[You have received an Elite Grade Gene Skill Crystal: "Earth Escape"]
[Warning: beings at the Shackled Rank can only have one gene skill. Do you wish to replace innate gene skill "Weapon Resonance" with gene skill "Earth Escape"? Y/N]
Seth blinked. "Fuck no!"
Thanks to the unraveling of his Grand Weapon Maester gene, he had awakened innate information on the grades of weapons — the same grades apparently used for gene skills.
Common, Elite, Leader, Noble, and Royal.
For some reason, his knowledge was capped at Royal, probably because his own gene grade was Royal. He was allowed to gaze below, but not above.
Tsk, tsk, tsk… trading a Royal grade for an Elite? Even a fool would pass. Staring at the pulsing orb in his hand, he concluded.
Well, I guess others could need it. With that, he pocketed the gene crystal straight into his inventory.
He then dismissed the armor. Donning the overpowered set had its costs… essence, and lots of it.
The moment the set vanished, instead of relief from the constant drain, Seth's vision blurred. A throbbing pain pulsed from his chest to his abdomen.
He staggered, realization hitting. Corruption! he groaned weakly.
On his torso and shoulder, vile swellings throbbed. Black veins writhed visibly beneath his skin, spreading.
[Corruption detected! The genes of the Grand Weapon Maester stir.]
"Arghhh!" Seth groaned as blinding pain pulsed from his brain, collapsing to the ground.
[Corruption detected! The genes of ????? stir.]
He writhed, blood boiling in his veins.
[Your genes are being stimulated!]
[Your genes resist the vile embrace of corruption.]
[Corrupt essence is being expelled!]
Splat!
The grotesque writhing inflammations ruptured, a mass of revolting pitch-black ichor bleeding out.
The ichor pooled beneath Seth's body until the bleeding slowly turned normal crimson.
[You have resisted the corruption!]
[You grow stronger!]
[+12 Vitality]
[+6 Essence]
[+9 Strength]
[+3 Defense]
"T-that… was close," Seth muttered weakly. He had survived another near encounter with the grim reaper.
"Today really isn't my lucky day," he cursed, lying on his back and staring at the charred, smoking ceiling of the classroom.
Fortunately, his vitality kicked in quickly. The unsightly gash began to itch as meat and flesh wriggled closed.
It was slow and uncomfortable, but soon he gained enough strength to rise. He lifted Brandon's unconscious body and carried him into the hallway to meet the others.
Sure enough, all mutant threats had been killed. But they had lost four more classmates to powered mutants — Darius and three girls.
Miss Lysa stared at the corpses of her students, her face and hair caked with blood.
Four more she had failed. Four more she couldn't protect.
Her bloodied fists clenched so tight that fresh blood welled from her palms.
It was obvious she had dispatched her own share of monsters, powered or not though Seth couldn't tell by judging the cold corpses littered around.
He sighed. This was expected. After all, she was an elite tutor of this damned academy. Combat experience was a requirement even to become a janitor here.
"We need to hurry out of here. The longer we wait, the more dangerous our condition becomes," Uriel urged, walking back to the group alongside Elaine.
Elaine glanced at Brandon's body on Seth's shoulder. "Is he…"
Seth quickly shook his head. "He's still alive… and untainted."
The vice president nodded, relief flickering in her eyes. "And you?"
Seth glanced at his shirtless, bloodied torso. He winced. "I'll live."
With that, the group continued down, eradicating the corrupted along the way.
Fortunately, they encountered no more corrupted ability users. Soon, they stood before the tightly shut doors of the auditorium hall.
"Good… seems people are inside," Uriel assessed before banging on the doors.
The noise would attract corrupted, but he didn't care. They were wounded and exhausted. If the doors didn't open soon, they would die anyway.
After banging, faint commotion rang from behind the door before silence fell.
Then a raspy voice nervously called, "W-who is there?"
Hearing the voice, the group's mood visibly improved.
"We are survivors from Class 12A. Let us in," Elaine hurriedly said.
The voice went silent. Murmurs followed.
Another voice spoke coldly: "There's no way you survived a trip from the top floor down here…"
Uriel frowned. "But here we are."
The voice pressed. "There's a group of corrupted on the second floor with abilities. How did you evade them?"
This time, Miss Lysa spoke. "Evade? Those vile things are dead! And shouldn't you at least let us in before this useless interrogation? Last I checked, monsters couldn't speak. You have no cause to refuse us or suspect us."
She let out a pent-up breath. Exhausted, strained, and wounded, her patience was gone. She had no time for these baseless interrogations.
The voices behind the door fell silent. No one could argue with her logic.
"Come on, man, just open the doors. Worst case, they're corrupted and we kill 'em."
With that, the doors creaked open, revealing the auditorium.
The group wasted no time rushing in. The doors shut behind them.
Seth finally dropped Brandon, sighing in relief. At least now he could rest.
He raised his head to meet the examining gazes of those inside.
The auditorium was brightly lit, filled with surviving students.
All windows had been barricaded, all exits tightly secured.
A crowd of students grew rowdy, murmuring as the group stepped in.
"It really is Class A…"
"I know, but why are they so few?"
"You heard what the teacher said. They probably had massive casualties against those zombies with abilities."
The chatter grew loud as a group headed by a middle-aged man stepped forward.
Uriel and Elaine squinted. They knew these people all too well.
Their rivals: Class 12B.
The man was Hilton Dwayn, homeroom teacher of Class B. Behind him trailed the president and vice president of the class — Helen and Roderick.
Mr. Hilton scanned the five newcomers, his expression unreadable.
"Is this all that's left?" he asked.
Miss Lysa stepped forward, grim.
"Half of my class became corrupted, forcing them to kill each other. I brought those who survived… half of them died on the way here."
Mr. Hilton sighed, shaking his head. "It couldn't be helped. None of us could have seen this coming."
"You did your best. Come, we have much to discuss. Your students can settle in and rest. I'm sure the journey was rough." He beckoned, turning to lead Lysa away.
She gave reassuring nods to her students before following.
The moment the two adults left, a disdainful grin spread across Roderick's face.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… so this is what's left of the legendary elite Class A. Just three wannabees."
His gaze trailed, stopping on Seth.
"And a no-good extra…"