《Ex-Human Morphus [A Mutant Evolution Apocalypse LitRPG]》
Chapter 1
The survivor slammed another mutant with a load of buckshot to the chest. He pumped the action and took aim at the next creature in line. He immediately fired, tearing off its oversized jaw in a spray of dark blood. Surprisingly, it was still alive, its arms outstretched toward him, its clawed hands ready to grasp at his face. With ease, the survivor sidestepped the approaching mutant, putting a load of large pellets into the back of its skull. Half of the creature¡¯s head exploded in a shower of gore, and the monster collapsed to the wooden floor with a loud thud.
40 XP, 50 XP, 60 XP, he counted in his head the experience points he was getting for killing the mutants.
He put down a couple more ex-humans before his pump-action shotgun ran dry. He wheeled around scanning the room for more targets. Taking a handful of shells out of his jacket pocket, he shoved them into the loading port. Working the action, he brought up his uncommon level 15 shotgun, ready to engage another mutant.
Only there weren¡¯t any left. He¡¯d killed all the ex-human mutants that had been in this house. It was very quiet now. Disappointed, he lowered his weapon. He needed just a few more kills to level up to 18.
¡°Doesn''t matter,¡± the survivor muttered to himself. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Once outside, he would encounter enough enemies to kill, so it wouldn¡¯t take him long to level up.
This new world was teeming with mutants. However, the survivor no longer felt threatened by it. On the first day after the Collapse, he¡¯d been completely terrified. Danger awaited around every corner, and scary mutants that had once been human beings could pounce on you from anywhere. However, he¡¯d managed to survive. During the next several days, he leveled up to 17. He wasn¡¯t scared anymore. He could now handle himself, and low-level ex-humans no longer posed any kind of threat to him.
While he was in the relative safety of the house, he decided to check some of his stats. He took off his backpack and sat on his haunches. He put his rucksack on the floor and undone the buckle at the front. He reached his hand inside and foraged through the contents until he found what he was looking for. He took out his handheld PC, also known as a personal digital assistant or PDA for short, and pressed his thumb to the touchscreen to unlock the device. The screen lit up, illuminating his face.
It was late evening, and the room was dimly lit by the setting sun. The corners of the room were enveloped by darkness. The soft glow coming off the screen of the device was the only artificial source of light in the room. The survivor was so engrossed in his PDA that he failed to notice a black form lurking in one of the dark corners. The creature stood completely still, merging with the surrounding darkness. It studied him for a minute or so before stepping out of its hiding spot.
The survivor caught a glimpse of a movement from the corner of his eye. Dropping his PDA, he grabbed the shotgun and jumped to his feet. Wheeling around to face the new threat, he brought up his weapon, the buttstock snug against his shoulder.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± he muttered when he saw what the new mutant looked like.
He¡¯d never seen such an ex-human before. The creature had a human figure, but that¡¯s where any resemblance with a human being ended. Its skin was black-colored. The creature seemed to be made of tar or obsidian. Its body appeared to be damaged ¨C it sported deep slashes and holes that emitted faint bluish light. The mutant didn¡¯t have ears, a nose, or even a mouth. It had two scary, unblinking eyes that stared at him without any expression.
The creature¡¯s obsidian skin was so dark it was no wonder the survivor had failed to spot the mutant in the darkness. What the hell was that creature? How long had it been standing in that dark corner?
The mutant suddenly lurched toward him, ending his line of thought. He jumped aside just as the creature reached out for him, its hands transforming into long nasty claws. The mutant turned out to be surprisingly fast. Before the survivor could readjust his aim, the creature swung one of its clawed hands at him, catching his shoulder. The sharp tips of its claws tore through the fabric of his clothes, digging deep into his flesh.
Screaming in sudden pain, he stumbled back. He tripped over the body of one of the mutants he¡¯d killed and fell on his back. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t let the shotgun slip from his grip. Just as the obsidian mutant stepped up to the survivor and was about to pounce down on him, he squeezed the trigger. The shot tore a huge hole in the middle of the creature¡¯s chest, the force of the impact sending the mutant flying backward.
Surprisingly, the mutant was still alive. It rose on its elbows and slowly sat up. It then got up to its knees, but that was the extent of it. The mutant tried to get to its feet but didn¡¯t find enough strength to do that. So it continued to stand on its knees, staring at the survivor with its emotionless eyes. The huge hole in its chest ejected a strange greenish-blue glow matching the light seeping from the other wounds on its body.
That¡¯s what you got for blood, huh?
Keeping his shotgun trained on the ex-human, the survivor sat up. He took one of his hands off the weapon and picked up his PDA. Pointing the device¡¯s camera at the obsidian mutant, he pressed the SCAN button. The information about the mutant appeared on the screen. It was called Ex-Human Morphus, its level was twelve, and it was an ordinary mutant, not elite.
What the survivor had just learned about the ex-human surprised him. It was an ordinary mutant, and it was five levels weaker than him, yet it¡¯d somehow managed to get the drop on him and even wounded him.
The survivor put away his PDA and held his shotgun with both hands again. He stood up and took a step closer to the ex-human. The mutant didn¡¯t move at all, but its expressionless eyes watched him. The survivor walked a little closer to the motionless mutant. He¡¯d never encountered such a creature before. However, not letting his curiosity get the better of him, he stopped a safe distance from the mutant. If it suddenly jumped to its feet, he would have plenty of time to shoot the monster dead.
For a moment, the survivor studied the obsidian-black monster kneeling before him. He still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that the mutant turned out to be so strong and agile even though it was only level 12 while he was level 17. He took stock of the numerous slashes and holes on its body, from which seeped faint greenish-blue light. What had happened to the mutant prior to encountering him? Some of the holes might have been bullet wounds, so maybe before holing up in this house to lick its wounds, it had been fighting other survivors. From the look of it, the mutant had barely managed to get away from them.
Unfortunately for you, I¡¯ve stumbled into this house, the survivor thought. You should¡¯ve stayed hidden instead of attacking me.
He initially hadn¡¯t even been aware of its presence in the room and would¡¯ve left the house without realizing it¡¯d been standing in a dark corner all along.
Maybe the mutant had thought it could defeat him while he was distracted checking his stats on his PDA. He wasn¡¯t sure if the ex-humans were capable of thinking, though. As far as he knew, they were unintelligent creatures.
Another question popped up in his mind. Why hadn¡¯t the morphus attacked him while he was dealing with the other mutants? Why wait until he dealt with them? It might have had much better chances of defeating him if it¡¯d fought him alongside the other ex-humans.
The survivor shook his head as if to get rid of all these thoughts. He was never going to find out what was going on in this creature¡¯s head anyway. Trying to find the answers to these questions was just a waste of time.
It was time to finish the mutant off. He readjusted his aim, pointing the muzzle of his shotgun at the ex-human¡¯s faceless head, wondering how many experience points he would get for killing the morphus, or whatever this mutant was called.
Just as his finger tightened around the trigger, something unexpected happened. Something snaked out from behind the mutant¡¯s shoulder and zipped through the air toward him. It looked like a black tentacle ending in what looked like a double-edged blade. The tentacle seemed to have grown from the mutant¡¯s shoulder blade, and it¡¯d happened so freaking fast.
In a fraction of a second, the long tentacle covered the distance between the otherwise motionless mutant still kneeling on the floor and the survivor. He swung his shotgun up, trying to take aim at the mutant¡¯s long undulating appendage, and squeezed the trigger. Unsurprisingly, he missed his mark ¨C the tentacle was moving way too fast.
Before he could pump his shotgun, the blade at the tip of the tentacle sliced across his throat, moving with lightning speed, cutting through flesh and cartilage with surprising ease. The survivor¡¯s eyes went wide when he realized what had just happened.
No, no, no.
He dropped his weapon and brought his hands up to the nasty slash across his throat. His fingers tightened around the wound, trying to stanch the bleeding, but the blood kept seeping from between his fingers, both his carotid arteries and jugular veins having been severed.
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It can¡¯t be happening, he wanted to say, but the only sound that came out of his throat was a gurgle.
He stumbled backward, lost his footing in panic, and collapsed to the floor. He kept his fingers wrapped tightly around his throat, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to stop the flow of blood. Through the veil of red mist hanging over his eyes, he saw his enemy stand up. Its long tentacle got detached from its body and dropped to the floor. It withered and turned into dust in mere seconds.
He¡¯d never encountered a mutant with such a nasty ability. The morphus had grown a long tentacle in less than a second and gotten rid of it when it was no longer needed. In his opinion, it was wrong for a regular mutant to have such an overpowered ability.
It¡¯s not fair, the survivor thought, staring at the pile of dust that used to be the tentacle seconds ago. I should¡¯ve won this fight, not some lousy mutant!
The ex-human began to walk toward him in a casual, relaxed manner. The survivor knew he was done for. The shotgun was way out of his reach, but even if he could reach it, taking his hands off his throat would only result in intensifying the bleeding and therefore hastening his demise. Yet he wished he could¡¯ve sent the morphus back to whatever hell gave it birth.
The ex-human stopped a few steps from him. For some reason, it didn¡¯t finish the job. It did something surprising instead. The mutant half turned, dropped into a crouch beside his rucksack, and began to rifle through the contents.
What the survivor was witnessing surprised him a great deal. He¡¯d never seen a mutant take an interest in survivors¡¯ things. And what the mutant was looking for anyway? It appeared that it knew what it was doing, looking for something specific instead of just randomly searching through his things.
A second later, the mutant seemed to find what it¡¯d been looking for. It dug out the blue mana crystal that he¡¯d found a few hours earlier. The crystal was pretty large, about a foot in length. From within its transparent surface seeped a bluish glow.
What do you need this rare item for? the survivor thought as he watched the mutant through the red mist in his eyes. He knew he would die in the next several minutes, but despite that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed by what he was seeing. The obsidian-black mutant seemed to know exactly what it was doing. This creature almost seemed intelligent. Hell, maybe it was intelligent.
The ex-human pushed his rucksack away, now focusing on the crystal in its hands. The mutant stared at it for a moment, then clenched it in its fist. With an audible crack, the crystal crushed. The survivor couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. Those things were literally indestructible ¨C no bullets, explosions, sledgehammers, or anything else could break mana crystals. However, the one in the mutant¡¯s hand shattered as soon as the creature closed its fingers around it. It was hard to believe such a thing could be possible.
Bluish energy flowed from the cracked crystal toward the mutant and vanished into its obsidian body. As soon as it happened, all its wounds began to close, including the huge hole in its chest inflicted by his shotgun. In mere seconds, all its wounds disappeared without a trace. The mutant was completely healed now. It opened its hand, and the transparent shards of the broken crystal clinked to the floor.
The survivor realized he didn¡¯t have much time left. The world before him was quickly plunging into darkness.
¡°H¨CHelp,¡± he managed to croak. ¡°Puh¡ Ple¡ª¡±
He didn¡¯t know who he was talking to. The mutant clearly wasn¡¯t going to do anything in order to save his life. Why would it? It couldn¡¯t even understand him.
However, the ex-human heard him speak even though it didn¡¯t seem to have anything resembling ears. The mutant turned its head and looked at him. Almost everything was dark before his eyes by that point. The only thing he could still see was the mutant¡¯s expressionless scary eyes staring down at him.
¡°H¨CHelp¨Cp. I don''t¡ wanna¡ª¡±
The mutant reached inside his rucksack again, but the survivor couldn¡¯t see what it dug out this time. He heard the mutant move closer to him, surely to finish him off, but there was nothing he could do to protect himself. He expected the mutant to slash its claws across his body, but something else happened instead.
He felt a familiar light prick on his neck. He immediately realized what it meant. The thing the mutant had taken from his rucksack was a stimpak ¨C an autoinjector loaded with a variety of healing medications and stimulants ¨C and the mutant had just used it on him. The drug instantly took effect, and the nasty wound in his throat began to heal. The darkness before his eyes dissipated, and the bleeding stopped. His wounded flesh was healing miraculously fast.
Without any emotion in its eyes, the mutant stared at him for a second, then stepped aside. The creature was intelligent ¨C the survivor knew that beyond the shadow of a doubt now. Not only had it understood what he¡¯d said, but it¡¯d even saved his life.
But it was still his enemy.
The survivor watched the ex-human bend down and pick up his PDA from the floor. It straightened out and looked at the glowing display, scrolling some info showing on the screen with its finger. Now that the survivor knew that the mutant could understand human speech, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it could read too. But what was it looking for on his PDA?
Not that it really mattered to him. Being engrossed in his PDA, the mutant paid him no mind, giving him a chance to deal with the mutant. His throat had completely healed by that point, and he felt he was ready to bring the fight to its conclusion. He glanced at his shotgun lying on the floor a few steps from him.
He glanced at the mutant one more time to make sure it still wasn¡¯t paying him attention. Then he rolled to the side, reaching the weapon in less than two seconds. He grabbed the shotgun and rolled over on his back, pointing his shotgun at where the mutant stood.
Only it was no longer there.
What?!
He caught a glimpse of movement off to his left. He glanced that way and saw the mutant standing there facing him.
How did it get there so fast?!
The survivor hadn¡¯t even heard it move. How could it be so quiet? But he had no time to ponder on the matter. He pointed his shotgun at the mutant and squeezed the trigger. A fraction of a second before the weapon fired, the ex-human dashed aside, all the pellets missing its body completely. He pumped his shotgun, but before he could fire again, the mutant was on top of him. Now that its wounds were healed, the mutant moved even faster than before¡ªthe survivor wasn¡¯t even able to track it with his gun.
The ex-human tore the weapon from his hands with such power it almost broke his index finger, which got stuck in the trigger guard for a second. Tossing the weapon aside, the obsidian mutant towered over him. The survivor lying on the floor realized he¡¯d just made a huge mistake.
¡°No,¡± he begged. ¡°Please¡¡±
The mutant watched him through its expressionless eyes. While the mutant¡¯s face didn¡¯t have any facial features, the survivor somehow knew that his enemy wouldn¡¯t show mercy to him this time. It¡¯d spared his life and healed him with a stimpak, but after his brash attempt to kill it, the mutant wasn¡¯t going to forgive him.
A long blade extended from the mutant¡¯s right wrist.
¡°Please, no¡ Argh!¡±
The ex-human swung its weapon at the survivor. The tip of the blade cut so deeply into his flesh that his head almost got detached from the neck. The survivor lived only for a second longer before his wide-open eyes glassed over and his body went stiff.
For a moment, Jake stood over the dead body, looking down at the survivor he¡¯d just killed. When the survivor lay on the floor, trying to stanch the bleeding from his wounded throat, he¡¯d been staring up at Jake with a shocked look in his eyes as if he couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d lost the fight to a mutant. It was understandable. He¡¯d most likely killed lots and lots of mutants since the Collapse. Regular ex-humans weren¡¯t much of a threat to him anymore. He must have deemed himself the apex predator by that point. Therefore, it was just too damn much of a shift in reality to suddenly be the prey.
Anyway, he¡¯d let that stupid survivor live, but he¡¯d wasted it. He¡¯d had nobody but himself to blame for that. Giving the matter no more thought, Jake retracted his blade and wheeled around. He located the PDA lying on the floor where he¡¯d dropped it when he spotted the survivor roll toward his shotgun. Stepping to where the device lay, he picked it up and resumed reading the survivor¡¯s diary from where he left off.
After a minute, Jake was done. He hadn¡¯t learned anything particularly interesting, though. The only thing that he learned was that the survivor had a stash where he had some of his supplies stored away. There might be some more mana consumables there. He checked the map on the PDA to learn the location of the survivor¡¯s stash. It wasn¡¯t too far from this street ¨C just a few blocks north of here.
Spotting nothing else of interest on the PDA, Jake dropped the device. Thanks to his inhuman mind, he was able to memorize the exact location of the stash so he didn¡¯t need to carry the PDA on him. He looked at the rucksack one more time. It held some canned food, bottled water, shotgun shells, stimpaks, and some other stuff. None of which was of use to him, though. All of those things were for survivors, not him. All he needed were mana consumables because they contained magical energy that was essential for his own survival. If he got lucky, he would find some more of them in the dead survivor¡¯s stash.
Before leaving the house, he decided to check his stats. Unlike survivors, he didn¡¯t need a PDA or any other device to check his attributes, abilities, skills, and other stats. He could call up his statistics any time he wanted with a mere thought.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 12
XP: 1350/1625
SP: 0
MP: 5,735
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
Claws: Rank II (39%) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (17%) (Common)
Swords: Rank I (24%) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (96%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (77%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (64%) (Common)
He noticed that he now had enough MP to acquire some new skills and abilities, but it was a matter for a later time. He first wanted to get to the survivor¡¯s stash to check if there were any more mana consumables. There was never enough mana around here.
As Jake was leaving the room, his gaze fell on the body of the survivor he¡¯d killed a minute earlier. Not so long ago, he had been a survivor too until some incident turned him into a mutant. But unlike any other ex-humans, he still had his self-awareness and ability to think. Only survivors didn¡¯t know that. To them, he was just another ex-human mutant they needed to kill for XP. Having no reliable means to communicate with survivors, Jake couldn¡¯t tell them he wasn¡¯t just another mindless monster they deemed him to be.
It had all started just a few days ago with the event known as the Collapse¡
Chapter 2
It was well into the night when Jake Turner¡¯s old, battered pickup truck lumbered along the winding two-lane road that led to his house. The powerful hum of the engine reverberated through the stillness of the night as the headlights carved a path through the enveloping darkness, casting dancing shadows on the overhanging branches of the trees on either side of the road.
With heavy eyelids, he fought the persistent urge to succumb to sleep. The rustle of the worn-out tires over the rough road and the hum of the engine were lulling him into a trance. Jake¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened in a desperate attempt to stay awake. His shoulders slumped as he stifled another massive yawn. Even though the week had only reached its midpoint, he was already dog-tired and couldn¡¯t wait for the weekend. He had been working very hard, determined to earn every extra penny he could to secure a better future for himself.
Despite his attempts to stay awake, he fell asleep for a moment. He was shaken awake when his pickup truck swerved into the shoulder of the road, almost sideswiping a pine tree. Cursing loudly, he spun the steering wheel to return the vehicle back onto the road. This incident jerked him back to full awareness, and for the next several minutes, he was alert and watchful. However, it wasn¡¯t long before the tiredness began to take a toll on his body again.
It was then when he was half-asleep that a text message emerged in his vision.
Attention required! The realm known as Earth is about to be consumed by the System and integrated into the Gameverse. As a citizen of Earth, you have the right to become a player. If you want to join the Gameverse as a player, you first need to participate in a high-low game. If you win, you¡¯ll become a player. If you lose or if you choose not to play the high-low game at all, you¡¯ll become a monster. Initiate the game of chance: Y/N
¡°What the hell,¡± Jake muttered.
Most of the text disappeared after he read it. Only the last line remained in his vision. He kept staring at it, but it didn¡¯t go away. Under normal circumstances, Jake would have wondered what it all meant. He might have even speculated that he had probably gone crazy. However, being at the moment exhausted and half-asleep, he didn¡¯t question his sanity and didn¡¯t even give the matter any thought. Instead, he simply decided to play this game. If anything, it might help him pass the time.
Well, start the game then, he thought sleepily.
However, nothing happened. The line of text hovered before his eyes without going away.
¡°Hey I wanna play your game,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me play it?¡±
Nothing happened. The line of text was still in his vision.
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Initiate the game of chance: Y/N
Feeling stupid from lack of sleep, he simply stared at it for a few seconds, not quite understanding why nothing was happening. Then an idea came to his mind numbed with weariness, and he mentally said Yes.
As soon as the thought formed in his mind, the line of text was replaced with another.
The game of chance begins.
It is your turn now. Picking a random number from 1 to 10. Please wait a little.
¡
¡
¡
Your number has been chosen. Your number is 8.
¡°Wow,¡± Jake muttered. ¡°That¡¯s not bad. Not bad at all.¡±
The lines of text before his eyes vanished to be replaced with others. Excited, he read them as they appeared in his vision. This is fun.
It is the System¡¯s turn now. Picking a random number from 1 to 100. Please wait a little.
At first, Jake thought that he¡¯d read the text wrongly. He glanced at the number again, but it was still 100 instead of 10. He thought that it could be some kind of mistake. He stared at the number for a second, hoping it would miraculously change from one hundred to ten. But it didn¡¯t happen. It was no mistake.
Really? It¡¯s not fair!
Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then another line of text materialized before him.
The System¡¯s number has been chosen.
After that, there was a brief pause. Jake stared at the last line of text with fixed attention. This little game actually excited him, and he really wanted to win even though he understood that his chances of winning were slim to none. It made him want to win even more. He wasn¡¯t sure what he would get in reward if he won, though.
Another second passed, and a new piece of text finally popped up before his eyes.
The System¡¯s number is 7. You win.
¡°Look at that! Lucky me.¡±
He¡¯d won, and it excited him a great deal. He¡¯d never been so lucky in his whole life.
A new piece of text appeared before his eyes.
The process of integrating the world known as Earth into the Gameverse will begin shortly. You will be put in stasis in three seconds¡
The game of chance and text messages had distracted Jake so much that he hadn¡¯t noticed his pickup truck swerve into the oncoming lane. Only when he heard a loud honk did he focus his attention on the road ahead. He saw the glare of the headlights rushing right at him. Yelping in fear, he spun the steering wheel to the side.
Two seconds¡
The upcoming car zipped past, missing his pickup truck by mere inches. Jake lost control of his vehicle, cutting through the shoulder of the road and rushing toward the tree line. When he realized the collision was inevitable, he screamed in panic as he brought his hands up to protect his head.
One second¡
His pickup truck crashed into a pine tree, the hood crumpling like paper. A fraction of a second after the collision, everything went dark before his eyes. However, while all of Jake¡¯s senses became unresponsive, he still could think.
Done. You will be brought back from stasis and will be able to start playing the Game after the process of integrating Earth into the Gameverse is finished.
After that, Jake¡¯s consciousness shut down too.
Chapter 3
As Jake slowly opened his eyes, the room came into focus, and he found himself lying on an old, creaky floor. The musty air filled his nostrils, and he winced, trying to recall how he had ended up here. The room was filled with a thick layer of dust, and the sunlight filtered through the broken blinds, casting a ghostly glow on the shabby furniture. A sense of unease crept over him as he took in the sight of roots and plants snaking across the floor and walls as if nature itself was reclaiming the abandoned space.
He stood up and took a tentative step forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight. He reached out to touch the peeling wallpaper, the faded floral pattern barely recognizable underneath the layers of neglect. Each step stirred up clouds of dust, causing him to cough as he made his way across the room to the only window.
Peering through the cracked glass, he was met with a haunting sight. The street outside was lined with long-abandoned cars, their once vibrant colors now muted and rusted from years of neglect. Weeds and grass burst through the cracks in the asphalt, reclaiming the road as their own. Buildings stood like silent sentinels, their walls adorned with a blanket of crawling vines and wild foliage. The air outside was eerily still, punctuated only by the occasional howl of the wind or the distant call of a bird.
As Jake took in the desolate scene before him, a shiver ran down his spine. The world outside felt frozen in time as if nature had pressed pause on the once bustling city. It looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie or a video game. How had he ended up in this forgotten place? What had happened to the world?
With a furrowed brow, Jake turned away from the window, determined to unravel the enigma of his presence in this eerie, abandoned house. Sweeping the decrepit room with his gaze, he racked his brain, trying to remember what he¡¯d been doing before ending up in this dreadful place.
For a minute, nothing came to his mind. Then the memories came rushing back at him, and he remembered everything¡ªbeing dog-tired and half-asleep while driving home from work, seeing strange messages about some mysterious System planning to turn the Earth into something else, and then swerving off the road and crashing into a pine tree. And now he¡¯d somehow ended up in this abandoned house in a desolate world. What does it all mean?
As soon as the thought formed in his mind, a text message appeared before his eyes.
Welcome, player! The Earth has successfully been integrated into the Gameverse, and you have been brought back from stasis. Since you have been put in stasis, 6 years, 10 months, 27 days, 12 hours, 37 minutes, and 44 seconds have passed.
¡°What the hell,¡± Jake muttered.
New lines of text continued to materialize before his eyes.
And now you are almost ready to begin your adventure, player! In this world, you are a survivor and your task is quite simple¡ªto survive by any means necessary.
Jake felt a chill run down his spine. The System had turned the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, in which he had to survive now. Such a prospect terrified him. What was he going to do? He was just a regular guy without any surviving experience.
Seemingly oblivious to his grim musings, the System kept texting him.
This is the last system message that you will ever get. All further information you will find on a personal digital assistant¡ªa handheld PC, which will let you access all your stats as well as some other useful information.
Try to get a PDA as soon as possible to sign up as a new user. The System will register you and keep all the information about you in its database. After that, even if you lose your PDA, the System will still keep track of your progress, and all your personal information will become available to you again as soon as you acquire another PDA.
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That¡¯s all. Good luck, survivor! Try not to die¡ªafter all, you have only one life! Have fun!
All the text disappeared after Jake read it.
¡°No, no, no,¡± Jake stuttered in panic. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me like that! What do I do now? At least tell me where I should go, what I should do, what to expect at all.¡±
He waited for a moment, but no system message appeared before his eyes.
Have fun!
¡°What fun?¡± Jake muttered angrily. ¡°Surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is no fun, dammit.¡±
This whole situation was really beginning to stress him out. His heart hammered in his chest, and his breath was coming in ragged gasps. He was about to have a panic attack.
Jake leaned against the wall and sat on the dusty floor. Trying to relax, he closed his eyes and for the next several minutes, box-breathed. His heart rate slowed, and his thoughts began to clear.
You got this, he said mentally to himself. Compartmentalize. You always were good at that.
Feeling a little better, he opened his eyes and stood up. So the System had told him that he needed to find a PDA. Where could he get one?
As soon as he thought that, there was a chiming sound that came from the other side of the room. He looked in that direction but didn¡¯t notice anything suspicious at first. There was only some dust-covered decrepit furniture there. Then the sound chimed again and was accompanied by a small flash of light a little off to his side. He looked that way and saw what looked like a small tablet or an oversized smartphone lying on a small round table.
Has to be a PDA, Jake thought with joy, glad it hadn¡¯t taken him long to find one. He reached the round table and picked up the handheld device. Unlike the rest of the room, it wasn¡¯t covered in dust, looking brand-new instead. The device didn¡¯t have any physical buttons, its smooth display shimmering under the glow of the sunlight reaching into the room. At that moment, one of the corners of the device flashed a small light followed by the now familiar chiming sound. Jake tapped the touchscreen, seemingly the only means of interaction with the device, and the touchscreen lit up with a white color.
Black letters in all caps flashed on the screen¡ªNEW USER IDENTIFIED. PLEASE WAIT WHILE YOU¡¯RE BEING REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEM.
Jake stared at the screen for a full minute, but nothing happened. No progress bar indicator was shown on the screen, so Jake had no idea how long it would take for him to be registered.
A glimpse of movement to his right caught his attention. He looked that way in time to see someone¡ªsomething¡ªmove outside the window.
Immediately alert, Jake crouched and crept back toward the window. Making sure to conceal his body so it wouldn¡¯t be seen from the street, he cautiously craned his neck to peer around the edge of the frame. He saw a person shuffling down the street, moving like a zombie. He¡ªit¡ªwas clad in blood-stained clothes hanging in sherds from its skeletal frame.
¡°What the fuck,¡± Jake muttered.
He remembered that little game he¡¯d played against the System while driving back home from work in his pickup truck. He¡¯d been told that if he won, he¡¯d become a player, but if he lost, he¡¯d become a monster. However, it hadn¡¯t been a fair game. The System had a huge advantage over him. He¡¯d been extremely lucky to win the game to become a player. If every single person on Earth had had to play the game with the same unfair rules¡ªand Jake had no reason to believe otherwise¡ªit meant that most of the people had lost and been turned into monsters. So considering that Earth had been transformed into a post-apocalyptic world, it was safe to assume that the creature shuffling down the street had once been a human being but now was a zombie or a similar creature.
At that moment, the device in his hand emitted a cheerful sound. It was much louder than the chiming sounds it¡¯d been making before, and Jake winced in fear. He glanced at the screen and saw a new piece of text appear across the middle of the screen¡ªCONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEM AND WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE DEVICE IN A MOMENT AFTER IT FINISHES SCANNING YOU.
Jake wasn¡¯t interested in that for the time being, though. He looked through the window at the creature he¡¯d noticed earlier. The zombie no longer shuffled along the road. Instead, it¡¯d turned to face the house Jake was in. It must have heard the cheerful sound the device had just made. Their eyes met, and the creature emitted a high-pitched scream. Jake realized that having come to the window was a huge mistake on his part. He should¡¯ve stayed out of sight somewhere deeper inside the room instead. However, there was no time to scold himself for that, because the monster suddenly burst into a run toward him.
Chapter 4
Jake watched the zombie run toward the window. It moved amazingly fast for an undead being. Though it was probably too early to call it a zombie. He had no idea what happened to the world and what the people who had lost the game of chance had been turned into.
As the creature got closer to the window, he made out more details. Its skin was very pale, its fingers ended in long curved talons, and its huge mouth was filled with sharp teeth resembling those of a shark¡¯s. So a mutant was probably a better term for that creature than a zombie.
The sight of the frightening creature seemed to paralyze Jake with horror as he watched the mutant reach the building. Only when the scary monster bumped against the window pane did Jake come into motion. As he stumbled back clumsily, his feet tangled up with each other. Losing his balance, Jake collapsed to the dust-covered floor. He rose on his elbows just as the mutant launched its body at the window again. It shook in its frame but held. It seemed to make the mutant even angrier. It let go with a terrifying scream before assaulting the window once more. A spider web of cracks appeared on the glass, and when the mutant launched its body against the window another time, it finally shattered.
Jake raised his arms to protect his head against the shards raining down on him. He expected the mutant to grab hold of him and tear into his body with its nasty claws and razor-sharp teeth. However, when he looked up, he saw that the mutant¡¯s hands were clawing at the air just a few inches in front of his face. The monster was draped over the window frame¡ªits upper body was inside the room, but its legs were still outside. Some of the glass pieces that remained protruding from the frame must have pierced its flesh, trapping the monster in place. The mutant¡¯s arms flailed before Jake but couldn¡¯t quite reach him. Its huge jaws clacked audibly as the monster opened and closed its deformed mouth repeatedly.
For a moment, Jake was too terrified to move. Then his instinct for self-preservation finally kicked in, and he crab-crawled back away from the window, in which the mutant got stuck. A couple of seconds later, he reached the other side of the room, bumping against the wall. The monster still couldn¡¯t detach itself from the window frame¡ªthe glass fragments remaining in the frame must have stabbed deeply into its body, holding it fast in place. The dreadful creature kept swinging its clawed hands in the air as it emitted screeching sounds from its throat.
Jake watched the creature flail its limbs, too terrified to move. The mutant had definitely been human once, but there was little resemblance to an actual human being about it now. Its skin was deathly pale. The mouth was so wide its corners almost reached the ears. The creature kept snapping its jaws repeatedly, opening its maw impossibly wide, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth, before abruptly shutting it with loud clacks. As for the mutant¡¯s eyes, there was not a trace of an intelligent thought behind them. All Jake could see in them was primal rage.
The mutant kept thrashing around in place but couldn¡¯t free itself. Every time it jerked its body, the glass shards that had pierced its body speared deeper into its torso, slicing open its flesh. Giving no heed to it, the mutant continued to thrash around without realizing that by doing so, it wasn¡¯t accomplishing anything but only making its situation worse. The mutant was bleeding profusely, and as it grew weaker, all its movements became more and more sluggish.
A couple of minutes later, the mutant finally went still, its body draped over the windowsill, its hands dangling down, reaching the floor with the tips of its claw-like fingers. Jake kept staring at the now motionless mutant, not quite believing that it was dead. At that moment, his PDA emitted some kind of notification sound, and Jake suddenly realized he no longer had the device on him¡ªhe must have dropped it when the mutant bumped against the window, causing him to stumble back in fear and fall. He quickly scanned the room, searching for the device. He spotted it lying on the floor just beneath the mutant¡¯s upper body dangling down from the window.
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Jake got to his feet. His eyes never leaving the seemingly dead mutant, he slowly approached it. The closer he got to the dead body, the slower he moved. He half-expected the mutant to suddenly spring to life and lunge at him with its clawed hands, as often depicted in horror movies. To his relief, the creature remained still. Jake retrieved the device and quickly made his way back to the other side of the room, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the dead mutant.
When he got back to the other side of the room, he looked at the screen of his PDA and saw a piece of text in the center of the screen ¨C THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! THE DEVICE HAS FINISHED SCANNING YOU, AND YOU CAN FREELY USE YOUR PDA NOW. THE DEVICE IS CONSTANTLY CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM, SO ANY PROGRESS YOU MAKE WILL IMMEDIATELY BE SAVED AS A BACKUP IN THE SYSTEM¡¯S DATABASE.
Jake read the message and dismissed it with a tap. The device ran on an unfamiliar operating system, but he quickly got the hang of it. There were several tabs along the bottom of the screen. When he tapped the first one, a piece of general info filled the screen. Name: Jake Turner. Level: 1. Race: Human. Mana: 0. XP: 0/100.
Huh? What the hell does it mean? Jake thought. Has the world really been turned into a video game?
It was strange but not overly so. After everything he¡¯d recently experienced, it wasn¡¯t easy to surprise Jake anymore. He tapped the next tab, and his attributes appeared on the screen. Strength: 7. Constitution: 6. Agility: 8. Perception: 12. Intelligence: 9. Magicka: 1. Luck: 15.
Jake was surprised to see that his Luck was the highest. He¡¯d never felt particularly lucky in his life¡ªit was quite the opposite in fact. Life had always been difficult for him. However, a memory stirred within him. He¡¯d won the game of chance against the System even though his opponent had a huge advantage over him. So yeah, maybe he was a tiny bit lucky every now and then after all.
He switched to the next tab. It contained lots of miscellaneous skills such as Walking, Running, Climbing, Observing, Thinking, Programming, Driving, and whatnot. Each of these skills had a numerical value representing the current level of the skill. The list was pretty long, and it took him some time to scroll to the bottom. He noticed that some of his skills had zeros next to them. For example, Swimming, which wasn¡¯t surprising to him, considering he¡¯d never learned to swim.
The list included numerous combat skills too, but most of them were level 0 as well. His Pistols skill was at 15, though. Having visited shooting ranges in the past and tried his hand at various firearms, mostly for leisure rather than practical purposes, he had some experience with pistols. With other kinds of weapons, not so much.
The remaining tabs appeared locked, yielding no response when Jake tapped on them. He figured they would unlock when the right time came. The last tab that was available contained what looked like a camera application. He opened it, and the feed from the outer camera filled up the screen. Positioned at the bottom edge was a round button with the word SCAN inscribed within it.
Jake pointed the PDA¡¯s camera at the dead body draped over the window frame and tapped the button. On the screen appeared the text: DEAD EX-HUMAN MUTANT: EMPTY. TIP: IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TYPE OF MUTANT, SCAN A LIVING SPECIMEN.
He dismissed the message and then panned the camera around the room, hoping to glean some valuable information or maybe find something of use. However, the app didn¡¯t provide him with any information on his surroundings at all.
Jake deactivated the scanning app and stowed the PDA in his jacket pocket. He looked around one more time to make sure he didn¡¯t miss anything and then left the room to explore the rest of the house.
Chapter 5
Jake thoroughly searched the remaining rooms of the one-story house. In one of them, he found a handgun lying on a small table. He didn¡¯t recognize the weapon, but it kind of looked like a Beretta M9. He picked up the handgun and was surprised to find it lighter than he¡¯d expected. Maybe it wasn¡¯t loaded? He slightly pulled back on the slide to see if there was a round in the chamber. There was. He then dropped the mag and took a look at it, holding it in his left hand. The mag was filled completely, containing twenty rounds in total. He slid the magazine back into the pistol and gave the weapon another look-over. He noticed that the safety lever was on.
Jake then shifted his attention back to the small table. There were a few more items lying on it¡ªa drop-leg holster and a few extra magazines. He put the pistol away for now and checked each mag. All of them were loaded to the full. He shoved them into his jacket pockets and then strapped the drop-leg holster around his right thigh. He picked up the handgun again and was about to slide it into the holster when a sudden idea came to his mind.
He placed the pistol back on the table and took out his PDA. He unlocked the device and activated the camera app. Pointing the device¡¯s camera at the weapon, he tapped the SCAN button. The weapon¡¯s stats immediately popped up on the screen. He learned that the handgun was called Bernetti, it was of common rarity, and its level was 1. It also had some stats like Damage, Fire Rate, Magazine Size, and so on. The handgun¡¯s stats were nothing to write home about, but it wasn¡¯t surprising at all. After all, the weapon was only level 1 and of common rarity. Still, it was better than nothing. In this new world, everything seemed to work like in a video game, so he should be able to find a better weapon at some point.
When Jake tapped on the screen to dismiss the info about the weapon, he noticed that another tab had been unlocked. It was called Inventory, and when Jake opened it, he saw the list of items he had on him¡ªa few pistol magazines. Holding the PDA in his left hand, he picked up the pistol with his right and shoved the handgun into the drop-leg holster. As soon as he did so, a new entry appeared in the Inventory¡ªthe Bernetti pistol. Except for the Inventory, the PDA contained no more new info, so Jake slid the device back into the inner pocket of his jacket.
In one of the other rooms of the house, he found a rucksack lying on the floor in one corner. It was a good find. The rucksack was empty, but Jake was sure he would put it to good use pretty soon. He now was a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world, so scavenging would play a big role in his survival. He would have to carry a lot of things on him, of that he was sure. After putting the rucksack on, he continued to search through the house.
In another room, he discovered some kind of vintage radio sitting on a table. At first, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, thinking it was broken and useless. However, when he was walking past the radio, it suddenly came alive.
¡°Brave survivors are needed,¡± Jake heard a voice coming from the radio. ¡°A gathering of ex-human walkers led by a shambler was discovered in the area. Anyone who deals with them will be rewarded handsomely. This is a recorded message that is repeated every few minutes until somebody accepts the mission.¡±
After the voice finished speaking, Jake¡¯s PDA beeped a notification sound. He took out the device and glanced at the screen. A piece of text hovered in the middle of the screen.
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New mission.
Objective: Kill 15 ex-human walkers within a particular area.
Additional objective: Kill 1 ex-human shambler for an extra reward.
Reward: 1,000 XP, 10,000 credits
Extra reward: Supply drop (x1) (Common)
Accept mission: Y/N
Jake tapped Yes, and the text disappeared. He saw that three more tabs had just been unlocked: Missions, Map, and Diary. He opened the first one. Sure enough, the mission he¡¯d just accepted was listed in there. It didn¡¯t give him any new information, so he switched to the next tab. The layout of the house filled the screen. Above it hovered two buttons, LOCAL and GLOBAL, and the former one was highlighted. He pressed the other button, and the layout of the house was replaced by the global map. But the only thing that was visible was the house he was in while the rest of the map was currently hidden by clouds of gray mist.
With his brow furrowed, Jake stared at the map for a moment. He was wondering if the world remained as it once was. Sure, Earth had been turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but what about the underlying geography of the planet? Had the tectonic plates been shifted to reshape Earth¡¯s landscape to form new continents? Did the world still look as it had before or had it been turned into something completely different? He didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened to the world, but from the very first system message, he¡¯d learned that Earth was going to merge into the Gameverse¡ªwhatever the hell it was. Did it mean that Earth had become a part of a much larger world? Jake didn¡¯t know the answer to this question, but he hoped he would find out at some point and decided not to give the matter any more thought for now.
A little way north of his current position, he spotted a marker in the area hidden by the gray mist. It had to be the location where he needed to complete his mission. There was nothing else on the map, so he closed it and switched to the last of the three recently unlocked tabs, which was called Diary. There was one entry in there¡ªDay 1: The Awakening. He tapped on it, and a piece of info appeared on the screen.
Day 1: The Awakening
It¡¯s been six years since the event known as the Collapse turned Earth into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I was fortunate enough to live through the Collapse, but now I have to learn to survive in this dangerous new world.
As Jake read the text, he furrowed his brow in thought. The text didn¡¯t offer any explanations as to what was going on, and it didn¡¯t contain any mentions of the mysterious System that had changed the world and integrated it into something called the Gameverse. The System had put him in stasis for six years and then teleported him to a random spot in some devastated city. However, the text didn¡¯t mention any of that either. Overall, the text felt like it was written by a character who was unaware of being inside a video game instead of the real world.
Jake tried to write in his Diary only to realize he couldn¡¯t input anything manually. The interface had no options for creating a new entry¡ªthere weren¡¯t any buttons or a keyboard to use. He assumed new entries would appear in his Diary of their own volition from time to time. He didn¡¯t know how often it would happen, but he figured he would find out soon enough. After closing the Diary, he saw there were still a few more tabs. Although they were currently locked, he was sure they would be unlocked in due time.
There was nothing else of interest in the house. Jake walked to the front entrance and opened the door a crack to peek outside. After confirming there were no mutants nearby, he opened the door fully and stepped out of the house.
Chapter 6
As the day was starting to wane, Jake trudged through the overgrown streets. The once bustling city lay in ruins, and its towering skyscrapers were flayed open, exposing their steel bones to the elements. Others were nothing more than decaying skeletons against the gray, overcast sky. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional creaking of a rusted sign or the howl of the wind.
His boots crunched on the carpet of rubble and glass, the sounds unnaturally loud in the absence of life¡¯s usual cacophony. He¡¯d been wandering through the desolate city for about an hour now, but he still couldn¡¯t get used to the sight of absolute desolation around him. He felt like a character in a post-apocalyptic movie. Everywhere he looked, he saw nature reclaiming the city as its own. Vines cascaded from the sides of buildings, their leaves rustling in the never-ceasing wind.
Weeds and grass snaked their way through the cracks in the asphalt, sometimes reaching as high as his knees. As Jake carefully picked his way through the tangled mass of vegetation, his eyes constantly scanned the skeletal frames of cars and shattered storefronts around him for any sign of danger, which could be lurking anywhere. The memories of his very first encounter with an ex-human mutant in the building where he¡¯d woken up were still fresh in his head. He knew there were more mutants in the city¡ªevery now and then, his ears picked up distant cries of unknown creatures. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered any more monsters, but sooner or later, it would change, that was for sure.
His footsteps echoed in the stillness of the street as he made his way to one of the destroyed stores that lined each side of the street. He paused at the shattered storefront, his eyes scanning the interior for anything of use. Amid the debris, he spotted a metal can and a bottle of water. Adjusting his rucksack, which had become more a part of him than an accessory, he stepped into the store. The shards of glass crunched underfoot as he made his way through the interior of the room.
He stashed the can and the water bottle in his backpack where some more tin cans and plastic bottles were already stowed away. On his way through the devastated city, Jake had occasionally stumbled upon canned food and bottled water. He collected all of them, knowing very well that any find, no matter how small, could mean the difference between survival and starvation. He didn¡¯t know where all the food and water came from. He figured it must have been the System itself that put the sustenance in various convenient places for people to find. So far, he hadn¡¯t met any other survivors, though.
Continuing on, he made his way through the desolate streets, his head on a swivel for any potential threats. Every now and then, he could hear the distant cry of some creature, making his skin crawl. His very first encounter with the mutant in the one-story house where he¡¯d awakened had almost cost him his life. He¡¯d been extremely lucky that the mutant had gotten stuck in the window frame. In retrospect, his high-level Luck attribute had probably contributed to the fluke. However, even though he was now armed, he still wasn¡¯t eager to meet any more mutants.
Weaving through the labyrinth of streets, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was being watched, that unseen eyes were tracking his every move. It was probably just his imagination, but he quickened his pace nevertheless, hoping to find a shelter somewhere and get out of the streets for a little while. Being out in the open made him feel vulnerable.
A sudden gust of wind whipped through the street, creating a ghostly wail as it rushed through the broken windows and twisted metal of empty building carcasses. Jake¡¯s heart skipped a beat, a feral instinct to seek cover almost overpowering him. Even though there were no monsters, mutants, or any other predatory creatures anywhere to be seen right now, he still wanted nothing more than to find a place to take shelter and rest for a while to calm his nerves. He looked around and spotted a two-story building sandwiched between two skyscrapers.
He began to move in that direction when a distant sound caused him to freeze¡ªthe faint, almost imperceptible echo of something not quite dead. His heart racing, he looked down the street in the direction the sound seemed to have come from. He scanned the surrounding buildings while his instincts were screaming at him to flee. At first, he didn¡¯t spot anything suspicious, but then he saw a human figure walking down the street toward him. It was too far away from him, so he couldn¡¯t discern any details yet. Was it another survivor? Or an ex-human mutant?
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¡°Fuck it,¡± he muttered and ran toward the two-story house he¡¯d noticed a moment prior.
He burst into the building, pausing briefly at the entrance to take in the interior. Noticing a flight of stairs on the other side of the room, he dashed toward it. He raced up the steps, and after reaching the half-landing, looked back. Whoever¡ªwhatever¡ªhe¡¯d seen in the street hadn¡¯t reached the building yet. He climbed the rest of the steps to the second floor and found himself before a closed door. It wasn¡¯t locked, and he burst through it into a spacious room. He came to a sudden stop when he realized a huge hole gaped in the middle of the floor.
What the hell happened here?
Hugging the right-hand wall, he circled the ragged hole and reached one of the windows facing the street. He peered cautiously around the edge of the window frame, keeping his body as concealed as possible. Carefully scanning the area outside, he searched for any signs of movement. The street below was eerily quiet, the only movement coming from the swaying of the vines cascading down the buildings on the other side of the street. He strained his ears, listening for any out-of-place noises that might indicate he was being chased.
For several minutes, nothing happened. When he was just starting to relax, a figure came into view. As soon as he glanced at it, Jake saw that it was no survivor. The creature walking down the street looked very similar to the mutant he¡¯d encountered earlier¡ªits face had a huge maw filled with razor-sharp teeth, and its hands ended in long curved claws. Jake ducked below the windowsill, hoping as hell that the mutant hadn¡¯t noticed him.
A full minute passed. No sound reached his ears from the street. If the mutant had noticed him and burst into the building, he would surely have heard it or seen it get into the house through the gap in the floor. Carefully, he got to his feet and peered over the edge of the window frame. The mutant was still shuffling down the street, moving slowly and quietly, paying no attention at all to the small building Jake hid in.
Taking out his PDA, he pointed the camera at the mutant to scan it. When he pressed the button, a piece of info about the creature popped up on the screen. It was called an ex-human walker, it was an ordinary mutant, and its level was 1. Below the mutant¡¯s stats was a tip saying he needed to upgrade his PDA to see more useful information about mutants, items, and whatnot.
How do I upgrade my PDA, though?
The mutant passed the building and eventually disappeared into the distance. Jake sat on the floor, leaning against the wall behind him. He checked the map on his device. He still had quite a lot of distance to cover to reach his mission¡¯s location. Only he wasn¡¯t all that keen on getting there. The mere thought of facing a single ex-human walker had filled him with terror, prompting him to take refuge in this house. The idea of confronting fifteen of these creatures, along with a mutant known as a shambler, was absolutely unthinkable. He believed that the shambler was most likely even more dangerous than the walkers, making the prospect of encountering them a resounding ¡°No!¡± in his mind.
He decided to stay in the house for a little bit to calm his nerves. Still, he knew he couldn¡¯t hide forever. In order to survive in this new dangerous world, he would have to overcome his fear and learn to fight for his life. After a few minutes, he stood up. Hugging the wall, he walked around the hole in the floor. He took the stairs to the first floor, but before leaving the building, he decided to look around for anything of use.
The only thing that he found was some kind of autoinjector. He scanned it with his PDA and learned that it was called a stimpak. It contained a mixture of various healing agents and stimulants, allowing the user to boost their body¡¯s natural regenerative functions. The stimpak Jake had found was of common rarity, so it could heal some minor injuries as well as kill infections of damaged tissue. He stashed the autoinjector in his backpack and headed toward the exit of the building.
He stopped at the entrance to take a look around. When he turned his head to look in the direction the mutant had gone, he was surprised to see that the mutant hadn¡¯t gotten all that far. The walker stood glued to a spot about a hundred yards farther down the street, its body half-turned to him. It just stood there, staring at one of the skyscrapers for some reason.
¡°What the hell?¡± Jake muttered, wondering what had attracted the mutant¡¯s attention.
The walker must have spotted him from the corner of its eye because it suddenly turned to face him. The mutant let go with a screeching scream before breaking into a run toward him.
Shit, shit, shit.
At first, Jake thought to get back into the house behind him but decided not to, because trapping himself in a confined space probably wasn¡¯t such a good idea. So he stepped out into the open instead, pulling his handgun from its holster. Heart hammering, he pointed the weapon at the quickly approaching mutant and squeezed the trigger.
Chapter 7
The bullet Jake had fired hit the mutant center mass, drilling into the creature and staggering it. The monster slowed down for a bit but didn¡¯t fall. It quickly recovered and picked up its pace again, covering the distance between them with astonishing speed. Snarling like a feral animal, the monster outstretched its arms forward, the tips of its nasty claws pointed at Jake.
His pistol definitely lacked stopping power. Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jake readjusted his aim. Holding the handgun in both hands, he popped off a few more shots in quick succession. He was so nervous that a few bullets missed their target completely. But as the mutant got closer, it became harder to miss it, and all of the next several bullets hit home, tearing into the middle of the creature¡¯s torso, causing it to jerk from the impacts. When Jake fired another shot, the mutant suddenly tumbled down to the cracked asphalt just a few yards from him. Its body jerked once and then went completely still.
He heard his PDA emit a notification sound, but he ignored it, keeping his pistol trained on the prostrate form of the creature, wondering if it was playing possum or was actually dead. A full minute passed before Jake was finally able to relax a little bit. The monster didn¡¯t show any signs of life, so it should be dead. He lowered his weapon but still watched the dead mutant for a few more seconds before finally holstering his pistol.
He then looked around to make sure there were no more mutants nearby. He was pretty sure there weren¡¯t any of them in the immediate vicinity, because otherwise they would most likely have already converged on the source of the gunfire. Still, just to be on the safe side, he carefully scanned the buildings and alleys on either side of the street. Seeing no bloodthirsty mutants anywhere, Jake breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing his Bernetti pistol wasn¡¯t too loud to attract more mutants.
Come to think of it, his handgun fired much quieter than the firearms he had practiced with in his past life. The guns he¡¯d fired at shooting ranges were so awfully loud he¡¯d had to wear earmuffs to shield his ears from the thunderous gunshots. But the gunshots of the Bernetti pistol sounded more like those of a video-game weapon than a ¡°real¡± gun. That was probably the reason no more mutants had shown up. Jake was sure the city harbored plenty of ex-humans who would have swarmed him from every direction had they heard the gunfire.
His PDA chimed with a reminder of unread messages. He took out the device and unlocked it with his thumbprint. Glancing at the screen, he saw two notifications awaiting his attention.
Enemy killed! +10 XP
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The level of your Pistols skill has gone up from 15 to 16.
¡°So my skills level up when in use,¡± he said to himself. ¡°Good to know.¡±
He then switched to the very first tab to check his general stats. He was interested only in one particular line of text.
XP: 10/100.
So he needed to kill nine more ex-human walkers to level up. He then noticed that another tab was now unlocked. It was called Battle Log. He tapped on it, and the screen displayed a piece of text describing how the recent battle had been unfolding. Since the mutant had died before it could have reached and attacked Jake, the battle log contained only one line.
You have dealt 10 points of regular damage to [Level 1 Ex-human Walker] (x5).
So he had to hit such a creature five times with his current weapon to kill it. If he had managed to pull off a headshot, he could have dealt much more damage to the ex-human mutant. However, as it turned out, hitting a fast-moving walker heading straight for him proved to be a challenging task.
Why are these creatures called Walkers anyway? he thought. They move so freaking fast. Runners would be a more fitting name for them.
It reminded Jake of something. Even though he¡¯d been aiming for the creature¡¯s torso, he¡¯d missed a few times, which meant that he¡¯d fired more than five shots. He pocketed his PDA and took the pistol from its holster. He slid the mag out of the grip and counted the remaining rounds. There were nine in the mag and one in the chamber, which meant he¡¯d spent half the magazine to eliminate a single mutant.
¡°Dammit¡±, he muttered. ¡°You gotta become a better shot, pal.¡±
At least he had a few more spare mags on him. Hopefully, his aim would improve and become steadier when he leveled up his Pistols skill a few more times. After holstering the pistol, Jake glanced at the body of the mutant he¡¯d just killed. In video games he had played when he was younger, defeated enemies usually dropped various types of loot. It wasn¡¯t the case with the ex-human mutant, though. Jake took a step closer to the dead body for a better look. It was dressed in ragged clothes and didn¡¯t seem to have anything of use on it. It might have something in its pockets, but he wasn¡¯t keen on touching it.
Jake then remembered something. He took out his PDA again and scanned the creature¡¯s body. A line of text appeared on the screen¡ªDEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: EMPTY. So there was no need to search the dead mutant¡¯s body to see if it had anything worth taking. His PDA¡¯s scanning feature made checking bodies for loot so much easier and faster. He was glad that the device had such a useful feature, as he wasn¡¯t willing to rifle through the pockets of the mutant he¡¯d killed. The mere thought of touching a dead body made him sick.
Jake consulted the map to get his bearings and then stowed his PDA back into the inner pocket of his jacket. After turning around, he continued to head for the location of his mission.
Chapter 8
At some point, Jake stumbled across a long-abandoned police car. One of its rear doors was ajar. Jake approached the vehicle and leaned to look inside. He was surprised to find a pump-action shotgun as well as a box of ammunition resting on the rear seat.
Reaching inside the vehicle, he picked up the weapon. He checked if it was loaded and found it empty. Taking the shells from the ammo box, he stuffed his jacket pockets with them. He then shoved five shells into the loading port, racked the slide to chamber the first one, and then put another one into the magazine to top off the weapon. He glanced inside the police car one more time to make sure he didn¡¯t miss anything and then straightened up.
He walked to the front of the vehicle and placed the shotgun on the hood. Taking out his PDA, he scanned the weapon to check its stats. While the shotgun was only level 1 and of common rarity, it was surely way more powerful than his pistol. However, Jake figured the shotgun would prove to be most effective only in close-range combat situations.
He didn¡¯t have much experience with a shotgun, having fired one only a couple of times in the past. So while he wasn¡¯t very proficient with a shotgun, he knew how to use one and had some general knowledge about this type of firearm. He knew that the further you were away from the target, the bigger the spread was going to be. If memory served him correctly, shotguns had an effective range of about thirty-five yards with buckshot. He also knew that the general rule about shotguns was that they spread about one inch per yard from the point of firing.
Still, Jake wasn¡¯t sure if the general principles of shotguns would apply in this altered world. His pistol fired much quieter compared to other ones he¡¯d used before the Collapse. Just like his Bernetti pistol, the weapon looked like a typical pump-action shotgun, but at the same time, its design didn¡¯t resemble that of any shotguns he¡¯d ever seen. So maybe the shotgun he¡¯d just found would act somewhat differently too.
Giving the matter no more thought, Jake slung the weapon over his shoulder and continued his journey. He soon stumbled across another car and found yet another handgun inside. The newly discovered pistol was identical to the one he already possessed, both in appearance and statistics.
Jake simply stared at the handgun for a moment, lost in thought. While exploring the abandoned stores, he had been coming across canned food and bottled water, and now he was stumbling upon weapons as well. All these items seemed to have conveniently been placed in various places for a survivor like him to find, making it really feel like a video game. From his understanding, the Earth was now a part of the much larger world called the Gameverse, having somehow been merged into it. How could something like that be possible? He just couldn¡¯t grasp it.
Jake shook his head. Whatever was going on, it wasn¡¯t natural. It was completely different from anything he¡¯d ever known, and his mind couldn¡¯t make sense of it. He didn¡¯t even try to find any kind of explanation for what was happening now. The most important thing was that reality had somehow changed, and he now had to learn to survive in this new game-like world. He decided to focus solely on this task.
Jake glanced at the newly found pistol one more time. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should take it. After all, he already had one handgun, and they were identical to each other. In the end, he decided that the more guns he had on him, the better, so he picked up the second pistol and checked it out. He pushed the magazine release button to drop the magazine and checked to see if it was loaded. It was full, containing twenty rounds. He jacked the slide back and let it fly, loading the weapon. He then tucked the second handgun into his belt and continued on.
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For some time, nothing happened, and Jake was lulled into a false sense of security. And that almost cost him dearly. When he was walking past an alleyway between two high-rises, an ex-human walker lurched at him from there. Jake had just enough time to unsling his shotgun and point it at the enemy before it reached him.
The mutant slashed its claws at him, tearing the jacket on his shoulder and slicing into his flesh. It might have been a game-like world, but the pain felt all too real. Yelping in pain and rage, Jake squeezed the trigger. A load of buckshot to the chest sent the monster flying back into the alleyway it had come from. The mutant collapsed to the ground and went still, blood pouring from the huge hole in its chest. At point-blank range, the shotgun was devastating, that was for damn sure.
Before Jake could relax, a screeching sound came from further down the alleyway. He racked a shell into the chamber and pointed the barrel in the direction the sound had come from. As he looked up, he saw two more ex-human walkers run toward him, hands extended forward, claws pointed at him.
Jake slammed one mutant with a devastating shot and shifted his aim at the other one. He pumped a new shell into the chamber and squeezed the trigger, the weapon kicking him hard in the shoulder. No more shots were needed, as the mutants were dead now, both lying sprawled on the ground in pools of spreading blood. Jake peered into the alleyway, ready to engage new enemies should they show up. No more mutants popped up, though. It was all quiet again, the whistling of the wind being the only audible sound. Then his PDA beeped with an incoming message, likely informing him he received ten XP for each mutant he¡¯d just killed. A few more, and he would level up to 2.
Taking some shells from his pockets, Jake topped off his shotgun, grimacing against the pain in his injured shoulder. After looking around one more time to make sure there were no more mutants nearby, he propped the shotgun against the wall of a building and took off his rucksack. He then doffed his jacket too and examined his wound. Four scratches ran across his upper arm. While the wound was superficial, it was bleeding and quite painful. He dug into his pack and retrieved the stimpak he¡¯d found earlier. He pressed the business end of the autoinjector to his wounded shoulder, feeling the firm plastic against his skin.
With a quick, shaking breath, he pressed the trigger, and the sharp hiss of the device echoed in the silent alleyway. A shiver ran down his spine as the needle thrust out of the device and punctured his skin. The rush of medication flooded his system almost immediately. With a shaky exhale, he let out a breath he didn¡¯t realize he was holding as the medication began to take effect. The pain receded as the four scratches closed in just a few seconds, leaving behind only barely noticeable scars on his skin.
Jake dropped the now-empty autoinjector as he took a step back. The tension in his muscles lessened, and his breaths came easier as the medication did its work. Feeling relief, he took stock of his surroundings one more time. No enemies were in sight. He quickly put on his jacket and then heaved his rucksack onto his shoulders. The stimpaks were truly miraculous medications. He was surely going to be on the lookout for more of those.
He then scanned the dead body of the nearest mutant with his PDA. DEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: EMPTY. He trained the camera of his device on the second dead body. It didn¡¯t have any loot either. When he scanned the third one, he saw a different message on the screen of his PDA. DEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: STIMPAK (x1). Stepping over the bodies of the first two mutants, Jake crouched down beside the third one. He tapped the pockets of the torn clothes it was dressed in, and sure enough, in one of them, found another autoinjector identical to the one he¡¯d just used. Jake stowed it in his rucksack and stood up.
He consulted the map on his PDA and stepped out of the alleyway, pocketing the device. After the fight with the three ex-human walkers, he decided not to sling his shotgun over his shoulder in case more mutants jumped him. Carrying the weapon in his hands now, he resumed his journey.
Chapter 9
Jake continued to travel through the devastated city, picking his way through the debris and overgrown vegetation. Every now and then, he was jumped by ex-human walkers. Fortunately, they only came in small groups of twos or threes, making it easy for him to deal with them. When he spotted larger groups consisting of more than three mutants, he made sure to steer clear of them. While he was becoming more skilled in fighting these creatures, he still wasn¡¯t confident enough to take on larger groups of monsters. After each encounter, he meticulously used his PDA to search every fallen mutant for any valuable loot. Some of the dead mutants had pistol rounds and shotgun shells in the pockets of their ragged clothes. Jake collected all the ammo he could find for his weapons.
His combat skills, like Pistols and Shotguns, were gradually improving. He was receiving experience points for killing ex-human mutants, and he had even leveled up a couple of times already. When there were no enemies nearby, he hid in an alleyway and took his time to learn how the system worked. He examined all the information available to him on his PDA and learned that the system granted him one skill point for each level he gained, which he could allot to his attributes.
He also learned that skills were governed by attributes. An attribute put a cap on every skill that was dependent on it. For instance, Handguns and Shotguns¡ªthe two currently most valuable skills to him¡ªwere governed by Perception. Each point in the attribute let these two skills increase ten more times. His Perception was currently 12, and his Pistols and Shotguns skills had leveled up to 30 and 17 respectively by that point. Since they could currently increase up to 120, there was no immediate need to increase Perception. Still, he allocated one of his skill points to that attribute in order to enhance his ability to see and hear and therefore sense danger in time. He put the second skill point into Constitution to make his body more resistant and reduce the damage he received.
After that, he continued to make his way through the devastated city. The eerie silence enveloped the empty streets, punctuated only by the mournful wail of the wind and the echoes of his footsteps. At some point, he reached the point where a cross street seemed to be split open by a huge chasm spanning the entire street¡ªand probably the whole city as well. Jake paused at the edge of the shattered asphalt to take in the tremendous sight. In the chasm flowed a river, surging relentlessly through the newly formed ravine. The water churned with ferocious energy, rushing through the chasm with great speed, reminding of the city¡¯s tragic transformation.
Jake checked the map on his PDA to confirm that his mission¡¯s location was somewhere on the other side of the river. He looked around, searching for a way to safely cross the river. There weren¡¯t any, so he followed the river¡¯s edge, scanning for a place where the water was shallow enough to cross it, but it yielded no easy passage. In the distance, the remnants of a collapsed building jutted out from the water, offering a precarious but possible route across.
Jake stepped closer to the river to take a better look at the remnants of the fallen building that spanned the river. The jagged debris of the shattered structure formed a makeshift bridge that seemed sturdy enough to let him get across the rushing water below. Still, traversing the fallen building wouldn¡¯t be easy. The prospect of balancing along the structure made his heart race, but he didn¡¯t seem to have another choice.
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Gritting his teeth, Jake slung the shotgun over his shoulder and cautiously stepped onto the first fragmented section of the fallen building. The shattered concrete and twisted rebar beneath his feet felt unsteady, causing him to pause for a moment. Still, the platform didn¡¯t give under his weight, and he decided to continue on. He took one careful step after another, sending slight vibrations through the ruins. At some point, he even had to stop, questioning his decision to take this dangerous route across. He even thought to get back, but when he glanced over his shoulder, he realized that he¡¯d already made half the way across, so there wasn¡¯t really a point in returning.
The thundering rush of water below served as a reminder of the danger as he continued to walk forward, balancing on the uneven remnants. Navigating the maze of debris, Jake leaped from one fragment of concrete to the next, his heart pounding in his chest. The relentless rush of water cascading over the fallen building made the shattered pieces of concrete slippery, and one time, Jake¡¯s foot slipped and he almost fell into the rushing water below. His heart jumped to his throat, and he had to pause for a moment to compose himself.
¡°Shit, it was close,¡± he muttered to himself.
The remnants of the fallen building creaked and groaned beneath his weight as he continued on. The relentless rush of water threatened to knock him over into the river below. With every step and jump he took, his pulse quickened and his adrenaline spiked.
Finally, he reached the opposite side of the collapsed building. Only between the edge of the platform he stood on and the pavement on the other side was a gap. It was too wide for him to simply step over, so he had to leap across. He took a second to prepare himself, then took a deep breath and, summoning all his strength, propelled himself forward. The wind whipped through his hair as he sailed through the air, the water rushing beneath him. A rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, and as the ground approached with alarming speed, he braced for impact.
With a grunt, he landed on the other side of the gap, and a triumphant grin spread across his face. He did it! He glanced back to look at the treacherous makeshift bridge he¡¯d just taken to cross the river. It was no small accomplishment, that was for sure. He then continued his journey, the rush of the river fading into the distance until it no longer could be heard or seen.
At some point, he paused and dug out his PDA. When he consulted the map, he realized he was just a stone¡¯s throw away from his destination. Holding the device in one hand, he walked along the street until he reached the shattered entrance to a high-rise building. According to the map, it was the right place. He stowed away his PDA and unslung his shotgun.
He peered into the interior through the shattered entrance, but all he could see was more debris. Still, he knew that somewhere in the building lurked at least fifteen walkers and one shambler he had to kill to complete his mission. Would those mutants attack him all at once? He sure as hell hoped not. So far, he¡¯d only dealt with groups of two or three mutants at a time. Dealing with a larger group would surely prove to be quite challenging. Also, he¡¯d never encountered any shamblers yet, so he had no idea what to expect from this new type of mutant.
Shouldering his shotgun, he took a deep breath and stepped into the building.
Chapter 10
Broken glass crunched underfoot as he picked his way through the devastated main hall of what had once been an office building. The buttstock snug against his shoulder, Jake slowly moved across the room, leading with his shotgun and scanning the space with his eyes.
Everywhere he looked, he saw piles of debris. Off to his right, he spotted an elevator. The door was missing, and through the opening could be seen the empty shaft. On the side of the hall opposite the entrance were the stairs leading up¡ªat least, what was left of them. Most of the steps had long since disintegrated into crumbs, making the stairs unusable. As far as Jake could tell, there wasn¡¯t any way to get to the upper floors. However, there were several doorways branching off to other sections of the first floor.
Except for the glass shards crunching under his boots, the hall remained eerily quiet. He carefully surveyed his surroundings, searching for enemies, but couldn¡¯t find any. The mutants he¡¯d come here to kill must be lurking somewhere in the other rooms on the first floor. Jake headed for one of the doorways, and when he was halfway across the hall, he thought he caught a faint unfamiliar sound. He immediately froze, gripping his weapon tighter and looking around. The sound came again somewhere from his right. He glanced that way and saw there was a large hole in the ceiling. Pieces of concrete and rebar lay under the ragged hole. Wet, smacking sounds kept coming from behind the pile of debris.
Heart thumping in chest, he began to circle the mound of rubble, pointing his shotgun at what might be hiding behind it. He moved in a slow and careful way so as not to warn whatever was making those wet, unsettling sounds about his approach. Finally, the creature came into view. It was another ex-human walker. Facing away from him, the mutant was sitting on the ground, holding something in its clawed hands and munching on it. As Jake took another step to the walker, he gagged when he realized what it was eating. Before the walker in a pool of blood lay the body of another survivor, and the mutant was gnawing on a lower arm torn from the body.
Jake fought back the urge to retch as he leveled his weapon on the vile creature. His index finger curled around the trigger and squeezed it. The blast of the shotgun struck the mutant in the back, hurling the creature forward. Since Jake stood only a few yards from the mutant, all the pellets hit their target, killing the walker instantly.
Racking another shell into the chamber, Jake spun around, scanning the hall for more enemies. The ceiling had caved in in several places, creating mounds of rubble underneath the holes. More mutants could be hidden from view behind the debris. Jake¡¯s gaze darted between the piles of rubble, not sure where the next mutant could pop up from next. As it turned out, the danger came from an altogether different direction. He heard a screeching scream behind him and spun around in time to see another walker appear from one of the doorways. A second later, another scream came from a corridor off to his left. Then he heard yet another creature yell, and then another, and another. More and more mutants were converging on the hall from other sections of the first floor.
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Jake turned to face the mutant that was the closest to him, tracking its movements with the muzzle of his weapon. He lined his iron sights on the creature as it moved toward him on all fours like a rabid dog. Pausing briefly, it bent its limbs at the knees before propelling itself forward with the explosive force of a coiled spring. Jake pointed his weapon at the mutant sailing through the air toward him and pulled the trigger. The blast of the shotgun caught the mutant in midair, hurling it backward with great force.
Two mutants down, thirteen more to go. At least, Jake hoped there wouldn¡¯t be any additional creatures in the building. The evil creatures closed in on him from various directions, coming out of different doorways and corridors. The only way that was free of them lay behind him, so Jake began to back up, moving toward the entrance. The mutants came after him, some of them moving like humans while others scurried on all fours like dogs. The latter moved faster than walkers, and their anatomy seemed to be altered as well, which led Jake to believe they were a different breed of ex-human mutants. Their backs were hunched, and both their hind legs and forelegs looked almost the same, ending in long curved claws. Those creatures seemed to be unable to walk on two legs like humans.
However, at the moment, he didn¡¯t have time to take out his PDA and scan these new mutants for further information about them.
Jake shot another four-legged mutant that was about to jump at him. While he tried to keep his cool, Jake was getting nervous, which spoiled his aim. Some of the pellets hit the mutant, but the rest missed their target completely. He pumped his shotgun and finished the wounded creature with a second shot. He had only two shells in his weapon now. He fired at another four-legged monster, killing this one with a single shot. These creatures on all fours moved faster and were more agile than regular walkers. Luckily, there seemed to be only two of them left, and they both currently lagged behind the walkers. The latter moved pretty fast but didn¡¯t exactly run, moving in a clumsy, stumbling way as if there was something wrong with their legs.
Jake used this opportunity to top off his shotgun, taking shells out of his jacket pockets and shoving them into the loading port. By the time he finished, the last two four-legged mutants had gotten in front of the walkers. Before he could aim at them, the two of them simultaneously leaped forward. Jake hastily squeezed a shot, slightly injuring one of them. The wounded creature brushed against his side, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor. The two creatures landed behind him at the entrance to the building, effectively cutting off his escape route. Jake didn¡¯t know if this was their plan all along or not, but he sure as hell hoped they weren¡¯t that smart. If they could strategize how best to take down their prey, they would prove to be way more dangerous opponents than he¡¯d initially thought.
It wasn¡¯t the right time to ponder the matter, though. Two of the walkers had already reached him. He blew a huge hole in the chest of one of them, but when he shifted his aim to the second mutant, it lashed out at his hands holding the weapon. Jake yelped in pain when the sharp claws raked his flesh. The mutants ripped the shotgun from his grip. Weakened by the injury he sustained, Jake was unable to prevent his weapon from being wrestled away from him.
Seeing that he no longer had the powerful shotgun in his bleeding hands, the rest of the mutants appeared to sense the advantage. They quickened their pace, closing in on Jake from all directions.
Chapter 11
Just as one of the walkers was about to pounce down on Jake, he pulled his second pistol from his waistband and put two rounds into the creature¡¯s face. As the now-dead mutant began to fall, Jake rolled to the side before its body could collapse on top of him. He jumped to his feet, firing a few hasty shots at the other walkers to deter them from coming at him. They continued to move toward him, but the bullets punching their bodies slowed their advance.
The two four-legged mutants were still guarding the entrance to the building, so Jake burst into a run across the hall instead. He fired blindly at the walkers chasing him and was rewarded with the thump of a body hitting the floor. One more mutant down, but how many more to go? He¡¯d already lost count of the mutants he¡¯d killed, as he was solely focused on staying alive.
Spotting his shotgun on the floor where one of the mutants had flung it, he dove for the weapon. He stuck his pistol back into his waistband and grabbed the shotgun. Just as he glanced back, he saw two of the walkers were almost on top of him. He killed one of them with a blast to the head, blowing it apart, then pumped another shell ready, and with a second shot, punched a huge hole in the other one¡¯s chest.
He then spun around and broke into a sprint before the rest of the walkers could close the distance. He dug into his jacket pocket and fished out a handful of shells. Some of them slipped from his grasp and dropped to the floor, but he couldn¡¯t spare a moment to pick them up. He hastily loaded the shells into the weapon on the run, all too aware of the claws skittering across the floor behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the four-legged mutants had joined the chase, with one rapidly gaining ground on him.
He spun around, bringing the weapon to bear on the approaching monster, but before he could fire, the creature launched itself through the air toward him. The mutant¡¯s body slammed into him, knocking him off balance and causing him to land on his back. The impact was so powerful that everything went dark before his eyes for a second. As his vision cleared, he found the mutant on top of him, its jaws locked around the shotgun he held horizontally in front of him.
The mutant growled as its jaws clamped down harder on the gun in an attempt to break through the metal barrier that separated it from its prey. Jake removed one hand from the shotgun, drew the pistol from his waistband, and pressed the muzzle against the creature¡¯s head. He squeezed the trigger repeatedly until the monster¡¯s body went limp and collapsed to the side.
He wrenched his weapon from the dead mutant¡¯s jaws and rose to his feet, gripping the shotgun in one hand and the pistol in the other. When he looked up, he saw several walkers quickly closing in on him. He fired his pistol at them one-handed, killing two of the mutants and wounding some of the others. The slide on the pistol locked back, and he discarded the empty gun. The other pistol remained snug in its holster on his right thigh. Jake brought up his shotgun and, gripping it with both hands, unleashed a blast of buckshot at the nearest walker, killing it instantly.
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Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of movement. Glancing that way, he saw the second four-legged mutant charging at him from the side. He swung his weapon toward the new threat and squeezed the trigger too soon, causing most of the pellets to miss the target. The creature staggered as some of them punctured its flesh but continued to run toward him. He fired again, this time inflicting a more substantial amount of damage on the creature, yet the creature remained alive.
The third time¡¯s the charm, Jake thought hopefully as he readjusted his aim.
However, the four-legged mutant must have decided it¡¯d had enough. Just before he fired his shotgun, the creature dashed to the side, dodging the shot. The walkers were getting closer to him, so he decided not to waste any more time and shells on the severely wounded four-legged mutant. It would most likely succumb to its injuries and bleed to death soon enough.
He quickly looked around. There were no more four-legged mutants anywhere to be seen, which was a relief. Those creatures were way faster than the walkers and seemed to be smarter than them too, which made them more dangerous opponents. However, the hall was still teeming with walkers. He killed the one that got dangerously close to him and then looked behind him. He saw a doorway leading into a corridor. Recognizing a strategic advantage of establishing a chokepoint, Jake wheeled around and sprinted toward the door.
He dashed a few meters into the corridor before halting and turning around to face the doorway. The walkers had yet to show up. He decided to use this brief respite to top off his shotgun. But when he dug into his left jacket pocket, he realized it was empty. Luckily, he had a handful of shells in the other pocket. By the time he reloaded his shotgun, the first walker had appeared in the doorway. Jake let it get a little closer before obliterating its head with a blast from his shotgun. Another ex-human walker emerged in the doorway, meeting the same fate as its predecessor at Jake¡¯s hands.
The walkers were now at a great disadvantage, forced to enter the corridor one at a time and unable to surround him. It didn¡¯t stop them from coming, though. They kept getting into the corridor only to be shot dead seconds later. They were definitely dumber than the four-legged mutants. Bodies of dead walkers were piling up in the corridor. Jake had already reloaded multiple times, and when he dug into his pocket once more, he realized he had only a few shells left on him.
¡°Dammit,¡± he muttered under his breath as he loaded the last few remaining shells into his weapon. He hoped there weren¡¯t too many of the walkers left. Sure, he had a pistol as a backup, but he preferred the shotgun for its proven effectiveness against the mutants.
After reloading his weapon, he looked up to observe two walkers attempting to enter the corridor simultaneously, causing them to become wedged in the doorway. If one of them allowed the other to enter first, the obstruction would immediately be cleared. Such a thought didn¡¯t seem to occur to either of them, though. Strategic thinking and problem-solving definitely weren¡¯t their strongest suits.
Jake watched them with a hint of amusement until a suspicious sound behind him made his skin crawl. He spun around and saw another mutant appear at the opposite end of the corridor. A chill ran up his spine when he took stock of the new enemy.
¡°Well, shit,¡± he said.
Chapter 12
The ex-human mutant had a deformed body. Half of its frame had some kind of organic, pulsating matter growing all over it. Something like a large bulbous tumor was on the right side of the creature¡¯s face. The right arm of the mutant was fully covered in disgusting organic growth, making it almost twice as thick as its thigh, and it was so long it reached down past its knees. Its right leg was somewhat bigger than its left one due to tumors clinging to it. The entire right side of the mutant was covered in those organic-looking lumps and swellings. Ulcers and sores could be seen on the creature¡¯s skin, some of them oozing yellowish pus. The mutant¡¯s left arm, which was unaffected by the growth, looked tiny and infantile compared to the mutated right one.
The large mutant began walking down the corridor toward Jake, moving in a slow and shuffling manner. Due to its heavy frame and unbalanced body, the mutant couldn¡¯t walk fast. It seemed to have trouble walking on its disproportionate legs, which struggled to support the body¡¯s weight. This mutant had to be the shambler he needed to kill. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to open up on it with his gun, though. Provoking the shambler with gunfire would piss it off, and Jake wanted to avoid further agitating it for now. He had a feeling that eliminating the shambler wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Jake wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to engage it at all.
His main objective was only to slay fifteen walkers. Killing the shambler was a secondary objective, but it wasn¡¯t mandatory. So he could just run away from the shambler instead of fighting it. The problem was that there wasn¡¯t anywhere he could run. There were no doors, windows, or any other openings on either side of the corridor. The doorway behind him was blocked by the two struggling walkers that were still having trouble getting through. Jake would¡¯ve found it hilarious had he not been in such a dangerous situation.
The shambler suddenly picked up its pace. It didn¡¯t exactly run, but it was now moving much faster than Jake had thought it could, quickly closing the distance between them. Cursing under his breath, Jake brought up his shotgun and pointed it at the quickly approaching huge monster. From this close, the blasts from his powerful shotgun sent smaller targets like walkers or leapers flying backward. Since the shambler was so much larger than a typical ex-human mutant, Jake doubted his weapon would have the same impact on it. Still, when he fired, he was surprised that the blast from his shotgun failed to slow the shambler down even a little bit. Its body winced as the load of buckshot perforated its flesh, but other than that, the shot didn¡¯t affect it at all.
As the shambler drew nearer, quickly closing the gap between them, Jake grew increasingly nervous. He pumped another shell ready and pressed the trigger again, achieving pretty much the same result. Some of the pellets penetrated the mutant¡¯s normal flesh, causing it to bleed. The rest of them sank into the organic growth on the right side of its body with a sickening wet sound. The disgusting growth swallowed the pellets, and then the wounds closed almost immediately. The organic matter that covered the right side of the mutant acted like a sponge for bullets, creating a protective layer.
Jake racked another shell into the chamber but this time pointed the muzzle of his weapon at the monster¡¯s disproportionate head. Sensing his intention, the shambler brought up its oversized right arm to protect its head just before Jake squeezed the trigger, and all the pellets sank into the organic mass, doing no real damage to the mutant at all. Cursing loudly, Jake chambered another shell, but before he could fire, the huge monster finally reached him. Its huge mutated arm swung in a powerful arc, hitting him with the force of a freight train.
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He flew sideways to crash against the wall of the corridor before tumbling to the floor. He groaned as the intense pain threatened to overwhelm him. Fighting against darkness creeping into his vision, Jake looked up and saw the shambler lift its mutated arm, poised to deliver the final blow. He thought about rolling to the side but wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to do so in time due to his injuries. So he grabbed his shotgun lying nearby and pointed it at the mutant¡¯s good leg instead. The blast from the powerful weapon obliterated the shambler¡¯s kneecap. The mutant¡¯s aim faltered as it collapsed, its massive fist landing next to Jake¡¯s head instead of crushing it to a pulp. The shambler immediately tried to get up but underestimated the severity of its injured left leg, losing its balance and tumbling once more to the floor.
A commotion at the doorway attracted Jake¡¯s attention. He looked that way and saw that the two walkers had finally managed to squeeze through the doorway into the corridor. Jake, still on the floor, swiftly rolled on his stomach and pointed the shotgun at the two approaching walkers. When he fired, the pellets spread wide enough to hit both mutants in the legs, causing both of them to tumble face first to the floor. Undeterred, they crawled forward, relentlessly trying to get to him. He fired again, blowing the head of the nearest walker to pieces. As Jake aimed to take down the second walker, a dry click echoed from his shotgun. The weapon was empty, and he had no more spare shells on him.
Releasing the shotgun, Jake swiftly rose to his feet, scanning his surroundings. The remaining walker kept crawling toward him. Meanwhile, the shambler had risen to its knees, but its wounded leg prevented it from getting to its feet. Jake drew his pistol and with a couple of precise headshots finished off the crawling walker. He then shifted his aim at the kneeling shambler. The mutant brought up its mutated arm to protect its head, but Jake circled the immobile creature, emptying the whole mag into the back of its head. When the last bullet tore into its skull, the shambler finally died, collapsing onto its side.
The slide on his pistol locked back, but luckily, Jake had a few spare mags on him. In one fluid motion, he swapped out the empty magazine for a fresh one, giving the slide a sharp release to chamber a round. He glanced at the shambler to make sure it stayed dead and then aimed his handgun at the doorway at the end of the corridor. However, no more mutants showed up. It was all quiet now.
Is it finally over?
As if to answer his mental question, his PDA emitted a cheerful tone. Jake waited a minute or so to make sure there were no more mutants to kill before finally sliding the pistol into its holster on his right thigh. Retrieving his PDA from the inner pocket of his jacket, he unlocked the device with a press of his thumb on the screen.
A bunch of notifications popped up on the screen.
YOU HAVE GAINED: 300 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN WALKER] (X30) (10 XP EACH), 125 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN LEAPER] (X5) (25 XP EACH), AND 50 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN SHAMBLER] (X1).
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! FOR COMPLETING BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OBJECTIVES YOU HAVE RECEIVED 1,000 XP, 10,000 CREDITS, AND A SUPPLY DROP [X1] [COMMON]. EXCELLENT JOB!
YOU HAVE GAINED ENOUGH XP FOR LEVELING UP FROM 3 TO 5. YOU HAVE GAINED 2 SKILL POINTS. CONGRATULATIONS, SURVIVOR!
¡°I fucking did it,¡± Jake exhaled, with a mix of exhaustion and relief in his voice.
Overwhelmed by stress and fatigue, he crumpled to the floor.
Chapter 13
While he rested, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, Jake checked his current stats on his PDA. His Perception was twelve, which allowed his combat skills such as Pistols and Shotguns to increase up to one hundred twenty. They were currently at thirty-four and twenty-two respectively, so there was no immediate need to increase his Perception attribute yet. After giving the matter some thought, Jake put both his skill points into Constitution.
The huge mutant, which Jake assumed was a shambler, had hit him pretty hard, sending him flying across the width of the corridor to crash into the wall. While his body was hurting from the blow and collision with the wall, it didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d broken anything. As far as he could tell, he was scraped and bruised in numerous places, but that was the extent of the damage he¡¯d taken. He didn¡¯t bleed¡ªnot much anyway¡ªand while his ribs were sore, he didn¡¯t think they were broken or cracked. Not so long ago, he¡¯d allocated one skill point to Constitution, so that probably was the reason his body was more resilient and damage-resistant than it¡¯d been before. Which was why Jake decided to put both his skill points into that attribute¡ªto further enhance his body¡¯s resistance to damage.
He noticed that another tab had been unlocked on his PDA. When he opened it, he saw a message displayed across the screen: SUPPLY DROP IS AVAILABLE (x1) [COMMON]. TIP: TAP AND HOLD ANYWHERE ON THE MAP TO REQUEST A SUPPLY DROP. It was a reward for completing the secondary objective of his mission, which had been to kill the shambler. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what a supply drop might contain.
Jake switched to the map and studied it for a moment. Those areas of the city where he¡¯d already been were cleared out of the gray fog. As for the rest of the map, it was still shrouded in mist. He tapped and held on the spot next to the entrance to the building he was currently in. A couple of seconds later, a message popped up: WOULD YOU LIKE TO REQUEST A SUPPLY DROP HERE: Y/N (APPROXIMATE TIME OF ARRIVAL: 12 MIN). Jake pressed ¡°No¡±. Before requesting the supply drop, he wanted to search this building for loot.
He stood up and scanned the dead body of the nearest mutant with his PDA. DEAD EX-HUMAN MUTANT: EMPTY. Even though no info on the mutant was presented to him, by that point, it was pretty obvious that this mutant was called a shambler. He didn¡¯t know its level yet, though.
He then pointed his camera at one of the dead walkers. DEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: EMPTY. The floor of the corridor was littered with dead walkers he¡¯d killed a few minutes before. He was meticulously scanning every single one of them, dragging the scanned bodies aside to reveal the ones lying at the bottom of the pile. He was taken aback by how quickly he had gotten accustomed to the sight of gore and dead bodies. Some of the mutants had shotgun shells and pistol mags on them. Jake collected all the ammo, stowing it away in his pockets. He loaded some shells into his shotgun and slung the weapon over his shoulder.
After searching through all the bodies, he finally left the corridor and returned to the hall where a few more dead mutants lay scattered. He scanned the nearest one. DEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: STIMPAK (x1). After taking the autoinjector from the pocket of the dead body, he considered using it on himself. However, since he wasn¡¯t seriously injured, he decided to save this miracle-like healing medication for later. He then proceeded to search and loot the rest of the dead mutants.
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He was surprised to find that the four-legged mutant he¡¯d wounded several times was still alive. It lay on the floor, bleeding from numerous bullet holes. The creature watched Jake with its evil eyes, growling faintly, but it was so weak it couldn¡¯t get up from the floor. He scanned it. EX-HUMAN LEAPER [Level 3]. He then drew his pistol and finished the mutant off with a headshot. He scanned the dead mutant¡¯s body again, but the leaper didn¡¯t have any loot on it.
He remembered to check the dead survivor one of the mutants had been eating before all hell broke loose. He located the mutilated body of the fellow survivor and looked at it for a moment, wondering who that guy was. He¡¯d clearly been killed not long before Jake arrived. Maybe if he¡¯d come to this building somewhat earlier, he could¡¯ve saved the guy and they might¡¯ve teamed up. Other than the little regret of having been tardy, Jake didn¡¯t feel much of anything else. This survivor was just another victim of the Collapse. The world had come to an end, and all those mutants he¡¯d been killing for a while now had once been ordinary human beings. Most of the people living on Earth had either died or been turned into mutants when the System came, but Jake tried not to think about it so as not to succumb to depression.
Jake scanned the body with his PDA. DEAD SURVIVOR [Level 5]: STIMPAK (x3), BOTTLED WATER (x1), CANNED FOOD (x2), PISTOL MAGAZINE (x3), BERNETTI PISTOL (x1). The dead survivor had some useful items on him, but looting him felt wrong. In the end, Jake managed to quell his conscience by reasoning that the dead survivor no longer needed all those items. It would surely not be the last time when Jake stumbled across the dead body of a fellow survivor. It would be stupid not to grab any resources that could enhance his chances of survival in this dangerous world.
He crouched down and took off his backpack. For the next minute, he was taking all the useful items from the dead survivor¡¯s pockets and backpack and stashing them into his own rucksack. In one of the dead guy¡¯s coat inner pockets, Jake found a PDA. The device was locked, and when he pressed his thumb to the screen, a text message popped up across it: YOU CANNOT USE THIS DEVICE BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE. Jake¡¯s gaze fell on the survivor¡¯s severed arm that a walker had been munching on when he stepped into the building. Overcoming his disgust, he picked up the severed arm and pressed its thumb to the PDA¡¯s screen. This time, another message popped up. THE DEVICE CANNOT BE UNLOCKED BECAUSE ITS OWNER IS DEAD.
So the dead survivor¡¯s PDA appeared to be totally useless. Jake dropped the severed arm and the device to the floor and got to his feet, putting on his rucksack. He then looked around one more time. He looted all the dead bodies, but there were a few doorways that led to other rooms. Jake was sure there were no more enemies around, but just in case, he unslung his shotgun and went on to explore the other parts of the building.
For the next several minutes, he explored the remaining rooms on the first floor. All the stairs leading to the upper floors lay in ruins, making it impossible to get upstairs. Jake didn¡¯t encounter any more mutants in the building, but he found some more ammo for his weapons. After that, he made his way back to the hall. He retrieved his PDA and requested a supply drop next to the entrance to the building. He then took up a position at one of the shattered windows that faced the street and waited for his supply drop to arrive.
Chapter 14
About ten minutes later, Jake heard his PDA emit a beeping sound. He took out the device and saw a text message hovering in the middle of the screen. THE PLANE WITH YOUR SUPPLY DROP IS NEARING THE DROP LOCATION. Just after he read the message, he heard a distant rumble coming from the sky. He glanced out the window, but from his current position, he couldn¡¯t see the plane. An aircraft icon was displayed on his PDA¡¯s map, though, and it was gradually approaching the building he was in.
With every passing second, the rumble of the plane¡¯s engines was getting louder. At some point, the sound grew so loud it sent slight vibrations down the walls, and when Jake glanced out the window and looked up again, he indeed saw a military-looking plane drifting across the sky, flying over the high-rise building he was in. The plane looked unlike any other aircraft he had ever seen before. It had a futuristic-looking design, and Jake wondered if the plane was actually manned by a human pilot. For all he knew, it was operated by an AI system.
His PDA beeped with another notification, and he glanced at the screen to read it. SUPPLY DROP INCOMING. On the map, next to the image of the plane appeared another small icon that resembled a box with a simplistic parachute design.
The rumble of the plane faded as the aircraft moved farther away from his position. A few seconds later, the sound of its engines could no longer be heard, and the plane icon vanished from the map. Jake craned his neck out of the window and looked up. He saw a box descending with a parachute from the sky.
He considered leaving the building but opted to remain inside until the supply drop touched down. By the look of it, the box should land not far from the entrance to the building. By his estimation, he wouldn¡¯t have to wait for long. A little later, the shadow of the supply drop became visible on the ground. The box was going to land right in the middle of the road in front of the building. Jake was about to get to his feet and head for the exit when he caught a glimpse of movement outside.
He peered out the window but didn¡¯t see anything suspicious at first. He scanned the road outside the building and then a movement on the other side of the street attracted his attention. He saw a male person hiding in an alleyway formed by two buildings. The stranger stretched his neck out into the open to look up at the box slowly drifting down to the ground. It looked like another survivor had set his sights on Jake¡¯s supply drop.
He wasn¡¯t sure how long the stranger had been hiding in the alley across the street. Probably not too long, otherwise Jake would¡¯ve noticed him earlier. The stranger himself wasn¡¯t aware of Jake¡¯s presence. Jake made sure to keep his body concealed inside the building so it couldn¡¯t be seen from the street. When he needed to take a peek outside, he carefully looked around the edge of the window frame to survey the area before retreating back into hiding.
Jake wondered how the stranger had learned about the supply drop. Had he simply been in the nearby vicinity and heard the sound of the plane flying overhead? Or were other survivors informed when somebody requested a supply drop, showing them the location of the drop zone on the map? Jake glanced at the dead body of the survivor he¡¯d looted a few minutes before. If he could hack into the dead man¡¯s PDA, he would learn the answer to this question. Unfortunately, if there was a way to hack into another person¡¯s PDA, Jake didn¡¯t yet know how to do it.
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He returned his attention to the street outside. The wooden box was drifting down and a few seconds later, finally landed in the middle of the road, the deflated parachute dropping next to it. The stranger took a step out of the alley, looking this way, that that. He scanned the street in both directions and studied the buildings lining the other side. Yet he failed to spot Jake. Thinking he was alone, he went out of the alley and strode across the road to the wooden box. Watching him, Jake came to the conclusion that the other survivors weren¡¯t actually notified about supply drops requested by other people. If it had been the case, the stranger would¡¯ve acted way more carefully, anticipating the presence of the person who¡¯d requested the supply drop nearby. So he must just have happened to be in the nearby vicinity when he heard the sound of the incoming plane and stayed long enough to witness the supply drop.
Jake watched the stranger approach the wooden box. The deflated parachute lying on the ground flapped lazily in the breeze as the man slowly walked around the box, trying to figure out how to open it. At some point, he stopped and stared at the box in puzzlement, his back turned to Jake. The stranger was a sitting duck out there in the open, and Jake could kill him easily. However, while Jake wasn¡¯t going to let the stranger take all his supplies, he wasn¡¯t willing to kill a fellow survivor in cold blood for no other reason than to protect his supply drop. In fact, Jake didn''t mind sharing with the stranger. While the box wasn¡¯t too big, it appeared large enough to have plenty of supplies for both of them.
The stranger took hold of one of the boards and pulled, seemingly exerting all his strength. A second later, the board came off and fell to the ground, revealing a part of a steel box nestled inside the wooden one. When the stranger began to remove the next board, Jake got to his feet and headed for the exit. He unslung his shotgun and shouldered it. While he wasn¡¯t going to shoot at the stranger unless he absolutely had to, just in case, he wanted to have his weapon ready.
By the time he exited the building and stepped onto the sidewalk, the stranger had removed all the boards from one side of the wooden box. Jake could see that the exposed side of the steel box had a security touchscreen panel attached to it. The stranger stared at it for a second, then pressed his thumb to it. Some red-colored words appeared on the screen, but Jake was still too far away from the supply drop to be able to read them.
His PDA emitted a quiet notification sound, and Jake froze, staring at the stranger¡¯s back. However, the survivor didn¡¯t hear the sound, and Jake quickly took one hand off the shotgun and retrieved the device to read the notification. SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO ACCESS YOUR SUPPLY DROP. He slid the device back into his inner jacket pocket and once again pointed his shotgun at the stranger standing in the middle of the road.
¡°Hey, it¡¯s mine,¡± he shouted to be heard over the constant howl of the wind.
The stranger instantly spun around and saw him. He immediately reached for what looked like a submachine gun dangling from its sling around his neck. Pointing the weapon in Jake¡¯s direction, the stranger immediately opened fire.
Chapter 15
The hail of bullets zipped past Jake. A spear of pain pierced his right shoulder as one of the bullets hit him. As he staggered backward, his foot became ensnared in a tangle of grass, causing him to lose his balance. He squeezed the trigger as he fell to the ground. His aim was spoiled, but some of the pellets still caught the stranger, causing him to yelp in pain. After Jake collapsed to the ground, he pumped another shell into the chamber and pulled the trigger one more time, but the stranger had already darted around the large crate. The pellets penetrated the wooden crate, but those of them that hit the exposed side of the steel box ricocheted every which way.
The stranger crouched down behind the supply drop to get out of Jake¡¯s line of fire. He kept his shotgun pointed at the crate, but his opponent was smarter than to pop up from cover. The wooden crate couldn¡¯t offer much protection, but the high-grade steel box inside of it could withstand the force of bullet impacts, creating an effective protective barrier against ballistic threats. Having taken cover behind the bulletproof steel box, the stranger remained hidden behind it, and unless something forced him to, he wasn¡¯t going to leave the secure shelter the steel box provided.
Jake cursed under his breath. This was not how he¡¯d hoped it would go. He wasn¡¯t keen on fighting a fellow survivor for no significant reason. However, he held onto the hope that there might still be a chance to resolve the conflict peacefully.
¡°How badly are you injured?¡± Jake yelled to the stranger.
There was a brief pause before his opponent shouted back. ¡°What do you care?¡±
¡°I have some stimpaks on me.¡±
¡°Yeah? So?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have to fight. I can give you some of my stimpaks so you can heal yourself.¡±
Jake heard the stranger laugh.
¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± the stranger shouted from behind the supply box. ¡°You only want to lure me out into the open so you can shoot me dead.¡±
¡°No. I wasn¡¯t planning on killing you to begin with. In fact, I was actually willing to share the supplies from the box with you.¡±
¡°Oh really? And I¡¯m just supposed to believe you?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t me who started shooting first, was it?¡±
The stranger was silent for a moment.
¡°You were pointing your shotgun at me,¡± the stranger finally said.
¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t be too careful in this world. But I wasn¡¯t going to start shooting at you unless I had to. You opening fire on me left me no choice.¡±
The stranger fell silent again, probably reflecting his words. While he was thinking, Jake glanced at his wounded shoulder. The bullet had only grazed him, leaving a shallow scratch across his flesh. The wound was bleeding but not too much.
¡°So what do you propose we do?¡± the stranger said, prompting Jake to return his attention to the supply drop the stranger was still hiding behind.
¡°Let your gun hang on its sling and come out from cover.¡±
¡°So you can shoot me?¡± the stranger said caustically.
¡°I¡¯ll do the same. As I said before, I don¡¯t want us to keep fighting.¡±
The stranger was silent for a moment.
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¡°Sorry, no deal. I still don¡¯t trust you,¡± he said. ¡°I still believe your true intention is to lead me into the open so you can shoot me.¡±
¡°So what do you suggest we do then? Keep fighting until one of us is dead?¡± Jake retorted, speaking harsher than he¡¯d intended. He was starting to lose his patience with the stranger.
He was silent for a moment.
¡°I don¡¯t want to fight either, so I have a better suggestion,¡± the stranger finally said.
¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±
¡°Drop all your guns,¡± he said dead serious. ¡°Start walking to the box with your hands raised, then open the box for me.¡±
Jake almost laughed at his suggestion. ¡°What will keep you from killing me after I open the box for you?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± the stranger said. ¡°Pinky promise.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can prove your word is trustworthy?¡±
¡°No. You¡¯re just gonna have to trust me.¡±
¡°Trust you? After you opened fire on me for no reason?¡±
The stranger didn¡¯t reply. Jake was still lying on his back, aiming his weapon at the crate. Nothing happened in the next several seconds, and Jake decided to get up. He first sat up, then slowly got to his feet, keeping the shotgun trained on the supply box all the time.
¡°What are you doing?¡± the stranger suddenly asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
This time, it was Jake who didn¡¯t reply. His silence must¡¯ve made him nervous because the stranger took a peek from around the edge of the crate. He glared at Jake for a second, then thrust his submachine gun out from around the crate and let loose with a short burst of fire. None of the bullets came anywhere near Jake, but out of self-preservation, he ducked his head anyway. The stranger dove back in cover before Jake could return fire.
Jake was pissed off now. He was trying to find a peaceful solution to this situation, but the stranger was only escalating things.
¡°Are you dead yet?¡± the stranger shouted from behind the crate.
Jake didn¡¯t reply. He was done talking. Shouldering his shotgun, he began to circle the supply drop without getting any closer to it. At some point, he saw an arm pop up above the upper edge of the crate, lobbing some object. A metal canister flew through the air in the general direction of where he¡¯d been standing moments before. Jake had played enough first-person shooters when he was younger to recognize the object.
The stun grenade clanked loudly on the asphalt, rolling across the street. The weeds and grass bursting through the cracks in the road stopped the canister long before it could¡¯ve reached his previous position. Jake looked away and closed his eyes a second before it exploded with a piercing bang and a blinding flash.
Jake opened his eyes. An afterimage hovered in his vision, but he still could see well enough to spot the stranger pop up from behind the supply drop. He pointed his submachine gun at where he assumed his opponent was. Only he was no longer there. By the time he spotted Jake off to his left and turned to face him, it was already too late.
The blast from the shotgun sent the stranger hurling backward as the load of buckshot hit him in the chest. The stranger collapsed to the ground and went still.
By the time Jake made it to where his foe lay, the afterimage had disappeared from his vision and the ringing in his ears had faded out into nothing. The stranger was still alive but barely.
¡°H-Heal me,¡± he said, looking up at him.
¡°Oh, now you want to be healed, huh?¡±
¡°You,¡± the stranger coughed. ¡°You sonofa¡ It¡¯s not fuh¡ not fair to¡ to¡ª¡±
He suddenly was overcome by a fit of coughing, gobbles of blood flying from his mouth. Then his eyes rolled back, and his body went stiff. The stranger died, and Jake never learned what he¡¯d been trying to say.
Jake stared at the dead stranger for a moment. This encounter had taught him something. Even though the world had collapsed, it didn¡¯t automatically make other survivors his allies. With the ex-human mutants, you at least knew where they stood. The survivors, on the other hand, were unpredictable, which potentially made them more dangerous than mutants.
After looting the dead body and picking up the stranger¡¯s submachine gun, he walked up to the supply drop. He looked at the security touchscreen panel attached to the exposed side of the steel box. When the stranger tried to open the box, nothing had happened, because only the one who had requested the supply drop was allowed to open it.
When Jake pressed his thumb to the touchscreen, a piece of text in white letters popped up. ENTER THE CONFIRMATION CODE THAT HAS JUST BEEN SENT TO YOUR PDA. His device beeped with an incoming notification, and Jake took it out. Sure enough, the incoming message contained the confirmation code: BQ1-39G-62R. Jake returned his attention to the security panel and typed in the code. As soon as he did so, the panel emitted a cheerful electronic sound, and the door of the steel box cracked open with a quiet hiss. It didn¡¯t have any handles, so Jake just wrapped his fingers around the edge of the door and swung it fully open.
Chapter 16
The inside of the steel box was stacked with a variety of supplies. Canned food, bottled water, ammunition, healing autoinjectors. Besides all that, there were a couple of other things that attracted Jake¡¯s attention: a rolled sleeping bag and a tactical belt with several pouches for carrying spare ammo and other stuff. Inside the supply drop were also a new weapon and a few grenades. He glanced up and down the street to make sure there were no enemies nearby that could jump him while he was distracted. He then scanned the new weapon with his PDA to see its stats.
It was a semiautomatic shotgun of common rarity, holding fifteen shells in the magazine. Its damage was somewhat lower than that of his pump-action shotgun. It had a wider spread too, which was a bad thing. He had killed the stranger with a single shotgun blast from some distance. Had he been armed with this semiautomatic shotgun, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish that, because most of the pellets would¡¯ve missed him.
Brow furrowed in thought, Jake studied at the semiautomatic shotgun in his hands. He could fire this weapon as fast as he could squeeze the trigger. It held fifteen rounds and was much easier to reload than his pump shotgun. Against mutants, the new weapon should prove to be quite effective, but against human enemies, the good old pump-action shotgun was probably much better. After giving the matter some thought, Jake decided to keep both of them for now.
He took the tactical belt from the steel box and fastened it around his waist. He then slid his spare mags, shells, and grenades into the pouches on the belt. He proceeded to take all the supplies from the steel box and store them away in his rucksack. After all that, he straightened up. Between what was already inside his pack, the loot he¡¯d taken off the dead stranger, and the supplies from the steel box, his rucksack had gotten much heavier. He even had some trouble heaving it onto his shoulders.
Gotta find a place where I can stash some of my stuff.
Besides the supplies, he also carried too many guns. He had lost his second pistol somewhere in the building and hadn¡¯t bothered to find it, but the first one was still holstered at his right hip. Besides the pistol, he had the submachine gun hanging from its sling around his neck and the pump-action shotgun slung over his left shoulder. The semiautomatic one was held in his hands. And he also had some grenades and plenty of ammo on him. He really needed to lighten his load.
Jake then picked a direction and set off. He roamed the city for a little while looking for a place where he could stash some of his stuff. He wasn¡¯t eager to carry all his supplies and weapons on him all the time. All the exploring and fighting he¡¯d done during the day was taking a toll on his body. He was dog-tired and hungry. His legs had grown so weak they could hardly carry him anymore. After he put some distance between himself and the street where the now-empty supply drop was, he stopped beside a building.
Shouldering the semiautomatic shotgun, he stepped to the entrance, listening carefully. Except for small pieces of debris crunching underfoot, all was quiet. He entered the building and surveyed the space, always pointing the shotgun where he looked. No mutants were in sight. On the other side of the room opposite the entrance was a staircase. He climbed the steps to the second floor. He couldn¡¯t climb higher, because the rest of the staircase lay in ruins. Jake found himself in a corridor lined with doors on both sides. He opened the nearest one and looked inside. The room was barren except for a layer of dust covering the floor and spider webs clinging to the corners just under the ceiling.
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A few windows were set in the wall opposite the entrance. Jake walked over to one of them and peered outside. The windows overlooked the street. Aside from the wind rustling the grass that pushed through the cracks in the asphalt, there was no other movement outside. Jake took off his rucksack and placed it on the floor under one window. He then unslung and put down the submachine gun and the pump-action shotgun. Jake planned to rest in that building, but he had to make sure there were no mutants in there that could attack him while he slept.
Holding the semiautomatic shotgun in his hands, he left the room and walked down the corridor, opening all the doors and looking into the rooms. Now that he lightened his burden, it was much easier to move. It took him some time to explore all the rooms on the first and second floors. After making sure no mutants lurked anywhere inside the building, he was finally able to relax. He returned to the room on the second floor where he¡¯d left his things. Crouching down next to his rucksack, he took the tin cans from it, examining each one and placing them on the floor. Beans with bacon. Beans with pork. Rice and stew, which looked pretty good in the picture on the outside of the doubly-layer tin. Each can had a plastic spoon in a paper covering loosely glued to its outside.
Jake detached the spoon from one of the tins and unwrapped the covering. He heated the can, waited the required three minutes, and then opened it. Steam rose from it.
¡°Ugh. Looks like shit,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Probably tastes like it, too.¡±
He used the spoon to sample the food. It wasn¡¯t as bad as he¡¯d thought. He poked at his stew, bringing large portions to his mouth. When he was done, he immediately opened another can, the steam from the self-heat misting the air, the aroma filling the room. Jake ate his fill, devouring three medium-sized cans before he felt satisfied. He then opened one of the water bottles and drank its contents, emptying the entire bottle in one go.
After he satiated his hunger and quenched his thirst, he looked at the remaining food. He had enough self-heating meals to last him a few days. It looked like he wasn¡¯t going to die from hunger in this world. Well, at least if finding fresh canned food would be as easy as it had been so far. He then laid his sleeping bag on the ground and unrolled it. As he smoothed out the wrinkles, he unzipped the bag and turned the flap to the side, revealing the inviting interior.
However, before climbing into the sleeping bag, he wanted to close the door to the room. He stood up and crossed the dusty floor. After shutting the door, he spotted an iron sliding bolt attached to it. He slid the bolt into place. Sure, if some mutants by chance got into the building and decided to crash through the door, the bolt wouldn¡¯t hold them for long, but if he kept quiet, an uninvited visitor wouldn¡¯t have a reason to try to force the door open.
Jake returned to the sleeping bag and planted his butt beside it. He placed his semiautomatic shotgun on the floor within easy reach and climbed inside the sleeping bag, feeling its warmth and comfort embrace him. For a moment, he stared at the dirty ceiling above him, his mind devoid of any thoughts. He was so tired he couldn¡¯t even think about anything.
As soon as Jake closed his eyes, he immediately fell into a deep sleep, and the dangers of the new world around him melted into sweet oblivion.
Chapter 17
Jake walked down the middle of a street, holding the semiautomatic shotgun at the ready. Except for the whistling of the wind and his footsteps, all was quiet. Yet he remained alert, constantly scanning his surroundings for any threats. Rusted old car frames lined both sides of the road. Tall grass pushed through the cracks in the asphalt, and long vines blanketed the building fronts. Jake continued to traverse the post-apocalyptic city streets, taking in the sight of abandonment and devastation.
It had been a couple of hours since he woke up in the building where he¡¯d spent the night. For the next several minutes, he had been checking the building for threats, but just like the previous day, there were no enemies within the premises. Jake was relieved that no mutants had entered the building while he slept as he¡¯d feared could happen. After returning to the second-floor room, he pondered for a bit and decided to use this place as his secret hideout. This room was as good for storing his belongings as any. He left behind most of the canned food and bottled water as well as the sleeping bag and the pump-action shotgun. After picking up a few essentials and packing them into his rucksack, he hoisted it onto his shoulders.
He took out his PDA and marked the location of the building on the map. The operating system of his PDA allowed him to input a short text limited to fourteen characters to use as a label. Taking advantage of this function, he labeled the pin as HIDEOUT.
He then noticed that there was an asterisk above the Diary tab, indicating there was something new in there. He tapped on the tab to open it. There were two entries in the Diary.
Day 1: The Awakening
It¡¯s been six years since the event known as the Collapse turned Earth into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I was fortunate enough to live through the Collapse, but now I have to learn to survive in this dangerous new world.
Jake recalled having seen the short piece of text yesterday. However, below it was a new entry that caught his interest. Jake proceeded to read it.
Day 2: Survival of the Fittest
Despite all the dangers that I encountered during the previous day, I managed to survive. I faced various types of mutants and had to defend myself against another survivor who tried to steal my supply drop before attacking me. In the evening, I found a good place where I could crash. Nothing woke me up or attacked me during the night. I slept like a baby and now feel refreshed and ready to handle whatever the new day may throw at me.
Just like the first entry, Jake hadn¡¯t written it himself¡ªit was added to the Diary of its own volition. And it¡¯d apparently happened after Jake woke up, though he hadn¡¯t heard his PDA emit any sounds to inform him about it. He racked his brain, trying to remember if the device had emitted a sound when the first entry appeared in the Diary. As far as he could remember, it hadn¡¯t, but he wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure about that. He came to the conclusion that his PDA likely emitted audible alerts solely for critical notifications that required attention.
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Giving the matter no more thought, Jake switched to the map. Those parts of the city that he¡¯d explored yesterday were visible, but the rest of the city remained obscured by the gray mist. He placed a marker on a misted-over, unexplored part of the city and then stowed his PDA in his inner jacket pocket. Next, he picked up the semiautomatic shotgun. He briefly contemplated leaving the submachine gun behind to avoid carrying too much weight. Ultimately, he opted to bring both weapons, draping the submachine gun around his neck before exiting the building.
For the next couple of hours, Jake had been exploring the city. Every now and then, he took out his PDA to consult the map. However, he didn¡¯t do it too often for fear of being jumped by mutants while he was distracted.
At some point, he entered a building that seemed vaguely familiar. He stepped in for a quick look. After taking a moment to glance around, he realized he¡¯d indeed already explored this building yesterday. He recalled finding a spare pistol mag in one of the decrepit cabinets inside the room he was in. Without any particular reason, simply on a whim, he decided to look into the same cabinet. He made his way across the room and opened the cabinet door. When he looked inside, he was surprised to find an autoinjector resting on a shelf in the precise spot where the pistol magazine had been the day before.
This discovery made him think. Did it mean that the system reset this world at the beginning of each new day, causing all previously looted locations to refresh and new items to reappear in the same places? Since it was a game-like world, he wouldn¡¯t be all that surprised if that was the case.
He decided to put this theory to the test and over the next hour, retraced his steps through the familiar streets he had explored yesterday. He entered the buildings he¡¯d looted the day before and found new items in them, mostly ammo or canned food. It became evident that the system did indeed refresh this game-like world every twenty-four hours, causing new items to respawn in previously looted locations at the start of a new day.
The same went for mutants as Jake found out a little later on. When he arrived at the high-rise building where he¡¯d completed a mission yesterday, he saw that the empty supply drop and the dead body of the survivor he¡¯d killed remained in the same spots. However, when he entered the building, there were no dead bodies of the mutants he¡¯d killed the day before. Instead, living ones wandered around the hall as if they had been resurrected, which might have been the case. Or the dead bodies had simply disappeared, and new mutants had materialized where the corpses of the previous ones had once lain.
Anyway, Jake left the building before the resurrected mutants could spot him. For a moment, he just stood on the sidewalk, contemplating the situation. That new items reappeared every new day was a good thing. Thanks to that, he would always be able to find ammo and food. Living as a scavenger wasn¡¯t his dream life, but at least, he would be able to survive. But it was a bad thing that previously killed mutants respawned every day too. It meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to find a peaceful place anywhere in this world, requiring him to constantly remain vigilant and prepared to fight monsters.
He then studied the map on his PDA for a moment. He located the marker he had placed earlier and oriented himself. With his bearings set, he resumed his trek to the unexplored parts of the city.
Chapter 18
While exploring the unfamiliar section of the city, Jake encountered massive crevices that crisscrossed the streets, significantly impeding his progress. While some of them were narrow enough for him to step over, others required him to leap to clear them. He had to be real careful not to fall into them. And some crevices were so massive he didn¡¯t leap over them for fear that he might not be able to make it to the other side. Finding a crack too wide to jump over, he cautiously followed it until he discovered a narrower point where he could cross safely.
At some moment, he approached the edge of one of the exceptionally wide crevices to peer down into it. The deep crevice revealed the dark, labyrinthine network of the sewers below. While peering into another deep crevice, Jake spotted a strange creature lurking below. Before he could get a better look, the creature vanished into the depths of the sewers. Later, as he leaned over another crack, Jake spotted a similar creature in a sewer tunnel below. The creature had its long snout buried in a pile of repulsive waste, likely scavenging for food.
He wanted to take a moment to study the creature, but something suddenly spooked it¡ªor maybe it had sensed him somehow¡ªand the creature ran away. Or more accurately, bounded away because the creature kind of moved like a kangaroo, hopping on its powerful hind legs and using its long tail for balance. The creature leaned forward and swung its front limbs, helping itself maintain balance and direction. The movement was jumpy and bouncy, allowing the creature to cover long distances with each hop. It moved really fast, vanishing from view before Jake could discern any additional details about it.
He continued to traverse the streets crisscrossed by massive crevices. While walking along the edge of one crevice, he noticed a group of creatures in the sewer tunnel below. They looked like the one he¡¯d spotted earlier. The creatures were completely focused on devouring something. The lack of sunlight filtering in through the narrow crack left the sewer tunnel cloaked in semi-darkness. It took Jake a moment to discern what they were feasting on¡ªthe dead body of another creature that looked exactly like them. They tore huge chunks of flesh from the corpse with their sharp teeth and swallowed them whole. The repulsive creatures were so absorbed in their meal that they remained oblivious to Jake, who was leaning over the crevice a few meters above them.
As he studied them, he realized each of those creatures was a strange mix of a rat and a kangaroo, similar in size to the latter. It meant that not only human beings had been turned into mutants after the Collapse, but animals had also undergone the same fate. Jake was about to take out his PDA and scan the rat-like creatures to learn more about them when a roar echoed through the tunnel down below. The rat-like creatures immediately lifted their heads to look in the direction the sound had come from. Jake was prompted to follow their gaze, but he didn¡¯t see anything at first. A moment later, another creature emerged from the darker parts of the tunnel.
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This newcomer differed very much from the rat-like creatures. It resembled an alligator with the torso of a bear, matching the size of the latter. Without a doubt, this creature was a predator, emanating a menacing aura. The rat-like creatures scurried away, bounding on their hind legs and emitting terrified shrill cries, while the bear-alligator relentlessly pursued its prey. They all vanished from Jake¡¯s sight into one of the other tunnels.
The sewers were a terrifying place, that was for damn sure. Jake had no desire to descend into them for any reason. He wondered what level the bear-alligator was. That creature had appeared strong enough to withstand a blast from his shotgun at point-blank range. He wished he could have scanned the creature with his PDA to assess its strength.
He continued his trek through the crevice-ridden streets. When he jumped over another large crack, he was barely able to make it to the other side. He landed just on the edge of the crevice and for a moment, balanced there, the soles of his boots extending an inch over the chasm. He swung his arms violently, trying not to fall into the abyss behind him. Luckily, he was able to maintain his balance. After regaining control of his body, he took a wide step forward, his heart pounding and his breath coming in heavy gasps.
¡°Shit,¡± he panted. ¡°Fuck. It was close.¡±
After calming down a bit, he glanced over his shoulder to look into the crevice he¡¯d almost fallen into. In the dark sewer tunnel down below stood several mutated rat-like creatures, looking up, their evil red eyes bearing into him. Jake couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought of falling beneath the fractured surface where those scary creatures resided. The very thought of being surrounded by those huge mutated rat-like creatures sent a shiver down his spine.
After the incident, Jake decided not to take any more unnecessary chances and from then on, started navigating around wider cracks instead of leaping over them as he previously had. After some time, he finally left the streets marred by deep crevices behind him. With the need to constantly watch his steps lifted, Jake felt a sense of relief and was able to relax, even if just a little.
He pressed on with his journey through the ravaged post-apocalyptic city. Occasionally, he would explore deserted buildings in search of loot. Some buildings contained canned food and ammunition, conveniently placed there by the system for survivors like him to find.
Upon entering the lobby of another skyscraper, Jake surveyed the scene of devastation. Debris littered the area, making it impossible to access the upper levels¡ªthe elevators were out of order, and the staircases lay in ruins. The wide expanse of the first floor justified taking a few minutes to search for valuable items, though.
Jake sidestepped a mound of rubble and was about to continue walking across the room when something caught his attention, causing him to pause. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something in the middle of the lobby, and he turned his head that way to see what it was.
His brow furrowed as he muttered to himself, ¡°What the hell is that?¡±
His mind struggled to make sense of the mysterious sight before him.
Chapter 19
There was something strange in the center of the lobby. Jake wasn¡¯t even sure what he was seeing. There seemed to be some sort of distortion hovering in the air a few feet above the floor. The effect bore a resemblance to heat waves rising off the pavement of a sunbaked road. Those waves¡ªor whatever the heck it was¡ªmaterialized a few feet above the floor, rising a few more feet higher before dissipating. This whole phenomenon spanned a few meters across.
Jake just stared at it for a few seconds. This strange thing remained suspended in the air. It didn¡¯t go away, didn¡¯t increase or decrease in size. It didn¡¯t seem to affect its surroundings in any way either. Whatever it was, at first glance, it seemed harmless. Sure enough, Jake wasn¡¯t deceived by its seemingly innocent appearance. This strange thing wasn¡¯t normal. He had never seen anything like that before, not in his former life or in this unfamiliar world he now found himself in. Taking care not to step too close to the phenomenon, he slowly walked around it, studying it from every angle until he made a full circle and returned to his initial position. The thing seemed to be voluminous and looked the same from every direction.
Jake took out his PDA and pointed the camera at the phenomenon. When the lens focused on it, he pressed the SCAN button. A piece of text immediately appeared on the screen. MAGICAL ANOMALY. NAME: UNKNOWN. DESCRIPTION: UNKNOWN. DANGER LEVEL: UNKNOWN. TIP: UPGRADE YOUR PDA TO LEVEL 2 TO BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY SCAN LEVEL 11-20 MAGICAL ANOMALIES.
Returning the PDA to his jacket pocket, he gazed at the phenomenon before him. So this thing was a magical anomaly of some kind. Scanning this thing didn¡¯t provide him with any useful information on it¡ªhow do I upgrade my PDA anyway?¡ªbut he still was able to learn a little bit about it. The magical anomaly had a Danger Level attribute, which meant that this thing was actually dangerous to a certain degree. Jake was glad he¡¯d taken precautions not to get too close to it.
He looked around the room and picked up a piece of concrete about the size of his fist. Hefting the chunk in his hand, he took a step back from the anomaly. Then another one. Then yet another. After giving the matter some thought, he decided to move all the way back to the entrance to the building. He judged the distance to the anomaly and concluded he should be able to throw the chunk of concrete far enough for it to reach the magical anomaly. He didn¡¯t know what would happen when the piece of debris hit it. What if it would explode and the whole building would collapse in on itself? It seemed unlikely, but he was sure something would definitely happen, which was why he wanted to stay as far from the anomaly as possible.
He cocked his arm and then powerfully hurled the piece of concrete. It arched through the air toward the anomaly. Jake got ready to bolt out of the building at the first sign of danger. The strange phenomenon glared briefly when the piece of concrete hit it. The chunk entered the magical anomaly, and then its movement was suddenly arrested. It just hovered motionlessly in midair inside the anomaly as if some mysterious gravitational force was holding it there.
What the heck?
Then, a couple of seconds later, the piece of debris flew out of the anomaly with increased velocity. Startled, Jake instinctively crouched down, anticipating the projectile to zip back toward him. However, it didn¡¯t fly exactly back at him but swerved to the side instead. The piece of concrete crashed into the wall to his right with such force the chunk shattered into several smaller ones, scattering across the area.
Okay, Jake thought. Gotta make sure not to fire my guns into that anomaly.
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If any objects entering the magical anomaly behaved the same way the piece of concrete just had, shooting at the phenomenon would be a disaster because the anomaly would send bullets and pellets buzzing every which way like angry hornets. If he didn¡¯t want to run the risk of getting hit by his own bullets, he had better not fire in the hall at all or at least, place his shots carefully to make sure they didn¡¯t get anywhere near the anomaly.
For the next several minutes, he explored the first floor of the building. He discovered nothing of value and encountered no mutants during his search. On his way out of the building, he glanced at the magical anomaly one last time. It was still suspended in the same spot a few feet above the floor, distorting the air like heat waves rising off hot, sunbaked asphalt.
Jake continued to explore the devastated city, entering various buildings at random. At some point, he chanced on a multi-story parking garage. The arm barrier was missing, and the guard station at the entrance had all its windows shattered, but the booth itself stood relatively intact. Stepping into the first level of the dimly lit car park, Jake paused to let his eyes adjust to the subdued lighting. The submachine gun was slung over his shoulder while he gripped the semiautomatic shotgun tightly in his hands. However, there were no mutants anywhere to be seen, and no sound that might indicate their presence in the car park could be heard.
On the far side of the space, opposite the entrance, a solitary pickup truck sat in the empty parking garage, with no other vehicles in sight. Jake decided not to venture into the upper levels, but he wanted to check out the pickup truck. The echoes of his footsteps reverberated through the silent expanse as he approached the vehicle. In contrast to the rusted and abandoned cars he had encountered so far, the pickup truck appeared to be in drivable condition, piquing Jake¡¯s interest and prompting him to investigate further.
He tried the driver¡¯s door and found it unlocked. Glancing around to make sure he was still alone and wasn¡¯t about to get himself into some kind of trap, he slid inside the cab. He checked the glove box and found the keys there. He stuck them into the ignition and turned. The engine growled to life, and slight waves of vibrations coursed through the frame of the vehicle. A quick glance at the dashboard told him that the truck¡¯s tank was full.
Jake was taken aback to have found a functional vehicle in the midst of the devastation of this post-apocalyptic world. On the other hand, it was a game-like world, and lots of things here were governed by video game rules. The pickup truck had obviously been placed in the car park by the system for survivors to find.
Jake wasn¡¯t sure if the pickup truck would be of much use to him, though. After all, some sections of the ravaged city were literally impossible to cross on a car, like those streets that were split open by massive crevices. But he was going to use the car anyway. If he got stuck somewhere or ran out of gas, he would simply ditch the truck and continue to explore the city on foot.
As he grabbed the shifter and pushed it into first gear, he pondered whether another vehicle would materialize in the very same spot within the car park at the beginning of the next day, much like the reappearance of items in looted houses and the revival of killed mutants.
When Jake hit the gas and the car began to roll forward, he seemed to hear some sounds over the growl of the engine. A second later, a horde of ex-human mutants descended the ramp from the upper level of the parking garage. His heart skipped a beat as he watched the mutants surge toward his pickup truck.
Where the hell did they all come from? Were they simply hiding on the upper levels, making no sounds at all? Or had he triggered a game event when he began to drive the car, causing all those mutants to materialize out of thin air?
Lots of questions pelted his mind, but he had no time to look for answers. The mutants swarmed into the first level of the car park and barreled toward the pickup truck, teeth bared, claws outstretched. He swiftly maneuvered the pickup truck to face the exit. However, he knew that the mutants would reach him long before he could gain enough acceleration to give them the slip.
There was nothing he could do except get prepared to be surrounded by the swarm of ex-human mutants. A surge of adrenaline coursed through him as he braced for the harrowing confrontation.
Chapter 20
The first mutant to reach his pickup truck slammed against the door on the passenger¡¯s side. It slammed its clawed hands against the window, but the glass held. The mutant stood on the running board, pounding its hands on the window. The shotgun that Jake had put between the two front seats was within easy reach, but he hoped to get away from the mutants without resorting to fighting them because it wouldn¡¯t be easy to drive and fire his shotgun at the same time.
Jake felt a bump as two other walkers ran right in the path of his pickup truck as he kept accelerating. The front of the vehicle slammed into them, sending one mutant tumbling to the ground. The pickup truck jolted as it rolled over the fallen mutant¡¯s body, causing all four wheels to bounce. The second mutant was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle. The vile creature managed to cling to it, grabbing a wiper blade with one clawed hand while pounding on the windshield with the other in a frenzied attempt to break through.
Jake heard ominous growling and scraping sounds from behind, prompting him to glance in the rearview window. To his horror, he saw two more mutants vault over the tailgate and into the bed. Before he could do something about it, the passenger¡¯s window burst apart in an explosion of hundreds of glass shards flying in as the mutant standing on the running board finally breached the cab. Despite its efforts, the mutant couldn¡¯t quite reach Jake with its clawed hands, though. Frustrated, the creature began wiggling its way into the car in a desperate attempt to get closer to him.
Jake took his right hand off the steering wheel and gripped the handle of his pistol. He slid the gun out of its holster and pointed the muzzle of his pistol at the creature¡¯s face just as the mutant was about to grab him with its claws. The first round he fired shattered the mutant¡¯s lower jaw, sending broken teeth flying every which way. The second bullet drilled into one of its eyes, turning it into a pulpy mass inside its socket. The third one punched the vile creature through the forehead, and the mutant finally got detached from the vehicle.
The explosion of glass from behind caused Jake to jerk his head to look over his shoulder. Another mutant was trying to get through the shattered back window. His pistol wasn¡¯t very effective against the mutants, so Jake tossed the handgun on the passenger seat and grabbed the semiautomatic shotgun instead. Holding the weapon one-handed, he pointed it back just as the mutant began to slither inside the vehicle. He squeezed the trigger, firing at almost point-blank range. The roar of the gunshot was devastating in the close confines of the car. The load of buckshot blew the mutant¡¯s head apart, sending the now headless body flying out of the window frame.
There was another mutant in the bed. Seeing that the window wasn¡¯t blocked anymore, the vile creature rushed toward it with the intention of getting into the car. Propping the shotgun on the bottom edge of the shattered window, Jake readjusted his aim and fired at the other mutant. The shot carved a huge hole out of its chest, sending the creature tumbling over the tailgate and onto the floor of the parking garage.
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The pickup truck was now moving up the ramp, and Jake realized he was about to drive out of the parking garage. He looked forward just as the vehicle shot out of the building. He slammed on the brakes, causing the car to come to a sudden stop with the screech of protesting tires. The mutant clinging to the hood was flung forward, losing its grip and tearing off the wiper blade that was still held in its clawed hand. Before the mutant could rise from the road, Jake pressed down on the gas pedal, propelling the car forward with all four wheels rolling over the creature¡¯s body. He steered to the left, keeping his right hand on the lever, swiftly upshifting gears to accelerate as fast as possible. The road was more or less intact and there were no obstacles up ahead, so nothing prevented him from accelerating.
A quick glance in the rearview window revealed dozens of mutants pouring out of the car park, giving chase. Despite their efforts, Jake was already driving too fast for them to catch up with his car. Gradually falling behind, the mutants faded into the distance as Jake continued on. After passing a few more blocks, he eased off the gas and applied the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a stop. Peering over his shoulder, Jake confirmed that there were no enemies in pursuit behind him.
Jake pushed open the driver¡¯s door and stepped out of the car. He walked to the back of the vehicle and looked into the bed. The headless body of the mutant he¡¯d killed still lay there. The PDA in his inner jacket pocket emitted a notification sound. He took out the device and glanced at the screen. The text told him he¡¯d received some XP for killing several ex-human mutants. He dismissed the notification and scanned the dead mutant for loot. DEAD EX-HUMAN WALKER: EMPTY. After pocketing the device, Jake lowered the tailgate and dragged the dead body out of the truck¡¯s bed. He then walked around the vehicle, studying it. The back and passenger¡¯s windows were shattered, and one of the wipers had been torn off. Other than that, the truck hadn¡¯t sustained any more damage in the attack.
Jake slid back behind the steering wheel and swung the driver¡¯s door shut. When he got attacked by the mutants in the car park, his adrenal system had dumped a harrowing payload of its special concoction into his bloodstream. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he felt tired as his body¡¯s energy levels returned back down to normal. Sinking into the driver¡¯s seat, he took a moment to rest. During every battle with mutants, he felt a surge of both fear and excitement. This world was extremely dangerous, but it suddenly dawned on him that he was starting to like it, which surprised him a great deal. He realized he preferred this dangerous yet thrilling world over his previous boring life as an office worker struggling to make ends meet. His new life was much simpler but way more exciting, that was for damn sure.
He put the car into drive and drove on. He traveled around the streets for a little while and at some point, spotted a hospital. Since this world was governed by video-game rules, he knew there would likely be healing autoinjectors, or stimpaks, in the hospital. Eager to stock up on these valuable items, he veered off the road, pulling into the parking lot in front of the hospital. You could never have enough of those miraculous medications. Before getting out of the car, he scanned his surroundings, but there were no mutants in sight. However, he knew he had to remain cautious, knowing that there could still be threats inside the hospital.
After topping off his shotgun with extra shells, Jake exited his truck and made his way across the parking lot toward the building.
Chapter 21
Jake squeezed the trigger just as another ex-human mutant lurched at him. The load of buckshot sent the creature flying to the other end of the corridor. One of the doors lining the wall on his right swung open, and yet another ex-human walker showed up. Jake wheeled to face it, pointing his weapon at the new threat. As the walker jumped toward him, Jake blew a hole out of its chest, sending the mutant¡¯s body flying back into the room it¡¯d just emerged from. The devastating power of his shotgun at close range proved to be highly effective in dispatching the mutants.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted a flicker of movement to his left. He spun to face that way and saw an ex-human leaper crawl out of an air vent. These mutants were way more agile and faster than the walkers were. Just as Jake lined up his iron sights on the new enemy, it leaped toward him. He hastily squeezed the trigger, hitting the monster in midair and sending it flying back. Its body crashed into the wall and crumpled to the floor in a heap of twisted and broken limbs.
Jake continued to make his way through the corridors and rooms of the hospital, dealing with ex-human mutants as they showed up. There were quite a lot of mutants in the hospital. They emerged from various rooms, attracted to the sounds of the gunfire. So far, they hadn¡¯t caused him too much trouble, though. He was quickly getting quite proficient at fighting ex-humans.
At some point, when he was jumped by a few obnoxious creatures at once, he had to switch to the submachine gun because he¡¯d just fired the last shell and didn¡¯t have time to reload his shotgun. He let loose a spray of bullets, hitting the approaching mutants in various parts of their bodies. However, they kept advancing at him, unfazed. That gun wasn¡¯t all that effective against them, that was for damn sure. Grinding his teeth, he aimed for the head of the nearest mutant and fired a short burst of bullets. While some of them missed their target, the others struck true, drilling into the creature¡¯s skull. Even before the mutant dropped to the floor, Jake was already firing at the other mutant in line, dealing with it before it could reach him.
When he completely ran out of ammo for the submachine gun, he decided to discard the weapon altogether. Dropping the depleted gun to the floor, he unslung his trusty semiautomatic shotgun and reloaded it. He continued his exploration of the hospital, taking care of every mutant he met on his way. During moments of respite from combat, he scanned the dead bodies with his PDA for valuable loot. In this world governed by video game mechanics, some of the deceased mutants yielded ammunition hidden in the pockets of their dirty, tattered clothing. Had it not been the case, Jake would have run out of ammo a long time ago.
After successfully eliminating every last mutant infesting the hospital, Jake finally had the opportunity to thoroughly search the building for valuable loot. During his intense confrontation with the mutants, there had been little time to focus on scavenging for supplies. Over the next half hour, he methodically retraced his steps, inspecting each room for any useful items. Within the cabinets and drawers scattered throughout the hospital, he found healing autoinjectors, which he carefully stored in his rucksack for future use in this perilous world.
In the final room of the hospital, he found something interesting. On a dusty table next to one wall, illuminated by a shaft of dim light filtering through a crack in the curtains, lay what looked like an old roll of paper. Its edges were frayed and curling slightly, and the surface was weathered and yellowed. Jake looked at the roll of paper for a second, but he dismissed it as a useless piece of trash. What lay beside the paper roll, resting on the worn wooden surface, looked way more captivating. It was a round piece of glass softly glistening in the dim light. It was about an inch around or maybe a little bit bigger than that. Within its transparent depths, a mysterious bluish glow danced and pulsed, casting ethereal patterns across the tabletop.
¡°Wow,¡± Jake muttered as he stepped closer to the table for a better look. Whatever the round piece of glass was, it was beautiful. It seemed strange that such a wonderful item could exist in this devastated dead world.
He took out his PDA and scanned the item. MANA BEAD: 100 MP (COMMON). Mana, huh? Jake then remembered something. Holding the device in one hand, he tapped on the very first tab, which was called Statistics, and the screen with his general stats appeared. It contained some basic information like his name, level, XP, and whatnot. There was another line in there. Mana: 0. The term ¡°Mana¡± triggered a recollection from his past¡ªmemories of fantasy video games he played during his teenage years flooded back to him. In those games, mana was depicted as a form of magical energy essential for casting spells, typically replenishing itself over time. Contrary to his gaming experience, mana in this unfamiliar world appeared to function very differently.
Jake scanned the mana bead one more time to make sure he didn¡¯t overlook any critical details about the enigmatic item. He then placed the device on the table and picked up the mana bead. He brought it closer to his eyes, peering into its depths. He could see some kind of bluish mist with dancing tendrils swirling about inside the sphere. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the beautiful bluish mist inside the bead was mana, and he needed to somehow extract that magical energy. But how to do it? His PDA hadn¡¯t provided him with the answer when he scanned the magical item. Maybe he needed to break the bead? He decided to give it a try.
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He clenched it in his fist only to find it was as hard as a rock. He then struck it forcefully against the wall, but it didn¡¯t damage the mana bead at all. He repeated the process a few more times, achieving the same zero result. At some point, Jake resorted to more drastic measures, deciding to use his shotgun in a desperate bid to crack the resistant object. He put the mana bead on the floor in one of the corners of the room and shot it with his shotgun. The resounding blast from his powerful weapon hit the mana bead, propelling it to the ceiling before it rebounded to the opposite wall. To his astonishment, upon retrieving the mana bead and inspecting it closely, Jake discovered that not a single scratch marred its transparent surface. The blast from the shotgun had failed to make even the slightest dent on the enigmatic item.
What the heck? Is this thing actually unbreakable?
It didn¡¯t seem likely. There should be a way to extract the mana from the bead¡ªhe was sure of that.
Think, Jake, think. If you were playing an actual video game, what would you do?
The answer was simple. He would simply press a button to extract the magical energy from the mana bead. In this world, however, the only way to glean information about an item was by scanning it with his PDA. He¡¯d already scanned the mana bead, but the device hadn¡¯t provided any guidance on utilizing the magical item.
For a few seconds, Jake was gazing into the bead, watching the mesmerizing dance of the bluish mist within. Then, in a sudden burst of inspiration, he simply commanded the mana to be extracted from the bead, and¡ªvoil¨¤!¡ªto his great surprise, this basic mental command worked like a charm. The magical energy flowed out of the bead as if it were intangible, drifting through the air toward his hand before being absorbed into his skin. The item he held in his hand was just an empty glass bauble now. To make sure he couldn¡¯t use it anymore, Jake returned to the table and picked up his PDA. On the screen was a notification. YOU HAVE JUST RECEIVED 100 MANA POINTS. He acknowledged the message with a tap, then scanned the empty mana bead once more. As he¡¯d expected, the device told him that the mana bead was just a useless glass trinket now. He dropped it to the floor, and it shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces.
So now you can break so easily, huh, he thought.
His attention shifted to the aged parchment in front of him. Now aware of the existence of mana in this world, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the ancient-looking scroll held more significance than he had initially believed. With a sense of anticipation, he used his PDA to scan the parchment. The screen displayed: MAGICAL SCROLL: PUSH (COMMON) (COST: 100 MANA POINTS). He carefully returned the PDA to his jacket pocket and picked up the ancient scroll, unrolling it to reveal unfamiliar symbols that shimmered with a mysterious golden luminescence. Then he remembered how he¡¯d used the mana bead and did the same, commanding the scroll to impart its knowledge to him. There was a brief flash of light that blinded him for a second. When his vision cleared, he found the text had vanished. Like the mana bead before it, the scroll now held no value for him, so he let it fall from his grasp.
Okay. Now what?
He took out his PDA. Sure enough, there was another message displayed across the screen. YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A PUSH SPELL (COMMON) (X1). He acknowledged the message with a tap. It should keep a record of how many spells I currently have. He opened the very first tab and there it was¡ªat the very end of his stats was a line of text saying PUSH SPELL (COMMON) (X1) (COST: 100 MANA POINTS). Does it mean I can only use it once? It certainly seemed that way. He glanced at another line in his stats. MANA: 100. The mana bead had provided him with precisely enough magical energy to cast the spell.
One use or not, he wanted to use the spell right away simply to learn how magic worked in this world. Pocketing his device, he scanned the room before deciding on a decrepit chair as his target. He crossed the room to where the chair was and dragged it to the center of the room. He then took a few steps back and turned to face the chair.
As it turned out, using magic was simple. He didn¡¯t know if he had to extend a hand toward his target or not, but he did it anyway. He then gave a mental command to use his Push spell on the chair. Immediately after that, he felt a surge of energy burst from within him, propelling forward with a swift whoosh. The invisible force collided with the chair, launching it forcefully backward across the room until it crashed into the wall, shattering into multiple wooden fragments upon impact.
¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± Jake exclaimed.
He took out his PDA again. First of all, he checked the battle log.
You have cast a Push spell for 100 mana points.
He then switched to the very first tab¡ªStatistics. His mana had depleted back to zero, and the Push spell had disappeared as well. So he was back to square one¡ªhe had no mana and no spells again. Still, he had gleaned a new piece of useful information about this world. Spells learned from scrolls could be used only one time. As for mana, it could be extracted from mana beads¡ªand maybe some other similar items. Whether there was another way to replenish his mana was unknown to him yet.
Anyway, he now knew for sure magic existed in this game-like world, and this discovery excited him a great deal. He was surely going to be on the lookout for more magical scrolls and mana consumables from now on. He didn¡¯t know where he could find them, though. Perhaps, they just spawned in random places.
After that, Jake exited the hospital, eager to uncover the other secrets hidden in this new world, waiting to be revealed.
Chapter 22
Jake drove around the post-apocalyptic city in his vehicle, occasionally pulling up near various buildings to search for useful items. During his exploration, he stumbled upon a police station at one point. He went inside, expecting to find a new weapon or at least some ammo in there. However, to his surprise, he encountered something unexpected¡ªwhat looked like an ATM machine was positioned just inside the entrance. It appeared brand-new, catching his attention, but before walking up to it, he glanced around to make sure there were no enemies nearby.
To his surprise, upon closer inspection, Jake discovered that it was no ATM at all but rather some sort of vending machine, and it was fully operational. Intrigued by this unexpected find, he casually slung the shotgun over his shoulder and reached out to touch the screen, scrolling through the list of items for sale with curiosity. The vending machine offered a wide array of items, including various types of ammunition, canned food, water bottles in different sizes, healing autoinjectors, clothing, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, web gear, holsters, tactical belts, and more. Despite the plethora of useful items available for purchase, Jake noticed that everything was incredibly expensive. He was taken aback by the high prices, noting that even the most basic item, such as a pistol magazine, cost a whopping thousand credits. For a moment, he contemplated whether or not to make a purchase. However, his attention was soon drawn to something intriguing at the very bottom of the list.
LEVEL 2 PDA UPGRADE. COST: 10,000 CREDITS
LEVEL 3 PDA UPGRADE. COST: 25,000 CREDITS
His PDA¡¯s level was 1. Yesterday, Jake had completed a mission, earning ten thousand credits, so he now had just enough funds to upgrade his PDA to Level 2. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the upgrade to Level 3 cost even more money. It appeared the cost of every subsequent upgrade rose exponentially.
The vending machine had only two upgrades. Where could he get more? Maybe some other vending machines sold them? He was sure there was more than one vending machine in the city¡ªhe just hadn¡¯t found others yet. Or maybe Level 4+ upgrades would appear for sale later on? Jake figured he would find out at a later time. For now, he could afford only one upgrade anyway.
He tapped on the screen, and a piece of additional info popped up.
NAME: LEVEL 2 PDA UPGRADE.
DESCRIPTION: THIS UPGRADE UNLOCKS NEW FEATURES FOR YOUR PDA SUCH AS HEALTH SCREEN, WORLD MAP, AND THE ABILITY TO SCAN LEVEL 11-20 MAGICAL ANOMALIES.
COST: 10,000 CREDITS
YOU HAVE ENOUGH CREDITS TO PURCHASE THIS ITEM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY IT: YES / NO
Jake tapped the Yes button. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE! His PDA emitted a beeping sound, and he took out the device. He looked at the screen and read the notification he¡¯d just received. LEVEL 2 SOFTWARE UPGRADE HAS JUST BEEN DOWNLOADED. DO YOU WANT TO INSTALL IT: YES / NO. Jake selected Yes, and for the next several seconds, his device was installing the software upgrade. Then a new message appeared on the screen. LEVEL 2 UPGRADE HAS JUST BEEN INSTALLED. THREE NEW FEATURES HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED: HEALTH SCREEN, WORLD MAP, AND THE ABILITY TO SCAN LEVEL 11-20 MAGICAL ANOMALIES.
Jake acknowledged the information with a tap and looked at the interface of his device. Sure enough, there was a new tab along the bottom of the screen now. It was called Health, and when he tapped on it, an outline of a human body appeared on the screen. Next to each part of the body was a numerical value. Jake realized the Health screen allowed him to check the status of his injuries and overall health. This screen provided a detailed overview of the condition of each part of his body, highlighting any injuries or ailments he might have sustained.
The Health screen definitely was very useful, and Jake decided to take a moment to study it more carefully. As he already noticed, in the middle of the screen was displayed an outline of a human body. Next to each part of the body¡ªhead, torso, arms, and legs¡ªthere was a percentage value indicating the health status of that specific body part. The percentage reflected the level of damage or injury sustained in that area.
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His legs were at 100%, but his torso and arms were in somewhat less than perfect condition. When he tapped on them, a list of injuries appeared¡ªa few bruises and scratches on his arms and torso that he had sustained yesterday while battling a massive mutant known as a shambler and some other ex-humans during his mission. The screen also displayed some treatment options. It indicated that his current injuries¡ªthe old scratches and bruises¡ªwould completely heal in just a few days. The Health screen could also show any status effects affecting him, such as radiation poisoning, bleeding, risk of infection, and other temporary debuffs. Currently, he had no negative effects impacting him.
Overall, the Health screen proved to be an incredibly valuable feature. Jake returned to the main screen. Finding no new tabs available, he carefully placed the device back into his jacket pocket. He glanced at the screen of the vending machine one more time. There was another upgrade available for sale, but he didn¡¯t have any more money. He made a mental note to return to the vending machine to purchase the Level 3 PDA Upgrade once he accumulated twenty-five thousand credits.
He then exited the building and returned to his pickup truck. He swung the driver¡¯s door open and slid behind the steering wheel, pondering his next move. Perhaps he should head back to the building where he had spotted a magical anomaly earlier? With his PDA now upgraded to Level 2, Jake anticipated that he could gather useful information by scanning the magical anomaly again. Jake retrieved his PDA and accessed the map, but he couldn¡¯t recall the location of the building with the magical anomaly. Having visited lots of high-rises in the past couple of hours, Jake studied the map intently, wracking his brain to remember which of the buildings held the anomaly, but he simply couldn¡¯t remember.
Then he noticed something. There were three buttons at the bottom of the Map screen¡ªLOCAL, GLOBAL, and WORLD MAP. The Global option was currently active, showing the map of the city. The Local one activated when he was inside a building. Realizing the World Map feature had become available with his PDA¡¯s recent software upgrade to Level 2, he pressed the button, causing the World Map to fill the screen.
Jake immediately saw that the map displayed on his PDA was not the Earth he knew. Enlarged at least tenfold, the world on the screen appeared vastly different and almost unrecognizable. He studied the map for a few minutes. He spotted what appeared to be the North American region. He also spotted what looked like Australia. However, he couldn¡¯t identify New Zealand on the map. Jake thought he could make out the general shape of Africa on the map, but it appeared to be merged with a much larger alien continent, altering its familiar outline.
Displayed above the unfamiliar continents was the word GAMEVERSE, indicating that Earth was now part of a much larger gaming universe, having integrated with these massive continents, seamlessly blending in and becoming a part of a much larger and interconnected world.
A green dot marked Jake¡¯s position in the center of what was once the North American continent on the map. Trying to zoom in on his location with two fingers, he found that the feature was not available. Jake hoped that the zooming feature would become accessible when he upgraded his PDA to a higher level.
The radio in his dashboard suddenly came to life.
¡°Brave survivors are needed,¡± Jake heard a voice coming from the radio. ¡°A gathering of ex-human mutants was spotted in a high-rise building. They are suspected to have been replicating there for a while now. Action needed to be taken to put an end to it.¡±
After the voice finished speaking, Jake¡¯s PDA, which he still held in his hands, emitted a notification sound. Glancing at the screen, he saw a piece of text hovering in the middle of the display.
New mission.
Objective: Destroy 5 replication pods within a particular high-rise building.
Additional objective 1: Kill all the ex-human mutants on each floor of the high-rise building.
Additional objective 2: Kill the elite ex-human mutant on the roof of the high-rise building.
Reward: 2,500 XP, 20,000 credits
Extra reward 1: 30,000 credits
Extra reward 2: A rare weapon of your choice.
Recommended Survivor Level: 5-10
Difficulty: Medium
Accept mission: Y/N
Jake tapped ¡°Yes,¡± and the text disappeared. He located the marker indicating the mission¡¯s location on the map and stowed away the PDA. Starting up the engine, he set off down the road.
Chapter 23
Jake parked at the curb, gazing at the ten-story building across the street, the mission¡¯s designated location. Stepping out of the pickup truck, he took a moment to observe the structure. Although it appeared nondescript among the city buildings, he was aware that it harbored numerous ex-human mutants. With his shotgun in hand, he crossed the street and entered the building through the front entrance.
Jake was immediately ambushed by two walkers upon entering the building, but dispatching them posed little challenge. As he progressed through the first floor, he encountered more mutants along the way. Despite spotting the staircase that led to the upper levels, he refrained from ascending, as he needed to clear out all threats on the current floor first. Methodically advancing through the building, he neutralized every mutant in his path until he arrived at the final room. With his shotgun held at the ready, Jake entered the room, prepared for whatever might be lurking inside.
He found himself in a spacious but mostly empty room. There were a couple more mutants inside. They lurched toward him, but before their clawed hands could tear into him, his shotgun thundered twice, dealing with each of the two creatures. He scanned the room for more threats, pointing the shotgun wherever he looked. Spotting no more enemies to kill, he redirected his attention to the center of the room. Hanging from a silky rope attached to the ceiling, there was a large, cocoon-like object that caught his eye. White in color and the size of a full-grown human, it dangled close to the floor, almost touching it. The cable supporting it resembled a robust spider¡¯s silk thread, thick as a rope and seemingly as sturdy as steel.
He took a small step toward the strange cocoon but didn¡¯t dare to get too close to it. He didn¡¯t know what to expect from it. It was the very first time he¡¯d seen such a thing, so he had to exercise caution. Jake peered into the cocoon. The silky white surface was partly transparent, allowing him to see that there was an ex-human mutant inside of it. The creature was motionless, its eyes shut as if in a deep slumber. The pod held transparent liquid, in which the mutant floated.
Though Jake had a pretty good idea about what the cocoon-like object was, he took out his PDA to scan it anyway. REPLICATION POD (LEVEL 1). The device offered no further details on the cocoon. Nevertheless, it was one of the targets he had to find and eliminate within the building.
The mutant inside the pod suddenly jerked. Its eyes snapped open, and its head turned toward him. Jake saw its evil eyes fix on him. The mutant bared its teeth in a fierce snarl and suddenly jerked its body. Jake instinctively leaped back from the cocoon. The mutant raised its clawed hands, pressed them against the inner wall of the pod, and pushed, causing the outer wall of the pod to bulge outward. He anticipated it would tear, but to his surprise, it remained intact. The replication pod proved to be more durable than it appeared.
The mutant inside the cocoon kept struggling to break free but was unable to escape. The mutant appeared too weak, with slow and sluggish movements. Upon observing the creature closely, Jake realized it had been developing inside the pod for some time, but the growth process seemed disproportionate. The mutant¡¯s upper body appeared to be nearly formed, while its legs were still in the process of molding. In contrast to the rest of its body, the legs seemed disproportionately small and underdeveloped. He deduced the replication pods were responsible for creating mutants by growing them from inception to maturity. He figured that once the process was complete, the cocoon would release the fully developed mutant.
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Only he wasn¡¯t going to wait for it to happen. He brought up his weapon and pointed it at the replication pod in front of him. As if anticipating his next move, the wicked mutant within the cocoon snarled and clawed at the pod¡¯s interior in a bid to break free. Jake squeezed the trigger. The pellets tore into the pod, ripping it in half. The transparent liquid splattered across the floor, prompting Jake to swiftly jump back to avoid any contact with it. The partially developed mutant and the shredded pieces of the pod flopped onto the wet floor.
The mutant was wounded but still alive. It began to crawl toward him, struggling to find purchase on the wet surface. He finished the creature off with another shot. He then aimed at the remnants of the pod hanging from the ceiling and fired, obliterating what remained.
After the confrontation, Jake checked his PDA for the mission update. It indicated that one replication pod had been destroyed and the first floor was now secured. To complete the main objective, he had to eliminate four more pods. Additionally, to fulfill one of the two secondary objectives, he had to exterminate all the mutants infesting the remaining floors of the building.
He was certain that all the mutants he had previously eliminated would be revived at the start of the next day. The question lingering in his mind was whether the revival process was somehow linked to the replication pods. Perhaps by destroying the remaining cocoons, he could prevent the ex-humans from being recreated again, at least within this building. However, Jake considered the possibility that the system itself was responsible for recreating mutants at the start of each day, similar to respawning items in looted buildings. If this was the case, as he suspected, then the destroyed replication pods would likely be regenerated the following day as well. It was also possible that the replication pods were recreated less frequently, maybe once every few days. However, the only way to uncover the truth behind this mystery was to revisit the building at a later time.
Jake searched the first floor for loot. He found some ammo as well as several mana beads, from which he promptly extracted mana. In one of the rooms, he discovered what appeared to be another mana bead, but it was at least twice as large as the others he had found. Inside the mana bead, mesmerizing bluish magical energy danced and swirled beautifully, casting an enchanting glow around it. He used his PDA to scan and analyze the item. MANA MARBLE: 250 MP (COMMON). With a mental command, he absorbed the magical energy stored within the marble, increasing his mana reserves by 250 points. He dropped the now empty marble, and it shattered into numerous smaller pieces upon contact with the floor.
After exploring the remaining rooms on the first floor and finding no further points of interest, Jake retraced his steps back to the stairs that led to the upper levels of the building.
Chapter 24
After destroying another replication pod, Jake decided to take a brief rest. Having cleared out several floors of the high-rise building and demolished three replication pods, he felt fatigued and in need of a break. Seating himself on the floor, he leaned against the wall behind him. Placing his shotgun on the floor beside him, he allowed himself to relax. For the next few minutes, he rested. It was fortunate that the mutants on the upper floors never attempted to descend. Perhaps they hadn¡¯t heard the commotion from the lower levels, or perhaps they were simply indifferent.
He took out his PDA to check the status of his mission.
Main Objective:
Replication Pods Destroyed ¨C 3 out of 5
Additional Objectives:
Floors Cleared ¨C 5 out of 10
Elite Mutants Killed ¨C 0 out of 1
Jake was unaware of the enemy count on each level, but he could monitor his progress on the mission status screen. Each floor was more difficult than the last. The amount of mutants he had to deal with rose exponentially with each ascent.
Additionally, a new type of enemy appeared almost on every floor. On the first one, he had only walkers to worry about, which were the weakest. On the second floor, leapers joined the fray. He really hated them. While they weren¡¯t particularly strong, they were swift and agile. They were somewhat smarter than the walkers too. Instead of rushing at him, they often attempted to outmaneuver him by flanking.
In addition to the walkers and leapers, Jake now had to deal with at least one shambler on each level. These were the most formidable mutants encountered thus far. They were covered in resilient organic matter, growing all over their bodies, making up a protective layer that soaked up some of the damage he dealt to them. Despite their durability, the shamblers'' sluggish speed allowed him to eliminate them before they could close the distance and pose a threat.
After taking a brief respite, Jake rose to his feet and began to search the floor for loot. In one of the rooms, he stumbled upon a Push scroll. He had already acquired multiple scrolls featuring the same spell on previous floors and even used the spell against mutants on several occasions already.
The first time he used the spell was when he got surrounded by a bunch of walkers and leapers. The Push spell turned out to be quite effective against them¡ªit knocked the mutants off their feet with such force as if they were hit by an invisible sledgehammer. That spell affected several mutants at once if they were close to one another, which was another good thing about the Push spell.
When a shambler suddenly emerged behind him, Jake instinctively cast the Push spell for the second time. However, he quickly discovered that the spell was not as effective against a formidable foe like the shambler compared to smaller targets. The spell managed to make the shambler sway slightly, but that was it.
In the final room on the fifth floor, Jake discovered two additional items. The first one was a mana shard. It was even larger than a mana marble, and it gave him a generous 500 mana points when he used it.
The second item was a weapon mod that could be attached to his shotgun. When he scanned the mod with his PDA, he learned it was a proximity sensor capable of revealing the locations of mutants within a small radius around him. After attaching the mod to the left side of his weapon, Jake activated it and continued on.
When he reached the next floor, he found himself at the beginning of a corridor. The proximity sensor emitted a quiet beeping sound, and a few red blips popped up on its screen, revealing the positions of nearby mutants. They lurked in the rooms concealed behind the closed doors flanking both sides of the corridor.
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As he made his way through the corridor, Jake methodically swung open each door, dealing with the mutants hidden inside every room along his path.
Finally, he reached the last door. According to the proximity sensor, there were quite a few mutants in the room behind the door. Since he hadn¡¯t come across a replication pod elsewhere on the floor, it meant that it was either located in that room or possibly not present on this floor at all. Jake checked the pouches on his belt and was surprised to discover a grenade tucked away in one of them. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d used his last grenade on one of the earlier floors.
He slung the shotgun over one shoulder and retrieved the grenade from its pouch. Pressing the fuse button on the side of the grenade to arm it, he silently counted to three before cracking the door open and tossing the grenade into the room underhand. After swiftly closing the door and stepping back, Jake braced himself as a powerful explosion rocked the walls two seconds later. Glancing at the sensor¡¯s screen, he noticed that most of the blips had vanished. However, a few mutants had somehow managed to survive the blast.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a walker stumbled out of the room. Half of its upper body, including one arm, was missing, revealing jagged ribs protruding from its torn body. The nasty wound, which should have killed it, didn¡¯t seem to bother the mutant much. It began to walk toward him in a slow, unsteady manner. Jake put it out of its misery with a blast from his shotgun. There were only three blips left on the sensor¡¯s screen now.
He stepped into the room and was met by a horrible sight¡ªgory pieces of mutants killed in the explosion were scattered all over the room. Two mutants were still alive but missing their legs. They began to crawl toward Jake as soon as they caught sight of him. He quickly dispatched them with two well-placed shots before shifting his focus to the cocoon hanging from the ceiling at the far end of the room.
Since the replication pod had remained unscathed by the explosion, Jake made his way across the room to destroy it. Picking his way through the torn pieces of dead mutants, Jake advanced toward the cocoon. As he prepared to take aim and destroy it, the pod suddenly unfurled like a blossom, revealing a fully-formed walker emerging from within. The mutant lunged towards Jake, but he swiftly dispatched it by blowing its head apart in a spray of gore. He followed up with a couple more blasts to obliterate the cocoon. Four replication pods down, one more to go.
The next, seventh, floor, didn¡¯t contain the final replication pod, though. After eliminating all the targets in the area, he proceeded to the next floor where he successfully located and obliterated the fifth pod. His PDA notified him that he had accomplished the main mission objective and had earned 20,000 credits. As long as he remained within the high-rise building, the mission permitted him to complete the two additional objectives, which he intended to tackle next.
He then cleared out the next two floors and finally reached the final, tenth, one. Despite its heightened difficulty, he successfully eliminated all threats, accomplishing the first of the two additional objectives and earning an additional 30,000 credits. His final objective was to defeat an elite mutant waiting for him on the rooftop.
Beside the staircase leading to the rooftop, Jake noticed a vending machine and decided to browse its contents. He selected several Push scrolls and all the mana consumables it had in stock¡ªone mana shard, two mana marbles, and a handful of mana beads. After adding these items to his cart, he reviewed the final price. Since everything sold in vending machines was hyper-expensive, after making his purchase, he would be left with almost no money remaining.
He wasn¡¯t willing to cancel his purchase, though. On the rooftop of the building was an elite mutant that he needed to eliminate in order to fulfill the final objective of his mission. Unsure of what to anticipate from the elite mutant on the rooftop, Jake decided not to take any risks. He needed to equip himself with everything available that could assist him in battling the elite mutant. So he pressed the purchase button on the vending machine, and the screen displayed the words: THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER.
His PDA beeped, indicating that a certain amount of credits had been deducted from his account. A section on the front of the vending machine slid open, and a platform with his purchased items extended forward from within. Jake immediately utilized all the magic scrolls and mana consumables he had just purchased. He now had ample mana points to cast the Push spell multiple times.
After that, he topped off his semi-auto shotgun with extra shells and began ascending the stairs to the rooftop where the elite mutant awaited.
Chapter 25
He opened the door and stepped out into the cool air outside. He instantly spotted a mutant standing in the middle of the roof, facing him. Jake froze. The mutant¡¯s sinister stare bore into him, causing his hands to tighten their grip on his combat shotgun. However, the mutant remained still, not making any aggressive moves, just watching him intently from its position on the roof.
Jake tore his gaze away from the creature momentarily to scan his surroundings for any additional threats on the roof. Finding none, he refocused his attention on the ex-human standing motionless at the center, their eyes locked in a tense standoff. It definitely was the elite mutant he had to defeat. He withdrew his left hand from the semi-auto shotgun and reached into his inner jacket pocket, all the while keeping a vigilant eye on the mutant before him. His fingers wrapped around his PDA, and he started to extract the device from his pocket. Mentally prepared for any sudden attack by the mutant, he was ready to drop the PDA in an instant and shift his full attention to the impending threat.
However, the ex-human remained motionless as he aimed the camera at the mutant and scanned it. He learned that the mutant was called a whipper and it was an elite enemy, which meant that it was somewhat stronger than ordinary ex-humans. Jake carefully returned the device to his inner jacket pocket before turning his full attention back to the motionless mutant, sizing up his formidable opponent once more. The mutant stood tall and robust, its appearance similar to that of a shambler with organic growth covering much of its bulky frame. Its large mouth was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth nearly the size of fingers. While its right hand sported sharp claws like a standard ex-human, its left arm was absent, replaced by a dangling tentacle that nearly touched the ground.
Jake tightened his grip on the shotgun. He was aware that the organic growth enveloping the mutant¡¯s body acted as a protective layer. This layer possessed the astonishing ability to regenerate quickly, allowing the mutant to heal and restore damaged tissue at remarkable speed. Having faced shamblers with similar protective growth several times before, he knew the organic layer could be destroyed. To halt the regeneration process, he had to maintain a rapid and continuous barrage of gunfire, leaving no opportunity for the protective layer to heal. However, the most efficient method to eliminate a shambler, and likely the whipper as well, was by targeting and destroying its brain. While the elite ex-human¡¯s head also exhibited some organic growth, it was not as thick as the layer enveloping its body.
With determination set in his mind, he began to approach the elite mutant, keeping the shotgun trained at its head. The ex-human watched him move, remaining in the same spot. Another step closer, and the monster let out a deafening roar, causing Jake to pause, his shotgun still directed at the mutant¡¯s menacing face. His original intention was to move closer for a clean shot, but when the monster sprang into action, he swiftly shifted gears. Just as the mutant burst into a run toward him, he hastily adjusted his aim and squeezed the trigger. The load of buckshot partly missed its target, turning half of the monster¡¯s face into a bloody mess. Unfazed, the creature kept running toward him. Jake watched in dismay as his plan crumbled before his eyes. His hope of eliminating the elite mutant with a single headshot had just vanished.
Keeping his left hand on the shotgun, Jake cast a Push spell without any physical gestures. Over the past thirty minutes, he had cast the spell several times, discovering that a mere mental command was all it took to unleash the magic. The surge of magical energy crashed into the approaching monster, causing it to stumble. Despite momentarily slowing it down, the spell failed to have a significant impact. Before Jake could follow up with another shot, the creature retaliated, striking out at him with its long tentacle.
Jake instinctively ducked as the tentacle swished through the air above him with a sharp whooshing sound. The massive monster let out a frustrated roar as it charged toward him. With the mutant dangerously near, Jake swiftly darted to the side to get out of its path and gain some distance between them. The whipper attempted to seize him with its sharp-clawed right hand, but he narrowly evaded its grasp. As the creature¡¯s momentum carried it forward, Jake took aim and fired at its back, blowing a chunk of flesh out of its body. He had inflicted some damage, but the organic growth on the monster swiftly regenerated its injured flesh at incredible speed.
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Jake knew that he could use the Push spell a few more times, so he cast it again. The surge of energy struck the creature¡¯s back, causing it to lose balance and drop to its knees. Seizing the moment, Jake swiftly adjusted his aim and fired a shot at the exposed back of the mutant¡¯s skull. Half its head exploded, sending bits of shattered skull bone and brain matter flying everywhere. Surprisingly, the elite mutant was still alive and kicking, showing the will to continue the fight. Rising to its feet, it swiftly turned around to confront Jake.
For the next few minutes, Jake engaged in a fierce battle with the whipper. Despite his best efforts to target the creature¡¯s head, landing headshots was hard due to the mutant¡¯s constant movement. When he hit its body, he hardly inflicted any damage because the organic growth absorbed the impact of the pellets like a sponge and swiftly healed the damaged flesh. The whipper relentlessly attacked him with its tentacle, but he managed to evade the strikes with quick reflexes. In one instance, the whipper landed a hit, knocking him down. Rising to his feet, Jake countered by casting the Push spell on the monster, slowing it down enough for him to escape.
Finally, he was able to deliver one more shot to the creature¡¯s head, causing what was left of it to blow apart in a shower of gore. The whipper¡¯s headless body collapsed to the ground with a tremendous thud. His PDA beeped with an incoming notification, indicating that the final objective of his mission had just been achieved. He slung the shotgun over one shoulder and took out the device. He was offered three different weapons to choose from as a reward: a heavy-caliber pistol, a powerful shotgun, and an assault rifle. All of them were of rare rarity, surpassing both common and uncommon weapons in quality. After selecting the assault rifle, he was prompted to designate a location on the map for the airdrop containing his reward. He accessed the map, tapping on the roof of the building he occupied. In response, a message appeared on the screen, confirming that the airdrop would reach him in a matter of minutes.
Putting his PDA away, Jake approached the rooftop¡¯s edge and peered down. The deserted street ten stories below appeared devoid of mutants or survivors. Recalling a previous incident where another survivor attempted to intercept his supply drop, Jake felt more secure this time. Even if there were survivors in the vicinity, it would take them a while to locate the landing spot and reach the roof of the tall building. Jake knew that this time, he had ample time to retrieve his prize weapon and prepare an ambush in case anyone appeared.
A few minutes later, a rumble reverberated through the sky, catching his attention. Glancing upward, he spotted a sleek, futuristic aircraft nearing his position. As the craft soared over the high-rise building, the rear hatch swung open, releasing a parcel that descended gracefully with a parachute. Jake observed the airdrop¡¯s gentle descent until it settled on the rooftop beside the whipper¡¯s lifeless body. In contrast to the previous day¡¯s supply drop, the box was noticeably smaller, likely containing only one weapon and no additional items. Following the same routine as before, he entered the confirmation code he¡¯d just received on his PDA into the panel on the side of the box. The code was accepted, and the lid of the box swung open, revealing his prize assault rifle lying inside.
Jake scanned it with his PDA. The rare weapon was level 10, and its impressive stats far exceeded his expectations. With excitement coursing through him, he carefully tucked his PDA back into his inner jacket pocket before retrieving the weapon from the box. He couldn¡¯t wait to test it out on some mutants. Plucking out the magazine, he found it filled with a good amount of rounds. After seating the mag back, he checked the bolt and confirmed another round was ready in the chamber.
Jake returned his attention to the box, where he noticed a few spare magazines inside. Picking them up, he secured the mags in the pouches on his belt. Gripping the assault rifle firmly, he headed back to the stairs and started descending to street level.
Chapter 26
Jake navigated the ravaged city in his pickup truck. It¡¯d been a few days since he¡¯d completed the mission at the high-rise building where he¡¯d had to eradicate replication pods and deal with the elite mutant called a whipper on the rooftop. During the last few days, he continued to explore the city, fight mutants, and do missions. By this point, he¡¯d gotten the hang of surviving in this dangerous world. He was well-versed in locating everything he needed for survival and had honed his skills in fighting mutants.
He was now equipped with the rare assault rifle he had received as a reward for completing the mission at the high-rise building. Additionally, he carried an uncommon pump-action shotgun that he had stumbled upon a couple of days before, which was more powerful than the semi-auto shotgun he had previously possessed. In the drop-leg holster on his right hip, he carried an uncommon heavy-caliber pistol that he had obtained recently. Both the shotgun and the pistol matched his current level. The assault rifle was a couple of levels lower, but since this weapon was of rare rarity, it still packed quite a punch.
After surviving for a few days, Jake learned that while items and monsters respawned at the beginning of every day, they didn¡¯t always appear in the same places. There were instances when a house he had previously scavenged did not replenish with new items the following day. So there was an element of randomness at play in this world. As a general rule, canned food and bottled water spawned in convenience stores, ammo in police stations, healing autoinjectors in hospitals, gas in repair garages and gas stations, and so on. He marked all these key locations on his map and would visit them whenever his supplies ran low. By now, he had established several caches in different parts of the city where he stashed his provisions.
Jake also discovered several vending machines scattered throughout the city. However, he found the prices of items sold in them to be unreasonably excessive. Given that he could acquire most items such as ammo or food through scavenging, He mostly opted to purchase only magical scrolls and mana consumables from the vending machines. These items were scarce and challenging to come by, often spawning in entirely random locations unlike other more common supplies.
He also purchased PDA upgrades from vending machines since there appeared to be no other means of acquiring them. He found the upgrades to be well worth the cost, as they provided valuable new features for his handheld computer. For example, he had upgraded his PDA to enable him to call in a common supply drop each day and to display all types of mutants in his current location.
After purchasing another upgrade for his PDA yesterday, a new tab called Crafting had been unlocked. That was how Jake learned there was a crafting system in this game-like world. Despite this intriguing discovery, he had yet to explore how the crafting system worked in this world because he was preoccupied with other pressing tasks. He planned to delve into crafting later on, but for now, he was focused on completing missions to gain XP, earn money, and obtain valuable items and weapons.
He also learned a bit more about magic. As he already knew, his mana level didn¡¯t replenish on its own. Instead, he needed to use consumables like mana marbles or shards to replenish it. He also could not acquire magic spells on his own but had to rely on reading magical scrolls, which acted as consumable items. Each scroll provided him with a spell for a one-time use. A good thing was that he had the freedom to postpone using a spell after reading a magical scroll, giving him the option to save it for a later time. Given this liberty, he opted to read any scrolls he found immediately, rather than carrying them in his rucksack or storing them in his hideouts. This approach allowed him to have a wide collection of various spells stored in his mind and ready for use whenever the need arose.
So it seemed that one couldn¡¯t become a pure mage. Despite the existence of magic in this game-like world, firearms remained the main means of fighting mutants while magic served as a supplemental tool. While magic was a valuable asset, it was not enough for him to rely solely on it to defeat mutants and navigate the dangers of this world. The very first spell that Jake had found was Push. Later on, he came across additional ones, amassing a collection of various spells. With magical scrolls and mana consumables being rare and hard to come by, he reserved spellcasting for dire circumstances when there seemed to be no alternative way out of a challenging situation without resorting to magic.
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In the last few days, Jake had encountered several other survivors, with many of these interactions escalating into gunfights. He had realized that trust was a luxury in this lawless dog-eat-dog world, where some would not hesitate to murder you only to take your hard-earned stuff. The act of taking another person¡¯s life no longer troubled Jake as he recognized that survival required doing whatever was necessary in this ruthless world without any rules or laws, where only the strongest prevailed.
He felt pretty calm, despite this gamepocalypse, or whatever the hell it was. It might sound strange, but the end of the world seemed to have a surprisingly soothing effect on him. Before the world collapsed, his concerns had revolved around paying bills, making enough money to cover his expenses, and other mundane worries. In his past life, he¡¯d toiled like a working animal, yet he still struggled to make both ends meet. None of that mattered now. The world seemed to be simpler now, offering a sense of peace and clarity amid the turmoil.
Before the Collapse, Jake had no attachments¡ªno family, no girlfriend, and no real friends. He didn¡¯t have anything that really mattered to him. As a result, he did not miss his pre-Collapse life at all. Being introverted, he never had the need to interact with other people much. He had always preferred spending his free time alone and was content with solitude. That was why he felt relaxed and at ease as he drove around the deserted city in his truck. Being alone didn¡¯t bother him in the slightest. He was well accustomed to it and even found moments of enjoyment in it.
In the past few days, he had completed several missions that involved straightforward and repetitive objectives like eliminating mutants, destroying replication pods, and similar tasks. His current mission was to locate and close a magical anomaly within a mall. Having tackled similar missions before, he knew the routine and what was required to accomplish this objective.
Finally, he reached his destination, pulling into a parking lot of the mall. There were a few rusty carcasses of old vehicles scattered here and there, but when he pulled up next to one of the entrances to the mall, he spotted a vehicle that seemed to be in working condition. It caused Jake to immediately tense up. The vehicle was a large white-colored SUV. He peered into the interior for a second but didn¡¯t see any people within it. The SUV was parked near the entrance to the mall, so whoever the car belonged to should be somewhere inside the shopping complex. This was unsurprising to him¡ªbased on his recent experiences, he knew large malls often held valuable resources, attracting other survivors seeking supplies.
Jake exited his pickup truck. Holding his pump-action shotgun at the ready, he approached the white SUV, peering into the interior just to make sure he hadn¡¯t overlooked anything. He confirmed that the vehicle was operational but unoccupied. Whoever had driven it here was currently in the mall¡ªthere was not a hint of doubt about that. He had to be real careful.
As he neared the entrance, he spotted the lifeless body of a dead survivor lying in a pool of blood. It was a middle-aged man with red hair. Bullet wounds peppered all over his body. Whoever killed him had put lots of bullets into him. Jake took out his PDA to scan the body. DEAD SURVIVOR: EMPTY. Whoever killed him must also have looted the body, taking all the valuable items the victim had on him.
Jake then accessed the recently acquired feature on his PDA to gather information about the mutants he might encounter inside the mall. The data displayed on the screen revealed plenty of walkers and leapers as well as a couple of shamblers and whippers¡ªall the usual suspects. If the white SUV belonged to whoever killed the redhead, then he reasoned they should also be somewhere inside the mall. Pondering this, he wondered whether it was the work of a lone individual or a group of assailants.
Pocketing his PDA, he tucked the buttstock of his shotgun firmly against his shoulder and stepped into the building.
Chapter 27
The mall¡¯s corridors formed a labyrinth, flanked by storefronts on both sides. Just like many abandoned buildings Jake had explored, the mall was overgrown with vegetation, with tall grass and roots emerging from the cracks in the floor and ivy vines sprawling across the walls.
As he navigated the maze of aisles, his eyes constantly scanned the interior of the shopping center, looking for any threats. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered any mutants in the mall¡ªliving ones, at least. Every now and then, he spotted dead creatures lying here and there, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. He scanned every dead body he came across with his PDA, but every one of them was empty, having already been looted by whoever had killed them.
Jake perked up his ears but could only hear the echo of his own footsteps and the sound of glass crunching under his feet. He trod carefully, wary of the presence of other survivors in the shopping center¡ªthose who had arrived in the white SUV. From his previous encounters with other survivors, Jake had learned that trust was a rare commodity in this world. He had to be real careful. Despite not encountering any living mutants in the mall yet, he knew for sure that there were more of them within the premises. The scanner app on his PDA had indicated a significant presence of mutants inside when he used it outside the mall. With both mutants and survivors lurking somewhere inside the building, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down even for a second.
When Jake reached the center of the shopping center, he paused to take a look around. At the heart of the vast area was an atrium that had once served as a meeting and relaxing point. The broken fountain sat in the center of the atrium, all dried up. Green algae and dirt covered the empty basin, and the edges looked old and dirty. Around the fountain sat rusted benches. In the past, a dolphin statue used to adorn the center of the fountain, a symbol of playfulness and freedom, but now it lay on the ground, broken and forlorn. Its graceful form, now chipped and weathered, spoke of a time when the fountain was alive with the joy of visitors and the soothing sound of flowing water.
Jake looked past the fountain, and on the other side of the atrium, he saw long-since broken escalators that led to the second floor. The open second floor of the mall overlooked the first one. His gaze ran along the railing, but he didn¡¯t notice anything suspicious, and no sound reached his ears. Allowing himself to relax a little bit, he returned his attention to the fountain. He noticed numerous dead bodies strewn about, not just mutants but also several dead survivors. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact number of fallen survivors and mutants strewn around. The reason for that was that all the bodies were shredded to pieces. Torn limbs and chunks of pulpy flesh lay scattered all over the atrium. Whatever the hell happened there, it was gruesome. The unsettling sight that lay before him was unlike anything Jake had witnessed during his days of survival in this harsh world. While he had grown accustomed to the grisly scenes of violence, the sheer horror of the scene before him was beyond anything he had seen before.
Jake took another look around, looking more closely at the survivors¡¯ dead bodies. He didn¡¯t need to scan them to see that the pouches on their belts and tactical vests were still stuffed with spare ammo, untouched. The bodies hadn¡¯t been looted, which meant that either all the survivors who had made their way to the mall got killed in the fierce battle near the fountain, or those who survived the confrontation had fled the scene and had likely been too terrified to return to this place. Whatever had happened in the atrium must have instilled such dread in them they decided to leave the fallen to rest undisturbed.
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Only it didn¡¯t make much sense. From the look of it, the dead survivors were well-equipped, and as far as Jake could tell, all the dead mutants were walkers and leapers, which were the weakest types of ex-humans. Those survivors shouldn¡¯t have lost the battle to a bunch of low-level mutants. When he scanned the building with his PDA, he¡¯d detected a few shamblers and whippers inside the mall, but this group of survivors should¡¯ve been able to handle those threats as well. No, something else must have happened here. The gruesome fate of the torn-apart survivors suggested a level of violence and ferocity that surpassed anything Jake had encountered before. The sheer force required to inflict such damage went beyond the capabilities of even the most aggressive mutants he had encountered. Even shamblers or whippers weren¡¯t capable of that.
There could be only one explanation for what had happened in the atrium. Carefully scanning the area, he took a step closer to the fountain, and that was when he finally spotted what he was looking for. He immediately froze, staring directly at the empty spot a few feet above the fountain. Only it wasn¡¯t exactly an empty spot¡ªthere was a magical anomaly hovering in the air above the basin. As his eyes fell upon the peculiar sight, a shiver ran down his spine.
Having encountered various anomalies in the past few days, Jake knew those phenomena could be really dangerous. He was also acutely aware that it was hard to detect them and that the difficulty of spotting anomalies increased with their level. While some anomalies could be visually identified, others remained entirely invisible, their presence only revealed by the unsettling sounds they emitted. There were even a couple of times when he encountered magical anomalies that were not only invisible but also completely silent. In such cases, detecting these elusive anomalies relied solely on their impact on the environment around them. For instance, he had once stumbled upon an unusual sight in a building: scattered debris suspended several meters above the floor, seemingly defying gravity. Intrigued, he utilized his PDA to scan the area, unveiling the presence of a magical anomaly responsible for this inexplicable phenomenon. So he could analyze and identify an anomaly with his PDA, but only if its level matched or surpassed that of the anomaly. And sure enough, to analyze an anomaly using his PDA, he needed to be aware of its potential presence nearby, otherwise there would be no reason for him to scan his surroundings.
The anomaly hovering above the fountain was extremely hard to detect with the naked eye. It appeared as a subtle distortion in the air, fleeting and barely noticeable. It materialized briefly before fading away and staying completely invisible for a few seconds. Had it not been for the grim sight of torn bodies scattered around the fountain¡ªremnants of killed survivors and mutants¡ªJake would likely have never become aware of the elusive anomaly¡¯s presence. The sequence of events became clearer to Jake as he pieced together the puzzle. The survivors likely encountered walkers and leapers near the fountain, unaware of the hidden anomaly hovering nearby. In the middle of their battle, they inadvertently triggered the anomaly, and it killed them in a very gruesome way.
As Jake prepared to retrieve his PDA to analyze the anomaly, the crunch of broken glass being stepped on echoed from behind him. He swiftly spun around, his gaze locking on a figure standing near the second-floor railing. Whipping up his shotgun, he pointed the weapon at the stranger, his finger poised to tighten around the trigger.
¡°No,¡± the stranger said in a loud whisper, raising his empty hands in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot me, or we¡¯ll both be dead!¡±
Chapter 28
Jake kept his weapon aimed at the stranger as he assessed him. The man was well-equipped, with an assault rifle slung over one shoulder and a revolver in a hip holster. He made no attempt to reach for his weapons, though.
¡°Who are you?¡± Jake demanded.
The man¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°Keep your voice down, will you?¡± he said in the same hushed tone as his eyes darted to the anomaly. ¡°I¡¯m just another survivor, like you. I only wanted to warn you to be real quiet near that anomaly. It¡¯s noise-sensitive. Loud sounds trigger it. Scan it and see for yourself.¡±
That¡¯s what I was going to do, Jake thought. He still didn¡¯t trust this stranger one bit.
Once more, Jake¡¯s gaze flicked to the anomaly behind him before settling back on the stranger.
¡°Stay where you are,¡± he warned him calmly. ¡°You move, you die.¡±
The stranger rolled his eyes.
¡°If you shoot me, you¡¯ll set off the anomaly, and we¡¯ll both be goners,¡± he stated with an air of annoying superiority, as if speaking to a child. Jake chose to ignore the condescension.
He half-turned so he could have both the anomaly and the survivor in his field of vision. Taking one hand off the shotgun, he took out his PDA and pointed the camera at the spot above the fountain. Briefly shifting his focus from the stranger, Jake unlocked his device and pressed the SCAN button with his thumb. He then immediately returned his gaze to the stranger. The man remained in the same position, but a smug grin spread across his face, playing on his thin lips.
The stranger appeared genuinely amused by Jake¡¯s distrust, which only heightened Jake¡¯s wariness. He didn¡¯t like the man one bit. He acted as if he thought Jake¡¯s distrust was unwarranted, which only added to his suspicions. He didn¡¯t buy it for a second that the stranger was oblivious to the fundamental rule of mistrusting unfamiliar people in this lawless world. The man seemed to be striving to come across as trustworthy, but to Jake, it felt forced and insincere.
He shifted his gaze to the screen of his PDA to read the description of the anomaly.
Name: Meat Grinder
Description: Sensitive to noise, extremely dangerous. Draws objects within range into itself, twisting, cutting, and slicing them before expelling the remnants.
Duration: 10 seconds
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Danger Level: 8 (High)
After stowing away his PDA, Jake turned his focus back to the stranger.
¡°Did you scan it?¡± the man asked.
¡°Yeah.¡±
A smug smile reappeared on the stranger¡¯s lips.
¡°See?¡± he taunted. ¡°Sensitive to loud sounds, just as I said. Wasn¡¯t lying, was I?¡±
¡°So who are you?¡± Jake asked.
From the corner of his eye, Jake noticed the anomaly shimmering as it briefly distorted the air in reaction to his voice. He was speaking softly, but the anomaly responded to his voice anyway. Uncertain about the threshold of noise that could trigger the anomaly, Jake opted to keep his voice down to avoid setting it off accidentally.
The stranger seemed confused by his question.
¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked in his usual loud whisper. ¡°I¡¯m just a survivor, same as you.¡± He moved closer to the railing on the second floor, hands still raised. ¡°By the way, can I lower my hands now? Or you still don¡¯t trust me?¡±
Jake was silent for a second. Then he nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±
He lowered his shotgun but kept it in his hands. He still wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the stranger. While he wanted to ask him some questions, he wasn¡¯t all that keen on talking to the stranger while standing next to the noise-sensitive anomaly. It was best to secure the anomaly as soon as possible. After all, it was the reason he¡¯d arrived at the mall in the first place.
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Closing an anomaly required a special spell. He had already read the scroll containing the spell while driving to the mall, so all that remained to do was use the spell on the anomaly. Unfortunately, the process of closing a magical anomaly was a tad long and challenging. It would demand his full concentration. He knew he would have to direct all his focus on the anomaly because any distraction could disrupt the closing process, causing the spell to fail and rendering his efforts futile. With only one spell at his disposal, Jake knew that he had just one chance to close the anomaly. If he failed to do it on the first try, the spell would be wasted, requiring him to locate another scroll before he could attempt to seal the anomaly again.
After activating the spell, Jake would have to devote his complete attention to the process of closing the anomaly. Having closed several anomalies in recent days, he was well-versed in the procedure and knew what to expect from it. This particular anomaly was of level 8, indicating it would require approximately sixty seconds to seal shut¡ªa considerably lengthy period.
Jake found himself in a difficult situation because he couldn¡¯t risk losing focus on the stranger for a minute while using the spell. Given the anomaly¡¯s high danger level of 8, it likely had a significant range. Although the stranger appeared to be close enough to the anomaly to be affected by it if it suddenly set off, he could easily step back to safety while Jake was occupied with the spell and attack him from a safe distance.
He opted not to take any chances. He resolved to either make sure the stranger was trustworthy or wait for him to go away before attempting to secure the anomaly.
¡°What are you doing here?¡± he finally asked in a hushed tone, breaking the silence.
¡°In the mall, you mean?¡± the stranger replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Scavenging, of course, what else? Lotta goodies spawn in such large places.¡±
Pointing toward the lifeless bodies nearby, Jake asked, ¡°Were you part of this group?¡±
The stranger¡¯s gaze flickered toward the remnants of the fallen survivors. He hesitated to respond immediately, giving Jake the sense that he was contemplating how much truth to reveal in his reply.
The stranger finally nodded.
¡°Yeah,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°They were my¡ well, perhaps not friends yet, more like traveling companions. I met them a few days back. They offered to join them, and I agreed. Safety in numbers, right?¡±
Uncertain about the level of truth in the words spoken by the stranger, Jake asked another question, ¡°How come they are dead, and you are not?¡±
This time, the stranger replied right away, without taking time to ponder on his answer. ¡°We split up. I headed to the second floor while they remained on the first. We went in different directions. Then I heard gunfire and screaming. I ran back. When I saw what was happening to them, I froze. They encountered a group of mutants and opened fire on them near the anomaly. They must¡¯ve failed to spot it and accidentally triggered it. The anomaly¡ What it did to them¡ Geez, it was truly horrifying, man. It was tearing both them and the mutants apart. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight, I can tell you that. The worst part was there was nothing I could do to help my friends. I could just watch them die in a horrible way. When the anomaly returned to the idle state, I analyzed it with my PDA. That¡¯s how I learned it was sensitive to loud noises. Afterward, I thoroughly explored the second floor, gathering what I needed before making my way to the exit. As I approached the escalators, I spotted you from above. The thought of witnessing another fellow survivor meet such a grisly fate due to the anomaly was too much for me to bear. So I decided to alert you about it in the event you hadn¡¯t spotted it, much like my unfortunate companions.¡±
Or you may have warned me out of self-preservation, recognizing the danger of being well within the anomaly¡¯s effective range and the risk of being killed by it if I accidentally set it off, Jake thought, but he decided not to voice his doubts, keeping these skeptical thoughts to himself instead.
¡°Why did you kill the guy at the entrance?¡± Jake immediately asked another question.
Even from a distance, he saw a shift in the stranger¡¯s expression. He was silent for a second, then asked, feigning ignorance, ¡°Come again? What guy?¡±
¡°There was a dead survivor at the entrance to the mall,¡± Jake said. ¡°I assume it was your group¡¯s doing? Why did you people kill him?¡±
¡°Oh, that guy?¡± the stranger responded, shaking his head with a tinge of sorrow in his voice. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us who killed him. He was already dead when we pulled up at the mall. Poor guy. Dunno who did it. It¡¯s a crazy world, man.¡±
He was a pretty good liar. Jake almost believed him. Almost. However, the stranger¡¯s initial reaction spoke volumes. When he confronted him about the dead guy, a glimmer of recognition in the stranger¡¯s eyes betrayed his true knowledge. That flash of recognition in his eyes and a trace of guilt momentarily flickering across his expression did not escape Jake¡¯s notice. The timing of the victim¡¯s death suggested that the incident occurred shortly before Jake arrived at the mall. With no sounds of gunfire echoing through the building, it appeared that there were no other survivors inside the mall. So the identities of the culprits were pretty much obvious. The stranger standing by the second-floor railing, along with his now-dead companions, had arrived at the mall just as the red-haired guy was stepping out, and they had killed him in cold blood for no other reason than to loot his body.
Before Jake could say anything else, the stranger¡¯s gaze shifted beyond him, focusing into the distance.
¡°Oh fuck,¡± he muttered as he pointed his finger at a spot behind Jake¡¯s back. ¡°We got company.¡±
The stranger¡¯s eyes widened with genuine shock as the menacing sounds of fierce growling and scraping claws reached Jake¡¯s ears from behind. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, he saw a group of ex-human walkers and leapers converging on the atrium from multiple aisles.
Chapter 29
Jake wasn¡¯t prone to panic. This trait had recently been acquired through experience rather than having existed in him from birth. In the past few days of surviving in this world, he¡¯d learned how to control his emotions and keep his cool.
However, when he found himself surrounded by dozens of ex-human mutants converging on him from several directions, he almost freaked out. His first reaction was to whip up his shotgun and train the weapon on the quickly approaching mutants. As his index finger instinctively wrapped around the trigger, Jake hesitated, realizing he couldn¡¯t risk firing his weapon and triggering the anomaly. With that option off the table, his only choice was to flee. His plan was to put some distance between himself and the anomaly before engaging the mutants in combat.
Yet by the time he arrived at this realization, it was already too late to take any action.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a huge shambler barreling toward him. Its huge body rammed into Jake, sending him flying backward. He crashed into a bench that happened to be a few feet behind him. A moan of pain escaped his lips. The shambler had collided with him with the force of a freight train. If he somehow made it out of this predicament alive, it seemed likely that he would end up with a nasty bruise on his chest. However, aside from that, the collision with the shambler had left him unharmed, with no broken bones to speak of. His investment in increasing his Constitution attribute had undoubtedly paid off, rendering his body far more resilient and durable than an average human¡¯s.
Ex-human mutants continued to converge on Jake from multiple directions, creating a menacing cacophony of sounds as they closed in on him. They growled like wild animals, their jaws clacking open and shut in a rhythmic pattern, while their clawed feet scraped against the tiled floor. The anomaly above the fountain reacted to the increasing noise, its presence shimmering and distorting the air. As more mutants entered the atrium, the anomaly grew more animated, mirroring the escalating chaos unfolding around it. Jake was acutely aware that it was only a matter of time before the noise level reached a critical point, triggering the volatile magical phenomenon. From the corner of his eye, he could see the stranger still standing near the second-floor railing, watching the chaos unfold below. The stranger should¡¯ve fled a long time ago, but seemingly paralyzed with fear, he was unable to run away from the impending threat.
Jake knew he had to get as far away from the atrium as possible. However, as it turned out, he only had enough time to stand up. As he leaped to his feet, the shambler directed a fierce gaze at him before unleashing a deafening roar. Jake¡¯s gaze shot toward the anomaly as it erupted in a blinding flash of light. He knew what it meant. He had just enough time to turn and grab hold of the upper edge of the nearest bench, bracing himself for the impending effects of the anomaly.
He felt his legs being swept out from under him as some invisible force pulled him backward. In his peripheral vision, he saw mutants fly toward the anomaly as if they were made of iron and were being attracted to a huge powerful magnet. Ditto for the dead bodies of survivors and other mutants. Anything that wasn¡¯t anchored to the floor was affected by the anomaly¡¯s pull. It felt like a decompression scene from a Sci-fi movie where characters and various objects got thrown into the vacuum of space.
Jake clung to the bench¡¯s edge with all his might, his body suspended in midair, relentlessly drawn toward the anomaly. The force he was being pulled with was so powerful that his grip on the bench was gradually weakening. The bench itself wouldn¡¯t yield to the anomaly¡¯s pull, though. The atrium was overgrown with vegetation, and the roots bursting through the floor tightly wrapped around the bench¡¯s legs, anchoring it securely in place. Despite the bench holding firm, Jake felt his grip slipping. He was acutely aware that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer.
As the mutants were pulled into the anomaly and met their demise with agonizing screams, Jake glanced at the stranger who was also being affected by its force. He was pinned against the railing on the second floor, likely having crouched down in time to avoid being fully ensnared by the anomaly¡¯s pull. If the stranger hadn¡¯t taken that precaution, he would¡¯ve been catapulted over the railing and drawn into the anomaly¡¯s grasp.
Unlike the fortunate stranger, Jake found himself in a more dangerous position with nothing to stop him from being relentlessly drawn toward the anomaly. His fingers, gripping the edge of the bench like a lifeline, were the sole barrier preventing him from being sucked in. But his grip was slipping, and he was running out of strength. He only needed to hold on a little longer, just for a few more seconds, but each moment felt like an eternity in the face of the impending danger.
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As Jake cast a fearful glance over his shoulder at the ominous phenomenon behind him, he was chilled to the core by what he witnessed. Every mutant pulled into the confined space above the fountain was suspended in midair, gripped by the unseen power of the anomaly. Their limbs were twisted and bent at all the wrong angles, the bones snapping as easily as dry twigs. The flesh was being ripped from the bones as if being torn by huge claws. The sight was so terrifying Jake quickly looked away, not willing to make out all the gruesome details of the mutants being killed. The horrifying realization that he could suffer a similar fate if pulled toward the anomaly only fueled his determination, causing his grasp on the bench to tighten.
Suddenly, the pull of the anomaly disappeared, and he fell to the floor with a resounding thud. A second later, something landed next to him with a wet smack. He glanced at it and saw it was a piece of flesh. Still lying on his stomach, Jake looked over his shoulder at the anomaly. The phenomenon was disgorging what was left of the mutants, pulpy lumps of torn flesh raining down all around the atrium.
As a metallic clank echoed nearby, Jake shifted his gaze to discover his shotgun lying on the floor nearby where it had just landed. Unlike the mangled remains of the mutants, the weapon had not been shredded but twisted into a contorted shape, rendering it irreparable. However, his trusty assault rifle remained slung over his shoulder.
As Jake rose to his feet, the sharp report of gunfire shattered the air. The anomaly remained inert, still in a state of recharge, unresponsive to the deafening shots. For the next minute or so, it would be harmless. The bullets hailed from above, unmistakably aimed at him. In a heartbeat, Jake recognized the identity of the shooter.
He turned and looked up. Sure enough, the stranger still stood at the railing on the second floor, the weapon held in his hands and pointed down at Jake. He must have decided to seize the opportunity to kill him while the anomaly was temporarily dormant. Only the bullets the stranger had just fired never reached their target. Jake had a passive spell protecting him against enemy gunfire. The mystical barrier intercepted the bullets within a few inches of him, suspending them in mid-air through the power of magic, effectively creating an invisible shield that enveloped him from all directions.
Jake took a few steps to the side, and the invisible magical field followed his movement. However, the bullets remained suspended in their original spots. Once Jake had distanced himself sufficiently from the suspended bullets, the magical field ceased its influence on them. The bullets instantly resumed their trajectory, streaking forward and ripping into the tiled floor. The Protection spell had been automatically activated when Jake had read the scroll earlier that day. With the spell now triggered, it would remain effective for approximately one more minute. Once the time elapsed, the invisible magical field safeguarding Jake would dissipate, leaving him vulnerable to any incoming bullets once again.
The stranger readjusted his aim and unleashed another barrage of bullets toward him. Just like the previous ones, they halted inches from his face due to his protective spell. Jake stepped aside so as not to stand in their path before aiming his own assault rifle at the stranger above. In that tense moment, the realization struck the man that, unlike Jake, he lacked any form of protection.
He half-turned and made to run out of sight, but before he could save himself, Jake squeezed the trigger, stitching his enemy across his torso. Crying out in pain, the stranger dropped his weapon and grabbed the railing to support himself. Losing his balance anyway, he swung over the railing and plummeted to the tiled floor below. The echoing sound of impact reverberated through the empty space, marking the abrupt end of the confrontation. The stranger seemed dead, but Jake fired another burst of bullets at the body just for good measure.
He then looked around. There were no more mutants anywhere in the vicinity; otherwise, they would already have been drawn by the sounds of gunfire. With a cautious sigh, he allowed himself to relax just a little bit. Sliding the rifle over his shoulder, he turned to face the anomaly. The enigmatic entity was currently dormant, devoid of any telltale signs of being active such as sparkling or warping the air. While it currently posed no immediate threat and displayed no observable effects, it was still there, quietly hovering above the fountain, biding its time until the cooldown period ended.
Jake cast another cautious glance around the atrium to make sure he was indeed alone. Stepping closer to the invisible entity hovering above the basin, he cast the closing spell on it, eager to neutralize the deadly anomaly for good and finally complete his mission.
Chapter 30
Jake remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the anomaly above the fountain. The magic of the spell he¡¯d just cast was slowly but gradually closing the anomaly. Despite the progress, he could perceive a hint of defiance emanating from the anomaly, trying to resist his attempts to seal it shut. He kept his gaze fixed solely on the entity hovering above the fountain, refusing to look away even for a moment. Every ounce of his concentration was dedicated to the deadly phenomenon before him, leaving no room for any other thoughts or distractions at that crucial moment. Jake was well aware that any distraction could result in the anomaly breaking free from the spell¡¯s grasp. So he kept focusing the magical energy on the anomaly, keeping the link intact and sensing the anomaly slowly succumbing to the power of the spell.
About sixty seconds later, it finally ceased to exist. The shimmering and warping air above the fountain dissipated, leaving behind an empty space where the anomaly once was. It was gone for good, and Jake finally allowed himself to relax. His PDA beeped with a notification, prompting him to take out the device. For completing the mission to close the anomaly, he received quite a lot of credits and a good amount of experience points.
Curious about his total earnings, he checked his account balance.
Credits: 94,500
With just a small amount left to accumulate, Jake would soon have enough funds to purchase another upgrade for his PDA, priced at a whopping 100,000 credits. The next upgrade for the device would unlock an app called AskMeAnything, which supposedly could answer any question related to the Gameverse, the System, or anything else that had to do with this game-like world. The app was expected to be incredibly useful, so Jake couldn¡¯t wait to collect enough money for the next PDA upgrade.
Now that the anomaly was gone, he didn¡¯t need to worry about how much noise he made. Jake walked around the atrium, looking for loot. Little remained of the dead survivors and mutants, just pulpy pieces of flesh. Most of the items had been destroyed or rendered useless. However, he did discover a few things that had withstood the anomaly¡¯s destructive force. Scattered about were mana marbles and shards, which Jake knew from experience to be indestructible. Nothing seemed capable of damaging them. Collecting all the mana consumables, he immediately used them, absorbing the magical energy they contained.
He then stumbled upon a magic scroll. Similar to mana consumables, magic scrolls were remarkably resilient. Despite their ancient and decrepit appearance, they could not be torn or burned. The scroll he had discovered contained another spell for sealing an anomaly. So the group of survivors actually had the means to seal the anomaly. If they had detected it in time, they could potentially have survived.
Jake picked up the scroll and unrolled it. He looked at the mysterious symbols and read them. In a quick burst of light, the runes vanished, and the spell contained within was now his to wield. He could seal one more future anomaly he would surely encounter at some point. It was a good thing because closing an anomaly rewarded him with a substantial amount of XP.
The handheld computers belonging to the survivors had also survived. Jake had discovered over the past few days that those rugged devices were built to operate in harsh usage environments and could withstand almost anything. So he wasn¡¯t surprised to discover that all the devices were still in working order. He collected them all, including the one that belonged to the stranger he¡¯d killed. Sitting on a nearby bench, he stacked the devices beside him.
One of the previous upgrades that he had acquired for his PDA granted him access to an app that allowed him to hack into other people¡¯s portable computers. The hacking was carried out by playing a mini-game. In order to hack into someone else¡¯s PDA, he had to solve a puzzle on his own device. The puzzle was challenging, and he had a limited amount of time to solve it. And he only had one attempt. If he failed to hack into another person¡¯s PDA on the first try, the device got locked forever.
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Jake opened the hacking app on his PDA, and within seconds, a list of nearby portable devices popped up on the screen. He connected to each device one by one and attempted to solve the hacking puzzles. For the next ten minutes or so, he was fully engrossed in hacking into the stolen handheld computers. Unfortunately, he was only able to unlock one out of all the devices. He brushed the rest off the bench, causing them to drop to the floor.
Picking up the device he had successfully unlocked using the hacking app, he examined the screen. It appeared to have belonged to the leader of the group of survivors. Jake began by transferring all the money from the guy¡¯s account to his own. Unfortunately, the leader only had a couple of thousand credits on him. Still, it was better than nothing. He was now just shy of 100,000 credits. He then checked the map to see if the owner of the device had marked any points of interest. And indeed, he had. Jake noticed a pin labeled Hideout/Stash on the map, indicating a location on the opposite side of the city. This must be the group¡¯s secret hideout where they rested and stored their supplies. Jake pinned the same spot on the map on his own device and labeled it as To-Check.
He then accessed the leader¡¯s Diary. As he knew from his own experience, new entries appeared in a survivor¡¯s Diary once or twice a day, describing notable events that took place on those particular days. Every entry was concise, usually consisting of just a few sentences. If nothing worth mentioning occurred, no entries were made for that day. The process was entirely automatic; one couldn¡¯t add, edit, or delete entries manually.
So Jake was aware that everything written in the gang leader¡¯s Diary was authentic. From the entries, he learned that the group of survivors who had recently perished due to the anomaly had been really bad guys. The owner of the device had established a gang a few days earlier, and since then, they had ambushed and killed plenty of other people. Their targets were always loners or smaller groups of survivors. So yeah, those assholes totally deserved what had happened to them. They had died a terrible death, but they had it coming. The grim fate they had met could be seen as a form of retribution for their evil deeds. Finding nothing else of interest on the leader¡¯s PDA, he dropped the device.
He proceeded to search the body of the stranger he had killed. Because the anomaly was dormant at the time of the killing, all the items the stranger carried remained undamaged. Jake gathered all the supplies and ammunition from the dead guy before inspecting the assault rifle that he had been armed with. Unsurprisingly, his own rare assault rifle was much better, so he chose to leave the stranger¡¯s weapon untouched. He also found a revolver on the stranger but opted not to take it either, as he didn¡¯t want to unnecessarily burden himself with additional firearms. He was already equipped with a heavy-caliber pistol that was pretty reliable and powerful.
After that, Jake finally left the mall. Exiting the building, he made his way back to his pickup truck. As he settled in behind the steering wheel, the radio suddenly crackled to life, broadcasting details of a mission to seal shut another anomaly. As he was aware, missions were usually straightforward and repetitive, so encountering another similar mission didn¡¯t surprise him. Jake retrieved his PDA and promptly accepted the new mission.
The anomaly he had to close now was level 10, making it more dangerous than the one he had just dealt with. Despite the increased risk, he was confident that he could handle it. Once he completed the mission, he would have the funds needed to upgrade his PDA and unlock the AskMeAnything app. He usually completed one or two missions in a day. So after completing the second mission, he would visit the survivors¡¯ place to search through their stash. After that, he would head back to one of his own hideouts to wrap up this eventful day.
After consulting the map for the mission location, Jake shifted the truck into drive and pulled out of the mall¡¯s parking lot, unaware that his life was about to take another unexpected turn.
Chapter 31
Jake made his way through the thick woods of what used to be a city park. Now, it was so overgrown with vegetation that it looked more like a jungle. The area was crawling with ex-humans, so he stayed vigilant. He wove through the trees, leading with his assault rifle. Every now and then, mutants burst out of the foliage, but Jake stitched them with bullets long before they could get close. Fortunately, the city park was populated mostly by low-level mutants like walkers and leapers, so he didn¡¯t have much trouble dealing with them.
Occasionally, he came across a replication pod hanging from a branch sturdy enough to support its weight. A replication pod created a mutant inside of it, nurturing it from a single cell to a fully grown-up creature in a matter of a few minutes. Once a mutant was fully developed, a replication pod opened to let it out. After that, a replication pod sealed itself shut once more, filling with some kind of life-giving liquid, and the process began anew. As Jake picked his way through the overgrown city park, he made sure to obliterate every replication pod he encountered, ripping them to shreds with bullets.
At one point, he leveled up, but he decided to hold off on allocating the skill point for now. He planned to do that once he finished his mission and got back to the safety of one of his hideouts. With the day drawing to a close and darkness descending, he decided he would call it a day after completing his current mission. While he had initially intended to check the survivors¡¯ stash, he figured it could wait until tomorrow as there was no need to rush.
Finally, the trees opened out into a vast area of tall grass. Jake paused at the edge of the treeline, scanning his surroundings. With no mutants in sight, he took in the clearing, finding nothing of interest except for a magical anomaly right at the center of the open area. It hovered motionless a few feet above the ground.
Many anomalies he came across were difficult to detect, with some being entirely invisible and only noticeable by the sounds they emitted. However, the anomaly hovering in the middle of the clearing was different. It was clearly visible, resembling a large black hole as if the very fabric of reality had been ripped open in that specific spot.
As soon as he stepped out of the trees, Jake sensed an unseen force tugging him toward the anomaly. Initially weak, the pull intensified with each step he took across the clearing. As he approached the anomaly, the force grew stronger. At some point, he stopped walking. It was obvious that if he ventured too close to the anomaly, the pull would become so powerful he would be unable to resist being drawn into the abyss of the black hole.
Backing up until he reached the edge of the trees surrounding the clearing where the pull was weakest, Jake used his PDA to analyze the anomaly.
Name: Dark Void
Description: Dark Void pulls in living creatures to subject them to mana-infused morphogenetic mutation. If the victim is an ex-human and survives the process, it becomes significantly stronger. The chances of a regular human surviving in the Dark Void are slim to none.
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Danger Level: 10 (Very High). A failed attempt to close the Dark Void immediately triggers it, causing the Dark Void to draw in anything within its reach.
Jake pocketed his PDA and looked at the Dark Void once more, his brow furrowed in thought. So far, he¡¯d encountered several types of anomalies, and all of them had different abilities. Some anomalies pulled you in only to fling you away with tremendous force in a random direction. Another could shatter every bone in your body. Yet another unleashed a blast of magical energy, inflicting harm on everything within its reach. Each type of anomaly had a different and dangerous ability.
Anomalies were also triggered differently. Some of them were triggered by physical contact, while others activated when approached too closely. Recently, he had discovered that certain anomalies could be set off by loud noises. The Dark Void, unlike the others, appeared to be constantly active, exerting a persistent pulling force on its surroundings.
Jake observed a ring of barren space encircling the anomaly, devoid of the tall grass in that particular area. The ground within this circle appeared darkened, as though scorched. This ominous dark ring likely marked the event horizon of the Dark Void¡ªa point of no return. The dark circle measured approximately thirty yards in diameter, indicating the area where the pull of the Dark Void was strongest. Anything entering the blackened earth within that circle would likely find it impossible to escape the grip of the anomaly.
Jake was at a loss for what to do. Based on the description of the Dark Void, he understood that if for whatever reason, he was unable to seal it shut, the anomaly would trigger, dragging everything within its effective range into its depths. Although he stood at the edge of the clearing where the Dark Void¡¯s pull was weakest, Jake was still within the anomaly¡¯s effective range. He knew that if the Dark Void was triggered, its pull would intensify significantly. Jake found himself in a dilemma; he couldn¡¯t move farther away from the anomaly but instead had to get closer to it. Based on his experience, he knew that he needed to be approximately thirty yards from an anomaly in order to cast a Closing spell on it.
And that was the predicament Jake found himself facing. He needed to make his way much closer to the Dark Void than his current position. So he needed to position himself about fifteen yards from the dark circle in order to be able to cast the spell on the anomaly. Once in the correct position, he would have to concentrate fully on using the spell for at least a minute or longer. Any distraction would break the spell, triggering the anomaly. Whether he would be able to avoid being pulled into the Dark Void while being in such close proximity was anybody¡¯s guess.
He scanned his surroundings once more, noting the absence of mutants within the clearing. However, he was aware that many of them lurked in the woods surrounding the area. Upon entering the park, Jake utilized the scanner app on his PDA to identify the types of mutants he would encounter within the area. Due to the app¡¯s current level being only 1, it was unable to display the proximity of mutants, though. As a result, Jake had no way of knowing if there were enemies nearby. Any unexpected attack while casting the spell would put him in serious jeopardy.
Just as Jake contemplated the situation, he noticed a mutant emerging from the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. The leaper, moving on all fours, immediately caught sight of Jake despite the significant distance between them. The ex-human instantly burst into a run across the clearing toward him. Jake brought up his assault rifle, aligning the iron sights with the approaching threat. His index finger instinctively found its place inside the trigger guard, ready to unleash a barrage of bullets on the charging mutant.
Chapter 32
Jake paused, his finger hovering over the trigger. A moment later, he eased off the trigger, watching the mutant reach the circle of scorched earth, the event horizon of the Dark Void, realizing there was no need to fire at the approaching threat. Paying the anomaly no mind, the mutant persisted in running across the blackened ground, but its advance was impeded as the magical entity began pulling the helpless leaper toward itself. The ex-human was gradually dragged back across the scorched earth toward the Dark Void. Then the mutant was suddenly flung into the air, hurtling toward the black hole where it vanished from sight. The anomaly swallowed the ex-human completely, without any visual effects or sounds. In an instant, the creature went from being present to being entirely gone.
Jake¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the Dark Void as he pondered the situation. Understanding the anomaly¡¯s nature, he knew this was not the end of it. According to its description, the anomaly aimed to enhance mutants, indicating that it should release the ex-human subject if the transformation was successful. So he kept his eyes on the Dark Void. He didn¡¯t know how long he needed to wait or what would happen if the anomaly failed to enhance the leaper it¡¯d just consumed. As he waited, the lack of the anomaly¡¯s pull hinted that it could only focus on one subject at a time, which was a valuable piece of information.
A full minute passed. Just as Jake began to entertain the idea that the anomaly might have failed to successfully enhance the leaper, it suddenly ejected the mutant. The creature reemerged from the black hole and plummeted back to the ground. With a resounding impact, the ex-human¡¯s body collided with the earth, causing it to lay still on the blackened ground near the anomaly. After a moment, the mutant began to rise unsteadily to its feet. The creature had undergone a remarkable transformation, appearing significantly larger and stronger, now equipped with longer and more menacing claws and teeth. Its once-human face had elongated into an animal-like snout, bearing little resemblance to its former self. The creature hardly resembled a human being anymore, for that matter.
Jake sensed the reawakening pull of the anomaly as the Dark Void became active once more. However, the beefed-up leaper appeared unaffected by its presence, even though it stood next to the anomaly. It seemed that now that the anomaly had completed its transformation of the mutant, it no longer held any interest in it.
The leaper twisted its head in different directions, seemingly trying to orient itself. Suddenly catching sight of Jake, it emitted a chilling scream before bolting across the clearing on all fours, hurtling toward him with alarming speed. Jake swiftly raised his assault rifle and unleashed a barrage of shots at the oncoming mutant. Much to his astonishment, the ex-human dodged to the side with feline-like agility, causing most of his bullets to miss their target. The ones that did manage to hit the creature appeared to have little to no effect, failing to inflict any significant damage. Jake wondered what level that beefed-up leaper was, but sure enough, he couldn¡¯t risk scanning it with his PDA during the intense confrontation.
The mutant¡¯s rapid movements unnerved Jake, prompting him to cast the Push spell in an attempt to halt its advance. The magical energy surged forth and collided with the ex-human, but it only managed to momentarily stagger the beefed-up creature, proving to be ineffective in halting its progress.
Jake quickly readjusted his aim, but before he could pull the trigger, the mutant leaped forward, crashing into him with great force. With a grunt, he tumbled to the ground, bearing the weight of the ex-human on top of him. Despite the struggle, he managed to position the assault rifle horizontally in front of him just in time to fend off the mutant¡¯s incoming bite. The creature¡¯s vicious jaws clamped down on the weapon, its teeth biting deep into the metal with a screech. In a startling turn of events, the rifle shattered into several pieces as if it were made of plastic. It was at that moment that fear truly gripped Jake. Before he could react, the monster sank its teeth into his shoulder, causing excruciating pain to surge through his body. Overwhelmed by the agony, Jake let out a piercing scream.
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He frantically pounded the creature¡¯s head with his fists, but the mutant refused to release its grip. In a moment of clarity, Jake understood the dire situation unfolding¡ªintentionally or not, the mutant was pulling him toward the anomaly behind it. Half out of his mind from pain, Jake only then remembered that he still had his heavy-caliber pistol secured in its holster on his hip.
Despite the haze of pain clouding his thoughts, he managed to recompose himself. He stopped beating the creature on the head and drew his handgun from its holster instead. With determination, he pressed the muzzle of the pistol against the mutant¡¯s skull. He emptied half the mag into the creature¡¯s head before the ex-human finally collapsed to the ground, dead. Its jaws went slack, and Jake finally managed to pull his bleeding shoulder free of the jaws¡¯ grip.
Breath coming in ragged gasps, he slumped onto the ground, staring up at the blue sky. He wanted to rest for a moment, but he quickly realized there was no time for that because he was still being dragged backward. At first, he thought the leaper was still alive. Only that couldn¡¯t be the case, as the body of the dead creature lay motionlessly on the ground beside him.
A sudden realization struck him like a lightning bolt¡ªhe was being irresistibly drawn toward the Dark Void, the ominous black hole at the center of the clearing. Now that he was in much closer proximity, the force of its pull intensified significantly. Jake found himself sliding uncontrollably across the ground, and the speed of his backward descent was increasing relentlessly. He managed to roll on his stomach, desperately trying to grab onto the blades of grass, but they either slipped out of his grasp, cutting his skin, or tore away.
His heart raced in his chest as he attempted to dig his toes into the ground, but it proved futile. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes as he struggled against the unyielding pull, the world beginning to blur around him as he inched closer and closer to the anomaly. As the grass gave way to blackened earth, Jake understood the gravity of his situation. He had reached the event horizon of the anomaly, the point of no return, where the pull intensified even more.
His body scraped across the earth, the ground rough and unforgiving beneath him. His fingers clawed desperately at the scorched earth beneath him, searching for any purchase, any bump or dent to hold onto, but to no avail. Panic surged through him as he came to the stark realization that he was being inexorably drawn nearer to the anomaly with no means of halting his advance.
In a last desperate attempt, Jake reached out for a rock jutting out from the ground, his fingers grazing the rough surface as he tried to anchor himself. But the force tugged at him mercilessly, tearing him away with a strength he could not fight against. Fear clawed at his chest, threatening to overwhelm him as he realized he was completely powerless against the force that was dragging him away.
Suddenly, he felt his body lifted off the ground by the invisible force of the anomaly, carrying him through the air as if he weighed nothing at all. Twisting and turning in midair, he beheld the black abyss hurtling toward him. He opened his mouth to scream, but before a sound could escape his lips, the anomaly swallowed him whole.
Chapter 33
Total darkness surrounded him. Jake couldn¡¯t see or hear anything at first. He felt himself hurtling through the vast emptiness, the sense of weightlessness overwhelming him. He tried to scream in horror, but to his surprise, no sound came out. The sensation of free fall lasted only a few seconds, and then he found himself lying on his back on the solid ground. Quickly sitting up, he gazed around in astonishment. The sky displayed various shades of purple, with a massive thundercloud swirling like a vortex directly above him. The ground beneath him was a brownish-red hue, and sparse vegetation¡ªor what appeared to be plants¡ªdotted the desolate landscape. It was an alien world he found himself in.
What the hell? Where am I? This isn¡¯t Earth!
Jake released a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he had been holding. As he attempted to inhale, a chilling realization dawned on him¡ªthe air in this alien realm was not breathable, at least not by human standards. Before he could get really scared by that fact, he felt a powerful force pluck him out of that strange world. Once more, he found himself in total darkness, the sense of free fall overwhelming his senses again.
After a few moments, the darkness dissipated, revealing a new environment. Instantly, he recognized that he was submerged underwater. The intense pressure enveloping him was so immense that he marveled at his body not being instantly crushed. With visibility limited to about a dozen feet, Jake watched luminous creatures gliding through the water around him. Some bore a resemblance to jellyfish, while others looked so bizarre he couldn¡¯t even liken them to any earthly creatures he knew.
At least, they are not predatory.
As soon as he thought that, his sense of safety shattered as he noticed a malevolent being emerging from the shadows. The creature was so dark and stealthy that he only became aware of its presence when it was within three feet of him. The creature bared its jaw, displaying rows upon rows of large teeth. The monster aimed either to swallow him whole or take a massive bite out of him.
Just as the creature¡¯s teeth were about to tear into him, he was once again yanked out of the water world by the unseen powerful force. After a few seconds of free-falling in total darkness, he suddenly landed in what seemed to be a cave. The walls were covered in a luminescent growth, bathing the cavern in an eerie greenish glow. Transparent cocoons, resembling replication pods, dangled from the high ceiling. Inside them were weird-looking creatures in different stages of development.
Jake found himself trapped in one of those cocoons.
In a panic, he attempted to punch the pod enclosing him, but his efforts were futile. The pod¡¯s walls were composed of an elastic material that stretched outward when struck, only to quickly revert to their original shape. Jake thrashed his arms and legs, his movements sluggish and slow in the fluid-filled pod. Despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t break free from the cocoon. His clothes started to dissolve as if the liquid within the pod was acidic.
Suddenly, a black splotch materialized in the liquid, resembling ink spilled into the pod. However, it was no ink. Whatever it was, it seemed to be a living organism of some kind. Several more of these splotches emerged around Jake and began to drift toward him like jellyfish. They adhered to his body, causing intense pain wherever they made contact. The number of black creatures within the pod continued to grow, surrounding him from all directions until all he could see was darkness. In seconds, his entire body felt as though it were engulfed in flames. He had no idea what was happening, only aware of the excruciating pain engulfing him. At that moment, the agony he experienced was all he could think about.
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Suddenly, he experienced the familiar feeling of free fall, indicating that the unseen force had removed him from the unsettling cave. Within moments, his vision cleared, and he found himself hurtling toward the grassy ground. A second later, he collided with the earth with a heavy thud. He lay still for a moment, his gaze fixed on the sky. Which was blue and adorned with white clouds drifting across it. The grass beneath him was of the familiar green hue. It dawned on him that he had returned to his own world.
He turned his head slowly to look behind him, his gaze fixing on the Dark Void about fifteen yards away. Lying at the edge of the black circle of scorched earth, he came to the realization that the anomaly had ejected him much like it had done with the ex-human leaper before.
He had to distance himself from the Dark Void.
Jake tried to get up only to realize he lacked the strength to stand. His knees gave way, causing him to collapse to the ground again. He resorted to crawling, primarily using his hands to propel himself forward. His fingers dug into the earth, clutching at the blades of grass as he dragged his exhausted body along. He could see that his arms were wrinkled and blackened as if charred. He had no idea what had happened to his body or whether he would survive, but as long as he was alive and could move, he was determined to get as far away from the Dark Void as possible. He vaguely remembered how the anomaly ignored the beefed-up leaper after disgorging it. So, perhaps, now that the Dark Void was done with him, it might pay him no mind from now on as well. The anomaly¡¯s pull no longer affected him, which supported his take. Still, just to be on the safe side, he wanted to put some distance between him and the Dark Void.
He kept crawling across the clearing, too weak to stand up. The world around him had reduced to the sensation of the gritty soil beneath his palms and the harsh pull of grass slipping through his fingers. He once again wondered what happened to his skin. It was as black as ink and had a strange rough texture to it. Whatever had happened to him in that pod had left him feeling frightened. He was exhausted and couldn¡¯t think straight. A thought crossed his mind that he might be dying, so there probably was no point in straining himself trying to crawl away from the anomaly.
And still, he pushed on. With grim determination, he continued to drag himself across the clearing, inching closer and closer to the tree line. His legs, weakened and unsteady, kicked behind him, seeking purchase in the ground and pushing him forward. As he dragged himself across the unforgiving terrain, he heard a mutant scream somewhere behind him. With fear tightening its grip on his heart, he glanced over his shoulder, half expecting to see the mutant lurking nearby. To his surprise, there were no mutants behind him; the clearing was empty and devoid of any threats. What the heck? He had heard the mutant¡¯s scream so clearly, as if the screamer was nearby. How come there weren¡¯t any creatures anywhere to be seen in the clearing?
Jake shook his head, dismissing the thought for now. His immediate concern was more pressing. He needed to reach the relative safety of the trees where the anomaly¡¯s pull wouldn¡¯t be able to reach him if it suddenly changed its mind about him. He continued to crawl across the ground, inching closer to his goal. With a final desperate lunge, he finally reached the threshold of his destination. Dragging his body into the thick bushes lining the edge of the clearing, he slumped onto the ground, his strength completely spent. His body trembled with exhaustion. He expected to hear his breath come in ragged gasps, but there was nothing. He couldn¡¯t hear himself breathing at all, as if he had already succumbed to death.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the world around him plunged into darkness. A moment before his consciousness completely shut down, a question arose in his mind: would he wake up?
Chapter 34
After Jake regained consciousness, he was astonished to discover that he was alive and well. His body was no longer racked with pain, and the weariness had vanished. He felt refreshed. For a few moments, he remained on the ground, gazing up at the blue sky peeking through the canopy of trees. It had been evening when he lost consciousness, and now it was midday. He had been unconscious for over twelve hours. Jake sat up and glanced around. He was still in the park, surprised that no mutants had attacked him during his prolonged slumber. He turned his head to the side, gazing through the trees to his left. In the distance, he could see the clearing and the Dark Void looming ahead. The black hole remained suspended above the ground at the center of the clearing.
While Jake retained the memory of what had happened yesterday, a faint glimmer of hope remained that it had all been a dream. That hope shattered as soon as he brought up his arms to look at them. His arms appeared blackened, as if charred. The texture of his skin was coarse and uneven, resembling the rugged surface of tree bark, with small burrows etched into its surface, adding a unique and intricate pattern to its overall appearance. Having no clothes to conceal his form, Jake could see that his entire body bore the same obsidian-black, rough-textured skin, not just his arms.
What the hell happened to me?
As Jake rose from the ground, he examined his body more closely. Despite maintaining a humanoid form, he was no longer entirely human. The obsidian-black, rough-textured skin covering his body felt incredibly hardened to the touch, devoid of any soft spots. Despite its rigidity, his new skin was elastic and flexible, allowing him to move freely despite its toughness.
He had no visible reproductive organs, and when he reached up to touch his head, he discovered he had neither a nose nor ears, and not even a mouth, making his face feel flat without all these facial features. He did have eyes, though. They were quite large, extending to the sides of his head and providing him with an extra twenty-five degrees of peripheral vision on each side. His only blind spot now was directly behind him. His expanded field of vision was the first thing he noticed upon waking, yet it didn¡¯t strike him as odd. It felt normal, which was why he didn¡¯t even think about it until now, as if he had always had such vision and was well accustomed to it.
It was at that moment that he realized something else. Despite lacking ears or a nose, he could still hear and smell. Not only that, but his senses were far superior to what they were before. He could see, hear, and smell much better than ever before the transformation. Distant sounds seemed closer now, and he could see much farther, discerning more details in the environment. He could hear the rustle of foliage stirred by the wind and the faint movements of ex-human mutants shuffling through bushes nearby. Even though he couldn¡¯t see them yet, he already knew their approximate positions and how far they were from him, just from the sounds they made. His enhanced sense of sight enabled him to discern finer details in his surroundings, such as the texture of the bark on the trees standing at a distance from him. Additionally, he could now detect various scents that he hadn¡¯t even been aware of as a regular human being. It seemed that all his senses had been significantly enhanced.
As he took a few steps across the ground, he became aware of another change in his body. He moved noticeably faster and was more agile now. He could hear the soft thump of his feet thanks to his enhanced sense of hearing, but he was certain that a regular person wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him move at all. Moving with feline-like agility, he traversed the foliage, barely disturbing it. He paused as a thought struck him. Turning to the left, he made his way to the edge of the trees. Stepping out from the bushes into the clearing, he gazed at the black hole of the anomaly hovering above the ground.
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He took a few more steps closer to it and stopped again. He couldn¡¯t feel its pull anymore. He remembered what happened to the ex-human leaper after it got sucked into the Dark Void. The anomaly had enhanced the mutant before ejecting it. Following that, the leaper was no longer influenced by the anomaly¡¯s pull. After upgrading the ex-human, the Dark Void wasn¡¯t interested in it anymore. It appeared the same rule applied to him. The anomaly had drawn him in, transformed him, and then ejected him. Now that it was finished with him, its pull no longer affected him.
So it seemed he had been transformed into a mutant. Recalling the Dark Void¡¯s description, he knew that the anomaly could enhance ex-human mutants into stronger versions of themselves, with regular humans unlikely to survive the process. Despite the odds, he had managed to survive everything within the anomaly and had been turned into a monster, a change that he suspected was irreversible.
He found himself pondering how he had managed to survive in the Dark Void. Was it his high Luck attribute that had played a crucial role? Recalling his unlikely victory in the game of chance despite the odds stacked against him, he considered the possibility that perhaps his Luck had played a role in his survival in both instances. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his survival within the Dark Void was due to a system glitch.
Ultimately, he concluded that the specifics weren¡¯t all that important, at least for the time being. The key focus now was figuring out his next steps.
The prospect of spending the rest of his life as a frightening mutant should have evoked fear or at least sadness in him. Yet he found himself devoid of these emotions. Instead, he welcomed his new reality with a surprising sense of calm. Come to think of it, he was now much calmer and more confident than before. He found his thinking sharper, too. It must have something to do with him being a mutant. In addition to the enhanced agility and senses, he seemed to have gained an inhuman mind as well, which allowed him to control his emotions better and think more clearly.
He looked around the clearing, noticing that the belongings he had as a survivor were nowhere to be found, and he currently had nothing on him. It was understandable. All his weapons, equipment, and rucksack had been lost during his tumultuous journey through the dark void as he was teleported from one strange location to another. His clothing had been completely dissolved into nothingness when he was trapped within the pod filled with the acidic liquid that only affected his garments, leaving his body unscathed. That was fine. He highly doubted he would need any of those things now that he was a mutant.
It made him ponder what would happen next. Was he now just one of the average ex-human mutants? Was he now nothing more than the prey to be hunted down by survivors for XP? It felt unfair. Sure, it was a good thing that he had managed to survive the transformation, but becoming the prey after having been the hunter was an unfortunate turn of events.
Before Jake could contemplate the matter further, he heard the rustle of foliage behind him. With astonishing swiftness, he spun around to face the source of the noise. He couldn¡¯t see the enemy yet, but his enhanced hearing picked up on a creature making its way through the foliage toward him. It didn¡¯t take long for the ex-human walker to emerge from the trees. The mutant halted at the edge of the clearing upon spotting Jake.
For a moment, the mutant just stared at him, seemingly unsure of what he was and whether it should attack. A thought crossed Jake¡¯s mind that perhaps now that he was a mutant himself, the other ex-humans wouldn¡¯t harm him, mistaking him for one of their own. However, as soon as he thought that, the walker screamed in rage before charging toward him.
Chapter 35
Upon seeing the quickly approaching mutant, his first instinctive reaction was to bring up his shotgun and blast its head off. Only he didn¡¯t have any weapons on him anymore. His powerful shotgun, reliable assault rifle, and heavy-caliber pistol were gone. He had no weapons on him at all now.
However, despite being unarmed, Jake¡¯s heart didn¡¯t skip a beat. He calmly watched the ex-human walker race toward him. The sight of the bloodthirsty creature charging at him didn¡¯t instill much, if any, fear in him.
As the mutant sprinted toward Jake, his heightened intelligence and sharpened senses allowed him to meticulously analyze its every move. He could now detect details in the mutant¡¯s behavior and appearance he hadn¡¯t been aware of when he was just a regular survivor.
He studied the ex-human¡¯s deformed frame, noting its sinewy muscles rippling beneath mottled skin. Despite its wide strides, the mutant¡¯s speed appeared moderate. Each step seemed calculated as if the creature was conserving its energy for a precise strike. When he was a regular survivor, it had always seemed to him that mutants just barreled toward him mindlessly, without giving much thought to their own safety or strategy of taking down their prey. Now, Jake knew it wasn¡¯t entirely true. Ex-human mutants possessed a level of intelligence beyond mere mindless aggression. There was some degree of thought process occurring within their heads. While they weren¡¯t intelligent beings, they weren¡¯t entirely devoid of cognitive abilities.
Jake watched the ex-human¡¯s elongated clawed hands swing menacingly at its sides before abruptly halting in front of its chest, showcasing the deadly talons that gleamed in the daylight. He noted the intricate patterns of blue veins beneath the mutant¡¯s thick skin. With a quick, analytical gaze, he determined the optimal course of action to outsmart and take down the walker.
As he watched the mutant approach, he pondered another thought in his mind. As a survivor, he had relied on his PDA to gather information about new mutant types. Now, without the PDA, he wondered if he would still be able to access the mutant¡¯s stats or if this feature was lost to him forever.
As soon as he thought that, a piece of info flashed through his mind.
Ex-Human Walker ¨C Level 1
Special abilities: None
Jake froze. What had just glimpsed in his mind were the mutant¡¯s stats, the same ones that would appear on his PDA screen if he scanned the mutant with the device. So he was actually able to summon a mutant¡¯s stats with just a thought¡ªno PDA was needed anymore. This discovery filled Jake with excitement. In fact, it thrilled him so much he didn¡¯t realize the mutant had gotten too close to him until it was almost too late.
He remembered about the ex-human only when he saw it right in front of him, lashing out with a clawed hand. Jake instinctively jerked back from the attack. Since the walker was so close to him, Jake didn¡¯t expect to be able to dodge the claws in time. To his great surprise, he managed to steer clear of the mutant¡¯s talons as they raked the empty air before him.
The ex-human seemed taken aback by his agility, grunting in frustration before launching another attack. Once again, Jake ducked under the mutant¡¯s claws as they swiped harmlessly over his head. Unfazed, the mutant lurched at him again, but much to its frustration, Jake once again deftly sidestepped, successfully evading the attack.
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For the next several minutes, the ex-human lashed out with its claws, but he danced away from every attack. To him, the mutant appeared to move in slow motion. However, he realized it wasn¡¯t the mutant moving slower than usual; rather, he had become remarkably faster than he ever was as a regular survivor. His increased movement speed altered his perception of time, giving him the sensation that he was moving at his regular pace while everything else slowed down around him.
Jake also noted that the walker was affected by the pull of the Dark Void. Still, they weren¡¯t close enough to the anomaly for it to take full control over the mutant.
Despite his speed, Jake lacked the skill to expertly dodge the mutant¡¯s attacks. While he had successfully avoided its talons by a slim margin so far, it was more a result of his newfound swiftness and quick reflexes than refined dodging technique. He clearly lacked experience in such close hand-to-hand combat.
At some point, the walker managed to catch him with its talons, raking his shoulder. Jake felt no pain, though. Despite feeling the claws tear through his blackened flesh, it wasn¡¯t the typical sensation of pain he experienced. Instead, he simply received a feeling that indicated his left shoulder had been injured.
One way or another, it was time to finish this fight.
He clenched his fists, waited for an opening, and when the mutant lurched at him one more time, he punched the ex-human right in the middle of its face. However, the strike didn¡¯t seem to have much effect, only surprising the mutant without causing any real harm. Despite his heightened agility, Jake¡¯s strength appeared to remain unchanged. Also, being a non-fighter, he lacked combat skills and proper fighting techniques.
So, he¡¯d simply thrown the punch, hitting the mutant in the face. He hadn¡¯t even tried to put all his weight into the blow. Still, while Jake wasn¡¯t exceptionally strong and lacked fighting experience, his obsidian-black skin was as hard as rock. The punch he¡¯d just delivered turned out to be powerful enough to leave the ex-human in a daze for a moment.
Before the walker could recover from the blow to its face, Jake rammed into the mutant, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Pinning his foe¡¯s clawed hands to the ground with his knees, Jake set about hitting the mutant with his tightly clenched fists. At first, he was met with hard resistance, but after landing a few more blows, he felt the creature¡¯s skull give way, and the thuds of his fists striking its head were replaced with wet, pulpy smacks.
Its body went limp beneath him as the mutant finally kicked the bucket. Immediately after that, a brief piece of information flashed through his mind.
Enemy killed. +10 XP
Almost immediately after that, another notification popped up in his head.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 0 to 1. You have gained 1 SP.
For a moment, Jake just stared down at the mutant¡¯s dead body, its head a formless mass of pulpy flesh, his arms covered in gore almost up to the elbows. But he wasn¡¯t seeing any of that. He was deep in thought, pondering the words that had just flashed through his mind. They were not like text messages; rather, they felt like foreign thoughts that had been inserted in his head.
As it turned out, he had a system of progression of his own. Despite being transformed into a mutant, he realized he could still gain experience points and level up just like a regular survivor. This revelation filled him with excitement as it meant he wouldn¡¯t merely be prey for other survivors to hunt down for XP, as he had initially feared. Instead, he would have the opportunity to level up and grow stronger as well.
How do I access my stats, though?
He already knew he didn¡¯t need a PDA anymore. The system notifications were now placed directly in his head. So maybe all he had to do to check his stats was to think about them? He tried, but nothing happened. It was weird. Hopefully, he didn¡¯t need another device to access his stats like regular survivors did.
Jake crawled away from the dead mutant and sat down on the grassy ground, deep in thought. He tried to call up his stats using a mental command one more time, but to no avail. He was confused. Something didn¡¯t add up. At some point, he closed his eyes out of frustration. After a moment, he made one more attempt to call up his stats¡ªand to his surprise, it worked this time.
Chapter 36
Closing his eyes did the trick. When he tried to summon his stats with his eyes shut, the data immediately appeared in his mind.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 1
HP: 94%
XP: 0/100
SP: 1
MP: 1,825
Body: 0
Mind: 0
Magick: 0
None
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (16%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (24%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (11%) (Common)
Jake opened his eyes, and his stats vanished. He closed his eyes again and called them up with a thought. The info immediately became available to him once more. It seemed that he could access his stats only when his eyes were closed.
Duly noted.
With that matter resolved, Jake returned his attention to his stats, studying each line of text one by one.
Name: Jake Turner
It was his name, and there was nothing more to it than just that. He shifted his attention to the next line.
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
So he officially wasn¡¯t human anymore. If there were any doubts about that before, they were now replaced with a sense of clarity. He was now a mutant known as a morphus. It got him thinking. As a survivor, he had never encountered such a mutant before. Were there others like him, or was he the only one of his kind? Jake didn¡¯t know yet, but he might find out at some point.
One thing was for sure, though. Regular mutants couldn¡¯t get XP and level up. They weren¡¯t intelligent creatures either. Whatever had happened to him in the Dark Void was far from normal. The anomaly should have either killed him or turned him into a brainless mutant. Yet due to blind luck or some system glitch, he hadn¡¯t been stripped of his intelligence. Not only that, he had also been granted a unique system that allowed him to get XP and level up just like any ordinary survivor. With no explanation for this turn of events, he decided to set the matter aside for the time being.
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He shifted his gaze to the next line of text in his stats.
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
That was interesting. It meant he could evolve into a more dangerous form at some point. Sure enough, specific conditions had to be met before this evolution could take place. He tried focusing on the line of text, hoping to get some additional info and learn more about how the evolution process worked, but no useful tips popped up. That was fine. He figured he would discover the details firsthand when the moment to evolve arrived.
Level: 1
Jake had been level 15 before being drawn into the Dark Void. Now, as a mutant, he had to start leveling up from scratch. It didn¡¯t bother him much, though.
Beats being dead, he thought as he turned his focus to the next line of text.
HP: 94%
It was his health points also known as hit points. Only then did Jake remember the wound the walker had inflicted on him. He opened his eyes, and the stats vanished. He glanced at his injured left shoulder. While he wasn¡¯t in pain, he had a sensation indicating that his flesh was damaged in that particular area of his body. Across his shoulder was a slash left by one of the ex-human¡¯s long talons. The wound was pretty deep, but it wasn¡¯t bleeding. Instead, there was some bluish light that seemed to emanate from the gash. It looked very similar to the magical energy contained in marbles, shards, and other mana consumables.
The sight puzzled Jake. Did his new body not have regular blood? Was it filled with mana instead? It sure looked that way. And he seemed to lose it as it was seeping through the gash and vanishing into thin air.
Then he realized something else. The wound on his shoulder was healing. Slowly but gradually, it was closing before his eyes. Jake watched the slash for about a minute more until it finally sealed, leaving no trace as if he had never been wounded at all. His body¡¯s regenerative abilities were far superior to those of a typical human being, that was for damn sure.
He closed his eyes and called up his stats again, checking his hit points one more time.
HP: 100%
He was back to full health, having fully recovered. The sensation of damaged flesh in his shoulder area had vanished as well.
He then shifted his gaze to the next line of text.
XP: 0/100
Jake remembered gaining ten experience points and leveling up from 0 to 1 after killing the walker. After that, his experience counter must have reset to zero. To level up to the next level, he needed to kill ten walkers. Or four leapers because, as he remembered, they were worth 25 XP each. Though he probably would stick to hunting down walkers for now, unwilling to take on stronger types of mutants for the time being.
SP: 1
It was his skill points. He had gained one after killing the walker and leveling up to 1. He wondered if he would be getting only one skill point per level all the time. Just one point per level seemed like too little. Maybe he would gain an extra skill point every fifth or tenth level? Well, he would have to wait and see when the time came.
MP: 1,755
It was mana points. As a survivor, he had needed mana to cast a magic spell. But he first needed to acquire one from a scroll. Every spell learned from a scroll could only be used once, though. He remembered being disappointed by it as a survivor. Now that he was a mutant, he wondered if he could cast magic spells whenever he pleased once he learned them. Time would tell.
Then Jake realized something else. When he just called up his stats, his MP had been at 1,825. However, now it had dropped to 1,755. The exceptional memory of his inhuman mind allowed him to recall this little detail. He wondered where the 70 mana points had disappeared to. He guessed they were probably used to heal him. Or was he right when he thought his wounds bled mana like regular people lost blood? He wasn¡¯t sure yet. Maybe it was both.
Jake moved on to the next three lines of text.
Body: 0
Mind: 0
Magick: 0
Those should be his attributes. It was time for him to figure out how his progression system worked and choose which attribute to allocate his skill point to.
Chapter 37
Jake tried to get more info on the three attributes, but nothing happened. Well, at least, they seemed to be self-explanatory. Body should make him stronger, allowing him to deal more damage while making his own body more resistant to damage. Mind probably made him smarter and sharpened his senses. As for Magick, it apparently was related to, well, magic. Though he still didn¡¯t know how the magic system worked for him now that he was a mutant.
So he had one skill point to invest in one of these attributes. He was choosing between Body and Mind. Upgrading Magick at this point seemed impractical, considering he wasn¡¯t even aware of how to use magic yet. Maybe Magick had nothing to do with casting magic spells at all. Perhaps this attribute simply allowed him to store more mana inside his strange body. For all he knew, the magical energy stored within him might simply be used to heal him, without anything more to it than that.
Anyway, he was considering putting the SP into Body. It felt like the best use for his very first skill point. However, he decided to check out the rest of his stats before allocating the skill point. He shifted his gaze to the line of text below his three attributes.
None
Jake stared at it for a moment. What was that? He didn¡¯t know. Deciding to leave it alone for now, he shifted his attention to the last three lines of text in his stats.
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (16%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (24%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (11%) (Common)
So he actually had enhanced senses, agility, and intelligence. It explained why he could move more easily and swiftly, think sharper, and notice more details in his surroundings than he had as a human. As he gazed at the three lines, he realized he could summon additional information on each of them with just a thought.
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Description: The mutant gains heightened senses, improving their perception, granting better awareness of their surroundings, and sharpening the ability to detect subtle changes in their environment.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
He couldn¡¯t help but notice a couple of interesting details about the skill. First, it could be upgraded. Second, it was labeled as Common, which likely meant it could potentially be upgraded to the next rarity level at some point. He decided to give more attention to these two details at a later time, though.
He moved on to check out the next skill.
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Description: The mutant¡¯s inhuman agility enables for much faster and quieter movement. When moving, the mutant hardly produces any noise at all.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Thanks to this skill, all his movements were much swifter and more agile than before. Enhanced Agility also helped him move much more quietly. He remembered moving through the foliage, hardly disturbing the branches of the bushes he passed through. However, while this skill made him faster and more agile, it didn¡¯t really improve his ability to dodge melee attacks, as Jake had discovered during his recent encounter with the walker. Perhaps there was another skill designed specifically for that purpose?
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At last, he read the description and the stats of the third skill.
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Description: The mutant¡¯s enhanced intelligence helps them solve problems quickly, learn fast, and think clearly. They can understand things deeply, come up with smart plans, and adapt easily to new situations. With their sharp mind, they can outsmart their enemies, predict outcomes, and find clever ways to overcome challenges. Their exceptional brainpower is a big advantage in handling tough situations and succeeding in different tasks.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
So each of the three skills was currently at Rank I. Each of them had a progression bar. Currently, Enhanced Senses was at 16%, Enhanced Agility at 24%, and Enhanced Intelligence at 11%. Did his Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence increase every time he utilized these skills? Or did he need to exert more effort¡ªthink harder, move faster, and remain more attentive¡ªfor them to go up? Unsure, he decided to pay closer attention to determine the answer from now on. When the progress of a skill reached 100%, he would most likely be able to level it up to the next Rank, making the skill more powerful.
Jake then returned his attention to the line of text he still hadn¡¯t figured out.
None.
He stared at it for a second. Then he focused on it with more attention, and suddenly a new piece of info materialized in his mind.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 0 of 3
Skills: 3 of 7
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: 1,000 MP
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Wow, Jake thought. So from the Genetic Development Interface, he could acquire new abilities and skills. He already possessed three skills, which had been granted to him after he underwent the mutation. After checking the menu one more time, he became aware of two key points. First, to obtain a new skill or ability, he needed to spend a certain amount of MP, which meant that mana points also served as currency. Second, each ability and skill had specific requirements. Currently, out of all the skills and abilities listed, he could obtain only one. If he put his skill point into Body, he would be able to purchase the ability called Claws. He focused on the ability to gather more info about it.
Ability: Claws
Description: The mutant can transform their hands into razor-sharp claws, allowing for swift and deadly attacks and capable of cutting through almost anything.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: 1,000 MP
This was basically a weapon. It was just what he had been hoping for! He needed something more powerful than his bare fists to use in battles against mutants.
He checked how many mana points he had. He recalled having over a thousand, but he wanted to double-check.
MP: 1,740
It was strange. He remembered having 1,755 mana points after the slash on his shoulder healed. Now he had 1,740. Where had the 15 mana points gone? Perhaps his new body functioned on mana, gradually consuming it. Sure looked that way. However, Jake decided to delve into that matter in more detail at a later time. What was more important right now was that he had more than enough mana points to acquire Claws, and after obtaining it, he would have some left.
He shifted his attention to his attributes. With a thought, he allocated his skill point into Body. He then summoned the Genetic Development Interface once more. Below the Claws ability, there was now a new line of text.
Acquire: Y/N
Jake chose ¡°Yes¡±.
Chapter 38
He noticed that the Claws ability moved down to the bottom of the Genetic Development Interface, where the skills and abilities he already possessed were. He now had only 740 mana points left. Other than that, nothing else changed after he acquired Claws. Jake looked over his stats one more time to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 1
HP: 100%
XP: 0/100
SP: 0
MP: 740
Body: 1
Mind: 0
Magick: 0
Claws: Rank I (0%) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (16%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (24%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (11%) (Common)
After that, Jake opened his eyes, and all the stats disappeared. He stood up from the ground. He was still in the clearing surrounded by trees. Behind him was the Dark Void. Nothing had changed in his surroundings while he¡¯d been preoccupied with his stats. His heightened sense of hearing picked up the sounds of mutants somewhere in the trees, but they were too far away for him to be concerned about.
He glanced at his body. There weren¡¯t any visible changes to it. He wasn¡¯t bulkier or more muscular. Still, having allocated a skill point into Body had to stand for something. Perhaps his body was now more resistant to damage. At least, he hoped so. He then raised his hands and gave them a look-over. Despite him having acquired Claws, they appeared unchanged, showing no difference at all. Aside from being obsidian-black and textured, they pretty much looked like regular human hands. Maybe he could transform them into claws with a thought? He decided to give it a try, and it worked.
His fingers and thumbs on both hands widened and elongated into something resembling long, curved talons. The transformation wasn¡¯t instantaneous; it took his hands a few seconds to assume their final shape. Jake brought them closer to his face for a better look. Each of his fingers was a couple of inches longer now, curving slightly and tapering off to a point. They looked quite menacing. He surely wouldn¡¯t want a creature to rake his body with such claws.
He heard a mutant cry somewhere off to his right. He turned his head in that direction. While his enhanced hearing allowed him to detect the creature, he couldn¡¯t see it yet. The mutant remained hidden from sight within the dense foliage, but based on the sounds it emitted, it wasn¡¯t far away. Jake decided it was time to test his newly acquired claws on some ex-humans. He darted into the trees, moving effortlessly and producing minimal noise.
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It took him just a few seconds to reach the creature. It was a walker. The mutant had its back turned to him and only became aware of his presence when Jake got within a couple of feet of it. The walker wheeled around, growling and lashing out with a clawed hand upon spotting Jake. However, to Jake, the mutant seemed to move in slow motion. He easily evaded the attack by ducking his head. Before the mutant could regain its balance, Jake swiftly aimed the claws on his right hand toward its throat. His talons tore into the flesh with ease, and dark blood poured from the wound. The walker took an unsteady step toward Jake before collapsing to the ground.
Enemy killed. +10 XP
Just like that, the mutant had been dealt with. It had taken Jake less than a second to deliver the mortal blow to the ex-human. The killing excited him. His claws turned out to be even more dangerous than he had thought. Armed with such powerful talons, dispatching ex-humans wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem from now on.
Jake heard another walker moving through the foliage nearby. He turned in that direction and sprinted after his prey. The walker spotted him before he could get within striking distance. It didn¡¯t help the mutant much, though. The ex-human moved toward him, swinging its clawed hands at him. He ducked under its arms, slashing his own claws across the mutant¡¯s stomach. The tips of his talons ripped through the walker¡¯s ragged clothes, digging deep into its flesh. The mutant¡¯s steaming intestines spilled out onto the ground.
Enemy killed. +10 XP
There were a few more walkers nearby. They heard the commotion and rushed at Jake from several directions. He ducked his head as the first one approached to attack. Jake swept his claws diagonally across the mutant¡¯s face, leaving long bleeding scratches in its flesh. A second slash opened its throat almost to the spine, nearly severing its head. Before the dead walker collapsed, Jake had already turned his attention to the next ex-human. He dodged its clawed hands and counterattacked, killing the mutant in less than a second.
One of the other creatures managed to catch his shoulder with a clawed hand, but he barely noticed it. When he glanced at his shoulder, he was surprised to find it barely scratched with no bluish energy seeping out like it¡¯d happened the last time he was wounded. The skill point he had put into Body had indeed made his body more robust and resistant to damage.
The walkers attacked him from several directions, but he killed all of them without much trouble. When the last one was taken care of, a notification popped up in his head.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 1 to 2. You have gained 1 SP.
Jake closed his eyes to summon his stats. He invested the skill point into Body, increasing it to 2. He then resumed his hunt, tracking down and slaying walkers that lurked in the woods that had once been a city park. After taking out twenty-five more walkers, he leveled up to 3. This time, he invested the skill point into Mind.
He then checked his stats once more.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 3
HP: 100%
XP: 0/500
SP: 0
MP: 580
Body: 2
Mind: 1
Magick: 0
Claws: Rank I (17%) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (22%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (42%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (19%) (Common)
Claws, Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence had all improved, with Enhanced Agility showing significant growth. His skills and abilities indeed increased when they were in active use.
He also noticed that to level up to 4, he needed to gain 500 XP. This meant he had to kill fifty walkers to level up. Perhaps it was a better idea to leave the park and track down some leapers in high-rise buildings instead, as each leaper was worth 25 XP. He might also encounter some shamblers, each worth 50 XP. As a survivor, he had always been wary of shamblers, as they were formidable foes. Now he should be able to deal with them without much trouble.
He could take on multiple ex-humans at the same time and deal with all of them within seconds without breaking a sweat. Given how easily he could slay mutants now, Jake was certain he would level up much faster than he did as a regular survivor. Well, at least, there was a silver lining to being a mutant. Jake wanted to smile at the thought, but he had no mouth to do so.
Chapter 39
Jake ran through the devastated city. As a survivor, he¡¯d hardly ever run when simply exploring the city. Now that he was a mutant, moving at a constant brisk jog felt more natural than simply walking. He moved with ease, running swiftly and easily, without getting tired at all. He leaped over cracks in the road and vaulted over rusty car frames, feeling the cool air brushing against his skin. To his amazement, he found himself relishing being a mutant far more than he had thought he would.
Every now and then, he encountered some stragglers¡ªonly ex-human walkers so far. He dealt with them without even bothering to slow down, simply dashing past them and slashing their throats with his claws. He felt like he was now the most dangerous predator in this new world. However, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. At least, not yet. A walker was the weakest type of mutant. Jake was well aware it would be premature to become overconfident. While he handled walkers with ease, he knew he would need to exercise more caution when confronted with more dangerous types of mutants.
At some point, he realized something. His hands couldn¡¯t remain transformed into claws constantly. After a while, they reverted to their normal human-like hands. This had occurred a few times by now, but thankfully never during a fight. He noticed that his claws changed back into hands after a period of inactivity from combat. With a thought, he could morph them into claws again, but as he later discovered, the transformation process depleted some of his mana.
Then, another thing crossed his mind. He was beginning to feel tired. Fatigue was creeping in, wearing down his body. He couldn¡¯t move as swiftly as before or be as agile as he once was. When facing off against walkers, dodging their attacks became more challenging. His movements had slowed down, and he struggled to fight at his best. Soon after, he also felt a hunger-like sensation stirring within him. It puzzled him. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t figure out how he could ease his hunger without even having a mouth.
Then it hit him. He understood what it all meant. He checked his stats and saw he had less than 250 MP left. Unlike humans, he didn¡¯t need food or water. He was a magical creature, and the only thing he needed for survival was mana, the magical energy stored in marbles, shards, and other mana consumables. His body was constantly consuming the mana contained in his body. The more active he was, the quicker his body devoured the magical energy within it. Certain actions, such as morphing his hands into claws, also depleted some mana. Currently, the small amount of mana remaining in his body was solely used to keep his body functioning. However, he could no longer fight at full strength or move as quickly and be as agile as before.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen when he ran out of the 200 MP that still remained in his body. He had a grim feeling that he would simply die. Being a magical creature, he couldn¡¯t survive without mana.
After coming to such a conclusion, Jake set about combing high-rise buildings for mana consumables. Those items were hard to find¡ªhe¡¯d learned that when he was a regular survivor. They spawned in various places at random, with a low spawn rate. He hoped that being a mutant might make it easier to locate them, perhaps granting him some skill that would aid him in finding them. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.
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It took him some time, but he eventually stumbled across a mana bead in one of the buildings. As a survivor, he¡¯d needed to scan an item with his PDA to get its stats. Now that he was a mutant, he could do so with just a thought. He picked up the mana bead from the floor and issued a mental command to display its stats. They immediately emerged in his mind.
Mana Bead: 100 MP (Common)
Jake remembered that as a survivor, he had needed to mentally trigger the consumption of the mana stored in a mana consumable. He was about to do just that when he accidentally squeezed the bead in his hand harder than he intended. To his great surprise, it easily crushed in his grip, shattering into smaller pieces. Jake was amazed by it. Mana consumables were virtually indestructible. As a survivor, he had tried numerous methods to break a mana consumable before he finally learned the correct way to extract the mana from it. A mana consumable could withstand even a blast from a powerful shotgun. However, as it turned out, as a mutant, he could break a mana consumable without any trouble at all.
Once the mana bead in his hand shattered, the bluish magical energy it contained drifted outward. Since Jake hadn¡¯t given a mental command to consume the mana, he expected it to dissipate, maybe disappearing into thin air. However, something else occurred instead. His body seemed to draw the magical energy into itself. It flowed through his obsidian-black skin, vanishing into his flesh. Immediately after, a notification appeared in his mind.
You have just absorbed 100 MP.
Jake dropped the transparent pieces of the shattered, now-empty bead to the floor. One hundred mana points weren¡¯t much, but they were better than nothing. Still, he needed much more. He exited the building and continued his search for more mana consumables. Soon, he found a mana marble containing 250 MP. Then, he was fortunate enough to discover a mana shard with 500 MP. Each of these items was of common rarity. Jake crushed every mana consumable he found to immediately absorb the magical energy they held. Once the amount of mana in his body exceeded 250 points, his movements became fast and agile again, and he was back to full strength. Mana served as both sustenance and currency for him. When he had enough mana inside his body, he could move swiftly and fight at full strength. However, it also functioned as currency for acquiring new skills and abilities. Therefore, he needed to consume mana wisely and sparingly.
By the time evening fell, he had collected more than a thousand MP. After that, he decided to call it a day. Entering a building to spend the night, he quickly discovered that unlike other living creatures, he didn¡¯t need to sleep at all. With enough mana inside his body, he could operate at full strength for twenty-four hours straight. Nonetheless, he chose to relax for a brief moment and reflect on everything he had learned about surviving as a mutant thus far.
He definitely needed to understand how much mana his body used each day. So he decided to dedicate the next few days to determining how much mana his body consumed in both active and idle states and calculating the total mana he needed daily.
Afterward, Jake chose to explore the building he was staying in. While inspecting one of the rooms, he noticed long scratches across a wall. He wouldn¡¯t have given them another look, but a system notification suddenly emerged in his mind.
New Hunt!
Objective: Track down and slay an elite ex-human walker.
Reward: +1 to Body, +1 to Claws
Accept: Y/N
That¡¯s interesting, Jake thought. It was the very first time he had received a quest as a mutant. He accepted it.
Chapter 40
Survivors received missions through radio broadcasts. Sure enough, since he was a mutant now, he received quests in a different way. These quests appeared to be triggered by specific events, such as stumbling upon recent traces left by another mutant.
Jake closed his eyes and attempted to access his quest menu, or whatever it was called. It worked¡ªin his mind appeared the quest menu. It currently displayed only one quest, the one he had just received.
Type: Hunt
Objective: Track down and defeat an elite ex-human walker.
Reward: +1 to Body, +1 to Claws
Status: In Progress
It was the same info he¡¯d just seen when he spotted the scratches on the wall. Aside from the status of the hunt, no additional details were provided. Thus, the objective was straightforward and simple¡ªto hunt down and eliminate an elite walker.
Elite mutants were basically more powerful versions of their regular counterparts. As a survivor, he¡¯d once had to deal with an elite whipper, a pretty formidable foe. As a reward for defeating it, he¡¯d received a rare assault rifle, which he¡¯d been using until losing it during the fight with the beefed-up leaper just before being drawn into the Dark Void. Now that he was a mutant, rewards for completing quests differed as well. Upon hunting down the elite walker, he would gain one increase in Body and another in Claws.
He wasn¡¯t certain what aspect of Claws would be enhanced, though. With a mental command, he accessed the information on his Claws ability. Having already read its description and by that point being well aware of how Claws worked, he saw no need to reread it. Instead, he focused just on one particular line of text.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
He was aware that each of his skills and abilities was currently of common rarity and had three available upgrades. Having delayed studying them earlier, the time had now come for him to delve into the task. With a mental command, he expanded the list of available upgrades.
Ability: Claws
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Strengthen Claws to cut through solid materials like metal. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Extend Claws by two inches for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce transformation time from hands to claws. Cost: 1 SP
To get an upgrade, he needed a skill point. So, perhaps, he would be given a free upgrade for Claws after completing the hunt. Nice. Jake opened his eyes, and all the info disappeared. Looking around, he noticed another set of scratches on the wall across the room next to the staircase leading to the upper levels. Climbing one flight of stairs to the half-landing, he spotted another series of long scratches extending along the wall further up the staircase. Quickening his pace, he bounded up the steps, taking several at a time.
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The scratches led farther and farther up. Instead of following them continuously, Jake stopped on each floor to search for loot. In one of the rooms on the fourth floor, he found a mana chunk. After picking it up, he squeezed it in his fist, extracting the magical energy and consuming the precious mana. In a large room on the seventh floor, he came across a group of mutants, mainly walkers. Since the scratches led farther up the staircase, he knew his target wasn¡¯t among this group. Nevertheless, he decided to take care of them. He could definitely use some more XP. There was never enough of it.
As soon as Jake entered the room, one of the walkers caught sight of him. Without giving it a chance to alert the others, he swiftly darted toward the group, making almost no noise at all. With a powerful slash, he nearly severed the head of the nearest mutant. It plopped onto the mutant¡¯s shoulder, attached to its neck by a few remaining strands of flesh. Just as another ex-human spun around, Jake dug his claws into its throat and tore out a huge chunk of flesh, causing a fountain of blood to pour from the nasty wound. He ducked under the arm of another walker as it lashed out at him. With two of the claws on his right hand, he pierced the mutant¡¯s eyeballs, drilling his talons so deep into its head they penetrated its brain. He yanked his claws out of the mutant¡¯s head and swung them at the last mutant¡¯s face, leaving long bleeding gashes across it. With the claws on the other hand, Jake slashed the creature across its stomach, causing the steaming intestines to spill out of the mutant¡¯s body.
Multiple enemies killed. +40 XP
Having taken care of the ex-humans, he searched the room for loot. Despite its size, the room was empty except for some scattered debris. Roaming around, he noticed a familiar item in one of the corners. Using his clawed hand, he retrieved it from the floor and summoned its description with a thought.
Magical Scroll: Push (Common) (Cost: 100 MP)
As a survivor, he could learn magic spells from scrolls. He wondered if he could do the same as a mutant. He morphed his claws back into normal hands so it was easier to unroll the scroll. He had to wait a few seconds for the transformation to complete. While it wasn¡¯t all that long, he wished it had taken less time than that. In certain situations, timing could be critical.
After examining the mysterious symbols written on the ancient piece of paper, he issued a mental command to learn the spell from the scroll, but, alas, nothing happened. He tried a few more times, but no luck. He either couldn¡¯t use magic at all¡ªwhich he could hardly believe considering he wasn¡¯t just a typical mutant but rather a magical creature¡ªor he could learn magic in some other way. Perhaps magic spells would become available for purchase in the Genetic Development Interface later on.
Jake followed the scratches up the staircase until he reached the door that led to the roof of the ten-story building. The setting sun had already dipped below the high-rises, casting a gloomy light in the air. Despite the diminishing light, Jake could still see pretty well. His night vision wasn¡¯t perfect, but he could definitely see in the semi-darkness much better than an ordinary human. He also was confident his sight would further improve after he increased the Rank of Enhanced Senses.
In the middle of the roof stood a mutant. Jake summoned its description with a thought.
Ex-Human Walker ¨C Level 10 (Elite)
Special ability: Flurry of Swings ¨C The mutant enters a frenzy state, swinging its claws violently for a few seconds.
Jake studied the mutant for a moment. It was much larger and more muscular than a typical walker. The ex-human was bare-chested, with ragged pants cropped just below the knees, resembling shorts. Its claws were significantly longer than those of a regular walker, reaching a length of at least six inches. The mutant¡¯s lower jaw hung open due to its extremely large yellow teeth, preventing its mouth from fully closing.
The elite walker gazed at the darkening sky, seemingly captivated by the unfolding twilight. When Jake took a few more steps closer to the ex-human, it detected his movement from the corner of its eye. It spun to face him, emitting a threatening roar to assert its dominance. Jake wasn¡¯t impressed. The elite walker surpassed him by a few levels, but it didn¡¯t bother him much. With a thought, he morphed his hands back into claws. He paused briefly, waiting for the transformation to fully finish before dashing toward the enemy.
Chapter 41
Jake reached the walker in less than a second and immediately lashed out with a clawed hand. His talons raked the monster¡¯s naked chest, leaving long bleeding gashes in it. His attack didn¡¯t seem to do much damage to the mutant, though. If anything, it only made it angrier. The mutant tried to swipe at Jake with its claws, but he ducked in time, and the creature¡¯s claws sliced through the air just over his head. The elite walker was definitely faster than regular mutants.
Undeterred, the walker attacked him again, prompting Jake to jump back to evade the strike. The mutant was tall with longer arms and claws, giving it a definite advantage in reach. Jake¡¯s first impulse was to charge at his enemy, but he held back. It would be smart to learn more about this elite mutant before charging at it headfirst. Being bigger and stronger than average walkers, it could possibly be more intelligent too. He needed to learn its fighting tactics and behavior patterns.
The large mutant charged forward, swinging one of its arms at him. Jake dodged the attack and jumped back. The mutant lunged forward once more, extending its arms as if attempting to grab him. He leaped to the side, evading the mutant¡¯s claws without fighting back.
For a minute, it went on like this. He watched his enemy, studying its movements and trying to anticipate its next actions. The walker kept attacking him, and he evaded each strike. In the end, he concluded that while the elite walker was faster and stronger than regular ones, it didn¡¯t seem to be much smarter than them. Also, all its movements were similar to theirs. While the mutant was fast, as long as he kept his guard up, he could evade its attacks without much trouble. Now that he knew the walker¡¯s attack patterns, it was time for him to strike back.
He leaped toward the enemy, diving under its arm as it lashed out at him, and struck out with his talons. He aimed at the walker¡¯s stomach, hoping to split it open and slay the mutant with one precise strike. The tips of his talons dug into the mutant¡¯s flesh but not as deeply as he¡¯d hoped. He left a bleeding mark across the creature¡¯s stomach, but the wound was superficial. The elite walker¡¯s flesh was denser and tougher than a regular mutant¡¯s. This foe would definitely require more than just a couple of wounds to bring down.
Jake aggressively slashed at the mutant with his razor-sharp claws, leaving a few more bleeding scratches across its torso. He was about to strike back at his opponent once more when the mutant suddenly let out a hoarse roar. Immediately after that, it lunged forward, swinging its claws at Jake. He ducked, avoiding the blow, but the mutant quickly swung at him with its other arm, prompting him to jump back. The mutant pursued him, closing in once more, brandishing its long claws. Jake realized it must have been the walker¡¯s special ability called Flurry of Swings. The mutant attacked him repeatedly, pushing him on the defensive. With the mutant in a frenzied state, relentlessly striking out, all Jake could do was retreat and dodge.
At some point, he realized he was nearing the edge of the roof. The consequences of falling from such a tall building were unknown to him. What damage would it do to his mutant body that fed on magical energy? Would it result in death, injury, or perhaps no harm at all? He didn¡¯t know. Even if it was the latter, he had to do his best to avoid falling from the roof. He leaped to the side and swiftly maneuvered around his opponent, returning to the center of the roof. As he did so, the mutant made a grab for him with a clawed hand, but he skillfully avoided its elongated talon-like fingers.
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About half a minute later, the elite mutant eased off its relentless assault, its movements decelerating, returning back to normal. It was time to bring the prolonged fight to a conclusion. It¡¯d already been going on longer than he¡¯d expected. With the mutant no longer swinging its arms like a maniac, Jake seized the opportunity and lunged forward, raking his claws across his foe¡¯s body. The elite walker let out a roaring cry, driven more by rage than pain.
The fierce fight raged on for a few more minutes. A few times, Jake attempted to slash his claws across the walker''s throat, but each time the mutant jerked back, protecting the vulnerable spot. Jake then pounced again, tearing into his enemy with his razor-sharp claws. The elite mutant was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds now, yet it was still alive and kicking. It made a sudden move toward him, slicing through the air with its menacing claws. Jake dodged the attack and lunged one more time, swiping ferociously and leaving another bleeding mark across the mutant¡¯s chest.
His attacks had seemingly done little to no serious damage to the walker. Jake pounced again, aiming for its throat again. This time, he managed to reach it, and his razor-sharp talons tore through the mutant¡¯s flesh, causing dark, almost black, blood to spray from the nasty wound. He¡¯d finally scored a serious hit. The elite mutant froze for a second as if not quite comprehending what had just happened. Then, with surprising speed and force, it lunged forward, catching Jake off guard. Being severely wounded made the mutant even more dangerous. It swiped with its claws, but Jake managed to duck his head just in time. Then the wounded monster rammed into him, causing Jake to collapse onto his back. The mutant fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Before Jake could come up with a defensive strategy, the creature leaned in and sank its razor-sharp teeth into his shoulder.
It wasn¡¯t the first time he had been wounded as a mutant, and once again, he marveled at the absence of pain. However, he could still feel the damage to his body. Then the elite mutant pulled its head back, tearing a huge chunk of obsidian-black flesh from his shoulder. A signal was relayed to his brain, notifying him that he had just sustained serious damage to his shoulder. A system notification emerged in his mind.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Profuse Bleeding. You are losing mana at a rapid rate.
It was bad. It was really bad. The mutant was bleeding from the wound he¡¯d dealt to its throat, losing its strength by a second. Still, the mutant was still alive and capable of doing even more damage to him. So Jake brought up his clawed hands and drove his talons into the sides of the mutant¡¯s head with fierce force, breaking through the walker¡¯s skull and penetrating its brain. The walker froze for a second, then its body went limp and dropped on top of him.
Two more system notifications popped up in his head.
Enemy killed. +100 XP
Hunt complete. You have gained a point in Body. You have gained an upgrade in Claws.
Jake pushed the dead mutant off his body and got to his feet. He glanced at the large, ragged hole in his shoulder, where a greenish-blue glow emitted from within¡ªthe mana stored inside his body. He watched as the magical energy flowed out of the wound freely and profusely, quickly dissolving into the air. The sight was truly alarming.
I fucked up, Jake thought to himself.
Chapter 42
Despite his severe wound, Jake remained reasonably calm as he searched the tenth floor of the building for any overlooked mana consumables. He moved swiftly, taking broad steps and occasionally checking his wounded shoulder. He could see the ragged hole gradually but slowly healing. He was acutely aware his body was consuming mana at an accelerated rate while he remained so active, but there was nothing he could do about that. He needed to find some mana consumables ASAP.
After finding nothing, he sprinted toward the staircase and bounded down the steps, taking several at a time. Upon reaching the ninth floor, he was about to begin searching but stopped himself, opting to pause and think instead. Searching was futile. He had thoroughly combed through the entire building from the first floor up to the roof, so he couldn¡¯t have overlooked any mana consumables. He had been meticulous in his search, and his Enhanced Senses would not have allowed him to miss such valuable items.
So the only thing he could do was calm down and let his body heal naturally. He lowered himself to the floor, sitting down and leaning against the wall behind him. Now that he was completely still, his body¡¯s mana consumption rate slowed down. Jake had noticed this pattern before¡ªhis body consumed mana at a faster rate while he was active, but when at rest, the mana consumption was much slower.
He looked at his wounded shoulder. Now that he was no longer frantically running around, his body could give its full attention to the wound, intensifying the healing process. He watched as his flesh was reconstructing itself before his eyes and the ragged hole in his shoulder was closing at an accelerated rate. About a minute later, the wound narrowed enough for the mana to cease seeping out of it. The Profuse Bleeding negative effect no longer affected him either.
A couple of minutes later, the wound finally sealed shut, leaving no scar or any mark on his obsidian-black skin at all, as if he had never been wounded. Once again, Jake couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his body¡¯s astonishing regenerative ability. As long as he had enough mana, it could heal even severe wounds within minutes.
He closed his eyes and summoned his character sheet to see how much mana he had left. After checking the mana count, he realized the healing process had consumed a few hundred MP¡ªmore than he had anticipated. Mana deprivation was already causing him to experience a sensation similar to hunger, which had become familiar to him by now.
Since he had his stats open, he took a moment to check them out.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 3
HP: 100%
XP: 320/500
SP: 0
MP: 235
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 0
Claws: Rank I (34%) (Common)
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Enhanced Senses: Rank I (46%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (73%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (28%) (Common)
Body was now at 3, having increased by one point after he completed the hunt. Jake realized that this was likely another reason the grave wound in his shoulder had healed so quickly¡ªthe Body attribute not only made him more resilient to damage but also improved his body¡¯s regenerative abilities.
Jake continued to study his stats and noticed that all his skills had improved. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he would be able to level up some of them to the next Rank. He then shifted his gaze to Claws and, with a thought, expanded the list of available upgrades.
Ability: Claws
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Strengthen Claws to cut through solid materials like metal. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Extend Claws by two inches for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce transformation time from hands to claws. Cost: 1 SP
Completing the hunt should have granted him a free upgrade for the ability. Yet, no matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t seem to obtain any of the ability¡¯s three upgrades. What the hell? What was he doing wrong?
After another failed attempt to acquire one of the upgrades for Claws, Jake closed his stats and summoned the quest menu.
Type: Hunt
Objective: Track down and defeat an elite ex-human walker.
Reward: +1 to Body (Received), +1 to Claws (Not Received)
Status: Complete
When he focused on the Claws reward, he was finally allowed to pick one of the three upgrades for the ability.
He gave the matter some thought. Each of the three upgrades was extremely useful. Which one should he choose?
He could strengthen his claws, but after pondering for a moment, he decided against it. While his claws didn¡¯t seem overly effective against the elite walker, elite mutants were quite rare. Most of the time, he had to deal with regular mutants, which his claws could easily rip apart.
He wasn¡¯t inclined to choose the second option either. His claws were already of adequate reach, so he was satisfied with their current length. Though he could acquire the first two upgrades later, he felt no pressing need for them for the time being.
It left him with the third upgrade, which appeared to be the most useful to him at the moment. He had already noticed that it took a few seconds for his hands to transform into claws, and vice versa. In critical situations, this upgrade could make the difference between life and death. Besides, he knew he would be able to obtain other weapons in the future. The quicker he could switch between them, the better. So he went for the third option, issuing a mental command to select the desired upgrade.
You have received an upgrade for Claws.
Jake then switched back to the info on the ability.
Claws: Rank I (34%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
He could obtain two more upgrades. Jake wondered whether this was the total number of upgrades for the ability or if more would be unlocked later on. He also noticed that Claws were currently of common rarity, suggesting that he might be able to upgrade them to the next rarity level at some point. At the moment, he didn¡¯t know what requirements needed to be met before he could do that. He figured he would find out at a later time.
He opened his eyes, and all the information disappeared. He morphed his hands into claws to test out the upgrade. Now, the transformation took less than a second to complete. It was incredibly fast. One moment, he had his normal hands, and in the next, they became claws. It was amazing.
Although there were no enemies nearby, Jake chose not to morph his claws back into hands because each transformation consumed some of his mana. With less than 200 MP remaining, he wanted to conserve every bit of that precious magical energy.
The sensation of hunger intensified within him. His body yearned for mana. Descending the stairs, he realized his movements had slowed and become sluggish as it always happened when his body was running low on mana. He had to fix that fast.
After reaching the first floor and exiting the building, he saw night had already descended. His eyes could see quite well in the darkness, though. He saw there were no enemies nearby, which was a good thing. Since the little remaining mana within him was solely used to sustain basic bodily functions, he was in no condition to fight right now.
Choosing a direction, he set off on the hunt for mana.
Chapter 43
For the next few hours, he searched the city for mana consumables. Occasionally, he came across mutants but managed to evade confrontation. Since his body was compromised by the mana depletion, Jake knew he couldn¡¯t fight at full strength. His body appeared to have a safeguard mechanism that restricted his movement to conserve mana. Currently, the remaining magical energy in his body was solely dedicated to sustaining basic functions, causing him to move slower and feel weaker. In his compromised state, even low-level walkers and leapers posed a threat to him.
The memories of what had occurred when the elite walker took a huge bite out of his shoulder were still fresh in his mind. While being severely wounded had been an unfortunate event, it had taught him a valuable lesson. He had learned that he could bleed. His new body did not seem to have blood, but it could still ¡°bleed.¡± Operating on mana, his body lost significant amounts of this precious magical energy when severely injured. That was another reason Jake wasn¡¯t willing to battle mutants at the moment. In his weakened state, he was prone to getting injured, and sustaining a serious wound would be really bad news for him. Losing more mana was something he couldn¡¯t afford; after all, he only had about 150 MP left.
Jake scavenged for mana for a few hours, exploring one abandoned building after another. He promptly extracted the magical energy from every mana consumable he found. Mana beads held 100 mana points, mana marbles contained 250 MP, and mana shards had 500 MP. These were all common items. He assumed there should be rarer mana consumables out there, but so far, he had only come across common ones.
At some point, Jake realized he was finding his way around the city surprisingly well despite not having his PDA with a map. He always knew where he was, memorizing the layout of the city without any trouble. He navigated through the city just as well as when he had a map app at his disposal, and perhaps even better, as he no longer needed to constantly refer to the map to know where he was. Enhanced Intelligence continued to demonstrate its incredible usefulness. It not only sharpened his cognitive abilities but also significantly improved his memory. Thanks to this skill, he was gifted with a mental map of the city.
When he was a regular survivor, he¡¯d established several hideouts and stashes where he rested and stored his supplies, marking them on the map on his PDA. Even without the device, he could recall the precise whereabouts of all his stashes and find his way to any of them with ease. However, he chose not to revisit them. As a survivor, he had immediately consumed the magical energy from mana consumables upon finding them, leaving none in his stashes. He had stocked plenty of canned food, bottled water, ammo, and other survival items, but after he became a mutant, they had lost their value to him.
It took him about an hour to find three mana beads, collecting enough mana for the safety mechanism of his body to disengage. His movements were as fast as before, allowing him to operate at his best once more. Still, he kept searching for more mana. There never seemed to be enough of it. It took him a few hours to find two mana marbles and one mana shard, bringing him up to 1450 MP. Figuring it should be enough to last him for a while, he concluded his search. Now, he could go back to fighting mutants.
However, he decided to rest for a bit while checking his stats and contemplating the best way to progress further. He found a room in the building he was in and closed his eyes. First, he checked his stats. Not much had changed since his last check, so he quickly switched to the Genetic Development Interface.
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He examined the list of skills and abilities available for purchase. The cheapest one cost 2,000 MP, which was more than he had at the moment. This made him ponder. Most of the mana he collected was consumed by his body. It presented him with a dilemma. Mana served as both fuel for his body and currency, but the spawn rate of mana consumables was extremely low. He wasn¡¯t finding nearly enough mana consumables for both sustaining himself and acquiring new skills. There should definitely be better and more efficient ways to acquire mana than just relying on scavenging alone.
Jake pondered all of this for about an hour. Then, he realized that his inhuman mind was helping him keep track of time. He didn¡¯t need a watch or any other tool to measure time. His mind took care of it, assisting him in calculating the time that elapsed from one specific moment to another. This discovery amazed him. Enhanced Intelligence turned out to be an incredibly useful skill. In a way, it replaced the PDA he couldn¡¯t live without as a regular survivor. It helped him memorize the layout of the city, keep track of time, and who knew what else his inhuman mind was now capable of. It was truly impressive.
Jake checked how much MP his body had consumed over the past hour he¡¯d spent relaxing and thinking, which turned out to be only 5 MP. He then multiplied it by twenty-four: 120 MP. This was the amount his body consumed in an idle state in a day. He doubted he would spend many days entirely idle, but it was still good to know his minimum daily mana consumption needs.
After that, he opened his eyes and stood up from the floor. Now it would be a good idea to figure out how much mana his body would consume while being active for an hour. When he got out of the building, daylight had already begun to fill the streets. Jake went on a hunt for ex-humans. Over the next hour, he traversed the city, exploring buildings, and engaging in constant battles. After an hour of intense physical activity, he checked how much mana he¡¯d lost, which amounted to 45 MP. Multiplying the value by twenty-four yielded a daily total of 1080 MP. Jake was pleasantly surprised by his ability to quickly perform such a complex calculation in his mind.
When he checked his stats one more time, he also noticed a substantial improvement in Enhanced Intelligence. Previously at 28%, the skill had surged to 67%. Engaging in problem-solving tasks and multiplying big numbers in his head had proven to be quite effective in leveling up Enhanced Intelligence.
So, the minimum amount of mana he needed daily was 120 MP. In a highly active state, his body could consume about 1080 MP in a day. This information was quite useful. However, he had a feeling that the numbers would continue to increase as his body demanded more and more mana daily as he grew stronger.
Jake continued to explore the city, battling occasional mutants he came across. In one of the abandoned buildings, he stumbled upon replication pods hanging from the ceiling. He decided to destroy them for XP. However, when he neared one of them and was about to slash it with his claws, a piece of info popped up in his mind.
New Mutation Research!
Objective: Analyze replication pods with three different types of mutants within.
Reward: Bladed Tentacles (the ability will be added to the Genetic Development Interface upon completing the mutation research)
Accept: Y/N
Jake lowered his clawed hand. The system offered him another quest. It differed from the last one he had completed. The reward was also different. After finishing the hunt that required him to locate and eliminate an elite walker, he had received a point in Body and a free upgrade for Claws. The reward for this quest, called mutation research, was a new ability called Bladed Tentacles. The prospect of obtaining a new ability excited him a great deal. Without hesitation, he selected YES.
Chapter 44
Jake peered into the replication pod in front of him. Back when he was just a regular survivor, he had examined those human-sized cocoon-like pods at some point. He already knew that a replication pod had the remarkable ability to generate a mutant, nurturing it from a single-celled organism to a fully grown creature within a matter of minutes. Once a mutant reached full development, a replication pod unfurled, allowing the creature to emerge before sealing itself once more to begin crafting another being.
However, now that he was a mutant, his heightened senses allowed him to discern more details inside the translucent pod. For a moment, he was mesmerized by the intricate process of mutant creation unfolding before him. The translucent pod was filled with some kind of life-giving liquid, in which a mutant was gradually taking shape, growing larger and filling the interior of the pod. The creature was alive, but its eyes remained closed. Jake watched its fingers elongate into menacing claws while sharp teeth protruded, filling its oversized mouth.
Even though the process wasn¡¯t finished yet, Jake could already tell that the mutant was a walker. It mostly looked like a regular human, but its feet and hands were clawed, and there were way more razor-sharp, pointed teeth inside its enlarged mouth than there should be.
In his mind, a system notification popped up.
Creature analyzed. The status of mutation research has been updated.
Jake glanced around the room, taking note of the numerous pods but finding no mutants in sight. He closed his eyes and called up the quest menu. The active one stood at the top of the list, followed by the recently completed hunt. He focused on his current quest.
Type: Mutation Research
Objective: Analyze replication pods with three different types of mutants.
Reward: Bladed Tentacles
Status: In Progress (1 of 3)
He opened his eyes and scanned the area once more. Some of the nearby pods housed more mutants. They were in the late stages of development, so he could already tell they were walkers. To advance his quest, he needed to locate pods containing different types of mutants. He stepped away from the pod he had already inspected and was about to explore another when a sound caught his attention.
It was the disgusting wet sound of a pod on his right opening abruptly, resulting in the transparent liquid within splashing outward. A fully formed mutant, a familiar walker breed, emerged from the pod. Jake¡¯s mutant eyes granted him an expanded field of view, allowing him to track the movements of the newly created mutant without needing to turn his head as it lurched toward him.
The walker held its clawed hands toward him, about to tear into his face. Jake sidestepped with ease as he swiped at his opponent, his own claws digging deep into the mutant¡¯s flesh. The walker growled more in rage than pain, blood pouring from the slash in the side of its neck. The mutant spun to face him, but it was moving too slowly for Jake. He waited for his enemy to finish its turn, exposing its throat before immediately striking again. The claws on his right hand sliced deeply into its flesh, nearly beheading the creature.
Enemy killed. +10 XP
The replication pods that had contained the mutants in the final stage of development moments earlier began to open, disgorging fully developed creatures one by one. Among them, Jake spotted a leaper to his left. This mutant type stood out more from a regular human than a walker did. Due to their unique altered anatomy, it was easier for leapers to move on all fours, resembling the fluid motions of a lizard. Leapers were definitely more agile and faster than walkers, which was why Jake had developed a strong dislike for them during his time as a survivor.
Transformed into a mutant himself, now possessing heightened senses and enhanced reflexes, Jake no longer felt threatened by them.
The mutant scurried toward him, then paused for a second and suddenly leaped. Jake jumped to the side, simultaneously throwing a clawed hand toward the approaching mutant. The tips of his talons dug deeply into the creature¡¯s flesh, rending muscle and cartilage with ease. A second later, the headless leaper dropped to the floor behind him, the fountain of blood pouring from the stump of its neck. The severed head flew farther away, striking a wall before bouncing off the floor. It rolled across the room, leaving a trace of blood in its path and eventually settling in one of the corners.
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Enemy killed. +25 XP
More mutants moved toward him from several directions. He ducked when a walker reached out for him with clawed hands. With a swipe of his talons, he opened up its belly, the steaming insides falling out. Before the dead mutant could even collapse to the floor, Jake was already dealing with another walker, attacking it in a flurry of swings, making a bloody mess of its torso. He attempted to stab another mutant with his claws, but they didn¡¯t inflict much damage. His claws were more suited for slashing than piercing. In the Genetic Development Interface, there was a weapon called Swords. Eventually, he planned to acquire it to have a range of weapons for various situations.
Another mutant lunged at him, ending his line of thought. He turned to face the new threat, dodging its attack and lashing out with his talons. His claws dug deeply into its throat, tearing its flesh and causing blood to spray. Jake had long since learned to always go for the throat when he had the chance to do so. It was the most vulnerable spot of this mutant type. Jake then finished off the previous walker that he¡¯d pierced with claws a moment before.
Yet another mutant launched itself at him from the side. This one almost managed to catch him with its talons. Jake slapped its clawed hands aside with one hand and attacked the mutant with the talons on the other, digging all his pointed fingers into its throat and tearing out a huge chunk of flesh. The mutant didn¡¯t live long after that.
Multiple enemies killed. +50 XP.
Another notification emerged in his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 3 to 4. You have gained 1 SP.
Jake looked around, ready to engage another enemy. There weren¡¯t any left. The replication pods that had disgorged the mutants had already started producing new ones. The creatures in the remaining cocoons had not yet reached their final stages of development either. Jake strolled around the room with bouncy strides, inspecting each pod closely. The majority were in the process of developing walkers. To advance his quest, he needed to locate a pod containing a different type of mutant.
Finally, he discovered one. Peering inside, he saw what appeared to be a leaper in the early stages of development. It floated inside the liquid the pod was filled with, gradually growing and maturing. Jake watched the process for a few seconds until a system notification appeared in his head.
Creature analyzed. The status of mutation research has been updated.
A thought occurred to him. Could he check the status of his quest without shutting his eyes and summoning all of his stats? He attempted to access only the status of his quest, and it worked¡ªthe system message popped up in his mind.
Status: In Progress (2 of 3)
So he needed to shut his eyes only when he wanted to review all of his stats. If he wished to check a specific detail, he could do so even with his eyes open. It was good to know.
To complete his quest, Jake needed to inspect one more pod. He resumed walking around the room and searching for a cocoon with a different kind of mutant within. After some time, he located one. In one of the corners of the room, he came across a pod with a large mutant being developed inside it, potentially a shambler. As the mutant grew larger, it expanded and pressed against the walls of the pod from within. Despite the strain, the pod¡¯s material resiliently stretched without tearing, revealing its remarkable elasticity.
Enhanced Senses reached 100%. You can now increase it to Rank II.
He¡¯d been peering into the pods so hard his skill had advanced surprisingly quickly.
Status: Complete (3 of 3)
Just as he checked the status of his quest, yet another system notification emerged.
Mutation research complete. Bladed Tentacles has been added to the Genetic Development Interface.
So he¡¯d just leveled up, maxed out the current rank of Enhanced Senses, and received a new ability. However, before delving into these new developments, he decided to destroy all the replication pods to prevent any new mutants from emerging while he concentrated on his stats. Now that the quest was complete, he no longer needed them, anyway.
He set about tearing apart replication pods with his claws, getting some XP for destroying each of them. His hard-skinned obsidian-black body was covered in mutant blood and pods¡¯ stinky liquid from head to toe by that point, but it didn¡¯t bother him at all. Surprisingly, even the repugnant smell, which he could sense extremely well due to Enhanced Senses, didn¡¯t perturb him much.
He continued to destroy the transparent cocoons, tearing apart the organic material they were made of. Underdeveloped mutants wallowed in the pod liquid spread across the floor. He crushed the immature creatures with his hard feet, turning each of them into a pulpy mass, earning extra experience points for that.
At last, only one pod remained intact. He turned toward the cocoon nestled in a corner of the room, in which the shambler he¡¯d spotted earlier was nearing completion. The cocoon appeared so swollen in every direction it seemed to be on the verge of rupturing. Jake waited. He could have destroyed the pod a long time ago, but he¡¯d opted not to. He desired to challenge himself against a shambler because he¡¯d never fought one as a morphus. With no other mutants or pods to produce them left, it was going to be a one-on-one battle.
He didn¡¯t have to wait long. The pod unfurled, and the fully-developed shambler emerged, immediately locking eyes with him.
Let¡¯s dance, Jake thought.
Chapter 45
The shambler was huge. It wasn¡¯t because it was excessively fat or muscular, though. Like all the other shamblers he¡¯d encountered as a survivor, it had a deformed body that was covered with thick layers of organic growth. Completely enveloped in that disgusting matter, the right arm of the mutant was extremely long, dangling at its side with the tips of its fingers almost touching the floor. The right leg was somewhat larger than the left one as well. The entire right side of the mutant had lumps of organic matter growing all over it, which made the mutant appear much larger. Half of its head was also covered by the protective growth, fully concealing one eye. The remaining eye was disproportionately large, bulging out so much that it appeared to be on the verge of falling out.
All the shamblers Jake had encountered as a survivor looked about the same way¡ªhalf their bodies were covered in organic growth and one of their arms was as thick as a log and much longer than the other one. He knew the organic matter not only served as a protective layer but also had the remarkable ability to regenerate a shambler¡¯s damaged flesh in a matter of seconds. The quickest way to kill a shambler was to destroy its brain. The problem was that most of its head was covered with lumps of protective organic matter. As a survivor, he had to fire at a shambler¡¯s organic layer rapidly to give it no time to regenerate. It¡¯d always taken him some time to kill a shambler with firearms in the past.
All these thoughts and memories flashed through his mind in less than a second. Jake waited for the shambler to make its first move. The massive mutant growled and shuffled toward him, struggling to walk, its movements labored and slow. The creature¡¯s substantial weight and mismatched leg lengths hindered its mobility. If Jake had a mouth, he would¡¯ve smiled. Shamblers had always looked frightening to him as a survivor. Now that he was a morphus, the cumbersome and sluggish mutant before him looked pitiful. Defeating it would be much easier than he¡¯d initially anticipated.
After what felt like a long time, the shambler finally closed the distance, lifting its oversized arm with tedious slowness from Jake¡¯s perspective. As the mutant began to swing its arm downward toward his head, Jake easily sidestepped, evading the attack as the massive fist crashed into the empty space he¡¯d just occupied. The mutant¡¯s bulging eye locked onto him with an expression of pure disbelief, unable to comprehend how it had missed its target.
Before the shambler could even raise its fist from the ground, Jake was already in motion. In the past, he would¡¯ve aimed his shotgun at the shambler¡¯s head to obliterate its skull and the brain within with a powerful blast or two. However, as he¡¯d already noticed, his claws weren¡¯t particularly suited for piercing. So he went for the mutant¡¯s throat instead. Most of it was protected by a thick layer of organic matter. Jake swiped at it repeatedly in quick succession, rending the growth to shreds, not giving it time to regenerate until his claws finally reached the ex-human¡¯s flesh. By the time the shambler finally lifted its fist, the mutant was profusely bleeding from the multiple gashes in its neck.
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The shambler growled in anger and pain, swinging its thick, log-like arm at Jake. He ducked, and the mutant¡¯s fist passed over him harmlessly. Jake quickly moved behind the cumbersome creature and continued to attack its neck. The mutant attempted to turn toward him, but Jake kept circling the creature, staying out of its line of sight. All the growth on its neck was gone by that point, not even able to regenerate anymore. Fountains of blood sprayed from several deep gashes in its thick neck. The shambler was losing a lot of blood, weakening by the second.
The monster made another attempt to turn toward Jake, but he easily circled the huge cumbersome creature, staying out of its line of sight. The monster¡¯s neck was just a gory mess of shredded flesh by that point. Jake was surprised the shambler managed to stay alive that long. He swiped at the mutant¡¯s wounded neck another time, his sharp talons tearing into its flesh, adding new deep gashes to it.
The shambler couldn¡¯t take any more damage. It emitted one last grunt as its knees buckled. The massive mutant collapsed to the floor with a resounding thud and went completely still.
Enemy killed. +50 XP
That was it. Just like that, the fight was over. Jake had anticipated an epic battle, but it turned out to be a one-sided beating that concluded in just a few seconds. So far, he¡¯d defeated all the enemies he¡¯d encountered without breaking a sweat. It was kind of disappointing. He wondered if there were more formidable enemies on the horizon. The elite walker he¡¯d defeated was the strongest foe he¡¯d encountered so far, but the regular mutants he faced didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to him.
He turned his attention to the last remaining pod, from which the shambler had emerged seconds before. He could see that another monster of the same breed was already in the process of being created. However, it was still in the very early stages of development. Unlike walkers and leapers, it took much longer for shamblers to fully develop. Jake stepped to the replication pod and tore it to pieces with his claws. The transparent fluid splashed onto the floor, and with a wet thud, the undeveloped creature fell amid the shredded remnants of the pod. After crushing the embryo of the creature underfoot, Jake stepped aside from the mess he had created.
Now that all the enemies and replication pods were taken care of, he could finally check out his updated stats. His level had increased from 3 to 4 in the recent battle with mutants, granting him one skill point to allocate. Enhanced Senses had also reached 100%, allowing him to upgrade the skill to Rank II. Completing the recent mutation research quest should have unlocked a new ability called Bladed Tentacles. It was time to delve into all these exciting new developments. He closed his eyes and summoned his character sheet.
Chapter 46
His stats appeared before him. First of all, he checked the Enhanced Senses skill.
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
He focused on the rank of the skill, and a piece of additional information emerged.
A raise to the next Rank is available.
Requirements: Mind 1
Cost: 1 SP
Raise to Rank II: Y/N
So he could raise Enhanced Senses to Rank II right now since he had one skill point at his disposal and his Mind attribute was 1. However, he decided not to do it right now. He first wanted to check something else.
He shifted his gaze to another line in his stats to see how much mana he currently had.
MP: 1,390
The last time he checked his mana, he¡¯d had 1,450 MP, which he¡¯d collected during his mana hunt. Over the course of the last hour or so, he¡¯d consumed 60 MP, exploring the city and fighting mutants emerging from the replication pods in the building. The last time he¡¯d measured the mana consumption during one hour of active physical activity, he found that he used up a total of 45 MP. So he just received another confirmation that the more active he was, both physically and mentally, the greater the amount of mana his body burned through.
He then reviewed the current status of his abilities and skills. Claws currently was at 78%, Enhanced Agility and Enhanced Intelligence at 92% and 71% respectively. It wouldn¡¯t be long before these skills reached 100% too. The new ability, Bladed Tentacles, was nowhere to be seen in his character sheet, however. It was understandable. He recalled the note from the quest description stating that Bladed Tentacles would be integrated into the Genetic Development Interface upon quest completion.
To ensure everything was in order, he accessed the quest menu. The menu, which stored records of all his quests, both active and completed, appeared in his mind. With no active quests at the moment, the list displayed only the two quests he had finished earlier. He focused on the one listed at the top.
Type: Mutation Research
Objective: Analyze replication pods with three different types of mutants.
Reward: Bladed Tentacles (Received)
Status: Completed
With a thought, Jake then closed his character sheet and switched to the Genetic Development Interface, which was basically a skill store. A list of abilities and skills available for purchase materialized in his mind.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 1 of 4
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Skills: 3 of 7
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: Already Owned
Jake scanned through the list. Abilities were listed first, followed by skills. Those abilities and skills he already possessed were placed at the bottom of the list. When he became a mutant, he¡¯d been given three skills¡ªEnhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence. Later on, he¡¯d acquired the Claws ability. The Bladed Tentacles ability had been added to the store, joining the other abilities in the top half of the list. Jake was kind of disappointed. He¡¯d hoped he would get the ability for free, but as it turned out, he had to buy it for MP just like any other. Still, if he hadn¡¯t completed the mutation research quest, this ability wouldn¡¯t have become available for purchase at all.
He focused on the ability to get additional information about it.
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Description: The mutant can grow tentacles ending in double-edged blades from their back. The tentacles last for a brief period before detaching from the mutant¡¯s body.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: 3,000 MP
Jake wanted to acquire the ability, but he couldn¡¯t do it at the moment. It was way too expensive for him right now. He wished he knew a more efficient way of acquiring mana consumables instead of simply scavenging for them. So far, he had learned about two types of quests with different objectives¡ªHunt and Mutation Research. The reward for the former was points for his attributes as well as free upgrades to his skills and abilities. The reward for the latter was new skills and abilities. He wondered if there were quest types that offered mana rewards. He hoped such quests existed.
He was also aware that before he could acquire Bladed Tentacles, he would need to increase Magick to 1. Up to this moment, he hadn''t invested a single skill point into that attribute because he hadn¡¯t yet found a compelling reason to do so. He wasn¡¯t even sure about the advantages or effects of this attribute on him.
After giving the matter some thought, Jake decided that raising Enhanced Senses to Rank II would have to wait a little longer. He planned to do so after leveling up again and obtaining another SP. Choosing to invest in Magick instead, he did a final review of his current stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 4
HP: 100%
XP: 30/625
SP: 0
MP: 1,390
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
Claws: Rank I (78%) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (100%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (92%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (71%) (Common)
After that, Jake opened his eyes, and all the information vanished. He surveyed the room, which was littered with the remnants of the replication pods and the bodies of the mutants he had slain. Having nothing left to do in the building, he walked across the slippery floor, now coated in the pod liquid that had spread everywhere. A few seconds later, he exited the building and resumed his journey.
Chapter 47
When Jake emerged from the building, he was greeted by the morning light bathing the streets. A new day had just begun, signaling the System had refreshed the world, respawning monsters and filling it with loot. Jake wasted no time getting to explore. Adopting the brisk jog that had become his norm, he moved swiftly and silently like the predator he was. Noticing every little detail in his surroundings, Jake prowled through the abandoned city, which had become his hunting grounds.
At some point, he noticed that his body was now consuming slightly less mana than before. This change was likely a result of the skill point he had invested in Magick. It was an encouraging development. He decided to make good use of it by participating in more battles with mutants than he usually engaged in during a day. Up to that point, he had only obtained one upgrade for Claws, which reduced the transformation time from hands to claws to just about a second. His other skills had not received any upgrades yet, and to address this, he needed to gain more skill points.
With the aim of leveling up quickly, Jake hunted down one group of mutants after another. Occasionally, he stumbled upon a mana consumable, immediately extracting the mana and absorbing the magical energy. Through active exploration of the city and fighting mutants, it wasn¡¯t long before he progressed to the next level.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 4 to 5. You have gained 1 SP.
It wasn¡¯t even noon yet, and he had already leveled up to 5. If luck was on his side, he might gain another level before the day began to wane. However, there was no rush¡ªsince he didn¡¯t need to sleep and his night vision was pretty good, he could continue hunting mutants even after dark.
Immediately after leveling up, he checked his current experience points.
XP: 10/750
He now had to gain 740 XP to level up to 6. Most of the mutants he encountered were walkers, worth only 10 XP each. He wanted to find new types of mutants to level up more quickly. Running into some shamblers would be nice too. As a survivor, he dreaded encountering huge, strong shamblers. Being now a mutant, he wanted to encounter as many of them as possible. As he¡¯d recently learned, dealing with a shambler didn¡¯t pose much of a problem to him. Besides, this kind of mutant went for 50 XP, which wasn¡¯t bad at all. Jake was so confident in himself he had no doubt he could take on several shamblers at the same time and deal with all of them in no time flat. Unfortunately, he rarely came across shamblers.
Jake entered another high-rise building and surveyed the area. The vast room he stepped into was similar to many others he had explored. It had once been a lobby, but now it was an empty space with piles of debris scattered here and there. Ragged holes dotted the ceiling, and the staircase to the upper floors lay in ruins, making it impossible to ascend further.
Several ex-human mutants milled about the room, dragging their feet noisily across the dust-covered floor. As usual, most of them were walkers, but he also spotted several leapers as well. Jake reached one of them before they even became aware of his presence. With a swipe of his claws, he severed the walker¡¯s head and instantly turned to slash another ex-human across its throat. A leaper jumped toward him, but Jake swiftly sidestepped, lashing out with his talons, severely wounding the creature in midair. The rest of the mutants lurched toward him from several directions, but Jake was ready for them.
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At some point during the fight, a system notification appeared in his vision.
Enhanced Agility reached 100%. You can now increase it to Rank II.
Not long after that, another one popped up, informing him that Enhanced Intelligence had reached 100% as well. In battles against mutants, his brain worked in overdrive, analyzing his enemies¡¯ movements and figuring out the most efficient ways of taking them down.
All three of his skills had reached 100%, allowing him to advance each one to the next Rank. It was definitely a very productive day, and it wasn¡¯t even finished yet.
The fight ended quickly.
Multiple enemies killed. +115 XP
With agile and bouncy steps, Jake moved across the debris-strewn room toward the exit. Just on the edge of his expanded field of vision, a flicker of movement caught his attention. His senses instantly sharpened as he turned his head to scan the room for more threats he might somehow have missed.
His gaze locked onto a menacing figure lurking in a shadowed corner of the room. Its completely black body was twisted and ominous, looking absolutely terrifying. The creature had a humanoid figure, but it had the appearance of a dangerous predator, with a slightly hunched posture, bent knees, and nasty-looking claws poised for attack.
Though completely motionless at the moment, the creature projected an air of imminent danger, hinting at being able to move with great speed and agility. The creature gave off very dangerous vibes. As a mutant, Jake had already forgotten what fear felt like. He now considered himself the most dangerous creature in this world, but looking now at the black-skinned ominous creature, a long-forgotten prickling of fear crept over him.
As he completely turned to face the new threat, preparing to confront it, the black figure mirrored his movement with eerie fluidity. Jake suddenly realized the menacing being before him was, in fact, a reflection of himself. The dark form was not an enemy lying in wait, but his own silhouette mirrored in the reflective front surface of an old piece of furniture.
He approached the piece of furniture half-buried under a layer of dust. With a hand, he wiped away the thick coating of grime, revealing a dusty mirror that had weathered the passage of time. His reflection stared back at him, distorted by cracks and imperfections in the surface.
Geez, I almost had a heart attack, he thought.
If he could laugh, he would. For a moment, he just examined his reflection. He looked really terrifying, but it wasn¡¯t only because of the way his obsidian-black textured body looked. Just his movements and bearing radiated the unmistakable aura of a lethal predator.
His gaze shifted to his featureless face. Just after his transformation into a mutant, he had run his fingers over his facial features to find the absence of ears, a mouth, or a nose. Since he was already aware he was missing them, it came as no surprise to him when he didn¡¯t see them reflected in the mirror. Not for the first time, Jake marveled at his ability to perceive his surroundings despite an apparent lack of some sensory organs.
He did have eyes, though, and they were quite extraordinary. Larger than a human¡¯s, they lacked such familiar features as irises or pupils, instead displaying a solid greenish-blue hue, similar to the magical energy found in mana consumables. His eyes were absolutely expressionless, but despite their lack of emotion, their shape or some other quality gave them a menacing appearance. One would easily believe that a creature with such eyes harbored no desires other than to rip to pieces any living being unfortunate enough to cross its path.
It was the very first time Jake had the opportunity to see his own reflection. He took his time examining himself, feeling a mix of wonder and dread at the monstrous being he had become.
You¡¯re one scary motherfucker, he mentally said to himself.
Finally, he tore his gaze away and made his way to the exit. Just as he stepped out of the building, the sudden, sharp cracks of gunfire pierced the air nearby.
Chapter 48
He instinctively crouched down to present as small a target as possible. However, he immediately realized he wasn¡¯t being fired at. The smattering of gunfire echoed from a location somewhere northeast of his current position, though he couldn¡¯t tell exactly where or how far away it was. He was able to discern several firearms being discharged, which meant it was a group of survivors shooting at mutants. Or they could be shooting it out among themselves. Just because the world had collapsed and most of the people had been turned into mutants didn¡¯t mean hostilities among the remaining humans ended. Jake thought he heard someone shout something, but whoever was shouting was too far away for him to discern the exact words, even with his sharpened hearing.
The gunfire lasted for about half a minute more, and then silence descended. Jake waited, still crouching down with his palms resting on the ground in front of him. He suddenly found this sitting position quite comfortable and relaxing. His anatomy had definitely changed more than he¡¯d thought before. As a human, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to sit in such a pose for long without experiencing muscle cramps. Now, as a mutant, he found he could remain in that position for an extended period without any discomfort. It had a soothing and relaxing effect on him.
Jake waited for a few more minutes, but no additional sounds of gunfire reached his ears. Remaining in the same crouching position as still as a statue, he scanned the streets with his nonhuman eyes, searching for any threats, be they human or mutant. There was no sign of the people involved in the recent gunfight.
That was probably for the best. Jake wasn¡¯t eager to encounter any survivors. The only result would be to spook them. He recalled catching a glimpse of his own reflection for the first time a few minutes earlier. It had frightened him a great deal, even though he was already somewhat aware of what his new body looked like. To others, he would undoubtedly appear absolutely terrifying. When others looked at him, they wouldn¡¯t even consider that he could be a sentient being. He couldn¡¯t speak, and despite being a magical creature, he wasn¡¯t a telepath either. Trying to communicate with survivors through gestures would also be a foolish idea. Being mistaken for another mutant, they would likely open fire on him long before he could have a chance to somehow persuade them that he wasn¡¯t a mindless monster.
Hell, even if he somehow found a way to communicate effectively with humans, it didn¡¯t guarantee he would get along with them. Making friends had been difficult even as a survivor, as many of the people he¡¯d encountered resorted to violence, trying to kill him for loot. Now that he was a mutant, he had even fewer chances of making friends with survivors. Besides, he didn¡¯t have any reason to do so. His needs and goals no longer aligned with those of the survivors.
Finally, Jake got to his feet. Picking a direction away from the recent gunfire, he slipped into a brisk jog, continuing to explore the city.
For the next several hours, he battled groups of mutants, earning chunks of XP for slaying them. At some point, he leveled up to 6, gaining another skill point, bringing his total to 2. Unwilling to slow down, he postponed allocating them. By the time the sun began to set, Jake had reached level 7, with 3 skill points now at his disposal. He was currently in a ten-story building overrun by mutants, systematically clearing out one floor after another. He decided to defeat the remaining mutants before assigning his skill points.
Eventually, Jake made his way to the very top of the building, emerging onto the roof where he encountered a single mutant¡ªa whipper. As a survivor, he¡¯d once had a mission to deal with an elite mutant, which happened to be a whipper. Elite mutants were basically beefed-up versions of regular ones. Later on, he had encountered regular whippers as well. They were slightly more powerful than shamblers, which was why Jake hadn¡¯t been keen on encountering them, even though a regular whipper went for 75 XP.
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Being a morphus now, Jake had no doubts about his ability to take down the whipper before him without much trouble. He quickly assessed the monster. The massive mutant stood in the center of the roof, facing away from him. It was tall and bulky, resembling a shambler with its protective growth covering most of its body. Standing over six feet tall, it had a muscular build. Its right arm extended into a long tentacle below the elbow, hanging at its side and moving through the air in a sinuous manner like a snake.
Jake lurched toward the huge mutant. It heard him and spun around, displaying unexpected agility for its size. Its arm-tentacle lunged toward him with an intent to wrap around his neck. It was fast, but Jake was faster. Still, running rashly toward the enemy, he wasn¡¯t able to dodge the attack completely. He twisted to the side to absorb the blow on his shoulder. The tentacle turned out to be stronger than it looked, the impact staggering him. The tentacle coiled back toward the whipper¡¯s body. Before Jake could recover from the blow, the mutant struck out again, sending the tentacle flying back toward him. It unfurled with exceptional speed, zipping through the air.
This time, Jake was ready. He dodged to the left, and the tip of the tentacle shot past him. A fraction of a second later, he realized his mistake¡ªthe tentacle hadn¡¯t intended to strike him directly. The end of the tentacle curled down, approaching him from behind, and wrapped around his ankle. The whipper quickly retracted its arm, pulling back the tentacle and sweeping Jake¡¯s leg out from beneath him, causing him to collapse onto his side. Had he still been a human, such a harsh fall would surely have resulted in a broken rib or two. Being a morphus, he didn¡¯t even get a scratch.
Jake attempted to free his leg from the tentacle¡¯s grip, but the coils wrapped around his limb were too tight. The whipper started to pull him closer. This situation would have been terrifying for Jake when he was human, but as a mutant now, he simply allowed the monster to drag him across the roof. With his talons, he could easily have severed the tentacle, but he chose not to. After all, the arm-tentacle served as the whipper¡¯s primary weapon, and now that the mutant was using it to hold on to him, the whipper was defenseless. Well, maybe not exactly defenseless since it still possessed sharp teeth and claws on its other hand, but while the mutant was preoccupied with using its tentacle to restrain Jake, it was vulnerable and less dangerous. Besides, the whipper was pulling him closer, and Jake¡¯s original plan was to close the distance between them anyway, albeit perhaps not in such a direct and submissive manner.
The whipper dragged him toward itself, then lifted Jake into the air. He dangled upside-down for a second before the monster raised him even higher until his face was at the same level as the whipper¡¯s. And that was when Jake¡¯s hand shot out, his talons slicing deeply into the mutant¡¯s exposed throat. The whipper¡¯s eyes registered a hint of surprise when he tore a huge chunk of flesh out of its throat.
He felt a shudder pass through the coils around his leg, and the pressure slightly lessened. Pulling his upper body up, he reached for the coils with his clawed hands and began working to remove them from his leg. As he tumbled to the ground, he twisted in midair and skillfully landed on his feet. Glancing at his enemy, he saw a ragged hole in its throat, blood gushing freely from the wound. However, the adjacent masses of organic growth had already initiated the process of regenerating the mutant¡¯s damaged flesh, mending it with surprising speed.
Only Jake wasn¡¯t going to let them heal the wound. When the tentacle reached for him, he lashed out with his claws, severing it in half. Blood sprayed everywhere from the stump as what was left of the tentacle flailed in the air chaotically. The whipper reached for him with its other hand, but Jake danced behind his enemy, swiping at its neck, tearing to shreds both the organic growth and the flesh beneath.
Claws reached 100%. You can now increase it to Rank II.
The whipper tried to turn around, but Jake also moved, constantly staying out of its line of sight and raking the mutant¡¯s neck with his claws nonstop. It didn¡¯t take long for him to finish off the monster. When its huge body collapsed to the roof with a solid thud, another system notification emerged in his mind.
Enemy killed. +75 XP
Jake surveyed his surroundings. He had successfully eliminated all the mutants within the high-rise building. With no more enemies around him, it was time to begin assigning his skill points.
Chapter 49
He closed his eyes and pulled up his character sheet. As he climbed the ten-story building and defeated mutants on each floor, he leveled up to 8, earning another SP. So he now had four skill points at his disposal. First of all, he checked his attributes.
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
As he already knew, in order to advance an ability or skill to the next rank, specific attribute requirements needed to be met. He shifted his attention to the list of his abilities and skills.
Claws: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
He focused on the rank of the Claws ability, and a piece of additional information emerged.
A raise to the next Rank is available.
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 1 SP
Raise to Rank II: Y/N
So he couldn¡¯t raise his Claws ability to Rank II just yet because his Body attribute was 3. He checked the rest of his skills. For a raise to be performed, Enhanced Senses required Mind to be at level 1, Enhanced Agility needed Body to be at level 2, and Enhanced Intelligence needed Mind to be at level 1. With all the attribute requirements satisfied, he could advance all of his skills to Rank II. One by one, he did so with each of the three skills. He now had only one skill point left. Since he couldn¡¯t use it to advance Claws to the next rank, he wanted to find another use for it. He could allocate it to Body or another of his attributes, but he decided to wait until he leveled up again. Perhaps there was a more beneficial use for it at the moment.
He shifted his attention to another line in his stats to see how much mana he currently had.
MP: 2,150
He pulled up the Genetic Development Interface to refresh his memory on what he needed to acquire the Bladed Tentacles ability. The requirements were Body at 2 and Magick at 1. Obtaining the ability didn¡¯t require a skill point; instead, he needed to pay 3,000 MP to unlock it. Which was more than he currently had. Even if he had the exact amount of mana, he wouldn¡¯t have used it to buy the ability, since that precious energy served not only as currency for acquiring new abilities and skills but as sustenance as well. He figured he needed to accumulate at least 4,000 MP before purchasing Bladed Tentacles so that he would have 1,000 MP left for his body to feed on.
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So he could use the remaining skill point to either increase one of his attributes or acquire an upgrade for one of his skills. He got back to his character sheet and returned his attention to the list of his abilities and skills. He¡¯d already acquired one upgrade for Claws, so this time he decided to get an upgrade for another skill. After giving the matter some thought, he chose to upgrade Enhanced Agility. He pulled up the list of upgrades currently available for this skill.
Ability: Enhanced Agility
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Master acrobatic skills for climbing, jumping, performing aerial maneuvers, and navigating challenging terrain. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Enhance body coordination for faster movement and speed by 20% as well as executing rapid directional changes. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Sharpen reflexes for quicker reactions in combat, enabling agile dodges, swift maneuvers, and precise counterattacks. Cost: 1 SP
Each of these three upgrades sounded amazing. He wanted to get all three of them since each one would surely prove to be extremely useful. Right now, he could acquire only one of them, however, and after giving the matter some thought, he decided to go with the first one to master his acrobatic skills. With a thought, he acquired the upgrade, spending his last skill point. Jake was eager to put his newly acquired acrobatic skills to good use and couldn¡¯t wait to test them out. However, with all the recent updates, he decided to take a moment to review his stats once more before closing them.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 8
HP: 100%
XP: 30/1125
SP: 0
MP: 2,150
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
Claws: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
He noticed that advancing a skill to the next rank didn¡¯t provide additional upgrades. Each of his current skills and abilities still had a total of three upgrades. It seemed that it was either the maximum number of upgrades allotted to each skill or that more upgrades would become available when a skill was advanced to the next rarity level.
Anyway, it was time to move on. Jake opened his eyes, causing all the information to vanish. As the sun continued to set, it cast the world into darkness. He¡¯d just advanced each of his three skills to Rank II, and it was already noticeable. For a moment, Jake just stood at the same spot, feeling a surge of energy pulse through his veins as his upgraded senses kicked in, sharpening his vision, smell, and hearing to the next level. Feeling the power coursing through his veins, he flexed his muscles and felt his mutated body effortlessly respond to his commands. Every movement was smoother, quicker, and more precise than he had ever experienced. His mind, too, had been advanced to the next level, making his thoughts race through his brain at lightning speed with startling clarity.
Jake was about to descend the building when a daring idea came to his mind. Instead of taking the stairs down, he decided to try something different. He walked to the edge of the roof, staring at the surrounding buildings covered in foliage. The dilapidated buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, with some neighboring roofs standing at the same level as his. Having just acquired an upgrade for Enhanced Agility, improving his acrobatic abilities, it was now time to put them to the test. Jake gazed at the gap between his building and the neighboring one, estimating the distance.
He took a few steps back, then broke into a sprint, his muscles propelling him forward with incredible power and speed. Reaching the edge of the roof, he leaped across the gap between the two buildings.
Chapter 50
He soared through the air, feeling the wind flow over his body. Crossing the gap between the two buildings, he landed on the neighboring roof. He launched himself into a roll and then leaped to his feet, moving gracefully as a cat.
Once on his feet, he looked back toward the roof he¡¯d leaped from. The gap between the two buildings was pretty wide, so it was quite impressive that he had actually managed to make the jump. Jake walked to the opposite edge of the roof, surveying the area. High-rise buildings sprawled in every direction as far as he could see. Some of them were a little lower than his vantage point while others towered much higher into the sky.
Jake didn¡¯t recognize the city at all. It looked unlike any city he had ever seen in his life. Wherever he looked, he saw high-rises. The city appeared to lack any unique landmarks or distinctive features that could set it apart from other cities. Peering down, he noticed scattered smaller buildings like diners or boutique shops squeezed in between the tall structures.
It might seem like an urban hell to an ordinary person, but to him, the abundance of tall buildings was actually a good thing. Maybe he would learn to shoot spider webs from his hands and swing through the city like Spider-Man. Well, probably not, but since most of the buildings stood at about the same intervals from one another, he could navigate the city by jumping from one roof to the next. Maybe he could also scale the vertical surfaces without much trouble¡ªafter all, the recent upgrade he¡¯d acquired for Enhanced Agility had granted him some good acrobatic abilities. Perhaps in the future, he could acquire additional skills and abilities¡ªlike levitation or something similar¡ªto navigate the city even more easily.
Anyway, the excitement of his newfound abilities filled him with an incredible sense of freedom. It felt good to be a mutant!
It was getting darker by the second, but it didn¡¯t bother him. With Enhanced Senses raised to Rank II, he could see in the darkness even better than before. To his right stood a building that was about ten stories taller than his. He considered jumping over to it and trying to scale it to the roof. It was pretty risky, though. What if he couldn¡¯t cling to the building and ended up falling? Sure, he was eager to test out his acrobatic abilities, but it didn¡¯t mean he should be reckless about it. Falling from great heights would definitely hurt him, though he didn¡¯t know how much. Most of the buildings were covered in foliage, offering plenty of handholds like vines to grab onto, but Jake decided not to try to scale vertical surfaces for the time being.
Instead, he opted to just jump from roof to roof for some time. Maybe he would even be able to reach the edge of the city to see what lay beyond. For a moment, he was perched on the edge of the roof, looking around and pondering which direction to take. The stillness of the night was broken only by the wind as well as the occasional screeching cry of a mutant. His heightened sense of hearing made the distant sounds appear closer than they actually were. Down below, walkers could be seen shuffling through the deserted streets.
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Jake crouched down, preparing for a leap to the roof of another building. For a second, he was motionless, feeling the cool night air against his mutant skin. Then his muscles coiled like a spring, and he launched himself off the rooftop, propelling his body up and forward. He sailed through the air, then softly landed on the other roof. Without pausing, he broke into a sprint across the roof and jumped toward the next building.
As he flew through the air, he twisted and turned mid-air, his newfound acrobatic abilities giving him precise control over his movements. Each jump was powerful and effortless, carrying him from one rooftop to another without a sound. He did his best to move in one direction, but he had to make slight adjustments every now and then because the right buildings weren¡¯t always in his path.
Below, the mutants roamed aimlessly, unaware of the black figure leaping above them. Now and then, his enhanced senses picked up distant sounds of gunfire along with brief muzzle flashes that momentarily illuminated the darkness of the streets down below. Jake paid them no mind, and the survivors weren¡¯t aware of his movements either. Even if someone happened to glance up at the right moment and catch a glimpse of him leaping between buildings overhead, he doubted anyone would be able to make sense of what they were seeing. With each jump Jake performed, he felt a thrill of freedom coursing through him. It was truly amazing. He had never experienced anything like that before.
He soared through the night sky for a while, his enhanced abilities making the jumps powerful and effortless. Then, after what seemed like a very long time, he finally reached the edge of the city. He stopped at the edge of the roof, starting at the vast empty expanse extending beyond the city. There was nothing there, absolutely nothing. A desolate landscape met his eyes, with scorched earth stretching endlessly toward the distant horizon. While a road extended out of the city, it lay in ruins and was practically impassable.
The arid wasteland was split by long, wide chasms as if the terrain there was constantly ravaged by powerful earthquakes. Traveling in a straight line would be nearly impossible there. Whether on foot or in a vehicle, he would need to constantly move in a zigzagging pattern to maneuver around those huge cracks in the ground.
He doubted that vehicles he had come across in the city as a survivor would be able to drive over the rough ground of the wasteland. To navigate that kind of terrain, he would need a special off-road vehicle specifically designed for driving over rough surfaces. Jake was sure that his being a mutant wouldn¡¯t prevent him from driving a car. Why would it? However, he was unaware of where he could find an off-road vehicle powerful enough to navigate such tough terrain. Besides, where would he go? Without any destination in mind, he could drive around in the wasteland for a long time without finding anything at all.
He decided to figure out the best way to navigate through the wasteland beyond the city¡¯s limits at a later time. As of now, there was no reason for him to leave the city. He learned what lay beyond its boundaries, and with his curiosity now satisfied, he could continue to prowl the city that had become his hunting grounds.
Jake shifted his gaze away from the desolate wasteland and made his way to the opposite edge of the rooftop. He stared down at the streets below, which were now bathed in the moonlight. Before moving on, he assessed the amount of mana remaining in his body, realizing his recent acrobatic exploits and mana-infused jumps had considerably depleted his energy levels. Determined to fix that, he set off into the night for another nocturnal hunt for mana.
Chapter 51
Jake attacked another ex-human walker with his claws, shredding the mutant¡¯s throat. Dark blood poured from the ragged wound as the mutant tumbled forward. Jake leaped out of the falling creature¡¯s path and immediately lashed out at another walker. Over a dozen ex-humans surrounded him, but they were powerless against him. Among them were only walkers and leapers, and by that point, Jake was capable of dealing with these two types of mutants with little effort, if any. He felt like he could defeat them with his eyes closed.
After discovering the edge of the city, he¡¯d been battling mutants for a few hours straight. At some point, he realized that with his Enhanced Intelligence now at Rank II, he could concentrate on combat and simultaneously think about something altogether different. He utilized this newfound ability to reflect on his progression. While he engaged in combat in a vast room of an abandoned building, he was thinking about his abilities and skills. Currently, he possessed one ability, Claws, along with three skills: Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence.
As he had noticed some time before, Claws progressed only when he used them in combat. When he simply wandered around with his hands transformed into claws, the ability didn¡¯t progress at all. He currently didn¡¯t have any other abilities, but he figured the same most likely went for other abilities, or at least for combat ones. The skills, on the other hand, seemed to progress all the time, albeit at a slower pace. This was due to his constant activity, whether traversing the city or battling mutants, all the while paying attention to his surroundings and pondering on various matters.
From the corner of his eye, Jake spotted a leaper coil its body as it prepared to jump toward him. His expanded field of vision allowed him to watch the mutant even without having to turn his head. He jumped to the side just as the mutant leaped toward him. His talons lashed out at the leaper, tearing deeply into the side of the mutant. With a wail of pain, the creature collapsed to the ground. Before it could even get up from the floor, Jake stomped on its exposed throat, crushing it underneath his hardened foot. The creature was still alive, its hands clawing at him but doing little to no damage to him. While the leaper thrashed around beneath his foot, a walker lurched at him, but Jake swatted its outstretched hands aside before slashing at its throat. With the walker dealt with, he finished off the leaper by stomping on its throat a few times. There were still plenty of mutants to deal with, and after a quick look around, Jake lunged toward the nearest one.
While he fought the remaining enemies, he thought about what he¡¯d learned about mutants so far. There were two types of them, regular and elite. Most of the time, he had to deal with the former ones because the latter were less common. Regular mutants were pretty weak and usually didn¡¯t have any special abilities. Elite mutants were stronger versions of regular ones and possessed at least one special ability.
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The other day, Jake had leveled up three times. However, each level-up required more XP than the last to progress further. So it could be a good thing to start looking for more powerful enemies with higher XP rewards because it was becoming harder and harder to level up. He had spent most of the night fighting mutants but hadn¡¯t leveled up yet. He was only level 8, but he found that mutants of higher levels, such as shamblers or whippers, already presented no real challenge for him. He would love to ignore low-level mutants and focus his attention on more powerful foes, but he was unaware of where he could find more of them. Shamblers and whippers were pretty scarce. He usually only encountered a few of them in a day.
Jake summed up in his mind what kind of mutants he¡¯d encountered so far. A walker was a level 1 mutant and went for only 10 XP. A leaper was level 5 and worth 25 XP. Leapers were somewhat scarcer than walkers. Out of ten ex-humans he came across, nine of them were walkers and only one was a leaper. Both a shambler and a whipper were level 10, but the former one went for 50 XP while the latter one was worth 75 XP. Unfortunately, each of these two kinds of mutants was really hard to find.
In order to level up faster, he needed to find a location where the majority of enemies were bigger and nastier, rewarding with more XP. The city was huge, but he¡¯d already explored most of it and everywhere he was, he encountered only these four types of mutants. In the Gameverse, a world governed by video game logic, this city appeared to serve as a starting location for new players. To find more powerful enemies, he most likely needed to progress to the next location, likely another city. But where was it and how could he get there?
A few hours earlier, he¡¯d reached the outskirts of the city. He¡¯d seen what lay beyond its limits¡ªa seemingly endless wasteland. Before venturing beyond the city¡¯s borders, he had to learn the location of the next city and obtain the means to get there, such as some kind of powerful off-road vehicle or perhaps some abilities that would enable him to easily move through the wasteland. By his estimation, he could currently get enough XP to level up once a day. However, he expected that after reaching level 20 or so, the rate of leveling up would drastically slow down. It would become really hard for him to level up in his current location, so by the time he leveled up to 20, he needed to have found the next location with more powerful enemies.
Finally, Jake finished off the remaining mutants. For a moment, he just stood in the middle of the room, looking at the scattered dead mutants. Despite killing so many of them in the past several hours, he had yet to level up to 9. He really needed to find a more efficient method of leveling up.
It was then that he remembered something. As a survivor, he¡¯d once come across a section of the city where large cracks split the streets, revealing glimpses of the strange creatures lurking in the sewers below. He¡¯d never learned what they were, because he¡¯d never dared to descend into the city¡¯s depths. Perhaps it was time to venture into the sewers. Being a morphus, he was no longer afraid to do so.
When Jake emerged onto the roof of the building, he was greeted by the rays of the morning sun. A new day had begun. He looked around, searching for the section of the city where the streets split by the huge cracks were. It didn¡¯t take him long to remember where he needed to go. Turning to face the right direction, Jake broke into a sprint. Reaching the edge of the roof, he jumped toward the next building.
Chapter 52
Jake navigated through the city by leaping from roof to roof. By that point, he¡¯d become quite proficient at that. With just a single glance, he could assess which gaps between buildings he could easily jump over and which ones were still too tough for him. For now, he couldn¡¯t leap too far and occasionally needed to take detours along his path. He believed that by investing more points into Body and perhaps acquiring some more agility- or acrobatic-related skills and upgrades, he could improve his jumping abilities. Still, even at his current level, he could leap considerably farther than any human athlete, no matter how physically fit, would ever have been able to accomplish.
He was well aware that each of his mana-infused jumps depleted some of the precious magical energy stored within him. When engaged in active physical activity, his body always consumed mana at an accelerated rate. To conserve the precious energy, he could descend to street level and traverse the city as before, moving at a brisk jog. Moving in that manner significantly reduced the amount of mana his body consumed. Yet, now that he¡¯d found a new way of traversing the city, reverting to the old way felt like a step backward. Jogging through the streets was much less appealing to him than leaping from roof to roof.
Jake knew that if he wanted to stick to his preferred way of traveling, he needed to gain more mana than he normally did. As he¡¯d already noticed, relying solely on scavenging was not providing him with enough mana to sustain himself and accumulate enough to unlock new skills and abilities. Just like with XP, he needed to figure out how to gain more mana in a day than he typically did. Perhaps in the next location, mana consumables would be more easily obtainable. So yeah, discovering the next location could be the solution to both of these problems.
Lost in thoughts, Jake continued to traverse the rooftops, moving at a constant sprint and leaping over the gaps between buildings. His expanded field of vision allowed him to quickly spot the buildings that stood at the right height. He tried to stick to the same movement direction, but occasionally, he came across buildings too tall to jump to or gaps too wide to leap across. It prompted him to make slight adjustments to the direction of his movement. Still, by his estimation, he was certain he would reach his destination pretty soon.
Now that it was morning, he could detect increased activity in the streets below. More often than not, he noticed a vehicle maneuvering through streets overgrown with vegetation or groups of survivors engaging in battles with mutants. Despite having a bird¡¯s-eye view of everything below, he didn¡¯t pause even for a moment. He remained focused on his mission; watching regular survivors do their thing would only prove to be a waste of time for him.
As Jake leaped across a gap to reach another building, he seemed to notice something ahead. Hovering in the air above the center of the rooftop was what looked like a semi-transparent sphere that was distorting the light passing through it. Jake immediately recognized it as a magical anomaly. As a survivor, he¡¯d come across enough of those to know how dangerous they were. But it was the very first time he¡¯d encountered an anomaly on the roof of a high-rise building. The thought that anomalies could be situated on rooftops never even crossed his mind.
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He kept sprinting toward it. Running at a rapid pace, he found it impossible to halt abruptly. One of the three upgrades available for Enhanced Agility would have let him quickly change direction while sprinting at full speed. Only he hadn¡¯t obtained that upgrade yet. Propelled by the momentum of his body, he drew nearer to the anomaly, but he¡¯d shed most of his speed. Moving now at a much slower pace, he was sure he could steer clear of the anomaly just fine.
While he jogged around the anomaly, giving it a wide berth, he took the opportunity to examine it closely. Back when he was a survivor, he could gather valuable information about anomalies by scanning them with his PDA. Now as a mutant, he could acquire info on mutants with just a thought. He wondered if he could do the same with anomalies. After all, his Enhanced Intelligence skill seemed to have replaced the PDA he used to have as a survivor. He gave it a try, and it worked¡ªthe details about the anomaly immediately flooded into his mind.
Name: Pulsar
Description: Pulls everything within its reach toward itself, then forcefully expels it in random directions. Activates every few seconds.
Effective range: 30 yards
Duration: 5 seconds
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Danger Level: 15 (Medium)
Upon reading the description of the anomaly, Jake quickly grasped the gravity of the situation he¡¯d found himself in. Most anomalies were triggered by something. Some of them were activated if somebody or something got too close to them. Some of the others were triggered by loud sounds. But there were also anomalies that autonomously activated at regular intervals. Although rare, such anomalies existed, and he was unfortunate enough to have stumbled across one of them.
He knew he had to get out of there ASAP. The level of this anomaly was almost twice his own. Its effective range was thirty meters, and the dimensions of the rooftop he was on were approximately the same. Which meant he had to get to the roof of another building to be at a safe distance from the anomaly.
Jake sprinted toward the nearest edge of the roof. Up ahead, he could see another building that stood at the same height as the one he was on. The gap between the buildings was a little too wide for his liking, but he was pretty sure he could make that jump. Had to if he wanted to get out of his predicament unscathed. In his expanded field of vision, he spotted another building, which was much closer to his. However, to get there, he would need to turn to the right and run around the anomaly. He had no time for that as the magical anomaly suddenly began to pulsate.
Before Jake could react, a powerful force yanked him back toward the anomaly. His legs lifted off the ground, and he was propelled toward the Pulsar as its force pulled him in. He clawed at the air, unable to do anything to arrest his movement. A moment later, he was sucked into the semi-transparent sphere of the anomaly. For a few seconds, he just helplessly floated in there, feeling it pulsate around him.
Then a force much more powerful than the one that had pulled him in propelled him outside. He barreled through the air, helplessly watching the roof of the building move away from him at great speed. Then gravity took hold, and Jake began to plummet toward the street ten stories below.
Chapter 53
The fall was brief. In just a couple of seconds, Jake landed in the middle of the street with a solid thud. The tall grass and weeds protruding from the cracked asphalt of the road did little to cushion the impact. The back of his head smacked against the ground so hard the world briefly went dark before his eyes. For a moment, Jake just lay motionlessly on his back, staring up at the roof of the ten-story building he had fallen from.
To his surprise, he felt almost uninjured. While his back had sustained some minor damage, his body was already tapping into his mana reserves to aid in the healing process. His head ached slightly, but it was bearable. If he¡¯d been human, the fall would¡¯ve resulted in a broken spine and death. However, as a morphus, he not only survived but also avoided breaking any bones in his body.
Hell, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he had any bones at all. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized he had no clue what his mutant body was even made of. Since becoming a morphus, he had never felt his heart beating, leading him to believe he didn¡¯t have one. And now he was starting to think he might not even have any bones in his transformed body either.
He remembered doing a hunt quest where he had to track down and slay an elite walker. He managed to kill the mutant but not before it tore a huge chunk of flesh out of his obsidian-black shoulder. After the fight, he examined the wound. He remembered seeing the cyan-colored magical energy freely flowing from the ragged hole. The wound was huge and deep, but when Jake peered into it, he noticed the absence of bones, muscles, sinews, tendons, or any other usual organic material that one would expect to see in damaged human flesh.
At that moment, he hadn¡¯t dwelled on it, because his primary concern had been the fear of bleeding to death. All he could think about had been letting his body heal itself as soon as possible. Now that he remembered it, he realized his body didn¡¯t seem to have anything inside of it. It seemed to be solid and entirely composed of some hard material like obsidian, infused with mana from within. However, while his body was as solid as stone, at the same time it was very elastic and flexible, enabling him to move swiftly and perform impressive acrobatic feats.
Jake found it strange because while the overall shape of his body was somewhat different from that of a human, he still moved like a regular person, with all his limbs bending at the correct angles. But as he¡¯d noticed earlier, with every skill point assigned to his Body attribute, the shape of his mutant body appeared to change slightly. He could only guess what his body would look like after he allocated more points to that attribute.
All these thoughts raced through his mind in under a second. Before he could give the matter any more thought, he heard someone exclaim, ¡°What the fuck? Did you see that, guys?¡±
Jake instantly tensed, listening hard.
¡°Something just dropped from the sky,¡± the same male voice added.
¡°I saw it,¡± another male voice replied.
¡°Yeah, me too,¡± somebody else said in an accented voice.
¡°I think it was a person, guys,¡± another voice said, this one belonging to a young woman. ¡°They fell from that roof.¡±
There was a brief pause in their conversation as if all of them took a moment to look at the roof the young woman had mentioned.
¡°Well, sucks to be them, then,¡± an older female voice said in a cold tone. ¡°A person can¡¯t survive a fall like that.¡±
¡°I think they fell over there,¡± the first woman said.
¡°Let¡¯s check the body,¡± one of the male voices suggested. ¡°Hopefully, it has some cool loot.¡±
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¡°Guys, this is wrong,¡± the young woman said.
¡°Oh, come on, Elena,¡± the older and colder woman said. ¡°Don¡¯t bring up this shit again. You gotta do whatever it takes to survive in a place like this. Besides, it¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve stumbled upon a dead body and looted it. You should¡¯ve gotten used to it a long time ago.¡±
¡°It still doesn¡¯t make it right,¡± the young woman said stubbornly, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice now.
Jake heard them move to where he lay in the grass. The weeds bursting from the cracks in the asphalt were at least two feet tall, preventing him from seeing the strangers. But he could hear their careful footsteps, even though they tried to move as quietly as possible. They were sure he was dead, but they still tried not to make much noise, a habit developed after surviving in this dangerous world for a few days now.
Jake sat up. As soon as he did so, a system notification emerged in his mind.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Dazed. You are disoriented and feel vertigo.
Oh fuck. Falling from the ten-story building and banging his head on the asphalt had inflicted more damage on him than he¡¯d initially thought. While he lay on the ground, everything was fine. However, now that he was in a sitting position, the world swam before his eyes a little, making him feel disoriented and dizzy. It was a concerning development.
In his expanded field of vision, he could see the group of survivors nearing his position through the grass. They were on his right, but his large mutant eyes allowed him to see them even without turning his head toward them. With a thought, he pulled up their stats while he studied them from the corner of his expanded field of vision.
Marcus, level 9, armed with a pump-action shotgun. Maria, level 10, armed with dual pistols. Victor, level 11, armed with an assault rifle. Zack, level 10, armed with a similar weapon. A little behind them shuffled a scared-looking young woman. Her name was Elena. She was armed with what looked like a submachine gun. Her level was 8.
All that info flooded into Jake¡¯s mind in less than a second.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the group of survivors freeze when they saw him emerge from the grass.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Marcus, who was leading the group, exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s not a person, it¡¯s a mutant!¡±
¡°It¡¯s alive!¡± somebody else added. ¡°How did it survive that fall?¡±
The group remained frozen in place, their weapons trained on him. This was a dire situation. He was in no shape to fight.
Wait, he wanted to say to them but couldn¡¯t, having no organs for producing sounds. Very slowly, so as not to spook the survivors, he rose to his feet.
As Jake turned to face them, most of them recoiled at the sight of him from the front. Jake didn¡¯t blame them. Even he¡¯d been startled when he saw his reflection for the first time, even though he had a pretty good idea of what he looked like by then. For a moment, the survivors were silent, studying him. He could sense the fear emanating from them. It was understandable. He was well aware of how terrifying he looked. His large intimidating eyes alone could instill dread in most people.
Because of the Dazed negative effect, Jake felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t think clearly. He knew he needed to find a way to calm the survivors down somehow, but no brilliant ideas came to mind. He could see their index fingers whitening as they tightened around the triggers. He knew the survivors were so tense at the moment they would open fire if he made even the slightest movement.
¡°That mutant gives me the creeps,¡± Marcus said, breaking the tense silence.
¡°Let¡¯s just kill it,¡± Victor put in.
¡°No,¡± Elena said. ¡°It¡¯s not attacking us, guys. Let¡¯s just leave it alone.¡±
¡°But what if it pounces on us as soon as we turn our backs?¡± Maria countered. ¡°No, I agree with Victor. We need to kill it.¡±
Being on edge, the group spoke rapidly, almost interrupting each other. Jake held up his hands and shook his head, but they were too stressed to notice his gesture.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Marcus said in a loud voice, silencing the others. ¡°Smoke the freak, guys.¡±
Elena began to object timidly, ¡°Guys, I think it¡¯s trying to say something to us.¡± Unfortunately, the rest either didn¡¯t hear the young woman or simply chose to ignore her.
Jake didn¡¯t even consider fleeing. He was a predator now, and the injuries he sustained only made him even more dangerous. His instincts for self-preservation kicked in, and he knew he was going to do whatever was necessary to ensure his survival.
Without hesitation, he charged toward the terrified survivors just as they unleashed a barrage of gunfire upon him.
Chapter 54
Elena was scared. The black-skinned mutant unnerved her, to say the least. She¡¯d never seen such a creature before. It wore no clothes, exposing its highly disturbing body. It mostly looked like a human but was somewhat bigger with longer arms and a slightly hunched back. Its textured skin was obsidian-black. Its face was devoid of ears, a mouth, and a nose.
It did have eyes, though. They were the most upsetting feature of the mutant: irregularly shaped and unusually large, extending to the sides of its head. Devoid of irises and pupils, they were a solid cyan color. While they lacked any expression, they were ominous. A shiver ran down her spine as she gazed into the mutant¡¯s sinister eyes.
Despite its unsettling appearance, the mutant somehow appeared sentient to her. Unlike the other mutants they encountered, it seemed reluctant to attack them right away. There was something about it that indicated to her it wasn¡¯t simply a bloodthirsty, mindless monster. Even though its eyes lacked any expression, she believed she could discern intelligence in them, and that made her uneasy. She¡¯d long since come to think of ex-humans as mindless monsters devoid of any human qualities. But the black creature before them seems different. Could it actually be sentient?
Her teammates failed to come to the same conclusion, though. They didn¡¯t seem to notice that the creature before them might be intelligent. Just like her, they were frightened by its unsettling appearance. They were so confused and agitated by the menacing-looking mutant they even forgot to scan it to assess its stats.
On the other hand, it probably wasn¡¯t necessary considering all the mutants they¡¯d encountered so far were about the same levels as them. Yet she was getting bad vibes from the obsidian creature. Somehow, she could tell it was highly dangerous, and they had better leave it alone. She tried to tell her teammates that, but her pleadings fell on deaf ears, as always.
At twenty-two years old, she was the youngest member of their team. That was probably the reason her friends never took her seriously. Well, they weren¡¯t exactly her friends. They hadn¡¯t even known each other before the Collapse. Elena met them just a couple of days prior, having been surviving on her own before that. When they offered her to join them, she agreed.
Unlike her, they appeared to have come to terms with doing what was necessary for survival pretty quickly. Looting the dead¡ªtheir fellow survivors¡ªfor example, didn¡¯t sit well with Elena, even though she was aware of the need for it. But her teammates, however, never seemed to be bothered by it. She told them it was wrong, but they simply chose to ignore her.
When they decided to kill the obsidian mutant, it seemed to grasp what they were planning to do. The mutant¡¯s reaction, tensing up and signaling a reluctance to fight, indicated a level of understanding. Raising its hands and shaking its head, it showed signs of intelligence. At that moment, Elena was one hundred percent certain that the creature was sentient. She tried to tell her teammates that, but they ignored her just like they usually did.
And when they opened fire on the obsidian creature, all hell broke loose. A moment before they began to fire, the mutant broke into a sprint toward them. Upon seeing it happen, Elena¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The black-colored creature moved so freaking fast! One moment it stood still, and the next it was darting toward them at astounding speed. The instant transition from standing to running was shocking. She¡¯d never seen any other mutant move so fast.
The ex-human threw itself to the side, hurling its body sideways out of the line of upcoming fire. Yet the barrage they unleashed upon it was so devastating it was impossible for the creature to avoid it completely. Some of the bullets her teammates fired hammered the obsidian mutant¡¯s body, tearing into its side. The ex-human staggered but kept its balance.
It ran around them at impressive speed while her teammates struggled to track its movements with the barrels of their weapons. The assault rifles Victor and Zack were armed with chattered, but all the shots they fired, aside from the very initial ones, missed their target completely. Victor and Zack held the triggers down, pouring sprays of bullets toward the mutant, but their foe was too fast for them to hit it.
Marcus¡¯ shotgun boomed and bucked in his big hands as he fired, but all his pellets went wide. Every time he pointed his weapon at the mutant and squeezed the trigger, the obsidian creature had already shifted to a different spot. Their enemy¡¯s swift and erratic movements made it really difficult for them to keep track of it.
Zack and Victor ran out of bullets in their guns almost simultaneously. As soon as it happened, the mutant turned and dashed toward them. Elena saw its hands sprout long curved talons in under a second. It happened so fast she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. One second the mutant¡¯s hands looked like those of a regular human, and the next they morphed into menacing claws. While they weren¡¯t overly long, they looked nasty.
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Marcus hastily fired his shotgun at the quickly approaching black-colored ex-human. Some of the pellets peppered the mutant¡¯s side, causing it to stagger. It quickly recovered, though, and continued to run toward them. Marcus pumped his shotgun and squeezed the trigger again, but the weapon emitted a dry click. Hastily, he began to reload it.
All this time, Elena stood rooted to a spot, paralyzed with fear. She knew she had to do something to help her teammates fight the monster, but her body refused to obey her. All she could do was watch the terrifying creature run toward Victor and Zack, who were the closest to it. She could see greenish-blue light emanating from the bullet wounds inflicted by her teammates on the mutant. The color of that glow matched that of its eyes, and it also bore a striking resemblance to the magical energy found in mana consumables.
Now that the obsidian monster was in close proximity, her teammates hesitated. They couldn¡¯t continue to fire at their enemy without running the risk of accidentally hitting one of their teammates. They panicked, not sure what they should do now. The ex-human seized the moment of their confusion to its full advantage.
Zack screamed when the obsidian mutant reached it, swiping at his exposed throat with its claws. Dropping his weapon, he raised his hands to his throat, which had just been torn open. He dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood. Without even slowing down, the monster was already moving toward Victor, who looked scared out of his mind. Seeing that he didn¡¯t have the time to reload his assault rifle, he dropped it and reached for his heavy-caliber pistol holstered on his hip.
Only he never got the chance to fire his sidearm at the mutant. The obsidian ex-human unleashed a flurry of swings at his stomach, ripping it open and causing his intestines to spill out of him onto the ground. The next closest enemies to the mutant were Marcus and Maria, and the monster chose Marcus to be its next target, likely because he was armed with a powerful shotgun. However, underestimating Maria was a mistake. Her Pistols skill was the highest among her combat skills, making her a deadly gunslinger. She was extremely proficient in wielding her dual pistols.
As her handguns cleared their holsters, the mutant charged toward Marcus. It rammed into him, sending them both crashing to the ground, with the ex-human landing on top of him. At that moment, Maria noticed Elena standing behind her doing absolutely nothing. She glared at her over her shoulder and snapped, ¡°What are you standing there for? Do something!¡±
But Elena had had enough of that by that point. She glanced at the carnage the mutant had caused. Victor was already dead, the coils of his intestines strewn on the ground. Zack squirmed on the ground nearby, gripping his torn throat with both hands in a futile attempt to stanch the profuse bleeding. Elena could try to heal him with a stimpak, but to what end? Both of them would only become easy prey for the obsidian predator after it dealt with Marcus and Maria. Even though the two of them were currently alive, Elena knew it wasn¡¯t for long. So she had to try to save her own life while she still had a chance to do so.
She spun around and broke into a run away from the battle.
¡°Useless bitch,¡± she heard Maria snarl behind her.
Then Maria¡¯s pistols both cracked, and Elena flinched, thinking the cold woman was firing at her from behind. But the anticipated pain never came, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Maria shooting at the back of the mutant instead, which sat atop the struggling form of Marcus. Once the bullets ripped into its back, the ex-human leaped to its feet and spun around. It closed the gap to Maria in an instant, slamming into the woman and sending her tumbling to the ground.
Elena averted her gaze when the monster began tearing Maria¡¯s face to shreds with its claws. Sobbing uncontrollably, Elena ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The world blurred before her as tears flowed from her eyes, but she made no attempt to wipe them away, refusing to slow down even for a second.
When she looked back another time, she saw Maria was already dead, and the mutant was straddling Marcus again, pushing the talons on its thumbs into his eyeballs. Terrified, Elena averted her eyes, focusing solely on running. All her teammates were dead in a matter of a minute. But she was alive. For now. She could still save her life¡ªall she needed to do was run as fast as possible.
When she thought she¡¯d covered quite a lot of ground, she looked back one more time. The sight of the obsidian monster sprinting after her at an impossible speed terrified her to the core. Meeting its emotionless cyan eyes, she screamed in sheer horror, trying to pour on speed. Yet she couldn¡¯t run faster than she already did.
Suddenly, her feet tangled in a cluster of grass pushing through the cracked asphalt, causing her to crash to the ground. When she looked back, she saw the terrifying black mutant closing in on her, which sent a wave of terror through her. Screaming in horror, she scrambled to her feet, fueled by adrenaline. Finding the strength to bolt forward, she broke into a run, well expecting the obsidian mutant to close the distance between them any second now.
¡°Please no, please no, oh gosh, please no, oh no, oh no,¡± she mumbled frantically as she ran on.
Legs pumping, hands flying, she raced ahead at top speed. She was so scared she didn¡¯t even dare glance back anymore. At some point, she realized the mutant should¡¯ve caught up with her a long time ago, but for some reason, it hadn¡¯t happened yet.
When she found the courage to do so, she glanced back and saw the obsidian predator was nowhere to be seen. At first, she thought the monster was about to pounce on her from above, but it didn¡¯t happen either. Not believing in her luck, she ran on, fueled by the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. A couple of minutes later, she stole another look back over her shoulder only to find nothing behind her.
The mutant had mysteriously vanished.
Chapter 55
He¡¯d never experienced such intense excitement in his entire life as he did at that moment. Fighting the group of survivors and slaying them one by one excited him much more than he¡¯d ever thought it would. Even though the Dazed negative effect was still affecting him, the survivors struggled to take him down. He felt somewhat dizzy and couldn¡¯t think as clearly as usual. Due to that, he moved slower than before, which allowed his opponents to land hits on him every now and then.
Despite bullets ripping at his mutant body, he was unstoppable. While he could feel the shots inflicting some damage on him, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to take him down. His body was definitely tougher than he¡¯d believed before. Mana was seeping from some of his bullet wounds but at a rather slow rate to be worrying about it. Even though the Dazed effect slowed him down, he still moved too fast for the survivors to keep track of his movements.
The fierce joy of the hunt and the lust of killing the humans were overpowering him. Hunting prey had long since become natural to him. However, until now, he¡¯d only hunted down and slain mutants. Battling humans, as it turned out, was an entirely different matter. Humans were smarter, which made them way more dangerous opponents than mutants. As a result, battling them was way more interesting and exciting.
Besides, ex-humans never displayed any emotions. They never showed a hint of fear even when facing imminent death. In contrast, humans valued their lives. They didn¡¯t want to die and showed a range of emotions in battle such as fear, anger, and confusion. This group of survivors hadn¡¯t expected him to be much different from the typical dumb ex-humans they usually encountered. The sudden realization that they were dealing with a much more formidable opponent instilled sheer dread into them. And Jake found himself enjoying it quite a bit. The taste of their terror intoxicated him.
He slew them one by one until there was only one left, a young woman named Elena. However, she seemed to have reached her breaking point. She wheeled around and bolted away from him. Jake had always kept her in his field of vision, so he was aware that she hadn¡¯t even fired a single shot at him, paralyzed with horror. Not that it mattered to him. While she ran, he took a moment to finish off the wounded survivors without any concern that she might escape. Compared to him, humans were so freaking slow. He knew no matter how far she ran, catching up to her would be a simple task for him.
He killed off the two remaining survivors, one named Maria and another named Marcus. After that, he gave his full attention to Elena, bursting into a sprint after her. The moment she realized he was chasing her, she burst into tears. His acute sense of hearing picked up the sounds of her sobs as she stubbornly tried to flee from him. She either na?vely believed she could outrun him or simply hoped so. But that wasn¡¯t going to happen. He was quickly catching up to her and was going to pounce on her from behind in a matter of seconds.
Being a morphus, Jake never experienced the rush of adrenaline, which was exclusive to human physiology. He was no longer human, but as he just found out, there was a dark side within him that seemed to mimic the effects of adrenaline. His transformation into a mutant hadn¡¯t deprived him of his humanity. Jake had believed that despite his altered appearance, he was still human on the inside. But the transformation had had a deeper impact on him than he¡¯d initially thought.
After his transformation, a dark beast was born within his mind. It¡¯d been in deep slumber, which was why Jake hadn¡¯t even been aware of his newly acquired dark side. Until now. The joy of slaying the group of survivors and the sheer terror emanating from them awakened his inner beast. It was in control now and craved even more blood. And it was going to get what it wanted pretty soon.
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When one of Elena¡¯s feet snagged on a cluster of weeds, she pitched forward, landing face-first on the ground. She looked back and saw he was almost on top of her. To her credit, she didn¡¯t give up. She quickly got to her feet and continued to run. Jake could catch up with her easily. But he froze instead. When the woman fell and glanced back at him, he seemed to have snapped out of it. He realized what he was doing. What he¡¯d just done.
He¡¯d slain four survivors. By itself, it didn¡¯t mean much to him. When he was human, he¡¯d killed his fellow survivors too. But it was always in self-defense. So the fact that he¡¯d just killed four survivors in cold blood didn¡¯t mean much by itself. They attacked him, leaving him no choice but to defend himself.
What troubled him was how much he enjoyed killing them, relishing his superiority over inferior, weak humans. But it wasn¡¯t his real feelings. It was the dark side newly unveiled within him. Even now as he watched Elena run away, all he wanted to do was continue to chase her, to pounce on her, to tear her to shreds with his claws¡ª
Jake forced himself to stop thinking about it. In his mind, his inner beast screamed at him to resume chasing the escaping prey. But he didn¡¯t want to. He couldn¡¯t let his inner beast control his actions. He had to exercise a tremendous amount of willpower to silence it. It took him a few moments, but eventually, he managed to get a hold of himself. His inner beast seemed to get back to its slumber, and Jake no longer felt the lust for blood. He could finally think clearly and was in full control over his actions and thoughts once more. It was such a relief.
When Elena glanced over her shoulder another time, Jake was already gone. He let her run away and returned to the massacre he¡¯d caused. For a moment, he stared at the mutilated bodies of the survivors he¡¯d slain. The lack of emotion he felt at that moment was what scared him even more than the fact he¡¯d butchered them so brutally. At that moment, he realized that the transformation into a mutant had changed him much more than he¡¯d initially thought. He¡¯d changed not only physically but mentally as well, and it was scaring the hell out of him.
He didn¡¯t want to turn into a bloodthirsty killing machine. He had to control himself. He had to keep his inner beast in check. Jake promised himself he would resist his dark side. He wouldn¡¯t let himself turn into a mindless mutant akin to the typical ex-humans. He was going to save whatever humanity was left in him no matter what.
With that settled, he quickly searched through the dead survivors¡¯ things. They had various weapons, ammo, canned food, bottled water, and whatnot. None of these things were of any use to him. Each of them had a PDA, but all the devices were locked. As a survivor, he had at some point upgraded his PDA, unlocking a feature that let him hack into other people¡¯s handheld computers.
However, now as a mutant, he couldn¡¯t do that anymore. Even his Enhanced Intelligence skill didn¡¯t help in that matter. Perhaps later, when he allotted more points to Mind or acquired some additional mind-related skills, he would be able to hack into PDAs with the force of his mind, but at the moment he couldn¡¯t do that.
None of the dead survivors had any mana consumables on them either, which made sense to Jake. Why carry such items in your backpack when with a simple mental command, one could absorb the energy stored within a mana consumable? Survivors probably absorbed the magical energy from mana consumables as soon as they found them, much like Jake himself had done during his time as a survivor.
The realization that he hadn¡¯t received any experience points for killing the four survivors further solidified his decision to refrain from hunting down and killing humans from now on. They had nothing to offer him anyway: no XP, no mana, no nothing. To avoid getting into a fight with humans and risking waking his inner beast, Jake decided to avoid dealing with survivors as much as possible.
After that, he looked around to orient himself. Before the Pulsar magical anomaly pushed him off the roof, he was on his way to the part of the city that was split with huge crevices. He scanned his surroundings and realized he wasn¡¯t far off from his intended destination. So there was no need to scale the high-rise rooftops. Turning to face the correct direction, Jake transitioned into a brisk run toward his goal.
Chapter 56
It took him just a few minutes of brisk jogging to reach his destination. He slowed down when he made it to the section of the city where huge crevices crisscrossed the streets. Some of them could be crossed without much trouble by simply stepping over while some of the others were so wide he had to leap over. When he was a survivor, he had a hard time navigating this area. One time, he even nearly fell into one of the crevices. As a mutant now, he didn¡¯t have any problems traversing this part of the city. His inhuman agility and remarkable acrobatic abilities allowed him to easily navigate through the area, leaping over the gaping cracks with ease.
Jake came to a halt at the edge of a particularly wide crevice, peering down into the dimly lit depths below. The huge crack revealed the intricate maze-like network of the sewers. Previously, as a survivor, he discovered two kinds of creatures lurking in those tunnels. The first were large rat-like beings with elongated snouts and red eyes, often moving in groups. The second one was a massive terrifying creature resembling a hybrid of a bear and an alligator. This creature seemed to be a loner, navigating the sewers on its own. The rat-things would scatter in fear at the mere sight of the daunting bear-alligator.
That was basically all that Jake had learned about the sewers and its inhabitants when he was a human survivor. He remembered being terrified when he nearly fell into one of the crevices. The thought of finding himself in the dark depths of the sewers where rat-things and bear-alligators lurked in the darkness filled him with dread. Now that he was a mutant, he wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. He was planning to descend into the maze-like network of underground tunnels to see what they had to offer.
He stepped a little closer to the edge of the crevice to gauge the depth of the drop. Leaning over, he peered into the darkness. It wasn¡¯t too deep, so Jake was sure he would be perfectly fine if he jumped in there. Especially considering he¡¯d hardly received any damage when he fell off the roof of a ten-story building. The drop to the sewers down below wasn¡¯t nearly as high as that.
Now that Jake remembered about falling off the roof and the subsequent clash with a group of survivors, he paused. The Dazed negative effect had long since faded out, but some of the bullet wounds still hadn¡¯t healed up completely. If he¡¯d rested for some time after the fight, his body would solely have focused on healing itself and mended his wounds by now. But Jake hadn¡¯t given it such an opportunity. After the battle, he searched through the dead survivors¡¯ stuff for a minute before breaking into a run to this part of the city, giving his body no time to rest.
So while some of the bullet wounds had already closed, some of the worst ones were still healing. Jake decided to wait until his body completely recovered. He lowered himself into a sitting position and looked at one of the wounds on his side. He could see a bluish energy seeping out of the hole. Deep inside the wound, embedded in his obsidian flesh and enveloped by the bluish glow of mana was a bullet. Jake watched it slowly disintegrate into nothingness, being seemingly dissolved by mana contained within his body. After that, the wound sealed shut entirely, halting the leakage of mana and leaving no trace of a scar on his body. A few more minutes later, the rest of his wounds healed up as well. Jake was now fully recovered and good to go.
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He got to his feet and with a thought, pulled up his mana count. The exertion from leaping across rooftops, engaging in combat with survivors, and mana loss from the wounds he sustained greatly depleted his energy reserves. Despite this, he still had a sufficient amount remaining, so he wasn¡¯t at risk of running out of mana in the next several hours. However, he was going to need to replenish this magical energy sooner rather than later. Hopefully, he would come across some mana consumables in the sewers down below.
With that in mind, he stepped to the very edge of the gaping crevice. He glanced into the semi-darkness below one more time before jumping down. The descent was brief, lasting less than a second. He landed in the middle of a dark tunnel, splashing dirty water everywhere, bending his knees to absorb the impact. Straightening up, he surveyed his surroundings. Sunlight filtering in through the crevice above provided enough illumination to see by. The distant areas of the tunnel where the crack ended were engulfed in total darkness. Jake was unfazed by it. Enhanced Senses allowed him to see in the darkness pretty well.
Shallow, murky water trickled along the tunnel floor. It was so dirty it was almost black. The stench of the sewers was overpowering, but it didn¡¯t faze him in the slightest. Had he remained human, he would have struggled to bear the stench, risking throwing up the contents of his stomach. As a mutant, the foul scent didn¡¯t affect him at all. His anatomy had changed drastically after his transformation into a morphus. Unlike most of the living organisms, he no longer even had a stomach, or any other internal organs for that matter.
As far as he knew, he was simply a piece of some obsidian-like elastic material, molded to resemble a human form and animated by the magical energy contained inside his body. As long as enough mana circulated within his strange body, he would remain alive. However, if his mana reserves were ever depleted, he would turn into a lifeless piece of obsidian-like material. This was a fate he was determined to avoid at all costs.
He cast a quick glance back over his shoulder and saw that the front and back ends of the tunnel appeared identical, both shrouded in darkness. Aside from the gurgling sounds coming from the putrid water below him, the sewers remained eerie quiet. Yet Jake knew that somewhere deeper within the labyrinth of underground tunnels lurked its upsetting dwellers. Picking a random direction, he set off to explore the sewers.
Chapter 57
For a few minutes, Jake traversed the underground tunnels of the city¡¯s sewers. It was dark and damp, with putrid, dirty water trickling along the tunnel floors. Here and there, murky water ran in rivulets down the walls as well. A foul scent permeated the air wherever he went.
In some areas, sunlight filtered in through the cracks above. The deeper sections of the sewers were shrouded in total darkness, though. Fortunately, it posed little trouble for Jake. His enhanced sight allowed him to see pretty well in the dark. Unperturbed by the lack of light, the foul scent, and the damp, dirty conditions of the sewers, he continued to navigate the underground tunnels.
The scariest part about the sewers was the mutants that inhabited the city¡¯s underground tunnels. But Jake wasn¡¯t afraid. In fact, he was eager to encounter new types of enemies.
Aside from the gurgle emanating from the running water and the splashes from his footsteps, silence enveloped the tunnels. While he knew there had to be unknown creatures lurking somewhere in the darkness of the sewers, he had yet to find them. They must¡¯ve been somewhere in the deeper parts of the sewers.
He reached a four-way juncture. The front, left-hand, and right-hand tunnels all looked identical to him, and Jake paused for a moment, listening carefully to decide which way to take. He thought he heard faint, distant sounds like water sloshing from the right-hand tunnel, so he turned that way and continued on.
For a few more minutes, he plodded through the tunnel that looked almost identical to the others he¡¯d passed through. The absence of cracks in the ceiling cast this section of the sewers into total darkness. The water level appeared slightly elevated here, with streams of grimy water splashing over his feet. Undeterred by the dampness and lack of light, Jake pressed on.
At last, he spotted a gathering of several creatures in the distance. Taking care to move stealthily, he slowed his pace to minimize the noise he made. The critters had neither noticed nor heard him yet. Drawing closer, he began to discern more details about them.
Jake focused his attention on one of the disgusting critters and called up its stats.
Mutated Rat ¨C Level 10
Special ability: None
He¡¯d first encountered those rat-things and watched them from up above when he was a survivor. Now, up close, he could discern more details about them. They resembled kangaroos in form and size, but their snouts and tails were akin to those of pre-Collapse rats. Their dark, greasy fur was patchy, showing bald spots in multiple areas and revealing large sores on their skin, some of which were oozing yellowish pus. The stench emanating from their bodies even surpassed that of the sewers themselves. Despite Jake¡¯s calm and collected mindset as a morphus, he found himself repulsed by those vile creatures. But he continued to move toward them nevertheless.
The critters down the tunnel were preoccupied with picking at the rotting dead body of another creature, which looked just like them. The group of the repugnant critters hadn¡¯t spotted him yet. Drawing closer, he studied them and came to the conclusion dealing with them shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. He continued to move down the tunnel toward the group of mutated rats. Despite his attempts to move quietly, the splashing sounds of the water he sloshed through gave him away sooner than he¡¯d hoped.
Two of the rat-like creatures withdrew their gore-smeared snouts from deep within the rotting meat of the dead body to glance back at him. Their red, malevolent eyes squinted as the vile creature hissed at him. Alerted by the noise, the rest of the critters swiftly turned their heads to glare at him as well. The mutants had discovered him way sooner than he¡¯d anticipated. While he¡¯d hoped for the ideal scenario of sneaking up on them and taking out at least one rat before being detected by the others, he remained unfazed by the turn of events.
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All the mutated rats had turned to face him by that point. However, they seemed reluctant to attack him as if unsure of what to make of him. Having never encountered anything like him before, they appeared wary and unsure of how dangerous he might be.
Before they could decide whether to flee or fight, he charged at them. Some of them flinched in fear, and for a moment it seemed like they were going to scatter in panic. It didn¡¯t happen, though. Instead, they darted toward him, bounding on two legs like kangaroos. Jake was glad they did. He wouldn¡¯t have wanted to chase them through the dark tunnels of the sewers.
With a mental command, he morphed his hands into claws and lashed out at the first mutant to reach him. His talons pierced its forehead, cutting through the skin and scraping against its skull, doing little to no damage to the creature. He dodged to the left as the monster lunged toward him, attempting to take a bite. The wide tunnel provided ample space for Jake to maneuver, allowing him to evade the creature¡¯s teeth with ease. The mutated rat lunged toward him once more, but Jake avoided its attack and raked the side of its neck with his claws. He must¡¯ve pierced a major blood vessel because a red fountain poured from the wound. The creature wailed as it lurched away from him, defeated and with no fight left in it. The critter bounded a little farther down the tunnel before it succumbed to the wound, collapsing to the floor and splashing stinky water everywhere.
Jake was already dealing with another mutated rat, slicing the side of its body open with a flurry of swings. These creatures were pretty fast but no match for his own agility and speed. The second rat-thing dropped to the wet floor where it convulsed for a few seconds before it died.
It didn¡¯t take Jake long to deal with the remaining critters. When only one was left, it tried to bound away, but Jake didn¡¯t let it. Ramming into the overgrown rat, he tackled it to the ground, unleashing a brutal attack and ripping its side open.
He then stood up, surveying the area. All the monsters were dead, and the blood that spilled from them mixed with the murky water. A system notification emerged in his mind.
Multiple enemies killed. +150 XP
He¡¯d slain five critters, which meant a mutated rat was worth 30 XP. Not too much, but still better than the 25 XP reward for ex-human leapers. Besides, leapers were pretty rare¡ªout of every ten ex-humans he encountered, nine were walkers and only one was a leaper. If those rat-things were abundant in the sewers, he could linger there for some time to gain experience points.
For the next half an hour or so, he traversed the sewers, every now and then encountering groups of mutated rats and fighting them. He continued to explore the underground tunnels for a while but had yet to come across a single mana consumable, which was disappointing. It was possible that those precious magical items simply didn¡¯t spawn in the sewers.
After he dealt with another group of mutated rats, a system notification emerged in his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 8 to 9. You have gained 1 SP.
Jake opted to allocate the skill point at a later time.
At some point, he arrived at another four-way juncture where a group of rats were scavenging through a pile of waste. Just as Jake was about to confront them, some noise echoed from a side tunnel. The rats instantly tensed up, raising their heads and turning their attention toward the source of the sound.
A second later, a massive bear-like creature emerged from the shadows. It was the size of a grizzly bear but had scales all over its body, and its head and tail were those of an alligator. Jake summoned its state with a thought.
Devourer ¨C Level 15
Special ability: None
The mutated rats scattered at the sight of the huge monster, sending splashes of dirty water flying everywhere. The devourer made to give chase, but then it noticed Jake. Its sinister red eyes studied him for a moment. Apparently unimpressed, it released a deafening roar before lunging toward him.
Chapter 58
Jake watched as the devourer ran toward him, splashing stinky water everywhere. Despite its bulky body, the bear-alligator moved surprisingly fast. When it got within biting distance, the monster snapped its long jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth at him with lightning speed. Yet Jake was quicker, dashing to the side before the creature¡¯s teeth could sink into him. The beast let out a frustrating roar before turning to face him once more.
As it turned out, the monster was quite clumsy and sluggish, unable to turn quickly. Jake circled the huge creature and lashed out at its side. His claws scraped against the tough scales, dealing little to no damage to the monster. Caught off by the ineffective attack, he froze for a second. Then the devourer finally completed its turn, slamming into him with such force Jake was knocked over.
He collapsed to the floor, sending splashes of stinky water flying every which way. Jake was stunned for a moment, amazed by the sheer strength of his opponent. The beast wasted no time barreling toward him, its jaws opening in preparation to clamp down on him. Jake managed to roll to the side just in time, hearing a resounding clack as the alligator jaws snapped shut on the empty space he¡¯d occupied a fraction of a second before.
As he circled the huge monster, Jake unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes on the beast¡¯s body, exerting all his strength to penetrate its resilient scaled skin. He felt a sense of satisfaction when he managed to draw blood from the creature. Despite the devourer¡¯s tough skin, he found that with enough force, he could pierce its scales with his claws, though it required more effort than his usual confrontations with other mutants.
The battle dragged on for ten grueling minutes, displaying the devourer¡¯s impressive strength and endurance. Even when it was profusely bleeding from multiple wounds Jake had inflicted on it, the beast refused to yield and continued to fight. Jake was as agile and swift as always, constantly moving around the creature to stay beyond the reach of its lightning-fast jaws. The beast proved to be extremely strong and surprisingly fast when moving in a straight line, but its sluggishness during turns allowed Jake to easily dodge its snapping jaws.
When the devourer finally collapsed to the watery floor, creating a chaotic explosion of wet splashes, Jake finally allowed himself to relax. Physically, he didn¡¯t feel tired, but mentally, he was exhausted. The fight with the devourer was intense indeed.
Enemy killed. +90 XP
Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed at the meager 90 XP he gained from defeating the devourer, considering how much time and effort he¡¯d invested in the battle. Yet he had no choice but to begrudgingly accept the outcome. Taking a moment to catch his breath, so to speak, and recuperate from the exhausting fight, he then randomly picked a direction and pressed on with his exploration of the treacherous sewers.
Over the next two to three hours, he roamed the dark, damp tunnels, engaging in combat with their unsettling dwellers. So far, he¡¯d encountered only two types of mutants in that place, mutated rats and bear-alligators called devourers.
Compared to ex-human walkers, mutated rats were somewhat more difficult to kill. To slay a walker, he only needed to slash his claws across its throat. The body of a mutated rat, on the other hand, was more resistant to damage, requiring him to exert a little more effort. Nevertheless, dealing with groups of mutated rats posed no challenge to him.
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A devourer was a much more challenging opponent, however. Its scaled skin was hard to penetrate, and as Jake had recently learned, this type of monster could take a lot of damage before dying. Despite its massive body, a devourer could move at an impressive pace in a straight line and snap its alligator jaws with lightning speed. It was a bit clumsy and couldn¡¯t turn its body quickly, though. In the recent fight with a devourer, Jake had no trouble circling the monster and launching attacks on the creature¡¯s vulnerable sides. But as he¡¯d also learned, its scaled skin was surprisingly tough and hard to penetrate. His claws had no trouble tearing ex-human flesh to shreds, but slicing open a devourer¡¯s scaled skin had turned out to be a lot harder.
For that reason, Jake wanted to avoid having to get into confrontations with devourers as much as possible. They weren¡¯t all that dangerous for him, but slaying one consumed too much time and energy while the experience reward for it was only 90 XP. Jake would rather deal with three mutated rats, investing much less time and effort but yielding higher experience rewards in return.
As it turned out, it was nearly impossible to sneak past devourers in the close confines of the underground tunnels without being noticed by them. The waterlogged tunnel floors made silent movement impossible, and the devourers¡¯ acute senses made detection inevitable. Despite Jake¡¯s efforts to remain silent and evade a devourer¡¯s sight, the slightest disturbance in the water from his movements betrayed his presence. As soon as a devourer spotted him, it immediately charged at him at full speed. So even though he was reluctant to waste time and energy engaging in combat with those powerful and damage-resistant monsters, he had no choice but to confront them. At least, there were much fewer devourers in the sewers than mutated rats, and the former always prowled the water-filled tunnels alone.
Navigating through the sewers, Jake relied on his Enhanced Intelligence skill to prevent getting lost. It seemed as though this skill was creating a mental map in his mind, allowing him to consult it whenever he needed to orient himself. It was truly impressive how this skill worked. Without it, he would easily have gotten lost in the maze-like underground tunnels.
At some point, he came upon a peculiarly ornamented door. Coming to a halt in front of it, he gazed in awe at the towering double-leafed door adorned with intricate patterns. It was very tall and seemed to be crafted from some metallic material. Intricate runes were etched in the four corners of the door¡¯s surface. From the center of the double door protruded a prominent relief sculpture depicting the skull of some beast or demon with sharp fangs and long horns. The hollow eye sockets of the skull appeared to stare directly at him.
For a moment, Jake just studied the door, looking at the demon skull in the middle, the intricate relief work, and the mysterious runes etched in its corners. Jake was getting more and more convinced that the door led to some kind of dungeon.
The door lacked a handle, but it had a big keyhole. The key that opened this door should be pretty large. Jake was pretty sure the door was locked, but he tried to open it anyway. He pressed his palms against both leaves of the door and pushed. Just as he predicted, it didn¡¯t budge despite his best efforts. It looked like the door couldn¡¯t be forced open even with his mutant strength, but just to be sure, he decided to try one more time, exerting all his mutant might.
As he did so, a piece of text materialized in his mind.
You need a Skeleton Key to open a Dungeon Door.
Jake took a step back, staring at the demon skull in the center of the door. He gave a mental command to appraise the door, and a piece of information surfaced in his mind.
Name: The Maze of Torment
Floors: 5
Recommended Level: 15-20
So this door led to a dungeon. This discovery excited Jake a great deal. A dungeon meant lots of challenging enemies and lots of experience points along with other rewards. He had no Skeleton Key on him and had no idea where or how to acquire one yet, but he was sure he would find out at some point. When he got his hands on the key, he would return to the entrance.
Turning away from the dungeon door, Jake strode away, continuing to explore the damp, reeking sewers and wondering what else he might find in that place.
Chapter 59
After departing from the dungeon door, Jake roamed the sewers for a couple more hours. He engaged in combat with every group of mutated rats he came upon. Now and then, he stumbled across a devourer and had to fight it as well. At some point, a system notification popped up in his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 9 to 10. You have gained 1 SP.
Jake now had two skill points at his disposal, so he decided to take a moment to allocate them. First of all, he checked his attributes: Body was at 3, Mind was at 1, and Magick was at 1 too. He had recently advanced Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence each to Rank II, so they were slowly progressing: they were at 22%, 31%, and 15% respectively. After he elevated them to the next level, each of these three skills had become more acute and powerful.
His Claws ability, however, remained at Rank I, and because of that, the progression bar for the ability was still stuck at 100%. A thought occurred to him that if he raised the ability to the next rank, perhaps his claws would become strong enough to penetrate the devourers¡¯ scaled skin much more easily.
He focused on the ability.
Claws: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
He shifted his gaze to the rank of the Claws ability, and a piece of additional information emerged.
A raise to the next Rank is available.
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 1 SP
Raise to Rank II: Y/N
He wanted to increase its rank, but he didn¡¯t meet the requirements to do that just yet, with Body standing at only 3. He could invest both his current skill points into that attribute, and after he leveled up again, he would be able to raise Claws to Rank II.
However, after giving the matter some thought, he decided to do something else. Instead of allotting the skill points to his attributes, for now, he opted to acquire some upgrades for his skills and abilities. He accessed the upgrade menu for his current sole combat ability.
Ability: Claws
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Strengthen Claws to cut through solid materials like metal. Cost: Cost: 1 SP
2 - Extend Claws by two inches for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce transformation time from hands to claws. Cost: Already Owned
Having previously obtained the reduced transformation time upgrade, Jake now had two additional options to choose from. He didn¡¯t see much reason to increase the length of his claws¡ªat least for now¡ªso he went with the first option. He opened his eyes and morphed his hands into claws. They did look nastier now. While their length remained the same, they now appeared more intimidating.
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He closed his eyes and called up his stats once more. He had another skill point to allocate, which he wanted to use to acquire another upgrade for Enhanced Agility.
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Master acrobatic skills for climbing, jumping, performing aerial maneuvers, and navigating challenging terrain. Cost: Already Owned
2 - Enhance body coordination for faster movement and speed by 20% as well as executing rapid directional changes. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Sharpen reflexes for quicker reactions in combat, enabling agile dodges, swift maneuvers, and precise counterattacks. Cost: 1 SP
The decision was made pretty quickly. He allocated the skill point to the third option to sharpen his reflexes. It would definitely make him even more dangerous in combat than before. With that, both skill points were allocated. Before opening his eyes, he took a moment to review his stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 10
HP: 100%
XP: 20/1375
SP: 0
MP: 1,025
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
Claws: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 2 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (22%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (31%) (Upgrades: 2 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (15%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
After that, he opened his eyes and continued to explore the sewers. Now and then, he encountered mutated rats and engaged them. The newly acquired upgrade for Enhanced Agility made him even more agile in combat. The mutated rats deftly attacked him from several directions, but he swiftly dodged every attack and retaliated with lightning speed.
At some point, he encountered another devourer. He charged at the huge monster, eager to test his strengthened claws on it. As it turned out, with the recently acquired upgrade, his talons improved significantly, slicing through the monster¡¯s tough scaled skin effortlessly. Dealing with a devourer was now a much easier and faster task. The upgrade had proven to be completely worth the skill point invested in it.
After spending a few hours in the foul-smelling sewers, Jake realized that the underground tunnels were not as extensive as he had initially believed. More often than not, he encountered blocked paths obstructed by massive piles of concrete and rebar collapsed from the streets above and was forced to backtrack and search for alternate routes.
Eventually, every available tunnel had been explored, every creature slain, and the splashes from his footsteps were now the only sounds to be heard. It was time to ascend back to the street level. It should be evening now. Tomorrow, when the system refreshed the world, respawning monsters and loot, he might return to the sewers to gain more XP. For now, there was nothing left to do down here, so he headed back to the section of the sewers where the ceiling was split open by huge cracks.
Thanks to his Enhanced Intelligence skill, Jake easily retraced his steps back through the sewers. As he made his way back, he took a moment to evaluate his remaining mana.
MP: 935
It was quite low. He recalled his previous calculations on the amount of mana his body consumed in idle and active states in a day. At level 3, he estimated using about 1080 MP daily while physically and mentally active. However, now that he¡¯d leveled up a few times, increased his skills in ranks, and acquired upgrades for some of them, he needed a significantly higher amount of mana on a daily basis to support his increased capabilities.
Finally, he reached a tunnel with a split-open ceiling. Only he quickly discovered he couldn¡¯t jump high enough to reach the edge. He continued exploring until he stumbled upon another crack where sturdy vines cascaded down from above. He took hold of two of them and tugged to test their strength. They seemed tough enough to bear his weight, so used them to deftly ascend back to the street level.
Upon reaching the surface, he took a moment to survey his surroundings to reorient himself. The street he stood on was quiet, and not a single mutant was in sight. As he¡¯d predicted, the evening had arrived. The sun was setting, gradually casting the city into shadows. He picked a direction and set off on the mana hunt.
Chapter 60
Jake swiftly moved through the night streets at his usual brisk jog. He¡¯d opted not to scale the buildings for two key reasons. First, mana consumables tended to spawn on the first floors of the high-rises, likely because many of the buildings had all their stairs completely destroyed, rendering access to the upper floors for regular survivors nearly impossible. Second, leaping from rooftop to rooftop consumed too much mana, and since he had only a small amount of that precious energy left, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste it carelessly.
As always, at midnight, the system initiated the world refresh. As he jogged through the desolate streets, here and there, he spotted mutants materializing out of thin air. Now and then, enemies appeared right next to him, immediately trying to grab at him with their clawed hands. Jake paid them no mind, however, evading their claws and not slowing down. He was solely focused on his quest for mana, disregarding any other distractions.
He was sure the same process was occurring with loot, although it wasn¡¯t immediately apparent since various items usually appeared inside buildings, abandoned cars, or some other concealed spots. The city was mostly quiet now, with the majority of the survivors having retreated to their shelters for the night. Unlike them, Jake didn¡¯t need to sleep or rest, which worked to his great advantage. While most survivors rested, all the loot in the city belonged to him. Not that he needed most of it. The only thing he was interested in were mana consumables. Their spawn rate was pretty low, but with the majority of survivors having holed up in their dens, he anticipated gathering a substantial amount of mana.
Jake noticed that while the system kept refreshing the world, mutants materialized sporadically at different moments of time instead of appearing all at once at the same moment. About an hour later, the process seemed to be finished as he could no longer spot any mutants popping up anywhere. He continued to explore the night city, venturing into random buildings in search of mana.
Now and then, he came across beads, each providing 100 MP and marbles that offered 250 MP. A couple of times, he found a shard carrying 500 mana points. Jake immediately absorbed the magic energy from every mana consumable he discovered. At some point, he chanced upon a mana chunk. While beads, marbles, and shards were of common rarity, the mana chunk was uncommon, containing 1,000 MP. It was a really good find. Jake had brought his mana to over three thousand by now. Hunting for mana at midnight while most survivors rested had proven to be entirely worthwhile. He intended to dedicate the remainder of the night to looking for mana to collect as much of this magical energy as possible.
He entered another high-rise building and found himself in a vast room that had once served as the lobby of a hotel. Unlike many other buildings he¡¯d explored, this one remained relatively intact, lacking large piles of debris and significant damage to the ceiling and walls. As he stealthily moved through the vast dark room adorned with several columns, he surveyed the area. He noticed that all the stairs leading to the upper floors lay in ruins.
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At first glance, there weren¡¯t any mana consumables anywhere in sight, but to know for sure, he needed to conduct a more thorough search. He almost reached the center of the vast room when he heard a suspicious sound. He froze in his tracks, dropping close to the floor. He quickly looked around and almost immediately identified the source of the sounds. His gaze quickly landed on a group of survivors resting in one of the corners of the room, at the farther wall from the entrance.
Even though it was very dark in the room, with hardly any moonlight filtering in through the windows, Jake¡¯s keen eyesight allowed him to take in all the details at once.
There were four of them: two were tucked in sleeping bags while two others were crouched by the windows, keeping guard. They seemed to be rotating shifts for any potential mutant attacks throughout the night. Their backpacks lined the wall, and the two guards held their weapons close while the two sleeping people had their guns lying on the floor within easy reach.
The sounds that Jake¡¯s acute sense of hearing had picked up were the hushed conversation of the two guards. They spoke in muted tones, being careful not to disturb their sleeping companions. Despite being vigilant, none of them spotted Jake crouching in the center of the vast room. He always moved almost soundlessly, and when he needed to, he could move completely silently. Not knowing what dangers lay within the building, he¡¯d taken precautions to remain as quiet as possible. Their eyes also let them down. They sat facing each other, so at least one of them should be able to see the center of the room in their peripheral vision, yet they failed to see him. Jake¡¯s dark skin blended in with the surrounding darkness perfectly, rendering him practically invisible.
So yeah, the survivors didn¡¯t have the slightest idea that an extremely dangerous predator was studying them at that moment. The two guards had one job, and they had already failed it, allowing him to get into the building and get dangerously close to them. If he chose to, he could dash toward them with minimal noise and reach them within seconds. By the time they eventually spotted him, it would be too late for them to do anything to save themselves. Jake remained where he was, though.
Since the four of them had taken refuge in that building, they had likely searched it. If there were any mana consumables, they had collected them and most likely immediately absorbed the precious magical energy from them. Therefore, there seemed to be no reason to linger in that building any longer.
However, out of curiosity, Jake decided to stay there for a moment. He wanted to know what the two guards were whispering about. Even though they talked to each other very quietly and were at least fifteen yards away from him, his acute sense of hearing allowed him to discern every word they uttered.
Chapter 61
¡°I think it¡¯s over,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°The system¡¯s finished refreshing the world.¡±
¡°Yep,¡± the other one said, peering out the window he sat at. ¡°I can¡¯t see any more mutants respawning anywhere either.¡±
¡°There should be plenty of loot out there right now,¡± the first one said. ¡°Maybe we should get out of here and go looking for it instead. Just imagine what treasures we can discover while most of the other survivors in the city are fast asleep.¡±
¡°We already discussed it, Thomas,¡± the other one responded, a hint of irritation in his voice. ¡°And we all reached a consensus that it¡¯s not safe to wander around the city at night. The darkness, especially within buildings, poses too great a threat. We already lost David one evening. That mutant jumped at him from the shadows, and he was dead before we got the chance to save him. Have you forgotten that already?¡±
¡°No, Kaleb, I haven¡¯t forgotten,¡± Thomas replied grimly, shaking his head. ¡°Poor David. I still can¡¯t believe he¡¯s gone.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re gonna wait until night passes and head out for loot first thing in the morning, just as we always do,¡± Kaleb said.
For a moment, they lapsed into silence. As Jake watched them, listening in on their hushed conversation, the beast within him seemed to awaken from its slumber. It wasted no time in beginning to whisper to him, trying to persuade him to attack the survivors. It told him that their backpacks that were lined along the wall potentially contained valuable mana consumables, so it could be worth slaying them, tearing all four of them to shreds.
Not without some effort, but Jake managed to silence his inner beast. He was not going to kill the four survivors. Even if they had mana consumables in their backpacks, he wasn¡¯t going to do that. He wasn¡¯t going down the rabbit hole. He was already only partly human, and he wasn¡¯t willing to lose the last shreds of humanity within him.
Jake was about to turn away and steal his way out of the building when Thomas, who was facing the center of the vast hall, suddenly turned his head to stare at the exact spot Jake occupied. He immediately froze, staring back at the survivor, ready to jump into action if necessary. However, while Thomas appeared a little more nervous than he¡¯d been a second before, Jake was sure he remained undetected. Had Thomas somehow spotted him, his reaction would¡¯ve been way more intense.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we also watch the entrance?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°I mean what if a mutant comes into the building?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re at the farthest spot from the entrance. If a mutant happens to wander in and come at us, we¡¯ll hear it right away. Those creatures aren¡¯t known for being quiet.¡±
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¡°But what if a mutant spawns right behind us?¡± Thomas said, still seemingly staring directly at Jake. ¡°And attacks us before we know what¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Geez, what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡± Kaleb asked, raising his voice.
One of the sleeping people stirred in their sleeping bag but didn¡¯t awaken.
¡°I dunno, man,¡± Thomas replied. ¡°I just feel nervous for some reason. I feel like something is watching me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just being paranoid,¡± Kaleb said without even bothering to look over his shoulder to see where Thomas was staring at. ¡°Relax, man. First of all, the system has already finished refreshing the world. And second, mutants never materialize anywhere near survivors. By now, all of us have learned it. If that were the case, many survivors would have been torn apart in their sleep during the initial days, and we likely wouldn¡¯t have been an exception.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Thomas said after a brief pause, finally shifting his gaze away from Jake.
¡°During the spawning process, mutants never pop up anywhere near us, survivors, whether we are asleep or awake. So don¡¯t worry about it anymore, bud.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
After that, the two survivors went silent once more. Jake continued crouching at the center of the hall with his palms resting on the floor, thinking about what he¡¯d just heard from the two survivors. During the world-refreshing process, the system spawned mutants at a safe distance from survivors. It made sense. The process typically took place at midnight when most survivors were probably going to sleep or were already fast asleep. It would be unfair if a mutant materialized next to a sleeping survivor, catching them off guard in their most vulnerable state.
However, when Jake moved through the city, every now and then, mutants sporadically materialized right next to him. It couldn¡¯t be written off as a simple coincidence. It was pretty much obvious that the system didn¡¯t classify him as a survivor anymore. To the system, he was just another mutant now. However, it posed some questions. How come he was granted a unique progression system? Why was he still sentient while all the other mutants were not?
The more Jake thought about it, the more confused he became. He¡¯d been transformed into a mutant after being sucked into an anomaly known as the Dark Void. As far as he knew, he wasn¡¯t supposed to survive that, but somehow he did. The purpose of the Dark Void was to turn regular mutants into stronger versions of themselves. He¡¯d been a human at that time, so he should¡¯ve either been killed or, in the best-case scenario, turned into a mindless mutant. But not only did he retain his intelligence, but he was also given a system with unique abilities. Was it just a very rare fluke? Was it just an extremely rare occurrence? Or perhaps it was a glitch that somehow intertwined a survivor¡¯s progression system with mutant capabilities?
While Jake remained uncertain about his situation, he at least now knew that he was regarded as a mutant rather than a survivor; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have spawned mutants in such close proximity to him during the world-refreshing process. Even despite the fact that he greatly deviated from typical mutants in many aspects, possessing a unique progression system of his own, he still seemed to be categorized as a regular mutant.
Or maybe while the system labeled him a mutant, it also recognized his uniqueness. Could it be that the system considered him a hybrid straddling the line between humans and mutants? Jake wasn¡¯t sure yet.
A sudden scream shattered the silence, wrenching him back to the moment.
Chapter 62
One of the two people in the sleeping bags suddenly sat up, screaming and thrashing around as if he was fending off invisible enemies. The person next to him, who turned out to be a young woman, suddenly emerged from her sleeping bag as well, awakened by the noise.
Instantly on high alert, Thomas and Kaleb jumped to their feet, spinning around and raising their weapons, unsure what was going on. The man kept thrashing around displaying signs of not being fully awake yet. He swung one of his arms in a wide arc, almost hitting the young woman on his left.
¡°Geez, Erick, calm down,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. Just a bad dream. You¡¯re safe. Nothing¡¯s gonna hurt you.¡±
Her voice seemed to have a calming effect on him, and Erick finally came to his senses. He stopped screaming and flailing his arms. He scanned his surroundings, turning his head to look at the woman next to him, then at the two men by the windows, who were still gripping their guns. He then surveyed the dark room, a perplexed expression on his face as if he couldn¡¯t apprehend where he was or how he¡¯d ended up in that place.
For a moment, his gaze lingered on the shadows at the center of the room, peering into the darkness. Although it felt as if he was staring right at him, Jake knew it wasn¡¯t possible. If Erick¡¯s limited human sight could discern him in the darkness, he would already have begun panicking again.
Finally, Erick¡¯s eyes settled on the young woman sitting in her sleeping bag.
¡°See?¡± she said. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. You are among friends. Nothing to worry about.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking you, Averie,¡± he said in an apologetic tone. ¡°I was having a nightmare.¡±
¡°Figured as much,¡± Averie said, nodding.
Erick¡¯s gaze shifted to the two men standing by the windows on his right.
¡°Sorry for startling you guys too,¡± he said with a lopsided grin. ¡°You can stop pointing your guns at me. I¡¯m not gonna turn into a monster if that¡¯s what you think.¡±
¡°You scared the hell out of me, man,¡± Thomas said, lowering his weapon. ¡°I almost fucking shot you.¡±
¡°We were lucky there weren¡¯t any mutants nearby,¡± Kaleb said, peering out the window. ¡°Otherwise, they would already have swarmed this place.¡±
¡°I saw David in my dream,¡± Erick said quietly, looking at his hands in his lap. ¡°I witnessed the moment when that mutant jumped from the shadows. Only in my dream, it was me who got attacked, not David.¡±
Averie gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. For a moment, Erick remained still, then he turned around and reached for one of the bags lined along the wall behind him.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Averie asked.
Erick was rummaging through the contents of his rucksack until he found what he was looking for. He retrieved some kind of bundle from his pack. Whatever it was, it was large, tightly wrapped in a dark thick strip of fabric.
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¡°What is this?¡± Averie asked.
¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Erick replied as he began to peel the fabric away from the item.
Both Jake and Averie watched with interest as he was unwrapping the item. As it turned out, it was a huge mana consumable, resembling a crystal in its shape. It was almost a foot in length¡ªlarger than any other mana consumables Jake had ever seen. When the last coil of the thick dark fabric fell away, the magical energy stored within the crystal cast a bluish glow over the four survivors and the wall behind them, illuminating the entire section of the room where they were situated. Even from where he was crouching, Jake could tell there was plenty of magical energy stored inside the item.
¡°Wow,¡± Averie exclaimed, staring in awe at the mana consumable. ¡°It¡¯s so bright.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I usually keep it wrapped in fabric,¡± Erick explained. ¡°It gives off so much light it can easily attract mutants at night.¡±
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Averie said, staring at the crystal in Erick¡¯s hands.
¡°Yes, it is,¡± he replied.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a large mana item,¡± Kaleb said from his position at one of the windows. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s called a mana crystal,¡± Erick replied. ¡°It¡¯s a rare mana consumable.¡±
¡°How much mana does it hold?¡± Thomas asked.
¡°Five thousand.¡±
¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot!¡±
Jake was impressed too. As a mutant, he spent a lot of time scouring the city for any mana consumables, but he¡¯d never chanced upon a mana crystal before. That item must¡¯ve been really rare. According to Erick, it held a whopping five thousand MP, which was even more than the amount of mana currently stored within him¡ªover three thousand MP. Between that and the five thousand the mana crystal held, he could potentially unlock two or three of the abilities from the Genetic Development Interface.
¡°Why haven¡¯t you absorbed the mana from it yet?¡± Thomas asked.
¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Erick replied.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because you need to be at least level fifteen to do that. I learned that after scanning the crystal with my PDA when I just found it. I tried to absorb the mana anyway, but nothing happened, of course.¡±
¡°Guess you¡¯ll have to wait until you level up to fifteen before you¡¯re allowed to absorb the mana,¡± Averie said.
¡°Yeah. Only I¡¯m not gonna do that.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Averie said, a surprised look on her face.
Erick lowered his gaze to the crystal he held in his hand.
¡°Because it¡¯s so beautiful it calms me,¡± Erick said, peering into the crystal. ¡°When I¡¯m stressed out, I take out the crystal and watch the energy dance inside of it. It has a soothing effect on me. It really helps me to calm my nerves in moments like this. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d manage without it.¡±
¡°Where did you find it?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°I don¡¯t even remember. In one of the buildings, I guess. It happened a few days ago, before I even met you guys.¡±
¡°Well, guess you were extremely lucky to find such a rare mana item.¡±
Jake agreed with Kaleb. Such things didn¡¯t lie around every corner. The mere fact that he himself had never come across a mana crystal spoke volumes about the item¡¯s rarity.
That was why he was planning to snatch the crystal from Erick¡¯s hands. It might be a little cruel considering the crystal helped Erick calm his nerves in stressful situations, but Jake couldn¡¯t let such a great opportunity to get so much mana slip away.
Sorry, buddy, but you¡¯re gonna have to get yourself another stress buster.
And Jake broke into a silent sprint toward the four survivors.
Chapter 63
Jake swiftly ran toward the group of survivors. The bluish glow from the crystal in Erick¡¯s hands cast light every which way, making it impossible for Jake to remain undetected for long. Averie noticed him from the corner of her eye and turned her head to look in his direction.
¡°What the hell?¡± Thomas muttered, spotting him as well. ¡°It¡¯s a mutant! Where¡¯d it come from?¡±
¡°It¡¯s moving so fast,¡± Averie gasped.
Even though the survivors noticed him sooner than he¡¯d hoped, it didn¡¯t matter much. Jake sprinted so fast he was on top of the two survivors in their sleeping bags before they could even reach for their weapons. Erick cowered in fear as Jake loomed over him, staring up at the black mutant with wide eyes. Instead of going for his gun lying next to his sleeping bag, he tightened his grip on the mana crystal, holding it close to his chest. It wasn¡¯t that he sensed Jake¡¯s intentions but rather an instinctive move.
As Jake reached down, Erick recoiled backward, but he was too slow to evade Jake¡¯s grasp. He closed his black textured hands around the glowing crystal and pulled. Erick held onto his precious mana consumable with all his might, and for the briefest of seconds, Jake felt a bit of resistance. Still, Erick¡¯s feeble human body was no match for Jake¡¯s strength. He tugged a bit harder and almost effortlessly wrenched the crystal from Erick¡¯s grasp.
¡°No!¡± he screamed, seemingly more terrified about his precious mana crystal being taken from him than by the terrifying-looking mutant who had seized it.
Jake¡¯s expanded field of vision allowed him to see the female survivor, Averie, still sitting in her sleeping bag on his right and the other two men, Thomas and Kaleb, standing by the windows off to his left. He could see the two men bring up their guns to aim at him, and he immediately spun in place to face them, ready to confront them if necessary. However, they refrained from opening fire, and he understood why. He stood too close to Erick, and there was also Averie behind him. They were reluctant to open fire while he stood so close to them, fearing accidentally wounding their friends.
Suddenly, a booming gunshot echoed from behind him, and in the next instant, he felt something punch him in the back, causing him to stagger. Furious, he wheeled around to see Averie holding a huge revolver resembling a Colt Python in a two-handed grip, with smoke drifting up from its muzzle. Her facial expression clearly conveyed her disbelief at how he nonchalantly shrugged off the blast from such a powerful handgun. Then determination sparked in her eyes as her index finger whitened, tightening around the trigger of the huge revolver once more.
A fraction of a second before she fired, Jake leaped out of her line of fire, throwing his body sideways. The bullet whizzed past him, missing him by a hair¡¯s breadth. A panicked scream erupted behind him, accompanied by the shatter of a window. Jake didn¡¯t need to glance back to know that the shot Averie had just fired almost hit one of the men standing by the windows behind him. Averie stared up at Jake with a dumbfounded look on her face. His lightning speed and incredible resistance to damage left her stunned.
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What the hell are you, was clearly written on her face.
You¡¯re about to find out, bitch, Jake thought.
Only it wasn¡¯t exactly his thinking. His inner beast had awakened when a bullet had torn into his back, and now the monster within him craved blood. It growled within him, urging him to charge at the survivors and tear them apart. Jake was terrified to realize that deep down, it was what he too desired most at the moment. Yet he knew he couldn¡¯t give in to the urges of his inner beast. To preserve his humanity, he had to fight against his dark impulses.
Jake spun toward the exit of the building and bolted across the hall, clutching the mana crystal tightly in one hand. As he distanced himself from the survivors, they unleashed a hail of bullets at him. The rounds whizzed by like enraged hornets, one managing to graze his back and further enraging his inner beast. But Jake didn¡¯t slow down or look back, sprinting through the near darkness of the building. The radiant glow of the crystal made him a clear target, but his speed outpaced their aim, allowing him to evade their relentless gunfire.
Within seconds, Jake reached the entrance. Just before he burst out of the building, he heard one of the survivors exclaim to the others, ¡°Guys, what the hell was that thing?¡± Then he was out of the building, jogging through the night streets overgrown with vegetation, noting that the survivors made no attempt to pursue him. He pushed on for a few blocks before gradually slowing to a stop at a deserted four-way intersection. He scanned his surroundings for any threats but didn¡¯t spot any.
He raised the mana consumable to his eyes. It really was giving off a lot of bluish light. It was understandable why Erick had kept the crystal tightly wrapped in a dark, thick piece of fabric. For a moment, Jake just watched the bluish energy dance and swirl within the crystal. Erick had been right. It was beautiful. Despite its beauty, Jake knew he had a more practical purpose for the crystal, unlike Erick¡¯s sentimentality toward it.
He then gave a mental command to appraise the item. Its stats instantly emerged in his mind.
Mana Crystal: 5,000 MP (Rare)
He then checked the amount of mana he currently had.
MP: 3,815
After consuming the energy from the crystal, he would possess over eight thousand MP, allowing him to unlock two or even three new abilities. If he could use the mana crystal at the moment, that is. Erick had told his friends that he hadn¡¯t been able to absorb the mana from the crystal because he needed to be at least level 15 to do that. Perhaps, it was the case with Jake as well.
He tightened his grip around the crystal, testing its strength. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t shatter under his pressure, suggesting it was either more durable than other mana consumables or required him to reach level 15 to use it. However, nothing had been mentioned about the requirement to reach level 15 before being able to use the crystal in the description of the item he¡¯d summoned a moment before. Perhaps, unlike survivors, he could use the crystal. So he tried again, exerting more strength this time. There was a moment of resistance, and then the crystal finally broke in his grip. The bluish energy escaped from the cracks, flowing toward Jake¡¯s arm and assimilating into his black flesh. It took a few moments for the abundant mana to transfer from the crystal into him, filling him with its power.
After the absorption process was complete, Jake opened his hand, and the now empty, shattered crystal dropped to the asphalt below. Now, it was time for him to acquire some new abilities with the mana he¡¯d gained.
Chapter 64
For a moment, Jake stood in the middle of the four-way intersection, surveying his surroundings. While there were no enemies to be seen or heard anywhere, standing in the open while unlocking new abilities probably wasn¡¯t such a good idea. Although he possessed remarkable damage resistance, capable of enduring even a blast from a heavy-caliber weapon, there was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
Recalling having been shot by the female survivor named Averie, he lingered for a moment longer, concentrating on his sensations. He could tell that the bullet wound in his back had nearly healed by that point, stemming the leakage of mana. Sure enough, some amount of his mana had been used to seal the wound and dissolve the heavy-caliber round lodged in his flesh into nothingness, but fortunately, not too much.
He glanced around once more before dashing to the corner of the street where a small demolished diner sat. Passing through the threshold, he entered the main area of the dinner. A long dusty counter lined one wall while tables adorned the opposite side, with shattered windows offering a view outside. Jake crossed the room and stepped into the darkest corner of the room, blending in with the shadows. He then turned around to face the exit and closed his eyes, summoning the skill store with a thought.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 1 of 4
Skills: 3 of 7
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
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Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: Already Owned
With over eight thousand MP at his disposal, Jake could unlock up to three abilities. However, he was cautious about depleting his mana reserves¡ªeven more so now that his body demanded much more mana for sustenance than before. So out of the eight thousand MP he currently had, he opted to spend only five and keep the rest.
After examining the list of available abilities, he decided to unlock Swords and Bladed Tentacles. He had set his eyes on the former a long time ago but until now, hadn¡¯t had a chance to unlock this ability. As for the latter, it¡¯d recently been added to the skill store after he completed a mutation research quest. Now he could finally unlock this ability as well.
He took a moment to read the descriptions and requirements of both these abilities.
Ability: Swords
Description: The mutant can grow sharp, double-edged blades from their hands, which can cut through any organic enemies, making them a dangerous opponent in any fight.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Description: The mutant can grow long, sharp tentacles from their back that can swiftly slash through enemies, giving them a powerful advantage in close combat situations.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: 3,000 MP
With his Body attribute at level 3 and Magick at level 1, Jake met the necessary requirements for both abilities. One by one, he acquired both of them, first unlocking Swords, and then Bladed Tentacles, spending a total of five thousand MP. He now had over three thousand MP left.
He opened his eyes and stepped into the middle of the diner. He brought up his arms and gave a mental command to transform them into swords. He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was going to happen, but he anticipated his hands to be turned into swords. However, something a little different happened¡ªthe blades actually extended from the tops of his wrists instead. Jake watched with fascination as his black flesh molded and elongated as if it were clay being sculpted into blades.
It took a few seconds for the transformation to complete, which was longer than he expected. He took a moment to examine the blades. They were about fifteen inches in length and two inches in width. Perhaps he could make them longer by unlocking one of the upgrades to this ability. He was pretty much sure that, as with the Claws ability, the transformation time could also be decreased.
Jake then experimented for a moment with his blades. He tried to retract the one extending from his left wrist, and it worked. Realizing he didn¡¯t have to turn both his hands into swords, he then tried morphing his left hand into claws, and it worked as well. So he had the option to morph one hand into claws and extend a blade from the other, without needing to turn both hands into either swords or claws. Whether there was a practical purpose to that, he didn¡¯t know yet. He guessed he would find out during many future battles against different enemies.
He then gave a mental command for both his hands to revert to their normal form. While the claws on his left hand morphed back into normal human-looking fingers almost immediately, it took a few seconds for the sword extending from his right wrist to retract. It was somewhat frustrating, but it would do for now. He was sure he would be able to reduce the transformation time when he unlocked one of the upgrades for the Swords ability. Since he currently didn¡¯t have any skill points at his disposal, he decided not to waste any time examining the available upgrades for the ability.
After that, Jake tested out the other newly acquired ability. With a mental command, he grew a tentacle from his body. He could feel his flesh in the area of his shoulder blade stretching out to form a long appendage. Unlike the swords, the tentacle took only two seconds to fully grow from his upper back. He was taken aback by how effortlessly he could move the tentacle, as though it had always been a natural extension of his body. It seamlessly integrated into his body, allowing him to feel and manipulate it with ease. Although he couldn¡¯t see it behind his back, once he brought it to the side of his body, he immediately saw it slither within his expanded field of vision. He maneuvered it closer to his face for a clearer view. The dark, textured tentacle terminated in a sharp, double-edged blade. It was a formidable weapon, and he was surprised by how quickly he could maneuver it. Giving it a few experimental swings around the room, he then extended it to its full length to gauge its reach¡ªapproximately three feet.
Then something unexpected happened¡ªthe tentacle suddenly detached from his body and dropped to the floor. Jake watched as it withered and changed color to gray. In just a few seconds, the detached tentacle disintegrated into dust. The tentacle couldn¡¯t survive the separation from his body. While it was a part of him, it was sustained by the mana accumulated within him. Without that life-giving energy, it quickly disintegrated into dust.
Jake realized that the same would happen to him if he ever depleted his mana reserves. He couldn¡¯t survive without that magical energy, so if he ever ran out of it, he would be reduced to nothing more than a pile of gray dust. Jake was determined to evade such a grim fate at all costs.
He continued to explore his newfound ability by growing another tentacle from his body. He wanted to see how many tentacles he could have at the same time, so he gave a mental command to grow yet another one. However, nothing happened, which meant that he could produce only one tentacle at a time¡ªat least, for the time being.
After a few moments, the tentacle detached from his body by itself and fell to the floor, meeting the same fate as the previous one, disintegrating into dust. He was sure he could extend the lifespan of his tentacles by acquiring some of the upgrades for the ability.
Before departing the diner, Jake quickly checked his mana reserves¡ªabout three and a half thousand. Sure enough, each time he created a tentacle or transformed his hands, a certain amount of mana was consumed, reminding him of the importance of managing his energy wisely.
After that, Jake departed the ruined diner, stepping out into the night.
Chapter 65
Jake spent the rest of the night scouring the city in search of mana. By the time the morning sun began to bathe the streets in its light, he¡¯d accumulated about five thousand and five hundred mana points, which wasn¡¯t bad at all. This amount alone could sustain him for a couple of days, or even longer if he reduced his usual level of activity. He had enough mana to unlock at least one more new ability, but he chose not to do it for the time being. He had recently acquired Swords and Bladed Tentacles, so he first wanted to test them out in combat. After he got the hang of using them, he could acquire another ability.
There were some skills available for purchase in the Genetic Development Interface as well. Unlike abilities, skills were passive, but Jake decided not to spend any more of his MP for now either. For his current level, the five thousand MP he currently possessed wasn¡¯t all that much. He could easily deplete more than half of this amount in a single day if he engaged in overly energetic activities, like constantly running through the deserted city and battling mutants on end. With each level-up, his body and abilities required more energy to support his increased capabilities on a daily basis. Therefore, he should manage his mana reserves very wisely.
As morning arrived, survivors began to emerge from their hideouts to begin a new day of scavenging and fighting mutants. Jake¡¯s keen hearing picked up the sporadic sounds of gunfire echoing from different parts of the city. Given this, he opted to halt his search for mana consumables for the day. During the night, he¡¯d explored many buildings, having found and used quite a lot of mana items. The immense size of the city rendered it impossible for Jake to explore every part of it in a single night, so there were still numerous locations within the city that Jake hadn¡¯t visited during the night. However, with the survivors now roaming the streets too, if he continued to search for mana, encountering them would be unavoidable. Jake wanted to avoid getting into fights with them as much as possible. Not that he was afraid of them or anything. Quite the opposite in fact¡ªhe was well aware of how easily he could dispatch human beings. But the only thing he would accomplish by doing so was waking up his inner beast¡ªand that was something he wanted to prevent from happening. His dark impulses had to be kept in check.
Jake made the decision to postpone his search for mana and wait for another nightfall. At midnight, the system would refresh the world, respawning mutants and replenishing it with valuable items once again. That was the best time to search for mana. During the daytime, he could focus on fighting mutants to gain XP, and the best place to do so was the sewers, at least for the time being. The system should¡¯ve respawned all the mutated rats and bear-alligators called devourers in the underground tunnels, so there would be plenty of XP for him to gain below the city. Scouring the city for MP at night and hunting sewer monsters for XP during the daytime seemed like a solid plan to him. For now, it appeared the most productive way to gain mana and XP. And after he made his way to a new location, he would come up with a different plan.
However, before heading to the section of the city that granted access to the sewers, Jake wanted to test out his recently acquired abilities on some weaker types of mutants. He jogged through the city until he chanced upon a high-rise building infested with walkers and leapers. None of the survivors had found and cleared this place during this morning yet, so it was brimming with mutants. Jake extended blades from both his hands and entered the main area on the first floor, spotting replication pods hanging from the ceiling here and there. The place was packed with mutants, a sight that excited him a great deal.
Once ex-humans inside the room spotted Jake, they rushed toward him from every direction. The first one to reach him outstretched its hands to grab him the second he was within reach. One of his blades flicked through the air, chopping off the mutant¡¯s hands at the wrists. Jake then jumped aside, and the mutant, carried by its momentum, fell forward. The mutant struck the floor head first with enough force to smash its own skull open like an overripe melon being hit by a sledgehammer.
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Another walker leaped at Jake. He sidestepped its attack as one of his blades struck, opening up its guts. Purple, gore-smeared strands spilled from the gash across its stomach onto the floor, coiling around the creature¡¯s legs. Caught up in its own entrails, the walker awkwardly tried to turn and reach for him again. A second swipe of his blade took the creature¡¯s head from its shoulders to send it bouncing along the floor.
Jake blocked the swiping claws of another walker with one of his blades, severing some of the creature¡¯s elongated fingers in the process. The walker recoiled back from him. Jake shoved one of his blades through its heart. The creature looked down at its chest, then Jake yanked his blade free, and the walker collapsed, dead.
The claws of yet another walker lashed out, swiping toward him. He easily dodged the attack and countered with one of his swords. His right blade flashed through the air, sinking into the flesh of the creature¡¯s arm. Bone crunched, and the mutant¡¯s arm was severed from its body close to the elbow. The arm flopped wetly onto the floor as the creature snarled at him in fury. Jake pressed his attack, closing in for the kill. His left blade lashed out, catching the creature across its throat and opening it up. The mutant¡¯s foul blood splattered over him before the ex-human collapsed.
Jake quickly looked around, hearing howling and screeching sounds in the distance. There were no more mutants in the room, but somewhere in the other parts of the building lurked several more mutants. He could hear the pounding of their footfalls converging on his spot. Jake continued to stand in the middle of the vast room. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. Several more ex-humans emerged from different corridors and charged at him all at once.
The first one to reach him outstretched its clawed hands toward him. Easily evading them, Jake attacked, his right blade entering the creature¡¯s stomach. He then jerked the blade upward, opening up the creature from the sword¡¯s point of entry to the edge of its sternum. The mutant twitched on his blade, trying to tear free of it as spittle flew from its lips, thrashing around more in rage than in pain. Jake jerked his blade free of the mutant¡¯s body. The ex-human flopped onto the floor, making a grab for his ankles despite the amount of damage he¡¯d inflicted on it. He quickly finished it off with a powerful stab through its skull and then spun toward two more walkers as they lunged at him.
His blade split open the nose of one of them and then slashed into the second walker¡¯s snarling mouth on its back swing. The blade of his sword removed several of the walker¡¯s many razor-sharp teeth and part of its open lower jaw. The creature stumbled, tumbling back onto the floor. The other walker shook off the pain from its mangled nose and came at him once more. The blade of his sword entered the underside of the monster¡¯s chin. Its tip emerged through the top of the mutant¡¯s skull, sealing its mouth shut and destroying its brain. He yanked the sword free from the mutant, and its body collapsed to the floor. Jake instantly spun to face the other walkers that came at him.
He continued to fight the remaining ex-humans until there were no more left.
Multiple enemies killed. +325 XP
Jake had killed twenty-eight ex-humans in total without breaking a sweat. The floor was littered with mutilated bodies of the dead mutants. Among them, there were a few leapers, while the rest were walkers. He brought up his swords to take a look at them. They had proved to be quite effective weapons. In one of the future fights, he was going to transform one hand into a sword and the other into claws to test out the effectiveness of this combination. Also, he hadn¡¯t yet utilized his bladed tentacles in combat and was eager to see how it would perform in one of the next fights.
After destroying all the replication pods hanging from the ceiling to earn some additional XP, Jake exited the building and headed for the sewers.
Chapter 66
Jake traversed the streets, illuminated by the gentle morning light. The chilly wind stirred the weeds breaking through the cracks in the asphalt and swayed the vines cascading down the building fronts. The echoes of gunfire resonated from various parts of the city. In this world altered by the system, guns generated much less noise, a stark contrast to when Jake was a human survivor and rarely heard gunfire unless in close proximity. Now, as a mutant, his acute hearing allowed him to easily detect distant gunshots.
As the day progressed, more survivors emerged from their hideouts to begin a new day of scavenging and battling mutants. While they posed little threat to him, Jake planned to avoid confrontations with humans as much as possible. He gained nothing from killing them. Waking up his inner beast was also something he wanted to avoid at all costs. However, as the day unfolded, evading survivors was becoming more challenging.
He sprinted through the streets at impressive speed, covering one block after another, occasionally passing groups of survivors. Most of them simply gaped at him, and by the time they collected themselves, he was already too far away for them to take any action against him. However, out of fear, some of the survivors managed to pop off hurried bursts of fire in his direction. None of their shots hit him, though, as he moved too quickly for them to aim accurately.
He definitely preferred traversing the city by rooftops. After he cleared out the sewers, he planned to stay away from the streets altogether. The last time, it¡¯d taken him a few hours to eliminate all the mutated lifeforms in the sewers. With his newly acquired combat abilities, he expected to accomplish this task more quickly. After that, he intended to climb to the roof of any nearby building and proceed with his exploration of the city, traversing it by the rooftops in search of quests or something else of interest.
At some point, Jake came across the remnants of a small building resembling a diner sitting at a corner of a four-way intersection. Normally, Jake would¡¯ve kept moving forward without sparing another glance at the destruction, but something caught his attention. As he approached the building, he slowed down, turning his head to observe it. A magical anomaly floated a few meters above the ruins of the diner, shimmering and distorting the surrounding air. The anomaly pulsed with eerie, unearthly light, casting strange shadows on the ground around the small structure. Jake came to a halt beside the ruined diner as memories of past encounters with magical anomalies flooded his mind.
He was aware that anomalies were highly dangerous, each possessing a unique ability. Some would draw you in only to fling you away with tremendous force in a random direction, similar to the one named Pulsar that had recently propelled him off the roof. Another anomaly had the capability to break every bone in a fragile human body. There were anomalies that exploded with magical energy, dealing damage to everything within its effective range. Each anomaly was dangerous and had its own ability.
They were also triggered differently. Some would activate upon contact with any object, while others ignored inanimate objects and only reacted to a living creature getting too close. Certain anomalies could be triggered by loud noises, while others remained active constantly, like the Dark Void that had transformed him into a morphus.
It was definitely worth carefully inspecting each anomaly to distinguish between them and understand the dangers they presented. This was why Jake decided to take a moment to study the newly discovered anomaly. He approached the ruined building, his eyes fixed on the anomaly hovering above the roof. He stopped at the shattered entrance to the small structure, taking a moment to examine the ruined interior of the diner. It was a twisted maze of broken furniture and collapsed walls. What had once been a cozy diner was now a jumble of debris and decay.
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Jake tilted his head back, peering at the anomaly through a gaping hole in the ceiling. The magical phenomenon emitted a constant hum, and the air inside the destroyed diner felt electrified, causing a tingling sensation to spread across his skin. He had definitely never encountered such an anomaly before, so Jake ventured into the diner to examine it more closely. Most anomalies were difficult to perceive, with some being entirely invisible and detectable only by the sounds they emitted. However, Jake¡¯s heightened senses allowed him to see and hear the anomaly hovering above the roof more clearly.
Despite having hard soles like those of boots, no debris crunched beneath Jake¡¯s feet. He trod lightly, taking careful and calculated steps that made no sound at all. The only noise within the ruined diner was the hum emanating from the anomaly itself. Its shimmering form cast a strange glow over the wreckage of the interior below. The anomaly seemed to pulsate with malevolent energy, twisting and distorting the air around it in a dizzying display of power.
Jake slowed, not willing to get too close to the anomaly. While he seemed to have no natural predators as a morphus, anomalies were an entirely different matter. Some anomalies were highly dangerous, presenting a significant danger to him even in his mutant form. The air crackled with electrical energy as he took a small step closer, looking up at the anomaly through the gap in the roof. He was now directly below the magical phenomenon. The anomaly was pulsating with an eerie glow, casting shimmering light over the wrecked interior of the diner. He could hear the hum coming from the anomaly and feel the floor beneath his feet tremble as waves of force radiated from the anomaly with each pulsation.
Though he hadn¡¯t summoned its stats yet, Jake had a sense that its danger level was significant. He still wasn¡¯t sure how it was triggered, though. He stood just beneath the gap in the roof, so proximity as the activation factor could be ruled out. Perhaps it responded to loud sounds or physical contact. Jake wasn¡¯t about to do something stupid like hurling objects at it or making noise to test this theory, though. After all, he knew he could learn everything he needed to know about it as soon as he called up its description.
With a mental command, Jake summoned an appraisal of the anomaly, and a flood of information instantly filled his mind.
Name: Electro
Description: Launches lightning energy every which way when triggered. Activates when something hits it or gets within a foot of it.
Duration: 10 seconds
Effective range: 30 yards
Danger Level: 35 (High)
The anomaly was indeed extremely dangerous. Its danger level was 35, surpassing his own level by more than threefold. Another thing came to his mind. A survivor needed to scan an anomaly with their PDA to gather information about it. However, they needed to upgrade their PDA first. Each rank level of a survivor¡¯s PDA corresponded to a specific range of levels for scanning anomalies. For example, level 1 allowed scanning anomalies up to level 10, level 2 extended this to anomalies up to level 20, and so on with each subsequent level of a PDA covering an additional range of ten levels of anomalies.
To scan the Electro anomaly, a survivor¡¯s PDA would need to be upgraded to at least level 3. In contrast, Jake had the ability to appraise any anomaly with just the power of his mind, regardless of its level. This unique advantage made exploration of this altered world significantly easier for Jake. His Enhanced Intelligence skill functioned akin to a PDA, but in some aspects, it even exceeded its capabilities.
While Jake was thinking about all this, he kept staring at the anomaly through the gap in the roof, and another piece of info suddenly popped up in his mind.
A challenge is available!
See the details: Y/N
Jake did a double-take at the anomaly floating above him. As a survivor, he¡¯d never been offered challenges by anomalies before. He wondered why. Maybe only sentient mutants like himself could be given such opportunities? Anyway, it was an unexpected but intriguing surprise that filled him with excitement.
With a thought, he requested more information.
Chapter 67
Immediately, an additional piece of info popped up in his mind. He took a moment to examine it.
Speed Trial: Reach all the waypoints before time runs out.
Time Limit: 10 seconds
Waypoints: 5
Difficulty: Easy
Recommended Stats: Evolution Stage 1 ¡°Primordial Form¡±, Level 10, Body 3
Reward: 10,000 MP
Accept: Y/N
When his gaze reached the Recommended Stats line, he paused for a second to think. It seemed that challenges like this one were designed specifically for him, distinguishing him from ordinary survivors. When his gaze reached the Reward line, he felt stunned for a second, not quite believing what he was seeing. Ten thousand mana points was quite a substantial reward, surpassing the amount he¡¯d collected during his previous night¡¯s mana hunt. So yeah, the reward was remarkably generous, especially considering the speed trial was supposed to be easy.
Without giving the matter more thought, Jake hastily accepted the challenge as if he were afraid the system could suddenly withdraw its offer. As soon as he accepted, a short message emerged in his mind.
Challenge accepted! The speed trial will begin shortly.
Jake glanced around, not sure what to expect. Nothing had changed inside the ruined diner. The anomaly remained suspended above the roof, emitting a humming sound and filling the air with electric energy. Then another notification was shown to him in his mind.
Waypoints have been set. To initiate the speed trial, go to the designated starting position.
Jake looked around once again and this time, caught a glimpse of some kind of glow coming in from outside through the entrance. He crossed the room and stepped out of the building. In the middle of the street, he saw a shaft of bluish light rising from the road into the sky. Had to be the starting position. Jake began to walk toward it. As soon as he got within one yard of it, he saw another message in his mind.
Get ready! The speed trial is about to begin!
Alright, let¡¯s do this, Jake thought.
A countdown began.
3¡
2¡
1¡
Start!
The bluish shaft of light disappeared. Tensing, Jake glanced around. Almost immediately, he spotted another beacon over one hundred meters farther down the street. While the new shaft of light was far away, it was easily noticeable, extending high into the sky and towering above the surrounding buildings. Unlike the previous one, it was white instead of blue.
Jake wasted no time breaking into a sprint down the street toward the waypoint. He reached the beacon in just a few seconds. Just as he ran through it, the shaft of light vanished, and a notification emerged in his mind.
+10 seconds
Another shaft of white light materialized one hundred yards down the street. While Jake sprinted toward it, he was deep in thought. Reaching a waypoint added ten more seconds to the remaining time. He wondered if there was a way to track the amount of time left.
As soon as he thought that, a piece of info appeared in his mind.
Trial Progression
Waypoints: 1/5
Remaining Time: 13.72 seconds
He quickly looked over the info and dismissed it with a thought. The next shaft of light rose from the middle of a four-way intersection. Drawing closer to it, he spotted a small group of survivors crossing the intersection and heading in his direction. Judging by their behavior, it was evident the group of survivors couldn¡¯t see the shaft of light, despite the fact they were walking right past it. Obviously, the waypoints were visible only to the one undertaking the speed trial.
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While they were unaware of the shaft of light emerging from the center of the intersection, they couldn¡¯t help but notice the obsidian-black mutant running toward them. They froze in place, mesmerized by his intimidating appearance and the incredible speed at which he was closing in on them.
Before the survivors could gather their thoughts, he made it to the center of the intersection. Just before reaching the shaft of light, he slowed his pace slightly, uncertain of where the next waypoint would appear.
+10 seconds
This time, a beacon didn¡¯t materialize ahead of him; instead, the next waypoint appeared on his right. Swiftly turning toward it, he accelerated his pace, keeping an eye on the group of survivors as he raced past them. Startled by his sudden movement, they instinctively recoiled, perhaps fearing he was about to attack them. However, his focus was solely on reaching the next waypoint; he had no intention of fighting them at all. Ignoring the group, he turned away from them and sprinted toward the third waypoint at full speed.
Now that he was moving away from the survivors, they appeared to finally gather their composure. The sharp cracks of gunshots pierced the air as they unleashed a barrage of bullets toward him. The projectiles whizzed past him like enraged hornets, one grazing his shoulder, causing minimal harm. Although he felt no pain, the sensation was still unpleasant. He wanted to turn around and deal with the brash survivors, but he fought back the urge, knowing he had to resist his dark impulses.
¡°It¡¯s getting away,¡± one of the survivors yelled to the rest. ¡°Shoot it! Kill it! Don¡¯t stop firing!¡±
However, as he distanced himself from the survivors, their shots missed him by wider margins. Watching him retreat seemed to embolden the survivors. They likely believed they¡¯d succeeded in scaring him off. Had they known what he was capable of, they would never have dared to do anything that could piss him off and opted to run away while they could instead of provoking him.
It didn¡¯t take him long to reach the third waypoint.
+10 seconds
The next waypoint materialized on his right again, and he turned toward it, maintaining his pace. While the previous waypoints had been roughly equidistant from each other¡ªapproximately one hundred meters apart¡ªthe next waypoint lay about twice that distance away. Jake checked the trial information while he ran on.
Trial Progression
Waypoints: 3/5
Remaining Time: 21.10 seconds
It¡¯d taken less than ten seconds to reach each of the previous waypoints, so Jake calculated he should reach the fourth waypoint before the time was up. It was a good thing there were no obstacles along his path. The weeds pushing through the cracked asphalt didn¡¯t slow him down in the slightest. The rusted car frames lined the sides of the road, but none obscured his path, allowing him to maintain his top speed.
Finally, he reached the fourth waypoint situated at the center of another intersection.
+10 seconds
Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw another waypoint, the last one, materialize on his right once more. Swiftly altering his course toward it, he took a second to assess the status of the trial.
Trial Progression
Waypoints: 4/5
Remaining Time: 11.36 seconds
With approximately one hundred meters to cover to reach the final waypoint, Jake anticipated reaching it within seven or eight seconds. Confident in his ability to successfully complete the speed trial, he continued his sprint. As he drew nearer the final waypoint, a realization struck him¡ªhe¡¯d completed a full circle and was now back at the diner where the trial had commenced. Notably, the last waypoint shared the same blue hue as the initial starting point.
When he ran through the shaft of bluish light, a notification emerged in his mind.
Trial complete! You have received 10,000 MP.
Only then did Jake slow down, eventually coming to a stop. He felt excited. Although the speed trial hadn¡¯t posed a significant challenge, the reward was pretty amazing. He could now afford to unlock a few more skills from the Genetic Development Interface.
However, he decided it could wait for now because he wanted to check something else first. He turned back toward the diner and entered through the doorway. Upon stepping inside, he heard the familiar hum and felt the floor tremble beneath the soles of his feet. So even before he saw the Electro anomaly through the hole in the roof, he already knew it was still there. Which meant that completing a challenge didn¡¯t neutralize an anomaly.
Positioning himself directly beneath the hole in the ceiling, Jake peered through it at the Electro anomaly. He retrieved its description with a mental command, and the information materialized in his mind. No info on the speed trial appeared, though. He waited a bit longer, thinking there could be a possibility of a time delay in the system¡¯s response. However, nothing happened.
After making sure the anomaly had no other challenges to offer, Jake stepped away from the hole in the roof, deep in thought. So once a challenge associated with an anomaly was completed, it ceased to exist. It couldn¡¯t be repeated, and no new one replaced it. However, Jake decided to revisit the diner tomorrow to see if the speed trial would resurface or if another challenge would replace it after the world underwent its regular system reset.
After leaving the dinner, Jake stood on the sidewalk for a moment, still thinking. His initial plan was to collect mana at night and venture into the sewers to gather XP during the daytime. However, having just completed the speed trial and discovering the existence of challenges linked to anomalies, Jake decided to postpone his sewer exploration for now.
He didn¡¯t know whether challenges were linked to all anomalies or only certain ones. Though he suspected the latter, he didn¡¯t know for sure yet. Anyway, driven by the prospect of finding more challenges to complete, he set out to locate another anomaly.
Chapter 68
For the next several hours, Jake scoured the city in search of anomalies. The rarity of anomalies, which had previously brought him joy as a survivor because of their mortal danger and challenging nature to detect, now left him feeling frustrated. Moreover, it became apparent that anomalies that had challenges linked to them were really rare. After the completion of the speed trial, he dedicated several hours to a fruitless search without encountering another similar anomaly. It was becoming increasingly frustrating for him. Despite investing considerable time, his efforts yielded no results. At least, he now knew that the anomalies with challenges linked to them were pretty scarce.
He was on the verge of giving up his search and moving on to explore the sewers instead when he finally discovered what he was looking for. The anomaly he stumbled upon was a Pulsar, the same one that had propelled him off a roof the other day. Despite being at street level now, he was reluctant to risk being sucked into the Pulsar and forcefully ejected in an unpredictable direction, so he maintained a safe distance. The anomaly floated above the floor in the lobby of a high-rise building, situated at the center of the vast room.
Jake maintained a safe distance of about fifteen yards from the anomaly, yet even from this far, he could sense the gravitational pull of the Pulsar. He was acutely aware that if he inched closer to the anomaly, the gravitational pull would escalate in strength. He knew very well that once he reached a certain threshold, the force would become so powerful it would irresistibly suck him in, rendering him powerless to prevent being pulled into its grasp. That was why Jake remained at a safe distance from the anomaly, unwilling to take a single step closer. While he understood that the anomaly posed no lethal threat, he was unwilling to endure the unsettling experience once more.
With a simple mental command, he summoned the description of the Pulsar. The information he already knew emerged in his mind. He didn¡¯t bother to reread it. Anticipating the anomaly to offer no challenge, akin to the previous encounters he¡¯d faced in the past several hours, Jake started to turn around to leave the building. And then, with a slight delay, a new piece of information abruptly emerged in his thoughts.
A challenge is available!
See the details: Y/N
A surge of excitement swept through Jake as he realized he¡¯d finally stumbled upon an anomaly that had a challenge linked to it. He immediately requested to view the details, and a fresh piece of information promptly appeared in his mind.
Tower Climb: Reach the roof of a high-rise building to eliminate an elite mutant.
Time Limit: 6 hours
Floors: 10
Difficulty: Hard
Recommended Stats: Evolution Stage 1 ¡°Primordial Form¡±, Level 15, Body 5
Main Reward: Finish all floors and defeat an elite mutant on the roof to unlock the Boost Menu
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Intermediate Reward: Finish a minimum of 7 floors to upgrade any skill to Rank II, bypassing its current progress or requirements
Accept: Y/N
Jake carefully reviewed the details of the Tower Climb challenge that had just surfaced in his mind. The current challenge differed significantly from the previous speed trial and required a different skill set altogether. The tower climb presented a more challenging difficulty level as well, marked as ¡°hard,¡± in stark contrast to the previous speed trial, which had been relatively easy. Not meeting the recommended stats with his Level 10 and Body 3, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was up to the task.
Despite his reservations, Jake wasn¡¯t willing to miss out on the chance to unlock a new feature.
Challenge accepted! To initiate the tower climb, reach the designated area.
Stepping outside the building, Jake scanned his surroundings, anticipating a beacon to guide him toward the tower climb¡¯s starting point. However, to his surprise, no shafts of light akin to the ones from the speed trial materialized in the distance. Perplexed, he pondered whether scaling the high-rise roof might offer a better vantage point. On the other hand, the waypoints from the speed trial had been so high they had towered prominently above the surrounding high-rise buildings, making it easy to spot them even from the street level. So he decided against climbing a high-rise roof in search of waypoints, reasoning that those distinctive markers were likely specific to the speed trial challenge anyway.
Puzzled, Jake continued to look around, wondering how he was supposed to know where to go without any apparent guidance.
In the end, he decided to simply ask.
System, tell me where I need to go, he thought.
As soon as Jake asked the question in his mind, a shimmering line materialized before him. It stretched out ahead, before curving to the right after reaching the midpoint of the street. It moved ahead until it reached a four-way intersection where it veered to the left. A few seconds later, the sparkling line vanished.
Jake transitioned into a brisk jog along the street. When he reached the intersection where the line had turned left, he halted. With a thought, he summoned the line once more, and it promptly materialized before him. It extended a couple of blocks forward before making another turn. Jake chose to pursue the line without delay this time, maintaining his pace as he followed the guiding line. When it vanished, he promptly summoned it once more without slowing his pace.
Jake followed the sparkling path for some time, taking different turns at intersections until he finally reached his destination. He came to a halt before a tall building in which the sparkling line had just guided before disappearing. He studied the tall structure for a moment. The ten-story building appeared identical to the surrounding structures, lacking any unique features. Not sure what to expect, he extended a blade from his left wrist and morphed his right fingers into claws before entering the building through the shattered entrance door.
Pausing in the opening, Jake surveyed the vast and desolate lobby before him. The space was empty save for occasional piles of rubble strewn about. Jake¡¯s eyes quickly identified several replication pods suspended from the ceiling, positioned low to the floor. He also spotted a bunch of walkers shuffling aimlessly about the area. As he ventured further into the lobby, a notification materialized in his mind.
The tower climb has been initiated! Good luck!
Remaining time: 5 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds
Apart from the message that appeared in his mind, there were no visible changes in the surroundings to suggest that the challenge had just commenced for Jake.
Alright, let¡¯s do this, he thought before launching himself at the nearest group of ex-humans.
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Jake swiped his blade at the nearest walker, opening up its stomach. The mutant took a couple of steps forward before collapsing to the ground, dead. Even before it tumbled down, Jake had already engaged two more walkers that had just reached him. He slashed his claws across one mutant¡¯s throat and stabbed the other through the chest. Both were dead within seconds.
His sense of hearing picked up a disgusting wet sound as one of the nearest replication pods blossomed open like a flower, causing the transparent liquid within to splash outward. From the pod emerged a fully developed mutant, this one a leaper breed. It bent its knees and launched itself toward him, propelling its body through the air. Jake sidestepped, swinging his sword, catching the leaper in midair. The tip of his blade dug into the creature¡¯s flesh, gouging a long gash along its body. It fell to the floor, but before it could get up, Jake stomped on its head, smashing it apart like an overripe melon.
In his expanded field of vision, he spotted another mutant lurching at him. Jake easily dodged the swipe of its claws and immediately countered, swinging its blade upwards, slashing the creature from its crotch to the edge of its sternum. The coils of steaming intestines fell out of the mutant¡¯s torn midsection. The creature¡¯s legs tangled in the mass of guts dangling from the vertical gash in its belly, causing the mutant to stumble. It tumbled forward, collapsing to the ground face first, and Jake finished it off with a stab through the back of its neck, severing its spinal cord.
The remaining mutants came at him from different directions. A few other replication pods opened up to let fully developed creatures step out. The life-giving liquid splashed outward, coating the floor and making it slippery. One of the walkers lost his foothold and crashed to the wet floor just before Jake. He stabbed it through the back of its head, his blade breaking through its skull without much trouble. He then jumped to the side so as not to let the mutants surround him. As he passed one of them, he swung his blade, cutting through the flesh of its neck, nearly detaching the creature¡¯s head from its body.
This battle was no different from countless others he¡¯d participated in as a morphus. He easily dodged enemy attacks and countered with his own, using his claws for slashing and his blade for stabbing. Even though he was greatly outnumbered, the low-level mutants posed no threat to him at all. He killed one ex-human after another until there were no more left.
After all the creatures were dealt with, Jake turned his attention to the replication pods. Each of them had released at least one mutant during the recent battle, and now the pods were in the process of creating fresh specimens. Each contained a creature in the early stages of development. Jake took a step toward one of the pods and slashed at it with his blade and claws, tearing it to shreds. The shredded pieces of the torn pod dropped to the floor as the pod¡¯s liquid splattered every which way. The underdeveloped mutant fell to the floor with a wet thud. Jake stomped on the embryo of the creature, turning it into a formless pulpy mass. After that, Jake proceeded to deal with the remaining replication pods.
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Once he was done, a notification popped up in his mind.
Multiple enemies killed. +550 XP
Then another system message emerged in his head.
Floor 1 cleared! You can now proceed to the next one.
A sparkling line similar to the one that had led him here materialized in front of him. It stretched diagonally across the lobby before leading into one of the corridors. Jake followed it. The shimmering path turned at a junction to lead into an empty elevator shaft just before disappearing.
Jake came to a stop at the entrance of the empty shaft, gazing down at the pile of debris below. The rubble consisted mainly of shattered concrete and twisted rebar, leaving him puzzled because he didn¡¯t understand why the guiding line had led him to this particular spot. There was nothing of use there. Suddenly, wisps of bluish energy emerged from the depths of the shaft, causing fragments of concrete to float upward right before his eyes. Animated by magical energy, the concrete shards started to converge, drawing closer to one another.
While the magic was at work, Jake was enveloped by a reverberating hum emanating from all directions. A tingling sensation coursed through his skin as if the very air within the elevator shaft had just become electrified. The pieces of concrete continued to drift together, connecting with each other, forming a makeshift platform that appeared precarious and unstable. Composed of various concrete chunks fused together, the platform was adorned with a labyrinth of cracks. Jake was sure the platform would crumble back into a heap of individual concrete pieces if he dared to set foot upon it.
After a few more moments, the transformation process was complete. As Jake had anticipated, the resulting platform appeared utterly precarious. Did the System really expect him to stand on it? In the next instant, a sudden flash of light momentarily blinded Jake. As his vision cleared, he saw the platform now looked very different from a second before. It now appeared seamless and intact, no longer resembling a collection of separate concrete pieces fused together. Additionally, Jake noticed four enigmatic symbols etched into the corners of the platform, each emitting a subtle, ethereal glow.
Jake believed that now the platform was stable and secure enough for him to step onto without any risk of it breaking or collapsing. But before doing so, he decided to check the status of the challenge. He summoned it with a thought.
Tower Climb Progression
Floors: 1/10
Remaining Time: 5 hours, 52 minutes, 31 seconds
It had taken him less than ten minutes to eliminate all the mutated life forms on the first floor. However, he had a feeling the difficulty of the challenge would increase exponentially with each subsequent floor.
With that in mind, he entered the elevator shaft. As he stood on the platform, the four sigils at the corners glowed even brighter with bluish energy, and the platform began to ascend to the next floor.
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
The platform moved up smoothly and easily, ascending at a comfortable pace. Jake observed its dimensions, noting its smaller size compared to the expansive shaft. The platform wasn¡¯t connected to anything, being powered solely by magic. Jake tipped his head back to gaze at the long dark shaft above. It extended to the highest floor, but he doubted the platform would take him to the very top in one go. It would most likely make intermittent stops on each successive floor along its ascent.
Just as he expected, the platform ascended to the second floor and came to a halt. The four runes etched into the corners dimmed without completely fading away, casting ethereal light in the dimly lit surroundings of the shaft. The elevator door was missing, leaving behind a gaping opening. He stepped through it into a corridor, immediately tensing and getting ready to fight. He jerked his head one way, then another, but there were no enemies in sight. Each end of the corridor stretched out before him, devoid of any threats. No sound reached his ears from anywhere. The complete silence that enveloped him was eerie.
Jake briefly glanced over his shoulder. The platform remained at the same level, each of the runes emitting a faint bluish glow. The platform would likely stay at the same spot, waiting for him to eliminate all the threats on the floor before transporting him to the subsequent one. Only where were the mutants he had to kill? Jake looked around once again. Picking a random direction, he began to sneak along the corridor, moving silently and gracefully like the predator he was.
As he advanced a few more steps into the corridor, his acute sense of hearing caught a low hum. It seemed to come from all around him at once. The air suddenly felt electrified as well. Jake froze in his tracks, unsure of what was going on and what to expect.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings and noticed a strange occurrence on the wall to his right. A sudden burst of eerie light revealed a vertical tear forming, which turned out to be a magical portal. As the opening widened, clawed hands emerged followed by the face of an ex-human walker with a menacing grin full of jagged teeth. As the magical tear expanded even more, the mutant emerged fully from the portal and charged directly toward him across the width of the corridor.
Jake lurched toward the enemy. He swiped its extended hands aside, stabbing the creature¡¯s chest with his sword all the way through. The blade erupted through the back of the monster, splattering the wall behind it with dark blood. He yanked the sword out of the mutant¡¯s body, and it collapsed to the floor, dead.
In his expansive field of vision, Jake spotted numerous mystical rifts unfurling along the walls on both sides of him. More portals appeared on the floor, and mutants were already emerging from within them as well. A sudden movement above caught his eye, and as he gazed upward, he saw another gateway tearing through the ceiling. A mutant¡¯s form momentarily projected from the opening before plummeting to the ground with a heavy thud. The creature rose to its feet and turned toward him, its gaping maw exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth as it emitted a piercing shriek. Despite its menacing display, it was merely a standard walker.
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A message emerged in his mind.
Wave 1 has started!
Targets killed: 1 out of 15
All the mutants that emerged from the portals immediately dashed toward Jake from all directions. All of them were low-level walkers, though, presenting no real challenge to him. It took him just a few minutes to deal with them all. Each of the portals had disappeared in a few seconds after disgorging a monster.
Multiple enemies killed! +150 XP
Wave 1 complete!
Wave 2 will initiate in 59 seconds.
This was definitely very different from what he¡¯d experienced on the first floor. Jake wondered how many waves of enemies he would need to fight off. Utilizing the respite, he took a moment to review his current experience level.
XP: 720/1375
He was halfway to earning a level-up, having accumulated 550 XP on the first floor and 150 XP on the second. With the second floor not yet completed, there was a chance he could level up before finishing it.
It wasn¡¯t long before portals once again began to materialize all around him on the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling. Most of the enemies were walkers, but among them, he also noticed a couple of leapers.
Wave 2 has started!
Targets killed: 0 out of 25
Jake slashed and pierced, hacked and stabbed, killing mutants one after another while easily dodging their attacks. As soon as he took care of the fresh bunch of monsters, yet another wave was announced. For the next several minutes, Jake fought off one group after another, easily dispatching the fresh mutants the system hurled his way.
Refusing to stay in the same spot, Jake was in constant motion, navigating through the corridors and rooms of the second floor. Upon discovering a large, vacant room that appeared to have been a conference room in the past, he noted its ample space for maneuvering. Recognizing the tactical advantage it offered, Jake chose to make his stand within that room.
The final, third, wave consisted of thirty mutants, mostly walkers and a couple of leapers. It proved to be the most difficult compared to the previous ones. The reason for that was a shambler that emerged from one of the portals. Not that Jake had much trouble with the last wave. Since the shambler was pretty slow, he first dealt with all the faster walkers and leapers before giving his full attention to the huge mutant.
When its bulky body bleeding from numerous wounds Jake had inflicted on it collapsed to the floor, a final message emerged in his mind.
Floor 2 cleared! You can now proceed to the next one.
Contrary to his expectation, he hadn¡¯t leveled up yet, which surprised him. When he checked his XP, he saw he was almost there, though.
XP: 1365/1375
He literally needed just one lousy walker to level up to eleven. He then checked the current status of the challenge.
Tower Climb Progression
Floors: 2/10
Remaining Time: 5 hours, 21 minutes, 15 seconds
It had taken him half an hour to complete Floor 2 in the Tower Climb challenge, a considerably longer amount of time compared to the shift completion of the first floor. It meant that the challenge had only just started in earnest, and the difficulty would only increase with each subsequent floor, just as he¡¯d expected.
Jake made his way back to the platform in the elevator shaft. As he stepped onto it, the four sigils glowed brighter, signaling its activation for the ascent to the next floor. With Jake¡¯s weight fully on the platform, it automatically initiated its ascent to the next level.
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Jake cleared several more floors. The difficulty significantly increased with each one, which resulted in him taking more time to get to the next floor. The sixth level proved to be the most challenging so far. Not only was it hurling one wave of walkers and leapers his way after another, but it also constantly spawned tougher types of enemies such as shamblers and whippers. Jake exerted all his strength and agility, fighting off one wave after another, giving it his all. This level alone depleted nearly as much mana as his body typically consumed in a day.
The last wave of monsters was finally taken care of and the sixth floor was finally cleared. Yet instead of making his way to the platform to advance to the next level, he sank into a crouching position. Feeling mentally drained, he decided to rest for a moment. As long as he had more than one thousand MP stored within his body, his magically enhanced mutant body couldn¡¯t get physically tired. However, mentally Jake felt exhausted. He¡¯d had to do his utmost to defeat the monsters on the sixth floor, resulting in his mental fatigue afterward. After such a prolonged and intense battle, he needed to rest for a few minutes.
While he rested, he checked the status of the challenge.
Tower Climb Progression
Floors: 6/10
Remaining Time: 2 hours, 48 minutes, 29 seconds
It had been over three hours since he had started the tower climb. Half the time of the challenge had already passed, but he still needed to clear four more floors, and each of them was going to be increasingly more difficult than the previous one. Jake was starting to wonder if he would be able to complete the challenge before time was up.
During the battle on one of the previous floors, Jake had leveled up to eleven, but he hadn¡¯t allocated the skill point yet. He decided to do it now. After giving the matter some thought, he opted to get an upgrade for Swords. With a mental command, he summoned the upgrade menu for the ability.
Swords: Rank I (12%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Strengthen Swords to cut through dense muscle, bone, and other resilient organic materials with ease. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Extend Swords by a few inches for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce the time needed for extending swords. Cost: 1 SP
The upgrade options were similar to those of the Claws ability. Jake decided to spend the skill point to acquire Strengthen Swords. There was no time to lose, so he chose not to review his stats for now. Instead, he forced himself to rise from the floor and make his way to the platform, mentally preparing for another trying fight with mutants.
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When the platform took him to the next, seventh floor, he stepped out of the elevator shaft, body coiled, ready to spring into action. Magical rift gates started to materialize all around him on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. The first enemies to emerge from the portals were walkers and leapers. From deeper parts of the seventh floor came the roar of either a shambler or a whipper. Jake had been dealing with ex-humans for so long he could now differentiate between them by the sounds they made alone.
Suddenly, from somewhere behind him came a strange shriek he had never heard before.
Ignoring several walkers approaching him from the front, he glanced over his shoulder. He saw a new type of mutant that had just emerged from one of the portals farther down the corridor. The creature was tall and lanky. It was dressed in tattered clothing, which revealed more flesh than it concealed. Sinewy lean muscles peeked through the tears in the ragged clothes the mutant wore. While the creature¡¯s muscles weren¡¯t bulging out all that much, it was clear the mutant was both strong and agile.
The most notable feature of the mutant was its hands. Or more accurately, the absence of those. Where the hands should have been were long bony extensions. They were pointed, double-edged, and slightly curved, making them perfect for slashing. With a thought, Jake called up the description of the mutant.
Ex-Human Slasher ¨C Level 15 (Elite)
Special ability: Flurry of Swings ¨C The mutant enters a frenzy state, swinging its blades violently for a few seconds.
So it was an elite enemy. Elite mutants were more dangerous than the regular ones, and they possessed special abilities as well. Jake had already encountered an elite ex-human mutant with a similar ability when he was doing a Hunt quest. However, the creature he had to track down and eliminate at that time was a walker armed with claws. The slasher behind him had what looked like bony extensions, which were basically blades, so dealing with this kind of monster was going to pose a different kind of challenge to him.
The first two walkers reached Jake, prompting him to shift his focus back to the imminent threat in front of him. One of them attacked, but he easily evaded the swipe of claws aimed at his face. He swung his sword in an arc with lightning speed, the blade cutting through the flesh and bone in the monster¡¯s neck like a hot knife through butter, sending the severed head flying to the side. He was amazed at how easily his upgraded blade cut through the mutant¡¯s body. Swords had definitely become much more powerful after he acquired Strengthen Swords a few minutes ago, proving this upgrade was totally worth the skill point he¡¯d spent on it.
Another walker lurched at him, ending his line of thought. Jake danced to the side, effortlessly dodging its attack right before thrusting his sword into the mutant¡¯s chest. His blade sliced through its body, easily cutting through the flesh and shattering all the ribs that were in its way. The mutant¡¯s body went limp, and the dying walker leaned against him, its arms dropping to dangle lifelessly at its sides.
In the corner of his wide vision, he spotted yet another walker approaching him from the side. Having no time to yank his sword free from the mutant¡¯s body, he shot his right hand toward the new threat, his iron-like claws digging deep into the flesh of its throat. He tore the creature¡¯s larynx out, causing a torrent of dark blood to pour from the nasty wound. For a second, the mutant stared at Jake in confusion, as if not quite comprehending what had just occurred.
Then the mutant began to fall, and Jake immediately stepped aside, yanking the blade from the first walker, whose body was still leaning against him. Both ex-humans collapsed to the floor at the same time, their bodies twitching in death throes.
Multiple enemies killed. +30 XP
A terrifying shriek reverberated from behind, prompting Jake to wheel around and catch sight of the slasher charging down the corridor toward him. Jake only had a brief moment to brace himself for the imminent encounter with this new type of elite mutant.
Chapter 72
Chapter 72
The slasher launched a ferocious assault on him, unleashing its special ability right away. Its bone appendages swung violently toward him, compelling him to go on the defensive. Jake raised his sword, deflecting one of the creature¡¯s blades, then swiftly ducked as the mutant immediately swung the other one at him. Unfazed by missing its target, the slasher persisted in its aggressive onslaught, forcing Jake to retreat.
He swiftly swung his sword upward, meeting one of the bone blades with a dull clang, successfully blocking the mutant¡¯s strike. The slasher advanced, bringing the other blade down in a sweeping motion. Reacting on instinct, Jake raised his claws in a last-ditch effort to intercept the blade. He was confident that his iron-like talons would be able to withstand the attack. To his astonishment, the blade sliced through two of his talons, severing them, and continued its downward trajectory, hacking deep into his shoulder.
His sensory receptors signaled that he had sustained significant damage in that area of his body. He felt no pain whatsoever, though. The little and ring finger-talons on his right hand dropped to the floor, but Jake had no time to dwell on the possible consequences of the injury. He had to solely focus on dealing with the slasher, otherwise the next thing to be chopped off might easily be his head.
Deflecting the slasher¡¯s onslaught with just one sword was challenging, especially since his claws proved to be ineffective for defense. Realizing this, Jake mentally instructed a blade to extend from his right wrist. While the transformation from fingers to claws was nearly instantaneous, thanks to an upgrade he had acquired some time ago, extending a blade from his wrist was a much slower process. While the blade was in the process of extending from his right wrist, he continued to defend himself against the slasher¡¯s relentless attacks. He blocked some of its strikes with his left blade and dodged others while retreating down the corridor as the mutant continued its relentless onslaught.
Reflecting on his past encounter during the Hunt quest, Jake remembered facing an elite walker with a lightning-fast ability similar to the slasher¡¯s, which had forced him into a defensive stance. This time, however, he had the advantage of Sharpened Reflexes, an upgrade for Enhanced Agility that he had recently obtained. This upgrade improved his reactions in combat, allowing him to execute agile dodges, quick maneuvers, and swift counterattacks. With Sharpened Reflexes, he found it much easier to evade the slasher¡¯s attacks compared to how challenging it would have been without it.
Finally, the blade fully extended from his right wrist, letting him tackle the slasher in full force now. Despite the elite mutant¡¯s relentless assault with its sharp appendages, he effectively blocked each attack with the two swords of his own. When the slasher¡¯s special ability, Flurry of Swings, finally wore off, the mutant¡¯s movements slowed down. Immediately seizing the opportunity, he shifted from the defensive to the offensive.
Jake quickly delivered a powerful swing with his right sword toward the mutant. Despite the mutant¡¯s attempt to block the strike with one of its blades, its slowed movements, due to the expiration of its special ability, left it vulnerable and unable to counter effectively. His blade sliced through muscle and bone with ease, severing the mutant¡¯s arm at the elbow. The lower arm with the bone blade extending from it dropped to the floor, leaving the mutant with only one blade in its possession. The vile creature briefly glanced at the stump of its arm but showed little reaction to the unfortunate turn of events.
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The slasher¡¯s evil eyes fixed on him once more, but before the mutant could do anything, Jake swiftly swung both blades in a scissoring motion toward the sides of its neck, beheading the mutant.
Enemy killed. +250 XP
Defeating the slasher had yielded a significant amount of experience points for a single enemy. But before he could savor his small victory, a familiar piercing shriek echoed from behind him, accompanied by two others. Whirling around, Jake saw three more slashers emerging from newly materialized magical rifts.
Fuck.
Two of them immediately employed their special abilities, launching vicious attacks from different angles. It didn¡¯t take long for the third slasher to join the fray. He evaded and blocked their assaults, using all of his agility and speed to defend himself. Once more, he was grateful for having acquired Sharpened Reflexes. Without this upgrade, the three slashers would likely have cut him into pieces by now.
At some point, Jake activated his Bladed Tentacle ability, feeling a long appendage sprouting from his shoulder blade. Focused on deflecting enemy strikes with both his swords, he was unable to use them for offense at that moment. Luckily, he had more than one type of weapon at his disposal. The tentacle took two seconds to fully grow, which seemed like an eternity in the midst of the fierce battle.
Once the tentacle was fully developed, Jake took control of the appendage, sending it zipping through the air toward one of the slashers attacking him. The blade at the tip of the tentacle stabbed the mutant right into an eye, turning it into a pulp. The mutant froze for a moment as if taken aback by such a turn of events. Jake used the moment of its confusion to thrust one of his swords into the mutant through its chest, shattering several ribs in the process.
The bladed tentacle detached from his body, but Jake immediately grew another one, using up a certain amount of mana for the action. Obeying his mental commands, the long appendage streaked through the air with lightning speed, slicing through the throat of another slasher, killing it in mere seconds. Bladed Tentacle was undeniably an impressive and deadly ability. Jake made a mental note to obtain some upgrades for it in the future, such as reducing the time needed to form a tentacle and growing numerous tentacles at the same time.
With the first two slashers dealt with, dispatching the third was relatively easy. However, the battle was far from over. New ex-humans continued to emerge from portals, ready to join the fray. In contrast to the superior slashers, the other known types of ex-humans were significantly weaker. Jake took on multiple walkers at once, eliminating one group of them only to confront the next one without delay.
After what felt like an eternity, the battle on floor 7 came to an end. When Jake checked the status of the challenge, he saw the battle had lasted about fifty minutes. With less than two hours left to clear the remaining three floors and defeat the boss on the rooftop, Jake began to seriously doubt his ability to complete the challenge within the remaining time frame.
This challenge was designed for users with levels ranging from 10 to 15. Since he had been at level 10 at that time, he had barely met the minimum requirement, explaining why the challenge felt overly difficult for him. It would have been better for him to increase his level before attempting the challenge. On the other hand, leveling up more than once a day was difficult, so it would have taken him several days to level up a few times. Jake couldn¡¯t have afforded to spend multiple days leveling up, because the challenge would probably have disappeared the following day due to the System resetting the world at the start of each new day.
In any case, if Jake wished to finish the Tower Climb challenge on time, he really needed to find a solution promptly.
Chapter 73
Chapter 73
The lifeless bodies of the ex-human mutants he had slain lay scattered across the floor. Jake stood in the same spot for a moment, lost in thought. It had taken him around fifty minutes to finish the seventh floor of the tower climb challenge. Now he had to conquer three more floors, with each subsequent floor getting more difficult than the last and then defeat a boss on the rooftop. Considering the time spent on the last floor, it seemed unlikely that he could clear three more floors and defeat the boss in under two hours. He needed to come up with a plan, and he needed to do so real fast.
A sudden idea crossed his mind. What if he attempted to skip floors eight, nine, and ten altogether? Perhaps he could climb to the roof of a neighboring building and leap across the gap to reach the rooftop of this structure. After all, the ultimate objective of this challenge was to ascend to the top of the tower and confront the mutant boss.
Whether the system would allow such a blatant cheat was anyone¡¯s guess. Jake had serious doubts about the success of this plan. The portals from which mutants emerged only appeared when he advanced to a new floor, and he was certain the same rule applied to the boss. If he attempted to bypass the intermediate floors and head directly to the rooftop, the boss might not even materialize.
Although Jake was fairly confident that this was a likely scenario, he couldn¡¯t be certain. With no better alternatives in mind, it seemed worth attempting, even if he believed it would likely end in failure. As he started crossing the room he was in, the sharp crack of gunshots echoed from the street, causing Jake to freeze for a second. The gunfire continued unabated from the outside. At that moment, a new idea sparked in his mind.
Jake spun around and jogged toward one of the immense floor-to-ceiling windows that ran along the front wall facing the street. The glass was long gone, allowing the wind to gust into the room. He halted at the edge of one of the shattered windows, staring down at the street below. He saw a group of survivors in the middle of the street, discharging their weapons at a gathering of ex-humans¡ªboth walkers and leapers¡ªconverging upon them from various alleyways and buildings on both sides of the street. The survivors were armed with an assortment of weapons, mostly shotguns and assault rifles. The cacophony of gunfire reverberated through the area, drawing more mutants to the scene.
For a moment, it appeared as if the group was on the brink of being overrun by the ex-humans, facing the grim fate of being torn to shreds. However, as it turned out, they were quite competent, standing back-to-back and firing in multiple directions, effectively covering all angles at once. The barrage of bullets unleashed by the survivors shredded the mutants to pieces long before the vile creatures could close in on them. Within moments, the fight came to a swift end. The ground was littered with the remnants of the fallen mutants they had just slain. The survivors remained vigilant, keeping their weapons trained in different directions for a few more seconds, ready to repel any additional enemies that might appear.
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The team demonstrated proficiency in handling ex-humans, even though the mutants they faced were low-level walkers and leapers. The survivors displayed remarkable organization and coordination. Jake contemplated luring them into the building and tricking them into fighting alongside him, knowing that their experience and cooperation would significantly improve his chances of completing the challenge in time. He was unsure of how to lure the survivors in or whether his plan would even succeed, but he believed it was a risk worth taking. The alternative of bypassing the remaining three floors to reach the rooftop, only to find the boss missing, seemed like a far riskier choice. His new plan was indeed a more favorable option.
No more mutants showed up, and the group of survivors down in the street finally relaxed. They lowered their guns and began to check the dead bodies for loot. With no time to lose, Jake spun around and crossed the room toward the exit. He made it back to the platform and paused for a second, thinking.
He knew for certain that once he stepped onto the platform, it would take him one level up. There was no way to manually operate the platform. It functioned automatically, only moving him up by one level and refusing to ascend further until he completed the current floor. Not being able to use the platform to go down was not a problem for him, as he had other options available to descend.
However, Jake couldn¡¯t help but ponder what would occur when he descended all the way down to the first floor. Would the platform descend with him, or would it stay in its current position? If the platform remained stationary, his plan would fail before even starting. With all the staircases destroyed, the survivors would simply have no means to ascend to the upper floors of the building.
Jake made it to a staircase. Or, more accurately, what used to be a staircase, as most of the steps were missing, making it look like an empty shaft. The door was long gone as well. Jake paused in the opening, peering down the shaft that descended all the way to the first floor. Here and there, pieces of rebar protruded from the walls, providing decent handholds. If he had been human, he would never have dared to attempt to descend the shaft. Being an agile mutant, he was confident he could accomplish it.
He still had swords extended from his wrists. Giving a mental command, he instructed them to retract. It took a couple of seconds for them to morph back into his flesh. He also transformed his claws back into normal-looking hands. Noticing he had only three fingers on his right hand, he pondered whether he would ever be able to grow the two missing fingers that the very first slasher he encountered had cut off. He hoped so. He recalled seeing Enhanced Regeneration in the Genetic Development Interface. However, at that particular moment, Jake couldn¡¯t spare any time to summon the skill store and read the skill¡¯s description.
He also glanced at the deep cut in his shoulder that the first slasher had inflicted on him. The wound had been severe, causing him to leak some of his mana. After the battle had ended, he remained inactive for a while, allowing his body to focus entirely on healing itself. By that point, the cut had nearly closed, and his mana was no longer leaking.
Jake refocused on the shaft before him, taking note of the positioning of a few nearby pieces of rebar protruding from the walls. He calculated the best way to descend in his mind and then jumped down without hesitation.
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Jake dropped a few feet before grabbing hold of a piece of rebar sticking out from the nearest wall, preventing his fall. Hanging on with one hand, he took a moment to steady himself. He then swiftly scanned his surroundings and noticed another sturdy handhold, slightly lower than his current position, protruding from the opposite wall. Positioning the soles of his feet against the wall, he carefully adjusted his body angle before pushing off against the wall, releasing his grip on the piece of rebar. He easily twisted his body in midair, rotating to face the direction of his movement. Just before impact with the opposite wall, he braced himself, hitting it with the soles of his feet and bending his knees to absorb the shock. Reacting swiftly, he reached out and grabbed hold of another piece of rebar jutting out from the wall to halt his descent down the shaft.
After that, Jake glanced over his shoulder and noticed that he was now positioned at the same level as the entrance to the sixth floor. The door was absent, and the section of the wall surrounding it had been partly destroyed, creating a large gaping hole in its place. His plan was to reach the sixth floor to determine if the magical platform would descend with him. If it did not, there would be no point in wasting time descending all the way to the first floor.
Jake adjusted his body toward the entrance, then propelled himself off the wall, soaring across the expanse of the shaft and through the entrance to the sixth floor. Upon landing, he bent his knees to soften the landing. He then broke into a run down the corridor leading toward the elevator shaft housing the magical platform. As he sprinted, he listened carefully, focusing on any sounds around him, but no more gunshots could be heard coming from the street. The group of survivors had likely already looted the mutants they¡¯d killed and continued traveling to whatever destination they had been headed to prior to being ambushed. Jake knew he had to hasten his pace if he wanted to intercept them before they slipped away.
When he made it to the elevator shaft, he saw the platform positioned at the same level as the sixth floor, indicating that it had indeed descended along with him by one level. It was great. It meant that once he reached the first floor, the platform would lower all the way down as well, providing him with the means to transport the group of survivors to the intended floor. Figuring out how he would lure them inside the building and then herd them all into the elevator shaft posed an altogether different challenge to tackle. He would also have to follow them into the elevator shaft, as he had a hunch that the enchanted platform wouldn¡¯t ascend until he joined them on it. How the survivors would react to having a monster like him in such close proximity was hard to predict. Jake had no idea how to do all that or whether it would ultimately work out. He would have to come up with a plan on the fly and simply watch how things played out.
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After returning to the empty shaft, he continued his descent. He dropped down the shaft, progressing one level at a time, gripping pieces of rebar sticking out from the walls and any other available handholds. When there were none directly below him, he pushed off from his current wall to leap to another one that offered a secure grip. The descent proceeded easily and smoothly. While he was aware that falling even from the top floor to the bottom wouldn¡¯t be fatal, he knew he would get hurt, which he aimed to avoid at all costs. To conquer the final three floors and defeat the boss, he needed to be in good condition. So he proceeded with his careful yet brisk descent, leaping from wall to wall and grasping onto handholds as he went. Even after being a morphus for some time now, Jake still marveled at his agility and swiftness. He effortlessly controlled his body, adjusting midair with ease and smoothly seizing handholds.
At last, he arrived at the base of the shaft. He got out and sprinted through a brief corridor that opened up into the main area of the first floor. Racing across the vast room, he burst out of the building. Pausing momentarily, he took a second to survey his surroundings, noticing the corpses of the mutants slain by the group of survivors just a few minutes earlier. Regarding the survivors themselves, he spotted them half a block away from the building, strolling down the street. They hadn¡¯t gotten all that far, so his worry about them getting away had been unfounded. However, the most challenging part was yet to come.
Jake slipped into a swift but almost silent pursuit of the survivors. He moved with stealthy grace, treading cautiously and silently like a seasoned predator on the hunt. While he had his eyes fixed on the survivors ahead of him, he paid attention to his surroundings, his senses finely attuned to the slightest of movements or possible signs of danger around him. Within moments, he narrowed the gap between the survivors to a mere fifteen yards. Surprisingly, they were none the wiser.
He was usually pleased with how silently he moved, but right now it worked against him. Jake needed to attract the survivors¡¯ attention, but he also knew that getting too close to them would be risky. If he were to sneak up on them suddenly from behind, the only outcome would be to spook them, causing them to potentially open fire on him before he had a chance to communicate. No, he needed to make them aware of his presence without being too overt and drastic about it.
Slowing down, Jake glanced around and spotted the rusty car frame off to his right. An idea sparked in his mind, prompting him to swerve toward the old vehicle. As he closed the distance to within a few yards, he leaped forward, propelling his body up onto the roof of the dilapidated car. The rusty metal roof, showing signs of heavy damage, sagged slightly beneath his weight but held firm, emitting a loud, creaking sound.
Jake crouched down, his palms resting on the rusty metal of the car roof, his gaze fixed on the group of survivors farther down the street. Just as he expected, they heard the creaking noise from behind them. They hesitated for a fraction of a second before quickly pivoting to face his direction.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± Jake heard one of the survivors exclaim before they all simultaneously aimed their guns at him as if on cue.
Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Jake remained completely still, acutely aware of the gun barrels aimed directly at him. His enhanced vision enabled him to see the index fingers tightly wrapped around the triggers, just a slight amount of pressure away from unleashing a barrage of shots. Despite the tense situation, he willed himself to remain still and non-threatening, crouching atop the roof of the rusted, dilapidated vehicle. He made sure not to make even the slightest of movements. He needed the survivors to keep their heads. If they got spooked and opened fire on him, calming the situation would be impossible.
The survivors were on edge. Luckily, despite being nervous, none of them fired a hasty shot at him. It was a good start. Jake remained absolutely motionless, crouching on the car roof with his palms resting on the rusty surface in front of him. He watched them through his large unblinking eyes. The fear emanating from them was almost tangible. Yet they managed to keep their cool. After surviving in this harsh world for a few days now, they had clearly learned to control their emotions.
Nothing happened for a few seconds. The only sound was the whistle of the wind, and the only movement was the swaying of tall grass pushing through the cracks in the road.
After the initial surprise faded out, the survivors stirred, whispering among themselves.
¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± one of them whispered. He slightly turned his head toward the person he spoke to but kept his eyes fixed on Jake. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a mutant before.¡±
Even though the group of survivors was some distance away from him and the man was speaking in hushed tones, Jake¡¯s heightened sense of hearing let him pick up the words without any trouble, as if the speaker were standing right next to him.
¡°I dunno, man, but that thing looks dangerous,¡± another survivor replied.
¡°It sure is. I¡¯m getting real bad vibes from it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not trying to attack us, though,¡± mentioned the sole female survivor in their group. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it attacking us? Mutants usually go after humans on sight.¡±
¡°Somebody scan it,¡± a cold voice cut in.
Jake turned his attention to the speaker, a man with a cruel face. He was taller than the others, and his head was smoothly shaved. He was noticeably better equipped than the rest for some reason. There was an aura of authority surrounding him, clearly marking him as the leader of the group. One peculiar detail stood out¡ªa bright red scarf wrapped around his neck. Was it a symbol of something or merely a practical choice for warmth?
Nobody rushed to carry out his command. Each survivor hesitated to release their grip on their weapon and reach for their PDA, almost as if anticipating a sudden attack from Jake. Even though they didn¡¯t know what he was capable of yet, primal fear of him had already taken hold.
However, the leader wasn¡¯t easily scared. And he wasn¡¯t having any of their disobedience. It really pissed him off. He turned his bald head to look at the others and bellowed angrily, ¡°Have y¡¯all gone deaf all of a sudden? Fucking scan him already or I¡¯ll bash your stupid skulls in.¡±
He was yelling at them without regard for the noise he was creating. He really had a short fuse. Jake was already sick of that guy. He wondered why the others were putting up with his behavior and allowed him to boss them around. It was just one guy, so they could easily gang up on him and beat him up to teach him a lesson on good manners.
For some reason, they were truly terrified of him. They flinched at the sound of his harsh voice. While the survivors were scared of Jake, their fear of him was nothing compared to the dread they felt toward their leader. The man standing beside the bald leader was the first to react, reaching into his pocket and extracting his PDA. He slung his automatic weapon over his shoulder and aimed the camera at Jake, gripping the device with both hands.
Jake remained still, allowing the guy to scan him. He was curious to know what information would pop up on the screen of the PDA.
¡°Are you done yet?¡± the leader barked, craning his neck to peer at the PDA held in the man¡¯s hands. ¡°What does it say?¡±
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¡°Not much, Frank,¡± the guy replied. ¡°It¡¯s called a morphus, and its level is eleven. That¡¯s all.¡±
¡°Is it elite?¡±
¡°No, just a regular mutant.¡±
The leader of the group let out a mocking chuckle. ¡°Y¡¯all nearly wet yourselves over a low-level common mutant.¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t realize it was so weak, boss,¡± another guy interjected meekly.
¡°Shut your trap, Archie. Nobody asked for your opinion.¡±
¡°It does look scary, Frank,¡± the woman remarked, not letting her gaze off Jake even for a second. ¡°And it managed to sneak up on us without a sound. I think we better not mess with it.¡±
¡°It did make a sound when it leaped onto the car,¡± Archie pointed out.
¡°Yeah,¡± the woman said. ¡°It must¡¯ve been chasing us silently. It could¡¯ve attacked us before we even had a chance to notice it, but it jumped onto the car instead, making it creak. It¡¯s almost as if it wanted us to be aware of its presence.¡±
¡°Isra, you¡¯re giving this mindless freak too much credit,¡± the leader said. ¡°It¡¯s just a dumb mutant.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, Frank. I think we should let it be. And it looks¡ very dangerous.¡±
¡°More dangerous than the other mutants we¡¯ve killed?¡±
¡°Yes. Without a doubt.¡±
¡°Geez, Isra, listen to yourself! It¡¯s just a regular level 11 mutant, dammit,¡± he said with annoyance in his tone. ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s any more dangerous than any other critters we have killed?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a female gut instinct.¡±
The leader, Frank, made a scornful noise but chose not to respond this time. Isra stood her ground, pointing out the mutant¡¯s fearful appearance.
¡°Just look at it, Frank,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t deny it looks really scary.¡±
¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Frank cut her off. ¡°Scary or not, I¡¯m gonna kill that freak.
¡°You¡¯re making a mistake, Frank,¡± Isra persisted. It seemed like she was the only one among them who had the courage to oppose their leader.
¡°Your opinion has been noted. You can quiet down now too,¡± Frank dismissed Isra. Glancing at the group, he instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot at it. I want to deal with the bastard myself.¡±
¡°Why?¡± a nervous voice piped up from the group.
¡°Because, Rick, I¡¯ve never encountered such a thing before,¡± Frank replied slowly as if explaining to a naive child. ¡°I want to see how much XP I can gain from it. I don¡¯t want the XP divided among us if we kill it together and then waste time adding our shares to calculate the total.¡±
As Frank took a step forward, pointing his weapon at him, Jake carefully lifted his hands off the rusty car roof and held them up, making sure not to make any sudden moves.
¡°What is it doing?¡± somebody exclaimed. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s trying to surrender or something! Frank, are you seeing this?¡±
¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± the leader growled, staring at Jake in confusion.
¡°I think it might be intelligent,¡± Isra said.
Frank chuckled derisively. ¡°And I think you¡¯ve gone crazy, woman.¡±
¡°I¡¯m serious! I think it wants something from us. Maybe it wants to communicate with us. We can¡¯t just kill it, Frank,¡± Isra insisted.
She shouldn¡¯t have said that. Frank wasn¡¯t one to be told what he could or couldn¡¯t do. Jake began to shake his head, but the leader of the survivors ignored the gesture.
¡°I¡¯m gonna kill the freak.¡±
Just before he opened fire, Jake sprang into action, leaping down from the car roof as rounds whizzed over him. Fortunately, the other survivors obeyed the leader¡¯s command and refrained from shooting. With only Frank taking shots, evading one barrage of fire was relatively simple for Jake. Knowing he needed them alive, he swiftly spun around and dashed off, hopeful that the survivors would chase after him.
As he moved farther away, the bullets Frank fired missed him by an increasingly wider margin. Eventually, Frank ceased firing, prompting Jake to glance back. He noticed the leader of the group breaking into a sprint toward him, while the other survivors stayed put.
After he realized they hadn¡¯t followed, Frank yelled at them, ¡°What are you standing there for, you idiots! Go after the freak!¡±
Reluctantly, they joined the chase.
Jake kept running. The situation was not unfolding exactly as he had planned. Not that he had an actual plan to begin with. His goal was to simply make them follow him and lure them into the building with the tower climb challenge. So ultimately his plan seemed to be working. Frank¡¯s volatile temperament inadvertently made his task much easier.
Jake maintained a steady pace, ensuring that the group could keep up with him. They were so slow compared to him he could easily give them the slip if he chose to. However, that was not his objective.
Upon reaching the building, Jake halted at the entrance, waiting for the group to catch up with him.
Chapter 76
Chapter 76
He didn¡¯t have to wait long. The survivors skidded to a sudden stop in the middle of the street just before the building, where Jake stood at the entrance. They were clearly surprised to see him just standing there instead of fleeing in fear. Trying to pretend to be scared, he flinched as if startled to see them still on his tail. He then spun around and bolted into the building.
However, the survivors refrained from immediately following him in. As it turned out, they were smarter than that. Jake halted in the center of the vast hall and turned to face the entrance to the building, keenly aware that they had displayed a surprising refrain, opening not to pursue him into the building. His acute hearing picked up their voices from the street.
¡°I don¡¯t like it, Frank,¡± Isra¡¯s voice, tinged with suspicion, echoed from the street. ¡°It almost feels like it¡¯s trying to lure us in.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± dismissed the leader¡¯s harsh voice with a hint of arrogance. ¡°It¡¯s just one lousy mutant. It¡¯s no threat to us. Now get inside, everyone.¡±
The sounds of approaching footsteps grew closer, and a second later, the group showed up. When they saw him standing in the middle of the hall, they froze. A tense silence hung in the air as they stood frozen, their gazes fixed on Jake. After they took note of his lack of aggression, they quickly scanned their surroundings, on high alert for any signs of a potential trap or lurking mutants he might have baited them toward. There were no immediate threats, but they did spot the torn remains of the dead mutants he had killed earlier.
¡°What the hell happened here?¡± one of them asked no one in particular.
Their expressions twisted in a mix of disgust and dread as they scanned the scene, eyeing the torn bodies of the slain mutants strewn around the area.
¡°I think that freak killed them,¡± the guy named Rick speculated, pointing a finger at the lone figure standing amid the aftermath of the carnage.
¡°But why?¡± the one named Archie asked, a perplexed look on his face. ¡°It might look different from the others, but it¡¯s still a mutant, just like the rest of ¡®em.¡±
Rick raised his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Maybe they went after it because they just didn¡¯t like the way it looked,¡± he said, offering a simple yet plausible explanation for the mutants¡¯ aggression toward their uncommon counterpart.
Frank abruptly interjected, cutting off their argument. ¡°Are you two dumb or what?¡± he growled like a wild animal. ¡°There¡¯s no way this freak could¡¯ve killed them.¡±
¡°Why not, boss?¡± Archie asked in a meek voice.
¡°Look at the bodies, you idiot,¡± Frank snapped in frustration. ¡°They¡¯re cut to shreds. Now look at the freak over there. See any weapons or claws? No. It¡¯s got human hands. There¡¯s no way it could have done this massacre with them. It¡¯s impossible.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Archie conceded.
Frank scoffed at the acknowledgment. ¡°Of course I¡¯m right. Duh,¡± he retorted. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s time to end the freak.¡±
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The group¡¯s leader raised the assault rifle he wielded, aiming it at Jake. Just before he pulled the trigger, Jake swiftly spun around and sprinted across the expansive room to the far side. Bullets whizzed past him like crazy hornets. He felt one of them punch him in the shoulder, but he remained unfazed. Confident in his regenerative abilities, he knew his body would soon mend itself, and the bullet embedded inside him would be dissolved by the mana held within his body, disintegrating it into nothingness.
Reaching one of the doorways that led further into the building, he dashed through it and into a long corridor. He covered a few more yards before easing his pace because he heard no footsteps behind him to indicate he was being followed. He came to a complete stop then, listening intently. The sounds of heated conversation reverberated from the main area.
¡°Frank, wait,¡± Isra exclaimed urgently. ¡°It¡¯s trying to lead us into a trap. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Frank retorted, his voice filled with frustration. ¡°I can handle that freak. If you don¡¯t come with me, I¡¯ll make sure you never join Los Demonios. Isn¡¯t that what y¡¯all want?¡±
His threat hung in the air for a second.
¡°Come on, Frank,¡± Isra pleaded. ¡°Let it go. That thing seems to be at least half-intelligent. There¡¯s definitely something on its mind. It¡¯s leading us further inside for a reason. It¡¯s not just running away; it¡¯s luring us in. I have a really bad feeling about this.¡±
¡°She might be right, Frank,¡± Archie said timidly. ¡°Perhaps we should just leave. Something feels off about all of this.¡±
Given the explosive temperament of the leader of the group, Jake expected Frank to lose his temper once again. To his surprise, Frank remained silent, seemingly contemplating the words of his companions. Even within Frank, there must have been growing unease, gnawing at him, signaling that things were not adding up.
Jake retraced his steps to the door behind him, causing the group to tense up at his unexpected return. As he stood in the doorway, Jake fixed his gaze directly on Frank, making sure the leader was keenly aware of his intense stare.
¡°What the hell are you looking at, you freak?¡± Frank growled, his voice rumbling with anger, his words cutting through the tension in the vast room like a knife.
Jake slowly lifted one hand and flipped him the bird. The defiant gesture fueled the leader¡¯s anger to the point where his wariness was forgotten, causing his face to flush a livid shade of red. Immediately, Jake wheeled around and vanished back into the corridor. Once he was sure he was out of sight from the main area, he halted, listening to the voices echoing from the hall.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Frank¡¯s enraged voice bellowed to his companions. ¡°Did you see that? The freak just flipped me off!¡±
¡°Frank, calm down,¡± Isra attempted to reason with him.
However, he refused to heed her words this time as his anger clouded his judgment.
¡°After him! Get the bastard!¡± Frank¡¯s command rang out.
Following Frank¡¯s order, the pounding of footfalls finally echoed from the hall, signaling the group resumed their pursuit of Jake.
The leader¡¯s quick reaction to even a minor provocation definitely played into Jake¡¯s plan.
¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Archie muttered so quietly that probably nobody except Jake was able to hear him. ¡°Can¡¯t believe we¡¯re still doing this.¡±
Jake sprinted down the long corridor until he arrived at the entrance to the elevator shaft. The platform with glowing symbols etched at the corners remained in place at the same level, patiently waiting for him to step aboard and transport him up to the eighth floor of the tower climb challenge, where he hadn¡¯t been yet. However, Jake took a few steps farther down the corridor, then turned around and lowered himself into a crouching position, placing his palms on the floor before him.
He could hear the pounding sounds of approaching footsteps drawing closer to the entrance of the corridor. The survivors would show up any second now. All he needed to do now was lure them into the elevator shaft and onto the enchanted platform. It was likely going to be the most challenging part of his plan. Luckily, he had an idea in mind, so he waited patiently for the survivors to arrive.
Chapter 77
Chapter 77
A moment later, they stormed into the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the walls. Coming to an abrupt halt, the survivors froze upon spotting Jake crouched down further ahead. Frank and Isra led the group, the other two trailing behind. Archie and Rick collided with Frank and Isra as the leading duo unexpectedly halted. Maneuvering around them, Archie positioned himself beside Frank on the left while Rick took his place beside Isra on the right. The four of them locked eyes with Jake, who remained crouched farther down the corridor. He stared back at them through his large unblinking eyes.
¡°What do we do now, boss?¡± Archie asked nervously.
Before the leader of the group could say something, Jake slowly lifted his hands in the air.
¡°What is it doing?¡± Rick asked. ¡°Trying to surrender?¡±
¡°I doubt it,¡± Isra replied, her tone wary.
Jake mimicked writing as if his left hand were a piece of paper and his right hand held a pen. He pantomimed writing and then pretended to read before exhibiting his left hand to the survivors. They peered at his actions with puzzled expressions. While he thought he was being clear, they seemed to struggle to immediately grasp his message. A wave of confusion passed through them as they exchanged uncertain glances.
¡°What the hell is the freak doing?¡± Frank grumbled.
¡°It seems like it¡¯s imitating writing,¡± Archie guessed.
¡°But why?¡± Rick said, his brow furrowed in thought.
¡°Guys, I think it wants to say something to us,¡± Isra said. ¡°Since it doesn¡¯t have a mouth, it wants to write something for us.¡±
The very idea seemed to anger the leader of the group. He spun toward Isra, glaring at the woman.
¡°It¡¯s impossible, dammit,¡± he returned sharply. ¡°That thing can¡¯t be that intelligent.¡±
Isra seemed to be unfazed by his outburst.
¡°How do you know? Let¡¯s give it something to write with and see if we can communicate with it.¡±
¡°Give it something to write with?¡± Frank scoffed. ¡°Like what?¡±
¡°Maybe a marker or something?¡± Archie offered.
Frank turned abruptly to face Archie, his expression fierce.
¡°When was the last time you found a marker in this goddamn world?¡± the leader snapped. ¡°Or any other writing tools, for that matter?¡±
Archie fell silent, either conceding to Frank¡¯s point or wary of provoking his boss further.
¡°We could give it a PDA,¡± Isra suggested, who was the only one who remained unperturbed by Frank¡¯s temper.
¡°But a PDA doesn¡¯t have a text editor,¡± Rick mentioned, standing by Isra. ¡°We can¡¯t even manually write entries in our diaries. They appear automatically.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Frank said, pleased to find support from at least one of his people. ¡°He¡¯s right. Listen to the guy. For once, he came up with something smart to say.¡±
Isra countered, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t write at all on our devices. We can mark a location and give it a name. So a PDA does let us type something in.¡±
¡°The names given to markers are restricted to just a few words, though,¡± Rick pointed out.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It could be enough to test the creature¡¯s intelligence. And if it possesses writing abilities, it could group markers together and input a few words into each, forming a complete sentence.¡±
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She turned and looked at Jake, who was still crouching down farther down the corridor and observing them with his unblinking eyes. He met her gaze and nodded in acknowledgment.
¡°Frag me,¡± Archie muttered. ¡°It listens and understands everything we say. It understands every freaking word we say!¡±
¡°You can¡¯t know that for sure, you dumbass,¡± Frank grumbled.
Archie and Rick seemed to be genuinely excited. They wanted to know if Jake was truly intelligent and what it was that he wanted to tell them. Frank¡¯s mood darkened further as he noted his three companions watching him intently, hoping he would go along with their idea. The leader of the group hesitated. It seemed that while he opposed the idea of Jake being intelligent, he desired to uncover the truth, mirroring his companions¡¯ curiosity.
Finally, he conceded.
¡°Alright,¡± he said before shifting his gaze to Isra. ¡°Go ahead and hand over your PDA to the freak.¡±
The woman raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why me?¡±
A shit-eating grin spread across Frank¡¯s face. ¡°Why not you? After all, it was your idea to give it a PDA, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
At first, it appeared that Isra might decline. However, her expression shifted to one of determination. With her PDA in one hand and what resembled a submachine gun in the other, she began to walk down the corridor toward Jake.
He didn¡¯t move a muscle, watching the woman slowly walk toward him. He remained perfectly still, doing his best to look non-threatening. Behind the woman, he saw her companions positioning themselves to protect her, ensuring she was not in their line of fire as they aimed their weapons at him. They were prepared to open fire on him if he attacked her. However, he was going to do nothing of the sort.
Isra kept moving slowly down the corridor, getting closer to Jake with each step she took and approaching the elevator entrance along the way. Though her attention remained on him, he silently hoped that she would catch sight of the magically-enhanced platform within the elevator shaft and be intrigued enough to check it out.
Contrary to his hopes, Isra¡¯s progress slowed as she neared him, eventually coming to a stop just a few steps before reaching the entrance to the elevator shaft. She was clearly afraid to get any closer to him.
For a moment, she hesitated, her gaze fixed on him as she pondered her next move. Finally, she spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll place it here, step back, and you¡¯ll have to come and get it. Alright?¡±
Jake was unsatisfied with the current turn of events. He didn¡¯t want Isra to retreat. Instead, he needed her to approach closer so she could discover the magical platform. Just as she made a move to bend down, he vigorously shook his head, catching her attention once more as she glanced back at him.
¡°No?¡± she asked, a look of confusion crossing her face. ¡°What is it that you want, then?¡±
He extended his hand toward her, implying that she should come closer and place her PDA in his hand. Despite his efforts to appear non-threatening, Isra hesitated, unwilling to approach him due to her lingering fear. She took an unconscious step backward, and Jake noticed three other survivors behind her tensing up, unsure of what was happening or what to expect from him. Jake hoped he hadn¡¯t complicated things further.
Before he could come up with an idea to put Isra at ease, Frank yelled to her, ¡°Is everything alright?¡±
¡°Think so,¡± Isra replied.
¡°Then why won¡¯t you give the freak the device?¡± Frank demanded.
¡°I don¡¯t want to get any closer.¡±
¡°Maybe you could toss it over?¡± Rick suggested.
Isra took a moment to think, then shifted her gaze to Jake, locking eyes with him as she posed the question, ¡°If I toss my PDA to you, will you catch it?¡±
Seeing that she was unwilling to get any closer, Jake responded with a nod, raising both hands in readiness to receive the device.
¡°If he breaks your PDA, you¡¯re gonna have to look for another one,¡± Frank grumbled from a few yards behind her. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a pain.¡±
¡°Try not to break it, alright?¡± Isra said, her focus still on Jake, who nodded in agreement.
¡°PDAs are nearly unbreakable, though,¡± Archie said meekly to no one in particular.
Just as Isra was about to toss the device to him, she paused as a realization dawned on her.
¡°Wait a sec,¡± she said. ¡°I probably need to unlock it for you first.¡±
She pressed her thumb against the screen of the device, then tapped a few more times to complete the necessary actions.
¡°Alright. Catch.¡±
She tossed the PDA underhand toward Jake. With impressive agility, he reached out and snatched the device out of the air with one hand, leaving Isra and her companions gasping in surprise. He glanced at them briefly before shifting his focus down to the device now securely held in his hand.
Isra had already opened the map app for him and had even placed a pin on a random location. Attached to the marker was an empty label with a blinking text cursor inside, poised for him to begin inputting information. The lower side of the screen displayed a virtual keyboard, ready for his use.
Jake took a second to think of the message he wanted to write. He then poised his thumbs over the keyboard to start typing the text into the label while the group of survivors waited.
Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Words formed in his mind, but as Jake was about to type them in, he realized something. He didn¡¯t know how to write. His fingers hovered over the virtual keyboard displayed on the screen of Isra¡¯s PDA, but he couldn¡¯t start. It felt strange, and he wasn¡¯t even sure what was wrong. He had no trouble placing a few more pins with empty labels on the map, but when he was ready to fill the first one with words, he found himself unable to do so. The words he intended to write formed in his mind, but as he attempted to type them on the screen of Isra¡¯s PDA, his mind seemed to resist. His thoughts became so muddled and mixed up that he couldn¡¯t even remember what he wanted to write at all. When he simply mulled his thoughts over in his head, they were clear, but as soon as he tried to type them out, his mind immediately began to play tricks on him. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of struggling to find the right words; it was much more severe. His mind seemed to shut down, making him forget the meanings of words and even the letters themselves. As soon as he shifted his focus away from writing, his thoughts returned to clarity. It was an experience unlike any he had ever encountered before.
So much for Enhanced Intelligence, he thought with frustration.
While Jake wasn¡¯t certain about what was happening in his mind, he was fairly certain that it had something to do with his being a morphus. While his mutant mind excelled in sharp thinking, observation, memorization, and strategic planning for various tasks, including combat tactics, it seemed to create difficulties for him when it came to writing. Perhaps this struggle was a trade-off for all the advantages that came with the Enhanced Intelligence skill.
¡°Can you write?¡± he heard Irsra¡¯s voice.
He looked up from the PDA in his hands to meet Isra¡¯s gaze, her expression clearly reflecting confusion. It seemed like she was starting to doubt his writing abilities. Her companions, positioned a few yards behind her, were also observing him with a mix of confusion and skepticism on their faces. For some reason, this stirred a feeling of anger within him. He knew he could write; after all, he had no difficulty crafting coherent sentences in his mind. His Enhanced Intelligence had granted him a mental capacity far beyond that of an average human.
He nodded vigorously at Isra and then lowered his head once more, focusing on the screen of the PDA.
Forcing his mind into overdrive, he concentrated with all his might, struggling to remember the letters of the English alphabet and how to string them together to form words. After what felt like an eternity, he completed the task. He had achieved a seemingly monumental feat. It had taken nearly two full minutes of intense focus and mental exertion, but he finally succeeded in forming three letters to create a single, straightforward word: YES.
Feeling mentally drained after the task, he experienced a level of exhaustion he had never known as a mutant. Sensing that he had expended a significant amount of Mana Points, he gave a mental command to check his mana count. To his astonishment, he discovered that almost half of his mana had been depleted through his intense concentration on writing a single simple word. The realization left him stunned, causing him to stare at the PDA screen in disbelief for a few moments. The realization that the substantial amount of mana that could have lasted him a couple of days yet was depleted in a mere two minutes due to the immense concentration required to write just one word, hit him hard. It was now obvious that he could indeed write, but at a significant cost in terms of time, effort, and mana points. This realization weighed heavily on him, serving as a crushing reminder of the challenges he faced despite his enhanced abilities.
¡°Did you just write something?¡± Isra asked, her attentive gaze indicating that she had been watching him closely all this time.
Jake turned the PDA toward Isra and displayed the screen to her. She took a few steps closer, squinting at the screen as she tried to make out the word. Once she managed to read it, she shifted her gaze to Jake¡¯s eyes, an incredulous expression crossing her face.
¡°Yes? That¡¯s all you wrote?¡± Isra asked, attempting to conceal her frustration in her tone but failing to do so convincingly. For some reason, her disappointment in him stung a little, even though he couldn¡¯t quite comprehend why.
¡°What did it write?¡± the leader of the group asked from behind her.
¡°Just one word,¡± she replied, looking over her shoulder at Frank. ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what it wrote?¡± Archie said. ¡°Yes? Just this short word, huh?¡±
Jake heard Frank chuckle.
¡°Now I feel bad for entertaining the idea that this freak could actually be intelligent,¡± he commented.
The three men made their way down the corridor to join Isra.
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¡°He did write a word,¡± Isra pointed out, casting a quick glance at the leader beside her.
¡°It took him like 5 minutes to write a single word,¡± Frank remarked.
¡°Just two minutes, or even less,¡± Isra corrected, though her tone unconsciously reflected her agreement with the leader¡¯s point.
¡°Even for a single word, it shouldn¡¯t have taken that long,¡± Frank commented. ¡°Maybe the freak doesn¡¯t even understand the meaning. Could have just memorized it from somewhere.¡±
¡°But it can understand our speech,¡± Isra said.
¡°Or so it seems,¡± Frank said. ¡°The freak can¡¯t write, though.¡±
¡°Why did it ask for a PDA to begin with then?¡± Archie asked without directing the question to anyone in particular. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Frank interjected, cutting off any potential argument before turning to Isra. ¡°We¡¯re done here. Have him return your PDA.¡±
Isra shifted her focus to Jake. ¡°Can I have my device back?¡±
He could see the disappointment in her eyes. She had believed him to be sentient, but now her belief seemed to have shifted. Strangely, it affected him. As a mutant, he seldom experienced emotions, but witnessing her dismay made him feel a sense of sadness for the first time. He wanted to prove to her that he was sentient. So he shook his head and withheld the device.
¡°It¡¯s not returning your PDA,¡± Rick stated the obvious.
¡°The fuck?¡± Frank growled. ¡°Don¡¯t play games with us, you freak. You hear me?¡±
Jake looked directly at Isra and raised his palm, signaling for her to wait a bit longer, hoping she would comprehend. And she did. He could see it in her eyes. It was remarkable. His Enhanced Intelligence allowed him to read people effortlessly, yet his mutant mind posed great challenges for him in writing.
Jake lowered his head and refocused on Isra¡¯s PDA he held in his hands.
¡°It¡¯s toying with us,¡± Frank growled as he noticed Jake¡¯s refusal to return the PDA.
¡°Let¡¯s give it a few more minutes, Frank,¡± Isra suggested.
They kept arguing, but Jake no longer paid attention to their conversation, fully concentrating on the PDA screen. He now knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to write what he had initially planned. Still, he wanted to let Isra know that he was intelligent and that she had been right about him. It felt important to him, though he couldn¡¯t explain why. He just felt the need to do it.
It reminded him of a short story from his childhood. It was about an intelligent beast that couldn¡¯t communicate effectively. The lead scientist and her assistant kept the beast in a cage. She provided the beast with lettered cubes, asking him to use them to spell out his name. The beast overheard the lead scientist telling her assistant that if the beast was intelligent, it would be able to spell its name. The assistant was very skeptical, doubting the beast¡¯s abilities. The beast wanted to prove to the lead scientist that he was intelligent. He tried playing with the cubes but struggled to form his name. Despite understanding human speech, the beast couldn¡¯t speak or write for some unknown reason. He yearned to show the lead scientist his intelligence, but no matter how long he played with the cubes, he just couldn¡¯t spell out his name.
It was a sad little story. Jake had read it so long ago that he couldn¡¯t even remember the title or the author¡¯s name anymore. Yet it lingered in the recesses of his mind, resurfacing at that moment. He felt akin to the beast in that story. He yearned to write his name and present it to Isra. He believed she would recognize it as his name and see his intelligence, just as she had originally believed.
It was at that moment that he noticed a tab at the bottom edge of the screen that he had never seen on his own PDA before. It was labeled AskMeAnything. He instantly recalled his efforts to save up enough money to purchase the upgrade for his PDA to unlock this exact app. He was only a few credits shy of the required 100,000 credits for the upgrade when he was drawn into the Black Void to undergo his transformation into a morphus.
He tapped on the AskMeAnything app, and a search bar appeared on the screen. An idea struck him, and for the next several minutes, he was engrossed in typing his name. Fortunately, he only had to input the first three letters of his name. When he successfully typed J, A, and K, the auto-fill function activated, displaying a full list of survivors whose names began with those letters. Surprisingly, there was only one person listed as Jake Turner. It appeared that out of all the people who shared his name, he was the only one who had managed to win the game of chance and enter the Gameverse.
As he tapped on his name, a brief overview of his stats appeared on the screen.
Name: Jake Turner
Level: 15
Status: Dead
Jake gazed at the perplexing information on the screen. The System declared him dead. How could this be? The Black Void didn¡¯t end his life but instead altered him into a mutant. Yet according to the System, he was now classified as deceased. What could this mean?
Before Jake could give the matter any more thought, he heard Frank exclaim, ¡°What the hell is that? Have y¡¯all ever seen anything like that before?¡±
Jake looked up from the screen. While he had been using the PDA, the other survivors seemed to have lost interest in him and had begun exploring the corridor they were in. They had stumbled upon the elevator shaft with the magical platform inside. Frank and Rick had stepped inside, while Archie stood at the entrance, peering in. Isra had been standing not far from Jake, but upon hearing the leader¡¯s cry, she couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity and had stepped to stand beside Archie, looking into the elevator shaft. The two of them paid him little attention at the moment.
Jake realized it was his chance. His goal was to get them into the elevator shaft by any means necessary. He knew Isra could still see him in her peripheral vision, but if he acted quickly, he could reach the elevator entrance, push Isra and Archie inside before they could react, and then quickly enter himself. With him inside, the platform would transport them all to the next unfinished level of the tower.
With that in mind, Jake rose to his feet.
Chapter 79
Chapter 79
Jake dashed toward the elevator entrance, taking wide steps and hardly making any noise. When he stood up and quickly darted forward, Isra caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye. She cried out a warning to her companions as she started turning toward the fast-approaching threat. However, Jake moved so fast he reached her way before she could even complete her turn. He rammed into the woman, making her stumble into the elevator shaft. If it weren¡¯t for Frank catching her when she bumped into him, she would have lost her balance completely and collapsed. With his left hand, Jake shoved Archie with great force, causing the man to stumble into the elevator shaft too.
Jake then stood at the entrance to the elevator shaft, his figure effectively blocking their only escape route. He finally had them right where he wanted them. All four survivors were now inside, standing on the magically enhanced platform, but as he had predicted, it stayed still. The symbols carved into the platform¡¯s corners glowed softly, showing that the platform was still imbued with magical power. Jake knew that it would only respond to him since he was the one undertaking the tower-climb challenge.
Jake actually preferred the platform to ascend without him because he was unsure how the survivors would react to having him so close to them in the confined space of the elevator shaft. They might freak out when he joined them on the platform. Unlike the four survivors, he could effortlessly ascend to higher floors, relying on his incredible agility and acrobatic skills. However, the platform stayed motionless, waiting for him to step onto it.
He stood still at the entrance to the elevator shaft, not in a hurry to step inside. Isra had already disentangled herself from Frank¡¯s embrace, and now all four of them stood rooted to the spot, with their eyes fixed on him. The tension in the elevator shaft was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Nobody spoke. Even Frank was quiet, gazing at him with uncertainty. Jake was confident that entering the elevator shaft would trigger a chaotic reaction from the survivors, possibly leading them to grab their weapons and shoot at him. He needed to find a way to put them at ease.
Slowly, he raised his right hand, still clutching Isra¡¯s PDA. When her gaze shifted to the device, he extended it toward her. But she remained motionless, like a statue. For a few seconds, nothing changed.
¡°I think it wants you to take it,¡± Rick pointed out the obvious.
Isra remained frozen in place. Jake kept his hand outstretched, holding the device toward her.
¡°Take your PDA back, dammit,¡± Frank urged in a hoarse voice. ¡°Maybe then the freak will leave us alone.¡±
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Reluctantly, Isra took a few hesitant steps toward Jake, stopping just within arm¡¯s reach. She extended her left hand toward her PDA, making sure to avoid touching his black, textured skin as she grasped the edge of the device. As soon as she had a hold of it, Jake let go, and Isra quickly pulled her hand back, clutching her PDA, and hurried back to the far side of the elevator shaft.
She kept her gaze fixed on him, refusing to glance at the screen of the device. Jake, moving slowly and deliberately, pointed at her, then at his eyes, and then at the device she held. After a brief pause, Isra lifted the PDA to her eyes and read the text displayed on the screen with a perplexed expression. Gradually, her face changed as realization struck her.
¡°Did the freak write something else?¡± Frank asked.
By way of replying, Isra showed the screen of her PDA to her companions, starting with Frank to her left, and then Archie and Rick on her right. The leader of the group furrowed his brow as he read the information on the screen.
¡°Jake Turner?¡± he grumbled. ¡°What the hell is going on? What does this even mean?¡±
¡°He used the AskMeAnything app to search for this name,¡± Isra explained, having comprehended the situation.
¡°He?¡± Frank interjected sharply. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®it¡¯, not ¡®he¡¯.¡±
¡°No,¡± Isra shook her head. ¡°I think this creature¡ this person was a survivor once, just like us.¡±
¡°What?¡± Frank blurted out, staring at her in utter disbelief. ¡°What the fuck are you even talking about?¡±
¡°I think¡ I think something happened to him, and he got turned into a mutant,¡± Isra said before turning her head to look at Jake for confirmation.
Jake nodded once. Isra¡¯s companions just stared at him for a second or two in silence, their faces reflecting their puzzlement.
Then Archie spoke up in a hesitant voice, ¡°So your name¡¯s Jake? Jake Turner? And you were once a human being, huh?¡±
Jake nodded again, a sense of relief washing over him. He had successfully communicated to Isra that he was not the mindless monster her companions had initially thought him to be. Although that wasn¡¯t the primary purpose of bringing them to this place, now that they understood he was sentient, interacting with them should be smoother. They would recognize him as a living being capable of rational thought, just like themselves.
Now was the time to finally proceed with executing the main part of his plan.
Jake slowly raised his hands to show the four survivors that he meant no harm to them. They had seemed to relax slightly over the past few minutes, but as he lifted his hands in the air, they tensed up once more, unsure of what was happening and what was on his mind. Being cautious not to make any sudden movements, he stepped into the elevator shaft. Once he stood fully on the platform, the four sigils etched into the corners lit up as the magic the platform was infused with kicked in.
Without any sound, the platform began to ascend, causing the four survivors to tense up at this unexpected, at least for them, turn of events.
¡°What the fuck is happening,¡± the leader of the group growled, glancing at his companions briefly before fixing his glare on Jake. ¡°Are you fucking with us, you freak?¡±
And he went for his gun.
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Jake remained rooted to the spot, his hands still raised in the air. When he saw Frank bring up the assault rifle he was armed with, he instantly transformed his hands into claws. Due to one of the upgrades he had acquired for this ability, the transformation took less than a second. One moment he had human-looking hands, the next they were long, intimidating talons. This abrupt change caused the survivors to freeze in shock.
Jake maintained his composure as the platform continued to ascend. He had no intention of attacking the four of them unless absolutely necessary. He hadn¡¯t gone through all the trouble of bringing them to this point just to slay them. However, he was ready to take down Frank if the man gave him a reason to do so. Jake knew that within the tight confines of the elevator shaft, he could easily reach Frank in a split second, long before the man could aim and fire his gun. Even if by some miracle, Frank managed to shoot, the bullets would hardly harm Jake. He was well aware that it would take much more than a few bullet wounds to bring him down. Frank¡¯s shots wouldn¡¯t even be able to slow him down.
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air as nobody moved or spoke. Then Archie whispered, ¡°What the hell? Those claws look nasty.¡±
His hushed voice seemed to snap the others out of their trance. They shifted uneasily, and then Frank snarled, ¡°Fucking monster.¡±
Muttering these words, he continued to bring his weapon up, and Jake prepared to launch himself toward Frank. However, he immediately halted in his tracks when he saw Isra, standing by the leader¡¯s side, swiftly grab hold of his assault rifle, guiding the gun barrel downward toward the floor.
¡°No,¡± she shouted at the leader of the group. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot him!¡±
Frank was taken aback by Isra¡¯s unexpected reaction, causing him to momentarily forget about Jake. He turned his head to look at her, a mix of disbelief and anger evident on his face.
¡°What are you doing, you idiot?¡± he snapped at her. ¡°Let go!¡±
¡°He¡¯s not attacking us,¡± Isra said. ¡°If you fire at him, you¡¯ll only make things worse.¡±
For a moment, Frank hesitated, his gaze shifting between Isra and Jake, who stood utterly still, observing him with his large, unblinking eyes. When Frank acknowledged that Jake appeared non-threatening, his expression softened ever so slightly, taking the edge off.
¡°I don¡¯t trust him at all,¡± he said, still tightly gripping his assault rifle but at least not making further attempts to aim it at Jake.
¡°If he intended to attack us, he had many chances to do so,¡± Isra pointed out. ¡°But he hasn¡¯t made any aggressive moves toward us, has he?¡±
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Jake lowered his hands but otherwise remained motionless. His hands hung at his sides, still transformed into long, curved talons. He noticed that the two fingers he had lost during the fight with the very first slasher had already grown back. He had no idea when exactly it happened. He had been so preoccupied with dealing with the survivors he hadn¡¯t even become aware of that fact until now.
¡°Look at those,¡± Rick said, his voice tinged with awe, gazing at Jake¡¯s claws. ¡°They look nasty. And he turned his hands into claws so freaking quickly!¡±
¡°Well, I guess we now know who killed all those mutants on the first floor,¡± Archie added.
Frank nodded his head. ¡°That freak is dangerous. We need to keep a close eye on him all the time.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t call him a freak,¡± Isra said firmly. ¡°His name is Jake. Despite his appearance, he¡¯s still human on the inside. He can understand everything you say.¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t care less! Who knows what¡¯s going on in that messed-up head of his? Just because he hasn¡¯t attacked us doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s our ally.¡±
¡°He was a survivor, just like us,¡± Rick pointed out meekly.
¡°I still can¡¯t believe he was human once,¡± Archie mused. ¡°How did he become a mutant? What happened? How is this even possible?¡±
¡°I¡¯m more interested in why the System says he¡¯s dead,¡± Rick mentioned, pointing at the PDA held in Isra¡¯s hand.
¡°Yeah,¡± Archie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too. The System says he¡¯s dead, but he clearly is not.¡±
¡°I think when he transformed into a mutant, the System simply stopped recognizing him as a survivor,¡± Isra speculated. ¡°The System probably classifies him simply as a mutant now.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t just label him as a regular mutant,¡± Rick said quietly, casting a fearful glance at Jake¡¯s menacing talons. ¡°He turned his hands into those claws so freaking fast. I bet he can use them efficiently. And who knows what else he¡¯s capable of? I¡¯ve never encountered a mutant like him before.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying all along, you morons,¡± Frank grumbled. ¡°We know nothing about him, so we can¡¯t trust him. And who knows where he¡¯s leading us now?¡±
¡°Why do you think he¡¯s taking us somewhere?¡± Rick asked.
¡°Use your brain, you fool,¡± Frank snapped at him. ¡°The platform didn¡¯t move when we stepped on it. It only started ascending when he stepped on it. He must be controlling it somehow.¡±
¡°You might be onto something,¡± Archie said quietly.
All four of them shifted their gazes toward Jake as if anticipating him to provide an answer. With no mouth and struggling to write, he lacked the means to convey his intentions. Even if he could communicate with them, disclosing his goal might not be wise. He doubted they would be pleased if they discovered he was manipulating them for his own gain. They would receive no rewards at all for helping him complete the tower climbing challenge.
Before any of them could speak further, the platform finally arrived at the eighth floor. The survivors exchanged puzzled looks, uncertain of what lay ahead. Ignoring their unsettled chatter, Jake pivoted and exited the elevator shaft into a broad empty corridor extending in both directions. In his expanded field of vision, he saw two survivors position themselves on his left and the other two on his right. When they briefly scanned their surroundings and found nothing of interest, they glanced at one another in puzzlement.
¡°Why did he bring us here?¡± one of them asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡±
It was then that a message emerged in his mind.
Wave 1 has started!
Targets killed: 0 out of 75
Immediately afterward, magical portals began to tear open all around them.
Chapter 81
Chapter 81
¡°What the hell is going on?¡± the leader of the group growled at Jake. ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t trust you! You¡¯ve led us into a trap.¡±
Jake ignored him, preparing to fight mutants who were materializing all over him and the survivors. Frank quickly looked away from Jake as he caught sight of another vertical tear appearing in a sudden burst of eerie light on the wall in front of him. As the opening widened, clawed hands emerged, followed by the visage of an ex-human leaper with a menacing grin of jagged teeth. As the magical tear expanded even more, the mutant fully emerged from it, coiling up like a spring and launching itself toward Frank.
Jake immediately realized the leader of the group wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of harm¡¯s way in time, so he lurched down the corridor to intercept the mutant. He rammed into it with great force, tackling it to the ground and slashing at it with his claws, tearing open its throat. Dark blood freely poured from the nasty wound. The mutant was done for, so Jake stood up, leaving the ex-human to thrash about in its death throes on the floor.
Frank watched Jake with a mix of surprise and gratitude on his face. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, it was obvious what he was thinking. The group leader knew that without Jake¡¯s quick interception of the mutant, he would have been seriously hurt or even killed by now. Jake didn¡¯t care about what Frank thought, though. He had only saved him because he knew the more survivors remained alive, the better his chances of successfully completing the tower climb challenge on time.
In his expanded field of vision, Jake noticed numerous rifts opening up on the walls with mutants emerging from them. More portals cracked open on the floor and even the ceiling. While the group of survivors had been bewildered at first, they got their shit together and quickly regrouped, showing their experience in handling such situations. Watching the group come together, covering all angles and taking out one mutant after another, Jake mentally praised himself for leading them into the building. Seeing how skilled they were in handling mutants on the street, he had realized they were experienced and could stay calm in tough situations. Even though they didn¡¯t know what was happening in the building, their instincts kicked in, allowing them to quickly get themselves together. They fired in multiple directions, efficiently taking out mutants in droves.
After the first wave ended and a brief break began, Jake led them deeper into the eighth floor. Initially hesitant, the survivors seemed to collectively decide he was on their side and followed his lead. Upon discovering a large empty room, Jake decided it was their best option to make a stand. The survivors approved of his decision and positioned themselves at the room¡¯s center just as another wave commenced, with magical rift gates appearing all around them on the walls, floor, and ceiling.
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As the mutants emerged from the portals, they dashed toward the survivors gathered at the center of the vast room. Most of them were low-level walkers and leapers, posing no real threat to the experienced survivors. When a powerful shambler or whipper appeared, they concentrated all their fire on it, defeating the threat within seconds. When they were too busy dealing with weaker groups of mutants, Jake took it upon himself to deal with a formidable ex-human like a shambler or whipper, taking care of the threat even faster than his allies could.
At some point, even more dangerous mutants started to appear¡ªslashers. The survivors¡¯ faces showed their anxiety, indicating they had never faced such opponents before and didn¡¯t know what to anticipate. The first slasher burst through a magical gateway in the ceiling. As soon as its form began to project from the opening, Jake recognized it as a slasher and immediately extended swords from his wrists. The survivors exchanged apprehensive looks when they saw him do so. As soon as the slasher plummeted to the ground with a heavy thud, Jake charged toward it, delivering a series of powerful strikes at the dangerous mutant. In the middle of the action, he noticed the survivors watching him with amazement. They had never imagined he could move so quickly and unleash such devastating attacks. They were increasingly convinced that he was far more dangerous than any other mutant.
As soon as he dispatched the first slasher, Jake heard a piercing shriek from another one. He quickly turned to see that it had just appeared from a portal. The formidable mutant immediately headed straight for the group of survivors at the center of the room. Without hesitation, Jake sprinted toward the new threat and managed to intercept the mutant before it could reach the survivors.
Jake and the four people continued to fight off wave after wave of mutants, with the group tackling the weaker types while Jake took on the more formidable enemies like slashers and occasionally shamblers and whippers.
After the floor was finally finished, Jake checked the status of the challenge.
Tower Climb Progression
Floors: 8/10
Remaining Time: 1 hour, 11 minutes, 14 seconds
It had taken him about twenty to twenty-five minutes to guide the group to this point, but it was definitely worth it. They had cleared the eighth floor much more quickly than he could have on his own. He now felt optimistic about the rest of the challenge. If they could clear the remaining two floors and defeat the boss on the roof just as smoothly, he would be able to complete the challenge on time.
Unfortunately, what he didn¡¯t take into account was what the survivors would think about it all. Frank, in particular, wasn¡¯t happy about what was going on. He wasn¡¯t pleased about the situation at all. After he was certain no more mutants were going to materialize, he spun around, glaring at Jake and pointing his assault rifle at him.
¡°I need an explanation right fucking now,¡± he growled. ¡°Tell me what the hell is going on here, or I swear I¡¯ll splatter your brains all over this room!¡±
Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Jake had no idea how Frank expected him to explain the situation. However, he was growing tired of Frank¡¯s attitude and constant threats. It was time to teach him a lesson.
The group leader may have believed he was moving quickly, but to Jake, it seemed like slow motion. He lunged forward as Frank raised his assault rifle, seizing the weapon before the man could take aim at him. With a firm tug, Jake wrested the firearm from Frank¡¯s grasp, almost breaking his index finger that had gotten caught in the trigger guard, causing the leader to cry out in pain.
Jake rammed into the man, forcefully tackling him to the ground and pressing his fingers tightly around Frank¡¯s throat, restricting his airflow. Fear filled his widened eyes as the realization that he couldn¡¯t breathe sank in. Jake had no intention of taking his life; he only aimed to assert his dominance. However, Frank, unaware of Jake¡¯s intentions and thinking he was being killed, panicked and tried to break free. Despite his efforts, his human body proved no match for Jake¡¯s mutant strength.
In his expanded field of vision, he noticed the other three survivors snapping out of their trances from when he had attacked Frank. Seeing them swing their weapons to point at him, Jake immediately released the group leader. Leaping to his feet, he rushed toward the nearest person, which turned out to be Isra. Yanking the weapon from the woman¡¯s grasp, he tossed it aside almost all the way to the other side of the room. Before Isra could react, he took the handgun from her holster and flung it away too. Giving her a shove in the chest, he caused her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
Wheeling around, he charged at the next closest opponent, Archie. Despite Archie¡¯s attempt to aim at him, Jake¡¯s agility made it impossible for him to track his movements. Wanting to incapacitate the survivors temporarily so they could reflect on the situation, Jake refrained from causing serious harm. He had morphed his claws back into normal hands to avoid inflicting any significant injuries on them.
After wrenching the weapon from Archie¡¯s grasp and hurling it away, Jake delivered a powerful punch to Archie¡¯s solar plexus. The impact was so forceful that Archie doubled over, his eyes bulging and his mouth gaping as he struggled to catch his breath, gasping futilely. Shoving the man to the ground, Jake swiftly rushed toward the last person remaining standing on his feet¡ªRick. He had managed to draw a bead on him, but before he could fire, Jake was already upon him. In a matter of seconds, he disarmed Rick and delivered a powerful blow to his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing to the ground as well.
All four survivors now lay on the floor, struggling to catch their breath, gasping and wheezing. It had taken Jake just a few seconds to neutralize all of them. To them, it must have felt like it all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving them with no opportunity to defend themselves. Isra, being the least injured among them, did not need time to recuperate. However, she remained motionless, seated on the floor, her gaze fixed on Jake. She knew all too well that any attempt to reach for one of the scattered weapons in the expansive room would be futile, as Jake could intercept her long before she could even grab a gun. Recognizing Jake¡¯s lightning-fast speed and agility, Isra understood that she was powerless to take any action against him.
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After giving a final glance to the still-recovering survivors, Jake pivoted and raced across the room toward the exit. Navigating through the corridors, he made his way to the entrance of the elevator shaft. Once he reached it, he came to a halt. The platform remained on the eighth floor, patiently waiting for him to step on it to transport him up to the next level. However, he refused to enter the elevator shaft. Instead, he turned back in the direction he had come from, anticipating the arrival of the survivors. He knew they would come.
It wasn¡¯t long before the four of them emerged at the far end of the corridor, whispering among themselves as they made their way toward him. They were undoubtedly discussing the recent events, just as he had expected. The four survivors came to a stop at a distance from him, conversing among themselves while occasionally sneaking glances in his direction. Despite the distance and their hushed voices, Jake¡¯s heightened hearing enabled him to catch their words as clearly as if they were beside him.
¡°Let¡¯s just ask him,¡± Isra whispered to her three male companions.
¡°How will he respond?¡± Frank grumbled. ¡°He has no mouth, and it takes him ages to write a simple yes or no.¡±
¡°Hey, weren¡¯t you the one demanding a full explanation before he attacked you?¡± Archie attempted to inject some humor into the tense situation.
¡°Shut your mouth before I shut it for you,¡± Frank barked at Archie.
¡°He doesn¡¯t have to speak or write,¡± Isra interjected. ¡°I can ask him yes or no questions, and he can simply nod or shake his head in response.¡±
¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Frank said to Isra. ¡°You already know what I think about all of this, but if you want some answers, feel free to ask him. I doubt he¡¯ll be willing to cooperate, though.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Isra replied before turning away from her companions and beginning to walk down the corridor.
She stopped a few paces from him, and Jake took a step back from the entrance to the elevator shaft, motioning with his hand toward it to indicate she could enter, despite being aware that she wanted to speak first.
As expected, she shook her head. ¡°After the incident, we had a discussion and reached a conclusion. We believe we understand the situation here. I would like to ask you a few questions to confirm our thoughts. Will you answer them, Jake?¡±
Jake made a non-committal gesture and waited for Isra to continue, hoping the questioning wouldn¡¯t take too long.
Chapter 83
Chapter 83
¡°Are you doing a mission or something?¡± Isra asked.
Jake nodded.
¡°See? I was right,¡± Archie exclaimed from behind Isra. ¡°Even after turning into a mutant, somehow he can still receive quests to fulfill.¡±
Isra asked another question, ¡°Did you bring us here because you needed help?¡±
Jake nodded once more.
¡°I recall a mission I completed a few days before meeting you guys,¡± Rick added. ¡°The objective was to reach the top of a high-rise building and take out an elite mutant on the rooftop. I guess he¡¯s doing a similar quest.¡±
¡°Is your objective something similar?¡± Isra inquired.
Jake nodded in response.
¡°Which floor is it?¡± she asked.
¡°I believe it¡¯s the seventh,¡± one of her companions speculated from behind her.
Jake held up eight fingers to her.
¡°So, just two more floors to go?¡± Isra clarified.
¡°Yeah,¡± somebody behind Isra said. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the building when we followed him inside, but I believe it was a ten-story structure.¡±
Jake nodded in confirmation.
¡°Then, after you reach the rooftop and defeat whatever awaits there, your quest will be fulfilled, correct?¡± Isra asked.
Another nod from Jake.
Looking at him in confusion, Isra said quietly as if simply voicing her thoughts without realizing it, ¡°I wonder why he needed our help, though. He seems capable enough of dispatching all the mutants on his own.¡±
Jake remained silent.
¡°Don¡¯t think he can answer that,¡± Frank grumbled from behind her.
¡°Maybe there¡¯s a time limit or something?¡± Archie guessed, hitting the nail on the head. ¡°Perhaps he needs to complete his quest within a certain timeframe, but he can¡¯t do it alone.¡±
Jake nodded in agreement.
¡°Do we have a choice, though?¡± Isra asked, studying him intently.
Jake shook his head.
Pointing at the elevator shaft, she inquired, ¡°Can you manually control the platform?¡±
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Jake shook his head again.
¡°Could be lying,¡± Rick suggested.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Frank dismissed. ¡°If we¡¯re assisting him, we should expect some kind of reward.¡±
¡°What if there¡¯s no reward for us?¡± Rick asked quietly. ¡°Or worse, what if he doesn¡¯t share it with us?¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll kill him,¡± Frank replied grimly in a hushed tone that only Archie and Rick could hear. At least, that was what he must have thought. Unbeknownst to the group leader, Jake¡¯s enhanced hearing effortlessly captured every word spoken, despite the distance and the quiet voices of the speakers.
¡°Are you up to the task, though?¡± Archie asked and fearing his boss¡¯ possible outburst, immediately added, ¡°I mean, remember how quickly and effortlessly he defeated us all a few minutes ago? If he¡¯d wanted, he could easily have killed us, and there would¡¯ve been nothing we could¡¯ve done to stop him.¡±
Frank remained silent for a moment. Then he spoke, ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll bide my time and strike when he least expects it. I¡¯ll deal with him before he even realizes what is happening.¡±
After being defeated by Jake, Frank likely felt humiliated. His bold declaration may have been an attempt to reclaim his dominance and earn back respect from his companions. Jake didn¡¯t really care what was on his mind. His primary concern was to resume the tower-climb challenge as quickly as possible. Glancing at Isra, he motioned toward the elevator shaft once more, eager to continue on.
¡°Guess we don¡¯t have a choice, huh?¡± she sighed.
Jake shook his head.
¡°Or are you able to transport us down but choosing not to?¡±
Jake remained motionless, unsure of how to react.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Frank grumbled as he headed toward the elevator shaft. ¡°If there¡¯s a time limit, we shouldn¡¯t waste any time.¡±
As the group leader passed Jake, he shot him a fierce look, his displeasure evident in his eyes. Frank entered the elevator shaft without a word to him, closely followed by Archie and Rick. Isra stayed put, though, and Jake gestured for her to join them. Her expression changed as if she had remembered or realized something.
¡°Oh, right,¡± she remarked. ¡°The platform responds only to you. We all need to be inside because it moves when you step on it, correct?¡±
Jake nodded in confirmation.
¡°Yeah,¡± Frank called from inside. ¡°If he boards without you, the platform will ascend, leaving you stranded on this floor.¡±
Isra held her gaze on Jake for a moment longer. Despite Frank¡¯s animosity toward Jake, it was clear that he was intrigued to see what lay ahead at the end of this challenge. Rick and Archie always obediently obeyed Frank, following his lead without question. Unlike the three of them, Isra wasn¡¯t keen on going along with all of this. However, realizing she was on the eighth floor, she understood she had no choice in the matter. Frank¡¯s warning about being stranded on this floor if she didn¡¯t enter influenced her decision. With no way to ascend or descend the building, she had no choice but to tag along.
Jake was prepared to coerce Isra into entering the elevator shaft if she refused to join the others. However, it wasn¡¯t necessary as Isra sighed once more and eventually joined her companions inside the elevator shaft. With all the survivors on the platform, Jake turned and stepped inside as well. As soon as his full weight was on the platform, the sigils glowed brighter, and the ascent commenced.
The platform took them one level up. The survivors were ready this time, having learned what to expect from their previous encounter. As the rift gates began to open all around them, the group sprang into action, swiftly engaging the mutants emerging from the magical portals. After fending off the initial wave, they made their way deeper into the ninth floor, searching for a spacious room to make their stand. Their plan was to replicate the successful strategy from their previous encounter.
The four survivors fought off one wave after another, standing in the middle of an empty vast room. Meanwhile, Jake skillfully maneuvered around the area, dealing with powerful mutants like slashers, not letting them get anywhere near the group he was protecting.
Things were progressing smoothly, and Jake started to believe they would get the job done without a hitch. And that was when everything suddenly went to shit.
Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Jake spotted a slasher emerging from a newly materialized portal, the toughest monster he¡¯d faced so far. He knew he had to deal with it fast. As he was about to charge toward the threat, he heard a familiar piercing shriek from behind. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw another slasher that had just appeared. Then he heard a survivor¡¯s panicked voice, trying to warn the others about a danger. When Jake turned to look their way, he saw a third slasher barreling right at the group of survivors standing at the center of the room.
All of them pivoted to confront the slasher hurtling toward them, unleashing a barrage of fire with their weapons. However, the creature was already dangerously close. Realizing they wouldn¡¯t be able to inflict significant damage in time to halt its advance, Jake dashed across the room as fast as he could. Despite his incredible speed, it was obvious he wouldn¡¯t make it in time to protect the group from the charging ex-human. The mutant, brandishing its swords, barreled into the center of the group, prompting them to frantically scatter in different directions in panic.
One of the survivors screamed in pain as the slasher struck out with one of its swords to slice a long, bloody gash across his arm. At first, Jake couldn¡¯t see who it was, but when he got closer, he saw it was Frank. The group leader¡¯s arm bled profusely, but the wound probably looked worse than it actually was. Jake cut his way through the horde of walkers as he ran, his swords cleaving reaching hands at the wrists and slicing through skulls, sending heads flying to bounce and roll across the floor of the room.
Finally, he reached his destination. Isra, Rick, and Archie had scattered throughout the room, doing their best to fend off waves of mutants swarming in from all directions. As for the slasher, it seemed determined to finish off Frank. The group leader was crawling on his elbows, trying to get away from the mutant after collapsing on the floor. The towering slasher loomed over Frank, who was writhing on the ground, its swords raised above its head, ready to swing its blades downward. Jake reached the slasher from behind just as it was about to strike.
Before the mutant could deliver a fatal blow to Frank, Jake thrust one of its swords forward with all the strength he could muster. The blade entered the slasher¡¯s back and cut all the way through its body, the tip emerging from the center of its chest. Surprisingly, the mutant was still alive, but at least, it appeared to have lost interest in Frank. The group leader remained on the floor, looking up at the brutal scene unfolding before him. Just as the slasher attempted to turn, Jake yanked his sword from its body and swung again, severing the mutant¡¯s head and sending it flying to the side.
With blades extended from his wrists, Jake couldn¡¯t offer a hand to help Frank up. He was sure the group leader could rise on his own, though. Without a second glance at him, Jake turned around, scanning the room for the other survivors. Isra and Archie were currently on the opposite side of the room, fighting one of the two remaining slashers. Despite the mutant¡¯s desperate attempts to reach them, they slowed it down with magic spells while relentlessly firing their guns at it.
Seeing there was no immediate danger to Isra and Archie, Jake diverted his attention from them to locate the last team member. Rick was the farthest away, firing his shotgun at the walkers and leapers approaching him from all directions. The mutants were so densely packed together every shot Rick fired took down multiple enemies at once. He was also using a Push spell to shove back those who got too close to him. Rick appeared to be managing well on his own, adeptly handling the walkers and leapers. If only faced with these types of mutants, he likely could have found a way out. However, his situation took a drastic turn when the third slasher targeted him, rushing toward Rick from behind. Jake sprinted toward the slasher, but it was painfully obvious he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the mutant in time to intercept it before it got to Rick.
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The survivor became aware of the slasher behind him only when it was almost on top of him. With a sense of mounting dread, he glanced over his shoulder and let out a panicked cry as he saw the slasher closing in on him. Swiftly pivoting around, he swung the barrel of his shotgun toward the looming threat. In that critical moment, Rick should have employed a Push spell to hinder the slasher¡¯s progress toward him. However, he failed to do so because he either forgot about it in the midst of panic or had spent all his spells by that point. He pointed his weapon at the mutant, but before he could squeeze the trigger, the slasher struck out, chopping off one of his arms at the elbow.
The severed arm, still clutching the shotgun, dropped to the floor. Rick¡¯s gaze fell upon the arm, his eyes widening in shock. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, the mutant lashed out once more, its blade thinking into the soft flesh of his throat, opening it in an explosion of blood. Seeing Rick collapse to the floor, the slasher seemed to lose interest in him even though the guy was still alive. The mutant scanned the room for its next victim and locked its menacing gaze on the nearest survivor, Frank. The slasher pivoted toward its new target, but before it could lunge toward the group leader, Jake finally closed the distance and intercepted the slasher.
He slammed into the ex-human with great force, knocking the mutant off balance. The slasher staggered but managed to stay on its feet. It turned toward Jake, but before it could utilize its special ability, he unleashed a relentless series of powerful blows against it. One of Jake¡¯s strikes landed perfectly, driving his sword deep into the mutant¡¯s chest. The tip burst from the center of its back in a spray of gore. Quickly yanking his sword from its body, Jake lashed out with his other blade, taking away the top of the mutant¡¯s skull in a single powerful swipe.
Having killed the second slasher, Jake quickly scanned the area. He noticed that Isra and Archie had already taken down the third slasher without his assistance. Rick was bleeding profusely, but before they could tend to him, they had to eliminate the remaining ex-humans. Fortunately, it was the last wave on this floor, so no more mutants materialized. All the formidable mutants had been taken care of by then, leaving only low-level walkers and leapers to deal with. Quickly taking care of them, the survivors rushed to aid their severely wounded companion.
¡°We have to heal him,¡± Archie exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.
¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Frank grumbled. ¡°We only have basic stims on us. They won¡¯t be able to treat such severe wounds.¡±
Rick lay on his back, staring up at them with wide eyes, attempting to speak but only managing a gurgle. Disregarding the group leader¡¯s words, Archie knelt before the wounded companion, pulling out several healing autoinjectors from his rucksack. He administered them to Rick¡¯s wounds, but as Frank had predicted, they struggled to repair the injuries. While they did mend the damaged flesh, the process was too slow. Before the medications could fully close the wounds and stop the bleeding, Rick passed away. His body stiffened, his eyes glazing over as they stared up at the ceiling.
¡°Told you so,¡± the leader said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have wasted your stims on him.¡±
¡°Oh, shut up, Frank,¡± Isra said.
A hush fell over the group for a moment. Then, Archie abruptly rose to his feet and turned away from the others.
¡°I¡¯m done,¡± he declared in a flat voice, making his way toward the room¡¯s exit.
Chapter 85
Chapter 85
¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Frank called out as Archie began to walk away.
¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Archie replied without even glancing back.
¡°You can¡¯t just walk out,¡± Frank snapped, his anger escalating.
¡°Try and stop me,¡± Archie retorted.
¡°I command you to come back this instant!¡±
¡°Screw you,¡± Archie shot back.
The leader was so taken aback by his sudden burst of defiance he fell silent for a second or two. Archie reached the exit of the room. Realizing Archie was about to leave, Frank hastily exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m your boss, damn it! You hafta listen to me!¡±
Frank tried to sound threatening, but for the first time Jake had ever known him, his voice lacked confidence.
The leader¡¯s words must have struck Archie as funny because he burst into a brief laugh. He paused in the doorway, turned around to face Frank, and let out another chuckle.
¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself,¡± he stated firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not my boss, and you never were. So you can go fuck yourself.¡±
Frank¡¯s face flushed bright red with anger. ¡°So you¡¯ve grown a pair all of a sudden, huh? Well, I¡¯ll tell you this: if you walk out now, I¡¯ll make sure you never join Los Demonios.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care anymore,¡± Archie retorted. ¡°Your promise to persuade your superiors to take us in without any conditions was the only reason Rick and I put up with you. But I¡¯m done. Come to think of it, you¡¯re just a soldier in that organization, aren¡¯t you? You said it yourself, remember? So you probably don¡¯t even have a say in anything.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know shit,¡± Frank said, trying to sound confident but failing. ¡°I have a good relationship with one of their leaders. He listens to me. If I put in a good word for you guys, they¡¯ll accept you into their organization. I did mention that to you as well, didn¡¯t I?¡±
Archie¡¯s skepticism came through in his words. ¡°Now that I think of it, you may have been lying all along,¡± he said accusingly. ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t even in their organization. Maybe you came up with this story only so you could boss someone like us around.¡±
Frank¡¯s face flushed with anger as his confidence surged back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying, you blockhead!¡± he barked, jabbing a finger at the red scarf wrapped around his neck. ¡°See this? It¡¯s a symbol of my affiliation with the organization. Only the members of Los Demonios wear this.¡±
¡°Or so you say,¡± Archie shot back. ¡°But honestly, I couldn¡¯t care less anymore. I wasn¡¯t all that keen on joining your fishy gang in the first place. I only agreed because Rick wanted to.¡±
Jake was unsure of how close Archie and Rick had been, but they seemed to have been very good friends. Rick¡¯s death had deeply shaken Archie.
The guy was done talking to Frank. He was about to turn around and leave the room when Isra spoke up. ¡°Where are you going? You can¡¯t go down. It¡¯s impossible. We searched the floor below, remember? There are no other ways to move up or down besides using the platform, which operates automatically, only going up and only when Jake steps onto it. It doesn¡¯t respond to anyone else.¡±
Archie glanced at her briefly before fixing his gaze on Jake.
¡°Really?¡± he said. ¡°If the platform is designed to only go up, how come it was on the first floor when we entered the building?¡±
Isra opened her mouth to respond when she realized Archie had a valid point. All of the survivors looked at Jake thoughtfully. They had already known that each floor of the building needed to be cleared of mutants. Jake had taken them to the eighth floor, which meant he had already cleared the previous floors on his own. Then he descended to the first floor, which suggested that he could either manually operate the platform or knew how to make it go down. That was likely what they were thinking.
¡°So the platform can be controlled after all,¡± Archie concluded. ¡°Either by anyone or just by him. I¡¯m gonna find out.¡±
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After uttering those words, Archie turned around to exit the room. Jake spotted Frank tense, his grip on his assault rifle tightening. For a moment, it seemed like the leader was going to open fire on Archie as he left. He braced himself to intervene and disarm Frank if needed. However, the situation didn¡¯t escalate. Frank remained motionless, gazing at the now vacant doorway.
Jake wasn¡¯t surprised that the survivors hadn¡¯t considered why the platform was on the first floor until now. Even though they had previously discussed the situation among themselves, the strange and dangerous predicament they had suddenly found themselves in left them confused and anxious, making it hard to process everything at once. It was understandable that some details slipped their minds in such a tense situation.
Isra turned her head to look at him. ¡°Is this true? Can you operate the platform?¡±
Jake shook his head.
¡°Then how did it end up on the first floor?¡± she pressed.
Jake simply stared at her. Realizing that gesturing might only lead to more confusion, he opted not to even try. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he should try to reveal the truth to her.
¡°Is there a way to operate the platform?¡± Isra posed another question, effectively cornering Jake with her tricky question.
He didn¡¯t know how to reply. He did have a way to operate the platform actually. If he descended the empty staircase, the platform in the elevator shaft would follow suit and descend to the same floor he traveled to. But he couldn¡¯t admit it. Her question really made him wrestle with the dilemma in his mind. Nodding wouldn¡¯t be wise, because if they learned he knew how to operate the platform, Isra and Archie might ask him to let them go, because, unlike Frank, they weren¡¯t eager to continue the challenge. So Jake couldn¡¯t nod, and he couldn¡¯t shake his head either, because it would make him a liar in their eyes as they already knew the platform could go down. Having remembered it had been on the first floor when they entered the building, they were now aware that he knew how to make it move down. Given they already harbored some doubts about him, lying would only further complicate the situation.
For a moment, Jake entertained the thought of letting Archie and Isra board the platform and then using the disintegrated staircase to descend to the first floor, causing the platform with the two survivors to follow suit. However, he almost immediately dismissed the idea. He hadn¡¯t gone through all the trouble of bringing them here just to let them go. With one person already lost, the team was now down to three survivors, reducing their manpower somewhat. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose any more of his temporary teammates, especially when he was so close to completing the challenge. Only one floor was left, but it was the most difficult one, so he couldn¡¯t just let Archie and Isra leave. After the tenth floor, he would also have to defeat the boss on the rooftop. Jake was sure it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem to him. The tower-climbing challenge wasn¡¯t overly difficult for him, but it had to be completed within a specific time frame. That¡¯s why he needed as many survivors as possible to help him finish on time.
At the back of his mind, a chilling realization crept in¡ªhe didn¡¯t truly care about these people, and he was simply using them for his own benefit. He felt bad about Rick¡¯s death, but only because his team was now weaker and clearing the final floor would be more difficult with reduced manpower. He realized the transformation into a mutant not only altered his appearance but also changed his mindset and way of thinking. It turned him into a cold-blooded monster, devoid of any feelings or care for anyone except himself.
The realization hit him hard, prompting him to consider letting the remaining survivors go one more time. But when he checked the time remaining and saw less than thirty minutes were left to complete the challenge, he quickly refocused his mind. Without a word, he pivoted and headed for the exit, aware of Isra and Frank following behind. Upon reaching the elevator shaft, he heard cursing and stomping sounds from inside. Peering in, he saw Archie attempting to activate the glowing sigils by stomping on them to make the platform move, to no avail.
Spotting Jake, Archie turned toward him, his face a mask of anger. He began to walk over, saying, ¡°It won¡¯t budge. Now I abso-fucking-lutely sure that only you can control it. Make it transport me down to the first floor right now!¡±
Jake remained in the doorway, unmoving. Seeing that Jake wasn¡¯t cooperating, Archie charged toward him with closed fists, as if preparing to throw a punch. Once within striking range, Jake forcefully pushed Archie, propelling him backward and causing him to tumble down at the center of the platform. Isra and Frank, who lagged behind in the corridor, having struggled to keep up with Jake, witnessed the commotion.
Isra dashed toward him, shouting, ¡°What on earth are you doing? Don¡¯t touch him!¡±
However, upon reaching the entrance to the elevator shaft and seeing that Archie was mostly unharmed and that Jake had no intention of attacking him again, Isra relaxed slightly. Jake stepped back and gestured for her to enter, prepared to push Archie back if he attempted to escape once more. Fortunately, Archie stood up but made no move to leave the elevator.
¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the group leader interjected as he arrived at the entrance to the elevator shaft. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to waste any more time. Come on. Let¡¯s finish what we started here. No need for drama.¡±
Frank proceeded to enter the elevator shaft. For the first time since meeting him, Jake felt thankful that the group leader possessed such a demeanor. Isra stood still for a moment, her gaze fixed on Jake. Initially, she had been the only one to show him some sympathy, but now she viewed him as an enemy. The expression in Isra¡¯s eyes conveyed all the disdain she felt toward him. Despite this, she knew she had no choice in the matter. If she didn¡¯t join her companions in the elevator, she¡¯d be left stranded on the ninth floor. Also, she knew Jake could easily force her to enter the shaft if he chose to.
Without uttering another word, she stepped into the elevator shaft. With the three survivors now inside, Jake followed suit. As soon as his weight fully settled on the platform, it began to ascend, carrying them up to the final and most dangerous floor.
Chapter 86
Chapter 86
While the platform ascended, the survivors had a brief conversation. Archie wasn¡¯t happy about having to go on, but Frank quickly cut off his objections, stating they only needed to finish one more floor. He told Archie that constant whining wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything. Isra stayed quiet, but the telling expression on her face indicated she sided with Archie.
Uninterested in their conversation, Jake paid little attention to their talking. What mattered to him was that they were nearing the final level of the tower-climbing challenge. After completing it, all he would need to do was defeat the boss on the rooftop. He probably wouldn¡¯t even need their help to accomplish that.
Finally, the platform reached the tenth floor. Jake exited the elevator onto a corridor stretching in both directions. The three survivors followed him, clutching their weapons tightly. Rift gates began materializing all around them almost immediately. Despite their strained relationships, when the mutants appeared, the three survivors operated as a single, well-coordinated unit. They unleashed controlled bursts of rounds at the oncoming mutants, the bullets ripping through their bodies, eliminating the vile creatures long before they could close in on the group.
After repelling the initial wave, Jake and the survivors dashed into the inner sections of the floor in search of a large room to make their stand. As they knew from the previous encounters, each floor contained at least one spacious room suitable for their needs. Quickly locating one, they entered just as another wave began. Positioning themselves at the center of the room, they unleashed a barrage of fire on the mutants climbing out of the rift gates. They managed to eliminate some of them even before they fully emerged from the portals.
It didn¡¯t take long for slashers to appear. After the loss of their companion to one of these creatures, they became wary of this mutant type. Despite their apprehension toward slashers, they managed to keep their composure, not succumbing to panic. The three of them quickly regrouped, directing their fire at one of the nearby slashers. They also used magic spells on walkers and leapers to slow down their advance while they were dealing with the slasher.
Seeing they had the situation under control, Jake sprinted to intercept another slasher attempting to flank the survivors. With a thought, he extended blades from his wrists. He preferred to use his claws in combat against weaker types of mutants such as walkers or leapers as well as against more formidable ones like shamblers or whippers. However, when dealing with slashers who wielded sword-like bony appendages, Jake extended blades from his wrists. While his claws were effective against many mutants, their shorter reach could put him at a great disadvantage when facing slashers.
The battle raged on for a few more minutes. This time, they managed to deal with all the slashers without suffering any casualties. After all of them were taken care of, Jake retracted his swords and continued to use his claws. Before long, the final wave on this floor began. Jake hoped that they would be able to handle it as smoothly as they had all the previous ones. Just as he was about to engage a group of walkers, he heard Isra yell to her companions to warn them about some kind of danger. Slashing his claws across the throats of the nearby ex-humans, he glanced over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about.
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Across the room, a new vertical rift was forming. It was much bigger than the regular ones. At first, Jake thought that a shambler or a whipper was going to step through it, but as soon as a colossal mutant figure began to emerge from the portal, he realized it was a new type he had never encountered before. Judging from the survivors¡¯ reactions, they were equally caught off guard by this unfamiliar threat.
The mutant was huge. It boasted a massive frame covered in organic growth akin to that of shamblers and whippers, providing a robust protective layer. Half of the mutant¡¯s head was concealed by the thick layer of organic growth as well. The head itself seemed disproportionately small in comparison to the bulk of its body. The most prominent part of the mutant was its belly. To say it was enormous would be an understatement.
The mutant finally fully emerged from the portal and began to walk toward the survivors, moving slowly and shuffling its feet. Its paunch was so huge it seemed surprising the mutant could even maintain balance as it moved. Now that the mutant was fully out of the portal, Jake could see that it appeared to have no weapons. Unlike other ex-humans, its mouth lacked razor-sharp teeth, and its hands had no claws. Short and chubby, its arms and legs seemed smaller than they should be. At first glance, the large but slow mutant seemed harmless because it was completely devoid of any visible weapons.
With a thought, Jake summoned its description.
Ex-Human Bloater ¨C Level 15 (Elite)
Special abilities:
Acid Vomit ¨C The mutant spews forth a torrent of corrosive liquid capable of eating through flesh and melting materials, causing severe damage to everything it touches.
Acid Explosion ¨C When its belly sustains a critical amount of damage, the bloater blows up, sending waves of acidic liquid flying every which way.
It was the very first time Jake had encountered an elite mutant with two special abilities instead of just one. After reading the mutant¡¯s description, he examined the bloater more closely, paying particular attention to its massive belly. Although its skin appeared thin, it resembled the elastic walls of replication pods, able to withstand some damage before tearing. The bloater¡¯s belly was the only part of its body that wasn¡¯t covered in the protective organic growth. The skin of its belly appeared somewhat transparent, allowing an eerie greenish light to seep through. While the monster¡¯s paunch seemed to be the only unprotected spot on the boater¡¯s body, from the mutant¡¯s description, Jake knew it was best not to attack this particular part of its body to prevent the bloater from exploding and splashing acid everywhere.
Unlike Jake, the three survivors were unaware of this crucial piece of information. They couldn¡¯t call up the bloater¡¯s description with a mere thought like he could. In the middle of the fierce battle, they couldn¡¯t risk taking out a PDA to analyze the mutant either. From experience, they knew the organic growth covering the mutant¡¯s body was highly resistant to damage. It could be destroyed, but it required a significant amount of damage. Surrounded by walkers and leapers from all directions, they couldn¡¯t afford to fire at the mutant for long. They had to deal with the new threat quickly so they could refocus their attention on the other targets.
Since the bloater¡¯s head was small and partially protected by organic growth, they decided against wasting time and bullets trying to hit it. The large glowing belly of the mutant presented a much more tempting target. Mistaking the mutant¡¯s protruding stomach for its vulnerable spot, the three survivors directed all their firepower at the bloater¡¯s massive paunch.
Chapter 87
Chapter 87
The survivors were aiming their fire at what they believed to be the bloater¡¯s vulnerable spot. And perhaps it actually was. The fastest way to kill the monster was likely to shoot it in the belly, causing the bloater to blow up. And the survivors kept firing at its paunch as they held their ground, allowing the massive monster to draw nearer and nearer. They were confident they could handle the threat well before it came within striking range. Only they were unaware of the mutant¡¯s ability to explode. Had they known that, they would¡¯ve made sure to stay as far away from the bloater as possible.
The bullets they fired drilled into the mutant¡¯s huge belly with wet, sickening sounds, and the glow emanating from inside grew brighter, as if warning of an imminent danger. Since Jake didn¡¯t know how big the explosion would be, he couldn¡¯t allow the bloater to get any closer to the group, fearing they might be within its effective range. With one survivor already lost, he was determined to do whatever it took to prevent any further casualties. The outcome of his quest relied on it.
He sprinted toward the bloater, running through the barrage of bullets. He felt some of the shots punch him in the back, causing him to stagger but inflicting minimal damage on his hardened mutant body. Some of the bullets failed to penetrate deeply into his rigid carapace, becoming embedded in his obsidian-black flesh. They would be expelled from his body when the wounds healed. And the bullets that penetrated his body deep enough to reach the mana stored within him would soon be disintegrated by that magical energy.
The survivors ceased firing their weapons as soon as the monster¡¯s belly was shielded by his frame.
¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Frank yelled from behind. ¡°Get out of our line of fire, you idiot. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be half intelligent, dammit?¡±
Ignoring the group leader¡¯s angry shouts, Jake swiped his claws at the bloater in front of him. His talon-like fingers racked the organic growth covering most of the mutant¡¯s body, leaving grooves in its surface. While the four resultant gashes were long and deep, they began to close almost immediately. Judging by the speed at which they were healing, the wounds would seal shut within seconds. In that respect, the bloater was very similar to shamblers and whippers. Jake quickly assessed the mutant in front of him, looking for any vulnerable spots on its body not shielded by the protective layer. To his dismay, there were none to be found. Even its neck and half of its head were encased in the thick organic covering. Bringing down the bloater would be a time-consuming task. Causing the mutant to explode by targeting its belly would have been a quicker and easier way to kill it, but Jake couldn¡¯t risk endangering or injuring his temporary companions.
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The bloater swung an arm at him, but Jake easily dodged the attack. Aside from its two special abilities, this elite mutant appeared to be relatively harmless, at least to Jake, being no match for his sharp reflexes. He unleashed a series of rapid violent slashes, tearing through the protective organic layer without giving it a chance to restore itself. At last, his claws cleared a section of the mutant¡¯s chest, revealing its actual skin beneath. The bloater emitted a horse cry when Jake racked his claws across the vulnerable flesh of the mutant, causing it to bleed profusely. The bloater lurched toward him, swinging another arm as if trying to swat away a bothersome fly. Easily evading the blow, Jake kept slashing at the bloater¡¯s exposed flesh.
From behind him, he heard one of the survivors shout a warning to the others. He swiftly glanced over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about. He saw the spells cast on the walkers to slow them down had just worn off, and now all the weaker mutants were advancing on the group at an accelerated pace. Noticing that Jake had engaged the bloater, the survivors shifted their focus to the swarm of walkers closing in on them from all sides. The bullets they fired ripped through their bodies, sending chunks of flesh flying and blood splattering everywhere.
The cacophony of sounds engulfed his senses. The sharp crack and chatter of gunfire mixed with the screams of mutants charging and dying, overwhelming his hearing. One of the survivors shouted something to the others, but even with his enhanced senses, Jake struggled to discern the exact words amid the clamor. When he was about to glance back to check on the group once more, he became aware of the sound of thundering footfalls approaching. Turning his head, he spotted a shambler charging toward him. Before he could react, the massive mutant was already dangerously close.
The shambler raised its massive arm, thick as a log, poised to strike him. He was about to dash aside, but it was already too late. He felt the mutant hit him with the force of a freight train, propelling him across the entire room. He crashed into one of the concrete walls with a force that dented it and caused a network of cracks to sprawl across its surface. If he had been a mere human, the collision would have shattered his spine and numerous bones in his body. However, as a morphus, he only felt a few minor cracks forming on his back upon contact. Other than that, the collision left him unscathed.
As Jake got back on his feet, he immediately became aware of a few things. First, encouraged by its successful attack, the shambler let out a triumphant roar before lunging at him once more. Second, the survivors must have noticed him being hit because they momentarily stopped firing at the mutants. They stared at him with various degrees of disbelief on their faces, clearly surprised to see he had not only managed to survive such a powerful blow but also seemed to have not received any serious damage. Third, he saw the bloater halt a few yards away from the group. Facing them, the massive monster arched its back slightly, opening its mouth wide as the glow from its belly intensified, growing increasingly bright.
The bloater was on the verge of unleashing one of its special abilities, preparing to spew a stream of acidic liquid onto the group of unsuspecting survivors.
Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Jake couldn¡¯t alert the survivors to the imminent danger or come to their rescue because the shambler was already on top of him. The mutant¡¯s massive figure obscured his view of the group. Jake dashed to the side as the shambler swung down its log-thick arm. With a mighty thud, the colossal fist pounded the ground where he had been standing just moments before.
A shout from the survivors attracted his attention. He darted around the huge form of the shambler and glanced in the direction of the group. They had become aware that the bloater was about to attack. The obese monster stood some distance away from them, but their instincts warned them that it was preparing to launch some sort of attack, and it appeared to be a ranged one.
The survivors stared at the bloater as it arched its back, stretching its mouth much wider than seemed possible. The intense yellowish-green glow radiating from its belly had grown very bright. The survivors were on edge, ready to scatter at the first sign of what was about to unfold.
A second later, with a loud gurgling sound, the bloater spewed a stream of yellowish-green liquid from its maw. The cascade of acidic fluid arched through the air toward the group¡¯s position. The range of that attack turned out to be quite impressive. The acidic stream easily covered the distance to the survivors. Fortunately, anticipating such an attack, they quickly scattered in various directions as soon as the acid was released.
The stream of acidic fluid hit the spot where the group had been standing a moment earlier. Splashes rebounded in all directions, reaching an impressive distance. Frank, sensing the imminent threat, swiftly pushed Isra aside, placing himself in the path of some of the splashes that would have come into contact with her. Frank screamed in agony as some of the acid splashed against his already-wounded arm. A few drops landed on Isra¡¯s cheek, eating through her skin, but it was Frank who bore the brunt of the damage in his efforts to shield her. Most of his side was steaming as acid burned through his clothes and flesh.
The acidic stream from the bloater¡¯s mouth halted, dwindling to a trickle that ran down its chin and dripped onto its massive belly. The glow within its paunch dimmed significantly, becoming barely noticeable. The attack lasted only a few seconds, but the damage had been done. The group¡¯s formation was disrupted, leaving the survivors scattered, vulnerable, and at least one of them severely wounded.
Jake caught sight of the shambler lurching toward him. He had been so engrossed in watching the unfolding scene he¡¯d momentarily forgotten about the formidable mutant. As it swung its powerful arm downward, he leaped aside just in time, narrowly avoiding being struck. He redirected his focus to the shambler, lunging toward it and striking out with a clawed hand, aiming for the exposed part of the mutant¡¯s throat not shielded by the protective growth.
Taking the shambler out didn¡¯t pose much of a challenge to Jake, but it did take him some time to defeat the well-protected powerful mutant. When its body, bleeding from numerous wounds, finally slumped to the ground, Jake immediately scanned the area to see how the survivors were doing.
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Frank and Isra had moved away from the bloater toward the other side of the room, where Isra was tending to Frank¡¯s burned side. The group leader lay on his other side as she applied healing autoinjectors. His wounds still looked pretty bad, but at least they didn¡¯t seem to be life-threatening. Isra had already used several stims, and the empty autoinjectors were scattered on the floor around them. One side of Isra¡¯s face had been marred by the acid, but it had already dissolved. Aside from spoiling her appearance, the wound didn¡¯t seem to cause her much harm. Judging by her twisted facial expression, she was still in pain, but she bravely endured it, placing Frank¡¯s well-being above her own comfort.
Reassured that Frank and Isra were relatively fine and not in immediate danger, Jake shifted his focus away from them. He scanned the expansive room in search of the third member of the group. As it turned out, Archie was on the opposite side of the room, fighting the bloater. For some reason, the mutant singled him out for pursuit rather than chasing down the other two survivors. Archie was currently in one of the corners of the room as the bloated ex-human shuffled toward him, its movements awkward and clumsy. Despite having space to maneuver around the bulky mutant, Archie remained rooted to the spot. He appeared to be close to defeating the bloater, which explained why he chose to stay and fight rather than flee.
The survivors were now aware of the unmistakable signs of the bloater¡¯s impending attack: it arched its back, opened its mouth wide, and its belly glowed brightly before unleashing an acid torrent. Since the bloater didn¡¯t display any of these signs at the moment, Archie saw no need to flee. If he had known about the bloater¡¯s dangerous ability to explode upon death, he would have fled as far as he could instead of letting it approach so closely. From his position, Jake couldn¡¯t see where Archie was aiming his shots, but he was quite certain that the guy was targeting the mutant¡¯s large, exposed belly.
Jake was on the brink of dashing across the room to rescue Archie from the danger he wasn¡¯t even aware of, but it was already too late. As another burst of shots penetrated the mutant¡¯s belly, the massive mutant suddenly halted its advance, its bloated body quivering with intense tremors. Archie must have sensed that something was terribly wrong because he quickly maneuvered around the violently trembling mutant. He moved with such speed that Jake was confident he would manage to put a considerable distance between himself and the bloater before it exploded.
However, just as Archie sprinted past the shaking mutant, something unfortunate happened. One of the nearby leapers propelled itself toward him, knocking the survivor to the ground. He managed to shoot the leaper on top of him through its head, but as soon as he jumped to his feet, the bloater blew up. Its huge body exploded powerfully, sending pulpy pieces of shredded flesh flying and waves of acidic fluid splashing in all directions.
Archie was drenched from head to toe in acid. He died so quickly he never even had a chance to scream. The acid easily burned through his clothes and skin, causing his flesh to flake off his bones. The skeleton and what little meat remained clinging to them crumpled to the floor.
Jake quickly looked around. The bloater was dealt with, and there were no more powerful mutants left. Only a bunch of low-level walkers and leapers remained, with no additional portals opening up. The wave was almost over now. All that was left to do was eliminate the rest of the mutants, which would only take a couple of minutes more to complete.
The final floor of the tower-climbing challenge was nearly finished, but it came at the expense of another survivor¡¯s life.
Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Upon completing the final floor, Jake checked the status of the challenge.
Tower Climb Progression
Floors: 10/10
Boss: 0/1
Remaining Time: 13 minutes, 48 seconds
All the floors were cleared, and the only task remaining was to defeat the boss on the roof. He had less than fifteen minutes to accomplish this. While Jake was unsure of the type of mutant he would be facing, he was confident he could handle it pretty quickly. None of the elite mutants he had encountered so far, no matter how powerful, had taken him more than a few minutes to deal with. He was certain this situation wouldn¡¯t change.
As he was about to rush toward the room¡¯s exit, he heard a cry of anguish from behind. Turning around, he saw Isra standing over what remained of Archie. Frank, standing next to her, said something quietly. Isra didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she looked across the room at Jake with a fierce expression. She started shouting something, but he didn¡¯t pay attention. Knowing he couldn¡¯t waste time, he hurried out of the room.
¡°Wait,¡± he heard Frank yell behind him, but he ignored the man.
Now that he only needed to defeat the elite mutant on the rooftop, he no longer needed the survivors¡¯ help. The battle against the boss would be a one-on-one fight, so Frank and Isra would only get in his way. They should remain on the current floor for the time being. After completing the challenge, he would come back for them and lead them to the platform to transport them to the first floor.
It only took him a few seconds to reach the elevator shaft with the magic-powered platform inside. However, he hesitated to step in because he knew the platform couldn¡¯t ascend any further, as it was already on the top floor of the building. Instead, he moved toward the opening next to the elevator shaft. The door was gone, and through the open doorway, he could see the remnants of a staircase.
Since all the steps leading down were disintegrated, it was mostly just an empty shaft now. However, one flight of stairs leading to the rooftop remained intact, providing access to the roof. The landing was partially destroyed, with a large hole in its center. There was enough concrete left for him to walk around the hole and reach the steps. Despite some intact concrete surrounding the gap, he chose not to tread that path. Effortlessly leaping over the hole, he bounded up the steps and, a moment later, emerged on the rooftop.
In the center of the roof stood a lone ex-human. It immediately spotted Jake but didn¡¯t attack. Jake knew the mutant would hold its ground and only charge at him when he got closer. After taking a few small steps toward the elite mutant, Jake stopped, taking a moment to study his foe. The creature was devoid of skin, exposing its muscle tissue. As a result, the mutant¡¯s face sported a disturbingly wide grin filled with yellowish pointed teeth. Its fingers terminated in curved claws that were significantly longer and more menacing-looking than those of a regular ex-human.
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He then summoned the mutant¡¯s description.
Ex-Human Chaser ¨C Level 20 (Elite)
Special abilities:
Flurry of Swings ¨C The mutant enters a frenzy state, swinging its claws violently for a few seconds.
Pursuit ¨C The mutant selects a target and pursues it relentlessly for some time, disregarding any other distractions.
Just like the bloater, the elite mutant in front of him, the chaser, had two special abilities. He had already faced mutants with Flurry of Swings before, so he knew what to expect. The mutant¡¯s second ability didn¡¯t appear to be all that threatening. If he still had the two survivors with him, it could have been a problem. If the chaser had used its second ability to target one of them, it would likely have been nearly impossible to save the survivor. The chaser would likely never stop pursuing its prey until it was dead. Since he was alone now, there was no issue. With this fight being a one-on-one encounter, the chaser would be concentrating solely on him anyway.
Jake hesitated for a moment. He had recently leveled up to 12. The level of the bloater he had encountered on the tenth floor was 15. He hadn¡¯t participated in killing that enormous mutant, though. It took some hits from the three survivors and was finished off by Archie alone. However, Jake had faced a handful of level 15 slashers before. Although those elite mutants were tough opponents, he had little trouble defeating them. The level of the mutant before him, however, was 20, surpassing him by eight levels. It was the first time he had encountered an enemy so much more powerful than himself, causing him to pause and consider his options.
He thought about going back to the tenth floor to get the two remaining survivors but quickly dismissed the idea. After losing Archie, they probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to aid him with the tower-climbing challenge anymore. Jake wasn¡¯t sure about Frank, but he knew Isra wouldn¡¯t lift a finger to help him. Besides, the chaser¡¯s second ability could be deadly for them. If the mutant locked onto one of them, it wouldn¡¯t switch to another target until its initial prey was dead. Not that it mattered all that much now. With all the floors cleared, keeping survivors alive was no longer all that important. He had only needed them to help him reach the rooftop as quickly as possible.
Jake pushed the thoughts of Frank and Isra out of his mind. He was on his own now, and there was no time to lose. He took a few more steps before the mutant suddenly lunged toward him. Jake froze momentarily, astonished by the chaser¡¯s speed¡ªit was almost as fast as him. Before he could react, the mutant was upon him.
The chaser unleashed a series of violent attacks on him, forcing Jake onto the defensive. The mutant was lightning-fast, and he could barely dodge and block his foe¡¯s strikes. At first, he thought the chaser had already activated its first special ability, Flurry of Swings. However, as it turned out a little later, he was dead wrong. When the chaser actually utilized its first special ability, its attacks became even faster, and Jake found it impossible to dodge every one of them, feeling its claws slashing at his flesh now and then.
He realized he was severely under-leveled for this elite mutant.
Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Jake had never encountered a mutant as fast as the chaser. He had struggled against the elite mutant¡¯s normal attacks, but now that it had unleashed its special ability, he found it nearly impossible to dodge its slashes. Almost every second attack left a deep gash in his obsidian-black body. He was heavily out-leveled. Before facing such a formidable opponent, he should¡¯ve gained a few more levels to increase Body and upgrade Enhanced Agility multiple times. This would¡¯ve made his body more resilient to damage and improved his speed and agility. Unfortunately, the system had never bothered to warn him he would have to face an elite enemy who surpassed him by so many levels.
Feeling frustrated was of no use, though. Instead, he needed to find a way to defeat the skinless enemy or consider fleeing. However, escaping would mean forgoing the challenge¡¯s reward, and all the effort he had put into clearing the floors would be in vain.
So, no, he wasn¡¯t going to flee, that was for damn sure. Not only because he didn¡¯t want the reward to slip through his fingers. The chaser was surprisingly strong, and at first glance, it seemed there was nothing he could do to defeat his opponent. Jake felt challenged by the situation, and his sole desire at that moment was to defeat the chaser. As the apex predator of this world, he wanted to prove that even monsters that out-leveled him heavily were no match for him.
Unfortunately, while the chaser was using Flurry of Swings, there was little Jake could do except try his best to block and dodge his foe¡¯s lightning-fast attacks. As soon as the elite mutant slowed down, reverting to its normal state, he would strike back. Despite surpassing him by eight levels, the chaser was just an unintelligent creature. He was confident he could outsmart it. The only problem was to stay alive long enough for the mutant to stop using its special ability.
In his broad peripheral vision, Jake spotted the two survivors who had just emerged onto the rooftop. Judging by the expressions on their faces, it was clear they had never encountered such a fast and agile mutant as the chaser either. Frank raised his assault rifle and took aim. However, he never fired a shot. Both the chaser and Jake moved way too fast for him to take careful aim. He was clearly unwilling to shoot Jake by accident. It was obvious he still hoped for some reward for assisting Jake in completing the challenge. Judging by Isra¡¯s expression, however, she didn¡¯t share her companion¡¯s sentiment. The intensity of her gaze betrayed her desire to witness Jake meet a gruesome end at the hands of the chaser.
Not gonna happen, Jake thought to himself.
Finally, the chaser¡¯s movements slowed down to normal, its special ability worn off. Without hesitation, he switched to the offensive, striking out at his foe with speed and ferocity. Initially, the chaser attempted to hold its ground, but soon realized it was impossible under the relentless assault. It began to retreat while attempting to block Jake¡¯s slashes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the two survivors gaping at him in bewilderment. Jake and his foe moved so swiftly that Frank and Isra appeared unable to comprehend what was happening, their inferior vision failing them and possibly rendering the two mutants as blurred spots.
Jake managed to score a few hits, but the wounds he inflicted on his opponent quickly sealed shut with remarkable speed. The elite mutant¡¯s regenerative abilities were really impressive. He would need to cause significant damage to the mutant before it finally kicked the bucket. Unfortunately, time was not on his side. By his estimation, he had about five minutes left to complete the challenge.
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Moreover, there was another pressing reason he needed to end the fight as quickly as possible. He was losing mana from the numerous wounds inflicted by the chaser at a rapid rate. He needed to rest to allow his body to focus solely on healing. By engaging in such active combat, he was hindering his body¡¯s healing process. Instead, mana was draining rapidly from the open wounds. If he didn¡¯t conclude the fight quickly, he would soon die from mana depletion. Though he was aware that his health points were dwindling rapidly, he couldn¡¯t spare even a fraction of a second to check how many HP he had remaining.
While maintaining the relentless assault on the chaser, Jake mentally commanded a bladed tentacle to grow from his back. The long appendage didn¡¯t grow immediately. Instead, it took a couple of seconds to form. While it was still growing, he continued his assault on the chaser, compelling it to retreat and leaving it with no opportunity to strike back. Finally, the tentacle reached its full length, undulating behind him as he exerted his will over it. Jake once again marveled at his remarkable ability to manipulate the tentacle, maintaining critical thinking and constantly strategizing his offensive maneuvers while watching his enemy and analyzing its defensive moves all at the same time. His Enhanced Intelligence wasn¡¯t even working in overdrive at that moment. He could only imagine what his mind would be capable of when this skill was at the top level, operating at its maximum potential.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Frank and Isra staring at him in shock. It was the very first time he had used Bladed Tentacles during the tower-climbing challenge, so until that moment, they¡¯d been unaware he was capable of something like that. Not that he was trying to hide this ability from them; rather, there had been no real need to utilize it before. But now was the perfect moment to make good use of it.
Responding to his mental command, the bladed tentacle arced over his shoulder and surged through the air toward his opponent. Before the mutant could react, the pointed end of the tentacle pierced through one of the chaser¡¯s eyes. The mutant froze for a moment, shocked by the sudden loss of half its vision. The tentacle, having served its purpose, detached itself from Jake¡¯s body, dangling from the chaser¡¯s eyeball.
Without giving his opponent a chance to recover, he pierced its throat with his claws and tore out a huge chunk of flesh, causing a fountain of blood to pour from the large ragged hole. Even the chaser¡¯s remarkable regenerative ability was unable to heal such a severe wound quickly enough. Jake unleashed an onslaught of swings on the mutant¡¯s stomach, ripping it open and causing the coils of intestines to spill out. The chaser took a couple of unsteady steps forward before collapsing to the ground. Its body twitched for a few seconds in its final death throes before the elite mutant finally died.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the two survivors staring at him in shock, clearly taken aback by the brutality of the killing.
Challenge complete! The Boost Menu has been unlocked.
He made it. He successfully completed the tower-climbing challenge with only a few minutes to spare, securing the reward. If he had been even slightly late, all his hard work would have been for nothing. Despite being significantly under-leveled for the challenge, he managed to reach the finish line just in time. It was no small feat, that was for damn sure.
Rather than rushing to claim his reward, however, Jake remained in place, taking a moment to rest. Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from behind him.
¡°Is it over?¡± Frank questioned. ¡°Where¡¯s our reward then?¡±
Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Jake ignored Frank¡¯s question and instead checked his health points.
HP: 64%
He had lost quite a lot of hit points during the battle with the chaser. His health had never dropped to 0%, so he wasn¡¯t certain what would occur if it ever did. Would reaching zero hit points mean certain death? The immediate answer that came to his mind was a resounding yes.
However, there might be more to it than just that. Since there was no precedent to refer to, it was hard to be sure about the consequences of losing all his HP. After all, he was very different from humans now. The mana stored within his strange body was able to heal extremely severe wounds at a remarkably rapid pace compared to human standards.
On the other hand, his health dipping to 0% might mean that his body had sustained too much damage to be repaired. In that case, the remaining mana might not be enough to heal his wounds, which would result in his death.
Anyway, Jake was determined to do everything possible to prevent his health points from plummeting to 0%. Self-preservation was his primary instinct.
HP: 65%
Slowly but steadily, his health increased as the mana stored within him was hard at work patching him up. Still, due to the significant amount of damage his body had suffered, it would be a while before he was back to full health. Over the next few hours, he would need to rest to let his body solely concentrate on the healing process.
Unfortunately for him, the survivors behind him had other plans.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you,¡± Frank growled.
Jake heard the approaching footsteps but made no move to turn around. The two survivors posed no threat to him. Instead, he focused on examining the reward he had received. Closing his eyes, he summoned the Boost Menu with a single thought, and it immediately materialized in his mind.
Boost Menu
Rank 1:
Enhanced Regeneration
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 2,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Movement Speed
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Insufficient MP
Increased Strength
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Insufficient MP
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Increased Agility
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Insufficient MP
Increased XP gain (x2)
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 10,000 MP
Acquire: Insufficient MP
Rank 2:
None (*)
Requirement: Kill 100 ex-human walkers.
Progress: 0/100
(*) Tip: To unlock additional boosts, you need to upgrade the Boost Menu to the next rank by fulfilling the requirement.
Jake read through the information. The available boosts seemed like they could come in handy in certain situations. While he didn¡¯t currently feel the urge to enhance his strength, agility, or speed, he acknowledged that they might be useful later on. The XP boost was what truly excited him. Among all the available boosts, this one stood out as the most appealing to him. While he couldn¡¯t obtain it right now, he made a mental note to acquire it at a later time.
He also couldn¡¯t help but notice that the list of boosts was not exhaustive. Once he upgraded the Boost Menu to rank 2, additional ones would become available. To upgrade the Boost Menu, he needed to kill one hundred walkers. He had taken down plenty of them so far, but it seemed those kills didn¡¯t count. Only the walkers he defeated from that moment onward would be tallied. That was okay. Taking out a hundred low-level walkers wasn¡¯t a problem for him and shouldn¡¯t be too time-consuming.
For the time being, he opted to obtain the enhanced regeneration boost so that the wounds from the recent battle would heal faster. Next, he summoned the menu showing his active status effects, which currently only displayed one.
Enhanced Regeneration: 59 minutes, 57 seconds left
Jake then checked his mana count. He had more than ten thousand mana points before starting the tower-climbing challenge. Now, he was left with just over a thousand.
He remembered that most of his mana had been drained in his attempt to write a single word, ¡°Yes,¡± and the first letters of his name on Isra¡¯s PDA. Once again, he felt frustrated by his inability to write. Even crafting a simple word demanded an immense amount of time and effort, leaving him depleted. Moreover, the act of writing even the simplest of words consumed significant amounts of mana, further fueling his frustration.
And now the remaining mana points were diminishing at an accelerated rate because of the enhanced regeneration boost. Checking his mana count again, he noticed it was not only decreasing faster than it did normally but also consuming significantly more MP than it should. So, the enhanced regeneration boost came with additional mana consumption.
That was unfortunate. He wondered if he would have any mana points left once his body was fully healed. He recalled that when low on mana, his body would temporarily limit its ability to move swiftly and agilely to conserve mana. It was a kind of safety mechanism, using the remaining mana to maintain essential bodily functions. Perhaps, the same safety measure was also applied to the enhanced regeneration boost.
Still, just to be on the safe side, he needed to locate and use some mana consumables.
¡°Hey, have you gone deaf?¡± Frank barked at him.
¡°Don¡¯t get too close to him,¡± Isra warned her companion.
Jake opened his eyes, and all the info immediately vanished. He looked at his body. As expected, the wounds were healing at an increased rate.
¡°Answer me, dammit,¡± Frank yelled from behind him.
Jake finally turned around to face the two survivors. The group leader stood over a dozen yards away from him, while Isra remained farther away, at the door to the staircase. Frank frowned as he locked eyes with Jake.
¡°Where¡¯s our reward?¡± he asked.
Jake simply stared at him, without making any movements or gestures to allow his body to focus on healing.
¡°I told you so, Frank,¡± Isra said firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no reward for us. He may already have gotten his reward, but it wasn¡¯t meant for us. We were just tools for him, nothing more. He only needed our help because of the time limit. There was never any kind of reward in store for us. We risked our lives for him for nothing.¡±
Frank¡¯s face flushed with anger as he finally accepted the fact he had been used and discarded once his usefulness had ended.
¡°Is it true?¡± he asked, his voice trembling with rage.
Jake simply stared at him, remaining completely motionless.
¡°You bastard,¡± Frank growled as he began to lift his assault rifle.
Jake shook his head, cautioning Frank against making the biggest mistake of his life. The group leader refused to heed his advice. Bringing his weapon up, he aimed at Jake and pulled the trigger.
Chapter 92
Chapter 92
¡°Frank, no!¡± Isra shouted just before the group leader opened fire, the chatter of the weapon drowning out her voice.
Jake dashed to the side, feeling the rush of air against his skin as bullets streaked past him. Some of them punched holes through his body, causing him to stagger but failing to inflict much damage. He kept running in a semicircle, getting closer and closer to his target. Frank continued to unleash a spray of bullets, but tracking fast-moving Jake with his weapon wasn¡¯t all that easy. Most of the bullets fired by the group leader missed him by a wide margin.
As his assault rifle clicked empty and stopped spitting out bullets, Frank froze momentarily, surprised at how quickly he had burned through the entire magazine with little impact on his enemy. In contrast, Jake never stopped moving. As soon as he heard the distinct dry click, he adjusted the direction of his movement, making a beeline for the group leader. With a mix of panic and determination on his face, Frank dropped the assault rifle and yanked a heavy-caliber pistol from its holster on his hip.
He managed to pop off two shots, blowing a couple of holes in his obsidian-black chest before Jake reached him. He swung his claws at Frank¡¯s gun hand, tearing through his jacket sleeve and flesh. The group leader screamed in pain and stumbled backward in a desperate attempt to flee. As he hurried to escape from Jake, one of his feet tripped over the other, causing him to lose his balance. He collapsed onto the rooftop with a thud, and the heavy-caliber pistol flew from his hand. Jake loomed over the fallen human, his claws poised for attack.
¡°No!¡± Isra¡¯s scream pierced the air from behind him.
Jake was acutely aware of the running footsteps of the woman sprinting toward him, but he didn¡¯t turn around. His full attention was fixed on Frank¡¯s cowering form sprawled on the ground before him. As a mutant, Jake rarely experienced emotions. He couldn¡¯t recall the last time he felt anger or fear. However, whenever he attacked human beings, or they attacked him, a wave of primal anger surged within him. It was his inner beast stirring, awakened by the scent of human blood. In those moments, Jake struggled to control his actions.
This was exactly what had just happened. His inner beast had awakened from its slumber. The sight of the bloodied human cowering before Jake stirred his inner beast, urging him to pounce on his prey and complete what he had begun. Jake found it extremely hard to resist its dark urges.
He could hear Isra running toward him but refused to turn to face her. He had to defeat his inner beast first. It was the most important task at the moment. Not out of any genuine concern for these two humans; such emotions had long abandoned him. No, his sole intent was to preserve the scraps of humanity that remained within him. He had a feeling he might lose it forever if he didn¡¯t keep his inner beast in check. He had to do everything in his power to prevent it from seizing full control of his mind and body.
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¡°Leave him alone!¡± Isra screamed.
She sounded really close. Still battling his inner beast, Jake looked over his shoulder. The woman had closed the distance, standing only a few feet away from him, gripping a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun tightly in her hands. The weapon might have been small, but it was quite menacing. Judging from the determined expression on her face, it was clear she was about to fire her weapon. Jake¡¯s inner struggle hindered his reaction, and before he could dart aside, Isra discharged both barrels almost simultaneously.
The double blast punched Jake in the back with the force of a sledgehammer swung by a giant. He staggered but managed to keep his balance. He had suffered severe damage¡ªhe knew that even though he couldn¡¯t see the two ragged holes in his back. Mana was escaping his body through the wounds at an accelerated rate. It made his inner beast even madder than it already was. How dare she!
Jake spun around to face the woman. The shocked expression on her face told him she couldn¡¯t believe Jake was still alive, having shrugged off a double blast from a shotgun at almost point-blank range. She broke the weapon open, but before she could replace the two spent shell casings with fresh ones, Jake was upon her.
The severe wound he suffered fueled his inner beast¡¯s rage, which immediately infected Jake. Losing control, he grabbed her by the shoulders so hard the tips of his talons penetrated her flesh, eliciting a scream of pain from the woman. With tremendous willpower, Jake managed to fight back his inner beast¡¯s urge to tear her head off. Instead, with a powerful yank, Jake lifted her off the ground and flung her aside. She flew through the air and collapsed on the rooftop a few yards away from him. She was injured, but at least she was still alive.
¡°You fucking freak,¡± he heard Frank growl behind him.
He looked back and saw the group leader make a grab for his heavy-caliber pistol lying nearby. Grasping the weapon, he pointed it at Jake and fired a hasty shot, hitting him in the shoulder. That was when Jake completely lost control. He was no longer the captain of the vessel. His inner beast was now in charge instead.
Wheeling around, he darted toward Frank, who continued to fire at him, holding the large pistol in both hands while still lying on his back. Heavy-caliber rounds punched holes through Jake''s chest, slowing him down slightly. However, it didn¡¯t save Frank. Upon reaching him, Jake kicked the handgun from his hand before dropping onto his supine form, straddling the human.
The red scarf wrapped around his neck, a symbol of his affiliation with a gang called Los Demonios, offered little protection against Jake¡¯s iron-like claws. His talons tore through the fabric and dug into the human flesh. Frank¡¯s eyes went wide as he felt Jake¡¯s claws sink deeply into his throat. With a powerful yank, he tore out Frank¡¯s larynx. He held the bloodied piece of flesh in his hand for a moment before tossing it away. Frank stared up at him with bulging eyes, blood pouring from the ragged hole in his throat. The human seemed to try to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a gurgle and more blood. He bled to death within seconds.
Jake stood up and turned toward Isra, who was still lying on the ground. Determined to finish what he started, he began walking toward her.
Chapter 93
Chapter 93
Seeing him approaching, Isra scrambled to get away. She hurriedly crawled on all fours without attempting to stand up. Her upper arms were still bleeding from where his claws had cut into them when he grabbed her. She was probably also bruised from the fall after he threw her away. Her face contorted in pain. It was possible she had suffered a couple of busted ribs, but then again, maybe not. By that point, she had likely invested several skill points into her Constitution attribute, toughening her body and making it more durable.
Jake wasn¡¯t sure what exactly happened when a survivor put a skill point into Constitution. Their body somehow became more resistant to damage, but how this was achieved, he had no clue. The only explanation he could come up with was that in this world with magic, perhaps after allocating a skill point into Constitution, the System infused the survivor¡¯s body with a permanent dose of mana, enhancing their resistance to damage.
It was as good a theory as any, and he didn¡¯t dwell on it any further.
Before Isra could grasp the double-barreled shotgun she was trying to reach, Jake closed in on her. Realizing it was futile, she sat on the ground, facing Jake who towered over her. The woman stared up at him with a mix of fear and defiance on her face.
¡°Come on,¡± she said angrily. ¡°Just do it already. What are you waiting for?¡±
Jake stared down at her, making no attempt to attack the woman. He had no actual desire to kill her, just like he hadn¡¯t wanted to take Frank¡¯s life. It wasn¡¯t his true self that had guided his actions at that moment. When the group leader had shot him in the back, Jake had momentarily lost control. After killing him and somewhat appeasing his inner beast¡¯s bloodlust, he was able to continue resisting its dark urges. Standing over Isra, he persisted in mentally battling his inner beast until he finally succeeded in putting it back to sleep.
Jake wheeled around and started to make his way to the door. Passing by the lifeless body of the group leader, he paused. Crouching beside the corpse, he searched it, hoping to find a mana consumable. Yet he found none. It made sense. Survivors typically didn¡¯t carry items like mana shards and magic scrolls since there was no point in holding onto them instead of using them immediately.
Upon reaching the door, he glanced over his shoulder at Isra. She had managed to get to her feet but stayed put, showing no sign of wanting to follow him. He gestured for her to come, but she remained stationary. After a brief pause, he started descending the stairs.
Once on the tenth floor, he walked toward the elevator shaft with the magic-powered platform. When he reached it, he paused but didn¡¯t step inside. Instead, he turned around to the other side of the corridor. Isra should come around and join him soon. She knew that using the platform was the only safe way to get down to the first floor.
While he waited, Jake checked his remaining HP and mana. He only had 36% of his hit points left, and the number was slowly decreasing as mana continued to seep out of his body through the numerous wounds he had sustained. Mana was also being utilized to mend the ragged holes in his body, further hastening the mana depletion. Jake had a sinking feeling that he didn¡¯t have enough magical energy left to both heal all his wounds and maintain his bodily functions. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would occur if his mana levels plummeted to critically low levels. Would his body persist in attempting to heal itself, depleting his remaining mana until there was none left, ultimately leading to his death? Or would the familiar safeguard mechanism kick in, halting the healing process to preserve the little mana left within him?
Jake didn¡¯t know the answer, but one thing was for sure¡ªhe had to get his hands on some mana consumables ASAP. There was no time to lose, so he resolved to wait no more than a minute. If Isra didn¡¯t arrive by then, he would leave her behind to find her own way down.
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However, he didn¡¯t have to wait even that long. Just a few seconds later, the woman showed up, clutching her sawed-off double-barreled shotgun tightly. When she halted a few feet away from him, he pantomimed breaking the gun open. She understood his gesture and did what she was told.
¡°It¡¯s not loaded,¡± she said, demonstrating the empty barrels of her shotgun. ¡°I guess if you wanted to kill me, you would¡¯ve done it already.¡±
Jake nodded and motioned for her to enter the elevator. She hesitated for a second, then did as instructed, moving to the far end of the platform to be as far away from him as possible. As soon as he joined her on the platform, it immediately began to descend.
He was well aware she could try to finish him off once the platform reached the first floor. With less than forty percent of HP left, Jake wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. He stood facing Isra, watching her every move. He didn¡¯t trust her one bit, and he wanted her to know that.
At first, she appeared uncomfortable but then relaxed a bit when she realized he was not going to attack her.
¡°Why did you kill Frank?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to, you know. Sure, he shouldn¡¯t have opened fire on you, but you could just have disarmed him. It shouldn¡¯t have been too hard for you.¡±
Jake didn¡¯t react in any way.
¡°Rick and Archie died because of you, too,¡± Isra added quietly. ¡°You simply used us to achieve your goal. We were just tools for you, nothing more than that. You¡¯re a monster. You have no compassion for people at all. Perhaps, a shred of humanity remains within you, but it¡¯s buried too deep to reach.¡±
Jake thought Isra was being unjust toward him. As a survivor, he had come across individuals who had killed others simply to take their belongings. Maybe, some of them killed others just for the hell of it. He had encountered many who showed no respect for human life whatsoever.
Yet, he came to the realization that Isra was right about him. He was a monster. He felt no fear, no anger, no joy, no compassion, no nothing. All the emotions human beings usually experienced had been lost to him after his transformation. While he was still a sentient being, his lack of emotion was a clear indication that he was no longer entirely human. This realization had a profound impact on him. Throughout all this time, he had been contending with his inner beast out of fear that giving in to its darker impulses would lead to the loss of his humanity, ultimately transforming him into an actual monster.
However, as it turned out, he had been mistaken all along. He was already a monster. While he regretted losing Archie and Rick, it only bothered him because it diminished his chances of completing the challenge on time. Apart from that, he felt no attachment to them. His absolute lack of emotion was far from normal in human terms. It wasn¡¯t until Isra pointed it out that he truly recognized the unethical nature of using the four survivors as mere tools. The transformation into a mutant had altered him far more than he had previously realized. The mutation had not only changed his physical form but had also altered his way of thinking.
The realization deeply alarmed him. He didn¡¯t want to be a monster. He needed to do something to fix that. But what could he do? He was at a total loss as to how to regain his human emotions and feelings. What steps could he take to achieve this? Jake was clueless.
The platform reached the first floor at last. The four sigils stopped glowing, the magical power that had animated the platform now dissipating as the challenge finally concluded. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator shaft, the platform disintegrated into concrete pieces, reverting to its original state before the challenge was initiated.
Jake glanced at Isra one last time to make sure she wasn¡¯t about to attack him. She wasn¡¯t. She had even lowered her weapon. Even though the multiple wounds on his body clearly indicated his low health, she had no intention of attacking him. Fully aware of how dangerous he was, she wasn¡¯t going to risk her life trying to avenge her friends¡¯ deaths, even though he was severely wounded.
¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll never get to see you again,¡± Isra whispered.
Without showing any reaction to her words, Jake spun around and dashed out of the building.
Chapter 94
Chapter 94
His situation was alarming. He still had the healing booster he¡¯d acquired after completing the tower-climbing challenge, and as a result, his mana was being consumed at an accelerated rate. By his calculations, by the time his body fully healed itself, he would have had no mana left, which would ultimately lead to his death. The irony was not lost on him¡ªhis body would be completely recovered by the end of the healing process, but he would still die from mana depletion caused by the regenerative ability of his body.
Since it had never happened to him before, Jake didn¡¯t know what would happen when all his mana was depleted. Would he die instantly from mana depletion, or would his HP be gradually decreasing instead? If it was the latter, he might have some additional time to rescue himself. In any case, allowing his mana levels to go down all the way to zero was extremely dangerous. Even if it didn¡¯t lead to his immediate death, he had to avoid depleting all his remaining mana at all costs.
Fortunately, that terrifying scenario never happened because as he had predicted, a safeguard mechanism within his body kicked in when his mana levels plummeted dangerously low. Since his wounds had not completely healed, Jake continued to lose mana, but at a reduced rate. This was due to his body ceasing its healing efforts, preserving the remaining mana solely for essential functions.
Knowing he had to replenish his mana, he searched the abandoned buildings for any mana consumables. He managed to find a few mana beads, each holding 100 MP. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was better than nothing. After extracting the precious energy from the beads, he checked his mana count again. By his calculation, he would have some mana remaining after his body had finished restoring itself. Good. Jake hid in one of the darkest corners of the room in the building he was currently in and went completely still.
For some time, he remained in the same spot, making no movements at all, like a statue, to avoid wasting additional amounts of mana and to let his body solely focus on the healing process. The room he was in had once served as a lobby. It was expansive but mostly empty. The evening was descending, enveloping the vast room in deep shadows.
Jake wasn¡¯t alone there. He could see and hear several ex-humans shuffling around the room aimlessly, but they never noticed him. When Jake moved, he hardly made any noise, and when he needed to, he could be completely silent. Positioned in a dark corner of the room, he merged seamlessly with the surrounding shadows, rendering himself invisible to the naked eye. The ex-humans continued to wander around, oblivious to the deadly obsidian-black predator lurking in one of the dark corners.
Once the healing process was finished, Jake planned to eliminate the ex-humans. Despite having only about two hundred MP left, which would slow down all his movements, making him more vulnerable, he believed he could handle the group of low-level walkers without much difficulty. His next goal would be to resume his search for mana. However, his plans were set to shift when an unexpected event occurred.
The thunder of a gunshot echoed from the street. It was the unmistakable sound of a powerful shotgun being discharged. Almost immediately, a second shot followed, closer this time. Jake remained motionless in the dark corner of the room, listening intently to the gunshots reverberating from the nearby streets.
It seemed that a few of the ex-humans also heard the distant sounds of shotgun blasts. Every time a gunshot rang out, they turned their heads this way and that, as if not quite comprehending what it was or where it came from. Most of them didn¡¯t pay attention to the sounds of gunshots at all, either failing to hear them or simply thinking they were too far away to be concerned about. Jake¡¯s hearing was much better than theirs. As he already knew, thanks to his Enhanced Senses, distant sounds seemed much closer to him than they actually were.
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The sounds of gunfire suddenly stopped. The shooter must have resolved whatever conflict they were in or moved too far away for Jake to hear. However, as it turned out a few minutes later, he was mistaken. A male survivor armed with a pump-action shotgun, the likely person who had been firing moments before, appeared in the doorway and scanned the semi-darkness of the vast room. The survivor stood at the doorway, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting difference. He noticed several walkers shuffling around in the room¡¯s depths but failed to spot Jake.
Before entering, the survivor crouched down, removing his rucksack. Upon opening the flap, a bluish glow emanated from within. A mana consumable was nestled inside, and judging by the brightness of the light it emitted, it was quite large. Probably, it was a mana chunk containing 1,000 MP or maybe even a mana crystal holding a whooping 5,000 MP. Survivors usually extracted magical energy from mana consumables immediately upon discovery. Jake could only guess at the reason the survivor hadn¡¯t done so yet. Maybe he hadn¡¯t met the level requirement for consuming this particular mana consumable yet. Not that Jake really cared. At that moment, all he could think about was the large mana consumable stored in the survivor¡¯s backpack. With his mana level plummeting to less than 200 MP, Jake knew he had to replenish it no matter what.
The survivor grabbed handfuls of spare shells from his rucksack and shoved them into his jacket pockets. He kept glancing at the ex-humans to make sure they didn¡¯t get the drop on him while he was occupied. After stuffing his pockets with the shells, he put his rucksack on and retrieved his shotgun from the floor where he had placed it moments earlier. Rising to his feet, he brought up his weapon, tucking it against his shoulder, and started walking toward the center of the room.
The ex-humans attacked from different directions, but the seasoned survivor skillfully eliminated them one by one. Jake bode his time. While the survivor was dealing with the mutants, he remained vigilant, his reflexes sharp. This was why Jake chose to wait until the survivor took care of the walkers. Once the human was done with them, he would relax and unwittingly lower his guard, thinking he was alone and safe. That would be Jake¡¯s cue to make a move.
Finally, all the walkers were taken care of. The survivor glanced around, a visible expression of disappointment on his face. Continuing to search for more threats to eliminate, his gaze settled on the dark corner of the room where Jake stood motionlessly. It appeared for a brief moment that he detected Jake¡¯s presence, but then he looked away, lowering his pump-action shotgun.
When the survivor retrieved his PDA and unlocked it to check something, Jake felt a surge of excitement. He lacked the ability to unlock survivors¡¯ handheld computers. Once he dealt with the human and extracted the magical energy from his large mana consumable, Jake would have the opportunity to utilize the unlocked device. Perhaps he would uncover valuable information, such as markers indicating the locations of the survivor¡¯s hidden stashes where additional mana consumables could be found.
The human stood half-turned toward Jake, so he knew the survivor would be able to spot him out of the corner of his eye when he burst out from his hiding spot in the dark corner. Moreover, the human stood farther away from him than he would have preferred. Jake was left with no choice but to accept the situation as it was. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, he was determined to attack the survivor.
The human, now completely relaxed and unaware of the impending danger, believed he was alone in the room. Although the conditions weren¡¯t entirely in Jake¡¯s favor, the element of surprise was on his side. He couldn¡¯t let an opportunity to get the drop on the survivor slip between his fingers. So he took a moment to compose himself and then stepped from the shadowed corner of the room.
Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Just as he had anticipated, the survivor spotted him as soon as he emerged from his hiding spot in the dark corner. The human spun around toward him, his eyes widening in surprise upon seeing Jake. For a fraction of a second, they just stared at each other, and then Jake lurched toward his prey, morphing his hands into claws.
The human brought up his shotgun, but before he could take aim, Jake struck out. The survivor managed to jerk back and instead of piercing his throat, Jake¡¯s claws ripped through the fabric of the survivor¡¯s jacket and his flesh beneath. The human screamed in pain. Jake cursed mentally. The mana depletion severely hindered his movement speed and agility. He¡¯d hoped to end this fight with one quick slash, but no dice.
The survivor clumsily stumbled back, tripping over the body of a mutant he¡¯d killed earlier and collapsing to his back. Jake was about to pounce down on his prey to finish the job, but before he could do that, the survivor quickly pointed his shotgun at the approaching threat, fueled by the surge of adrenaline and the desire to save his life.
The human squeezed the trigger, ramming a load of buckshot into Jake¡¯s chest, blowing a huge chunk of flesh out of his body. The force of the impact sent him flying a few feet backward. After collapsing to the floor, he quickly checked the remaining HP: only 19% left. Mana was quickly escaping his body through a fresh hole in his chest. It was bad. It was really bad. This fight was far from going according to plan.
He still had some strength left in him, but he resisted the urge to immediately jump back to his feet. In his compromised state, he wouldn¡¯t achieve anything by trying to rush at his enemy. Instead of attacking the survivor head-on, he needed to outsmart him. He wanted to make the human believe he had won, lulling him into a false sense of security. Once the survivor let his guard down, that would be the moment to strike.
With deliberate slowness, Jake rose on his elbows and sat up. He then got to his knees and remained standing in that pose, pretending to lack the strength to stand up. His ruse worked. While the survivor kept pointing his shotgun at him, his eyes betrayed his thoughts. After the transformation, Jake¡¯s newfound skills made him adept at reading humans. Locking eyes with the survivor, he could discern the thoughts running through his mind. The survivor accepted Jake¡¯s pretense at face value, mistakenly believing the frightening mutant was done for.
But he was wrong. Despite being severely wounded and losing mana at alarming speed, Jake wasn¡¯t done for. Not by a long shot. He was simply biding his time for the perfect moment to launch his counterattack.
Still clutching his shotgun with one hand, the human retrieved his PDA with the other and scanned Jake with the device. As he perused the information on the screen, his facial expression registered genuine surprise. Jake had a good sense of what must have been going through the human¡¯s mind. Upon the survivor¡¯s entrance into the building, Jake had accessed his stats and discovered the human¡¯s level to be 17, while his own level was 12. The survivor found it hard to believe that a being five levels below him could be so strong and fast.
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Even though Jake had taken a look at the human¡¯s stats, he hadn¡¯t bothered to check the survivor¡¯s name. To him, the human was merely prey to be hunted down, an obstacle he had to overcome.
The survivor put away his PDA and stood up, keeping his shotgun trained on Jake who remained kneeling. He took a step toward him, then another one, but then suddenly stopped. The harsh realities of this world had taught the survivor to exercise caution at every turn. By that point, the room had grown very dark, and the survivor squinted at Jake, struggling to discern many details in the semi-darkness due to his inferior human vision. Though he¡¯d never encountered a being like Jake before, the survivor resisted the temptation to get closer to the menacing figure for a better look.
Unbeknown to the human, he¡¯d unwittingly stopped at the perfect distance for Jake to strike. If Jake were to suddenly jump to his feet, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the survivor before he shot him dead. That was what the human must¡¯ve been thinking, and he was absolutely right about that. However, Jake had an ability that allowed him to swiftly strike out at the human, easily covering the distance between them without even having to stand up.
For the next several seconds, the human scrutinized Jake, examining his obsidian-black, textured body and taking stock of the numerous wounds on his strange body, from which mana oozed out. Jake waited a few moments more before mentally instructing a tentacle to sprout from his back.
Since he hadn¡¯t acquired any upgrades for the ability yet, the process of forming a tentacle was rather slow, taking a couple of seconds. Jake controlled the growing tentacle behind him, making sure to keep it concealed from the survivor¡¯s line of sight. Even when the tentacle finally grew to full length, the human was none the wiser. With the room shrouded in darkness and Jake coiling the tentacle behind his back, making it quite compact, it was impossible for the human to see it from where he stood.
The survivor kept studying the mutant kneeling before him, oblivious to the imminent danger. Jake was aware that his tentacle could only last a few seconds, so he couldn¡¯t wait for a better opportunity to attack.
Both Jake and the human came to the decision to strike almost simultaneously. Just as the survivor adjusted his aim, Jake lashed out with his tentacle, launching it from behind his back toward the survivor with lightning-fast speed. The human was completely taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. He should¡¯ve shot at Jake¡¯s head to finish him off, as he had originally intended, but fear and confusion clouded his judgment, preventing him from thinking clearly.
Unable to keep a cool head, he swung his weapon up, attempting to aim at the rapidly approaching tentacle. He took a hurried shot, the shotgun booming and recoiling in his hands. Sure enough, he missed the fast-moving target. Before he could work the action of his gun, the tentacle reached him. The double-edged blade at the end of the tentacle slashed across his throat, cutting through muscle and cartilage with ease.
The human¡¯s eyes widened in shock as his hands released the shotgun, causing it to fall to the floor. He wrapped his fingers around the nasty gush in his throat, trying to stanch the bleeding, but the blood continued to seep between his fingers. It was a fatal wound, and the survivor was well aware of that. He tried to speak, but only a gurgle emerged from his throat. He staggered back, lost his balance, and crumpled to the ground, his fingers still wrapped around his bleeding throat.
After the attack, the tentacle detached and fell to the floor, quickly withering and disintegrating into a pile of dust. Jake rose to his feet and began walking toward the incapacitated survivor.
Chapter 96
Chapter 96
With horror in his eyes, the neutralized human watched Jake approach him, his fingers still wrapped around his severely wounded throat. Knowing that the survivor would bleed to death within minutes, Jake saw no need to deliver the final blow. His priority was to acquire the human¡¯s mana consumable as soon as possible.
He crouched down beside the survivor¡¯s rucksack and extracted the mana consumable from it, which turned out to be quite large.
Mana Crystal: 5,000 MP (Rare)
For a moment, Jake was entranced by the mesmerizing dance of mana within the crystal. The bluish mist swirled inside the large mana consumable, emitting a soft glow that seeped through the transparent crystal.
He was incredibly lucky to stumble upon another mana crystal. This particular type of mana consumable was the largest he¡¯d ever encountered, boasting a whopping 5,000 MP. It marked the second time he¡¯d come across a mana crystal. The first instance was when he encountered a group of survivors who had taken refuge in a building for the night. One of them, a guy named Erick, had a crystal stowed away in his rucksack.
Twice now, Jake had acquired mana crystals from other survivors, yet he¡¯d never found one himself. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder where survivors came across these crystals. Did they simply stumble upon them by chance? Or perhaps there was a special mission for survivors that awarded them with mana crystals upon completion? Jake didn¡¯t know for sure, but he remembered hearing Erick say he¡¯d found it by chance.
Another thought occurred to him. The survivor with the slit throat was at level 17. From his experience of taking a mana crystal from Erick, Jake remembered that a survivor needed to be at least level 15 to be able to extract magical energy from a mana crystal. Considering the dying human lying beside him was at level 17, Jake wondered why he hadn¡¯t utilized the mana crystal yet. Maybe his level was below 15 when he found the crystal, preventing him from extracting mana? Or was he keeping it intact for some specific purpose?
Not that it really mattered to Jake. The reason behind the survivor carrying the crystal instead of using it held little interest for Jake. Dismissing the matter from his thoughts, he gave the mana crystal in his hand a gentle squeeze, but there was no immediate reaction. This particular mana consumable, being of a higher rarity, was more robust than others. Not that he couldn¡¯t break it. He exerted more pressure, causing the crystal to easily shatter in his hand. The bluish energy immediately floated from the crushed consumable toward his hand. His body eagerly absorbed the precious magical energy, which fueled him with its power.
Now with an abundance of mana within him, his body quickened the rate at which it healed. The healing booster he had gained upon completing the tower-climbing challenge remained in effect, further accelerating the healing process. In just a few seconds, all of his wounds were completely healed, including the hole the survivor had blasted open in his chest with his shotgun. Back to full health, Jake felt invigorated. His strength and agility returned, once again making him the most dangerous predator in this world.
¡°H¨CHelp,¡± he heard the dying human croak. ¡°Puh¡ Ple¡ª¡±
Jake glanced at the survivor, surprised to see him still clinging to life. He¡¯d expected the man to have bled out by now. However, this world was governed by video-game logic. The survivor must¡¯ve invested heavily in his Constitution attribute, granting his body a level of durability far beyond that of an ordinary human.
¡°H¨Chelp¨Cp. I don¡¯t¡ wanna¡ª¡±
Watching the human bleed and listening to him pleading for help, Jake felt nothing. No emotions or feelings whatsoever. He didn¡¯t feel any compassion toward the dying survivor, nor did he feel any hatred toward his enemy or satisfaction upon seeing him defeated.
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The memories of Isra¡¯s words during their descent on the magical platform, along with his subsequent contemplations, remained vivid in Jake¡¯s mind. He knew very well that his inner beast woke up during conflicts with humans. To prevent becoming a full-fledged monster, he¡¯d decided to avoid unnecessary confrontations with humans. However, after what Isra had said to him, he¡¯d realized he was already a monster, not only physically, but mentally too. His lack of empathy toward others served as stark evidence of this unsettling truth.
That was exactly why he decided to help the survivor. While searching through the survivor¡¯s rucksack, he noticed several healing autoinjectors inside. Selecting one, he summoned its description, which indicated that the stim was powerful enough to heal severe wounds. Jake wasn¡¯t sure if it could heal the extreme wound on the human¡¯s throat, but he was willing to give it a chance.
He pressed the autoinjector¡¯s business end against the side of the human¡¯s neck and triggered it, delivering a mix of healing medications into his bloodstream. With the survivor¡¯s fingers still clutching his throat, Jake couldn¡¯t immediately see the stim¡¯s effects. However, a moment later, he saw the bleeding slow down and then stop altogether. The survivor¡¯s expression brightened, and his breathing eased, indicating that the medication was indeed working.
Despite rescuing the survivor, Jake didn¡¯t feel any better. Saving a human¡¯s life didn¡¯t bring him any joy or satisfaction. He figured his human emotions wouldn¡¯t resurface that easily. Maybe he would need to do a lot of good deeds before some part of his humanity would return. Or maybe it wouldn¡¯t return at all. For all he knew, he¡¯d been turned into a monster both physically and mentally for good and wouldn¡¯t be able to regain any of his humanity anymore. Anyway, he was going to try to become better, mostly for his own sake rather than anything else.
Jake rose and picked up the survivor¡¯s PDA. Since the human had unlocked the device, he could now make use of it. He decided to take a moment to browse the available information and see if he could learn anything new or find something useful.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the survivor, still lying on his back, cast a suspicious glance in his direction. The human had withdrawn his hands from his throat, revealing it had already completely healed. Suddenly, he rolled to the side toward where his shotgun rested on the floor. He likely believed his actions went unnoticed, but he was mistaken. Jake could see him in his expanded field of vision without even having to turn his head.
Jake dropped the device and leaped to the side. Grabbing the shotgun and rolling on his back, the survivor pointed the weapon at where Jake had stood a second before. Only he was no longer there. Jake came rushing at the human from the side. Still lying on his back, the survivor swept his weapon around toward the threat as fast as he could and squeezed the trigger.
A fraction of a second before he fired, Jake leaped to the side, having spotted the human¡¯s index finger whiten as it curled tightly around the trigger. The survivor¡¯s face twisted in horror as he realized his now-fully healed enemy could move with much greater speed than before. Before the human could fire another time, Jake wrenched the shotgun from his hands and flung it away.
The survivor lying on the floor looked up at the mutant looming over him, realizing he¡¯d just made a huge mistake.
¡°No,¡± he begged. ¡°Please¡¡±
There was going to be no mercy from Jake this time. Instead of pouncing down on the supine form of the survivor, Jake extended a sword from one wrist. The human¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight.
¡°Please, no¡ Argh!¡±
Jake swung his weapon at the survivor. The tip of his blade cut so deeply into his flesh that his head almost got detached from the neck. The survivor lived only for a second longer before his wide-open eyes glassed over, and his body went stiff.
For a moment, Jake stood over the dead body, looking down at the survivor he¡¯d just killed. He had let that stupid human live, but he had wasted it. He had nobody but himself to blame for that. Giving the matter no more thought, he retracted his blade and turned away.
Locating the PDA lying on the floor where he¡¯d dropped, Jake stepped toward it. After picking up the device, he resumed reading the survivor¡¯s diary from where he left off.
Chapter 97
Chapter 97
After a minute, Jake finished reading. He didn¡¯t come across anything particularly interesting, though. The survivor he¡¯d just killed turned out to be a loner who avoided contact with others out of fear of being attacked and robbed. He¡¯d been focusing on slaying mutants, leveling up, completing occasional missions, and collecting supplies.
The only valuable information Jake gained was that the survivor had a stash where he had some supplies stored. There might be more mana consumables there. However, he didn¡¯t let his hopes get up, being well aware that survivors usually used mana consumables upon discovery rather than carrying them around or stashing them away.
After checking the map on the PDA to locate the survivor¡¯s stash, Jake dropped the device. He felt a twinge of disappointment as he hadn¡¯t discovered any new information about the System or any new features it provided for regular survivors. While he preferred to limit his interactions with humans as much as possible, it could be beneficial to understand how the System operated for regular survivors.
Sure, since he had been human once, he had a pretty good idea of how the system worked for them. However, as they progressed through this game-like world, leveling up and upgrading their handheld computers, new features became available for them. For instance, back when he was human, he¡¯d unlocked a crafting system at some point, but he never had the opportunity to learn how it worked. Even now, he remained unaware of its functionality. To his knowledge, all the survivors he¡¯d encountered so far relied solely on scavenging for survival. So he had yet to learn how the crafting system worked for survivors.
For a moment, Jake contemplated using the AskMeAnything app on the survivor¡¯s PDA to learn something new about the System. Maybe he could even find out what the hell happened to him and why he was transformed into a mutant. In the end, he decided against it. As he already knew, writing was a nearly impossible task for him. Even composing a single simple word required a tremendous amount of time and effort, draining him physically and mentally. Moreover, it also depleted a significant amount of his mana reserves, and he couldn¡¯t afford to squander that valuable magical energy mindlessly.
Jake committed the precise location of the killed survivor¡¯s stash to memory¡ªit was just a few blocks north of the building he was currently in. He looked at the rucksack one more time. It held some canned food, bottled water, shotgun shells, stimpaks, and some other stuff. None of the items in the rucksack were useful to him, as they were all meant for survivors, not a mutant like him. He only needed mana consumables as they contained the magical energy essential for his survival. Perhaps he might find some in the dead survivor¡¯s stash if luck was on his side, although he wasn¡¯t counting on it.
Before leaving the building, he decided to check his stats. Unlike survivors, he didn¡¯t need a PDA or any other device to check his attributes, abilities, skills, and other stats. He could call up his stats any time he wanted with a mere thought. He closed his eyes and did so.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 12
HP: 100%
XP: 1350/1625
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SP: 0
MP: 1,735
Body: 3
Mind: 1
Magick: 1
Claws: Rank II (39%) (Upgrades: 2 of 3) (Common)
Swords: Rank I (24%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (17%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (77%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (96%) (Upgrades: 2 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (64%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
After finishing the seventh floor, Jake had received the intermediate reward that allowed him to upgrade Claws to Rank II, bypassing the requirement of having Body at 5. He hadn¡¯t had a free skill point at that time to perform the upgrade, though. At some point during the final stages of the tower-climb challenge alongside Isra and Frank, he leveled up to 12 and invested his skill point in upgrading Claws to Rank II, making his claws somewhat more powerful than they already were. After that, the progress of this combat ability reset to zero and began advancing again when it was in active use, albeit at a slower pace compared to when it was at Rank I.
He noticed that he now had enough MP to acquire some new skills and abilities from the Genetic Development Interface, but it was a matter for a later time. He first wanted to get to the survivor¡¯s stash to check if there were any more mana consumables. There was never enough mana around here.
As he was crossing the room to the exit, his gaze fell on the body of the survivor he¡¯d killed moments earlier. Not too long ago, he had been a survivor too until he was pulled into the mysterious anomaly known as The Dark Void, where he underwent the transformation that turned him into a mutant. Jake was no longer human; he was now a magical being known as a morphus.
Unlike other former humans transformed into mutants, Jake retained his self-awareness and cognitive abilities. However, survivors were unaware of this fact, viewing him solely as another ex-human mutant to kill for XP. At first glance, at least. While he could attempt to communicate with them, as he had done with Frank¡¯s group, success was not guaranteed. Communicating with survivors was difficult for Jake, given the lack of reliable means to establish clear communication with them.
Another concern for Jake was his inner beast, which stirred at the scent of human blood whenever it was drawn. He found it really difficult to restrain the dark impulses of his monster nature. If not reined in, his inner beast could take full control of his body and mind, turning him into a complete monster. He was resolved to do everything within his power to protect the remaining shreds of his humanity. This was why he decided to avoid unnecessary interactions with humans from now on.
It didn¡¯t take Jake long to arrive at the stash of the survivor he¡¯d recently killed. As anticipated, there was nothing of use for him there, not even a single mana consumable. Despite his expectations, a tinge of disappointment washed over him. The fallen survivor had possessed a large mana crystal in his backpack, leading Jake to wonder if another rare item might be hidden in the stash. No such luck this time, though.
Standing in the room where the survivor once took refuge, Jake examined the belongings left behind¡ªa sleeping bag, provisions of canned food, extra ammunition and weapons, and other items. Reflecting on his past as a survivor, he remembered establishing several similar hideouts of his own. He¡¯d collected quite a lot of various things, but none of his hideouts contained any mana consumables, so there was no reason to revisit them.
A thought crossed his mind that perhaps other survivors had come across some of his secret stashes and taken items from them. It didn¡¯t bother Jake. He didn¡¯t care about losing possessions he no longer needed. The only valuable item he¡¯d ever owned was a rare assault rifle, which was given to him upon completing a mission. But he lost the weapon before being pulled into the Dark Void to be transformed into a morphus.
Finally, he got out of the building, having found nothing of use in the survivor¡¯s stash. The streets were shrouded in darkness. Midnight was just around the corner, which meant the System was about to reset the world, reviving mutants and respawning loot. Most of the survivors would hole up for the night while Jake would be out hunting for mana.
Selecting a random direction, he continued his journey.
Chapter 98
Chapter 98
For the next few days, Jake adhered to the plan he¡¯d devised some time ago¡ªscouring for mana at night and hunting for XP in the sewers during the daytime.
At night, when the world was brimming with mana consumables replenished after a fresh reset, Jake discovered many mana items while the majority of survivors rested during that time. This allowed him to accumulate significant amounts of mana. During the daytime, he hunted down the unsettling dwellers of the underground tunnels: mutated rats and devourers. The former were a strange combination of rats and kangaroos, possessing the size of the latter. Devourers resembled alligators but had the size and body structure of grizzly bears.
The sewers were a truly terrifying place. Some parts were dimly lit by light filtering in from cracks above, while others were enveloped in complete darkness. The repugnant stench permeated the sewers, following him wherever he went. Dirty, stinky water flowed down the tunnels, reaching as high as his knees in some places.
But the scariest part about the sewers was their inhabitants. Mutated rats were quite weak when alone. They were hardly ever alone, though. Most of the time, they banded together in groups that ranged from a few creatures to dozens. Their strength lay in their numbers. While the mutated rats generally steered clear of the exceptionally large and powerful devourers, on more than one occasion, Jake witnessed a large group of mutated rats take down a devourer.
As for the devourers themselves, they were loners. They were huge and powerful, which was probably why they saw little benefit in grouping up with their own kind. They were so strong and dangerous Jake sometimes even had trouble dealing with them.
All of those were likely the reasons survivors never ventured into the sewers. Not once did Jake encounter a human being in the dark tunnels under the city. He was perfectly fine with that. This meant that all the XP the sewers had to offer belonged to him alone. So far, the sewers were the best hunting grounds for XP he¡¯d ever found.
After each nocturnal world reset, all the mutants in the sewers were revived, much like the ex-humans in the city above. During each sweep of clearing out the sewers, he would pass by the massive doors that led to a dungeon known as The Maze of Torment. The recommended level for entering the dungeon was 15-20, but to unlock the door, he needed a Skeleton Key. He still didn¡¯t know where he could find one, so getting into the dungeon remained impossible for now. It was a little disappointing, but he figured that eventually, he would stumble upon a Skeleton Key somewhere.
So, Jake¡¯s routine consisted of searching for mana at night and killing mutants for XP during the day. Once he had cleared the sewers of all mutants, he would return to street level to hunt down ex-humans for additional chunks of XP. To avoid any potential encounters with survivors, he navigated the city by moving across rooftops. He would leap from one rooftop to another, work his way down from the top floor to the ground level, killing all the mutants along the way, and then return to the top of the building and leap to the next roof, repeating the process.
During these days of intense grinding, Jake leveled up multiple times, progressing from twelve to twenty-three. He allocated two skill points to the Body attribute, improving his body¡¯s resistance to damage with each increase. Body appeared to be the most important attribute for him. He also assigned two points to Mind, sharpening both his intelligence and senses.
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In the initial days after his transformation, Jake hesitated to increase Magick because he was unsure of the usefulness of this attribute. However, later on, he discovered that Magick was actually very beneficial. This attribute helped his body manipulate mana more effectively. Each point invested in Magick reduced the amount of mana his body consumed during processes like healing, transforming his hands into claws, and other similar actions. At some point, he even began thinking that Magick was probably even more important than Body, which was why he invested the next several skill points into Magick, increasing this attribute to 5.
Jake also used some of his next skill points to acquire new upgrades for some of his skills and abilities. Skills were passive and constantly active while abilities needed to be activated with a thought. He currently possessed three abilities¡ªClaws, Swords, and Bladed Tentacles¡ªand four skills¡ªEnhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, Enhanced Intelligence, and Enhanced Reflexes. He¡¯d obtained the last skill a couple of days after the tower-climbing challenge but hadn¡¯t acquired any upgrades for it yet.
Jake considered Claws his primary weapon because he used it the most and was most comfortable with it. This ability currently had two upgrades: reduced transformation time and increased strength. The third upgrade was to increase his claws¡¯ reach, but Jake didn¡¯t see much reason to obtain it. He liked his claws the way they were. They weren¡¯t meant to keep his enemies at bay. For extended reach, he could rely on his swords, which he usually used when fighting blade-wielding enemies like slashers.
While his claws excelled in combat, they proved less practical for other tasks. When he needed to pick up an object or crush a mana consumable in his fist, he found his claws unsuitable and had to transform them back into normal hands for such actions. Increasing the claws¡¯ length would only make non-combat tasks more difficult. Moreover, increasing his claws¡¯ length could also diminish some of his combat capabilities. He often used his claws to tear chunks of flesh from his enemies¡¯ bodies. He was particularly partial to ripping the larynx out of an ex-human¡¯s throat. Increasing the length of his claws could foil this move because the extended length might prevent him from closing his fingers tightly enough.
As for Swords, his second combat ability, Jake had acquired an upgrade for them to make them stronger a while back. Some time after the tower-climbing challenge, he acquired two more upgrades for the ability: one to reduce the transformation time and another to increase the length of his blades.
In the past, he had acquired two upgrades for Enhanced Agility, the first one increasing his reaction time in combat and the second one improving his acrobatic abilities. Recently, he¡¯d also obtained the third upgrade, which enhanced his body coordination. This improvement increased his sprint speed and enabled him to make rapid directional changes while sprinting, which was useful in certain situations.
The Enhanced Reflexes skill he¡¯d recently obtained worked extremely well in combination with the upgrade for Enhanced Agility that increased his deftness in combat. Thanks to these two, he was now so skilled at dodging and evading enemies¡¯ attacks that even extremely fast and agile ex-humans like slashers or chasers struggled to land a hit on him. There were now no mutants that could pose any kind of threat to him at all. Even elite enemies no longer posed much of a challenge to him.
Jake was currently on the roof of a ten-story building, where he¡¯d defeated an elite ex-human moments before. He¡¯d just leveled up from 23 to 24, earning a skill point to allocate. Closing his eyes, he summoned his stats.
Chapter 99
Chapter 99
His stats immediately materialized in his head. He took a moment to examine them.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Level: 24
XP: 30/3125
SP: 1
MP: 10,325
Body: 5
Mind: 3
Magick: 5
Claws: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 2 of 3) (Common)
Swords: Rank I (94%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (57%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank I (48%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
He noticed that Claws and three of his skills had reached 100%, allowing him to upgrade them to the next Rank to make them more powerful. To advance the Rank of a skill or ability, he needed to invest a skill point in it. After giving the matter some thought, Jake chose to use his skill point to acquire an upgrade for Bladed Tentacles instead. With a thought, he summoned the upgrade menu.
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Increase the number of tentacles that can be sprouted at the same time to three. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Increase the length of tentacles by two feet for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce the time needed to grow tentacles. Cost: Cost: 1 SP
Jake hesitated for a second. The most attractive upgrade was to increase the number of tentacles he could have at the same time. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was very useful considering tentacles could currently exist for just a few seconds. Most of the time when he used this ability, it was to gain an advantage over his enemies. This often entailed sprouting a tentacle as quickly as possible to catch his opponents off guard. So he decided to obtain the third upgrade for now. Later on, he would acquire the other two as well.
Jake opened his eyes, and all the info disappeared. He decided to test out the upgrade he¡¯d just acquired. He gave a mental command, and a tentacle sprouted from his back. In less than a second, it grew to its full length. It was incredibly fast, leaving Jake quite pleased with the result.
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In previous fights, when he needed to utilize a tentacle, he had to wait a couple of seconds for it to sprout from his back. During intense battles, every second could mean the difference between staying unscathed and getting severely wounded. Being able to create a tentacle so quickly now, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. The tentacle would be ready for use almost immediately after issuing the mental command to create it.
For a few seconds, Jake lashed out with the tentacle at imaginary enemies, slicing through their throats with the blade at its end. While he had grown accustomed to the fact that he had the ability to sprout tentacles from his back, he still couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how effortlessly he could control it. The tentacle obeyed his commands so easily, giving him perfect control as if it had always been a natural extension of his body.
A few seconds later, the bladed tentacle detached and dropped to the ground, where it withered, turning into dust. For a moment, Jake gazed at the pile of dust the tentacle had become with disappointment. Hopefully, he would be able to increase the lifespan of this ability at some point. Perhaps new upgrades for the ability would be unlocked once he upgraded it to the next rarity level.
Suddenly, the sharp cracks of gunfire echoed from the streets below. Jake was accustomed to hearing the sounds of gunshots reverberating from various parts of the city. He always steered clear of survivors, though. He had nothing to gain from interacting with them. He didn¡¯t even get any XP for killing them.
Whatever was happening in the street below was far from over. Jake could hear numerous firearms being discharged on full auto, along with the screams of people. Some gave orders, others yelled in rage, and some cried out in pain as they were wounded. Judging from the sounds, it seemed to be several people engaging in a shootout among themselves rather than battling mutants. Out of curiosity, Jake crossed the rooftop and stopped at the edge, looking down.
Ten stories below, a gunfight was taking place in the middle of the street. A group of survivors was under intense fire in the middle of the street. Jake could see muzzle flashes visible in some of the two-story windows on both sides of the street. It was clear that the survivors had been ambushed while walking along the street by assailants concealed inside the buildings. The group returned fire, but it seemed they were unable to hit the attackers hidden inside the buildings, their shots pocking the concrete walls instead.
The survivors were sitting ducks in the middle of the street. Eventually, they attempted to escape, but it was no use. The majority of them died before they could reach safety, and the rest decided to surrender. As the gunfire ceased, a voice instructed the defeated group to lie face down on the ground and not move. The remaining people had no option but to obey.
Half a minute later, the attackers emerged from the buildings on either side of the street. There were quite a few of them. Each assailant either sported a red scarf wrapped around their neck or at least had a piece of red fabric half-tucked in a pocket, partly exposed. They walked toward the group lying on the cracked asphalt in the middle of the road. Among the defeated were several dead, a few wounded, and only three who were alive and unscathed.
It wasn¡¯t the first time Jake had encountered a group of people wearing red scarves. The very first person he met with such a scarf was Frank, whose group Jake had tricked into helping him complete a time-sensitive tower-climbing challenge. He had learned that a red piece of fabric symbolized affiliation with a gang known as Los Demonios. In the days following the tower-climbing challenge, Jake had witnessed several similar ambushes by members of the gang, whom he referred to as ¡°Demons¡± in his mind, attacking unsuspecting passersby. Jake never intervened, choosing instead to watch these events unfold from a distance.
The echoes of gunshots from the street ten stories below jolted Jake from his reverie. He watched the Demons eliminate the wounded people with headshots, having decided not to waste any stims to heal them. As they bound the hands of the remaining three captives behind their backs, three vehicles emerged from the nearby dark alleyways: an SUV, a technical, and a pickup truck.
The Demons had the bound captives get in the bed of the truck that didn¡¯t have a machine gun mounted there and forced them to lie down. Several Demons joined them in the bed, taking seats on the benches and resting the soles of their boots on the backs of the captives lying prone. The remaining attackers boarded the SUV, and the three vehicles quickly drove along the street, vanishing into the distance.
Jake watched as they disappeared from sight. Los Demonios seemed to be a numerous and well-equipped group. They appeared to have access to quality hardware, were armed with superior weapons, and seemed to possess plenty of vehicles. He pondered where they were sourcing their equipment from. He also couldn¡¯t help but wonder where they were taking the captives and what they were going to do with them. Were they planning to recruit them, or perhaps coerce them into working for the gang?
Not that Jake really cared. He had long since decided to avoid dealing with survivors. Whatever they did was none of his business. They could form alliances or fight each other, but it was none of his concern. There was nothing he could gain from interacting with them. Killing them wasn¡¯t worth it either, as he didn¡¯t even receive XP for that.
He spun around, dashed across the rooftop, and leaped over the gap to the adjacent high-rise building.
Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Multiple enemies killed. +235 XP
Jake stood among the dead bodies of the mutants he¡¯d just slain. He surveyed the area to make sure there were no more enemies to kill. There were none left. Another ten-story building had been cleared of mutants, from the roof all the way down to the ground floor. During a battle on one of the upper levels, he¡¯d leveled up to 25 but hadn¡¯t allocated the skill point yet.
It was time to return to the rooftop. He pivoted and crossed the room to the staircase. He quickly ascended them, bounding up the steps, taking several at a time. He moved so fast he reached the roof in under thirty seconds.
There were no elite mutants or magical anomalies on the roof. Before leaping to the next building, Jake wanted to allocate the skill point he¡¯d recently received. He planned to use it to advance Claws to Rank III. It should take him just a second to do so. Once done, he would resume hunting mutants for XP.
He closed his eyes and summoned his stats, concentrating on the Rank of his Claws ability.
A raise to the next Rank is available.
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 1 SP
Raise to Rank III: Y/N
His Body attribute was at 5, so he could advance Claws to the next Rank. Or so he thought. When he mentally said ¡°Yes¡±, instead of receiving a notification about the Rank of Claws increasing, a warning message appeared.
The rarity level needs to be increased to Uncommon before Claws can be raised to Rank III.
After reading the message, Jake dismissed it and glanced at the other skills in his stats. Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence had all reached 100%, making them ready to be advanced to Rank III too. One by one, he tried to invest the skill point into each of them to increase their Rank, but sure enough, the same message popped up each time. Just like his Claws ability, he needed to advance them to the next rarity level before he could level them up. He had obtained all three available upgrades for Enhanced Agility, but it looked like it didn¡¯t matter. It appeared that a skill could advance to the next rarity level even without any upgrades. The crucial requirement for advancing a skill to a specific Rank was that it needed to be at a certain rarity level.
Okay then, Jake thought. How do I advance Claws to the next rarity level?
He focused on the word Common in the description of the Claws ability, and another message was displayed to him.
To increase the rarity of the ability from Common to Uncommon, you need to evolve to Stage 2.
For a moment, Jake just stared at the message.
So, it¡¯s finally time to evolve to the next stage, huh?
Jake felt a surge of excitement wash over him. He didn¡¯t know what he needed to do to evolve, though. Many days ago, he tried to summon relevant information, but nothing happened. However, now that he was almost meeting the requirements to evolve to the next stage, the system provided him with the information.
Requirements for evolving to Stage 2
Level: 25
Attributes: Body 5, Mind 5, Magick 5
Skills:
Enhanced Senses - Rank II
Enhanced Agility - Rank II
Enhanced Intelligence - Rank II
Enhanced Reflexes - Rank I
Enhanced Strength - Rank I
Enhanced Regeneration - Rank I
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Feral Instincts - Rank I
Evolve: Y/N
Even though Jake knew he couldn¡¯t evolve right now, he thought, ¡°Yes.¡± Instantly, a warning message flashed through his mind.
You cannot evolve to Stage 2 at this moment due to some unmet requirements.
Jake examined the list of requirements one more time. He only needed to invest two skill points into Mind, increasing it from 3 to 5, and acquire three more skills: Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, and Feral Instincts. All the other requirements were already satisfied: his level was 25, both his Body and Magick were at 5, and all the old skills had already reached the necessary ranks. He figured it should take him no more than a couple of days to level up one more time and collect enough mana to obtain Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, and Feral Instincts. He summoned the skill menu to check if he was correct.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 3 of 4
Skills: 3 of 7
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: Already Owned
Enhanced Strength cost 3,000 MP, Enhanced Regeneration 5,000 MP, and Feral Instincts 4,000 MP. Therefore, he needed a total of 12,000 MP to acquire all three skills, which was quite a lot. Since he currently had a little over 10,000 MP, he could have opted to purchase some of the skills right away, but he chose not to. Some days back, he¡¯d made the decision to always keep a minimum of 10,000 MP stored inside his body for critical situations such as post-battle healing after sustaining severe injuries.
To obtain Feral Instincts he needed to increase Mind to 5, which was fine as he was going to put the next two skill points into that attribute anyway. He also realized that to obtain Enhanced Regeneration, he needed to increase Body to 7. This meant that he needed to level up three more times rather than just one before he would be able to evolve to the next stage.
So it would likely take him a bit longer than the two days he initially anticipated to fulfill all the requirements for evolving. He figured that by the time he had leveled up three times and increased Mind to 5 and Body to 7, he would have collected enough mana to obtain the necessary skills. It was a good thing that Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, and Feral Instincts only needed to be at Rank I. This meant he wouldn¡¯t have to wait for them to progress to the next Rank. Instead, he would be able to evolve to Stage 2 as soon as he acquired the three skills.
With a thought, Jake allocated the skill point to Mind, increasing it from 3 to 4. He planned to assign the next skill point to the same attribute, followed by the subsequent two points to Body. Once this was done, he would acquire the three necessary skills and evolve to Stage 2.
Jake hadn¡¯t obtained Enhanced Strength before because he saw no reason to do so. He didn¡¯t feel he needed to get stronger. Ditto for Enhanced Regeneration. As for Feral Instincts, from its description he¡¯d learned that this skill could provide him with some kind of Spidey-sense, alerting him to imminent dangers.
Jake didn¡¯t feel the need for that skill because he primarily fought mutants, so they were always close to him, which allowed him to keep them within his expanded field of vision at all times, preventing them from ambushing him.
Also, thanks to Enhanced Reflexes as well as the upgrade he¡¯d acquired for Enhanced Agility, improving his ability to dodge enemies¡¯ attacks, mutants no longer could land hits on him. This was another reason he refrained from spending mana to get Enhanced Regeneration.
Why bother getting it when mutants couldn¡¯t even inflict any kind of damage on him anymore? At least, it was the case until now. However, while he hadn¡¯t felt he needed to get these skills before, in order to evolve to Stage 2, he would now have to acquire all of them.
Finally, Jake snapped open his eyes, and all the information disappeared. He pivoted, dashed across the rooftop, and leaped onto a neighboring building.
Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Jake stood on the rooftop of a high-rise building, staring at an anomaly positioned at its center, hovering a few feet above the surface. The anomaly resembled a sphere, roughly three to four feet in diameter. While the anomaly was nearly invisible to the naked eye, his Enhanced Senses allowed him to detect it without much trouble. The air within the sphere was warped, revealing the boundaries of the anomaly where the distortion ended. Keeping a safe distance of a few yards from the anomaly, Jake summoned its description.
Name: Nudging Force
Description: Pushes every object that enters its range in the opposite direction.
Effective range: 3 feet
Duration: Instantaneous
Cooldown: None
Danger Level: 20 (Low)
The Nudging Force was a non-lethal, limited-range anomaly. It was nearly harmless. The danger level being described as ¡°20 (Low)¡± indicated that while the anomaly was capable of causing some inconvenience, its pushing force wasn¡¯t considered lethal or even all that dangerous.
Jake figured if he came within three feet of the Nudging Force, it might push him with enough force to knock him down, but it wouldn¡¯t result in anything more than that. Out of all the anomalies he¡¯d ever encountered as both a survivor and a mutant, this was the most harmless.
He gave a mental command to check if the Nudging Force had a challenge to offer. A new piece of info immediately surfaced in his mind.
A challenge is available!
See the details: Y/N
He wondered what it could be. A speed trial? Or another tower climb, perhaps? Without further speculation, he confirmed with a mental ¡°Yes¡±, prompting the details about the challenge to appear in his mind.
Survival: You need to survive several mutant attacks within a designated area.
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Number of waves: 10
Difficulty: Easy, Medium, or Hard
Recommended Stats: Evolution Stage 1 ¡°Primordial Form¡±, Level 25, Body 5
Rewards:
Easy - 3,000 XP
Medium - 3,000 XP and a mana crystal
Hard - 3,000 XP, a mana crystal, and the Enemy Appraisal perk
Accept: Y/N
Jake had never done a survival challenge before. The very first challenge he¡¯d received from an anomaly was a speed trial. Some time later, he encountered an anomaly that offered a tower-climbing challenge. So he¡¯d just learned about a new type of challenge an anomaly could offer. Potentially, there could be other types of challenges than just these three.
Jake returned his attention to the details of the survival challenge. It appeared that he had the freedom to choose the difficulty level. The previous two challenges he¡¯d completed had set difficulty levels: the speed trial was easy, and the tower climb was hard. This time, he was free to select any difficulty he wanted.
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He remembered completing the speed trial without much trouble. As for the tower climb, he¡¯d had to resort to tricking a group of survivors into assisting him. Without their help, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to finish the challenge on time.
For a moment, he pondered which difficulty level to choose. As the difficulty increased, the reward got better. He hesitated to choose the easy difficulty level because it was, well, easy and therefore offered only 3,000 XP as a reward. So he was choosing between medium and hard. Considering his previous experience with the tower-climbing challenge, he was inclined to choose the medium difficulty level.
However, the reward for completing the challenge on hard difficulty was not only 3,000 XP and a mana crystal boasting 5,000 MP but also a perk called Enemy Appraisal. Since he¡¯d never obtained any perks before, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they worked.
The name of the reward perk, Enemy Appraisal, indicated that it could provide additional information about his enemies, which could be very useful. Jake really wanted to get the perk, but he was well aware that if he failed to complete the challenge on time, he would receive no reward at all.
In the end, he decided to take the risk. However, before accepting the challenge, he wanted to check something out. He closed his eyes and, with a single thought, summoned the boost menu he¡¯d received as a reward for successfully completing the tower-climbing challenge.
Boost menu
Rank 1:
Enhanced Regeneration
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 2,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Movement Speed
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Strength
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Agility
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased XP gain (x2)
Duration: 60 min
Cost: 10,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Rank 2:
None
Requirement: Kill 100 ex-human walkers.
Progress: 100/100
Unlock: Y/N
Jake had kind of forgotten about the boost menu after the tower climb and only remembered about it now. He figured there hadn¡¯t been much reason to utilize it before. Now was the perfect time to put it to good use, though. The Increased XP Gain (x2) boost was what he wanted to purchase. It cost a whopping 10,000 MP, but he figured it would be totally worth it.
He noticed something interesting. In the past several days after acquiring the boost menu, he must¡¯ve killed over a hundred walkers because he was now allowed to upgrade the boost menu to Rank 2. He did so with a thought and checked it out again. The upgrade hadn¡¯t added any new boosters, but the old ones were somewhat more powerful now. For the time being, he was only interested in one of them, though.
Increased XP gain (x3)
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 10,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
It had the same mana cost as before, but its duration was now ninety minutes instead of sixty, and it would now increase all XP he gained three times instead of two. If he acquired the booster and successfully completed the challenge, he would gain 9,000 XP instead of 3,000 XP. Additionally, he would receive three times more XP for every mutant killed. He would be able to level up at least two times during the challenge, or maybe even three.
He currently had about eighteen thousand mana points. If he successfully completed the survival challenge, he would gain a mana crystal, which would bring him back to approximately twenty-three thousand mana points. With some luck, he might collect enough mana during the following night to purchase all the required skills and by morning, could have evolved into the next stage.
The only thing he needed to do to achieve that was complete the challenge on hard difficulty. He was well aware that it was easier said than done. If he failed to complete the challenge in under sixty minutes, not only would he receive no rewards, but spending 10,000 MP would be in vain.
However, his mind was already made up. Having decided to take the risk, he purchased the booster, opened his eyes, and accepted the challenge. When prompted to select the difficulty, he chose the hard one and prepared for the battle.
Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Portals began materializing all around him, each hovering about a foot above the rooftop. Jake did a quick scan to assess the number of mystical rifts unfurling around him. To his surprise, there were far more rift gates tearing open than he¡¯d anticipated, and more continued to appear.
He also noticed a bluish, semi-transparent barrier surrounding the roof on all sides. Jake figured the barrier marked the boundaries of the challenge. He had to stay within this area. If he were to leap to another building, the transparent barrier likely wouldn¡¯t stop him physically, but the challenge would fail.
From some of the portals, mutants were already crawling out. Each of the ex-humans emerging from the portals was a walker, but Jake was aware that more dangerous mutants would appear later on.
Wave 1 has started!
Targets killed: 0 out of 25
Jake charged at the walker that was the first to fully climb out of a portal. With a quick and powerful swipe of his claws, he severed the mutant¡¯s head, sending it flying to the side. Before it even dropped to the floor, Jake was already dealing with another walker.
While he was greatly outnumbered, it didn¡¯t take him much effort to defeat all the mutants. They were all walkers, posing little danger to him. To him, they were slow and weak, and even their numbers provided little advantage to them.
Multiple enemies killed! +750 XP
Wave 1 complete!
Wave 2 will begin in 59 seconds.
Jake quickly looked around. Not a single mutant remained alive. The mutilated bodies of the walkers he¡¯d slain were scattered across the rooftop, slowly vanishing as if melting into the air. He quickly accessed his current experience bar.
XP: 805/3250
Not bad. For defeating the group of walkers, he¡¯d received three times more XP than usual. He would surely be able to level up several times during the challenge. The expensive XP booster he¡¯d acquired a few minutes earlier was definitely worth the cost.
He summoned the status of the challenge, and the info instantly materialized in his head.
Survival Challenge
Waves: 1/10
Remaining Time: 54 minutes, 27 seconds
New portals began to materialize all around him. Some of the mutants emerging from them were walkers, while others were leapers. The number of enemies in this wave was slightly higher than in the first wave. Not that it mattered. He charged at the new group of mutants, confident that he would kill them all just as easily as the previous group.
Jake sailed through the next several waves. At some point, he leveled up to 26, gaining a skill point to allocate. When the wave he engaged in at that moment ended, he quickly accessed his stats and allocated the skill point to Mind, increasing it to 5. The next two would go into Body.
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At some point, more powerful enemies began to materialize¡ªshamblers and whippers. Jake dealt with all the weaker mutants first¡ªwalkers and leapers¡ªbefore turning his full attention to the stronger foes. He was constantly moving, never lingering in one spot for more than a second. He took care of the weaker ex-humans as he moved, running past them and slashing their throats with his claws.
When it was time to face a shambler or whipper, he focused his full attention on these mutants. The organic growth covering their bodies could quickly heal the wounds he inflicted on them. That was why when he chose to target a shambler or whipper, he couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted. Once he began slashing at the selected mutant, he unleashed a relentless onslaught of brutal swings, making sure the organic growth couldn¡¯t heal their wounds fast enough, continuing to attack his enemy until it was dead.
Shamblers and whippers were powerful but rather slow. However, every so often, the shamblers would charge at him with remarkable speed. As for the whippers, although they moved slowly, they could swiftly lash out with their tentacles. Dodging these attacks was not always possible, and when a tentacle struck him, while not causing significant damage, the blow stunned him for a second. For that reason, when Jake spotted a whipper, he made it a priority to sever its tentacle as quickly as possible to prevent potential complications.
Other than that, the tougher mutants didn¡¯t trouble him much. However, there was a time when a shambler charged at him, but he noticed it a bit too late. The powerful mutant collided with him like a freight train, sending him flying backward. He then found himself propelling through an open door and tumbling down the staircase. When the impact against the wall brought his momentum to a sudden halt, Jake instantly sprang to his feet.
He found himself standing on a half-landing. A shrill cry from above prompted him to look up the steps. He saw a leaper appear in the doorway. It instantaneously leaped toward him, soaring through the air with the speed of a released spring. Jake instinctively jumped to the side and descended a few steps down the next flight of stairs. As he did so, a system message flashed through his mind.
Please return to the designated area, or the challenge will be considered a failure.
After that, a countdown starting from ten began. So descending the first flight of stairs to the first half-landing was fine, but he wasn¡¯t allowed to go any further down. Jake leaped back up to the half-landing, and the countdown immediately ceased. It took him no more than a second to deal with the leaper with one quick, powerful swipe of his claws. Having dealt with the mutant, he immediately returned to the rooftop.
From then on, he made sure not to let shamblers collide with him anymore. If one of them managed to push him off the roof, causing him to plummet ten stories down to the street, he would fail the challenge since he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the rooftop within ten seconds.
In the later waves, slashers began to materialize. They were armed with long and sharp bony appendages. Upon spotting them, he extended blades from his wrists. The slashers were really fast, and Jake had had a hard time when he encountered this type of mutant for the very first time. However, now that he had Enhanced Reflexes, his ability to dodge enemy attacks was greatly improved. Once he dealt with the slashers, he switched back to his claws and shifted his attention to other mutants.
Finally, he reached the tenth and final wave. During the brief respite, he checked the status of the challenge to see how much time remained.
Survival Challenge
Waves: 9/10
Remaining Time: 6 minutes, 38 seconds
Just a few minutes were left. He would have to give it his best to complete the challenge on time. After a few more seconds, vertical tears began to rip open. Since it was the final wave, Jake expected to face quite a lot of mutants. To his surprise, only three portals appeared, each releasing a single mutant.
Wave 10 has started!
Targets killed: 0 out of 3
Despite it being the final wave, he found himself up against just three mutants. However, as soon as he glanced at them, Jake quickly realized why the enemy count was so low for this wave¡ªall three new mutants were chasers!
Chapter 103
Chapter 103
It was the second time Jake encountered a mutant of the chaser breed. The first time was on the roof of the building where he was doing a tower-climbing challenge. Back then, he had a tough time dealing with the chaser, and now he was going to have to fight three of them at the same time.
All three of them had already fully emerged from the portals, and the rift gates immediately sealed shut behind them. For a moment, they just glared at him with their malevolent eyes, growling and flexing their fingers terminated in claws.
All three of them looked identical to the chaser he¡¯d defeated at the end of the tower-climbing challenge. They were devoid of skin, exposing their muscle tissue. Because of the absence of skin, they sported disturbingly wide grins filled with long, pointed teeth. However, as Jake knew from experience, despite possessing sharp teeth, ex-humans mostly used their long razor-sharp claws in battle.
Jake fixed his gaze on one of the three mutants and summoned its description.
Ex-Human Chaser ¨C Level 20
Special abilities:
Flurry of Swings ¨C The mutant enters a frenzy state, swinging its claws violently for a few seconds.
He quickly checked out the stats of the other two chasers and learned they were the same.
So unlike the mutant he¡¯d fought on the roof during the tower-climbing challenge, these two were regular mutants, not elite. As a result, each of them had only one special ability instead of two and was likely somewhat weaker.
The elite chaser¡¯s additional special ability was called Pursuit. It¡¯d let the chaser lock onto a target and pursue it without being distracted for a certain period of time.
Jake would have preferred the three regular chasers to have Pursuit instead of Flurry of Swings because the latter was definitely a much more dangerous ability. If all three of them simultaneously unleashed Flurries of Swings on him, he would be in serious trouble.
Before he could give the matter any more thought, the three chasers charged him all at the same time. Despite being regular mutants, they were incredibly fast, closing in on him in less than a second. Just as he raised his own claws in a defensive stance, two of the chasers attacked him. Each unleashed a barrage of swings, forcing him onto the defensive.
Step by step, Jake retreated while doing his best to deflect the enemy attacks. He quickly realized that although the chasers were fast and agile, they were definitely slower than the elite one had been. All the upgrades he¡¯d made to his attributes and skills made him significantly stronger as well. Despite being attacked by the two chasers at the same time, he managed to deflect and block most of their attacks. Every now and then, they managed to catch his body with their claws but failed to inflict much damage on his hardened body.
The third chaser was unable to find an opening. It tried to attack him from the front, but the other two ex-humans blocked its path. In the end, it decided to strike from the side. But Jake wasn¡¯t having any of that. He wasn¡¯t going to let the third chaser join the assault. He needed both his hands to deflect the attacks of the two chasers in front of him. Fortunately, he had an ability that could allow him to grow a new appendage in no time flat.
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When the third chaser finally came at him from the side, Jake immediately utilized the ability, causing a tentacle to sprout from his back. It took less than a second for it to grow to full length. He immediately lashed out with it at the mutant flanking him. The blade at the end of the tentacle slashed across the chaser¡¯s face. It managed to cut the ex-human into one of its eyes, piercing it and causing it to burst apart. The chaser stopped in its tracks, stunned by the sudden loss of half its vision. Shortly afterward, the tentacle detached and fell to the ground.
One of the two chasers in front of him suddenly employed its special ability, the Flurry of Swings. The second chaser kept its assault on him as well. Jake found it really hard to deflect their attacks now. Almost every second, he felt claws tearing and slashing at his body. Fortunately, the wounds inflicted on him were superficial and didn¡¯t result in any loss of mana.
Still, Jake felt anger rising within him. As a mutant, he hardly felt any emotion, but after being attacked by the three chasers, he suddenly became enraged. As soon as he saw an opening, he kicked at the other chaser, his foot connecting with its chest and causing the ex-human to stumble backward. Jake then darted around the other mutant and ran toward the anomaly hovering in the air at the center of the roof. He stopped a few feet from it and spun to face the chasers again.
The one still utilizing its special ability sprinted toward him, its speed accelerated by the active skill. Jake waited a moment and when the chaser was about to reach him, jumped to the side. Carried by its momentum, the chaser was unable to immediately halt its movement. The mutant ran into the effective range of the anomaly, and it instantly pushed it in the opposite direction with enough force to knock it down.
During the early waves, Jake sometimes observed weaker mutants getting too close to the anomaly. However, being weak, the only effect it had on them was to knock them to the ground. More powerful and heavier mutants like shamblers or whippers were unaffected by it. By knocking the chaser to the ground, Jake simply earned a brief moment to recollect himself and assess the situation.
The other two chasers were already moving toward him. Jake knew that if they both utilized the Flurry of Swings at the same time, he would be in trouble. The only way he could protect himself against their special abilities was by not letting them get within striking range. He had the perfect ability to do that. With a mental command, he extended a blade from each of his wrists.
The one-eyed chaser was the first to reach him. However, before the chaser could come within reach of its claws, Jake attacked it with his swords, keeping the ex-human at bay. His blades slashed at the mutant¡¯s skinless flesh, leaving long bleeding gashes across it. The chaser froze for a fraction of a second, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Before it could recover, Jake swung both blades in a scissoring manner, beheading the mutant.
He immediately turned toward another chaser. It¡¯d just activated its special ability, but before it could come within reach of its claws, Jake unleashed a violet flurry of swings, keeping the creature at a distance. In just two seconds, the mutant was bleeding from multiple wounds. One of the slashes severed its left arm at the elbow. Before the mutant could recollect itself, Jake lurched toward it, thrusting one sword into its chest. The blade went all the way through its body and burst from its back in an explosion of blood. Jake stepped back, kicking the now-dead ex-human in the chest and pulling his blade free.
He then turned toward the last enemy. Now that the other two mutants were dead, it didn¡¯t take him long to finish off the remaining chaser. Once the bleeding body of the last mutant collapsed to the ground, several system messages one by one flashed through his mind.
Multiple enemies killed. +1125 XP
Challenge complete! You have received 9,000 XP. The Enemy Appraisal perk has been unlocked.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 26 to 29. You have gained 3 SP.
He then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning around, he looked at the anomaly as it began to emit a white glow. After a second, the anomaly disappeared in a brief flash of light. Where it¡¯d just been, an object materialized in the air. It dropped to the ground with a light clunk. Jake identified it as a mana crystal, his second reward.
It was over. Having successfully completed the challenge, it was now time for him to allocate his skill points.
Chapter 104
Chapter 104
He¡¯d leveled up to 29, earning 3 skill points. As planned, he allocated two of them to Body, increasing it to 7. So he met all the requirements for the Enhanced Regeneration skill now. Upon gathering enough mana to obtain the three skills required for evolving, he would acquire all of them at the same time. He decided to keep the third skill point for the time being. Once he evolved, he would use it to increase one of his skills to the next rank.
Jake then opened his eyes and examined his body. He¡¯d sustained some injuries during the fight with the three chasers, but they were superficial, and his body was already sealing them shut.
After that, he closed his eyes again and checked his stats. He now had a new menu called Perks. It currently contained only one perk, Enemy Appraisal, which had been given to him after successfully completing the survival challenge. He read its description.
Enemy Appraisal (Rank I): Allows you to see basic information about any living being, such as its level and attributes.
Raise to Rank II: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)
He could already summon some information about a living being. His Enhanced Intelligence, which worked somewhat like a PDA, allowed him to see the level of a living being, as well as other details such as their name or special abilities if the target was a mutant. The Enemy Appraisal perk allowed him to view the attributes of a human or mutant in addition to the information previously available.
He also noticed that unlike skills and abilities, perks didn¡¯t seem to have a progression bar. To upgrade a perk to the next rank, all he needed to do was allocate a skill point to it. He really wanted to do it right away, as raising Enemy Appraisal would definitely let him see even more valuable information about his enemies. After giving the matter some thought, he decided to use his third skill point to upgrade the perk to Rank II.
After that, he checked its description one more time.
Enemy Appraisal (Rank II): Allows you to see basic information about any living being, such as its level, attributes as well as skills and abilities.
Raise to Rank III: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)
Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the top rank of a perk was. Anyway, the next time he encountered an enemy, he was going to test out the Enemy Appraisal perk on it. He was really curious to see how it worked.
He then opened his eyes, causing all the info to disappear. He walked toward the mana consumable that had materialized in the air and dropped to the rooftop when the anomaly disappeared. He picked it up.
Mana Crystal: 5,000 MP (Rare)
He clenched it in his hand, but it didn¡¯t yield to the pressure. Unlike mana consumables of lower rarity, crystals were somewhat stronger, requiring him to exert more strength than lesser mana items. He tightened his grip on the crystal, causing it to shatter. The magical energy flowed out of the fractured crystal and drifted toward his body to be absorbed by it.
Mana consumables were extremely durable. Regular survivors couldn¡¯t seem to break them, no matter how hard they tried. However, they could extract magical energy from a mana consumable with a mere thought. For some reason, unlike survivors, Jake couldn¡¯t do that. Instead, to extract mana, he needed to crush a mana consumable, and he could break it without much trouble. He wasn¡¯t sure why this was the case. Maybe his mana-infused body had something to do with it? Or, perhaps, each survivor had a secret skill or perk that allowed them to extract mana mentally, while he had a hidden skill designed specifically for him to crush mana consumables to absorb the mana stored within them?
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Jake shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. Letting the transparent crystal shards fall from his grasp, he stood up and scanned his surroundings. The night was descending rapidly, casting darkness over the city. The regular world refresh was just around the corner. Planning to dedicate the next hours to hunting for mana, Jake dashed across the rooftop and leaped to another building with a burst of magical energy.
Later on, when he encountered a walker in one of the buildings, he summoned its stats. The mutant¡¯s name and level were displayed to him. No more info popped up, though. While the walker moved toward him, Jake used the Enemy Appraisal perk on the mutant, and an additional piece of information emerged in his mind.
Ex-human Walker ¨C Level 10
Special ability: None
Attributes: Body 2, Mind 1, Magick 0
Jake tried to summon its skills and abilities, but nothing happened. He figured walkers didn¡¯t have any. Later on, he encountered a leaper and utilized Enemy Appraisal once more. He found out that a leaper had a Body attribute of 3, Mind of 2, and Magick of 0.
Jake spent most of the night searching the city for mana. By the time the darkness of the night began to dissipate, he¡¯d collected enough mana to purchase the three required skills, possessing almost thirty thousand MP in total at his disposal.
He was currently standing on the roof of a high-rise building, studying the three skills he needed to purchase from the skill store.
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Description: Grants the mutant extraordinary strength and force. With this ability, the mutant can overpower opponents, easily lift heavy objects, and excel in other physical challenges. Enhanced Strength gives the mutant a significant edge in combat situations, allowing them to deliver powerful blows as well as greatly increasing their resistance to damage.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Although Jake didn¡¯t think he needed to increase his strength, this skill improved his body''s ability to withstand damage, which was always a good thing.
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Description: Significantly improves the mutant¡¯s ability to heal severe injuries, letting their body recover at an accelerated rate while consuming the same amount of mana as before.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
This skill was supposed to let his body heal faster, sealing severe wounds at an accelerated rate. Faster healing usually resulted in increased mana consumption, but with this skill, his body should use the same amount of mana as before despite the increased healing speed.
Skill: Feral Instincts
Description: Heightens the mutant¡¯s senses to an extraordinary level, granting them keen awareness and intuition akin to a primal predator. With this skill, the mutant can perceive threats before they happen, allowing them to detect ambushes and evade attacks, staying one step ahead in any confrontation.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Of the three skills, this one appealed to him the most. He wondered how it worked. Perhaps, it was similar to the spidey-sense?
One by one, Jake purchased all three skills, spending 12,000 MP in total. He believed he now met all the requirements for evolving to Stage 2. To confirm, he summoned the evolution menu and reviewed the information.
Requirements for evolving to Stage 2
Level: 25
Attributes: Body 5, Mind 5, Magick 5
Skills:
Enhanced Senses - Rank II
Enhanced Agility - Rank II
Enhanced Intelligence - Rank II
Enhanced Reflexes - Rank I
Enhanced Strength - Rank I
Enhanced Regeneration - Rank I
Feral Instincts - Rank I
Evolve: Y/N
With all requirements satisfied, he was ready to evolve into the next stage. Without hesitation, Jake thought ¡°Yes¡±.
Chapter 105
Chapter 105
The time had come for him to undergo his evolution into Stage 2. As soon as he confirmed, the process of transforming his body into the next form began. Jake opened his eyes when he felt a strange sensation wash over him.
His transformation from a human into a mutant was very painful. However, at this moment, he felt no pain at all as his body, solely composed of a unique blend of obsidian-like material and mana, was changing into the next form. He could feel his body shift and morph in subtle ways. He was getting somewhat taller as his posture took on a slightly hunched form while his limbs extended ever so slightly. He also noticed his obsidian-black flesh was thickening and becoming denser.
The most significant change came to his face. He felt a peculiar sensation as his face began to elongate slightly. But what surprised him the most was the feeling of a mouth being formed. He had long since grown accustomed to not having a mouth and had thought he would never have one again. As it turned out, he¡¯d been mistaken. Moreover, something resembling teeth extended from his newly formed jaws.
As soon as the process was complete, a single system message flashed through his mind.
The transformation into Evolution Stage 2 is finished.
Jake examined his transformed body. He was now somewhat taller, with longer limbs and thicker skin. Other than that, his body hadn¡¯t changed much. He still had the general shape of a human being. Except for his face, of course.
He hesitantly reached up to touch his altered face. He still didn¡¯t have a nose or ears. However, his face now had a slightly elongated, snout-like structure, and sure enough, it now had a mouth filled with jagged, pointed teeth. For a moment, he kept feeling them with his fingers.
Since his body didn¡¯t have skin, he also didn¡¯t have lips. Thus, the jagged teeth were always on display. They weren¡¯t exactly teeth in the general sense of the word. Instead of being human teeth, they were natural extensions of his unique composition. They were larger than human teeth, triangular in shape, tapering to a point, and razor-sharp.
So the evolution into Stage 2 had given him a new weapon. In addition to his claws and tentacles, he could now use his jaws in battles, allowing him to bite his enemies. The thought of ripping pieces of flesh out of his enemies with his newly formed teeth filled him with a strange mix of revulsion and excitement.
He then gingerly closed his large mouth, and the jagged teeth interlocked with each other. They fit together seamlessly, forming a menacing barrier that seemed to blend flawlessly with the rest of his obsidian-like face¡ªor snout, as it seemed to be a more appropriate term now. His teeth pressed so closely together that it appeared as if he had no mouth at all when it was closed.
He tried to say something, but no sound came out. Even though he had a mouth now, he still couldn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t have any organs for producing sounds¡ªno lungs, no larynx, no vocal cords, no tongue, nothing. His body was still composed entirely of some kind of obsidian-like material, with mana stored within it.
Jake couldn¡¯t see how scary he looked because there were no reflective surfaces nearby. However, he could guess that his new ferocious appearance was a stark contrast to his formerly featureless visage. If he previously appeared scary, his menacing unblinking eyes and snout-like face filled with razor-sharp teeth should now give him an absolutely terrifying look.
Finally, Jake withdrew his hands from his face and took a few steps across the roof. Immediately, he became aware of a few things. There was a fluidity to his movements that he hadn¡¯t thought possible before. His agility and control over his body had reached a whole new level. His senses and mind had also become much sharper. He wondered why this was the case. Perhaps, he¡¯d acquired new skills? It was time to find out.
He closed his eyes and summoned his stats. Instantly, a flood of system messages filled his mind.
You have successfully evolved into Stage 2 ¡°Savage Ascent¡±. You will now receive 5 SP with each level-up.
Each of your attributes has received 20 points:
Body has gone up from 7 to 27;
Mind has gone up from 5 to 25;
Magick has gone up from 5 to 25.
The following of your abilities have been elevated from Common to Uncommon, unlocking 1 new upgrade:
Claws.
The following of your skills have been elevated from Common to Uncommon, unlocking 1 new upgrade:
Enhanced Senses;
Enhanced Agility;
Enhanced Intelligence.
The Evolution Stage 2: "Savage Ascent" section has been unlocked in the Genetic Development Interface.
You have received 5,000 XP.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 29 to 30. You have gained 5 SP.
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Wow, Jake thought. He felt a wave of excitement wash over him. Receiving 20 points for each of his attributes explained why he was more agile and had sharper senses and mind. Each of his skills that had evolved to the Uncommon rarity now had a new upgrade available for purchase. These were all very exciting developments.
Also, evolving into Stage 2 had given him 5,000 XP, causing him to level up and granting him 5 SP. The prospect of receiving five skill points upon each level-up filled him with a great sense of excitement.
Finally, he dismissed the system messages and shifted his attention to his stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 30
XP: 1750/3875
SP: 5
MP: 17,965
Body: 27
Mind: 25
Magick: 25
Claws: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 2 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (74%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank II (100%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank I (78%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Strength: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Feral Instincts: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
One by one, he used four skill points to raise Claws, Enhanced Agility, Enhanced Senses, and Enhanced Intelligence from Rank II to Rank III. He used the fifth skill point to increase Swords from Rank I to Rank II. The progress bar for each of these skills and abilities reset to zero, ready to progress once more. Each of the skills that had evolved from Common to Uncommon had a new upgrade available, but since Jake had no more skill points at the moment, he decided to check them out at a later time. He then opened the skill store.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 3 of 4
Skills: 7 of 7
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: Already Owned
It was the old section that contained skills and abilities from his previous stage, ¡°Primordial Form.¡± The only ability he had yet to acquire from this section was Smashfists. As for Bladed Tentacles, they initially were not present on the list. Instead, they were added after he completed a mutation research quest. Anyway, having evolved to Stage 2, he could now access the second section of the Genetic Development Interface. He did so with a thought.
Evolution Stage 2: "Savage Ascent" (Level 25)
Abilities: 0 of 4
Skills: 0 of 4
Ability: Gravity Leap
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: 17,000 MP
Ability: Acidic Spit
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: 20,000 MP
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: 12,000 MP
Skill: Adhesive Secretion
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35
Cost: 15,000 MP
Skill: Toxic Resistance
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: 23,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Currently, there were four skills and four abilities in the section, but Jake was aware that more could be added after he completed additional mutation research quests, as was the case with the Bladed Tentacles ability.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that all the skills and abilities in the second section were much more expensive than those in the previous one. The cheapest one was Enhanced Durability, priced at a whopping 12,000 MP. While he could purchase it, he didn¡¯t meet its attribute requirement yet. Also, buying it would have left him with only 5,000 MP, which probably wasn¡¯t all that much now. Since he had just evolved into the next form and become much more powerful, his body would likely require significantly more mana to function than before.
The requirements for the skills and abilities in the second section were also substantial. Out of curiosity, he randomly chose some of the skills and skimmed through them without paying too much attention to the descriptions. Since he couldn¡¯t buy any of them at the moment, he was mostly interested in their rarity. It turned out that each of them was of the Uncommon rarity and therefore had four available upgrades.
After Jake finished examining all the new information in both his stats and the skill store, he opened his eyes, causing all the information to disappear.
The first rays of morning sunlight touched his altered form. Having evolved into Stage 2, Jake was excited to continue his journey as a mutant, ready to tackle new challenges along the way.
Wheeling around, he ran toward the edge of the roof. With his attributes greatly increased, he moved with even more speed and agility than before. Reaching the edge of the roof, he easily launched himself toward the next building.
Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Foul water splashed in all directions as a mutated rat collapsed onto the overflowing floor of the tunnel. Jake quickly spun around to confront another creature. He found himself surrounded by several mutated rats, with more splashing through the tunnels toward the four-way intersection where the fight was unfolding. These mutated rats resembled a blend of rats and kangaroos, possessing the body size and structure of the latter, allowing them to move fast, bounding on their hind legs. They quickly closed in on Jake from all directions.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, Jake wasn¡¯t in any kind of danger. Having leveled up to 30 and evolved to Stage 2, he was now even more powerful and agile than before. Enhanced Reflexes helped him evade enemy attacks with ease, while Enhanced Strength allowed him to deal with weak mutants like mutated rats with just a few quick strikes. This skill also made his flesh more resilient to damage. Enhanced Regeneration allowed his body to heal minor injuries in just a few seconds, consuming the same amount of mana as before. Jake felt invincible now.
A sudden sense of danger flashed in his mind. It was the Feral Instincts skill at work, warning him of some kind of danger he wasn¡¯t aware of. He immediately jumped to the side, and in the next instant, the jaws of a mutated rat that had sneaked up on him from behind snapped shut on the empty spot he¡¯d just vacated. Jake struck out at the mutant, his claws sinking deeply into the flesh, nearly severing the rat¡¯s body in half.
After evolving, Jake had spent some time roaming the city, hunting down groups of ex-humans. He quickly learned that weaker types of mutants like walkers and leapers posed no threat to him at all now. Their claws and sharp teeth couldn¡¯t even penetrate his toughened flesh anymore. Even shamblers and whippers couldn¡¯t withstand his attacks for more than a few seconds now.
At some point, he stumbled upon a chaser, the most dangerous opponent he¡¯d faced so far. However, as it turned out, a mutant of the chaser breed was no longer much of a threat to him either. Thanks to the latest upgrades, Jake had become far more agile and powerful than before, outmatching the speed and agility of the chaser. He easily dodged and blocked all of its attacks, successfully landing each of his own strikes.
None of the ex-human types he currently encountered posed any threat to him anymore. He needed to find stronger enemies to level up faster. That was why he descended into the sewers. However, he quickly learned that the two types of inhabitants there were also too weak for him now.
One of the mutated rats suddenly lurched toward him, nearly succeeding in sinking its teeth into him. With the creature too close for a claw attack, it felt more natural and convenient to bite it instead. Leaning in, Jake opened his jaws wide, sinking his own teeth deeply into the creature¡¯s shoulder area. Well, those weren¡¯t actually teeth, but rather natural extensions of his body, with a triangular shape and razor-sharp edges. However, he¡¯d come to think of them as teeth. He then pulled his head back, ripping a huge chunk of flesh out of the mutated rat¡¯s body. The creature emitted a shrill cry of pain. Jake spat out the chunk of flesh before delivering the final blow to the wounded mutant.
It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d used his teeth to bite his enemies. He quickly learned that while he had a finely crafted mouth with jaws, jagged teeth, and an oral cavity, it wasn¡¯t designed for eating or breathing, as his magical body had no need for either function. With no throat cavity, he was unable to swallow anything placed in his mouth, even if he desired to. It appeared that the sole function of his jaws filled with sharp teeth was for use as a weapon.
Finally, he dealt with the last of the mutated rats. He glanced around, but there were no more enemies in sight. The sewers were once again quiet. Jake chose a direction that led into a section of the sewers he hadn¡¯t yet explored during this trip and continued on.
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For some time, he traversed the dark and damp tunnels without encountering any more mutants. He''d been in the underground tunnels for a while now, having dealt with lots of mutants. It was all quiet now. Putrid water trickled along the tunnel floors. Here and there, murky water ran in rivulets down the walls as well. A foul scent permeated the air wherever he went. It was a truly unpleasant place to be in, but Jake remained unfazed by that.
In some areas, sunlight filtered in through the cracks above, but the deeper sections of the sewers were shrouded in total darkness. His incredible sight allowed him to see extremely well in the dark. Unperturbed by the lack of light, the foul scent, and the damp, dirty conditions of the sewers, he continued to navigate the underground tunnels.
Aside from the gurgle emanating from the running water and the splashes from his footsteps, silence enveloped the tunnels. He¡¯d been in the sewers for a while now, having dealt with most of their inhabitants. Unable to find any more mutants to kill, he decided not to waste any more time and turned back.
At some point, he suddenly encountered a devourer, a mutant breed that resembled an alligator with the body and size of a grizzly bear. Having encountered a few devourers in the last half-hour of his journey through the sewers, he was aware that this mutant posed no threat to him anymore. While a devourer could move quite fast in a straight line and was extremely strong, it was clumsy and sluggish, unable to turn quickly. Jake danced around the massive mutant, striking out at it with his claws.
It took him about fifteen seconds to deal with the monster. When the devourer collapsed to the ground, sending splashes of filthy water in all directions, a system notification appeared in his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 30 to 31. You have gained 5 SP.
Getting five skill points instead of just one was really nice. However, Jake decided to get out of the sewers before allocating them.
On his way back, he passed the door that led to a dungeon. He gave a mental command to appraise the door, prompting a piece of information to surface in his mind.
Name: The Maze of Torment
Floors: 5
Recommended Level: 15-20
He knew that he couldn¡¯t open the door without a Skeleton Key. It was really a shame. The dungeon was designated for levels 15-20, and he was already at level 31, well above the recommended range of levels for the dungeon. Nonetheless, once he obtained a Skeleton Key, he planned to explore the dungeon and uncover its secrets. Only he still had no idea where to find a Skeleton Key. Perhaps, being a mutant, he wasn¡¯t even supposed to get one. Could it be that only regular survivors could obtain them by completing some special missions?
Once Jake returned to street level, he entered the nearest high-rise building, ascended the stairs, and a minute later emerged onto the rooftop. A magical anomaly hovered above the surface, positioned near the center of the roof.
Jake had been on this roof before, so he was well aware of the anomaly¡¯s presence there. However, out of habit, he appraised it with a thought. To his surprise, a system message popped up in his head.
A challenge is available!
See the details: Y/N
This anomaly hadn¡¯t had a challenge to offer before. How come it had one now? Jake didn¡¯t know, so he simply accepted.
Speed Trial: Reach all the waypoints before time runs out.
Time Limit: 15 seconds
Waypoints: 15
Difficulty: Hard
Recommended Stats: Evolution Stage 2 ¡°Savage Ascent¡±, Level 30, Body 25
Reward: 5,000 XP, 20,000 MP, the Mana Vision perk
Accept: Y/N
So this challenge was designed for Evolution Stage 2. When Jake first encountered it, he¡¯d been at Stage 1, which was likely the reason the challenge hadn¡¯t been shown to him then.
He reviewed the rewards for the challenge once more. If he successfully completed the speed trial, in addition to XP and MP, he would receive Mana Vision. He wasn¡¯t sure what this perk was for, but it clearly had something to do with mana. Jake was eager to find out what this perk did.
Without giving the matter more thought, he thought ¡°Yes¡±. As soon as he accepted, a brief message emerged in his mind.
Challenge accepted! The speed trial will begin shortly.
Jake readied himself to spring into action.
Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Jake sailed across the gap between two buildings, the wind rushing against his body. A second later, he landed on the other rooftop and immediately sprinted toward a shaft of light rising from the center of the roof¡ªa waypoint.
As soon as he reached the beacon, it disappeared.
+15 seconds
Jake slowed down a bit to locate the next waypoint. In the distance, to his right, he spotted another column of light emanating from the rooftop of a building several high-rises away. Jake wasted no time adjusting his course.
He quickly summoned the status of the challenge.
Speed Trial Progression
Waypoints: 11/15
Remaining Time: 17.72 seconds
He was nearing the end of the speed trial, with just a few more waypoints to go. While the difficulty of this challenge was hard, he actually found it relatively easy. His speed and acrobatic skills allowed him to reach each waypoint with several seconds to spare. All the beacons appeared on rooftops, so all he needed to do was run and jump from one rooftop to another. There were no mutants or anomalies along his path, allowing him to focus entirely on the task at hand. Upon reaching a waypoint, fifteen seconds were added to the countdown, giving him just enough time to reach the next one without the timer completely running out.
Finally, there remained the last beam of light that he needed to reach. Unlike all the previous ones, it was a different color to indicate it was the finish line, as it were. It didn¡¯t take Jake long to reach it. Notably, the final waypoint was located on the roof where the anomaly that had triggered the speed trial was. Once he reached it, a notification appeared in his mind.
Speed Trial complete! You have received 5,000 XP. You have received the Mana Vision perk.
Immediately after that, another notification popped up.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 31 to 32. You have gained 5 SP.
Completing speed trials was definitely the easiest and fastest way to level up. Jake hoped he would encounter more of them in the future. Perhaps, now that he was at Evolution Stage 2, more anomalies would have challenges to offer. That would be really nice.
Then something strange happened. The anomaly began to shrink as bluish energy flowed out of it toward him, being absorbed by his body. A second later, the anomaly ceased to exist.
You have received 20,000 MP.
So he now had 10 skill points to allocate and over 30,000 mana points. He¡¯d also gained Mana Vision, but before figuring out what this perk was for, he wanted to assign his skill points and maybe use some of his MP to obtain new skills. He closed his eyes and summoned the Genetic Development Interface. For a moment, he browsed through the second section of the skill store.
The skill that was the most affordable and had the easiest requirements to meet was Enhanced Durability: it cost only 12,000 MP and required his Body attribute to be at 30. Next came the Adhesive Secretion skill and the Gravity Leap ability. The former cost 15,000 MP, and its requirements were Body at 40 and Magick at 35. The latter cost 17,000 MP, and its requirements were Body at 43, Mind at 40, and Magick at 37. Although both of these skills piqued his interest, when he reviewed his attributes, he realized it would be a little while before he could acquire them.
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Body: 27
Mind: 25
Magick: 25
For now, he could put three skill points into Body and buy Enhanced Durability. However, after pondering for a moment, he chose not to do so right now. Instead, he opted to use his current skill points to obtain some new upgrades for the skills and abilities he already possessed. Later, he would acquire Enhanced Durability and then work toward Adhesive Secretion and Gravity Leap.
So he decided to obtain some upgrades for the skills and abilities he already had. First, he checked the available upgrades for Claws. He¡¯d already acquired two upgrades for this ability: one to strengthen his claws and another to reduce the transformation time from hands to claws. Another upgrade was available to increase the length of his claws, but he¡¯d never obtained it because he saw no need to increase their reach.
After raising the rarity of the ability from Common to Uncommon, a fourth upgrade was unlocked. Jake checked it out.
4 - Enhance Claws to be capable of tearing apart solid materials like metal with ease. Cost: 1 SP (Requirements: Body 25, Enhanced Strength)
It was an uncommon upgrade, so while it cost 1 SP just like common ones, it had its own set of requirements. Luckily, his Body was at 27, and he¡¯d already acquired Enhanced Strength, allowing him to get the upgrade. He spent one skill point to acquire it.
He¡¯d obtained all three available upgrades for Swords, and since this ability was still Common, it didn¡¯t have a fourth upgrade yet. Enhanced Agility, on the other hand, had already been elevated to Uncommon, unlocking a new upgrade. Jake checked it out.
4 - Achieve superior balance and coordination, gaining precise and fluid movements while maintaining control and stability in various dynamic situations like battles or climbing. Cost: 1 SP (Requirements: Body 22)
He acquired it by spending another skill point. He¡¯d never obtained any upgrades for Enhanced Senses or Enhanced Intelligence, so it was time to fix that now. Both of these skills had been elevated to the Uncommon rarity, each unlocking a fourth upgrade. He first checked out the Enhanced Senses skill.
Upgrade Options (Uncommon):
1 - Heighten sensory perception to detect faint sounds and subtle movements, discovering secrets, hidden enemies, or potential ambushes. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Develop nearly perfect night vision. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Improve the sense of smell to identify scents from great distances and differentiate between various odors. Cost: 1 SP
4 - Enhance tactile sensitivity for better touch perception to detect vibrations or subtle movements through touch. Cost: 1 SP (Requirements: Mind 25)
Jake used four skill points to acquire all of these upgrades. He then checked out the available upgrades for the Enhanced Intelligence skill.
Upgrade Options (Uncommon):
1 - Greatly enhance memory for faster information processing. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Analyze the behaviors of various living beings to predict their next moves and learn their intentions, motivations, and potential reactions in various situations. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Quickly come up with effective strategies for defeating enemies and overcoming challenges. Cost: 1 SP
4 - Develop a heightened sense of intuition to predict possible outcomes in various situations, quickly finding solutions and adapting to changing circumstances. Cost: 1 SP (Requirements: Mind 25)
Jake used his last four skill points to acquire all these upgrades. With that, all ten skill points were spent.
Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Jake opened his eyes. He¡¯d just acquired several upgrades for his skills and abilities. He didn¡¯t feel any different from before, but it didn¡¯t surprise him. He knew that some of the recently acquired upgrades would only show their effects under specific conditions. For now, he decided it would be beneficial to sum them up. As a reward for successfully completing the recent speed trial, he¡¯d also gained the Mana Vision perk. However, he wanted to address the upgrades first.
Morphing his hands into claws, he quickly inspected them. They appeared unchanged, but they should now be powerful enough to rip and tear solid materials like metal without much trouble. There were currently no objects nearby for him to use his claws on, but an opportunity to test the upgrade would surely present itself at some point.
It was the same with the upgrade he¡¯d acquired for Enhanced Agility. Right now, he didn¡¯t feel any effects from the new upgrade, but in battles or active physical activities like climbing, he should have much better control over his body.
He¡¯d acquired all four available upgrades for Enhanced Intelligence. The first one was supposed to significantly improve his memory. The second one should allow him to analyze his enemies to predict their intentions and potential actions.
The other two were more interesting. The third one should let him quickly come up with strategies for defeating enemies and overcoming challenges. The fourth one was supposed to give him a sense of intuition to predict the outcomes of various situations. Combined, these two upgrades should be greatly beneficial in battles as well as various dangerous situations where quick decision-making was crucial for his survival.
He¡¯d also acquired four upgrades for Enhanced Senses, further improving all his senses. His sense of smell should allow him to detect a wider range of scents than before. He concentrated on it for a moment, but there weren¡¯t many distinct scents in his vicinity.
His improved sense of hearing could let him hear even the faintest noises, aiding in detecting ambushes, which would surely come in handy. The upgrade to his eyesight was designed to improve his night vision. While he could already see well in the dark, this upgrade promised nearly flawless night vision. Since it was currently daytime, he couldn¡¯t put it to the test, though.
The most interesting upgrade for Enhanced Senses was the fourth one, which enhanced his sense of touch. It was designed to allow him to perceive even the faintest vibrations through touch. He decided to test it out.
He still stood on the roof of a high-rise building. The soles of his mutated feet were very thick, dampening most sensations. He crouched down and placed the palm of his right hand on the surface. At first, he didn¡¯t feel much. He closed his eyes and concentrated solely on his tactile sensations. Gradually, he detected faint vibrations through his palm, but he wasn¡¯t sure what they meant. They seemed to originate from the depths of the building.
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Then something happened. At first, he thought the vibrations were intensifying for some reason. Almost immediately, he realized he was mistaken. His acute sense of hearing picked up distant rumbling sounds. They were emanating from somewhere behind him, steadily growing louder.
He immediately opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. Turning around, he gazed into the distance where the sounds seemed to be coming from. At first, all he saw was the sky obscured with gray clouds. Gradually, he discerned a dot blackening against the gloomy backdrop. Something was flying in his general direction.
The low thudding noise grew louder by the second: rapid beats accompanied by a rumbling sound. Although the flying vehicle was still too distant to make out any details, Jake had already identified it as a helicopter. It was steadily approaching the building where he stood. A few moments later, the helicopter came into view.
As it neared the rooftop where Jake stood, he examined the rotorcraft. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sight before him. In his previous life as a regular survivor, he¡¯d driven a pickup truck he¡¯d come across in a parking garage. He also saw other survivors drive cars. While they were functional, those vehicles were old, rusty, and battered. They looked exactly like vehicles one would expect to encounter in a post-apocalyptic setting.
The helicopter drifting closer and closer to his building was very different, though. Not only did it appear brand-new, but it also looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Its futuristic design reminded him of the high-altitude aircraft from which airdrops were deployed. He¡¯d never found out if those aircraft were piloted or worked solely autonomously. He remembered thinking that they could potentially be entirely controlled by an AI, which operated under the System.
The noise of the rotor blades and the engine grew louder as the helicopter continued to draw closer. Given the similarities in futuristic design between those aircraft and the approaching helicopter, Jake first thought the latter might also be AI-controlled. However, as it drew closer, he made out the pilot behind the cockpit glass. His head was inclined, turning from side to side as if looking for something or somebody on the streets below.
One of the helicopter¡¯s side sliding doors was open, exposing a mounted heavy-caliber machine gun manned by another person. Both the pilot and the door gunner were scanning the streets below, unaware of his presence yet. Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that each of them had a red scarf wrapped around their necks.
Moreover, while the helicopter was entirely black, it featured a crude image of a human skull with two curved horns hand-drawn in red paint on its nose and each side door. Los Demonios again, huh? The helicopter seemed incredibly new, almost as though it¡¯d just been assembled in the factory. The hand-drawn demon-skull symbols appeared fresh as well, and his keen sense of smell picked up the lingering scent of paint.
So many questions swirled in his mind. Were these guys actually from the gang? He already knew that the members of this gang, whom he¡¯d mentally dubbed ¡°the Demons,¡± were well-equipped, but he¡¯d never imagined they had access not only to a variety of land vehicles but aircraft as well. How did they manage to acquire a helicopter? Why didn¡¯t any of the other survivors he encountered have one? Why did their helicopter look futuristic instead of being worn and weathered like all the other vehicles found in this post-apocalyptic world?
Jake didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it, though. Both the pilot and the door gunner spotted him. The helicopter moved closer, then turned so that the side with the door gunner faced him. Clouds of dust whipped up from the rooftop, caught in its downwash as the helicopter hovered motionlessly several yards from the building. The door gunner stared right at him, and the pilot had his head turned to look in his direction as well. Their expressions of surprise made it clear they¡¯d never encountered a mutant like him before.
The door gunner subtly adjusted the machine gun barrel and then opened fire on Jake.
Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Right before the door gunner opened fire on him, a couple of possible scenarios ran through Jake¡¯s mind. He could run across the roof and jump toward the helicopter. It was only a few yards away and slightly higher than the roof, so he was certain he would be able to make the jump without much trouble.
Would he be able to cling to the helicopter, though? The best option was to jump toward the open door and grab hold of the machine gun or the edges of the door to prevent himself from falling. But he would need to run across the roof in a straight line, while the door gunner would be shooting at him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid getting hit. And if he tried to dodge the bullets, he wouldn¡¯t be able to build up enough momentum to make the jump.
While his mutated body was extremely durable and resilient to damage, the heavy-caliber machine gun looked powerful enough to do a number on his body. A few hits might not be enough to kill him, but it would definitely slow him down. Also, getting hit while airborne could disrupt his momentum, possibly preventing him from reaching the helicopter altogether.
So running and jumping directly toward the door where the door gunner stood was too risky.
Another option was to try to jump toward the nose of the helicopter. His claws were powerful enough to pierce through the metal shell of the chopper. His enhanced strength and agility should allow him to cling to the helicopter. The pilot would undoubtedly attempt to dislodge him from the craft, but it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. The pilot wouldn¡¯t be too reckless about it for fear of losing control of the chopper and potentially causing a crash. The next step would be to either break the windshield or make his way to the open door.
Although the second option carried risks, it seemed more likely to succeed.
All these predictions and calculations flashed through his mind in a millisecond, thanks to his upgraded Enhanced Intelligence.
However, in the end, Jake decided not to take any action against the Demons, even though he was confident that if he attempted the second option, he would likely succeed. Although his chances of boarding their helicopter were favorable, he decided not to attempt it. Since he¡¯d previously made a decision to avoid unnecessary confrontations with humans, it was best to adhere to that choice.
Having decided to flee rather than fight the two Demons in the black helicopter, he spun around just as the door gunner opened fire on him. He immediately leaped to the side just before the heavy-caliber rounds stitched a line of holes through the rooftop where he¡¯d been standing a fraction of a second before. He dashed across the roof at his top speed.
Running away from those he saw as prey felt wrong. He was a predator now, so he shouldn¡¯t run away unless being severely wounded or facing serious danger that called for a tactical retreat. Which wasn¡¯t the case at that moment. He was confident he could eliminate the two humans inside the helicopter without much difficulty.
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His inhuman mind worked notably differently from a human¡¯s, making his predatory instincts scream at him to show the audacious humans that they should be the ones fleeing, not him. The urge to stop fleeing and fight back was so strong he even slowed down for a moment, his instincts of a predator battling with common sense for control over his actions.
As soon as he slowed down, he felt a punch to his back as one of the heavy-caliber rounds hit him. The impact was so powerful it made him stumble. He immediately felt anger rise within him. As a mutant, he hardly ever experienced emotions. However, at that moment, the realization that he was forcing himself to flee from his prey instead of confronting it stirred feelings of anger within him. It took him by surprise. He had never felt this way before.
Even though he couldn¡¯t see the bullet wound on his back, he could sense it was quite large. The material his body was made of was quite robust, preventing the round from passing through completely. However, the hole it¡¯d punched in his back was large enough to cause mana to seep out. He currently had plenty of mana stored within him, but losing that precious magical energy was never a good thing. It only fueled the anger he felt.
That was when his inner beast stirred from its slumber. It immediately began whispering and urging him to stop running and fight the two foolish humans who had dared to attack him. It was urging him to assert his dominance and show the humans who was the ultimate predator there. This realization sobered Jake to some extent. He once again remembered his principle of avoiding conflicts with humans unless absolutely necessary. He refused to let his inner beast dictate to him what to do. He had to preserve what little humanity was left within him.
So instead of turning around and confronting the two audacious Demons inside the helicopter, he resumed sprinting across the rooftop. Upon reaching its edge, he leaped over the gap to another high-rise building. Once he landed, he glanced over his shoulder. The door gunner couldn¡¯t take proper aim because Jake was now too far away. The Demon stopped shooting, and the chopper pivoted toward Jake before giving chase.
Persistent, ain¡¯tcha? he thought.
He continued to run. After jumping to another rooftop, he glanced back again. The helicopter was still in pursuit, closing in rapidly. It was incredibly fast, indicating that giving it the slip wouldn¡¯t be easy. So instead of fleeing, he decided to seek refuge inside one of the buildings. Sprinting across the rooftop, he leaped to the next high-rise. He didn¡¯t need to look back to know the helicopter was almost on top of him¡ªthe thudding of its rotor blades and the downwash they caused were unmistakable signs.
Jake entered the staircase and went down one flight of steps, stopping on the top half-landing. There was no need to descend any further. He waited, listening to the sound of rotor blades coming from outside, wondering whether the helicopter would touch down on the roof or not. If the two Demons were foolish enough to follow him into the building, it would be a grave mistake on their part.
For a moment, he listened. Judging from the sounds outside, the chopper was hovering above the rooftop. Then, the hum of the engine intensified slightly before starting to fade out. The helicopter was moving away. The Demons had decided not to chase him anymore. It was a good decision, for sure. It might have saved their lives because Jake wasn¡¯t sure for how long he could have kept his inner beast restrained.
He waited until the sound was barely audible before getting back up on the roof. He glanced around, looking for the helicopter. He spotted it heading northeast, quickly moving away from his position. Jake watched as it became a mere speck against the gray sky. A moment later, it disappeared completely.
Chapter 110
Chapter 110
For a moment, Jake remained where he was, staring into the distance where the chopper had just disappeared. He was deep in thought. In retrospect, when the two people aboard the helicopter noticed him, he could¡¯ve waved at them. Since they didn¡¯t immediately attack him, he could¡¯ve attempted to demonstrate that he was an intelligent being, not a mindless creature like the other ex-humans.
However, at that time, the thought of trying to communicate with the two of them hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. Now that he was reflecting on it, he understood why.
Sure, he could communicate with humans, but it wasn¡¯t all that easy for him to do. There was a time when a group of survivors he¡¯d encountered tried to kill him, even though he raised his hands and shook his head, doing his best to express his reluctance to fight. Only one of them, a young woman named Elena, took notice, while the rest disregarded his attempts to communicate and opened fire on him. Survivors saw him as a terrifying monster with a strange body and menacing, emotionless eyes. Now that he¡¯d evolved into the next form, he looked even more frightening than before.
So, while he¡¯d previously wanted to convey to people that he wasn¡¯t just a mindless mutant, he now realized he no longer cared about it. In the initial days following his transformation, he¡¯d really wanted to demonstrate his intelligence to others. In his very first endeavor to communicate with humans as a mutant, he tried to show Isra and her companions that he was an intelligent being like them. At that time, it¡¯d appeared important to him for some reason. However, it was no longer the case.
He didn¡¯t care what survivors thought about him anymore. He no longer cared if they deemed him just a mindless monster and had no intention of trying to convince them otherwise anymore. He no longer had any desire to communicate with them. After all, he now had very different goals and needs from those of humans. So there was simply no reason to go out of his way to convince every single survivor he met that he was sentient.
Besides, as he¡¯d recently learned, he was a monster. While a fragment of his humanity remained, he recognized that he was at least fifty percent a monster, and he¡¯d fully embraced his monster nature by now. So there was no point in trying to convince humans he wasn¡¯t a monster while he actually was, and he saw no reason to needlessly interact with them anymore.
Giving the matter no more thought, he surveyed the area. High-rise buildings surrounded him, some reaching the same height as the building he stood on, while others loomed much higher. Before continuing his journey, he wanted to check something.
He closed his eyes and summoned the perk menu. He currently had two perks at his disposal: Enemy Appraisal (Rank II) and Mana Vision (Rank I). The first one allowed him to view basic information about mutants or humans, including their attributes, skills, abilities, and whatnot. Jake was already familiar with how Enemy Appraisal worked, so he shifted his attention to Mana Vision. He¡¯d recently acquired this perk but hadn¡¯t had the chance to check it out yet.
Mana Vision (Rank I): Allows you to detect nearby sources of mana.
Raise to Rank II: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)
This perk seemed to be extremely useful. Jake opened his eyes and attempted to use it. However, nothing happened. As far as he knew, perks were activated with a single thought. He pondered for a moment, wondering why the perk didn¡¯t work. A realization dawned on him. He shut his eyes and tried to use Mana Vision once more. This time, the perk worked.
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He saw blue glowing lights materialize before him. He made a slow three-sixty, noticing plenty of them around him. Jake immediately realized the strange radiant lights indicated the locations of mana consumables. Some were positioned far below him, likely at street level, while others appeared to float in the air at different heights, suggesting that these mana items were located on various floors of different buildings.
Some of the blue lights were about an inch in diameter while the others were much smaller. Initially, Jake thought the size difference indicated the distance to the sources of mana. However, he soon realized he was mistaken. The distance to the mana sources was actually indicated by their brightness¡ªthose lights that were farther away were dimmer.
So the difference in size of the glowing lights indicated the size of the actual mana consumables. The tiny lights, resembling dots, likely represented the smallest mana consumables like beads or marbles, holding 100 and 250 MP respectively. The larger lights could represent shards and chunks, corresponding to 500 and 1,000 MP respectively.
Jake continued to slowly pivot until he completed a full circle. The glowing lights that were far from him were barely visible. He couldn¡¯t see the distribution of mana consumables throughout the entire city. According to his calculations, the Mana Vision perk had an effective range of about five hundred yards. Raising the perk to the next Rank would likely increase the diameter of its effective range.
Anyway, this perk was undoubtedly very useful. Thanks to it, finding mana consumables would no longer be any trouble at all. By using Mana Vision, he would be able to collect mana quickly and would always have enough amounts of this precious energy for both sustaining his magical body and acquiring new skills and abilities.
Jake turned toward the nearest blue glowing light. It hovered somewhat lower than his current position. The light was quite small, indicating it was either a bead or a marble. After committing its location to memory, Jake opened his eyes. In front of him stood another building, and the mana consumable he¡¯d just located should be on one of the lower floors. He ran across the rooftop and leaped toward the building.
He discovered that the staircase was completely destroyed. With all the steps missing, the staircase had been turned into an empty shaft running all the way down to the first floor. However, there were pieces of rebar protruding from the walls, providing plenty of handholds. Stepping to the edge of the doorway, he jumped down and grabbed hold of the nearest piece of rebar sticking out from one wall, breaking his fall.
Dangling from the piece of rebar, gripping it with one hand, Jake closed his eyes and activated Mana Vision once again. The glowing light indicated that the mana consumable he was after was located roughly two floors below him. He opened his eyes and proceeded with his descent down the shaft, using his legs to push off the walls, leaping from one handhold to the next. Occasionally, he shut his eyes to verify the location of the mana item.
Finally, he descended to the same level as the mana consumable. He pushed off the wall, letting go of the piece of rebar he held on to, propelling himself to soar across the shaft. Twisting his body in midair to align with his trajectory, he smoothly glided through the open doorway and landed on his feet, sticking the landing.
For a moment, he listened, but no sound reached him. This building, or at least this floor, appeared to be devoid of mutants. He used Mana Vision once more to orient himself, then turned in the correct direction and began searching for the mana item. It didn¡¯t take him long to find it: the mana item was in one of the rooms, lying on the floor amid piles of debris. As he¡¯d anticipated, it was a mana bead containing a meager 100 MP.
After using Mana Vision once more to confirm there were no more mana consumables in the building, he returned to the shaft. He jumped toward a piece of rebar, grabbing hold of it. He effortlessly pulled himself up onto it, maintaining perfect balance as he perched on it. Spotting another piece of rebar above him, protruding from the opposite wall, he jumped up and grabbed it with both hands.
He continued to ascend the shaft, climbing without any trouble whatsoever, thanks to all the agility and acrobatic skills as well as upgrades to them he¡¯d acquired in the past several days. Within a couple of minutes, he was back on the roof. He activated Mana Vision to pinpoint the next nearest mana consumable, situated a couple of high-rises away from his current position. Opening his eyes, he sprinted across the roof and leaped to the next building.
Chapter 111
Chapter 111
Jake continued hunting for mana for some time, using Mana Vision to locate mana items. Initially, he gathered all types of mana consumables but then opted to focus solely on the larger ones like shards and chunks. By that point, he¡¯d collected nearly forty thousand mana points. Mana Vision proved to be an extremely useful perk. With the amount he¡¯d collected, he could already afford to purchase a couple of skills from the Genetic Development Interface. However, the skills designed for Evolution Stage 2 had quite demanding requirements. He needed to level up a few more times to upgrade his attributes before he could purchase any of them.
Jake entered another building to find the top floor teeming with mutants. There were also several replication pods hanging from the ceiling. Dealing with the mutants didn¡¯t take long. Once the last of them was taken care of, he turned his attention to the replication pods. He stepped to the closest one, claws poised for attack.
Through the transparent cocoon could be seen a mutant of the walker breed in the process of being developed. Jake gazed inside for a moment, and when he was about to slash his claws at the pod, a system notification flashed through his mind.
New Mutation Research!
Objective: Analyze replication pods with five different types of mutants within.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Mind Reader (Uncommon Ability)
Accept: Y/N
It was the second time Jake had encountered a quest of this type. The previous quest had tasked him with analyzing three different mutants being developed in replication pods. As a reward for completing the quest, he¡¯d earned the Bladed Tentacles ability.
This quest was very similar to the previous one. It required him to analyze five creatures instead of three as before, and its difficulty was hard. Other than that, this quest didn¡¯t differ from the last one.
The reward was an ability called Mind Reader. Jake wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it did or how it worked, but judging from the name alone, this ability seemed quite interesting. It was of the uncommon rarity, too, which meant it would have four upgrades available for unlocking instead of the usual three.
Jake accepted the quest and gazed into the pod in front of him. He anticipated a message saying that the first mutant type had been analyzed to appear in his mind, but to his surprise, it didn¡¯t happen. Perhaps he needed to wait a bit longer? He continued to stare into the pod, watching the mutant being created inside. It was in the early stages of development, but he could already tell it was going to be a walker.
Finally, a notification emerged in his mind. Only it wasn¡¯t the one he¡¯d expected.
You have already analyzed this creature.
Well, that was disappointing. It turned out that he had to find pods with mutants he hadn¡¯t analyzed before. Although it was a new quest, the creatures he¡¯d analyzed during the previous mutation research quest couldn¡¯t be counted again. He¡¯d previously analyzed three types of mutants being developed in replication pods: a walker, a leaper, and a shambler. Therefore, he now had to locate pods producing mutant types other than these three.
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Jake walked around the room, peering into each of the pods. However, every pod in the room contained either a walker or a leaper. He waited. When the mutants emerged from the cocoons, he dealt with them and then checked the pods once more. After releasing the fully developed mutants, they sealed shut and began to create new ones. However, when Jake peered into them, he saw they were in the process of creating walkers and leapers again. He decided to wait a bit longer.
When a fresh batch of fully-developed mutants emerged, he quickly killed them all and examined the replication pods again. To his dismay, they were once again producing walkers and leapers. Losing patience, Jake tore the cocoons to shreds with his claws. It seemed that these particular replication pods could only create walkers and leapers.
He searched through the other floors, but there were no more replication pods anywhere in the building. It sucked. He¡¯d completed the very first mutation research quest pretty quickly because he was able to find pods with three different creatures within the same building. His current quest, however, was definitely going to take longer to complete. It seemed he would need to visit multiple buildings containing replication pods before being able to complete the quest.
For the next hour or so, Jake combed through several buildings, looking for those containing replication pods. Since he didn¡¯t have any means to locate replication pods in advance, he couldn¡¯t know which buildings had them and which didn¡¯t. Thus, he simply had to rely on luck, choosing buildings at random.
At first, he used Mana Vision to locate mana consumables so he could kill two birds with one stone: collect mana and come across replication pods in the process. However, later on, he decided to stop looking for mana items for now and fully concentrate on completing his quest first.
He would jump to a building, thoroughly search it for replication pods from the top floor to the first one, then return to the roof and leap to another building. He moved very quickly, disregarding any distractions, not even bothering to kill any mutants he encountered unless they impeded his progress.
At some point, he located a pod where a slasher was being created. He analyzed the creature, causing his quest to finally progress. A little later, in another building, he found two more different types of mutants being created in replication pods: a chaser and a whipper. After analyzing them, he quickly destroyed the pods to prevent the mutants from being released.
After a few more trips to different buildings, Jake discovered another one filled with replication pods on one floor. In one of them, he located a new type of mutant he hadn¡¯t analyzed before. The creature being created inside the pod was massive, stretching the confines of the cocoon almost to the point of rupturing. Jake identified the creature being developed as a bloater, a mutant capable of spewing torrents of acid.
Creature analyzed. The status of mutation research has been updated.
He closed his eyes and summoned the quest menu. The active one stood at the top of the list, with all the completed quests listed below. He focused on the current one to check its status.
Status: In Progress (4 of 5)
Only one mutant type remained to be analyzed before the quest would be complete. Jake struck out with his claws at the pod before him, shredding both the cocoon and the underdeveloped bloater. He then examined the other pods hanging from the ceiling, but all of them contained mutant types he¡¯d already analyzed. Despite this, Jake remained in high spirits. He only needed to locate one more pod with an unanalyzed mutant to finish his quest. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he found it. He was on the brink of completing the quest.
After returning to the rooftop of the building he currently occupied, Jake took a moment to look around and gather his bearings. He chose a direction, but before he could proceed, he heard a familiar sound from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a helicopter flying over the rooftops.
It was the same chopper that had attacked him some time ago. At the moment, it was too far away for him to worry about. The two occupants of the helicopter weren¡¯t just flying around the city for no reason. Instead, they appeared to be searching for something. Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they were looking for.
However, what humans did was not his concern. Picking a direction away from the black helicopter, he resumed his search.
Chapter 112
Chapter 112
With a quick slash of his sword, Jake severed an arm of one of the slashers that had just charged him. Dumbfounded, the mutant just stared at the dark blood pouring from the stump of its arm, which had just been severed at the elbow. Before the mutant could recover, Jake lunged toward it, thrusting his sword into the slasher¡¯s chest. The blade plunged deeply into its body, bursting out of its back in an explosion of gore.
Enemy killed. +250 XP
Two more slashers charged at him from different directions. He yanked his sword free, and the now-dead mutant collapsed to the floor. Jake quickly spun to face one of the two slashers, swinging one of his blades to block the mutant¡¯s sword. He then kicked hard at the slasher¡¯s chest, causing the mutant to stumble backward. Immediately, he ducked as the second slasher swung its sword at him and struck out with his left blade. Its tip cut diagonally across the mutant¡¯s upper body, drawing blood.
In his expanded peripheral vision, he saw the other slasher lunging at him. Jake lurched at the mutant in front of him, plunging the tip of his left sword into its throat. At the same time, he gave a mental command to grow a tentacle from his back. It sprouted from his flesh in less than a second, and he immediately lashed it out at the slasher approaching him from the side. The blade at the end of the tentacle sank into one of its eyeballs, turning it into a pulp, and then penetrated its brain, killing the mutant instantly. Jake then yanked his blade from the other slasher¡¯s throat and immediately swung both his swords in a scissoring manner, beheading the creature.
Multiple enemies killed. +500 XP
He heard a disgusting wet sound and spun in that direction. He saw one of the nearby replication pods unfurl like a weird fleshy blossom. A fully-formed mutant emerged from within. The new mutant was completely devoid of skin, and Jake immediately recognized it as a chaser. It was the most dangerous monster he¡¯d encountered so far. He retracted his blades as the chaser burst into a run toward him. Upon reaching him, the chaser immediately unleashed its special ability, the Flurry of Swings.
However, having evolved into Stage 2, Jake was now much faster and more agile than he¡¯d been the last time he dealt with this type of ex-human. The chaser lashed out at him over and over again with remarkable speed, but Jake managed to block each strike with his own claws. At one point, he spotted an opening and kicked the chaser in the chest, stunning it for a fraction of a second. He immediately took advantage of that, lashing out with one clawed hand and ripping a huge chunk of flesh out of its throat. Blood pouring like a faucet, the chaser took a couple of shaky steps toward him before collapsing to the floor, dead.
Enemy killed. +350 XP
The chaser was incredibly fast and agile, and its body was remarkably resilient to damage. However, even this type of mutant no longer posed much of a challenge to Jake. It¡¯d taken him less than thirty seconds to deal with this extremely dangerous opponent.
A flash of danger suddenly registered in his mind. It was his Feral Instincts warning him of a nearby threat. Having learned to trust it, he immediately jumped to the side. And none too soon as a long, whip-like tentacle lashed out at the empty spot where he¡¯d just been. Glancing back, Jake saw a whipper that must just have emerged from one of the pods suspended from the ceiling. The mutant retracted its tentacle and struck out at Jake once more. This time, he was ready. As the tentacle neared him, he countered by striking it with a sword he¡¯d extended from one wrist a second before, severing the tentacle in half.
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He then sprinted toward the whipper, retracting the blade again. He found using his claws instead of swords to handle powerful mutants like shamblers and whippers to be more effective. Launching a fierce barrage of slashes at the whipper, he tore through its organic protective layer with ease.
After all the recent upgrades, dealing with powerful and well-protected enemies like shamblers and whippers had become a pretty easy task for him. In just a few seconds, he dismantled most of the whipper¡¯s protective layer. Every strike he landed on the monster left a long bleeding gash in its flesh now. It wasn¡¯t long before the enormous monster was profusely bleeding from the multiple wounds he¡¯d inflicted on it with his claws.
Enemy killed. +75 XP
Once the huge body of the whipper collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, Jake quickly looked around. He¡¯d killed all the strong mutants in the room, and only a handful of weak walkers and leapers remained there. There were also several replication pods hanging from the roof, which could produce dangerous mutants like slashers or whippers at any moment. However, Jake wasn¡¯t willing to destroy them just yet, because he needed to inspect them first. To complete his mutation research quest, he still needed to find one more pod that was creating a mutant he hadn¡¯t analyzed yet.
A few walkers launched themselves at him, surrounding him from multiple directions. He sidestepped, easily evading an attack from one of them. Another walker attempted a strike, but Jake leaped backward, effortlessly avoiding the mutant¡¯s claws that scraped the air in front of him. The walkers failed to land a single hit on him¡ªhis speed and agility greatly outmatched theirs.
It took Jake only a few seconds to deal with the walkers attacking him. His claws had become so powerful he could kill a walker or a leaper with a single quick slash.
Multiple enemies killed. +60 XP
It was just a routine fight for him. Neither powerful and sturdy ex-humans like shamblers and whippers nor fast and agile ones like slashers and chasers posed any kind of threat to him anymore. He could dispatch large groups consisting of all types of mutants without even receiving a single scratch now.
A sudden flash of a red bulb in his mind alerted him to impending danger. It was his Feral Instincts skill at work again. It always kicked in when there was some sort of danger he wasn¡¯t aware of. This instinct usually kicked in when a mutant managed to sneak up on him from his blind spot, which was directly behind his back, and was preparing to strike.
Jake quickly jumped to the side and spun around to confront whatever had approached him from behind. To his surprise, he found no enemy near him. While there were a few walkers lingering in the vast room, they were too far from him to have triggered his Feral Instincts warnings. Something else must¡¯ve set off his instinct, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. Or maybe the skill had simply malfunctioned? However, he immediately brushed off that ridiculous idea.
Once again, the same sense of danger flashed through his mind. Feral Instincts kept warning him about some kind of imminent threat, but he had no idea what or where it was. Not sure what was happening, Jake began to retreat. The skill kept altering him to something, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of the threat. In his peripheral vision, he could see several remaining walkers, but since he was aware of their presence nearby, he knew that they weren¡¯t the cause of the warnings from his Feral Instincts.
Taking one small step back after another, Jake continued to look around, striving to identify the threat his skill was repeatedly warning him about. However, he failed to notice anything out of place.
What the hell is going on? he thought.
And in the next instant, he suddenly received the answer to his question.
Chapter 113
Chapter 113
Jake saw a subtle shimmer like a mirage flickering in and out of existence just a few feet in front of him. Something was happening, but at first, he couldn¡¯t quite comprehend what it was. Still unsure of what to expect, he continued to retreat, watching the strange phenomenon in front of him.
As he focused on the source of the strange disturbance, he saw the air before him ripple and distort, revealing a faint outline of a humanoid figure. Like a phantom materializing out of thin air, the creature slowly solidified in front of him until it became completely visible. Having never encountered this type of mutant, Jake summoned its description with a thought.
Ex-Human Wraith ¨C Level 25 (Elite)
Special ability: Invisibility ¨C The mutant can activate a disguise mode, rendering itself temporarily invisible and becoming almost impossible to detect.
Attributes: Body 10, Mind 5, Magick 15
He dismissed the information, focusing on the ex-human in front of him. Now that he had the threat identified, Feral Instincts fell silent. Having discovered what the skill had been warning him about, Jake ceased retreating. In one quick glance, he studied the mutant before him.
Most of the ex-humans he encountered were dressed in ragged clothing, in which they were respawned during the regular world reset. Sure enough, those that emerged from replication pods wore their birthday suits.
The mutant that had just materialized before him was completely naked. Jake wasn¡¯t sure if the wraith had recently emerged from a pod or if this mutant type was never clothed to begin with. While he couldn¡¯t confirm the latter, he was sure the wraith had recently been released from a pod, because it would¡¯ve attacked him much earlier otherwise.
It had a female body, but it didn¡¯t take Jake by surprise. He¡¯d long since learned that ex-humans could be of either sex, and he never really paid much attention to the gender of a mutant he killed. Ex-humans were simply deformed, evil creatures to be hunted for XP, nothing more.
Like many other ex-humans, the wraith was armed with long, curved claws. Its oversized mouth was open in a cruel grin, revealing rows of serrated fangs that glistened with drool. The mutant¡¯s skin was pallid and smooth, its body completely devoid of hair.
While the wraith was invisible, it must¡¯ve moved slowly to avoid making noise. However, as it became visible, the mutant quickly shifted from a walk to a run toward him. The wraith¡¯s lithe and agile frame allowed it to move quickly and quietly toward him. As soon as the mutant reached him, it unleashed a series of slashes.
As it turned out, the wraith wasn¡¯t faster or more agile than a chaser, which was why he had no trouble dodging or blocking its attacks at all. Apart from the ability to turn invisible, the wraith didn¡¯t differ much from a chaser. It didn¡¯t even have the Flurry of Swings ability that many other elite mutants had, including chasers. Jake wondered whether mutants of the wraith breed could turn invisible at any time or if there was a cooldown period.
When he saw an opening, he immediately attacked the wraith, raking his claws across its pale body. The four long scratches left across its flesh immediately began to bleed. The ex-human emitted a shrill cry, then spun around and darted away, almost instantly turning invisible.
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Jake wanted to give chase, but he was suddenly attacked by several walkers. By the time he dealt with them, the wraith was long gone. He looked around but couldn¡¯t spot it. By now, it could be anywhere, and since it was completely invisible, Jake couldn¡¯t detect it even with the help of his Enhanced Senses.
Suddenly, his Feral Instincts kicked in, warning him of impending danger. He had a strong hunch that it was the wraith sneaking up on him. He glanced around but couldn¡¯t spot his opponent. Then, he was suddenly attacked from behind, feeling sharp claws slashing at his back.
He immediately wheeled around, lashing out at the invisible figure with a clawed hand. His talons raked the body of the wraith, causing it to become visible again. As it turned out, when wounded, the wraith lost its disguise. It was good to know. After the wraith realized it was now fully visible, it spun around and attempted to flee once more. Only this time, Jake was determined not to let the creature escape. He struck out with his claws, slicing through the mutant¡¯s back. At the same time, he also sprouted a tentacle from his body and immediately lashed out with it, its bladed tip piercing the wraith¡¯s neck, inflicting a severe wound on the ex-human.
Enemy killed. +400 XP
Immediately after that, another system notification flashed through his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 32 to 33. You have gained 5 SP.
The wraith defeated, Jake quickly scanned the area. A few walkers and leapers remained in the room, but all the stronger mutant types had been eliminated. The replication pods were in the process of generating new mutants, but as far as he could tell, none of them were close to releasing fully developed creatures yet.
Jake dashed toward the nearest of the remaining walkers, slashing at its throat with his claws. The blood poured from the nasty wound, and the walker collapsed to the ground, dead. Jake was already moving toward another creature, not slowing down for a second. One quick slash of his claws, and another ex-human was dead. Even before its body dropped to the ground, Jake was already moving on to the next target.
It took him less than a minute to deal with all the remaining ex-humans in the room. He quickly scanned his surroundings. Not noticing any more creatures to kill, he lowered his claws and moved toward the nearest replication pod. Peering inside, he almost immediately recognized the mutant being created within as a walker. He shredded both the cocoon and the underdeveloped creature inside with his claws and immediately moved to inspect another cocoon.
One by one, he examined all the replication pods, but all the mutants he saw inside belonged to the types he¡¯d already analyzed. Just as he was starting to think he wouldn¡¯t find a new mutant type there and would need to search for another building filled with replication pods, he finally came across a pod containing a creature he hadn¡¯t analyzed before.
For a few seconds, he watched the creature being developed inside the cocoon. At first, he couldn¡¯t tell what type of mutant it would become, but as it neared completion, its feminine, completely hairless body indicated it would likely be another wraith.
Creature analyzed. Status: 5/5. Mutation Research complete. Mind Reader has been added to the Genetic Development Interface.
Finally, the quest was complete. Jake destroyed the pod containing the wraith and proceeded to do the same with the remaining pods. After that, he scanned the area once more. All the mutants had been killed, and all the cocoons had been destroyed. The floor of the room glistened with spilled pod liquid mixing with mutant blood, scattered with the bodies of the dead ex-humans he¡¯d slain.
It was time to allocate his skill points, check out the Mind Reader ability, and perhaps acquire some new skills. If he were human, he would¡¯ve left before assigning his skill points. However, as a mutant, Jake was unfazed by the gruesome scene of carnage or the overpowering stench of death filling the room. Neither bothered him one bit.
So before returning to the rooftop, he chose to stay in the room a little longer to allocate his skill points. Surrounded by the aftermath of the brutal carnage, he closed his eyes and accessed his character sheet.
Chapter 114
Chapter 114
First of all, he opened the Genetic Development Interface and browsed through the list of skills and abilities available for purchase. He came across Mind Reader, which had just been added to the list, and checked its description.
Mind Reader: When touching a person¡¯s head, the mutant can access their memories. This ability only works on intelligent beings, not mutants.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Mind 27, Magick 25
Cost: 15,000 MP
It seemed to be an intriguing ability. Although he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how often he would use it. After all, he¡¯d long since decided to interact with humans as little as possible. Still, this ability could come in handy someday. Being interested in learning how it worked, he planned to test it out at some point.
So he decided to acquire Mind Reader. Its requirements were quite low. With his Magick attribute already at 25, he only needed to use two of his five skill points to increase Mind from 25 to 27.
After doing so, he checked how much mana he currently had.
MP: 37,775
More than enough to purchase the ability. With a mental command, he spent 15,000 MP to acquire it.
You have just learned a new ability: Mind Reader.
He then checked the other skills and abilities in the second section of the Genetic Development Interface.
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Abilities: 1 of 5
Skills: 0 of 4
Ability: Gravity Leap
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: 17,000 MP
Ability: Acidic Spit
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: 20,000 MP
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: 12,000 MP
Skill: Adhesive Secretion
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35
Cost: 15,000 MP
Skill: Toxic Resistance
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: 23,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Ability: Mind Reader
Requirements: Mind 27, Magick 25
Cost: Already Owned
The only skill he could currently acquire was Enhanced Durability. He summoned its description with a single thought.
Enhanced Durability: The mutant¡¯s body structure becomes denser, significantly increasing their resistance to physical harm.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: 12,000 MP
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The sole requirement was a Body attribute of 30, and his Body currently stood at 27. With 22,775 MP at his disposal, he decided to buy this skill as well. He still had three remaining points, so he allocated them to Body, increasing it to 30. He could now acquire the ability. He did so, spending an additional 12,000 MP.
You have just learned a new skill: Enhanced Durability.
Jake then switched back to the first section of the Genetic Development Interface.
Evolution Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡±
Abilities: 3 of 4
Skills: 7 of 7
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Cost: Already Owned
Among all the skills and abilities in the first section, there was only one that he hadn¡¯t acquired yet¡ªSmashfists. He checked it out.
Ability: Smashfists
Description: The mutant can significantly enlarge their hands and temporarily augment body mass for increased strength. With their massive smashfists, the mutant can unleash powerful, crushing blows capable of pulverizing concrete and toppling enemies with ease.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
After some consideration, he decided to make the purchase. The cost was relatively low, especially when compared to the skills and abilities listed in the second section of the store.
He checked his mana.
MP: 10,775
He remembered deciding to always have a reserve of at least 10,000 MP at all times for emergencies, such as severe injuries that would require significant amounts of mana for healing. He decided to buy the skill anyway. After all, he now had the Mana Vision perk at his disposal, which made locating mana consumables an extremely easy task, so collecting 2,000 MP and bringing his mana reserves back to 10,000 MP wouldn¡¯t take long at all.
You have just learned a new ability: Smashfists.
Having obtained all the skills and abilities from the first section of the Genetic Development Interface, he no longer needed to revisit it. He could now solely focus on acquiring skills and abilities from the second section.
After purchasing the ability, he reviewed his current stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 33
HP: 97%
XP: 385/4250
SP: 0
MP: 8,775
Body: 30
Mind: 27
Magick: 25
Claws: Rank III (14%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank II (11%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (89%) (Upgrades: 1 of 3) (Common)
Mind Reader: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (17%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (21%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (22%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank I (94%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Strength: Rank I (23%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Regeneration : Rank I (34%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Feral Instincts: Rank I (19%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Durability: Rank I (0%) (Upgrades: 0 of 3) (Common)
He opened his eyes. It was time to put his newly acquired skills and abilities to the test.
Enhanced Durability was a skill, so it worked all the time. Its effects would only be evident when he was attacked and received damage. As for Mind Reader, it only worked on humans, so he was going to have to wait until he encountered one before he could put it to the test.
But he could test out Smashfists right away. Which he did. He felt a surge of power course through him when he mentally commanded the ability to activate. His arms swelled and bulged with added mass, and his hands expanded in size. He flexed his fingers, feeling the raw power coursing through him. He then clenched his powerful huge fists and inspected them for a moment. It was time to test them in action.
There were no more enemies around him, so Jake crossed the room and walked up to one of the concrete walls. Then he launched his right smashfist at it. It impacted the solid wall with a tremendous thud, leaving an impressive dent. The outcome exceeded his expectations, leaving him feeling deeply satisfied. He knew that his smashfists turned out to be so powerful because his Body attribute was at 30. If he¡¯d acquired Smashfists much sooner, before evolving into Stage 2 and receiving 20 additional points in Body, his smashfists would¡¯ve been significantly weaker at that point.
Feeling excited, Jake directed his colossal fists at the wall once more, landing a few more powerful hits. When one of his fists struck the wall another time, it created a sizable hole with twisted pieces of rebar jutting out from inside.
He seized one of the rebar pieces and easily ripped it from the wall. He realized his Enhanced Strength also greatly enhanced this ability. It was a really great combination. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how much Enhanced Strength increased the power of Smashfists.
Feeling a surge of excitement, he hurled the piece of rebar like a missile, watching it shatter a window and vanish into the distance outside. For a moment, Jake admired the destruction he¡¯d caused with such ease. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the potential of his abilities. The perfect combination of Smashfists with Enhanced Strength opened up a world of possibilities for him.
With a mental command, he reverted his body back to its normal state. He felt the mass in his arms diminishing while his oversized fists shrunk back to their original size. The transformation was gradual, taking a few seconds to complete. He was sure that acquiring some of the upgrades for the ability would help speed up the process.
As expected, morphing his hands into smashfists and reverting back had drained some of his mana reserves. It was time to replenish this precious magical energy. Now that he had the Mana Vision perk at his disposal, he knew it wouldn¡¯t take him long to do so. With that in mind, he began to make his way back to the rooftop.
Chapter 115
Chapter 115
As soon as Jake returned to the rooftop, he heard the rhythmic thumping noise of rotating rotor blades. Glancing around, he spotted the familiar black helicopter off to his right. The futuristic-looking rotorcraft continued to fly around the city, just a few high-rises away from the building, on the rooftop of which he stood.
Suddenly, the helicopter made half a circle in the air and accelerated, moving in his general direction. Jake briefly considered the possibility that it was moving toward some destination that happened to be in his direction instead of making a beeline for him, but no dice. The pilot had indeed noticed him and deliberately changed course to head straight for him.
Why won¡¯t you leave me alone, dammit? Jake thought with a hint of frustration.
The chopper came to a stop near the building, hovering in the air several meters above the rooftop. Even if he decided to attack the helicopter, he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump that high. His only choice was to flee.
The pilot behind the cockpit glass stared down at him for a moment. Jake could see a glimpse of recognition in his eyes as the pilot remembered chasing him across the rooftops a little while ago. Then he pivoted the chopper by ninety degrees so that the door gunner could have a clear shot at him.
Jake spun around and dashed away just as the roar of machine gun fire reverberated through the air. Dodging heavy-caliber rounds that rained down all around him, he raced across the rooftop, the gunfire chipping away at the rooftop and sending sprays of concrete dust into the air.
One of the bullets punched him in the back, staggering him for a second. He quickly recovered and picked up his pace again. He could tell the wound inflicted by the bullet wasn¡¯t nearly as serious as the one he¡¯d received the last time he¡¯d been hit by the door gunner. The Enhanced Durability he¡¯d acquired a few minutes earlier had notably strengthened his body.
Jake reached the edge of the roof and executed a mana-infused jump, propelling his body forward with immense force. He soared across the gap between the two buildings, feeling the wind against his body. As soon as he landed on the other roof, he immediately continued to run, not slowing down even for a second.
The gunfire ceased. Now that he¡¯d put some distance between himself and the chopper, the door gunner couldn¡¯t take good aim at Jake, who was now well ahead of the rotorcraft. The noise from the helicopter¡¯s rotor blades and its engine grew louder as the pilot accelerated, giving chase. Jake didn¡¯t need to look back to know his pursuers were gaining on him.
He leaped across the gap to another high-rise building. He continued to run, but whether he would be able to give the chopper the slip was anybody¡¯s guess. As he already knew, that futuristic helicopter was incredibly fast. Most likely, he would have to seek refuge inside one of the buildings, as he¡¯d done the last time.
Suddenly, the helicopter came into view on his left. It streaked through the air alongside the building, keeping abreast of him. It was incredibly fast, keeping pace with him effortlessly. In his expanded field of vision, Jake saw the door gunner smirk as he drew a bead on him. Then he opened fire.
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Bullets buzzed past him like maddened hornets. Two or three of them drilled into his left side and shoulder, leaving small pockmarks in his hardened flesh. While they caused him to stagger, the bullets didn¡¯t inflict any significant damage. They even failed to penetrate deep enough to reach the mana stored inside his body. Still, he was getting angry. Despite his usually calm demeanor, this situation was starting to infuriate him.
Seeing Jake still on his feet and running seemed to heighten his pursuers¡¯ excitement. This cat-and-mouse game seemed to amuse the two occupants of the chopper. They viewed him as nothing more than a frightened prey running for his life. If they¡¯d known what he was capable of, they would¡¯ve left him alone instead of persistently trying to piss him off.
Knowing he couldn¡¯t outrun the helicopter, Jake suddenly changed the direction of his movement, making a ninety-degree turn to the right. He was now moving away from the helicopter while the door gunner was now targeting his back. The heavy-caliber rounds kept zipping past him, one of which tore into his left shoulder blade area. Jake was beginning to lose his composure. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to stay calm.
Reaching the edge of the roof, he launched himself up and forward, soaring through the air toward another building. The door gunner continued to unleash a barrage of fire at him. Two more bullets struck him in the back while he was still airborne, briefly disrupting his control over his body. As a result, upon reaching the rooftop, he lost his balance and crashed onto his side instead of landing on his feet. However, despite feeling frustrated by the rough landing, he suffered no injuries.
The helicopter accelerated again to catch up with him. He caught a glimpse of the pilot through the cockpit glass. The guy was sneering at him. The two occupants of the chopper must¡¯ve thought he was done for, planning to finish him off. Jake had other plans, though. While he was a sitting duck for them, he knew he wasn¡¯t going to lose to them. This wasn¡¯t going to end the way his pursuers believed it would.
He leaped to his feet and dashed across the rooftop, his mind torn between conflicting thoughts. Rather than fleeing, he felt an urge to confront his pursuers. His desire to fight was so strong it prompted him to glance over his shoulder at the helicopter, calculating the best strategy to bring it down. It was still too high in the air for him to reach with a jump, so if he chose to fight, he was going to have to find a taller building to scale its wall to reach the same height as the helicopter.
Suddenly, the chopper accelerated significantly and streaked through the air over him. It crossed the gap between two buildings before slowing down and hovering above the roof of the building he was running to. Jake instantly realized what was on the pilot¡¯s mind. However, by that point, he¡¯d already reached the edge of the roof and couldn¡¯t abruptly stop without risking losing his balance, pitching forward, and falling off the roof due to the momentum he¡¯d gained. He had no choice but to execute a mana-infused jump across the gap.
Just as he launched himself up and forward, the helicopter turned ninety degrees so that the door gunner¡¯s side faced him. With a shit-eating grin on his face, the shooter opened fire on Jake as he soared through the air toward the building, over the roof of which the helicopter motionlessly hovered.
Heavy-caliber rounds peppered his chest, inflicting no damage on his hardened body other than leaving pockmarks. However, each impact disrupted his momentum. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the other roof now. While his body continued to soar toward it, he was now descending at an angle, rapidly losing altitude. Instead of landing on the building¡¯s rooftop as intended, he was going to crash into its wall.
Well, shit, he thought.
Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Jake instinctively morphed his hands into claws just before he slammed into the wall of the building with a solid thud. As gravity took hold, he began to drop toward the alleyway below. Though he was aware the fall wouldn¡¯t kill him, only hurt a little, he still wanted to avoid hitting the ground.
His claws scraped along the surface of the wall, making a grinding noise like nails on a chalkboard. Each scrape sent vibrations through his body as the gritty texture of the concrete chipped beneath his talons. The wall now bore the marks of his chaotic descent, sending small fragments of concrete spiraling into the air like tiny shrapnel.
His claws dug deeper, but the wall offered no easy grips. Just as Jake began to think he wouldn¡¯t be able to check his descent, the tips of his talons caught a sharp crack in the concrete. Instantly, he drove his claws into the small fissure, bringing his downward plunge to a stop.
He dangled precariously, one clawed hand gripping the edge of the crack while the other swayed in the open air. Jake glanced up and saw he¡¯d dropped a couple of floors. He then looked down. A few stories below him, the vacant alleyway lay nestled between the two towering high-rises. Although he was aware he¡¯d walk away with just minor injuries if he fell, he still wanted to avoid that outcome.
The wind whipped around him, carrying the rhythmic sounds of the rotating rotor blades and the hum of the chopper¡¯s engine. Then a shadow crossed over him as the pilot maneuvered the helicopter in a half-circle to hover above the alleyway. Jake looked up and saw the door gunner adjust the barrel of the machine gun to point it down at him. A smug grin spread across the gunner¡¯s face as he pulled the trigger.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the air as bullets slammed into the wall Jake was clinging to. Debris rained down on him as dust swirled around. Suddenly, a heavy-caliber round struck the side of his head, causing it to jerk sideways. Immediately, a system notification flashed through his mind.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Dazed. You are disoriented and feel vertigo.
It was the very first time he¡¯d been shot in the head. For a moment, he felt a flash of worry, but he quickly realized that aside from receiving the Dazed negative effect, he suffered no other injuries. The heavy-caliber bullet had carved a hole in the side of his head, but it wasn¡¯t too deep, and he could already feel his body starting to heal, regenerating damaged flesh with remarkable speed.
The world swirled around him, leaving him feeling disoriented and dizzy. The first time he¡¯d experienced this negative effect was after falling from a high-rise roof and banging his head on the asphalt. It seemed that this negative effect was put on him whenever he sustained damage to his head.
The door gunner kept firing at him, and each bullet that punctured his hardened flesh made his body jerk with the impact. At one moment, he almost lost his grip on the crack in the wall. A thought struck him: what was he even clinging to the wall for? After all, the fall wouldn¡¯t kill him. If he dropped into the alleyway, he would survive and be able to easily escape from his pursuers.
Only it wasn¡¯t what he really wanted. Rather than fleeing, he longed to counterattack his opponents. However, considering the unfortunate situation he¡¯d found himself in, that wasn¡¯t going to be easy.
He was seriously beginning to entertain the idea of letting go of the fissure he was clinging to and dropping down into the alleyway below. Just then, a bullet slammed into the window to his left, shattering it into thousands of shards that came raining down on him. A new idea crossed his mind. He firmly grasped the top edge of the frame with his free hand, then released his hold on the wall with the other and quickly used it to grab the side of the window frame instead.
He pulled his knees up to his chin, propelling himself into the room through the shattered window and landing on his feet. He quickly dropped into a crouch as bullets whizzed overhead. Then the gunfire suddenly came to an end. Jake sprang to his feet and looked back over his shoulder. He saw the door gunner hastily shoving another ammo belt into the machine gun. The guy looked frustrated. He obviously couldn¡¯t understand how Jake could still be alive and kicking after taking so many shots. Before he could finish reloading his weapon, Jake dashed deeper into the room, slipping out of view from the outside.
He located a staircase. The steps were intact, so he took them up. When he reached the last flight of stairs that led to the door opening to the roof, he paused to listen. The sounds of the rotor blades and the helicopter¡¯s engine were growing louder. A few seconds later, the noise became so loud Jake realized the helicopter was now hovering directly above the rooftop.
He waited. Would his opponents be foolish enough to disembark from the helicopter and enter the building to look for him? Were they committed enough to do something so reckless? Would their thirst for his blood cloud their judgment? Jake hoped that after dedicating so much time and effort to trying to kill him, they would feel compelled to finish the job. He genuinely wanted them to come after him. After everything they¡¯d put him through, he was itching for a fight.
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¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are,¡± he heard one of them¡ªlikely the door gunner¡ªyell.
They thought of him as nothing more than a mindless monster, easily lured by a human voice like regular ex-humans. Jake remained where he was, absolutely certain that the door gunner had his weapon trained on the entrance, ready to unleash a barrage of bullets the moment he dared to step outside.
Moments later, the same voice shouted, ¡°Come on! Quit hiding and get your ass outside! Don¡¯t you want to eat me or something?¡±
His voice betrayed his frustration. The door gunner truly wanted to finish Jake off. Jake waited. A few more seconds passed without anything happening. While his pursuers were eager to kill him, they weren¡¯t foolish enough to step out of the helicopter and enter the building, well aware it would put them at a serious disadvantage.
Jake knew the longer he waited, the greater the chances were that his pursuers would lose interest and fly away. Though he was itching to confront the two occupants of the helicopter, he knew he couldn¡¯t leap high enough to reach the chopper. Unless he either came up with a plan to lure his pursuers out of the chopper and into the building or found a way to somehow get to them, he saw no point in leaving the shelter of the building.
Then an idea struck him. He decided to use a trick he¡¯d learned after upgrading his Enhanced Senses. Dropping to a crouch, he placed his palm on the floor of the half-landing and closed his eyes, fully concentrating on his tactile sensations. He felt slight vibrations through his hand, indicating that the helicopter was not hovering above the building but parked on the rooftop. That changed everything.
Jake snapped his eyes open and sprinted up the steps. Moments later, he burst onto the rooftop. Just as he¡¯d anticipated, the helicopter sat in the center of the roof, with the door gunner aiming his weapon right at the doorway he¡¯d just emerged from.
When the door gunner spotted Jake step outside, a grin spread across his face. He thought his ruse to lure the ¡°stupid mutant¡± outside had worked perfectly. What he didn¡¯t realize was that a nasty surprise was on the way for him instead.
Jake wasted no time bursting into a sprint toward the helicopter. The door gunner¡¯s grin slipped away when he saw how quickly Jake was moving. While he¡¯d seen Jake run before, it¡¯d always been in retreat. This time, however, rather than fleeing, Jake was charging toward them¡ªand at an incredible pace to boot¡ªmaking the door gunner uneasy. The machine gun roared to life as he hastily squeezed the trigger.
Jake felt the bullets slam into his chest, but they hardly slowed him down. In under two seconds, he closed half the distance to the helicopter. The door gunner¡¯s expression turned to one of horror as he realized the bullets he fired were having little effect. It dawned on him he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Jake before he reached the chopper.
¡°Take off!¡± he screamed, his voice laced with hysteria. ¡°Take off, goddammit!¡±
The chopper began to lift immediately. That was when Jake performed a mana-infused jump, landing right at the helicopter¡¯s door. He seized the red-hot barrel of the machine gun with his right hand. The door gunner lurched back in panic. Jake¡¯s hand tightly gripping the hot barrel sizzled as a wisp of smoke rose from it, but he could tell the damage to his flesh was minimal.
¡°What the hell are you?¡± the door gunner exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at Jake¡¯s sizzling, smoking hand still clamped around the weapon¡¯s barrel.
That was when he noticed the machine gun¡¯s muzzle was aimed directly at Jake¡¯s chest. Realizing that from point-blank range he could inflict far greater damage, the door gunner lunged for the mounted weapon. However, before he could reach it, Jake delivered a powerful kick to his chest, sending him sprawling backward and crashing to the ground.
¡°Hold on to something!¡± the pilot suddenly shouted a warning to his companion.
In the blink of an eye, the chopper, which had been steadily climbing, suddenly banked sharply to the starboard. Jake¡¯s left hand shot out, grasping the edge of the doorway. Meanwhile, the door gunner, still sprawled on his back, managed to hold on to something as well, preventing himself from sliding across the floor toward the open door.
For several moments, the chopper went into a frenzy, sharply banking first to one side and then to the other. Once the helicopter finally leveled out, the pilot glanced over his shoulder and shouted, ¡°Did I dislodge the mutant?¡±
No, you didn¡¯t, Jake thought, tightening his grip on the edge of the doorway before launching himself into the chopper.
His face a mask of a strange mix of panic and determination, the door gunner drew a heavy-caliber pistol from its holster on his hip. Still lying on his back, he aimed the handgun at Jake and opened fire. Bullets slammed into Jake¡¯s chest, each impact jolting him but failing to halt his approach toward the man lying on the ground.
¡°Why won¡¯t you die, you damn freak?¡± he screamed, panic and frustration lacing his voice.
When he squeezed the trigger again, the pistol clicked on empty. With a quick, powerful yank, Jake wrenched the handgun from the door gunner¡¯s grip and flung it out of the chopper over his shoulder.
Jake then opened his mouth wide, exposing rows of jagged, pointed teeth.
¡°Oh my God,¡± the door gunner whispered in horror as he realized he was about to die.
Jake leaned in toward the human and bit into his face.
Chapter 117
Chapter 117
After taking care of the door gunner, Jake turned toward the cockpit, his mouth and sharp teeth smeared with gore. He jumped into the cockpit, startling the pilot.
¡°What the hell?¡± he exclaimed, turning to look over his shoulder at Jake, who was looming right behind him.
Jake briefly glanced through the cockpit glass and saw they were flying over an empty street lined with the skeletal remains of skyscrapers on either side. He then shifted his full attention to the pilot. Remembering the Mind Reader ability he¡¯d acquired not long ago, he decided it was time to put it to the test.
He reached out with one hand toward the pilot, who instinctively jerked his head to the side. However, there was nowhere for him to escape Jake¡¯s grasp. He placed his clawed hand on the man¡¯s scalp, clamping down on it. With a thought, he activated Mind Reader. Instantly, a torrent of the pilot¡¯s recent memories flooded his mind.
Jake experienced the world through the pilot¡¯s eyes, watching as he expertly navigated the helicopter, weaving between the towering skyscrapers. The pilot was calm yet tense, speaking to the other occupant of the chopper. However, Jake couldn¡¯t quite make out the words¡ªthey faded into muffled echoes as if he were underwater.
Jake then realized what the pilot was doing: he was following a black figure jumping from one rooftop to another. The pilot pursued the black mutant without any trouble. For a moment, Jake marveled at the unfolding scene of the recent chase from the pilot¡¯s perspective, watching himself dash across the rooftops with the helicopter trailing closely behind.
Jake then realized he could delve deeper into the pilot¡¯s memories. However, as he ventured further back, everything grew hazy, and details slipped away like sand through his fingers. As he pushed deeper, the images deteriorated into completely indistinct shapes. Eventually, a dark blurry spot eclipsed his vision entirely. Jake realized he could only access a few minutes of a person¡¯s memories, but he was confident that advancing Mind Reader to a higher rank and acquiring new upgrades would improve this ability.
Suddenly, a sense of unease flashed through his mind. It was Feral Instincts alerting him to imminent danger. He immediately pulled back from the pilot¡¯s memories and returned to the moment. He saw the pilot draw a pistol from its holster at his hip and point it at him. While still gripping the pilot¡¯s head with one hand, Jake grasped the pistol with the other before the pilot could squeeze the trigger. He yanked the handgun from the human¡¯s grip and tossed it aside. He then let go of the pilot¡¯s head and slashed him across his throat with his claws.
The human¡¯s eyes went wide as blood poured from the nasty gash in his throat. In the next moment, the pilot¡¯s eyes glazed over, and his body slumped against the controls, sending the helicopter into a dangerous spin. Immediately, alarms blared throughout the cockpit, drowning out the whir of the rotors.
He quickly surveyed the controls, hoping his Enhanced Intelligence would help him figure them out in time to prevent the chopper from crashing. To his astonishment, the dashboard was a complex array of holographic lights, sensors, and indicators. It looked more like the control panel of a spaceship from a sci-fi movie than the dashboard of a conventional helicopter from the real world.
Suddenly, the chopper shuddered violently as its tail struck the side of a nearby building, sending a jolt through his body. Jake decided to bail out. He didn¡¯t have enough time to figure out the controls, and he didn¡¯t know if he could survive a helicopter crash or how badly he could be hurt. It was far better to leap from the falling helicopter before it smashed into the streets below.
He pushed himself out of the cockpit toward the open door, grasping at the walls for support. Below, the street lay desolate, choking with weeds and grass, littered with the remnants of rusted car frames. Jake steadied himself in the open side door as the helicopter continued its chaotic spin. He gripped the edges of the doorway, feeling the vibrations reverberate through his body. The alarms beeped and wailed, drowning out everything as the world outside swirled into a dizzying blur.
As the helicopter continued to spin around and rapidly lose altitude, it drifted across the street. Each full turn of the helicopter sent the buildings on the other side swinging closer. Jake waited for the right moment, and when the structure the chopper was going to crash into came into view again, he pushed off with all his strength, launching himself into the air, performing a powerful mana-infused leap. As soon as he impacted the rough surface of the building, he dug his claws into the concrete. With a sharp scrape against the weathered wall, he anchored himself, his talons digging deep into the structure like fishhooks.
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Then, a few meters below him, the chopper crashed into the building with a thunderous roar, the rotating rotor blades smashing into numerous fragments upon hitting the unforgiving concrete and stone. A foot-long piece of blade shot free and buried itself in the stone wall just inches beside his head. He dangled precariously, his eyes locked on the chopper as it plummeted toward the ground several floors below.
The crashed helicopter lay on its side on the sidewalk, the broken stubs of the rotor blades still whirling above the wrecked fuselage. The chopper didn¡¯t catch fire¡ªat least, not right away. Jake noticed strange blue bolts crackling and shooting from the damaged engine. Then, without a warning, the helicopter suddenly exploded.
Flames erupted, and smoke billowed upward, swirling into the air. Burning debris flew up and then rained down, with some of the larger pieces soaring high enough to nearly touch his dangling feet. Jake hung from the wall, gripping it with one clawed hand, his eyes fixed on the burning wreckage below as thoughts raced through his mind.
He¡¯d just taken the lives of two humans, yet his inner beast remained suspiciously silent. It felt strange. Then, he understood what that silence meant: he was now in complete control, not just of his body but of his emotions and desires as well. While he¡¯d often referred to his dark urges as his inner beast, he¡¯d always known, deep down, that they were his own desires¡ªnot some mysterious being living inside him. He¡¯d simply been unwilling to accept that truth.
After the transformation, he¡¯d become a monster, both physically and mentally. At first, he was afraid to acknowledge it, which was why he¡¯d had to come up with the ¡°inner beast¡± excuse. But now, he was finally able to embrace his monster side. He could no longer pretend to be anything else, and there was no point in trying. Whether he liked it or not, he was a monster.
Evolving into Stage 2 had likely played a role in his ability to accept his beast side. While his human and monster sides had felt like two separate identities before, after evolving into Stage 2, they must¡¯ve merged into one, reshaping Jake into what he was now. He¡¯d gained much better self-control as well. Even though he¡¯d just killed two survivors, it hadn¡¯t triggered a thirst for more human blood as it had in the past when he¡¯d fought survivors.
Jake¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the two occupants of the chopper he¡¯d just killed. He¡¯d had no beef with them. He¡¯d given them plenty of opportunities to leave him alone, but they hadn¡¯t taken them, opting instead to continue pursuing him. While they¡¯d had no idea how dangerous he was, that didn¡¯t grant them immunity from the consequences of their choices. They¡¯d made their decision and paid the price.
Giving the matter no more thought, he recalled what he¡¯d learned from the pilot¡¯s memories. Not much, really. He¡¯d failed to glean anything useful while delving into the pilot¡¯s memories. He still didn¡¯t know what they¡¯d been searching for while flying around the city, nor did he understand where or how they¡¯d acquired such a powerful futuristic helicopter. The gang they belonged to, Los Demonios, must¡¯ve had access to a significant amount of equipment, but where they were getting it from remained a mystery to him.
At its current stage of progression, the ability wasn¡¯t particularly useful, but he knew he could improve it by advancing it to higher ranks and acquiring upgrades. Curious about how much Mind Reader had progressed after he used it on the pilot, Jake called up its stats.
Mind Reader: Rank I (20%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
A single brief use of the ability had advanced it by 20%, which wasn¡¯t bad at all. Once it reached 100%, he would be able to upgrade it to Rank II, making it more powerful and useful¡ªpotentially letting him delve into a target¡¯s memories beyond just a few minutes as well as improving their clarity.
Suddenly, he heard something. He immediately turned his attention to his surroundings. Feral Instincts were silent, so he wasn¡¯t in any kind of danger, but he scanned the street below anyway. He saw a group of survivors on the other side of the street, watching the burning wreckage of the chopper. Jake couldn¡¯t tell if they had just discovered it or had seen it plummet from the sky. The wind carried their voices to him, but they were too far away for him to make out what was said.
One of the survivors looked up at the sky as if wondering what had caused the chopper to crash. That¡¯s when he noticed Jake dangling from the building wall on the other side of the street. The man pointed a finger in Jake¡¯s direction, and the rest of the survivors turned their attention toward him.
Jake looked around. Right below him, a piece of rebar protruded from the wall. He released his grip on the wall, allowing his body to drop. He caught the rebar piece, halting his descent. Then, with a quick powerful motion, he hoisted himself up onto the rebar, perching atop it and maintaining perfect balance.
He looked around one more time and noticed a shattered window on his right. Turning toward it, he propelled off the rebar and launched into an empty room beyond, disappearing from the sight of the survivors before they could grasp what he truly was.
Chapter 118
Chapter 118
In the next several days following the helicopter crash, Jake stuck to his routine: scavenging the city for mana at night, starting right after the usual world reset and farming XP during the day in the underground tunnels. So far, this strategy had proven to be the most effective way to gain both mana and XP, and for several days, he was fully focused on that.
After evolving into Stage 2 and acquiring many new skills along with upgrades, Jake¡¯s body consumed significantly more mana on a daily basis than before. Despite this, he managed to accumulate a substantial amount of MP over the past several days, thanks to the Mana Vision perk. As soon as the System refreshed the world, he would begin his hunt for mana, utilizing Mana Vision to locate consumables. He no longer even bothered picking up smaller items like marbles and beads and focused only on larger ones like shards and chunks instead. On a few occasions, he was even fortunate enough to find crystals, each containing a whopping 5,000 MP.
Despite collecting a substantial amount of MP, Jake hadn¡¯t acquired any new abilities or skills yet. He first wanted to obtain all available upgrades for his existing skills. Several of his skills hadn¡¯t received a single upgrade, so it was high time he addressed that. During the last few days of active XP farming, he leveled up several times. All the skill points he gained during that period were spent on acquiring the upgrades for the skills that had none at that time: Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, Feral Instincts, and Enhanced Durability. Since all of these skills were of Common rarity, each of them currently had only three upgrades available.
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Upgrade Options
1 - Improve reaction time, allowing instantaneous responses to threats and enabling swift dodging of attacks.
2 - Gain the ability to anticipate an opponent¡¯s movements, allowing for preemptive strikes and evasive moves.
3 - Develop superior agility, further enhancing acrobatic maneuvers.
The first two upgrades made Jake even more dangerous in combat than he¡¯d been before. Even fast and agile ex-humans like chasers and slashers struggled to land a hit on him now. The third upgrade improved his acrobatic abilities, allowing him to climb more easily and perform more powerful jumps than before.
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Upgrade Options
1 - Boost raw physical power, allowing for lifting and carrying heavy objects with ease.
2 - Significantly increase punching and striking power.
3 - Achieve greater damage resistance without increasing the mana consumption.
The first upgrade was supposed to help him handle heavy objects with ease, but it wasn¡¯t all that useful to him because he hardly ever needed to lift something heavy. Still, he was sure that at some point, this upgrade would come in handy.
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Despite having learned Smashfists a few days ago, Jake didn¡¯t use them very often. Being more accustomed to claws and swords, he mostly relied on those two in combat. While he hardly ever punched his enemies, the second upgrade increased his overall striking power, allowing him to deal more damage with his claws and swords.
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Upgrade Options
1 - Accelerate healing of minor wounds and cuts within seconds, allowing for rapid recovery in battle.
2 - Gain the ability to recover from severe injuries at an accelerated rate without increasing the mana consumption.
3 - Develop much greater resistance to various elemental damage types.
All the upgrades for this skill were extremely useful. The first one allowed his body to heal minor injuries right during combat. Sure, thanks to the upgrades he¡¯d acquired for Enhanced Reflexes, along with all the other agility and speed-related skills and upgrades, he was hardly ever wounded when fighting ex-humans, but when he did get hurt, his minor wounds healed in no time flat thanks to the first upgrade.
He hadn¡¯t been severely wounded in the past several days, but if¡ªwhen¡ªit happened at some point, the second upgrade for Enhanced Regeneration would be a great help. The same held true for the third upgrade: he hadn¡¯t yet sustained any elemental damage, but when it eventually happened, the third upgrade would reduce the elemental damage dealt to him.
Skill: Feral Instincts
Upgrade Options
1 - Sharpen awareness to quickly evaluate the distance and direction of a threat.
2 - Heighten danger perception to identify the nature of an impending threat.
3 - Gain the ability to sense the emotional states or intentions of nearby humans and pick up on their potential hostility.
All three upgrades for this skill were extremely useful as well, helping him react to potential dangers in time to avoid them. The third one was particularly interesting, but so far he hadn¡¯t seen it in action yet, because during the days following the helicopter crash, there were no more interactions with humans.
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Upgrade Options
1 - Increase resistance to physical damage, reducing the impact of blows and falls.
2 - Develop a tolerance to extreme temperatures, enhancing survival in harsh conditions.
3 - Gain a tougher outer layer that absorbs minor impacts and abrasions.
All the upgrades for Enhanced Durability were also highly useful as they improved his body¡¯s overall resistance to damage.
Jake was currently perched on the edge of a high-rise building¡¯s roof. It was late evening. During that day, he¡¯d managed to level up two times, gaining 10 skill points in total. He decided to use all of them to increase his stats.
Body: 30 ¡ú 32
Mind: 27¡ú 30
Magick: 25 ¡ú 30
So during the days following the helicopter crash, Jake had leveled up five times from 33 to 38. He¡¯d obtained all the upgrades for all his skills, and when he leveled up again, he was going to do the same for the three of his abilities: Bladed Tentacles, Mind Reader, and Smashfists. The first one currently had only one upgrade¡ªreduced transformation time¡ªwhile the other two didn¡¯t have any upgrades at all yet. After that, he would acquire some new skills and abilities with the MP he¡¯d gained during the last several days.
Jake wanted to review his current stats, but he suddenly heard some noise. He immediately opened his eyes, and all the information vanished.
He was currently perched at the corner of a high-rise building¡¯s roof, crouching down and holding on to the edges. It was dark, and heavy rain poured on the city. The noise he¡¯d just heard came from the streets below. His Feral Instincts remained silent, indicating he wasn¡¯t in any kind of danger at the moment. Nevertheless, curiosity made him lower his gaze to see what was happening ten stories beneath him.
Chapter 119
Chapter 119
The rain lashed down on the city. The large droplets pounded against the rooftops, creating a cacophony of noise that echoed through the desolate streets below. Jake remained crouched at the corner of the roof as the raindrops assaulted him. The rainwater beaded up on his irregular body, only to roll down his skin in rivulets that followed the contours of his textured skin. The rain striking his hunched form didn¡¯t bother him in the slightest. Neither the downpour nor the cold caused him any discomfort.
He was as motionless as a statue, peering down. The heavy rain created a lot of noise, drowning out most sounds. However, his acute hearing had managed to pick up something else. At first, the sound was hard to identify, but as it gradually grew louder, he soon realized it was the rumble of an engine. Even though he couldn¡¯t see it yet, he knew the vehicle was nearing the building on the rooftop of which he was perched.
Sure, a vehicle driving through the night was nothing extraordinary, but he could already tell that something unusual was happening. His acute senses picked up other noise over the downpour¡ªthe splashing sounds of something or someone who was sloshing through waterlogged streets. So, Jake remained where he was, watching the streets below through the heavy veil of rain.
As the water cascaded off the edges of buildings, it flooded the sidewalks, turning them into wetlands. The dirty water swirled and eddied in the gutters, carrying with it pieces of various debris. Perched precariously on the edge of the high-rise building, Jake continued to gaze at the rain-soaked city below, waiting patiently.
The relentless downpour created a veil of water that obscured his view, with the droplets clinging to his eyes, distorting his vision, yet causing him no other discomfort. The wind whipped through the torrential downpour, sending sheets of water crashing against the buildings, lashing out at the tall grass pushing through the cracks in the asphalt, and creating a maelstrom of noise that should¡¯ve drowned out even the faintest sounds from below. Despite that, Jake could clearly hear the splashing from running feet as well as the rumble of the vehicle engine in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.
Then, a group of survivors burst from an alleyway onto the main street. They paused for a moment, and Jake watched through the rain¡¯s curtain as they whispered among themselves, casting furtive glances in both directions. Then, they bolted toward the building where he was perched on the roof. With every stride, they sent large splashes of muddy water flying in every direction.
The group of survivors kept running, sloshing through the water, their ragged clothes soaked and clinging to their frames. Occasionally, they glanced over their shoulders at the alley from which they¡¯d just emerged. It wasn¡¯t long before a black, futuristic-looking motorcycle shot out of the same alley. The bike¡¯s powerful headlight cast a bright beam that pierced through the darkness.
The rider was clad in a tattered leather coat with the hood pulled up, and a red bandana concealed the lower half of the rider¡¯s face. From the contours of her body, it was clear the rider was female. She slowed her speed, whipping her bike in the direction the survivors had taken, sending waves of muddy water splashing around her. Once she completed the turn, she immediately accelerated again.
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One of the survivors let out a panicked scream upon seeing the bike quickly closing in on them. Another extended a hand back, holding a pistol in it, and popped off several hasty shots. The bullets struck a magical barrier surrounding the rider, dealing no damage to it at all. The person continued to fire blindly while running, causing the rider¡¯s shield to spark with flashes of blue light at the points of impact. Each shot ricocheted off the magical barrier, leaving it unscathed. The survivor kept pulling the trigger until the handgun ran dry.
Suddenly, a pickup truck with a heavy-caliber machine gun mounted in the bed surged from a side street, screeching to a stop directly across the main road, effectively blocking the survivors¡¯ escape route. The female rider followed suit, bringing her motorcycle to a halt a dozen yards behind the group. She unslung what looked like a submachine gun and aimed it at them, holding the weapon one-handed.
The person manning the mounted machine gun leveled the weapon at the survivors and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t fucking move, or you¡¯ll die!¡±
The group acknowledged the danger and froze, their eyes fixed on the technical parked several yards in front of them. At that moment, they received orders to drop their weapons, which the survivors reluctantly obeyed. Another pickup truck¡ªthis one without a mounted weapon¡ªpulled out from the same side street and halted behind the technical. Two men stepped out and advanced toward the survivors, who were huddled together, trembling from either fear or the chill of the air, but likely both.
The rain continued to pour, drumming against the pavement and Jake¡¯s skin as he emotionlessly watched the scene unfold below him. In this dangerous and lawless world altered by the System, he was just a silent observer. He had no intention of intervening in the events occurring on the street ten stories below. What was taking place there had nothing to do with him. Whatever humans chose to do was their own concern. Unless they attacked him and left him no choice but to fight back, he saw no reason to involve himself in their affairs.
Each attacker sported a red bandana or had a red scarf wrapped around their neck, indicating their affiliation with Los Demonios. The two Demons who had just emerged from the second pickup truck quickly tied the survivors¡¯ hands behind their backs. The motorcycle¡¯s engine growled to a stop as the rider dismounted to assist her companions in restraining their victims. The survivors were then ordered to climb into the bed of the second truck and lie down on the boards. The two Demons joined them in the bed, sitting on the benches across from one another and resting their boots on the backs of the helpless survivors sprawled on their stomachs.
The gunner in the first truck¡¯s bed turned toward the female rider standing nearby and shouted to be heard over the downpour, ¡°Good job, Catalina! You brought them right to us!¡±
She acknowledged his words with a nod. Then, the two pickup trucks turned and rumbled down the street, disappearing from sight. The rider slung her submachine gun across her shoulder and made her way back to her motorcycle. Just as she mounted it and was about to follow the trucks, something prompted her to tilt her head back and look up.
Catalina squinted against the rain pelting her skin. The lower half of her face was concealed by the red bandana she wore, leaving only her eyes visible. She peered into the rainy darkness and seemed to lock eyes with Jake ten stories above her. For a moment, he was convinced the darkness of the night and the downpour might hide him from her sight. However, he then noticed her body tense, a clear indication that she¡¯d spotted him.
Before she could react, though, Jake stood up and spun around. He bolted across the roof and leaped to another building, vanishing into the rainy night.
Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Jake spent the rest of the night searching for mana. During the morning, he hunted mutants in the sewers. Once he cleared out the underground tunnels, he returned to street level to look for anomalies, eager to find some challenges to tackle. He confronted every group of ex-humans he encountered, earning some XP. The rain from the previous night had finally stopped, and the sun broke through the clouds, casting a soft light over the streets and sparkling off the puddles left by the downpour.
As Jake roamed the city, battling ex-humans and searching for anomalies, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous night. He remembered watching a woman named Catalina, who was riding a motorcycle, and her companions in two pickup trucks chase and capture a group of survivors. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d witnessed Los Demonios launch an ambush against fellow survivors.
However, their attacks weren¡¯t motivated by the desire to rob other survivors. Los Demonios had access to high-quality equipment as well as top-notch weapons and vehicles¡ªfar more than most. They even operated helicopters. The chopper Jake had brought down recently was just one of many in the gang¡¯s possession. Over the past few days, he¡¯d spotted similar-looking helicopters flying over the city on multiple occasions. Many of the vehicles in their possession had a futuristic design, like Catalina¡¯s bike and the chopper he¡¯d brought down.
Clearly, the Demons didn¡¯t lack resources. They ambushed and attacked other survivors not because they wanted to rob them, but rather because they aimed to take hostages. For some reason, they were collecting people, and they needed them alive. Even though Jake had long since decided not to get involved in human affairs, he found himself pondering the meaning behind it all. Where did Los Demonios acquire their high-quality equipment and vehicles? Why did they relentlessly keep capturing other survivors? What was their purpose? Were they forcing the captives to work for the gang? It seemed that Los Demonios grew stronger with each passing day. While it didn¡¯t bother him personally, for other survivors, it surely posed a big problem.
While pondering this, Jake kept wandering around the city, killing all the ex-humans he encountered to farm XP. He ventured into a high-rise building and cleared it of all mutants from the top floor down to the first, before returning to the roof and leaping to another building. He was currently on the first floor of yet another building, having cleared all the upper floors of mutants. He was surrounded by a group of walkers and leapers, with a massive shambler looming behind them. Jake had his hands morphed into smashfists. While he preferred using claws or swords in battle, he occasionally switched to smashfists to practice and improve this ability.
Just as a walker lurched toward him, Jake threw his right smashfist at the mutant. It hammered into the ex-human¡¯s lower jaw, shattering it. Blood and broken teeth flew from the mutant¡¯s ruined mouth, leaving the walker stunned for a moment. While the first ex-human was out of it, Jake shifted his attention to another mutant. His huge fist landed at the bottom of its ribcage, its ribs collapsing inward with a sickening snapping sound. He then returned his attention to the first walker. His smashfist caught it beneath what remained of its lower jaw and tore its head free from its neck. Its head went bouncing across the floor as a geyser of blood sprayed from the stub of its neck. Both mutants were dead within three seconds.
While Jake preferred his claws, he couldn¡¯t deny that his smashfists were extremely powerful, especially in combination with his Body attribute being at 32 and the recently acquired second upgrade for his Enhanced Strength, which greatly increased his punching power.
There were several more mutants attacking him from several directions. He punched one of them, knocking the mutant from its feet. Jake brought one of his balled-up smashfists downward onto its head, smashing it open like an overripe melon.
He immediately turned toward another mutant just as it lashed out at him with its claws. Jake blocked the attack with his massive fists. The mutant¡¯s claws scraped against them, inflicting minimal damage to his rough, textured skin. He then threw a punch with blinding speed, his fist plunging into and through the center of the mutant¡¯s body, emerging through its back in an explosion of gore. Jake pulled his clenched smashfist free of the ex-human¡¯s body, letting it topple to the ground.
Suddenly, the shambler reached him, shoving aside two walkers that stood in its way. The massive mutant swung its enormous arm at Jake, but he ducked just in time, and it passed harmlessly over his head. Without wasting a moment, Jake retaliated with a punch to the shambler¡¯s stomach. His smashfist easily broke through the shambler¡¯s protective organic layer. When his fist pulled out of the mutant¡¯s body, coils of squashed intestines came out, flopping onto the ground. Jake immediately attacked again, his massive smashfist sweeping through the air to make contact with the shambler¡¯s skull. Despite the protective layer covering it, the mutant¡¯s head exploded from the brutal force of the impact. With a tremendous thud, the huge mutant collapsed to the floor. Just like that, the shambler was dealt with.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Jake quickly spun around, surveying his surroundings. A handful of weak walkers and leapers were still alive. It didn¡¯t take him long to kill the remaining ex-humans.
Multiple enemies killed. +435 XP
Immediately, another notification flashed through his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 38 to 39. You have gained 5 SP.
As he¡¯d intended, Jake spent three points to unlock all three upgrades for the combat ability he was currently using.
Ability: Smashfists
Upgrade Options:
1 - Increase the impact strength to shatter tougher materials.
2 - Enhance the blocking capability to absorb and deflect incoming strikes.
3 - Significantly reduce the transformation time to morph hands into smashfists.
He then checked the upgrades for Bladed Tentacles. He¡¯d already acquired one upgrade for this ability to reduce the time needed to grow tentacles, so there were two more available.
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Upgrade Options (Common):
1 - Increase the number of tentacles that can be sprouted at the same time to three. Cost: 1 SP
2 - Increase the length of tentacles by several feet for increased reach. Cost: 1 SP
3 - Significantly reduce the time needed to grow tentacles. Cost: Already Owned
He used the remaining two skill points to acquire the first two upgrades as well.
The next time he leveled up, he planned to acquire all four upgrades for Mind Reader. He would likely use his last skill point to obtain the fourth upgrade for Claws to extend their reach. However, he then recalled that he actually didn¡¯t want to increase their length, because he was content with their current reach. When he needed greater reach, he could always switch to his swords instead. So he would probably allocate the fifth skill point to something else. He would decide when the time came.
After that, he opened his eyes, and all the information disappeared. He looked around once more. There were no ex-humans left in the building, so he transformed his smashfists back into normal hands. Now, it was time to head back to the rooftop. However, instead of returning to the staircase, he thought of something else. Staircases were for humans. Maybe he could scale the building¡¯s wall to reach the roof instead? He knew his claws weren¡¯t very suitable for that, but perhaps his enhanced agility and excellent acrobatic skills would assist him. He decided to give it a shot.
As soon as he left the building, he looked around. Some of the shorter buildings had vines cascading down their walls. Jake knew he wouldn¡¯t have any trouble scaling a wall covered in vines, but he wanted to find a tall building that wasn¡¯t covered in vegetation. Even a ¡°naked¡± building wall should offer plenty of handholds, like window frames, cornices, and other features, for him to grab onto. His enhanced agility and impressive acrobatic abilities should allow him to scale any building wall, but since he¡¯d never actually attempted it before, he wanted to try it.
Jake jogged down the street, scanning for the perfect building. Soon, he arrived at a four-way intersection and heard a strange humming sound. He paused, taking a moment to look around. At one corner, he spotted a half-destroyed one-story diner, with an anomaly hovering above its roof, emitting a low hum. Intrigued, Jake decided to check it out and see if it had a challenge for him to tackle. His search for a building to climb could wait a little.
Next to the demolished diner stood a multi-story building, with long vines cascading down its front wall. Jake jogged over to the building, grabbed hold of a vine, and began to climb. He reached the height of the second floor and was about to jump down onto the diner¡¯s roof when he suddenly heard the rumble of a powerful vehicle.
Jake looked around and saw a pickup moving toward him, quickly closing in on his position. A machine gun was mounted in the bed, manned by a person clinging to it for dear life. Within seconds, the pickup truck reached the intersection. The vehicle moved so fast Jake was sure it would shoot past him without its occupants even noticing him. However, the truck came to a sudden stop, its tires screeching in protest, halting not far from his location.
Jake noticed the driver, a man with a red scarf wrapped around his neck, staring at him through the windshield.
¡°There it is!¡± the driver exclaimed, his voice easily reaching Jake through the rolled-down window. ¡°It¡¯s the freak!¡±
The person operating the machine gun also wore a red scarf around his neck. He aimed the weapon at Jake and snarled, ¡°Finally found you, you sonofabitch. You made us search the whole city for you. Now you¡¯ll die, motherfucker.¡±
The hell? Jake thought. Why had these guys, who obviously belonged to Los Demonios, been looking for him? However, before he could give the matter any more thought, the Demon manning the machine gun unleashed a volley of bullets in his direction.
The guy aimed a bit too high, though, and the heavy-caliber bullets he fired struck the vine Jake was gripping above him. The vine snapped, sending Jake tumbling down onto the sidewalk.
Chapter 121
Chapter 121
Jake twisted in midair and gracefully landed on his feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. He quickly stood up and turned toward the pickup truck. The man in the bed, who was holding down the trigger, swung the barrel downward, stitching a line of bullet holes in the building wall behind Jake.
He wasted no time in dashing toward the vehicle, eager to deal with the shooter. Just as he was about to jump into the truck bed, a bullet struck him in the left shoulder. The force of the impact wasn¡¯t all that powerful, and the bullet failed to penetrate more than half an inch into his body. However, a split second after the heavy-caliber round embedded itself into his body, it blew up, tearing a large piece of flesh out of his shoulder.
The force of the mini-explosion spun Jake around, whipping him to the ground. He collapsed face-first on the unyielding asphalt of the road. Through the roar of the machine gun, his acute hearing picked up the shooter¡¯s laughter as he shouted to the driver, ¡°Got the bastard!¡±
Jake quickly calculated the best course of action. Had the guy in the truck¡¯s bed wielded a standard weapon, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop Jake¡¯s approach, and he would already have reached the shooter. But for some reason, the machine gun mounted in the truck¡¯s bed was much more powerful than any other weapon Jake had ever been shot with.
Running directly for the pickup truck would be a suicide considering how powerful the weapon was. The explosive bullets it fired would shred him to pieces long before he could reach the man in the truck¡¯s bed. He could try to run around the vehicle and wait for the shooter to run out of bullets in his machine gun before attacking him. However, if the other weapons the shooter and driver were armed with were half as deadly as the mounted machine gun, he would be in serious trouble.
So a tactical retreat was called for. Instead of attacking the two Demons head-on, he needed to set up an ambush and lure them into it. This was the only way he could turn the tables in that situation.
Before the shooter could readjust his aim, Jake sprang to his feet. He pivoted and sprinted away from the truck. Upon reaching the intersection, he veered to the right, narrowly avoiding bullets that zipped past him. But one of them stung him in the right knee and immediately exploded. Jake lost his balance and collapsed again. He quickly got back on his feet, but his injured leg was only partially responsive and struggled to support him, which wasn¡¯t surprising at all¡ªwhen Jake glanced down at it, he saw a huge chunk of flesh had been torn out of his knee area.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Jake glanced to the right at the pickup truck. He concentrated on the shooter. With a thought, he summoned his stats, and they instantly popped up in his mind. He was mainly interested in the shooter¡¯s level, which turned out to be 75. Seventy-five! His own level was only 39. After his transformation, he¡¯d had to level up from scratch. However, as it turned out, he was able to level up much faster than regular survivors, which was why he caught up with them pretty quickly. So his level was currently thirty-nine, and most survivors had about the same level. But for some reason, the shooter in the truck¡¯s bed was much stronger. It was safe to assume the driver¡¯s level was close to that of the shooter.
How come their levels exceeded those of most survivors by so much? The weapons wielded by the truck¡¯s occupants were likely close to the levels of the two bandits, which explained why the mounted machine gun was so powerful. But this raised another question. The System spawned items according to the current levels of the majority of survivors. How come the two Demons had such high levels, and where had they been able to get high-level equipment?
However, Jake had no time to think about that. He kept running, though his severely injured right leg prevented him from gaining his top speed. He staggered down the street, favoring his injured leg.
¡°After him,¡± he heard the shooter yell. ¡°Don¡¯t let the bastard get away!¡±
Then he heard the rumble of the pickup truck¡¯s engine somewhere behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. He¡¯d put some distance between himself and the intersection, and the pickup truck was still out of sight. Although Jake couldn¡¯t see it yet, he knew the truck was currently making a U-turn. Once it completed the turn, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the driver to reach the intersection and catch up with him.
With a thought, he called up his health points.
HP: 75%
He¡¯d only suffered two wounds, but he¡¯d lost twenty-five percent of his health. It was bad. The large ragged hole in his left shoulder was large and deep enough to cause his mana to seep out. His Enhanced Regeneration was already actively healing the wounds, both in his left shoulder and right knee, but he would lose some of his mana before they were completely healed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an alleyway to his right, formed by two tall buildings. He slowed down and turned his head to take a better look. The alley was slightly wider than the pickup truck that was chasing him. Being well aware he needed to hide and recover before retaliating, he turned and dashed into the alley.
A dozen yards in, he spotted a ledge protruding from the wall of a building on his left. He jumped and grabbed the ledge with the tips of his fingers. For a brief moment, his feet dangled in the air until they finally found purchase on a horizontal crack just wide enough for the tips of his feet to fit into. Jake then quickly looked around and noticed another handhold just above him. He leaped up and seized it with both hands.
Utilizing any handhold and foothold he could find, he pressed on with his climb, all too aware of the truck engine¡¯s rumble growing louder as his pursuers quickly closed in on him.
Chapter 122
Chapter 122
Jake continued to scale the building wall until he reached the second floor. To his left was a shattered window. He first grabbed the bottom edge of the window frame with one hand, then with the other. Hanging from the window, he pulled himself up and, with a powerful motion, shoved his body through the opening. He landed on the floor of the room beyond and launched himself into a roll before getting up on his feet.
Jake quickly scanned his surroundings. He found himself in a spacious but mostly empty room. No mutants were in sight, and no sound reached him from the deeper parts of the building. Relieved that he wouldn¡¯t have to fight any mutants, he turned his attention to his wounds.
The ragged hole in his knee was less severe, and most of the flesh had nearly grown back by that point. The wound in his shoulder was still healing, gradually closing as his flesh regenerated. At least his mana was no longer leaking out.
An idea occurred to him. Back when he was a survivor, he could access a battle log on his PDA to monitor both the damage he inflicted on enemies and the damage he sustained. He¡¯d never attempted to access that menu as a mutant. Remembering it now, he decided to give it a try. After all, his Enhanced Intelligence functioned like a PDA in so many ways.
He closed his eyes and gave a mental command to summon a combat log. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, so it was a pleasant surprise when a piece of information he¡¯d just requested actually materialized in his mind.
BattleLog:
You have been wounded for 17% by Explosive Damage.
You have been wounded for 8% by Explosive Damage.
It was remarkable. He could access his BattleLog just as he had on his PDA when he was a regular survivor. He knew he would make good use of this feature whenever the need arose.
He glanced at the information once more. The first bullet that hit him in the left shoulder had inflicted seventeen percent damage, while the second bullet, which struck his right knee, caused eight percent. Both bullets had exploded, dealing explosive damage. Regular bullets would have dealt significantly less damage to him. Also, Jake remembered acquiring an upgrade for the Enhanced Regeneration skill to develop greater resistance to various elemental damage types. Had he not done that, the two explosive bullets that had wounded him would have dealt much more damage to his body.
Another thought occurred to him. Could he somehow check his resistances? Was there maybe a specific menu for that? He decided to give it a shot and issued a mental command to summon his resistances. To his mild surprise, it actually worked: a new piece of information emerged in his mind.
Elemental Resistances:
Incendiary - 10%
Cryo - 10%
Shock - 10%
Explosive - 10%
Corrosive - 10%
Radiation - 10%
Other Resistances:
Pierce - 12%You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Poison - 0%
Mana Bleeding - 7%
Mind Control - 0%
Stun - 0%
Chaos - 0%
Ethereal - 0%
It appeared he had always had access to his menu¡ªhe simply had never attempted to access it before. And since there was no tutorial on being a mutant, he had never been informed about having the Resistances menu. He had to learn the ropes of being a morphus all by himself, discovering new things on the go.
He returned his attention to the information. He noticed that all his elemental resistances were at 10%, clearly due to the upgrade he had acquired for Enhanced Regeneration the other day. His Pierce resistance was at 12%, while his Mana Bleeding resistance stood at 7%. The latter was likely influenced by his Magick attribute, while the former was formed by his Body attribute, along with various skills and upgrades that improved his overall durability and made his body more damage-resistant.
All the other resistances were currently at zero. The Mind Control and Stun resistances were pretty much self-explanatory. As for Chaos and Ethereal resistances, he could only guess what they protected him against. He attempted to call up additional information on them, but nothing happened.
All these thoughts raced through his mind in mere seconds. He was eager to think about each of his resistances more carefully, but he had no time for that. The sudden screech of tires from the street drew his attention as the pickup truck neared the building Jake was in, reminding him that at the moment, he had more pressing matters than studying his stats.
Opening his eyes, he jogged across the vast, empty room toward the windows facing the street. His injured leg still wasn¡¯t fully healed, causing him to move in a staggered, unsteady manner. Slowly, keeping most of his body concealed, he peeked out of one window at the street.
Below him, he saw the pickup truck turn and pull a few feet into the alley before coming to a stop. The Demon manning the machine gun peered into the narrow alley stretching before the idling vehicle, a perplexed look on his face. Jake was certain that when he dashed into the alley, the pickup truck hadn¡¯t even reached the intersection yet, so its two occupants couldn¡¯t have seen him enter it. In spite of that, they knew for sure where exactly he had gone, which meant they had some means of tracking him.
¡°Where¡¯s that bastard?¡± the shooter growled, hatred dripping from his voice as it echoed through the shattered window Jake stood at.
These guys seemed to genuinely hate him for some reason. But why? Was it because of the helicopter he¡¯d brought down a few days earlier? But how had they learned it was him who destroyed it? Sure, somebody saw him after the helicopter crashed, but those guys weren¡¯t from Los Demonios. Perhaps Catalina had tipped off the rest of the gang about him, but that scenario made even less sense. Or maybe Los Demonios had been on his trail even before that incident. After all, before he destroyed the helicopter, its two occupants had been looking for something¡ªor someone¡ªthough it was hard to tell if they were looking for him specifically. One thing was for certain, though: the two bandits in the pickup truck had definitely been looking for him, and they had been at that for a while now. They clearly even had a method of tracking his movements.
Jake couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. On one hand, he could come up with plenty of explanations for why he was being hunted, but on the other hand, without any evidence to back up his theories, they were all just speculation for now.
However, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to ponder any of that right now, because the shooter suddenly shouted to the driver, ¡°Tell me where the bastard is! What are you waiting for? Check the scanner before the freak gets away from us again!¡±
Jake knew he was about to be discovered. What options did he have? Well, there obviously were only two: either fight or run. If he ran, the Demons would continue to track him down, but he needed to know why they were hunting him. He really wanted to understand their motives. The problem was that he wasn¡¯t in the best shape to fight as his wounds weren¡¯t completely healed yet. On the other hand, he currently had an element of surprise working in his favor. So if he chose to attack, he had to do it right now.
¡°It¡¯s right here!¡± the driver shouted suddenly, panic creeping into his voice. He had obviously just checked the scanner and pinpointed Jake¡¯s location.
There was no time to think. Flee or fight? Jake made a split-second decision.
Chapter 123
Chapter 123
There was a window to the left, in the corner of the room, facing the alley. The glass was missing, and when Jake leaned out, he saw that the pickup truck was positioned directly below him from that vantage point.
¡°Where?¡± the shooter barked at the driver. ¡°Where is ¡®here¡¯ exactly?¡±
His gaze was fixed on the cab ahead. A quick glance upward would reveal Jake leaning out of the window frame, peering down at him.
¡°I dunno,¡± the driver shouted in response. ¡°The blip¡¯s right at our position.¡±
It seemed that their scanner offered no hints about whether the target was located above or below them.
The shooter glanced around, only noting the walls of the buildings on both sides of the truck. In the next instant, he must have realized where Jake was because he suddenly jerked his head upward just as Jake leaped from the window above, hurtling down towards him.
The shooter¡¯s mouth opened in an ¡°O¡± as he was about to shout. However, before he could utter a sound, Jake landed on top of him, sending him sprawling onto the floor of the truck bed. The vehicle swayed with the force of the impact, producing a plaintive creak. Two or three ribs in the guy¡¯s chest snapped, causing him to cry out in pain. Jake positioned himself atop the Demon who whined and squirmed beneath him.
Jake morphed his right hand into claws and immediately lashed out with them at the guy¡¯s exposed throat. His victim¡¯s eyes went wide as blood began to flow from the gash. However, Jake had made sure not to dig his claws too deeply into the bandit¡¯s flesh, because he needed at least one of these guys to remain alive. If he acted quickly enough, he would be able to neutralize the driver and get back to the shooter before he bled to death.
¡°What the fuck?¡± the driver cursed.
In his wide field of vision, Jake saw the driver glance back at him through the rear window. He turned his head, and for a second, their gazes locked, Jake¡¯s large blue eyes devoid of any emotion while the driver¡¯s widened in horror. Then, Jake spun toward the cab and jumped, landing on the roof. To his credit, despite his fear, the driver didn¡¯t succumb to panic, and his reflexes remained sharp. He reacted immediately, not giving Jake a chance to do anything else. The pickup truck¡¯s engine growled as the vehicle surged backward out of the alley.
Jake flipped over the windshield, rolled across the hood, and finally landed on the sidewalk. The truck screeched to a halt in the middle of the street. As he looked up, Jake met the driver¡¯s gaze through the windshield. Judging by his expression, the bandit wasn¡¯t in the least surprised to see Jake unscathed. Just as the driver shifted the vehicle into drive, Jake leaped to his feet and performed a mana-infused jump toward the pickup truck, morphing his other hand into claws as he soared through the air.
Before the vehicle could even move from the spot, he landed on its hood, dropping to a crouch and immediately sinking his claws into the surface of the hood. His toughened talons sliced easily through the metal, and Jake immediately latched onto it, anchoring himself. The truck lurched forward, making a sharp turn before accelerating down the street. However, now that Jake was securely anchored to the hood, it wasn¡¯t easy for the driver to shake him off. He continued to guide the vehicle down the street, craning his neck to look around Jake, whose body obstructed most of his view.
Realizing it was futile to try to dislodge the obsidian-black mutant and too dangerous to drive without being able to see the road, the driver slammed on the brakes. The sudden stop caused Jake¡¯s body to lurch forward, but his claws gripping the hood kept him firmly in place, preventing him from being tossed off the vehicle.
As Jake released his left clawed hand from the hood, the driver drew a strange-looking handgun from its holster at his hip. The weapon resembled a revolver, but its cylinder was triangular-shaped, a stark contrast to conventional round chambers. Each of its three sides clearly contained a single round. Two glowing sigils adorned the barrel of the large weapon.
The driver pointed the weapon at him and fired through the windshield, punching a hole in it. Jake jerked his head to the side, instinctively raising his left hand. The bullet hit him in the palm. Jake expected the round to explode, but something else happened instead. His palm and two clawed fingers¡ªpinky and ring finger¡ªbegan to crystallize, turning into ice. Part of his palm became encrusted, transforming his obsidian-black flesh into a glassy, sparkling surface akin to ice. Then the process suddenly halted, leaving two of his fingers and part of his palm resembling frozen crystals. Jake realized he could no longer feel or move his pinky and ring finger.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
For a moment, neither Jake nor the driver moved, both stunned by the unexpected turn of events. Jake had never been shot with such a weapon before. Without even checking his BattleLog, he knew he had just suffered from Cryo Damage. The driver, on the other hand, clearly expected his weapon to inflict much more Cryo Damage on Jake than it had. He had obviously used this revolver many times before on other ex-humans, and the damage it inflicted on them must have been far more devastating. He probably anticipated that Jake¡¯s entire arm would turn into ice instead of just two fingers.
Then the driver snapped out of it. He pulled the hammer back with his thumb, the cylinder rotating with a loud click, and immediately fired again. The bullet hit Jake in the left palm again, but unlike the previous shot, this one exploded. It didn¡¯t deal much damage to his hand, but his two frozen fingers exploded into a million tiny, sparkling shards that flew in every direction.
The driver¡¯s thumb cocked back the revolver¡¯s hammer with a practiced motion honed by countless days of survival in this harsh world. He readjusted his aim and fired the final round from his revolver. Jake jerked his head to the side, and instead of embedding itself into his forehead, the bullet grazed the left side of his head. It immediately blew up, destroying Jake¡¯s left eye.
The sudden loss of half his vision filled him with rage. The shocked expression on the driver¡¯s face revealed just how surprised he was that Jake was still alive. He began to hastily reload his revolver as Jake morphed what remained of his left hand into a smashfist. Despite the damage to his hand, the smashfist remained large and powerful. He hurled it toward the windshield, easily shattering it. The driver screamed as shards of glass peppered him, cutting his skin and embedding themselves in his face.
Jake reached inside the cab and wrenched the revolver from the driver¡¯s grip, accidentally breaking the guy¡¯s index finger in the process. He clenched the revolver in his huge hand, turning it into a twisted useless piece of metal. He opened his hand, allowing the destroyed weapon to fall. He then placed his palm on the driver¡¯s scalp, wrapping the three remaining fingers of his enlarged left hand around the man¡¯s head. The driver gripped Jake¡¯s lower arm, desperately trying to pull it away, but he was powerless against his inhuman strength.
Jake applied pressure, and the bandit¡¯s cranium crumpled inward almost effortlessly. Since he was still holding the driver¡¯s head, Jake focused on accessing his memories, utilizing his Mind Reader ability. For two or three seconds, it seemed to work, and images of the driver¡¯s most recent memories began to flood Jake¡¯s mind.
Ignoring the dying driver¡¯s body thrashing about in death throes, Jake quickly fast-forwarded through his memories, searching for something useful. One scene caught his attention: the driver had stopped the pickup truck, and both he and the shooter opened fire on a group of ex-humans. While Jake couldn¡¯t see the guy in the truck bed, it was obvious he was operating the mounted machine gun.
As for the driver, he was using his revolver, aiming it at one of the walkers approaching the idling truck. The first round he fired hit the walker center mass, turning most of its upper body into ice. The second round he fired was explosive, and it shattered the frozen part of the mutant¡¯s body into a million tiny fragments, killing the mutant instantly.
That was what the driver expected to happen when he fired his revolver at Jake. Only as it turned out, his weapon wasn¡¯t nearly as effective against him as it was against regular mutants, which was why the driver had been taken aback.
Then the memories were suddenly replaced by darkness as the driver finally died. Jake pulled his hand away from the dead bandit, whose head now looked like a crushed overripe melon.
He jumped down from the hood to the ground, walked along the side of the truck, and leaped into the bed. The shooter was still alive, his right hand wrapped around his wounded throat, blood seeping through his fingers. His other hand clawed at the rucksack that was just out of reach on the opposite side of the truck bed. Jake crouched down, straddling the man, and grabbed hold of his head, activating Mind Reader.
The guy¡¯s most recent memories flooded Jake¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t learn anything new, though. Before encountering him, the two occupants of the truck had been driving around the city in search of him. While Jake was already aware of that, using Mind Reader was still useful because each activation progressed the ability toward the next rank, which would improve its effectiveness.
Releasing the Demon¡¯s head, he reached for his rucksack. Morphing his claws into a normal hand, he began to rummage through the bag¡¯s contents. Although it held a myriad of survival supplies, Jake was solely focused on locating the guy¡¯s PDA. Since the shooter was dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, the rucksack was likely the only place it could be stored.
It didn¡¯t take him long to find it. He dug the device out of the bag and took hold of the dying human¡¯s right hand, which lacked the strength to resist. Jake pressed the man¡¯s thumb to the PDA¡¯s screen, and the device got unlocked. Now, it was time to finally uncover the reason these guys were after him.
Chapter 124
Chapter 124
First of all, Jake tapped on the Missions tab, and the guy¡¯s list of active and completed missions filled the screen. The Demon currently had only one active mission, positioned at the top of the list. Jake checked it out.
Objective: Use a scanner to locate and eliminate an ex-human morphus. Complete the mission within 24 hours to earn an additional reward.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: 250,000 XP, 750,000 credits
Extra reward: Supply drop (x1) (Legendary)
Status: In Progress
The menu felt painfully familiar. During his time as a regular survivor, Jake had completed plenty of missions in exchange for rewards such as XP, credits, and supply drops, each filled with useful items.
For a moment, he stared at the information displayed on the screen. So, the guy squirming beneath him actually had a mission to track him down and kill him. He and his now-dead companion weren¡¯t hunting him just for the hell of it. Instead, they wanted to complete their mission to earn impressive rewards: 250,000 XP and 750,000 credits were significant amounts of experience and currency, even for survivors at their level. Also, if they succeeded in finding and eliminating him within a day, they could even request a supply airdrop filled with legendary gear.
What the hell, Jake thought.
He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. How come these guys were given a mission to kill him? The answer came to him quickly: the System regarded him merely as a monster for survivors to hunt. He actually wasn¡¯t all that surprised by that. Deep down, he had already suspected the truth, which was precisely why he checked the guy¡¯s Missions list first. He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit that he was viewed by the System as nothing more than a mere monster to kill.
One small consolation was that this mission had the highest difficulty. So at least the System did him justice, recognizing just how dangerous he truly was.
Then another thought came to his mind. Maybe his transformation into a mutant was some kind of glitch. Maybe he hadn¡¯t been supposed to turn into a sentient mutant with unique skills and abilities when he was sucked into the Dark Void anomaly. So there were two explanations for what was happening: either the System simply categorized him as a mutant and assigned high-level survivors the mission to eliminate him, or he truly was a glitch, and therefore the System wanted him gone for good.
If it was the former, that was fine because it would only mean he could occasionally expect survivors to hunt him. But if it was the latter, it was really bad news because it would mean that the System was making an intentional effort to get rid of him and likely wouldn¡¯t give up until he was gone.
A small piece of good news was that, at least, it seemed the System couldn¡¯t just ¡°erase¡± him out of existence. If it could do that, it wouldn¡¯t have bothered to go through all the trouble of giving survivors the mission to hunt him down. So, it needed to use survivors to get the job done. He could handle survivors, even those whose levels greatly outmatched his. However, dealing with high-level survivors wasn¡¯t all that easy, so he had to level up even faster than he had.
He could¡¯ve pondered the implications of his situation further but decided not to for the time being. Before delving deeper into the matter, he first wanted to check the guy¡¯s Diary. He knew entries appeared in a survivor¡¯s Diary automatically¡ªthe owner of a device couldn¡¯t add, edit, or remove them manually. On average, new entries appeared once or twice a day, describing notable events that occurred during that day. This ensured that everything found in the bandit¡¯s Diary would be true.
For the next few minutes, he scanned through the entries in the guy¡¯s journal. He learned that his name was Jovan. During the first days after the Collapse, he had met a guy named Arnaud, and since then, they had survived together. Jake wasn¡¯t particularly interested in that, so he skipped most entries that described their initial days of survival. He did notice, however, that both of them were quite the pieces of work. Together, they ambushed and attacked other survivors, but they always targeted loners and only when they had some sort of advantage over their victims.
At some point, they were captured by gangsters from Los Demonios. They were given a choice that all the gang¡¯s captives were given: either be forced to do labor for the gang or join their ranks. However, those who chose to join would have to prove their loyalty first. Unsurprisingly, Jovan and Arnaud opted to join and, for a time, they worked for Los Demonios, hunting down, capturing, torturing, and killing any other survivors the gang¡¯s leaders directed them to. This wasn¡¯t particularly challenging for Jovan and Arnaud, considering they weren¡¯t the greatest people in the world to begin with.
Finally, they managed to prove their worth, securing their place in the gang. After officially becoming Demons, they were given long pieces of red fabric to wear at all times, like scarves, symbolizing their affiliation with Los Demonios. They also received a good vehicle and top-notch gear. On top of that, they were given spells that multiplied all the XP they earned, which explained why they had been able to level up so quickly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
One entry in Jovan¡¯s diary detailed what he knew about Los Demonios. Which wasn¡¯t much. At some point, he and Arnaud spoke with other Demons and learned a little about the gang¡¯s origins. Nobody knew for sure, but there was a rumor that Los Demonios hadn¡¯t originally formed in this city. The gang leaders were high-level survivors who had arrived via helicopters from somewhere else. That was essentially all Jovan, Arnaud, and other regular Demons knew about the gang¡¯s leadership. Those who refused to join Los Demonios basically became slaves, forced to work for the gang. However, not all of the captured survivors were allowed to do labor for the gang. Some of them were taken somewhere, but nobody except for the gang¡¯s leaders knew where exactly they were sent or what happened to them afterward.
This morning, Jovan and Arnaud were contacted by one of the gang leaders, who went by the name Skullface. He informed them that he would assign them a mission, which they needed to complete within a day. They could keep the cash reward but had to hand over the legendary reward to one of the gang leaders. So, as it turned out, it wasn¡¯t Jovan who was initially assigned the mission to kill Jake, but one of the gang leaders nicknamed Skullface. It meant that survivors could pass missions on to others, a fact Jake hadn¡¯t been aware of during his time as a survivor.
Jovan and Arnaud spent the first half of the day driving through the city, trying to track Jake down. They knew that failing this mission would not be accepted. Skullface had warned them that if they failed to complete the mission within 24 hours and secure the legendary reward, they would face severe punishment. Los Demonios was an extremely violent gang with harsh rules. Unfortunately for Jovan and Arnaud, they were unaware of how fast Jake moved, and the mission¡¯s description hadn¡¯t mentioned that Jake often traveled across the city using rooftops. By the time they arrived at his last known location, he was already long gone, and they had to track him again.
This explained why Jovan and Arnaud were so infuriated with Jake¡ªnot for any personal grudge, as he had previously assumed. The longer they searched the city, the more frustrated they became. They knew that if they didn¡¯t locate and eliminate Jake before the day ended, they would be in serious trouble. And that was the final entry in Jovan¡¯s diary, written just a few hours earlier.
While there were still some unanswered questions, Jake had definitely learned a few new things¡ªboth about how the System viewed him and about Los Demonios. He now realized that he had to remain constantly alert for other survivors who might be hunting him down. One of the leaders of Los Demonios, Skullface, would most likely pass the mission to kill him on to someone else once he learned about Jovan and Arnaud¡¯s failure. Without understanding the System¡¯s motives regarding him, Jake couldn¡¯t guess how long this mission would be active or how often it would resurface and be assigned to other survivors. As a result, he would have to remain vigilant and always keep his head on a swivel for trouble.
Jake wanted to open the Map app to check what places of interest Jovan might have pinned, but before he could do so, the screen suddenly went black. At first, he didn¡¯t realize what had just happened, but then he noticed that the guy beneath him had stopped squirming and was now completely motionless. Jovan had finally bled to death.
With the guy now dead, the device couldn¡¯t be unlocked anymore. Even though Jake knew that, he picked up the dead guy¡¯s hand and pressed its thumb against the screen again. Immediately, a message appeared across the display.
The device cannot be unlocked because its owner is dead.
For a moment, Jake considered taking the device with him. He still hoped that he would eventually learn some skill or unlock an upgrade for Enhanced Intelligence that would allow him to hack into survivors¡¯ PDAs. Carrying Jovan¡¯s PDA all the time would be inconvenient, but he could always stash it on a rooftop and come back for it later if he actually managed to learn how to hack it.
However, a new message suddenly appeared on the screen.
The device will revert to its default settings in 59 seconds.
So, there was no point in taking the PDA with him. Now that Jovan was dead, the device was set to perform a factory reset and erase all its data. This would allow a survivor who had lost their own PDA to use it if they stumbled upon it since all the progress a survivor made in this game-like world was backed up in the System itself while PDAs were merely used to access and view that information.
After Jovan¡¯s PDA completed its factory reset, Jake attempted to register as a new user, but no response came when he tapped the screen. It was expected, considering the System regarded him as a monster rather than a survivor. With no reason to keep the device, Jake dropped it and got to his feet. Without glancing back at Jovan¡¯s lifeless body, he turned and leaped from the truck bed to the road.
He assessed his wounds. The two fingers he had lost were already beginning to grow back, which came as no surprise. After all, during the tower-climb challenge, he had lost two fingers in a fight with a slasher¡ªhis first encounter with this type of mutant¡ªand they had regrown pretty quickly. Now that he was much stronger and possessed useful skills like Enhanced Regeneration, he was confident that the fingers Arnaud had shot off would regrow even faster.
He touched the ragged hole on the left side of his head and found that some of his flesh had already regrown. He was fairly certain that the eye he had lost would likely grow back as well, though he couldn¡¯t tell how long it would take. So for now, all he wanted to do was find a quiet place to rest and allow his body to recover. He quickly scanned his surroundings and broke into a brisk jog away from the pickup truck and the two dead Demons.
Chapter 125
Chapter 125
It took a couple of hours for Jake¡¯s eye to grow back. It was great to have full vision again. As for the fingers he¡¯d lost, they had regrown long before that. When he finally stepped out of the building where he had sought refuge, darkness was beginning to set in. The night would arrive in just a few hours.
He spent some time fighting monsters and searching for mana. At some point, he leveled up to 40, earning 5 skill points to allocate. He hid in the darkness of a narrow alley and summoned his stats. As he had planned, he acquired all four available upgrades for the Mind Reader ability.
Upgrade Options:
1 - Allows you to hear sounds within a target¡¯s memories.
2 - Sharpen the clarity of memories to create more vivid visualizations.
3 - Allows you to absorb long memories within just a few seconds of real time.
4 - Allows you to instantly access key moments in a target¡¯s memories.
Since it was an Uncommon ability, it had four upgrades instead of three, and all of them were extremely useful. Thanks to the first one, he could finally discern sounds while viewing someone¡¯s memories. This would be particularly useful, as it would allow him to listen to conversations that took place in a target¡¯s past.
The second upgrade improved the overall clarity of memories, while the third one allowed him to watch lengthy memories in just seconds of real time, which was extremely useful. He recalled how, during his exploration of the helicopter pilot¡¯s memories, the man had pulled a gun on him. If he hadn¡¯t been warned about that through Feral Instincts, the pilot could have shot him. With the second upgrade, he could absorb long memories in mere seconds, fast enough to prevent his target from taking any action while he was engrossed in their memories.
The fourth upgrade was incredibly useful as well. Thanks to it, he wouldn¡¯t need to watch all of a target¡¯s memories, but instead, he would instantly be able to jump to only the important ones. Combined with the third upgrade, viewing someone¡¯s memories could be done extremely quickly¡ªprobably in just a couple of seconds of real time.
Jake then checked the status of this ability.
Mind Reader: Rank I (60%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
He had watched the memories of Jovan and Arnaud, advancing his Mind Reader ability by 20% each time. To upgrade the ability to Rank II, he needed to use it two more times.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that there wasn¡¯t a single upgrade for this ability that allowed him to delve into someone¡¯s memories for more than just a few minutes in. So far, he could access only about fifteen minutes of a target¡¯s most recent memories. He suspected that the depth of access was governed by this ability¡¯s rank, meaning he needed to advance Mind Reader to higher ranks to explore deeper into a person¡¯s mind.
The only way to progress this ability was to use it on somebody, and sure enough, the person had to be alive. This posed a bit of a problem for him. Survivors wouldn¡¯t just let him grab them by their heads¡ªor any other parts of their bodies for that matter. They would resist and attack him, and he wanted to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
Then an idea came to him. Could he use this ability on a sleeping person? Would it work? It seemed worth a try. He figured he could probably touch a person¡¯s head lightly without waking them. He decided to give it a shot at some point.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
He still had one skill point left to allocate. After giving the matter some thought, he decided to use it to purchase the final upgrade for Claws to make them longer. He remembered that he previously hadn¡¯t wanted to increase their length, because longer claws were less practical for tasks beyond combat. However, in the end, he decided to acquire the upgrade. After all, he only used them in combat, and when he, for example, needed to pick something up, he morphed his claws back into normal hands anyway. Therefore, there was no reason not to acquire this upgrade.
He then reviewed his current stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 40
HP: 100%
XP: 35/5125
SP: 0
MP: 43,125
Body: 32
Mind: 30
Magick: 30
Claws: Rank III (17%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank II (13%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I (96%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Mind Reader: Rank I (60%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank I (78%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (19%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (24%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (25%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank I (98%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Strength: Rank I (35%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank I (47%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Feral Instincts: Rank I (26%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Durability: Rank I (19%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
So he had finally acquired all the upgrades for his current skills and abilities. Once he collected more MP, he planned to purchase some new ones from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface, which had become available after his evolving into the second stage.
Jake then opened his eyes, morphed his hands into claws, and looked at them. They were definitely longer now, but aside from that, they hadn¡¯t changed. He reverted them to normal hands and left the dark alley. Since he decided to use Mind Reader on sleeping humans, he chose to stay at street level instead of going to the rooftops. He spent the rest of the evening and the first half of the night searching for mana consumables.
During his search, he accumulated over fifty thousand MP. He could now buy two or maybe even three skills from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface. He decided to level up first so he would have spare skill points to allocate to his attributes if it became necessary to purchase skills that caught his eye.
It was now the middle of the night, and most survivors were likely fast asleep. The regular world reset had already taken place, so there were plenty of freshly respawned monsters around. This worked to his advantage, making it easier to search for survivors¡¯ hideouts because as he knew from experience, mutants never respawned in buildings where humans sought shelter for the night.
Most of the buildings he entered had ex-humans inside, so he quickly left them. Eventually, he found a structure that seemed devoid of mutants¡ªat least the living ones. He noticed the bodies of dead mutants scattered around, along with plenty of spent brass casings littering the floor. Clear footprints were visible in the layer of dust covering the ground. He followed the tracks to one of the upper floors, where he found himself in a long corridor lined with closed doors on either side.
He crept down the corridor, carefully listening for any sounds¡ªlike snoring¡ªthat might reveal the presence of sleeping survivors on this floor. It didn¡¯t take him long to hear something, but instead of the sounds of sleeping people, his acute hearing detected several voices engaged in conversation. He froze, crouching low to the floor.
He could tell that the sounds of conversation were coming from a slightly ajar door a few yards down the corridor. Judging by the energy in the voices of those talking, they weren¡¯t going to sleep anytime soon. So instead of waiting for them to turn in, he decided to leave the building and search for another group of survivors.
He was about to turn around and head back to the stairs when he suddenly realized that the survivors were actually talking about him! Intrigued, he decided to stay a little longer to listen in on their conversation.
Chapter 126
Chapter 126
¡°I don¡¯t buy it,¡± Jake heard one of them say. ¡°It sounds made up.¡±
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± someone else replied. ¡°Whether you want to accept it or not, that mutant actually exists, Michael.¡±
¡°An unstoppable mutant, as black as night, attacking everyone, and no one can kill it? That sounds like an urban legend, you know,¡± Michael scoffed.
¡°It¡¯s not an urban legend,¡± the second man insisted.
¡°It sounds like one, Jonah,¡± Michael replied. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not surprised.¡±
¡°Surprised by what?¡± Jonah asked.
¡°By the fact that these kinds of stories are starting to appear,¡± Michael said. ¡°Think about it. We¡¯re stuck in a world where all kinds of scary monsters exist, and¡ª¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t actual monsters,¡± a third voice interjected. ¡°They¡¯re mutants.¡±
¡°Whatever. My point still stands. And please, let me finish my thought, Toby.¡±
¡°Sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡±
¡°What I was going to say is, considering how many terrifying monsters¡ªmutants, creatures, whatever you wanna call them¡ªare roaming this world, it¡¯s no wonder people begin to imagine their own monsters. That¡¯s why our ancestors figured out how to make fire, y¡¯know¡ªthey wanted to fend off the darkness because they believed monsters crawled out of their lairs when night fell.¡±
¡°Are you done trying to sound like a philosopher?¡± a female voice chuckled.
¡°I¡¯m just stating the obvious, Hanna,¡± Michael replied.
¡°I agree with Michael,¡± another male voice chimed in. ¡°Those stories about that unkillable mutant do sound fabricated.¡±
¡°Thanks, Gerard,¡± Michael replied. ¡°At least someone else here besides myself hasn¡¯t lost their marbles.¡±
¡°The truth is, that ex-human actually exists,¡± Jonah interjected. ¡°There are plenty of people who have seen it. That mutant is called an ex-human morphus.¡±
¡°Oh, so people have even given that mutant a name already?¡± Michael laughed.
¡°Nobody¡¯s given it a name,¡± Jonah replied. ¡°It¡¯s what it¡¯s actually called. Someone must¡¯ve scanned it at some point.¡±
¡°Yeah, right. You¡¯d think the people who made up those stories about the mutant would come up with a more fitting name. Given all the terrifying rumors about it, the name Morphus doesn¡¯t do it justice. Something like Nightclaw or Creepingnight would be much more appropriate, don¡¯t you think? Though the latter feels more like something out of a children¡¯s scary story.¡±
Ignoring Michael¡¯s attempt at humor, Jonah continued, ¡°Those who have encountered the morphus say it¡¯s an exceptionally clever mutant. Some even believe it might be intelligent.¡±
¡°Puh-leeze!¡± Michael exclaimed. ¡°Have you ever seen an intelligent mutant?¡±
¡°Not personally, no,¡± Jonah admitted. ¡°But some of them are quite smart. I suppose it depends on their level. The higher the level, the smarter they are.¡±
While the survivors spoke with vigor, they tried to keep their voices low. Still, Jake could hear them perfectly. He remained crouched in the corridor, his gaze fixed on the slightly opened door from which the voices were coming.
¡°There¡¯s another interesting rumor about the morphus,¡± Toby said. ¡°People claim it was once human, a survivor just like us. Then something happened, and he turned into a mutant.¡±
¡°Bullshit,¡± was all Michael said. It sounded like he was no longer interested in discussing the subject.
¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Gerard asked, intrigued.
Toby replied, ¡°Remember that group we came across the other day? The one that was surrounded by a horde of mutants? We helped them fight them off.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Yeah. So?¡±
¡°We spent the rest of the day with them, right? I made friends with one of the guys. His name is Jacob. We talked a lot. He told me they¡¯d encountered another group of survivors at some point, and from one of them, he heard something interesting. Jacob told me their group recently witnessed a helicopter crash.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡± Michael perked up. ¡°Was it Los Demonios¡¯ chopper?¡±
¡°I¡¯d assume so,¡± Toby replied. ¡°I mean, what other groups have helicopters?¡±
¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Michael said. ¡°It''s great to hear those assholes lost a chopper. Fuck Los Demonios. Who are those guys, anyway?¡±
¡°So what does the chopper crash have to do with the morphus, or whatever it¡¯s called?¡± Gerard asked, steering the conversation back on course.
¡°Jacob said it was the morphus who brought it down,¡± Toby replied.
¡°Really?¡± Michael scoffed. ¡°So, that mutant can fly now? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±
¡°No, Jacob said that someone in his group caught sight of it jumping out of the chopper just before it crashed. After that, the morphus clung to a building wall while Jake¡¯s group watched. When it noticed them, it climbed into a window and disappeared.¡±
¡°What was the morphus doing in the chopper?¡± Gerard asked skeptically. ¡°How did it even get in there?¡±
¡°How should I know?¡± Toby replied. ¡°I¡¯m just sharing what I heard from Jacob. The morphus appeared intelligent to him somehow. He also told me that he once heard from somebody else this theory that the morphus was human once.¡±
¡°I believe the rumors about the morphus,¡± Hanna said, who had been mostly silent before until now. ¡°Before joining you guys, I met quite a lot of other survivors. I spoke with many of them,¡± she added with a chuckle, ¡°at least with those who weren¡¯t trigger-happy and didn¡¯t open fire on me on sight. I heard from several that now and then, they spotted the morphus climbing buildings and leaping between rooftops. So it can¡¯t fly, but it definitely has some incredible climbing abilities and can jump great distances.¡±
¡°At one point, I heard another story about the morphus from a different group of survivors,¡± Jonah added. ¡°One of them claimed they were jumped by it one night.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Toby replied, intrigued. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°They said the morphus appeared out of nowhere. They weren¡¯t even aware it was there or didn¡¯t hear it approach until it was almost right on top of them. One of them, I think his name was Erick, was gripping a mana crystal in his hands. It gave off a lot of light, which is how they noticed the morphus charging toward them.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Gerard replied. ¡°Mana crystals are incredibly bright¡ªand quite rare. So far, I¡¯ve only managed to find one myself.¡±
¡°Without it, they probably wouldn¡¯t have spotted it until it was too late,¡± Jonah added. ¡°The morphus was terrifyingly quiet, barely making a sound as it moved.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t suppose they killed it?¡± Toby asked.
¡°No, they wounded it, but surprisingly, it didn¡¯t fight back. Instead, it snatched the mana crystal out of Erick¡¯s hands and fled.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Michael chuckled. ¡°Really? That¡¯s anticlimactic.¡±
¡°So it just stole the guy¡¯s mana crystal and ran off?¡± Gerard asked.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t it attack them, though?¡± Gerard pondered. ¡°What did it even need the mana crystal for?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I know as much as you do. I¡¯m just telling you what I heard. That group has been speculating that the morphus feeds on mana. After all, while it happened very fast, they did notice that it didn¡¯t have a mouth, so the morphus can¡¯t eat. Instead, it must feed on mana, extracting it from mana items the way we do.¡±
¡°So this mutant lurks in the darkness, spies on survivors, and steals their mana items?¡± Michael laughed. ¡°What¡¯s it, some kind of mana thief?¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Gerard chimed in. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s even listening to us right now, watching from its hiding spot in the shadows.¡±
¡°Ooh, how scary,¡± Michael mocked.
However, a tense silence suddenly hung in the air. Jake remained where he was, listening intently. He thought the survivors had worked themselves up enough to leave the room and venture into the dark corridor to check it for any lurking mutants. Yet all remained silent¡ªno sounds hinted that anyone had moved.
Jake mulled over what he had just overheard. As it turned out, he had gained quite a bit of popularity among the regular survivors. Plenty of rumors about him circulated, and surprisingly, most of them were true. People knew he preferred to traverse the city by rooftops and had figured out that he fed on mana. Some even recognized that he was sentient. Until now, Jake had no idea he was being discussed so much by the survivors, and it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Michael suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Come on, enough with the campfire ghost stories! The morphus isn¡¯t real. All those stories are made up, so you can all chill out. What¡¯s with you, scaredy-cats? Y¡¯all really look like you actually believe this nonsense!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Gerard replied, though his tone lacked conviction.
¡°It¡¯s all true,¡± a new female voice chimed in, sounding somewhat familiar to Jake.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Toby asked, puzzled.
¡°The morphus¡ is real. The group I was with before¡ we were attacked by it.¡±
¡°The morphus attacked you?¡± Jonah asked.
¡°Y-yes.¡±
¡°Bullshit,¡± Michael scoffed.
¡°I think Elena¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Hanna said.
Jake suddenly remembered where he had heard that voice before. Elena was the only survivor of the group he had slain many days before.
Chapter 127
Chapter 127
¡°So, what happened?¡± Jonah asked quietly.
There was a brief pause before Elena began, ¡°We saw someone fall from a roof. At first, we thought it was a person, but then we realized it was the morphus¡ªthough I didn¡¯t know its name at the time.¡±
Elena fell silent for a long moment, as if reluctant to recall what came next.
¡°And then it attacked your group?¡± Jonah gently prodded.
¡°Not right away. It got up and just stared at us.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Michael interrupted. ¡°You said it fell off the roof?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Elena confirmed.
¡°How tall was the building?¡±
¡°Ten stories.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re saying the morphus fell from that height and then got up like it was nothing?¡±
¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± Elena replied, her tone unexpectedly firm.
Michael appeared taken aback by the firmness in her voice, hesitating before answering. When he did, his voice softened.
¡°Did it at least sustain any injuries from the fall?¡± he asked.
¡°I can¡¯t say for sure,¡± Elena answered. ¡°If it did, it didn¡¯t show.¡±
¡°So it fell from a ten-story building and then just jumped to its feet as if nothing happened?¡± he asked again.
¡°That¡¯s what I just said,¡± Elena replied.
Michael scoffed but remained silent.
¡°You mentioned it didn¡¯t attack you right away,¡± Toby interjected. ¡°Do you know why?¡±
Jake didn¡¯t hear her answer¡ªshe probably shook her head. Then she said, ¡°The morphus seemed intelligent to me. Rather than attacking, it raised its hands and shook its head when one of my teammates suggested we kill it.¡±
¡°So it actually understood human speech?¡± Jonah asked.
¡°It certainly seemed that way. But my teammates didn¡¯t notice. They were hell-bent on killing it. I tried to reason with them, but they either didn¡¯t hear me or just ignored me. What happened next was so fast I barely had time to understand what was happening.¡±
Elena paused for a moment, as if catching her breath.
¡°When my teammates opened fire on the morphus, it charged at us instantly,¡± she continued. ¡°I can¡¯t even describe how fast the creature was. My teammates kept shooting, but I honestly can¡¯t recall if they even managed to hit it. If they did, it had little effect. The morphus just circled us, waiting for my teammates to run out of bullets in their guns. When that happened, it charged at us. And then¡ then¡ª¡±
Her voice broke, and Elena fell silent.
¡°It¡¯s okay, hon,¡± Hanna said gently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to relive this. We have a pretty good idea of what happened next.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Michael said. ¡°The unkillable morphus killed all her teammates. What I don¡¯t get is how she lived while they didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°Michael, shut the hell up,¡± Hanna snapped, her voice laced with anger.
¡°I¡¯m just being curious. Aren¡¯t you curious too?¡±
¡°I swear, Michael, if you don¡¯t cut it out, I¡¯ll sock you.¡±
Michael opened his mouth to speak, but Elena suddenly spoke up, raising her voice and cutting him off.
¡°I ran,¡± she declared. ¡°I ran, okay? Is your curiosity satisfied now?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Michael replied. ¡°You ran. But didn¡¯t the morphus chase after you?¡±
There was a brief pause before Elena finally answered, ¡°It did.¡±
Silence enveloped the group again. Michael waited a few seconds, and when it became clear that she wouldn¡¯t continue, he prodded, ¡°And?¡±
¡°Leave her alone, man,¡± Jonah interjected. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°Yeah,¡± Toby added. ¡°She clearly managed to escape. What¡¯s so hard to understand about that?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t manage to get away,¡± Elena said suddenly. ¡°The morphus was so fast it should¡¯ve caught up with me easily.¡±
¡°Then how did you escape?¡± Michael asked.
¡°It was right there, chasing me, getting closer. I knew it was about to catch me. And then it¡ just disappeared,¡± Elena explained.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael asked, puzzled. ¡°It was right after you and then just vanished?¡±
¡°Yes. It was right on my heels. I was terrified, too scared to look back. At one point, I realized it should have caught me by now, but it hadn¡¯t. When I finally dared to glance back, it was simply gone.¡±
¡°So the scary, bloodthirsty morphus just let you escape for some reason?¡± Michael scoffed. ¡°Explain that to me¡±
¡°I can¡¯t explain it,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you what happened.¡±
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then Michael spoke up again, his tone sharper this time.
¡°Tell me something,¡± he directed at Elena. ¡°Did you run while your teammates were still fighting the morphus?¡±
¡°Hey, what the hell are you implying?¡± Hanna interjected, her voice thick with anger.
¡°I¡¯m not implying anything,¡± Michael shot back. ¡°I just want to know. Think about it. She had time to escape, which means her teammates were still fighting the morphus. Instead of helping them, she must¡¯ve turned her back on them and run while the creature was distracted by her friends. She took that chance to save herself.¡±
¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just accuse her of leaving her teammates behind,¡± Toby interjected. ¡°Quit being an asshole.¡±
¡°I just want to know if¡ª¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Elena snapped, her voice raised and trembling. ¡°I ran while two of my teammates were still alive and fighting the morphus. When I realized there was no way we could kill it, I¡ just ran.¡±
¡°Hey, nobody¡¯s accusing you of anything, hon,¡± Hanna said gently. ¡°You did what you had to do to save your life. If you had stayed, you would¡¯ve been dead too. Think about it this way: if your teammates hadn¡¯t opened fire on the morphus, they might¡¯ve been alive. And you did try to convince them against provoking it.¡±
¡°I mean, it¡¯s always nice to know which teammates you can rely on and which might leave you in the lurch,¡± Michael said matter-of-factly.
Suddenly, Elena snapped, her voice cracking with emotion.
¡°You think you¡¯re tough, but you¡¯ve never encountered the morphus,¡± she yelled, teetering on the brink of losing it. ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t freak out, I just¡ª¡±
Elena didn¡¯t let him finish his sentence. ¡°You think you can kill the morphus? But you¡¯ve never even seen it! Who knows¡ªmaybe you¡¯d be paralyzed with fear, unable to even run if you encountered it. People like you, full of bravado, tend to be the biggest cowards.¡±
¡°Did you just call me a coward?¡± Michael replied slowly, his tone tight.
¡°Guys, if that jerk says another word, I swear to God, I¡¯m gonna punch his lights out,¡± Hanna interjected, her voice full of anger.
¡°And I¡¯ll help her,¡± Toby added.
¡°Yeah, Michael, you really need to shut the hell up already,¡± Jonah chimed in.
Michael sighed, ¡°You guys, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually buying her story about this imaginary morphus. Really?¡±
¡°Michael, you¡¯re teetering on the edge of crossing a line,¡± Gerard warned, a threatening edge to his voice.
¡°Et tu, Brute?¡± Michael exclaimed dramatically. ¡°You actually believe her story? Even with all the holes in it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. But you¡¯re being a real asshole right now. You need to stop. Right now.¡±
Jake fully expected Michael to blurt out something foolish again. However, there was only silence. Either Michael didn¡¯t want to mess with Gerard, or with everyone against him, he decided to drop the issue.
Jake¡¯s sharp hearing picked up the muted sounds of Elena and Hanna talking, though their conversation was quiet enough that the rest of the group couldn¡¯t hear them. He assumed the two women were huddled together, with Hanna hugging Elena and trying to calm her down. While he could hear their voices, he couldn¡¯t make out the words. He did manage to catch one phrase from Elena, though. She said, ¡°I still have nightmares about it. I fear that someday I might see the morphus again. Sometimes, it feels like it keeps stalking me, lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the perfect moment to jump out and finish what it started.¡±
Hanna offered some words of comfort to Elena, but Jake couldn¡¯t make out exactly what she said.
He remembered that when he was killing Elena¡¯s teammates, his craving for human blood had taken over his judgment. However, a long time had passed since then, and he was now much better at controlling himself. He no longer slipped into a frenzy when fighting humans, always keeping a clear mind.
As for his emotions and feelings, they were mostly blank. He hardly ever felt anything since the transformation. However, as he listened to Elena tell her story, he felt a long-forgotten sense of empathy bubbling up inside him. He felt bad for Elena and what she was going through because of him. Jake welcomed that feeling because it meant he wasn¡¯t a complete monster yet. He was still capable of understanding and sympathizing with others.
Jonah, Toby, Michael, and Gerard steered away from the previous subject and began talking about Los Demonios. For a few moments, Jake listened to their conversation, wanting to learn what they had to say about the gang. Sure enough, they hated it. Jake discovered what he already knew¡ªthe bandits from Los Demonios were everywhere, attacking and capturing regular survivors. Nobody knew much about them, except that the people who were originally in the gang, as well as those captured and later recruited into their ranks, were truly evil. Regular survivors were now in a dire situation. They had to be on the lookout not only for mutants but also for the Demons, whose gang seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.
The group continued their conversation, but Jake decided it was time to leave. He turned around and made his way back to the stairs. The last thing he heard was Gerard suggesting they team up with other groups of survivors to wage war against Los Demonios. He pointed out that with the gang growing stronger every single day, they could hide and run from the Demons only for so long.
A minute later, Jake stepped out of the building, and Elena along with the rest of her group never realized he¡¯d been listening to their conversation just outside their room.
Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Jake spent most of the night scouring the city for buildings where survivors might have found shelter for the night. He needed to use Mind Reader two more times to progress it to 100%. Once he reached that milestone, he could upgrade the ability to Rank II. It could potentially allow him to explore someone¡¯s mind more thoroughly than merely viewing a few minutes of their most recent memories.
Those buildings that didn¡¯t have any mutants indicated that survivors had taken refuge on one of the floors. It didn¡¯t take Jake long to find a building with survivors inside. He located the floor where a group of them had settled in for the night. It was the middle of the night, and all of them were fast asleep in their sleeping bags, positioned at the wall farthest from the entrance.
The room where the group gathered was huge, and as Jake crept toward the sleeping survivors, he wondered why they hadn¡¯t established a watch rotation. It was strange. Most survivor groups took that precaution. Something felt off, prompting Jake to slow his pace. He carefully looked around, listening intently and trying to figure out what was wrong.
At first, he didn¡¯t notice anything out of place, but as he took a couple more steps toward the sleeping survivors, his Feral Instincts sent a signal of danger. Jake froze. Nothing changed around him. There seemed to be nothing that posed any kind of threat. However, his Feral Instincts continued to warn him of an impending danger. As he took another step toward the group of sleeping survivors, the sense of danger grew stronger.
He halted his approach and focused on the sense of danger, trying to identify what was wrong. He couldn¡¯t quite tell. Looking around, he tried to detect any traps the sleeping survivors might have set up. It was dark in the room, but his nearly perfect night vision allowed him to see remarkably well. He examined the walls, the floor, and the ceiling but couldn¡¯t find anything that resembled a trap. It was strange¡ªsomething was off, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what.
He closed his eyes to focus fully on his hearing. He listened intently and was able to detect a barely perceptible hum. The sound seemed to emanate from ahead of him. Without opening his eyes, Jake crouched down and placed his palm on the floor, focusing on his tactile sensations. One of the upgrades he¡¯d acquired for Enhanced Senses had greatly improved all his senses, including the sense of touch. As he concentrated, he felt slight vibrations that seemed to originate from somewhere in front of him, just like the hum. Additionally, he sensed something else: the air felt slightly electrified, sending a prickling sensation across his skin.
The barely noticeable hum¡ªundetectable to regular human beings¡ªalong with the electrified air and the vibrations reminded him of magical anomalies. He had always felt these three indicators whenever he approached magical anomalies, although they were far more powerful and pronounced in those situations. Jake had long since learned that the humming sound and the electrified air signaled the presence of a magical activity¡ªthe more potent the magic, the more pronounced the signs. Magical anomalies were incredibly powerful, making the telltale signs of their presence easy to detect. In contrast, the magic present in this room felt much weaker.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Jake opened his eyes and stood up, scanning the room once more for any signs of magic at work but finding nothing. After giving the matter some thought, he decided to take another small, cautious step forward. That was when the first two upgrades he¡¯d acquired for Feral Instincts kicked in. The first upgrade, capable of detecting both the direction of a potential threat and the distance to it, indicated that some kind of danger lay just a short distance ahead of him. The second upgrade, which heightened his danger perception, allowing him to identify the nature of the impending threat, told him that the danger before him was some sort of invisible magical trap. This confirmed his earlier suspicion that there was indeed some magical activity in the room.
Jake now understood why the group of sleeping survivors ahead of him hadn¡¯t bothered to set up a watch rotation¡ªthey simply didn¡¯t have to. Instead, they had put up protective wards somewhere in the room. Back when he was a regular survivor, he occasionally stumbled upon various magical scrolls that allowed him to learn spells he could use whenever he wanted. Each scroll contained a single spell that could only be cast once, and the scrolls themselves were extremely rare. Among all the items found in this game-like world, magical scrolls were likely the rarest, even more so than mana consumables. For this reason, Jake had cast spells only when push came to shove. He had never found scrolls that taught how to set up magical traps or wards, but it looked like such spells did exist, and the group of sleeping survivors must have employed them in this room.
Jake was glad he had acquired the upgrades to his Feral Instincts. Without the first and second upgrades, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect the magical trap in front of him. With no visible signs of danger in the room, he might have continued to stealthily approach the sleeping survivors, ultimately triggering the invisible magical trap. Thanks to the upgrades, he was able to avoid that unfortunate outcome.
He still didn¡¯t know what kind of magical trap it was, though. Was it something like a simple alarm designed to wake the survivors if an uninvited visitor entered the building and crossed the room while they slept? Or was it something more dangerous, like a fire magical trap? Perhaps it was intended to explode if triggered, or maybe it was an ice magical trap meant to freeze him upon activation. Jake wished he could somehow locate invisible magical traps and wards and identify them. Maybe one day he would learn such a skill or acquire an upgrade for Feral Instincts that could do just that.
The hum and electrical sensation he felt were quite weak compared to those caused by more powerful magical anomalies, suggesting that the protective wards or magical traps set up by the survivors in this room were relatively harmless for him. Still, there was no reason to tempt fate. While the invisible magical trap probably wouldn¡¯t cause him much, if any, harm if triggered, he chose not to take the risk.
Besides, triggering the magical trap would likely wake the survivors as well. And he wanted to avoid unnecessary confrontations with humans, so he slowly backed away until the faint hum of the invisible magical trap couldn¡¯t be heard anymore. Satisfied that he was a safe distance away to avoid accidentally triggering it, he turned and left the room.
Chapter 129
Chapter 129
Jake continued to search the city for sleeping survivors. He needed to use Mind Reader just two more times to progress it to 100%. He believed it would be a quick task, but he soon realized that locating survivors who hadn¡¯t taken measures to guard against intruders at night was harder than he had anticipated.
To ensure their safety throughout the night, many groups of survivors took turns standing watch. Not all of them opted for that approach, though. Some set up protective wards or magical traps to prevent enemies from getting the drop on them while they slept. Others created booby traps or makeshift alarm systems to alert them about intruders. On more than one occasion, Jake found shards of glass strewn across the floor just outside a room where a group of survivors had settled down for the night.
However, survivors anticipated uninvited visitors coming from below, not from above. That¡¯s why they set up makeshift traps and alarm systems on the routes coming from below¡ªlike on the stairs leading up to their floor¡ªrather than on those leading down to their hiding spots. For this reason, Jake decided to return to the roof level and enter buildings from above.
Still, it was challenging to find approachable survivors. By that point, they had all learned not to take any chances in this lawless world where danger lurked around every corner. As a result, they implemented various protective measures to prevent anyone or anything from approaching them undetected during their sleep.
So, his plan to use Mind Reader on sleeping survivors to advance it to 100% wasn¡¯t as good as it had seemed at first. He was about to give up when he finally came across two approachable survivors. Upon discovering a building devoid of mutants, Jake descended its front wall, scanning the glassless windows, searching for a room where survivors might be resting for the night.
It didn¡¯t take him long to find it. He spotted two survivors nestled in sleeping bags in a small room on the eighth floor. Jake hung from the wall, gripping a crack with one hand while peering inside, looking for any protective measures they might have taken. There were only two survivors taking refuge in the room, and they hadn¡¯t bothered to establish a rotating watch. Additionally, Jake didn¡¯t sense any telltale signs of magical activity in the room, indicating that there were no wards guarding the two survivors.
Jake continued to peer into the room. It had only one door, which was closed and lacked any means to lock it. He noticed several open tin cans suspended from the ceiling, positioned just below the door¡¯s upper edge. If anyone attempted to open the door from the other side, the cans would rattle, waking the survivors inside.
Aside from the tin cans hanging above the door, which was the only entrance to the room aside from the window, Jake didn¡¯t notice any other makeshift alarm systems inside. It was possible the two survivors had set up additional primitive alarms outside in the corridor, such as scattering shards of glass or setting up booby traps. However, inside the room, there were no other security measures. The window lacked any alarm system, probably because the two survivors believed that neither other survivors nor mutants could access the room through it.
Making no noise at all, Jake climbed into the room through the window. The two survivors, a man and a woman, slept in their sleeping bags next to each other, and their weapons rested within easy reach beside them. Jake was surprised to see that the two survivors hardly had any supplies. Unlike most of the survivors he had encountered, this pair seemed poorly equipped. Even during his early days of survival, when he was still human, he had stored more supplies in his hideout than these two had. Aside from the two sleeping bags and one weapon each, they seemingly had nothing else. They even possessed only a single rucksack, which looked almost empty.
The woman was closest to him, and he crouched down beside her. For a brief moment, he examined her face, which was contorted in a troubled expression. Whatever she was dreaming about wasn¡¯t pleasant. Jake reached out, lightly touching her forehead with the tips of his fingers. He feared that this wouldn¡¯t be enough and that he would need to press his entire palm against her head to activate Mind Reader. Fortunately, when he issued the mental command, the ability kicked in without any issues.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The survivor¡¯s memories surged into his mind. At first, he couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was seeing. She had been asleep for several hours, so what he was witnessing was not her memories but her dreams, making it hard to understand what was happening. Her dreams formed a tangled web of fictional and surreal events intertwined with glimpses of her real memories from the previous day.
After a moment, Jake was able to separate the images in her mind that were pure fantasy from those that represented her true memories. He learned that the previous day, she, the man sleeping beside her, and two other survivors had been ambushed by some of the bandits from the Los Demonios gang. The four of them had tried to escape, but the Demons tracked them to their hideout. Tragically, two of her companions were killed, but she and the male survivor managed to escape.
So they had lost everything, which explained why they currently had so little with them. They were lucky to have escaped with their lives. In her dreams, the woman was reliving the tragic events of the previous day, so it was no wonder she had such a troubled expression on her face as she slept.
Suddenly, she stirred in her sleep, and Jake immediately pulled away from her mind, withdrawing his hand. He stared at the woman, ready to jump to his feet and leap out the window. He had no desire to fight these two humans. They had already been through a lot over the past day. The woman stirred for a few seconds, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t wake up. When she lay still again, Jake checked the status of his ability.
Mind Reader: Rank I (80%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
He needed to use it one more time to advance it to 100%, and it had to be a different person. So he stood up and moved toward the man lying in his sleeping bag next to the woman. Jake crouched beside him and, for a moment, studied his face. He bore a similarly troubled expression. Jake extended his hand to touch the survivor¡¯s forehead. At that moment, he felt like a vampire slipping into people¡¯s homes at night, feeding on the unaware souls as they slept.
The man¡¯s dream resembled the woman¡¯s, blending fictional events with memories of the tragic clash against the Demons, which had cost them two friends and their hideout where all their supplies had been stored. Moments later, Jake withdrew from the survivor¡¯s mind and checked the status of his ability.
Mind Reader: Rank I (100%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Finally, the ability was at 100%. When he leveled up another time, he would use one of the skill points to upgrade Mind Reader to the next rank.
Just as he stood up, the survivor, whose troubled dreams he had been watching, suddenly opened his eyes. Jake froze as the man seemingly stared directly at him. But a split second later, he realized that while the survivor had opened his eyes, he wasn¡¯t fully awake yet. Without making a sound, Jake leaped back and melted into the shadows of a corner of the room. He remained motionless, completely blending in with the surrounding darkness.
The male survivor blinked a few times, trying to regain his focus. He might have spotted Jake when he just opened his eyes, but at that moment, his mind was still half asleep, and he didn¡¯t realize that what he saw before him was real rather than just remnants of his dreams. Now that he was somewhat awake, the survivor appeared to be thinking more clearly. He sat up and looked around the room with a puzzled look on his face.
With one hand, he reached for the pump-action shotgun lying on the floor to his left. He placed his palm on the weapon but didn¡¯t pick it up. He continued to slowly survey his surroundings. At first, he didn¡¯t recognize the place, which must have looked very different from the hideout where the group usually spent their nights. Then he seemed to finally remember what had happened the day before and where he was.
A devastated expression settled on his face as he slowly surveyed the room. His gaze drifted to the tin cans dangling from the upper edge of the door, as if he were trying to figure out what had disturbed his sleep. Seeing that the cans were still intact and the door was shut, he resumed scanning his surroundings.
Eventually, his gaze settled on the dark corner where Jake stood. He remained completely still. Although it appeared as if the man was looking right at him, Jake knew the male survivor couldn¡¯t actually see him. If he could, his reaction would have been very different.
Having found no threats in the room, the survivor finally managed to relax. He turned his head and looked down at the woman sleeping beside him. For a moment, he watched her with sadness in his eyes. Then he lay back down and closed his eyes once more.
Jake remained still in his corner. He was glad he had managed to stay undetected. He didn¡¯t want to give another person nightmares about him. This couple had already endured a really bad day. He didn¡¯t want to fight them or instill a lasting fear of falling asleep from then on, leaving them anxious that some horrifying black mutant might come to visit them in the night again.
When the male survivor¡¯s breathing steadied, Jake quietly emerged from the corner and moved toward the window. His movements were completely silent. Moments later, he reached the window, climbed through, and vanished into the night.
Chapter 130
Chapter 130
Jake spent the rest of the night searching for mana, using the Mana Vision perk. In the morning, he headed for the sewers to grind for XP. Before entering the underground tunnels, however, he decided to purchase an Increased XP booster. With a thought, he opened the Boost Menu and examined it.
Boost Menu
Rank 2:
Enhanced Regeneration
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 2,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Movement Speed
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Strength
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased Agility
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 5,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Increased XP Gain (x3)
Duration: 90 min
Cost: 10,000 MP
Acquire: Y/N
Rank 3 Requirements:
1 - Kill 250 ex-human walkers.
2 - Kill 150 ex-human leapers.
Progress:
Walkers: 221/250
Leapers: 117/150
Upgrade Boost Menu to Rank 3: Requirements are not met!
Jake wasn¡¯t interested in Strength, Agility, Speed, or Regeneration boosters, so he didn¡¯t bother purchasing them. He was satisfied with his body¡¯s current strength, speed, and regenerative abilities and didn¡¯t feel the need to enhance them. The only booster he acquired was Increased XP gain (x3), for which he spent 10,000 MP. He now had over forty thousand mana points left, which was plenty. For the next ninety minutes, any XP he earned would be tripled.
Before closing the Boost Menu, he gave it one final glance. At some point, he had upgraded it to Rank 2. Although it didn''t introduce any new boosters, it did extend the duration of each one from 60 to 90 minutes and increased the effectiveness of Increased XP Gain from x2 to x3.
It had been a while since he last checked the Boost Menu. Examining it now, he saw that he was close to meeting the requirements for upgrading it to Rank 3. He needed to kill a few dozen more walkers and leapers before he could upgrade it to the next rank, which would either add new boosters or strengthen the existing ones.
He spent the next two hours killing mutants in the sewers, with every bit of XP he earned tripled. By the time he finished clearing the underground tunnels of all their unsettling inhabitants, he had leveled up two times, progressing from level 40 to level 42 and gaining 10 skill points to allocate.
As planned, he used one skill point to upgrade Mind Reader to Rank II.
Mind Reader: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
The ability¡¯s progress bar had returned to 0%, meaning it could be advanced again, albeit at a slower rate. Now that Mind Reader was at Rank II, he could supposedly explore someone¡¯s memories in greater depth, instead of just glimpsing a few minutes of the most recent events.
He had nine more points to allocate. He checked his attributes.
Body: 32
Mind: 30
Magick: 30
He wanted to purchase some abilities and skills from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface, but as far as he could remember, each skill listed there had quite high requirements. To refresh his memory, he summoned the skill store and browsed through the skills and abilities available for purchase.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Evolution Stage 2: "Savage Ascent" (Level 25)
Abilities: 1 of 5
Skills: 1 of 4
Ability: Gravity Leap
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: 17,000 MP
Ability: Acidic Spit
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: 20,000 MP
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Skill: Adhesive Secretion
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35
Cost: 15,000 MP
Skill: Toxic Resistance
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: 23,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Ability: Mind Reader
Requirements: Mind 30, Magick 25
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: Already Owned
Jake¡¯s first targets were the Gravity Leap ability and the Adhesive Secretion skill. Although he had enough MP to purchase them, he didn¡¯t quite meet the requirements, which were pretty high. Gravity Leap required Body at 43, Mind at 40, and Magick at 37 while Adhesive Secretion needed his Body to be at 40 and his Magick to be at 35.
So he allocated five skill points to Magick and the remaining four skill points to Body.
Body: 32 ¡ú 36
Mind: 30
Magick: 30 ¡ú 35
Once he leveled up again, he intended to invest four additional points into Body. After doing so, he would finally be able to purchase the Adhesive Secretion skill.
At last, he opened his eyes, and all the information vanished. Thanks to the XP booster he¡¯d acquired, he had gained a significant number of experience points, leveling up twice in the sewers. However, the most effective way to level up faster was by completing challenges. Since there were no more mutants left to defeat in the sewers, Jake decided to return to street level and search for anomalies that offered challenges to complete.
For the next several hours, he searched for them, eliminating all groups of ex-humans he encountered along the way, earning additional chunks of XP. As he traversed the city, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that Los Demonios seemed to be everywhere now. They chased other survivors in pickup trucks and large SUVs, equipped with machine guns mounted in the beds of the former and on the roofs of the latter. Above, several helicopters continuously patrolled the area, circling the rooftops.
The Demons had developed their own emblem, a simple drawing of a human skull adorned with two curled horns. Each of their vehicles displayed the image of the demon skull painted in red on the hoods and doors. While on street level, Jake also came across the same demon skull painted on many building walls.
It was obvious that Los Demonios were asserting their dominance, trying to intimidate other groups of survivors into submission. This strategy seemed to be working, as the gang¡¯s numbers grew each day, with more and more survivors being captured.
Although Jake wasn¡¯t concerned with what the humans did, this situation was quickly becoming frustrating. While he chose not to engage with the Demons, they persistently attempted to chase him in their vehicles. At street level, evading them wasn¡¯t particularly difficult, because their cars struggled to maneuver around buildings, navigate streets riddled with large cracks, and weave between long-abandoned, dilapidated vehicles. So when a Demon car began tailing him, Jake didn¡¯t have much trouble slipping away.
However, things were quite different at the roof level. Unlike ground vehicles, helicopters didn¡¯t have to contend with obstacles. In the air, nothing prevented the sleek, futuristic choppers from reaching their top speed. Most of them tried to pursue him as soon as they caught sight of him, forcing him to seek refuge inside one of the buildings and wait for them to fly away before stepping outside again.
It was becoming quite annoying. Each time he emerged onto a rooftop, his first instinct was to glance up to make sure no helicopters were hovering nearby, ready to chase him again. Los Demonios grew stronger with every passing day. If this situation wasn¡¯t contained soon, it would soon be nearly impossible to turn a corner without running into the members of the gang. Although some other groups of survivors attempted to fight back, they had little success. The Demons vastly out-leveled, outnumbered, and outgunned any other survivor groups in the city.
At some point, while on the roof of a towering high-rise, Jake finally came across an anomaly that had a challenge to offer. First, he summoned the description of the anomaly itself.
Name: Electro
Description: Launches bolts of lightning energy every which way when disturbed. Can also be activated when a living being comes within a foot of it.
Duration: 15 seconds
Effective range: 95 yards
Danger Level: 45 (High)
Without a doubt, this anomaly was extremely dangerous. He had encountered variations of the Electro anomaly before, but none were as perilous as this one. He made sure to keep his distance. He then checked out the challenge connected to the anomaly.
Challenge: Wave Survival
Objective: Survive all waves. Complete the challenge within 60 minutes to receive an additional reward.
Note: You must remain within a designated area during this challenge. If you leave it, you¡¯ll have thirty seconds to return. If you fail to make it back in time, the challenge will be failed.
Waves: 10
Difficulty: Hard
Recommended Stats: Evolution Stage 2 ¡°Savage Ascent¡±, Level 40, Body 35
Reward: 10,000 XP, 30,000 MP
Extra Reward: Ability - Cloak
Accept: Y/N
Jake hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to tackle the Wave Survival challenge near the Electro anomaly. Even while maintaining a safe distance, he could hear the hum emanating from it and feel vibrations pulsating through the air. The atmosphere around it felt electrified, sending an unpleasant prickling sensation through his skin. The anomaly was incredibly powerful, and if he had to undertake the Wave Survival in its vicinity, it would be one hell of a challenge.
The rewards were quite impressive, though: 10,000 XP, 30,000 MP, and a cloaking ability. Usually, abilities were earned by completing mutation research quests. However, in this case, it was an additional reward that he would receive only if he managed to complete the challenge in under sixty minutes.
He then summoned the Boost Menu and purchased the Increased XP booster once more, spending another 10,000 MP. He now had thirty-five thousand mana points left. However, if he completed the Wave Survival challenge, it would be worth it because he would gain 30,000 MP. Additionally, with the XP booster he¡¯d purchased, he would receive three times the XP reward, potentially leveling up multiple times at once, which wasn¡¯t bad at all.
After that, he accepted the Wave Survival challenge.
Chapter 131
Chapter 131
The moment the challenge began, a bluish, semi-transparent wall appeared, enclosing the rooftop. Standing a few feet tall, the wall flanked the rooftop on all sides. Jake knew that it wasn¡¯t real and that it was visible only to him, marking the boundaries of the Wave Survival challenge.
He knew he could pass through the bluish wall, and if that happened for any reason, it would mean falling off the roof and tumbling all the way down to the street. He would surely survive the fall, but whether he could get back up before the thirty-second countdown reached zero was anybody¡¯s guess.
The rooftop was about to become an arena where he would have to battle through ten waves of mutants. Sure enough, the Electro was still hovering above the center of the rooftop. Jake had hoped the challenge would take place somewhere else, but no such luck. He would have to take on the challenge right next to the dangerous anomaly.
In the next second, vertical rift gates began to tear open in the air just above the surface of the roof. The first group of ex-humans started to crawl out of the fully formed portals. Fortunately, none of them materialized anywhere near the center of the roof, where the Electro was positioned. So far, all the mutants that crawled from the portals were low-level walkers.
Jake checked his current XP count.
XP: 235/5375
The first ex-human fully emerged from a portal, emitting a piercing shriek. Jake immediately sprang into action, wheeling toward it and breaking into a run while morphing his hands into claws. Before the walker could raise its own deadly claws, Jake slashed at the mutant¡¯s throat with his talons, plunging deep into the meat, easily slicing through muscle and cartilage. Dark blood poured from the torn flesh, and the walker collapsed, dead.
A system notification flashed through his mind.
Wave 1 has started!
Targets killed: 1 of 25
Jake quickly scanned his surroundings. A dozen or so walkers were closing in on him from various directions, and more ex-humans continued to crawl from the rift gates. The portals were likely to remain open until all the mutants from the first wave were released.
He cast a quick glance at the Electro. The anomaly was relatively small, only a few feet wide, and it hovered a few meters above the roof¡¯s surface. The Electro resembled a warped spheroid, bending light and space around it. The anomaly motionlessly floated in the air and was barely visible. While he himself could see it easily thanks to his Enhanced Senses, for regular humans, it would be nearly impossible to spot it.
Some of the walkers passed directly beneath the anomaly without setting it off. From its description, he had learned that it would activate if a living being came within a foot of it, but none of the mutants were tall enough to get that close.
Also, according to its description, another way to trigger the Electro was by disturbing it, but Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure what that meant. Throwing objects at the anomaly would certainly cause a disturbance. However, the mutants were unlikely to hurl anything at it, especially without any reason. Besides, there were even no objects on the roof to throw.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Another thought crossed his mind: could loud sounds disturb it? As more ex-humans emerged onto the roof, the noise they made grew louder, their combined sharp shrieks piercing the air, blending into a piercing cacophony. As the clamor grew louder, the anomaly appeared to pulsate slightly harder, but not by much.
Therefore, under current circumstances, it seemed that the Electro wasn¡¯t going to activate. It could be set off if a living being came within a foot of it, but it had to be several meters tall¡ªnone of the ex-humans he had faced before were anywhere near that size. Disturbing the anomaly by throwing objects was also an option, but neither Jake nor his enemies would likely do that. So, it appeared that his earlier concern about accidentally setting off the Electro during the Wave Survival challenge was unfounded.
Jake slashed his claws across a walker¡¯s throat. Yet another ex-human lunged at him with a clawed hand, but he brushed it aside with one hand while using the talons on his other hand to strike back, tearing a piece of flesh out of its throat. Jake had a couple of other weapons at his disposal¡ªswords and smashfists¡ªbut he didn¡¯t feel the need to use them at the moment. His claws were more than sufficient for handling low-level walkers and leapers.
At one point, he sprouted three bladed tentacles from his back. Though there was no urgent need to use them, he enjoyed occasionally bringing them into play. Besides, he wanted to progress and level them up to the next rank. Even during the fight, Jake maintained perfect control over all three tentacles at once. Even when they were behind him, in his blind spot, he was always aware of their exact positions and could easily direct them wherever he wished.
While fighting three walkers in front of him at once, Jake used one of the bladed tentacles to slash across the throat of another ex-human flanking him on the right. He whipped the second tentacle through the air toward a leaper that was about to pounce at him. The pointed blade at the tip of the tentacle stabbed the leaper into an eye, going deep enough to reach its brain. With the third bladed tentacle, Jake cut open another walker, slashing its torso from the crotch to the bottom edge of the sternum, disemboweling the creature.
Ex-humans surrounded him from several directions, but he deftly avoided their strikes without taking a hit. His claws, on the other hand, always found their marks with ease. Most of the ex-humans attacking him were walkers, but there were several leapers among them as well.
It didn¡¯t take him long to deal with all the targets of the first wave.
Multiple enemies killed! +825 XP
Wave 1 complete!
Wave 2 will initiate in 5 seconds.
Jake took a second to check his current experience count.
XP: 1060/5375
Since all the ex-humans he had just defeated were low-level walkers and leapers, he hadn¡¯t gained much experience, even with the active Increased XP booster.
He then checked the status of the challenge.
Wave Survival
Waves: 1 of 10
Remaining time: 54 min 23 sec
He breezed through the first wave in just a few minutes. However, it was obvious that the difficulty would ramp up with each subsequent wave, and probably at an exponential rate.
The Electro anomaly remained dormant in the same position, motionlessly hovering several meters above the center of the roof. It hadn¡¯t been activated even once, and it seemed unlikely to do so, which was a relief. He had no desire to dodge multiple bolts of electricity while fending off waves of ex-humans.
What had him concerned, however, were the sleek, futuristic helicopters circling overhead. He could only spot two in the distance, and they were currently too far away. Yet, there was a chance that they might come closer to his position at some point. If they interfered with his progress on the Wave Survival challenge and prevented him from completing it, he would be so freaking pissed.
Then the second wave started, and Jake shifted his attention to a fresh bunch of mutants emerging from the newly formed rift gates.
Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Jake breezed through the next several waves of the challenge. Each new wave spawned fifteen more mutants than the previous one, and a new type of mutant was introduced with almost every wave. However, all the mutants he faced during the Wave Survival challenge were ones he had already encountered in this world. The experience points he earned were tripled, thanks to the Increased XP booster he had purchased before starting the challenge.
The second wave had forty mutants to kill, but it didn¡¯t introduce any new types, so most of them were walkers interspersed with a few leapers. During this wave, he earned 1,275 XP, bringing his total up to 2,335. To level up to 43, he needed to reach 5,375. The third wave had fifty-five ex-humans and added another type of mutant¡ªa shambler. However, there were only a couple of them, and Jake racked up 1,965 XP during this wave, bringing his current XP to over four thousand: 4,300/5,375.
Wave 4 had seventy mutants and added whippers to the fight, featuring fifteen more mutants than the previous wave. The fourth wave mostly consisted of walkers and leapers, mixed with three shamblers and two whippers. Jake earned 3,069 XP during this wave, and that was when he leveled up to 43. His XP was now 1,724/5,500. He earned 5 skill points but decided to allocate them, along with all the other skill points he would earn during the challenge, after finishing the Wave Survival. By his estimation, he should be able to level up a few more times by the end of the challenge and a few additional times if he successfully completed it. So if everything went smoothly, he would end up with quite a few skill points.
Wave 5 didn¡¯t introduce any new mutant types, featuring a total of eighty-five ex-humans. Like the previous wave, it mainly consisted of walkers and leapers, with a couple of shamblers and whippers. He earned 3,300 XP in this wave. The sixth wave ramped up to one hundred mutants and, in addition to the walkers, leapers, shamblers, and whippers, added a couple of slashers to the mix, each worth 250 XP. In this wave, Jake earned a total of 5,535 XP, allowing him to level up to 44 and earn five additional skill points.
The next wave, the seventh, was somewhat different from the previous ones, breaking the pattern slightly. Instead of the usual addition of fifteen enemies, this wave increased the count by twenty-five, but all of them were only walkers and leapers. There were no shamblers, whippers, or slashers present. Although this wave had added ten more mutants than the previous ones, they were all low-level mutants, resulting in Jake earning only 3,900 XP. Despite earning fewer experience points than in the prior wave, he still gathered enough to level up to 45, bringing his total skill points to fifteen. His XP now stood at 1,610/5,750.
After each wave, there was a five-second break, which Jake didn¡¯t really need since he couldn¡¯t get physically tired as long as he had enough mana stored in his body. However, during each five-second break, all the dead bodies of the mutants he killed in the previous wave disappeared, which was a good thing. If all the dead bodies had remained, the rooftop would have become clogged with them quite some time ago.
The Electro had not been activated even once during the previous seven waves. The mutants shrieked and screamed, creating quite a cacophony that made the anomaly pulsate and send waves of vibrations through the air. However, the sheer noise generated by the horde of ex-humans swarming the rooftop wasn¡¯t nearly enough to trigger the Electro. Which was another good thing. Jake didn¡¯t even want to imagine what could happen if, for any reason, the dangerous anomaly were to activate.
Just like Wave 7, the next one added twenty-five more mutants instead of the regular fifteen. To get through this wave, he had to eliminate a total of one hundred and fifty ex-humans, which was quite a lot. That was why Jake immediately launched himself toward the first ex-human emerging from a rift gate. With a single swipe of his claws, he killed the creature and then moved on to another mutant. He knew he had to kill them as quickly as possible. He couldn¡¯t afford to let one hundred and forty-nine remaining mutants swarm onto the rooftop all at once.
Jake continued to take down one ex-human after another, but despite his efforts to be as quick as possible, the rooftop was steadily becoming overcrowded with mutants. It wasn¡¯t long before more formidable enemies, like shamblers and whippers, began to emerge from the rift gates. His Feral Instincts constantly warned him about enemies that were about to strike when he wasn¡¯t aware.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
At one point, the ability alerted him to a whipper lashing out with its tentacle, prompting him to leap to the side. He quickly spun around just as the whipper lashed out again. Extending a sword from his right wrist, he sliced through the tentacle, severing it. Retracting the blade, he dashed toward the whipper, morphing his right hand into a smashfist.
On the run, he lashed out at a nearby walker with the claws on his left hand, opening up the mutant¡¯s throat. Another one attempted to strike out at him, but he ducked, sprouting three bladed tentacles from his back. As he continued to run, he lashed out with all his tentacles at the mutants surrounding him from all directions. He slashed at their throats and opened up their torsos, pierced through their chests and stabbed their eyes. The lifespans of his tentacles were pretty short, but as soon as they detached from his body, he instantly sprouted new ones, spending some of his mana for the action.
Upon reaching the whipper, he threw a powerful punch aimed at its chest. His smashfist effortlessly broke through the mutant¡¯s protective organic layer, breaking through muscle and snapping ribs inward with surprising ease. Jake withdrew his smashfist from the huge hole in the mutant¡¯s chest he¡¯d just created, and the large ex-human collapsed. Just like that, the whipper was dead. Now, one powerful punch was all it took for Jake to kill powerful, well-protected mutants like shamblers or whippers.
His Feral Instincts warned him of a slasher approaching from behind. Jake leaped to the side, successfully dodging the attack. His ability kicked in again, alerting him to yet another mutant nearby. This time, Jake couldn¡¯t evade the attack in time, and he felt claws rake against the flesh of his back. However, it inflicted minimal damage, and his Enhanced Regeneration was already at work, repairing the torn flesh.
Jake continued to battle the mutants surrounding him from all directions. Despite his incredible speed and agility, along with useful skills like Enhanced Reflexes and Feral Instincts, the sheer number of enemies made it impossible for him to dodge every attack. However, the damage inflicted by the mutants was minimal, and his body healed quickly during the fight.
Finally, the eighth wave was finished. During this wave, Jake killed one hundred and thirty walkers, ten leapers, three shamblers, two whippers, and five slashers, earning 9,000 XP. He leveled up to 46 and now had a total of twenty skill points at his disposal. Even though the challenge wasn¡¯t over yet, he had already accumulated a significant amount of skill points. He couldn¡¯t wait to allocate them to his attributes and acquire new skills and abilities. However, he pushed those thoughts aside, knowing he needed to remain focused on the Wave Survival challenge as he still had two more waves to survive.
In the brief five-second pause following the seventh wave, Jake took a moment to check the status of the challenge.
Wave Survival
Waves: 8 of 10
Remaining time: 16 min 44 sec
As far as he knew, there was no time limit for this challenge. The Remaining Time line simply indicated how much time was left to obtain the cloaking ability. If he failed to finish the challenge within that time frame, he wouldn¡¯t be rewarded with it. While Jake¡¯s main goal was to successfully complete the challenge to level up several more times, he was also eager to finish quickly enough to earn the cloaking ability. Having a new ability at his disposal was never a bad thing. Every skill and ability not only enhanced his chances of survival but also helped him maintain his status as the apex predator in this world.
Just as rift gates began to appear all over the rooftop, marking the start of the next, ninth wave, Jake heard a rhythmic whirring sound. The moment he recognized it, anger bubbled up inside him as he already knew what was happening¡ªone of the helicopters patrolling the area was closing in on his location.
He turned toward the sound and saw a sleek, futuristic helicopter approaching his position. It was somewhat higher than the rooftop he stood on, and for a moment, Jake hoped that the chopper would fly over the building without its occupants noticing him. However, his hope quickly evaporated when the helicopter settled into a hover above the roof. The aircraft was completely black, adorned with a red demon skull painted on each of its sides.
Just like all the other helicopters belonging to Los Demonios, this one appeared civilian. Aside from a machine gun mounted in one of the side doors, it lacked any additional weapons. While Jake battled the first group of walkers that had just emerged from the rift gates, he made sure to keep the chopper in his field of vision. The helicopter hovered next to a building a few dozen yards above him. It was too high in the air for Jake to reach by jumping.
For the next several seconds, the pilot and door gunner observed Jake battling the ex-humans as more mutants poured out from the portals. Then, the door gunner tilted the barrel of the machine gun downward and unleashed a barrage of bullets.
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Heavy-caliber rounds tore through the bodies of the ex-humans surrounding him. It was hard to tell if the door gunner was aiming specifically at Jake, struggling to hit him due to his constant movement, or if he was just indiscriminately spraying fire at every mutant in sight. The heavy-caliber bullets tore at the bodies of low-level ex-humans, shredding them apart. The weak mutants, like walkers and leapers, stood no chance of survival against such relentless fire.
In just a few seconds, most of the mutants surrounding Jake were torn to shreds. The door gunner unleashed a continuous barrage, bullets pockmarking the rooftop and kicking up clouds of dust. More ex-humans continued to emerge onto the rooftop, and the roar of the machine gun competed with the shrieks of the mutants for dominance. As the door gunner adjusted the muzzle of the weapon to aim at Jake, he quickly darted to the side.
He ran around the Electro anomaly hovering above the center of the roof as the door gunner struggled to track him, failing miserably. He was moving too quickly for the shooter to land a hit. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake noticed the anomaly pulsating more violently, waves of vibration hitting him with increasing intensity. The thunderous roar of the machine gun and the heavy-caliber bullets striking the Electro were undoubtedly disturbing it. If this went on a little longer, the anomaly would likely activate. The two occupants of the chopper either didn¡¯t notice the Electro or simply couldn¡¯t care less.
Jake hardly killed any mutants during this wave, as most of them were taken out by the door gunner. Instead, he simply ran in circles around the Electro, pursued by the ex-humans. As soon as they emerged from the rift gates, they chased after him while the Demon manning the machine gun gunned them down. The shooter was inadvertently making Jake¡¯s task of completing the challenge much easier and quicker.
On one hand, it was a good thing; on the other, he was hardly gaining any XP during this wave since most of the mutants were being mowed down by the door gunner. It was unfortunate. He would have preferred to kill all the mutants by himself for the extra XP, but there seemed to be nothing he could do to change the situation. He couldn¡¯t take down the chopper, as it hovered just out of reach, far too high for him to jump and attack.
Leading the chopper from this position wouldn¡¯t be possible either. If he left the boundaries of the challenge, he would trigger a thirty-second countdown. He doubted he would be able to lead the chopper away, lose it, and then return to the challenge area within thirty seconds.
So, it seemed all he could do was keep running in circles while the door gunner took out the ex-humans emerging from the portals. At least there was a silver lining¡ªhe would be able to finish the challenge quickly enough to earn the cloaking ability as a reward.
As Jake continued running in circles, he stole occasional glances at the chopper hovering above the building. A crooked smile played on the door gunner¡¯s lips as he mowed down the mutants. They were sitting ducks for him, easy XP. Even the shamblers and whippers struggled to withstand the devastating barrage of fire he unleashed. The heavy-caliber rounds tore through the organic layer protecting their bodies with ease, shredding it to pieces in mere seconds. It took him just a couple of seconds to tear to shreds a well-protected enemy like a shambler or whipper.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The door gunner kept slaying mutants in droves, with a wide grin on his face and a gleam of excitement in his eyes. For him, it was pure fun¡ªthe mutants couldn¡¯t fight back, so he wasn¡¯t in any kind of danger at all. Some of the creatures stopped chasing Jake, glaring up at the chopper in frustration, which made them even easier targets.
What worried Jake, however, was the Electro, which pulsated harder with each bullet that struck it. The bullets that passed through the anomaly weren¡¯t affected by it in any visible way, which was why neither the pilot nor the door gunner had noticed it yet. Jake, however, could see that the anomaly appeared to be charging with energy. It might go off at any moment. As he continued to run in circles, he made an effort to keep his distance from the Electro. If it suddenly triggered, he wanted to be as far away from it as possible.
He didn¡¯t even bother engaging the ex-humans, letting the door gunner deal with them. As soon as the challenge was over, he would run away and take refuge in one of the buildings. Judging by the rate at which the gunner was killing them, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the challenge ended. For now, all he had to do was focus on staying alive and avoiding the deadly spray of machine gun fire.
It wasn¡¯t long before the ninth wave was over. Five seconds later, the final wave began. This wave had a total of two hundred mutants, featuring all types of ex-humans: walkers, leapers, shamblers, whippers, slashers, and chasers. A few wraiths, capable of becoming invisible, also emerged from the rift gates to join the fray.
For a moment, the door gunner stopped firing, staring down at the scene unfolding on the rooftop. He clearly didn¡¯t understand why the mutants kept materializing. Nevertheless, shaking off his confusion, he reloaded the machine gun and resumed mowing down ex-humans in droves. Given how quickly and easily he eliminated all kinds of ex-humans, Jake didn¡¯t expect the final wave to be much more difficult or longer than the previous one.
At some point, he found himself surrounded by three slashers and two chasers. Despite being outnumbered by such powerful ex-humans, he handled the confrontation with ease. He couldn¡¯t help but remember his very first encounter with a slasher during the tower-climbing challenge. Although he had won that fight, the slasher had inflicted a deep slash on his shoulder and cut off two of his fingers.
However, that fight had taken place a long time ago, and now Jake was much stronger than before. He didn¡¯t even bother to extend his blades and was using his claws instead, successfully blocking nearly every attack. Occasionally, a slasher would cut him with a sword, or a chaser would slash at him with its claws, but the injuries were superficial and healed quickly. While he used his own claws to deflect their attacks, he employed his tentacles to slash and stab at his opponents.
Half the head of the chaser in front of him blew apart in an explosion of gore as a heavy-caliber bullet hit it. Then a slasher¡¯s body on his right thrashed violently under the barrage of machine-gun fire. The chopper¡¯s door gunner had dealt with most of the weaker ex-humans and now targeted Jake and the mutants he was fighting. Just as Jake turned to escape the line of fire, he felt a round slam into his shoulder. The force of the impact jolted him, nearly causing him to lose his footing, but he managed to keep his balance.
Another slasher thrashed about as heavy-caliber rounds perforated its body. When the door gunner aimed at another ex-human, something unexpected occurred. The Electro anomaly, which had been continuously hit by bullets, seemed to decide it¡¯d had enough. The hum and vibrations emanating from it intensified dramatically, and the spheroid form of the anomaly emitted a blinding light.
The door gunner ceased firing the machine gun, staring in awe at the anomaly, which he had not noticed before. Even some of the ex-humans paused in their pursuit of Jake and turned their heads to gaze at the Electro, which glowed brighter and brighter. Then it suddenly exploded with waves of magical energy.
Chapter 134
Chapter 134
With a crack that split the air like thunder, the Electro surged to life. Blinding bolts of electricity erupted from the magical anomaly, sending arcs of energy shooting in every direction. The spheroid mass of the anomaly pulsed with an astonishing brightness.
Now that the two occupants of the helicopter were aware of the Electro¡¯s presence, they completely forgot about what was happening on the rooftop. The door gunner ceased firing at the mutants and began screaming at the pilot to get them the hell out of there, even though the pilot already desperately worked to do just that. The helicopter lurched sideways as the pilot frantically adjusted the controls, attempting to pull away.
Too late.
As the pilot initiated a sharp climb, a bolt of electricity suddenly struck the fuselage, jolting the chopper. The rotors whirred frantically as the pilot fought to regain control, his face taut with panic. The hum of the blades mingled with the crackle of the raging anomaly. The door gunner held on to the edges of the doorway, his eyes darting between the anomaly launching erratic bolts of electricity everywhere and the ground far below.
Before the helicopter could get away, another bolt struck its tail rotor with a bright flash. Metal screeched as the rotor shuddered violently, sparks flying chaotically everywhere. The helicopter jerked violently, the rotors sputtering and stalling as the imbalance took hold. The pilot struggled, his hands gripping the controls tightly, sweat glistening on his brow.
The anomaly pulsed rhythmically, almost as if mocking the helicopter¡¯s frantic attempts to maintain balance. Another bolt shot through the air, striking the chopper with wild ferocity. At that moment, the helicopter entered a chaotic spin, losing altitude at a heart-stopping rate. The shriek of the dying engines echoed through the air as the aircraft spiraled downward.
A second later, the helicopter plummeted out of view below the rooftop¡¯s edge, and Jake couldn¡¯t see it anymore. Then came the sound¡ªthe sickening crunch of metal colliding with stone as the chopper crashed into the side of a nearby building. An explosion erupted, blooming like a flower, with the shockwave rolling across the rooftops. A plume of fire blossomed, sending shards of debris spiraling into the sky.
However, Jake didn¡¯t have time to watch. The cacophony of sounds reverberated through the air as the magical anomaly raged, pulsating with electrical rhythms and sending lightning bolts in every direction. With a powerful leap, Jake propelled himself into the air, dodging one of them. Another bolt crackled past, missing him by mere inches.
Jake was in constant motion, leaping this way and that, dodging bolts of electricity. His Enhanced Reflexes and Enhanced Agility were working in overdrive, keeping him just ahead of danger. He quickly rolled as another bolt sliced through the air and hit the spot where he had been moments before. The electrical energy sizzled against the surface of the roof, and he felt a wave of heat wash over him as he came up, ready to dodge yet another strike that burned through the air like a whip of light.
The anomaly pulsed rhythmically, emitting a deep thrum that vibrated through the air, sending arcs of electricity from its core. Predicting where the next bolt would strike was nearly impossible, but Jake¡¯s Feral Instincts guided him. He knew the electrical fury would subside in mere seconds, yet he didn¡¯t let himself think about it. Instead, he focused solely on dodging the bolts. He could probably survive a direct hit, but he didn¡¯t know how much damage it would inflict on his body, so he wanted to avoid being hit at all costs.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
With a quick dash and a leap, he launched himself into a roll to dodge another bolt. As he leaped to his feet, he quickly glanced around, catching sight of the chaos the anomaly continued to unleash upon the rooftop, smoke billowing up from the surface where bolts struck. The air crackled with electric energy, sending a trickling sensation through his skin as he surveyed the chaos unfolding around him.
Unfortunately for the ex-humans, they lacked his speed and agility. Even with the anomaly raging around them, some still tried to get to him, while others looked confused and uncertain about what action to take. No matter what path they chose, all of them were killed, being hit by the bolts of electricity, dying instantly.
Jake darted to the side, narrowly avoiding a bolt of raw electricity that struck a walker beside him, charring its upper body instantly. He continued to leap from side to side as bolts lanced through the air around him. With every movement, he could hear the mutants shrieking in pain and frustration as they were hit. Another bolt shot forth, striking one of the creatures with a sickening crackle. It erupted into flames, becoming a living torch before it disintegrated into ash.
Jake urged his body to move faster to outmaneuver both the bolts of electricity and the horde chasing him. A slasher lunged, its curved claws poised to tear him apart, but he dashed aside just in time. In the next instant, the ex-human was struck by a bolt of electricity with such brutal force that it was hurled through the air all the way across the roof. Watching its smoldering body tumble over the roof¡¯s edge, Jake thought he¡¯d just found another reason to do his best to avoid being hit.
The electricity surged relentlessly, casting a blinding glow across the roof where monsters were being killed. Their shrieks pierced the air, blending with the constant crackling of the anomaly. More than once, Jake saw a bolt strike a mutant, splitting into several others that leaped to nearby creatures, killing them all at once. The monsters surrounding him were falling like flies.
Jake ducked and darted, skillfully avoiding the onslaught while the mutants died all around him in droves. He leaped to the side as a bolt of electricity lanced past him. He launched himself into a roll to avoid being hit again, and immediately dashed aside, successfully dodging yet another bolt of electricity.
Is that all you¡¯ve got? he mentally taunted the anomaly. You gotta do better than that if you wanna get me.
Then it suddenly was over. The Electro stopped pulsating vigorously. The anomaly no longer radiated a blinding light and ceased launching any more bolts of electricity, reverting to its idle state, becoming almost invisible. The hum and crackle ceased, and the air was no longer charged.
Jake quickly looked around. There were just a handful of walkers left, and no new mutants materialized, because all the portals had sealed shut a while ago. It didn¡¯t take Jake long to deal with the remaining mutants. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t leveled up during the previous two waves, because in the ninth wave, most of the mutants had been mowed down by the chopper¡¯s gunner, while in the final one, most had been killed by the anomaly.
As soon as he took care of the last enemy, the Electro anomaly suddenly erupted in a flash of blinding light and ceased to exist. Waves of bluish energy surged toward him from where it had just been, absorbed by his body. Then, system notifications flooded his mind.
Challenge complete!
You have received 30,000 XP.
You have received 30,000 MP.
The Cloak ability has been added to the Genetic Development Interface.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 46 to 51. You have gained 25 SP.
After earning 30,000 XP for completing the Wave Survival challenge, he had leveled up five times and now possessed a total of 45 skill points. Not bad at all. He looked around. The rooftop was devoid of mutants, the anomaly was gone, and there were no more helicopters nearby. It was finally peaceful and quiet, the perfect moment to put those skill points to good use.
Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Jake checked the second section of the Genetic Development Interface.
Evolution Stage 2: "Savage Ascent" (Level 25)
Abilities: 1 of 6
Skills: 1 of 4
Ability: Gravity Leap
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: 17,000 MP
Ability: Acidic Spit
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: 20,000 MP
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Ability: Cloak
Requirements: Body 45, Mind 55, Magick 60
Cost: 25,000 MP
Skill: Adhesive Secretion
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35
Cost: 15,000 MP
Skill: Toxic Resistance
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: 23,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Ability: Mind Reader
Requirements: Mind 30, Magick 25
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: Already Owned
As he was already aware, all the skills and abilities listed there were expensive and had demanding requirements. For that reason, he decided to use all forty-five skill points he¡¯d earned during the Wave Survival challenge to upgrade his attributes.
Body: 36 ¡ú 46
Mind: 30 ¡ú 50
Magick: 35 ¡ú 50
He could now acquire the Gravity Leap ability and the Adhesive Secretion skill he had set his sights on a long time ago. The requirements for the former were Body at 43, Mind at 40, and Magick at 37, while for the latter, Body at 40 and Magick at 35. He first checked out the ability.
Gravity Leap: The mutant can jump high up in the air, defying the laws of gravity.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: 17,000 MP
The ability sounded quite impressive. Thanks to one of the upgrades for Enhanced Agility that improved his acrobatic abilities, he could already perform mana-infused jumps that propelled him a considerable distance. With Gravity Leap, he would be able to execute not just long jumps but high ones too. After acquiring the ability, he checked out the skill.
Adhesive Secretion: The mutant obtains the ability to exude a sticky substance from his skin, allowing him to cling to surfaces and ensnare foes.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Cost: 15,000 MP
Jake could climb pretty well. His agility and acrobatic abilities allowed him to scale almost every surface. However, when he climbed a wall, he always had to look for footholds and handholds, such as cracks or any features protruding from the surface. While he could climb almost any vertical surface, it could still be quite challenging at times. With Adhesive Secretion, he should be able to climb any surface without any trouble, even if it lacked handholds altogether. He acquired the skill.
After he finished the Wave Survival challenge, the Cloak ability had been added to the Genetic Development Interface. Jake decided to check it out as well.
Cloak: The mutant can merge with their surroundings to become nearly invisible. This ability allows the mutant to move stealthily, stay hidden, and set up ambushes.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 45, Mind 55, Magick 60
Cost: 25,000 MP
The Cloak ability had demanding requirements. His Body was 46, but his Mind and Magick were lower than needed. It was also quite expensive. Gravity Leap was 17,000 MP, while Adhesive Secretion was 15,000 MP, so he had spent a total of 32,000 MP and now had just over thirty thousand mana points left. Even if he met the requirements for Cloak, he wouldn¡¯t have purchased the ability just yet, as it would have left him with too little mana. However, Cloak seemed like an extremely useful ability, so he planned to work toward acquiring it next.
While Jake had enough MP left to acquire one more skill or ability, he decided against it for now. At his current level, thirty thousand MP wasn¡¯t particularly high and could be depleted quickly. His powerful body demanded a significant amount of mana to function, with all his abilities and skills consuming varying amounts of mana during use. So, he decided to return to the Genetic Development Interface after he gathered more mana.
Jake opened his eyes, and all the information vanished. It was time to try out his newly acquired skill and ability. He decided to start with Gravity Leap. He scanned his surroundings, making sure no helicopters were nearby that could mess with him. He bent his knees and then jumped straight up into the air, activating the ability with a thought.
He floated through the air with ease, as if experiencing zero gravity. His ascent gradually slowed until he reached the apex of his vertical jump. For a brief moment, he seemed to hover motionless in the air, having risen several meters. Then gravity took hold, and he began to plummet, rapidly picking up speed. Upon landing on the rooftop, he dropped into a crouch to absorb the impact.
He stood up and looked around, turning toward the adjacent building before bursting into a sprint across the rooftop. When he reached the edge, he executed a mana-infused jump while simultaneously activating Gravity Leap, propelling himself forward and upward, flying through the air in a high arc. He soared across the gap between the two buildings. The breathtaking leap lasted just a couple of seconds before he touched down on the other rooftop.
He ran across the rooftop for a few yards before gradually coming to a stop. Gravity Leap was definitely a powerful and useful ability. Acquiring upgrades and leveling it up to higher ranks would make it even more effective, likely increasing the height of his vertical jumps. Currently, Gravity Leap allowed him to ascend several meters. Eventually, he might even be able to reach helicopters when they weren¡¯t flying too far above him.
Next, Jake wanted to test out Adhesive Secretion. Unlike Gravity Leap, it was a skill, not an ability, so it would activate on its own without any mental commands from him. He made his way to the edge of the rooftop, leaning over to gaze down. After a moment of thought, he turned and swung one leg over the ledge. With both hands gripping the ledge, he swung his other leg over the edge of the rooftop, feeling his body drop.
For a second, he hung motionlessly, gripping the edge of the roof above him with both hands. Since Adhesive Secretion was a skill, not an ability, it should activate automatically without any commands from him. It was time to see how it worked.
He bent one knee, pressing the tips of his feet against the wall, and immediately felt a sticky substance begin to form. It seeped through his textured skin and tiny pores, causing his foot to adhere to the building¡¯s wall. Next, he pressed the other foot against the wall, and more secretions were released, making his other foot stick to the surface securely.
Jake released one hand from the edge of the roof and pressed it against the wall. As he did, the sticky substance oozed from the tiny pores in his palm and fingertips, allowing his hand to adhere to the wall, increasing friction and securing his grip like an insect¡¯s. He then let go of the roof with his other hand and pressed it against the wall too.
Thanks to the adhesive his body produced, he clung securely to the side of the building. His body seemed to instinctively know how much sticky substance it needed to generate to keep him anchored to the wall. Now, he was ready to see if he could crawl across the wall without losing his grip.
He glanced at his right hand. For a moment, he worried that he wouldn¡¯t know how to unstick it from the surface, but the answer popped into his mind almost instantly. His body adjusted the amount of adhesive it produced depending on the situation. The moment he decided to unstick his right hand, the adhesive ceased to flow from it.
Also, as he had noticed a long time ago, his skin was irregular and textured. Now he knew the reason for that¡ªat least one of them: the specific pattern helped break the adhesion. By adjusting the angle of his feet and hands, he could peel off his grip without losing balance. He learned how to do this surprisingly quickly, as if he had been crawling across vertical surfaces like a bug his entire life.
He turned to the side and crawled across the building¡¯s wall, resembling an insect in his movements. He moved easily and quickly, as if he had experienced this in a past life. At one point, he changed direction and crawled down toward the street ten stories below. Jake also discovered that instead of twisting his hands in a specific way to break the adhesion, he could simply tug them forcefully, which instantly detached them from the surface.
For several minutes, Jake crawled in different directions along the building wall. He then realized something: while Adhesive Secretion was active, not only did his body release the adhesive, but its structure also appeared to alter slightly. Although his form was primarily humanoid, it adapted to facilitate crawling like an insect. Jake couldn¡¯t see his reflection, but he suspected that he looked more like a massive insect than a humanoid-like creature when he crawled across the wall. He was also keenly aware that his body was consuming mana at an increased rate while Adhesive Secretion was active, though thankfully, it wasn¡¯t excessive.
When Jake decided he had mastered the art of imitating a huge bug, he turned upward and crawled to the edge of the roof. Upon reaching it, he grasped the edge and pulled his body up and over. Moments later, he stood on the rooftop again. Both Adhesive Secretion and Gravity Leap had proven to be incredibly useful. He knew he would frequently put these skills to good use. Thanks to Adhesive Secretion, he could now easily scale any surface without having to search for handholds. Gravity Leap would also come in handy in various situations, such as taking down helicopters.
He then checked his current experience count.
XP: 4235/6500
It wouldn¡¯t be long before he leveled up again. He had less than thirty thousand mana points left, though. So he was going to spend the rest of the day slaying mutants for XP, and come nightfall, he would continue his routine of hunting for various mana consumables, using Mana Vision to locate them. With that determined, he picked a random direction and set off.
Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Jake managed to collect enough XP in the evening to level up to 52. He gained five skill points, but he decided to hold off allocating them for now. During the night, he hunted for mana and collected over 10,000 MP. The following morning, he used the ten thousand mana points to purchase an Increased XP booster and spent the next several hours in the sewers, killing mutated rats and devourers. He managed to level up two more times. His current level was now 54, and he had fifteen skill points at his disposal. Since he was working toward acquiring the Cloak ability¡ªwhose requirements were Body 45, Mind 55, and Magick 60¡ªhe allocated all fifteen skill points to his attributes.
Body: 46 ¡ú 46
Mind: 50 ¡ú 55
Magick: 50 ¡ú 60
So he could now acquire the Cloak ability. However, it was quite expensive, priced at a whopping 25,000 MP. Since he had a little over 30,000 MP, purchasing it would leave him with only about 5,000 MP, which wasn¡¯t much at all. When he was much weaker, below Level 10, his body consumed just a little over 1,000 MP in a day in an active state. But now he needed much more than that. At his current level, his powerful body could burn through 5,000 MP in just a few hours to a day, depending on how active he was. So, he decided to wait until he collected more mana before acquiring the Cloak ability.
Finally, he emerged from the sewers. As soon as he returned to street level, he heard the rumble of a powerful engine nearby. Jake looked around and spotted a vehicle behind him. The huge pickup truck, with a machine gun mounted in its bed, was driving in his direction, quickly approaching his position. The hood of the large vehicle had a red demon skull painted on it. The person manning the machine gun and the driver both stared directly at him, determination etched on their faces. It was clear they hadn¡¯t stumbled upon him by accident. Instead, they had been purposely hunting him down.
The intersection where Jake stood was crisscrossed with huge chasms, spanning the entire street. He knew the two Demons in the technical wouldn¡¯t be able to follow him there, so instead of wasting time fighting them, he decided to slip away. He burst into a sprint, easily leaping over the massive cracks in the asphalt. Just as he expected, he heard the screech of tires behind him when the driver suddenly hit the brakes upon realizing he couldn¡¯t follow Jake. The driver would have to backtrack and search for the nearest side street, but by the time he maneuvered around the intersection marred by cracks, Jake would already be long gone.
However, if they were on a mission to track and kill him, like the previous Demons he had slain the other day, they would likely be equipped with a scanner to help them locate him. Still, even with the scanner, following him wouldn¡¯t be easy. Jake continued to run as heavy-caliber rounds zipped past him. But he was already too far from the truck, so none of the bullets hit him. At the next intersection, he took a random turn, and the gunfire ceased.
Instead of returning to the rooftops, Jake chose to stay on the streets for a while. He needed to level up as quickly as possible. The gangsters from Los Demonios were high-leveled and armed with powerful weapons. He still remembered his encounter with a couple of them when they had attacked him from their truck while he was climbing a building wall. The machine gun in the truck¡¯s bed and the revolver the driver wielded were surprisingly powerful because both weapons were high-leveled and enchanted to boot. The machine gun dealt explosive damage, while the revolver had not one but two enchantments: the first making the initial round deal cryo damage, and the second causing the next two shots to inflict explosive damage.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Jake had to level up as fast as he could to be able to combat the Demons effectively. They were everywhere, making it nearly impossible to avoid confrontations with them. Therefore, he had to become strong enough to fight back. The bandits from Los Demonios utilized special spells to level up more quickly. While Jake didn¡¯t have access to such spells, he could occasionally purchase an Increased XP booster when he could afford to spend 10,000 MP. Another effective method for gaining substantial amounts of XP was through quests and challenges. While anomalies could sometimes be found on rooftops, the majority were located in the streets, along with most quests. For this reason, Jake chose to remain at street level for a little while.
He ran through the streets choked with overgrown vegetation for some time. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered any anomalies or quests, which was disappointing. The longer he lingered at street level, the greater the odds of running into another group of Los Demonios. His hearing picked up the sounds of gunfire, the roar of powerful engines, and human screams echoing from various corners of the devastated megalopolis. It felt as though the entire city was at war with itself. It definitely hadn¡¯t been like this before Los Demonios showed up. Almost every building he ran past had a red demon skull painted on it. The Demons were marking what they now considered their own territory. The gang was quickly taking over the whole city, and the other survivors were seemingly completely powerless to stop them.
It wasn¡¯t long before Jake ran into another Demon vehicle. This time, it was an SUV with a machine gun mounted on its roof. One person operated the gun while another occupied the passenger seat. There could be even more bandits in the back of the vehicle. The looks on the Demons¡¯ faces made it clear they weren¡¯t just driving around aimlessly. No, they were specifically looking for him too.
Jake knew that one of the leaders of the gang, known as Skullface, had a mission to kill him. Rather than taking it upon themselves, Skullface preferred to hand this mission over to their subordinates. After Jake had eliminated the first two Demons who came after him, Skullface must have passed the mission on to someone else. As long as Skullface was alive, the hunt would continue. However, even if Jake managed to eliminate Skullface, it might not put an end to his troubles, because the System could assign the same mission to another survivor. Yet, whoever was next in line to receive the mission might not possess the same level of power as Skullface, have fewer resources, and probably wouldn¡¯t have an army of subordinates at their disposal to chase Jake down.
Jake heard the rumble of another engine on his left. He glanced that way and saw yet another huge vehicle approaching his position¡ªit was the technical he had encountered right after emerging from the sewers. It appeared that various groups of Los Demonios were now working together to hunt him down. That was troubling. He quickly surveyed his surroundings. The SUV was coming in from the front, the technical from the left. On his right, at the corner of the intersection, stood the remains of what used to be a coffee shop. Without wasting another moment, Jake dashed toward it.
The moment Jake burst into the building, he was met with the sight of replication pods dangling from the ceiling. About a dozen ex-humans wandered aimlessly around the interior, and some of them hissed and snarled upon spotting him. Without hesitation, Jake sprinted across the room toward a door on the opposite side that led deeper into the building, easily evading clawed hands that reached out for him.
Just as Jake reached the far side of the room, a tremendous crash echoed behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the technical smashing its way into the coffee shop, crashing through debris, mutants, and replication pods. The vehicle came to a halt in the center of the room, and the Demon in the truck bed swung a machine gun toward Jake, unleashing a barrage of gunfire.
Chapter 137
Chapter 137
Heavy-caliber bullets zipped through the air like crazy hornets. Jake continued to run, ignoring the chaos unfolding inside the room. Just as he reached the doorway leading deeper into the building, a translucent bluish surface popped up in front of him, completely filling the entrance. Unable to stop in time, Jake slammed into the semi-transparent wall, bouncing back. He morphed his right hand into a smashfist and struck the bluish magical barrier with all the strength he could muster.
To his surprise, the powerful blow didn¡¯t do anything at all. The magical barrier turned out to be as strong as a stone wall. Scratch that, it was even stronger. While punching a stone wall with a smashfist might not have been enough to shatter it, it would at least have left a dent. The magical barrier in front of him, however, showed no visible damage at all. With his only escape route blocked, Jake pivoted to the right and sprinted away as the Demon continued to unleash gunfire.
Heavy-caliber bullets ripped through the debris strewn across the room, drilled into the ex-humans milling about, and punched through the replication pods dangling from the ceiling. Rounds slammed into the floor and walls, sending fragments of concrete and clouds of dust flying in all directions. Every second bullet exploded on impact, tearing huge chunks of flesh out of weak, low-level ex-humans and causing replication pods to burst apart, splattering liquid everywhere and destroying the embryos of undeveloped creatures.
Jake continued to run in a semicircle, gradually closing in on the pickup truck. He was moving so fast the gunner struggled to track him with the mounted weapon. Suddenly, Jake felt his speed begin to wane. Immediately afterward, a system message flashed through his mind.
An Ethereal Grasp has been cast on you.
One of the bandits, likely the person manning the machine gun, had just used a magic spell on him. Jake didn¡¯t need to read its description to know what kind of spell it was. It was meant to either freeze him in place or slow him down. If it was intended to fully immobilize him, it had failed. Still, he certainly felt his movements becoming sluggish, but thankfully not too much. The points he had invested in the Magick attribute definitely paid off, likely increasing his resistance to such spells.
Still, now that he was affected by Ethereal Grasp, it became somewhat easier for the gunner to target him. Jake felt a round slam into his right shoulder, staggering him momentarily. It wasn¡¯t an enchanted bullet, so it didn¡¯t inflict much damage. But the next one that hit him was. It drilled into his side and exploded inside, tearing a chunk of flesh from his body. Jake was starting to get pissed. Why couldn¡¯t Los Demonios just leave them alone? Did they have a death wish or something? For all their trouble, it could end only one way.
Another system notification emerged in his mind.
A Shadow Tether has been cast on you.
Jake had no idea what this spell was for. He didn¡¯t feel any change in his body, so he mentally summoned the description of the spell.
Shadow Tether: Creates a thin, invisible thread that links the caster to a target, either a nearby object or person, allowing the caster to feel their general direction and distance as well as see their outline, even through obstacles. The effect lasts a few seconds, and the caster can also break the spell with a thought.
Jake wasn¡¯t sure why his enemies had cast such a spell on him. The answer came shortly afterward. A shimmering mist enveloped the area, slightly reducing visibility. Again, likely due to his advanced Magick attribute, he could still see quite well. He realized that the Mist spell¡ªor whatever it was called¡ªhadn¡¯t been directed at him specifically, because unlike the previous two spells, he hadn¡¯t received a notification about it. Instead, the Mist spell must have been cast over the entire room, affecting every creature within. He could see other ex-humans looking around in confusion. Despite having limited visibility, the mutants dashed toward the pickup truck, using the sound of the firing machine gun for direction, although some tripped over debris and fell.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Jake knew that survivors could learn magic from scrolls, each containing a spell for one-time use. Scrolls were extremely rare¡ªprobably the rarest items in this game-like world. For that reason, he rarely used spells himself when he was a survivor. However, the two bandits in the pickup truck didn¡¯t seem to lack spells, having already cast four different ones. That wasn¡¯t all that surprising, considering the gang they belonged to had an abundance of various resources. It was also possible that after the rest of the gang learned about the defeat of the two Demons who came at him first, the others realized how dangerous he was and felt compelled to use everything at their disposal to stop him. This seemed plausible, especially given that different groups within the gang were now collaborating to hunt him down.
Now that Jake was under the effect of the Shadow Tether spell, the gunner¡ªwho must have been the one to cast it on him¡ªcould clearly see him through the magical, sparkling mist enveloping the area. However, Jake had no trouble seeing through the mist, too. His Magick attribute and Enhanced Senses allowed him to see well even in poor and difficult conditions. He navigated through the debris, dead mutants, and torn replication pods scattered across the floor, drawing closer to the pickup truck with each step.
Some of the walkers had already made it to the large vehicle, but neither the driver nor the gunner appeared concerned. A second later, Jake understood why. The first walker that reached the pickup truck spotted the driver through the driver¡¯s door window and raised a clawed hand toward the glass. As soon as the hand touched the window, a sigil flared to life at the contact point. In an instant, a crackle of electricity erupted, sending the walker flying back with great force, half of its body charred.
So, the pickup truck was protected by wards. However, Jake doubted they would have the same effect on him as they did on weaker, low-level ex-humans like walkers. The Ethereal Grasp spell no longer affected him, and his movements returned to normal. He ducked as he approached the pickup truck from the front. The gunner was now unable to target him, and all the bullets he fired zipped harmlessly over Jake¡¯s head. He darted around the front of the truck and drew closer to the driver¡¯s window.
The person at the steering wheel stared at him with a mix of apprehension and confidence, as if he weren¡¯t entirely sure whether the wards on the vehicle were powerful enough to protect him.
Let¡¯s find out, Jake thought as he threw his right hand, which was transformed into a smashfist, toward the window. The moment his fist made contact, a crackling sound began but quickly faded as the glass shattered into thousands of shards, cascading down on the screaming driver. With the window shattered, the ward was broken, so nothing prevented Jake from reaching inside the cab and grabbing the driver by his head, dragging him through the shattered window. The driver screamed in pain as several shards of glass still jutting from the door raked across his body. Jake dropped the bandit to the floor and immediately stomped on his head, causing it to burst apart like an overripe melon.
He then leaped into the truck bed and with his left hand, which was transformed into claws, lashed out at the gunner¡¯s throat, opening it up. The gangster staggered backward and tumbled over the side of the bed, hitting the floor hard. Bullets suddenly poured into the room from the street through the entrance and shattered windows lining the front wall. The large SUV sat directly outside the building, its occupants unleashing a barrage of fire into the room with everything they had. A machine gun mounted on the roof was blazing away, while the driver¡¯s-side windows were rolled down, weapon barrels sticking out and muzzles flashing.
Rushing out of the building and sprinting toward the SUV, with all its occupants firing at him, would likely have resulted in his death or serious injury. So Jake opted for a different strategy. He seized the machine gun mounted in the truck bed, pivoted it toward the SUV, and unleashed a deadly torrent of gunfire on it.
Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Jake wasn¡¯t sure how much they knew about him, but they clearly hadn¡¯t expected him to suddenly use one of their own weapons against them. Some of the bandits stopped firing and ducked, trying to hide deeper inside the large vehicle. Through the tremendous roar of gunfire, Jake heard one of the Demons shout to the driver to get them out of there. Unfortunately for them, the shouter didn¡¯t know the driver was already dead by that point¡ªJake had targeted him first.
The first several bullets he fired struck the driver¡¯s door but caused no damage at all because the SUV was protected by wards. Sigils glowed at the points of contact, disintegrating the bullets into mere dust and not leaving a mark on the metal. Jake quickly adjusted his aim, walking the line of bullets upward until he hit the driver. The first bullet drilled into his shoulder. The second one, which was enchanted, bit into his neck and detonated, tearing out a large chunk of flesh and causing a fountain of blood to gush from the nasty wound. The third one was a regular bullet, and it turned half the driver¡¯s face into a gory mess.
Jake then swung his fire to the right, unleashing a barrage of bullets into the car¡¯s interior through the open windows. By that point, none of the gangsters remained near the windows as they had all ducked deeper into the vehicle, hoping the wards placed on the car body would shield them. Jake released a long burst of fire into the back of the car through one of the windows and saw a red mist erupt outward. Someone inside the large vehicle had been hit, but it was hard to tell if they were still alive or not.
The gangster manning the machine gun mounted on the roof was now the only one firing back at Jake. However, he seemed to struggle to take aim, likely overwhelmed by panic. Jake, on the other hand, was as cold as stone, his aim steady. Completely ignoring the rounds zipping past him, he walked his fire up the side of the vehicle and across the upper body of the Demon operating the machine gun. Red blossomed across his chest, and the limp body of the now-dead bandit slipped through the roof hatch into the vehicle.
Jake eased his finger off the trigger. No one was firing back at him anymore. After the tremendous roar of gunfire, the ensuing silence felt eerie. He released the machine gun and jumped from the truck bed to the ground. Running out of the building, he approached the SUV. A glance through the windows revealed the carnage inside the large vehicle. Mutilated bodies were piled on top of each other, and the inside of the car was splattered with blood.
Not all of them were dead, however. Upon spotting Jake¡¯s terrifying face, with large unblinking eyes and a mouth full of jagged, pointed teeth, one gangster let out a panicked scream and scrambled to disentangle himself from the dead bodies surrounding him. He crawled to the far side of the vehicle, trying to distance himself from Jake as much as he could within the confined space of the car. Once he reached the door, he blindly groped for the handle, his gaze never leaving Jake¡¯s frightening eyes staring back at him.
Before the man could open the door, Jake sprouted three long tentacles from his back. With lightning speed, he maneuvered one into the vehicle through the window, and the moment the Demon saw it, he let out a terrified scream.
¡°No,¡± he screamed just before the pointed, razor-sharp tip of the tentacle lunged forward, stabbing him in the eye and drilling deep into his brain.
Jake yanked his tentacle back, and the bandit¡¯s lifeless body slid from the backseat onto the floorboard. He quickly scanned the other bodies to check for any signs of life. Suddenly, the passenger door of the cab swung open, revealing that the man in the shotgun seat was still alive. As soon as he burst out of the car, Jake straightened up and ran to the front of the vehicle.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The man was wounded in one leg and struggled to run quickly. He glanced over his shoulder and let out a panicked scream upon seeing Jake with three long tentacles writhing behind him. The Demon raised a large pistol he held in one hand and popped off a few hasty shots at him. Jake didn¡¯t even flinch. One bullet whizzed past his head, missing by an inch, while another punched into his shoulder, inflicting minimal damage.
Jake didn¡¯t bother to chase after the bandit. Instead, he used one of his three tentacles, launching it toward the fleeing man and extending it to its full length. The blade at the tip of the tentacle stabbed into the man¡¯s back, throwing him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground. The three tentacles reached the end of their lifespan and detached. The bandit was still alive, however, crawling across the asphalt toward where his pistol had flown from his hand when he fell.
Jake was about to leap toward the bandit to deliver the final blow when he suddenly became aware of someone¡¯s presence nearby. He looked to the right and saw her. She was atop her futuristic-looking motorcycle, over a hundred yards down the street, looking in his direction. Jake immediately recognized the woman, whose name was Catalina.
The first time he had seen her was on a rainy night when he stood atop a ten-story building, watching her chase a group of survivors into a trap on her bike. Her accomplices appeared in front of the fleeing survivors, capturing them and driving them away in one of their vehicles. Just before Catalina followed her companions, she caught sight of him standing on the roof.
So it was their second encounter. Catalina remained seated on her motorcycle, making no move to ride toward him. Her hood was down this time, exposing her short black hair that barely brushed her shoulders. A red bandana covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her keen eyes visible and concealing the rest of her features.
Jake wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been there, watching him. She might have witnessed the entire scene: the other gangsters chasing him into the building and then him firing at the SUV from inside before exiting the building. He couldn¡¯t tell if she worked with the gangsters in the SUV and the pickup truck to hunt him down or if she had merely stumbled upon him by chance. Knowing that various groups within Los Demonios now worked together to hunt him down, Jake leaned toward the former. Besides, the city was enormous, so the odds that she had accidentally crossed paths with him again were slim to none.
However, she made no move toward him. She must have been smarter than that. After witnessing what he was capable of, she likely decided to keep her distance. With a thought, Jake summoned her stats, which instantly appeared in his mind. He already knew her name, so he was mostly interested only in her level. It turned out to be eighty-five, which was thirty-one higher than his own. But that wouldn¡¯t matter much if she decided to attack him. Jake already knew he was a force to be reckoned with, capable of handling opponents that surpassed him by more than a dozen levels without any trouble at all.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed past him. Jake jerked his head to the side and saw that the guy he had wounded in the back with a tentacle just a minute before was now lying on his back and aiming his large pistol at him, holding it with both hands. Just as the gangster fired another shot and missed again, Jake vaulted over the SUV¡¯s hood and reached the Demon in a single leap.
Before the bandit could pull the trigger a third time, Jake extended a blade from his right wrist and swung it down, slicing through the guy¡¯s wrists. They dropped to the ground, the pistol still held in them, and dark blood poured from the cut ends of his arms. The bandit opened his mouth to scream, but before a sound could come out, Jake struck out again, the tip of his sword plunging into the guy¡¯s open mouth. The blade sliced through his skull to burst from the back of his head in a shower of gore.
The roar of an engine prompted Jake to swiftly pull his sword free and wheel to face a new threat. He saw Catalina driving toward him, quickly gaining speed. So maybe she wasn¡¯t as smart as he¡¯d thought after all. Jake extended a blade from his left wrist as well and waited for her to draw closer.
Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Suddenly, Catalina veered her sleek bike around and raced in the opposite direction, rapidly picking up speed. Jake watched her until she vanished into the distance.
For a moment, he remained still, thinking. It seemed Catalina was among those sent to hunt him. But she had decided not to get into a fight with him, which was a wise move. How her superiors would respond to her insubordination was an altogether different matter. Not that Jake really cared. It wasn¡¯t his concern.
He turned back to look at the carnage he had caused. Having just used the machine gun made him think of something. He raised his hands to his face. Just before he took hold of the machine gun mounted in the truck bed, he had reverted his right smashfist and the claws on his left hand back into normal, human-like hands. He continued to look at them, deep in thought.
Apart from being obsidian-black and textured, his hands didn¡¯t differ from regular human hands. This meant he could easily wield firearms. Until the recent fight, he had never truly felt the need to arm himself. However, in situations where his enemies held an advantage over him¡ªlike during the recent gunfight with the occupants of the SUV¡ªhe could certainly grab a gun to balance the odds against his enemies.
While his own weapons, like claws, smashfists, and others, were very powerful, he sometimes wished he had some ranged ones as well. Although his tentacles were quite long, they were primarily designed to slay enemies in close proximity. In most situations, his arsenal was enough to deal with various foes, but he could definitely benefit from having a long-range weapon at his disposal.
While the System spawned plenty of firearms in this world, it didn¡¯t mean they just lay around every corner. In critical situations where he needed a weapon, one might not be within reach. Although he didn¡¯t often find himself in situations where he really needed a gun, the possibility still existed. Maybe it would be wise to grab a firearm from the bandits he had just slain and carry it with him from now on.
He stepped toward the SUV again and peeked inside, examining the guns scattered throughout the vehicle. As he looked at each one, he summoned its stats with a thought. Most of the firearms were uncommon and had various enchantments, but none truly caught his eye. Besides, there was the issue of ammunition. He would need to wear a tactical belt or carry a compact bag to ensure he had enough ammo on him.
However, the idea of packing a weapon with a means to carry ammunition felt off to him. That¡¯s when he realized something else. After the transformation, his appearance wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed¡ªhis mindset and behavior had altered as well. As he had noticed many days before, even his movements were very different now. Also, he hardly ever walked anymore. Instead, he always moved around at a constant brisk jog. When he wanted to sit, he lowered himself into a crouching position, which would have been very uncomfortable for a regular human but felt perfectly natural for him. He could remain in that position for a very long time without making even the slightest movement.
His behavior was now more similar to that of an animal than that of a human being. He recalled the time when he needed to lure a group of four survivors into the building where he was doing a tower-climbing challenge. Approaching them from behind, he needed to find a way to attract their attention without frightening them. So, he leaped onto the roof of a nearby old, rusted vehicle, causing it to creak under his weight. He then lowered himself into his usual crouching position, sitting motionless on the car¡¯s roof as he awaited the survivors to notice him. He could just have casually strolled over and pounded his fist on the roof to look more like a normal person, but that thought never even crossed his mind. He was now thinking and acting in ways that set him apart from humans, and it was happening on an instinctive level. It seemed that he just couldn¡¯t change the way he acted, his behavior, or his mindset.
Anyway, the thought of always carrying a gun and ammunition felt alien to him, so he decided not to bother with firearms. After all, he hardly ever found himself in situations where he really needed one. Besides, perhaps later he would be able to acquire ranged weapons of his own. However, if he ever stumbled upon a legendary handgun, he might give the matter some more thought. A handgun of legendary rarity would definitely pack quite a punch, and it wouldn¡¯t be much trouble to carry it. He could just strap it to his thigh and draw it only when he needed to hit a target beyond the reach of his own weapons.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Another thought crossed his mind. His perfect perception and agility could make him a truly deadly gunslinger. However, even with this capability, he wasn¡¯t going to bother with regular weapons. If he were to carry a gun, it would need to be a legendary one, or at least an epic one. Until he found such a sidearm, he would continue to rely on his own weapons, which were more than sufficient for most situations.
The bandit in the driver¡¯s seat suddenly let out a gurgling sound, prompting Jake to turn his attention to him. He walked to the front of the vehicle and looked at the dying driver. Surprisingly, the man was still clinging to life, despite the ragged hole in his neck and missing half his face. The gangster¡¯s only remaining eye stared at him. He tried to say something, but all that came out was a gurgle.
Jake didn¡¯t bother to finish him off, aware that the driver wouldn¡¯t last much longer anyway. The only reason he had lasted this long was likely due to all the skill points he must have invested in his Constitution attribute, granting his body a level of strength and resilience far beyond that of people from Earth before the Collapse.
Since the driver was still alive, Jake decided to take advantage of the situation. He grabbed the dying gangster by the head and utilized Mind Reader. The Demon¡¯s memories flooded his mind. Having upgraded the ability to Rank II, he could now access several hours of a target¡¯s most recent memories instead of just a few minutes as before. He didn¡¯t learn anything interesting from exploring the driver¡¯s memories, but it was fine. It wasn¡¯t the reason he used Mind Reader anyway. He simply wanted to advance the ability so he could eventually level it up to Rank III.
After watching as many of the driver¡¯s memories as possible and reaching the limit of Mind Reader, he pulled his hand back. Elongating his fingers into talons, he raked them across the driver¡¯s already ravaged neck, pitting him out of his misery. Next, he opened the rear door and examined the remaining bodies, grabbing them by their heads. One gangster was still alive, though unconscious. Jake activated Mind Reader, managing to delve into just a couple of hours of the Demon¡¯s memories before they were swallowed by darkness¡ªthe bandit had just died. The rest of the gangsters were already dead, so he couldn¡¯t use the ability on them.
Jake made his way back to the wrecked coffee shop. The two occupants of the pickup truck lay dead. Most of the replication pods and ex-humans had been wiped out by the gunner¡¯s relentless barrage of fire as he had tried to hit Jake. However, a couple of cocoons remained intact. Jake quickly took care of the remaining ex-humans before approaching one of the two replication pods. He peered inside for a few seconds, but nothing happened.
He tore the cocoon apart with his claws and moved on to the next one. He didn¡¯t expect this pod to offer a quest, so he raised his claws to lash out at it. But as he peered inside, a message suddenly appeared in his mind.
New Mutation Research!
Objective: Analyze five replication pods that contain an elite mutant of the wraith breed.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: Morph Disguise (Epic Ability)
Accept: Y/N
Jake felt a wave of excitement wash over him. It was always a good thing to receive a mutation research quest and be rewarded with a new ability upon its completion.
This mutation research quest was definitely different from all the previous ones he had completed. First, its difficulty was rated as Very Hard. Instead of having him analyze different types of mutants, this time he needed to focus exclusively on a particular one¡ªa wraith. Moreover, he had to search for an elite version of the mutant. Elite versions of mutants were much rarer than regular ones, so it would likely take him quite a long time to complete the quest.
But it should be totally worth it because the ability he could receive as a reward was Epic. It was the very first ability of this rarity he had ever received, which made him even more excited. He wasn¡¯t sure how Morph Disguise worked, though. In the second section of the Genetic Development Interface, there was already an ability called Cloak, which allowed him to become invisible to other living beings. While Morph Disguise sounded somewhat similar to Cloak, suggesting it would let him disguise himself, it should enable him to do so in a very different way.
Anyway, since Morph Disguise was of Epic rarity, Jake was sure it would turn out to be a very interesting and useful ability. With a thought, he accepted the mutation research quest.
Chapter 140
Chapter 140
He spent the rest of the day searching the city for buildings infested with replication pods. Unfortunately, whenever he came across such a building, he often found only remnants of destroyed replication pods, survivors having already cleared the area. Even when he was fortunate enough to discover intact replication pods, none contained the specific mutant type he needed. It became painfully obvious that if things continued this way, it would take him several days to successfully complete his current mutation research quest.
As he prowled the streets choked with vegetation, he occasionally heard the distant sounds of gunfire and the roar of engines echoing from various parts of the city. Fortunately, after his last confrontation with two groups of Los Demonios, he hadn¡¯t encountered any other gang members so far. He kept searching for buildings that contained replication pods, but more often than not, he found only remnants of cocoons that had already been destroyed. It was becoming increasingly tiresome.
At one point, he entered another high-rise building and found the main room on the first floor filled with replication pods. He decided to remain in that room and wait for the desired mutant type to form in one of them. After slaying all the ex-humans milling about the vast room, he carefully examined each cocoon one by one. None were currently producing wraiths, but there was still a chance that one might after it finished creating the creature it was working on. So he decided to wait.
He spent a while in that building. Whenever a pod finished creating a mutant and opened to release it, Jake swiftly took care of the creature and then looked into the pod to see what type of mutant was going to be created next. Unfortunately, most of the mutants generated in replication pods were low-level walkers and leapers, as was usually the case.
Jake spent several hours in that building, but only a couple of shamblers and whippers were created, and once, a slasher as well. The rest of the mutants that emerged from the replication pods were walkers and leapers, as usual. He continued to wait in the building until, at last, a wraith started to take shape in one of the pods that had just released a walker.
However, as it turned out, this wraith was a regular mutant, not an elite one. It was truly disappointing. Jake then realized that all the replication pods he had ever encountered had only produced regular mutants. Could it be that there was a distinct type of replication pod designed specifically to create elite mutants that he simply hadn¡¯t encountered yet?
At some point, a group of survivors entered the building. As soon as Jake heard them, he decided to leave through a back exit, not wanting to unnecessarily get into a fight with humans. Besides, he was becoming increasingly convinced that regular replication pods produced only regular mutants. To complete the mutation research quest, he likely needed to find replication pods specifically designed to create elite mutants.
When night fell, he began searching for mana consumables using Mana Vision. It was an excellent perk that made finding mana items a very easy task. He also remembered that perks could be upgraded to the next ranks, just like skills and abilities. He was definitely going to upgrade it at some point. By the time morning came, Jake had raised his total mana count to over 55,000. With that, he could purchase the Cloak ability, which cost 25,000 MP, leaving him with over 30,000 MP.
Jake decided to postpone purchasing the ability for a little longer, though. He wanted to stick to his daily routine and move on to clearing the sewers of mutants. So he spent the next several morning hours in the underground tunnels. Since this time he didn¡¯t bother to purchase the Increased XP booster, he only leveled up once by the time he finished clearing the sewers. His level was now 55, and he allocated four of the five skill points to Body.
Body: 46 ¡ú 50
Mind: 55
Magick: 60
Jake then purchased the Cloak ability and emerged from the sewers onto the city streets, now illuminated by the morning light. He spent some time testing out his newly acquired ability.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
When Cloak was activated, he blended with the environment. When he was completely still, his outline softened, making him nearly undetectable. The ability merged him flawlessly with his surroundings, allowing him to dissolve into them and create an illusion of transparency.
However, when he moved, the ability struggled to adapt quickly enough to keep him concealed. The distortion that cloaked him could only keep pace with him when he was completely still or moved slowly. Whenever he shifted his weight or turned his body, the illusion faltered, causing parts of him to momentarily reappear and become partially visible.
When he dashed through the streets, his disguise became inconsistent, and the illusion of invisibility faltered, making his movements visible. When he moved quickly, he appeared as a blurry figure instead of being fully invisible. The faster he moved, the more difficult it was for his ability to keep him hidden. Also, while the ability was active, it consumed his mana.
He still had one skill point at his disposal and took a moment to consider where it was best to invest it. He had two recently acquired abilities, Gravity Leap and Cloak, along with one skill, Adhesive Secretion. Each of the three was Uncommon and therefore had four available upgrades. In the end, Jake decided to invest the skill point into one of his perks instead. Currently, he had two perks: Enemy Appraisal and Mana Vision. He examined the former.
Enemy Appraisal (Rank II) (Common)
Rank III: Allows you to see the elemental weaknesses of your enemies.
Raise to Rank III: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)
He decided to allocate the skill point to Enemy Appraisal. Later on, he would upgrade Mana Vision as well. He examined the description of the perk one more time.
Enemy Appraisal: Rank III (MAX) (Common)
Description: Allows you to see basic information about any living being, including its level, attributes, skills, abilities, and elemental weaknesses.
It seemed that perks could only be upgraded to Rank III, at least those of Common rarity. Skills and abilities could be upgraded to the next rarity after his evolving into the next Stage, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the same rule applied to perks.
For the next several hours, he continued searching the city for replication pods. Unfortunately, every time he found some, they were only producing regular mutants. He needed to find pods that created elite ex-humans, but he had no idea where to look. Were they just extremely rare, requiring him to simply rely on luck to eventually stumble across one? Or were they spawned only in specific areas he wasn¡¯t aware of? Jake wasn¡¯t sure.
At some point, something unexpected happened. He discovered another building filled with replication pods in the spacious main room on the first floor. After slaying the ex-humans who were aimlessly roaming the area, he inspected the pods. As expected, each one was generating either a walker or a leaper.
He was about to leave when he heard the screech of tires as a large vehicle came to a sudden stop in front of the building. Doors swung open, and several people got out. Jake wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. Instead of fleeing, he chose to do something else. Activating Gravity Leap, he jumped vertically upward. As soon as he reached the ceiling, he pressed his hands and feet against it, clinging to the surface like a giant insect as Adhesive Secretion automatically kicked in.
Just as footsteps approached the entrance of the building, he activated Cloak. The ability didn¡¯t work immediately, taking a few seconds to completely blend him into his surroundings. However, it was enough. By the time the newcomers entered the building a few seconds later, Cloak had successfully rendered him invisible. Remaining completely still, Jake watched the scene unfold several meters below him.
He watched as several people entered the main room. Three of them were regular survivors¡ªtwo men and one woman¡ªwhile the rest were Los Demonios. Each of the Demons sported either a red scarf around their neck or a red bandana. It was obvious that at least two of the regular survivors¡ªone man and the woman¡ªwere prisoners because their hands were tied behind their backs. However, the third survivor was not restrained for some reason.
The group of bandits unleashed a barrage of fire upon the replication pods and a couple of walkers that had just emerged from two of them, quickly dealing with the ex-humans and destroying the pods. The Demons then scanned the area, but they failed to notice Jake clinging to the ceiling above them. None of them even glanced upward.
Then, the two captured regular survivors were forced to kneel at the center of the expansive room, the floor slick with pod liquid and strewn with the pulpy remnants of the shattered replication pods. The third survivor, the one who wasn¡¯t tied, was allowed to remain on his feet. Although he wasn¡¯t bound like the other two, he looked very unhappy. Completely invisible, Jake remained motionless, clinging to the ceiling while watching the unfolding scene below, eager to find out what it was all about.
Chapter 141
Chapter 141
One of the Demons pulled a large knife from where it was sheathed on his belt. Turning to the survivor standing nearby, he held out the knife. The man flinched as if he had been hit. Staring at the weapon, he took a step backward.
¡°Whu¡ªWhat¡¯s that for?¡± he stammered.
¡°Take it, George,¡± the bandit holding the knife demanded in an authoritative voice.
¡°Why?¡± George asked nervously.
¡°You¡¯re going to need that for what you¡¯re gonna have to do.¡±
¡°What exactly am I supposed to do with that?¡± George asked meekly. He appeared far more terrified than the two survivors kneeling close by with their hands bound behind their backs.
The gangster holding the knife¡ªwho was clearly the leader of this group¡ªwas quickly losing patience.
¡°Just. Take. The. Fucking. Knife,¡± he said, punctuating each word.
The look in the gang leader¡¯s eyes was so intimidating George immediately stepped forward and finally took the knife, holding it carefully as if it were made of eggshell.
¡°What do I do with it?¡± he squealed.
The gang leader took a step back and pointed at one of the kneeling survivors¡ªthe male one.
¡°Cut his face off,¡± he ordered.
¡°What?!¡±
George flinched, trembling so violently that the knife nearly fell from his grasp.
¡°No, no, no,¡± he stammered, taking a few steps back. ¡°I can¡¯t do it! Not to Anton. He¡¯s my friend!¡±
¡°Tyron,¡± the gang leader said as he looked at the imposing figure standing behind George.
The giant named Tyron stepped in behind George, placing his enormous hands on George¡¯s shoulders, effectively trapping him in place. George tried to break free, but it was no use.
¡°Jose, what¡¯s going on?¡± he squeaked, his eyes wide as he stared at the gang leader standing before him.
¡°Let me break this down for you,¡± Jose began. ¡°Pay attention, because I won¡¯t say it again. Los Demonios was formed by someone who was a member of a cartel prior to the Collapse. They took the same principles from the cartel to create Los Demonios. That means our organization operates under strict rules and can resort to extreme violence when needed.¡±
Jose took a small step forward, causing George to tremble uncontrollably. He seemed on the verge of collapsing, but Tyron¡¯s strong grip on his shoulders held him up.
¡°Since you¡¯ve shown interest in joining Los Demonios, you need to take a test,¡± Jose said. ¡°Anyone looking to join must pass a test to prove their loyalty to the organization. Your task is to cut this guy¡¯s face off. Once you do this, you¡¯ll officially become one of us. You¡¯ll gain access to superior weapons and vehicles that you can¡¯t find on your own. You¡¯ll be given the means to level up faster and become a force to be reckoned with. You¡¯ll be a part of a large and powerful organization with plenty of members who will always back you up if you ever get into trouble. There won¡¯t be any enemies who¡¯ll be able to harm you anymore. Los Demonios is a huge and dangerous organization, and we don¡¯t have any enemies strong enough to pose any kind of threat to us. So tell me, do you want to be part of this? Do you want to become one of us?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
George nodded vigorously.
¡°Then do what you¡¯re told,¡± Jose said, nodding toward the kneeling survivors.
Doubt washed over George once more.
¡°Why does it have to be my friend?¡± he asked, his voice trembling. ¡°Can¡¯t they just be sent to work for the gang instead? Why must they die?¡±
¡°They no longer have the option of working for us,¡± Jose said. ¡°We tried to capture your group, but you opened fire on us.¡±
¡°Did you really think we would let you take us hostage without a fight?¡± the female survivor retorted defiantly.
¡°Your group killed two of my men and managed to get away,¡± Jose continued, dismissing her words. ¡°Now your friends must face the consequences for their actions. We captured you, and you begged us to let you join us. You even revealed where your friends were hiding, which led us right to them.¡±
¡°You bastard!¡± the kneeling woman spat at George.
¡°But that¡¯s still not enough,¡± Jose said, looking directly at him. ¡°If you truly wish to join us, you must pass the test. If you fail it, you¡¯ll be tortured to death along with your two friends over here. The decision is yours.¡±
Jose nodded at Tyron, and the giant released his hold on George¡¯s shoulders. George hesitated for a second, then began to slowly walk toward the male survivor named Anton.
¡°George, what the hell are you doing?¡± the woman hissed at him.
¡°I don¡¯t have a choice, Enid, can¡¯t you see that?¡±
¡°Of course you do!¡± she said angrily.
But George continued to walk toward the male survivor, whispering under his breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. I¡¯m sorry!¡±
When George finally reached Anton, the captive tried to get up, but Tyron suddenly jumped behind him with surprising speed for his size. He wrapped one arm around Anton¡¯s neck while holding the back of his head with his other hand. Anton struggled to break free, but the giant was far too strong.
¡°George, stop!¡± Enid screamed when he began to drag the tip of the knife across Anton¡¯s forehead, drawing blood.
Suddenly, he straightened and stepped back, his hands trembling, still gripping the bloody knife.
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jose barked. ¡°Why did you stop? Finish what you started!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t¡ I don¡¯t know how to do it. I¡¯ve never done anything like this before!¡±
¡°You just need to cut around his face, then grab the upper edge and yank the skin off. Alright, just give me the fucking knife! I¡¯ll do it myself. You watch closely and learn, because you¡¯re going to have to do the same to her after that,¡± Jose said, pointing at Enid.
Without waiting for a response, the gang leader seized the bloody knife from George¡¯s hands and started walking toward Anton, who now had a long cut running across his forehead.
¡°Get your PDA ready,¡± Jose said to George without glancing back at him.
¡°Why?¡± George asked.
¡°Because once I¡¯m done, you¡¯ll need to turn on the front camera and aim it at him to let him get a good look at himself.¡±
Completely motionless and invisible, Jake continued to cling to the ceiling. Back when he was a survivor, he had seen plenty of mangled dead bodies not to be disgusted by gore anymore. However, seeing mutilated dead bodies was one thing while witnessing someone being tortured was something entirely different. Human suffering was way more disturbing than inanimate viscera, and only those truly evil could remain indifferent to the sight of it.
Being a morphus, he was as cold as ice and hardly ever experienced any emotions. Despite this, witnessing the cruel scene unfold below, he felt a pang of anger rise inside him. He welcomed the feeling because it meant he wasn¡¯t a complete monster yet. Still capable of sympathizing with human beings, Jake knew he wasn¡¯t going to let the bandits torture and kill their captives.
He detached from the ceiling and dropped to the floor. Twisting in midair, he gracefully landed on his feet, dropping to a crouch to absorb the impact. He landed so softly he hardly made a sound. By that time, Jose had already reached Anton, raising the knife smeared with blood. Tyron tightened his arm around Anton¡¯s neck, nearly suffocating him as Jose brought the tip of his knife to the captive¡¯s face.
A spectral figure blending with the shifting shadows and lights, Jake rose silently behind the bandits who were unaware that death itself came to claim them.
Chapter 142
Chapter 142
His sudden appearance didn¡¯t go completely unnoticed, though. While Cloak rendered him invisible when he stood still or moved slowly, abrupt movements disrupted his disguise, as his ability struggled to maintain the illusion of transparency.
Enid had been watching the cruel scene unfold on her right. Her companion, Anton, struggled against Tyron, who stood behind him with his huge arm tightly wrapped around the captive¡¯s neck, while Jose brought the knife to his face. However, when Jake suddenly landed a few feet in front of her, she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and jerked her head to look in his direction.
As Jake rose to his feet, Cloak bent the light around him, blending him into the background as if he were part of the air itself. However, the ability couldn¡¯t adjust fast enough to his sudden movement, allowing Enid to notice his shimmering form.
Most of the gangsters¡¯ attention was focused on Anton and Jose, but the man in the red bandana standing behind Enid noticed her looking at something. Following her gaze, he turned his head and stared at Jake as well. To the two of them, his form seemed to dissolve into thin air, gradually making him appear transparent.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± the bandit mumbled, puzzled by what he was seeing.
Jake didn¡¯t wait for the Demons to realize what was happening. He sprouted three long tentacles from his back and immediately lashed out with one of them at the bandit wearing the red bandana. The blade at the end of the tentacle sliced across the Demon¡¯s throat, tearing it up and causing a shower of blood to pour from the ragged wound. The man dropped his weapon as his hands went up to his throat.
As Jose leaned over the kneeling Anton, ready to cut his face, he caught sight of the commotion to his right. He quickly straightened and spun to face it, just as the severely injured gangster crumpled to the ground, his fingers growing weak around his torn throat, blood oozing freely between them.
¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Jose shouted at his men.
¡°Boss, there¡¯s something near us!¡± one of the gangsters yelled, his voice trembling with fear.
Jake was already in motion, closing in on his next target.
¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Jose growled, jerking his head back and forth, struggling to comprehend where their assailant was.
¡°Boss, look ahead!¡± somebody warned. ¡°It¡¯s right in front of you!¡±
Jake was already on top of the group¡¯s leader. His cloaking ability suddenly faltered and deactivated, making him completely visible. Jake wasn¡¯t surprised by that. When he had tested the ability earlier, he had noticed that it tended to deactivate whenever he moved too quickly or made erratic movements, causing Cloak to malfunction or shut down entirely.
The leader¡¯s mouth fell open in shock as he stared at the obsidian-black monstrosity from hell that had suddenly materialized before him. Jake¡¯s tentacles writhed through the air behind him, and he opened his jaws impossibly wide, exposing rows of large, jagged teeth.
¡°Fucking¡ª¡±
He never finished what he was going to say. Jake leaned in, clamping down on the gangster¡¯s face, his strong teeth easily breaking through the skull. With a sudden, powerful yank, he tore Jose¡¯s face off. The gangster collapsed to the ground, his body twitching in death throes. Before the body even hit the floor, Jake was already on the move again, spitting the torn piece of flesh from his mouth.
With one of his tentacles, he stabbed a nearby bandit through the chest. Another bladed tentacle whipped through the air, slashing at another gangster¡¯s face across both his eyes. The Demon screamed and dropped his weapon, his hands trying to pull a stim from a pouch on his belt. Before he could do that, Jake used the same tentacle to stab the gangster into the side of his neck, putting him out of his misery.
Jake closed in on another target, which turned out to be Tyron. The giant had let go of Anton and unslung his shotgun, which seemed tiny in his huge paws. However, he struggled to track Jake with his weapon. Before the large gangster could fire, Jake closed in on him, grabbed the weapon with his left hand, and yanked. The giant was surprisingly strong, and for a fraction of a second, Jake felt a bit of resistance as Tyron held on to the weapon with all his might. However, the bandit¡¯s muscles were no match for Jake¡¯s inhuman strength.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Wrenching the shotgun from the giant¡¯s grip, he tossed it aside. Tyron just stared at him in sincere surprise, having not expected the obsidian-black mutant to be so much stronger than him. Before he could even snap out of it, Jake threw his right hand, which was transformed into a smashfist, at the center of his upper body. His massive fist easily smashed through, splintering ribs as it went. Jake withdrew his smashfist from the gaping hole he had created in the gangster¡¯s chest, and Tyron crumpled to the floor, hitting it with a resounding thud.
His tentacles detached from his body, but that was fine because only one gangster remained. After witnessing the other gang members die so easily at the hands of the obsidian-black mutant, he decided it was best to flee. Wheeling around, he burst into a run toward the exit from the building. Only he didn¡¯t get far. Jake bent his knees and performed a mana-infused jump, easily covering the distance of a dozen yards to the fleeing bandit.
He collided with the man from behind, sending him crashing to the floor face-first. Jake sat atop the fallen Demon, straddling his prone form. The gangster struggled to break free, but he was powerless against Jake. He raised his smashfist and swung it downward. His huge fist struck the back of the bandit¡¯s head, crushing the skull with ease.
All the enemies taken care of, Jake rose to his feet and turned to face the three captives. They remained frozen in place, their eyes wide with fear. Jake stared back at them with his large, unblinking eyes.
One of the three upgrades for his Feral Instincts allowed him to sense the emotional states or intentions of nearby humans and pick up on their potential hostility. So he could tell that all three survivors were in a state of shock, utterly astonished by the brutal scene that had unfolded before them, and they weren¡¯t planning to do anything against him.
Even George, who, unlike Anton and Enid, didn¡¯t have his hands bound behind his back, showed no signs of aggression. He was standing not far from his kneeling companions, watching Jake intently. Realizing the three of them weren¡¯t going to give him any trouble, he relaxed and transformed his right smashfist back into a normal, human-like hand.
He looked at Anton, who flinched when he saw Jake fix his gaze on him. Jake simply watched. The long cut across Anton¡¯s forehead, inflicted by George, was still oozing blood, though it wasn¡¯t a severe injury. Jake then turned his attention to George. That man had betrayed his friends, revealing their hiding spot to Los Demonios. However, it was up to Anton and Enid to decide what to do with him.
He gestured for them to stand up. The two of them exchanged surprising glances.
¡°I think it wants us to get up,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yeah.¡±
The two slowly rose to their feet. Moving deliberately slowly and trying to appear non-threatening, he walked around them and positioned himself behind their backs. They were too scared to move. Jake stopped directly behind Anton and morphed his right hand into claws.
¡°What is it doing?¡± he whispered to Enid.
Turning her head to the right, she saw Jake bringing his claws close to Anton¡¯s hands.
¡°Oh no,¡± she whispered, misinterpreting the situation.
Before she could say anything else, Jake used one of his talons to slice through the rope binding Anton¡¯s wrists.
¡°Oh,¡± Enid said, realizing Jake¡¯s intention was not to harm them but to set them free.
After slicing through Enid¡¯s bindings, Jake moved in front of them again, morphing his claws back into normal, human-like fingers. He scanned the area and approached one of the dead bodies. Leaning down, he retrieved a healing autoinjector from a pouch on the dead man¡¯s belt. He turned to the survivors and tossed the injector to Anton, who snatched it out of the air, surprise evident in his eyes.
¡°Th¡ªThanks,¡± he stammered, taken aback.
Jake surveyed the bodies of the dead gangsters he had just killed. Some might have mana consumables in their backpacks, but he didn¡¯t feel like rummaging through them. Instead, he opted for a quicker approach. He closed his eyes and activated Mana Vision. No blue spots appeared nearby, indicating there were no mana items in the rucksacks of the dead bandits, so he had no reason to search through them.
Jake opened his eyes and took one final look at the three survivors. He nodded at Anton and Enid, who hesitated for a moment before nodding back. Turning away, he dashed for the building¡¯s exit. Halfway across the vast room, he glanced back and noticed Anton and Enid grabbing some weapons lying on the floor. Instead of aiming them at him, however, they directed their guns at George, who was starting to sob.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys,¡± he pleaded. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do this."
Jake didn¡¯t hear what his companions replied to him because he had already reached the exit and dashed out of the building. He anticipated the sharp crack of gunfire, but it never came. Probably, Anton and Enid would simply let George go, despite his betrayal. After all, even despite the cruel world Earth had become, not all people had turned into heartless killers.
Without giving the matter another thought, Jake continued to run through the overgrown streets, his focus already back on his mutation research quest.
Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Over the next several hours, Jake searched the city for replication pods. Unfortunately, every time he found some, they produced only regular mutants. To advance his quest, he needed to locate pods that created elite ex-humans.
It took him a while to finally come across such a pod in one building. The cocoon didn¡¯t look much different from the regular pods surrounding it, but when he looked inside and summoned its description, he learned it was in the process of developing an elite walker.
To progress his quest, he needed to analyze an elite wraith instead. He decided to wait. Replication pods selected mutants for development at random, so after the cocoon finished creating the elite walker and released the mutant, there was a small chance that the next one to be developed would be a wraith.
However, Jake quickly realized that mutants developed in elite replication pods were created at a much slower rate than those created in regular replication pods. Regular walkers and leapers took only a few minutes to grow from a single cell into fully developed creatures, while larger mutants like shamblers and whippers took somewhat longer.
But in contrast to regular mutants, elite ex-humans took much longer than just a few minutes to develop. He spent at least a quarter of an hour in the building, but there were hardly any visible changes in the elite mutant developing inside the cocoon. Judging by the rate of development and the current stage of the forming creature, Jake figured it would take a couple more hours for the mutant to be fully created.
Staying in the building for two hours would be a waste of time. Most mutants developing in regular replication pods were low-level walkers and leapers, which provided little XP. Therefore, he would hardly gain any experience if he remained in the same building, slaying low-level mutants that emerged from the pods every few minutes.
Besides, it would be best to spend the next two hours searching for other elite replication pods. If luck smiled on him, he might find some more. So he decided to leave for now, having memorized the location of the building. In a couple of hours, he would return to check if the replication pod had finished developing the elite walker and if it had started working on a new type of mutant.
He spent the next two hours searching the city for other elite replication pods while slaying all the mutants in his path. Gunfire rang out from different corners of the city. Occasionally, the roar of powerful engines could be heard as well. However, Jake managed to avoid getting into any more fights with Los Demonios.
Whenever he heard the rumble of a car nearing his location, he activated Cloak or performed a Gravity Leap, clinging to the side of a nearby building before climbing through one of the windows. He stayed concealed until the vehicle passed out of sight, then resumed his journey.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Every so often, the sound of rotor blades scything through the air could be heard as a helicopter flew over the rooftops. However, the aircraft were too high up to be a concern. He only had to worry about them when traversing the city from above. Now that he was at street level, the Demon helicopters posed no threat to him.
Jake continued his search through the city, taking down every mutant in his path, and eventually, he leveled up to 56, gaining 5 skill points to allocate. Not willing to stay out in the open while allocating his skill points, he decided to hide. After all, with the arrival of Los Demonios, the city had become much more dangerous and active than it had been before.
Initially, he considered entering one of the buildings, but then a different idea came to mind. He performed a Gravity Leap toward the front wall of a nearby building. Upon impact, Adhesive Secretion activated, allowing him to cling to the surface. He crawled a couple of floors up the wall, resembling a giant insect in his movements. Then he paused and activated Cloak. A few seconds later, the disguise ability made him appear transparent, rendering him completely invisible to the naked eye.
Now it was time to allocate his skill points. This time, Jake chose not to raise any of his attributes. Instead, he opted to concentrate on improving his skills and abilities.
He then remembered his intention to upgrade the Mana Vision perk, so he decided to do it now as well. He summoned its stats with a thought and checked them out.
Mana Vision (Rank I) (Common): Allows you to see nearby sources of mana.
Raise to Rank II: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)
It was a common ability, so it could be upgraded only two more times, up to Rank III. He used two of his skill points to upgrade Mana Vision first to Rank II and then to Rank III. After completing the upgrades, he examined the perk once more.
Mana Vision: Allows you to see nearby sources of mana, such as consumables, mana clouds, and other types of storage.
Rarity: Common
Rank III: (MAX)
After upgrading the perk to Rank II, Mana Vision now allowed him to see something called mana clouds. With the upgrade to Rank III, he also acquired the ability to detect different types of mana storages, although he wasn¡¯t quite sure what those storages were.
He had three more skill points, but he decided to hold off on allocating them for now. He first wanted to test out the upgraded Mana Vision perk. He dismissed the information and, with his eyes still closed, activated Mana Vision.
He saw several bluish lights materialize in the distance. However, he identified them as mana consumables. He didn¡¯t spot anything new that could be identified as mana clouds or other types of mana containers, which suggested there were none in the vicinity. Perhaps they were just rarer than typical mana consumables. He figured that sooner or later, he would come across some.
After that, Jake decided it was time to return to the building where an elite walker had been developed in one of the pods. A couple of hours had passed since he left the building, so the replication pod should have finished developing the walker and started working on another elite mutant. Deactivating the Cloak ability, Jake crawled down the front wall of the building and took a moment to get his bearings. Once he identified the right direction, he set off at his usual brisk jog.
Chapter 144
Chapter 144
When he returned to the building, the elite walker had already been created and released from the cocoon. The mutant milled about the room with several regular ex-humans. It didn¡¯t take Jake long to slay all the mutants inside the room, including the elite walker.
After that, he approached the replication pod to see what kind of elite mutant was now being created. The creature was still in the early stages of development, looking nothing more than an embryo. Its current appearance made it difficult to determine what type of mutant it would become, prompting Jake to summon the pod¡¯s description.
He learned that the elite mutant currently being created in the pod was a leaper. It was truly disappointing. He would have to wait several more hours for the pod to finish creating the leaper. Only after that would it start working on another elite mutant, but there was no guarantee that the new mutant wouldn¡¯t be just another walker or leaper. However, there seemingly was nothing he could do about it.
He left the building and for the next several hours, continued searching the city for replication pods and eliminating mutants. At some point, he decided to allocate the three remaining skill points to obtain three of the four available upgrades for the Gravity Leap ability. He then gave it one more look.
Gravity Leap: Rank I (23%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
1 - Makes your jumps more powerful. Cost: Already Owned
2 - Allows you to perform a double jump. Cost: Already Owned
3 - Allows you to briefly hover in the air after reaching the peak of your jump. Cost: Already Owned
4 - After performing a Gravity Leap, you can drop with increased power at any moment. This upgrade is essential for some other abilities to function. Cost: 1 SP
He acquired the first three upgrades. As for the fourth upgrade, he couldn¡¯t obtain it yet, because he had no skill points remaining. The fourth upgrade didn¡¯t seem particularly useful, though, because its primary purpose appeared to be linking other abilities to Gravity Leap. So it seemed that some abilities depended on others to work. Jake hadn¡¯t encountered any such abilities yet, but he was pretty sure he would at some point.
After that, he dedicated some time to testing his newly acquired Gravity Leap upgrades. To start, he executed a simple jump. The effects of the first upgrade were instantly noticeable¡ªhis vertical leap was quicker than before, and the distance of the jump had also increased to some extent.
The second upgrade allowed him to initiate a second jump after the first one. Unlike the third upgrade, he didn¡¯t have to reach the peak of his jump to perform the second one. Instead, at any moment after executing a Gravity Leap, he could make a second jump in midair with a simple thought, as if he were pushing off an invisible solid platform.
Thanks to this upgrade, he could now jump quite high. However, he wasn¡¯t sure how often he would need to use the double jump. After all, it wasn¡¯t often that he needed to reach such heights. Besides, Gravity Leap had become quite demanding in terms of mana usage. Each double jump consumed a hefty chunk of his mana, so he probably wouldn¡¯t use this upgrade too often. Yet, in certain situations¡ªlike when he needed to reach a helicopter hovering over a rooftop¡ªthe double jump would certainly come in handy.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
The third upgrade allowed him to hover in the air for a couple of seconds. The hover feature didn¡¯t activate automatically. Instead, similar to the double jump, he needed to initiate the hover with a thought, but it could only be activated after reaching the peak of his Gravity Leap. Jake wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he would need the hover for, but he figured that while he probably wouldn¡¯t use this upgrade too often, it might be useful in certain situations.
After that, he decided to return to the building to check on the development stage of the elite mutant. When he made it back, an unpleasant surprise awaited him inside. Every pod had been destroyed, with remnants of cocoons and the dead bodies of slain mutants scattered throughout the area, the floor slick with pod liquid.
It had been to be expected, though. It had taken several hours for the pod to produce an elite mutant, so it had been obvious that some survivors might stumble across the building and destroy the replication pods. Still, it was frustrating. So far, he hadn¡¯t made any progress in his mutation research quest at all, which was truly disappointing. He hoped the reward for this quest¡ªthe epic ability called Morph Disguise¡ªwould be worth all the effort he was putting into completing it.
Jake exited the building and resumed his search for elite replication pods throughout the city. Occasionally, he activated Mana Vision, but most of the time, he only came across various mana consumables. However, at one point, after activating the perk again, he noticed something different. It appeared as a bluish cloud slowly drifting in one direction, and it was very close to him. Jake would later discover that he could only detect mana clouds when they were in his immediate vicinity.
Jake memorized the location of the mana cloud he had just discovered and approached the spot. Sure enough, he couldn¡¯t see the mana cloud with his eyes open, but when he closed them and activated Mana Vision again, he realized he was now standing right in the middle of it. The mana cloud seemed to be floating along the middle of the street, drifting slowly away.
He tried to absorb the mana cloud, but nothing happened. He made another attempt, just to be sure he wasn¡¯t missing something. It made sense. After all, the Mana Vision perk was designed only to reveal the locations of various mana sources. To successfully absorb a mana cloud, he likely needed to learn a specific ability or perk.
With his eyes still shut, Jake swiveled his head from side to side and suddenly became aware of two glowing spots moving in his direction. They resembled the lights that represented mana crystals, only larger and in motion. One of the lights was noticeably bigger and brighter than the other.
For a brief moment, Jake couldn¡¯t understand what he had just detected, but then it struck him¡ªtwo survivors were approaching his position! Keeping his head turned toward the direction from which the two glowing spots were coming, Jake opened his eyes. Just then, two survivors stepped out of a side street. He had been right! Thanks to upgrading Mana Vision to Rank III, he could now detect not only mana clouds but also the mana contained within living beings.
Like Jake, survivors could extract mana from various consumables, such as marbles or crystals. However, unlike him, they relied on mana solely for casting magic spells. With the recent upgrade to Mana Vision, he could now detect the mana contained within human beings. When he activated Mana Vision, individuals with mana appeared as glowing bluish spots. The more mana a survivor possessed, the brighter and larger the light representing them would glow.
After emerging from the side street, the two survivors came to an abrupt halt when they spotted him. For a moment, they simply stared at him, but then they quickly brought up their weapons and opened fire. Jake could have easily turned and run away, but he wanted to verify something first.
He couldn¡¯t extract mana from mana clouds without a special ability or perk, and he was sure the same rule likely applied to human beings¡ªhe likely needed some ability to siphon off the mana stored within them. Yet, he wanted to make sure, so instead of fleeing, he took off in a sprint toward the two survivors.
Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Bullets whizzed past him like angry hornets as he charged toward the two survivors. Jake didn¡¯t even bother to dodge the rounds. He felt some of them hit him in various parts of his body, but they inflicted minimal damage. Enhanced Durability made his body incredibly resistant to damage while Enhanced Regeneration healed minor injuries in no time flat¡ªeven in the middle of a fight.
He slammed into one of the survivors, sending him sprawling to the ground. Immediately, Jake pivoted toward the other survivor and, with a powerful yank, disarmed him. Gripping the man¡¯s head, Jake closed his eyes and activated Mana Vision. The human before him turned into a brilliant glow, indicating that his body held a substantial amount of mana.
However, when Jake attempted to extract mana from the person, nothing happened. It confirmed his suspicions. He had gathered the information he needed, so it was time to move on. He didn¡¯t want anything else from the two survivors, so he opened his eyes and forcefully shoved the man in front of him. The survivor stumbled backward, colliding with the first one, who had just gotten back up on his feet, and they both tumbled back to the ground.
Jake left them struggling on the ground, trying to disentangle from one another. Turning around, he took off running, and by the time the two survivors finally got up and retrieved their weapons, he was long gone. As he continued to explore the city, he mulled over various thoughts in his mind.
There was a slight possibility that he couldn¡¯t extract¡ªor, more accurately, steal¡ªmana stored inside humans at all. However, he dismissed the thought. After all, if he couldn¡¯t do it, what was the point of Mana Vision revealing which humans held mana within them and in what quantities? So he was quite sure he could steal mana from humans¡ªhe just needed to learn a specific ability or perk to do that.
Jake found himself wondering what the humans thought of him. If Anton and Enid¡ªthe two survivors he had recently saved¡ªsurvived long enough, they might spread the word about what had happened. The same went for the two survivors he had just interacted with. When they encountered others, they might recount their meeting with him and the details surrounding it. He was already aware that numerous stories about him were making the rounds. Survivors speculated about him endlessly, forming all sorts of assumptions, unsure of what to really make of him.
These two stories would only deepen the confusion. Survivors would never fully understand what was going on in his head¡ªwhy he killed some survivors, like the first group Elena was in while saving other humans, like Anton and Enid. To them, he would always remain a complete mystery, leaving them uncertain about what to expect if they were unlucky enough to cross paths with him. They wouldn¡¯t know if he was an enemy or an ally. Even Jake was unsure of how he truly regarded humans. While he tried to avoid confrontations with them, that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t fight back when cornered or provoked.
One thing was clear, though. Many days ago, he had been eager to demonstrate to the survivors that he was intelligent and not so different from them, at least on the inside. But he had moved past those delusions. He recognized that he was fundamentally different from them, both on the outside and within. It was better for him to stay away from humans, for the good of everyone involved.
He also had no intention of trying to explain his motives to humans anymore. For one, he had learned long ago that communicating with them wasn¡¯t easy. For another, he didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. Although his path crossed with humans every now and then, his needs and goals were vastly different from theirs. Therefore, most of the time, he simply tried to avoid any kind of interaction with them.
Jake spent the next several days adhering to his usual routine¡ªhunting for mana and XP while searching for elite replication pods and doing his best to steer clear of confrontations with Los Demonios and other groups of survivors. During this time, he leveled up several times, progressing from level 56 to level 61 and gaining a total of 25 skill points.
First of all, he increased the ranks of some of his abilities and skills that had reached 100% by that point, making them even more powerful and useful than they already were.
Bladed Tentacles: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Smashfists: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Enhanced Strength: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Feral Instincts: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Enhanced Durability: Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Following that, he spent several of his skill points to acquire upgrades for some of his skills and abilities. He used one skill point to obtain the fourth upgrade for Gravity Leap, which allowed him to drop with greater power at any moment after jumping. He knew that this upgrade wasn¡¯t particularly useful on its own, but it was necessary for other abilities to function, which he was sure he would acquire at some point.
He also acquired all the upgrades for Cloak. Being an Uncommon ability, it had four upgrades available.
Cloak: Rank I (44%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
- Reduces the time required for the illusion of transparency to fully engage.
- Cloak adapts more efficiently when you move quickly.
- Greatly lowers the risk of malfunction during erratic movements.
- When Cloak is active, you are difficult to detect even with special tools.
Thanks to the first upgrade, it now took less than a second for the illusion of transparency to activate once he used Cloak. The second upgrade allowed the ability to keep pace with him when he ran, making him difficult to detect with the naked eye even when he moved quickly. With the third upgrade, Cloak rarely got turned off, even during intense battles with mutants that involved lots of erratic movements. As for the fourth upgrade, he hadn¡¯t yet seen any survivors using special tools to detect hidden objects or mutants, but he was certain that, at some point, they would acquire such tools, and when that happened, this upgrade would prove invaluable.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
He also acquired all four upgrades for the Adhesive Secretion skill.
Adhesive Secretion: Rank I (23%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
- Allows you to stick to almost any kind of surface.
- Increases the strength of your adhesive, so there is now barely any force that can detach you from a surface.
- You can now break the adhesive at will, increasing the fluidity and speed of your movement.
- When someone touches you, you can ooze adhesive fluid from the point of contact, effectively ensnaring your enemy.
The first three upgrades basically improved the overall effectiveness of this skill. The fourth upgrade was more interesting, but Jake wasn¡¯t sure how often he would actually use it. After all, regular survivors hardly ever attacked with bare hands, usually relying on firearms instead. However, this upgrade might be useful in battles against certain types of mutants.
With all his skills and abilities upgraded to the next available ranks and every upgrade acquired, Jake spent the rest of his skill points to boost his attributes.
Body: 50 ¡ú 55
Mind: 55 ¡ú 57
Magick: 60 ¡ú 62
At some point, Jake finally finished the Wraith mutation research quest, unlocking Morph Disguise. This ability appeared in the third section of the Genetic Development Interface titled Evolution Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation.¡± Since Jake remained in Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent,¡± he didn¡¯t have access to the skills and abilities listed in the third section. Still, he could view the description of the Morph Disguise ability, even though he couldn¡¯t acquire it yet.
Morph Disguise: This ability allows you to take on the appearance of the last human whose mind you have accessed using Mind Reader. You can change your exterior to match that of the human, and while adopting this appearance, you also retain some of the person¡¯s memories and knowledge.
Rarity: Epic
Upgrades: 0 of 5
Requirements: Body 125, Mind 135, Magick 140, Mind Reader (Rank IV)
Cost: 125,000 MP (Note: You need to evolve into Stage 3 ¡°Apex Manifestation¡± before you can acquire Morph Disguise.)
This ability was truly remarkable! With it, he could disguise himself as a person and walk among them undetected, blending in as if he were one of them. It would certainly open up a world of opportunities for him!
However, Morph Disguise came with an exceptionally high cost¡ªmore than double the MP he currently possessed. It was safe to assume that all skills and abilities available in Evolution Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡± would be equally expensive. Moreover, this ability relied on Mind Reader to function. He would need to upgrade Mind Reader to Rank IV before he could use Morph Disguise.
It got him thinking. The skills listed in the First Section of the Genetic Development Interface were Common, while those in the Second Section were Uncommon. He assumed the Third Section contained Epic skills. Since Morph Disguise was Epic, it fell under the Third Section, meaning he must evolve to Stage III to access that section and purchase Morph Disguise. He had been able to upgrade Common skills to Uncommon upon evolving to Stage II, which meant that all his Uncommon skills would be eligible for an upgrade to Epic once he reached Stage III, and probably so on¡ªat least, if Stage III wasn¡¯t the final stage of evolution. Judging by its name alone, Stage III might actually be the final stage of evolution, but sure enough, he didn¡¯t know that for sure yet.
Anyway, Jake wondered what the requirements were for evolving into Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation.¡± As soon as he asked the question in his mind, the answers popped into his head.
Requirements for evolving to Stage 3
Level: 75
Attributes: Body 70, Mind 70, Magick 70
Skills:
Enhanced Senses - Rank III
Enhanced Agility - Rank III
Enhanced Intelligence - Rank III
Enhanced Reflexes - Rank III
Enhanced Strength - Rank III
Enhanced Regeneration - Rank III
Feral Instincts - Rank III
Enhanced Durability: Rank III
He realized he wasn¡¯t too far from meeting the requirements! He just needed to level up to 75, increase each of his attributes to 70, and raise some of his skills to Rank III. So, it wouldn¡¯t take him long to fulfill the requirements and evolve into Stage III. The thought filled him with excitement. He could hardly wait to transform into the next form!
He then took a moment to examine all his current stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 61
HP: 100%
XP: 1,165/7,750
SP: 0
MP: 61,575
Body: 55
Mind: 57
Magick: 62
Claws: Rank III (23%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank II (21%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Mind Reader: Rank II (15%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Gravity Leap: Rank I (36%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Cloak: Rank I (44%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (21%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (26%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (27%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Strength: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Feral Instincts: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Enhanced Durability: Rank II (0%) (Upgrades: 3 of 3) (Common)
Adhesive Secretion: Rank I (23%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
After that, Jake resumed his journey.
Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Jake slashed the claws on his left hand across a chaser¡¯s throat, tearing it open and causing a fountain of blood to pour out. The skinless mutant took a couple of steps toward him before collapsing to the forest floor, dead. Even before it hit the ground, Jake was already dealing with another mutant, which was a slasher.
With his right hand, which was transformed into a smashfist, he blocked the mutant¡¯s blade before immediately striking back. His huge fist easily broke through the ex-human¡¯s chest, killing the mutant instantly. Jake spun around, looking for more mutants to kill, but there were none. The forest floor around him was scattered with the numerous bodies of various ex-humans he had just defeated.
Multiple enemies killed. +1150 XP
It was the next day after he examined the requirements for evolving into Stage III. The day before, after he learned he wasn¡¯t all that far from reaching the point of evolving into the next form, he had decided to level up as fast as possible. He couldn¡¯t wait to meet all the requirements and evolve into Stage III: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡±.
As always, he spent the morning hours hunting mutants in the sewers. He hadn¡¯t bothered buying the Increased XP booster because he wanted to conserve his MP and purchase some of the skills and abilities from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface a little later. While he hadn¡¯t leveled up yet, he was pretty close to gaining another level.
After clearing the sewers, he returned to street level. Instead of climbing to the roofs, he decided to roam the streets instead because he wanted to find some challenges or quests to complete, which could usually be found at street level. Challenges and quests were the fastest way to gain XP and MP, as well as obtain other rewards like unlocking new skills and abilities.
After wandering the city streets for a couple of hours, Jake came upon the city park. It had become so overgrown with vegetation that it now resembled a dense forest. The last time Jake had been there, he had encountered the Dark Void anomaly that had drawn him in and transformed him into the morphus.
He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the mysterious anomaly was still there. He doubted it because every time the System reset the world, everything changed¡ªitems and mutants respawned, quests and missions were replaced with others, and so on. The same applied to magical anomalies. With every world reset, they either shifted to new locations, got replaced, or vanished entirely.
Still, out of curiosity, Jake decided to enter the jungle the city park had become and see for himself if the Dark Void was still there. He wasn¡¯t sure what he would do if it was still present, though, but he figured he would decide once he actually found it. So he ventured into the deep foliage, and that¡¯s where he received the hunt quest he was currently undertaking. Not long after stepping into the heavily overgrown city park, he came across a tree lying on the ground, looking as if it had been wrenched from the earth by some colossal creature.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
As Jake moved in for a better look, he was suddenly offered a hunt quest. The objective was to track down an elite mutant called a wood golem. The difficulty level was rated as Hard, but fortunately, there was no time limit, which was a relief. Jake wasn¡¯t a fan of time-sensitive quests and challenges. The reward for this quest was quite impressive¡ª10,000 XP and an Epic ability called Ground Strike. This was the second Epic ability he had encountered, the first one being Morph Disguise.
If he successfully completed the hunt quest, he would have two Epic abilities in the third section of the Genetic Development Interface, which was really exciting. Jake now wanted to evolve into the next form even more than before. However, he didn¡¯t let his excitement cloud his judgment. He needed to concentrate on the quest. If he failed it, he wouldn¡¯t gain the ability.
For the next several minutes, Jake navigated through the vegetation-choked city park, battling every group of ex-humans he encountered along the way. Tracking the elite creature turned out to be a very easy task. The wood golem he needed to slay had to be quite big because the tracks it left in the ground were large and easily noticeable. Here and there, Jake also found large broken branches and, at times, even entire uprooted trees scattered across the ground, violently torn from the earth. The wood golem had to be incredibly strong.
All the tracks led toward the center of the city park. Jake followed them until the trees opened into a large clearing. He immediately recognized the area¡ªit was the same spot where he had encountered the Dark Void during his time as a human. However, there was no sign of the anomaly now, which wasn¡¯t all that surprising.
In the middle of the clearing, where the Dark Void anomaly had once existed, now stood a massive creature. Jake took a moment to examine it. The mutant resembled a gorilla in posture, standing on all fours. Its arms were much longer and thicker than its legs, huge and powerful¡ªalmost as thick as tree trunks. The creature¡¯s skin appeared to be made of wood bark, and here and there, small branches with green leaves sprouted from its body in various places.
Whatever this creature was, it didn¡¯t resemble an ex-human mutant at all. It looked more like some kind of magical being, as if plucked straight out of a fantasy video game. The creature faced him, its glowing red eyes locked onto his. It could definitely see him but made no effort to charge. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing jagged, pointed teeth. While these sharp facial appendages resembled teeth, they were more like extensions of the creature¡¯s body itself than actual teeth in the traditional sense, much like his own.
Jake then summoned the description of the creature.
Wood Golem ¨C Level 65 (Elite)
Special abilities:
Minion Summoning ¨C The mutant can summon several minions to its aid.
Pursuit ¨C The mutant selects a target and pursues it relentlessly for some time, disregarding any other distractions.
Earthquake ¨C The mutant can stomp the ground with great force, causing a small earthquake.
He also used his Enemy Appraisal perk on the Wood Golem to identify its weaknesses.
Wood Golem ¨C Level 65 (Elite)
Body: 75
Mind: 65
Magick: 70
Elemental weaknesses: Fire, Explosive
Unfortunately, he lacked any means to deal fire or explosive damage. So, Jake figured he would have to rely on his claws and other weapons to inflict as much damage on the golem as possible until it was finally defeated.
He jogged across the clearing, quickly closing in on the wood creature. It observed him without moving for a little while. Then, as he reached the midpoint of the clearing, the golem suddenly opened its jaws wide and let out a deafening bellow right before charging at him.
Chapter 147
Chapter 147
The wood golem barreled toward him surprisingly fast for its enormous size. Jake could feel the earth beneath him tremble as the creature¡¯s feet pounded the ground. When the massive monster reached him, it swung one of its forelimbs in a wide arc. The creature was impressively quick, but it was still no match for Jake¡¯s own speed and agility. He ducked, feeling the golem¡¯s thick, log-like arm rush through the air above him with an audible whoosh.
Jake struck back, the claws on his left hand raking across the creature¡¯s other arm, which was leaning on the ground. It felt as though he had just attacked a thick tree trunk. His talons left four long but shallow grooves across the golem¡¯s limb, but that was the extent of the damage he had inflicted. Judging by the creature¡¯s reaction, it hardly even noticed the attack.
His powerful claws could easily rip flesh to shreds, but the creature before him seemed entirely made of wood. There appeared to be no weak spots anywhere on the monster¡¯s body, so all he could likely do to defeat his opponent was deal as much damage as possible. How long that would take, he had no clue.
Realizing his claws weren¡¯t very effective against the wood golem, Jake extended a sword from his right wrist. He immediately swung it at the creature¡¯s arm like an axe, exerting all his might. The blade thunked about two inches into the wooden limb, embedding itself fast. For a moment, it felt stuck. Jake had to yank it back with great force to pull it out.
After wrenching his sword free, Jake saw a deep gash across the golem¡¯s limb. Since the creature was made of wood, there was no blood, and instead, a viscous, sap-like fluid oozed from the split. The golem didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain or discomfort, however. It raised its other arm high into the air and poised it over Jake. He darted aside just as the monster crashed its massive fist down, striking the spot where Jake had been just a fraction of a second before.
The golem¡¯s massive fist impacted the ground with such force that it sent tremors through the earth, momentarily staggering Jake. He quickly regained his balance and turned back to confront his opponent. With a wide leap, he closed the distance to the monster and raised his sword. The creature¡¯s crude, emotionless face featured only two eyes and a wide mouth filled with jagged, teeth-like extensions. Its eyes appeared to be nothing more than luminous orbs floating in empty sockets. They didn¡¯t even seem solid, but Jake decided to strike at one of them to see what would happen.
He thrust his sword forward, plunging the blade into one of the golem¡¯s eye sockets. The sword tip passed through the red glowing light that represented the creature¡¯s eye as if it were nothing more than air, inflicting no noticeable damage. The tip of the blade embedded itself about an inch into the back of the golem¡¯s eye socket, which, just like the rest of its body, was also made of wood.
At least he now knew that there was no point in targeting the creature¡¯s eyes. Being just two glowing lights, they seemed undamageable and didn¡¯t represent the golem¡¯s weak spots, as he had hoped. Just as he yanked his sword back, the monster suddenly lurched toward him. Jake barely had time to jump out of its way. Still, he wasn¡¯t able to completely avoid the charging creature, feeling one of its shoulders brush against his side with enough force to knock him off balance and cause him to fall onto his back.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Jake looked up to see the massive creature looming over him, raising one of its arms. It aimed its colossal fist at his prostrate form and swung it downward with astonishing speed and power. Though Jake rolled aside just in time, his sword became trapped beneath the creature¡¯s immense fist, snapping under the pressure. He tried to free it from beneath the monster¡¯s grip, but it was futile¡ªthe wooden golem was simply too strong.
Seeing that its prey was trapped, the golem seemed to get excited. It shifted its weight onto its legs and lifted its other fist, planning to smash it into Jake¡¯s head. He had only seconds to do something to save himself. Exerting all his might, he yanked his sword as hard as he could and felt it break into two halves, the first still attached to his arm while the other remained pinned beneath the golem¡¯s massive fist.
Jake immediately rolled farther away from the monster just as it swung its other hand downward, smashing into the spot where he had just been lying. Retracting what was left of his blade, he leaped to his feet and glanced over his shoulder at the wood golem. He expected it to charge at him, but the monster remained in the same spot. It stared at him with its emotionless glowing eyes for a second, then stood fully upright and raised its massive fists above its head.
For a moment, Jake was uncertain of the golem¡¯s intent, but it quickly became apparent. The massive monster brought its fists down, striking the earth in front of it with great force. The creature didn¡¯t stop there, though. It began stomping and hitting the ground with all four limbs. The ground shook violently beneath him, and Jake realized that his opponent had just employed one of its special abilities, triggering a small earthquake.
Despite the ground trembling beneath his feet, he managed to keep his balance and stay on his feet. However, just a second later, he realized the earthquake wasn¡¯t meant solely to cause him to fall. By unleashing the earthquake, the golem had also cast a spell that impacted him because he was close enough to be affected by the earthquake and the resultant magic spell. A system message flashed through his mind.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Dizzy (Medium). You will be feeling disoriented and unsteady for a little while.
The golem finally ceased its assault on the ground, bringing the earthquake to an end. However, the damage was done. Now affected by the Dizzy negative effect, Jake felt shaky and unsteady. He made a bouncy step away from the creature and instantly felt his body tilt at an angle, almost causing him to lose his balance.
This was not good. If the wood golem decided to charge now, Jake would be in serious trouble. With diminished control over his body, he was far from being in optimal condition to fight. He needed to wait for the Dizzy effect to wear off before he could confront the colossal creature again.
The wood golem had other plans than rushing at him, though. It opened its mouth wide and let out a thunderous bellow. Jake quickly realized what that meant¡ªthe monster had just used another of its special abilities, summoning its minions. Right after the golem¡¯s call, Jake noticed movement all around him. He quickly scanned his surroundings and spotted stirring in the dense foliage at the edges of the clearing. Within his wide field of vision, he could see the tangled bushes reshaping themselves and transforming into new forms. One by one, the newly created creatures erupted from the underbrush into the clearing.
What the hell are those, Jake thought, his mind filled with genuine amazement as bizarre creatures emerged from the woods. They sprinted with bouncy steps across the clearing and closed in on him from all directions.
Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Jake watched as over a dozen bizarre figures advanced toward him from various angles. Much like the wood golem, these beings didn¡¯t appear to be mutants. Instead, they seemed to be magical constructs¡ªtwisted forms shaped by nature itself. They stood tall and bore a resemblance to human figures, but instead of flesh and blood, they were formed from gnarled branches and plant matter. Tangled vines coiled and intertwined, forming their torsos and limbs, creating beings that looked like something straight out of a waking nightmare.
Although their bodies resembled those of humans, their features were disturbingly distorted. Their arms were long and spindly, extending beyond natural limits. Some of the plant creatures sported hands that culminated in elongated claws, each finger tapering into a sharp, thorn-like tip that gleamed ominously. Upon closer examination, he saw that the tips of their fingers oozed a viscous fluid. It had to be some sort of poison.
This observation made Jake pause for a moment. Could he be affected by it? After all, his body was vastly different from a human¡¯s, seemingly composed solely of some obsidian-like material and infused with mana. Then he recalled that there was a poison resistance listed in the menu of his resistances, which currently stood at zero. So, he could indeed be affected by poison after all. If any of those plant creatures managed to land a hit with their poison-dripping claws, it would likely have some negative effect on him.
Not all of the plant monsters had claws, though. He noticed that some of the creatures closing in on him from every direction didn¡¯t have hands at all. Instead, their arms terminated in long, whip-like thorny vines, which looked quite menacing. Had he still been human, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be lashed by those whip-like tendrils. They looked powerful enough to rupture human flesh all the way to the bones.
The plant monsters continued to approach him from every direction. Leaves of various shapes and sizes sprouted from their bodies, but there was no life in them. Their faces, if they could be called that, were a patchwork of bark-like skin with hollow eye sockets, in which hovered emotionless eyes similar to those of the wood golem¡ªethereal orbs emitting a deep crimson glow. Unlike the golem, none of these minions possessed a mouth. With the creaks and rustles of their vine-like limbs, the plant monsters kept closing in on him. These creatures couldn¡¯t truly be considered living beings. Instead, they were made of various plants, shaped to resemble human figures and animated by dark magic.
Jake used Enemy Appraisal on one of the nearest plant monsters to learn its weaknesses. He discovered that they were vulnerable to fire. While this piece of information was useful, none of the weapons he possessed could deal any elemental damage. If he had access to fiery weapons, he could likely have dispatched the plant monsters pretty quickly. Without any fire-based weaponry, he figured his only option was to tear through their plant-like bodies with his regular weapons.
One of the creatures finally closed in, raising its poison-dripping claws. Jake ducked, feeling the whoosh of air as the plant monster¡¯s talons swept over him. Just then, Feral Instincts triggered an alarm, warning him of another impending attack from behind. He threw his body sideways, but the Dizzy negative effect was still in play, causing him to stagger and nearly lose his footing. Although he managed to remain upright, he wasn¡¯t able to evade the strike, feeling the sharp claws rake across his back. Immediately, another system notification flashed through his mind.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Mildly Poisoned. You will be losing HP for a little while.
Another monster lunged at him. Jake tried to dodge its claws, but the Dizzy debuff threw his balance off, causing him to stumble into another plant creature. It instantly attacked, its claws raking across his chest and leaving deep gashes in his obsidian-black flesh. His Feral Instincts flared up again, warning him of yet another unseen threat. Before he could react, a whip-like thorny vine struck, leaving a long gash across his side.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
This was just fantastic! Jake was furious now. These new types of monsters were proving much more dangerous than any ex-humans he had faced before. They moved with speed and agility, striking with enough force to leave deep gashes in his hardened body. Not even slashers or chasers¡ªtwo of the most dangerous ex-humans he had met so far¡ªcould inflict such damage on him.
This shouldn¡¯t have been surprising, though. After all, this hunt quest was marked as Hard for a reason. For the next several minutes, Jake concentrated on dodging their attacks, choosing not to counterattack. He knew he had to wait for the Dizzy debuff to wear off before he could regain full control of his body. With his movements shaky and unsteady, there was no way he could effectively evade attacks while simultaneously retaliating against his foes. So he focused entirely on defense for the next several minutes.
While he dodged and evaded enemy attacks, he occasionally checked his HP. The Mildly Poisoned debuff caused him to lose a few health points every minute. It wasn¡¯t all that bad, but it was an issue he¡¯d need to address later. He really needed to find a way to boost his resistances. None of the ex-humans¡ªexcept for bloaters¡ªhe had encountered so far dealt any kind of elemental damage, so until now, he hadn¡¯t had a reason to think about it. However, now that he started to encounter monsters using elemental attacks, he realized he really needed to somehow increase his resistances.
The Dizzy and Mildly Poisoned debuffs wore off almost simultaneously. As soon as they did, Jake charged at the nearest plant monster, lashing out with his claws. The tips of his talons tore into its chest, which turned out to be much denser and harder to penetrate than he had expected from a creature that appeared to be made entirely of plant matter. His claws left half-inch-deep gashes in the monster¡¯s body, causing sap-like fluid to ooze from the wounds.
Feral Instincts kicked in again, sending him an alarm signal indicating a foe was about to attack him from behind. Without the slowing debuff, Jake was prepared this time. He ducked just in time as a whip-like vine shot over his shoulder, missing him entirely. Spinning quickly, he grabbed the vine with one hand and yanked, pulling the attached plant monster toward him. With his right hand transformed into a smashfist, he delivered a powerful blow to the creature¡¯s face with enough force to blow its head apart.
Surprisingly, the now-headless plant monster was still alive. Unable to see, the monster lashed out with the thorny vine extending from its other shoulder blindly in the air, trying to hit Jake. He let go of its vine-arm and kicked the creature in the middle of its torso, sending it sprawling backward onto the ground. Jake immediately brought his foot down on it, stomping on its chest with enough force to create a huge hole through its body. Even without a head and sporting a gaping hole in its body, the plant monster was still alive. It now appeared to have trouble getting up from the ground, though. Deciding to finish it off later, Jake spun toward another enemy.
For several minutes, Jake battled the plant monsters, which turned out to be incredibly hard to kill. They seemed to lack any weak points on their bodies. Even without heads or after sustaining heavy injuries, they continued to fight fiercely. To slay a plant monster, Jake literally had to tear it to shreds, leaving only torn pieces of plant matter. Because of this, the fight was long and exhausting. He really needed to acquire some weapons that dealt elemental damage to dispatch such monsters more easily.
At long last, all the plant monsters were defeated, and the ground around him was littered with pieces of plant matter, along with shreds of tangled branches and intertwined vines.
Multiple enemies killed. +4500 XP
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 61 to 62. You have gained 5 SP.
At least he had earned a good chunk of XP from those plant monsters. However, before allocating the earned skill points, he had to deal with the wood golem. He turned toward the massive creature, which stood in the middle of the clearing, watching him with its emotionless glowing eyes. Throughout his fight with the plant monsters, the golem had simply watched, refusing to join the fray.
Now, Jake needed to find a way to bring the massive monster down, and he had to do it quickly. Unsure of how often the wood golem could summon its minions, he wanted to avoid another prolonged battle with those plant creatures. He kept his gaze locked on the golem for a moment longer, and then a plan formed in his mind. Jake burst into a sprint toward the towering beast.
Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Jake leaped into the air, activating Gravity Leap, which propelled him upward and forward like a missile, soaring through the air as if he weighed nothing. The wood golem watched him with its strange glowing eyes, remaining motionless and doing nothing because Jake was well out of reach yet. As he approached the apex of his jump above the massive creature, he issued a mental command to drop, utilizing a specific upgrade. Defying the laws of physics, his forward momentum halted instantly, and he plummeted straight down like a boulder, picking up speed with the gravity¡¯s pull.
Jake landed on the wood golem¡¯s hunched back with immense force, causing all four limbs of the creature to buckle momentarily. Remarkably, the monster didn¡¯t collapse. Not that it was Jake¡¯s intention. He had a different plan in mind. Turning around, he stepped toward the creature¡¯s enormous head. Dropping into a crouch, he sank the claws of his left hand into the golem¡¯s wooden flesh, embedding his talons as deeply as possible. Without a pause, he began pummeling the back of the monster¡¯s head with his right hand transformed into a smashfist, determined to break through the resilient exterior of the massive beast.
The first strike left only a shallow dent in the wood golem¡¯s head, barely damaging its tough surface. But Jake was just getting warmed up. He relentlessly continued to hammer the creature¡¯s massive head with his smashfist, each strike creating small cracks and dents in the wood. Frustrated, the golem attempted to snatch him with one hand, but it couldn¡¯t quite reach him. After a few futile attempts, the creature decided to try a different approach.
The golem thrashed its enormous body from side to side, attempting to shake Jake loose. Clinging for dear life with the claws of his left hand, he relentlessly pounded the creature¡¯s head with his right smashfist. The wood golem shook violently, determined to dislodge the annoying nuisance that Jake had become. Despite his efforts to maintain his grip, he felt his claws slowly slipping from the creature¡¯s wooden exterior, and he realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer.
As he smashed the wood golem¡¯s head again, something strange occurred. Eerie reddish light began to seep through the fresh cracks in the creature¡¯s sturdy exterior. Encouraged by the sight, Jake continued to hammer the creature¡¯s head. With every blow of his smashfist, new fissures opened up, and the existing ones expanded and deepened. The ominous red glow spilling from the cracks indicated that he was making progress. If he could inflict enough damage to the golem¡¯s head, he would finally bring the massive creature down.
However, the wood golem kept shaking its colossal body, tossing it back and forth, and Jake could feel his claws loosening their grip. He transformed his right hand into a normal hand and then sprouted long claws from his fingertips. But before he could swing them at the monster¡¯s body to latch on with his right hand, his left suddenly lost its grip completely.
Jake felt himself losing balance and tumbling off the side of the massive creature. With a clawed hand, he scraped against the golem¡¯s body, trying to anchor himself, but it was no use. He collapsed to the ground and quickly rolled to the side as the golem smashed its colossal fist down where he had just been a fraction of a second before. Jake jumped to his feet, catching sight of another fist rushing toward him. He tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
The golem¡¯s fist struck him with the force of a freight train, propelling him through the air. He soared across the clearing all the way to the treeline, crashing into one of the smaller trees with enough force to snap the trunk in half. The shock of the collision stunned Jake, and for a brief moment, he lay on the ground without moving. He could tell he had sustained some minor damage to his back, but other than that, he was unscathed. If he had been human, that blow would have likely shattered his spine.Stolen story; please report.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar roar coming from the wood golem. Jake looked up just in time to see the massive monster with its mouth wide open, emitting a tremendous bellow. Its enormous head was covered in numerous cracks of various sizes, the result of Jake pounding on it with all his might. An eerie reddish glow seeped out of those cracks as the wood golem continued to bellow.
You gotta be kidding me, Jake thought. It was obvious that the wood golem was summoning its minions again. He had dealt with a group of those plant monsters a few minutes before, and now he would have to fight them once more. It was hard to believe the wood golem could summon them so often. Maybe it had a limit, like two or three summons per encounter? At least, Jake hoped so, because if he had to battle those plant monsters every few minutes, this fight would drag on for way too long.
The wood golem stopped bellowing. In the foliage surrounding the clearing, a familiar movement caught Jake¡¯s attention¡ªthe undergrowth was reshaping and transforming into new forms. It wasn¡¯t long before human-shaped figures began to burst from the trees into the clearing. Jake stood up as a new bunch of plant monsters emerged from the dense vegetation.
Then something unexpected happened. Jake caught a glimpse of movement and turned his head to scan the other side of the clearing. To his surprise, several survivors suddenly emerged from the trees. Each one sported either a red scar or a bandana. They were clearly Los Demonios, but it wasn¡¯t yet clear if they had stumbled upon the clearing by accident or if they had been tracking him all along.
The Demons stopped in their tracks when they spotted the wood golem looming in the center of the clearing.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± one of them exclaimed.
Another member of the group raised the assault rifle he was armed with and aimed it at the massive monster. The person next to him slapped the barrel of the weapon down, scolding his companion, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot it, you idiot! It¡¯s not attacking us. No need to provoke it. That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here anyway.¡±
Though they were on the other side of the clearing, Jake¡¯s incredible sense of hearing effortlessly picked up every word they uttered. The wood golem seemed to have heard or noticed the Demons because it turned to face their direction, but it remained motionless. Unfortunately for the bandits, the golem wasn¡¯t alone. Several plant monsters nearby charged at them, prompting the survivors to open fire.
¡°Where did those things come from?¡± somebody yelled.
The gunfire echoed through the air, attracting all the plant creatures, even those that had initially been closing in on Jake. They lost interest in him and turned away from him, running toward the humans instead. Over a dozen plant monsters dashed across the clearing, quickly closing in on the gangsters, who continued to fire on the approaching creatures. Each bullet that struck the plant mutants exploded on impact, dealing impressive amounts of damage. Despite this, the plant monsters were not easily killed, and even sustaining severe injuries, they continued to close in on their targets.
One of the plant creatures reached the survivors and jumped, landing on top of one of them and knocking him flat to the ground. It immediately began to tear the screaming human apart, triggering a wave of panic among the group.
¡°Why won¡¯t they die?¡± someone yelled.
¡°Fall back!¡± shouted a person, who appeared to be the leader of the group. ¡°Fall back!¡±
However, several of the gangsters had already spun around and fled. The others began to retreat while continuing to fire at the advancing monsters. Jake noticed some of the bullets unintentionally hit the wood golem in the head, detonating on impact and sending splintered fragments flying. That was when the wood golem decided to join the fray. Emitting an angry roar, the massive creature charged across the clearing after the fleeing bandits.
Upon seeing the colossal monster chasing them, the humans completely lost any interest in continuing to fight. The rest of the bandits spun around and rushed back into the forest as well, while the wood golem thundered after the humans, moving with surprising speed for such a massive creature.
Now I have to chase it, huh? Jake thought, frustration coursing through him as he, too, took off running after the wood golem.
Chapter 150
Chapter 150
The wood golem charged through the forest, relentlessly chasing the fleeing humans. For such a massive creature, it moved with astonishing speed. Its colossal legs crashed into the ground, making the earth tremble beneath it. Bushes were crushed underfoot, and smaller trees snapped with resounding cracks as the beast barreled forward, quickly closing the distance on the gangsters.
Up ahead, Jake saw that some of the plant monsters¡ªincredibly fast and agile¡ªwere already on the survivors¡¯ heels. The bandits fired blindly at their pursuers and even managed to take down a couple, but there were still too many remaining.
One of them pounced on one survivor, sending him sprawling on the ground. The person¡¯s screams penetrated the air as the plant monster sunk its talons into his body. A different plant monster lashed out with its whip-like vine, knocking the legs out from under a nearby survivor and sending him crashing face-first into the ground. Two other plant monsters immediately sprang onto the fallen human.
The remaining gangsters kept running, showing no concern for their fallen comrades. While some of the plant monsters were preoccupied with killing the two survivors, the rest of them had a better chance of escaping¡ªthat¡¯s what the bandits were likely thinking.
The wood golem almost caught up with the fleeing humans. One of them suddenly tripped over a root and collapsed to the forest floor. The massive monster was immediately on top of him. Before the survivor could scramble to his feet, the golem slammed one foot on the fallen human, turning him into a pulp. The gangster didn¡¯t even have time to scream before he died.
The wood golem¡¯s brief pause allowed Jake to catch up with the massive creature, which was as large as an elephant. Remembering that his claws weren¡¯t very effective for gripping the golem¡¯s wooden exterior, he transformed both hands back into human-like ones. Then, he leaped toward the side of the wood golem.
The moment he hit the golem¡¯s body, Jake pressed his fingertips and the tips of his feet against its wooden surface. Adhesive Secretion immediately kicked in, allowing him to cling securely to the golem. Like a giant insect, he crawled up the creature, making his way along its back until he reached its thick neck. The wood golem seemed entirely unconcerned by his movement. After finishing stomping on the dead survivor¡¯s body, leaving behind nothing more than a wet patch on the ground, it resumed its relentless chase of the rest of the fleeing gangsters.
Perched atop the creature like a rider on a horse, Jake pressed his left hand against the golem¡¯s exterior to stay anchored. He transformed his right hand into a smashfist, ready to start hammering at the creature¡¯s head again when something caught his attention ahead. Looking up, he realized they were nearing the edge of the woods that marked the boundary of the former city park.
A second later, the wood golem burst from the tree line, snapping one of the smaller trees in its path. Suddenly finding itself in the middle of a street, the golem came to an abrupt halt. The jarring shift from sprinting to halting was so abrupt Jake would have been thrown off its back if not for the grip of Adhesive Secretion holding him securely in place.
For a brief moment, the wood golem surveyed the desolate street. Jake scanned his surroundings too, quickly noticing two SUVs parked nearby, each adorned with red demon skulls painted on the hoods and sides. The remaining bandits were climbing into the vehicles, with two jumping into the first SUV and the other two entering the second one.
With a screech of tires, the lead vehicle bolted forward as the plant monsters leaped at the speeding car from every direction. Some managed to cling to the car frame, their long claws piercing the metal, allowing them to anchor themselves to the vehicle. The other plant monsters sprinted after the fleeing SUV. They were fast, but not nearly as fast as a car, yet that didn¡¯t stop them from trying. Within just a couple of seconds, the lead SUV and most of the plant monsters vanished into the distance.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The two survivors who hopped into the second car were less fortunate. Three remaining plant monsters assaulted the vehicle¡ªone leaped onto the hood, another scrambled onto the roof, and the third broke through the driver¡¯s window, reaching inside the cab. The passenger shouted for the driver to get them out of there, but the driver was too preoccupied trying to prevent his throat from being ripped out.
The wood golem charged toward the SUV and stomped onto its roof, crushing it inward in a shower of shattering glass, killing one of its minions in the process. The massive creature continued to stomp and punch the vehicle, crumpling and breaking the car¡¯s body with an ease that made it seem like a cardboard box.
In just a few seconds, the vehicle was reduced to a heap of twisted and crumpled metal. Both its occupants and two of the golem¡¯s minions were dead. The third plant monster was alive but gravely injured, lying on the ground next to the wreckage, unable to stand, its legs shattered.
The wood golem stepped back from the vehicle, pausing for a brief moment as if to admire the destruction it had caused. Then its attention shifted to Jake, who remained perched on its neck. The massive beast shook its body violently, trying to throw him off. However, thanks to Jake having used Adhesive Secretion to cling to the beast¡¯s exterior, he was now much more difficult to dislodge than before.
Jake set about hammering the wood golem¡¯s head with his right smashfist. Each powerful strike cracked the surface, causing ethereal light to radiate through the fissures. With every hit, the light that seeped from the cracks intensified, illuminating the area around him. Then in a sudden flash of light, the beast¡¯s head burst apart, large splinters flying every which way. The headless monster remained on its legs for a second or two, then heavily dropped to the asphalt in the middle of the street.
Enemy killed. +1,000 XP
Hunt complete. You have gained 10,000 XP. Ground Strike has been added to the Genetic Development Interface.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level has gone up from 62 to 63. You have gained 5 SP.
Something caught Jake¡¯s attention. Still perched atop the dead wood golem, he turned his head to see the plant monster lying on the ground burst into flames. In just two seconds, they consumed the monster, reducing it to a pile of ash. It seemed that now that the wood golem was dead, all the minions it had summoned died off as well.
Jake leaped from the monster¡¯s body to the ground and accessed his stats. He saw that none of his skills and abilities had reached 100%, meaning they couldn¡¯t be upgraded to the next rank just yet. Additionally, he had already purchased all available upgrades for each of his skills and abilities. With no other options, he allocated the earned skill points to his attributes.
Body: 55 ¡ú 60
Mind: 57 ¡ú 60
Magick: 62 ¡ú64
He was now one step closer to fulfilling the requirements for evolving into Stage 3. To advance to the next form, he needed to reach level 75 and elevate each of his attributes to 70.
Suddenly, he heard the roar of an approaching vehicle. He quickly opened his eyes to see the SUV that had fled a few minutes earlier returning. It screeched to a halt some distance ahead of him, its metal frame marked by scratches where the plant monsters had attacked. However, with the golem now defeated, all its minions had died as well, allowing the two occupants of the SUV to return. One of them took position at the machine gun mounted on the roof and aimed directly at him.
It was now obvious that the gangsters had ventured into the city park because they had indeed been tracking him. This was becoming really annoying. How many members of Los Demonios had he already killed? He couldn¡¯t even remember anymore. Yet, they kept coming back. Why couldn¡¯t these guys just leave him the hell alone?
Well, of course, he knew why. It was the gang leader known as Skullface who had a mission to kill him. Instead of doing it themselves, they passed the mission to their subordinates. When one group got killed by Jake, failing to complete the mission, Skullface simply reassigned it to another team. And the members of the gang had no choice but to follow orders. By now, they must have realized that Jake was a tough target, but they just couldn¡¯t ignore their boss¡¯s orders. Los Demonios had extremely cruel rules and traditions inherited from a cartel, so the members understood that insubordination wouldn¡¯t be tolerated. They were simply caught between a rock and a hard place.
Jake decided to do something about that. It was time to send a clear message to the leader of Los Demonios.
Chapter 151
Chapter 151
Jake sprinted toward the vehicle just as the gunner unleashed a hail of gunfire. To avoid getting hit, Jake darted to the side as heavy-caliber bullets whizzed past him. They tore into the cracked asphalt, exploding on impact and sending chunks flying. Jake continued to close in on the vehicle, moving in a circle. When the roof-mounted weapon stopped spitting out bullets, he immediately made a beeline for the vehicle.
Before the gangster could reload the machine gun, Jake performed a mana-infused jump, landing on the roof of the SUV. Yelping in panic, the gunner tried to slip inside, but Jake grabbed him by the shoulders, the tips of his claws digging deep into the human flesh. Jake pulled him up, eliciting a scream of pain as he easily dragged his victim out of the vehicle.
With a powerful yank, Jake tossed the gangster aside, sending him tumbling to the ground with a distinct snap. Peering over the edge of the vehicle, he saw the man lying motionlessly on the asphalt, his neck at an unnatural angle. He had accidentally broken the guy¡¯s neck. Falling from such a height shouldn¡¯t have killed the gangster¡ªhe had just been unfortunate enough to have a bad fall.
But that was fine. Jake only needed one of them alive anyway, and there was another person inside the SUV, seated at the steering wheel. The driver must have realized things were not going as smoothly as he and his now-dead companion had hoped, because he suddenly slammed on the accelerator, causing the large vehicle to bolt forward. Jake was fast enough to hold on to the machine gun mounted on the roof to prevent himself from being thrown off the vehicle.
As the SUV sped down the street, Jake clung to the roof, Adhesive Secretion holding him in position. He crawled toward the front of the vehicle, resembling a giant insect. He then made his way down the slope of the windshield and reached the hood. Once there, he turned to face the driver, who stared back at him with terror in his eyes.
In an attempt to knock Jake off the hood, the driver slammed on the brakes, bringing the SUV to a sudden, jarring halt. Yet, with both hands and feet gripping the hood, Jake remained firmly anchored, Adhesive Secretion keeping him securely in place. Now that the vehicle had stopped, Jake lifted his right hand from the hood, morphing it into a smashfist. Before the driver could accelerate again, Jake swung his massive fist at the windshield. The impact shattered the glass, sending shards raining down on the screaming driver, who raised his arms instinctively to shield his face.
Reaching inside the cab, Jake grabbed the driver by his head and, with a powerful yank, pulled him out of the vehicle. Shoving the gangster aside, he sent him crashing face-first to the ground next to the SUV. The driver attempted to get up, but Jake jumped onto his back, pinning him to the asphalt. The man whimpered and squirmed beneath him, but he was powerless to escape.
Perched on the struggling form of the bandit, Jake searched through his pockets. In one of them, he found what he was looking for¡ªthe guy¡¯s PDA. Reaching down, he took hold of the human¡¯s right hand and pressed his thumb to the screen, unlocking the device. He then released the bandit¡¯s hand and concentrated on the PDA for the next several minutes.
Finally, he was done. He put the PDA away and stood up. Rolling the bandit over, Jake grabbed him by the shoulders and roughly sat him up, propping him against the driver¡¯s-side wheel. The man tried to resist, but he was powerless against Jake¡¯s inhuman strength. He then sprouted three long tentacles from his back, causing the bandit to gasp in horror at the sight.
Before the guy could do anything, Jake lanced his tentacles at the gangster, piercing him through both shoulders and through one thigh. The human let out a scream of pain, his eyes wide. Jake leaned in to just a few inches from the man¡¯s face and opened his mouth wide, allowing the terrified human to see rows of his jagged black teeth. Jake needed his victim to be severely injured and scared out of his wits¡ªand he had accomplished that. The bandit trembled uncontrollably, fixating on Jake¡¯s large pointed teeth, which loomed just before him. So paralyzed by fear was the human he lost control and wet himself.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°No,¡± the guy sobbed. ¡°No! Please, no. Oh gosh, no!¡±
As he continued to stare at the terrified man, Jake picked up the PDA and held it in front of him. However, the bandit didn¡¯t even seem to notice it at first. He was so frightened he couldn¡¯t dare to look away from Jake¡¯s dreadful face even for a second. He fully expected those large black teeth to rip into him at any moment. It was only when Jake brought the device closer to the gangster¡¯s face that he finally tore his gaze from Jake¡¯s teeth and glanced at the screen.
The device displayed the map of the city with three labeled pins that Jake had positioned a few minutes earlier. Each pin¡¯s label contained a short piece of text that he had typed in. With his index finger, Jake pointed at the first piece of text.
Let me be or you die.
Tears blurred the man¡¯s vision, and he had to blink rapidly for two or three seconds to clear his eyes. Once he could focus on the text, he quickly read it and looked back at Jake with surprise on his face. He then nodded vigorously in response. However, Jake was not done yet. He pointed at the second pin, which contained another piece of text in its label.
Shw it 2 ur boss.
After the gangster finished reading the text, Jake pointed at the last piece of text.
Undstnd?
The gangster read it and looked at Jake once more, energetically nodding his head up and down.
¡°Yes!¡± the gangster exclaimed. ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll show your message to my boss! It was actually him who wanted you dead, not me. The System has given him the mission to kill you, but he keeps assigning it to us, soldiers, instead of taking care of it himself.¡±
Jake simply stared at the bandit. The information the human had just shared came as no surprise, as Jake had already figured that out by himself.
¡°We call him Skullface,¡± the bandit added eagerly. ¡°None of us wants to fight you, but he forces our hands. We have no choice! Anyway, I promise I¡¯ll show him what you wrote!¡±
The three tentacles detached, and Jake stood up, tossing the PDA into the bandit¡¯s lap. For a moment, the human sat on the ground, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he wasn¡¯t about to be brutally killed. Then, he picked up his device and slowly stood, wary of making any sudden movements.
¡°Can I go now?¡± he asked timidly, still struggling to believe his luck.
Jake nodded. The bandit immediately swung open the driver¡¯s door and slid behind the steering wheel. In the next second, the vehicle bolted forward, quickly accelerating. Jake watched it disappear into the distance. Los Demonios must have a base somewhere, but he didn¡¯t even consider following the SUV to find out where it was. He was fast, but not nearly as fast as a car. Hiding inside the vehicle and letting the bandit take him to the gang¡¯s base, like a Trojan Horse, was also not an option because he hardly had any mana left in his body.
When he attempted to write on Isra¡¯s PDA during the tower-climbing challenge, his Enhanced Intelligence had been at Rank II. However, this skill was now at Rank III, and the difference was noticeable. While he could write much more easily than before, it was still an extremely difficult task that required a lot of time, concentration, and ridiculous amounts of mana. He had written two very short sentences, but it drained most of his mana.
He had just a little over a thousand mana points left, which wasn¡¯t much at all. At his current level, he could burn through 1,000 MP in just one hour, even without engaging in strenuous activities. During intense fights, his body could easily deplete those thousand mana points even faster. Plus, with his mana levels critically low, his speed and agility noticeably deteriorated, as the remaining mana was now solely used to sustain basic bodily functions.
So, he wasn¡¯t in a condition to fight and had to steer clear of any confrontations with humans or ex-humans for the time being. He intended to take it easy for the rest of the day and throughout the coming night, focusing solely on hiding from enemies while searching for mana consumables. With this plan settled in his mind, Jake set off on his way.
Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Jake spent the rest of the day and the entire night searching for mana consumables, gathering as much mana as possible. He focused solely on this task, refusing to let himself get distracted by anything else, and by morning, he had amassed a substantial amount of MP. He collected so much mana he even wondered if there was a limit to how much of this precious energy his body could hold. There should probably be some limit, but so far, he had never reached it, likely because he was always very active, causing his body to consume this magical energy at a high rate. Additionally, he occasionally used MP to purchase new skills and abilities.
He had now enough mana to buy new skills, but he decided to wait until later in the day. For the moment, he wanted to stick to his daily routine, so he made his way down to the sewers, where he spent the next several hours. He gained some XP, but not enough to level up yet. Afterward, he emerged back to street level and continued slaying mutants for XP. Once he leveled up, he planned to allocate skill points and use the MP he had gathered overnight to acquire new skills and abilities.
For the next two hours, he cleared one building of mutants after another. However, he noticed it was becoming more challenging to level up. The mutants he came across were those he had already encountered, yielding the same amount of XP, while his requirements grew with each level. This resulted in a noticeably slower leveling pace. To level up more quickly, he needed to venture to a new location or hunt down different types of mutants, but he wasn¡¯t sure where to look.
At that point, it seemed he had explored the entire city, and there were no areas he hadn¡¯t visited by that point. The only exception was the dungeon known as the Maze of Torment, located in the sewers. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t access it without a Skeleton Key. Even if he managed to find one, he doubted that entering the dungeon would be beneficial, as it was designed for survivors between levels 15 and 20. At level 63, he was far too strong for that dungeon now and likely wouldn¡¯t gain anything valuable there.
On the first floor of one of the high-rise buildings, he encountered a rare type of ex-human¡ªa bloater. At one point, it ejected a torrent of acid toward him. Jake managed to dodge, but a few drops still splashed onto his shoulder. He felt no pain, but his flesh sizzled and smoked for a few seconds as the acid dealt some damage to his skin. This reminded him of the urgent need to enhance his resistance to various types of elemental damage.
He initially planned to deal with the weaker ex-humans before focusing on the bloater. However, his plans changed when something unexpected occurred. With a screech of tires, a vehicle rolled to a stop in front of the building. Upon hearing the noise, he glanced over his shoulder. The front of the building was lined with tall windows¡ªnone of which had glass at this point¡ªand through them, he saw a pickup truck adorned with red demon skulls painted on its doors and hood, and a machine gun mounted in the bed. The large weapon, manned by a bandit, was pointed at the building.
The deafening roar of the machine gun drowned out the screams of the ex-humans. Instead of targeting Jake, the gunner directed his fire at the bloater. Its huge belly glowed increasingly brighter as bullets tore at it with squelching sounds. Jake understood that the gunner wanted to make it explode to shower him with acid. However, while he wasn¡¯t far from the bloater when it exploded, he dashed fast enough to avoid getting splashed with acid.
When the bloater exploded, waves of acid and pulpy pieces of flesh went flying in every direction. Some of the nearby mutants got drenched in the acid, being reduced to little more than mere skeletons in seconds. Many of the ex-humans lost interest in Jake and sprinted toward the vehicle. However, none of them was able to make it out of the building, dropping like flies under the heavy gunfire.
The gangster in the back of the car thrust the barrel of an assault rifle out the window and opened fire on Jake. While he could easily escape by getting to the upper floors, he didn¡¯t even consider fleeing. If the Demons were so keen on getting killed by him, he wasn¡¯t going to disappoint them. When he dashed out of the building and sprinted toward the vehicle, the gunner yelled ¡°fuck¡± just as the pickup truck bolted forward. But not before Jake performed a mana-infused jump, landing in the bed. He lashed out at the gunner, his claws aimed at the bandit¡¯s exposed throat. The guy stumbled back, clutching his bloodied throat, lost his balance, and fell over the edge to the ground rushing beneath him.
The gangster in the back of the cab opened fire through the rear window at Jake. The bullets exploded on impact with his chest. The man also used a Push spell on him, causing Jake to fly back over the tailgate of the vehicle and drop to the ground. However, he was quick enough to sprout a tentacle and lash out at one of the rear wheels, shredding the tire. The car went into a chaotic swerve, pivoting ninety degrees before rolling over several times until it finally came to a rest on its roof.
One of the occupants of the vehicle was dead, but the other managed to survive by employing a magical shield. The gangster crawled out of the wreckage and got to his feet. When he noticed that Jake was still alive, he glanced around for his weapon, but it must have been left somewhere inside the vehicle. Rather than searching for it, the bandit decided to flee. Turning around, he darted around the upturned pickup truck and sprinted down the road. He must have cast yet another spell to increase his speed because he was running far too fast for a human. But he was still no faster than Jake. He leaped to his feet and gave chase.
It wasn¡¯t long before he closed the gap between him and his prey. With a powerful leap, he collided with the fleeing gangster, sending him crashing to the ground in the middle of a four-way intersection. Jake planted his foot firmly on the bandit¡¯s back, pinning him down. The human was struggling to rise, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to shake off Jake¡¯s foot pressing down on his back with incredible strength. His victim thrashed his arms and legs wildly, resembling an oversized insect in distress. He didn¡¯t use any more magical spells, likely having run out of them by that point.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Jake was moments away from finishing off the gangster when he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He lifted his gaze from the pinned human and turned in the direction of the disturbance. At one of the corners of the intersection stood what used to be a diner. Peering through its shattered windows, Jake noticed something unsettling. Inside the diner, there were subtle rhythmic movements. Although he couldn¡¯t see the full scene from where he stood, he could see several naked bodies suspended from the ceiling, swaying gently in the draft inside the small building.
The man beneath Jake continued to writhe in futile attempts to escape. In response, Jake momentarily lifted his foot, repositioned it slightly, and then brought it down with overwhelming force onto the back of the man¡¯s head. The impact echoed through the empty intersection, and the bandit¡¯s struggles ceased, his skull bursting apart like an overripe melon. Jake quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure there were no enemies lurking nearby and then jogged toward the diner. Upon reaching the entrance, he halted in the opening, taking in the atrocious scene inside the main room.
The interior was in utter disarray: overturned tables and broken chairs lay strewn across the floor, while shards of glass glinted menacingly under the dim light. However, it was the bodies that dominated the space¡ªsuspended from the ceiling and swaying slightly. The horrid smell assaulted his enhanced senses, the air thick with the acrid scent of blood mixed with rust and decay as well as something stale and forgotten.
There were several bodies that were suspended from the ceiling. The bodies were completely naked and heavily mutilated. Whoever those people were, they had been brutally tortured to death. Their bodies had numerous burn marks, various cuts and bruises. They were also missing various body parts. Some of them had some parts of their skin flayed, while others had their faces removed.
Behind the suspended bodies, on the wall opposite the front entrance, a chilling message caught Jake¡¯s eye. It was written in red paint¡ªor worse, the victims¡¯ blood: ¡°DON¡¯T FUCK WITH US.¡± Next to the menacing phrase was a picture of a demon skull splattered in the same blood-red hue.
Even though Jake was as cold as stone, he found himself disturbed by the horrid scene before him. The lifeless forms swaying gently in their grisly suspension tugged at something deep within him, a flicker of humanity that was usually kept buried beneath layers of indifference and detachment.
For a few minutes, Jake remained motionless, watching. So far, Los Demonios had been nothing more than a mildly annoying nuisance. They attacked him on sight, driven by their notorious reputation and the territory they claimed, but most of the time, their aggression didn¡¯t weigh heavily on him. Occasionally, he would simply give them the slip while other times, he dealt with his attackers without much difficulty.
While Los Demonios had been nothing more than a nuisance to him, they had become a relentless menace to regular survivors, terrorizing anyone they set their eyes on. Jake had consciously steered clear of getting involved, telling himself it wasn¡¯t his fight. However, the horror in front of him peeled back layers of indifference. With each violent encounter he witnessed, each desperate plea for help he turned away from, a simmering anger rose within him¡ªone he had chosen to ignore. But this brutal scene, with its grotesque display and chilling message, stirred that anger into a furious blaze. Jake welcomed the unexpected feeling of rage. He thought he had long forgotten any human emotions, but the horrifying scene before him had awakened some of them.
The oppressive weight of guilt mixed with rage twisted inside him. Fueled by a newfound purpose, he decided it was time to act. The brutality of the scene demonstrated the depths of cruelty that Los Demonios were capable of. As much as he tried to stay out of survivors¡¯ business, the unsettling sight made him rethink his previous more dismissive attitude toward the gang. At that moment, Jake made a silent vow to himself: he would no longer be a bystander. He had to take matters into his own hands, otherwise Los Demonios would continue their reign of terror unchallenged. They walked the streets with a sense of invincibility, convinced that their strength granted them the right to terrorize others without consequence. But they were wrong. Dead wrong.
It was settled. He was going to confront Los Demonios, tearing their gang apart, piece by piece. They must have a base somewhere, so he was going to find it and burn it to the ground. If they had multiple bases, he would find and destroy all of them. He was going to find Skullface and whoever else besides that person was in charge of the gang. Once he found them, he¡¯d kill them all.
He was going to leave nothing of Los Demonios but a wet patch on the ground. He would pursue the gang until nothing remained of it as if it had never existed. He understood that those who decided to join the gang had to commit cruel acts to demonstrate their loyalty. Those who declined were assigned menial labor for the gang. So, everyone who wore something red, signifying they were officially accepted into the gang, would become his legitimate target. His ultimate aim was to eliminate all the leaders of the gang and destroy their bases. He didn¡¯t intend to bother with hunting down every single soldier, but any that stood in his way would be killed as well.
Jake kept his gaze fixed on the brutal scene before him for a while, thinking about Los Demonios and what he was going to do with Skullface and whoever else was in charge of the gang. They referred to themselves as the Demons. It was high time to show them what a true demon looked like and what he was capable of. Los Demonios were on the brink of facing their worst nightmare¡ªone from which they would never awaken.
Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Over the next few days, Jake leveled up several times, moving from level 63 to level 72 and accumulating 45 skill points in total. He allocated some of them to his attributes.
Body: 60 ¡ú 70
Mind: 60 ¡ú 70
Magick: 64 ¡ú 70
Many of his skills and abilities underwent some changes as well. Those that were Common¡ªSwords, Bladed Tentacles, Smashfists, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, Feral Instincts, and Enhanced Durability¡ªwere ready to be elevated to Uncommon, which would give them an additional upgrade to unlock. These skills and abilities did not need to be at Rank II when he evolved to Stage II, meaning they could be manually upgraded from Common to Uncommon by allocating 1 SP to each. The only requirement for the upgrade was that he needed to have evolved to Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent,¡± which he had done quite some time ago. He spent 8 SP to raise each of these eight skills and abilities from Common to Uncommon and then allocated another SP to each to increase them from Rank II to Rank III. Each of these skills and abilities could now progress once more and had an additional upgrade to unlock. He also spent three more skill points to upgrade Gravity Leap, Cloak, and Adhesive Secretion from Rank I to Rank II, making them more powerful. To perform an upgrade to the next Rank, specific attribute requirements needed to be met, but by that point, he had raised all his attributes to a sufficiently high level, easily fulfilling every requirement for Rank upgrades.
At the moment, Jake clung to the front wall of a high-rise building, positioned at the third-floor height, Adhesive Secretion securely holding him in place. Cloak was active, blending him seamlessly with his surroundings and making him appear transparent and virtually invisible. It was high noon. He had just returned from the depths of the sewers, where he had spent the morning hunting down mutated rats and devourers. Before continuing with his day, he wanted to check his stats. He closed his eyes and summoned them with a thought.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 72
HP: 100%
XP: 6,565/8,875
SP: 0
MP: 81,775
Body: 70
Mind: 70
Magick: 70
Claws: Rank III (34%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank III (27%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank III (17%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Mind Reader: Rank II (85%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank III (13%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Gravity Leap: Rank II (4%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Cloak: Rank II (11%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (30%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (33%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (39%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank III (15%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Strength: Rank III (13%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank III (17%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Feral Instincts: Rank III (15%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Durability: Rank III (18%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Adhesive Secretion: Rank II (11%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
He noticed that the Mind Reader ability was currently at 85%. When it reached 100%, he would be able to upgrade it to Rank III. In the past several days, he had ambushed and slain several groups of Los Demonios, using Mind Reader on some of his victims. Currently, this ability allowed him to view only a few hours of a target¡¯s most recent memories, which was why he had so far failed to glean anything useful about the gang. He still didn¡¯t know where their base was located, where to find the gang leaders, or where captured survivors were kept, let alone what the gang needed them for. However, Jake hoped that by upgrading Mind Reader to Rank III, he would be able to view much more of a target¡¯s memories and therefore learn more about the gang.
He then checked once more the requirements he needed to meet to evolve to Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡±.
Requirements for evolving to Stage 3
Level: 75
Attributes: Body 70, Mind 70, Magick 70
Skills:
Enhanced Senses - Rank III
Enhanced Agility - Rank III
Enhanced Intelligence - Rank III
Enhanced Reflexes - Rank III
Enhanced Strength - Rank III
Enhanced Regeneration - Rank III
Feral Instincts - Rank III
Enhanced Durability: Rank III
He was getting there. Each of his attributes was at 70, and all of the required skills were already at Rank III. So all that was left to do was level up three more times to Level 75, and he would finally be able to evolve into the next form. He couldn¡¯t wait. He figured it would take him only two or three days to gain those three additional levels. He was really excited about the next stage of evolution.
Over the past few days, he had accumulated a substantial amount of MP, and he decided it was time to use some of it to purchase new skills and abilities. With a single thought, he summoned the second section of the Genetic Development Interface.
Evolution Stage 2: "Savage Ascent" (Level 25)
Abilities: 3 of 6
Skills: 2 of 4
Ability: Acidic Spit
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: 20,000 MP
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Skill: Toxic Resistance
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: 23,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Ability: Mind Reader
Requirements: Mind 30, Magick 25
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Requirements: Body 30
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Gravity Leap
Requirements: Body 43, Mind 40, Magick 37
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Adhesive Secretion
Requirements: Body 40, Magick 35
Cost: Already Owned
Ability: Cloak
Requirements: Body 45, Mind 55, Magick 60
Cost: Already Owned
At his current level, he aimed to keep his MP above thirty thousand. Therefore, he decided to make only two purchases: the Acidic Spit ability and the Toxic Resistance skill, spending a total of 43,000 MP, which left him with 38,775 MP. He noticed that only two abilities¡ªSerpentine Form and Spikes¡ªand one skill¡ªAdaptive Armor¡ªremained in the second section of the Genetic Development Interface now. He planned to review them later when he was ready to purchase them.
One by one, he examined the ability and the skill he had just acquired.
Acidic Spit: The mutant gains the ability to spit a glob of corrosive acid that can dissolve obstacles and enemies.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 45, Magick 45
Cost: Already Owned
He had high hopes for this ability. It was his first ranged ability, and if it performed as well as he hoped, he would be using it in combat pretty frequently.
Toxic Resistance: The mutant acquires resistance to acid and poison, enhancing their ability to withstand chemical-based attacks.
Upgrades: 0 of 4 (Uncommon)
Requirements: Body 45
Cost: Already Owned
Each of these two was Uncommon and had a total of four upgrades available for unlocking. However, since he didn¡¯t have any more skill points at the moment, he decided to examine the available upgrades at a later time.
The last thing Jake did was check his current resistances.
Elemental Resistances:
Incendiary - 10%
Cryo - 10%
Shock - 10%
Explosive - 10%
Corrosive - 30%
Radiation - 10%
Other Resistances:
Pierce - 14%
Poison - 30%
Mana Bleeding - 9%
Mind Control - 0%
Stun - 0%
Chaos - 0%
Ethereal - 0%
Thanks to Toxic Resistance, his Corrosive and Poison resistances increased from 10% to 30%. He also noticed that Pierce and Mana Bleeding resistances had also gone up a little, the former from 12% to 14% and the latter from 7% to 9%. Pierce and Mana Bleeding resistances increased automatically each time he invested skill points to Body and Magick respectively.
After reviewing the information, Jake finally opened his eyes, making all the details vanish, and then he resumed his journey.
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Multiple enemies killed. +1135 XP
Immediately, another system message flashed through his mind.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 72 to 73. You have gained 5 SP.
Jake stood in the center of a large room, surrounded by the dead bodies of various ex-humans he had just defeated. For the past few hours, he had been venturing into one building after another, fighting mutants and gaining XP, and he had finally leveled up, gaining five skill points.
Now that he had increased the ranks of some of his skills and abilities, each of them had an additional upgrade to unlock. However, Jake decided to use four of his skill points to acquire all the available upgrades for Acidic Spit instead. He had used it multiple times in several recent battles with mutants. While it was a very useful ability, it certainly needed some improvements. So he checked out the available upgrades for the ability.
Acidic Spit: Rank I (14%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
- Quick Charge: Decreases the time needed to create a glob of acid. Cost: 1 SP
- Extended Range: Greatly increases the distance at which you can launch a glob of acid. Cost: 1 SP
- Improved Stability: Significantly lowers the risk of your ability being canceled when under attack. Cost: 1 SP
- Enhanced Potency: Makes your acidic spit significantly more powerful, allowing it to dissolve various non-organic materials with ease. Cost: 1 SP
One by one, Jake acquired all of them. Acidic Spit should be significantly more powerful now. There were no enemies left around him, but he could still test out the first two of the newly acquired upgrades. He turned toward the wall that was farthest from him and utilized the ability.
As he had learned some time ago, his mana pool was located in his midsection. Pathways extended from this mana pool throughout his body. The moment he activated Acidic Spit, he sensed just the right amount of mana flowing from his mana pool to his mouth. There, it transformed into acid. While the ability was called Acidic Spit, what formed in his mouth was actually a glob about the size of a golf ball. It levitated inside his large maw, held in place by magical energy, awaiting his command to be expelled.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that thanks to the first upgrade, the entire process¡ªfrom pulling the right amount of mana from his mana pool to his mouth through one of the pathways to forming a glob of acid¡ªnow took less than a second. This was a pleasant surprise. Before the upgrades, it took several seconds for the whole process, forcing Jake to fend off his enemies while the acid formed. By the time he was ready to spit it out, his target was often already eliminated or gone. Now, he could create an acidic glob in no time and fire it almost immediately afterward.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
When Jake opened his jaws and mentally commanded the acidic glob to be ejected, it launched from his mouth at incredible speed. The projectile soared across the vast room, smashing against the farthest wall and sending splashes everywhere. Before the upgrades, the acidic glob could travel about fifteen yards, gradually succumbing to gravity, which wasn¡¯t very far at all. With the recently acquired upgrade, the distance an acidic glob could travel had significantly increased. The ball flew across the room without showing any signs of descending, so he figured the distance was at least twice what it had been before.
As for the other two upgrades, they could only be tested in battle. Jake had one more skill point at his disposal. After giving it some thought, he decided to use it on the fourth upgrade for Bladed Tentacles. Since he had obtained the first three upgrades some time ago, he didn¡¯t waste time rereading those and focused solely on the new one.
Bladed Tentacles: Rank III (21%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
4 - Increase the length of the bladed tentacles by a few more feet. Cost: 1 SP
Jake acquired the upgrade and decided to test it right away. He activated the ability, and three tentacles burst forth from his back. They were noticeably longer than before, which would definitely prove to be quite beneficial in future battles. For a few seconds, he slashed at invisible enemies, astonished by the tentacles¡¯ impressive reach, now stretching at least a dozen feet. Yet he quickly realized that deploying such long tentacles demanded significantly more mana than in the past. This insight prompted him to reflect on the implications.
Every level-up, every upgrade he acquired, and every elevation of a skill or an ability to the next rank increased the amount of mana his body consumed¡ªa price he had to pay for greater power. Jake remembered that at the beginning of his journey as a mutant, he struggled to gather enough mana to sustain himself while also acquiring new skills. However, after obtaining Mana Vision, that problem was resolved, as the perk allowed him to easily locate various mana consumables. Now, though, the issue of insufficient mana seemed to be creeping back. He sensed that the mana he accumulated at night from collecting mana consumables would soon fall short of his daily needs.
With his Mana Vision perk at Rank III, he could now see not only the locations of mana consumables but also mana clouds and the mana contained within human beings. Unfortunately, he still couldn¡¯t absorb mana clouds or extract mana from living beings. To achieve that, he likely needed to learn a special skill or perk. As he grew stronger, his body demanded increasingly more mana each day. He hoped he would be able to find a way to extract mana from sources beyond mere mana consumables before he began to suffer from the shortage of his mana needs.
He continued to explore the city. When he encountered another group of ex-humans in one of the buildings, he immediately employed Acidic Spit, eager to test out the upgraded ability in a battle. He launched the glob of acid at a chaser, one of the strongest ex-humans he had encountered so far. The agile mutant tried to dodge the projectile, but it failed to do so.
The glob hit the chaser in the chest, and the acid immediately kicked in. It ate through the mutant¡¯s chest in mere seconds. The powerful ex-human took a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground, dead. Just like that, the chaser was dealt with. The Acidic Spit was definitely a powerful ability, but it depleted a hefty chunk of his mana with each use, so Jake knew he wasn¡¯t going to use it in regular fights like this one too often.
Once he had dealt with the group of ex-humans, he exited the building and continued to prowl the city.
Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Jake was clinging to the front of a high-rise building at a two-story height, Adhesive Secretion anchoring him in place, Cloak rendering him invisible. It was a new day. He had recently emerged from the sewers, having leveled up from 73 to 74. He was now just one level away from meeting all the requirements to be able to evolve into Stage 3. After leveling up, he spent four skill points to acquire an additional, fourth upgrade for each of the following skills: Swords, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Regeneration, and Enhanced Reflexes, all of which he had recently advanced to Rank III.
The upgrade he acquired for Swords extended their length, providing increased reach. The upgrade for Enhanced Strength gave him greater damage resistance, boosting his Pierce resistance by a remarkable 30% to a total of 44%. In his next several battles with ex-humans, he found that weaker mutants like walkers and leapers could no longer inflict any damage on him. Meanwhile, stronger foes like slashers and chasers dealt minimal damage, which healed almost instantly, thanks to the fourth upgrade for Enhanced Regeneration that significantly increased regeneration speed at the cost of more mana. When they managed to hit him, that is, because the fourth upgrade to Enhanced Reflexes made him even more agile in battle than he had been before. While all these upgrades made him more powerful, the necessity to find additional methods of collecting mana only intensified.
That left him with one more skill point to allocate. Jake decided to hold off on using it because he wanted to spend it on Mind Reader to increase its Rank from II to III. Its current progression was stuck at 85%. At its current Rank, each use of Mind Reader progressed it by about 5%, give or take, depending on how deeply into a target¡¯s memories he ventured. Thus, he needed to use Mind Reader three or four times on different targets to advance it to 100%, after which he would be able to upgrade it to Rank III, which could potentially allow him to explore even deeper memories of his targets.
He had to learn the location of Los Demonios¡¯ base, and advancing Mind Reader to the next Rank was the easiest way to accomplish that. Which was why after emerging from the sewers, Jake spent some time looking for Los Demonios. Eventually, he stumbled across a group of them. Their vehicle was positioned in the center of a four-way intersection as the gangsters fired at a swarm of ex-humans emerging from a nearby building. Jake wasted no time sprinting toward the Demons. However, as soon as they spotted him, they immediately forgot about the mutants. The gangsters jumped into their car and took off with a screech of tires, not even bothering to fire at him. They simply wanted to get away from him.
Jake watched them disappear into the distance in amazement. It was the very first time something like that had happened. Previously, every encounter with Los Demonios had ended in an attack against him. He recalled passing a message to Skullface through one of his soldiers. Perhaps, after receiving his message, the gang leader had finally decided to leave Jake alone. It seemed highly unlikely, though. A more plausible explanation was that rumors of his dangerous reputation had spread among the lower ranks of Los Demonios, prompting at least some of them to avoid any confrontations with him to prevent being killed.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
That¡¯s why Jake was currently clinging to a building, hidden from sight by Cloak. His plan was to wait for a Demon vehicle to drive by and then push off the wall, performing a mana-infused jump and landing in front of the car or, if he timed it perfectly, even atop its roof. It seemed like a solid plan, but the problem was that he had no idea how long he would have to wait for a Demon car to pass. While there were plenty of Los Demonios around, the city was enormous, so he could be in for quite a wait.
An hour ticked by, and Jake was growing restless. Sitting idle wasn¡¯t his style, even if it was only figuratively speaking. When he wasn¡¯t battling mutants, he was usually collecting mana consumables or searching for various quests and challenges. This hour of inactivity felt like an immense waste of opportunity. There had been a couple of occasions in the past when he had hidden away after suffering severe wounds to allow his body to focus solely on healing. However, remaining in one place and doing absolutely nothing while waiting for a Demon vehicle to pass down this particular street, which might not even happen, felt like a great misuse of his time.
Just when Jake was about to give up, an SUV showed up, its sides and hood adorned with red demon skulls. He got ready. As the vehicle approached his position, he prepared to jump. To his surprise, however, the SUV began to slow down, eventually coming to a halt right in front of him. Jake watched, completely motionless. Nothing happened for a couple of minutes. Then, some of the doors swung open, and four armed gangsters emerged. They gathered in front of the right side of the vehicle, staring at the building¡¯s front wall. Jake clung to the space between two windows on the second-story floor, remaining completely motionless and invisible to the naked eye.
He watched as the gangsters exchanged tense words, their anxiety palpable. One of them, a burly figure with jagged tattoos snaking up his arms, frowned at the PDA in his hand.
¡°I dunno,¡± he said, glancing at the others. ¡°According to the scanner, the freak should be right before us.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s clearly not here,¡± another gang member replied, staring at the building before him.
¡°Any idea how far it should be?¡± another one asked.
¡°Should be just a few yards in front of us,¡± came the response from the burly one, irritation creeping into his tone.
¡°Maybe the scanner is acting up?¡± someone suggested, scanning the street lit by the morning light with suspicion. ¡°Has that happened before?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so. It should be working just fine,¡± the tattooed man insisted, his voice steady.
¡°Could be inside the building,¡± the other gangster speculated nervously. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
¡°Yeah, probably.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s it at now? Still there or moved somewhere? The freak always zips around chaotically at incredible speed.¡±
The tattooed, burly man glanced at the PDA he held in one hand.
¡°Nah,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s still in the same spot. The scanner would¡¯ve let us know if the freak moved.¡±
¡°Unless it¡¯s acting up,¡± the wary gangster said again, anxiety creeping in.
¡°Well, like I said, the scanner seems to be working just fine,¡± the burly gangster snapped back.
¡°The freak must be sleeping or something,¡± another man piped up, his voice low. ¡°I mean, it should sleep sometimes too, right?¡±
¡°I guess.¡±
¡°Come on inside. If the freak is actually sleeping, it¡¯s our chance to get the drop on it. We¡¯ll be the ones to deal with the freak, and Skullface will reward us awesomely.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just be as quiet as possible,¡± the anxious one warned. ¡°The freak has already taken down plenty of our guys.¡±
The four gangsters nodded grimly at one another, gripped their weapons tightly, and began their cautious advance toward the building. Jake waited a beat longer, letting them get a little closer, then sprang into action.
Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Pushing off the wall, Jake performed a powerful jump, landing in front of the four gangsters. His Cloak was still active, making him nearly invisible. Now at Rank II, it was far more effective than before, and the second upgrade allowed the Cloak to adjust more seamlessly to his swift movements. Still, even though he was difficult to detect, the gangsters noticed a distortion in the air as he landed before them. They froze in their tracks, their faces reflecting their surprise.
¡°What the hell?¡± one of them yelled.
Not wasting a moment, Jake executed a swift roll and came up behind the nearest gangster, using the element of surprise to his advantage. With a quick motion, he struck, catching the thug off guard and sending him sprawling to the ground. The other three turned, eyes wide with shock, but Jake was already in motion again, utilizing his speed and agility to outmaneuver them. They had a hard time keeping track of him, his speed and the cloaking ability turning him into nothing more than a strange distortion of air weaving around them.
¡°It¡¯s a wraith!¡± somebody yelled.
¡°No, it¡¯s the freak!¡± another one shouted. ¡°It can turn invisible too!¡±
¡°Get the bastard!¡± somebody else shouted, fumbling for his weapon.
Jake moved like a whisper through the shadows, keeping himself a step ahead of their panicked attempts to grasp the situation. He knew their patterns, their weaknesses. Each time they reacted, he was already positioned elsewhere, forcing them into an increasingly chaotic retreat. Some of them managed to pop off a few single shots, but they were reluctant to fire on full auto for fear of accidentally hitting one of their own. He was nearly invisible and constantly near them, making it hard for them to take a clear shot.
The four gangsters were now filled with fear. The freak they were hunting had transformed from a hard target into a downright nightmare. Initially apprehensive of him, they were now on the verge of succumbing to pure panic. Jake felt the thrill of the hunt, a mix of excitement and purpose coursing through him as he darted from one spot to another. Their panicked shouts echoed through the street, creating a symphony of chaos that suited him just fine.
¡°Stay together!¡± the burly one yelled, but Jake was already ahead of them, slipping behind the group as they struggled to take aim at him.
He could hear scuffing their boots, the frantic sound of breathing, the crackle of nerves. They were scared and desperate. Moving silently, he observed their every move, waiting for the moment when fear would send them scattering. He could easily dispatch all of them in mere seconds, but he needed them alive, at least for a little while. Instead of slaying the gangsters, he needed to neutralize them long enough to use Mind Reader on each of them.
The group of panicked humans struggled to keep him in their sights. Their slowness and fear amused Jake. At some point, he jumped behind them once more, and before they could turn in his direction, he darted to another spot and immediately dropped into a crouch, becoming completely motionless. With the first upgrade that decreased the time needed for him to turn invisible, Cloak was now far more effective and worked much faster than before, rendering him entirely invisible almost immediately after he went still.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Where the fuck did it go?¡± one of them exhaled, sweat beading on his forehead.
The group turned this way and that, but they failed to notice him even though he was crouched just a few yards away. For a second or two, he observed them with amusement. Then, he sprang toward the group with determination, rushing at the nearest gangster who had foolishly strayed a little too far from the others. As he lunged, he thought to himself, Enough of playing around. Time to end this.
Jake smashed into the back of the gangster, sending him sprawling face-first onto the ground. He perched atop the fallen man, pinning him down firmly and ensuring he couldn¡¯t escape. The other three immediately turned toward the sudden commotion. While it was impossible for them to see him straddling the prone form of their companion, the distortion in the air and the sight of the struggling gangster were clear indicators that something was restraining him.
The three gangsters raised their weapons, aiming in his general direction. However, before they could open fire, Jake sprouted three long, bladed tentacles from his back and lashed out at them. Two of the tentacles swept the feet from beneath two gangsters, sending them crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
The third one managed to dart to the side, but Jake lashed out with the third tentacle, slicing the human¡¯s throat open. The gangster¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he lost his balance and fell, his fingers wrapped around his wounded throat. He was gravely injured, but Jake knew from experience that people in this world were far more resilient than their pre-Collapse counterparts. He knew he could reach the gangster long before he bled to death.
The remaining two gangsters attempted to rise, but Jake quickly used his tentacles to pin them back to the ground. He thrust one tentacle into a gangster¡¯s shoulder, holding him down with unwavering strength. The final gangster, the burly man covered in tattoos, proved to be stronger than the others, so Jake employed two tentacles to subdue him, stabbing into his gut and shoulder. The burly man snarled in pain and anger, desperately attempting to pull the tentacles from his body, but he stood no chance against Jake¡¯s inhuman strength.
Now that all the gangsters were neutralized, Jake turned his attention to the human beneath him. He grabbed the back of the man¡¯s head with one hand and activated Mind Reader. The upgraded ability functioned much better and faster now, allowing him to access several hours¡¯ worth of the person¡¯s memories in just a few seconds. Afterward, he checked the status of the ability¡ªthe progression bar increased by 7%, bringing it to 92%.
Having no further use for the gangster beneath him, Jake morphed one hand into a smashfist and delivered a powerful blow to the back of the man¡¯s head, causing it to burst apart. Keeping the other two gangsters pinned down with his tentacles, Jake jumped on the man wounded in the throat and repeated the process, using Mind Reader and bringing its progress bar to 98% before finishing off the human. His next target was the burly gangster. Once he was done with him, the ability finally reached 100%. After that, Jake immediately used his last skill point from the most recent level-up to upgrade Mind Reader to Rank III.
His tentacles detached, but that was fine as he no longer needed them. The last remaining gangster, wounded in the shoulder, struggled to get up. Jake jumped on top of him, using the full weight of his body to pin him down. Grasping the man¡¯s head with his normal hand, he activated Mind Reader. With the ability now at Rank III, he could access several days¡¯ worth of memories instead of just a few hours. The upgraded ability allowed him to view them incredibly quickly and even skip to specific or notable moments. After finishing viewing the man¡¯s memories, he learned where he and his now-dead companions holed up at night. After slaying the gangster, Jake stood up.
He parted his massive jaws, forming a nightmarish semblance of a grin. He had finally uncovered the location of Los Demonios¡¯ base.
Gotcha, you sonofabitches, he thought grimly.
Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Jake sprinted through the overgrown streets, heading for the Los Demonios¡¯ base. After extracting information from the last gangster he had slain, he learned the exact location of the base. His Enhanced Intelligence functioned much like a GPS, forming a detailed mental map in his mind and guiding him to his destination.
The base was situated in a part of the city where he had not been in quite a while. The last time he visited that area, there had been no base, as there had not been a significant presence of Los Demonios in the city at that time. This meant the gangsters must have established the base only recently. The realization sparked numerous questions in Jake¡¯s mind, and he hoped to find the answers soon.
After watching several days¡¯ worth of the gangster¡¯s memories, Jake discovered that the man had joined the gang just a few days ago. By that time, the gang had already set up their base, leaving Jake without crucial information about when exactly it happened or where its resources came from. He hoped that he would eventually piece together those missing details.
As he neared his destination, Jake slowed down. His Cloak was disabled, as the ability consumed a significant amount of mana, especially during active movement, working in overdrive to keep him concealed. For this reason, Jake only activated Cloak when he truly needed to hide himself and kept it turned off while simply navigating the city. Now, drawing closer to the Los Demonios base, he activated the ability, rendering himself nearly invisible as he transitioned to a jog.
At some point, Jake halted completely to gather his thoughts. The base was situated about half a block ahead. He recalled there used to be an open area there. It had likely been a small park before the Collapse. From what he had gleaned from the gangster¡¯s memories, this once-open space was now home to their base. Rather than sprinting out into the open and risking being detected, Jake decided to take a different approach.
He approached one of the high-rises on the right side of the street and jumped, activating Gravity Leap. As he reached the peak of his ascent, he executed a second jump, as if pushing off an invisible solid surface. He soared a few more meters up, defying gravity until his upward momentum started to wane. Quickly, he pressed the tips of his fingers and toes against the building wall, employing Adhesive Secretion. The glue-like substance oozing from the small pores on his textured body anchored him securely to the wall. Moving like a giant insect, he began to crawl across the facade.
When he reached the corner, Jake propelled himself off the wall, executing a mana-infused jump. Dashing through the air like a powerful projectile, he flew across the gap to the next building. Upon hitting its wall, Adhesive Secretion took effect once more, firmly anchoring him to the surface. Jake crawled across the walls of the buildings, jumping from one high-rise to another, gradually closing in on his destination. At one point, he activated Cloak as he neared the base and wanted to avoid detection.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Finally, he reached the last building in the block. He crawled from one exterior wall to the one overlooking what had once been a small park. As expected, he was greeted by the sight of the Los Demonios base, which occupied the entire area where the park had once been. The base was surrounded by sturdy concrete walls, several meters tall, obscuring his view of the inside.
Undeterred, Jake crawled a few floors up the side of the building until he achieved a bird¡¯s-eye view of the base. He turned around so as his back was to the wall behind him now, still pressing his hands and feet to the building. Clinging to the wall, completely motionless and invisible, he studied the complex below.
Inside the tall concrete walls sat several buildings, along with various strange-looking structures and large contraptions he had never seen in his life before. He could only speculate on what they were used for. Dominating the center of the base was the largest building, a boxy two-story concrete structure with a flat roof. Encircling this main facility were smaller buildings, an array of strange mechanisms, and a few tents scattered about.
Walkways ran along the inner sides of the perimeter walls, patrolled by armed guards who surveyed the area outside the base. At the corners stood watchtowers fitted with turrets, which seemed to be operated either autonomously by an AI or remotely by an operator, possibly stationed in the main building or one of the smaller structures. The turrets had the capacity to rotate a full 360 degrees, though their barrels were currently aimed outward. Jake noticed the barrels slowly sweeping from side to side, scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that these turrets were fully operated by an AI.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but marvel at what he was seeing. Back when he was a survivor, he had learned that there was a crafting system in this world. While he had never had the opportunity to learn how it worked, he had assumed it would let him create small items or simple contraptions. However, observing the base below, he realized the crafting system allowed survivors to construct not just makeshift items, but entire fortified bases equipped with advanced technologies like those sophisticated turrets that could automatically target threats.
Jake also couldn¡¯t help but wonder where the resources for such an advanced base came from. The regular survivors he had encountered took refuge in various rooms of existing high-rise buildings. This base was something entirely different¡ªit had been built from scratch, having come into existence only a couple of weeks ago. Jake was eager to learn how Los Demonios had managed to create such a facility while the average survivors seemed unable to accomplish anything remotely similar.
He knew his ultimate goal was to obliterate Los Demonios, erasing that bandit organization from existence. Yet, he found himself intrigued by the inner workings of the base and was eager to learn how everything operated within the base. Instead of immediately charging in to recklessly wreak havoc, he felt compelled to gather more information. Therefore, he chose to stay put for a while, taking the time to scrutinize the facility and discover how things worked within its walls.
There were people milling about inside the base, engaged in various tasks that kept the place running smoothly. Scattered throughout the camp, various structures and contraptions hummed with activity, producing an array of items. Jake, feeling a mix of curiosity and awe, pressed himself against the cool stone wall of the building. Captivated by the hustle and bustle, he intently watched the daily routine play out within the base down below.
Chapter 158
Chapter 158
Jake felt a wave of excitement wash through him as he finally laid eyes on the Los Demonios base. However, while he had finally pinpointed the base of the bandit gang he had declared war on, he was reluctant to be hasty. So he spent the next several hours taking in the activity within the tall perimeter walls, pondering his next move.
As he had already noticed, various structures and contraptions lay scattered around the camp. They hummed with activity, churning out essential supplies like food, tools, and ammo. The base seemed to be self-sufficient, producing everything its inhabitants needed to survive in this harsh world. The air was filled with the sounds of machinery, voices, and the roar of the engines of vehicles, which occasionally drove in or out of the base.
So, this was the stronghold he had vowed to take down, and now it was right in front of him. He carefully absorbed everything¡ªthe towering perimeter walls that loomed above the base, the vigilant guards patrolling the grounds, the AI-controlled turrets scanning the area outside, and the constant activity within. From his vantage point, he could see clusters of people engaged in various tasks: some tinkering with makeshift machines, others hauling supplies, and a few deep in discussion, perhaps planning their next raid.
Jake paid special attention to the people inside the base. He noticed that not all of them wore red bandanas or scarves. Those who did were legitimate members of the gang, each armed and carrying themselves with an overconfident demeanor, acting like they owned the place. The other group of people was unnamed and not wearing anything red. From the way they were treated, it was obvious they weren¡¯t members of the gang, but rather regular survivors who had been captured and coerced to do manual labor for the gang.
The workers toiled diligently to keep the facility running smoothly, conducting maintenance on various mechanisms and contraptions. They were probably categorized as machinery mechanics or engineers based on their skills. Each peculiar, large mechanism featured a computer panel integrated into one of its surfaces, and Jake frequently saw workers stepping up to read the data displayed on the screens. Other workers collected items from the contraptions that had produced goods and carried them to what appeared to be storage units.
The armed gang members who weren¡¯t engaged in patrolling the area or any other activities watched the workers, occasionally yelling at them to work harder and faster, even though the workers were too scared to slack off. The bandits snapped at the workers for visibly no other reason than to assert their dominance.
At one point, Jake even witnessed a gangster stride up to a worker reading data from a contraption¡¯s screen and suddenly strike him with the butt of his assault rifle, sending the unfortunate worker sprawling to the ground. The bandit followed up by kicking him in the ribs for good measure.
When the worker finally got to his feet, blood trickled down from the side of his head where he had been struck. The gangster shouted at him, but Jake was too far away to hear the exact words, leaving him puzzled about the cause of the bandit¡¯s fury. Had the worker actually done something wrong, or had the gangster simply taken out his pent-up anger on him? Jake couldn¡¯t tell. The worker resumed his duties, a trickle of blood running from the wound. The poor guy wasn¡¯t even offered a stim to heal himself.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Then the bandit left the worker alone, and the latter continued to work on the large device, occasionally stealing quick glances at the screen to read the data. The nearby workers pretended not to notice the brief act of mindless violence that had just occurred. As the aggressive bandit strode past them, they averted their gazes, concentrating intently on their own assignments and hoping he wouldn¡¯t take his anger out on them next. They made every effort to appear fully occupied and hard at work.
Some of the workers visibly trembled with fear as the bandit sauntered by. He couldn¡¯t help but notice the effect he had on them, relishing every second, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips. Though he was just a regular soldier in the gang, he took pleasure in the power he wielded over the ordinary workers. While the other gangsters refrained from violence at that moment, they clearly treated the workers in a similar manner, regarding them with the same contempt.
Jake was torn by conflicting feelings. Anger bubbled inside of him as he eyed the gang responsible for so much suffering. Yet, a spark of curiosity flickered within him as well. How had Los Demonios managed to achieve this entirely self-sustained operation? The ingenuity it took to build such a place intrigued him, even if it was for nefarious purposes. He wondered where the resources to build this facility had come from. He longed to know.
As he continued to observe the activity within the perimeter walls, Jake carefully pondered his next move. Although he didn¡¯t plan to launch an immediate assault on the base, thoughts of an attack were already brewing. A Gravity Leap followed by a double jump could easily take him over the tall perimeter walls and onto the base grounds. However, charging in recklessly could lead to a failure¡ªor worse, death. Jake was confident in his ability to deal with the bandits, but he had no idea how powerful the turrets that topped the watchtowers might be. Before initiating an attack, he knew he needed to gather more intelligence, learn his foes¡¯ patterns, and pinpoint vulnerabilities in their defenses. After all, information could be as powerful as any weapon.
Jake continued to patiently observe the movements inside the compound, noting the patterns in the guards¡¯ shifts and the behavior of the AI-operated turrets. He knew he needed to remain hidden, biding his time until the right moment arose. It wasn¡¯t just about obliteration, but it was about dismantling Los Demonios from the inside out, crippling their operations in a way that would ensure they couldn¡¯t simply rebuild. Destroying this base would only be the first step toward accomplishing his goal, as it was clear that this location wasn¡¯t their main stronghold¡ªit was just too small for that.
He was aware that the gang had an impressive fleet of vehicles, including not just cars but also numerous helicopters. There had to be many more members in the gang, yet the base below appeared capable of housing only a few dozen people in total. The small parking area inside the base contained a couple of large SUVs, and there was only enough space left for a handful of additional vehicles.
On the eastern side of the base was the only helipad, and it was currently empty. There weren¡¯t any other suitable landing spots for helicopters within the compound. Clearly, this base was merely one of many controlled by Los Demonios, and it certainly wasn¡¯t their main operational hub. Wherever land vehicles and aircraft belonging to the gang were manufactured, it definitely wasn¡¯t done here. Jake was convinced that all the gang¡¯s vehicles were created from scratch, not scavenged, because they didn¡¯t have a post-apocalyptic look to them. Instead, they appeared pristine, brand-new, as if produced in factories. Some of the vehicles, particularly the aircraft and motorbikes, even sported futuristic designs. While the base produced some survival necessities and equipment, it was obvious that larger items like vehicles were manufactured elsewhere.
Suddenly, a disturbance broke out at the farthest side of the base from his position, and Jake quickly turned his attention to that area to see what was going on.
Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Jake¡¯s gaze fell on one of the strange, box-like contraptions, roughly the size of a sedan, which suddenly began to emit black smoke from various openings and gaps. A worker who had been attending to the device rushed over to a panel screen set into one side. Waving his hand to disperse the smoke around him, he gazed at the data displayed on the screen, attempting to figure out what had gone wrong.
Three nearby bandits rushed over and began shouting at him all at the same time. One of the gangsters then struck the worker in the gut with the buttstock of his shotgun, causing the unfortunate man to double over in pain. Another bandit hit him on the back of the head, sending him crashing to the ground. As if on cue, the three bandits converged on the prostrate form of the fallen worker, kicking him with their heavy boots and striking him with the butts of their weapons.
A few minutes later, the bandits left him alone, bruised and bleeding. One of them signaled for three nearby workers to come over. He ordered one to drag the wounded worker away while the other two were to repair the machinery that was still belching out billows of black smoke. Jake watched as the first worker pulled the injured man across the base and toward one of the tents, where he began to tend to him.
The worker quickly glanced around, and when he saw that none of the gangsters were paying attention, he discreetly administered a stim to the injured man. After giving the recovering worker a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he hurried back to his duties before any of the bandits could suspect him of slacking off or punish him for healing the wounded worker without permission.
Jake turned his attention back to the malfunctioning machinery. The other two workers quickly fixed it, and the black smoke stopped billowing from it. After that, Jake got curious. What exactly were all those pieces of machinery scattered around the base? He already knew what some of them were, but he didn¡¯t know how exactly they worked. Until now, he had mostly focused on the people inside the base, so he decided to take a moment to examine various contraptions more closely.
When he concentrated on the recently repaired machine, he suddenly realized he could access its stats in the same way he did with survivors and mutants.
Fabricator - Level 4
No additional information appeared, but from its name alone, it was clear it could create items. Also, during the past several hours of observing activities within the perimeter walls, he had seen similar machines produce bullets of various calibers. However, he had a feeling that Fabricators might be capable of creating a wider range of items, not just ammunition.
Fabricators were indeed incredibly useful machines, so it was no surprise the bandits lost it when they saw one begin to malfunction. However, that didn¡¯t excuse their brutal treatment of the worker. While they would soon get what was coming to them, Jake chose not to act hastily. He first wanted to gather more information about the gang and their base to understand how everything worked within it.
Now that he knew he could access information about the various structures within the base, Jake examined them one by one. His attention first fell on the largest building, situated at the center of the base. It was a two-story, boxy structure with a flat roof. With a thought, Jake summoned its stats.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The HQ - Level 5
Jake then shifted his attention to the other structures and contraptions spread throughout the area, calling up their statistics one after another.
Storage Unit
In contrast to the other structures, the storage units lacked game-like levels. They were arranged along the inner side of one of the perimeter walls.
Cannery - Level 3
Several canneries were grouped together on the eastern side of the base, varying in levels but none higher than level 5. Each cannery was box-shaped and approximately the size of an SUV. They trembled slightly and hummed as they worked. Occasionally, a cannery produced several tin cans at once, which a nearby worker then carried to one of the storage units.
Watchtower
Like the storage units, the watchtowers did not have levels. However, the turrets positioned on top of them did.
Machine Gun Turret - Level 5
Jake examined each of the turrets guarding the base and noted that all of them were at Level 5.
Recycler - Level 4
The Recycler was another boxy contraption, the size of a car, but it was not in use at the moment. Its name made its purpose clear. There was only one Recycler within the base.
Sawmill - Level 3
It was another boxy device, somewhat larger than most other contraptions, measuring about two cars in length. There was only one Sawmill inside the base, and judging by its slightly vibrating frame, it was in use. Just as he was watching the Sawmill, its front panel suddenly slid open, revealing a long platform that extended outward, carrying ideal-looking wooden planks.
Two nearby workers heaved the planks off the platform and stacked them next to the Sawmill. The platform then slid back inside, and the panel closed as well. The same two workers strode toward one of the storage units and vanished inside. A minute later, they reappeared, pushing a cart that contained various broken pieces of wood.
The two workers maneuvered the cart to the far end of the Sawmill, opened the back panel, and began placing all the broken pieces of wood inside. Once the cart was empty, one of the workers closed the panel and pressed a button, activating the Sawmill, which started to vibrate and hum once more. So, this was how it worked: scraps of wood scavenged from around the city were fed into the Sawmill, where they magically converted into brand-new planks.
Smelter - Level 4
It was a spheroid-shaped device. Although it wasn¡¯t in use at the moment, Jake guessed it probably operated somewhat similarly to the Sawmill¡ªmetal scraps were placed inside, where they miraculously transformed into ingots.
There was another building that he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to yet. Even before pulling up its statistics, Jake could already guess its purpose based on its appearance alone.
Hydroponics - Level 5
So, this was where they cultivated their food.
Several tents were set up on the western side of the base, though they didn¡¯t have any statistics available.
While inspecting all these various structures and devices that created different products, Jake noticed a couple of interesting things about them.
First, none of the structures had a level higher than 5. This immediately made him think of the HQ, which was at level 5 as well. Perhaps the different structures couldn¡¯t achieve a level higher than that of the HQ. It seemed likely that the HQ needed to be upgraded before they could progress further.
Second, Jake noticed that all the contraptions producing various items operated on magical energy extracted from different mana items. On more than one occasion, Jake watched as a worker stepped up to a contraption, opened a specific slot, and inserted a mana consumable inside.
Suddenly, Jake was jolted from his musing by the roar of gunfire and the revving of a powerful engine nearby. Still clinging to the building¡¯s wall and remaining completely invisible, he turned his head to see what was happening. He spotted a pickup truck speeding toward the base, with mutants hot on its tail.
Chapter 160
Chapter 160
Jake watched as the pickup truck screeched to a halt in front of the gates, which were slowly sliding open. A gangster manning the machine gun mounted in the truck¡¯s bed unleashed a barrage of bullets at the approaching mutants. Low-level walkers dropped like flies under the heavy fire, but a couple of shamblers continued to charge after the now motionless truck. Those massive ex-humans were nearly bulletproof, thanks to the organic layer that shielded most of their bodies.
As soon as the two turrets atop the front watchtowers spotted the mutants, they zeroed in and opened fire. To Jake¡¯s surprise, the turrets turned out to be incredibly powerful, shredding the two massive shamblers to pieces in mere seconds. The person in the truck¡¯s bed finished off the remaining walkers. By the time the gates were fully open, all the ex-humans that had been pursuing the pickup truck were dealt with. The vehicle pulled into the base and rolled to a stop in front of the headquarters.
The person in the truck¡¯s bed jumped down to the ground and was immediately approached by some of the bandits. From the way the newcomer carried himself and how the gangsters around him fawned over him, it was clear he was the leader. He might not be the supreme leader of Los Demonios, but he was undoubtedly in charge of this particular base. The bandits gathered around him appeared to be updating him on what had occurred inside the base while he was away.
Watching the boss saunter around the base, Jake checked his stats. The gang leader¡¯s name was Miller, and his level was 185. As Miller continued to stroll through the base, inspecting various contraptions producing different goods, three bandits¡ªevidently his closest subordinates¡ªhurried after him. Jake noticed that the regular workers struggled to keep from trembling as the gang leader passed by. It was clear he was extremely ruthless, and the workers were visibly terrified of him.
Jake was still clinging to the front of the building, completely unnoticed by the residents of the base. He knew Los Demonios had ways to track him through a specific app on their PDAs. However, it appeared that only those engaged in the mission to find and kill him had access to the scanner. While the gang leader, Skullface, had this mission, he could only assign it to one member at a time, not to all at once. And it seemed that none of the occupants of this particular base currently had the mission, meaning they had no way of knowing Jake was nearby.
Miller stopped next to the stacks of planks recently produced by the Sawmill. He turned to one of the bandits trailing him and asked a question. The bandit shook his head and replied something, pointing toward the storage structures. Jake wasn¡¯t sure what they were discussing. Had they run out of space in the storage units? Miller went silent for a moment. Then, he took out his PDA and spent a couple of minutes checking something on the screen. The three bandits nearby waited patiently.
A moment later, Miller looked up from his PDA. He briefly glanced at the gray sky, where heavy clouds obscured the sun and the blue above, casting the city in a grim light. Shifting his attention back to his men, he said something. One of them nodded and looked around. Noticing a couple of nearby bandits, he waved them over. When they approached, Miller gave them some instructions, first pointing at the pickup truck he had arrived in and then at the stacks of planks.
The two bandits nodded and then sprinted to the pickup truck parked in front of the HQ. It seemed that when Miller issued orders, his men were expected to obey quickly, without the slightest delay. Jake watched as the pair of bandits dismantled the machine gun mounted in the truck bed before driving the vehicle to the Sawmill. Once there, they loaded the planks into the truck¡¯s bed, which wasn¡¯t designed to haul long lumber. However, they securely strapped the planks, making it safe to transport them in the vehicle.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
After the two bandits climbed into the cab, Miller approached the driver¡¯s window, which was rolled down, and gave further instructions, pointing at the screen of his PDA, which displayed a map of the city. After that, the driver started to slowly weave his way around the base, carefully maneuvering past various structures in an effort to guide the large vehicle loaded with long lumber back to the gates. The layout of the base was far from ideal for driving cars around.
Miller and three other bandits approached the tent, near which sat a worker who had recently been beaten after a malfunction occurred with the Fabricator he was responsible for. The poor man quickly stood up, visibly trembling. Miller said something to him, causing the worker to shake even more. It was an incredibly tense moment. However, the gang leader then spoke again and took a step back. The worker glanced at Miller, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. He then nodded enthusiastically and returned to his duties, walking over to work on another contraption. From their body language, Jake guessed the worker must have been forgiven this time but warned that if he made another mistake, he would face severe punishment.
The pickup truck had already reached the gates and was waiting for them to slide open. Jake really wanted to follow the truck to see where the resources were headed. However, as he prepared to crawl down the wall, he noticed something. A bandit burst out of the HQ, glanced around, and upon spotting Miller, ran toward him. Actively gesturing, he said something to the gang leader. From the gang leader¡¯s body language, Jake could tell that Miller got excited by whatever information he had just received. They then strode to the HQ and disappeared inside. Curiosity gnawed at Jake as he wondered what was unfolding behind those walls.
The gates fully opened, and the pickup truck began to roll out of the base. Jake felt torn: he wanted to follow the vehicle to see where the resources were being taken, but he was also curious about what was happening in the HQ. He shifted his gaze to the central building.
The HQ - Level 5 (Upgrade in Progress)
Current Status: 1% Complete
Estimated Time Remaining: 23 hours 59 minutes 54 seconds
So this was what was happening. Some requirements must have just been met, and Miller had activated the upgrade process. Jake was really curious about what would occur when the HQ upgraded to Level 6. Clearly, all the other structures and contraptions within the base would be eligible for upgrades up to Level 6 as well. But what if that wasn¡¯t all? What if new types of structures would become available for construction? Jake was itching to know what changes would unfold inside the base once the HQ completed its upgrade to Level 6. That¡¯s why he decided not to create havoc inside the base just yet. Instead, he would wait until tomorrow, returning to the base in twenty-four hours to witness the transformation after the upgrade. After all, he needed to understand how things worked for regular survivors. Information was a powerful weapon.
The pickup truck had already driven out of the base, took a left, and disappeared into the distance. However, Jake knew that the route the truck took led through an area of the city riddled with enormous chasms. The vehicle would have to slow to a crawl to maneuver safely around those perilous cracks. If Jake hurried, he should be able to catch up to the truck before it made it past the chasms.
He released his grip on the wall and dropped straight down to the street below, landing without taking any damage from the fall at all. After quickly turning in the direction the truck had gone, he broke into a sprint, eager to learn where the freshly produced lumber was headed.
Chapter 161
Chapter 161
As Jake had predicted, the pickup truck had to slow down to navigate through the section of the city marred by giant chasms, giving him a chance to catch up. By the time he reached that area, the truck was maneuvering around the last crack. Beyond it lay a clear, undamaged stretch of road. Once the driver hit that stretch, he could accelerate, and Jake would lose his target.
A thought crossed his mind to reach the pickup truck and jump into its bed. However, he quickly realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to navigate through the cracked section of the street before the vehicle finished maneuvering around the last crack. He simply didn¡¯t have enough time for that. Besides, getting too close to the truck was too risky. While the Cloak was still active, it struggled to keep up with his rapid movements, causing visible distortions in the air. Jake wanted to avoid detection at all costs.
Chasing after the pickup truck wasn¡¯t a great idea either. He wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up for long, and its occupants would eventually spot him in the rearview mirror. Additionally, continuing to run with the Cloak activated would deplete his mana quickly, and if he turned it off, he would be even more easily detected. If they noticed him, the occupants might get spooked, and he could never find out where the resources were headed.
So, he decided to take a different approach. He executed a Gravity Leap toward the nearby building. Once he reached the peak of the jump, he pressed himself against the wall, his Adhesive Secretion securely anchoring him in place. Without wasting a moment, he crawled upward as quickly as he could. Once atop the rooftop, he leaned over the edge to survey the streets ten stories below. The pickup truck had already cleared the last crack and was now speeding along the open stretch of road. He had to hurry.
He sprinted across the roof, heading in the same direction as the vehicle. He no longer needed to remain camouflaged, so he turned off the Cloak to conserve mana. As he reached the edge of the roof, he performed a mana-infused jump toward the next building. Upon landing, he continued to run along the edge, making sure he kept the pickup truck in view.
For several minutes, Jake leaped from one rooftop to another, carefully trailing the pickup truck and ensuring he didn¡¯t lose sight of it. Occasionally, the vehicle slowed slightly to navigate turns, which helped him stay somewhat close. However, the distance between them was steadily increasing. Jake was moving as quickly as he could, but the pickup truck continued to pull away. After every turn, the vehicle accelerated on the clear stretches of road. He hoped the truck¡¯s destination wouldn¡¯t be too far, because otherwise, he risked losing it entirely.
At one point, the vehicle reached a long stretch of undamaged road. Aside from some grass poking through small cracks in the asphalt, there were no obstructions along the entire length, allowing the pickup truck to accelerate to its top speed. The gap between Jake and the vehicle began to widen by the second. He realized he would soon lose sight of his target, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Suddenly, a helicopter appeared a few blocks up ahead. It descended until it came to a hover ten to fifteen meters over a large four-way intersection. A cable was lowered from the chopper, with a carabiner at its end hanging just above the ground. The pickup truck slowed as it neared the intersection.
When the vehicle finally came to a stop, the two bandits climbed out and walked over to the truck¡¯s bed. Moving swiftly and with a professionalism that suggested they had done this many times before, they unstrapped the bundle of planks from the vehicle and secured it to the dangling cable. Once they completed the task, one bandit glanced upward and signaled to the pilot. The helicopter quickly started to ascend.
When Jake arrived at the building looming over the intersection, the helicopter was already fading into the distance, transporting the lumber. He watched as it became nothing more than a speck against the gray sky, pondering where it might be headed. Maybe to the main base? Jake instinctively felt that wherever the main base of Los Demonios was, it lay beyond the city¡¯s borders. That was fine¡ªhe would find it eventually. With the ability to access several days¡¯ worth of a person¡¯s memories, he could learn everything he needed about Los Demonios simply by using Mind Reader on the gang members.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
He then leaned over the edge of the roof to look at the two bandits standing in the middle of the four-way intersection. They were discussing something, occasionally glancing at the PDAs in their hands. At first, Jake thought they might be heading back to their base, but it soon became clear they had different plans for now. Intrigued, he continued to watch them. Eventually, they climbed back into their car and drove slowly to the building across the street from where Jake was positioned. After parking along the curb, they exited the vehicle and each grabbed a sledgehammer from the back before heading into the building.
Curious about what was going on, Jake decided to investigate. It didn¡¯t take him long to climb down to street level. With the Cloak up, he entered the building the two bandits had just vanished into. To avoid detection, Jake pressed himself against one wall and crawled upward. Once he reached the ceiling, he continued to move across it like a giant insect, following the sounds the bandits were creating somewhere deeper inside. Their ruckus made it extremely easy to locate them.
When Jake finally spotted them, he froze, clinging to the ceiling. The two bandits were swinging their sledgehammers at an old piece of wooden furniture on the far side of the expansive room, breaking it apart with ease. They created quite a commotion, but it didn¡¯t seem to faze them. There were no mutants in the vicinity, and they were clearly aware of that¡ªthey likely scanned the building before entering to ensure it was devoid of ex-humans.
Having smashed all the wooden furniture into a heap of rubble, the two bandits took a moment to catch their breath. Then one of them gestured toward a metal cabinet in the corner and proposed they break it down as well. The other shook his head and retrieved a small handheld device from his rucksack. The two engaged in a brief argument, with the one holding the device advocating for its use, while the other insisted on saving the energy for later.
In the end, the bandit with the device proved to be more stubborn than his companion. He approached the corner of the room and aimed the business end of the device at the metal cabinet. When he pressed the trigger, a blue beam shot forth from the barrel. He held the trigger down, enveloping the cabinet in the blue glow. Jake watched as the metal cabinet trembled, cracks appearing across its surface. Suddenly, there was a series of loud cracks, and the cabinet broke apart into several jagged pieces. Once it was done, the bandit released the trigger, and the device stopped emitting the blue beam.
Jake took a moment to examine the device in the bandit¡¯s hand more closely. He could tell it was a magic-powered device that worked on mana. He even spotted a slot for inserting a mana consumable. Clearly, using this device was a much faster and easier way to dismantle an object compared to smashing it with sledgehammers. However, the device worked on mana, and mana consumables were hard to come by. This was the reason for the argument between the two bandits: one wanted to speed up the resource collection process, while the other urged him to conserve the magical energy for more urgent use.
After that, the two bandits began collecting the broken pieces of wood and metal and hauling them outside. It took them several trips to gather all the debris and load it into the truck¡¯s bed. So, this was how survivors gathered resources¡ªat least in this case¡ªthey systematically dismantled furniture and various objects found throughout the city to salvage the fragments. Once the truck was packed with wood scraps, the bandits drove off in the direction of their base. Jake decided not to follow, as he already knew what would happen next: the wooden scraps would be taken to the Sawmill, and then the magic-powered contraption would convert them into brand-new planks.
Jake paused to gather his thoughts. He had previously decided to wait twenty-four hours for the HQ at the Los Demonios base he had recently discovered to upgrade to Level 6. He was genuinely curious about the changes that would occur in the base once the HQ reached the next level. In the meantime, he could continue his daily routine of hunting for XP and searching for mana.
He was currently at Level 74 and only needed to level up one more time to meet all the requirements for evolving into Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡±. Once he leveled up to 75, he would finally be able to transform into the next form, becoming stronger and getting access to a range of new skills and abilities. He estimated it would take him about a day, or perhaps even less, to level up.
After that, he would evolve into the next stage. Then, once twenty-four hours had passed, he planned to return to the Los Demonios base he had recently discovered to see what changes occurred after the HQ upgraded to Level 6. After gathering that information, he would decide what to do next, likely adhering to his original plan to unleash chaos on the base. With this in mind, he set off.
Chapter 162
Chapter 162
As the sun rose, it cast a warm glow over the streets. Jake could feel the sun¡¯s warm rays on his skin as he sprinted through the overgrown streets. He had spent the night searching for mana consumables and had accumulated quite a bit of mana. His next step was to head to the sewers for a regular cleanup of their mutated inhabitants. During this clearing, he expected to finally level up to 75.
Once he leveled up, he could evolve into the next stage. He intended to take some time to assess the changes that would occur post-evolution and check out the new skills and abilities that would become available for learning. He figured he¡¯d spend half a day roaming the city and hunting ex-humans to get used to his new form. When he had evolved from Stage 1: ¡°Primordial Form¡± to Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±, his body had changed¡ªhe grew taller, gained longer limbs, and developed a menacing set of jaws lined with razor-sharp triangular teeth.
Given his past experiences, he was sure that evolving into Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡± would bring about further transformations in his body. He planned to take some time to adjust to these changes, just as he had done after his last evolution. After getting accustomed to his new form, he would head to the Los Demonios base he had recently discovered to see the changes that took place after the HQ¡¯s upgrade to Level 6. That was his plan for the day.
He continued to run through the desolate streets, heading toward the section of the city that had access to the underground tunnels. It was quite quiet, as most of the survivors, including Los Demonios, had yet to start their day and were likely just waking up. Jake kept running, swishing through the tall grass that pushed through the cracks in the asphalt, barely making any noise as he moved.
Suddenly, his enhanced sense of smell caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent he had never encountered before, causing him to slow to a jog. He focused on the scent, trying to identify it. It was very faint, almost undetectable, indicating that whatever was emitting the scent was quite far away. However, Jake was certain that the scent was coming from the direction he was headed.
He picked up his pace again, continuing in the same direction. As he anticipated, the scent grew stronger as he approached its source. However, it was not a pleasant odor. Whatever it was, it had an awful stench. As Jake focused on the smell again, trying to identify it, a system message suddenly flashed through his mind.
New Hunt!
Objective: Track down and defeat an elite ex-human abomination.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: 25,000 XP, 50,000 MP
Accept: Y/N
So that was the source of the stench: an elite mutant was nearby, emitting a foul body odor. Jake took a moment to examine the details of the quest. It was labeled Very Hard, so it was clear he shouldn¡¯t anticipate an easy victory.
The last Hunt quest he had completed was to slay a magical creature known as a wood golem. That quest was rated Hard and had left Jake figuratively sweating. The reward was an Epic ability called Ground Strike, which was located in the third section of the Genetic Development Interface, so he would only be able to acquire it after evolving into the next stage. The same applied to the Morph Disguise ability he had obtained earlier. This ability was also Epic, and it was placed in the third section of the skill store as well, meaning it would become available for acquisition only after he evolved into Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡±.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Unlike the previous Hunt, which was rated Hard, this one was classified as Very Hard and didn¡¯t offer any new abilities as a reward. Nevertheless, the rewards of 25,000 XP and 50,000 MP were quite appealing. He had gathered a significant amount of mana the night before, and if he successfully completed this Hunt, he would have a substantial reserve of mana at his disposal.
With all that mana, he would be able to acquire all the remaining skills and abilities from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface: the Spikes ability, the Adaptive Armor skill, and the Serpentine Form ability. He was eager to obtain all of them before evolving to Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡± so he could focus exclusively on gaining new skills and abilities once he completed the next stage of evolution.
So Jake accepted the quest and pressed on. Tracking down the elite ex-human known as the abomination was relatively easy, as he only needed to follow its scent. Eventually, he arrived at a massive crack that ran across the street, providing access to the sewers below. The scent wafted up from down there, indicating that the abomination was lurking somewhere in the underground tunnels. This was quite convenient, as it meant he could tackle two objectives in the same place.
He jumped into the underground tunnel below, landing in the center and sending splashes of murky water flying in every direction. The foul odor was even stronger now. Jake oriented himself toward the source of the stench and set off. For the next several minutes, he navigated the sewers, heading toward the source of the scent and slaying all the mutants in his path.
Finally, he reached his destination. He entered a long, wide tunnel with a high ceiling and immediately halted upon spotting an enormous ex-human halfway down the passage. The rancid smell emanating from the mutant should have been overwhelming at this distance, but surprisingly, Jake was completely unfazed by it. He took a moment to assess his opponent. The creature was massive¡ªseveral meters tall. Jake was tall himself, but even so, the top of his head barely reached the ex-human¡¯s waist.
The mutant was not only foul-smelling but also an eyesore. It possessed a humanoid shape, with two thick legs and arms that were as sturdy as logs. The creature appeared to be a grotesque amalgamation of numerous human bodies fused together. Hands, feet, and even faces protruded from various areas of the ex-human¡¯s form. The sight was truly disturbing¡ªnerve-wracking, even. That is, it should have been if Jake had any nerves. Cold as stone, he felt little in reaction to the repulsive figure standing before him.
With a thought, he called up the ex-human¡¯s description.
Abomination ¨C Level 115 (Elite)
Special abilities:
Minion Creation ¨C The mutant can create minions out of its own body.
Hurl ¨C The mutant can rip pieces of flesh out of itself and turn them into powerful projectiles.
Swallow ¨C The mutant can breathe in air with great force, sucking in everything within several meters of it.
It was disconcerting. The abomination surpassed him by 41 levels. He had never fought an enemy that was so much stronger than him. Not that he was willing to back down. He was determined to take on the abomination. However, he knew the fight wouldn¡¯t be easy, that much was for damn sure.
He also used his Enemy Appraisal perk on the Abomination to check its attributes and identify its weaknesses.
Abomination ¨C Level 115 (Elite)
Body: 175
Mind: 45
Magick: 85
Elemental weaknesses: Acid, Explosive
Having gathered all the information he could about his opponent, Jake took a moment to ready himself for battle. Then, he launched himself at the towering ex-human.
Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Jake charged down the tunnel toward the abomination, morphing his right hand into a smashfist, his second favorite weapon after Claws. He also transformed the fingers of his left hand into long, curved talons. Then he jumped, using the waterlogged floor of the tunnel to propel himself forward and upward with great force.
He soared through the air toward the colossal ex-human like a missile fired from a cannon, crashing into the center of the abomination¡¯s torso a second later. He struck the massive beast with the force of a freight train¡ªor so he thought. Yet, aside from taking a slight step back, the beast seemed completely unfazed by the impact.
Immediately upon hitting the monster¡¯s upper body, Jake plunged the claws of his left hand into the creature¡¯s flesh, anchoring himself. The ex-human¡¯s muscle structure was dense, yet he managed to embed his talons about an inch into it. He attempted to secure himself further by pressing his toes against the beast¡¯s body, but as it turned out, the abomination¡¯s skin was slick with some liquid oozing from all its pores, rendering Adhesive Secretion useless.
Maintaining his grip on the monster¡¯s body with his clawed left hand, Jake drew back his right smashfist and delivered a powerful blow to the center of the beast¡¯s chest. He struck the ex-human with every ounce of strength he could gather, but to his great surprise, the damage he inflicted was minimal. He could feel something break inside the abomination¡¯s body. Perhaps he broke some ribs or other internal structures, but it was hard to tell, given the creature¡¯s bizarre anatomy, which was basically numerous human bodies melded together.
Whatever had snapped inside the abomination left the monster completely unfazed. Jake brought his smashfist back once more and struck again, this time with even more strength than before. However, just like last time, he hardly dealt any damage to his opponent. The creature didn¡¯t even seem irritated by the assault. Jake brought back his smashfist and struck again, feeling more bones snap inside the abomination. He was determined to keep pounding his opponent. Sooner or later, it had to yield results. After all, that was how he had defeated the wood golem¡ªby striking its massive head repeatedly until it finally burst apart.
Just as he was about to strike the monster once more, the ex-human raised its massive hand and closed its enormous fingers around Jake¡¯s body. As they clenched around him, he marveled at the creature¡¯s strength. The pressure clamping down on him was so intense he was surprised he wasn¡¯t crushed. The abomination abruptly pulled its hand away, tearing Jake from its body. His claws were yanked from the creature¡¯s body, leaving deep gouges on the surface. Jake noted that they didn¡¯t start to heal, which indicated that while the abomination possessed incredible strength and resistance to injury, its regenerative abilities were at least somewhat limited. This gave him a glimmer of hope¡ªif he could keep attacking the beast, he would eventually bring it down.
The massive ex-human drew back the hand that held Jake and then flung him forward with tremendous force. Jake soared through the air, reaching the end of the tunnel he had come from, crashing into the brick wall with enough force to break all the bones in his body had he been a human being. He fell onto the flooded floor of the tunnel, splashing dirty water everywhere as pieces of crushed brick fell against his back. He took a second to assess the damage he might have sustained. He had lost some of his HP, but other than that, he was fine.
Jake looked up at the abomination. The colossal beast remained in the same spot halfway down the tunnel, seemingly having not moved an inch after hurling him. It hadn¡¯t lunged for the kill while he lay crumpled on the ground, which took him by surprise. The abomination was the most composed monster he had encountered so far and definitely the strongest. Rising to his feet, he began to make his way back to his opponent. Instead of running, he walked this time, observing the massive creature and trying to figure out a way to bring the giant down.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
He stopped about fifteen yards from the enormous ex-human, which had remained motionless all this time. Jake still hadn¡¯t devised a plan to defeat his opponent. He could try to maneuver around the giant and jump on its back, where the monster might have difficulty reaching him with its hands. However, he decided to try something else instead. One of the abomination¡¯s weaknesses was acid, and he possessed a very good ability that could inflict that kind of damage. Maintaining the same distance from his opponent, Jake gave a mental command to use Acidic Spit. He felt some of his mana pull from the mana pool in the center of his body and flow along one of the passageways into his mouth, where it almost immediately formed an acidic projectile.
Opening his jaws, he launched the glob of acid at the massive ex-human. The giant didn¡¯t even make an attempt to step aside as the projectile zipped toward it with the speed of an arrow. When it splashed against the middle of the monster¡¯s torso, acid immediately began to eat away at it, causing visible damage to its surface. The creature¡¯s flesh sizzled and smoked for a few seconds before the acid completely evaporated, creating a small hole in the creature¡¯s flesh. While the damage was not severe, it was undoubtedly a more effective result than what could be achieved by simply battering the abomination with his smashfists.
The colossal beast stirred and growled, clearly irked by what had just happened to its body. Yet, it made no effort to charge at him. Jake sensed that could change after he inflicted more damage on his opponent. He looked at the creature¡¯s oversized head¡ªor what passed for one. It was grotesquely deformed, devoid of any definitive shape. The abomination lacked a neck, causing its massive, formless head to meld seamlessly with its shoulders. The creature¡¯s enormous mouth was closed, and the upper half of its head was scattered with numerous eyes of various sizes. Jake noticed that there were more eyes on the sides of the monster¡¯s head and wondered if there were even more on the back of its grotesque cranium.
He prepared another glob of acid, feeling it form inside his mouth. Slightly adjusting the position of his head, he launched the acidic projectile. Though shooting it out of his mouth wasn¡¯t particularly easy, Jake had used this ability so many times before he¡¯d developed surprisingly good aim by that point. The glob of acid struck one side of the monster¡¯s head and immediately began to eat through it. The creature¡¯s flesh puckered and tore apart as the acidic substance devoured the skin and muscle tissue with surprising efficiency, causing some of the monster¡¯s eyes to burst apart.
That was when the abomination finally erupted in anger. It opened its mouth slightly and emitted a menacing growl, clenching its massive fists and shaking them in fury. The numerous eyes scattered across the uninjured part of the abomination¡¯s deformed face burned with rage as they all fixed their gaze on Jake. Even the numerous faces that protruded from various areas of the massive monster¡¯s body twisted in either anger or pain. The beast raised its enormous fists and pounded on the walls on either side of it, causing the entire tunnel to tremble. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and ceiling, chunks of masonry falling and pelting the waterlogged floor, sending splashes in every direction and creating rings on the water¡¯s surface. The tremors shook this part of the tunnel so violently it felt as though it might collapse in on itself at any moment.
However, the abomination abruptly ceased its assault on the walls. It turned its gaze back to Jake, part of its face marred by the acid burn. Jake braced himself to fight back, expecting the hulking ex-human to charge at him. But his opponent did something else instead. Jake saw the abomination use each of its hands to grasp a face that jutted out from its body. The monster then pulled, producing nauseatingly wet, tearing sounds.
What the hell, Jake thought, a mix of disgust and awe washing over him as he witnessed what was undoubtedly the most bizarre scene he had ever seen in this twisted world.
Chapter 164
Chapter 164
The abomination ripped the two faces, still bearing some meat, out of its own body and held them out in front of itself. The flesh clinging to the faces quickly reshaped, transforming into heads with numerous long legs that disturbingly resembled giant human fingers. This entire process took only two seconds: one for the monster to tear the faces protruding from its body and another for them to morph into bizarre, spider-like creatures that looked like human heads with eight finger-like legs. Each of the two creatures held in the monster¡¯s hands let out a piercing cry, their mouths wide open to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
The giant then hurled the spider-like creatures toward Jake. One of them fell to the waterlogged floor and immediately began to scurry in his direction, sending small splashes of murky water in various directions. The other struck the right-hand wall and clung to it like an oversized insect. Turning toward him, the second head-spider skittered along the wall, quickly closing in. Jake held his ground. While agile and unsettling, the creatures didn¡¯t appear particularly dangerous, and he doubted he¡¯d have any trouble dealing with them.
A series of sickeningly wet and ripping sounds prompted Jake to shift his gaze back to the abomination, which remained rooted in the same spot. He saw that the two gouges in its body, where the faces had been ripped from, had already filled back in with flesh and even regrown the faces. The monster was currently tearing away two more faces. As soon as it was done, the beast hurled them forward, and they quickly transformed into head-spiders while still in the air.
Once they hit the ground, they immediately scuttled toward him through the filthy water that covered the tunnel floor. The ragged holes in the abomination¡¯s body were beginning to regenerate while the beast proceeded to rip away two more faces. However, Jake was pleased to see that the wounds he had inflicted on the monster were mending at a much slower rate than the ragged holes left in its body where it had ripped away pieces of its own flesh.
The first two head-spiders had already reached him. The one scampering along the wall suddenly leaped with the speed of a released spring. Jake reacted quickly, slashing at it with his left hand and striking the obnoxious creature midair. His talons easily sliced through some of its finger-legs. When the spider-like monster splashed into the murky water beside Jake, he immediately stomped on it, crushing its cranium and killing the creature instantly.
The second head-spider leaped from the floor, soaring surprisingly high as it aimed for Jake¡¯s head. The creature was fast, but unfortunately for it, Jake¡¯s reflexes were much sharper. He snatched the monster from the air with his right hand and immediately clenched it in his smashfist, easily turning the monster¡¯s head into a pulp. He then opened his hand, allowing the remnants of the creature to drop into the water below.
More head-spiders surged toward him, splashing through the murky water and scuttling along the tunnel walls. The abomination appeared to have an endless supply of those obnoxious creatures. As soon as the beast tore a face from its body, the resulting ragged hole rapidly filled back in with flesh, regenerating the face once more. It was turning into a nuisance. While the head-spiders didn¡¯t seem to pose any real danger, dealing with them prevented him from focusing on his main opponent.
Jake continued to fight head-spiders, killing one after another while wondering if there was an end in sight. Just then, Feral Instincts alerted him to imminent danger, warning of a projectile racing toward his head. Reacting instantly, he ducked just as something zipped past him at remarkable speed. Seizing the opportunity created by his momentary distraction, one of the small creatures lunged, biting down hard on his left ankle. However, while its teeth were incredibly sharp, they couldn¡¯t pierce his hardened skin. Nevertheless, the creature continued its relentless assault.
Feral Instincts flared up in his mind again, alerting him to another projectile racing toward him. As he darted aside, he noticed yet another one hurtling through the air. He ducked just in time, successfully evading it as well. The head-spider continued to gnaw at his ankle, but Jake ignored it. A quick glance at the abomination revealed it tearing two chunks of flesh from its enormous body. So this was the monster¡¯s second special ability. The beast then hurled the pieces at him with tremendous force. Jake dodged one, but the second grazed his side. While the pulpy pieces of flesh couldn¡¯t cause serious damage, the sheer power behind them was enough to stagger him. The impact threw him off balance for a moment, but he managed to regain his footing¡ªat least for a little while. However, another head-spider clamped down on his other leg and pulled. This time, Jake succumbed to the force and fell.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
He collapsed onto his back, splashing dirty water everywhere. The rest of the spider-creatures were immediately on him, burying their sharp teeth into various parts of his body. Even though they couldn¡¯t penetrate his hardened carapace, the creatures continued their futile gnawing. It was quickly becoming infuriating. He grabbed one of the spider-creatures with his right hand and crushed it in his smashfist. He then took hold of another one, which was chewing on his side, and ripped it free from his body. He threw the creature across the tunnel with such force its cranium shattered upon striking the brick wall.
One by one, he killed the spider-creatures that were chewing on him. As soon as all of them were dealt with, he suddenly heard a tremendous roar. He quickly sat up, staring ahead. The abomination burst into a sprint toward him, splashing water everywhere and causing the tunnel walls to tremble with each powerful step. The monster was surprisingly quick for its size. Just as Jake jumped to his feet, the beast reached him and swung one of its arms, but he managed to duck just in time.
The monster swung its other arm at him, and this time, Jake wasn¡¯t fortunate enough to avoid being hit. The powerful blow sent him flying across the tunnel, crashing into the brick wall on his left. The impact left him stunned. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t think straight, and the world swirled before his eyes. Just as he scrambled to his feet, standing on shaky legs and feeling unsteady, the abomination approached him. Before Jake could react, the monster seized him in one massive hand and lifted him off the ground.
Jake felt immense pressure as the monster tightened its grip around him. While his right arm was pinned against his body within the creature¡¯s colossal fist, his left arm was free to move. Raising him close to its face, the abomination opened its mouth as if in preparation to take a bite. In response, Jake raised his left hand, transformed into claws, and swung them at the creature¡¯s face. However, just as his talons were about to make contact, the monster intercepted his arm with its other hand. For a moment, it simply held his arm tightly. Jake struggled to free himself, but the beast was far too strong. Then, with a swift motion, the abomination yanked, effortlessly ripping his left arm from his body at the shoulder.
All the eyes scattered across the monster¡¯s face locked onto him as it let out a triumphant roar. Then, the creature hurled him forward, sending him flying a few meters down the tunnel. He collapsed face-first onto the waterlogged floor, splashing water everywhere. Before he could even process what had just happened, he sensed something happening behind him. He quickly rolled onto his back to look at the monster. The abomination had dropped to all fours and opened its mouth wide, bringing its chin down so low it almost touched the floor. The monster then inhaled deeply, sucking the air in with tremendous force, utilizing its third ability.
Jake felt himself being dragged along the slick floor toward the abomination¡¯s open maw. He managed to roll back onto his stomach, desperately reaching out with his now-only hand for any purchase but finding nothing. As he was pulled closer and closer to the monster¡¯s gaping mouth, he continued desperately searching the waterlogged floor for handholds, but there were none. Every attempt to anchor himself yielded no results. A second later, his lower body was sucked into the abomination¡¯s throat. The beast immediately stood up, tilting its head back. In the next instant, it swallowed Jake whole.
Darkness enveloped him as he found himself in the abomination¡¯s belly. The beast¡¯s acidic stomach fluid quickly started to digest him, dealing some serious damage to his body. Thinking fast, Jake reverted his smashfist to a regular hand and extended a sword from his wrist. He drove the blade into the monster¡¯s flesh in front of him. It met some resistance, but he soon felt it slice cleanly through. Summoning all his strength, he pulled the sword downward, carving a deep vertical slit into the monster¡¯s torso.
He took a step forward, forcing himself through the opening he had just carved in the giant¡¯s body. He landed back onto the damp, waterlogged tunnel floor and quickly rose to his feet. After sprinting a few yards ahead, he turned around, prepared to defend against any further assaults from his opponent. However, the beast didn¡¯t come at him anymore. The abomination had a huge, deep vertical gash in its midsection. The monster looked at him with surprise in its numerous eyes, as if not quite comprehending how he had managed to escape from its belly. The giant took a step forward, then another, before abruptly sinking to its knees. Jake raised his sword, ready to plunge it into the center of the monster¡¯s hideous face to deliver the final blow.
However, there was no need for that. The abomination began to sag, and moments later, its colossal body crashed face-first onto the tunnel floor with a deafening thud, sending torrents of murky water cascading in all directions. Immediately afterward, several system messages flashed through his mind.
Enemy killed. +2,500 XP
Hunt complete. You have gained 25,000 XP and 50,000 MP.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level has gone up from 74 to 77. You have gained 15 SP.
So, he had leveled up three times, earning a total of 15 skill points, which wasn¡¯t bad. However, his left arm, which had been torn off, had him worried. Would it grow back?
Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Jake was pretty much sure his torn-off arm would eventually grow back, but he didn¡¯t know how long it would take. Just like the bladed tentacles that detached from his body, his left arm had disintegrated into a pile of black dust shortly after being separated from his body.
He glanced at his left shoulder and noticed that his body had already sealed the wound, preventing mana loss. For the next several minutes, he focused on his shoulder, watching the flesh slowly regenerate. Judging by the rate of growth, Jake estimated it would take a few hours for his left arm to fully regrow.
He considered acquiring the regeneration booster for 10,000 MP but ultimately decided against it. Though it could have accelerated the growth of his left arm, he wasn¡¯t willing to spend that much mana.
He glanced at the motionless body of the abomination he had just defeated. If he had been a human with normal human feelings and emotions, he might have kicked the massive corpse of the monster in frustration. However, Jake didn¡¯t feel much of anything at that moment. Averting his gaze away from the dead beast, he decided to take a moment to review his stats. Closing his eyes, he summoned them with a thought.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 77
HP: 56%
XP: 314/9,750
SP: 15
MP: 102,570
Body: 70
Mind: 70
Magick: 70
Claws: Rank III (37%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank III (29%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank III (25%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Mind Reader: Rank III (0%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank III (21%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Gravity Leap: Rank II (15%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Cloak: Rank II (44%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Acidic Spit: Rank I (77%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (33%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (35%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (45%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank III (38%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Strength: Rank III (23%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank III (26%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Feral Instincts: Rank III (17%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Durability: Rank III (21%) (Upgrades: 3 of 4) (Uncommon)
Adhesive Secretion: Rank II (67%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Toxic Resistance: Rank I (13%) (Upgrades: 0 of 4) (Uncommon)
All his skills and abilities were gradually progressing. Unsurprisingly, those at Rank III were the slowest to progress. He noticed that Acidic Spit, which was currently at Rank I, and Adhesive Secretion, at Rank II, were both nearing completion. Acidic Spit was at 77%, while Adhesive Secretion stood at 67%.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
So, he had 15 skill points at his disposal. Jake decided to invest some of them in skills that weren¡¯t maxed out yet: Feral Instincts, which had 3 upgrades out of 4, Enhanced Durability, which was in the same position, and Toxic Resistance, which had not received any upgrades yet.
Skill: Feral Instincts
Upgrade Options
4 - Improve the ability to anticipate enemy actions based on their body language and movements, allowing for preemptive defensive or offensive maneuvers.
Cost: 1 SP
Requirements: Mind 60
Skill: Enhanced Durability
Upgrade Options
4 - Increase resistance to concussive forces, preventing disorientation from powerful impacts.
Cost: 1 SP
Requirements: Body 55
He thought the upgrade for Enhanced Durability was very good. He recalled the moment he had been stunned when the abomination smashed him against the brick wall, allowing the beast to grab him before he had time to recover. With the latest upgrade, such unfortunate incidents should happen much less frequently.
After that, he purchased all four upgrades for the Toxic Resistance skill.
Upgrade Options
1 - Decrease the duration of negative status effects caused by toxins.
2 - Reduce the damage taken from acidic attacks and shorten the duration of their effects.
3 - Enhance your body¡¯s recovery speed after sustaining toxic or acidic attacks.
4 - Obtain the ability to store toxins in your body and release them later as a concentrated attack against enemies. Requirements: Body 50, Magick 55
The fourth upgrade certainly caught his interest the most. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it worked yet, but he figured he would find out eventually. Most likely, he would need to be exposed to a toxic or caustic environment to store toxins in his body.
With that, all of his current skills and abilities had been maxed out in terms of upgrades. Now, he had 9 skill points remaining.
He then summoned the second section of the Genetic Development Interface to review the skills he planned to acquire. Ignoring the skills and abilities he had already obtained, he focused solely on the three he had yet to acquire.
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡± (Level 25)
Abilities: 4 of 6
Skills: 3 of 4
Ability: Serpentine Form
Requirements: Body 50, Mind 45, Magick 50
Cost: 25,000 MP
Ability: Spikes
Requirements: Body 60, Magick 65
Cost: 30,000 MP
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Requirements: Body 55, Magick 50
Cost: 27,000 MP
Since each of his three attributes was at 70, he met the requirements for all three abilities. However, he intended to wait until his arm regrew before acquiring them. This way, he could evaluate his remaining MP and determine how many skills to purchase based on that.
He then opened his eyes, causing all the information to disappear. There were mutants in the sewers, but Jake didn¡¯t want to engage them while he was still handicapped. So he crawled up one wall. Despite currently having only one arm, climbing vertical surfaces wasn¡¯t difficult for him. Upon reaching the junction where the wall met the ceiling, he went still. He decided against needlessly activating Cloak to conserve mana. If he heard any approaching mutants, he might or might not turn it on to avoid detection. After all, since neither the mutated rats nor the devourers had ranged weapons, even if they spotted him clinging to the wall far above the tunnel floor, they wouldn¡¯t be able to reach and attack him anyway.
Jake checked his current mana reserves. After purchasing the skills, he would be left with less than 20,570 MP. However, that number would be even lower since his body tapped into his mana reserves to regenerate his left arm. Judging by how much mana was being consumed during the healing process, he estimated that it would set him back around 5,000 MP by the time his arm completely grew back. This meant that after acquiring the three skills, he would have roughly 15,000 MP left, which wasn¡¯t much at his current level.
He weighed his options: he could take it easy for the rest of the day to preserve his mana and, as usual, go on a mana hunt after nightfall. Alternatively, instead of acquiring all three abilities at once, he could buy only one or two for the time being. Yet, Jake had a strong desire to acquire all three skills right away because once he did, all the skills and abilities from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface would be acquired. This would set him up perfectly for evolving into the next stage, allowing him to focus solely on the skills and abilities from the third section from that time on, which would unlock after the next stage of his evolution.
After purchasing upgrades for Feral Instincts, Enhanced Durability, and Toxic Resistance, he was left with 9 Skill Points. He decided to save them for later. Once he had acquired the three remaining abilities from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface, he would use the nine skill points to obtain upgrades for them.
His initial plan had been to defeat the abomination and then conduct his regular cleanup of the mutants. However, with only one arm, he wasn¡¯t prepared to take on the mutants lurking in the underground tunnels. While he hated being inactive, he knew engaging the mutants in his current state was unwise. So he opted to wait. Once his arm fully regenerated, he would clear the sewers of its inhabitants. Perhaps he might even level up one more time in the process.
By the time he completed that task, he figured the HQ in the Los Demonios base would complete its upgrade to Level 6. He planned to return to the base to see what changes that would bring. Afterward, he would decide on his next steps. Most likely, he would evolve into the next stage and then launch an offensive against the bandit base.
But for the next few hours, all he planned to do was wait for his left arm to grow back. Jake steeled himself for several hours of idle waiting.
Chapter 166
Chapter 166
His body used just over 5,000 MP to regenerate his left arm, which was about what he had expected. Once his arm was back, Jake began his regular cleanup of the sewers, taking down every monster he encountered. By the time he finished, he had leveled up once more, earning 5 skill points. He was now at Level 78, with a total of 14 skill points at his disposal.
As planned, Jake purchased the last two abilities and one skill from the second section of the Genetic Development Interface: Spikes, Serpentine Form, and Adaptive Armor. Each of these three abilities was categorized as Uncommon and had four available upgrades. He immediately unlocked all upgrades for them, spending a total of 12 skill points.
Ability: Spikes
Description: You can sprout spikes from your body, capable of impaling foes upon contact or creating obstacles.
Upgrade Options
1 - Significantly increase the amount of spikes you can protrude from your body.
2 - Significantly increase the length and strength of the spikes.
3 - Allow spikes to be launched as projectiles, enabling ranged attacks that impale enemies from a distance.
4 - Add venom to the spikes for extra damage and the potential to paralyze on contact. To use it, you need any skill that allows you to generate or keep toxins within your body, such as Toxic Resistance with the fourth upgrade. Requirements: Magick 65
This ability was quite intriguing. When Jake activated it, numerous spikes erupted from his body¡ªhis legs, arms, and even his head were covered in them. There were quite a lot of them, and since Jake acquired all the upgrades immediately after obtaining the ability, he had no reference point to determine how many spikes were originally intended to sprout from his body. However, with the first upgrade, the sheer number of spikes protruding from his body was undeniably impressive.
He stepped toward one of the walls and struck it with his right spiked arm, testing the spikes¡¯ strength. As it turned out, they were not easily breakable. He then made his way to the middle of the tunnel he was currently in and stood still. He gave a mental command to launch the spikes, and all of them immediately detached from his body, zipping through the air in different directions like arrows. Although they didn¡¯t travel far, some hit the walls with enough force to shatter upon impact.
This ability could definitely come in handy when fighting large groups of mutants. However, it likely wouldn¡¯t be as effective against humans, as they mostly relied on firearms rather than engaging mutants in close-range combat. Nevertheless, launching spikes could still be useful against humans, especially when they were close enough.
The fourth upgrade could infuse his spikes with venom, but he would need toxins in his body to do so, which he currently lacked. His Toxic Resistance allowed him to obtain toxins from a caustic environment, so he knew that eventually, he would be able to test out the fourth upgrade for Spikes in action.
Ability: Serpentine Form
Description: You can generate flexible, prehensile tendrils from your body, granting the ability to ensnare targets.
Upgrade Options
1 - Enhance the strength of the tendrils, making them difficult to sever or rip away. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
2 - Significantly increase the number of tendrils that can be generated at the same time.
3 - Allow the tendrils to extend over greater distances, enabling longer reach and increased maneuverability.
4 - Enable the tendrils to produce Adhesive Secretion. Requirements: the Adhesive Secretion skill
Jake tested out Serpentine Form as well. Over two dozen tendrils sprouted from his back. Unlike Bladed Tentacles, they were thinner but longer, each reaching several meters in length. He was surprised at how easily he could control each of the tendrils as if they had always been a natural part of his body. He extended some of them upward, reaching the high ceiling of the tunnel. Mentally, he activated Adhesive Secretion, and the tendrils adhered firmly to the ceiling. He flexed them, lifting himself off the ground and elevating all the way to the ceiling. Once he reached it, he positioned both his feet and hands against the surface, creating additional points of contact to make sure he was securely anchored.
So he could use Serpentine Form for tasks like this as well. Sure, he could have just jumped up to reach the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t all that high, so he probably wouldn¡¯t have even needed to use Gravity Leap. Still, it was good to have various ways to achieve the same result. He then unstuck himself from the ceiling and dropped to the tunnel floor, twisting midair and landing smoothly on his feet. With a mental command, he detached the tendrils from his body, and they fell off, quickly withering away. Some of them dried up and turned into black dust even before hitting the tunnel floor.
Skill: Adaptive Armor
Description: Your skin adopts defensive plating, providing enhanced protection against physical harm.
Upgrade Options
1 - Instantly generate additional armor plates at points of impact where piercing weapons attempt to penetrate.
2 - Increase the thickness and durability of the armor plates, improving resistance against both slashing and blunt attacks.
3 - Integrate a reflective property into the armor that can deflect projectile attacks back at the attackers.
4 - Greatly enhance resistance to energy-based weapons, with a chance to reflect such attacks back. Requirements: Body 65, Magick 70
This skill basically made him more resilient to various types of damage, for an additional mana consumption cost, of course. One of the upgrades could even make bullets bounce off his body, which was really good. He imagined the shocked faces of humans when they saw the bullets they fired ricochet back at them from him. The fourth upgrade gave him increased resistance to energy-based weapons. Even though he hadn¡¯t encountered anyone armed with such a weapon yet, he had decided to acquire the upgrade anyway.
At some point during the sewer cleanup, he received two notifications stating that Acidic Spit and Adhesive Secretion had reached 100% and were ready to advance to the next ranks. So he allocated his two remaining skill points to upgrade Acidic Spit to Rank II and Adhesive Secretion to Rank III.
He now had only 11,000 MP left, which was even less than the 15,000 he had expected to have after acquiring the two abilities and one skill from the second section of the skill store. The other four thousand mana points had been depleted during his battles with the sewer mutants. His skills and abilities were very powerful and therefore depleted significant amounts of mana when used. At his current level, even when he was idle, his body consumed lots of MP. He also noticed that Spikes and Serpentine Form each had consumed a hefty chunk of his mana, even with just one use. Thus, he should probably avoid using them too often.
So Jake decided not to evolve into the next stage for the time being. He knew that evolving would make him stronger, which meant his body would need significantly more mana to simply function. With only eleven thousand mana points left¡ªnot much even for his current form¡ªhe opted to postpone his evolution. While he was eager to evolve and unlock new skills and abilities, he could afford to wait one more day. After all, as far as he knew, running out of mana meant certain death.
He decided to take it easy for the rest of the day to preserve his mana. After nightfall, he would go on a regular mana hunt, and once he collected enough mana, he would evolve into the next stage. For now, he opted to make his way back to the Los Demonios base he had recently located. The HQ should have finished upgrading to Level 6 by now, so it was time to find out what changes it had brought about.
Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Jake had a little over 10,000 MP left. At his current level of 78, it was not much at all. His powerful body could deplete that amount of mana in just a few hours or a day, depending on how active he was. Knowing this, he spent some time searching for mana consumables, using Mana Vision to locate them. After finding a few mana items and raising his mana reserves somewhat, he headed for the Los Demonios base.
It didn¡¯t take him long to get there. Just like the last time, he scaled the wall of a high-rise building looming above the compound. He clung to the wall several floors higher than the base¡¯s perimeter walls, having a clear view of the area down below. His Cloak was activated, rendering him completely invisible. Initially, he hesitated to use this ability in order to conserve his mana. However, he knew he needed to stay hidden. Moreover, as long as he remained entirely still, the ability¡¯s mana consumption wasn¡¯t all that higher than when the Cloak was off.
He then took his time examining the bandit base below. The usual daily routine was in full swing: workers operated various contraptions while guards kept watch over the area. Some bandits milled around the base, occasionally barking at the workers to keep them in line, while others patrolled the walkways, watching the area beyond the perimeter walls, vigilant for any signs of potential threats.
Jake turned his attention to the two-story, boxy building situated at the center of the base. With a thought, he summoned its stats.
The HQ - Level 6
So, it had indeed completed its upgrade to Level 6. He could already see the changes it had brought about: a couple of new structures had appeared in the base that hadn¡¯t been there before. Before exploring these new additions, he chose to check the old structures and contraptions first.
He first examined several machine gun turrets mounted on the watchtowers that loomed over the perimeter walls. Each turret was now at Level 6. Jake also noticed that each turret was now equipped with a 360-degree camera, enabling them to scan their surroundings in all directions simultaneously.
Jake examined the rest of the old structures and compartments, noticing that some were in the process of being upgraded to the next level, while others remained at their previous level. The structures being upgraded were deactivated and not producing goods. He was fairly certain that upgrading any structure or contraption required resources¡ªand likely quite a lot of them¡ªso it wasn¡¯t surprising that not all structures were currently being upgraded. Each of the machine gun turrets had already been upgraded to Level 6, though, which was currently the maximum level for the base¡¯s structures. It made sense that the bandits prioritized upgrading the turrets first, as the defense of the base was undoubtedly a top priority.
He then focused on one of the two new structures that had appeared after the HQ¡¯s upgrade to Level 6. This unusual structure had a spheroid shape and bore a resemblance to the Smelter. He summoned its description with a thought.
Mana Constructor - Level 1
Progress: 67%
Jake¡¯s curiosity was piqued. What exactly was that machine? He noticed it was currently operational, trembling and humming softly while bluish wisps of smoke curled up from various small gaps and openings.
Progress: 73%
The progress bar was moving rapidly, indicating that whatever it was in the process of creating would be finished very soon.
Jake averted his gaze from the Mana Constructor to examine the second new structure. It wasn¡¯t exactly a structure. Instead, it was a metal pedestal upon which stood what appeared to be a mech or exoskeleton. The inside of its body was currently empty, standing open to reveal an interior filled with leather padding. Curious, Jake checked the description of the suit.
Power Suit - Level 3
It seemed that after building the power suit, it had immediately been upgraded to Level 3. With the HQ at Level 6, all the structures within the base could be upgraded to the same level. It was safe to assume the power suit was no exception. However, it wasn¡¯t in the process of being upgraded further. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why that was the case. Maybe the bandits simply didn¡¯t have enough resources for an additional upgrade right now?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He shifted his attention back to the Mana Constructor.
Progress: 89%
It was nearing completion of whatever it was doing, and Jake was eager to see what would be produced. Whatever it was, it would clearly have something to do with mana, that much was obvious. That¡¯s why he was eager to see the final product. After all, for him, mana was everything, serving as sustenance, fuel for his powers, and currency for acquiring new skills and abilities.
Beside the Mana Constructor stood a worker, patiently waiting for the contraption to finish its task.
Progress: 94%
A few minutes later, the contraption completed its task. It stopped trembling and puffing out bluish smoke. The worker moved closer to the Mana Constructor and pressed some buttons on the control panel integrated into its frame. A panel slid open, and a platform extended, presenting a glowing mana crystal.
The worker didn¡¯t take the crystal, though. Instead, he looked around and waved over the nearest bandit, who immediately strode to the Mana Constructor. The bandit nodded at the worker, said something, and picked up the mana crystal from the protruding platform. He stashed it into the bag that hung over his shoulder, then took out several mana shards and handed them to the worker. The worker promptly put the shards onto the platform, pushed it back inside, pressed some buttons, and the cycle began again. The Mana Constructor started to tremble and hum once again, emitting wisps of bluish smoke from various gaps and slits.
As for the bandit, he made his way through the base and approached another worker. He took out the newly-produced mana crystal and handed it to the worker, who then moved to an inactive contraption nearby and inserted the crystal into a slot. He pressed some buttons, and the machine began to tremble. When Jake summoned its description, he learned that it had just begun to undergo an upgrade to the next level.
Recycler - Level 4 (Upgrade in Progress)
Current Status: 2% Complete
Estimated Time Remaining: 5 hours 59 minutes 54 seconds
Jake quickly grasped the situation. Upgrading a base¡¯s structure to the next level required a mana crystal. Additionally, a mana crystal was required for the contraptions to function and produce goods. None of the base¡¯s structures or contraptions accepted lesser mana items. From his experience, he knew that mana crystals were the rarest type of mana items and were not easy to come by. Thus, by allowing lesser mana items to be turned into higher-quality ones, the Mana Constructor played a pivotal role in the base¡¯s overall productivity and daily operations. For survivors, it was undoubtedly a very useful machine.
Jake was currently aware of five different types of mana items: the Mana Bead, which contained 100 MP; the Mana Marble, with 250 MP; the Mana Shard, with 500 MP; the Mana Chunk, with 1,000 MP; and the Mana Crystal, boasting 5,000 MP. Mana beads, marbles, and shards were classified as Common rarity, mana chunks as Uncommon, and mana crystals as Rare. Based on what he had just observed, Jake concluded that the Mana Constructor could transform several mana beads into a marble, several marbles into a shard, shards into a chunk, and finally, several chunks into a crystal.
He didn¡¯t know if a mana crystal was the highest type of mana item. He suspected that there might be even more powerful mana consumables than crystals, but he hadn¡¯t encountered any yet. With a mana crystal classified as Rare, it stood to reason that there should be mana items of higher rarity, such as Legendary. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Mana Constructor could combine several mana crystals into higher-tier mana items or if a mana crystal was the ultimate product this machine could produce. Perhaps, the Mana Constructor needed to be upgraded to a higher level before it could transform mana crystals into superior mana items.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted inside the bandit base, prompting Jake to shift his focus from his thoughts back to the base to see what was happening. All the bandits abruptly stopped what they were doing and pulled out their PDAs to read something displayed on the screens. Their expressions changed as they visibly tensed up at what they read. A few seconds later, the HQ¡¯s door swung open, and Miller, the person in charge of this base, stepped out, accompanied by three of his companions. While the trio appeared visibly uneasy, Miller seemed excited for some reason.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was happening. He noticed that the guards on the walkways now stood still, their eyes darting across the streets outside the perimeter walls as their hands tightly gripped their weapons. However, the base wasn¡¯t under attack. There were no mutants or other survivors anywhere near. Still, the guards appeared anxious, as if waiting for something to happen, their gazes constantly probing the area beyond the walls.
Miller exchanged a few words with his three companions, then broke away to approach the power suit. He turned his back to the open suit and backed up into it, carefully fitting his legs and arms into the suit¡¯s limbs before placing his head inside the open helmet. When he fully entered, the power suit sealed around him, encasing him entirely.
Fully clad in the power suit, Miller jumped from the pedestal to the ground with a solid thud, causing nearby bandits and workers to wince at the noise and cast apprehensive glances in his direction. Miller took a few steps forward before coming to a halt, waiting for something to happen.
What¡¯s going on? Jake wondered.
Just a second later, he discovered the answer to his question.
Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Rift gates ripped open not far from the gates of the bandit compound, and mutants immediately began to crawl out. As soon as Jake saw them, he realized they weren¡¯t ex-humans. Instead, they were altogether different creatures. Usually, he encountered mutants of some kind¡ªeither ex-humans wandering throughout the city or mutated animals lurking in the gloomy underground tunnels. He also recalled a time when he battled a magical creature known as a Wood Golem, which had the ability to create strange and grotesque minions from the very plants around it.
But the creatures crawling out of the magical rifts opening all around the bandit base were something entirely different. So far, he had noticed three different types of creatures. He summoned their stats one by one.
Spider (Voidspawn) - Level 175
This type of creature possessed a human-like upper body with two elongated arms that ended in sharp claws, accompanied by six crab-like segmented legs that tapered to a point. Its head was devoid of hair, featuring numerous black eyes and a large mouth filled with triangular teeth.
The void spiders scuttled on their crab-like legs with surprising speed and agility. Upon reaching the compound¡¯s perimeter walls, they easily climbed them, sticking the tips of their pointed legs into the surface and moving up sideways.
Fiend (Voidspawn) - Level 155
This type of creature moved on all fours and was the size and the general shape of a German Shepherd. It was furless and had pale skin. It didn¡¯t have a tail, and its snout was X-shaped, consisting of four jaws that appeared disproportionately large compared to the overall size of its body.
It soon became clear that the fiends were not only capable of running at remarkable speed but also of jumping incredibly high. They vaulted over the perimeter walls effortlessly, landing inside the base to unleash chaos and instill panic among both workers and bandits. Chaos quickly erupted within the base: workers scurried in all directions, while bandits struggled to fend off the fiends, firing their weapons in a desperate attempt to repel them.
Sky Raptor (Voidspawn) - Level 160
This creature was a winged reptile equipped with long jaws brimming with sharp teeth and two legs ending in curved talons. As soon as they emerged from the magical portals, sky raptors took to the air, soaring over the perimeter walls. They circled the compound beneath them, occasionally swooping down to pounce on humans, adding to the panic occurring within the compound.
Jake clung to the building¡¯s wall, watching the fierce battle unfold before his eyes. It was clear that the inhabitants of the base weren¡¯t prepared to confront such powerful and high-level creatures. However, the situation wasn¡¯t as dire as it might seem at first glance.
The void spiders had no trouble scaling the perimeter walls, but not many of them actually succeeded in reaching the top. The bandits on the walls fired their weapons down at the spider-like monsters. The guns they were armed with lacked the firepower to inflict serious damage on the attackers, but their continuous fire at least managed to slow the enemy¡¯s advance.
Most of the damage dealt to the void spiders came from the machine gun turrets positioned atop the watchtowers. As it turned out, they were incredibly powerful. Their aim was nothing short of perfect, and the torrents of heavy-caliber rounds they unleashed sent the attackers flying off the walls. Jake could see workers climbing to the watchtowers to reload the turrets that had run out of ammo.
One by one, the spider-like creatures fell to the ground below, bleeding from numerous wounds and stumps of limbs severed by the piercing turret fire. Jake was sure those machine gun turrets protecting the base were the most powerful weapons he had encountered so far. On more than one occasion, he witnessed torrents of bullets literally tearing a void spider in half with startling ease.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Only a handful of arachnids managed to reach the top and jump into the base, but they didn¡¯t get much farther after that. The machine gun turrets could rotate 360 degrees, locating enemies in any direction. Once a turret locked onto a target, it didn¡¯t divert its attention until the enemy was dead. The void spiders that managed to scale over the compound walls were swiftly taken down by the turrets before they could inflict any damage on the base or harm its occupants.
However, the bandits did take casualties. More than once, Jake saw a void spider reach the top of a wall and swing its claws at a bandit who was unfortunate enough to be nearby, killing the hapless human instantly. While the machine gun turrets were powerful, they could do only so much as the sheer number of attackers made it impossible for the turrets to kill void spiders quickly, which resulted in some of the bandits on the walls being killed. Nevertheless, overall, the turrets did an excellent job of defending the base. Without their support, the situation would have been far more difficult for those inside.
Within the base, the bandits fought against the fiends and sky raptors. Although these creatures were somewhat weaker than the void spiders and came in smaller numbers, they still managed to deal substantial damage to the defenders. One by one, the bandits were picked off. While they possessed higher levels than most of the regular survivors, it was evident that they weren¡¯t prepared for an assault by such high-level monsters.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder where those voidspawn monsters had come from so suddenly. How come such high-level creatures targeted survivors who were much weaker than them? It didn¡¯t feel right. Such things shouldn¡¯t happen in a world governed by video game logic.
Jake remained fixated on the scene before him as the battle raged on. The chaos within the base was intense and brutal. The fiends pounced on the bandits, knocking them to the ground and mercilessly tearing the unfortunate humans apart with their X-shaped jaws. The sky raptors occasionally pounced on the defenders, seizing them with their clawed legs so tightly that their talons broke through the victims¡¯ bodies. The winged creatures ascended rapidly into the sky, carrying their terrified victims with them, only to drop them back down. The unfortunate humans screamed at the top of their lungs as they plummeted down to the ground to meet their deaths.
The monsters primarily targeted the bandits, but occasionally, they also went after the workers who tried to stay as far away from the battle as possible, hiding in various places. Both the workers and the bandits were in a state of panic. The only person who seemed completely unfazed by the chaos unfolding within the compound was the leader of the base, Miller. The power suit he was clad in made him nearly invincible. The monsters attempted to attack him, but aside from leaving some scratches and small dents in the power suit, they failed to inflict any significant damage.
Equipped with an energy weapon on one wrist and a massive chainsaw on the other, the power suit transformed Miller into a one-man army. The plasma gun unleashed devastating damage, inflicting severe burn marks on the monsters and dispatching them almost instantly. The fiends and sky raptors were no match for him, and he took them down one by one with remarkable ease. Without Miller and the turrets stationed atop the watchtowers, the bandit base would have been doomed.
Jake was astonished when he summoned Miller¡¯s stats and discovered he was now at level 195. The last time he had checked, Miller had been at level 185. How had he managed to gain ten levels so rapidly? Even Jake, at level 78, found it difficult to level up in the city. Wherever Miller had been gaining experience, it clearly wasn¡¯t in this city.
Suddenly, an enormous rift gate ripped open not far from the entrance to the base. A few seconds later, a massive monster emerged from it. Standing at least three meters tall, it had a humanoid body with powerful legs and arms. Most of its form was covered by what appeared to be armor plates made of bone.
Death Knight (Voidspawn) - Level 200 (Elite)
There was no doubt that this was the boss orchestrating the attack. Once the death knight stepped through the portal, all the other rift gates disappeared, preventing any additional monsters from arriving. The giant approached the gate, violently striking it with its enormous fists, creating deep dents in the surface. It was obvious that the gate wouldn¡¯t hold against the onslaught for much longer.
Something glinting on the death knight¡¯s body caught Jake¡¯s attention. Upon closer inspection, he spotted a metal key dangling from a bony loop on the massive monster¡¯s hip. With a thought, he summoned its description, and two words immediately emerged in his mind: Skeleton Key.
Chapter 169
Chapter 169
While the death knight relentlessly slammed its fists against the gate, Jake¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the Skeleton Key gleaming from the huge monster¡¯s hip. This was the key he needed to unlock the dungeon door hidden in the sewers. He had been wondering where he could find it for a while, and now he finally had the answer. However, there was a possibility that dungeons were designed for survivors, not mutants like him. As a mutant, he had never been fortunate enough to stumble upon such a key. He remembered thinking that perhaps survivors received Skeleton Keys as rewards for completing special missions. This attack on the bandit base could very well be one of those missions. If the bandits managed to defend their territory, they would earn the Skeleton Key as a reward.
Jake remembered that the Maze of Torment, a dungeon located in the sewers, was intended for Levels 15-20. He was well above the recommended level range, raising doubts about whether he would gain anything from exploring it. As a mutant, he had never come across a Skeleton Key and had never been offered one as a reward for completing quests or challenges. This made him wonder if dungeons were exclusively designed for humans. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t gain anything by entering at all. Still, he didn¡¯t know that for sure. He really wanted to gain access to the dungeon. If nothing else, it would let him know whether dungeons were designed only for survivors or if mutants like him could also benefit from them.
He returned his gaze to the battle below. It was still in full swing, but now that no new rift gates were ripping open, no additional voidspawn creatures were emerging. One by one, the monsters were being picked off, and while the bandits sustained casualties, it was clear that the defenders would win the battle. The machine gun turrets and Miller, clad in his power suit, had no trouble dealing with the monsters. Judging by the rate at which the voidspawn creatures were being killed, all the regular monsters would be eliminated in just a few minutes. Jake had to act fast. The death knight was still pounding its large fists against the gate, and at that moment, no one was paying attention to the massive creature. The machine gun turrets continued to fire at the remaining void spiders that tried to scale the perimeter walls while Miller fought the fiends and the sky raptors inside the base. If Jake wanted to snatch the Skeleton Key, he had to do it now, before the death knight rammed its way into the base. The monster was currently alone, with no one watching, and standing in the same spot¡ªthis was the perfect moment to steal the Skeleton Key.
Jake sprang into action. Rather than crawling down the wall, he unclung himself and plummeted several floors to the street below. Upon landing, he immediately broke into a run toward the gate, skillfully maneuvering through the void spiders that roamed the area. Even with his Cloak active, a few of the monsters spotted him, their attention drawn by the visible air distortions created by his swift movements. One void spider even lunged at him with its claws, but he swiftly dodged the attack just in time.
Suddenly, one of the machine gun turrets pivoted in his direction and unleashed a barrage of fire. A line of asphalt dust sprays erupted across the road as bullets whizzed through the air, cutting sharply into the pavement like angry hornets. Each impact unleashed a small explosion of dark particles that billowed upward, momentarily hanging in the air before settling back down onto the scarred asphalt. The machine gun fire traveled across the road toward him and the void spider he was racing past at that moment. The torrent of heavy-caliber rounds tore the monster in half. Jake couldn¡¯t tell whether the turret was targeting him or the monster. He was difficult to see with the naked eye, but those turrets could potentially have specialized scanners designed to detect hidden targets. Most of the rounds drilled into the monster¡¯s body, but some of them hit him as well.
The power they punched him with surprised Jake a great deal. The Adaptive Armor skill he had recently unlocked protected him somewhat, instantly forming additional armor plates over the points of impact, causing some of the rounds to ricochet off his body in different directions. However, not all of the heavy-caliber rounds had been deflected. Some of them managed to puncture holes in his hardened body, and pretty large at that. There was no doubt that the machine gun turrets guarding the bandit base were incredibly powerful.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Jake could feel mana oozing from the deep wounds in his body. It was not good. Not good at all. He didn¡¯t have much mana left and couldn¡¯t afford to lose any more of that precious magical energy. To make matters worse, the turret continued to fire at him. With the void spider now dead, it was clear that the turret had locked onto him, which made it obvious that it could indeed see him through his Cloak. Jake sprinted across the road, doing his best to dodge the torrents of bullets pouring down on him. Heavy-caliber rounds ripped through the asphalt around him, leaving massive craters in the road.
Now that Jake knew how powerful those turrets were and how much damage they could inflict on him, he realized he would need to postpone his attack on the bandit base for a while. Just by hitting him a few times, one turret had done a number on him. If multiple turrets fired at him simultaneously, he would be turned into Swiss cheese in no time flat. These turrets were not only extremely powerful but also had nearly perfect aim, the ability to detect even concealed targets, and a remarkably high fire rate. Therefore, before launching an attack on the base, he would definitely need to level up several more times.
For the time being, however, he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. The turret that had been firing at him suddenly went silent, having run out of ammo. No longer having to dodge torrents of bullets, Jake was able to run in a straight line, accelerating once more. The wounds inflicted by the turret had already closed, stopping the mana from bleeding out. While this was a relief, he realized he didn¡¯t have much mana left. After snatching the Skeleton Key, he would need to retreat to safety immediately. He was definitely not in any state to fight at the moment.
Jake finally reached the death knight, which was hammering away at the gates of the bandit base. The towering creature remained oblivious to Jake as he crept toward its hip, where the Skeleton Key hung. It was fastened to a bony loop jutting out from the death knight¡¯s body. Jake seized the key and yanked it, but to his dismay, nothing happened. The bony loop and the metal ring to which the key was attached were much sturdier than they appeared.
He pulled harder this time, but even with his inhuman strength, he couldn¡¯t rip the key free. Gripping it tightly, he yanked with all his might, exerting every ounce of strength he had. Despite his efforts, the key remained stubbornly secured to the bony loop. Just then, the massive creature suddenly became aware of him. The death knight halted its assault on the gate and turned its head to look down at the spot where Jake stood.
He was fairly certain the massive creature couldn¡¯t see him, but that didn¡¯t stop it from swinging its fist in his direction. The colossal blow struck him like a freight train, sending him hurtling backward. The Skeleton Key slipped from his grasp as he soared several meters back before crashing onto the road.
He quickly sprang to his feet to see the death knight lose interest in the gates. The massive creature wheeled around, scanning the area in search of him. However, since Jake was invisible, the monster couldn¡¯t spot him. It was a relief. He was definitely in no shape to fight anyone, especially not such a formidable opponent as the death knight.
At that moment, Cloak automatically deactivated to conserve what little mana he had left in his body. As soon as he became visible, the death knight immediately saw him, fixing its glaring eyes on him. The colossal monster let out a thunderous roar before charging toward him.
Oh, crap, Jake thought.
Chapter 170
Chapter 170
The colossal monster barreled toward him, its footsteps shaking the ground beneath Jake. He was in no shape to fight, so his only choice was to flee. Spinning around, he dashed across the street toward the building from which he had been watching the bandit base. He sprinted at his maximum speed. He wasn¡¯t going to scale the wall this time, though.
There were currently no bandits on the perimeter walls of the base. They had either fallen in battle or descended to help their allies fight the mutants inside the base. So, although Jake¡¯s Cloak was deactivated, the inhabitants of the base remained unaware of his presence. However, if he attempted to scale the building¡¯s wall, he risked being spotted by anyone inside when he rose high enough. He didn¡¯t want the base¡¯s inhabitants to realize he had been spying on them, lurking nearby. If he could remain undetected, he would have the element of surprise when he eventually decided to attack the base. Therefore, rather than scaling the wall, he chose to enter the building instead.
Whether he would reach the building before the death knight caught up with him was anyone¡¯s guess. He didn¡¯t need to look back to know the massive creature was gaining on him¡ªthe sound of massive footsteps growing louder told him all he needed to know. Just as he braced for impact, expecting the death knight to strike or seize him, something unexpected occurred. The gigantic monster suddenly slowed down, roaring in fury as a series of heavy impacts reverberated through the air. Jake glanced over his shoulder to see what was happening.
Jake watched as one of the turrets trained its fire on the death knight, unleashing heavy-caliber bullets that struck the creature¡¯s sturdy armor. Most bullets ricocheted off the death knight¡¯s incredibly hardy exterior, but a few found their way into the joints between the armor plates, inflicting some damage. The death knight halted its chase and turned to face the turret. It continued to fire, but most of the heavy-caliber rounds harmlessly bounced off the monster¡¯s incredibly powerful armor, dealing no visible damage to it.
Still, the attack had captured the death knight¡¯s attention. Losing interest in Jake, the massive creature charged across the street back toward the bandit base. It must have realized it wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the turret, because instead of sprinting toward the watchtower, atop which the turret attacking it was mounted, the monster returned to the gate and resumed pounding its colossal fists against it. Meanwhile, Jake continued running toward the building. Once inside, he quickly located the staircase. Although the steps were missing, this posed no challenge for Jake. Even without his Adhesive Secretion skill, he could easily ascend the empty staircase by simply jumping and gripping onto various ledges.
It wasn¡¯t long before Jake emerged onto the rooftop. He navigated carefully to the parapet and crouched down, peering over the edge while keeping the rest of his body concealed. The base was still under attack, but it was clear that the defenders were beginning to gain the upper hand against the monsters. The machine gun turrets were efficiently taking out the remaining void spiders, while the bandits inside the base fought off the last of the fiends. As for the sky raptors, all of them had been dealt with by that point.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Suddenly, the gates crashed inward as the death knight finally managed to knock them down. The massive creature burst inside with a triumphant roar. It paused for a moment to survey the scene, then charged at the first bandit who had just opened fire on it. With a powerful swing of its colossal fist, the creature struck the hapless human, crushing him and shattering every bone in his body. Next, the death knight unleashed a brutal assault on the nearest contraption, rendering it inoperable with just a few heavy punches. It then turned its wrath on another device, ripping metal components from it as effortlessly as if it were tearing apart a cardboard box.
The bandits were reluctant to fire on the towering monstrosity. Having just seen how quickly and brutally the death knight had turned the first bandit who had dared to attack it into a pulp, none of the rest of them wanted to draw its attention to themselves. One of the bandits shouted something to Miller, gesturing at the death knight as it demolished contraption after contraption. Clad in a power suit, Miller was currently fighting one of the remaining fiends. He held the creature by its throat with one hand while using the chainsaw attached to the other to cut the monster in half, sending sprays of blood flying everywhere. The creature screamed in agony, helplessly thrashing about but was unable to escape Miller¡¯s iron grip, reinforced by his power glove.
Once the monster was dealt with, Miller tossed aside the remnants of its body and turned to face the death knight. He aimed his energy gun at the gigantic creature and opened fire. Energy bolts zipped through the air, striking the death knight in various parts of its body. However, aside from leaving scorch marks, they seemed to inflict little damage. As it turned out, despite being extremely powerful, Miller¡¯s energy gun was no match for the death knight¡¯s durable armor. He continued to unleash a barrage of fire against his opponent until his weapon ran dry.
The death knight finally turned its attention to Miller. It appeared to appraise the human in the power suit and then emitted a thunderous roar that sounded almost joyful to Jake as if the monster deemed Miller a worthy opponent. With a sudden charge, the death knight slammed into Miller, nearly knocking him off his feet. The monstrous creature delivered a devastating blow, leaving a dent in Miller¡¯s power suit. In response, the gang leader countered with a powerful punch aimed at the monster¡¯s head.
The bandits visibly relaxed, grateful that the death knight¡¯s attention was on their leader rather than on them. However, their relief was short-lived. With the gates down, the remaining void spiders abandoned their efforts to scale the walls and began to pour into the base through the newly formed opening.
Watching the battle unfold, Jake noticed that although the death knight was incredibly powerful, Miller appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Even though Jake had failed to steal the Skeleton Key, he still held onto the hope that he could still do so. However, he first needed to replenish his mana reserves to use Cloak again to remain undetected. Closing his eyes, he activated Mana Vision. As he scanned the area, he spotted a sizable light nearby, indicating either a chunk or perhaps a crystal. It was just a few high-rises away from his position and hovered at the same height, suggesting it was located on a rooftop.
Turning to face the right direction, Jake opened his eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he would steal the Skeleton Key without drawing attention from the base¡¯s inhabitants, but that wasn¡¯t his main concern at the moment. For now, his priority was to reach the mana consumable and quickly get back. If he acted fast enough, he might even be able to make it back before Miller finished dealing with the death knight.
With that in mind, Jake sprinted across the roof and leaped to the next building.
Chapter 171
Chapter 171
It didn¡¯t take Jake long to reach the building where the mana consumable was located. Upon landing on the rooftop, he quickly assessed the situation. A massive whipper stood at the center of the roof. After appraising it with a thought, he realized it was an elite whipper, not just a regular one. The enormous creature lashed out at him with its arm-tentacle, but Jake easily dodged the blow, darting to the side.
Almost immediately, the whip-like tentacle zipped through the air toward him again. While Jake had no intention of fighting the elite mutant to conserve the little mana he had left, he knew he needed to deprive the whipper of its main weapon. When the tentacle reached him, he lashed out with his sword, severing it in half. With a roar of frustration and anger, the whipper retracted the remnants of its arm-tentacle.
Not far from the monster, a dead body lay sprawled on the ground¡ªthe remains of a survivor who had clearly lost a battle against the elite whipper. He must have been engaged in a tower mission, tasked with clearing all the floors of mutants and eliminating the elite monster on the roof. Or perhaps he might just have stumbled upon the elite whipper by chance.
Not that it really mattered to Jake. He was solely interested in the mana consumable he had come for, which should be stashed away in the dead survivor¡¯s rucksack, as there was no other spot on the roof for it to be. Without bothering to close his eyes and activate Mana Vision to confirm his theory, Jake darted around the whipper, giving the massive mutant a wide berth, and dropped to a knee beside the dead survivor, who lay face down.
He ripped open the flap, and immediately a bluish glow burst forth from within, confirming the presence of a mana consumable inside. Jake reached into the rucksack and retrieved a fairly large mana item with a familiar shape. At first glance, he recognized it as a mana crystal, containing 5,000 MP. Some time ago, Jake would have been thrilled to come across so much mana, but given his current level, it wasn¡¯t all that much anymore.
A thunderous roar and the sound of heavy, rapid footfalls prompted him to look up. The elite monster came barreling toward him, moving with incredible speed for its size. Jake jumped to his feet, waited just a moment to let the whipper get a little closer, and then suddenly darted to the side. The mutant charged past him, trying to slow down but struggling to do so immediately due to the momentum it had gained. Jake pivoted in the direction he had come from and burst into a sprint. Once he reached the edge of the roof, he performed a mana-infused jump to the next building.
Upon landing on the roof, he slowed down, then stopped completely and looked at the mana consumable in his hand. He gripped it tightly, clutching the crystal in his fist. The magical energy surged through the newly formed cracks in the crystal, heading toward his skin to be absorbed by his body.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Once the crushed crystal was depleted and all the mana it contained had been consumed, he dropped the item. Five thousand mana points wasn¡¯t much for his current level. He could easily use it up in just a few hours. However, he now had enough mana in his body to use Cloak again, and if he took it easy, the amount of mana he now had within him would last him until nightfall, with some to spare.
Jake returned to the building towering over the bandit base. Activating Cloak, he approached the parapet and peered over the edge at the compound ten stories below. He noticed that the battle was nearly finished. By that point, all the void spiders and fiends were dead. Only the death knight remained, but it was on its last breath. One of its arms was missing, clearly having been severed by Miller, and numerous wounds and gashes were visible on its body.
The gang leader wasn¡¯t unscathed either. The power suit he wore bore many dents and ragged holes. Armor plates had been torn from the suit in several places. The energy gun was missing as well, but after a quick scan, Jake spotted it lying on the ground nearby. The death knight must have ripped it from where it had been mounted on one of the power suit¡¯s arms.
Miller and the death knight kept fighting while the remaining bandits watched. The massive monster suddenly swung its colossal fist at Miller, who caught it with his right hand enhanced by the power suit¡¯s glove. Using the chainsaw attached to the wrist of his suit¡¯s left arm, Miller sliced through the death knight¡¯s arm, severing it cleanly in half.
The now armless monster roared in rage and frustration, a chilling sound that echoed through the compound. The death knight leaned in toward Miller, opening its jaws wide as if preparing to take a bite out of him. The base leader thrust his chainsaw into the monster¡¯s open mouth and held it there firmly. The death knight¡¯s body thrashed wildly for a moment, the mechanical whirring of the chainsaw blending with its anguished roar. Then, with a final, convulsive shudder, the creature suddenly collapsed to the ground, dead.
After that, everything fell silent for a moment. Then, as if on cue, the bandits surrounding their leader erupted in victorious shouts, cheering for their brave commander. Miller pumped his right fist in the air, clearly savoring the victory and relishing the attention from his grateful subordinates.
The power suit then opened, and Miller stepped out. He walked toward the fallen death knight, crouched down, and snatched the Skeleton Key from where it was attached to the creature¡¯s hip. Now that the monster was dead, the bony loop secured around the key had become fragile. As Miller pulled on the key, the loop shattered effortlessly, crumbling into thousands of tiny fragments that scattered across the ground.
Miller stood up, examining the Skeleton Key he held in his hand. The excitement on his face was unmistakable, raising a flurry of questions in Jake¡¯s mind. Where was Miller planning to use the key? Did he know about the Maze of Torment located in the sewers? That particular dungeon was designed for levels 15-20, while Miller¡¯s own level was a staggering 195. Or perhaps Miller had information on other dungeons suited for higher levels?
However, there was no time to search for answers. Jake needed that key. He had failed to snatch it on his first attempt, but he was willing to try again. The trick was to stay undetected by the base¡¯s occupants. He wasn¡¯t sure how he would accomplish that, so he was going to have to come up with a plan on the fly.
With that in mind, he stepped over the edge of the roof and dropped to the street below.
Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Jake sprouted claws from the fingers of his right hand and made contact with the wall along which he was falling. The tips of his talons scraped against the surface, slowing his descent. The weathered wall bore the marks of his fall, with small fragments of concrete flying in every direction like tiny shrapnel.
The rough surface of the ground met his feet with a soft thud. The impact was light, and he quickly transitioned into a low crouch, scanning his surroundings. There were no signs of movement anywhere nearby. All the bandits were inside the compound, and Jake could still hear the distant sounds of the gang¡¯s celebration echoing from the base.
Jake knew time was of the essence, and he had to act quickly so as not to lose sight of the Skeleton Key. At the same time, he needed to move quietly to avoid detection, making sure the base¡¯s inhabitants did not catch wind of his presence or intentions.
He made his way toward the bandit base, crossing the street overgrown with vegetation that sprouted through the cracks in the asphalt. He moved so carefully and stealthily that hardly any clumps of tall grass were disturbed as he passed through. While he made sure he remained as stealthy as possible, he moved at a pretty swift pace.
As he neared the perimeter walls of the compound, Jake thought that the death knight had made his infiltration into the bandit base much simpler. Instead of using Gravity Leap to vault over the walls or Adhesive Secretion to scale them, he could simply slip through the gates that the death knight had broken down, creating a gaping opening.
With his Cloak raised and his movements quiet and stealthy, he was nearly impossible to detect. As it turned out, he was only partially correct. While his approach would have gone unnoticed by the human eye, the technologically advanced turrets on the watchtowers were able to sense him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one of the machine gun turrets suddenly pivot in his direction, its barrel seemingly aimed directly at him. He instantly froze, watching the turret intently and prepared to bolt away the moment it opened fire. However, the turret remained silent for the moment. He noticed a small orange light glowing on its front.
Jake realized what it meant. Although he was completely invisible, the turret¡¯s 360-degree scanner must be extremely sensitive, allowing it to detect the slightest air distortions caused by his movements. However, the turret wasn¡¯t yet convinced it had identified an enemy. It seemed to be assessing whether he was a threat or something harmless. He hoped it would lose interest in him if he stayed perfectly still.
For several tense seconds, the machine gun turret kept its barrel aimed at him, the alert light still glowing orange. Then, it switched to green, and the turret pivoted its barrel away from him, returning to its standard position to survey the outside area. Jake watched the turret for just a moment longer.
Getting past those turrets turned out to be much more difficult than he had initially thought. He now realized that the scanners on those turrets were extremely sensitive, capable of detecting him even with his Cloak activated. But what if he moved very slowly? Could he avoid alerting the turrets if he slowed down even more? Jake decided it was worth a try.
He continued to advance toward the base, moving much slower than before, stealthily approaching the opening where the gates had once been. This time, he made sure not only to avoid creating noise and disturbing the tall grass he moved through but also to prevent any disruptions in the surrounding air. Moving so slowly was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do about it. Remaining undetected was his priority.
It worked. None of the machine gun turrets managed to spot him this time. He moved so slowly that his Cloak instantly adjusted to his movements, keeping him completely concealed. No disturbances in the air were created by his cautious pace, and the alert lights on all the turrets remained green.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Finally, he slipped through the opening into the bandit base. He took a moment to survey the area before heading toward the center of the compound, where Miller and several other bandits were engaged in a discussion. They were far away, but his enhanced hearing allowed him to easily catch every word they uttered. Stealthily advancing across the base, he focused on their conversation, inching closer to them.
¡°By the time I return, you gotta have it done,¡± Miller said, sweeping his arm around the base.
The three bandits standing before the gang leader¡ªclearly his closest subordinates¡ªglanced at the shattered contraptions and structures that had been destroyed by the death knight.
¡°What if we find that we don¡¯t have enough resources to repair everything?¡± one of the bandits questioned.
¡°The fuck you say?¡± the gang leader snarled, stepping closer to the speaker, who instantly began to tremble in fear. ¡°I warned you about the attack a long time ago. I told you to stock up on resources so we could quickly repair anything that might be damaged. If we don¡¯t have enough resources to fix everything today, I¡¯ll be so fucking angry with you.¡±
The three bandits remained silent in front of him, eyes cast downward. As Jake crept closer, a thought struck him: he could launch an attack on the base right then. Miller was at level 195, but that didn¡¯t hold much weight on its own.
While Jake was no longer human, he still remembered how the system worked for regular survivors. He was sure that Miller had allocated plenty of skill points into his Constitution, making his body much more resistant to damage than that of an ordinary person from before the Collapse. Still, Miller was merely human, and Jake was pretty confident he wouldn¡¯t have much trouble tearing him apart with Claws or beating him into a pulp with Smashfists.
However, the weapons Miller wielded must have been extremely powerful, as was his power suit. He wasn¡¯t wearing the suit at that moment, and Jake was sure that a sudden attack could allow him to disarm Miller without any trouble. Many other bandits had survived the attack, but unlike Miller, their levels were significantly lower. Jake was confident he wouldn¡¯t have much difficulty dealing with them after taking care of Miller.
What held him back from initiating the attack, however, was the machine gun turrets guarding the base. He had recently learned that they were extremely dangerous. If he launched an attack, he would need to move quickly. It would cause visible distortions in the air, which would be easily detected by the turrets. They were powerful, and if they opened fire on him simultaneously, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Therefore, before launching an assault on the base, he needed to come up with a plan to neutralize those turrets first.
Another significant factor was the lack of mana in his body. At the moment, he didn¡¯t have sufficient mana to engage in a tough fight.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss,¡± one of the three bandits said, finally breaking the silence. ¡°We¡¯ll have everything fixed by the time you get back.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not worried, you dumbass,¡± Miller shot back. ¡°It¡¯s you who should be worried if you fail to fix everything.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll get it done, boss,¡± another chimed in, exchanging glances with his two companions.
¡°Good.¡±
¡°What about the key?¡± one of them asked nervously. ¡°The whole point of doing this mission was to secure the Skeleton Key, right, boss?¡±
Miller glanced at the key he was still holding in one hand. He looked at it with an expression as if he had completely forgotten about it by that point. Suddenly, he tossed it to one of his men, who managed to snatch it out of the air, albeit clumsily and almost letting it drop to the ground.
¡°We don¡¯t need it right now,¡± Miller said. ¡°So keep a close watch on it, will you? Or better yet, put it in the safe. Make sure no one touches it. If it goes missing, I¡¯ll make you regret it, got it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe,¡± the bandit replied, clutching the Skeleton Key tightly in his fist.
¡°Good. That¡¯s what I want to hear.¡±
Miller then wheeled around and started across the base, striding toward the parking area. He motioned for a couple of bandits to follow him, and they immediately joined him without asking where they were going or what they were needed for. The three of them got into a pickup truck, and the large vehicle drove toward the exit. It slowed down as it rumbled over the debris of the gates strewn across the ground. A few seconds later, the pickup truck pulled out of the compound and disappeared from sight.
The bandit clutching the Skeleton Key and his two companions watched the pickup truck as it drove away. After a brief moment, the trio turned and made their way toward the HQ. Gliding silently, Jake trailed behind like a shadow, eluding the attention of both the bandits and the turrets stationed around the base. None of the three bandits he was following were aware of the latent danger lurking just a few feet away.
Chapter 173
Chapter 173
As the trio of bandits approached the HQ, Jake cast a quick glance at the rectangular two-story building. He immediately spotted several surveillance cameras mounted on its walls, each angled in a different direction. One camera was specifically aimed directly at the entrance to the HQ.
Miller¡¯s three closest subordinates, whose names were Dominic, Minh, and Patrick, had already reached the entrance. Dominic, who was in the lead, opened the door and disappeared into the building. Unfortunately, Jake couldn¡¯t afford to move any faster for fear of being detected by the machine gun turrets. Before he could catch up with the bandits, Dominic¡¯s two companions quickly followed him inside, closing the door behind them.
Jake slowed down. He had a feeling that the surveillance cameras might be just as adept at detecting hidden threats as the turrets. Each camera sported a glowing alert light, and he noticed he was in the line of sight of some of them. Their green lights suggested that his careful movements were keeping him under the radar. He could have tested the cameras¡¯ sensitivity with a quick movement, but he opted to play it safe, not willing to waste any time.
He stopped not far from the entrance. The door was closed, but it was probably not locked. However, he couldn¡¯t risk opening it and going inside. So far, he had managed to remain undetected because he was moving slowly enough not to cause any distortions in the air. However, the camera aimed at the entrance would surely spot and record the door swinging open by itself, raising questions for anyone monitoring the camera feed.
Jake cast a quick glance at the building once more. It had windows, but all were firmly closed. Gaining entry without exposing himself or arousing any suspicion from the bandits was turning out to be more difficult than he had expected.
Suddenly, his sharp sense of smell detected something¡ªa whiff of cigarette smoke. It drifted down from above. Jake looked up at the edge of the roof, and though he didn¡¯t see anyone, he was convinced there was a smoker up there. Quietly, he approached the building and pressed his fingertips against the wall. Adhesive Secretion immediately kicked in, letting him stick firmly to the surface, and he began to climb.
Since he had to move slowly to avoid attracting the cameras¡¯ attention, it took him longer to reach the roof than it normally would have. Once he climbed over the parapet and stood on the rooftop, he surveyed the area. Not far from him, a guard stood with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, a wisp of smoke curling upward from the glowing tip.
For a second, Jake wondered where the guard had gotten the cigarettes. Had he simply found them while scavenging? Or perhaps the bandits cultivated their own tobacco and dried the leaves? The latter seemed more plausible, as the cigarette dangling from the guard¡¯s lips appeared quite makeshift, almost half-finished, and without a filter.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Behind the smoker, Jake spotted a door. The guard who had come up to the roof hadn¡¯t bothered to close it, leaving it wide open and creating an inviting path. Although the guard was facing Jake, the calm look on his face suggested he was blissfully unaware of his presence. Jake stealthily maneuvered around the guard, making sure he moved slowly and cautiously to avoid causing any visible distortions in the air.
He reached behind the guard¡¯s back and slipped through the open door, finding himself on a staircase. After descending two flights, he arrived at another opening that led into a corridor. Jake glanced both ways, noticing doors lining either side of the corridor. At both ends of the corridor, a couple of surveillance cameras monitored the area. However, their alert lights remained green, indicating they hadn¡¯t detected him.
One of the doors immediately caught his attention. It looked different from the rest: unlike the others, it was an automatic sliding door equipped with a touch panel mounted on the wall beside it. Next to the door stood another guard who appeared bored. His gaze was directed at the entrance Jake had just come from, but, like the guard on the roof, he failed to notice him.
Moving slowly, he crawled up the wall and then onto the ceiling. After securing himself in place, he navigated along the ceiling toward the guard and the door he was watching. He was intrigued by what lay beyond the door, but entering without drawing the guard¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t feasible. Taking the guard out was also off the table. He settled into a position just above the door and the guard, going completely still as he waited.
He could hear the quiet voices of several people coming from the side of the corridor he had just emerged from. Jake turned his head slightly to look in that direction and focused his gaze on the opening leading to the staircase. He could tell that the voices were coming from there, growing louder and accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps.
He recognized the voices. They belonged to Miller¡¯s closest subordinates: Dominic, Minh, and Patrick. The three were ascending the stairs to the second floor, having apparently spent some time on the first floor instead of heading upstairs right away. Jake had to move slowly to avoid detection by both humans and machines, which was why it had taken him some time to reach the second floor. Had the three of them gone directly to the second floor after entering, they would undoubtedly have arrived before him.
Jake waited, firmly clinging to the ceiling. Unlike him, it took the guard below a little longer to detect the voices coming from the staircase. As soon as he heard them and realized the approaching people were the three sub-bosses, he immediately straightened his posture and quickly wiped the bored expression off his face.
Finally, the three of them emerged from the staircase and turned toward the guarded door. The guard greeted them and stepped aside to let them pass. The trio didn¡¯t even glance at the guard, ignoring him completely. Dominic, who was in the lead, entered a code into the touchpad, causing the door to slide open. The trio strode into the room beyond. Seizing the opportunity, Jake crawled down and slipped into the room over the upper edge of the door frame.
Even though the three bandits were already inside, the door remained open, likely sensing Jake¡¯s presence. None of the bandits noticed that the door stayed open longer than it should have. Once Jake was through, it slid shut behind him. He found himself in a cramped room with three of the base leader¡¯s top subordinates. Crawling up to the ceiling, he went still, eager to learn what the trio was up to.
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Jake clung motionlessly to the ceiling, his gaze fixed downward as he took in the scene. It was a small security control room. One wall housed a bank of monitors: some displayed feeds from various security cameras, while others displayed footage from machine gun turrets. This made Jake realize that even those turrets recorded everything they captured with their 360-degree scanners.
The remaining monitors showcased a range of data concerning the base¡¯s structures and devices, detailing their condition, operational status, production levels, remaining energy, etc. One monitor in particular caught Jake¡¯s attention. It showed several contraptions with extremely low health bars. It was clear that those were the devices that had recently been severely damaged by the death knight.
The Asian man named Minh stepped toward the monitor and typed a few commands into the adjacent keyboard. Information flickered onto the screen, prompting him to lean in for a closer look. When he finally straightened, a noticeable sense of relief washed over his features.
He glanced over his shoulder at the two companions behind him and said, ¡°Looks like everything¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve got plenty of resources on hand to repair all the damage.¡±
Dominic and Patrick visibly relaxed at the good news. It was obvious that none of the three were eager to face the fury of their leader, Miller, firsthand if they failed to make all the necessary repairs that day.
Minh kept typing commands into the computer while Dominic and Patrick stood behind him. Jake remained completely motionless, securely anchored to the ceiling above the three bandits, studying them.
Dominic was the one who Miller had given the Skeleton Key to. Before the trio entered HQ, Dominic had the key clutched in his fist. Now, Jake could see that Dominic¡¯s hands were empty. Had he slipped the Skeleton Key into his pocket? Or perhaps he had stashed it somewhere on the first floor?
Jake contemplated dropping to the floor and using Mind Reader on Dominic to access his recent memories and discover the location of the Skeleton Key. However, that would expose him, which he wanted to avoid at this moment. He had another idea brewing anyway. While watching the three bandits below, he continued to think it through, piecing together a plan of action in his mind.
While Minh continued to work on the computer, Dominic and Patrick engaged in a heated discussion behind him.
¡°I can¡¯t believe how many people we lost and how many resources we¡¯ll burn fixing all the damage¡ªjust so Miller could get a Skeleton Key as a reward for this stupid defense mission,¡± Patrick vented. ¡°We don¡¯t even have any use for the key, damn it.¡±
¡°Boss said we¡¯ll be able to use it later, remember?¡± Dominic replied.
¡°Still, it sucks,¡± Patrick grumbled. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any rush to get the Skeleton Key right away. He could¡¯ve waited until we were stronger before initiating this mission.¡±
¡°He assured us we were ready for this mission,¡± Dominic argued, standing up for their leader. ¡°And look¡ªhe was right. We pulled it off successfully.¡±
¡°We only succeeded because of him,¡± Patrick pointed out. ¡°He¡¯s at a much higher level than any of us, and he¡¯s crafted that power suit for himself. If it weren¡¯t for him and his power suit, the death knight would¡¯ve wiped us out and wrecked the whole base. We should build power suits for all of us. It¡¯s not fair that only he gets to wear one.¡±
¡°Creating a power suit takes a ton of resources, you know that, right?¡± Dominic replied. ¡°We can¡¯t even afford to make another one for the time being.¡±
¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Patrick replied, clearly frustrated. ¡°But it¡¯s still annoying.¡± He then changed the topic. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder where Los Demonios came from, anyway.¡±
¡°We are Los Demonios, dude,¡± Dominic pointed out, emphasizing ¡°are¡± in his tone.
¡°I meant the people who formed the gang in the first place,¡± Patrick explained. ¡°We were recruited here, in this city. But Los Demonios didn¡¯t start here. They came from somewhere outside instead.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Minh replied without looking back, still working on the computer. ¡°From what other guys have told me, the original members of Los Demonios came from another city.¡±
Dominic raised an eyebrow. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡±
¡°You see, the System didn¡¯t revive everyone from stasis all at once,¡± Minh clarified. ¡°There are other cities like this one, and in some of those, people were brought back long before us.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Patrick asked. ¡°How come the System didn¡¯t wake everyone up at the same time?¡±
¡°I have no clue. I don''t know why the System operates the way it does. Nobody does.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°So the people who originally created Los Demonios were revived in another city long before us, huh?¡± Dominic remarked. ¡°That makes sense¡ªit explains why Miller and the other gang leaders are so much higher-leveled than we are.¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
¡°Why did they decide to come to our city, though?¡± Dominic asked.
¡°Something went down in their own city,¡± Minh replied.
¡°What happened?¡± Patrick asked.
¡°Not sure. But things must¡¯ve gone really downhill over there. Most of the survivors died. Los Demonios managed to survive and flee their city¡ªat least some of them. They set up a new base somewhere, then went searching for other cities and eventually stumbled upon ours. And as you know, since then, they¡¯ve been taking control of our city, claiming it as their territory. Their gang¡¯s extremely powerful and definitely not something to mess with.¡± He turned to look at his companions, smirking. ¡°Only fools would try to challenge them. Smart people like us choose to join them. Those who refuse to be recruited by them... well, I think you both know what happens to them.¡±
¡°You sure know a lot about Los Demonios,¡± Dominic remarked, a hint of jealousy creeping into his voice.
¡°Yeah," Minh replied, his gaze still fixed on the monitor before him. ¡°As I mentioned, I talked to guys from different bases at one time. I picked up some information from them.¡±
¡°What about the Skeleton Key?¡± Patrick asked. ¡°Do you know when we can use it? And where?¡±
¡°Yeah. There¡¯s going to be an upgrade in our city soon. That¡¯s when we¡¯ll get to use the key.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Dominic asked, intrigued. ¡°What upgrade?¡±
¡°The System is going to upgrade our city,¡± Minh said. ¡°This means that all the mutants will become much more powerful, and new types of dangerous creatures will appear.¡±
¡°Oh geez,¡± Patrick thought. ¡°And here I thought we have finally learned how to survive in this mutant-infested world.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Minh replied. ¡°Soon, it will become much more dangerous in the city. We¡¯ll feel the same way we did when we first awoke in this altered world, where danger awaited around every corner.¡±
¡°Oh, I see,¡± Dominic responded. ¡°That¡¯s why the leaders have been providing us with scrolls to help us level up more quickly.¡±
¡°That¡¯s correct. They want us to be prepared and strong enough to face the new threats. If we¡¯re not strong enough by the time the city upgrades, the beefed-up mutants will tear us apart. And by the way, I personally think that¡¯s exactly what happened in the city the original members of Los Demonios came from. Survivors likely weren¡¯t ready when their city¡¯s mutants were upgraded to much more powerful versions of themselves. That must be why Los Demonios has been putting so much effort into building bases in our city, recruiting people, and gathering resources. We¡¯re gearing up to confront whatever is going to come at us after the city undergoes an upgrade.¡±
Silence settled in for a moment, as Dominic and Patrick grimly mulled over what they had just heard from Minh.
¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re not going to the dungeon, even though we¡¯ve already gotten the Skeleton Key for it, huh?¡± Dominic asked, shattering the silence.
¡°Exactly. Once the city gets an upgrade, the dungeon¡¯s level will rise as well, and the rewards for completing it will be significantly better.¡±
¡°When exactly will the city¡¯s upgrade take place?¡± Patrick inquired.
¡°Only the System knows. But it should happen very soon. At least, that¡¯s what I gathered from overhearing Miller talk with the leaders of some other bases when they visited us the other day.¡±
¡°You listen in on our leaders¡¯ conversations?¡± Dominic asked, his voice laced with disapproval. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be pleased if they found out someone was spying on them.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t spying on them,¡± Minh said hesitantly.
¡°Then what were you doing, huh?¡± Dominic retorted, his tone critical.
Minh fell silent, uncertain about how to answer. Before he could gather his thoughts, Patrick interjected, ¡°Do you know where the dungeon is?¡±
¡°Only Miller has that information,¡± Minh replied. ¡°And possibly a few of the other leaders as well.¡±
Both Dominic and Patrick looked like they were going to ask something else, but before either of them could say anything, Minh said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done here. All the structures are set to be repaired. Let¡¯s get out of here. It¡¯s so cramped it makes me feel claustrophobic.¡±
Without waiting for a response, he headed for the exit. He pressed a button on the touchpad, and the door slid open. He stepped out of the room, with his two companions following closely behind. After they left, the door slid shut.
Jake remained where he was, clinging to the ceiling. He could have followed them out of the room, but he had something else in mind. For a moment, he stayed motionless, reflecting on what he had just learned. Listening in on the three sub-bosses had provided him with some useful information.
So he now knew the System was going to upgrade the city soon, making all mutants more powerful and introducing some new mutant types. It was good news. It meant he would be able to earn more XP and level up faster. The fact that the city the original Los Demonios had come from had been overrun by mutants after the System¡¯s upgrade was a bit disconcerting, though. However, since he was much more powerful than humans, he probably didn¡¯t have much reason to worry.
The Maze of Torment was set to become much more difficult after the System upgraded the city. However, he wasn¡¯t sure yet whether the dungeon would even allow him to enter. For all he knew, dungeons were designed specifically for human survivors, not mutants like him. The fact that survivors needed to complete a special mission to receive a Skeleton Key added weight to that theory. Still, he was determined to try to enter the dungeon after the city was upgraded.
He also learned that regular members of the gang weren¡¯t aware of where the main base of Los Demonios was located. Only the original members knew that. So, all he needed to do to discover the main base¡¯s location was to use Mind Reader on one of the original members. And identifying them was very simple. Like Miller, some of them should be in charge of various smaller bases, and they also had to be high-leveled.
However, locating their main base was a task for another time. For now, he needed to focus on obtaining the Skeleton Key. Now that he was alone in the security control room, it was time to set his plan in motion.
Chapter 175
Chapter 175
Jake detached from the ceiling and dropped to the floor, twisting in midair and landing so softly that he made no sound at all. He approached the bank of monitors and studied them closely. On one of the screens, he saw the three sub-bosses leaving the HQ.
He turned his attention to the monitors displaying various data. He touched the controls and browsed through the information for a few moments. He realized that the entire database regarding the base was accessible via the control panel in the security room. Using the touchscreen, he quickly scanned the information displayed on one of the screens.
The computers kept track of everything happening in the base: the total number of people inside, how many were guards, or more accurately, bandits, and how many were workers¡ªcaptives forced to labor for the gang. It logged the number of various devices, detailing which ones were operational and producing goods. Progress bars displayed on the screen indicated the current output of each device generating specific items. Additionally, the data outlined the types of resources stored in units, including the quantity of each type currently available. Essentially, everything occurring and stored in the base was meticulously listed in the database, which was updated in real-time.
Jake had access not only to the live feeds from the security cameras and machine gun turrets but also to previously recorded footage from each device. Out of curiosity, he searched for the feed from the machine gun turret that had spotted him when he approached the base earlier.
On the screen, even though the barrel of the turret wasn¡¯t pointed in his direction, the 360-degree camera it was equipped with detected his presence without much difficulty. There wasn¡¯t much to see¡ªjust a faint distortion in the air that a human being might not even notice¡ªbut the turret picked it up anyway. The barrel swiveled to aim at the location of the distortion before halting.
Jake was aware that he had remained completely still at that moment, so while he gazed at the screen, he couldn¡¯t see his entirely invisible form. Nonetheless, the turret continued to keep its barrel trained on the same spot. In one corner of the monitor, an orange light illuminated, mirroring the signal light on the turret itself. Beside the orange light, the word ATTENTION flashed, telling anyone watching the feed that something had triggered the turret¡¯s alert.
However, since Jake on the screen didn¡¯t move a muscle, the turret eventually determined it was a false alarm and switched the light from orange to green as it swiveled its barrel away from him. It appeared that nobody was actually monitoring the screens at that moment, likely because all the bandits were occupied outside, with the attack on the base in full swing. Jake was certain that even if someone had been monitoring the turret¡¯s feed, the slight distortion in the air wouldn¡¯t have raised any concerns¡ªespecially since the turret had chosen to disregard it and never picked it up again.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Jake decided he had had enough fun toying with the control panel. It was time to get down to business. He located the feed from the camera positioned at the entrance and switched from the live feed to the previously recorded footage, fast-forwarding to the moment when the trio of sub-bosses¡ªDominic, Minh, and Patrick¡ªentered the HQ. On the screen, Dominic still held the Skeleton Key in his hand.
After entering the building, the trio made their way further inside. Jake watched them as they continued deeper, cycling through recorded footage from different surveillance cameras. Eventually, he spotted them opening a door situated farthest from the entrance of the building. Jake quickly located the feed from another camera positioned inside the room. He switched from live feed to recorded footage and fast-forwarded back to the moment the trio stepped through the door.
The room served as a lounge area for the base¡¯s leaders to rest. It was furnished with several sofas and armchairs, but the trio wasn¡¯t there to relax. They made their way to the wall at the far end of the room. Minh and Patrick stood still as Dominic approached the wall. He reached out with one hand, feeling the surface as if he were searching for a concealed button.
A moment later, he discovered the hidden button and pressed it. A section of the wall at head height slid open, revealing a small safe. Dominic entered a code on the touchscreen located on the front of the safe. Minh and Patrick stood nearby, watching him, and Dominic made no attempt to hide the code he was inputting, making it clear that all three of them were aware of it. This was a positive turn of events as it would undoubtedly play into Jake¡¯s hands when he set the plan he had come up with in motion.
After entering the code on the touchpad, Dominic swung the safe door open and placed the Skeleton Key inside. He then shut the safe door and slid the panel back into place, completely concealing the safe from view. However, now that Jake knew where to look, he was confident he could locate and access the safe without any issues.
Once the Skeleton Key was secured, the trio immediately left the room. Jake quickly switched to old recorded footage from other cameras and discovered that the trio had made their way upstairs, clearly headed for the security control room. There was no point in watching their progress any further, so he decided to stop the playback.
So, he now knew where the Skeleton Key was hidden. He didn¡¯t know the code, as the camera in the lounge area was pointed directly at the wall where the safe was concealed, blocking Jake¡¯s view when Dominic input the code. But that was fine. Jake was confident he wouldn¡¯t have much trouble breaking into the safe. If push came to shove, he could always find one of the three sub-bosses and use Mind Reader on him to learn the code. Still, Jake was certain he wouldn¡¯t need to resort to that, as he was pretty much sure his abilities would allow him to break the safe open with little difficulty.
He then pulled his attention from his thoughts and back to the array of monitors in front of him. Now that he knew the location of the Skeleton Key, he was ready to move on to the second phase of his plan.
Chapter 176
Chapter 176
The first thing Jake needed to do was deactivate all the surveillance cameras inside the bandit HQ. He was going to snatch the Skeleton Key from the safe and didn¡¯t want the surveillance cameras recording the concealed safe door opening by itself. Once they realized the Skeleton Key was missing, they would surely hurry to check the recorded footage. Since Jake was keeping Cloak up, all they would see was the concealed safe being opened and the Skeleton Key floating out, which would raise some questions in their minds. He had to avoid that.
So he needed to turn off all the surveillance cameras. Additionally, he wanted to erase all previous recordings from every camera and turret to sow confusion. He didn¡¯t want to give them any indication that he was the one who had infiltrated their facility. Los Demonios were already aware of his ability to turn invisible. To keep suspicion away from himself, he had to ensure it looked like one of their own had snatched the Skeleton Key.
Apart from the base leader, only Miller¡¯s three closest subordinates seemed to have access to the security control room and the safe. This meant that Dominic, Minh, and Patrick would quickly become his primary suspects once the disappearance of the Skeleton Key was discovered. All three were terrified of Miller, and from what he had gathered by eavesdropping on their recent conversation, they definitely weren¡¯t friends.
Each of them had their own agenda. Dominic might be Miller¡¯s favorite. It was hard to tell for sure, but he was the one who Miller had given the Skeleton Key to. It was possible that Miller chose him at random, but Jake doubted it. Unlike the other two, Dominic consistently defended their leader¡¯s decisions. He was a bootlicker trying to earn Miller¡¯s favor.
In contrast to Dominic, Patrick was openly critical of their leader. He had voiced his concerns about how poorly Miller handled the attack on their base. Dominic would definitely remember this and would likely report it to Miller once the Skeleton Key¡¯s disappearance was uncovered. As for Minh, he appeared to have been spying on Los Demonios¡¯ leaders, pursuing an agenda of his own that Dominic would most likely report to Miller as well.
The three of them were very different, and once the disappearance of the Skeleton Key came to light, there would be no unity among them. Rather than supporting one another, they would likely turn on each other, exposing all kinds of dirt. Terrified of incurring Miller¡¯s wrath, each would desperately attempt to deflect suspicion away from himself, which would play right into Jake¡¯s hands.
As he continued to browse through various options on the computer, he stumbled upon a few more fascinating details about the base¡¯s operations. He was already aware that repairs to damaged structures were initiated through the computer in the security control room, but he now learned that the construction of new structures and contraptions was also managed from that very room.
To build a new structure, the user simply needed to pick one from the list. If all the necessary requirements were fulfilled and there were enough resources, the structure would be selected. The next step was to pick a location on the map of the compound where the user wanted the new structure to be placed. It was that easy, almost like playing a video game but in reality.
When he was a human survivor, Jake had never reached the stage where he could build his own base. He had never even learned how basic crafting worked in this game-like world through personal experience. This was why he was now so interested in seeing it in action. In fact, his curiosity was so intense that he briefly entertained the idea of attempting to build something himself.
However, he quickly dismissed the idea. If a new structure suddenly popped up somewhere in the base, its occupants would immediately notice, and the three sub-bosses, who were currently outside the HQ, would realize someone was in the security control room. Staying undetected was Jake¡¯s top priority, so trying to build a new structure was out of the question, at least for the time being.
While navigating through the data on the computer, he suddenly stumbled upon the list of all the bases belonging to Los Demonios. The list included the coordinates for each base. Jake checked them on the map, learning and memorizing the locations of all the bases. Beside each base, its status was displayed, and all were currently marked as ¡°Under No Threat¡±.
So it appeared that when a base came under attack, its status automatically updated across all security control rooms in every other base. Therefore, when this base was under siege by void monsters, the leaders of all the other bases were likely notified of the situation. This system made sure that when one base was under attack, the others were quickly informed, allowing them to quickly come to their allies¡¯ assistance if necessary.
Anyway, Jake now knew the exact location of every other base in the city, except for the main base. Unlike the others, it was located somewhere outside the city. However, when Jake typed in the command to display its coordinates, the computer requested that he input a password.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
So this meant that while some general information could be accessed easily through the computer, more sensitive data or important commands necessitated entering a password for added security. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know the password, and his Enhanced Intelligence skill didn¡¯t currently allow him to hack electronic devices¡ªat least, not yet. Still, he was undeterred. The original members of Los Demonios, such as Miller, knew the location of the main base. So when the right moment arrived, Jake would easily find it. He would just need to employ his Mind Reader ability on one of the original members of the gang.
As Jake explored the available commands on the computer, he stumbled upon another intriguing option. He could actually modify the behavior of the machine gun turrets. Presently, they were programmed to attack only monsters that neared the base. However, he could adjust them to target specific targets. He was surprised to find that he could set the turrets to eliminate all members of a certain group within the base, such as guards or workers. Additionally, he had the option to disable the turrets altogether or configure them to refrain from attacking anything.
Out of curiosity, he decided to try making the turrets passive for a moment, simply to see if he was allowed to do so. He reasoned that it wouldn¡¯t affect their appearance, so no one in the base would realize that there was a change in their behavior, since none of the turrets were currently firing.
However, when he attempted to do so, a familiar prompt appeared, asking him to enter the password. So deactivating the turrets or altering their settings also required authentication. It made sense. Just like accessing sensitive information, modifying the turrets¡¯ settings was classified as a significant command, necessitating a password for added security. The encrypted system was designed to prevent unauthorized users from tampering with the defense mechanisms¡ªan essential feature, especially for a group like the bandits, whose livelihood depended on maintaining their territory.
However, even if Jake could command the turrets to kill all the bandits within the base, he probably wouldn¡¯t have gone through with it. After all, what would he have achieved by that? Sure, the workers would have their own base, but how long they could hold it was anyone¡¯s guess. As he had just learned, when one base was under attack, all the others were immediately informed about it. So if the workers took control of the base, it was only a matter of time before bandits from the other bases came rushing in. Jake doubted the workers would be able to defend their base against the combined forces of other bases for long. It would likely be just a matter of minutes before Los Demonios reclaimed it, wiping out all the rioters.
The workers would have no chance without his assistance. Yet he was far from ready for a tough fight at the moment. Before launching a full-scale war against Los Demonios, he needed to evolve to the next stage and level up a bit more. Thus, his main priority at the moment was to obtain the Skeleton Key.
Having learned everything there was to know about controlling the base via the computer, it was time to move on to the third and final phase of his plan.
First, he checked the feed from each surveillance camera to locate every guard within the HQ. There were two on the second floor: one positioned just outside the door to the security control room and the other at the end of the corridor, where he could see the entire stretch. The latter was the smoker Jake had met on the roof some time ago. On the first floor, there were a few more guards. Jake committed the positions of all of them to memory.
Next, he deleted all the recorded videos from each surveillance camera within the HQ. After that, he moved to deactivate all of them. For a moment, he feared that a prompt might pop up asking him for a password. If that happened, Jake would have needed to resort to destroying the hard drives entirely. However, it turned out that deleting the recorded data didn¡¯t require a password. Once he erased everything captured by the cameras, he proceeded to deactivate them. Now, nothing of the massacre that would take place in the HQ over the next several minutes would be recorded.
Jake had to act quickly now. He wasn¡¯t sure whether the cameras¡¯ current offline status was visibly apparent, so he needed to hurry in case it was. He had to finish what he started before any guards in the HQ realized the cameras were down.
Moving quickly, he approached the door and jumped up, reaching the ceiling and clinging to it with Adhesive Secretion oozing from the tips of his fingers and toes. Since he didn¡¯t have much mana left in his body, he decided to deactivate Cloak, causing his body to become visible. There wasn¡¯t much reason to keep it active from this point on anyway, and he wanted to conserve as much mana as possible. In its active state, using abilities like bladed tentacles or tendrils caused Cloak to consume additional mana to keep up with his quick, chaotic movements and keep all of his additional appendages concealed. So to save what little mana he had left, it was wiser to keep the ability turned off for the time being.
He then glanced at the touchpad built into the wall next to the door. He had memorized the code Dominic had entered when he and his two companions walked into the security control room. It was a simple four-digit code. However, it turned out that exiting the security control room didn¡¯t require entering the code. To unlock and open the door, he simply needed to press a button on the touchpad.
With a thought, he grew multiple long tendrils from his back. He reached down with one of them and used it to press the button on the touchpad. He immediately retracted the tendril as the door slid into the wall with a faint hiss. Jake went completely still, waiting for his first prey to show up.
He didn¡¯t have to wait long.
Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Ned fought to keep his eyes open. He stood next to the door to the security control room, leaning against the wall behind him. The HQ was very quiet, and nothing was happening. There was literally nothing to do except stand in the same spot and stare at the wall across the corridor. In his peripheral vision, he could see Klaus standing at one end of the corridor. However, as Ned had learned some time ago, that guy wasn¡¯t much of a talker.
Just my luck, Ned thought with frustration.
On the first floor, there were at least several guys instead of just two like on the second floor. And he was stuck with the one who hardly ever talked. Klaus never said anything if there was nothing to say. He usually responded only when asked a direct question, and his answers were very brief, often consisting of just a few words or, depending on the question, with a single-word reply like ¡°Yes¡± or ¡°No.¡±
That¡¯s probably exactly why Miller chose him to stand guard on the second floor, Ned thought.
Besides his three closest subordinates, Miller permitted only a handful of hand-picked soldiers into the HQ. Ned was among them. He, along with a few other people, was responsible for guarding the most important building of the base. Of these select few, Ned had been given the most crucial duty: to keep watch over the security control room and make sure that no one without access attempted to break in.
Ned should probably have felt proud to be the person entrusted with such an important job by the leader of the gang. Only he didn¡¯t. The reason was simple¡ªthis job was incredibly boring. Most of the time, all he had to do was fight to stay awake on his feet. Klaus, at least, had the advantage of sneaking up to the roof for a smoke every now and then. Apparently, the base leaders either didn¡¯t notice him doing so or simply didn¡¯t care.
Unlike Klaus, Ned couldn¡¯t risk leaving his position. He knew his job was more important than Klaus¡¯s. If he left his post, even for a minute, and the leaders found out, he would definitely get in trouble. Sure, he could sneak up to the roof for a quick breath of fresh air, but with his luck, he was certain that the leaders would choose that very moment to show up at the HQ. Ned didn¡¯t even want to think about the punishment that awaited him if he were found absent from his post.
Besides, he didn¡¯t know what to make of Klaus. Since he hardly ever spoke, it was hard to tell what was on his mind. What if Klaus ratted him out for leaving his post? Sure, Klaus went up to the roof for a smoke all the time, but Ned¡¯s job was definitely much more important than his.
He shook his head to clear his head of all those annoying thoughts. This guard duty was driving him crazy, that was for damn sure. He would much rather hang out with the guys outside the HQ. At least they got to roam the base, enjoy fresh air, and occasionally bark at the workers simply to entertain themselves and keep boredom at bay.
He snapped out of his thoughts when the door to the security control room suddenly slid open with a soft hiss.
What the fuck? Ned thought, taken aback as he stared at the door in astonishment.
His boredom vanished in an instant. He unglued himself from the wall and half-turned toward the open door. The three sub-bosses¡ªDominic, Minh, and Patrick¡ªhad left the security control room just a few minutes earlier. There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone inside!
Still, the door had just slid open for some reason. Had someone managed to slip into the room? But that was impossible! Nobody should have been able to get past him. He was bored out of his mind, but he wasn¡¯t actually asleep, was he?
Ned continued to stare at the opening, fully expecting someone to step out of the security control room, but no one did. This made total sense, as there shouldn¡¯t be anyone inside. The door must have simply malfunctioned. It had never happened before on his watch, but there¡¯s always a first time for everything, right?
Still, Ned knew he had to check to make sure there was nobody inside. In his peripheral vision, he could see Klaus watching him intently from one end of the corridor. Klaus had surely noticed the door sliding open as well. He was visibly tense, gripping his assault rifle tightly in his hands. Ned gave him a small nod and stepped toward the door.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He stopped at the threshold. The security control room was quite small, so he immediately saw that it was empty. There was nowhere for someone to hide. Ned leaned back, craning his neck around the door frame to look at Klaus, who remained in the corridor.
¡°There¡¯s nobody here,¡± Ned called to him. ¡°The door must¡¯ve acted up, that¡¯s all.¡±
True to himself, Klaus didn¡¯t say anything. He simply nodded and stepped back to the end of the corridor, relaxing once again. Ned stepped into the security control room and turned to look at the touchpad to see what might be wrong. He leaned in for a better look, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything amiss. Just as he had told Klaus, the door must have simply malfunctioned. Shrugging to himself, he straightened up.
He was about to step out of the security control room when he suddenly noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a tentacle undulating through the air from above.
¡°What the¡ª¡± Ned muttered, just before he felt something grab him and effortlessly lift him off the floor.
He felt multiple long tentacles wrap around his arms and upper torso, keeping him firmly restrained as they lifted him closer to the ceiling of the room. When Ned looked up, he saw a hellish face with large bluish eyes and a wide mouth filled with jagged, pointed teeth.
He had never encountered such a terrifying creature in this world or even in his darkest nightmares. The monster was completely black, except for its greenish-blue eyes, which matched the color of the magical energy found in various mana consumables. The creature hung upside down from the ceiling, gripping it with hands and feet that must have been sticky, allowing them to adhere to the surface.
Numerous long tentacles protruded from the back of the creature, a nightmarish entity that had clearly crawled from the depths of hell. Several of its tentacles were coiled tightly around Ned¡¯s body. He squirmed and strained against his restraints but was unable to free himself.
The creature lifted him even closer, widening its jaws as if preparing to take a bite out of him. Ned was now so near to the monster that all he could see was its nightmarish face, dominated by the unblinking, menacing eyes and huge triangular teeth. That was when Ned lost it. Panic overwhelmed him, and he opened his mouth to scream in sheer terror.
However, he wasn¡¯t able to let out any sound, because the moment he opened his mouth, the monster shoved multiple tendrils deep into his oral cavity. He could even feel some of them slither down his throat, suffocating him. Completely overwhelmed by terror and half out of his mind by that point, Ned attempted to scream, but only a muffled moan escaped his stuffed mouth.
At that moment, a strange thought flashed through his mind: if the monster wanted to silence his screams, why hadn¡¯t it simply wrapped its tentacles around his throat?
The horrifying answer to his question came to him almost immediately. As it turned out, the monster needed his throat exposed for what it was going to do next. Ned watched as a particularly strong-looking tentacle emerged from the writhing mass of smaller tendrils, slithering through the air toward him. Its tip bore a menacing double-edged blade.
Ned knew he was going to die, but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. The long tendrils constricted around his body even tighter, restricting his ability to move. Then the bladed tentacle with surgical precision slashed across his exposed throat, tearing it open and causing a torrent of blood to gush from the wound right into the monster¡¯s face.
Ned continued to wriggle his body, trying to free himself, but his efforts were becoming weaker as life drained from him. Despite the grave injury he had just sustained, he knew he wouldn¡¯t die too quickly, as all the skill points he had invested in the Constitution attribute significantly strengthened his body.
The creature carefully, almost gently, lowered him to the floor and then unwrapped its tendrils from his body. Even though he was no longer restrained, Ned didn¡¯t try to escape. He simply couldn¡¯t muster the strength¡ªthe blood he had lost left him weakened and barely able to move.
The world before him was gradually plunging into darkness. He knew he had just a few seconds left. He wanted to do something to warn his comrades of the lethal threat lurking in the HQ. If only he could grab his gun and fire a single shot to alert them! However, his limbs wouldn¡¯t respond to his brain¡¯s signals. Merely holding onto life was draining every ounce of his strength.
He saw the obsidian-black monstrosity with multiple tendrils and bladed tentacles extending from its back drop from the ceiling. It twisted midair and landed gracefully on its feet, bending its knees to absorb the impact, causing no sound at all. Ned couldn¡¯t help but notice that while the monster was terrifying, it moved with the elegance of a dancer, albeit one from the depths of hell.
The last thing Ned saw before his life finally left his body was the monster gliding out of the security control room, moving with an eerie silence and fluidity, like a ghost slipping through the shadows.
Chapter 178
Chapter 178
After Ned told him there was nobody in the security control room and that the door must simply have malfunctioned, Klaus relaxed. Still, he remained vigilant, keeping his eyes locked on the door, anticipating Ned¡¯s return.
A few seconds passed. Then a few more. Klaus began to realize something was off. What was taking Ned so long? It shouldn¡¯t have taken him so long to simply check the touchpad. None of them were even allowed to enter the security control room without a valid reason. If there was nobody inside, why the hell hadn¡¯t Ned come out yet?
Something was definitely not right. His instincts told him to stay put, but at the same time, he knew he had to check what was going on. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure of what course of action to take. In the end, his sense of duty overpowered his instinct for caution. He began walking down the corridor toward the open door of the security control room.
No sound came from inside, and it made him nervous. Something didn¡¯t add up. Had Klaus been more social, he might have called out to Ned to ask if everything was alright. But being the quiet type, he simply continued to walk silently down the corridor. He pricked up his ears for any sound, but all that he could hear was total silence. It felt as though Ned had simply vanished after entering the security control room.
Then the thought of calling out to him finally occurred to Klaus. He opened his mouth, only to discover how dry his lips had become. This strange situation was really grating on his nerves. He licked his lips to moisten them and opened his mouth. Just as he was about to call out Ned¡¯s name, something burst from the security control room.
At first, he couldn¡¯t even comprehend what he was seeing. The creature that had just dashed out of the room moved so quickly that, in the first moment of seeing it, all he could discern of its completely black form was a mass of numerous tentacles undulating through the air.
In an instant, the monster pivoted toward him with astonishing speed, and Klaus suddenly realized the creature was humanoid, with two legs and two arms. However, that was where any resemblance to a human being ended. From the back of the monster protruded numerous long tentacles. Most of them were slender and delicate, but among them, he noticed a few that looked significantly stronger and much more menacing, with double-edged blades glinting at their tips.
The creature¡¯s face was its most terrifying feature. It had two large, unblinking eyes¡ªsolid blue with no irises or pupils. The monster¡¯s face was slightly elongated, resembling a snout, and its massive jaws gaped open, exposing rows of razor-sharp, jagged teeth. The monster¡¯s face was smeared with blood.
Ned¡¯s blood, Klaus realized, as chilling fingers of terror tightened around his heart.
The hellish monster charged down the corridor toward him. He couldn¡¯t help but wince at the sight of the nightmarish creature barreling toward him with incredible speed. What surprised him even more was that, despite its frightening speed, the creature moved with barely a sound as it closed in on him.
All the weeks of surviving in this dangerous, mutant-infested world failed to prepare Klaus for this moment. The sight of the obsidian-black monstrosity, with its emotionless blue eyes fixed on him and a writhing mass of tentacles trailing behind, sprinting toward him in near silence, sent pure terror coursing through him. He stumbled backward instinctively, but his fear rendered him clumsy¡ªone foot caught on the other, and he lost his balance. He flailed his arms to steady himself but failed. He felt himself falling backward, and a second later, he collapsed to the floor with a solid thud.
Half a second later, the obsidian-black monstrosity was on top of him. Klaus managed not to lose his assault rifle as he fell, gripping it tightly in his hands. However, before he could aim it at the looming monster, the hellish creature pounced down on him. It leaned in closer, and Klaus¡¯s heart raced as he caught sight of its gaping jaws, poised to tear into him. Overwhelmed by sheer terror, Klaus instinctively lifted his assault rifle, holding it horizontally in front of him as he desperately tried to shield his face from the nightmarish black teeth that loomed close.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
In the next moment, the creature¡¯s teeth clamped down on the weapon. Creaking noises echoed as the tips of the monster¡¯s teeth sank deeply into the metal. The noises grew louder as the monster kept up the pressure, its teeth drilling deeper into the weapon. Then, in the next second, it suddenly broke apart into several jagged pieces.
Klaus was utterly defenseless now. He fully expected the creature sitting on top of him to take a bite. However, the monster didn¡¯t do that. Klaus didn¡¯t waste even a fraction of a second to ponder why. Instead, he reached along his body with one hand and pulled a sidearm from its holster on his hip.
Even though the monster¡¯s eyes were fixed on Klaus¡¯s, it somehow noticed him raise the pistol. Before he could point it at the creature and fire, a tentacle shot out and yanked the sidearm from his grip, nearly breaking his wrist in the process. The pistol dropped nearby, but the creature didn¡¯t allow him to reach for it. Multiple tendrils wrapped around his arms and torso, restraining him.
Klaus opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, another tendril coiled firmly around his neck, cutting off any sound. He was now completely restrained and could hardly move. He could only wonder why the monster hadn¡¯t killed him yet. Suddenly, he noticed a bladed tentacle slithering through the air, heading straight for him.
He knew that was it. He was going to die, but there was nothing he could do but accept his fate. Yet he refused to succumb without a fight. He continued to struggle, even though he was fully aware that breaking free was impossible. Then he felt the blade thrust into his chest, embedding itself between his ribs. He continued to fight against his restraints, his wide eyes locked onto the horrifying face of the monster looming above him.
When the monster pulled its bladed tentacle from his chest, blood spilled out in abundance. With every passing second, he felt his strength waning. Once he was too weak to fight back, the creature unwound its tendrils and tentacles from his body. Through the dim haze clouding his vision, Klaus watched as the monster rose to its feet and turned away.
Without another glance at him, the creature bolted down the corridor toward the stairs leading to the first floor. Then something strange happened. Klaus saw the tendrils protruding from the monster¡¯s back fall off one by one. By the time the monster reached the end of the corridor, all the tendrils had detached from its body. They lay on the floor, quickly withering and turning into small piles of dust.
The monster now had only three bladed tentacles sprouting from its back. Instead of descending the stairs like an ordinary human being would, it performed a completely unexpected maneuver. It leaped toward one wall and clung to it, gripping the surface with the tips of its fingers and toes. As it began to move, its body structure appeared to change slightly¡ªor perhaps it was just his fading mind playing tricks on him. The creature crawled along the wall, resembling a giant insect rather than a humanoid figure. Suddenly, the monster and its three bladed tentacles became invisible. However, Klaus could still make out a distortion in the air as the monster moved.
The creature vanished from sight as it crawled down the staircase. Klaus knew that his time was running out, but before he succumbed, he was determined to warn his comrades on the first floor about the deadly threat moving toward them. The world around him quickly faded into darkness as his life drained from him. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he reached for the sidearm lying nearby.
The tips of his fingers barely brushed against the weapon, which lay frustratingly just out of reach. Klaus extended his arm, straining toward the sidearm, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. He had grown so weak from blood loss that he found himself unable to shift his body even slightly. Stretching his arm toward the pistol was the only action he could manage.
He frantically clawed at the metal grip of his sidearm, trying in vain to pull it closer. Then, with a sudden burst of remaining strength, he shifted his body just a little closer to the weapon. Finally, his fingers wrapped around the grip of the pistol, and a triumphant smile flickered across his lips.
He wrapped his index finger around the trigger and squeezed. But as it turned out, he didn¡¯t have the strength to apply enough pressure for the pistol to fire. That final effort to reposition his body had siphoned off the last of his energy, leaving him unable even to pull the trigger.
Klaus wanted to chuckle at the irony of his situation, but he lacked the strength even for that. Suddenly, his body stiffened. He took one final breath, and his eyes glazed over, staring blankly at one spot on the ceiling. The grip of his sidearm remained in his palm, but his fingers had released their hold.
Chapter 179
Chapter 179
A dull thud from above caused Enzo to look up at the ceiling.
What was that? he thought in confusion.
He knew there were only two guys on the second floor of the HQ: Ned and Klaus. They both seemed like serious and reliable people, which was why Miller had assigned them the task of keeping watch on the second floor, where the security control room was located.
Enzo kept staring at the ceiling, straining his ears, but no additional sounds came from above. It was probably nothing. Still, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it sounded like a body collapsing onto the floor. Likely, it was just his imagination¡ªhe always had quite an active and vivid one.
Besides, he was well aware that there was no way anyone could infiltrate their base, sneak into HQ, and make it to the second floor completely undetected by the guards stationed everywhere¡ªnot to mention the advanced machine gun turrets that were incredibly sensitive and capable of sensing even the slightest suspicious movement in any direction.
Still, he knew he needed to investigate that noise, just to be sure. He nodded at Masuo, who stood nearby.
¡°Hey man, did you hear that?¡± Enzo asked.
¡°Heard what?¡± Masuo replied.
Maybe it was nothing after all. Still, he had to make sure.
¡°Come with me,¡± he said to Masuo, who obeyed without questioning him. All the people assigned to guard HQ were the most disciplined ones.
¡°Where?¡±
¡°Upstairs.¡±
¡°Something wrong?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna find out.¡±
Unslinging their weapons and gripping them tightly, they approached the staircase and began to ascend, pointing their weapons upward as they climbed. When they reached the landing and started up the next flight of stairs, the corridor on the second floor came into view.
¡°What the fuck,¡± Enzo muttered as they both froze halfway up.
There was a body sprawled in the corridor. From where they stood, they couldn¡¯t determine whether it was Ned or Klaus. There was no sign of the second guard, alive or dead, but the door to the security control room was wide open.
¡°What do we¡¡± Masuo began, but he never finished his question.
From the corner of his eye, Enzo spotted some kind of movement. He wheeled in that direction, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything on the staircase beside them. However, in the next instant, to his left, he noticed a distortion in the air that originated from a spot on the wall near the ceiling. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he heard a gurgle behind him. When he spun around, he saw Masuo staring at him with wide eyes.
Blood poured from a gash in the throat of his companion. He attempted to speak, but only a gurgling noise came from his mouth. The next moment, Masuo¡¯s weapon slipped from his grasp, clattering to the steps and skittering down. He fell sideways, sliding down the wall until he reached the floor. His weakening fingers clutched his throat, but the gash in his flesh was too severe for him to stem the torrent of blood. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Enzo realized there was some kind of invisible mutant clinging to the wall just a moment too late. He wheeled back to face the spot where he had noticed the strange distortion, raising his weapon. But before he could line up his shot, he caught a glimpse of movement¡ªa barely visible tentacle darting through the air toward him.
In the next instant, he felt something incredibly sharp thrust into his throat, cutting through muscle and cartilage with surprising ease. The blade effortlessly sliced through the flesh deeply enough to sever his spinal cord. Enzo was dead even before his body collapsed to the steps.
Adri and Borys, positioned at the door leading out of HQ, heard a strange noise coming from the staircase. They paused for a moment, but the sounds did not return. They knew Enzo and Masuo were not far from the staircase, so if there was trouble, the two of them would take care of that. However, after the initial disturbance, an unsettling silence enveloped the area. Not a single sound pierced the stillness.
Adri glanced at Borys before turning to face the corridor that led to the staircase.
¡°Enzo, Masuo,¡± Ardi called out to them. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±
There was no response. Adri and Borys exchanged anxious looks before cautiously advancing toward the source of the noise. They didn¡¯t get far, though. Adri spotted a distortion in the air above him. There was some kind of invisible creature crawling along the ceiling! What it was or how it had managed to infiltrate HQ completely undetected was a complete enigma to him.
It dropped on top of him. The invisible creature was surprisingly heavy, causing Adri to collapse to the floor and knocking the wind out of him. Before he could recover from the initial shock, he felt unexpectedly strong fingers wrap around his throat, choking him and silencing his attempts to call for help.
The creature that was choking him suddenly became visible, revealing itself in all its terrifying glory. The obsidian-black monstrosity straddling his chest had two large eyes, wide jaws brimming with triangular black teeth, and three long tentacles extending from its back. These tentacles writhed through the air like snakes, their tips sharp and pointed, gleaming menacingly.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Borys point his assault rifle at the mutant. However, before he could pull the trigger, two tentacles shot toward him with astonishing speed. In the next instant, they stabbed Borys in both eyes, killing him instantly. After that, something strange happened.
All three tentacles suddenly detached from the monster¡¯s body, dropping to the ground where they quickly turned to dust. Adri¡¯s vision began to fade as the lack of oxygen took its toll. He thought the creature intended to suffocate him, but as it turned out, it had other plans for him. With its left hand still constricting around his throat, the monster reached for a knife sheathed at Adri¡¯s belt with its other hand.
The creature then plunged the knife into his chest several times in rapid succession. After that, still clutching the bloody knife in its right hand, the mutant rose to its feet. As Adri¡¯s consciousness began to fade, a grim realization crossed his mind: he now knew what had happened to the other guards at HQ. Ned, Klaus, Enzo, and Masuo were most likely dead by this point. However, there was still one guard left¡ªRaul¡ªpositioned on the other side of the first floor. The last image etched in Adri¡¯s fading mind was of the obsidian-black mutant silently racing toward the corridor leading to where Raul was stationed. Somehow, Adri felt certain that Raul wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against such a powerful and cunning foe¡
Raul stood at the far end of a corridor, the most distant point from the recent massacre. For that very reason, he heard nothing¡ªthough there wasn¡¯t much to hear in the first place, as the previous guards had been killed almost in near silence. No shots had been fired, and nobody had even had the chance to call for help.
Raul shut his eyes for a brief moment to stifle a yawn. Guard duty at HQ was undeniably dull. When he opened his eyes a second later, he saw a pitch-black figure, its posture slightly hunched, standing at the far end of the corridor, having seemingly materialized out of nowhere.
What the fuck?!
Before Raul could determine whether he was actually seeing it or if his mind was playing tricks on him, he saw the black figure hurl something in his direction. A glinting object hurtled toward him at incredible speed, flipping end over end. He immediately recognized the object for what it was, but before he could do anything, the blade of the knife embedded itself into his throat, sinking all the way to the hilt.
Standing at the other end of the corridor, Jake straightened up. Just like that, every guard in HQ had been taken care of. All that was left to do was get the Skeleton Key and carry out a quick, silent escape.
Chapter 180
Chapter 180
At the other end of the corridor, where the dead body of the last guard lay sprawled on the floor, a door led into the lounge area. Jake jogged the length of the corridor, stepped over the lifeless body of the bandit he had just killed, and approached the door. Pushing it open, he stepped inside and paused for a moment to survey the vast room.
He quickly identified the spot on the wall where the three sub-bosses had hidden the Skeleton Key, recalling the recorded footage he had watched in the security control room. Jake crossed the lounge and stepped toward the wall. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find the hidden button. When he pressed it, a section of the wall slid open, revealing the front of a small safe embedded within it.
A touchpad was embedded in the front of the safe. Jake had memorized the four-digit code Dominic used to unlock the door to the security control room. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the safe was secured with the same code, but he decided against trying it.
He looked at the safe for a brief moment, evaluating its durability. Jake was confident he could breach it with relative ease. Stepping back, he activated Acid Spit with a thought.
He felt the mana flowing from the mana pool located in his midsection to his mouth through one of the channels. A glob of acid formed in his mouth and hovered there, waiting for his command to be released. Thanks to the Quick Charge upgrade for the ability, the entire process was nearly instantaneous.
Jake aimed at the safe, opened his jaws, and launched the acidic projectile from his mouth. It struck the front wall, splattering acid everywhere. Almost instantly, the metal started to sizzle, sending curls of smoke upward. Thanks to an upgrade called Enhanced Potency, which he had acquired some time ago, his Acid Spit had become significantly more powerful, capable of dissolving various metal surfaces with ease.
Moments later, a large hole with melted edges opened up in the front wall of the safe. Jake leaned closer to look inside. Apart from the Skeleton Key, the safe was empty. He slipped his hand through the opening, grasped the key, and swiftly pulled it out. He paused briefly to examine the Skeleton Key lying in his palm.
The key was large, though not excessively so. Its only notable feature was the design at the top, shaped like a demon¡¯s head. The head sported two horns curling back along its skull, while the gaping mouth displayed rows of shark-like teeth. Two small red gems, resembling rubies, glinted in the demon¡¯s eye sockets.
For a brief moment, Jake considered how to carry the key. He could hold it in one hand, as it wouldn¡¯t greatly interfere with his climbing or fighting capabilities. However, he preferred having both hands available. In the end, he opted to place it in his mouth. After all, he didn¡¯t have a throat cavity, so he wouldn¡¯t accidentally swallow it. As long as he kept his mouth shut, the key would be securely stashed away. He just needed to avoid using Acid Spit for the time being to prevent melting the key inside his mouth.
After that, he left the lounge and headed for the stairs leading to the second floor. When he reached the bodies of the guards he had killed near the door to the outside, he halted. After slaying the two of them, he had detached his bladed tentacles. They couldn¡¯t survive on their own, and when separated from his body, cut off from the mana that nourished them, they quickly turned into small piles of dust, as always happened. Once separated, they withered, shrinking in size several times, leaving behind nothing more than small piles of dust.
When Miller tried to figure out what had happened inside HQ, he would surely notice the evidence. While he might not be able to identify it and learn what those remnants were, Jake still wanted to make the residue as unnoticeable as possible. To that end, he took a moment to scatter the dust piles, spreading them across the area to make the residue barely visible. On the second floor, he repeated this process with the piles of dust the tendrils had turned into after being detached from his body, carefully spreading the residue across the entire width of the corridor.
Before returning to the roof, he took a moment to think. One body lay in the corridor on the second floor, and another was in the security control room. Several more bodies were on the first floor. He had taken great care not to use Claws, Smashfists, or any other abilities that could expose him. His goal was to make it seem as if all the guards had been killed by knives, so he solely employed Bladed Tentacles, always ensuring the wounds looked as if they had been inflicted by a human rather than a powerful monster.
When the leader of the gang tried to determine what had happened in HQ, his prime suspects would undoubtedly be his three closest subordinates: Dominic, Minh, and Patrick. Besides him, only they had access to the security control room. He would likely deduce that one of them had lured the guard at the door into the security control room, where the assailant had killed him. The second victim was the guard in the corridor. Following that, the assailant descended the stairs, systematically taking out all the guards one by one.
Perhaps, Miller would also suspect that the culprit wasn¡¯t working alone. He might contemplate the possibility that two of his sub-bosses were working together. Alternatively, he might think that the culprit enlisted help from one of the guards on the first floor to assist in killing the others, and afterward, the assailant eliminated that guard as well to leave no witnesses.
Sure enough, Dominic, Minh, and Patrick would insist they had no part in the massacre that had occurred at HQ. Since they weren¡¯t friends and were completely terrified of Miller, the three of them would point fingers at one another, desperately trying to deflect suspicion away from themselves.
One of them might even point out that the safe had been breached with some kind of acid, asserting it as evidence of their innocence. However, Miller would counter that the safe hadn¡¯t been opened simply by entering the code for a reason: it was likely deliberately staged to make it seem like an outsider had breached their headquarters.
So the three sub-bosses would claim that an intruder infiltrated their base, somehow managing to sneak in without being detected by the guards stationed everywhere, as well as the top-notch, super-sensitive machine gun turrets, which Jake knew from experience was nearly impossible. Then the culprit somehow hacked into the security control room, evading detection by the guards inside HQ. Afterward, they killed everyone inside and, to save time, broke open the safe instead of hacking into it.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
However, to Miller, this version would sound far too unrealistic for him to accept. In his opinion, a much more plausible scenario would be that one of his sub-bosses had stolen the Skeleton Key and made a clumsy attempt to make it look like an intruder was responsible. After that, the three sub-bosses would simply start pointing fingers at each other, trying to divert suspicion away from themselves. In the process, they would inadvertently reveal a lot of their own dirty secrets, such as Minh spying on the base leaders and Patrick being critical of Miller behind his back.
Ultimately, all evidence would suggest that one or possibly two of his closest subordinates were responsible for stealing the Skeleton Key and staging it to look like an outsider was responsible. Since Dominic, Minh, and Patrick would deny their involvement, Miller would likely choose to torture each of them in order to uncover the truth of the situation.
A detective with a sharp mind, one capable of noticing all the details and quickly piecing everything together, might have been able to solve this puzzle. However, such detectives existed only in fiction, not in the real world. At first glance, it would certainly appear that his sub-bosses were the ones who stole the key.
After torturing his closest subordinates for a while, Miller might eventually realize that none of them had stolen the Skeleton Key after all. However, it was impossible to tell how long it would take for him to come to this conclusion. By that time, Jake might already be preparing to launch an attack on their base. Or perhaps one of his sub-bosses might confess to stealing the key simply to bring the suffering to an end.
Jake¡¯s gaze fell upon the remnants of Klaus¡¯s assault rifle. Jake remembered biting into it, splintering the weapon into several pieces. He hadn¡¯t intended to grab the weapon with his teeth¡ªit was an instinctive reaction he couldn¡¯t resist. When the weapon had been thrust in front of him, Jake simply couldn¡¯t help but bite through it. Now, however, it posed a bit of a problem. He wanted to frame the massacre as the act of human assailants, but it was clear at first glance that no human could have inflicted such damage on the weapon. Jake needed to minimize any evidence linking him to the guards¡¯ deaths. So, he made the decision to take the remnants of the rifle with him. He bent down, picked up the pieces from the floor, and clutched them tightly in one hand. It was the better option. While Miller could quickly notice the destroyed rifle, his mind might not even register the absence of the weapon, too stunned to fully and immediately process the massacre that had taken place at HQ.
Before stepping onto the rooftop, Jake activated Cloak, becoming invisible once more. After the skirmish at HQ, his mana reserves were critically low. While he was eager to get out of the bandit base as quickly as possible, he knew that rushing would be counterproductive. To avoid detection by the turrets, he needed to move slowly to prevent causing any disturbances in the air that the 360-degree scanners on those turrets could immediately notice.
He cautiously approached the edge of the roof and took a moment to survey the area. He noticed that Dominic, Minh, and Patrick were located in different parts of the base. They obviously weren¡¯t constantly together, which perfectly aligned with Jake¡¯s plan. As he continued to scan his surroundings, he saw that Miller¡¯s vehicle was still missing, suggesting that the base leader had not returned yet.
Jake also noticed something intriguing. The damaged machines that Minh had designated for repair from the security control room were now encased in semi-transparent blue boxes. When he focused on one, he saw a progress bar that displayed the time left for the structure to be fully restored.
Jake then glanced at the watchtowers overlooking the perimeter walls of the base. The turrets positioned atop the towers had a clear view of the entire base and the surrounding area. The alert lights were green, indicating that none of the turrets were currently aware of his presence. Jake intended to keep it that way. So instead of jumping off the roof of the two-story building, he crawled down the wall, moving slowly and carefully to avoid creating any air disturbances that could catch the turrets¡¯ attention. He still gripped the pieces of the broken rifle in one hand, but it didn¡¯t hinder him much.
When he reached the ground, he began moving toward the gates, which still hadn¡¯t been repaired. He wanted to get out of the base as quickly as possible, but he knew he needed to avoid detection. He wished he could have deactivated the turrets because doing so would have allowed him to accomplish two goals at once: facilitate a quicker escape and make it look like it was an outsider who had stolen the Skeleton Key.
Jake was convinced that Miller would attribute the theft of the key to one of his sub-bosses, who then, in Miller¡¯s opinion, tried to pin the blame on an outsider by breaking into the safe instead of entering the code. Deactivating the turrets would have aligned perfectly with this plan because it would have suggested that the actual thief had disabled them to make their getaway faster, further supporting the idea of an outsider¡¯s involvement.
On the other hand, since Jake didn¡¯t know how clever Miller actually was, he might have refrained from deactivating them after all, because it might have made Miller actually buy into the narrative his sub-bosses would push¡ªthat whoever infiltrated the HQ had come from outside¡ªwhile Jake wanted the blame to fall on the sub-bosses themselves.
What would really support Miller¡¯s version that his subordinates were responsible for the massacre at HQ, as well as the disappearance of the Skeleton Key, was the fact that all the guards had been killed in close-range combat, without having the chance to fire a single shot. This would indicate that whoever eliminated the guards was well-known at HQ, which explained why the guards had been relaxed and allowed the assailant to approach without raising any suspicion.
Sure, there would still be lots of questions left in Miller¡¯s mind¡ªwhy the culprit did this and why they didn¡¯t do that¡ªbut all this confusion would only add to the perplexity of the situation, which would only work to Jake¡¯s advantage. The more time Miller spent trying to piece together what had actually happened at HQ, the better it was for Jake.
His line of thought suddenly came to a halt as he realized something: his mana level was critically low. The last time his mana dropped to this level, Cloak had shut down to conserve what was left. That meant it was about to happen again.
He immediately stopped moving. He was still halfway across the base, too far away from the gates. If he continued to move, Cloak would deactivate in a few seconds, exposing him to the guards and turrets surrounding him. He was stranded in the heart of the bandit base!
Even remaining still drained mana, though at a slower rate. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Cloak shut down completely. Acting fast, he glanced around. To his right were several tents. Without wasting a moment, Jake made his way toward them. Just as he reached the nearest one¡ªa larger tent that provided enough space to stand¡ªCloak deactivated.
Just a fraction of a second before he became visible, he dashed inside the tent, pushing the flap aside with one hand. He noticed that none of the turrets¡¯ green lights had switched to orange, which meant ¡°Caution¡±, suggesting that, fortunately, none of the turrets had detected him. However, he wasn¡¯t sure about the guards. That¡¯s why immediately after entering the large tent, he spun around toward the entrance, straining to listen for any sounds that might indicate he had been noticed.
However, no suspicious sounds from outside reached him. It looked like he was lucky enough to have avoided detection. But what was he going to do now? Without Cloak, slipping out of the base unnoticed was literally impossible. Was all his meticulous planning to steal the Skeleton Key and frame Miller¡¯s three sub-bosses for nothing?
Suddenly, a sharp gasp echoed from behind. Jake realized he wasn¡¯t alone in the tent!
Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Jake spun around, ready to confront whatever enemy was behind him. As he turned to face the other side of the tent, he spotted someone crouching behind a large chest with its lid open. The chest had been large enough to completely hide the person when Jake had just entered the tent, which explained why he hadn¡¯t noticed him. Now, the figure rose slightly to peer over the lid, revealing himself.
Jake crouched slightly, preparing to spring across the tent to take down the human before he could make a sound. The person must have sensed the impending attack because, in an instant, he leaped to his full height and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
¡°Wait,¡± he whispered urgently. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy.¡±
Judging by his clothes, it was clear he was a worker, not a bandit. Jake hesitated, uncertain about what to do. The person looked at him with a mix of terror and awe, but there was something else in his gaze. Despite the obvious terror at Jake¡¯s appearance, the worker seemed to look at him with a hint of hope.
¡°My name is Johnny,¡± he introduced himself.
Jake watched him, making no movements at all. One of the upgrades he had acquired for Feral Instincts allowed him to sense the emotional states and intentions of nearby humans, picking up on their potential hostility. Thanks to this skill, he knew that the worker across the tent posed no threat, so Jake allowed himself to relax just a little.
Johnny watched him for a few seconds. When it became obvious there would be no reply from the obsidian-black mutant, he said, ¡°Oh, right. You can¡¯t speak, can you?¡±
Johnny stepped around the chest to stand directly opposite Jake. He could sense the fear radiating from the human. It felt almost palpable to him.
¡°And I heard you have some trouble with writing, is that right?¡± Johnny asked cautiously. ¡°But while communicating might be difficult for you, you understand human speech perfectly. You are an intelligent being despite¡ the way you look. I once heard someone say you were just a regular survivor until something happened to you, turning you into¡ whatever you are now. I believe¡ this story. I think it¡¯s true.¡±
Johnny came to a halt just a few steps away. He was clearly terrified of Jake, even though he was trying hard not to show it. By walking so close, the human aimed to appear unafraid. Perhaps, he also wanted to stay near so he wouldn¡¯t have to raise his voice above a whisper. He definitely seemed intent on avoiding attracting the guards in the tent, which Jake certainly appreciated.
Johnny made a brief pause, giving Jake another scrutinizing look. He visibly struggled to suppress a tremor that threatened to overtake him. Jake was desperate to flee the bandit base before his earlier massacre at HQ was uncovered. Yet, he still hadn¡¯t devised a plan for leaving unnoticed. With little mana remaining and unable to use Cloak, avoiding detection had become impossible. The moment he stepped out of the tent and attempted to cross the base, both the turrets and guards would surely spot him. Perhaps, though, the worker in front of him could be useful in some way?
Jake stayed motionless, his large, unblinking eyes fixed on the human before him. Johnny seemed to have finally managed to overcome his fear, at least to a degree¡ªjust enough to prevent himself from shaking.
¡°There are many rumors about you, you know?¡± Johnny said, lowering his voice even more. ¡°They say you¡¯re fighting a war against Los Demonios, right? Everyone¡¯s talking about it.¡±
He glanced around, as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping, even though there were only the two of them in the tent.
¡°And you know what? They¡¯re absolutely terrified of you. Those Los Demonios who believe this city is theirs begin to shake with fear the moment someone brings you up.¡±
Johnny¡¯s lips twisted into a crooked smile.
¡°It¡¯s really funny to see those guys who think they¡¯re so tough tremble in fear. We workers happen to overhear some of the guards¡¯ conversations, so we know you¡¯ve slain plenty of them by now. Some are so scared they won¡¯t even step outside the base for fear of running into you. What a bunch of chickens pretending to be tough guys!¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Johnny even chuckled softly.
¡°They have no idea what you look like because you leave no survivors. Every time you come across a bandit group, they all end up dead. No one makes it out alive. I did hear a rumor, though, that once, you let one go just so he could take your message to the gang leaders. But that guy was so terrified he couldn¡¯t give an accurate description of you. His portrayal was overly dramatic and completely wrong. The only thing he managed to get right is that you had pitch-black skin and huge, scary eyes.¡±
Johnny¡¯s expression shifted back to serious.
¡°But it¡¯s the regular soldiers who are afraid of you, not the gang leaders. After all, the leaders never come after you themselves. Instead, they send their subordinates to hunt you down. None of the leaders have ever encountered you, which is why they aren¡¯t afraid of you. But it¡¯s only a matter of time before you go after them as well, right? We think you first want to take care of all the soldiers to leave their leaders completely vulnerable.¡±
He then took a breath before stepping a little closer to Jake.
¡°It¡¯s Los Demonios who are your true enemies, not us¡ªregular survivors who were captured and forced to work for them, right?¡± he asked, a hint of hope in his voice not escaping Jake¡¯s attention. ¡°So you¡¯re really waging war on Los Demonios, aren¡¯t you? And you¡¯ve been at it for quite some time, haven¡¯t you?¡±
Jake wondered how Johnny had reached such a conclusion. After all, he had killed some regular survivors too. Moreover, for all Johnny knew, Jake could be fighting Los Demonios solely in self-defense, and that wasn¡¯t too far from reality. There were plenty of times when he had to engage them simply to defend himself.
¡°So you¡¯re planning to save us all, right?¡± Johnny blurted out in the next second.
If Jake had the ability to laugh, he would have done so. Johnny completely misunderstood the situation. Him? A hero saving lives? That was absurd. Just ask Elena or Isra how they felt about him.
He then recalled the gruesome sight of several dead survivors who had been tortured to death by Los Demonios. It was after witnessing that scene that he decided to wage war against the gang. Until then, his confrontations with them had been purely acts of self-defense. However, that brutal scene ignited a fury within him that he rarely felt as a mutant.
Still, Jake knew he was not some kind of superhero. His decision to put an end to Los Demonios¡¯ reign was primarily for his own sake. He relished the surge of anger that washed over him after witnessing that horrific scene because it reminded him that he could still feel compassion. He wanted to hold on to his human emotions to retain what little humanity he had left. So did that make him a hero? He didn¡¯t believe so¡ªespecially not after having taken the lives of many regular survivors himself.
¡°It ain¡¯t just my conclusions,¡± Johnny said, as if reading Jake¡¯s mind. ¡°I heard a story about how you killed several members of the gang who were going to torture some regular survivors to death. That shows you¡¯re aiming to protect us from Los Demonios, right?¡±
Johnny¡¯s words made Jake stop and think again. Maybe there was some truth in what he was saying after all.
¡°Anyway, I was just slacking off here,¡± Johnny said, his voice pulling Jake back from his musings. ¡°They work us until we¡¯re about to collapse from fatigue, so we try to grab whatever rest we can. But I have to get back to work before one of the guards notices my absence.¡±
He took another step closer. Now he was so close to Jake that he could touch him if he extended his hand toward him.
¡°I dunno why you¡¯re here,¡± Johnny said. ¡°No alarms are blaring, and there have been no sounds of fighting, so I guess you¡¯ve sneaked into the base for intel, right? It¡¯s known that you can turn invisible, but you weren¡¯t when you darted into the tent. By the way you moved, I assume you suddenly ran out of mana and couldn¡¯t keep your disguise up anymore. Am I correct? I might be wrong, but there¡¯s a rumor that you need mana to survive and use your abilities.¡±
Survivors had definitely learned quite a bit about him by that point.
¡°Anyway, if I¡¯m right, it means you¡¯re trapped here, right?¡± Johnny asked. ¡°You either don¡¯t want to fight right now or you originally planned to sneak in and out unnoticed. But now, without your disguise, you can¡¯t leave without being seen.¡±
Johnny had been speaking hurriedly as if he were running out of time. He took a brief pause to catch his breath before continuing.
¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I can help you,¡± he said. ¡°I can get you out of the base without anyone noticing.¡±
Johnny paused, staring intently into Jake¡¯s eyes. He seemed to hesitate for a moment.
¡°But in return, you have to¡ to do something for me, okay?¡±
Jake waited for him to elaborate.
Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Jake wasn¡¯t sure how Johnny was going to help him escape the base unnoticed. Those 360-degree scanners that the turrets were equipped with were incredibly sensitive, capable of detecting even the slightest movements. Other than completely deactivating the machine gun turrets, there was no way to slip past them undetected.
While examining various data in the security control room, he had located a storage unit containing mana consumables. However, it was locked, and only guards had access to it. When watching the base from the high-rise roof, he had also learned that workers didn¡¯t have access to the storage unit with mana items. Therefore, whenever a worker needed a mana consumable for one of the machines, they had to call out for a guard to provide one.
However, if Johnny tried to get a mana item from a guard and brought it into the tent, the guard who handed him the item would surely follow him inside to see what Johnny was up to. Or the guard might ask first what Johnny even needed a mana consumable for.
As for Jake, he himself hadn¡¯t attempted to access the storage unit containing mana consumables, because he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do so without being detected. It wasn¡¯t why he had infiltrated the base anyway; his goal was to steal the Skeleton Key and gather some intel in the process.
¡°You need to promise me something,¡± Johnny said, taking yet another small step closer, wrenching Jake back from his musings.
Jake remained still, his gaze fixed on Johnny, waiting for him to continue.
Johnny inhaled deeply and, in a loud whisper that wavered with emotion, said, ¡°After I help you escape the base, I need you to save my girlfriend. Will you do this for me? You have to promise that you¡¯ll save her!¡±
Jake had no idea how he could promise something without knowing any details about it. However, Johnny clearly wasn¡¯t going to help him until Jake gave his assurance. The human was watching him with an intense expression on his face, his fear of Jake completely forgotten.
So Jake nodded, and Johnny released a breath he seemingly didn¡¯t realize he was holding. The relief on his face was almost palpable, as if Jake¡¯s promise had already ensured his girlfriend¡¯s safety. Did Johnny truly view him as some sort of superhero capable of accomplishing anything?
Johnny met his gaze and said thank you, even though Jake hadn¡¯t done anything to deserve it yet.
¡°Let me tell you what happened to her and where you can find her,¡± Johnny said.
He was about to continue when the sound of approaching footsteps made him pause. Jake heard it too, but thanks to his enhanced senses, he had been aware of them for a little while. His abilities also allowed him to predict outcomes in certain situations, so he could tell that the person outside wasn¡¯t going to enter the tent and that they were just passing by.
Johnny, however, didn¡¯t know that. He grew tense, and for the next several seconds, he remained silent and motionless, craning his neck to peer around Jake¡¯s form at the entrance to the tent, which was covered by a flap.
¡°Someone¡¯s coming,¡± he whispered, his voice filled with terror.
Jake shook his head, trying to put him at ease. He even contemplated placing a comforting hand on Johnny¡¯s shoulder, but considering how tense Johnny was at the moment, he thought the gesture might freak him out, so he decided against it.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The footsteps began to fade into the distance as the person moved away from their tent. Once he realized that no one was going to enter, Johnny relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
¡°That was close,¡± he muttered.
No, it wasn¡¯t, Jake thought.
Johnny glanced up at him again.
¡°I nearly lost my shit,¡± he said with a lopsided grin. ¡°Pardon my French.¡±
Jake continued to stare at him through his emotionless unblinking eyes. Johnny¡¯s grin faded as he realized that his humor had gone unappreciated by the obsidian-black mutant before him.
¡°Anyway, we don¡¯t have much time since I have to get back to work as soon as possible, so I¡¯ll be quick,¡± he finally continued. ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s name is Samantha. We were captured together. Both of us refused to join the ranks of those bloodthirsty bandits when they offered us the chance. So we were forced to do labor for them at this base. Only Samantha wasn¡¯t happy about it.¡±
Johnny made a pause, as if gathering his thoughts.
¡°She always was the reckless one. She kept talking about escaping while I tried to convince her it was a bad idea. Eventually, she agreed with me. It¡¯s impossible for those of us designated as workers by the base¡¯s computers to flee. See, the turrets are programmed to open fire if we attempt to escape. We witnessed several escape attempts, all ending in tragedy as the turrets killed the fugitives. Sam was trying to find a way to bypass the turrets somehow, but eventually she had to reluctantly admit it was impossible to break out of this base alive.¡±
Johnny gave Jake a faint, sad smile.
¡°Do you think Sam was finished, though? Fat chance! Since she couldn¡¯t get us out of the base, she decided to mess with our captors as much as she could. She set about sabotaging various contraptions that produced ammo for the gang. She kept at it for a while, each time doing her best to make it look like a malfunction rather than the work of one of us. Sam allocated many skill points to Intelligence and worked on improving her Engineering and Mechanics skills, so she became very good at it. She managed to sabotage the base¡¯s contraptions several times, always making them look like malfunctions. While one contraption was being repaired after her handiwork, she moved on to sabotage another one.¡±
Johnny couldn¡¯t help but smile at the memory.
¡°Sam is incredibly smart. At one point, she even considered breaking into HQ and hacking the computer to disable the turrets, giving us a chance to make a break for it! Unfortunately, she was never able to bring her plan to life.¡±
Johnny took a brief pause before continuing.
¡°The base leaders weren¡¯t stupid. They understood that the contraptions couldn¡¯t malfunction so often, especially right after being repaired. They suspected someone was behind the sabotage but couldn¡¯t identify the culprit. Sam was too smart to be caught in the act. Eventually, the leaders lined up all the workers and threatened to torture and kill us one by one until they discovered who was interfering with the base¡¯s equipment.¡±
Johnny shook his head.
¡°Of course, Sam couldn¡¯t let that happen. She couldn¡¯t stand by and watch someone suffer because of her actions. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. She gave herself away before those bastards could pick their first victim.¡±
He fell silent for a moment, as if the memory was too painful to revisit.
¡°I was terrified they were going to kill Sam, probably in the most brutal way to demonstrate that they weren¡¯t to be messed with. But they did something worse¡ªthey sent her away.¡±
He went silent for a second yet again. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to speak about it.
¡°They took her to the main base,¡± he finally finished his thought.
Jake had no idea what it meant. What made being sent to the main base worse than facing a slow and agonizing death?
Johnny stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure out if Jake got the gist. He didn¡¯t.
Since his monstrous face couldn¡¯t convey any emotions¡ªexcept for one that resembled pure, barbaric rage whenever Jake opened his mouth¡ªJohnny had no way of knowing what he was thinking. So, he opted to clarify.
¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but those bastards carry out terrible things at their main base,¡± Johnny said. ¡°Have you ever heard anything about it?¡±
Jake shook his head. Johnny glanced around Jake, as if to make sure that nobody stood behind him to listen in. Then he leaned in closer, speaking in a hushed but intense whisper, ¡°They make monsters out of us at their main base!¡±
Chapter 183
Chapter 183
Jake kept staring at Johnny, unimpressed. What the survivor had just told him seemed implausible. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Johnny and the other regular survivors knew what was happening inside the gang¡¯s main base. After all, none of the regular survivors¡ªnor even the gang¡¯s ordinary soldiers¡ªhad any idea where Los Demonios¡¯ main base was even located.
¡°It''s just a rumor, though,¡± Johnny added, confirming Jake¡¯s suspicions. ¡°But it isn¡¯t something we just made up. One of the workers actually heard it from the guards¡¯ conversation. They were saying that survivors who really pissed off any of the gang¡¯s leaders were sent to the main base, where they were turned into hideous monsters. The worker who overheard the conversation said that the guards talked in whispers, trying to keep their voices down. But it was a heated discussion, and they inadvertently raised their voices enough for him to hear while he worked on a nearby machine. He told us that the guards weren¡¯t gloating but seemed genuinely scared. They feared that if they ever disappointed their leaders, they could also be sent to the main base to become monsters.¡±
Jake continued to stare at the human before him. Johnny fell silent for a moment, as if to let what he had just said sink in.
¡°And those guards must have gotten that information from somewhere too, right?¡± he said in conclusion. ¡°Likely, someone overheard one of the leaders mention it, and that must be how they learned about these evil matters.¡±
Jake remained skeptical but considered that there might be some truth to the story. The question was: if it were true, to what end did the gang leaders transform survivors who angered them into monsters?
Johnny seemed to realize what was going on in Jake¡¯s head, because he added, ¡°If you¡¯re wondering why the gang leaders turn survivors into monsters, we don¡¯t really know. However, we¡¯ve speculated quite a bit and reached the conclusion that it¡¯s for XP. They turn people into monsters, kill them, earn XP, and level up. Perhaps they could even resurrect them somehow to kill again. That might explain why the leaders are so much higher-leveled compared to the other survivors, right?¡±
Jake knew that Johnny had it all wrong. Based on the conversation he had overheard among the three sub-bosses in the security control room, he knew that the original members of the gang were brought back from stasis by the System somewhat earlier than the survivors in this city. And since they began their journey as survivors in this mutant-infested world before this city¡¯s inhabitants, they naturally had higher levels than the others now. The gang leaders also provided the regular members with special spells that increased their gained XP so they could level up faster. Where the gang leaders got the magic scrolls from, which were the rarest items in this world, was an altogether different question.
¡°So, Samantha has been taken to the main base,¡± Johnny said, snapping Jake back to reality. ¡°I need you to save her. Will you promise me that?¡±
Now that he knew the details, Jake felt very skeptical. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since Samantha was taken to the main base, but the chances of her still being alive¡ªor not having been transformed into a monster¡ªwere slim to none.
¡°I know what you must be thinking,¡± Johnny said, staring at him intently. ¡°You think Sam is beyond saving. But that¡¯s not the case! She¡¯s a fighter! Always has been, and she won¡¯t give in without a fight. I believe she¡¯s still alive¡ªI just know it! Don¡¯t ask me how, I just feel it!¡±
It seemed clear that Johnny likely knew Samantha was likely dead by now. Still, he was clearly trying to suppress those thoughts. He needed to hold on to the belief that his girlfriend was still alive, even if it seemed unlikely. It felt as though he was more trying to convince himself rather than Jake that Samantha was still alive.
¡°Will you promise that you¡¯ll find her and help her?¡±
Jake nodded. He knew that saving Samantha was likely a lost cause, but what else could he do?Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± Johnny replied, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
Being called a friend was definitely a first in his life as a mutant.
There was something in Johnny¡¯s eyes that made Jake feel uncomfortable. There was hope, yes, but there was something else lurking beneath the surface. Now that he had Jake¡¯s promise to find and rescue Samantha from Los Demonios main base, Johnny seemed ready to do something reckless¡ªstupid, even. It felt as if Johnny no longer cared about the consequences for himself. Jake didn¡¯t like the possible implications of that at all.
¡°I know you¡¯ll find Sam and get her out of that terrible place. I just know it!¡±
Johnny flashed a grin and added, ¡°Maybe you two will even team up to wipe out what¡¯s left of this gang by then! She would love to help you bring an end to Los Demonios¡¯ reign!¡±
Jake kept staring at him. It was clear that Johnny needed something to hold on to¡ªa glimmer of hope that his girlfriend was still alive and could be saved.
Johnny looked at him with gratitude in his eyes. He then reached out and placed a hand on Jake¡¯s shoulder but quickly recoiled, grimacing as though he had touched a scalding pan.
¡°Geez, man, your body¡¯s so cold. Are you okay?¡±
Jake just kept staring at him.
¡°Alright then,¡± Johnny said, regaining his composure. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting you out of here. The key is to stay under the radar, right?¡±
Jake nodded.
¡°Those turrets are capable of detecting almost anything,¡± Johnny remarked, stating what Jake already knew. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can sneak you past them unnoticed. But your disguising ability was able to keep you off their radar, right? The only reason you can¡¯t use it now is that you¡¯re low on energy, correct?¡±
Jake nodded.
¡°Great,¡± Johnny said. ¡°I can definitely help with that.¡±
Jake remained silent, waiting for the plan to unfold.
¡°Everything in the base runs on mana consumables,¡± Johnny explained, once again stating what Jake already knew. ¡°There¡¯s a machine that produces ammo not too far from here. I¡¯m going to grab a mana crystal from that machine and bring it to you, which should recharge your disguising ability. Simple, right? The best solutions are often the simplest.¡±
Jake didn¡¯t like it. The moment Johnny removed the mana crystal from the ammo-producing contraption, it would cease functioning. One of the guards would surely notice¡ªif not right away, then soon after. Even if Johnny wasn¡¯t caught in the act, the bandits would still know it was him who took the mana crystal from the machine. All they would need to do is check the recorded feed from the turrets. And they would want to know why he needed the mana crystal. Sure, Johnny could keep Jake out of it by simply claiming he had extracted the mana for himself, and there would be no way for the bandits to verify how much mana was inside his body before and after the act.
However, if they chose to torture Johnny, Jake doubted that the man would be able to keep the secret for long. Jake needed the fact that he had infiltrated the bandit base to stay hidden for as long as possible. So far, his presence had gone undetected by both the guards and the turrets. He had also deleted all recorded feeds from the surveillance cameras inside HQ. As for the turrets, he had been spotted once when he approached the perimeter wall of the base. However, his Cloak was active, and other than a slight disturbance in the air, the turret hadn¡¯t detected anything else¡ªJake knew this for sure, as he had checked the recorded feed from that turret while inside HQ. The turret had even dismissed the sighting as a non-threat. Later, when his Cloak turned off, Jake dashed into this tent. Fortunately, he managed to enter just before he became visible, so no turrets caught sight of him.
So, he had managed to avoid detection up to this point, and he really wanted to keep it that way.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Johnny reassured him, as if he had once again tapped into Jake¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I won¡¯t get caught. You promised to save Sam, and I promise to do whatever it takes to keep it a secret that you were here.¡±
Once again, Jake noticed something unsettling in Johnny¡¯s eyes. Although Johnny seemed genuinely eager to assist Jake, he also appeared indifferent to his own fate and what might happen to him afterward. However, Jake had no other ideas for sneaking out of the base unnoticed, so he nodded.
¡°Alright,¡± Johnny instructed. ¡°Stand back from the entrance. We don¡¯t want anyone spotting you when I go outside.¡±
Jake stepped aside from the entrance of the tent, positioning himself out of sight from the outside.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be quick,¡± Johnny assured him as he approached the flap that covered the tent¡¯s entrance. He pulled it back and swiftly stepped outside, vanishing from sight.
Chapter 184
Chapter 184
The flap fell back into place, covering the entrance to the tent. Jake waited. He wasn¡¯t worried that Johnny might betray him and give him away to Los Demonios. Johnny seemed genuine. He couldn¡¯t have fabricated everything he told Jake on the spot and acted in accordance with his story, pretending to be worrying about his girlfriend, and all. Besides, one of the upgrades for Enhanced Intelligence allowed Jake to analyze the behaviors of various living beings to predict their next moves and to understand their intentions, motivations, and potential reactions in different situations. Thanks to this, Jake knew Johnny was sincere.
So he waited. His enhanced hearing allowed him to easily pick up Johnny¡¯s footsteps outside the tent. He could hear them fade into the distance as Johnny moved away. Then they stopped. The ammo-producing machine must be really close to the tent, just like Johnny had said. A few seconds later, the footsteps resumed, this time moving toward the tent. Jake listened as they grew louder until the flap covering the entrance was pulled aside and Johnny entered.
He immediately walked toward Jake, pulling a mana crystal from inside his jacket where he had hidden it. Johnny held it out to him, and Jake noticed it was significantly dimmer than the usual mana crystals, which emitted a vibrant blue light. The reason the mana crystal Johnny had brought was dimmer became apparent when Jake summoned the item¡¯s description. It contained less than a thousand MP, a stark contrast to the usual 5,000 MP that mana crystals typically held. The reason for this was obvious: the mana crystal must have been used by the ammo-producing machine for quite a while, which gradually sucked the magical energy from the crystal to consume it.
¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t bring you a crystal with more mana in it,¡± Johnny said apologetically. ¡°The other machines are farther away and in more crowded areas of the base. I might¡¯ve been noticed if I tried to get mana crystals from them.¡±
That¡¯s fine, Jake thought, nodding at Johnny. While the nine hundred mana points contained in the crystal weren¡¯t much, it was enough for now. He wasn¡¯t planning to engage in fights in the next several hours anyway. For simply activating Cloak and sneaking out of the base, the remaining amount of mana in the crystal would be more than sufficient.
Jake squeezed the mana crystal in his hand just hard enough to create a few small cracks, from which the magical energy immediately began to seep out. It drifted through the air toward his skin to be absorbed by his body. Johnny watched the process with fascination, and when the mana crystal was empty, he said, ¡°Can you hand it back? I¡¯ll stash it in my chest with my other stuff. If I get caught, I¡¯ll just say I stole the crystal for myself to keep you out of it. Right now, I have about a thousand MP inside of me. There¡¯s no way to measure how much mana someone carries, so they wouldn¡¯t know if I¡¯m lying. They¡¯d never be able to tell how much I had before and after.¡±
Unless they decide to torture you brutally, Jake thought. He passed the now-empty mana crystal to Johnny, who crossed the room to store it in the chest he had been crouching behind when Jake entered the tent. There was no time to waste, so Jake immediately headed toward the exit.
¡°Hold on,¡± Johnny called as he rushed to catch up with him.
Jake paused to allow him to catch up.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°I¡¯ll pull the flap aside so you can slip out without being seen,¡± Johnny suggested.
Because Johnny hadn¡¯t pulled the flap all the way when he returned to the tent with the mana crystal, a small gap remained between the flap and the edge of the entrance, allowing Jake to slip through. However, Johnny¡¯s suggestion could prove to be a better option, so Jake decided to wait.
Johnny stopped at the entrance and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pull it aside when you turn on your disguising ability.¡±
Jake nodded and activated Cloak with a thought, almost immediately turning invisible.
¡°Wow,¡± Johnny whispered in amazement. ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡±
Jake slipped around him and stopped near the flap, waiting for Johnny to pull it aside. However, the man continued to gaze at the empty space where Jake had just stood. Johnny extended a hand, but all his fingers found was an empty spot.
¡°You¡¯re not there anymore?¡± he muttered, puzzled. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see you move! Where are you now?¡±
Jake tapped him on the shoulder from behind, causing the man to jump in surprise.
¡°Oh geez,¡± he gasped. ¡°You startled me.¡±
Looks more like I scared the hell out of you, Jake thought.
Chuckling nervously, Johnny turned around.
¡°I can¡¯t see you at all. Well, I¡¯ll pull the flap aside now. When you¡¯re through, tap me on the shoulder again to let me know, okay?¡±
Johnny waited a moment as if for confirmation. When he realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Jake nod anyway, he stepped closer to the flap and discreetly pulled it aside, careful to make it look like he was doing it solely for himself. Jake quickly slipped through and immediately tapped Johnny on the shoulder. The man wasted no time in stepping out of the tent, letting go of the flap and allowing it to slide back into place. To Jake¡¯s eyes, it appeared completely natural, as if Johnny were simply going about his business without letting anyone through at all.
¡°Good luck,¡± Johnny said.
Jake gave him one last look before turning away. He quickly gathered his bearings and began to stealthily make his way across the base.
¡°Give them hell,¡± Johnny muttered behind him. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear the news about you and Sam ripping their main base to shreds!¡±
Jake moved as quickly as he could without causing distortions in the air that the turrets could detect. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the dormant ammo-producing machine, from which Johnny must have extracted the mana crystal. So far, none of the guards seemed aware that it was out of order.
There were several bandits standing at the gates that had not yet been repaired, so Jake decided to scale one of the perimeter walls instead. When he reached it, he clung to the surface using Adhesive Secretion and began climbing up. In one of his hands, he still gripped the pieces of the broken weapon, but it didn¡¯t hinder him much. A few minutes later, he was finally on the other side of the wall, outside the base. He made his way across the street toward the high-rise building, the same one from which he had observed the base earlier.
When he reached the building, he was finally out of the turrets¡¯ range, so he allowed himself to pick up the pace. He kept his Cloak engaged, though. After discarding the broken weapon, he scaled the high-rise, climbing floor after floor until he finally arrived at the rooftop. Standing upright, he took one last look at the base below. Things were quiet down there. Still, he knew that chaos would erupt the moment the massacre at HQ he had caused was discovered.
He was about to move away when he noticed one guard speaking to the one next to him, pointing at the dormant ammo-producing machine. They both stared at it for a moment before beginning to cross the base toward the machine to investigate what was wrong with it.
Jake decided to stay on the roof a bit longer to see how things would play out.
Chapter 185
Chapter 185
The two guards approached the inactive ammo-producing machine. For a moment, they just stared at it, trying to understand why it had stopped working. It didn¡¯t take long for them to figure it out. When one of the guards checked the slot where the mana crystal should have been, he found it empty. A few other guards soon arrived to see what was happening. They gathered around the dormant contraption, conversing among themselves. Nearby workers who noticed the guards¡¯ activity visibly grew tense.
Jake kept watching, having lowered himself into a crouching position at the edge of the roof. He gripped the edge with his hands, staring down at the base ten stories below, remaining completely still. He wasn¡¯t worried that a sudden gust of wind might knock him off, because he knew Adhesive Secretion could be activated at a moment¡¯s notice, securely anchoring himself if needed. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the city, but the workers continued their tasks, showing no signs of wrapping up for the day. As Johnny had told him, they were forced to toil endlessly. Jake wondered when they would finally be allowed to call it a day.
The guards gathered around the dormant ammo-producing machine spoke among themselves, some gesticulating animatedly. Their raised voices carried through the air, allowing Jake to catch some of their words with ease, despite the distance. It was clear that the guards were very angry, and not just because the machine had stopped producing ammo. Their frustration also stemmed from the fact that none of them had even noticed the mana crystal being taken from the machine. They all knew that Miller wouldn¡¯t be pleased about that. The prospect of facing their leader¡¯s fury when he learned what had happened in his absence filled them with primal fear.
The guards knew they had to find out who had stolen the mana crystal before Miller returned. One of them called out to a nearby worker, waving him over. The worker clearly wasn¡¯t happy about having to approach the gathering of guards, who were in a foul mood. However, he had no choice but to obey, so he began trudging toward them. The guard who had called him over yelled for him to pick up the pace. The worker quickened his steps, visibly trembling as he reached the inactive machine. He was immediately flanked by two guards on either side.
The worker shook his head vigorously when one of the guards posed a question, gesturing toward the dormant machine. Another guard spoke up, prompting the worker to glance at the machine again. He quickly replied, shaking his head again. The guards continued their interrogation, and each question was met with another negative reply. It was clear what kind of questions they were asking and what answers he was providing. Did you steal the mana crystal from this machine? No, I didn¡¯t. Have you seen who did it? No, I haven¡¯t.
Out of frustration, one of the guards suddenly raised his weapon and struck the worker with the buttstock, causing the poor man to drop to his knees. The other one quickly followed suit, raising his assault rifle and bringing it down on the worker¡¯s head. The butt of the weapon connected with the back of the worker¡¯s skull, and the man collapsed to the ground. The two guards set about beating him with the butts of their weapons as the man tried to shield his head with his arms as best as he could.
Jake averted his gaze from the brutal scene to scan the base for Johnny. He saw him on the other side of the base. He had been intently watching the guards gathered around the dormant ammo-producing machine. He was craning his neck, obviously unable to see all the details from where he stood. However, as soon as he realized one of the workers was being beaten, he burst into a run across the base toward the commotion. Some of the guards immediately pointed their weapons at him when they noticed him running toward them. Johnny skidded to a sudden stop, raising his hands high in the air.
From his vantage point on the roof of the ten-story building, Jake suddenly noticed a vehicle appear on the stretch of road leading to the bandit base. He kept it in his peripheral vision as he focused on the scene unfolding within the compound¡¯s perimeter walls.
Several guards yelled at Johnny, keeping their weapons pointed at him while he shouted back, ¡°It was me! It was me!¡± The guards continued yelling at him, and in the cacophony of noises they created, it took them a couple of seconds to process what he was trying to convey. Once they realized it was him who had taken the mana crystal, the two guards finally stopped beating the worker and turned to face Johnny. One of them yelled for him to keep his hands raised as two of them approached.
They began questioning him, and he quickly responded, but since they were no longer yelling, Jake couldn¡¯t hear any words anymore. It was pretty obvious that Johnny was claiming to be the one who had taken the mana crystal when no one was watching. At some point, he pointed at the large tent where he and Jake had been hiding not long ago. The two guards glanced at the tent and then looked at each other, exchanging a few phrases. One of them then headed for the tent while the other guard stayed with Johnny. Meanwhile, the remaining guards lingered near the dormant machine, ignoring the beaten worker who lay on the ground, writhing and cowering. No one among the guards offered him any help, having seemingly forgotten about his presence for the moment.
In his peripheral vision, Jake could see that the vehicle was still driving down the road, gradually approaching the bandit base. It was clearly headed for the compound. However, it was still far away, so the occupants of the base weren¡¯t aware of it yet.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
It wasn¡¯t long before the guard emerged from the tent, holding the empty crystal in one hand, his rifle slung over one shoulder now. He returned to where Johnny and the other guard stood and asked a question, nodding at the crystal. Johnny glanced at it and nodded in response. The other guard briefly looked at the empty crystal and then shifted his gaze back to Johnny.
Jake knew that the crystal had small cracks in it, which had formed when he gripped it in one hand to extract mana from it. However, he had applied just enough pressure to extract the mana without causing any visible damage to the crystal. So the resultant cracks were very small, almost unnoticeable, making the crystal appear intact. This was important because, as Jake knew from experience, mana consumables were nearly indestructible. While he could easily break them to extract mana, regular survivors couldn¡¯t so much as leave a scratch on them. Jake had made sure not to leave any easily noticeable damage on the crystal, and judging by the reaction of the two guards, they indeed failed to notice the small cracks marring the crystal¡¯s surface.
The vehicle that was approaching the bandit base was now close enough for Jake to discern the details. It was a pickup truck, and he instantly recognized it as the one Miller had driven away in. So the leader of the base was finally returning. However, the truck was still far off from the base, and its occupants were unaware that their leader was on his way back.
Jake returned his attention to the two guards questioning Johnny. One of them suddenly pulled what looked like a sidearm from inside his jacket and pointed it at Johnny. However, as it turned out, it was no weapon at all. When the guard pressed the trigger, bluish energy flowed from Johnny toward the guard who was using the device on him. Jake knew what was happening¡ªthe guard was extracting the mana stored inside Johnny and transferring the magical energy into his own body. Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. He wished he had a similar ability. His Mana Vision perk allowed him to detect mana consumables as well as various mana sources like mana clouds or mana stored within human beings. However, the perk didn¡¯t allow him to absorb mana clouds or extract mana from humans. He likely needed a special skill or perk for that, which he currently didn¡¯t have.
Jake remembered Johnny telling him that he had about a thousand mana points within him. If discovered, he was going to claim that this was the amount he had extracted from the stolen mana crystal. Since there was no way to gauge how much mana a person held in their body, Johnny had said the guards wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if he was lying or not.
However, watching the guard siphon mana from him using a special device, Johnny appeared uneasy. He was attempting to maintain a fa?ade of calmness, but to Jake, it was obvious that Johnny was nervous and trying hard to conceal it. It was clear that Johnny was completely unaware there were devices that could siphon mana from within people. It must be some advanced technology available only for high-level survivors.
Once the guard extracted and absorbed all the mana from Johnny, he stored the device away and pulled out his PDA. He glanced at the screen, probably checking how much mana he had just taken from Johnny. Then he looked up and asked Johnny a question. Johnny replied, trying to appear calm, even though Jake could see he was nervous. The guard checked his PDA again, then gave a nod to his partner. He put the device away and asked another question. For a moment, Johnny spoke, nodding toward the dormant machine a few times.
Jake realized that while the device allowed the guard to extract mana from Johnny, it hadn¡¯t provided any information about how much was actually stored inside him. The guard had probably asked Johnny how much mana he had taken from the crystal, and upon Johnny stating that it was about one thousand, the guard checked his screen to verify that he had indeed received that amount. Right now, Johnny was likely explaining that the machine had been in use for a while, accounting for the fact that only a thousand mana points were left in the crystal.
The guards finally appeared to relax. They had identified who had taken the crystal from the ammo-producing machine, and everything Johnny had told them so far seemed to align with the facts. To them, he seemed truthful. Now, when the leader of the base showed up, they at least wouldn¡¯t look like complete idiots, who allowed their workers to steal mana consumables from the machines right under their noses.
However, they still didn¡¯t know why Johnny had stolen the crystal in the first place. What was he planning to do with the mana he had siphoned from it? To what end did he risk everything to take the mana consumable? Also, did he seriously think he was going to get away with it? Did he really assume the guards were too na?ve to notice that the machine had stopped producing ammo? Or did he think he could avoid getting caught altogether?
The moment they started asking these kinds of questions, Johnny visibly tensed. It was clear he hadn¡¯t prepared for this line of questioning and had no possible explanation ready. Seeing that he was unable to provide a clear answer, the two guards grew angry again. One of them grabbed Johnny by the shoulder and shoved him in the direction of HQ. Reluctantly, he began to walk toward it. Jake knew they wouldn¡¯t leave him alone. While they believed Johnny had taken the mana crystal from the machine and absorbed the remaining mana, they didn¡¯t know why he had done it. Jake was sure they were likely going to torture him to learn everything there was to know and extract the whole truth from him.
Miller¡¯s pickup truck continued driving toward the bandit base. It was very close to the compound now, but Jake kept his gaze on the two guards escorting Johnny to HQ for further questioning. He remembered seeing a strange expression in Johnny¡¯s eyes when he promised to save his girlfriend. At that moment, Jake had thought that now that Johnny had something to believe in, he might do something reckless and stupid. Watching Johnny¡¯s body language as he was sandwiched between the two guards leading him toward HQ, Jake realized this was the exact moment when Johnny was about to do something reckless.
Chapter 186
Chapter 186
Jake watched Johnny being escorted toward HQ. The two guards were on either side of him to make sure he didn¡¯t make an attempt to flee. Johnny walked with an air of obedience, projecting calmness to show he meant no trouble.
However, Jake knew that this outward compliance was a mask for something far more dangerous. Since he was compliant and wasn¡¯t resisting, the guards were lulled into a false sense of security and didn¡¯t restrain Johnny. They didn¡¯t even bother to hold him. It was surely going to cost them dearly.
Either his obedience had them fooled or they believed all the workers, including Johnny, were frightened into complete submission, being too afraid to rebel. With his hands and legs free, Johnny had a golden opportunity to turn the tables and attack his captors. The only question was: when exactly was he going to make his move?
Just wait until you¡¯re inside HQ, Jake thought. Upon entering HQ and discovering the massacre he had caused within, the two guards would undoubtedly be taken aback. For a moment, they might even forget about Johnny, giving him a perfect opportunity to act.
There were two bodies of guards sprawled near the entrance door, with their weapons lying on the floor nearby. If Johnny acted quickly, he could break away from the guards, grab one of the guns, and use it to kill his captors. What to do next was another question.
The door to the security control room on the second floor was left wide open, so if Johnny developed some hacking skills, he might try to hack into the computer and change the behavior of the turrets to direct them to kill all the guards within the base.
While Johnny was being led to HQ, the gathering of guards near the inactive ammo-producing machine was being dispersed by two of the base¡¯s sub-bosses, Dominic and Patrick, who were loudly berating them to stop loafing around and get back to work. The guards, clearly reluctant, were beginning to scatter in different directions, dragging their feet as they returned to their duties.
Minh stood a short distance away, observing the scene unfold with a detached interest. He hadn¡¯t bothered to approach the dormant ammo-producing machine, likely because he was confident that Dominic and Patrick could manage the situation without his assistance.
Stepping forward, Patrick retrieved a full mana crystal from his rucksack. With an expert flick of his wrist, he inserted the crystal into the designated slot and entered a sequence of commands into the control panel. Almost immediately, the machine whirred to life, humming and vibrating as it resumed its production cycle.
The two guards escorting Johnny to HQ almost reached their destination, and that was when Johnny decided to finally make his move. Having no idea what awaited him inside HQ, he must have thought he had much better chances of breaking away from his captors outside than within HQ¡¯s walls.
In a swift and powerful motion, he threw his body to the side, colliding with the guard on his left. The bandit staggered back, struggling to regain his balance, giving Johnny the opportunity to seize the sidearm strapped to the man¡¯s hip. Pulling the pistol from its holster, he gripped it tightly in both hands.
With surprising agility, Johnny leaped aside when the other guard tried to grab him. Dodging the guard¡¯s reaching hands, he pointed the stolen handgun at the guard¡¯s legs and popped off a few hasty shots. Screaming in agony, the bandit toppled to the ground.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Johnny wheeled to face the other guard and fired at him as well, hitting the bandit in the chest and sending him crashing to the ground. Both men were still alive, but Johnny didn¡¯t bother to finish them off. Instead, he spun and raced across the base.
Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t get far. The gunshots echoing throughout the base alerted everyone. The guards quickly noticed Johnny sprinting across the compound and tracked him with the barrels of their weapons. While some hesitated to fire, concerned about hitting their own teammates in the process, those with a clear shot at Johnny took aim and pulled the triggers.
The chattering of automatic fire reverberated through the air as rounds zipped past Johnny. Most of them missed him completely since he was running fast, presenting a very hard target to hit. However, he wasn¡¯t able to evade every shot. He stumbled when a bullet struck him, its impact knocking him off balance.
Another one hit him in one shoulder, spinning him around and whipping him to the ground. Nearby shots kicked up sprays of dirt, each one creeping closer to where Johnny lay. Desperate to escape, he attempted to crawl for cover, but then more rounds drilled into his body.
Dominic yelled at his men to stop firing because they needed him alive. However, the cacophony of multiple automatic weapons being fired at the same time drowned out his voice. It wasn¡¯t until several seconds later that the gunfire finally ceased.
Johnny lay sprawled on his back, bleeding from numerous bullet wounds. Dominic shouted at his men to administer stims to the mortally wounded worker, but by the time they reached him, it was too late¡ªJohnny was already dead.
Jake felt an unpleasant sensation rising inside him. He had never experienced anything like it before in his life as a mutant, and for a moment, he struggled to understand what was wrong with him. Then it dawned on him¡ªhe was feeling sadness. To his surprise, Johnny¡¯s death shook him, leaving him feeling mournful. He realized he had been rooting for Johnny, hoping he would escape, even though he knew the chances were literally nonexistent. Now that Johnny was gone, a wave of frustration washed over him, which surprised him greatly. It was the first time he had felt sadness as a mutant. It came as a big surprise because he had previously thought such emotions were long gone due to his mutant nature.
Then came the anger. Jake slowly rose to his feet, positioning himself at the very edge of the rooftop, glaring down at the bandit base ten stories below. He understood anger¡ªafter all, it was the very first emotion he had ever experienced as a mutant and one he had occasionally felt ever since. Jake knew he couldn¡¯t have helped Johnny escape, but that realization brought little comfort. His anger quickly escalated into wrath. At that moment, all he wanted was to take one step forward, drop to the ground, and charge at the bandit base. He wanted to kill all the bandits within the perimeter walls one by one, ripping off limb after limb.
That feeling of wrath threatened to consume him, and Jake had to summon every ounce of willpower to remain still. He knew that he wasn¡¯t in a condition to fight at the moment as his mana reserves were nearly depleted. He had just enough to maintain his Cloak, but it was far from sufficient for a tough fight. He also had to remind himself that the turrets protecting the base were extremely powerful. Even one of them could do a number on him, and if all of them opened fire at the same time, he would be done for in no time flat.
So Jake forced himself to stay at the edge of the roof instead of doing something he might regret. Resisting the urge to act impulsively, he kept staring at the base below and saw that the pickup truck drawing near had picked up speed. Its occupants must have heard the gunfire erupting from within the perimeter walls and were hurrying to see what the commotion was all about.
The vehicle slowed as it reached the gap where the gates had once stood. After executing a turn, the pickup truck pulled into the base and almost immediately came to a halt. Miller and the two bandits he had taken with him jumped out of the vehicle and strode toward the guards who had gathered around Johnny¡¯s lifeless body.
Jake remained standing at the edge of the roof, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene below. He was eager to witness Miller¡¯s reaction upon discovering what had taken place inside HQ while he was away.
Chapter 187
Chapter 187
The leader of the base approached the guards gathered around Johnny¡¯s lifeless body. Judging by Miller¡¯s body language alone, it was already clear he was furious. The bandits he passed by appeared to physically feel the dangerous energy radiating from him, shrinking back and visibly trembling in fear.
Miller shoved aside two guards who weren¡¯t quick enough to get out of his way and stopped beside Johnny¡¯s dead body. He stared down at it for a moment before shifting his gaze to the gathering of bandits. All of them immediately averted their gazes, looking down, too afraid to meet his blazing glare.
¡°What the fuck happened here?¡± he shouted, loud enough for Jake to hear him as if he were standing right next to him.
None of the guards replied. Those who had been firing at Johnny kept their mouths shut. Everyone was too terrified of him to speak up.
¡°Who am I talking to? Have you all gone deaf all of a sudden?¡±
A few guards shot furtive glances at Dominic and Patrick, who stood nearby, clearly hoping to shift the responsibility of explaining the situation onto the leader¡¯s closest subordinates. Unsurprisingly, the two of them looked just as scared as the regular guards.
Dominic cast a quick glance at Patrick, who responded with a barely visible shake of his head, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible by hunching his back and lowering his head. Dominic looked around but couldn¡¯t see Minh anywhere¡ªhe was standing far behind, watching the unfolding scene from a distance.
Dominic let out a sigh, fully aware that the burden of explaining what had happened rested on him. He moved a bit closer to Miller, as if to demonstrate that, unlike the others, he wasn¡¯t intimidated by him. Then, he started to recount the events that had taken place at the base during the leader¡¯s absence. Speaking in a low voice, he occasionally pointed to the ammo-producing machine and then to the tent where Johnny had been hiding.
At some point, as he neared the end of his recounting, Dominic nodded toward the two guards who had been escorting Johnny to HQ. The two wounded guards still lay on the ground, squirming and moaning in pain. Until now, nobody had paid them any attention, having seemingly forgotten about them the moment Miller returned to the base.
¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, someone help them already!¡± he yelled angrily at the bunch of guards standing nearby.
Nearly all of them immediately ran toward their wounded comrades to administer first aid. It was clear that the guards were afraid to move without permission, and now that they had an excuse to act, they seized the opportunity to create as much distance as possible from the furious leader.
So Dominic and Patrick suddenly found themselves standing opposite Miller by themselves. Patrick was visibly trembling, unable to contain his fear. Dominic managed to hold himself together a bit better, but he was still scared, uncertain of how Miller would respond now that he was aware of the entire situation.
The leader of the base stood motionlessly, watching the guards administer stims to their wounded comrades. They busied themselves around the two injured guards, as if they genuinely cared for them like brothers. To Jake, it was clear they only wanted to keep their distance from Miller. Two of the guards helped the wounded to their feet and guided them toward the tents. Wanting to distance themselves from Miller, the rest of the guards followed suit. Some even took hold of the injured comrades, trying to lift and carry them as if they were some sort of royalty.
¡°For fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Miller yelled at them. ¡°They¡¯re not that badly hurt. Just one man helping one wounded is more than enough. Two of you go with them. As for the rest of you, get your lazy asses back here right now.¡±
The guards who weren¡¯t actually helping but only pretending to had no choice but to comply. Each of the two wounded guards now had only one companion assisting them as they walked to the tents. The rest of the guards returned to where the leader of the base stood, albeit reluctantly.
Miller instructed Dominic and Patrick to remain where they were, then signaled for the two guards he had arrived with to follow him. With the two men at his side, he walked confidently toward HQ and vanished inside. Dominic and Patrick shared a few quiet words between them as they watched him go.
Dominic then scanned the area and finally noticed Minh far behind him. He called out for Minh to come closer, but Minh remained where he was. It seemed he had decided it was much safer to keep his distance from the furious leader of the base.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
He clearly wasn¡¯t pleased with Minh¡¯s refusal to comply. He even started to walk toward him but then remembered Miller¡¯s order to stay put and stopped immediately. Terrified of his boss, he was unwilling to disobey and chose to remain where he was.
It wasn¡¯t long before Miller and his two men burst out of HQ. He took a few steps before coming to a halt, staring at Dominic and Patrick from a distance. They stared back at him. From Miller¡¯s behavior alone, they realized something was terribly wrong. He stared silently at them for a few seconds, and to those around him, his silence was more terrifying than his usual outbursts of rage.
He said something to the group, but since he was no longer yelling, Jake couldn¡¯t make out the words. The guards appeared taken aback by whatever their leader had just said. Miller had to repeat the order before they finally complied, pointing their weapons at Dominic and Patrick, who instinctively raised their hands in the air.
Dominic tried to speak to the leader, probably asking what was happening, but Miller ignored him. He walked over to where his power suit was and climbed in. The suit sealed around him, encasing Miller completely. While he wasn¡¯t yet sure who had killed all the guards inside HQ, it was obvious he suspected his sub-bosses, just as Jake had anticipated. Since Miller didn¡¯t know what might happen when he revealed what he saw in HQ, he clearly wanted the protection of the suit¡¯s armor in case a shootout erupted in the base. Even though he was high-leveled, he wasn¡¯t invincible. Even a single bullet to the head could easily end his life.
He then walked toward the group of guards who were aiming their weapons at the two sub-bosses. He spoke to the guards, and this time, they obeyed without hesitation. Most of them continued to aim at Dominic and Patrick, while a few others positioned themselves behind the two men.
The two of them were genuinely scared now. Although they didn¡¯t know what Miller had uncovered in HQ, they could tell something was seriously wrong, and Miller obviously believed they had something to do with it. Patrick broke down in tears, collapsing to his knees. Dominic attempted to speak, but Miller cut him off. The guards secured the sub-bosses¡¯ hands behind their backs, and at Miller¡¯s order, they began to escort them back to HQ.
Miller then spotted Minh watching the scene from a distance. He yelled at him to come over, but Minh did something else instead. He wheeled around and sprinted across the base. Miller barked orders at his men to apprehend him, his voice amplified by the suit¡¯s loudspeakers. Some of the guards opened fire on the runner.
¡°Don¡¯t fire, you idiots!¡± Miller immediately yelled at them. ¡°I need him alive! Catch him!¡±
Unfortunately for them, Minh was incredibly fast and agile. He made a beeline for the pickup truck Miller had arrived in. Luckily for Minh, Miller had jumped out of the vehicle as soon as he pulled into the base, leaving the engine running and the doors wide open. So Minh slid behind the wheel and immediately backed out of the base through the opening where the gates once stood. He whipped the car around and hit the gas, quickly moving away from the base. Miller yelled at his men to give chase, but by the time they got into another vehicle and drove out, Minh was already nowhere to be seen.
It was great. Just like Dominic and Patrick, Minh had no idea what Miller had witnessed in HQ. However, upon noticing Miller¡¯s changed demeanor and the capture of the other two sub-bosses, Minh¡¯s instinct for survival kicked in. Whatever was happening, it was clearly bad, so he decided to make a quick escape. Unlike the workers, the guards were allowed to leave the base, which was why the turrets hadn¡¯t opened fire on him while he escaped. Wherever he was now, it was clear he wasn¡¯t returning anytime soon.
By making his escape, Minh inadvertently painted himself as the prime suspect in the massacre that had unfolded at HQ. Sure, Miller would eventually start to wonder why Minh hadn¡¯t fled right after killing the guards and stealing the Skeleton Key, only opting to escape after Miller discovered the aftermath. However, at first glance, it certainly seemed like Minh was behind the horrific events.
The guards had already escorted the restrained Dominic and Patrick into HQ. Yet Miller stayed outside for a few moments longer. He instructed the remaining guards to resume their duties, and after they complied, he popped open his power suit and stepped out. He walked toward HQ and disappeared inside a few moments later, likely to interrogate Dominic and Patrick. Whatever was in store for them was bound to be anything but pleasant.
Before moving away, Jake cast one last glance at Johnny¡¯s lifeless body, still lying in the same spot. A wave of sadness washed over him, mingling with the anger that bubbled up inside. Johnny had seen Jake as some sort of hero, the one destined to take down Los Demonios and protect the ordinary survivors. But Jake was no hero, that was for damn sure. Yet it was a good thing because it meant he would have no reservations. No moral constraints would hold him back. Nothing would stop him from completely eradicating Los Demonios, leaving behind nothing but a damp stain where the gang once was.
However, before launching a full-blown war against Los Demonios, he needed to evolve into the next stage. Before doing it, though, he wanted to spend the night searching for mana, as he was running low on it. So he wheeled around and dashed across the rooftop. When he was sure he couldn¡¯t be seen from the base below, he deactivated Cloak, knowing there was no reason to waste mana unnecessarily. Reaching the edge of the roof, he leaped toward another building.
Chapter 188
Chapter 188
Jake spent the rest of the evening looking for mana consumables, doing his best to avoid confrontations with both humans and mutants. There weren¡¯t many mana items to be found, but he knew that it would change when the System performed its usual world refresh at nightfall. He just needed to wait a couple more hours. After the regular world refresh, the mutants killed during the day would be revived, and various loot, including mana items, would materialize throughout the city.
However, contrary to Jake¡¯s expectations, something surprising occurred when night finally fell. At midnight, a system message appeared in his mind.
Your current area is set to be upgraded.
Jake immediately remembered the conversation he had overheard in the control security room between the three sub-bosses. Minh had told Dominic and Patrick that the System would very soon upgrade their city. Jake had thought this would happen in a few days, but as it turned out, the area upgrade was much closer than he anticipated.
For the next hour or so, the System was in the process of upgrading the city. In Jake¡¯s mind lingered a progress bar, indicating how much time was left before completion. During this period, no mutants materialized in the city. The night was eerily quiet.
When the progress bar reached 100%, another system message appeared in his mind.
The area upgrade is complete. The strength of all the mutants has been increased, and new mutant types have been introduced. Good luck, survivor!
Jake was sure this message was also sent to all the survivors on their PDAs. Most of them were currently asleep and unaware of what had just happened. However, in the morning, when they woke up and checked their PDAs, an unpleasant surprise would await them. Unlike survivors, he received system notifications directly in his mind since his Enhanced Intelligence skill had many capabilities similar to those of a survivor¡¯s PDA.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that the System had referred to him as a ¡°survivor.¡± It still seemed confused about him, unsure whether to classify him as a survivor or a mutant. At times, it labeled him simply as a mutant, especially when it assigned missions to survivors to kill him for some impressive rewards. Yet there were moments, like now, when the System treated him as a typical survivor. It was clear that it was grappling with how to categorize him.
During the next hour or so, mutants began materializing in the city. Despite the System¡¯s claim that new mutant types had been introduced, most of the appearing mutants were walkers. However, when Jake tried to fight one, an unpleasant surprise awaited him. The walker turned out to be much more agile and powerful than its counterparts before the city upgrade.
Sure, it was to be expected, but Jake hadn¡¯t anticipated that regular walkers would become so much stronger. The strength of a single walker was now comparable to that of a chaser¡ªwhich was the most dangerous ex-human from before the city upgrade¡ªor perhaps even greater! Previously, dealing with chasers hadn¡¯t taken Jake much effort at his current level, but those mutants rarely attacked in groups larger than two or three. Walkers, however, had always been considered the weakest type of mutant, and as such, they tended to attack in large groups, swarming their prey from all directions.
Jake realized that dealing with groups of walkers would be much harder for him now than before, at least until he leveled up several more times. After finally killing the beefed-up walker, he decided to avoid any further fights for the time being, as he still needed to increase his mana reserves. Killing the upgraded walker, though, had given him a hefty chunk of XP, bringing him some joy. At least, he would be able to level up faster now. He was really excited about that.
Mutants continued to respawn for the next hour or so until the process finally stopped. Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that the System had spawned significantly more mutants during the night than it usually did before. A bunch of walkers lurked around every corner now, and they were much more active to boot. Instead of just standing around or aimlessly moving from spot to spot, they prowled the night streets, tirelessly searching for prey.
The city had definitely become a much more dangerous place¡ªJake noticed this within minutes of the area upgrade and the completion of the respawning process. There was also more loot available. While most of it was meant for survivors, he was pleased to see that mana consumables were now found more often as well.
Since Jake was unwilling to engage in fights for now, he scaled one of the high-rise buildings and continued to traverse the city by leaping from rooftop to rooftop, searching for mana items, using Mana Vision to locate them. He focused primarily on gathering larger items like crystals and shards, completely ignoring the smaller ones like beads and marbles.
At some point, the sounds of gunfire reached his ears. Initially, he didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, while most survivors rested at night, he sometimes came across groups still active. Los Demonios, in particular, relished the opportunity to ambush regular survivors, locating their hideouts and launching surprise attacks on the unsuspecting.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
However, after some time, Jake recognized that the level of activity was far beyond what he usually encountered at night. His sharp hearing detected multiple gunshots coming from different parts of the city. Occasionally, he also caught the sounds of human screams and panicked voices. He wondered what it could mean.
He remembered that before the city upgrade, mutants had never materialized in buildings where survivors took refuge for the night. Had that changed now? Or perhaps, with many more ex-humans respawning at night and being much more active¡ªseemingly always looking for prey¡ªthey were now venturing into buildings where survivors had set up their hideouts? Whatever the reason, it was obvious that survivors were no longer safe at night.
By the time dawn arrived, Jake had gathered a significant amount of mana. Before evolving to Stage 3, though, he wanted to explore the city further, curious about what had changed since its upgrade. As the sun climbed above the rooftops, casting a gentle glow over the streets, he resumed his rooftop leaps, eager to make new discoveries.
He noticed that the number of anomalies had certainly increased. Much like the mutants, these anomalies were more dangerous now as well. The good news was that anomalies that had challenges linked to them were now appearing more often. Prior to the city upgrade, he had rarely come across them.
However, he decided not to take on any challenges for now. Before the city upgrade, when challenges were a rare occurrence, he immediately attempted one upon encountering it. But now that challenges were more commonplace, there was no immediate need to take one after finding it.
So he chose to continue focusing on exploring the city for the time being. Besides, it made sense to evolve to the next stage and level up a few times before tackling any challenges, as most of them required him to kill mutants, and he needed to become stronger before engaging in tough fights.
He continued to explore the city, which was now fully awake. Gunfire erupted all around him in the streets below. Jake watched from above as regular survivors tried to fend off beefed-up mutants that charged at them the moment they emerged from their hideouts.
Survivors were now having a really hard time fighting off ex-humans, as even the weakest types, like walkers, were now as strong as the chasers had been before the city upgrade. Watching the events unfold in the streets below, he could feel the palpable panic emanating from the survivors below. Most of them seemed totally unprepared for the drastic changes that had occurred. They were completely unaware that mutants would soon become significantly more powerful because the System hadn¡¯t even bothered to give them any warning about the impending threat.
Jake watched as survivors attempted to fend off groups of walkers, only to be eventually swarmed by them. Some others jumped into their vehicles, desperate to escape, but crashed when a shambler or another powerful mutant suddenly popped up and rammed into them. Those who sought refuge in buildings found themselves chased by mutants inside, and the terrified screams of the human survivors being killed echoed out.
Over the next few hours, Jake witnessed several different groups being slaughtered by the beefed-up ex-humans. A grim realization dawned on him: had he still been human, it most likely wouldn¡¯t have taken long for him to face the same deadly fate following the city upgrade.
While regular survivors struggled to defend themselves against ex-humans, nothing much had seemingly changed for Los Demonios. They continued to roam the overgrown streets in their vehicles, killing ex-humans with their powerful weapons almost as easily as before. Having anticipated the city upgrade, the bandits had worked diligently to prepare, building fortified bases, acquiring powerful weapons, and leveling up as much as possible. For them, the upgrade was expected, and therefore, they were now fully equipped for the new challenges. Regular survivors, on the other hand, were now trapped between the ruthless Los Demonios and the beefed-up ex-humans, with their fate looking increasingly dire.
Jake recalled what Minh had told his two sub-bosses in the security control room about the gang¡¯s home city¡ªit had seemingly been overrun by mutants after the upgrade. This was why the gang had worked tirelessly to build bases and prepare for the upcoming changes in this city. If nothing changed and the regular survivors didn¡¯t find a way to become stronger, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Los Demonios became the last group standing in the city. Right now, Jake saw no path for the regular survivors to turn the tide. They were not only incapable of defeating the beefed-up mutants, but they also couldn¡¯t even properly defend themselves. Without help, they would all be wiped out very soon.
Jake had spent so much time exploring the upgraded city that he didn¡¯t notice the day slipping away, having completely lost track of time. It was only when darkness began to settle over the skyline that he recalled his intention to evolve. However, with the second night following the city upgrade fast approaching, he decided to dedicate one more night to gathering mana.
The streets below became somewhat quieter as night fell. However, terrified screams and the sounds of gunfire still erupted sporadically from various sections of the city whenever a group of roaming mutants breached into the buildings where survivors had taken refuge for the night.
A couple of hours later, Jake realized he could no longer store any more mana in his body. When he crushed a recently found crystal in his hand, mana seeped from the newly formed cracks, but the magical energy didn¡¯t flow toward him as it had before. Instead, it drifted in various directions, gradually dissipating as if dissolving into the air.
When Jake checked his current mana count, he saw that he had 170,000 MP. He recalled wondering some time ago if there was a limit to how much mana his body could hold at once. It seemed there was indeed a limit, and 170,000 MP appeared to be that threshold¡ªfor now, at least. He figured this limit would probably increase as he leveled up or improved his attributes.
In the dead of night, Jake stood atop a high-rise building. He opened his fist, letting the empty crystal he had just crushed fall onto the rooftop. Gazing up at the night sky, he decided it was finally time to initiate the process of evolving into the next stage.
Chapter 189
Chapter 189
Closing his eyes, Jake summoned the evolution menu. Instantly, the requirements for evolving to the next stage appeared in his mind. However, he didn¡¯t bother rereading them. He knew he needed to reach a specific level, and his attributes along with some skills had to be increased to particular levels and ranks, respectively. He had accomplished all of that a long time ago. Being aware he had already met all the requirements, he skipped the details and focused on the last line, which asked if he wanted to initiate the evolution process. He mentally replied affirmatively and prepared to evolve into the next form.
However, contrary to what he had anticipated, something surprising happened. Instead of his body beginning to undergo the evolution process, a system message suddenly appeared in his mind.
To start the evolution process, you must choose one of the three forms¡ªsubclasses¡ªto evolve into. This choice is final and cannot be undone. Each subclass offers a unique set of skills and abilities. Make your decision wisely! Once the selection is made, there will be no way to reverse your choice.
Proceed to the subclass selection menu: Y/N
This was definitely different from his last evolution. This time, instead of automatically evolving into a predetermined form, he needed to make a manual selection. It made him feel uneasy. He wanted to remain at the top of the food chain in this world, maintaining his status as the apex predator. How could he know which of the three subclasses would be best suited for achieving this goal?
However, there was no point in fretting about it before even looking at the choices, so he simply thought, ¡°Yes.¡± Immediately, the piece of text in his mind was replaced by three new options.
>>>Ravager<<<
Agile and fierce predator adept at quick, deadly attacks and swift evasion maneuvers, capable of outsmarting any opponent.
Select Ravager: Y/N
>>>Corruptor<<<
Inventive and transformative form. Possesses the power to alter environments and create various traps and hellish entities, shaping them at will.
Select Corruptor: Y/N
>>>Devastator<<<
Master of destruction. An unstoppable force on the battlefield, capable of withstanding immense damage while delivering overwhelming strikes.
Select Devastator: Y/N
Jake read the descriptions and took a moment to think. Unfortunately, the descriptions didn¡¯t reveal much. From the previous text, he had learned that each of the three forms had its own unique set of skills, which differed significantly from one another. He really wished he could take a peek at each of the subclasses to help him decide which one resonated with him the most.
He focused on the first subclass, Ravager, trying to glean some additional information about it or learn what skills and abilities it had. Instead of providing him with additional information, something else happened¡ªa vision of sorts flooded his mind.
He saw himself from the side, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Since the action wasn¡¯t taking place from his own eyes, it felt like watching a movie. The obsidian-black figure jumping between buildings was strikingly different from his current Stage 2 form. It was obvious that the protagonist of the vision was the subclass of Stage 3, known as Ravager.
Jake continued to watch the Ravager leap from roof to roof. It moved so quickly he had difficulty making out any details about this form. However, he could already see how vastly different the Ravager was from his current form. While his present body retained the general shape of a human, there was almost nothing human left in the genetics of the form called Ravager.
Eventually, the Ravager in the vision came to a stop on the rooftop of a high-rise building, pausing for a moment and finally granting Jake the opportunity to take a closer look at it.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
It was definitely larger than his current form. The Ravager¡¯s hunched physique was supported by powerful legs ending in curved claws. Its strong arms featured menacing talons that looked far more dangerous than his own. The creature had a long tail, and its snout was elongated, filled with rows of jagged teeth. While its body was just as black and textured as his, it was also adorned with hardened, shimmering scales, likely serving as an additional layer of protection. Overall, the mutant appeared to be a blend of human characteristics and features reminiscent of a two-legged predatory dinosaur, similar to a Raptor.
The Ravager tilted its head slightly in one direction, and Jake finally saw what had caught its attention¡ªa couple of sleek helicopters were approaching the rooftop where the mutant stood. They were flying far above the building, but as it turned out, that was no problem for the Ravager.
The mutant hunched its back, lifting its scorpion-like, serrated tail over its body and pointing it at one of the choppers. The thick end of the tail suddenly blossomed open like a flower. In the next instant, what appeared to be a laser beam shot out, hitting the chopper with surprising accuracy. The engine sputtered, and the steady whir of the rotor blades faltered. The damaged helicopter spun out of control, quickly losing altitude and disappearing from sight beneath the rooftops.
As the second helicopter approached the rooftop, the mutant aimed the tip of his tail at it, and instead of the laser beam, some kind of projectile shot out. It struck the side of the chopper and splattered against it. The acidic substance quickly started to eat away at the metal fuselage.
The Ravager suddenly burst into a sprint. Reaching the edge of the roof, it leaped with much more power than Jake could ever muster. The Ravager easily reached the chopper hovering high above the building, slamming into its side. The mutant clung to it by thrusting the talons of one hand through the fuselage. With its other clawed hand, the Ravager tore a piece of metal from the chopper¡¯s side as easily as if it were a piece of paper. The mutant then drove the tip of its tail into the jagged opening it had made, unleashing a powerful stream of acid into the chopper¡¯s interior.
The helicopter spiraled out of control, rapidly losing altitude and plummeting toward the ground. The Ravager released its grip and dropped into the open space below. However, the mutant didn¡¯t fall all the way to the streets. Instead, in a matter of two seconds, it sprouted two long bat-like wings and soared through the air like a massive prehistoric winged reptile.
Down below, a technical was racing down the street. The person in the bed of the pickup truck caught sight of the Ravager overhead and swung the barrel of the mounted machine gun toward it. High-powered bullets impacted against the Ravager¡¯s scaled body, dealing little to no damage. The winged creature suddenly morphed its wings back into its body and rocketed down like a missile. With astonishing precision, it struck the pickup truck with tremendous force, turning it into a pile of broken and twisted metal and plastic.
The Ravager climbed out of the wreckage and surveyed its surroundings. Not a scratch marred its scaled body. Menacing-looking ex-humans that Jake had never encountered before burst from around every corner, drawn to the sound of the crash. They sprinted toward the Ravager from all directions. However, before any could reach the mutant, it emitted a bone-chilling roar that instilled fear in its foes. Suddenly, they lost interest in the Ravager and turned on one another.
The Ravager didn¡¯t wait for them to kill each other. Instead, it executed a powerful vertical leap, effortlessly reaching the height of several stories. At the peak of its jump, it sprouted its wings once more and flapped them vigorously, pivoting in the air and flying away from the destruction and turmoil it had created in the street below.
That was where the vision concluded.
That was freaking awesome, Jake thought to himself.
It was obvious that the vision had given him a glimpse of the kind of creature he could become if he chose the Ravager subclass. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t instantly become as powerful as the Ravager from the vision. Instead, he would gradually level up and unlock new skills and abilities, ultimately transforming into the mutant he had just witnessed.
Now that the vision had ended, a new piece of information appeared in his mind.
Do you wish to choose Ravager: Y/N
Warning: Selecting the Ravager subclass will render the following skills and abilities unavailable: Morph Disguise.
Jake remembered acquiring this ability a while back. It was an Epic ability that would become available after he evolved into Evolution Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡±. However, it appeared that this particular ability was not compatible with the Ravager evolution subclass. It was disappointing. If he chose to evolve into the Ravager form, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use this ability altogether.
He had another Epic ability called Ground Strike, which would become available for learning after evolving into the next stage and unlocking the third section of the Genetic Development Interface. The System hadn¡¯t indicated any issues with it, suggesting that, unlike Morph Disguise, Ground Strike was indeed compatible with the Ravager subclass.
In any case, before deciding whether to select the Ravager form or not, he wanted to learn more about the other two options. They should be very different from Ravager, and he was excited to watch the visions related to them to learn what those two subclasses were all about. So he thought ¡°No¡± in response to the question, which brought him back to the subclass selection menu, where there were two additional options to check out: Corruptor and Devastator.
Chapter 190
Chapter 190
Following the order in which the three evolution forms were listed, Jake shifted his gaze to the next one after Ravager. It was called Corruptor, and when he focused on it, a new vision filled his mind. Just like before, he perceived the events from an outside perspective, almost as if he were watching a movie.
At first, Jake thought he was looking at his current form, but he quickly dismissed that thought. The mutant in the vision undoubtedly had to be Corruptor, and the momentary confusion he had just experienced came from the fact that the Corruptor in the vision didn¡¯t look any different from Jake¡¯s current form at all.
While Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder why this evolution subclass looked no different from his current appearance, he chose not to dwell on it because he was sure he would find out soon enough.
Jake kept watching as the Corruptor dashed through the overgrown streets. Eventually, the mutant entered a high-rise and ventured deeper into the building. Suddenly, he found himself in a strange environment. The walls of the corridor he moved along seemed to be covered in some pitch-black substance.
However, the Corruptor wasn¡¯t affected by it. In fact, he felt right at home. Jake realized that it was the Corruptor¡¯s lair, created by the mutant himself. As the mutant continued to move into the deeper parts of the building, which he had reshaped into his lair, Jake examined his surroundings. The obsidian-black, textured substance covering the walls was strikingly similar to both his and the Corruptor¡¯s bodies, clearly made from the same material.
The alien corridor was shrouded in almost total darkness, but the Corruptor was unfazed. After all, he didn¡¯t need much light since his night vision was nearly perfect. Finally, he reached what had to be the main cavern of his lair.
It was hard to determine what purpose the large room had served before its transformation. Whatever the room had been before, it looked very different now. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all coated in the same obsidian-like material as the corridor the Corruptor had just emerged from.
However, it was brighter in the cavern. The vast space was faintly illuminated by a bluish glow. Jake immediately spotted the source of the light¡ªbulbous, shapeless masses clinging here and there to the walls.
Those strange glowing bubbles varied in size, the smallest roughly the size of a cat and the largest comparable to a human being. They reminded Jake of replication pods, but the creatures being developed within those bubbles were greatly different from ex-humans. Their exterior walls were translucent, allowing Jake to peer inside, so he could see all kinds of nightmarish creatures being developed within.
The Corruptor moved from one bubble to another, inspecting its contents and occasionally making some adjustments. Jake somehow instinctively understood what the Corruptor was doing. The mutant manipulated the genetic traits of its creations still in the process of development, causing them to morph into different shapes, sprouting various natural weapons like claws, pincers, and teeth as well as equipping them with various unique abilities.
The Corruptor was experimenting with the genetic code of its creations, striving to develop various types of creatures intended to serve different roles for its master. However, not all of the Corruptor¡¯s creations were successful. When the mutant did not achieve the desired outcome, he destroyed the failed experiments and began the process anew. Some of his creations never even reached the final stages of development¡ªupon realizing that the creatures forming in the bubbles did not meet his expectations, the Corruptor obliterated the undeveloped specimens, not even pausing to let them fully grow.
It was a slow and meticulous process, but the creatures that reached the final stages of development and were released from their bubbles turned out to be truly exceptional. Those who would face them would describe them as nightmarish, both in appearance and in their dangerous abilities. However, to the Corruptor, they were remarkably beautiful, and their formidable powers made them invaluable allies.
The genetic code of the species that successfully completed the development process and pleased their creator was memorized, allowing the Corruptor to initiate mass production of these successful creations.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The vision suddenly fast-forwarded and then returned to normal speed. Jake saw that the Corruptor was back on the streets, surrounded by a large group of various armored vehicles and armed survivors, attacking him from every angle. He swiftly maneuvered among them, presenting an extremely difficult target to hit. Simultaneously, his mind worked in overdrive, telepathically summoning his creations from different parts of the city. Jake realized that the lair the Corruptor had recently visited was just one of many he possessed.
Obeying his telepathic call, his creations rushed toward his location as quickly as possible, and in under a minute, they reached their master. The Corruptor issued a mental command for them to attack the humans surrounding him, and they instantly obeyed. Now swarmed by the Corruptor¡¯s creations, the survivors seemed to forget about him, their attention shifting to the various creatures attacking them.
There were all kinds of creatures, differing in size and abilities. Some moved on four legs while others walked on two. Winged beings soared above, and some leaped toward their victims with deadly agility. Some creatures were equipped with claws and teeth, while others bore different ranged weapons. The humans stood no chance against them, being slaughtered in droves.
As for the Corruptor, he didn¡¯t take part in the massacre¡ªat least, not personally. He hid in a nearby alley, crouching low to the ground and remaining completely motionless. While his body stayed inactive, his mind was anything but. The Corruptor had seized mental control of one of his creations, a creature resembling a hellish dog. He controlled the beast, seeing through its eyes, attacking survivors, tearing pieces of flesh out of their bodies with its razor-sharp teeth.
When the survivors were all killed, the Corruptor severed the mental link to the dog-like creature, once again regaining control of his own body. He then issued a mental command for his creations to retreat to their lairs, and they immediately obeyed. Though some of the creatures had perished in battle, Jake somehow knew the Corruptor would eventually replenish their numbers.
The Corruptor then issued another mental command. Soon, the ground trembled, and a terrifying creature that resembled an enormous centipede appeared, having emerged from another lair. It was the width of a sedan and the length of about a dozen of them. The Corruptor stepped out of the alley and approached the massive insect-like creature. He climbed atop its head, and for a moment, it seemed like he was going to ride it like a mount. However, something else happened. The Corruptor lay down on top of the creature¡¯s massive head, and then his flesh seemingly merged with its body.
The huge insect-like creature raced across the streets, but now that it was one with its creator, it was actually the Corruptor who controlled it. He surged through the ravaged streets, moving incredibly fast on its numerous segmented legs. At times, it crawled up the walls of buildings, clinging to them with surprising ease. At the sight of the monstrosity, survivors scattered in panic. Some opened fire, but the bullets impacting the creature¡¯s hardened body caused minimal damage.
There was another fast-forward moment. When it was over, Jake saw that the scenery had changed once more. The colossal centipede now scurried across the parched, cracked earth that stretched endlessly in every direction beyond the city¡¯s boundaries. At some point, the Corruptor reached a massive crevice¡ªat least several meters wide¡ªand crawled into it. He continued to move deeper and deeper underground until he finally found himself inside another of his hidden lairs.
Just like the previous lair the Corruptor had visited, the walls were abundantly covered in the obsidian-like substance. Unlike the previous lair, however, this one was significantly larger. It was truly enormous but mostly empty. Jake wondered why the Corruptor needed so much vacant space. He discovered the answer almost immediately.
The Corruptor detached from the centipede-like creature¡¯s head and jumped to the ground. He moved across the enormous cavern, where an extremely massive bubble was attached to one wall. The Corruptor stood before it, peering inside and admiring some kind of Kaiju creature being developed within the massive bubble.
That¡¯s where the vision concluded.
Wow, Jake thought. That was incredible.
Then a system message appeared in his mind.
Do you wish to choose Corruptor: Y/N
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was no warning this time. The Ravager subclass was incompatible with the Morph Disguise ability, but it appeared that the same did not hold true for the Corruptor subclass.
Jake also now understood why the Corruptor¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t differ from his current form. Rather than changing outwardly and acquiring a range of new abilities linked to a new appearance, the Corruptor had the power to create different creatures. He could issue telepathic commands to them, take direct control over their bodies, and even merge with some of the larger ones. It was definitely an intriguing subclass.
However, before making a final decision on which path to take, he still needed to check out the final evolution form called Devastator.
Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Jake returned to the evolution subclass selection menu and focused on Devastator¡ªthe last, but not the least, form he hadn¡¯t examined yet. As he concentrated on the subclass, a new vision filled his mind.
He saw himself standing on the parched, cracked earth beyond the city boundaries. Some distance behind him, the towering buildings of the city loomed. The wasteland was marred by cracks of various sizes running in all directions¡ªsome as thin as a pencil line while others being a few meters wide.
At first glance, it might seem that the scene was unfolding in the exact same place where the Corruptor had appeared in the final moments of the previous vision. However, it was difficult to tell for certain, as the wasteland extending endlessly beyond the city¡¯s boundaries looked the same in every direction.
The Devastator remained still, his eyes fixed on the line of the horizon. He seemed to be staring at something specific, but at first, Jake struggled to understand what his counterpart was focused on. He decided to use this moment of inactivity to examine the appearance of this evolution form.
The Corruptor from the previous vision looked exactly like Jake¡ªthe slightly hunched back, a face resembling a snout, and arms that were somewhat longer than those of a human. The Ravager from the first vision appeared as a mutated, two-legged prehistoric reptile. In contrast, the Devastator looked distinctly different from the previous two forms.
As Jake examined the motionless mutant, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Devastator¡¯s figure starkly resembled that of an ordinary human. The mutant was tall, well over six feet, and his body appeared ripped. While his skin was pitch-black and textured, the overall shape of his body resembled that of a heavyweight athlete.
The Devastator¡¯s face was anything but human, though. While it wasn¡¯t elongated like Jake¡¯s, it resembled a human¡¯s in general shape. However, the mouth was too large and filled with jagged, triangular teeth, just like his. His eyes were also large and of a solid greenish-blue color akin to his current form¡¯s.
The Devastator continued to stand still, staring at the same spot above the horizon line. Jake finally discerned what his counterpart was so intently focused on¡ªseveral black dots against the sky, which was obscured by gray clouds. As they drew closer, the dots grew in size, and eventually, Jake could see that they were helicopters.
As they approached the city, with the Devastator standing before the post-apocalyptic megapolis like a guardian protecting it, more details sprang into view. He noticed that while the approaching aircraft possessed a futuristic design, they starkly contrasted with the helicopters used by Los Demonios. These were clearly military-grade, equipped with various weapon systems in their arsenal.
Behind the combat helicopters, a few more dots appeared on the horizon. As they drew closer, Jake saw that they were tanks. Much like the helicopters, they looked as if they were straight out of a sci-fi movie. They lacked traditional tracks and instead hovered about two feet above the wasteland, gliding effortlessly over the desolate landscape.
The hover tanks trailed behind, moving significantly slower than the combat helicopters. Still, they were surprisingly fast for such heavy vehicles.
It wasn¡¯t long before one of the combat helicopters reached the Devastator, slowing to a controlled hover with all its weapons trained at the mutant. However, the Devastator seemed completely unperturbed. For a moment, the pilot and the pitch-black mutant locked eyes. Then, without warning, the combat helicopter unleashed a torrent of gunfire.
The Devastator sprang into action, the transition from standing still to a full sprint almost instantaneous. The mutant barreled across the wasteland so quickly that his feet seemed to barely touch the parched earth. High-powered rounds rained down around him, the helicopter struggling to track him with its front autocannon.
Suddenly, the Devastator propelled himself into a surprisingly forceful leap. Defying gravity, he soared toward the combat helicopter hovering high above. Jake initially assumed the mutant¡¯s plan was to latch onto the chopper, break the cockpit with a punch, and drag the pilot out to send him plummeting to the ground. Yet, it quickly became apparent that the Devastator had something entirely different in mind.
The Devastator streaked through the air, approaching the combat helicopter with such speed that he blurred. This was why Jake didn¡¯t immediately notice the change taking place mid-flight. Only when the transformation was nearly complete did he realize the Devastator had morphed himself into some kind of streamlined object, which resembled a missile.
He shot through the combat helicopter¡¯s fuselage, entering from one side and bursting from the other, mangling the rotor blades in the process. He must have struck something critical because, almost immediately, the futuristic chopper erupted into an explosion, an orange fireball expanding in every direction.
As the Devastator fell back to the ground, he reverted to his usual human-like form. He landed hard, going down to one knee as the burning debris rained down all around him. For a moment, he remained in that position, staring at the other combat helicopters, seemingly calculating the best strategy to take them out. After witnessing the chaos he had just unleashed, Jake doubted the combat helicopters stood a chance against him, despite their superiority in numbers.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The Devastator changed his tactic. While he could have replicated the successful maneuver he used to take down the previous chopper, picking off the combat helicopters one by one, he chose instead to unleash some of his more dangerous abilities to make his assault more efficient.
Jake watched as his counterpart began to transform once more, additional layers of armored flesh rapidly forming around him. The process took just a few seconds, and when it was complete, the Devastator looked entirely different. He now resembled a stone golem, his massive body supported by arms and legs as thick as logs. He had significantly increased in size, adding numerous layers of additional protection to his already formidable form.
The combat helicopters closed in on him from all sides. Remaining on one knee, the Devastator cast a quick glance at his attackers before wrapping his arms tightly around his body. In an instant, stone-like layers erupted around him, encasing him from every direction. Within just two seconds, the transformation was complete, reshaping the mutant into a formless mass of pitch-black rock.
The combat helicopters bombarded him all at once, unleashing a barrage of missiles. Explosions erupted upon impact, chipping away at the stone-like armor surrounding him. Yet, despite the ferocity of the assault, they were unable to cause enough damage to breach the layers and reach the mutant concealed within. Jake suspected that it took an immense amount of mana to forge such a powerful protective barrier in such a short amount of time.
The devastating onslaught lasted several seconds until the combat helicopters exhausted their missile supply. The moment it happened, the Devastator launched his counterattack. He burst from the protective shell, shattering it from within. Remaining in his golem form, the mutant clenched his massive fists and started to pummel the ground beneath him.
Each of his powerful strikes sent shockwaves rippling outward, warping the air around them. The combat helicopters found themselves well within the range of the mutant¡¯s ability. The choppers scrambled to escape, but they were too slow.
The shockwaves generated by the mutant¡¯s ground punches interfered with the helicopters¡¯ electronics, causing them to act up. One by one, pilots lost control of their aircraft, sending them spiraling to the ground. The failing helicopters dropped from the sky, crashing into the hard earth, smashing their rotor blades, wrecking their engines, and twisting their fuselages beyond recognition.
It wasn¡¯t long before not a single chopper remained in the sky. As the Devastator rose to his feet, an energy bolt slammed into his chest, creating a large hole in his body. The hover tanks had finally advanced close enough to unleash their firepower on him.
The mutant wasted no time charging at the tanks. He executed a powerful, long leap and landed heavily on one tank, slamming it into the ground and leaving deep dents in its surface. Almost immediately, he jumped to another tank, attacking it with powerful fists that crushed the armor as effortlessly as if it were mere tin.
Jake watched as the Devastator dashed from one tank to another, punching them and tearing off pieces of armor. Once a tank was damaged beyond functionality, he quickly turned his attention to the next. They fired energy bolts at him, but each shot missed, as he moved too quickly for them to get a clear aim.
Before long, every tank was taken down, much like the helicopters. But the battle was far from over¡ªa new threat suddenly appeared. As if summoned by the sounds of combat, insect-like creatures started to emerge from one of the larger fissures in the ground, even the smallest of which were the size of large dogs.
They looked suspiciously similar to the creatures created by the Corruptor from Jake¡¯s previous vision. It was hard to tell if they were the same creatures, but the resemblance was undeniable. Once again, Jake thought the scenery of this battle scene looked very similar to the final moments of his earlier vision, where the Corruptor, controlling an enormous centipede, scuttled across the parched earth toward a massive crack that led to one of his lairs. The fissure from which the insect-like creatures were now emerging seemed almost identical to that earlier one.
Jake couldn¡¯t shake the thought that the crack in this vision might actually lead to the Corruptor¡¯s lair. If that were the case, what did it all mean? Until now, he had regarded these visions as mere movie trailers, hinting at what to anticipate from each of the three evolution forms in their final progression stages. But what if these glimpses held a more profound meaning? Could they be glimpses of actual future events yet to unfold?
He knew that his transformation into a morphus was an extremely rare occurrence. Yet since it had happened to him, there remained a possibility that another survivor could undergo the same transformation. What if, in the future, he crossed paths with another morphus? And what if that mutant followed a different evolution path? Would they become friends or foes?
However, Jake decided to ponder the possible implications of that later. For now, he wanted to concentrate on the action unfolding in the vision. He saw the Devastator suddenly sprint toward the creatures emerging from the massive fissure in the ground. As he ran, the mutant activated another of his abilities, transforming himself into a massive boulder rolling toward the swarm of monsters.
He smashed into the middle of them, scattering some of them like bowling pins and flattening the others. In the next second, the Devastator transformed once again, reverting to his original human-like form. However, even in this shape, he was incredibly powerful. He morphed his hands into claws and tore apart one monster after another. Once all of them were dealt with, he jumped into the crack from which the insect-like creatures had been emerging and disappeared from sight.
That was where the vision concluded. A message appeared, asking if he wanted to select this subclass. There was no warning about the incompatibility of this subclass with Morph Disguise, which meant that, unlike the Ravager form, Devastator was indeed compatible with the ability. Since only Ravager¡ª which looked nothing like a human¡ªwas incompatible, it meant that this ability only worked with forms that resembled normal humans.
Anyway, now that he had familiarized himself with all three subclasses and learned what each had to offer, it was time to choose which evolutionary path to take.
Chapter 192
Chapter 192
Jake didn¡¯t immediately make his choice. In fact, he wasn¡¯t quite sure which of the three subclasses to pick. It seemed to be a very important decision, which was why he didn¡¯t want to be hasty about it. The next evolution stage was called Apex Manifestation. Its name alone suggested it might be the final stage of evolution. The fact that he had to choose an evolutionary path further underscored its importance.
Since the System never informed him how many evolution stages there were in total, Jake didn¡¯t know for sure whether Stage 3: ¡°Apex Manifestation¡± was the final one. Nevertheless, since there wouldn¡¯t be a chance to revert his choice, he decided to consider each of the three subclasses carefully and weigh their pros and cons to help him decide which one to choose.
The first subclass he had checked out was Ravager. In appearance, it looked like a mix of a human being and a two-legged prehistoric reptile. However, its serrated tail resembled that of a scorpion. It didn¡¯t have a stinger, though. Instead, the tip of the tail was thicker than the rest, appearing slightly swollen. The reason for this was that the tip of Ravager¡¯s tail could blossom open like a flower to shoot various projectiles.
Having a ranged weapon was one of this subclass¡¯s advantages. Another benefit was that the Ravager form could apparently shoot different kinds of projectiles from its tail. In the vision, Jake first saw the Ravager fire what looked like a laser beam to bring down one of the two helicopters. Then the mutant fired some kind of acidic missile, which was similar to Jake¡¯s Acidic Spit but definitely much more powerful in terms of traveling distance, velocity, and the speed with which it eroded the chopper¡¯s metal fuselage. Next, the Ravager in the vision sprayed the interior of the chopper with acid, which was a different kind of ability from the previous one. The acid shot he had first fired was a single fast-moving projectile, while this third ability¡ªthe Spray of Acid, or whatever it was called¡ªreleased acid in a continuous stream, much like a hose.
So the Ravager form could utilize a range of various ranged abilities, firing different types of shots from its tail. The laser beams were effective for taking down distant targets, the acidic shots were suitable for medium range, and the spray of acid worked well in close-quarters situations. Jake was confident there were likely several additional abilities that would allow the Ravager to shoot other types of projectiles from its tail.
Additionally, the Ravager form could sprout wings in no time at all. The ability to fly was undeniably invaluable. Besides being able to get anywhere quickly, it also offered major tactical advantages during combat situations.
Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that the Ravager could make sounds, unlike his current form. In his previous form, he hadn¡¯t even had a mouth. The other two subclasses, Corruptor and Devastator, also seemed to be the silent types. Only the Ravager form could produce sounds, although Jake doubted it could speak. The ability to unleash screams was undeniably an additional perk of this subclass, designed not primarily to intimidate foes but rather to inflict specific status effects on its targets. In the vision, the Ravager¡¯s scream prompted the horde of ex-humans to turn on one another. Jake was sure the Ravager could emit other types of crowd-controlling screams to inflict various status effects on its enemies. Perhaps it could even learn specific kinds of screams that affected survivors as well.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Right off the top of his head, Jake couldn¡¯t figure out what downsides this class might have. Except, of course, that it was incompatible with the Morph Disguise ability, which was unfortunate. It seemed that this ability only worked with forms that resembled ordinary human beings, and Ravager definitely looked nothing like an ordinary human.
The next subclass was Corruptor. From the vision, Jake had learned that if he chose Corruptor, he would be able to create lairs in which he could develop various creatures. They would obey his telepathic commands, and he would be able to communicate with them over great distances, summoning them from their lairs if the need arose. The Corruptor could create creatures of different sizes and take control of them, either remotely or by merging with them.
It was definitely a very intriguing subclass, and Jake was tempted to choose this one. However, the obvious downside of this subclass was that it seemingly couldn¡¯t possess any abilities of its own. If Jake selected it, he would retain all the skills and abilities he had acquired earlier, but he might not be able to learn any new ones. The Corruptor subclass appeared to focus entirely on creating new forms of life. At least, that was what it looked like in the vision he had seen, where the Corruptor relied exclusively on the creatures he had summoned, never employing any unique abilities of his own during a confrontation with a group of survivors.
The third subclass was Devastator. It was an extremely powerful form, with truly impressive defensive and offensive capabilities. This class seemed capable of taking on and dealing with an entire army of well-armed survivors single-handedly. If Jake chose this subclass, annihilating Los Demonios¡¯ bases wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem, that was for damn sure. However, it was clearly a completely melee-focused subclass. Unlike the Ravager form, it lacked any ranged weapons. On the other hand, did it actually need them? From what Jake had seen in the vision, the Devastator was perfectly fine without them.
While Ravager was cool, with the ability to fly and shoot various projectiles from its tail, Corruptor and Devastator were definitely Jake¡¯s favorites. Besides, unlike Ravager, both Corruptor and Devastator were compatible with Morph Disguise since they were human-like forms. But which one to choose? Jake really liked both of them and hated the fact that he could only select one.
He thought it over and then thought some more, but he still couldn¡¯t determine which subclass resonated with him the most. In the end, he decided to hold off on making a choice for a day or so. It was a very important decision, and one additional day wouldn¡¯t make a difference.
So he decided to contemplate the matter for one more day to make sure he made the right decision. There was no immediate urgency to evolve. He remembered that there was a time when some of his skills advanced to a specific level, but he couldn¡¯t upgrade them to the next rank, because he needed to evolve first. However, that wasn¡¯t the case right now. Currently, none of his skills and abilities had reached 100%, so there was no pressing need to evolve into the next form.
He also remembered that after evolving into the second stage and unlocking the second section of the Genetic Development Interface, he couldn¡¯t immediately afford any of the new skills because they had steep requirements and were quite expensive. The same situation would likely apply when he evolved into the third stage. He would probably need to level up several more times and upgrade his attributes before he could buy any of the skills from the third section of the Genetic Development Interface.
So yeah, there was no rush, and he definitely had some time to think about the matter. For now, he decided to visit the sewers. The System had recently upgraded the area, making all the mutants in the city significantly more powerful. As a result, the dungeon hidden in the underground tunnels was likely to have seen an increase in danger level as well. It was time to check it out.
Chapter 193
Chapter 193
After descending into the sewers, Jake opted to spend some time exploring them instead of heading straight to the dungeon door. Following the city upgrade, all the monsters had grown more powerful, including those residing in the sewers. He wanted to gauge how much stronger they had become and whether new types of monsters could now be found in the dank depths.
Over the next few hours, Jake roamed the underground tunnels, slaying their unsettling inhabitants. It turned out that the System¡¯s area upgrade hadn¡¯t introduced any new monsters in the sewers, but the two existing types of monsters¡ªmutated rats and devourers¡ªhad become significantly stronger. Still, Jake was much better prepared for the area upgrade than the regular survivors were, so while battling the sewer monsters was undeniably more challenging than before, they still didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to him.
For a while, Jake wandered through the sewers, taking down all the monsters in his path. The mutated rats, a bizarre blend of rats and kangaroos and as large as the latter, charged in numerous groups. In contrast, the devourers, resembling alligators but with the size and physique of grizzly bears, were solitary creatures.
Jake employed a range of abilities in the fights against the mutants, mostly relying on claws, smashfists, and bladed tentacles. Since he had the Skeleton Key stashed in his mouth, he refrained from using Acidic Spit to avoid melting the key. At some point, he discovered that Spikes were extremely useful when dealing with packs of mutated rats. Upon activation, numerous long spikes erupted from his body¡ªhis legs, arms, and even his head became adorned with them, jutting out far from his form. These spikes were not only long but also remarkably durable, proving to be impressively hard to break.
Jake liked to sprout the spikes from his body when a group of mutated rats surrounded him from every direction. Another trick he enjoyed was running into the middle of a horde of monsters, activating the ability, and impaling the unsuspecting creatures. Since the spikes sprouted from his body at a moment¡¯s notice, the mutants had no time to react. Those lucky enough to evade being impaled scattered in every direction, keeping their distance from him afterward, hesitant to get too close. In these situations, Jake also made use of an upgrade that allowed him to launch the spikes like missiles, sending them flying in all directions. Although they didn¡¯t travel far, they struck the mutants with enough force to kill them. It was definitely a useful and fun ability, but since each use consumed a hefty chunk of his mana, Jake refrained from using it too often.
He traversed the underground tunnels for a while, following his usual routine of slaying its inhabitants. At some point, he gained a level.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level has gone up from 78 to 79. You have gained 5 SP.
Jake took a moment to consider where to allocate his skill points. With none of his skills or abilities having reached 100% yet and all available upgrades already purchased, the only option left was to improve his attributes. He thought for a second and then assigned his skill points.
Body: 70 ¡ú 72
Mind: 70
Magick: 70 ¡ú 73
He continued to wander through the underground tunnels, killing monsters and gaining XP until finally, there were no more enemies left. It was time to head to the dungeon door, but before doing so, he took a moment to review his stats.
Name: Jake Turner
Race: Ex-Human Morphus
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Evolution Stage 2: ¡°Savage Ascent¡±
Level: 79
HP: 98%
XP: 4,755/10,000
SP: 0
MP: 164,986
Body: 72
Mind: 70
Magick: 73
Claws: Rank III (44%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Swords: Rank III (37%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Bladed Tentacles: Rank III (38%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Mind Reader: Rank III (10%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Smashfists: Rank III (29%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Gravity Leap: Rank II (45%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Cloak: Rank II (51%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Acidic Spit: Rank II (12%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Spikes: Rank I (11%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Serpentine Form: Rank I (16%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Senses: Rank III (40%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Agility: Rank III (42%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank III (51%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Reflexes: Rank III (38%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Strength: Rank III (33%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Regeneration: Rank III (31%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Feral Instincts: Rank III (24%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Enhanced Durability: Rank III (29%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Adhesive Secretion: Rank III (15%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Toxic Resistance: Rank I (15%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Adaptive Armor: Rank I (8%) (Upgrades: 4 of 4) (Uncommon)
Finally, he reached the massive, ornamented door that led into the dungeon. It didn¡¯t look any different from before. The towering double-leaf metal door was adorned with intricate patterns, and a rune was etched in each of the four corners. A relief sculpture depicting the skull of some kind of demonic creature, complete with sharp fangs and long horns, protruded from the center.
The door didn¡¯t have a handle, only a large keyhole. Jake opened his jaws and tilted his head forward, allowing the Skeleton Key to fall from his mouth. He extended his hand, catching the key neatly in his palm. The top of the key was crafted in the shape of a demon¡¯s head, strikingly similar to the demonic sculpture that jutted from the center of the dungeon door.
First of all, he issued a mental command to appraise the door, prompting a piece of text to materialize in his mind.
Name: The Maze of Torment
Floors: 5
Recommended Level: 80-100
The recommended levels for the dungeon were 80 to 100, a significant increase from the previous range of 15 to 20. The number of floors remained the same: five. Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice that, at Level 79, he was one level below the minimum recommended level for this dungeon. Would it become a problem? Would the dungeon prove too dangerous for him? Probably not. However, it was too early to think about that anyway. Being a mutant, not a regular survivor, he might not even be allowed to enter the dungeon. One point in favor of that theory was that he had never managed to find a Skeleton Key by himself and had resorted to stealing one from Los Demonios.
So, it was time to find out if the System would allow him access to the dungeon. He inserted the key into the lock and turned it. A loud click reverberated as the lock disengaged. Instantly, the runes at each corner of the door began to glow with an eerie red light. The eyes of the demon skulls at both the center of the door and the tip of the Skeleton Key also flared to light, glowing crimson. Jake sensed a faint hum emanating from the door and felt the air crackle with electricity, the telltale signs that magic was at play. He waited a moment, staring at the massive glowing door before him, but nothing else of note happened.
He pressed his palms against both leaves of the door and pushed. At first, the door seemed to resist, but then it began to yield to his pressure. Drawing on his inhuman strength, he exerted a mighty shove, and the dungeon door swung inward, wide open.
Jake remained at the same spot for a moment, gazing into the impenetrable black void beyond the open door. The darkness was so deep that even his nearly perfect night vision failed to reveal what awaited him inside. Jake couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the dungeon was given that particular name. Was it named so because it was extremely dangerous and hard to complete? Or was it simply a thematic choice, featuring medieval-style corridors, torture chambers, and all the classic elements one would expect from a classic dungeon?
In any case, the path to the Maze of Torment now lay open before him. He crossed the threshold and stepped into the darkness of the dungeon.
Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Jake walked down the dark tunnel. There was no light to speak of¡ªit was total darkness. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem for him, as he had nearly perfect night vision. However, the darkness in the tunnel seemed to possess a supernatural quality, hindering his ability to see deeply into it. Because of that, he moved slowly, staring intently into the void ahead, unable to see anything more than a few feet in front of him.
He continued to walk down the corridor until he reached the end. There, he saw an opening with steps leading deeper down. He began to descend them, moving in a slow and careful manner. His vision was limited to a few feet, so he had no idea where the stairs were leading.
It was a surprisingly long descent, likely taking him a full minute to reach the bottom of the steps, where he found himself in yet another dark tunnel. With no alternative routes, he pressed onward through the corridor, wondering where this path would ultimately lead him.
Contrary to his expectations, this tunnel was much shorter than the previous one, and he soon reached its end. He slowed down as he approached the end of the corridor. The tunnel terminated at a wall, leaving him with no way to move further. Confusion washed over him. What was he supposed to do next?
His mental question was quickly answered as a magical portal materialized at the end of the corridor. It was human-sized and oval in shape, emitting a bluish light that illuminated the first half of the tunnel. However, the portal didn¡¯t reveal where it was leading, appearing as a solid blue glow.
As Jake took a step closer to the portal, lines of text began to materialize in his mind.
Analyzing player¡
Name: Jake Turner
Class: Ex-Human Morphus (Evolution Stage 2)
Level: 79
Preparing rewards for the player. Please hold on. It may take a few moments.
¡
¡
¡
¡
¡
¡
Rewards have been generated. You may enter the Maze of Torment now. Good luck!
[Dismiss] [View details]
Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of excitement wash over him. Even though the Skeleton Key had unlocked the dungeon door, he had been uncertain about whether he would be permitted to enter the actual dungeon. Even if access was granted, there was a possibility that he might not receive any rewards, as they could have been intended for regular survivors. However, those doubts had just been dissipated. He had just received confirmation that he not only could enter the dungeon but would also be eligible for rewards designed specifically for him. It was really great news.
Eager to learn more about what to expect, he requested to see additional details. Immediately, new lines of text began to appear before him.
>>> <>>
The Maze of Torment
Floors: 5
Goal: Complete each floor and defeat the final boss.
Rules:
- Navigate through each floor to locate the gateway that leads to the next one. Each floor is maze-like and filled with different types of enemies. You are not required to defeat every enemy. Instead, your main objective is simply to find your way to the next floor.
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- Once you gain access to the next floor, you¡¯ll receive a reward specific to your class. After receiving a reward, you will have the option to either continue to the next floor or leave the dungeon.
- Each subsequent floor is more difficult than the last. You can¡¯t leave the dungeon once you enter it, but after finishing a floor, you can choose to be teleported back to the outside world. Therefore, the only ways to exit the dungeon are by completely finishing it or by choosing to leave after completing a floor.
- Should you decide to leave the dungeon after completing a specific floor, you will be teleported back to the outside world but will never be able to re-enter the dungeon. However, all the rewards you will have earned by that point will remain and be yours to keep.
- The dungeon is designed to be completed only once. If you manage to finish it, you will not be able to enter this particular dungeon ever again. Additionally, once you enter the portal leading into the dungeon, it will disappear, making the dungeon unavailable to anyone else. If you complete the dungeon¡ªwhether fully or partially¡ªand get teleported back to the outside world, the portal will not reappear for you or anyone else, even though the dungeon door will remain open. Every dungeon allows a player just a single attempt to complete it.
- While dungeons exist outside the rest of the world, death in a dungeon is just as permanent.
- There are five floors in this dungeon, with the first four being maze-like levels and the final one being an open arena where you will have to defeat the final boss.
- As an ex-human morphus, you will be able to gain new abilities for completing each of the floors of the dungeon: an Epic ability for each of the first four floors and a Legendary ability for defeating the final boss on the fifth floor. The reward abilities are specific to the dungeon, reflecting its unique theme. You cannot obtain these abilities anywhere else.
- This dungeon has no time limit. Each of the first four floors can be completed in about sixty minutes. However, as the difficulty increases with each floor, it may take progressively longer to finish a new floor compared to the one before it.
- The abilities earned during the dungeon crawl can be used throughout the remainder of your time in the dungeon.
- To enter the dungeon, you simply need to step into the portal. That¡¯s it. Good luck!
>>> <<<
Jake carefully read the information and then thought it over for a moment. A couple of details caught his attention more than the rest.
First, the rewards for completing each floor of the dungeon were abilities¡ªfour Epic ones and one Legendary one. New abilities, especially ones of such rarity, were always a good thing. Additionally, the abilities he could earn were themed specifically to this dungeon and couldn¡¯t be obtained anywhere else. He was genuinely intrigued about what kind of abilities he could acquire in the Maze of Torment.
Second, once he entered the dungeon, exiting wouldn¡¯t be easy. He could only leave the dungeon after finishing his current floor or by completely clearing it. The fact that he would have the option to exit after completing each floor likely indicated that the dungeon was quite difficult and dangerous, with difficulty ramping up on every subsequent level.
At least, the dungeon wasn¡¯t time-sensitive, so he would have as long as he needed to finish a floor. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much mana it would take to complete the dungeon and if there would be mana consumables available to replenish his reserves. Based on his past experiences, he knew that he could burn through his mana extremely quickly in tough and prolonged battles. He currently had over 164,000 MP at his disposal, which was nearly the maximum amount of mana he could hold at once. He certainly hoped it would be enough to finish the dungeon or that there would be mana consumables he could use to restore his mana. He definitely didn¡¯t want to leave the dungeon without fully clearing it and earning all the rewards it had to offer.
If he chose to leave the dungeon after completing a floor, he wouldn¡¯t be able to return to finish the remaining levels. Additionally, once he had entered the dungeon, no one else would ever be able to gain access because, as it turned out, all dungeons created by the System were one-use only. So he now understood why Miller, one of Los Demonios¡¯ leaders, had been so keen on obtaining a Skeleton Key and keeping it secure afterward.
Miller had been aware that he could earn incredible rewards in the dungeon that wouldn¡¯t be obtainable otherwise. Jake assumed that survivors were granted useful, rare resources in dungeons along with powerful weapons. This was likely why Miller didn¡¯t want regular survivors to get their hands on them and potentially use them against the gang.
Survivors could earn Skeleton Keys to open dungeons by completing extremely difficult missions, and Miller had made sure that he obtained a Skeleton Key before the area upgrade took place when all the mutants were relatively weak. Had he initiated the mission after the upgrade, it would have been much harder for him and his team to secure the Skeleton Key.
However, even though Miller had obtained the Skeleton Key before the area upgrade, he planned to use it to open the dungeon door only after the upgrade to secure higher-level rewards for its completion. But his meticulously crafted plan fell apart when Jake seized the hard-earned Skeleton Key from the very heart of his base.
Jake pushed the system text from his mind and gave the magical portal before him one more look. He steeled himself for whatever might be waiting inside, then stepped through the portal, which promptly flickered out of existence behind him.
Chapter 195: Interlude I – Catalina
Chapter 195: Interlude I ¨C Catalina
The resonating sounds of footsteps echoing from the staircase steadily grew closer. It was just a matter of time before her pursuers emerged from the door to the roof where she awaited them. Catalina had no escape routes left, but she wasn¡¯t going to surrender, no matter what. She would keep fighting until the very end, no matter the cost. She knew she couldn¡¯t win this fight, but she aimed to take as many of those bastards with her as possible.
Los Demonios had been chasing her group for days. Ever since she had turned down their offer to join, they had been on her tail, pursuing her and her friends throughout the city. Her group bravely fought back, but they were greatly outnumbered, and her teammates were killed one by one until she was the last one standing.
It all started a few days ago when her group was ambushed by Los Demonios, led by a man known as Skullface. A single look at his tattoo-covered face made it clear why he bore that name¡ªa skull tattoo covered his entire visage, creating an intimidating effect.
Skullface told her they had been watching her group for a few days and were quite impressed by Catalina¡¯s combat skills. They wanted her to join them. However, joining wasn¡¯t simple. To become a full-fledged member, she had to demonstrate her loyalty to the gang. To do that, she had to kill one of her teammates, and quite brutally at that.
Catalina didn¡¯t think for a second about the offer. Why would she betray her friends in favor of Los Demonios? That wasn¡¯t who she was. Her teammates were family, some of them by her side since the Collapse. She knew Los Demonios was a very powerful gang, and it wasn¡¯t wise to go against them. However, she refused to take the life of someone she had fought alongside. So she told Skullface to go fuck himself.
Since that fateful day, her team had been relentlessly hunted down until every last one of her friends was dead. She was all alone now. For an entire day, Los Demonios had pursued her. Despite successfully taking out a few of them, she was acutely aware her luck couldn¡¯t hold forever. Soon enough, it didn¡¯t¡ªLos Demonios had cornered her, trapping her on the rooftop of a ten-story building with no escape route in sight.
All she could do was stay and wait for the remaining members of the group that was after her to emerge from the staircase onto the roof. She had no ammo left, so she couldn¡¯t fight back anymore. However, she wasn¡¯t going to surrender. Even if she was down to her fists and teeth, she would fight on. But she thought it might not come to that because she had an ace up her sleeve¡ªsomething she kept hidden, planning to use only when push came to shove. It looked like this moment had arrived. She just needed to wait for the gangsters to emerge onto the roof, and if everything went as planned, she might just get out of this fix after all.
The sound of rushing footsteps steadily grew louder until, at last, the bandits chasing her burst through the door. They froze at the sight of her standing alone at the center of the roof. Guns were raised, but they hesitated to fire, perhaps mistaking her stillness for submission. Or maybe they noticed what she was holding in one of her raised hands.
Skullface loomed in front of his men, locking eyes with her. He opened his mouth as if to speak but halted when he caught sight of the enchanted grenade she was gripping in one raised hand. Nobody spoke for a moment, and the whistle of the wind was the only audible sound.
Catalina stood firm, fifteen yards separating her from Skullface and his men. The acrid scent of sweat and tension thickened the air. She clenched her fist around the grenade, mysterious symbols covering its surface glowing orange and green. The enchantments coursing through it heightened its potency, amplifying the explosion to levels far beyond those of a conventional grenade. Infused with magical energy, the grenade had the potential to create a massive explosion, unleashing shockwaves and elemental blasts capable of completely obliterating a small structure.
¡°Stay back,¡± Catalina warned, her voice steady despite the tension.
Skullface stared at her in silence for a moment, as if weighing her words. Then a sly grin spread across his tattooed face, revealing a glint of amusement.
¡°Or what?¡± he challenged.
¡°The grenade in my hand is packed with so much magical energy it can obliterate this entire roof. So y¡¯all better stay the hell away from me.¡±
The bandits shifted nervously at her threat. Unlike his men, Skullface appeared unfazed by her words. His grin widened. ¡°Once more, I ask: or what? If you blow that thing up, you¡¯re going to die too.¡±
¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? I¡¯m gonna die anyway because you assholes ain¡¯t gonna leave me be. So if I¡¯m to die, I¡¯m gonna do it on my own terms, taking the lives of all of you as well.¡±
Her men shifted uncomfortably, disturbed by her words. She sounded convincing because she was dead serious. They knew she wasn¡¯t lying. However, unlike her, they weren¡¯t ready to die.
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Still, Skullface remained unimpressed.
¡°Then what are you waiting for? Why won¡¯t you use the grenade? Go ahead and throw it at us!¡±
¡°Boss, she means it,¡± one of his men urged, attempting to reason with Skullface.
¡°Shut up,¡± he snapped back at the speaker, not taking his eyes off Catalina. ¡°Nobody moves. Hold your ground. She ain¡¯t gonna do it.¡± His smile returned, taunting her. ¡°It¡¯s all just a facade. Deep down, she¡¯s scared shitless.¡±
Catalina didn¡¯t want to die. However, she had been prepared to face the bitter end if necessary. Now that Skullface was calling her bluff, she knew she needed to act. She had no other choice. The only consolation was that Skullface and his men would share her fate, and the deaths of her teammates would be avenged.
With a swift motion, she hurled the grenade. It sailed through the air like a comet, leaving a glowing trail in its wake as it spiraled toward its target. Skullface¡¯s men froze in terror, their eyes wide. But Skullface himself was different: his grin widened even more, as if Catalina had done exactly what he had wanted her to.
¡°Not today, Catalina,¡± Skullface proclaimed, his grin contorting his tattooed face into an even more terrifying mask.
The grenade suddenly hung suspended in the air, as if caught in an invisible web, half the distance traveled and halfway to annihilation.
Catalina¡¯s heart raced as the reality of the moment set in, the silence nestled heavily between them¡ªa silence steeped in the knowledge that everything could change in an instant.
Their gazes locked as an intense silence hung in the air. Then, in the flicker of a heartbeat, Skullface cast another spell, crafting a micro black hole just inches from the grenade. Catalina¡¯s pulse quickened, memories of the spell flooding her mind¡ªthe harsh reality of what it could unleash. She had already witnessed such a spell in action, so she knew the dire consequences: the black hole would consume everything within its grasp for a few seconds, distorting reality with its sharp cosmic edges.
As she prepared for terrible things to happen, time itself seemed to slow down. Catalina¡¯s senses sharpened, allowing her to dissect the impending chaos. She saw the grenade¡¯s magical symbols glowing brighter, the tempest contained within the metal sphere about to be set free. And then, right before detonation, the black hole lashed out, its inky darkness expanding toward the grenade with an insatiable hunger.
For a brief moment, she thought of the devastation it could wreak¡ªthe shattering of bones, the destruction of her enemies, the turmoil left in its wake. But Skullface had timed it perfectly, placing the black hole in a way that would siphon off the overwhelming force of the explosion.
As the grenade detonated, an eruption of brilliant light erupted in a spectacular display, a cross between fireworks and an ethereal storm. Energy erupted outward, but rather than causing destruction, it spiraled toward the black hole, disappearing into its depths¡ªlost in a ravenous void that was drawn to the blast. It voraciously consumed immense amounts of energy, devouring the very essence of the powerful explosion.
The ambient pressure shifted, a violent rush of energy folding into the micro singularity, yet Skullface and his men stood unscathed, ensnared in an echo of the explosion that never fully formed. The black hole struggled against the onslaught, its core collapsing under an overwhelming influx of energy. It seemed as though reality itself was bending as the spiraling energy was swallowed whole, with nothing left to escape.
Catalina¡¯s heart raced with a mixture of fear and awe. She realized that the black hole was overwhelmed, saturated to a breaking point with raw explosive energy. This could create a cosmic paradox, something that could threaten them all and bring the entire high-rise building crashing down. But oddly enough, it seemed the black hole was trapped in a gluttonous cycle, unable to expand or draw in anything beyond that kinetic force.
Then, in a spectacular finale, the black hole could take no more. With a sudden implosion, it folded in on itself, the energy it had feasted upon dissipating like a candle snuffed in the wind. The void collapsed, and a shockwave vibrated through the air, a ripple devoid of destructiveness yet reverberating in intensity. Silence returned as if the world was holding its breath, leaving behind a haunting stillness.
Skullface continued to gaze at Catalina, his grin unwavering, while his men recoiled in fear as shards of magic crackled in the air¡ªechoes of the fierce battle between powerful magical forces that had just unfolded. The dangerous dance had concluded, and for a fleeting moment, Catalina felt the tension dissipate.
¡°Nice try, but it seems we¡¯re still standing,¡± Skullface said, a smirk spreading across his face. ¡°Or you got any more nades?¡±
Catalina¡¯s resolve hardened. Her plan had failed, but she wouldn¡¯t back down. Not now. Not ever.
¡°Figured as much,¡± Skullface laughed, but his amusement vanished in an instant. ¡°Now go get her,¡± he commanded his men, who promptly advanced toward her.
A few raised their weapons, but he quickly shouted, ¡°No! Don¡¯t shoot her! I need her alive, you damn idiots!¡±
It made sense. They had been chasing her all day long, and she had managed to kill some of his men. So of course, Skullface wanted her to pay dearly for that. He had no intention of giving her a quick death. But she wasn¡¯t about to let the bastards catch her. Unsheathing the knife from her belt, she charged at the bandits.
She was incredibly fast and agile. Slashing one bandit across the arm, she quickly jumped aside to avoid being grabbed by another. She kept attacking, slashing and stabbing at her assailants, injuring one after another while deftly evading their attempts to capture her.
However, she was greatly outnumbered, and her luck couldn¡¯t last forever. Eventually, one of them managed to land a heavy hit on her. She noticed it in time and dodged, so instead of striking her head, he hit her shoulder. The impact was still brutal, causing her legs to buckle and throwing her off balance.
Before she could regain her footing, she felt someone wrench the knife from her grip. With a sudden force, two bandits seized her from either side, dragging her to the ground. Snarling like a cornered beast, she thrashed and kicked her attackers. She fought so fiercely that even several bandits struggled to keep her pinned down.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, and for a brief moment, she paused her struggle to look up. She saw Skullface towering above her, his menacing tattooed face grinning down at her.
¡°Gotcha,¡± he said, lifting one boot to hover ominously over her face. In the next moment, the heavy boot crashed down, connecting with her head. Bright sparks erupted before her eyes, and the world around her went dark.
Chapter 196
Chapter 196
Jake found himself standing at a four-way tunnel intersection. He glanced behind him and saw that the portal he had just stepped through was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, he noticed that wherever he had been teleported to, the interior had a medieval style. The walls were composed of sturdy bricks, and the floor was laid with cobblestones. As he had already noticed, he stood at the center of the juncture where four tunnels branched off in various directions. Small alcoves, spaced at regular intervals along the walls of each tunnel, housed flaming torches that illuminated the area with a warm orange glow.
So he had four options to choose from. Which direction should he pick? Each looked identical, and an unsettling silence enveloped him, with not a single sound breaking the stillness. Jake peered into each of the four tunnels, stretching out in different directions. Only a few torches were lit in each tunnel, while the others remained extinguished for some unknown reason. As a result, each passageway was illuminated only a dozen meters in, with the remainder cloaked in darkness that even Jake¡¯s keen eyesight couldn¡¯t penetrate.
He had no choice but to choose a direction at random. He picked a tunnel that looked identical to the other three and began to sneak along the corridor, his form slightly hunched and his senses alert for any sign of trouble. The tunnel was wide, several meters across, with a very high ceiling. As he approached the last wall-mounted torches that were lit, he instinctively slowed down. The glow from the torches pushed back the darkness a couple of meters in front of him, beyond which there were only shadows.
He slowed down even more, nearing the point of stopping altogether. His vision allowed him to see just a few meters into the darkness, where the tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, and he had no idea where it might lead. Jake couldn¡¯t shake off the sense of unease that washed over him. Usually, darkness posed no challenge for him, as his exceptional night vision allowed him to navigate even the darkest of environments with ease. However, the darkness here felt different, possessing a supernatural quality that rendered his perfect sight ineffective.
He continued to sneak along the corridor, moving silently and gracefully like a predator stalking its prey. He knew he was a force to be reckoned with, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to be reckless. So he proceeded slowly and carefully, every instinct on high alert, prepared to spring into action at the first hint of danger. So far, he hadn¡¯t heard the slightest sound, but he was certain there had to be plenty of enemies to deal with. What kind of monsters could be lurking in a place like this was anyone¡¯s guess.
He passed the last flickering torches and ventured deeper into the unlit section of the tunnel. The further he moved away from the flames, the darker his surroundings became, the shadows thickening around him with each step. He realized he would soon find himself enveloped in total darkness. He contemplated what he would do then but had no clear answer. He figured he would just keep moving forward, yet he couldn¡¯t shake the nagging thought that if an enemy ambushed him in this pitch-black abyss, fighting it would be anything but easy.
And then he heard it¡ªa sound, faint and not easily recognizable. It echoed from deeper parts of the tunnel, which were shrouded in total darkness. Jake paused, straining to hear, anticipating an enemy to burst from the engulfing blackness that lay just ahead. However, that moment never came. To his surprise, as he took another step forward, the two wall-mounted torches positioned just ahead and directly across from each other suddenly flared to life, casting a warm glow over the walls and illuminating the next several meters of the corridor.
Jake froze. Something made him glance over his shoulder and take a look at the section of the corridor he had already traveled. Something didn¡¯t add up, but for a second he couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it was. Then it struck him: he should have been able to see the four-way intersection, but it was obscured. The two torches at the tunnel¡¯s entrance¡ªthe ones now farthest away from him¡ªmust have extinguished the moment the torches nearest to him flared to life.
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Jake pressed onward through the corridor. Each time he neared a new pair of torches, they flared to life, while the last set on the opposite side behind him snuffed out. So as long as the torches he approached kept igniting to illuminate his path, he wouldn¡¯t find himself in total darkness. That was a relief. He certainly didn¡¯t want to confront enemies in pitch-black conditions.
He pressed forward through the tunnel, watching as the torches ahead continued to light up before him. He quickened his pace, every sense heightened and ready for any sign of trouble. Suddenly, the sound he¡¯d heard before returned, louder and nearer. Jake peered into the darkness but still couldn¡¯t identify the source of the sound. He waited for a moment in the heavy silence, but the sound did not return, so he ultimately decided to push onward.
For the next several minutes, he moved down the tunnel. From time to time, the sounds repeated, growing louder as Jake got closer. Eventually, he identified them: the flapping of wings. Winged creatures occasionally flew from one spot to another, yet he still couldn¡¯t see them. He pressed on through the corridor, peering into the darkness ahead. Whatever those creatures were, they hadn¡¯t noticed him yet.
As he stealthily moved down the tunnel, Jake morphed his right hand into a smashfist and his left into claws. He made no sound as he crept down the corridor, but the winged creatures suddenly became aware of his presence. A flurry of sounds erupted as numerous wings beat fiercely in the air. The noise grew louder, and Jake halted, staring ahead and waiting for the unknown enemy to reveal itself.
A moment later, several winged creatures burst from the darkness of the tunnel. They resembled monstrous bats, each the size of a domestic cat, with large leathery wings and huge mouths filled with pointed teeth. Their sinister red eyes locked onto him as they swooped through the air. All of the creatures looked identical, and Jake summoned the stats of one. He discovered they were simply called bats, each at Level 65. They lacked any special abilities, and their teeth appeared to be their only weapon.
The first bat to reach Jake lunged at him with surprising speed, its teeth aimed at his face. He jumped aside, but the bat still managed to clamp its teeth onto his shoulder. Fortunately, it failed to penetrate his hardened body and inflict any damage. Jake grabbed the bat with his right hand and tore it away from his body. The creature hissed in protest, flapping its wings furiously, yet it remained firmly trapped in his grip.
Jake squeezed the bat tightly in his fist, then opened his hand to let its shattered body with broken bones tumble onto the cobbled floor.
Enemy killed. +200 XP
Gaining two hundred experience points from a creature that presented little threat and could be killed in a second wasn¡¯t bad at all.
The remaining creatures swooped in, flapping chaotically above him, just out of reach. Whenever one dove at him, he would either seize it with his right hand or slash with the claws of his left. On one occasion, he even sprouted bladed tentacles from his back and lashed out, slaying several bats. Given how easy these oversized bats were to kill, Jake opted not to use advanced abilities like Acidic Spit, choosing to conserve his mana instead.
It didn¡¯t take him long to deal with all the bats.
Multiple enemies killed. +2,600 XP
Jake glanced at his experience bar and saw that he needed a little over three thousand XP to hit level 80. It seemed he would be able to level up many times while exploring the dungeon.
Having dealt with the first batch of enemies the dungeon had to offer, he continued down the tunnel. He was certain that the difficulty would only increase as he ventured deeper. Although the oversized bats hadn¡¯t given him much trouble, he figured they could have posed a significant challenge to ordinary survivors. They flew quickly and erratically, suddenly swooping down and then just as suddenly darting away. He imagined it would be difficult for survivors to track their unpredictable movements with their guns while trying to shoot them. For him, however, those bats posed no threat at all.
For the next several minutes, he continued down the tunnel. Each pair of the torches he approached magically flared up, casting light that stretched several meters ahead. He pressed on, feeling more confident with each step. Now that he knew what to expect, he picked up his pace. There were no more oversized bats to attack him, and the silence enveloped him, with no sound of flapping wings echoing through the darkness.
Jake pressed onward until, at last, he spotted the tunnel¡¯s end in the distance. Eager to discover what lay beyond, he quickened his pace even more.
Chapter 197
Chapter 197
Jake reached the end of the tunnel and paused in the opening, taking in the vast area that lay beyond. The room into which the tunnel opened was enormous, filled with several rows of columns spaced at regular intervals. Flaming torches were mounted on each of the columns, providing enough light to illuminate the entire area.
The ceiling was so high that Jake couldn¡¯t even see it, as the light from the torches didn¡¯t reach that high. For a moment, he stared into the darkness above, half-expecting bat-like monsters to emerge from the deep shadows and swoop down on him. However, nothing happened.
He started across the vast room, looking around. Soon, he became aware of a foul odor that hung in the air. It didn¡¯t take long for him to identify the source: decomposing human bodies scattered across the floor. The tattered, ragged garments they wore resembled those from medieval times.
Among the decaying bodies, Jake spotted several human skeletons scattered across the floor. Some were adorned with fragments of armor¡ªmetal helmets, chain-mail shirts, and cuirasses. Beside them rested an array of medieval weapons: swords, battleaxes, maces, crossbows, and various other arms.
When Jake arrived at the room¡¯s center, he paused to survey his surroundings more carefully. Multiple openings branched off in various directions, each leading to a long corridor that disappeared into the depths of the dungeon. He peered into each opening, trying to decide which way to go, but all the tunnels looked identical. Once again, he would have to choose a direction entirely at random.
He decided to proceed across the room toward the entrance on the opposite side from where he had entered. Just as Jake began to move, he heard a sound. It was a hum, faint but distinct, coming from the tunnel to his right. He turned his head, directing his gaze toward the source of the noise.
Jake peered into the darkness of the tunnel. The steady hum continued to emanate from within, but all he could see were deep shadows. Whatever was producing the faint noise remained concealed in the tunnel¡¯s darkness. Then he felt a tingling sensation across his skin as the air became slightly electrified.
He immediately recognized what it meant¡ªsome kind of magic was at play. The humming and tingling¡ªthe telltale signs of magic¡ªkeep intensifying ever so slightly. While most humans might not have noticed them, Jake was acutely aware of both sensations. The real questions were: what was the source of this magic, and what purpose did it serve?
He quickly received the answer to the second question when he suddenly found himself surrounded by the rustling of tattered clothes and the scuffing and scraping sounds of dead bodies rising from the floor. Not that Jake hadn¡¯t expected something like this to occur. Some kind of magic spell had awakened the dead, but before he could unravel the mystery of its source, he had to deal with the undead first.
As they returned to life, rising to their feet all around him, he quickly summoned their stats. Each of the reanimated corpses displayed identical info.
Festering Zombie ¨C Level 75
As for the skeletons, there were several variations depending on their armaments, yet they all bore the same level: 80.
Awakened Dead ¨C Skeleton Soldier ¨C Level 80
Skeleton soldiers wore no armor at all, and each of them was armed with a single one-handed weapon. The additional variations consisted of archers equipped with either longbows or crossbows, warriors clad in pieces of armor for protection, and warlocks carrying magical staves adorned with what seemed to be transparent, spherical crystals.
All the undead creatures immediately began to walk toward him after rising from the floor. Each skeleton had orbs of light glowing red in their empty eye sockets, and the eyes of the festering zombies glowed with the same hue. Jake recalled that the skeletons hadn¡¯t possessed those glowing lights in their eye sockets, and the zombies¡¯ eyes hadn¡¯t glowed either before the magic had awakened them all. They were obviously under some ominous spell that animated them.
He turned toward the first skeleton that was almost upon him. The skeletons moved quickly, while the zombies were sluggish and clumsy, lagging behind. He couldn¡¯t help but notice the offensive scent emanating from the zombies. It was nearly overwhelming his senses. The closer they got, the stronger the smell became. If he could hardly stand the stench, he figured it would have been unbearable for normal survivors, making it hard for them to concentrate on fighting.
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The skeleton that reached him first swung the mace it was wielding. Jake easily dodged the blow and delivered a powerful punch to the skeleton, effortlessly ripping through the chain mail shirt it wore and shattering its ribcage. The skeleton collapsed to the floor in a clatter of broken bones, and the two glowing orbs in its hollow eye sockets went out.
Enemy killed. +300 XP
Several more skeletons armed with various melee weapons surrounded him. He ducked as one of them swung its flail at him, the spiked ball zipping through the air next to his head. He countered with a strike to the skeleton¡¯s skull. The close helmet it wore failed to protect the skeleton, and Jake¡¯s blow tore it free from the spinal column, sending it flying across the room.
Another skeleton lunged at him, its broadsword swinging with unexpected speed and strength. Jake managed to jump to the side just in time to avoid the strike. Before the skeleton could swing its large sword again, Jake smashed its breastplate with his smashfist, easily breaking through the metal and shattering its ribs. To his surprise, the undead creature remained on its feet, prompting Jake to quickly follow up with a decisive blow to its skull, shattering it to pieces.
His Feral Instincts suddenly alerted him to a projectile zipping toward him from behind. He jumped aside, and a bolt whizzed past his shoulder. Another archer let loose an arrow at him. Jake swung the claws of his other hand, slicing through the shaft midair. Several other archers fired their longbows and crossbows simultaneously. It was impossible to dodge every single projectile, and he felt one dig into his shoulder from the front. However, it failed to penetrate his hardened body, as Adaptive Armor immediately grew an additional plate at the point of impact, causing the arrow to bounce off harmlessly.
One of the zombies lunged at him, its arms outstretched in an attempt to grab him, but Jake easily sidestepped the groping hands. The foul odor radiating from the creature was almost unbearable, even for him. He swung both of his smashfists to the sides of the zombie¡¯s head, causing it to burst apart like an overripe melon in an explosion of rotting flesh, bone, and brain matter. He earned 250 XP for defeating it, which was 50 XP less than the experience gained from killing skeletons.
The undead creatures kept coming at him from several directions, swinging their swords and maces. Jake dodged and ducked, successfully avoiding most of the hits. However, occasionally the skeletons did manage to land a blow. They failed to inflict any damage, though, thanks to his skills such as Adaptive Armor and Enhanced Durability, which shielded his body remarkably well.
Regular monsters like those undead creatures didn¡¯t stand a chance of defeating him, even though they greatly outnumbered him. Their numbers didn¡¯t help much. In fact, their sheer quantity became a disadvantage, as arrows and bolts launched by the skeleton archers frequently hit their own allies.
The warlocks armed with magical staves fired lightning bolts from the tops of their staves, often hitting some of the zombies or other skeletons surrounding him. Those lightning bolts seemed to be pretty powerful, causing skeletons to blow apart in an explosion of bones flying every which way. When a zombie was struck, half of its body got burned to a crisp, resulting in an almost instantaneous death.
While a single hit from a lightning bolt was enough to kill a skeleton or a zombie, when Jake was hit by one, he only felt stunned for a second and didn¡¯t suffer any additional damage. Most of the time, he successfully avoided being hit by them, though.
Jake kept fighting the undead, killing one after another until they were all dead again. Their eyes no longer glowed, and their broken bodies lay motionlessly on the floor.
Multiple enemies killed. +10,900 XP
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 79 to 80. You have gained 5 SP.
He had received a significant amount of XP for defeating those undead creatures, despite the fact that the fight had been relatively easy for him. He took a moment to consider where to allocate the five skill points and then distributed them to his attributes.
Body: 72
Mind: 70 ¡ú 73
Magick: 73 ¡ú 75
He invested three skill points in Mind, hoping that the foul odor of the decaying zombies would be easier to endure now.
He was about to continue exploring the dungeon when the humming sound returned, and the air crackled with electricity once more. The eyes of the zombies lit up again, and glowing lights appeared in the empty eye sockets of the skeletons¡¯ skulls once more. Their shattered bones reassembled themselves, and the damaged bodies quickly began to reconstruct. Within a minute, fully recovered undead creatures started to rise from the floor once again.
Jake pondered for a moment and decided to defeat the undead monsters again to see if he would receive XP for slaying them for a second time. As it turned out, he did not. He killed one undead creature after another, but no extra XP came his way. It became clear that he was only rewarded XP the first time he defeated an undead creature.
He continued to battle the group of undead until he had defeated them all once again. Almost instantly, the humming resumed, and the fallen undead began to rise again. This time, Jake didn¡¯t wait for them to fully revive. Instead, he headed toward the entrance that led to the corridor from which the humming sound emanated. It was time to find out what was causing the undead to resurrect.
Chapter 198
Chapter 198
Jake moved through the tunnel, which looked identical to the previous one. Wall-mounted torches lit up as he approached, casting light several yards ahead. The humming sound increased in volume as he got closer to its source. He could already tell that whatever was causing the magic was extremely powerful. However, like the previous tunnel, this one was long, so he still couldn¡¯t see where it led.
Since no bat-like monsters attacked him this time, there were no delays, and he reached the end of the corridor pretty quickly. He paused at the opening to take in the sight before him. The tunnel opened into a spacious four-way junction. It looked exactly like the previous one, except for one notable detail: from the center of the intersection rose some kind of monument.
It stood over nine feet high, resembling an obelisk in shape. The structure was tall, slender, and sharply pointed at the top, creating a pyramidal apex. It definitely resembled an ancient Egyptian obelisk, but it was made of some pitch-black material. It was four-sided, with mysterious symbols etched into each side, which extended from the base to the very top.
The symbols glowed with an evil crimson light, illuminating the entire four-way juncture. Through the soles of his feet, Jake could feel vibrations emanating from the elongated structure. Up close, the humming sound was much louder, and the air around the obelisk felt so electrified that the prickling sensation across his skin was almost painful. There was no doubt that the structure was filled with a tremendous amount of magical energy.
Jake slowly walked around the tall structure, studying it from every angle. It appeared identical from every side. After completing a full circle, Jake stopped and, with a thought, summoned its description.
Black Obelisk ¨C Level 300
No additional information surfaced. Jake attempted to use his Enemy Appraisal perk on the black obelisk, but it provided no further details. He was still uncertain about the structure¡¯s exact purpose. While he understood that it could revive the undead, he was unaware of its other potential abilities. The obelisk was covered in various mysterious symbols. While some were clearly related to its ability to resurrect the undead, the meanings of the others remained an enigma.
He gave the black obelisk another look-over. Was it possible to destroy it? He wasn¡¯t sure, and he hesitated to try. After all, its level was 300, which was quite a lot. His own level was currently only 80. As for the obelisk, it might have some defensive spells protecting it from harm. Who knew what could happen if he tried to destroy it? The intense powerful humming and electrical waves surrounding it suggested that the obelisk possessed immense power¡ªmuch more so than any magical anomalies he had ever encountered.
For a brief moment, he considered whether he should attempt to destroy it or not. The black obelisk clearly had the ability to revive the undead, and it could do so over great distances. The room he had exited just a few minutes earlier was far from the obelisk, yet the magical structure had no trouble extending its power all the way there to bring the undead back to life. Unless it was destroyed, it would continually resurrect the undead, which could become a significant problem later on.
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As if to confirm his suspicions, he suddenly became aware of a repulsive stench and the rustling of clothes coming from behind. He glanced over his shoulder into the tunnel from which he had emerged just moments before. At first, he could see nothing because only the torches closest to him remained lit, while the rest had been extinguished, plunging the deeper parts of the tunnel into darkness. However, by the smell and sounds alone, he could already tell that the festering zombies and animated skeletons were advancing down the tunnel toward the four-way junction where he stood next to the black obelisk.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, they emerged from the darkness into the illuminated section of the tunnel. Jake saw several skeleton warriors and archers advancing toward him, followed by a few festering zombies lagging behind. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the torches had remained unlit when the undead marched through the dark stretch of the tunnel. So it appeared that the dungeon was designed so that the torches only responded to individuals regarded as players, like him, as they made their way through.
Jake continued to watch the undead draw closer. He didn¡¯t like the fact that they had decided to follow him after being revived for the third time. It meant they wouldn¡¯t leave him alone, always trying to pursue him even after being defeated. This gave him even more reason to destroy the black obelisk. But first, he needed to deal with the undead that had trailed him to the obelisk. Fortunately, Jake could see that not all the undead he had fought in the previous room had chosen to follow him¡ªonly a few had. Thanks to that, it shouldn¡¯t take him long to deal with them. Again.
The skeletons moved at a brisk pace and soon emerged from the tunnel to the intersection. Those armed with longbows and crossbows let loose with their weapons. Jake jumped aside, avoiding one of the arrows while slicing through another with his left clawed hand. Another arrow struck him in the shoulder but was harmlessly deflected off his body as Adaptive Armor immediately grew an additional armor plate at the point of impact.
Before any of the archers could nock another arrow, Jake lunged at the group of undead. With a powerful swing of his right smashfist, he crushed the ribcage of one skeleton. Using the claws on his left hand, he sliced the skull off another. To speed up the elimination of the undead, he unleashed bladed tentacles from his back and lashed out, taking down three more undead creatures at the same time. The festering zombies, being slow and clumsy, posed even less challenge for Jake, allowing him to deal with them even more quickly.
He took them all out in under a minute. Even though he was already aware he wouldn¡¯t receive XP for killing the undead that had been defeated before, it was still disappointing to receive no additional XP. Just as Jake turned his attention back to the black obelisk, he saw some of the symbols engraved on its sides suddenly glow brighter. The humming sounds as well as the tingling sensation he felt across his skin suddenly intensified. In the next moment, the eyes of the undead he had just defeated lit up, and their damaged bodies began to reconstruct themselves once more.
You gotta be freaking kidding me, Jake thought, feeling a surge of frustration. It was incredibly frustrating that the black obelisk brought the undead back to life the moment they were defeated.
He decided not to wait for the black obelisk to fully revive the undead. Instead, he ran up to the structure, raising his smashfist, ready to strike one of its sides. The magical symbols responsible for reviving the undead glowed brightly, casting a reddish light over him, making it almost painful to look at the glowing side of the obelisk. Upon reaching the magical structure, he delivered a powerful punch with his smashfist, putting all his strength behind it.
As he learned in the next instant, striking the black obelisk wasn¡¯t such a good idea after all.
Chapter 199
Chapter 199
The moment his right smashfist struck the surface of the obelisk, some of the engraved symbols flared brighter. Jake felt a tremendous force slam into his chest, propelling him at least a dozen yards backward before he crashed into the wall behind him. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had been hit with such a force¡ªif there had even been such a time. One thing was certain: he had never encountered an opponent who outleveled him by so many levels.
Before getting up from the floor where he had landed after crashing into the wall, he assessed his sensations. Surprisingly, his body felt mostly intact, with no injuries he could perceive. Or so it seemed. With a thought, he checked his HP. As it turned out, he had lost five percent of his health, which meant he hadn¡¯t come through entirely unscathed after all. Fortunately, any damage he had taken was already beginning to quickly heal.
However, the black obelisk wasn¡¯t finished with him. Just as Jake jumped to his feet, it unleashed a bolt of lightning from the pointed tip at the top toward him. He barely managed to leap aside to avoid being struck. But the obelisk was just getting started. It unleashed long lightning bolts one after another that streaked across the area. Most of them were aimed at him, forcing Jake to duck and dodge as quickly as he could.
Despite his enhanced agility and reflexes, evading every single one of those lightning bolts proved nearly impossible, and eventually, one of them hit him. He felt it strike him on his left shoulder, knocking him off his feet and sending him several yards backward. This time, he sensed that the damage was far more serious than before. Even without looking at his shoulder, he could tell that his hardened body was cracked open, with mana seeping from the wound.
He didn¡¯t have time to examine his injury, though. The black obelisk continued to unleash lightning bolts from its pointed end. Jake successfully dodged several more before he noticed a shift in the obelisk¡¯s behavior. While it continued to fire lightning bolts, they were now much shorter than before. Additionally, instead of striking across the entire area, they seemed to focus on the immediate vicinity around it.
Jake stood at a safe distance from the black obelisk, watching as it continued to launch lightning bolts. Instead of firing one at a time, the structure now unleashed dozens of them all at the same time. They struck the ground within just a few yards of the obelisk. While he was no longer in immediate danger, he couldn¡¯t move closer, as he would be instantly hit by several of the shorter lightning bolts at once.
Not that he wanted to get any closer to the black obelisk. His powerful smashfist had struck it without leaving so much as a dent or a crack on its surface. Even if the black obelisk hadn¡¯t had the protective measure to retaliate against anyone who dared to attack it, there would have been no point in continuing to hit it. Brute force wouldn¡¯t cut it. If the black obelisk could be destroyed, it probably had to be done in a way that involved more than just raw power.
As the electric storm raged on, the air crackled with electricity, sending prickling sensations across his skin. The black obelisk kept unleashing dozens of lightning bolts, striking an area within just a few yards of its base. Jake remained safely outside the effective range of the obelisk.
Since he wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger at the moment, he decided to take a second to examine the wound in his shoulder where a lightning bolt had struck a few seconds earlier. Enhanced Regeneration was already working to close the injury, and mana no longer oozed from it. He had lost about ten percent of his HP from the hit, but the number was steadily increasing as the healing skill repaired his damaged body.
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While the black obelisk unleashed lightning bolts in every direction, it simultaneously revived the undead he had defeated a couple of minutes earlier. He could see two different sets of symbols etched into the structure¡¯s surface glowing a bright red. He had already learned which symbols were responsible for reviving the undead and which ones triggered the lightning bolts. He had also memorized which symbols had flared with a brighter light just before he was struck by the invisible force that propelled him across the area.
Whether there was a practical use for the knowledge he had gained, he didn¡¯t yet know. Perhaps he would be able to put it to good use later, but for the time being, he had no idea how he could use the information about which symbols were responsible for which powers to his advantage.
Several of the skeletons finally fully recovered and rose to their feet. They immediately turned and began walking toward him, moving dangerously close to the raging black obelisk, paying no mind to the lightning bolts streaking through the air and striking the immediate area around the structure.
One of the skeletons strayed too close to the effective range of the black obelisk and was instantly struck by a lightning bolt. The undead creature blew apart in a powerful explosion of scorched and shattered bones flying every which way. The other skeletons continued advancing toward him, showing no regard for what had just happened to one of their own.
Jake remained rooted in place, unwilling to approach the advancing skeletons for fear of stepping into the effective range of the furious black obelisk. Instead, he chose to wait until they drew closer before engaging. There were only a few skeletons, so he figured it would take mere seconds to deal with them again. However, before they could close the distance, something unexpected occurred.
From the corner of his eye, Jake noticed that a different set of the obelisk¡¯s magical symbols, which had maintained a steady glow until that moment, suddenly intensified in brightness. The structure had clearly activated another of its magical powers. Jake watched as a beam shot from the pointed end of the obelisk, enveloping one of the skeletons in a vibrant orange glow.
The skeleton rose two feet above the floor, hovering motionlessly in the air. The beam continued to shine at it, engulfing the undead creature in an orange glow. Jake watched as the skeleton transformed into something more dangerous. It grew in size, and its bone structure changed. The transformation lasted only a few seconds, then the altered skeleton was lowered back to the ground, and the beam ceased shining on it.
The skeleton looked much more dangerous now. It towered over seven feet in height, and its physique combined elements of both a human being and some kind of formidable two-legged beast. The bones were much sturdier and resilient now, looking capable of withstanding a powerful strike from a sledgehammer with ease.
Additionally, the beefed-up skeleton seemed to be imbued with potent magic. In one hand, it wielded a two-bladed axe that flickered with flames, and its eyes blazed brightly, sending tongues of fire upward. Its skull had elongated, taking on an animal-like snout, with flames pouring from its gaping jaws.
In his peripheral vision, Jake noticed that several more beams shot from the pointed tip of the black obelisk, enveloping other undead creatures in their glow. However, his attention remained locked on the already altered skeleton. With a thought, he summoned its description.
Awakened Dead ¨C Flame Skeleton Soldier ¨C Level 80 (Elite)
His suspicions were confirmed. Although the skeleton¡¯s level stayed the same, its classification had changed from ordinary to elite¡ªa concerning development. Elite monsters were far more dangerous than their regular counterparts. The skeleton in front of him had not only become stronger but had also gained some fire abilities to boot.
The worst part was that the other undead creatures were also being transformed into more dangerous versions of themselves.
The flame skeleton soldier suddenly burst into a sprint toward Jake, interrupting his train of thought. As he watched it advance with impressive speed and power, he couldn¡¯t shake the unsettling feeling that the fight was going to be anything but easy.
Chapter 200
Chapter 200
The elite flame skeleton charged at Jake, brandishing a colossal double-bladed battleaxe. Its skeletal structure now belonged to some kind of hellish two-legged beast. The undead creature was clearly much more powerful than before, but Jake was more concerned about the magical abilities it might possess now. Its eyes glowed with an intense orange light, and long flames licked out from its gaping jaws.
He didn¡¯t have time to summon a detailed description of the skeleton, as it was already upon him. The undead soldier loomed over Jake, wielding the two-bladed axe flickering with flames in one hand. Just as the skeleton lunged toward him, Jake darted aside, simultaneously smashing his right smashfist into the side of the undead¡¯s ribcage. Such a powerful blow would have easily crushed the ribs of a regular skeleton, but the elite undead before him barely reacted to the strike.
The elite skeleton soldier swung its flaming axe at him in a horizontal arc so swiftly that Jake barely managed to leap back in time. Undeterred, the undead swiped its weapon at him again, this time from above. Jake jumped to the side and immediately delivered a powerful blow to his opponent¡¯s skull. His right smashfist connected with the side of the skeleton¡¯s head, causing it to tremble. The skeleton took a step backward, stunned. Well, at least the elite undead wasn¡¯t completely invulnerable after all.
His claws were perfect for tearing and rupturing flesh, but Jake doubted they would be of any use against the elite skeleton, so he morphed his left hand into a smashfist as well. However, his opponent recovered from the last blow faster than Jake had hoped it would, and before he could follow up his successful first strike with another, the skeleton launched another attack. It lunged at him, swinging its flaming axe in a downward diagonal arc. The undead was surprisingly fast, and Jake barely managed to dart aside.
He fully expected his opponent to immediately throw another strike and prepared to dart out of the way again. However, the skeleton suddenly halted its offensive and did something else instead. It leaned in, opening its jaws wide, and in the next instant, a torrent of liquid fire erupted from its mouth. Jake quickly darted aside to avoid being burned.
Even with his speed and quick reflexes, he wasn¡¯t able to fully evade the torrent of fire. A wave of intense heat washed over him, prompting him to instinctively lift his left hand to shield his head. Because of this, it was his large left smashfist that bore the brunt of the flames. Jake didn¡¯t experience any pain, but the unpleasant sensation in his left hand made it clear that it had sustained significant damage. He could feel his flesh melt and disintegrate with alarming speed.
You have been wounded for 14% by Fire Damage.
The torrent of fire ceased just as suddenly as it had begun. When Jake looked at his left hand, he realized there was little left¡ªmerely a stump. He knew his hand would eventually regenerate, but it would take time. What concerned him more was that deflecting enemy attacks and attacking with only one hand would put him at a significant disadvantage.
The elite skeleton lunged forward, swinging its flaming axe with astonishing speed. Jake barely had time to jump back and avoid the blow. Before he could counter, the skeleton swept its axe at him again and again. Jake used all his agility to dodge each strike, steadily retreating as the skeleton pressed its attack.
Jake was sure the elite skeleton had just used a Flurry of Swings, or a similar ability. From his experience battling elite ex-humans with similar abilities, he knew there was little he could do at the moment other than dodge the skeleton¡¯s attacks and bide his time until its ability ran out of juice.
At one moment, the axe buried itself with a dull thud into his right shoulder. He was fortunate enough to leap to the side, which kept the blade from embedding too deeply in his flesh. Had he not jumped aside, that vicious blade could have easily severed his arm. The cut was still deep, and Jake could sense mana leaking from the wound.
The skeleton continued its relentless assault, swinging the battleaxe wildly, showing no indication of when its ability might wear off. Jake realized he needed to do something because simply dodging wouldn¡¯t be enough. Eventually, the skeleton would land another blow, and the next hit could cost him an arm¡ªor worse, his head.
As Jake dodged and leaped aside, he sprouted three bladed tentacles from his back, lashing out at the skeleton. One tentacle was instantly severed, caught by the swing of the battleaxe. The other two struck the skeleton¡¯s bones and skull, but they only glanced off the surprisingly hard surface, dealing no noticeable damage to the undead creature.
Realizing the bladed tentacles were useless against the elite skeleton, Jake opened his jaws and fired an acidic glob toward the creature. He aimed at its skull but missed, and the projectile sailed past the skeleton¡¯s shoulder. Determined, he attempted the attack again but missed yet again. Hitting his target wasn¡¯t all that easy while constantly dodging the relentless swings of the skeleton.
His next shot found its mark, splattering acid across the side of the skeleton¡¯s skull. Smoke curled upward as the acid ate through the bone, but the corrosive effect quickly ceased, having done little harm to his foe. It was incredibly frustrating. None of his abilities had the power to inflict significant damage on the elite skeleton.
Suddenly, the undead creature ceased its relentless attack. Jake wasted no time in delivering a powerful strike to its head, creating a crack that spread across the center of its face where he had hit it. Using one of his two remaining tentacles, he swept the legs out from under the skeleton, sending the undead creature crashing to the ground. Just as it started to rise, Jake delivered a powerful kick to its head. He hoped such a powerful kick would tear the head right off, but it didn¡¯t happen. Instead, a new crack formed along the skeleton¡¯s skull, leaving the undead opponent otherwise unscathed.
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Jake could see several beams of light emanating from the sharp tip of the black obelisk, bathing the other undead creatures in an eerie glow. A few were close to completing their transformation. He urgently needed to find a way to eliminate the elite skeleton soldier before the rest of the undead joined the battle.
Then an idea struck him. As the skeleton started to rise once more, he executed a Gravity Leap, soaring close to the high ceiling. At the peak of his jump, he activated an upgrade that let him plummet down with great speed. He descended like a missile, and just before the elite skeleton soldier could regain its footing, Jake delivered an incredibly powerful blow to its head with his right smashfist. This time, the skeleton¡¯s skull blew apart in an explosion of thousands of tiny shards.
The elite skeleton soldier was finally dead, but Jake received no XP for defeating it. Even though the skeleton had been upgraded to elite, the dungeon still didn¡¯t bother to reward him, because he had already defeated it before. It was truly frustrating. However, Jake didn¡¯t have time to fuss about that, as his Feral Instincts suddenly alerted him to a danger. He dodged, and in the next heartbeat, an arrow whizzed past his shoulder, trailing millions of sparkling particles behind it.
Jake turned toward the black obelisk and saw another skeleton that had just finished undergoing the transformation to elite. He appraised it with a mental command.
Awakened Dead ¨C Frost Skeleton Archer ¨C Level 80 (Elite)
Unlike the previous skeleton, this one was infused with frost magic. Various other undead creatures floated above the ground, surrounded by glowing auras of different colors. Some radiated orange, signaling they would harness fire magic, while others shimmered with a bluish hue, indicating they were being infused with frost magic like the skeleton archer before him. A few were shrouded in a greenish glow, which hinted they would likely gain poisonous or acidic magical powers.
Jake knew that if he allowed them to fully transform into elites, he would have a really hard time dealing with all of them at once. But before he could think of a way to interrupt the transformation, he first needed to deal with the frost skeleton archer. The undead being was already nocking another arrow, and Jake didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if an arrow imbued with frost magic hit him. With a sudden idea in mind, he lunged toward the undead creature.
Directly behind the skeleton archer loomed the black obelisk, still in a frenzy, firing dozens of lightning bolts every second that struck the surrounding area. Jake sprinted toward the skeleton archer at full speed. Just as the archer lifted the crossbow it was armed with, Jake rammed into the skeleton, sending it flying backward. The undead creature lost its balance and sprawled on the floor right in front of the black obelisk.
Before the skeleton could get up, it was struck by several lightning bolts at the same time. One of its arms disintegrated in an instant. Its ribcage got shattered. Half its skull blew up. The lightning bolts continued to relentlessly attack the skeleton, finishing it off in less than two seconds.
Now that the elite skeleton archer was defeated, Jake turned his attention to the other undead creatures undergoing transformation into elite versions of themselves. He needed to find a way to disrupt the process, but the idea of stepping into the glowing beams surrounding the skeletons didn¡¯t seem wise. Who knew what could happen to him? However, he saw no other way to disrupt the process than trying to physically draw the skeletons away from the beams shining at them.
However, before Jake could decide whether to take the risk, the black obelisk suddenly ceased launching lightning bolts, drawing his attention to the magical structure. He immediately noticed something intriguing: most of the symbols etched into its sides had lost their glow, leaving only those related to the skeleton transformations pulsating with light. Jake realized that after employing so many of its magical abilities one after another, the black obelisk was finally low on energy. It could now focus merely on transforming the skeletons.
Now that the black obelisk was defenseless, Jake realized it might be his chance to destroy the structure. Wasting no time, he jumped toward it and immediately struck it with his only smashfist. Just as he had expected, he wasn¡¯t counterattacked like the last time. Encouraged by this, he continued to strike the black obelisk, putting tremendous power behind each blow.
Initially, nothing occurred, leading Jake to question his ability to destroy the obelisk. Then, as he struck one side again, a spiderweb of cracks radiated from the point of impact. Motivated by this progress, Jake pressed on with his attack. Each blow he delivered resulted in more and more cracks spreading across the obelisk¡¯s surface.
Then the magical structure suddenly began to tremble, the intensity increasing with each passing moment. All the cracks elongated and widened, covering every inch of its surface. Brilliant light burst forth from each crack, quickly growing brighter and brighter.
Sensing impending danger, Jake stepped back from the quaking, radiant structure. In an instant, it exploded, scattering black fragments of the shattered structure everywhere. The force of the blast knocked Jake off his feet and sent the skeletons, which had been trapped in the beams just moments earlier, flying in all directions.
Black Obelisk destroyed. +10,000 XP
Jake remained on his back, gazing at the vacant spot where the black obelisk had once stood. He did it! He really did it! At one time, he had questioned his decision to try to destroy the obelisk, pondering whether it was even possible. Now, he was relieved to have been proven wrong, elated to have succeeded, and pleased to receive a substantial amount of XP as a reward for his effort.
As he began to rise to his feet, a magical rift gate suddenly tore open in the very spot where the black obelisk had just stood.
You have just been granted access to The Void Temple.
For a moment, Jake gazed at the shimmering portal that radiated a bluish glow. A thought crossed his mind that perhaps the black obelisk was never meant to be destroyed, given its incredible power and resilience. By actually managing to obliterate it, he seemed to have found a hidden secret. Intrigued, he stepped into the portal.
Chapter 201: Interlude II – Catalina
Chapter 201: Interlude II ¨C Catalina
The rain was relentless. It lashed out at the night streets of the city with fierce force. Catalina sat atop her bike in a dark alleyway, the hood of her leather jacket pelted by large raindrops. Up ahead, a group of drenched survivors sloshed through the flooded alley. Scared and trembling, they were desperate to escape her. She knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to do so. She could catch up with them in seconds. However, she stayed put for now, sitting motionlessly on her bike. She was waiting for them to reach the alley¡¯s exit, and that¡¯s when she would continue to chase them.
It had been several days since Catalina¡¯s fateful encounter with Skullface on the roof of a ten-story building. She fought bravely, but ultimately, she was defeated and taken to one of Los Demonios¡¯ bases downtown. She later learned that Los Demonios had several secondary bases scattered throughout the city. The main base, however, was located beyond the city¡¯s boundaries, but nobody, except for the gang leaders, knew for sure where it was located. Each base was named after the person in charge of it, and the one she was assigned to was called Base Ryder.
The man in charge of Base Ryder was exceptionally cruel. For that matter, each of those who decided to join the gang had a streak of brutal violence in them. When Catalina was brought to Base Ryder, she was ushered into HQ, where Skullface and Ryder presented her with an offer to join the gang. At first, she thought she must have misheard. However, she quickly realized Skullface was serious, which took her by surprise. After all the harm she had inflicted on the gang and all the members she had killed, they still wanted her to become one of them? She had expected to be brutally tortured for the trouble she had caused. Instead, as it turned out, Skullface¡¯s offer remained on the table.
Noticing her reaction, Skullface explained that she was fearless and possessed impressive combat skills. She was one of a kind, which was why he wanted her in his ranks. Catalina had rejected the offer to join Los Demonios before, and now, after Skullface had tracked down and killed all her teammates, she had even less reason to join up with his gang. She said so to him. Judging by his blank expression, Skullface was not surprised by her response. Turning away, he spoke quietly to Ryder, who nodded grimly in reply. After that brief exchange, Skullface left, and Catalina didn¡¯t see him for the next several days.
She was assigned to work on the maintenance of various machines that produced goods for the base. It soon became clear that escaping was impossible, as the automatic turrets would fire upon anyone attempting to flee. She made some friends among the fellow survivors who had, like her, been captured and forced to labor for the gang. Her friendship with a guy named Todd grew particularly strong.
When the guards were not paying attention, they spent a lot of time together, brainstorming plans to escape and free the other survivors from the clutches of Los Demonios. Despite being captured and forced to work for the gang, she had not given up her defiant spirit. She intended to eventually rebel against the gang, unite the various groups of survivors, and spark a full-scale war against Los Demonios. However, the first step was escaping from Base Ryder with Todd.
And then something terrible happened. One morning, she realized Todd was missing. Before she had time to process it, two guards approached her, and the look on their faces instantly told her something was horribly wrong. She readied herself to fight back, but the guards knew her defiant spirit all too well. Without warning, they zapped her with tasers and hauled her down to the basement of HQ, where they strapped her to a metal chair bolted to the floor. One of the guards gagged her by forcing a dirty piece of fabric into her mouth.
As her consciousness gradually returned, she focused on a second bolted-down metal chair directly in front of her, where another person was tied up. He was completely naked, his wrists bound to the chair¡¯s arms and his ankles secured to its legs. It was Todd. Nearby, a rectangular table displayed an array of medical and engineering tools: needles, scissors, scalpels, utility knives, pliers, hammers, nails, saws, chisels, and an assortment of other implements. Among them was a circular saw and a power drill with multiple bits.
The room was dimly lit by a single bulb dangling from the ceiling, but she immediately spotted two figures on the far side of the room. As they emerged from the shadows, she recognized them: Ryder and Skullface. It appeared that Skullface had returned to the base during the night, while she had been in a deep sleep, too tired to hear the vehicle¡¯s arrival.
Neither Ryder nor Skullface said anything to her. They barely even looked at her. Instead, they walked to the table, carefully picked some tools, and began to use them on Todd. Catalina let out a scream, but the gag around her mouth silenced her cries. She fought against her restraints in vain, but the bindings held her securely in the chair. All she could do was watch in helpless despair as her friend was being tortured and listen to his bone-chilling screams. After he finally succumbed to his wounds and died, Skullface turned his attention to Catalina.
Sure enough, she initially thought he had uncovered their plans to escape and rise against them. Yet, it quickly became apparent that she had misjudged the situation. He told her that he still wanted her to join Los Demonios and that he would give her twenty-four hours to consider it.
He then nodded to Ryder, who reached into his pocket with a hand smeared in Todd¡¯s blood and produced a folded piece of paper. As he unfolded it, he began to read a list of names aloud. Catalina¡¯s heart sank as she recognized them all¡ªthey were her fellow survivors who had been captured and forced to work at Base Ryder.
Once Ryder finished reading the names from the list, Skullface took over. He informed her that she had been watched throughout her time at the base. The names on the piece of fabric belonged to individuals she had grown close to, arranged in order of closeness from high to low. Ryder pulled out a pen and crossed out the first name on the list: Todd. The next name was Melissa, another person with whom Catalina had formed a bond.
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Skullface informed her that the following morning, she would be taken to the basement for the same offer. If she refused to join Los Demonios again, she would be forced to watch Melissa die slowly and brutally just like Todd had. After that, she would be given another twenty-four hours to think, and the cycle would continue. If she continued to turn down his offer, people on the list would keep dying. If she still refused to join when all the people on the list were dead, she would be watched once again, and the next person she got close to would become the next target. While she could attempt to isolate herself from others, Skullface assured her it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. Anyone who so much as smiled at her would potentially become the next victim.
Catalina couldn¡¯t believe Skullface was willing to go to such extremes simply to coerce her into joining the gang. The human factor was a valuable resource, but now it was clear to her that breaking her spirit had become a matter of principle for him. It wasn¡¯t just about convincing her to join Los Demonios. Instead, it was about the satisfaction of forcing her compliance.
Accepting her grim reality, she acknowledged that she had no real choice but to join. At least this way, she would regain some semblance of freedom instead of being trapped within the confines of the base. Being part of the gang could give her leverage¡ªan opportunity to move freely, to strategize, and ultimately, to rebel when the time was right.
However, Skullface appeared to sense what she was thinking. Leaning in closer, he told her in a chilling tone that if she escaped or did anything foolish, everyone on that list would die. The threat loomed in the air. While she wouldn¡¯t be there to see the aftermath, he assured her it would happen. He was still leaning in toward her, and for the first time, she was able to see his eyes up close. The emptiness within them filled her with dread. They resembled lifeless pieces of glass, devoid of any emotional depth¡ªno joy, no hatred, not even a hint of sadism. It dawned on her: he was utterly soulless, and she had no doubt that he would carry out his threat if she attempted to escape or confront the gang.
So she had no choice but to join the gang. Sure enough, she was constantly monitored. Guards in HQ¡¯s security room could always track her movements around the city as the dot representing her was always visible on the monitor displaying the city map. In the initial days of her joining, she wasn¡¯t even allowed to go anywhere alone. Over time, though, she gradually earned the gang¡¯s trust. She was eventually permitted to travel the city alone, and at some point, she was even rewarded with a top-notch motorbike.
That amazing reward was for her help in capturing several groups of survivors without losing a single one. As it turned out, she was exceptionally good at this. The key to her success lay in a spell she had discovered before joining Los Demonios. This spell allowed her to control groups of ex-humans. It was a tricky spell, not easy to use, but once you got the hang of it, it became incredibly useful. The spells were the rarest items in this world, but she had even managed to figure out how to farm this particular spell. She had farmed the spell and dedicated herself to practicing the spell until she perfected it. After joining the gang, she even learned to use it on groups of survivors.
Using the spell on humans proved far more challenging than on mindless mutants. To wield it effectively, the target group had to be emotionally unstable¡ªideally in a state of panic. Catalina kept this spell a secret, ensuring that no one was aware of it. As a result, the gang members remained oblivious to the reason behind her consistent success in capturing survivor groups or luring them into traps set by other gang members. With her help, the Ryder base successfully acquired dozens of survivors. She crafted a plan to intimidate regular survivors, inducing panic to make it easier to use the spell on them. Her technique was so well-honed that capturing a group of survivors became a pretty easy task for her.
Ryder was genuinely impressed by her. As for Catalina, she loathed capturing survivors and forcing them into labor for the gang, but she knew she had no choice. At least, her tactic of intimidating groups of survivors and then using her spell ensured they hardly ever fought back, preventing any casualties. Her success had also won Ryder¡¯s trust and elevated her status within the gang. This would surely work to her advantage when the time came to rebel.
The group of survivors Catalina was currently pursuing finally reached the end of the alley. They paused, glancing left and right, peering through the sheets of rain, uncertain about which way to go. Catalina knew they needed to turn left, as that was where Ryder and his team had set an ambush. She focused her spell on the minds of the survivors, compelling them to take the left route. This spell only worked on groups of targets when they were emotionally unstable and confused about their options. With all the conditions fulfilled, the spell took effect seamlessly, and the group of survivors turned left as they emerged from the alley onto the main street.
Catalina waited a moment, then followed suit. A few minutes later, the operation was complete. Two pickup trucks surged from a nearby alley, positioning themselves to block the survivors¡¯ escape. The captured group was swiftly tied up and shoved into the bed of one of the trucks. Ryder, manning the machine gun mounted in the bed of the other truck, raised his voice to be heard above the heavy rain, ¡°Good job, Catalina! You brought them right to us!¡±
She simply nodded in response. Catalina had long ago earned enough trust from the gang to operate independently, so Ryder was not there to oversee her. Instead, he relished the thrill of capturing ordinary survivors, thoroughly enjoying this cat-and-mouse game.
Then the two pickup trucks drove away, heading back to Base Ryder. For a moment, Catalina watched them go. Even though she was now a legitimate member of the gang, she wasn¡¯t actually one of them. She hated Los Demonios and wanted to end their reign. However, she didn¡¯t yet know how to rebel against the gang without endangering her friends. She needed to come up with a plan to rebel without risking her friends suffering the same tragic fate that had befallen Todd.
Suddenly, something made her look up. Through the curtain of rain, she spotted a figure standing on the edge of the roof of a nearby ten-story building. By that point, she had heard rumors about a pitch-black ex-human known as the morphus, who was supposedly capable of performing long jumps, leaping from rooftop to rooftop as it navigated through the city. She had never believed these tales, thinking them too far-fetched. Yet now, as she gazed at the figure¡ªstanding still on the rooftop¡¯s edge, unaffected by the pouring rain and howling winds¡ªshe realized those rumors were true after all. This figure was clearly not a survivor or a regular ex-human; it was the morphus. For a brief moment, it watched her from above.
Then, before she could decide what she should do, the morphus turned and vanished from sight. As for Catalina, she kept staring at the vacant space where the pitch-black mutant had just stood. A smile formed on her lips as an idea of taking revenge on the gang slowly began to take shape in her mind.
Chapter 202
Chapter 202
After emerging from the mysterious riftgate, Jake found himself in what looked like a medieval hall. He stood at one end, and on the opposite wall, he could see a statue of some sort. However, before moving all the way over there, Jake glanced around. Round columns ran the length of the hall, each adorned with a torch burning with ethereal blue flames. Jake quickly noticed that there were no windows, doors, or any exits at all.
But when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that the riftgate he had just stepped through was still there. Unlike any other riftgates he had encountered in this world, this one was somewhat different. Instead of merely shimmering in bright colors, it resembled a window through which he could see the four-way juncture from where he had just been teleported. It seemed the riftgate was the only way out of this place.
Seeing nothing else of note, Jake began to move along the hall toward the opposite wall. As he stole his way forward, he continued to survey his surroundings. The blue flames swayed slightly as he passed, causing the shadows on the walls to shift ever so slightly. Nothing of interest caught his attention along the walls on either side, and with no enemies to take care of, he directed his full attention to the far end of the hall.
At the far end of the hall stood a detailed statue depicting two kneeling human figures¡ªone male and one female. Their hands were elevated above their heads and brought together, creating a cupped shape with their palms. Positioned before the statue was a cylindrical pedestal, approximately three feet tall and one foot in diameter. From the pedestal¡¯s top, a radiant shaft of golden light ascended, reaching all the way to the ceiling.
Two similar pedestals flanked the statue on either side. Unlike the front one, they were shorter and thicker. From each of them, a shaft of light rose, but of a different color¡ªwhite instead of gold. Jake wondered what the meaning of the scene before him was. He glanced around one more time, searching for clues, but once again he found there was nothing else of interest in this place¡ªthe Void Temple, as it was called.
The statue and the three pedestals, each with shafts of light rising from them, were clearly the centerpiece of the temple. Jake walked around the front pedestal to get a closer look at the statue. The cupped hands of the kneeling figures seemed to beckon for something to be placed within them. Yet, the way the figures extended their hands toward him gave the impression that they were offering something instead. Their palms remained empty for now, but Jake couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something might materialize in them for him to take later on.
He tried appraising the statue with a thought, and immediately a system message emerged in his mind.
In this sacred place, you can claim an artifact and trade your earned Essence Points for a reward of your choice, honoring your worthy deeds.
No more additional information appeared, but Jake now knew he was right in thinking that something was supposed to materialize in the cup formed by the statue¡¯s hands later on.
He then shifted his attention to one of the two shafts rising from the pedestal on either side of the statue and gave a mental command to appraise it.
Unlock the slot for 250,000 EP (Insufficient EP)
Obviously, he couldn¡¯t unlock whatever it was at the moment because he didn¡¯t have enough of some new resource. He checked the shaft of light on the other side of the statue and received the same message.
Unlock the slot for 250,000 EP (Insufficient EP)
He tried to summon additional information, but no helpful tips popped up. He figured he would learn what those mysterious slots were only after gathering enough EP, whatever this new resource was.
He then turned and walked around the central pedestal situated in front of the statue. As he had noticed before, the shaft of light rising from it was golden, unlike the other two, which were white. He issued a mental command to appraise it, and immediately, another piece of information appeared in his mind, along with three buttons displayed beneath it.
Player: Jake Turner
Current Tier: 0
EP: 0
[Tiers] [Curses] [Help]
Jake chose to bypass the first two buttons and focused on the third. When he mentally pressed it, a piece of information explaining what it all meant emerged in his mind.
At the Void Temple, you can exchange your earned Essence Points to unlock new tiers, each offering a different set of rewards. To accumulate EP, simply engage in battles against various enemy types while carrying one or more curses. You can stack as many curses as you desire. The greater the number, the more EP you will get.
To earn EP, you don¡¯t necessarily have to defeat enemies that deal the same type of damage as your curse. For instance, if you have the curse of Lightness Weakness and are up against an enemy that only deals fire elemental damage, you can still gain some EP for defeating it, though the amount you earn will be less compared to defeating an enemy whose damage type aligns with your curse.
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The EP you earn is determined by various factors, including the number of curses you possess at the same time, the alignment of enemy damage types with your curses, enemy levels, whether the foes are ordinary or elite, the current tier of the world, the number of enemies you confront at once, and several other factors.
To check how many EPs you currently have and how much you¡¯ve earned since your last check-in, you must visit the Void Temple. You can open a rift gate to the Void Temple at any time, but you¡¯re limited to once every twenty-four hours.
After reading the info, Jake returned his attention to the main menu.
Player: Jake Turner
Current Tier: 0
EP: 0
[Tiers] [Curses] [Help]
He then pressed the first button, and a new piece of information emerged in his mind.
Tier 1 ¨C Gublab ¨C Unlock: 100,000 EP
Tier 2 ¨C Zelvok ¨C Unlock: 250,000 EP
Tier 3 ¨C Ilbiut ¨C Unlock: 450,000 EP
Tier 4 ¨C Mouryah ¨C Unlock: 700,000 EP
Tier 5 ¨C Saphivern ¨C Unlock: 1,000,000 EP
Tier 6 ¨C Yekjiul ¨C Unlock: 1,350,000 EP
Tier 7 ¨C Ravekjaz ¨C Unlock: 1,750,000 EP
Each of the tiers had a name, but Jake had no idea what those mysterious words meant. He tried focusing on the tiers and issuing mental commands, but no additional information materialized, leaving him uncertain about what exactly he could earn after unlocking a tier. Obviously, since he didn¡¯t have any EP, he couldn¡¯t unlock any tiers at the moment and see for himself. The costs for unlocking tiers seemed steep, but without knowing how much EP he would earn and how quickly, it was hard to determine whether the costs were truly too high.
Having found nothing else of interest in the Tier menu, he navigated back to the main menu and selected the final option he needed to explore, titled Curses.
Fragile Body: Your resistance against being physically damaged is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Oozing Wounds: Your resistance against Mana Bleeding is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Evil Poison: Your resistances against Corrosive and Poison are decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Lightness Weakness: Your resistance against Lightning is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Frozen: Your resistance against Cryo is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Radiation Sickness: Your resistance against Radiation is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Fear of Fire: Your resistance against Fire is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Simple-minded: Your resistance against the Mind Control magic is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Easily Stunned: Your resistance against Stun is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Fear of Chaos: Your resistance against Chaos is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Ethereal Weakness: Your resistance against Ethereal is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)
Remove Curses: You currently don¡¯t have any curses.
Before doing anything, Jake decided to give the matter some thought. He closed his eyes and checked his resistances.
Elemental Resistances:
Incendiary: 10%
Cryo: 10%
Shock: 10%
Explosive: 10%
Corrosive: 30%
Radiation: 10%
Other Resistances:
Pierce: 67%
Poison: 30%
Mana Bleeding: 24%
Mind Control: 0%
Stun: 0%
Chaos: 0%
Ethereal: 0%
Jake noticed that most of his resistances remained the same as the last time he checked the menu. However, two of them¡ªPierce and Mana Bleeding¡ªhad increased somewhat. This was due to their reliance on the Body and Magick attributes, respectively. When he allocated skill points to these attributes, those two resistances improved. Certain skills, like Enhanced Durability, also boosted his Pierce resistance. Currently, his strongest resistance was to physical damage, Pierce.
After giving the matter some thought, Jake decided against placing many curses on himself. While he was excited to discover what new powers or advantages he could obtain with EP, applying too many curses would obviously put him at a significant disadvantage, especially in this dungeon. His recent clash with the beefed-up flame skeleton had taught him just how much damage elemental attacks could cause, given that most of his resistances were at zero. Allowing those resistances to dip into negative numbers didn¡¯t seem wise. However, he was well aware that not all enemies dealt elemental damage. Most of the damage he received was physical.
Ultimately, Jake chose to place only the Fragile Body curse on himself. Afterward, he checked the resistances menu once more, focusing solely on his Pierce resistance.
Pierce: -33% (-100% from Fragile Body)
So, his Pierce resistance dropped into the negative. This wasn¡¯t good, but he reasoned it might not be as bad as he initially thought. He chose to take the risk. If he ended up suffering too much damage from physical attacks, he could always return to the Void Temple to lift the curse, though he would need to wait twenty-four hours to do so. Nevertheless, he opted to keep the curse active. After all, his remarkable agility and speed, combined with skills like Feral Instincts and Adaptive Armor, offered him considerable protection against most attacks.
With that settled, Jake turned and headed back to the riftgate hovering above the floor on the other side of the hall. When he stepped through, he was instantly teleported back to the dungeon, standing once more at the four-way intersection. A quick glance behind him revealed that the portal had disappeared. Now, it was time to resume exploring the depths of the dungeon.
Chapter 203
Chapter 203
After picking a random direction, Jake ventured down yet another corridor that looked identical to the previous ones. Wall-mounted torches magically ignited as he passed, illuminating a few yards ahead of him. However, the end of the corridor remained shrouded in darkness. The towering ceiling was wrapped in thick shadows, prompting Jake to remain vigilant for any bat-like creatures that could be lurking above.
As it turned out, there were no enemies in the corridor, and Jake arrived at its end without incident. He paused at the entrance, taking in the vast hall that the corridor opened into. Columns lined the length of the room, each adorned with flaming torches. At the far end of the expansive hall, another exit led into a different corridor. Along both long walls, sepulchers lined the entire length of the room, positioned at regular intervals.
Jake then shifted his gaze to a group of undead creatures wandering around the vast hall. Before he could examine the sepulchers further, he knew he needed to handle the immediate threat first. The enemies in the hall were the same types he had faced before in the dungeon: festering zombies and awakened skeletons, armed with various melee and ranged weapons, as well as magical staves.
The undead wandered aimlessly around the room, their feet dragging on the stone floor. Some of them caught sight of him standing at the entrance. They halted and turned in his direction. However, they didn¡¯t approach. Instead, they seemed to bide their time, as if waiting for him to enter the room before launching an attack.
Jake chose to stay where he was for the time being. There weren¡¯t too many undead in the hall, so he figured he could deal with them in just a couple of minutes. However, he was acutely aware that black obelisks had the power to revive them. He had already destroyed one, but he had no doubt that more of them lurked in the shadows of the dungeon.
For the next several seconds, Jake stayed rooted in place, reaching out with his senses. He detected no humming sounds and felt no vibrations beneath his feet. The air lacked that familiar static charge. This indicated one of two possibilities: either there was no other black obelisk nearby, or the one present was currently dormant. If the latter were true, it might activate after he dispatched the undead, bringing them back to life.
Jake really wished that if there were indeed more black obelisks in the dungeon¡ªsomething he was fairly convinced of¡ªthey would be sufficiently spaced apart. If they were positioned too closely, it would mean that any group of undead he managed to eliminate would be revived almost instantly, turning the whole situation into a frustrating ordeal.
When he entered the hall, the undead immediately began to move toward him, raising their weapons. Jake charged at them, crashing into one of the skeletons with tremendous force. The powerful blow he delivered with his right smashfist caused the skeleton¡¯s ribcage to blow apart in an explosion of bones.
While he fought the other undead, he kept a close eye on the first skeleton he had just killed. It lay unmoving where it had fallen, showing no signs of being revived. This suggested that there might not be a black obelisk nearby after all, which was certainly a relief.
He continued to fight the rest of the undead, successfully evading each enemy attack. Since he wasn¡¯t hit even once during the fight, he couldn¡¯t gauge how much damage he might take now that he was afflicted by the Fragile Body curse.
For a brief moment, Jake contemplated the idea of letting one of the skeleton soldiers score a hit with a bladed weapon, but he quickly dismissed it. He knew that eventually, one of his future opponents would be able to land a hit anyway. The thought of deliberately allowing a foe to strike him felt fundamentally wrong and went against all his instincts.
Even though his damaged hand hadn¡¯t regenerated back yet, he had little trouble dealing with the undead one-handed. It didn¡¯t take him long to defeat all of them.
Multiple enemies killed. +6,350 XP
All the undead lay where they had fallen, and there were no telltale signs of powerful magic at play. Satisfied that there weren¡¯t any black obelisks nearby to resurrect the undead he had just killed, Jake turned his attention to the sepulchers he had noticed earlier. A dozen of them lined each wall of the long hall, each rectangular and capped with a thick, flat lid.
Jake closed his eyes and activated Mana Vision. He turned his head this way and that, noticing several blue glowing lights around him. Some of the sepulchers contained mana consumables, which was excellent news for him. Having drained some of this magical energy since entering the dungeon, he welcomed the opportunity to replenish his mana reserves.
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He opened his eyes and approached one of the sepulchers. The granite lid that covered it was incredibly heavy, but it posed no challenge to Jake¡¯s inhuman strength. He pushed the slab aside using one hand only, causing the lid to drop into the gap between the sepulcher and the wall with a resonant thud.
Jake leaned in to peer inside and spotted a skeleton dressed in tattered clothes. The interior of the sepulcher was bathed in the blue glow of a large mana consumable. For a brief moment, however, he found himself staring at the skeleton, half-expecting it to spring to life and attack. But it never happened, and he redirected his attention to the large mana item.
It was a crystal containing 5,000 MP, which was a fantastic find. He crushed the crystal in his hand, extracting the mana from it. Then, he inspected the rest of the sepulchers that contained mana consumables. Although he didn¡¯t find any more crystals, he did locate a couple of chunks, each containing 1,000 MP, as well as several shards holding 500 MP each.
After that, Jake glanced at the rest of the closed sepulchers. The only valuable items for him were mana consumables, but out of curiosity, he decided to check them anyway. Most of the sepulchers held no treasures¡ªonly inanimate skeletons, some debris, frayed, weathered scraps of fabric, or sometimes nothing at all.
In one of the sepulchers, he spotted a splintered piece of metal emblem about the size of his palm. Since it was only a fragment of the whole, with the rest of the emblem missing, it was difficult to determine its original shape. Nevertheless, Jake couldn¡¯t shake the impression that it resembled a triangular shield. He attempted to summon its description, but nothing happened. He dropped the shard back inside and continued exploring the hall.
When he checked another sepulcher, a few bat-like monsters suddenly erupted from within and immediately attacked him. Reacting swiftly, he dodged their strikes without sustaining any injuries. He fought back and quickly dealt with them. With the threat neutralized, he resumed his exploration of the remaining sepulchers.
When he pushed the slab off another sepulcher, magical symbols suddenly flared up on its sides. Sensing the imminent danger, he quickly leaped back. However, he was a split second too late. A magical explosion erupted from within the sepulcher, and searing flames grazed him, inflicting some fire damage to his skin. Luckily, the harm wasn¡¯t too severe, as he had jumped away in time, successfully increasing the distance between himself and the sepulcher.
When he approached the sepulcher and peered inside, he found it empty. Despite having been protected by a magical trap, there was absolutely nothing of value inside. He pressed on. Now aware that some sepulchers could be safeguarded by wards, he began to reach out with his senses to detect magical traps before opening any of them.
These wards became visible only when activated, and in their dormant state, they were very hard to detect. He had to push his senses to their limits to catch the almost undetectable hum that emanated from a sepulcher protected by wards.
As it turned out, not all the magically protected sepulchers were secured by fire traps. When triggered, one of them caused a frost explosion instead of a fiery burst, sending icy clouds filled with thousands of sparkling particles swirling in every direction. Jake managed to jump back just in time, narrowly avoiding the frost cloud¡¯s effects. It spread several yards outward before dissipating and vanishing completely.
A different warded sepulcher detonated with an acidic explosion, unleashing a green cloud that billowed outward. Jake was able to avoid being hit by it as well. Thanks to detecting the traps beforehand, he was now always prepared to perform a mana-fused jump to escape a trap¡¯s effective range.
The noxious cloud lingered in the air for a while before gradually dissipating. The sepulcher held nothing of value, though. Funny enough, most of the sepulchers protected by magical traps contained hardly anything of interest within them.
In one of the other sepulchers, he finally found something interesting. It was a weapon, a one-handed, two-bladed axe with a wooden handle. It didn¡¯t look like much, though. Jake tried to summon its description and was mildly surprised when the details actually popped up in his mind.
Name: Iron Battleaxe
Rarity: Common
Primary effects: None
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: None
This weapon actually possessed stats like those found in a typical fantasy role-playing game. Jake shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, though, considering this was a medieval-style dungeon. For a moment, he even contemplated taking the battleaxe with him to test it out in battle.
On the other hand, his claws, smashfists, and other weapons in his arsenal were already incredibly powerful. The iron battleaxe was merely a common weapon without any unique traits, making Jake skeptical that it would outperform the effectiveness of his own arsenal.
The iron battleaxe was clearly meant for use by human survivors in close-range combat. Most of his weapons were already tailored for melee fighting, so he saw no reason to carry a weapon¡ªat least, one of common rarity. Perhaps later on, he would find a weapon of higher rarity¡ªepic, or if he was lucky, even legendary. Should he find such a weapon, he would certainly be inclined to take it with him.
He examined the rest of the sepulchers, using his senses to detect any potential magical traps. Having mastered the technique of avoiding them, he pushed a slab aside and quickly jumped back, each time successfully evading the effects of whatever ward a sepulcher was protected with.
At one point, he contemplated trying an alternative approach: using his tentacles to push the slab off a sepulcher from a safe distance. However, opting for that protective measure seemed unnecessary, particularly since each time he grew his tentacles, it consumed a certain amount of his mana.
After inspecting the remaining sepulchers and discovering nothing useful, he proceeded to the far end of the long hall and entered the next tunnel, continuing his exploration of the dungeon.
Chapter 204
Chapter 204
For a little while, Jake continued to explore the first floor of the dungeon, killing all the skeletons in his path and gaining XP. His hand, which had been reduced to a stump by the flame skeleton¡¯s torrent of fire, had regenerated some time ago, allowing him to fight at full strength once more.
Every now and then, he stumbled upon sepulchers containing mana consumables. So far, he hadn¡¯t discovered anything new, though. Since finding the iron battleaxe in one of the previous sepulchers, he had yet to come across any new weapons.
At some point, he ran into another black obelisk. Contrary to his earlier fears, these structures turned out to be quite rare, which definitely was a relief. At first, Jake wanted to bypass the magical structure, knowing it was quite difficult to destroy. However, remembering that those black obelisks had a wide effective range and were capable of reviving the undead in nearby chambers, he decided to take the time to destroy it.
He employed the same successful tactic as before: dealing with the undead that the black obelisk kept reviving while making sure he wasn¡¯t hit by the lightning bolts it was unleashing. He waited for the magical structure to run out of energy while continuing to kill the undead it summoned. Once it was too exhausted to launch any more lightning bolts, Jake closed the distance to the obelisk and began punching it with his powerful smashfists.
He continued to deliver haymakers to the structure until it finally couldn¡¯t withstand the onslaught and erupted in an explosion. The first time he had destroyed a black obelisk, he had earned access to the Void Temple. This time, however, nothing of the sort happened. Aside from receiving 10,000 XP for destroying the second black obelisk, nothing else noteworthy occurred¡ªno new secrets were revealed.
After destroying the second black obelisk, Jake checked how many experience points he currently had.
XP: 40,515/101,250
He needed to gain more than double his current XP to level up. Obliterating black obelisks might be quite troublesome, but on the other hand, it rewarded him with significant amounts of XP. It made sense for him to destroy each one he came across, particularly since there weren¡¯t too many of them around. There was little point in not trying to get as much XP as the dungeon had to offer.
Jake continued wandering through the tunnels and halls of the dungeon for some time. Eventually, he stumbled upon a fairly large room. He paused at the entrance, taking in the expansive space. Aside from round columns, there was nothing else in the room. Wall-mounted flaming torches illuminated the whole area. In contrast to the other rooms he had explored, this one had just a single entrance¡ªthe one he stood at now.
The only enemy in the room occupied its center: a skeleton mage. The creature hovered motionlessly a couple of inches above the floor. Dressed in a long, tattered robe, the skeleton had what appeared to be a rune stone, roughly the size of a human palm, dangling from its neck at chest height, secured by a piece of rope. The mysterious symbol etched into the stone glowed red. The skeleton¡¯s left hand hung empty and at its side, while its right hand clutched a magical staff crowned with a luminous crystal ball.
The skeleton noticed Jake but made no move toward him, likely waiting for him to enter the room before launching an attack. With a thought, Jake summoned the undead¡¯s description.
Abyssal Liche ¨C Flame Lord ¨C Level 90 (Elite)
This creature was undoubtedly more powerful than any he had encountered before. Perhaps, the abyssal liche was even some sort of mini-boss.
The moment Jake charged at the skeleton, it thrust the ball-topped staff in his direction. As Jake swiftly closed the distance to his target, he saw orange energy flow from the rune stone dangling from the liche¡¯s neck toward the staff¡¯s crystal ball, causing it to glow orange, seemingly charging it with magical energy. The light quickly grew more intense, and in the next instant, a blazing fireball shot toward him.
Jake quickly dodged to the side as the magical projectile zipped past him, trailing fire. It struck the wall behind him, exploding and sending flames everywhere. The liche had missed, but it wasn¡¯t done yet. Its staff hurled another fireball in his direction, prompting Jake to jump aside again.
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The flame lord kept unleashing fireball after fireball while Jake circled around the undead. One of the magical projectiles landed close to him. As he leaped aside to avoid the explosion, he felt the wave of heat radiating from the point of impact. He just had to hold on a little longer, as he knew the liche couldn¡¯t keep casting fireballs indefinitely. With each attack, the crystal ball¡¯s glow faded, slowly draining the energy the rune stone had charged it with.
When the moment finally arrived, Jake charged straight toward the liche. The undead creature seemed no more robust than any regular skeleton, leading Jake to believe he could take it down without much trouble. But getting within striking range proved to be a different story. The liche raised its left hand toward him and unleashed a spell that affected Jake immediately.
As the slowing effect enveloped him, Jake felt his movements become sluggish. The skeleton aimed its staff at him again, and he realized that, in this slowed state, he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge the approaching projectile. Desperate, he opened his mouth and launched an acidic glob. He had no idea if it would do the trick, but he was out of options in his current predicament.
The acidic glob shot from his mouth, moving slowly at first, but once it cleared his jaws, it became unaffected by the slowing debuff and quickly picked up speed. At that moment, the liche fired a fireball from its staff, and the two magical projectiles collided at a midpoint between them. The impact caused the fireball to explode, but since Jake was at a safe distance, he took no damage.
Suddenly, the debuff lifted, and Jake¡¯s speed surged back to normal. The liche couldn¡¯t launch any more fireballs, as the last one had drained the staff¡¯s energy. Before the skeleton could draw additional magical energy from the rune stone, Jake closed the distance. He raised his smashfist and swung a powerful haymaker at the liche.
Suddenly, the skeleton shot to the side, covering a dozen yards in the blink of an eye. It was clearly another magical spell in action.
You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Jake thought, realizing that getting close to his opponent wouldn¡¯t be easy. The abyssal liche¡¯s body appeared fragile, but actually getting within striking range was going to be challenging.
It went on like this for several minutes. The flame lord would draw energy from the rune stone to charge its staff, while Jake focused on dodging the barrage of fireballs. When the staff was out of energy, he¡¯d rush to close the gap, only for the liche to vanish, retreating a dozen yards away with a quick spell.
Eventually, the flame lord¡¯s mana ran out, and it lost the ability to dash. The liche was now unable to dodge Jake¡¯s attack, and the heavy strike he delivered sent the skeleton soaring across the room, smashing into the wall.
Enemy killed. +2,500 XP
Just like that, the abyssal liche was dealt with. While the undead creature¡¯s magical powers were impressive, it turned out to be physically frail. The rune stone suddenly stopped glowing. The moment it did, a ghostly figure seemed to emerge from the stone.
For a moment, it hovered motionlessly above the body of the fallen liche, and Jake took the opportunity to summon a description of the newly appeared ghostly creature.
Shade ¨C Fallen Liche Lord ¨C Level 90 (Elite)
It seemed the fight was not quite over yet. Suddenly, the shade unleashed a golden energy wave that slithered through the air like a snake, moving at lightning speed. It struck him so suddenly that he had no chance to dodge. The energy wave flowed through him, leaving no trace of injury. However, a system notification suddenly appeared in his mind.
You have been wounded for 7% by Ethereal Damage.
It was odd. While his body bore no visible injuries, his HP had indeed dropped by seven percent. The shade surged toward him, slashing with its clawed hand. Jake deftly dodged the blow and retaliated with a punch, but his smashfist simply went through the body of the wraith-like entity.
You must wield a weapon that delivers Ethereal Damage to harm this creature.
Jake parted his jaws and shot an acidic glob at the shade. Just as he had expected, the projectile passed right through its translucent form¡ªJake simply wanted to test it to be sure.
The shade darted away and unleashed a ranged attack once again. As before, a golden energy wave slithered through the air like a serpent, moving with such speed that he couldn¡¯t even initiate any evasive maneuver.
You have been wounded for 9% by Ethereal Damage.
There was no point in continuing to fight the enemy with auto-aim while none of his own weapons could even hurt it. He pivoted and sprinted toward the doorway he had entered. The shade gave chase. Jake raced into the corridor and kept running.
The wall-mounted torches flared to life as he dashed by. He knew from experience that they didn¡¯t react to the undead creatures roaming the dungeon. However, when he glanced back, he was able to clearly see the shade chasing him thanks to the soft golden glow radiating from its form. The light illuminated the area around the ghostly figure, casting reflections on the walls and floor, making the shade easy to spot in the oppressive darkness of the tunnel.
When he was about halfway down the tunnel, the shade suddenly lost interest in him. It turned in midair and flew back into the room. Jake watched it disappear from sight and made a mental note to return for a second round with the shade once he acquired a weapon capable of harming this type of enemy.
Chapter 205
Chapter 205
Jake wandered through the tunnels, chambers, and halls of the dungeon for a little while.
After his encounter with the abyssal liche and the ghost-like creature that had emerged from the defeated skeleton, Jake had encountered no further opponents of equal strength. He was confident that there were other powerful creatures, similar to the abyssal liche he had defeated earlier, lurking within the deeper sections of the dungeon, but so far, he hadn¡¯t crossed paths with any more of them.
He inspected each sepulcher he came across but had not discovered any new weapons yet. Some held mana consumables, from which he promptly siphoned mana, but other than that, they offered nothing of value.
Eventually, he stumbled upon a chamber smaller than any he had previously explored. It had no openings aside from the one he had entered through. The room was dimly lit by wall-mounted torches and was empty, except for a towering structure that dominated the center.
It was an imposing arc crafted from some silvery metal. Several meters tall and at least three meters wide, it had a broad base that flared outward like the roots of a huge ancient tree. The top of the structure arched gracefully, resembling an open doorway to another realm.
Jake stepped through the arc, but nothing happened. It was definitely some sort of portal, but it obviously was currently dormant. He gave a mental command to appraise the structure, and a piece of information immediately flashed in his mind.
Gateway to Floor 2 (inactive)
So, he was right. The system didn¡¯t bother to provide any information on how to activate the gateway, though. He then recalled studying the rules of dungeon crawling prior to entering the Maze of Torment.
One of them outlined that his primary objective was to navigate through the first four floors, ultimately emerging on the fifth, which was essentially an arena for facing the dungeon boss. So he didn¡¯t need to meticulously explore every corner of each floor, as his main task was simply to locate the means to descend to the next level.
However, it hadn¡¯t been mentioned that he would need to solve a puzzle to gain access to a lower floor. While he had located a gateway capable of transporting him to Floor 2, he still needed to figure out how to activate the portal.
He slowly circled the structure, inspecting it from every angle. The surface of the arc was embellished with intricate carvings that covered every inch. These deep yet fluid designs created spirals and swirls, forming a complex pattern that gave an illusion of movement in the dim light from the wall-mounted torches, as if the arc were caught in an eternal dance.
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While the gateway was currently dormant, Jake could feel it pulse faintly, its energy thrumming in the air around it. Even though the arc was inactive, it was clearly imbued with powerful magical energy. The chamber buzzed with an electric atmosphere, filled with a sense of anticipation.
At one of the two bases of the arc, a subtle indentation at eye level caught his attention. It was a small, smooth, round notch, perfectly molded to accommodate a unique object. Unlike the intricate carvings of the arc, this area was bare, almost inviting a specific item to fulfill its intended purpose. Despite its ancient appearance, the arc seemed to hum with vitality, a dormant power just beneath the surface, ready to be awakened at the touch of the right key.
So, an emblem-like key was required to be inserted into the notch, and once placed, the portal would supposedly activate, granting access to Floor 2. For a brief moment, Jake stared at the indentation, deep in thought. It was shaped like a triangular shield and was about the size of his palm. This detail sparked a memory.
In one of the chambers where he had first discovered sepulchers, he had come across a sepulcher filled with various debris, where a glint of a metal shard had caught his eye. Though it was merely a fragment¡ªnot the complete object¡ªit stood out among the debris, drawing his attention and compelling him to pick it up for a closer look. He remembered thinking that the complete piece must have been some sort of emblem or medallion, shaped like a shield.
He had even tried to give a mental command to display the description of the metal shard, but no information had been given to him. Because of that, he concluded it was useless and dropped it back into the sepulcher. However, Jake was now beginning to believe that the shard could be part of the object needed to activate the gateway. It definitely seemed that the complete key must be an exact match for the shape and size of the indentation at the base of the arc.
Lacking any better ideas for activating the gateway, he decided to retrieve the metal shard and look for other pieces. Based on the shard¡¯s size and the size of the indentation, he speculated there should be two or maybe three more fragments that would complete the whole. Once he found them all, he would return to the arc, assemble them, and fit them into the indentation.
Would that work, though? After all, even when combined, those fragments wouldn¡¯t magically repair the key, as they would still be merely a collection of several separate pieces assembled together. On the other hand, during the tower-climbing challenge, he had actually seen something like it: several concrete pieces joined together to create a solid platform that led to the upper floors. Maybe a similar phenomenon could occur now: when assembled, the fragments might actually magically restore the key. In a world where magic existed, anything was possible.
So while he couldn¡¯t say for certain whether his theory would work, he figured it was definitely worth a shot. With a final glance at the towering arc, he spun around and made his way across the chamber toward the exit.
While exploring the first floor of the dungeon, he effortlessly memorized the various places he had visited and their positions relative to each other. His Enhanced Intelligence skill operated like a computer, generating a mental map of every location he explored, readily available in his mind. Thanks to the incredible memory provided by his skill, he could navigate the maze-like dungeon with ease, eliminating any risk of getting lost.
Upon leaving the chamber, he accessed his mental map of the floor, and the path to the chamber where he had found one of the potential key fragments immediately formed in his mind, much like a GPS navigation system. With a route to his destination calculated, he set off in the right direction, slipping into his usual brisk jog.
Chapter 206
Chapter 206
It took him some time to return to the chamber where he had found the first fragment of the supposed key. The vast room remained unchanged during his absence, and no new enemies had emerged. Jake identified the correct sepulcher and made his way to it. The fragment of the supposed key was still nestled inside. He retrieved it and, after considering the best way to carry it, decided to hold it in his large mouth.
He then continued to explore the dungeon, searching for more fragments. He dispatched every undead group he encountered along his way, gaining XP. So far, most of his enemies had been regular skeletons and zombies, and he had yet to encounter another elite monster.
At some point, he checked his current experience.
XP: 68,415/101,250
It wouldn¡¯t be long before he leveled up again¡ªjust a few more undead groups, and his level would go up. As he continued to explore the dungeon, he eventually entered a small rectangular room. It resembled many others he had passed through, except for the object that sat at its center.
Before giving it any more attention, he quickly scanned his surroundings. There were no enemies in the small room. The flaming torches that adorned the walls cast a soft glow over the space. Four corridors branched out from the room, one on each side. However, before moving on, he wanted to examine the small chest that sat at the center of the chamber. He appraised it with a thought.
Primitive chest (Common)
No further information came to him. He cautiously made his way to the chest but stopped a safe distance away. By that point, he was well aware that various containers could be trapped, so he reached out with his senses in search of any telltale signs of a potential trap. He felt nothing¡ªno hum, no vibrations, no electric charges in the air. If there was magical protection on the chest, it was so subtle that even his heightened senses could not pick it up.
But he was still unsatisfied. While there didn¡¯t seem to be any wards on the chest, it could still be connected to a mechanical trap. He slowly circled the chest, inspecting it from every angle before returning to his original position, having completed a full circle. Nothing seemed out of place, and he finally allowed himself to approach the chest. Still, he remained on high alert, prepared to dash away if any trap he might have missed was triggered.
He lowered himself into a crouch and grasped the lid of the chest. Nothing happened. He eased it open just an inch and froze again, all his senses on high alert. No signs of danger caught his attention. He continued to raise the lid slowly until the chest was fully open. Then he leaned in to look inside.
Given that the chest was relatively small and of Common rarity, he anticipated that it wouldn¡¯t hold much treasure inside, probably nothing of value. So, he wasn¡¯t surprised to find a single item at the bottom of the chest¡ªa rather ordinary-looking sword with a short blade. He appraised it with a thought.
Name: Holy Dagger
Rarity: Common
Description: This is a lightweight and fast dagger featuring a slightly curved blade designed for swift slashing attacks. The alloy used to forge the dagger contains a unique metal, granting it the ability to inflict increased damage on undead creatures.
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Primary Effects: Inflicts 10% extra damage against undead foes.
Temporary Effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: None
After giving the matter some thought, he decided to leave the dagger where it was. Sure, it dealt an additional 10% damage to the undead, but he didn¡¯t need a weapon with a ten-percent increase in damage to the undead when he had his own weapons capable of dealing devastating amounts of damage to most kinds of monsters. After getting to his feet, he looked around, picked a random tunnel leading out of the small room, and pressed on.
After navigating through various tunnels and halls of the dungeon, he soon entered a small rectangular room similar to the previous one. Like the earlier chamber, it was devoid of enemies to kill but had a chest sitting at its center. This chest was larger and appeared more refined than the primitive one he had discovered earlier. He appraised it with a thought.
Quality chest (Uncommon)
This chest was one rarity level above the previous one. Just like last time, Jake reached out with his senses but discovered no wards guarding it. He walked around the chest, inspecting it from every angle, and quickly spotted a thin thread extending from one corner down to the floor, vanishing into a small hole near the base.
Severing the thread would deactivate the trap, but Jake was curious about what would happen if the trap was triggered. So, maintaining a safe distance, he sprouted a bladed tentacle from his back. He extended it to its full length toward the chest and wedged the tip of the blade between the chest and the lid. He thrust the blade deeper and then began to lift the lid. When it was halfway up, the thread stretched taut, and as he lifted the lid a little higher, it easily severed in two.
Immediately, several spears shot down from the high ceiling, striking the floor just before the chest¡ªprecisely where Jake would have been crouched if he had opened it with his hands. The spears clanked against the cobbled floor, and everything went quiet once again. He looked up, but just like in all the previous rooms and tunnels, the high ceiling was completely obscured by the supernatural darkness that even his inhuman sight couldn¡¯t penetrate.
Using his tentacle, Jake fully opened the lid, then stood up and approached the chest. He leaned in to look inside. At the bottom rested two items: a battleaxe and what looked like a medallion with a chain. One by one, he appraised them with a thought.
Name: Ethereal Battleaxe
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: Crafted from spectral matter, this battleaxe can inflict harm on ghosts, wraiths, and other undead beings that lack a physical form.
Primary effects: Increases damage dealt to ghosts by 25%.
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: None
With that weapon, he could kill the shade that had emerged from the abyssal liche. Jake took the weapon from the chest, giving it a closer look. It appeared immaterial, made of some strange semi-transparent matter that allowed him to see through it. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t look like glass. Instead, it resembled see-through mist, which was constantly shifting inside while maintaining the shape of a double-bladed axe. Having never seen anything like it before, Jake simply kept staring at it for a moment as if mesmerized by the unusual sight.
Finally, he put the weapon away and turned his attention to the second item resting at the bottom of the chest.
Name: Ethereal Protective Medallion
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: This magical medallion offers protection from all forms of ethereal attacks by absorbing them. Once its energy is depleted, the medallion must be recharged in order to be effective once again.
Primary effects: Provides protection to the wearer against Ethereal Damage.
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: None
So this medallion could protect him against the shade¡¯s attacks, which was great. He quickly hung it around his neck. After retrieving the battleaxe from where he had set it down a moment before, he rose to his feet. Now that he had a means of harming the shade and was protected against its attacks, it was time for a rematch. He consulted his mental map of the dungeon to get his bearings and set off.
Chapter 207
Chapter 207
Jake continued to explore the dungeon, wielding the phantom-like battleaxe in one hand. It wasn¡¯t long before he came across another group of undead. He wasn¡¯t sure if the ethereal battleaxe could harm regular undead or if it was designed solely for use against ghost-like foes. He decided to test the weapon on the undead group to see for himself.
He charged at the closest skeleton, swinging the battleaxe at the undead. He wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when he saw the battleaxe pass right through the skeleton¡¯s ribcage, inflicting no damage at all, as if it were made of air. Having learned what he needed, Jake dropped the battleaxe and immediately ducked as the skeleton thrust the sword it was armed with at him.
He counted with a powerful punch of his left smashfist against the skeleton¡¯s skull, shattering it easily as if it were a porcelain vase. Before the defeated skeleton could even drop to the cobbled floor, Jake was already dealing with the other undead. It didn¡¯t take him long to dispatch the whole group.
Multiple enemies killed. +6,350 XP
Jake picked up the ethereal battleaxe and then checked his current experience.
XP: 49,365/101,250
He continued navigating through the tunnels and halls of the dungeon until he finally reached the chamber where he had defeated the abyssal liche. The shade was still in the room, motionlessly hovering above the floor at the center of the chamber.
Jake wasted no time charging at the shade. It quickly became aware of him and lunged forward. A serpent-like wave of energy lashed out from the shade, striking him instantly and giving him no chance to dodge it. However, since he wore a special medallion around his neck, he sustained no damage this time.
The Ethereal Protective Medallion absorbed 8% of Ethereal Damage.
Jake reached the shade and swung the battleaxe at it. Instead of passing through, the blade sank deep into the ghostly form, as if it were made of flesh. The shade writhed in agony, releasing a piercing shriek before darting away from him, covering a dozen yards in the blink of an eye. It attacked him with a wave of ethereal energy once more, striking him immediately.
The Ethereal Protective Medallion absorbed 7% of Ethereal Damage.
As Jake approached the shade, he swung his battleaxe once more, dealing some damage to his ethereal foe. After that, the ghostly undead quickly darted away from him again, countering with a wave of energy.
It went on like this for several minutes. After every blow Jake landed on the shade, it would quickly retreat and counter with a wave of energy that his medallion absorbed. Finally, when he struck the shade once more with his battleaxe, it let out a piercing shriek before bursting into a brilliant flash and disappearing.
Enemy killed. +3,000 XP
Jake waited a moment, half-expecting something else to happen¡ªperhaps another enemy would suddenly appear or some reward would be granted to him for defeating such a tricky foe. However, nothing of the sort occurred, and apart from gaining XP, he received no other reward. He glanced at the motionless body of the abyssal lich, still lying in the same spot. The rune stone remained as inert as before, and the magical staff topped with a crystal ball lay nearby, also inactive.
Jake glanced at his medallion, gripping it with his free hand. He appraised it with a thought, and a piece of info popped up in his mind.
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Ethereal Protective Medallion: 46%
The medallion¡¯s energy was down by more than fifty percent. When it reached zero, it would need to be recharged to be effective again. Jake had no clue how to do that. He attempted to draw some mana from his body into the medallion, but nothing happened. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could do something like that. Well, perhaps he would be able to figure out how to recharge the medallion at a later time.
He continued to explore the dungeon, searching for other key fragments. It took him quite a while, as they were spread out over a significant distance, tucked away in various sepulchers, much like the very first one. Each time he discovered a new fragment, he would remove the previous ones from his mouth and piece them together. However, they didn¡¯t stick, remaining just separate pieces of the key.
There were four fragments in total, and when Jake found the last one, he crouched down and assembled them all on the floor, forming a shield-shaped key. He stared at it for a moment, wondering if, with all the fragments found and combined, the key might magically restore itself. However, nothing happened. Maybe the key would magically restore itself when he brought the fragments to the portal.
Thanks to his mental map of the dungeon, Jake navigated the countless tunnels and chambers with ease. He quickly found his way back to the room with the dormant portal. Once he arrived, he approached the arch and retrieved the key fragments from his mouth. Crouching down, he laid them on the floor and began to assemble them once again.
Just like before, the fragments didn¡¯t magically fuse into a complete whole. Jake could sense the magical energy radiating from the dormant portal, but it had no effect on the fragments. Perhaps, they would meld together if he inserted them into the indentation. Gently, he gripped the shield-shaped fragments, ensuring they remained pressed together. Then he stood up and approached one of the two bases of the arch.
He studied the indentation positioned at eye level, noting that it was shaped to match the key formed by the fragments. The notch seemed perfectly designed to accommodate the key he held in his hands. With great care, ensuring the fragments didn¡¯t separate, he inserted them into the indentation. It turned out to be slightly smaller than the key, requiring Jake to apply a bit of pressure. As he pushed it in, he heard a soft clicking sound.
Jake kept his hands pressed against the fragments seated in the indentation. For a moment, he hesitated, worried that the four pieces might slip out once he let go. However, when he finally withdrew his hands, he was relieved to find the fragments securely held in place within the indentation.
However, nothing changed. Even with the key inserted into the notch, the portal remained dormant. The key didn¡¯t magically repair itself as Jake had hoped, and the portal seemed to ignore it entirely, even though the fragments had been placed exactly where they were meant to go.
Perhaps, there was another key, an intact one, that he just needed to find. But where could it be? Up to this point, he had only stumbled upon fragments. Was there really supposed to be a complete key hidden somewhere in the dungeon? He found it hard to believe. By now, he had explored most of the first floor, yet had not come across any indication of an intact key.
Anyway, the key fragments were seated firmly in the indentation. Aside from shattering them into even smaller pieces with his smashfists, there seemed to be no way to extract them from the notch now.
Jake took a step back, gazing up at the imposing arch of the dormant portal. He was still definitely missing something. But what? He decided to examine the arch once more, this time with greater care. He walked around the base with the indentation that held the inserted key, but nothing new caught his eye. He then shifted to the other base, moving slowly as he scrutinized it from every angle.
As he had noticed the last time, the entire surface of the towering structure was adorned with intricate carvings. Swirling designs covered every inch of the arch. Jake hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the patterns before, but now, as he examined them more closely, he discerned what appeared to be three symbols placed at eye level among the elaborate motifs. The symbols were woven into the intricate swirling patterns so seamlessly that it was really difficult to detect them unless you looked very closely. He stepped closer to the base of the arch for a better look.
The three mysterious symbols were carved into the surface, one above the other. Jake had no idea what they meant, but the top symbol looked strangely familiar. It took him a moment to recall where he had seen it: the rune stone that hung around the abyssal liche¡¯s neck bore the same symbol etched into its surface.
Was it merely a coincidence, or did it signify something? Jake was convinced it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. After all, this was a dungeon filled with monsters, traps, and puzzles. The symbols on the arch and the rune stone of the liche had to be linked somehow.
Before he left, Jake glanced once more at the three symbols, etching them into his memory. Then he pivoted and made his way back to the chamber where he had defeated the abyssal liche and the shade.
Chapter 208
Chapter 208
Upon returning to the chamber where he had defeated the Abyssal Liche - Flame Lord, Jake approached the skeleton¡¯s lifeless form. He crouched down, reaching for the rune stone that dangled from the liche¡¯s neck.
He examined the mysterious symbol etched into the rune stone¡¯s surface, mentally comparing it to the top symbol engraved on the arch, which he had memorized. They indeed appeared identical, but he wasn¡¯t sure yet what it might mean. Transforming his left hand into claws, he used them to tear the rope securing the rune stone. Reverting his claws back to a human-like hand, he gripped the stone and rose to his feet, his gaze still fixed on the symbol.
While he couldn¡¯t pinpoint its meaning, he could see that the symbol vaguely resembled a flame. During his battle with the flame abyssal liche, the skeleton had siphoned energy from the rune stone into its staff, granting it the ability to launch fireballs. This rune stone had clearly harbored the power of fire magic¡ªat least, it had at one time. Now, however, the symbol lay dormant, no longer glowing, indicating that the rune stone was depleted of energy. However, he guessed that it could be recharged somehow.
He recalled the other two symbols carved into the arch of the portal. The symbol beneath the fiery one gave him an impression of ice, while the bottom symbol resembled a smoky splatter, giving him an impression of acid. If the first symbol represented fire magic and the second indicated frost, then the third likely signified acid, poison, or something akin to that.
So, if his guess was correct, it indicated that there should be two more rune stones similar to the one he held. The question of where to find them was becoming increasingly obvious. He had acquired the fire rune stone from a flame abyssal liche. This suggested that two other similar creatures were lurking somewhere on this floor¡ªone with a frost rune and the other with an acid or poison one. He just had to track them down.
Jake pressed on through the dungeon for some time, dispatching every undead group that crossed his path. Eventually, he stumbled upon another black obelisk. However, he chose to leave it alone for now, as his primary objective was to locate the remaining rune stones. He felt he had explored most of the first floor by that point, but there were still areas he hadn¡¯t ventured into yet.
At some point, after eliminating another bunch of undead, he checked his current experience.
XP: 87,520/101,250
Finally, he discovered a chamber with a familiar foe inside. The skeleton hovered motionlessly a few inches above the cobbled floor, clad in a long robe and gripping a crystal-topped staff in one hand. A rune stone adorned its neck, and a mysterious symbol etched into its surface pulsed with an eerie blue light. It was definitely identical to the second symbol engraved on the portal¡¯s arch.
Abyssal Liche ¨C Frost Lord ¨C Level 90 (Elite)
The skeleton bore a striking resemblance to the previous abyssal liche he had defeated, save for the different rune stone hanging from its neck. The frost liche detected his presence at the entrance but made no attempt to advance, waiting for him to step into the chamber before launching an attack.
Knowing that his ethereal battleaxe would be ineffective against an undead creature with a physical body, Jake let the weapon fall to the floor. He also dropped the fire rune stone he held in his other hand. He had made a point not to carry it in his mouth, as he occasionally used Acidic Spit in battles against the undead, which was a powerful ability that could damage anything in its path. Keeping the rune stone safe was a priority, so he carried it in his hand and dropped it to the floor when he was about to confront an undead foe.
Jake burst into a sprint toward the liche. The skeleton quickly aimed its staff at him, and a wave of energy surged from the rune stone toward the crystal atop the staff, charging it. In the next instant, several projectiles that resembled icicles shot through the air toward him like missiles. Those frost shards¡ªor whatever they were called¡ªwere pretty large and robust-looking.
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He sidestepped one of the icy projectiles, which whizzed harmlessly over his head. Another shot was so far off that he barely needed to move, missing him by a wide margin. However, the liche had simultaneously launched over a dozen ice shards at slightly varying angles, causing them to spread out widely and making it impossible for him to evade every one of them.
One of the icy projectiles struck him in the shoulder, embedding itself an inch into his flesh. The Adaptive Armor quickly grew an additional plate at the point of impact, but whether due to the overwhelming power of the liche¡¯s magic or the effects of the Fragile Body curse, which rendered him extremely vulnerable to piercing damage, the frost shard managed to break through his armor.
Another shard thrust into his thigh, burying itself in his flesh, the tip of the icy projectile sticking from the other side of his leg. Jake was about to pull the shard from his shoulder but then realized it wasn¡¯t necessary, as it was already beginning to melt. At the pace it was turning into liquid, it would be fully converted to water in just a few seconds. Sensing that it would be pointless to remove it now, he decided to leave the shards embedded in his body as he continued to dodge the other icy projectiles the liche was sending his way.
Then, suddenly, the barrage ceased. The two projectiles had melted into water, leaving gaping holes in his body, from which mana was seeping out. Enhanced Regeneration was tirelessly working to mend his wounds, but he knew he would lose a portion of his mana before they were fully sealed. Jake refused to let himself dwell on that, as defeating the liche was his priority. With the barrage ceased, he charged at his undead foe.
The skeleton leaned in, its jaws creaking open. Realizing it was about to unleash another ability, Jake immediately darted to the side. A wave of frigid air surged from the liche¡¯s mouth, carrying with it thousands of sparkling particles, rapidly forming a vast blue cloud that spread in all directions. Despite having leaped aside, Jake was still partially enveloped by the chilling mist.
You have just gotten a negative effect: Mild Frostbite. All your movements will be slightly slowed down for a short amount of time.
Although his movements were indeed hampered, they weren¡¯t significantly slowed. Jake moved around the gradually dissipating blue cloud and approached the liche from the other side. Unlike the Abyssal Liche - Flame Lord, his current foe didn¡¯t possess the ability to instantly shift several yards away, leaving it wide open for the two powerful punches Jake unleashed. The first one shattered its ribcage, and the second one caused its skull to blow apart in an explosion of bone shards. What was left of the skeleton dropped to the floor.
Enemy killed. +2,500 XP
Jake quickly severed the rope that held the rune stone around the skeleton¡¯s neck and grabbed the stone, cradling it in one hand. The symbol glowed for a fleeting second before fading into darkness. Almost immediately, a familiar ghostly figure began to emerge from the fallen liche¡¯s body. In his previous encounter, the shade had seemed to emerge from the very fire rune stone of the fallen flame abyssal liche. Now, however, it became clear he had been mistaken¡ªthe new shade was manifesting from the frost liche¡¯s body instead of the rune stone, which was now held in his hand.
Wheeling around, Jake sprinted toward the exit where he had left the fire rune stone and the ethereal battleaxe. He dropped the frost rune next to the fire one, then picked up the battleaxe and turned back to face the shade.
The battle against the shade proved to be relatively simple, as all the damage it inflicted was absorbed by his ethereal protective medallion. As he landed the final strike, the shade erupted in a dazzling light before disintegrating into nothing.
Enemy killed. +3,000 XP
Once the battle ended, Jake inspected his medallion to gauge its remaining energy. To his dismay, he found only fifteen percent left. Unless he could figure out a way to recharge it, facing the shade that would emerge from the final abyssal liche would be quite tough, as he would be left defenseless against most of its attacks.
He checked his current experience.
XP: 93,020/101,250
It wouldn¡¯t be long before he leveled up now. He returned to the exit of the chamber where the two inactive rune stones lay on the floor. While he now had two rune stones in his possession, both were devoid of magical energy. Jake doubted anything would happen if he brought them to the portal. He was pretty much sure they needed to somehow be charged with magical energy to have any effect on the portal.
Strangely enough, once he killed the frost liche, its rune stone had almost immediately lost its charge. Perhaps he should have snatched the stones from the liches before defeating them? Or not kill them at all? While the thought of not killing the liches crossed his mind, it didn¡¯t feel right. After all, wasn¡¯t it the purpose of dungeons to defeat their monsters?
Anyway, he decided to try to snatch the rune stone from the last liche he would encounter, hoping to keep its energy intact. If that didn¡¯t do the trick, he would have to find some way to charge the rune stones. With that plan in mind, he set off in search of the final abyssal liche.
Chapter 209
Chapter 209
A bolt whizzed past his shoulder. Another thunked against an additional plate that his Adaptive Armor skill instantly created at the point of impact. Several skeleton archers continued firing their crossbows, but before turning his attention to them, he first needed to kill the undead soldiers that surrounded him from all directions.
With a swipe of his left arm sword, he took the head from the shoulders of one skeleton. With a powerful swing of his right sword, he severed another skeleton¡¯s body in half, easily shattering its ribs. A third skeleton swung its longsword at him, but Jake quickly deflected the blow with one of his arm swords and instantly delivered a fatal strike to his undead opponent with the other.
Both his Swords and Smashfists proved equally effective against undead creatures, allowing him to use them interchangeably in battle to advance both abilities. Once he finished dealing with the soldiers, he rushed toward the archers, retracting his swords and transforming his hands into smashfists.
He punched one of the archers in the head, causing it to blow apart in an explosion of bone. With his other oversized hand, he grabbed another skeleton by the head and squeezed, easily crushing the skull in his grip.
Behind the first two archers stood two more skeletons, who had already readied their crossbows. Almost simultaneously, they fired at him. He ducked, feeling one bolt whiz past his head, while another struck his shoulder and bounced off. Despite the Fragile Body curse affecting him, his Adaptive Armor did an admirable job of protecting him from regular attacks.
Once he reached the last two archers, he dispatched them as easily as he had the previous two. He quickly spun around, scanning the area for any remaining enemies to kill, but there were none left. Just like that, another group of undead had been defeated.
Multiple enemies killed. +7,230 XP
Jake reverted his smashfists back into normal hands and headed to the spot where he had dropped his belongings before engaging the undead. As he walked down the tunnel, he took a moment to check his current experience.
XP: 100,250/101,250
He was on the verge of gaining another level. Leaning down, he picked up the ethereal battleaxe with one hand and the rune stones with the other. Straightening up, he glanced at the stones. He had two, meaning he still needed to find the last one. Clenching the battleaxe in one hand and the rune stones in the other, he continued searching.
He kept on exploring the first floor of the dungeon until he finally discovered a chamber containing the final abyssal liche. It hovered at the center of the room, looking exactly like the previous two liches he had previously defeated, except for a different rune stone hanging around its neck.
Abyssal Liche ¨C Plague Lord ¨C Level 90 (Elite)
Jake placed his belongings on the floor near the entrance of the chamber and charged at the liche. As expected, the skeleton immediately began to draw magical energy from the rune stone to the tip of its staff, powering it up. When the liche pointed its staff at him, Jake was ready. He leaped aside just as the liche unleashed what appeared to be acidic globs from the top of its staff.
The magical projectiles zipped through the air with astonishing speed. Jake successfully dodged several, but avoiding them all proved impossible. One glob splattered against his side, eating away at his hardened flesh. While the damage wasn¡¯t severe, it was still excruciatingly unpleasant. Jake vowed to do everything he could to avoid getting hit again.
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As soon as the staff ran out of energy drawn from the rune, Jake made a beeline for the liche. The skeleton was already channeling another surge of energy from the rune stone, but before the process was complete, Jake closed the distance to his opponent. Instead of launching an attack, however, he did something else.
With one hand, Jake grabbed the rune stone, while with the claws on the other hand, he severed the rope from which it hung. The skeleton appeared taken aback by this sudden turn of events. It attempted to snatch the rune stone from Jake¡¯s grasp, but he retaliated by slashing at the reaching hand with his claws, serving it at the wrist. He wanted to swipe at the liche once more, but it suddenly dashed away from him, covering over a dozen yards in the blink of an eye.
The skeleton aimed its staff at Jake again, but now lacking the rune stone, it was unable to unleash its acidic projectiles. Instead, a bolt of lightning shot forward. Jake managed to dodge it while continuing his charge toward the opponent. The liche launched another bolt of lightning, and this time, Jake wasn¡¯t able to evade it. However, being a standard magical attack, it caused minimal damage. Other than momentarily causing him to stumble, it hardly affected his speed.
When Jake reached the liche, it instantly dashed away again before he could strike. Undeterred, he continued to pursue it, expertly dodging the lightning attacks it unleashed. Now that the liche was without the rune stone and dependent solely on its own mana, Jake knew he just needed to wait until its magical energy ran out.
For several minutes, the chase continued until the liche finally exhausted the mana it had. Now unable to evade Jake¡¯s attacks, the creature became vulnerable, and he seized the opportunity to deliver a crushing blow, causing its skull to burst apart.
Enemy killed. +2,500 XP
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 80 to 81. You have gained 5 SP.
Realizing a shade was about to emerge from the fallen liche¡¯s body, Jake spun around and dashed toward the exit where he had left his belongings. He dropped the stolen rune stone, which was still glowing, next to the other two, and picked up his ethereal battleaxe. By the time he turned back to face the shade, it had fully materialized from the liche¡¯s remains.
The ghost-like enemy struck him with a serpent-like wave of energy, hitting him with remarkable precision and inflicting eight percent Ethereal Damage, which was absorbed by his medallion. By the time Jake closed in on the shade, it unleashed another attack that dealt an additional seven percent Ethereal Damage. With the medallion having only fifteen percent energy left before the fight, Jake realized that any further attacks from the shade would now affect him directly.
After swinging his battleaxe at the shade, Jake landed a solid hit, eliciting a shriek of pain from his foe. The shade quickly dashed away, countering with a wave of energy that struck him in the middle of his torso, inflicting nine percent Ethereal Damage.
The exchange of attacks continued for several more minutes. By the time Jake landed the final blow on the shade, he had lost thirty-five percent of his health¡ªdefinitely less than he had feared. His Enhanced Regeneration was already kicking in, starting to heal his internal wounds.
He earned three thousand XP for defeating the shade. Having leveled up after defeating the liche, Jake took a moment to review his stats. None of his skills or abilities had yet reached 100%, and all of them were already fully upgraded. With no other options available, he decided to allocate his skill points to improve his attributes.
Body: 72 ¡ú 75
Mind: 73 ¡ú 75
Magick: 75
Jake proceeded to examine his medallion. It was drained of energy and unable to protect him from Ethereal Damage any longer. Still, he opted to keep it slung around his neck, thinking that he might find a way to recharge it later. He then glanced at his battleaxe, wondering whether he still needed it now that the three liches were defeated and the rune stones acquired. Unsure of what lay ahead, he also decided to keep the battleaxe for the time being, just in case he encountered ghostly foes again.
He made his way back to the exit and picked up the three rune stones from the cobbled floor. The plague rune stone pulsed with an eerie light, a clear sign that it was still brimming with magical energy. In contrast, the symbols etched into the other two rune stones remained dull and lifeless. Although he doubted the depleted stones would be of much use, he decided to take them all to the portal and see what would happen when he brought them there.
Chapter 210
Chapter 210
Jake returned to the portal. Nothing had changed in the chamber during his absence. There were no enemies lurking in the room, and the portal remained just as dormant as before. He stepped closer to the arch and looked at the fragments of the key, which were still inserted in the indentation at one of the two bases.
Jake set the ethereal battleaxe down on the cobbled floor and walked to the other side of the arch, once again examining the three symbols engraved into its surface. They looked strikingly similar to the rune stones he clutched in one hand. With each passing moment, he became more and more convinced that the rune stones and the symbols on the arch were linked in some way.
As he took another step toward the base of the arch, vibrations pulsing from one of the rune stones caught his attention. He opened his hand to examine the three rune stones resting in his palm. The glow from the plague rune stone intensified noticeably, and he felt it tremble slightly¡ªa distinct shift from its earlier calm behavior.
Jake took the plague rune stone with his other hand and held it out toward the bottom symbol, which matched the one etched into the stone. The glow intensified a fraction more, and the stone trembled more vigorously. Now, Jake could even hear a faint humming sound emanating from the rune stone.
With each step closer to the base of the arch, the glow, hum, and tremble of the plague rune stone intensified. When he was only a few yards from the dormant portal, something else happened¡ªthe plague rune stone in his hand grew warm, the heat seemingly emanating from within, pulsing from its very core. Jake continued to approach the base of the portal, eyeing the three engraved symbols, unsure about what might happen when he got close enough.
As he took another step toward the arch, the plague stone trembled so vigorously that Jake had to tighten his grip to prevent it from slipping from his hand. He wrapped his fingers firmly around the stone, and from between them, a bright greenish light burst forth between his fingers, growing stronger with every step he took closer to the portal.
The stone heated up to the brink of being uncomfortable to hold, the warmth seeping deep into Jake¡¯s palm and fingers. As he clutched it tighter, he could feel the energy radiating from it, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat. The humming kept increasing, growing so loud that it drowned out the murmurs of the dormant magical portal itself. Then, as he stepped even closer to the arch, closing the distance to just two yards, something unexpected occurred.
The rune stone trembled violently in Jake¡¯s grasp, compelling him to grip it even tighter. Suddenly, he noticed a wave of energy spilling from between his fingers, gliding through the air toward the bottom symbol engraved on the arch, drawn to it like iron to a magnet. Jake wasn¡¯t sure if the energy was willingly flowing from the rune stone or if the symbol was actively siphoning it away. In the end, it didn¡¯t really matter¡ªonly the result did.
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For several seconds, Jake watched the energy flow from the plague rune stone toward the symbol. As the energy transferred, the rune¡¯s glow faded while the symbol began to glow with the same greenish hue, growing brighter and brighter. Then, just as quickly, it was suddenly all over.
The plague rune stone no longer glowed. It emitted no humming sounds or radiated warmth. It lost its heat just as quickly as it stopped glowing. Now that it no longer trembled, Jake loosened his grip on the stone. He opened his hand to glance at it. The stone was lifeless and inactive, just like the other two resting in his other palm.
The plague symbol engraved on the arch¡¯s surface was the exact opposite now, brightly pulsing with an eerie greenish light. Suddenly, a transition of the magical energy began. Various motifs and wavy lines stretching from the glowing plague symbol started to kind of fill with illumination. The glow flowed along those lines, first moving upward, then following the gentle curve at the top of the arch. Jake could see that those engraved lines ran along the curve of the arch¡¯s top, down the opposite side, and eventually reached the indentation where the four fragments of the key were inserted.
Then the process suddenly stopped right at the curved top of the arch before the greenish glow could have reached the key. Jake turned his attention back to the plague symbol and noticed that while it was still glowing, its light was much fainter now, barely illuminating its surroundings. This suggested that the magical energy drawn from the plague rune stone wasn¡¯t sufficient to carry the magical energy along the engraved motifs and lines all the way to the key.
Jake noticed that only some of the engraved motifs and lines were illuminated by the energy of the plague symbol¡ªthose that started from the other two symbols remained dark. This suggested that the remaining motifs required power from the other two symbols to activate. The symbols themselves could draw energy from the rune stones, as Jake had just learned. So he only needed to charge them with energy, but how could he accomplish that?
Jake pondered the issue for a moment, and soon an idea struck him. He recalled the black obelisks he had seen on various occasions. His thoughts drifted back to the very first one he had encountered. Before he destroyed it, he had witnessed it do something interesting.
It had used its energy to repeatedly revive the undead he had defeated. However, at some point, it did something different¡ªit not only revived one of the skeletons but also infused it with magical energy, granting it the ability to wield fire magic and transforming the skeleton into a much more powerful version of itself.
He had also witnessed the black obelisk imbuing the undead with other types of magical energy¡ªnamely frost and plague ones¡ªgranting them the ability to wield elemental magic. So his idea was that perhaps he could use a black obelisk to charge his rune stones with magical energy. He wasn¡¯t certain if it would work, but it was worth a shot, especially since he didn¡¯t have any other options at the moment.
He had a feeling his idea might actually work. The good thing was that he hadn¡¯t destroyed all the black obelisks yet. He consulted his mental map for the location of the nearest one and set off.
Chapter 211
Chapter 211
It didn¡¯t take him long to arrive at one of the black obelisks he had discovered earlier. He was glad he hadn¡¯t destroyed every single one he had encountered, because if his idea worked as well as he hoped, he would soon gain access to the second floor of the dungeon.
The black obelisk was positioned at the center of a four-way intersection. Jake stopped at a safe distance from the imposing structure. He needed it to unleash magical energy, with which he might be able to charge his rune stones, but the obelisk would only do so in the presence of undead nearby.
That was why he had allowed a group of skeletons to follow him for a while. He glanced over his shoulder at the tunnel he had just emerged from. Only the two wall-mounted torches closest to him were lit, leaving the rest of the tunnel in darkness. For that reason, he couldn¡¯t see the undead shuffling along the tunnel yet, but he could hear them as they were gradually getting closer.
He waited. When the first of the undead finally emerged from the dark section of the tunnel, he prepared for battle. A skeleton archer took aim and fired its crossbow at him. Jake effortlessly dodged the bolt but refrained from rushing at the undead, knowing he needed them to get closer to the black obelisk.
At last, a few drew near, and he sprang into action, quickly engaging them. It took little time and effort for him to eliminate the threat.
Multiple enemies killed. +6,135 XP
The cobbled floor was now littered with the remains of the undead he had just defeated. Jake waited, and soon, his patience was rewarded. Some of the mysterious symbols etched into the black obelisk began to glow, and the defeated skeletons¡¯ bodies started to reassemble.
The process was pretty quick. Just a few seconds later, all the skeletons were animated and ready to fight once again. Unfortunately, the black obelisk hadn¡¯t turned any of them into elite, so he hadn¡¯t had a chance to charge his rune stones yet. He had no choice but to defeat the undead again, hoping the obelisk would make use of its ability after that.
Since he had already defeated this group of undead, he received no XP for killing them again. The same symbols flared to life on all four sides of the obelisk, and the defeated skeletons sprawled around the structure began to rise once more.
Then, additional symbols ignited, and a torrent of energy flowed from the top of the obelisk toward one of the skeletons, wrapping it in a warm orange glow. This was the moment Jake had been waiting for. The black obelisk was bestowing fire magic upon the skeleton, and hopefully, he would be able to charge his flame rune stone with this energy.
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The skeleton, surrounded by an orange glow, lifted a few inches off the ground and hovered motionlessly in the air as the wave of energy continued to flow toward it. Jake rushed to where he had set down the rune stones and grabbed the one with a flame-like symbol engraved on it. He then hurried back to the beam of the energy, holding the flame rune stone toward it.
He wasn¡¯t sure if his idea would work at all, so he was pleasantly surprised when a tentacle of energy snaked from the main flow toward the rune stone in his hand, as if drawn to it. The symbol engraved on the front of the stone flared to life, gradually glowing brighter as it filled with magical energy. Meanwhile, the main wave continued to flow toward the skeleton hovering in the air, infusing it with fire magic.
Once the flame rune stone was filled with magical energy to the brim, the secondary flow ceased to exist. Jake looked at the now glowing rune stone in his hand. One down, two to go. He hurried back to the corner where he had left the frost and plague rune stones on the floor and placed the charged flame rune stone beside the other two.
He quickly glanced around. The skeleton, being imbued with fire magic, was nearing the completion of its transformation into an elite version of itself. Jake knew from experience that elite skeletons were incredibly tough opponents. He would much rather stop the process of transformation than face the elite flame skeleton. The only issue was that he had no idea how to disrupt the transformation. Attacking the black obelisk was out of the question because the structure still brimmed with energy and could trigger defense mechanisms against an attacker, like unleashing lightning bolts on assailants.
So Jake didn¡¯t have another option than to wait for the transformation to finish and defeat the undead¡ªincluding the elite flame skeleton¡ªonce again. The revived undead attacked him all at once, but Jake focused entirely on the elite flame skeleton. Since it posed the greatest threat, it needed to be dealt with first.
Soon enough, all the undead were defeated once again. The black obelisk wasted no time in beginning to resurrect them. This time, rather than a single beam, multiple rays of energy shone from the top of the tall structure, each enveloping a skeleton in a glow of a different color. One beam was orange, indicating it was imbuing its target with fire magic. The other two glowed blue and green, meaning it was Jake¡¯s chance to charge his frost and plague rune stones.
He hurried to where they were lying, grasping one rune stone in his left hand and the other in his right. He then dashed toward the nearest beam of energy, glowing blue and bestowing frost magic upon a skeleton. Jake extended the frost rune stone toward it, watching as some of the magical energy branched off from the main flow and drifted toward the rune stone in his left hand.
Once it was filled to the brim with magical energy, the engraved symbol glowed brightly with blue light. Jake wasted no time rushing to the greenish beam to charge the plague rune stone with energy. Moments later, all three rune stones brimmed with magical energy. It was time to go.
Jake picked up the flame rune stone from where it lay on the cobbled floor, then scanned his surroundings. The undead continued to rise, with three skeletons evolving into elite versions of themselves. Waiting for them to revive was pointless because he had defeated them once and wouldn¡¯t earn any XP for killing them again.
He planned to return later to destroy the black obelisk for extra XP, but for now, all he wanted was to get back to the portal to transfer the magical energy from the charged rune stones. Taking a moment to orient himself, he set off in the right direction.
Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Jake returned to the chamber containing the dormant portal that led to the next floor. Everything looked the same as he had left it. The arch remained only partly activated, with some of the engraved lines and motifs glowing in greenish light. The wavy lines that were illuminated started from the plague symbol at one base of the arch and glowed green all the way up to its curved top. To complete the activation, Jake knew he needed to transfer the magical energy from the plague rune stone to the partially glowing symbol. Then, he would need to repeat the process with the other two rune stones, directing their energy to the corresponding symbols etched into the arch.
Jake stepped closer to the portal, gripping the frost and flame rune stones in one hand while extending the hand holding the plague rune stone toward the plague symbol. The closer he approached, the more vibrant the rune stone in his hand became, humming and quaking in his palm. He could feel the warmth emanating from its core. Having already learned the process of transferring magical energy, Jake knew what to expect. As he took another step toward the arch, the plague rune in his hand began to tremble so intensely that he had to tighten his grip to keep it from slipping free.
At last, with another step toward the arch, the energy transfer commenced. He watched a wave of magical energy flow from the rune stone toward the plague symbol on the arch. As the energy was absorbed by the symbol, the rune stone in his hand gradually faded. A few seconds later, the process was complete. The rune stone was now glowing much fainter than before, while the symbol on the arch shone brightly.
Jake took a step back and gazed up at the curved top of the arch. He watched as the engraved lines and motifs filled with a green glow, gradually creeping closer to the key fragments inserted in the indentation at the arch¡¯s other base. Moments later, the glow reached the key, but surprisingly, it had no effect at all. Jake knew he needed to charge the other two symbols with magical energy before something would happen, though he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly that would be. He hoped the portal would finally activate, but what other effects would take place, he did not know.
The frost and flame rune stones in his other hand trembled slightly, radiating warmth from within, as if eager to be brought closer to the symbols on the arch. Jake set the partly lit plague rune stone on the cobbled floor. Then, he took one of the other rune stones with his free hand and, holding one in each hand, extended them toward the engraved symbols. Immediately, the transfer of magical energy commenced, sending two streams of energy flowing from the rune stones to their corresponding symbols engraved on the arch.
A few seconds later, the process was complete. The two rune stones in Jake¡¯s hands no longer glowed, while the frost and flame symbols on the arch shone brightly. The engraved lines and motifs that originated from the two symbols filled with vibrant blue and orange glows, respectively, extending upward to the arch¡¯s curved top and then downward toward where the four fragments of the key were inserted into the other base of the portal.
Jake set the two rune stones on the floor beside the plague rune stone. The latter still glimmered faintly, retaining a bit of energy from when he had previously partially filled the symbol. Because of that, the symbol didn¡¯t require all of the energy contained within the plague rune stone, leaving some of it in the stone. In contrast, since the frost and flame rune stones had been completely drained of their magical energy, they were now faded and devoid of glow. Although the plague rune stone still held a little energy, Jake doubted he would need it anymore.
He shifted his gaze back to the arch before him. The engraved lines and motifs were now illuminated with a spectrum of orange, blue, and green hues. The glows from the lines, drawing energy from the frost and flame symbols, nearly reached the four fragments of the key. Just a moment later, they successfully made contact, causing the fragments to emit a brilliant light as they began to merge. Soon, the process was finished, and the key stood complete, as if it had never been split into four separate fragments.
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A bright flash of light briefly blinded Jake, and then a shimmering portal filled the arch, casting so much light that the entire chamber was now brightly lit. The way to the second floor was open. However, before proceeding, Jake wanted to ensure he hadn¡¯t missed anything on this floor. He aimed to collect everything the dungeon had to offer, so he left the chamber and spent the next several hours meticulously exploring every corner of the first floor, defeating all the enemies in his path and destroying every black obelisk he came across.
Finally, there wasn¡¯t a nook or cranny he hadn¡¯t explored. Every enemy was defeated, and every sepulcher and chest had been opened, though nothing of interest was uncovered. It was time to head back to the portal. A short while later, he stood once more before the shimmering surface. The medallion still hung around his neck, the rune stones gripped in one hand and the ethereal battleaxe in the other. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would need any of those items anymore, but he decided to bring them along, just in case.
The moment he stepped into the portal, darkness enveloped him. He suddenly lost all sensation in his body. Instead of being immediately transported to the second floor, a review of his accomplishments materialized in front of him.
>>> Completion Status <<<
Time Taken: 5 hours 29 minutes
Enemies Killed: 100%
Mini-Bosses Defeated: 3 out of 3
Black Obelisks Destroyed: 5 out of 5
Secrets Discovered: 1 out of 1
Floor Completion Rate: 100%
Reward for Completing the First Floor: Chainsaw Arms (An Epic Ability)
Choose Your Reward for 100% Completion:
- 100,000 XP
- 50,000 MP
- 75,000 EP
Jake took a moment to review the information. The main reward for completing the first floor of the dungeon was an epic ability called Chainsaw Arms. He definitely couldn¡¯t wait to put it to the test.
He recalled reading in the dungeon¡¯s rules that each floor was meant to be completed in about an hour or slightly longer. However, he had spent five and a half hours on the first floor, diligently searching every nook and cranny. Besides feeling good about achieving 100% completion, his thorough exploration also earned him an additional reward of his choice, which was definitely an exciting development.
Before choosing a reward, he reviewed the other details. He had destroyed all of the black obelisks and killed all three mini-bosses, which were clearly the abyssal liches. They were definitely tougher than regular undead, so it was no surprise they were classified as mini-bosses. He had also found a secret, which granted him the ability to access the Void Temple.
He then shifted his attention back to the reward selection. He didn¡¯t really need more mana, as he still had plenty of magical energy within him, and he knew that magical consumables could be discovered within the dungeon as well. Moreover, given that he had plenty of MP left, he was skeptical that his body could accommodate an extra 50,000 MP.
He contemplated selecting 100,000 XP but was equally eager to find out what kinds of rewards could be acquired in the Void Temple, where a new currency called Essence Points could be spent. He couldn¡¯t return to the Void Temple just yet, as he was allowed to enter it only once every twenty-four hours, meaning he had to wait a few more hours. The only way to check how much EP he currently had was by visiting the Void Temple. Though he didn¡¯t know how much MP he had at the moment, he suspected it wasn¡¯t a significant amount.
Since he was eager to learn what EP could be spent on and wanted to ensure he had enough by his next visit to the temple, he ultimately decided to pick 75,000 EP. As soon as he made his selection, all the information faded away, and he was instantly teleported to the second floor of the dungeon.
Chapter 213 – Interlude III – Catalina
Chapter 213 ¨C Interlude III ¨C Catalina
She hated the situation she found herself in. She was now a fully-fledged member of Los Demonios, and her bosses truly believed she was one of them. At first, Los Demonios were aware that she saw them as her enemies: they attacked her group, killed all her friends, and forced her to work for the gang. However, after helping the gang capture several groups of survivors, her superiors no longer raised doubts about her loyalty, genuinely believing she had come around and had become one of them. But she wasn¡¯t. She still loathed the gang with every fiber of her being.
Nightmares of Todd being tortured continued to haunt her nights. The most painful part was that Melissa and her other friends at Base Ryder believed she had been the one who brutally killed him. After agreeing to join Los Demonios, she was prohibited from communicating with the workers at Base Ryder, preventing her from clarifying to Melissa and the others that she was not responsible for Todd¡¯s death. The reason her friends thought it was her was that Ryder had instructed his people to spread such rumors.
Melissa and the others might not have believed the rumors about Catalina killing her best friend, but seeing her suddenly become a member of the gang made them think otherwise. After all, it was well known that to join Los Demonios, a potential recruit was required to commit terrible acts, often involving the brutal killing of friends or teammates. Thus, when they witnessed Catalina accepted into Los Demonios and rising through the ranks of the gang, Melissa and the others easily believed the rumors that it was she who had brutally killed Todd.
Catalina felt the weight of hateful glances from Melissa and the other workers every time she visited Base Ryder, and that made her heart ache. It only added to her reasons for hating the gang. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it¡ªnot yet, anyway. She loathed everything they had done and dreamed of bringing the gang down from the inside. Yet, as she knew all too well, such a plan was far easier said than done.
Since she was assigned to Base Ryder, her immediate superior was Ryder, who, in turn, reported to Skullface, the supreme leader of the organization¡ªor one of them, since the exact hierarchy within the group was shrouded in mystery. Base Ryder served as a secondary outpost, while the main base, where Skullface and potentially other high-ranking leaders operated, lay hidden somewhere beyond the city¡¯s boundaries.
The organization was huge, and Catalina knew she couldn¡¯t go against such a powerful force all on her own. She needed help. Ever since she spotted the morphus on that rainy night, standing on the edge of a ten-story building and staring down at her, thoughts of the mutant consumed her. By now, she had heard numerous rumors about it. It was said that the morphus was exceptionally dangerous and far smarter than any other ex-humans. Some even speculated it might be sapient.
After catching sight of the morphus perched on the edge of the building¡¯s roof that rainy night, Catalina¡¯s thoughts constantly returned to the mutant. From what she heard, the mutant seemed to defend itself only when cornered, hardly ever attacking first. She wasn¡¯t sure if this was entirely accurate, though. Yet, if she could find a way to sic the morphus on the gang, it could set her plans for bringing the organization down in motion at last.
That was why she was currently following a pickup truck belonging to Los Demonios. One of its occupants had recently received orders to hunt down and kill the morphus. Unlike them, Catalina had never been assigned such a mission, as her knack for capturing regular survivors made her too valuable to the organization. Ryder and Skullface couldn¡¯t risk losing her by sending her after the dangerous creature, opting instead to assign the mission to those considered expendable. Several gang members had already failed in their attempts to kill the morphus, meeting their own demise at the hands of the creature. With each failure, more people joined the hunt, hoping to increase their odds against the notorious mutant. Currently, besides the pickup truck, an SUV filled with even more hunters was also on the lookout for the morphus, maintaining a steady line of communication with the truck.
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Perched atop her motorcycle, Catalina followed the vehicle for quite a while, always keeping it in sight while maintaining a safe distance to avoid being detected. Eventually, the SUV and the pickup truck seemed to have cornered the morphus. The creature bolted into a small building, with the pickup crashing in right behind it. Catalina brought her bike to a stop further down the street, watching the scene unfold from far away. From her vantage point, she could hear the crack of gunfire and the agonizing screams of men meeting their end. It was obvious that this group was faring no better than those who had tried to kill the morphus before them.
The SUV then maneuvered itself in front of the building, allowing its occupants to open fire on the morphus trapped inside. Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events unfolded. A fierce barrage of gunfire erupted from within the small structure, targeting the SUV. The morphus was clearly operating the machine gun mounted in the bed of the pickup truck, validating rumors that it was far smarter than your average ex-human. At this point, Catalina was even willing to take the rumors about the morphus being sapient at face value.
Suddenly, the morphus erupted from the building, charging straight for the SUV. It seemed some of the vehicle¡¯s occupants had managed to survive, for the black mutant sprouted three long tentacles from its back, lashing them into the vehicle and killing some of the remaining gang members. Just then, the passenger-side door flew open, and another surviving gang member bolted out of the vehicle. He didn¡¯t get far, though.
The bandit, injured in one leg, found it difficult to run quickly. A panicked scream escaped his lips as he glanced over his shoulder, seeing the mutant with its three writhing tentacles positioned at the front of the SUV. In desperation, the bandit fired a large pistol at the creature, striking it in the shoulder. To his horror, the mutant barely reacted, and the impact seemed to inflict little to no damage.
The mutant launched one of its tentacles at the fleeing bandit, stabbing it into the man¡¯s back and throwing him off balance, sending him crashing to the ground. Then, for some reason, the three tentacles suddenly detached from the mutant¡¯s back¡ªperhaps it simply didn¡¯t need them anymore. The wounded bandit crawled across the asphalt toward the spot where his pistol had slipped from his grasp when he fell.
Instead of finishing the bandit off, the mutant suddenly turned in Catalina¡¯s direction as if it had just become aware of her presence nearby. Even though its large bluish eyes were emotionless, Catalina felt as if the mutant recognized her. She attempted to use one of her crowd-controlling spells on the black mutant, but nothing happened. It was expected, though, as the spell only worked on groups of ex-humans or emotionally unstable people, having no effect on singular targets. Still, she had to try, just to be sure. As she cast the spell on the mutant, she felt a strange resistance. It was surprising¡ªshe had never experienced anything like that with previous targets. Unlike the regular ex-humans, it seemed that the morphus possessed a unique immunity to crowd-controlling magical spells.
The morphus fixed its gaze on her, and she felt a wave of unease wash over her. No, it was more than that¡ªshe was terrified. If the black mutant possessed any intelligence, there might be a chance to communicate, maybe even forge an alliance against Los Demonios. But after witnessing how easily and brutally it had slain two groups of bandits, she couldn¡¯t shake off her fear. The creature¡¯s predatory stance sent icy tendrils creeping up her spine. She prepared to swing her bike around and escape the instant the mutant lunged at her.
However, something else happened. The wounded bandit finally grabbed his pistol and fired at the morphus again. The black mutant immediately shifted its attention back to the bandit. It vaulted over the SUV¡¯s hood and reached him in a single leap, transforming one of its arms into a blade and swiftly finishing off the wounded bandit.
Catalina had reached her limit. She simply wasn¡¯t in the right emotional state to try and communicate with the mutant right now. The creature¡¯s predatory stance, its elongated jaws lined with sharp teeth, and the thick blood of its victims coating its body from head to toe made it difficult to believe the morphus could be anything but a mindless killing machine. It seemed intent solely on hunting its prey. Given this, Catalina chose to prioritize her safety and flee. Though she had originally followed the pickup truck here with hopes of connecting with the morphus, watching it dispatch two teams with eerie ease had sent her nerves spiraling. Right now, she definitely wasn¡¯t ready to try to communicate with the mutant and learn whether it was intelligent.
When she propelled her bike forward, the terrifying mutant morphed its other arm into a blade, poised and waiting, obviously believing she intended to attack. But she didn¡¯t. Instead, she veered her sleek bike around and raced in the opposite direction, quickly picking up speed.
Though she didn¡¯t glance back, she could sense the weight of the mutant¡¯s gaze on her.
¡®Till next time, she thought.
Chapter 214
Chapter 214
Jake crept down a wide, long corridor, his footsteps barely making a sound on the cobbled floor. Torches mounted on the brick walls on either side of him magically flickered to life as he approached them. Since only the torches nearest to him got ignited, the farther end of the corridor was shrouded in deep darkness. He didn¡¯t know where the corridor led, but his guess was to another room or chamber, where another bunch of enemies awaited.
Jake had been exploring the second floor of the dungeon for a little while now. It was pretty similar to what he had experienced on the first floor: a maze consisting of numerous rooms and chambers connected by long corridors. Unlike the first floor, however, which mostly contained empty chambers, this floor was designed as a medieval-style dungeon, complete with ancient torture devices.
The enemies that filled the second floor were notably different. While the first level teemed with various undead creatures, this one was inhabited by ratmen¡ªhumanoid beings that combined traits of both humans and rats, each roughly the size of an adult human. Jake had encountered quite a few ratmen on the second floor of the dungeon, so he had examined those creatures quite a bit by that point.
Ratmen possessed elongated faces with pronounced snouts, featuring sharp, rodent-like teeth. Their eyes were large and beady, usually exhibiting shades of red, yellow, or black. They had whiskers that protruded from their muzzles, and their oversized, pointed ears resembled those of a rat. Positioned high on their heads, the ears were highly mobile and attuned to sounds around them, indicating their heightened senses. Ratmen¡¯s skin was covered in a fine layer of fur that varied in color from gray and brown to black and white. Their muscular arms and legs, covered in fur, balanced strength with agility.
Ratmen featured long fingers and toes, each tipped with sharp claws. Yet, rather than using these natural weapons in combat, they preferred crude melee and ranged weaponry. They also had long, hairless tails that were both flexible and prehensile. Through his encounters with ratmen, Jake learned that their tails aided in balance, particularly when navigating narrow spaces or climbing.
Ratmen were exceptionally agile and quick, their lithe bodies allowing them to squeeze through tight spaces, climb quickly, and evade his attacks. He learned that they were quite intelligent as well. Instead of mindlessly charging at him like the undead on the first floor, ratmen strategized their movements, attempting to surround him and exploit their numerical advantage. During combat, they often communicated through a mix of vocalizations, squeaks, and body language. When they sensed they were going to lose, they would retreat, agilely scaling walls and slipping through narrow openings that he couldn¡¯t access. As a result, battles with ratmen could become quite frustrating.
At last, the corridor he was traversing opened up, revealing a vast chamber with corners draped in thick cobwebs. He paused at the threshold, taking in the expansive area ahead. The air was heavy with moisture, and the musty stench of decay assaulted his senses. Several tunnels branched from the chamber, each leading into darkness. Jake lingered at the entrance, carefully studying the ominous chamber before him.
The flickering wall-mounted torches cast light on a collection of grotesque medieval torture devices. In one corner stood a heavy wooden rack, its ropes frayed and coated in dust. Splintered wood and rusted iron fittings littered the floor. A small alcove in one wall housed a menacing iron maiden, its door slightly ajar and revealing the cruel, rusted spikes within.
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Against another wall stood a grim, worn stone table, stained and eroded by the passage of time. Chains dangled from the walls like limp pendants, casting long shadows that flickered unsettlingly in the wavering light. Nearby loomed a large wooden chair, its leather straps dangling loosely from the arms, frayed at the edges. Just beyond it, the remnants of a barrel lay, filled with rusty implements¡ªgnarled hooks, jagged blades, and serrated saws¡ªeach a tool of unimaginable cruelty.
Jake continued to survey the vast area before him. Aside from the array of ancient, rusty torture devices, the chamber held nothing else¡ªno enemies, treasures, traps, or hidden secrets. Jake slowly reached the center of the room and carefully looked around once again to ensure he didn¡¯t miss anything of use. If there were any hidden secrets, he couldn¡¯t detect any. Once satisfied that the chamber offered nothing of interest, he turned his attention to the tunnels branching off from it. Each entrance was shrouded in supernatural darkness, which even his enhanced sight couldn¡¯t penetrate. With little choice, Jake chose a direction at random and pressed on.
For a minute or so, Jake walked through another corridor, identical to the last and all the others he had traversed. Finally, the corridor opened into a large room, lit by flickering torches affixed to the rough stone walls, casting eerie shadows that danced like specters. This room looked just like the previous one, except this one was devoid of any torture devices.
In the center of the chamber, a gathering of ratmen turned sharply at the sound of his arrival, their beady eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and aggression. They instantly dropped into defensive postures, baring their sharp teeth and hissing menacingly. The leader¡ªlarger than the rest, with matted fur and a jagged scar running down its snout¡ªraised a crude sword made of scrap metal, brandishing it as if it were a prized weapon. The others followed suit, wielding an assortment of weapons. Their growls filled the chamber, a guttural chorus that resonated with hostility.
Jake¡¯s gaze returned to the leader, noticeably larger and more menacing than the other ratmen.
Ratman ¨C Vermin King ¨C Level 95 (Elite)
It was the very first time he had encountered such a ratman on the second floor of the dungeon. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was considered a mini-boss or just an ordinary elite enemy. He then glanced at a couple of the other ratmen, who were smaller and less intimidating-looking than the leader.
Ratman ¨C Minion ¨C Level 80
All of the other ratmen in the chamber were minions, the same kind he had been encountering on the second floor of the dungeon so far. He quickly glanced over the minions in the room, noting that they were all armed with various melee weapons: a makeshift mace fashioned from a heavy stone tied to a wooden handle, a jagged axe glinting in the dim light, and even a crude spear. Their claws twitched in anticipation, and their sharp teeth glinted as they crouched in aggressive stances. A primal energy filled the room as they waved their weapons, hissing and growling, trying to scare him off.
Jake refused to retreat, though. Instead, he stepped into the room. Seeing his defiance, the vermin king bared its fangs and stomped forward, waving its sword menacingly as if caught in a dance of intimidation. The others mirrored the movements of the leader, their frenzied growls creating a cacophony that echoed through the chamber. Morphing his hands into weapons, Jake charged toward the approaching ratmen.
Chapter 215
Chapter 215
Unleashing blades from his wrists, Jake launched himself into the midst of the ratmen. His first swing split one of the ratman¡¯s hands, which held a crude mace, at the wrist. His second swing caved in another creature¡¯s skull, making a mess of its oily fur, covering it in the thing¡¯s own stale blood as it died.
Jerking his sword free with a fierce tug, Jake moved to the next ratman. The sword thunked between the thing¡¯s eyes with a spray of dark blood. He worked the blade loose and instantly plunged it into another ratman¡¯s eye. The sword¡¯s blade dug deep, up into the creature¡¯s skull.
The other ratmen swung their weapons at him, but he easily dodged their attacks. While the creatures were fast and agile, they were no match for his own speed. Frustrated by their inability to hit him, they launched a coordinated assault, thinking he would struggle to avoid their combined strikes.
That was when he unleashed long spikes from all over his body, piercing the unfortunate ratmen who got too close. Though injured, the wounds they received were not life-threatening. Both the wounded and the unscathed ratmen leaped away from him. For a moment, they simply glared at him with their red, malevolent eyes, too intimidated to advance now that he resembled a nightmarish version of a porcupine.
With a thought, Jake unleashed the spikes from his body. They shot through the air in every direction, injuring some ratmen while fatally striking others. The creatures hissed and squealed in terror, scattering in all directions. Taking advantage of their panicked state, Jake propelled himself after the fleeing creatures.
Sprouting three bladed tentacles from his back, he struck like a snake at one of the ratmen, hitting the creature¡¯s head and splattering the nearest wall with its blood. He jerked the blade free and lashed out at another creature. It staggered from the impact as Jake swung his third tentacle, cutting open and caving in another ratman¡¯s forehead.
The ranks of the ratman minions had been significantly diminished by then. The surviving creatures scattered in panic, scaling the brick walls with surprising speed and agility. They dug their curved claws into small crevices and flicked their tails for balance, darting into various openings that were far too narrow for Jake to fit into.
Suddenly, the Vermin King swung its gigantic sword at him. He quickly darted aside, and the blade slammed with a solid thud into the floor where he had just been standing. The ratman leader swung its two-handed sword again, but Jake effortlessly dodged it, feeling the blade slice the air above him with a sharp whoosh. While the Vermin King was undoubtedly stronger than its minions, it was too slow to land a hit on Jake.
The Vermin King opened its jaws, and in an instant, a cloud of green gas surged forth from its throat. Jake darted aside before the poisonous cloud could envelop him. Giving it a wide berth, he approached the ratman leader from behind. Just as the creature turned to face him, Jake launched an attack, swinging one of his swords with all the strength he could muster. It thunked into the side of the creature¡¯s throat, opening it in an explosion of blood.
Just as the dying Vermin King collapsed to the ground, Jake scanned the area for more creatures to kill. While most of the ratmen lay dead or had fled, a few remained. One of his blades entered one creature¡¯s body. It cut through its flesh, the tip of his sword emerging from the front of its back.
His other sword arm slashed out to take away the top of a second ratman¡¯s skull in a single swipe. He pulled his first sword free and immediately attacked other ratmen. His blade cleaved the hands of another creature at the wrists. He thrust his blade into another ratman¡¯s back, which tried to flee, the tip of his sword bursting forth from the center of its chest. He dodged an attack and rammed his blade up through the underside of the attacker¡¯s chin into its brain. The ratman¡¯s dead weight slumped onto him as he caught the falling corpse and shoved it aside.
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Jake sliced through skulls and sent heads flying to bounce, rolling across the floor of the room. He continued to fight the remaining ratmen until there were none left.
Multiple enemies killed. +12,250 XP
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 81 to 82. You have gained 5 SP.
Jake made the choice to invest all five of his skill points into the Magick attribute, aiming to boost the maximum amount of mana his body could contain and to improve its proficiency in manipulating mana.
Body: 75
Mind: 75
Magick: 75 ¡ú 80
With that done, he scanned the room for any treasures. In one of the room¡¯s farthest corners, he discovered a chest that he had missed during his initial examination from the entrance, as it had not been visible from that vantage point. With a thought, he summoned the container¡¯s description.
Quality chest (Uncommon)
It was a nice find. The loot in uncommon chests was typically of higher quality than that in common ones. From experience, Jake also knew that quality chests were often booby-trapped. Before approaching the chest, he carefully inspected it, almost immediately noticing a thin thread extending from one corner down to the floor, disappearing into a small hole at the base.
Rather than disabling the trap, Jake opted to trigger it instead. Keeping a safe distance, he unleashed a bladed tentacle from his back, extending it fully toward the chest. He wedged the blade¡¯s tip between the chest and its lid and began to lift. The thread tightened before snapping cleanly in two.
Immediately, a small circular section of the wall behind the chest slid open, and a stream of liquid fire erupted from it, scorching the ground before the chest for several seconds. Once the flames subsided, Jake stepped closer and peered inside. At the bottom of the chest lay three items: a shortsword, a mana crystal, and an object resembling a star-shaped medallion.
He first extracted the magical energy from the mana crystal and then checked the weapon.
Name: Fine Shortsword
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: Forged from a unique alloy, this expertly crafted sword is designed to deal additional damage to various beasts and beastmen.
Primary effects: Increases damage dealt to beasts and beastmen by 25%.
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: None
Shortly after arriving on the second floor of the dungeon, Jake stored the ethereal battleaxe, the protective medallion, and the three rune stones from the first floor in one of the regular chests he had found, convinced he would no longer need them. As for the fine shortsword he had just found, he also doubted he needed it. His natural weapons dealt a lot of damage to ratmen, so he decided to leave the sword in the chest.
He then retrieved the last item from the chest¡ªthe star-shaped medallion. When he attempted to appraise it with a thought, nothing happened. The item resembled a key, likely designed to unlock something. It probably served as part of a puzzle, so Jake concluded it was wise to keep it. After placing the potential key in his mouth, he took one final glance inside the chest.
Nothing else lay inside, but Jake¡¯s keen eyes noticed something strange. A small, convex oval shape, almost undetectable, caught his attention. It resembled a button, leading Jake to wonder if it might be a trap. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. The bulge was nearly imperceptible, clearly intended to go unnoticed by anyone who opened the chest. A wave of excitement washed over him¡ªhe had definitely just stumbled upon a secret.
Just to be on the safe side, he stepped a safe distance from the chest. Sprouting a long, flexible tendril from his back, he guided it into the chest. He maneuvered the tendril across one of the inner walls of the chest, searching for the oval bulge. Once he found it, he applied pressure. Just as he expected, it turned out to be a button, easily yielding to his touch. The moment it did, Jake prepared to leap away from the chest at the first hint of danger.
Chapter 216
Chapter 216
Nothing dangerous happened, though. A small section on one of the inner walls of the chest slid aside, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside, there was a rectangular object with a round protrusion on one side. Since no trap had been activated, Jake detached his tendril and stepped closer to the chest. He leaned in, extended one hand toward the hidden compartment, and took the object from within.
Straightening up, he examined the item resting in his palm. The object resembled a single jigsaw puzzle piece, shaped like a small rectangle with two straight edges and two curved ones. The top and left edges were straight, while the right edge had a prominent protrusion¡ªa rounded knob that jutted out, designed to fit into a corresponding indentation on another piece. The bottom edge featured a deep indentation, creating a space for a knob from a neighboring piece to slot into.
Since he currently had only one piece of the puzzle, it was difficult to determine how many more there might be. Considering the size of the piece¡ªalmost as large as his palm¡ªhe suspected there were probably three more, or maybe a bit more than that. Jake took the puzzle piece with his other hand and examined both sides of it. Neither side bore any image. From the look of it, Jake concluded that once he found all the pieces, they would fit together to create some sort of key, granting him access to a specific location or unlocking something important.
He placed the puzzle piece in his mouth, where the star-shaped medallion rested, then chose a random direction and continued on. He traversed the dungeon for some time, dealing with small groups of ratman minions that he occasionally came across.
After completing the first floor of the dungeon, Jake had received the Chainsaw Arms ability. However, since it was an epic ability, it was located in the third section of the Genetic Development Interface, which Jake couldn¡¯t access because he hadn¡¯t evolved into Stage III yet. For now, he relied on his previous weapons in battles against ratmen. As for evolving into the next form, he decided to hold off on that for the time being. Although he already had a good idea of which of the three subclasses he wanted to choose, he preferred to focus on one thing at a time. So he intended to finish the dungeon first, and after that, he would evolve into the next stage, focusing on getting to know his new form and familiarizing himself with the new powers that would come with it.
He continued to explore the second floor of the dungeon for some time. Every now and then, he stumbled upon primitive chests containing various weapons and lesser mana consumables. While he extracted the magical energy from the mana items, he chose to leave the weapons behind. The loot found in these primitive chests only included common weapons, which paled in comparison to his own natural armament.
At some point, he entered a vast room filled with a type of ratman he had never encountered before. They wandered aimlessly around the spacious yet largely empty chamber. A few noticed him at the entrance but made no immediate move. Jake paused for a moment to retrieve the description of these creatures.
Ratman - Grunt - Level 85
All of the ratmen in the room were grunts. Just like the previous ratmen he had encountered, they wore no clothing, as a thick layer of fur covered most of their bodies. However, some of the grunts wore pieces of armor, such as cuirasses and helmets. They were armed with various melee weapons, including nasty-looking maces, double-edged axes, and jagged swords. Compared to the minions, the grunts were distinctly larger and exhibited a more robust muscle structure.
Jake prepared his weapons and charged into the room. The grunts snarled menacingly as they lunged at him, weapons raised. As expected, the grunts were significantly more powerful than the ratman minions. They swung their hefty weapons with tremendous force, slicing through the air with an audible whoosh and striking the cobbled floor with resounding clanks and thuds. Jake was quick enough to dodge their attacks while successfully countering with his own weapons. Unlike the minions, the grunts didn¡¯t attempt to retreat even when it became clear that they were all about to be slaughtered. Instead, they continued to fight back fiercely, even as their ranks quickly diminished. After a few intense minutes, the battle concluded, leaving the cobbled floor strewn with the bodies of the slain ratman grunts.
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Multiple enemies killed. +15,350 XP
Having defeated the enemies, he surveyed the room for any treasures. In one corner, he spotted a chest. With a thought, he summoned its description.
Quality Chest (Uncommon)
It had been some time since he discovered a quality chest, and a wave of excitement washed over him. Even though he was aware that he didn¡¯t really need the weapons found in chests, he was still intrigued by what he might find inside.
Well aware that quality chests were often booby-trapped, he carefully inspected it. To his surprise, this one wasn¡¯t. He scrutinized it from every angle but found no indications of traps, whether mechanical or magical.
He approached the chest and crouched in front of it. As he lifted the lid, he leaned in to glance inside. At the bottom rested two items: a battleaxe and a mana crystal. He first siphoned the magical energy from the mana crystal before examining the weapon.
Name: Bone Battleaxe
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: Crafted from the bone of a powerful creature, this expertly made battleaxe is highly effective against a range of beasts and beastmen, particularly rats and ratmen. It also features one ruby slot.
Primary effects: Increases damage inflicted on beasts and beastmen by 25%, plus grants an extra 25% damage against rats and ratmen.
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: 1 (Ruby)
The battleaxe was one-bladed and entirely made of bone. Just above the handle, there was a rhombus-shaped indentation where a gemstone should fit. Even though Jake didn¡¯t feel the need for special weapons against ratmen, he decided to pick up the bone battleaxe. Since it offered a significant increase in damage against ratmen, he decided it was worth a test run. He was also curious about what effects a gemstone would grant the weapon when inserted into the slot.
For the next several minutes, he continued to explore the dungeon without encountering any more enemies. He moved through corridor after corridor, the battleaxe held firmly in one hand. Upon reaching a four-way junction, he noticed something intriguing. At the center of the intersection stood an obelisk, soaring around twelve feet high. It featured four sides and was crafted from a gleaming silvery material. The top of the obelisk was flat and adorned with a crown-like object. With a thought, Jake summoned the obelisk¡¯s description.
Dark Spirit Conduit
No additional information popped up. Jake walked around the Dark Spirit Conduit, inspecting it from all angles. Unlike the black obelisks on the first floor, this structure was devoid of any enigmatic symbols etched into its surfaces. However, on one side, at eye level, two indentations caught his attention, stacked one over the other. The top indentation mirrored the shape of a human hand with fingers spread wide, while the one below resembled the star-shaped medallion he had discovered earlier.
However, when Jake took the medallion out of his mouth, he realized they weren¡¯t exactly the same. While similar in shape and identical in size, the indentation had a sun-like pattern with longer rays. Despite knowing it wouldn¡¯t fit, he still attempted to insert the star-shaped medallion into the sun-shaped indentation. As expected, it wouldn¡¯t go in.
Jake returned the medallion to his mouth and pressed the palm of his free hand into the hand-shaped indentation. He kept it there for a few seconds, but nothing occurred. Pulling his hand back, he glanced at the two indentations one last time. He was fairly confident that additional Dark Spirit Conduits were present on this floor, and one of them had to possess a star-shaped indentation for his medallion to fit. He also suspected a sun-shaped medallion was stashed away somewhere, and he just had to find it.
For the moment, he had no means to activate the Dark Spirit Conduit before him, but he was determined to return once he discovered the sun-shaped medallion. Since he had needed to solve a puzzle on the first floor to gain access to the second floor, it was clear that a similar challenge awaited him here. Although he hadn¡¯t located the portal yet and had no clear idea of the exact purpose of these obelisk-like structures, he was fairly certain they were part of the puzzle, the solution of which would allow him to progress to the next, third, floor. With that in mind, he chose a random direction and continued to explore the dungeon.
Chapter 217
Chapter 217
Jake ducked just in time as a ratman grunt swung the mace it wielded in his direction. Unfazed, the beastman pressed on with its assault, delivering another powerful swing. Jake swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow. He immediately darted aside as a second ratman grunt slashed at him with a two-handed sword. The huge blade sliced through the air over his head with a whoosh. As the grunt lifted its sword for another attack, a third ratman lunged forward with astonishing speed, thrusting its spear toward Jake. He barely managed to leap aside, evading the deadly point. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the mace-wielding grunt charging at him once more and quickly danced aside to evade the blow.
This fight was quickly becoming frustrating. Over the past half hour, Jake had faced multiple groups of ratman grunts. While these foes were undeniably stronger and more dangerous than minions, he had managed to dispatch them with relative ease. This fight, however, was different. The reason was another type of ratman that was part of that group.
Ratman - Bonecaster - Level 85
This new type of enemy maintained a constant position behind the grunts. The bonecaster was tall and scrawny, lacking the physical strength of the grunts. As a spell caster, it chose to stay at the rear, relying on the physically stronger grunts to handle the frontline combat. Every now and then, the bonecaster would unleash a bolt of lightning from the top of its staff, but thanks to Feral Instincts as well as his remarkable speed and reflexes, Jake was able to skillfully dodge the attacks.
What made the bonecaster an annoying opponent was another spell it kept casting. Every few seconds, it would point its staff at one of the grunts and unleash a wave of energy that temporarily empowered the target, making it significantly more agile, faster, and physically stronger. The bonecaster used this spell far more frequently than it launched lightning bolts, which meant there were multiple beefed-up grunts at any given time.
The enhanced grunts, powered by the bonecaster¡¯s spell, demonstrated surprising speed and agility compared to their regular counterparts. This made the battle significantly more difficult than any previous encounters he had faced. He knew that to win he had to take out the bonecaster, but getting to it proved challenging. The spellslinger always stayed tucked behind the beefed-up grunts that pressed forward relentlessly, pushing him onto the defensive.
Confronting these fast and agile foes was no small feat, forcing him into a rhythm of dodging and deflecting their attacks. Most of the time, he found himself unable to launch a counterattack, as he was ensnared in a continuous struggle just to protect himself. The relentless onslaught of the enhanced grunts tested his skills and endurance, leaving him to ponder how he could turn the tables in this increasingly desperate situation.
Jake continued to evade the grunts¡¯ attacks for some time. Unable to reach the bonecaster, he found himself with two options: wait for the buffs to wear off, returning the grunts to their normal speed and strength, or hope the bonecaster would eventually run out of mana. Unfortunately, the bonecaster cast the buffs on the grunts way too often, allowing them to constantly be in a beefed-up state, and the spell caster also appeared to have an enormous amount of mana. Jake was quickly running out of patience. Ultimately, he resolved to go on the offensive, even if it meant sustaining some damage.
With a thought, he unleashed countless spikes from his body and charged into the heart of the grunts, swinging his battleaxe with ferocity. The blade gleamed as it cut through muscle and bone with surprising ease.
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He took the head off the shoulders of one ratman. A fierce sweep cleaved another one in two. With a downward swing, the blade of his axe bit into the shoulder of another ratman, going almost to the middle of its body. The battleaxe he wielded proved extremely effective against the ratmen. With a powerful yank, he wrenched the axe free from the grunt¡¯s body and pressed on his relentless assault.
With each strike he unleashed, the ratmen shrieked in rage and agony. They surrounded him, their eyes glowing like embers, but he pressed on, fueled by unwavering resolve. The ground was strewn with the remnants of the fallen ratmen, the acrid stench of blood assaulting his senses. Every now and then, they managed to land a hit on him, but he barely paid attention to that.
When he was in the middle of ratmen, he launched the spikes from his body, sending them zipping through the air every which way. He pressed on without pausing, hacking and slicing through the dense ranks of the ratmen until he finally emerged into the open. Up ahead, he saw the bonecaster. Instead of charging it, he did something else. He hurled the bone battleaxe toward the enemy, sending it flinging end over end through the air. The bonecaster tried to get away, but it was too slow, and the blade of the axe sank into its head, splitting it cleanly in two.
Jake pivoted to face the remaining grunts. With the bonecaster defeated, the enhancements it had bestowed upon them evaporated instantly. Once back to their normal speed and strength, the ratmen posed little challenge for Jake. It didn¡¯t take him long to dispatch what was left of the ratmen.
Multiple enemies killed. +25,125 XP
For a brief moment, Jake remained rooted to the spot. The floor was strewn with the remnants of the slain ratmen and slick with spilled blood. Several wounds he had endured during the fight oozed mana, but Enhanced Regeneration was already hard at work patching him up. He took a second to assess his current experience.
XP: 43,155/103,750
In one of the corners of the chamber sat a primitive chest. Since it was of common rarity, it wasn¡¯t trapped. Upon approaching the chest, Jake lifted the lid and peered inside. He found a few lesser mana items alongside some vial nestled at the bottom. After extracting the mana, he picked up the vial for a closer inspection. It contained a clear, viscous liquid. He summoned its description.
Name: Deathwhisper Ointment
Rarity: Common
Description: When applied to the blade of your weapon, the ointment grants it the ability to deal damage to ghosts and other creatures that do not have a physical body.
Primary effects: Increases damage inflicted on ghosts and similar creatures by 10%
Duration: 6 hours
So it was a temporary buff vial. Since he was given such an ointment, it probably suggested there might be ghost-like enemies lurking on this floor as well. Jake moved toward the bonecaster¡¯s body, which lay sprawled on its back with the battleaxe still embedded in its skull. He placed a foot on the chest of the slain ratman and, with a sharp tug, wrenched the axe free from its skull.
Returning to the chest, Jake placed the axe on the floor. He picked up the vial once more and pulled the cork free. He then took the axe with the other hand and poured the liquid-like ointment over the blade. He thought he would have to spread it all over the blade manually and was taken aback when the magical ointment began to move across the surface of the axe¡¯s blade on its own, covering every inch of it. When it reached the edge of the blade, instead of dripping off, the strange viscous liquid flowed smoothly to the opposite side, covering that as well. The whole process took just a few seconds, and when it was over, both sides of the axe¡¯s blade were coated in the transparent ointment, which slightly glinted in the light of the wall-mounted torches.
Jake then summoned the description of the axe once more. Since he had already studied it before, he concentrated solely on the newly added information.
Temporary effects: The damage inflicted on ghosts and similar creatures is increased by 10% for 6 hours. Remaining time: 5 hours 57 seconds
With that done, Jake left the chamber and ventured into the deeper sections of the dungeon. He continued to explore for some time without encountering any enemies.
At one point, he came across a room that contained a familiar shape: the looming arch of a portal. Just like the one he had found on the first floor, it was inactive. He stepped into the chamber to take a closer look at the dormant portal.
Chapter 218
Chapter 218
Jake slowly walked around the towering arch. It looked identical to the portal he had encountered on the first floor, but there was one notable difference: the engravings. The portal before him lacked any, and the surface of the arch was smooth and flat. There weren¡¯t any indentations where a key could be inserted, either. Though the arch appeared plain at first glance, the front side¡ªfacing the entrance¡ªbore five engraved symbols. Aside from these, neither side of the arch featured any other markings. Jake stepped back to get a better view of all five symbols etched into its surface.
He remembered that the three symbols on the first-floor portal were located on one of the two bases of the arch, arranged vertically, one above the other. In contrast, the position of the five symbols on this portal was very different. Rather than being grouped in one area, they were spaced apart across the entire arch. One of the symbols was located at eye level on the left base of the arch. Another was at the right base, situated at the same height. The third was positioned at the curved top of the portal, directly in the center of the arch. The other two symbols flanked either side of the top one, located at the rounded corners of the arch.
Jake took a moment to examine the five symbols. He remembered that the three symbols etched into the surface of the first-floor portal had given him the impressions of a flame, a piece of ice, and a spatter of acid. These five symbols, however, looked nothing like those three. They didn¡¯t have any familiar shapes, appearing as indecipherable markings that conveyed no specific impressions at all. They were simply mysterious symbols or letters from some ancient arcane language.
Jake remembered that the same three symbols carved into the first-floor portal were also inscribed on the rune stones worn by the three abyssal liches around their necks. This likely meant that the five symbols on this portal could be connected to items on this floor as well. Jake racked his brain, trying to remember if he had seen any similar symbols on the second floor.
However, nothing came to mind. He was absolutely sure he had never seen these five symbols anywhere on the floor before. Still, that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t present somewhere. Although he had explored quite a bit of the second floor by that point, there were still many places he had yet to investigate. It was possible that rune stones bearing the same symbols were hidden somewhere, waiting to be found.
Since there was nothing he could do in the chamber with the portal at the moment, Jake left the room and continued to explore the dungeon, dispatching every group of ratman minions and grunts he ran into. At one point, he attempted to access the Boost Menu to purchase an Increased XP booster. Given that he had a substantial amount of mana at his disposal, he figured he could afford to spend 10,000 MP.
To his surprise, the booster menu failed to pop up in his mind. Instead, a system message emerged.
The Boost Menu is no longer available.
It was both surprising and disappointing. At first, he thought he wasn¡¯t allowed to purchase boosters while in the dungeon. However, when he requested additional information, a completely different and unexpected reason came to light.
The Boost Menu is unavailable in areas that have been upgraded to Level 2.
He remembered that the city he was in had recently been upgraded to the next level, making all the enemies more powerful. The difficulty had increased, which also resulted in the Boost Menu being deactivated. It was truly disappointing. Had he known this would happen, he would have utilized the Boost Menu, particularly the Increased XP booster, far more often than he had.
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Jake continued to explore the dungeon. So far, he had failed to find anything that bore the same five symbols engraved on the surface of the portal¡¯s arch. This struck him as odd. Jake felt as if he was overlooking something important. If those five symbols were carved or inscribed elsewhere, he should have discovered at least one by now. However, he hadn¡¯t found any, and it nagged at him.
At some point, he entered a vast chamber filled with a group of grunts and a couple of bonecasters. As soon as he saw the latter, Jake tensed up. He had developed a strong dislike for that particular type of ratman. Determined to avoid a drawn-out and exhausting battle like the last one with a bonecaster, he decided to take down the two spellslingers as quickly as possible.
Before the grunts could close in on him, he launched his bone battleaxe at one of the bonecasters. The axe spun end over end as it sailed through the air toward its target. The blade embedded itself deep into the ratman¡¯s skull. One bonecaster down, and one more to take out.
The group of grunts had already advanced toward him while the second spellslinger stayed at the rear. The ratmen quickly formed a circle around him. Instead of battling his way through, as he had done before in a similar situation, he opted for a different approach. He jumped, activating Gravity Leap. The magically powered leap sent him soaring high above the heads of the ratman grunts.
He landed behind the grunts, just a short distance from the bonecaster, and immediately charged at the creature. The spellslinger attempted to flee, but Jake spat out a glob of acid, catching the ratman in the ankle. The acid spit quickly burned through the bonecaster¡¯s flesh, causing the ratman to lose its balance and crash to the ground. With a single leap, Jake closed the distance to his fallen foe and brought his smashfist down hard on its skull, causing it to blow apart.
Now that the grunts couldn¡¯t be upgraded to more powerful versions of themselves, it didn¡¯t take Jake much time or effort to deal with them.
Multiple enemies killed. +25,125 XP
Jake looked around and spotted a primitive chest nestled in one of the corners. Like most of the primitive chests he had discovered, it was not trapped. He approached it and lifted the lid. At the bottom rested a single item.
Name: Ruby
Rarity: Common
Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon gives it the ability to set aflame any enemies vulnerable to Fire. When placed in your armor¡¯s slot, it increases your Fire resistance.
Primary Effects: 10% chance to ignite the target when inserted into a weapon. Increases Fire resistance by 10% when placed in armor.
Status: 100%
Jake retrieved his bone battleaxe and examined the small indentation above the handle. It matched the shape of the ruby perfectly. He pressed the gem into the indentation, and it clicked into place. The ruby now sat snugly in the slot, causing the entire surface of the battleaxe to glow with a faint red light, while subtle glimmers sparkled across its surface.
Jake then reviewed the stats of the battleaxe one more time.
Name: Bone Battleaxe
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: Crafted from the bone of a powerful creature, this expertly made battleaxe is highly effective against a range of beasts and beastmen, particularly rats and ratmen. It also features one ruby slot.
Primary effects: Increases damage inflicted on beasts and beastmen by 25%, plus grants an extra 25% damage against rats and ratmen.
Temporary effects: The damage inflicted on ghosts and similar creatures is increased by 10% for 6 hours. Remaining time: 5 hours, 14 seconds
Enchantments: None
Slots: Ruby - Grants a 10% chance to ignite the target. Status: 100%
It was interesting. Jake was eager to try out the upgraded weapon against ratmen, who were vulnerable to Fire. After choosing a random direction, he continued exploring the dungeon.
Chapter 219
Chapter 219
Jake ducked as one of the grunts lunged at him. Another one jabbed its spear in his direction, but he sidestepped, easily avoiding the lethal tip. Behind him, he picked up the familiar sounds of scuttling feet and an angry hiss. When he spun around, he was met by a rat as large as a German Shepherd racing toward him.
Giant Rat - Level 85
Behind the first creature was another similar one. Their red, evil eyes stared at him as both hissed threateningly. Jake swung his battleaxe at one of the advancing beasts. It attempted to evade the strike, but Jake was way too fast. The edge of his battleaxe embedded deeply into its skull.
Unwilling to meet the same unfortunate fate, the other rat tried to escape. It didn¡¯t get far, though. Sprouting three long tentacles from his back, Jake launched them after the retreating creature, plunging the bladed tips deep into its body.
Just as he killed the second rat, Feral Instincts alerted him to an incoming projectile. He ducked, feeling something whiz through the air above him. He wheeled around in the direction the projectile had come from and spotted the flinger.
Ratman - Tamer - Level 85
This type of ratman was tall and scrawny. Physically weak, it never fought on the front lines, preferring to stay at the rear like bonecasters, hiding behind the backs of the more powerful grunts. The tamer was armed with a Y-shaped stick that had an elastic strap attached to the prongs.
Just as Jake turned to face the tamer, it readied another rock from a bag slung across its bony shoulders. The ratman aimed carefully, pulling back the taut strap of the slingshot. Upon releasing the strap, the projectile shot forward, and Jake swiftly dodged again. The missile zipped past him with remarkable speed and force. Although he knew he wouldn¡¯t have sustained much, if any, harm if hit, an ordinary human could easily have ended up with shattered ribs from such a powerful blow.
My turn, Jake thought grimly as he prepared a glob of acid in his mouth.
Ratman tamers could be rather annoying opponents. Not only did they attack from a distance, always hiding behind the more powerful grunts, but they also possessed the ability to summon two gigantic rats that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. While a single rat wasn¡¯t particularly strong and posed little threat on its own, when they appeared in numbers, they became quite a nuisance.
In this particular group of ratmen, though, there was only one tamer, and since it had just used its ability to summon two rats, it wouldn¡¯t be able to do so again for about thirty seconds. Nevertheless, Jake wanted to take the tamer out as soon as possible.
He launched the glob of acid at the tamer, landing a direct hit on its head. The acid easily ate through it, leaving behind little more than the creature¡¯s skull, with hardly any flesh clinging to it.
After that, Jake turned his attention back to the remaining grunts. He swung his battleaxe at one of them, taking its head off its shoulders with a single sweep. He swung at another grunt, severing its arm at the elbow. Before the enemy could recover from shock, he finished it off with another lethal strike. He dodged a blow, and attacked another grunt, sinking his battleaxe in its head, splitting its skull in half.
With a quick swing, he attacked another grunt. The ratman managed to leap backward, so the slash Jake had left across its chest wasn¡¯t too deep. However, unfortunately for the ratman, the ruby inserted into his battleaxe kicked in when the blade sliced through the grunt¡¯s body, setting it on fire. Since ratmen were vulnerable to fire, the grunt turned into a living torch in an instant.
The ruby embedded in his battleaxe had only a 10% chance of igniting the target, so it didn¡¯t happen very often. However, when it did, it always played to his advantage. The flaming grunt ran in circles, squealing in agony and filling the air with the stench of burnt fur and flesh, creating confusion among the remaining ratmen.
Taking advantage of their temporary confusion, Jake quickly finished off the remaining enemies.
Multiple enemies killed. +27,535 XP
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You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 82 to 83. You have gained 5 SP.
Another fight was over. Jake summoned his stats, and after thinking for a second, decided to put all five skill points into Magick, just like he had the last time.
Body: 75
Mind: 75
Magick: 80 ¡ú 85
In one of the corners of the room sat a container.
Quality Chest
Jake crossed the room, stopping a safe distance from the chest. He could already hear the faint hum emanating from it, as well as feel subtle vibrations through the soles of his feet. It was obvious that the chest was protected by a magical trap.
He sprouted a bladed tentacle from his back and extended it fully toward the chest. Wedging the tip of the blade between the lid and the chest, he lifted. Immediately, there was a palpable surge of energy, and in the next instant, a small explosion erupted right in front of the chest where he would have been crouched had he opened it with his hands.
With the trap triggered, it was safe to approach the chest. Looking inside, he discovered a mana crystal holding 5,000 MP, along with two other items: an oval-shaped gem and an amulet. He first extracted the magical energy from the mana crystal before turning his attention to one of the other two treasures.
Name: Opal
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon grants it the ability to inflict damage on ghosts and other non-physical creatures. When placed in your armor¡¯s slot, it increases your Ethereal resistance.
Primary Effects: Increases damage dealt to ghost-like creatures by 25% when inserted into a weapon. Increases Ethereal resistance by 25% when placed in armor or jewelry.
Status: 100%
Jake already had a ruby inserted into his bone battleaxe, and there didn¡¯t seem to be a way to extract it without special tools. Even if he could remove the ruby, he probably wouldn¡¯t have done so because the ointment smeared across the axe¡¯s blade already allowed the weapon to deal damage to ghosts. Not that he had encountered any ghosts on this floor yet. He was aware that in the next several hours, the effect of the ointment was going to wear off.
He then turned his attention to the piece of jewelry.
Name: Ethereal Self-Charging Protective Amulet
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: This magical amulet offers protection from all forms of ethereal attacks by absorbing them. After its energy is completely drained, the amulet switches to recharging mode, collecting and absorbing mana from the surrounding air. When the amulet is fully charged, it becomes effective once again.
Primary effects: Provides protection to the wearer against Ethereal Damage.
Temporary effects: None
Enchantments: None
Slots: 1 (Opal)
At the front of the amulet, there was an indentation that matched the size and shape of the gem lying in the chest. Jake grasped the amulet in one hand and the opal in the other, then inserted the gem into the slot. Once it clicked into place, Jake reviewed the amulet¡¯s stats once more, focusing on the newly added information.
Slots: Opal - Increases the wearer¡¯s Ethereal resistance by 25%.
Jake wondered whether the opal¡¯s effects would still influence him when the amulet ran out of energy. It should, he reasoned. He draped the amulet around his neck and then, after choosing a random direction, set off.
He wandered through the dungeon for a while, defeating every group of ratmen he encountered. After some time, he arrived at a four-way junction, where a familiar structure rose from the center.
Dark Spirit Conduit
It appeared identical to the obelisk he had encountered earlier, standing approximately twelve feet tall with four sides. It was crafted from a shining silvery metal, and its top resembled a crown of sorts.
One side of the obelisk featured two familiar indentations, positioned one above the other. The upper indentation took the shape of a human hand with fingers splayed apart, while the lower one resembled the star-shaped medallion he had found earlier.
So he had finally found the obelisk where he could use the medallion. Only he didn¡¯t have it on him at the moment. At some point in the past half an hour, he had returned to the portal and left the medallion and the jigsaw-like fragment of a key near it, as constantly carrying them in his mouth prevented him from using Acid Spit.
It didn¡¯t take him long to make the trip to the portal to retrieve the star-shaped medallion. His exceptionally good memory and remarkable movement speed allowed him to navigate the tunnels and corridors of the dungeon easily and quickly.
Upon returning to the recently discovered Dark Spirit Conduit, he inserted the star-shaped medallion into the matching indentation. It clicked into place with ease, and the obelisk instantly began to hum, filling the air with an electrical charge that tingled against his skin. He also noticed bluish energy wafting upward from the crown-shaped top of the structure.
For a moment, Jake watched the obelisk, but nothing else happened. The Dark Spirit Conduit was now up and running, ready to carry out its intended function. He shifted his gaze to the hand-like indentation, then reached out with his left hand and placed it inside.
Chapter 220
Chapter 220
The moment he did so, he felt the surface of the obelisk tremble, and the hum emanating from it intensified. In the next second, a wave of blue energy surged from the crown-like top of the structure to a spot not far from where he stood. A ghostly figure materialized there, and soon after, the hum and vibrations from the structure returned to their normal level.
Jake withdrew his hand from the hand-shaped indentation and turned to face the ghost. He anticipated it to immediately attack him, so he was taken aback when it didn¡¯t. The ghost motionlessly hovered a couple of feet above the floor, staring at him in silence. Jake attempted to summon its description, but to his surprise, nothing happened.
This was strange. In the dungeon, every single creature he encountered tried to kill him. It was unusual to come across one that seemingly wasn¡¯t intent on doing so. For a brief moment, Jake continued staring at the ghost, pondering his next move. The ghost was blue and semi-transparent. It resembled a human being, except it was missing the lower half of its body. In the end, Jake decided to take the ghost out to see what would happen.
He tightened his grip on the battleaxe handle and stepped closer to the ghost. It didn¡¯t flinch as he swung the weapon. The blade, smeared with ointment, sliced through the ghost¡¯s form, encountering unexpected resistance as if it were made of flesh.
That was when the ghost sprang into action. Clearly not fond of being harmed again, it whooshed away from Jake and unleashed a pulsing wave of energy that instantly struck him in the middle of his chest. However, the amulet he wore around his neck absorbed the damage, fully protecting him. He dashed after the ghost and attacked again only for it to drift away once more after taking the damage.
This cat-and-mouse game continued for half a minute until he landed the fatal blow on the ghost, causing its translucent form to burst apart with a brilliant light. Just before the ghost disappeared as if it had never existed, it seemed to scream something. It sounded like a single word from some ancient arcane language.
For a second or two, Jake stared at the empty spot where the ghost had just been. What was the point of all of this? He returned to the obelisk. Wisps of bluish energy kept rising from the crown-like top, while the structure emitted a faint hum and filled the surrounding air with an electric charge. Jake placed his hand into the hand-shaped indentation once again.
As soon as he did so, a wave of energy flowed from the top of the obelisk, creating another ghost that looked exactly like the one he had just defeated. Scratch that, it was definitely the same ghost. Out of curiosity, he pressed his hand into the indentation once again. No more ghosts appeared, though. Obviously, only one could be summoned from the obelisk at any given time.
Jake stepped away from the obelisk and looked at the ghost. It hovered motionlessly in the air, watching him intently. It was obvious it wouldn¡¯t attack unless he attacked first. Since he hadn¡¯t gained any XP from defeating the previous ghost, there was no reason to attack this one. It was obvious that this wasn¡¯t just an ordinary enemy to defeat¡ªits presence held a deeper meaning.
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He remembered the word the first ghost had shouted just before it shattered into a brilliant flash of light and thought back to the five symbols carved into the portal¡¯s arch. There might be a link between those symbols and the word the ghost had uttered in its final moments. There had to be. It was definitely worth investigating his theory. The only question was how to guide the ghost to the portal.
Jake stepped back a few paces, but the ghost continued to hover in place, silently observing him. He took a few more steps, yet nothing changed. It seemed he would need to engage the ghost to get it to follow him. However, he didn¡¯t relish the idea of running through the tunnels toward the portal while being constantly attacked by the ghost. After all, there was only so much charge in his ethereal protective amulet. But if the ghost didn¡¯t follow him on its own, he would have no choice but to provoke it.
He decided to take a few more steps back before giving up trying to get the ghost to follow him. He took one final step, putting about fifteen yards of distance between himself and the ghost. He was ready to charge, but it suddenly surged toward him, gliding silently through the air. Jake froze, watching as it approached him. When the ghost was within five yards, it stopped and hovered motionlessly, its gaze fixed on him. So the ghost would actually follow him when he moved far enough away from it. Jake looked around to get his bearings and then set off toward the portal.
For the next several minutes, he made his way through the tunnels, with the ghost constantly following him wherever he went. He was becoming increasingly convinced that his theory was correct. Finally, he arrived at the chamber housing the portal. When the ghost floated inside as well, he stepped closer to the arch to make sure the ghost moved as close to the portal as possible. It flew toward him and halted about five yards from the towering structure.
Jake turned his attention from the ghost to the arch. He stepped back a few paces to get a better view of all five symbols etched into its front surface. Although he had brought the ghost to the portal, its mere proximity didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on the symbols. Still, he was convinced that the word the ghost would howl after he defeated it would trigger one of the symbols. It was time to put his theory to the test.
Before stepping toward the ghost, he checked the energy level of his protective amulet: a little over fifty percent. That was more than enough for a single fight. Gripping his weapon tightly, he lunged at the ghost. The battle ended pretty quickly. Just before vanishing in a flash of bright light, the ghost screamed the same strange word as before. Jake quickly glanced at the portal to see if there was any effect on the engraved symbols.
To his surprise and disappointment, nothing changed. None of the symbols lit up, remaining as dull and faded as before. What the heck? Was his theory wrong? Or was he missing something? Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure. It felt strange. He had absolutely been sure his theory was right. But if the word the ghost screamed before disappearing in a bright flash of light didn¡¯t have a connection to any of the symbols inscribed on the portal, then what was the true purpose of summoning that ghost from the Dark Spirit Conduit?
Jake mulled it over for a minute but couldn¡¯t think of anything at the moment. In the end, he decided to continue exploring the dungeon for now. While he couldn¡¯t fully grasp the meaning behind it all, he was sure he would eventually be able to piece this puzzle together. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t as far off as he thought. He likely just needed to find more clues.
Chapter 221
Chapter 221
Jake swung his battleaxe at one of the grunts surrounding him, cleaving its skull cleanly. Another one thrust its spear at him with incredible speed. He managed to dodge the blow, only to be hit by a mace wielded by yet another ratman. Those grunts were empowered by a magic spell cast by a bonecaster, making them much faster and stronger. Fortunately, Adaptive Armor momentarily generated an additional plate to cover the point of impact, effectively protecting him from taking any damage.
He attacked one of the ratmen, his swing splitting its cranium in half. His second swing caved in another thing¡¯s skull as his battleaxe¡¯s blade made a mess of its oily fur, covering the creature in its own blood. Jerking the blade free with a fierce tug, he instantly moved on to the next target, severing the thing¡¯s hand holding the mace. Jake ducked as one of the other grunts attempted to hit him and immediately countered, his battleaxe thunking between the thing¡¯s eyes with a spray of dark blood.
All the grunts surrounding him were taken care of. Now, nothing stood between him and the bonecaster. He closed the distance with a single, powerful leap and plunged the blade of his battleaxe through the bone of the ratman¡¯s skull, deep into its brain.
Finally, all the enemies in the room were dead.
Multiple enemies killed. +25,550 XP
After defeating the ratmen, Jake took a moment to look around. The room he was in was large but completely empty. There wasn¡¯t even a primitive chest tucked away in a corner. He meticulously scanned the walls, illuminated by the flickering light of the wall-mounted torches, searching for any hidden secrets. Nothing stood out, so he eventually exited the room and pressed on in his exploration of the dungeon.
At some point, he came across a vast chamber filled with medieval-like cells suspended from the high ceiling by heavy chains, hovering about three feet above the ground. Some of the cells contained human skeletons. The cells were hardly big enough to accommodate a human being, though. Many of the skeletons trapped inside the cells were in sitting positions, with their skeletal legs protruding from between the bars and dangling down.
The chamber was quite large, but before scanning the area more carefully, he first needed to deal with a group of ratmen meandering between the hanging cells. He quickly assessed the beastmen and was pleased to find that most of them were grunts. A few archers lurked among them, but there were no bonecasters, tamers, or other advanced types of ratmen. Since only generic enemies occupied the chamber, dispatching them shouldn¡¯t take him long.
He lunged at the nearest enemy, cleaving its skull in half with his battleaxe. The nearby ratmen noticed him and raised their weapons, forming a tight circle around him. One of the archers loosed a bolt from its crossbow, but he deftly leaped aside to avoid it. As the grunts surged forward from all angles, he unleashed a flurry of spikes from his body.
Using this ability wasn¡¯t really necessary at the moment. It consumed a significant amount of mana, and he could simply have used Gravity Jump to leap out of the encircling enemies. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but enjoy bringing Spikes into play now and then. It was a fun ability to use, which disrupted his enemies, creating confusion he could take advantage of. Besides, even when employing mana-demanding abilities wasn¡¯t necessary, it was still beneficial to utilize them occasionally to aid in their progression.
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The grunts halted their advance as they spotted the numerous spikes jutting from his body. Caught off guard and momentarily dazed, they had little time to react before he unleashed the spikes like missiles. They shot through the air in all directions, slicing through the air and striking several of the ratmen before they could regroup. Several were killed on impact, while others sustained severe wounds. Not wasting a second, Jake charged at the ratmen, swiftly dealing with the remaining enemies.
Just as he expected, the battle proved to be quite simple and ended in the blink of an eye.
Multiple enemies killed. +14,250 XP
Since there weren¡¯t any tough enemies in that group, he didn¡¯t gain much XP. He then took a moment to check his current experience points.
XP: 40,925/105,000
After that, he proceeded to explore the chamber. In one of the corners of the room, he spotted a primitive chest. Since it was a common container, it wasn¡¯t trapped. When he lifted the lid, he discovered a few lesser mana consumables and a familiar-looking item inside. He first extracted the magical energy from the consumables, recovering some of the energy he had lost during the two previous battles. He then turned his attention to the last item nestled at the bottom of the chest.
It was a sun-shaped medallion. Jake pulled it from the chest and examined it briefly. It looked quite similar to the star-shaped medallion he had recently used to activate a Dark Spirit Conduit. He knew there were at least two such obelisks on this floor as he had already discovered two, but he suspected there were likely more hidden away.
He stashed the medallion in his mouth, picked up his battleaxe from where he had put it on the floor a moment before, and stood up. Before leaving the chamber, he decided to take a moment to look around more closely. The room was spacious, and there were plenty of cells hanging from the ceiling, suggesting there could be some secrets hidden away. He walked around the cells for a while, examining both them and the skeletons trapped inside some of them. They weren¡¯t undead, so they remained still. He figured that since the first floor was undead-themed, he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the undead again. Each floor of the dungeon had its own distinct theme, setting it apart from the others. The first floor teemed with the undead, while the second was filled with beastmen. The types of enemies awaiting him on the remaining floors had yet to be uncovered.
As he neared another cell, he examined the skeleton trapped inside. The cramped space forced the skeleton into a sitting position, its legs pulled up to its chin. One arm had slipped through the bars and dangled down. When Jake glanced at it, he noticed the skeleton was holding a rectangular object. With his left hand, he pried open the lifeless fingers and took the object from their grasp.
It turned out to be another jigsaw-like puzzle piece. Its top and right edges were straight, while the left edge featured a round indentation. Jake recalled that the puzzle piece he had stashed near the portal featured a rounded knob extending from its right side, which indicated that it would fit seamlessly into this piece. Afterward, he resumed his exploration of the chamber. He meticulously examined each cell, but finding nothing else of use, he eventually left the room.
He then returned to the chamber containing the portal and connected the two puzzle pieces together. As expected, they fit together perfectly. He then briefly examined them and noted that if the entire key was square, then there should be two more pieces that would connect to the bottom of the current double fragment. The real question lingered: what was the purpose of that object? Jake speculated that the four fragments would create a key of some sort, but he had no idea what it might unlock. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered anything where a square-shaped key could be used.
He removed the star-shaped medallion from his mouth and set it down on the floor beside the two connected puzzle pieces. He was aware of the location of the Dark Spirit Conduit into which the medallion could fit, but he chose not to take it there just yet. After all, he still hadn¡¯t figured out the purpose of summoning spirits from those obelisks.
After that, Jake stood up and exited the chamber. He consulted his mental map and headed toward one of the unexplored sections of the floor.
Chapter 222
Chapter 222
Jake continued to explore the dungeon, collecting three more medallions, one by one. Unlike the puzzle pieces, they were quite easy to find since they were not hidden but always located in chests. They all looked similar¡ªabout the size of his palm and shaped like stars. However, each was distinct from the others: one had longer ray-like protrusions, another had more of them, and the third had wavy rays instead of straight ones. Now, he had four star-shaped medallions. He had placed the very first star-shaped medallion into its matching indentation on a Dark Spirit Conduit quite some time ago. He was also aware of the location of a second Dark Spirit Conduit, but he hadn¡¯t inserted the corresponding medallion in there just yet.
He stashed all four medallions near the portal, intending to use them on the corresponding obelisks after finding the other three. He was aware that while he had acquired five medallions so far, there might be even more hidden in various chests throughout the second floor of the dungeon. While he still didn¡¯t understand the purpose of summoning the ghosts from those obelisks, he was fairly certain that something important would happen once he powered up all the obelisks and summoned a ghost from each.
At some point, while exploring the dungeon and looking for Dark Spirit Conduits where he could use the three star-shaped medallions he had recently found, Jake came across another elite enemy.
Ratman - Skullcrusher - Level 95 (Elite)
The chamber where the Skullcrusher resided was spacious yet mostly empty, save for a few tall, round columns that reached toward the ceiling. Aside from the elite ratman, a group of regular grunts aimlessly wandered the area, their movements chaotic and uncoordinated.
Jake took a moment to examine the skullcrusher more closely. It was larger than even the grunts, the strongest of the ratmen, and wielded an impossibly large club that it held with both hands. Its massive size likely came at the cost of speed and agility, which would surely work to Jake¡¯s advantage. As an elite enemy, the skullcrusher also possessed three special abilities.
When used, the first ability, Battle Cry, sent pulses of power through the nearby grunts, enhancing their strength and speed. This reminded Jake of the buff spells used by bonecasters, and he realized that if he did not eliminate the grunts quickly, he would soon be facing a wave of empowered enemies. So before giving the skullcrusher his full attention, it was wise to deal with all the grunts first.
The second ability was Crushing Blow, a powerful strike the skullcrusher could unleash every few seconds. While the name alone sounded intimidating, Jake found this ability less concerning. He knew that his Feral Instincts would kick in at the right moment, warning him of any unseen danger, and with his enhanced speed and reflexes, he knew he could easily evade this attack.
The third ability, Roar, presented a more significant threat. This thunderous shout had the potential to inflict a Dazed effect on those within its range, severely hampering their speed and coordination. Jake knew that being caught in this roar could turn the tide of the battle against him, so he resolved to stay out of its path at all costs.
With a clear plan forming in his mind, Jake stepped into the room. He needed to focus on killing the grunts first while carefully avoiding the elite ratman¡¯s Crushing Blow and Roar abilities. As some of the grunts noticed him stepping into the chamber, his instincts sharpened, and he charged at the nearest cluster of ratmen, not giving his enemies a chance to attack first.
He plunged the blade of his battleaxe between the eyes of the first grunt, splattering blood everywhere. With a quick tug, he wrenched his weapon free and ducked just as a second grunt swept its sword at him and immediately countered, taking the head from the shoulder of the attacker. He wheeled toward a third enemy and with a mighty swing of his battleaxe, split its ribcage open. Three grunts were dead in as many seconds. He continued to fight the other grunts, killing them off one by one, and soon enough, there were no more left. He had just eliminated all the grunts before the skullcrusher even had a chance to utilize its Battle Cry.
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Feral Instincts alerted him to a danger, and Jake spun toward the skullcrusher. He saw the huge ratman open its jaws and realized it was about to unleash Roar. Not knowing how far he needed to be from the elite ratman to avoid getting hit by its shout, instead of leaping aside, Jake opted for a different tactic. With a thought, he activated Gravity Leap, propelling himself high into the air just as the skullcrusher let loose its roar at the spot he had just vacated. Reaching the apex of his jump, he activated an upgrade that allowed him to hover motionlessly in midair, defying the laws of gravity. As he glanced down, he noticed a distortion wave ripple outward from the skullcrusher. Once it had moved far enough away, Jake dropped smoothly back to the ground.
The skullcrusher swung its enormous club at him, but since it was cumbersome and slow, Jake had no trouble evading the attack. The club hit the floor where he had just been with a resounding thud, sending tremors through the walls. Crushing Blow was powerful, yet far too slow for Jake to worry about. Before the skullcrusher could even lift its club again, Jake was already on the offensive, alternating between deadly claw strikes and powerful smashfist punches. While the elite ratman was extremely strong, its slow and clumsy movements made it easy for Jake to dodge its strikes. The battle wrapped up quickly, ending with the lifeless body of the skullcrusher thudding heavily to the ground.
Multiple enemies killed. +25,250 XP
With the battle concluded, Jake examined the chamber for any secrets or treasures. Nothing stood out to indicate a hidden secret, but tucked away in one corner was a quality chest. Sure enough, it was trapped. After triggering the magical trap, causing a small explosion to erupt before the chest, Jake lifted the lid and peered inside. As it turned out, the treasures within the chest were quite disappointing. There were a few lesser mana consumables, a helmet, and a metal cuirass. He first extracted the mana from the consumables, replenishing some of the energy he had lost during the previous battle.
As for the pieces of armor, they were of no use to him. The helmet was designed to be worn by humans, so he couldn¡¯t even put it on, as his head had a shape somewhat different from a human¡¯s, featuring a slightly elongated, snout-like face. The cuirass had two slots for magical gemstones, but he didn¡¯t have any spare ones on him. Even if he had them, he wouldn¡¯t have inserted them, as wearing the cuirass would have prevented him from using some of his abilities, like Bladed Tentacles, Serpentine Form, or Spikes. Besides, his natural armor was far more powerful than the cuirass, so there was little reason for him to wear it.
Jake stepped back from the chest and reviewed his experience points.
XP: 66,175/105,000
After that, he continued to explore the dungeon.
Eventually, he located three more Dark Spirit Conduits where he could use his recently found star-shaped medallions. He returned to the portal and retrieved all four medallions. One by one, he traveled to each of the four obelisks and inserted a corresponding medallion into each. He then summoned a ghost from each obelisk and immediately defeated it. Before disappearing in a bright flash of light, each of the ghosts screamed a single word from an ancient language.
Afterward, Jake took a moment to think. He had explored quite a bit of the second floor of the dungeon but had found only five medallions and five obelisks. So it was safe to assume there weren¡¯t any more of them. This made him ponder. There were five arcane symbols inscribed on the front surface of the portal¡¯s arch, and five words screamed by the ghosts summoned from the obelisks, each word distinct from the others. Five words, five symbols. Surely, this couldn¡¯t be a mere coincidence.
He had already tried to lead the first ghost he summoned to the portal, killing it there, but nothing happened to the symbols etched into the arch. Yet, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was a connection between the words uttered by the ghosts and the symbols on the portal. With all five obelisks now located, he decided to summon a ghost from each once more and escort them all to the portal. Although leading a single ghost to the portal hadn¡¯t yielded any results, perhaps bringing all five spirits together would alter the outcome. It was worth a shot, so Jake decided to put his plan into action and see what would happen.
Chapter 223
Chapter 223
The five ghosts summoned from the obelisks trailed behind him wherever he went, each glowing in a different color: blue, white, orange, purple, and green. Upon reaching an intersection, he paused momentarily to regain his bearings and give the ghosts a chance to catch up, as they couldn¡¯t keep pace with him. When he stopped, the ghosts closed the distance to him somewhat, but they never got too close, always stopping at a certain distance from him.
Finally, he arrived at the chamber that contained the portal. He paused for a moment, allowing the ghosts to catch up. Moments later, they floated into the room and came to a halt nearby, hovering silently above the floor. Jake shifted his gaze from the ghosts to the portal and was pleasantly surprised to see that the five symbols engraved on its surface were now glowing with a soft silver light. It seemed his assumption had been accurate: for the portal to activate, all five ghosts needed to be near it. Now, he simply had to defeat the ghosts. The words they would scream in defeat should energize the symbols, and once all five were activated, the portal would materialize. At least, he thought so, but he was quite confident that his theory would prove correct.
Gripping his battleaxe in one hand, Jake attacked the ghosts, starting with the orange one because it was the closest. At that moment, a thought occurred to him that their different colors might mean something, but he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what it was yet.
As soon as he struck one of the ghosts, all of them retaliated, launching waves of energy at him. The amulet he wore absorbed the damage they inflicted, but he quickly realized that under such a violent onslaught, his amulet would deplete its energy very quickly. He needed to dispatch them as swiftly as possible because once the amulet ran out of power, it would no longer shield him, leaving him vulnerable to their attacks.
He continued to fight the ghosts, killing them off one by one with his battleaxe. The ointment he had applied to the blade boosted the damage he dealt to the ghosts by 10%, which somewhat accelerated the process of killing them. However, the relentless attacks eventually drained his amulet¡¯s energy. Thankfully, the opal he had inserted into the amulet some time ago increased his resistance to Ethereal damage by 25%, which greatly aided him in the battle. The ghosts continued to attack him, inflicting internal damage to his body, but his Enhanced Regeneration was working at full capacity, patching him up even in the middle of combat.
Still, he acknowledged the necessity of eliminating the ghosts as quickly as possible. Even with the protective amulet and Enhanced Regeneration, he knew that he could still be killed if he sustained enough damage from the ghosts. Therefore, he focused entirely on attacking them, not bothering to dodge their strikes. Not that trying to dodge them would have mattered. After all, the ghosts¡¯ energy waves always hit him with remarkable accuracy, making it utterly impossible to evade them.
Finally, the fight was over. However, contrary to his expectations, nothing happened. One by one, the five ghosts vanished in a flash of light, each uttering a different arcane word, but to his surprise, these words had no effect on the symbols whatsoever. Now that the ghosts were gone, the five symbols inscribed on the arch of the portal also lost their subtle silver glow.
Jake couldn¡¯t believe it. He had been sure that his theory was right. Was he wrong then? Or was he missing something? There was clearly a link between the arcane words spoken by the ghosts as they perished and the symbols. The way the symbols had illuminated with a faint glow when all the ghosts entered the chamber indicated that his theory had merit. So what was it that he was missing?
Maybe he needed to kill the ghosts in a specific order? With no better ideas at the moment, he decided to test this theory. After all, there had to be a reason each ghost was a different color. To determine the first symbol in the sequence, he needed to summon the ghosts and kill them near the portal, starting with a ghost of a different color each time. Within four attempts, he would discover which of the five symbols was first in the order¡ªprovided his theory about the order of defeat was correct. With each symbol discovered, the process would become easier and faster.
So Jake then made his way to each of the obelisks to summon the ghosts one by one again. By now, he had explored most of the second floor of the dungeon, having killed most of the enemies, so the tunnels and chambers were mostly deserted. This allowed him to dash at top speed through the corridors and chambers without any interruptions. It wasn¡¯t long before he conjured the ghosts again. Having gathered them all up, he led them back to the portal. Since the ghost he had defeated the last time first was orange, he needed this time to start with a ghost of a different hue, opting for the blue ghost.
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Just a few minutes later, the battle came to an end. Just like the first time, none of the symbols had been activated during the battle. Therefore, the words uttered by neither the orange ghost nor the blue one corresponded to the first symbol in the sequence. He still had three more attempts to identify it, though. He spent some time summoning the ghosts and bringing them back to the portal once again.
Last time, he had attacked right away without waiting for his amulet to recharge fully, which left him taking heavy damage and dangerously close to death. For that reason, he decided that this time, it would be wiser to wait for the amulet to charge completely before initiating the fight. Since the amulet activated only after a full charge and the charging rate was quite slow, he found himself waiting for a considerable time, which was frustrating. However, he recognized it was necessary. There was no alternative if he wanted to avoid the risk of being killed. He simply had to suck it up and accept the wait.
As soon as the amulet was fully charged, he attacked the ghosts, starting with one of a different color than in the previous two instances. Again, nothing happened when the fight concluded. Three misses out of five attempts. He began to wonder whether his theory that the ghosts needed to be killed in a specific order was flawed. Still, with two attempts left, he knew it was too early to discard that idea and think of something else.
Once again, Jake summoned the ghosts from the five obelisks and brought them back to the portal. In the first fight, he had killed the orange ghost first, in the second, the blue one, and in the third, the white one. This time, he opted to take down the purple ghost first. Since he still wasn¡¯t sure if there was a rationale behind the varying colors of the ghosts, he had to make a selection at random.
Since Jake was beginning to doubt his theory about the necessity of a specific order for the killings, he half-expected this attempt to yield no results, just like the previous ones. Thus, he was greatly surprised when one of the symbols suddenly glowed purple after he finally dealt the fatal blow to the ghost of the same color. This suggested that his theory was actually valid. The symbol was positioned at the left base of the portal¡¯s arch. If the symbols were activated in a clockwise order, then the next symbol to be activated was located in the left rounded corner at the top of the arch.
Jake was so excited to finally activate the first symbol and that his theory had turned out to be correct that he momentarily let himself get distracted from the ghosts attacking him, staring at the portal instead. The remaining ghosts seized this exact moment to attack him simultaneously, completely depleting his amulet¡¯s energy.
Since he was now vulnerable to the ghosts¡¯ attacks, Jake decided to dart around the portal to make it harder for them to target him while his amulet recharged. He briefly considered leaving the chamber entirely but ultimately dismissed the idea. He was pretty confident that if the ghosts exited the chamber, the portal would lose its connection to them, and he would have to start from scratch. Clearly, for the symbols to activate, the ghosts had to be close to the portal when they were killed. The remaining symbols radiated a soft silver glow, affirming that they were reacting to the ghosts¡¯ presence. If he killed the ghosts far from the portal, the words they spoke in their final moments wouldn¡¯t trigger the activation of the symbols.
He continued to run around the chamber for a while. His quick movements made it challenging for the ghosts to target him effectively. However, an unexpected surprise awaited him. At one point, the first symbol he had activated suddenly ceased to glow. This indicated that the ghosts had to be defeated not only in a specific order but also pretty quickly¡ªless than within a minute of one another. He realized that he wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for his amulet to recharge during active battles with the ghosts.
Sure enough, since the first symbol no longer glowed purple, nothing happened to any of the other symbols after he defeated the remaining ghosts. Sure, it was possible that the next ghost he had defeated did not correspond to the second symbol, but even if that were the case, it was now clear that for the portal to appear, each symbol also had to be activated while the others still shone with the matching colors of their corresponding ghosts.
Once the battle ended, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. He learned that to activate the first symbol in the sequence, he had to defeat the purple ghost first. It was clear that he would be able to identify the next symbol within four attempts. Discovering the third symbol would require three attempts or fewer. Obviously, finding successive symbols would become progressively easier. Navigating the empty corridors and leading the ghosts to the portal didn¡¯t take much time, but he really needed to allow his protective amulet to recharge after each fight with the ghosts. Unfortunately, the recharging process was quite long, as the amulet only became effective again after it was fully charged.
It made Jake think. Maybe there were some clues about the order in which the ghosts needed to be killed. Sure, he had explored most of the second floor by that point, but there were still a few unexplored areas. There might be clues hidden within those sections. The ointment applied to the blade of his battleaxe allowed him to kill ghost-like creatures. After it wore off, he would lose that ability. He checked the remaining time and learned he still had a little over two hours left, which was more than enough to finish exploring the rest of the second floor. If he found no clues about the order, he would resort to determining it manually, as he had done previously. With this plan in mind, he set off.