The components of the Spectral Claw were broken-in, but Nicolai had encountered a problem.

The full set of Symbiotes included the full Fingers set, which went into all the subsidiary Nodes in his digits—not an issue—then the Phantom Clawer, which went into his hand's Major Node, next the Spectral Mantis in his forearm Node, and finally the Long Stick Symbiote, in his shoulder Node.

Those three Symbiotes, plus the five that made the Fingers set, formed the Spectral Claw when used in concert. His impression was that this would require some practise. It was supposedly difficult to use multiple Symbiotes and Imbued at once, but when it came to "Combination Arts" like this, Cultivators, in a way, cheated. They had the Arts from all Symbiotes merge into one. This not only combined the powers, but also lowered the overall mental strain.

But Nicolai couldn't even begin to try and activate the Spectral Claw, because he lacked the proper Nodes. He only had the hand Major Node, with no forearm or shoulder Nodes. Until he'd formed those the Spectral Claw was out of his reach.

In the meantime, however, he was able to try out another combination Art, and attempt to put it into practise.

He had already distributed the five Finger Symbiotes into the digits of his right hand, and now he attempted to activate them all at once. It was difficult, harder than he'd anticipated. Using so many Symbiotes simultaneously was a mental strain. Not something he was incapable of, but a noticeable strain nonetheless.

Those first few tries, he activated and held the sensations of all these different Symbiotes at once, felt how each finger could individually direct them. Using them each at once was possible, though challenging.

But he knew this wasn't correct, and ended the Arts. Nicolai activated them again and again, starting them all simultaneously and trying out various different methods to forge them into one.

He wasn't sure what he was doing, had never thought to ask for a Memory Disc on this particular skill. He found himself missing Kleos. This was exactly the kind of question he'd have asked the head.

Nevertheless, he worked it out eventually. The best way to describe it was as a kind of rapid weaving process. He would activate the Arts, and in that moment of Activation he would focus on the sense of his hand, the Symbiotes he held, their Arts, and weave them all together into one.

With a flare of spiritual energy, a large, pale-glowing hand appeared before him. He reached out with his Soul Sense, which it was directed by, and plucked a pouch of Oma crystals from the table before him. He moved his hand as he did so, reaching and grasping as the floating hand mimicked him. He could tell that, like many Arts, this was something where though at first it was easiest to use similar movements, with practise he'd be able to do it without them, or with much smaller and subtler movements.

He pulled, and the hand came back to float before him. It released the pouch and he caught it in his other hand, absently pulled out a crystal and crumbled it, fresh energy drawn into him. The Art used a fair bit of Oma while active.

Notably, now that it was all forged into one combined Art, he felt significantly less mental strain. It was more like just using a single Symbiote—perhaps a little more difficult but not significantly so. He recalled that Jian had, in total, used the Spectral Claw, the Silver Net, those floating leafs, and then he'd also had two Imbued swords. A total of five Arts, if you counted the combinations as one.

Nicolai dismissed the floating hand, and moved a new Symbiote from where he'd stored it in his heart. Now he had the five Finger Symbiotes in his digits, and the Phantom Clawer in his hand Major Node.

The Phantom Clawer was an odd little bug, some kind of floating beetle with two big clawed arms.

He activated it by itself, to see what it would do. At the end of his Soul Sense there appeared three small spiritual claws. He slashed experimentally at the air with them, attacked a wall and carved scratches down it. So, this allowed his Soul Sense to perform physical clawing attacks, but no more.

He dismissed the claws then once more he worked to perform a combination activation. This time he managed more easily, as it wasn't much different than with just the finger Arts.

A similar hand formed in the air before him, but with one main change. Now its fingers and thumbs were larger, uglier, each one ending in a powerful claw. It was beginning to resemble the Spectral Claw in truth.

He experimented with it, reaching out and grasping things, while also able to attack and claw. He could tell it was specialised to perform physical damage and for seizing and holding. He could use this, via Soul Sense, to push and pull and generally move things as he wished, and also to attack. He also noted the scratches he left were deeper—there was a cumulative effect from combining these Arts, the final product stronger than the individual parts.

However, he could also tell that this Art was lacking the same oomph as the true Spectral Claw.

He tried out the Spectral Mantis next. It said it could go in any hand or arm Node, so he put it in his hand Node, swapping out the Clawer Symbiote. He found that it seemed to simply boost the spiritual damage of his Soul Sense. Not in any particularly visually noticeable way, but he sensed how his attacks with Soul Sense would be stronger. Not hugely stronger, not on the level of the Spectral Claw, but noticeable stronger.

He guessed that it was the cumulative power increase from combining multiple Arts that caused this Spectral Mantis Symbiote, when combined with the other Symbiotes of the Spectral Claw, to give that clawed hand such a strong spiritual damaging ability. With all combined Spectral Claw became able to attack and grab physically and spiritually. A perfect general use weapon for a Cultivator. It would be effective at taking down more purely physical threats, like Earthborn, but even more effective against Cultivators.

This was because of Soul Sense. He suspected that until a Cultivator's Soul Sense was broken, the Spectral Claw wouldn't even be able to attack physically. The enemy Cultivator would be able to just deflect the Soul Sense tendril the Claw was attached too. But as it was specialised for spiritual damage, it would rapidly break their Soul Sense and could then go straight into attacking them physically—no need for the user to switch to a different Symbiote.

To top it all off, since spiritual damage seemed especially effective at breaking shields, it would also be able to quickly get through whatever defence they had, Skin Shield or Burst Shield, to pulp the fleshy human beneath.

So, in short, it was effective at cutting away all of a Cultivator's defences and then equally effective at tearing the actual Cultivator apart once those defences were gone. Or, if you wanted, just restraining them and pulling them toward you, since it was a hand. Plus you could move other objects, dig at the ground, probably cut down trees, etc. Oh, and it was good for mobility, since he'd seen Jian was able to use it to move himself just as Nicolai did with the Grasping Finger.

There was also the Long Stick Insect, the final component of the Spectral Claw. He'd briefly experimented with that in concert with the Finger combined Art to create a hand, and had found that it allowed him to grow a second, slimmer tendril that emerged from the tip of his Soul Sense and attached to the hand, extending its range. He'd found that this Symbiote only worked in concert with other Symbiotes. If used by itself, it had no effect on his Soul Sense.

When used with the Spectral Claw, it would be like the Art was attached to his Soul Sense by a piece of spiritual string that could wind-in and stretch out, extending and retracting from the tip of his range to go that little bit further. That would be the final form.

Great damage. Great utility.

A near-perfect weapon.

Completing his arm Nodes was now his number 1 priority.

He saw himself… saw the Spectral Claw…

…

Hey. Don't you have stuff to do…?

Nicolai blinked, frowned. It was the Mask, poking him.

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What? He replied, puzzled. Of course. And I'm doing it.

Not really.

That was when he realised he'd just been sitting there for… he wasn't sure how long. The Mask had woken him from a series of vivid delusions. He'd seen himself rushing through the jungle, the Spectral Claw lashing out at everything near to him. Tearing through the arena. Slashing and ripping through everything and everyone. Glorious. He could hardly wait. No, he couldn't wait. What was he doing, sitting and imagining, when it was within his grasp?!

Nicolai shot to his feet, mind clicking and clacking. First things first, he would install the new bionic arm and other augments. He wanted his body to be set before he built the Nodes. Busy busy busy, he chanted madly, happily, suddenly bursting with endless glee and joy at all he'd accomplished. He was getting stronger, stronger, stronger, faster, better, smarter, stronger, better, better! And it felt so good like the best drug better than sex almost better than fighting the best thing ever and he was simply so full up with joy and his feet tapped along the floor as he sprung and danced madly across the room like a cat shooting around a dark house at 3am as all the energy and mad need to murder small things within it bursts like a sea crashing through a dam a pure blast of hyperkinetic energy launching it or him slashing and tearing and rending imaginary mice and birds and maybe even a small fox ah the dream oh all that it would hunt because it was—

Nicolai took a deep breath and settled his mind, pulling out of the random fantasy of being a tiny, murderous feline. 'Busy, busy, busy,' he hissed jubilantly into the complex taking shape around him.

Breathing slowly to calm his racing heart, he pulled a Cherubic Surgeon Permit from one of his pockets, activating it.

Golden light flared and a Cherubic Surgeon materialised before him. It was a spider-like creature, a bulbous silver-metal body with a flat faceplate depicting a grinning, infantile visage, and dozens of limbs. He found the sight far less worrying than the first time he'd seen one of these beings, and he merely gazed at it, his foot tapping eagerly.

It let out the standard squeaks and beeps as it took a look around the cave, rotating midair, the many surgical implements dangling from its spider-like limbs swaying. The odd creature seemed quite curious about the Assembler, scooting over to peer closer at the noisy machinery. It returned after a moment, and he gave his directions.

The Cherubic Surgeon activated, summoning panes of solid golden light that swam out and grasped Nicolai, holding him still. The boxed implants rose into the air to float towards its waiting manipulators as the Surgeon jabbed him, and Nicolai faded into darkness.

###

He awoke and knew from his BIS that only fourteen minutes and nineteen seconds had passed. The Cherubic Surgeon worked fast.

Opening his eyes he saw it retracting its implements from him and shifting backwards. His body had been lifted and suspended by rays of golden light and now he was gently placed back onto the ground, where he settled easily, already fully recovered. A quick 3rd-person look at himself via his Soul Sense showed that there was absolutely no sign of the surgery. As usual, the Surgeon had perfectly healed him following it.

He raised his arm to block the typical flash of light, stopping his eyes from being dazzled as the Surgeon flashed out of existence, briefly illuminating his base in a stark white light. When he lowered his arm, it was gone. Within him, a Modular shuffle was beginning. From the depths of his mind, fresh Modules were emerging.

All the previous times this had happened, Nicolai had been well pleased. All the Modules were useful and he enjoyed their company.

This time, he couldn't help a grimace. He knew the Modules that would be coming, since he'd bought implants specifically designed to fit them. He'd come to feel they would be the most helpful to him in his current situation… even if he found the pair, at times, exceedingly annoying. He felt them rising, rising, and then he heard their voices.

What, what, what!? What is going on here?! frothed Legal. Where is the Governor? Our body lacks proper licensing software! I am detecting numerous grey-area augments, even an entirely unlicensed, illegal hand-talon! This constitutes a hostile takeover of reason itself!! Where! Are! My! Law! BOOKS!?

Ah, I return. Greetings, fellow Modules, spoke Psychology, then its attention focused on him. And hello to you, Nicolai. Tell me, how are you feeling today? I hope you have been maintaining your journal while I have been away.

Nicolai's face darkened. Before anything else, let's get something straight. The Governor is gone. I am the Governor now.

Governor?! Gone?! This is terrible! We need to get the Governor back! cried Legal.

Does saying that make you feel powerful and in control, Nicolai? asked Psychology.

They were simply necessary words which had to be spoken, he replied grimly. The Governor is not coming back, he added to Legal. If you don't think you can operate without it… I will reassign your new hardware to another.

Actually, now I think on it there is precedence, legally, for this kind of thing, said Legal, as it underwent a rapid change of attitude. With no Governor then certainly another must take on the role. Yes, there are no problems here. I ratify you as the official temporary Governor!

Nicolai's eyes narrowed. Temporary?

As the official Governor!

He nodded. Good.

Meanwhile Psychology was still going on, questioning his capability to serve a governing role considering his "Chronic dissociative hallucinations, persistent homicidal ideation, and grandiose warrior delusions compounded by a significant difficulties relating to impulse control."

Nicolai knew he should ignore it, but it was just so annoying. Are you a therapist, Psychology?

The Module paused before replying. Strictly speaking, I am a Killbot Psychology Module designed to analyse the behaviour of humans, constructs, and everything-in-between. My functions extend from the analysis of individuals to groups and even societies, enabling me to predict future actions, devise methods of indirect attack, implement strategies to induce disengagement, facilitate de-escalation, and so on.

Methods of indirect attack? asked Nicolai. Like that time you convinced one of our Targets to commit suicide, via a series of spoofed video-calls where you pretended to be his daughter?

I fail to see how our past operations are relevant to this conversation. Or to your personal issues.

The relevance is this: Based on all those manuals you have installed, if you were a human, considering the things you have done… what kind of being might you be considered?

I would likely be classified as an amoral mass murderer, devoid of human emotion or instinct.

Wouldn't you agree that someone like that shouldn't be attempting to act as a therapist?

A warm chuckle sounded in his ears, and Nicolai gritted his teeth. Psychology was good at voices. This was its "friendly-warm-rapport-building-laugh."

I understand your point, Nicolai. Very good. But you're missing a crucial piece. I'm not human. I'm merely a machine, designed to perform a specific role. Would you blame a toaster for shocking someone who stuck a fork inside of it?

A toaster wouldn't try to therapise me.

"Therapise" is not a word, Nicolai. The term you're searching for is "psychoanalyse."

He groaned and pressed a hand to his skull, knuckles digging into his forehead. His teeth gritted. I doubt a therapist would try to annoy their client, even if you actually were one. But you have as much resemblance to an actual therapist as the aforementioned toaster.

I possess a comprehensive therapy pack. Rest assured, Nicolai, I am fully qualified to assist with your many psychological difficulties—and we both know you require assistance. For instance: when I corrected your use of "therapise," you became noticeably agitated. Some might say disproportionately so. I did that intentionally, Nicolai, to illustrate a point. You—

Nicolai tuned it out. He took a few deep breaths. Cool and calm. It had been quite some time since his last argument with Psychology, but he knew where they went: Nowhere, just turning endless circles. Part of the problem was that he wasn't entirely sure whether Psychology truly did wish to help him—or if it was simply plying the malicious designs that had been built into it on the one human (or at least, him) within its reach.

At the very least he could take assurance in the fact that, when the chips were down, it wouldn't let its fascination with him get in the way of doing its job. Like all the Modules, performing its role to the absolute best of its ability was at the top of its internal hierarchy. He knew, too, that it would be distracted soon. Psychology had often been left asleep within Zero-Twelve. It was only activated now and then… and when activated without a job to do, its preferred past-time was talking to him.

Fortunately, as the pair found the hardware waiting for them, both became busy with moving in and setting up their new homes. He'd noticed the Modules always acted in this manner when first emerging—their immediate priority was finding somewhere to stay, and once inside the hardware they would inevitably become focused on optimising and adapting it to best fit them.

Nicolai raised his newly installed left arm, looking it over. It didn't differ too much from the previous one, which was now on the table to his side, at least in appearance. But this new Level 3 Bionic Arm was significantly more capable. It was even stronger and faster, and was also armed with a hand-cannon, a laser, and a vibro-knife, all powered by an on-board battery. The hand-cannon fired .50 cal armour-piercing incendiary, though it only had capacity for one round. An emergency backup-weapon.

These additions made the arm significantly more useful against various threats. The laser, especially, promised to be very handy, though it was built for use over short ranges. His previous Level 2 arm had not possessed a battery powerful enough to power any additional weapons, only the arm itself. This one was a significant upgrade.

Psychology had, to his surprise, already finished settings itself up and was once more going on, but it was no longer bothering him, at least. Having already gotten used to making use of its own tiny piece of Soul, it had now located the Mask and was giving it the kind of treatment he was used to. Though, irritatingly, it seemed much less judgemental toward the Mask.

To clarify, your purpose is to be a kind of moral guide, alongside a framework for learning about and understanding humanity? Psychology was asking.

That's… something like that? replied the Mask. I think. I am helping him become a Better Man.

A laudable task. I believe any well-adjusted individual would aspire to be a better person. There is, after all, an innate drive toward goodness in all humans. Except Nicolai, of course.

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