Over forty years old. Twelve years alone. One genius intellect trapped in a body that barely functions.
At 41, Zhi-Xin Wu, or Xin as most call him, represents the universe's cruelest joke: astronomical intelligence imprisoned in a body that struggles to open jars. An programmer that saw his career plummet after a mistake on Mars, he survives on $847 in savings while his Intellect of 8 could revolutionize industries. His body betrays him at every turn.
Xin's Void psionic affinity awakened at 29, during an intimate night with Meiya Ji, his piano teacher and spiritual mentor. Meiya is an elder psion of timeless beauty and deep wisdom, secretly practicing spells with some of her students. Their first-time sex took Xin's virginity, granting him psionic power and reality manipulation abilities that bypass conventional combat. To this day, Xin still dreams about that night occasionally, recalling all the physical sensations, mild awkwardness, and profound bliss that Meiya had given him.
The next day, Xin proposed to marry his teacher, but Meiya could not handle it. She left him and was never found again. A year after, Xin has stopped practicing the piano and taken up a job in the tech sector on Earth. Twelve years of loneliness since, without Meiya in his life, have forged Xin's Libido stat into maximum, which means a cosmic battery of inexplicable luck and Aether regeneration trapped in a frame that trips over its own feet.
Fast forward to three years ago in Taiwan, during a corporate raid on a Radi-Mon hive, Xin found an egg. Strangely, he can't remember why he took it or how he escaped. What hatched became H?kon, a baby Diabolisk whose existence defies biology and whose bond with Xin transcends species. Father and son. Mind and heart. Two beings who shouldn't exist together, yet do.
Stats (Year 2295, Chapter 5)
Power: 1 - Minimum. Can barely open jars. Extended physical activity requires rest
Resilience: 1 - Exhausts easily. Overthinking drains him faster than combat
Intellect: 8 - Genius programmer and inventor. Sees patterns others miss
Magnetism: 2 - Awkward. Can't read social cues. Recently gained +1 from H?kon's presence
Agility: 1 - Trips over his own feet. Reflexes betrayed by weak muscles
Libido: 10 - Maximum. Twelve years of loneliness and dealing with the burning desires that his former teacher Meiya's awakened in him. Incredible luck. Aether regeneration potential off the charts
Every piece of Xin's equipment is a sign of scarcity, ingenuity, and the determination to protect H?kon. He builds what he cannot afford to buy, programs what others wouldn't dare attempt, and somehow it all works enough to keep him alive.
Type: Modified 10mm Magnum
Customization: Neural-Link Targeting System
Weight: 0.5kg (somehow even lighter than standard polymer construction)
Xin assembled Jade during his early months as a Rigger using surplus components and employee discounts. The base frame cost two months' salary. The neural-link targeting system interfaces directly with his black-rimmed glasses, converting visual input into mechanical precision through a mini computer beneath the barrel. That computer generates considerable heat, and its targeting assistance feature must be activated with a Void incantation.
Desperation Made Manifest: Xin bought and built Jade because H?kon needed protection and his Power:1 meant his fists were useless. The 87% accuracy improvement transforms his weak body into a viable combatant. Heat-sink ridges disguised as decorative elements keep the weapon from overheating. It's not much to look at, but is functional, and perfectly reflects its creator.
Combat Mechanics:
? Neural-link targeting: +87% accuracy improvement
? AI-assisted target acquisition through glasses interface and psionic spell activation
? Converts visual cues into shooting solutions
? Generates significant heat during sustained fire
? Works best with technopathy spell (next 3 shots could guarantee hits, or bypass shields/armor, when Xin figures it out)
Type: Quantum Computing Device
Operating Temperature: Near absolute zero
Special Issue: ZenFusion Data Solutions Engineer's Model, with a 7-year Warranty
Operating at temperatures approaching absolute zero, same as any other models, but the Nucleus Watch is not just a combat computer or memory archive. For someone with Xin's Intellect, it becomes a portable hacking terminal and an extension of his consciousness.
The Programmer's Best Friend: Xin's watch glows green during hacking attempts, its quantum processors working with his System Breach passive ability. Meaning that with enough Social Worth Level gained (and skill points assigned), there's a 90% success rate on standard systems and 70% on advanced military-grade security. Xin can open doors, disable weapons, and exploit vulnerabilities that others don't see.
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Core Functions:
? Real-time HP/AP monitoring (Xin: 100 HP, 100 AP; H?kon: 60 HP, 36 AP) (This stat as of Chapter 5. By the time you see this gallery, Xin could likely have already gained some stats)
? System Breach interface for hacking doors, security, enemy equipment
? Weakness Exploitation Protocol (scans enemies, reveals critical weak points)
? Quantum Immersion: Relive any memory while wearing device
? QEC communication across the Sol System (no lag between most planets, odd interferrences on Venus, and surprisingly functional in Proxima Centauri)
? Omniscient Lens integration with Xin's glasses (see through walls, zoom vision) (available once Xin finds ways to learn these skills and develop the appropriate mods)
Species: Diabolisk (Radi-Mon)
Age: 3 years old
Size: 15cm length, 0.5kg weight
Affinity: Lunar
H?kon shouldn't exist. Adult Diabolisks are nightmarish apex predators, unrelenting Radi-Mons wielding Eclipse and Lunar psionics, consuming their kills to regenerate. But H?kon is small, gentle, and his growth is mysteriously stunted. He calls Xin "Pappa" and speaks in single-word exclamations and pantomime. His scales shift color with emotion: sapphire at ease, azure when curious, brown when anxious, pitch black when sad, sunlit gold when feeling treasured.
Family Beyond Biology: Three years ago, Xin found an egg in Taiwan during a corporate raid. He can't remember why he took it or how he escaped. What matters is what happened next: Xin raised H?kon with "love and kindness teachings," tempering the Diabolisk's natural wrath into gentleness. Now they're bonded through cultivation. Not master and pet. Father and son.
H?kon's Abilities:
? Lunar psionic attunement (ice and gravity manipulation)
? Mood-indicator scales (sapphire = calm, azure = curious, brown = worried, black = sad, gold = treasured. More colors to be discovered as story unfolds)
? Little Moon Barrier (Sk?ld) - protective shield cast for Xin
? Mysterious connection to Jokull Horde (origin unknown, even to Xin)
? Enhanced senses aid Xin's navigation and threat detection
Pawan (Portable Adaptive Warfare Automation Node)
Not yet operational in current chapters
A small spherical drone measuring 15cm, combining reflective green and polished black alloys. Xin is building Pawan from spare parts during his time on Mars. It's a multipurpose support drone with medical capabilities, environmental detection, and eventually combat protocols. Its spider-like appendages fold beneath its body when not in use, and a central glass dome emits soft green pulses as it processes data.
Catalyst-U (Uranus Mineral Supplement)
Will soon be prescribed for H?kon
Containing unique nutrients only found in Uranus minerals, Catalyst-U is a specialized supplement capsule designed for psionic individuals and Radi-Mons. When mixed with water, it creates a shimmering emerald liquid that H?kon finds "yummy sweet." The supplement boosts Aether capacity for 17 hours while calming mood and accelerating mental development.
A warning label reads: DO NOT CONSUME WITH INDRA-SPRITE. That combination triggers a chain reaction in psionic DNA, amplifying spell casting to devastating levels, but at significant cost. Many Alliance Psi Lynxes use this method despite medical warnings. Tinnitus and exhaustion are common aftereffects. For now, Xin follows doctor's orders, but the potential burns in the back of his mind.
Xin doesn't fight like warriors. He fights like an engineer: identifying weaknesses, exploiting systems, turning enemy advantages into fatal flaws. His Weakness Exploitation Protocol scans opponents automatically, revealing critical vulnerabilities that glow on his glasses' AR overlay. Hit the weak point for +75% damage and 50% armor penetration. His allies see them too when he pings targets via his watch.
His Void psionics manifest through technopathy and reality manipulation: Pierce Beyond transforms Jade's next three shots into guaranteed hits that bypass shields, while causing nearby enemy equipment to malfunction. Nullification erases magical effects from local spacetime, dispelling buffs and debuffs alike.
The Cosmic Joke: Xin's Libido:10 isn't just awkward. It's also maximum luck. Incredible Aether regeneration potential. Reality bends slightly in his favor when it counts. The universe's cruelest irony becomes his greatest asset: an astronomical sex drive trapped in a body least equipped to satisfy it generates quantum-level probability shifts. He wins lottery tickets but can't charm anyone to celebrate.
But his connection with someone else in the story goes beyond attraction. Body and mind. Strength and intelligence. Two incomplete beings discovering they might sum to something whole.
Financial Reality: $847 Atomic Dollars in savings. Every purchase is calculated. Every expense is weighed against H?kon's needs. H?kon is prioritized.
Employment: Previously a contracted programmer on the ZenFu Dynamic platform. Currently between jobs.
Recent Developments: Met Sigrun Fjeld at Bounty Board #7. From there, everything will be changing. Fast.
"Twelve years of loneliness. A mind too smart for the frail body housing it. A Radi-Mon son who is everything to me. Maybe someone can see past the pathetic stats to notice something in here. Something they need, want, or don't mind spending time with."
Follow Xin's journey in Nucleus: Dreams & Desires
New chapters release weekly here on Royal Road
Want to explore more of this universe?
Visit the official Nucleus lore website for detailed character codex entries, faction breakdowns and world-building deep dives of all kinds.
nucleusseries.com
