"With all that said and done, I've only ever played both Prototype games, and even with the forum discussions I've seen, I still don't know much about the blacklight,"
Seth muttered to himself.
From the games, he remembered that it was a super cool virus created by a secret organization called the Blackwatch.
Along with that it gave Mercer and Heller superhuman strength along with the ability to create claws and consume humans.
"Not to mention the crazy regen…"
He recalled that cutscene towards the end of the first Prototype game with Mercer surviving the nuke and regenerating.
"I wonder if I'll be able to do that too… Oh right—I got a system! Hey system, can I get some assistance?"
The monotone voice of the system then sounded.
[What does the host need assistance with?]
"Hmm?" Seth thought for a moment before starting with the most serious one.
"Am I Seth… or am I the virus? Like Mercer?"
It might seem like an odd question for anyone who hasn't played the game.
The main protagonist of the first game, Alex Mercer, had died at the start—just like he did.
His corpse was recreated by the virus that got set free and it was recreated and reanimated by it and the virus had thought it was Alex Mercer until further in the game it was discovered.
So now, Seth wondered if it's the same situation being recreated again—this time, with him.
Fortunately, the system came in clutch with its answer:
[Negative. The host, Seth Donovan, soul and mind, have been transferred and assimilated within the body. The host has become the virus itself.]
This answer surprised him a bit.
"So I'm not a copy that thinks it's me."
[Correct.]
"I'm not some sentient virus pretending to be Seth."
[Correct.]
"I'm actually me… but also the virus."
[Affirmative.]
A grin slowly spread across his face as he nodded contently.
"Okay. I like that."
Was he blindly trusting the emotionless entity in his head with no visible source?
Yes.
Did he have any way to verify it?
Absolutely not.
Did he care?
Not really.
Because the alternative was existential nightmare fuel.
At least this way, he was still in the driver's seat.
He flexed his fingers again, watching the subtle ripple under his skin.
"So instead of the virus thinking it's Seth…"
"Seth is the virus."
Yep, that sounded way better.
"Way less identity crisis. I'll take it."
Silence reigned inside the forest before it was broken again by him.
"System."
[Yes.]
"Before, you said something about modifications to my Blacklight physiology, what modifications were you talking about?"
[Modifications were applied to adapt the Blacklight physiology to reality. The host's virus differs from the Prototype game mechanics. It is complete and fully integrated.]
He raised an eyebrow. "Complete how?"
[In the game, evolution and adaptation are tied to missions and objectives. Now, they're passive. Your body adapts naturally, and you have total control over your molecules and abilities.]
Seth whistled. "So… I don't have to do the missions?"
[Affirmative. Biomass assimilation boosts evolution automatically. Host may also manipulate physical form at will.]
He glanced down at his palms. "So if I want blades, claws, tentacles—whatever it may be, I can just… do it?"
[Yes. Forms are limited only by host knowledge and available biomass.]
"Alright… that's way better than the game," he muttered. "And promising too."
[Correct.]
Seth looked at his arms, concentration like mad as he tried willing his arm to transform into the claws like the protagonist's.
Seth squinted, focusing intently on his arms.
"Alright… just think it… claws…"
Before he could even finish the thought, a sharp, explosive feeling shot through his forearms.
"Whoa—!"
In an instant, from his shoulders all the way down to his fingertips, exploded into long, razor-sharp claws frightening him with the unexpected speed.
"No way," he muttered, staring at his hands.
On each hand, the four bladed claws had a mirror polish that gleamed under the sunlight that poured through the trees.
The faint red glows under the dark material of his arms from his shoulders down, reminiscent of Heller's from the second game, Prototype 2.
The contrast between his sandy-beige torso and his dark, glowing arms were striking to say the least.
He flexed his claws, watching them as they sent sparks upon contact.
"Now that I'm looking at it closely… why is it called Blacklight when it's mostly red?" he muttered.
With swift movements, he swung a hand at a nearby tree root.
The claws sliced through the bark cleanly, barely meeting any resistance. "That's insanely sharp," he laughed.
He crouched and inspected his arms more closely.
The claws looked awesome, but the arms themselves were huge—way too bulky. Totally not his style.
"Yeah… aesthetic adjustment time."
Focusing, he felt his arms slim down to normal proportions, leaving only the claws intact. He flexed experimentally.
"Much better. Looks cleaner, feels lighter… perfect."
He twisted his arms, watching the faint red glow pulse beneath the surface. "Okay… this is exactly the upgrade I wanted."
As he was absorbed in checking himself out, he heard a soft click from the bushes nearby.
"Hmm?"
He paused and turned.
A deer peeked out, tilting its head and staring at him.
"…Well, hey there," Seth said, lowering his arms just a bit. "You're kinda far from home, huh?"
The deer didn't run. It just blinked, its eyes shone with curiosity.
Seth grinned creepily. "Guess you're my first test target, little buddy."
And as if sensing his malicious intent, the deer turned on its heels and bolted.
"—Wait!"
The word barely left his mouth before he moved.
One step.
That's all it took.
The world around him blurred slightly as the ground cracked under his foot as he lunged. Trees flashed past like smudges of green and brown.
And then—
Squelch!
A loud, sickening thud echoed through the forest as he had apparently slammed straight into the deer.
The force sent both of them skidding across the dirt as he slammed into a tree breaking it.
Only the sound of the tree falling was heard through the silence.
Seth blinked.
"…Wha…"
He slowly pushed himself up from off the stump, staring down at what just happened.
The deer lay crumpled a few feet away, its body twisted. It had all happened in an instant. A very brutal collision. There hadn't even been time for it to react.
"I uh… didn't mean for that to happen."
He looked back toward where he'd originally been standing. It had to be at least thirty, maybe forty meters away. And he'd crossed that distance in less than a second.
"Oh." He finally realized.
Right…
Super strength. Super speed. Super everything.
"I forgot," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not exactly human anymore."
He surmised that his speed was close to 300m/s.
The realization settled in fully as he looked at the deer again. Not even a dramatic struggle.
So much for a first try.
He let out a slow breath. "Okay. Note to self. Ease into the new stats."
"…Alright," he said. "System."
[Yes.]
"How do I absorb it?"
[Physical contact is sufficient. Host may will the absorption process to begin.]
"…That's it?"
[Affirmative.]
Seth looked down at his hands. They were still claws from before. He hadn't had time to revert them back into normal hands.
"So I just touch it and think about it?"
[Yes.]
He hesitated. The first living thing he was going to consume… Raw.
"…Man. This escalated fast."
After a second, he crouched beside the deer and placed a hand on its side.
He swallowed.
"Okay," he muttered to himself. "This is something I gotta get used to. This is part of my life now."
He breathed out before willing it.
VSHLLRRRK—
Chapter 2 end.