Published at 28th of August 2026 9:16 am

Chapter Reader's QnA #2 + Artwork (Special Agent Waters)

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Q: I want to ask about the thing that grants powers, is it granting what people want the most, need the most or is it a intrinsic part of the person being granted something like conceptual dominion. with the guy who made helmets that Nobody murdered he was granted an ability that I couldn't see anyone explicitly mentally wanting, not necessarily needed for his current predicament, which means he must have some innate part that was granted a concept to wield. This always bugs me about Superhero stories that use the wish granted system as few of them explain what the powers granted are based on.

In summary I'm asking not why the powers are granted but on what basis/mechanism do they use to fulfil the wish. - Silverstone161

A: As others have replied, Worm has the best explanation/system for what Triggers cause what powers and why. When I was first starting up this story, I thought about adopting the Worm system one-to-one, but decided against that very quickly. I also came up with a few ideas on my own version of it, explaining the mechanics of the what/why/how of powers, but I finally decided not to implement them. I grew up reading comics, watching superhero shows and cartoons, and what I loved more than anything was how varied and unique powers can be. So, there isnt anything that grants powers. The Big Bang Mist, caused by the bioweapons and nukes mixing from the Russia/Ukraine War, was absorbed by the worlds population and awakened a latent gene that humans possess, similar to the X gene that Marvel has. (In universe theres only two people who can identify it, and neither is capable of teaching/showing others how to.) A persons desires have nothing to do with their ability to awaken or what ability they get. Example: Isaiah or Miles original powers. Neither of them wanted that power or anything like that. Its caused by stress, fight or flight.

Likely Lucy Section:

Q: What is Kai a doctor in? I know hes a surgeon, but what is his specialization?

A: He chose General Surgery because he could not pick a single field and refused to narrow down his opportunity, but hes very interested in Neurosurgery.

Q: What did Isaiah do before getting powers?

A: Isaiah was involved in a mercenary group due to losing his parents early. A job went badly, which is where he triggered. The only survivors were Isaiah and the leader of the group. That leader is now an arms dealer, and that's where Isaiah gets all his stuff from.

Q: Could sixs immortality theoretically allow him to get more powers? Would they start interfering with each other, and would he go insane?

A: Yes. Technically, Six has no limit; his regeneration + immortality allow him to survive the physical brain death that normally prevents people from accepting more powers. But you are right that the more powers he is stuffed full of, the higher the chance that it causes him to snap and fully become just a mindless monster. And to answer the interference question, it would work a bit like healing powers/healing magic sometimes works in stories where it causes cancerous growths and tumors to propagate as the powers combine and fight. Essentially, Six would become less apex predator and more living flesh tumor.

Q: Why has Nobody not given V a second power yet?

A: This is an incredibly funny time to ask this. Mondays chapter will involve both the consequences of the shit she pulled with Violet and her requesting a new power. The real question is which power should she get?

Q: How does Technologicas power classification system work? What is the power difference between threat level 3 and 10

A: The BNA and Accord power level classifications only go from 1 to five. Technologicas classifications are based on threat, not power. Because of that, it offers a more nuanced 0-9. 0, for example, would have been the threat level of the Drone Tinkerer that Nobody killed. He posed no threat, decades spent creating nothing but toys. I will give you an example of all ten threat levels from characters weve met to better help you understand it.

0: George (Drone Toy Tinkerer)

1: Sequence/Emma (Current)

2: Rorschach/Isaiah/Tuesday/Wayward Wanderer

3: Kai/Arbiter/Sigilist

4: The Still One/Zephyr

5: Noxus/Phoenix/Havok

6: Ouroboros/Miles/Ares/Mr. Black

7: Titania/Mother/Nobody/The Forge

8: Vivienne/Six/Apollo/Virtue/Elaine/White Rabbit

9: Onslaught/Technologica/Solomon/The Umbral King/Mr. Magnificent/Adversary(depends on who he is fighting)/Emma (Original power)

Q: What would a person with the powers of Vivienne, Havoc, and Ouroboros look like? How would the world react if they started destroying cities?

A: Okay. So Ouroboros isnt a Shifter, and given how combinations work. It would be safe to assume that the combination powers would also be constantly active. So you have a skyscraper with Viviennes heat and an extremely tough exterior. So Magma Wyrm. Then we have to factor in Havok having two different shifter forms. So now we have a skyscraper volcano drake. But both Vivienne and Havoks dragon form involve growing much larger. So it can shift into a MUCH larger form that has Viviennes constant heat rising, superstrength, Havoks wings and flight ability, plus the acidic blood. The acidic blood would grow stronger over time as a combo with Viviennes heat. Maths not my strong suit, but based on the increase in size from human to dragon form + Vivienne, it should be able to grab the Statue of Liberty in one hand.

We are no longer dealing with a single countrys problem; we have a global extinction event. It can breathe fire and fire off heat hyper beams that could blow a hole through the moon. This is the end of humanity as we know it. Theres a possible combination of Capes and Cowls that might be able to defeat Nidhogg that would need Atonement. Mother and Someone who has Apex, Adversary, and Onslaughts powers together. Even then, it doesnt look winnable.

Q: What percentage of people with powers turn to crime, how many become heroes, how many just go about life like normal?

A: 35% become Cowls (HIGH MORTALITY)

25% become Capes.

40% continue about their days.

Q: How many deaths has Eryk caused so far?

A: Its a range depending on if youre saying how many people Eryk has personally killed, ordered killed, or allowed to be killed. Then it becomes tricky because of the Interludes being on a different timeframe than where we currently are. But thats a bit of a cop out answer, so Ill say it is between 100-1000. I believe the last time I went through and counted, he had directly killed 53.

Q: How long do you spend writing chapters on average?

A: There are two kinds of chapters. Ones I want to write and ones I have to write. If I want to write a chapter, I can bang it out in an hour to two hours. If I have to write it, it will take me days because I will procrastinate and do everything possible to avoid having to do it. A friend used to tell me that he could tell when I didnt want to write a chapter, but Ive worked hard to make it less noticeable. (I think)

Q: Do you plan to publish this book eventually?

A: That would be really cool to do, but I have no idea how to go about doing that, and I doubt it would be very successful at all. It is a dream of mine. The problem is that the story is not very marketable. As of 8/27/2026 the story is 3k off 400,000 views, but only has 545 followers. Any potential publishers would say that it is a lost cause/a waste of time.

Q: Will the interlude bring back the characters like mister black and the rest? I enjoyed those mix of characters. - Sean Bloodgod

A: Yes. The Family has a very important role to play, and I love all the Interlude stories. I have 1 more chapter left for Sixs current interlude, and then I have 2-3 Odd Jbs interludes, and then were back to doing the polls for you guys to vote on which Interludes get made again. The Family and Mother are extremely important and relevant to the overall story, but that doesnt mean that you need to read those Interludes. I meant it when I said the Interludes would only ever give supplemental information. Ive actually partnered with a new artist to work on strictly members of Mothers Family, and Mister Black is already done.

Q: About the questions, I was wondering if there are Legacy capes with 2 Tinker specializations like Kai has thanks to Nobody.

On that topic, are there legacy capes with powers besides a Tinker specialization?

So far, all modern powers seem to have addons or expansions of the original effects that could count as synergic powers in themselves, but Tinkers are the only powers we haven't seen(as far as I remember) to give powers to the users beyond the Tinker-tech creation itself and instinctive handling of tech made with their own specializations. - Matias_05

A: First, GREAT question. Kai doesnt have two Tinkerer specializations, but I get what you mean, so Ill give you a possible example. Say, mom is a Tinkerer and her specialization is neural networks, and dad is a Ruler who can compel birds into obeying rudimentary commands. Lets also say the kid ends up with his moms specialization and his dads powers.

Possible New Specializations:

1. They could end up being able to improve birds brains, creating hyper-intelligent species of avians. Think of crows' ability to learn combined with parrots speech mimicry combined in the body of a vulture. Maybe they create microchips that are implanted in the birds brains, unlocking their full potential.

2. They could end up building autonomous robotic birds that they can command.

3. Perhaps they arent able to build things at ALL, but when they link to a bird with the Ruler part of the power, it naturally improves the birds ability to learn.

A: I think youre asking whether a legacy cape who inherits powers from both parents can get new abilities? Yes. One of your parents could be a traditional speedster-type Traveler, and the other could be a Bruiser with enhanced strength. The child could get neither ability, instead getting a branching ability like maybe they have enhanced reactions/dexterity and increased durability. Or they get both parents abilities and something new. Or they only inherit one parents abilities. Violet is an example of the best-case scenario. She is faster both on the ground and in the sky than her parents. Her heat vision is uniquely blue and burns hotter. Shes stronger and more durable than both of her parents as well.

A: A not realized aspect of Tinkerer abilities is that not only can you create fantastical things, but that you can make it out of more mundane materials. Tinkerers can find that they are better problem solvers and that math and science can come easier to them than before. Or for Aubrey, because her specialization is helmets, shes less likely to get headaches and concussions, and would likely never have recovered her memories if not for her specialty. Shes not even cognizant of the fact that shes able to understand human brains, processing speeds, and neural response times. Alchemist from The Merchants is a Tinkerer whose specialty is chemical compounds. Because of that, they have heavily changed themselves to the point where they would be considered a Bruiser/Mentalist/Traveler if not the most powerful versions.

Q: Is Daniel getting a gf or anything like that in the cards? Or will he stay a recovering widower? - Bane of the Tree Sentinel

A: It could be if people are interested in that sort of thing. The storys major plot points are set in stone, but how we get there can change. If people want more Daniel and want to see the man find love again, that could happen. His relationship with Eryk saved him, and eventually I could see him making room in his heart for another. Just off the top of my head, Ive explained that Daniel cannot cook at all and said that he donates the majority of the harvest from his garden to food pantries. I could probably make an Interlude/regular chapter that is about him slowly becoming friendly with a widow who volunteers there; they get coffee to talk about their dead spouses, a hand touches a hand, and the brief contact sends jolts through their bodies. A blush appears on both their faces as warmth spreads, the first spark of a connection in years.

Q: Hypothetically, if any other of the main cast were to be put in Six's situation (like monster powers hunger and all) who would fare the best? - Bane Of The Tree Sentinel

A: I think that Eryk would do the best; he wouldnt be so affected by the self-loathing and would view eating people as a part of life. He would accept that he was a monster and live as one. Its kind of like how you cant blame a wolf for attacking and eating a sheep. Its in their nature.

Q: If you had to become one of the characters in your novel(like in one of those "author gets reincarnated in his own story" novels), which character would you be? And are there any specific actions or situations you would do or avoid? - Terrorbird

A: Id want to be Apollo. Hes strong enough to overcome the colossal bad event that were building to in Quinstin. Hes also technically ageless as long as light exists in the universe. Hes also handsome.

A: I would kill Eryk and Technologica. I would also move away and out of the United States. I would leverage the Olympians to kill Ouroboros twenty years ago, and then I would either retire down there as Chile slowly rebuilds itself or I could carve out a smallish kingdom for myself to weather what is to come.

Q: In what way do you think you have grown the most in writing ability while writing this story? - Judurange

A: The number one thing that this story cemented in me and helped me understand is that there is a huge difference between having a good concept for a story and having an actually good story to tell. Another thing would be characters. I look back at previous works of mine, and I hate the characters. Theyre shallow, one-dimensional, and dont feel like they could feasibly exist. But in Ebb & Flow, the characters are the best part. (In my opinion) When I get the occasional bad review from someone who doesnt get the story, and they specify that the characters are unbelievable or bad, ohoho that makes me mad. Because I know these characters are good. Every reader has a favorite character, and most of the time Eryk is in their top three, but hes not their number one. That to me speaks volumes about the cast because were stuck in this bastards head the majority of the story. When I get comments about peoples least/most favorite character, Im always happy to see two people having completely different reads on the cast. I mean, there are people who STILL have Maria as one of their favorites, and shes been dead for almost two volumes. (Sorry for rambling XD)

Q: When someone triggers do they gain a personality piece? Does a part of their personality become their personality piece? Does that part of their personality become stronger? Are there significant differences between the 'strength' of certain personality pieces, and does that correlate with the 'strength of a certain ability? - Judurange

A: No. Actually, because of the way that powers strength has grown, to the point that there are people whose abilities are straight-up reality-warping, Eryks power passively creates a personality piece for every power that does exist, has existed, or will exist.

A: A personality piece is exactly what it sounds like: a piece of their personality. Every part of what makes you, you, is assigned a value. Eryks ability activates the RNG, and it then picks one of the pieces. Like, say sadness value is #334 in one person, and in another person it just so happens to have the exact same value. When ryk gives you the power, your personality matrix now has 2 #334 that are both sadness. It would have a much greater effect on you because you had a matching piece. Thats why Aubreys so affected by Davis rage. They have the same rage value even if the intensity isnt the exact same. Thats a reason why Eryk is so affected by them. For another example: Emma is a sociopath, so her emotion values, regardless of number, are low intensity for things like compassion, empathy, and so on. Eryk doesnt have low values; he has no values.

A: There is no correlation between a powers strength and the severity of the personality piece.

Q: Will the smaller sideplots, like that dimension with the big animals or that guy who gets teleported to change history, get incorporated into the main plot or are they just to give us a broader perspective of the world? - Acedia the Skelektronik

A: This is a potential massive spoiler, so I wont answer beyond to say that certain side plots are relevant or will one day be relevant, but as I said before, if someone was to show up in the story that had been mentioned in an Interlude, I would introduce them then in our main plot. The Interludes are for those who want more and also to allow me to show off cool ideas/world building that well never get to in Eryks story.

Q: Does it make sense to give two tinker abilities to a single person? Do tinker abilities leave people better off? Basically, is Kai smarter after having had the helmet tinker ability or is it a zero-sum game? Trying to circumvent the tide. - Acedia the Skelektronik

A: I think I technically already answered this above, but I would say it would only make sense if they were radically different specializations. If you had Ares and Aubreys specializations, youd just be building Gundam. Another example that I dont think Ive mentioned before is White Rabbit and Elaine Constance, which are the Tinkerers from Odd Jobs and Sixs adventures, respectively, and are solely responsible for The Island the Omnimax prison existing. The Island doesnt exist in our universe. It is an isolated reality that is a single landmass surrounded by water forever. The two scientists built the massive gate that the BNA uses to toss people in.

Q: Why hasn't everyday technology progressed beyond what we know in our present time? I would have assumed that having ability users would result in many new ideas or at least faster construction of old ones, but general technological progression, except those regarding military, seemed to have stagnated. - Acedia the Skelektronik

A: I will say that the answer is two fold. One, I would argue that certain technologies are way beyond what we have. Quickrails, as an example, are just completely beyond any type of train we have. There are other non-technological things that speak to the improved lives of people. The fact that Neuvohuman damage is covered by insurance is insane as an American; same thing with the Lazarus Liquid that the BNA has to be used on victims of Neuvohuman attacks. War as we know it in our current day does not exist anymore.

The second answer is that I am very pessimistic about our current reality and dont have faith that we would be able to utilize Tinkertech to make things better. In the 1900s, even up to 1950, we thought that wed have flying cars by the year 2000. We arent anywhere close to that. Weve pretty much given up on space travel within my lifetime, and were nowhere close to colonizing the moon. Add to that the idea that if one person is responsible for the creation of a Tinkertech invention that could radically change humanitys lives, they wouldnt implement it because if they die, we lose the ability to recreate it. You see it nowadays with companies firing the people who create the code the company needs, and then suddenly you have a product that cannot be fixed. Technologica also kills people who are close to inventing something that can greatly improve our planet/lives if it could also be used as a weapon. She is essentially playing God and preventing us from truly growing.

Q: What genre of music do the characters listen to? I imagine Violet likes what she expects other people to like(Cause shes a poser), while Aubrey is currently into death metal. - the12win

A: You asked about two of the ladies, so Ill focus on them.

Violet likes most genres, but the least offensive of them. So she would tell you she likes rock, but shed mean Matchbox 20 and Kings of Leon. She likes the safer, more popular versions of genres. For instance, Drakes her favorite rapper, and she says she loves hip hop and rap but has never listened to a mixtape.

Aubrey is a metalcore and hardstyle enjoyer. Shes a festival girly who talks about BPMs the way computer nerds talk about RAM.

Vivienne is KPOP, Jrock, and then like SoundCloud rap when she works out.

Tuesday is a hyperpop FIEND. Hypochondriac is her favorite album of all time, and she blames leak culture for ruining artists desire to collab. Shes big into SeBii, slayr, and Ennaria.

Rorschach listens to a lot of heavy music with female vocalists. Spiritbox, Poppy, Not Enough Space, Shyeye, Evanescence, etc. She also likes pop music, radio rap, and classical music.

Maria listened to mostly Midwest Emo and Pop Punk. Senses Fail, TRSH, nothingnowhere, Pulses., Blink-182, The Wonder Years, Four Year Strong, Movements, Youth Fountain, Conditions.

Emma likes a wide variety of different styles of alternative and rock music. Marianas Trench, Hotel Books, La Dispute, The Front Bottoms, The Amity Affliction, Panic but only their first album, Blue October, The Postal Service, Brockhamptons Saturation trilogy, Dance Gavin Dance, and Falling In Reverse to name a few.

Q: For sixs death power he was able to receive even more powers than normal, so his body had to grow stronger to be able to handle them, but would Nobody be able to create an environment where subjects would need to adapt and grow stronger to be able to get this effect on a person without Sixs growth through death? Or is your personal strength set at birth and sixs power somehow bypassed it? - Ephirius

A: People have a hard set limit on how many powers they can handle, but there are ways to try to mitigate it that Kai is researching. Two is the only safe guarantee. Then theres the issue of even if you survive it and dont end up braindead, its still not a pleasant experience or good for your mind/psyche.

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