'Damn my luck!' Seth cursed inwardly as the massive arms of the mutant swung its arced claws, ripping through the wind with a force that threatened mutilation on impact.
Seth's heart lurched, his hips pivoting to the left in unison, his back weaving out of the attack's path.
The sudden, unsteady movement caused him to stagger backward uncontrollably. Even if his footwork had been stable, he wouldn't have been able to escape what followed.
Sizzle!
A sudden rain of slimy, green poisonous liquid splattered across his chest down to his abdomen. The acidic slime ate straight through fabric and skin.
His teeth clenched tight, a pained groan escaping his lips as the inflicted injury blistered and burned.
But even as he suffered through the pain, his mind remained clear.
His dull grey pupils stayed glued to the monster as he retreated backward.
Sadly, his speed was nowhere near that of the creature.
The mutant's calves clenched, its frame hunched, and then it burst forth at a mind-numbing speed — impossible for its size.
I have zero advantage over this monster! Seth assessed grimly.
The mutant caught up to him mid-retreat, a claw streaking downward through the air, drops of acidic slime splattering behind.
Seth's finger twitched. If only I had a weapon… victory wouldn't be impossible.
But he could only watch as the claw descended at a speed his body could hardly react to.
Squelch!
Long obsidian claws dug deep into his left shoulder. His clavicle and scapula shattered on impact, cracks spreading through his ribs.
The sheer force of the attack sent him flying.
Wind whipped across his skin as he slammed headfirst into a locker, leaving a deep dent.
His vision blurred as he struggled to stand, blinding pain pulsing in waves.
Blood sprayed like geysers, the bone-deep wound sizzling from corrosion.
How many times had he felt death this close in just a single day?
Had it been days?
No… hours, he corrected.
His vision remained blurry; he could barely see the vague outline of the mutant looming over him.
Seth's heart brewed with indignation, his arms trembling not from fear but from the unwillingness to die.
His brain ran in overdrive, calculating, assessing, hoping for a path to survival.
But he kept coming to the same conclusion…
Someone had to save him. Brandon, Uriel, or Elaine.
With their gene skills, they could at least pose a threat to this beast.
But judging from the resounding commotion and tremors echoing across the hall, it was obvious they were preoccupied.
Rescuing him had to be the least of their concerns.
Seth's pupils constricted, his hair standing on end as the shadow of an incoming fist clouded his vision.
The mutant's eyes blazed with madness as its fist plowed through the air, aiming to turn Seth's head into mush.
A cold feeling rushed through Seth's veins at the realization. I'm going to die!
This wasn't a feeling. This wasn't a probability.
This was reality.
Every cell in his body tingled, blood rushing to his brain as it processed at a speed that made even the mutant's inhuman strike slow to a crawl.
I'm going to die. The phrase rang once more in his mind.
Crackle!!
Something snapped within him, and reality seemed to pause.
Binding chains materialized from thin air around him. They clattered as they pulsed tightly around his arms, legs, and neck, one sinking deep into his chest.
No, they weren't just appearing — they had always been there.
Shackles that ran deep. Deeper than blood.
Gene Locks! The name of the binds appeared in his mind.
As though in response, the chains clattered once more, branding themselves tighter into his existence.
So this is why my genes and gene skills are locked!
He hissed in realization.
So this is why I'm so helpless in this new reality.
Jaw clenched tight, he examined the chains coldly.
Well… that ends now!
Embers of rage flamed in his heart, fueling him with a might he never knew he could muster.
His dull grey pupils ignited with a blazing light of amethyst.
A royal purple cadence pulsed from his very being, his silver hair billowing with power.
The chains rattled violently in response, reluctant to let go.
"THEN CRUMBLE!!!"
Seth roared in fury, the amethyst cadence swirling around him, blazing brilliantly in tandem.
The rattling intensified. Cracks gleamed with royal purple as the chains slowly lost their hold and erupted into brilliant shards.
An exhilarating lightness filled Seth as notification screens flickered into view.
[Congratulations on breaking a Gene Lock!]
[You've taken a step closer towards Awakening!]
[Genetic Lineage "Grand Weapon Maester" Discovered!]
Detail: The human body was the most ill-suited for combat… until @#&$ forged the first weapon known to man, overturning fate and elevating humanity to the status of overlords.
[Royal Grade Gene Skill "Weapon Resonance" Discovered!]
Detail: In the grasp of the Weapon Maester, all weapons shall obey. Grants affinity to all weapons, boosting weapon skills and effects twofold. Resonance with weapon items allows the user to wield all weapons regardless of rank difference or stat limits.
[New attributes added…]
[Essence: 50]
[You have unlocked new title: "Chain Breaker"]
Chain Breaker: Weakens gene locks on user by 30%.
[Second Gene Lock Discovered!!!]
[Error! Error! Error! The user's body is unable to house two genes currently…]
---
Reality snapped back into place. Seth stared at the still-encroaching punch. This time, the fear of death was absent from his gaze.
He uttered a single word.
"Equip!"
The instant the words left his lips, the mutant's punch trailed behind.
Boom!
Wind whipped and dust brewed as the mighty force ripped a gaping hole in the lockers behind Seth.
And Seth?
His figure had vanished.
Right behind the monster, a figure clad in gothic, abyssal black armor stood, examining a great sword in his grasp.
"Hmm… a 25% chance of instant kill? Adding the buff from my gene skill, it should be fifty, no?" Seth calculated, his eyes behind the visor burning with light.
A cadence of amethyst pulsed.
"Let's test it, shall we?" he muttered as the blade drew a beautiful arc across the mutant's thick neck.
This brief interaction might seem long, but from the time the punch had been released to now, barely a few seconds had passed.
The mutant didn't even know the fate of its prey yet… and it never would.
A thin crimson line bloomed on its neck. Its sight spun as its head rolled across the ground.
The body remained upright for a second, blood spurting from the stump like fountains.
Then it slumped, vitality retreating.
It was dead.
[Congratulations! You have slain a Shackled Mutated Creature!]
[You grow stronger…]
[+17 Strength]
[+2 Essence]
[+15 Defense]
[+3 Intelligence]
Seth ignored the notifications, his gaze flickering with excitement as he caressed the great sword.
He felt giddy, like a child with a brand-new toy.
A smile stretched across his lips beneath the visor.
"Let's test the skill next… Death Sentence, was it?"
"Activate!"
The world responded.
Colors drained away, leaving everything gray.