(Minhkhoa POV)
*Sigh*
I look at the two bodies of my parents. That was not supposed to go this way. I have been training and meditating for roughly two years now to align my soul, mind, and body. I have achieved this and am now in the process of integrating all the energies within my body and soul into one, allowing me to use them more fluidly and smoothly.
Apart from that, I asked my parents for a small laboratory and many tools to work with. I have been studying a lot, and my changed demeanour and personality were a joy to them. They agreed with me, mostly because they were overjoyed seeing their son finally showing emotions.
I am 12 years old now, and while it may seem strange that a 12-year-old wants to do his own experiments, they still agreed. After the Midas crime family forced my father to sell his company to them, we were living comfortably, having made a substantial amount of money from the merger. However, when I asked my father to order certain things, it seemed that the Midas family had once again become attentive to us. I wasn't here when they arrived, but I am here now and have brought this to a close. That's why three of their goons are lying on the ground with their heads exploded and brain matter all over the wall.
I close my mother's eyes and gently dress her. No one shall see this, no one. I have experience with the modern world, thanks to all the knowledge that Nano had stored and transferred to my brain. It was what I had been trying to create again: the Nano Machine. I don't move from my spot and just look at my parents, not even feeling the time pass. I put myself in a catatonic state, and have things just pass by.
The police arrive and find me there. They pull me away from my parents, and an extensive investigation starts. I wake up after they pull me out of the room and place me in the car. I have transferred all of my family's money to a secure and secret account to ensure the Midas family doesn't steal it. They get me to an orphanage somewhere after asking me questions at the police station for hours. It makes no difference, even if they know the true culprit of what happened. The Midas family controls a significant portion of the world's wealth and is widely regarded as the wealthiest family on Earth. Richer than the Waynes or Luthors or anyone else.
The police can do nothing, but that's fine. I will take things into my own hands as soon as I'm ready.
.
"You need to eat, Minhkhoa. If you don't, you won't get any strength," the matron tells me.
I have been here in the orphanage for a week and already hate it. To think that after 12 lives, I still end up in an orphanage with someone telling me where to go and what to eat. Not on my watch. I have already ensured that someone comes and takes me away from here.
"I'm not hungry," I tell her.
She sighs and shakes her head. She has long realised that no matter what punishment she thinks of, it doesn't matter to me, I'll still do whatever I want in the end.
"Mara, someone is here to see you. He looks like an important man," one of the workers tells the matron.
"I'm coming."
Perfect timing. I have already packed all of my things and am waiting for the matron to return. And after half an hour, she does, followed by an old man.
"Minhkhoa, this is Mr. Grey. he has come to adopt you. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I still wish you all the best," she says.
"Thank you," I reply and follow Mr. Grey out of the orphanage.
We enter his car and drive off.
"Thank you for getting me out, Darren," I say.
"It is my pleasure, young master. After what happened to your parents, it is the least I could do," the old man says.
Darren is the oldest and most trustworthy former employee of my father. He should have been fired years ago, but my father had pity on the man who had a family to feed and allowed him to stay. After the Midas family took over, they naturally ousted him. When I found out about it, I called him, and here we are. We drive to the Golden Mile Complex, a hybrid residential and shopping mall complex—the place where I used to live, just a week ago. We walk to the apartment and I open the door using the key that the policeman gave me. The bodies were cleared, but other than that, nothing else was done.
"Are you certain you wish to live here, young master? I'm sure we could find you other arrangements. My house isn't as spacious, but-"
"It's alright, Darren. I will clean things here. It will help me get over it. Thank you for your hard work. I hope that you're family is doing well." I tell the man.
"Oh, thank you, young master, they are thanks to you and your father. Please, if there is anything I can do for you, I will come as fast as possible. My son can also help if that is required." Darren says, and I nod.
I told Darren that he only had to get me out and that I would make it worth his while, and pick up where my father had left off. I would support him with monthly payments for some months, to keep him and his family afloat, but I'll have to make it untraceable for anyone else. Because I had decided, while I was in the orphanage, that I would definitely become the Ghost Maker in time, but I would have to work in the shadows and keep my identity a secret. And if I know anything about the DC universe, it's that there are many geniuses in the world and some spectacular detectives who would find out my identity very quickly, if I weren't careful.
I might have lived many lives up to this point, but I am not beyond genius-level intelligence. I might not even be a genius; I only know a lot and have millennia of experience. Nevertheless, I must be cautious and prudent about how I begin my new life. The plans were already set out in front of me.
#1 Create the Nano Machine
I desperately needed the Nano Machine. Not because I was weak or wouldn't survive otherwise, but it was like having a computer of the highest degree inside your mind, which could act as a hospital and laboratory, helping me with any other problem, training, and so on. It would also make my training journey and future investigations much easier. Learning new things will be a breeze. Especially when I'm thinking about whether or not I should learn magic. Hecate has not done us a favour by gifting humanity magic. But more on that later.
#2 Fuse all my inherent energies
I have a lot of different energies inside my body, which aren't from the same universe or reality. Although the way they work wasn't the same, since they are now with me, it means that combining them into one is possible. Another reason I'm confident this will work is that I have a ridiculously powerful soul right now. And I mean ridiculously powerful. I was strong as Yhwach and only grew stronger as time passed and Quincies died, but what I have right now... will make the evil creatures drool if they find me. I have to get that under control quickly. On the upside, my Reiatsu has grown to such immense degrees that it would make Sosuke Aizen look like a side character.
And it is this incredibly powerful and pure soul energy that gives me the confidence to succeed in harmonising all the energies within my body. Nen, which is a technique to manipulate life energy + Haki, the manifestation of willpower + many different types of Qi + Shadow Chi + Cursed Energy
There is a lot to deal with, but it will be glorious once I succeed.
.
- 1 year later -
I look at the figure smoking in the shadows and standing beside the crates. The criminal aspect of Singapore was quite active in this world. One of the major reasons for this is the Midas family. However, I am more than happy to use them and have everyone look at them. I walk forward and look at the craters. The name Dayton Industries is written on it, indicating that this is what I came here for. But you can never be sure.
"Do you have the money?" the man asks as I approach.
"Indeed," I say and throw a case towards him.
He catches it and looks at me warily. I see his eyes and the way he looks to the side, where other men are waiting and looking at the transaction. These children... how amusing. The man nods his head and signals one of the others to hand me the crates. Or so I think, instead several men with machine guns appear and point them at me.
"If you have so much money to spend, there is bound to be more. The price just went up." the man says.
"I thought as much. That's why I packed more than we agreed on." I answer.
"Oh? Hehe."
He kneels on the ground and opens up the case. And as he opens the lid...
*BOOOM*
I disappear from my spot and appear behind the first man, pressing several of his pressure points, causing him to have an aneurysm and fall to the ground. Then I move to the next one and repeat the process. All the while, the men are trying to recover from the shock of the explosion. After dealing with all four goons, I stop and walk towards the crates, containing what I came here for.
Surprisingly, it was easier for me to create a bomb than bring money with me. But that's the way it goes, I suppose. It was clear that when I issued the request for Promethium, the Midas family and many other criminal organisations became interested and saw more money to be made. I haven't yet managed to combine all of my energies, but at 13 years old, I have grown far stronger and will only continue to do so as time passes. So, dealing with these low-level criminals is as easy as pie.
I carry the crates and load them into a truck I prepared beforehand, and leave.
Now, why would I want Promethium? And what is it?
Promethium is an artificial alloy created and patented by Steve Dayton of Dayton Industries. Inspired by the myth of the ancient Greek Titan Prometheus, Mr. Dayton initiated Project: Promethium, aiming to develop indestructible vehicles to prevent road accidents. With grander ambitions of using the limitless energies produced by his invention to affect total biological regeneration down the line, stating that in later production it was possible to use Volatile Promethium's infinite energy capacity to effect physical regrowth of damaged or destroyed organic tissue. It's creator also feared that such application's of his work could be used more nefariously as the most diabolical weapon ever conceived, given it's ability to generate limitless energy coupled with the inherent absorption quality; able to amplify stored energy alongside it's own to an infinite degree, which can be used to create an arsenal powerful enough to demolish planets and destroy the universe if it fell into the wrong hands.
The metal used to create the Nano Machine was called Gatelinium, and it was the strongest and most untraceable metal material in the future. It was found in Time-Space rifts and was extremely rare, if not impossible, to locate. I have discovered that in the DC Universe, it also exists, but under a different name: Inertron.
However, I have greater ambitions. I will utilise the untraceable properties of Inertron and combine them with Promethium. The volatile part will allow me to absorb, channel, amplify, and create an unlimited amount of energy. And if I combine this with depleted Promethium, I will also make the Nano Machines very powerful, if not indestructible. And in theory, I have already found a way to do that. It will just take an enormous amount of energy, which, thankfully, I already have. And using Volatile Promethium, that will never be a problem again.