I Spread my Genes to Level Up in the Apocalypse

"I…"

Ray's consciousness flickered, his vision blurred and disoriented. Slowly, he rose to his feet, the sound of his bones cracking in the silence.

"Hmm?" He looked down at his hand, now nothing more than bare bone.

"I guess… I lost."

Bitterness crept up in his head. If he hadn't fought so recklessly, he might have taken down the planetary being of the Sun with him. But the Sun had managed to escape at the last moment.

"Coward."

Ray scoffed, taking a step forward in his skeletal form. Not a shred of flesh, not a single organ or muscle remained—it was a wonder he was still able to move, let alone live.

His physique and vitality had rendered him incredibly resilient, making death nearly impossible. Unless every cell of his body was obliterated, he simply couldn't die.

"But how am I supposed to regenerate myself?" Ray wondered, glancing down at his skeletal form, now reduced entirely to bones. The thought struck him with a puzzled heart—oh, wait, he didn't have a heart. He sighed inwardly, realising he also didn't have a brain.

"I don't even have a brain," Ray muttered, scratching his bony chin as he walked forward.

The only features still intact were his two crimson and golden pupils, glowing in his skull like twin embers. They exuded a strange power, a sense of dominance and a mysterious energy that was steadily brewing within him.

In truth, he had tapped into the power of his pupils during the battle, using them to attack the Sun's planetary being. Yet, to his surprise, the Sun had been completely unaffected by the attack, showing no sign of damage or even hesitation, which left Ray deeply confused.

Ray had doubled down in his efforts, wielding both his pupil powers and his skill: Soul manipulation simultaneously, but it was futile; the Sun remained unaffected, and he hadn't had another chance to use it again.

Now, his skeletal form moved forward, leaving the fourth dimension and reentering the third dimension. Turning back, he cast a glance at the Sun, its shadowy figure once again resting at the core, seemingly asleep.

With a shake of his bony head, Ray returned to Mercury. Even in his skeletal state, he easily obliterated the planetary being of Mercury, assimilating the entire planet into his own dimension.

"This is the payment for all my injuries, Sun," he murmured with bone crackling.

Ray drifted away in his skeletal form. Even without his muscles and organs, he retained a solid 80% of his original strength—enough to accomplish what he needed.

As he approached Earth, he noticed immediately that the planet's orbit around the Sun had shifted. With Mercury now assimilated into his dimension, the gravitational balance was altered; the Sun's pull had changed.

Descending toward Earth, Ray's skeletal figure entered the atmosphere. Before he could touch the ground, a fleet of airships appeared in the sky, surrounding him.

"Halt! Halt! Halt!"

"Unknown entity detected, requesting permission to engage!"

The loud announcements blared from the airships, and Ray's skeletal frame twitched at the interruption.

"These idiots forgot about me," Ray muttered, glancing down at himself. In this skeletal form, even he might not recognize himself at first glance.

Ray extended his hand, and instantly, all the warships froze in mid-air. They were locked in place, unable to move.

"I…" He opened his jaw to speak but quickly realised he had no tongue.

For a moment, he stood there, frozen.

"How am I supposed to speak?" Ray frowned, considering his options. Then, an idea came to him.

Voices were created by the vibration of the tongue against parts of the mouth. He might lack a tongue, but he could manipulate his bones to mimic the necessary vibrations and produce a human voice.

It was an intricate process, requiring precise control over his skeletal structure—something that Ray might be alone who could accomplish among the entire solar system.

Concentrating, Ray began subtly vibrating his bones, forming a rough voice:

"Hello," Ray managed to voice, his skeletal vibrations barely forming the word.

The crew aboard the warships, who had been on the verge of panic, froze, faces locked in confusion and shock.

"That voice… it sounds familiar," one of them said, brows furrowing.

"Could it actually be…?" Another's eyes widened in realisation, but as they looked at the holographic image of the giant skeleton, they hesitated to finish the thought.

"Did you all really forget… your Emperor?" Ray's raspy voice echoed, each word forced through a vibrating bone.

"Is it really the Gene Emperor?" someone murmured, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief.

The entire ship erupted in a wave of excitement and stunned whispers.

"If it's truly him, then…"

"But… What happened to him?"

A hint of reverence glimmered in their eyes as excitement buzzed through the air. It had been over half a year since the Gene Emperor had ventured into space with his entire army to wage war.

"If he really is the Gene Emperor, then what happened to the entire army?" someone murmured. The question cast a loom over the crew, faces paling and bodies tense with fear.

"Even if the Gene Emperor is mighty, who knows what danger there is in space," another whispered, his voice trembling.

"Silence!" barked the commanding officer, his brows drawn into a stern frown.

"This isn't for us to speculate on. Contact General Greg immediately and inform him of the situation," he ordered. The commanding officer's words restored a sense of order, and the restless soldiers regained their composure.

Human imagination is truly boundless, especially in moments of joy or tragedy. People often reshape fragments of reality into fictions, weaving tales that diverge dramatically from the truth—evident in countless works of literature and media.

"They're taking too long," Ray muttered, shaking his head. In truth, he had the power to control every piece of technology created under his rule. With a single thought, he could halt or destroy any device, even bring about the world's complete destruction if he so chose.

Though he trusted his people, Ray would never allow himself to be fully reliant on anyone. As the old saying went: kindness is a sin for a ruler. People's hearts, after all, were unpredictable and ever-shifting, fickle.

Kindness, while noble, can lead to a ruler's downfall—a lesson etched repeatedly in history. Many dynasties have crumbled under the reign of compassionate rulers. From a moral view, kindness is admirable, but logically, a ruler must often be ruthless. This harshness not only protects the people under them but also secures their own position and legacy.

"Hmm," Ray mused. With a wave of his skeletal hand, space around him warped, and suddenly, colossal warships and his undead legions appeared from his personal dimension, where he had hidden them during his battle with the Sun.

"Ray!" a voice echoed, filled with raw emotion, as a line of women ran through the air toward him. Vanessa was the first to reach him, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around him tightly, tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"Ray, what happened to you?" Vanessa asked, her voice trembling as she sobbed softly.

"Would you mind letting go, and then I'll explain?" Ray chuckled, his heart warming at her embrace. After all, what was the point of all this power, if not to have someone who truly cared?

Someone who could welcome you home, even when you returned as nothing but bones. He didn't see even a hint of hesitation in his woman's faces.

"It was all worth it," Ray thought, feeling a deep contentment. After all, what good was reaching the top if you had no one to share it with?

"Alright, everyone," he said, gently stepping back, "I'll share the full story with you all soon. Even in this skeletal form, I'm perfectly fine, so there's no need to worry. For now, let's get some rest."

"Alright, Ray," Freya replied obediently, tears streaming down her cheeks. The other women followed suit, their expressions a mix of relief and concern.

They descended with the air-patrolling ships, all under Ray's control.

On the deck, a soldier muttered to himself in awe:

"It's really the Gene Emperor!"

"Gene Emperor! Gene Emperor!" The words spread like wildfire across the deck, the soldiers shouting in unison, their voices filled with excitement. Even the commander, though composed, couldn't hide the admiration in his eyes.

For a ruler to be truly competent, they must possess charisma—a certain "rizz"—something that compels the masses to follow them without question. This was a crucial quality, and Ray had it in him. Not only did he have the strength and intellect that surpassed all others, but his countless achievements only amplified his Rizz.

There were no dissenting voices. Ray was like the sun—immense and unwavering, a force that could never be dimmed.

Soon, they met up with Greg, who looked exactly the same as before—almost as if he were ageless. This, too, was a result of Ray's technology, which had extended human lifespans by two to three hundred years.

"Big bro Ray, it's really you!" Greg exclaimed, excitement shining in his eyes.

Ray tilted his head with amusement, his gaze thoughtful. "You look different from before… Hmm… you have that familiar glow in your face… Did you become a father?"

Greg's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know, big bro?" he asked, clearly stunned.