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”
Ability: Bladed Tentacles
Requirements: Body 2, Magick 1
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
With over eight thousand MP at his disposal, Jake could unlock up to three abilities. However, he was cautious about depleting his mana reserves—even 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.
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)
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
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—the 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—approximately three feet.
Then something unexpected happened—the 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—at 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—about 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.