Joseph seized control of the energy coursing through his body, forcing it to obey his will.
His flight wasn't simple levitation—it was a precise manipulation of gravity itself. Not just his own, but everything he carried. A localized anti-gravity field wrapped around him, allowing him to move freely through the air.
Why stop there?
He pushed his power further, extending the field into an invisible bubble that expanded outward, fueled by the raw energy within him. The force surged past its previous limits, pressing against Wotan's cage—then shattering it.
Joseph didn't stop. Two invisible branches of anti-gravity shot from his bubble, seizing both Wotan and the gray-armored man.
He hovered above them, his presence undeniable. "I am not Flux," he declared. "I am Nova."
Then he brought their skulls together with brutal force. The dehydrated looking man's helmet cracked and they both slumped into unconsciousness.
And then—Joseph fainted. His anti-gravity field collapsed—
And all three bodies began falling.
A rush of wind. A plummeting sky.
Then, strong arms caught him.
**
Joseph opened his eyes to the vast white expanse of his mind.
He was back. The Dream State.
"Nova? You there?" he called into the void. His voice echoed.
A humanoid figure formed from shifting voxels appeared before him—the same avatar Nova had once used to fight him.
Joseph approached cautiously. "Is that you?"
No response.
Frowning, he reached out and touched it. Instantly, a translucent menu materialized before him.
/* Nova Control Center
(A menu displaying body's status before AI's termination with adjustable options in some categories.)
Memory Archive (Before AI's Termination)
Data Archive (Before AI Termination)
Body Abilities
Nova Avatar
Mental Configuration
[ Exit ]
Joseph's heart sank. This wasn't Nova. It was a remnant. A shell of what had once been his AI.
Pushing past the emotion, he expanded the Body Abilities menu.
//* Body Abilities
(Note: Some abilities are inaccessible due to the absence of an AI to guide the process.)
Absorb Energy and Convert to Unnamed Force
Unnamed Force Manipulation
Anti-Gravity Field Manipulation
Accelerated Healing
Enhanced Senses
Increased Physical Strength
(Speed State: Inaccessible)
(Spider State: Inaccessible)
He exhaled slowly. Speed State and Spider State were gone. Nova's absence had severed his connection to those enhancements.
But something else caught his eye—Unnamed Force Manipulation.
Joseph smirked. That he could work with.
"Designate the Unnamed Force as Nova Force."
The menu updated accordingly.
//* Nova Avatar
(Cannot improve further, but user's strength can be decreased to match the avatar.)
Change Combat Difficulty
[ Start Combat ]
Joseph hesitated. It had been a while since he fought the avatar. He needed to keep sharp. He'd make sure to train in the Dream State every night.
He moved on.
//* Mental Configuration
Dream State Configuration
Emotion Range
Joseph expanded Dream State Configuration.
///* Dream State Configuration
Adjust Automatic Activation (Current: Once per unconscious state.)
Allow Dream State Access While Conscious (Current: OFF)
"Set Dream State Access While Conscious to ON."
The setting updated. That could be useful.
Joseph swallowed hard. This was it.
Nova was really gone.
It had never failed him. It had saved him several times.
He would never forget that.
A lump formed in his throat. But there was no time for mourning. He still had his life to live.
"Wake me."
Nothing happened.
Joseph sighed. That probably meant his body was in bad shape.
Might as well train a bit.
Joseph willed the Nova Avatar to fight, setting the level to the max.
The avatar moved instantly.
His body felt… dulled. Slower.
Joseph barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his face, sending him skidding backward across the white void. He steadied himself, shaking his head as pain lanced through his skull.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's do this."
That meant no superhuman enhancements. Just raw skill.
The Avatar struck first, a precise jab aimed for Joseph's ribs. He twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the blow. The Avatar followed up instantly, shifting into a spinning back kick. Joseph barely raised his arms in time, the impact sending him skidding backward.
'Damn. That hurt.'
Gritting his teeth, he planted his feet and lunged forward, throwing a quick one-two combination. The Avatar ducked under the first punch and parried the second, flowing seamlessly into a counter-strike to Joseph's gut.
The breath left his lungs in a gasp. The moment he staggered, the Avatar closed in—elbows, knees, and open-palm strikes coming at him in a relentless flurry. It was like fighting a machine, every move precise, every gap covered.
Joseph grunted, raising his forearm to block a hook before twisting his body to slip under the next strike. 'I have to disrupt its rhythm.'
Instead of retreating, he stepped into the attack, trapping the Avatar's arm against his chest. Before the construct could counter, Joseph drove his knee up into its ribs. The impact reverberated through him, but the Avatar barely reacted. It twisted its trapped arm, breaking free before sweeping Joseph's legs out from under him.
Joseph hit the ground hard. He barely had time to roll before the Avatar's fist came down where his head had been.
Panting, Joseph pushed himself to his feet. He was a good fighter—but the Avatar was practically perfect. There were no wasted movements, no exploitable flaws.
He'd need to keep coming back, he realized. Keep improving.
The Avatar charged again. Joseph braced himself.
"Put me to regular sleep," he muttered.
The Dream State faded. Darkness swallowed him.