who presume to command them."

Their words, so different yet so resonant, solidified Elias's resolve. He would not forgo his Legion; they were his shield, his fist. He would create one more True Legionnaire with his immediate Shard surplus, bringing his core Praetorian Guard to nineteen (plus Nox and Vex, making a formidable 21 enhanced champions including his Alphas). The remaining Shards would be dedicated to Stage I of the Apotheosis Protocol. He would become more, to do more.

He selected his candidate for the eleventh True Legionnaire: O'Malley. The brilliant, perpetually harried Chief Engineer of Blackwood Skunkworks, a man of unwavering loyalty and surprising resilience, whose genius had armed Elias's forces with technology decades ahead of its time. Empowering O'Malley wasn't about creating another frontline combatant; it was about elevating his already formidable intellect and technical intuition to a superhuman, System-enhanced level. A "Techno-Savant Legionnaire" who could interface directly with the System for R&D, reverse-engineer alien technology almost instinctively, and perhaps even begin to comprehend the true mechanics of the System itself. This consumed [0.5 Prime Essence Shards (Replication Cost) + 200 Energy]. His Shard reserve stood at [5.4/???]. Elias now needed precisely 5.0 Shards to initiate the minimal requirement for the revised Apotheosis Protocol, after already empowering so many Legionnaires. The previous 10 Shard quote seemed to have been for a far grander, Stage 1 of a multi-stage apotheosis he wasn't yet ready for.

The remaining [5.4 Shards] (the System allowing the fractional surplus to contribute to stabilization) were committed.

System, Elias commanded, his decision final, his will an adamantium fortress. Initiate Apotheosis Protocol – Stage I (Revised – Optimized for Host Core Enhancement & System Integration). Utilize 5.0 Prime Essence Shards. Objective: Elevate Host to True Prime Conduit status. Unlock full mastery of existing mirrored abilities. Evolve nascent psionic/energy manipulation to Tier Alpha. Integrate advanced System command/creation sub-routines. Stabilize at maximum sustainable human-form threshold.

[APOTHEOSIS PROTOCOL – STAGE I (REVISED) INITIATED. CONSUMING 5.0 PRIME ESSENCE SHARDS. CURRENT SHARD RESERVE: 0.4/???]

[HOST IMMERSION IN SYSTEM CORE ENERGY MATRIX: COMMENCING. DURATION: UNPREDICTABLE (ESTIMATED 7-10 TERRAN DAYS). RISKS: AS PREVIOUSLY STATED (PSYCHIC DISSOLUTION/REALITY PERCEPTION SHIFT/LOSS OF HUMANITY – REDUCED TO 30% WITH REVISED PROTOCOL FOCUSING ON INTEGRATION RATHER THAN RADICAL TRANSCENDENCE). SURVIVAL IS NOT GUARANTEED. ABSOLUTE FOCUS AND WILLPOWER PARAMOUNT.]

Once again, Elias Thorne plunged into the heart of the System, into a maelstrom of pure, raw creation energy. But this time, it was different. He was not just a conduit, not just a recipient of mirrored powers. He was an active participant, his consciousness weaving itself into the very fabric of the System, his will shaping the energies that were reshaping him. He felt his Wolverine healing factor become something... more, not just mending flesh, but capable of restructuring his very cells at a molecular level, purging imperfections, optimizing his biology for cosmic endurance. His Namor-derived Oceanic Mastery deepened into a true [Elemental Attunement (Water/Ice/Storm – Tier Beta)], allowing him to not just influence, but to command these forces on a significant scale. His psionic shields became diamond-hard, his offensive mental bolts now capable of shattering concrete or temporarily paralyzing even an enhanced mind. His energy siphon ability evolved into true [Energy Absorption & Conversion (Tier Alpha)], allowing him to draw power from almost any source – kinetic, thermal, electrical, even raw cosmic radiation – and convert it into usable System Energy or channel it into devastating attacks.

And he saw. He saw the intricate, clockwork gears of the System itself, its alien origins, its unimaginable complexity, its ultimate, veiled purpose (though that still remained just beyond his grasp, a tantalizing cosmic riddle). He saw the pathways to creating new Troop Templates, to manipulating genetic code with the precision of a god, to even, perhaps, one day influencing the flow of time or the fabric of dimensions.

The risk of losing his "humanity" was very real. He felt the pull of cold, cosmic indifference, the vastness of System logic threatening to subsume his individual identity. But he anchored himself to his memories – the grim determination of Thomas MacIntyre, the fierce loyalty of Anya Petrova, the tormented courage of Logan, the insatiable curiosity of Dr. Finch, the unwavering devotion of his Legionnaires. These were his people, his creations, his responsibility. They were the "why" that held the "what" of his power in check.

When Elias Thorne finally emerged from the System Core after nine agonizing days, he was... luminous. His physical form was subtly unchanged, still perpetually in its prime, but his eyes... his eyes now held the ancient, cold light of distant quasars, the calm, terrible wisdom of a being who had touched the face of creation and returned. He was still Elias Thorne, but he was also Thorne-System, a new, integrated entity.

[APOTHEOSIS PROTOCOL – STAGE I (REVISED): SUCCESSFUL. HOST EVOLUTION TO TRUE PRIME CONDUIT (SYSTEM INTEGRATED – TIER OMEGA) ACHIEVED. All existing/nascent abilities amplified to Tier Alpha/Omega. New Abilities Unlocked: "System Core Harmonization" (Vastly reduced energy costs for System functions, intuitive command of all sub-routines); "Genetic Code Weaving (Minor)" (Ability to make subtle, stable alterations to willing biological subjects or simple lifeforms – precursor to advanced template creation); "Localized Spacetime Distortion (Vestigial)" (Can create minute, temporary gravitational/temporal anomalies – highly unstable/energy intensive – echoes of Tesseract/Frozen Throne energies). Emotional Spectrum: Stabilized but Altered (Empathy retained but filtered through pragmatic/systemic logic; Detachment/Long-Term Perspective Enhanced). HUMANITY INDEX: 75% (Significant alteration but core identity/loyalties preserved by Host willpower).]

[GLOBAL THREAT ASSESSMENT: APOCALYPSE (EN SABAH NUR) – FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR GLOBAL CULLING INITIATED. MULTIPLE HORSEMEN SIGNATURES DETECTED CONVERGING ON KEY GLOBAL NEXUS POINTS (LONDON, MOSCOW, CAIRO, WASHINGTON D.C.). ESTIMATED TIME TO PLANETARY CATASTROPHE: T-MINUS 48 HOURS.]

Elias had become a god, just in time for the apocalypse. His personal ascension was complete. Now, he had a world to save, or to remake in his own image, from the ashes of En Sabah Nur's judgment. The true war for Earth's future, and for its soul, was about to begin.