Raptor One – Chapter 20
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After resting my nerves for a bit i open my eyes again and stop leaning on the wall, now ready to go upstairs.
Taking the stairs up in a relaxed pace i get on the office floor, to the left and right are lot of doors, what they’re for i have no clue, but i start heading right trying to find a door that is more spaced than the others, normally this means it’s a worker’s rest spot where water dispensers are kept.
As i slowly walk trough the corridor the sound of a infected enter my hears, i pay no attention as i keep looking for the right door.
As i get in the corridor crossroad i look to my left where i see a infected that is different than the others, arched back, no eyes, mid size claws, long tongue, and is slim, all that is completely different to the other infected.
It looks my way as i stop to look at it, it tongue weaving between it’s chin as it goes into all four and jump into the roof and manage to stay there as it’s look my way!
“What the...” i mutter before dodging a extremely long tongue!
It sprints on the roof on my direction as it tries to catch me with it’s tongue as i dodge high and low as i retreat constantly.
“The heck is that licker mimic trying to do!? Go lick someone else like your mom!” I say, starting to get angry at it’s persistence.
It did not like my words it seen as it screech in a way that all the fungal beds explode releasing the normal infected, but i don’t mind it as i get back to the staircase again after all that retreating.
It tries to spit something on me but fails hitting a normal infected and the rest rush in it’s direction, the closest one ripping it’s arm off with a bite!
Trying something new that i thought i grab the infected easily as my anger is boiling in a cryogenic state of wrath and i toss the infected over the guard rail.
Just as i finish this action all the other infected jumps down after it.
Note to self:
-Normal infected have suicidal tendencies.
-Normal infected have a clear hierarchy.
-Need more research on the infected.
-The number of infected is too high even after almost three hundred years, investigate why.
As all the closest infected jumped to it’s death i look t the mutated infected on the roof, my wrath so cold i can feel the jets of red smoke leaving the tubes of my mask on my lower pair of ears every time i breath.
The mutated infected launch another tongue attack but i catch it with my hand, and with a pull and a swipe it flies in my direction and it’s tongue is cut in half as it slam before me but it get it’s stance back easily before i grab it as it swipe at me with it’s claw forcing me to dodge to the right close to the guard rail.
“You want to use swarm tactics on me, that have both learned how to use it and repel it... your actions insult me as a experienced swarm tactician.” I say in disgust my voice chilling cold and more hostile than normal as my hands liberate a mass of nanite that become chain scythes.
The mutated infected lung at me as it feel danger but with a step to the side and a upward wave it’s right arm goes flying.
Adjusting my movement, the chain scythe do a 180 turn and sweep down with more force but the mutated infected manage to jump away but it did not think of the resting left chain scythe that goes flying it’s way as the right one pierces the floor while the mutated is still in mid air.
With a swoosh it’s left arm flies off too but instead of screaming again it get on it’s legs and try to run away.
With a wave of both my hands the chain scythes flies of the ground again, the left one taking it’s leg off and the right grabbing it with it’s serrated teeth, a last second modification as i pull it back by the stomach and with a wave slam it on the wall back first.
Not satisfied i pull my hand in a half moon motion then finish with a crescent moon sweep, the mutated infected dragged on the floor at high speed with no mercy before finally being cut in two as it hits the roof, it’s blood, intestines and organs raining down like today was a blood harvest.
Then i finally snap out.
“I did it again... i snapped... looks like this is not just a mental problem like i thought in my last life...” i sigh looking at the splatted infected with pity.
*OP: I know it’s not a good time nor moment to say this, but if you want to get better and more control of your ‘Wrath overdrive’ you need to assimilate the corresponding 'zedspore' virus mutations to get a better control and enhancement, it has a lot of pros to this, and only one downside to it... you have to assimilate it...*
Is there a middle ground to get what you need for the upgrade and lessen the... need to assimilate it?
*OP: Yes, there is, the 'zedspore' virus is concentrated on the brain, so get the assimilation target head, pull out the eyes and you will have a short but straight road to the infected genome, you still have to assimilate the brain however... and by my analysis, you won’t like it one bit...*
...Sure...
I’m very against this, but i managed to get a lot of information on this infected...
With a swipe of my chain scythe i cut it’s head off before getting the nanites back, picking up the head i pull it’s eyes off and stare at it, thinking at it’s info and what this infected does...
Mutated infected – Hunter
-Aggressive, both infected and non infected.
-Prefer to attack and kill with tongue, contain venom, unknown type.
-If cornered will call for reinforcement and if that fails will fight at close range.
-If too injured will try to flee.
-Extreme senses.
-Tough skin than normal infected.
-Teeth and claws are sharper than normal infected.
-Prefer ambushes.
I focus my mind back to the eyeless head, with a deep breath i place my right hand on it’s face and release the nanites, the feeling of the nanites creeping trough brain matter and it’s taste make me retch but i try to resist the sensation as the brain is devoured by the nanites...
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Urgh... my retching gets worse and my mask suddenly depressurize and open as my retching gets worse...
I can’t take this... the feeling... the taste... even if i have a iron stomach i can’t keep my stomach quiet anymore...
Before i start vomiting it finally ends and i release the empty skull as the nanites return to me...
*OP: Hunter Genome collected, do you wish to upgrade? Yes or No.*
“Give me some time for god sake...” i mutter as i lean on a more clean part of the wall to breath as my mask locks again...
As my mask pressurizes again i clean the extreme amount of saliva from my mask that my retching made my mouth produce.
Omega Protocol, give me some explanation about the upgrades I'll get from the hunter strain.
*OP: Sure, the Hunter genome will enhance all your senses to a alarming degree that it can be used to hurt you like sounds because of your already sensitive ears, but the upgraded senses will tune automatically so it’s almost no problem but be aware of the possibility, the hunter genome will also upgrade your instincts, skin, fur, feather, claws, and most of all, it’s upgrade will focus on your eyes and nose, enabling you to become a biological scanner and tracker with built in enemy condition indicator, that’s all, it’s your choice host, I'm here to help not use you like Nexus Protocol.*
Thanks... i’ll accept the upgrade, will it cost nanites?
*OP: Only 100 units, that is half of the consumed matter you just got, it will be used to enhance the virus, get better control of it, upgrade the Inhibitor charge to become denser and more concentrated while the tubes will be reinforced to store more Inhibitor charges.*
*OP: Starting upgrade.*
*OP: You will have to adjust to the new feelings, and your look will change a little as the virus concentration will make your body emit the red lines as it gets denser, and it will get brighter as you collect and assimilate more 'zedspore' strains, but it’s only the look that will change, so don’t worry.*
Sure, just feeling strange as my eyes are giving me a lot of information.... type, time, when, where, it’s possible state, male or female, if it’s a known strain or non infected, if it’s injured or not, if yes how much... all this information condensing on my brain mixing with the same type of information and some more coming from my nose... too much...
*OP: Focus! And close your eyes! Let your other senses do the work, as of right now you eyes and nose are now your way of getting detailed information, relax and it will tune down, don’t worry about your vision, all the other senses will work better than echo location, especially you hearing.*
“Thanks” i mutter as i close my eyes and let my mind drift for a minute.
I really feel more relaxed and less strained now, having to eat a semi living human being's brain did do a number on me...
Sighing i look around, and... manage to see with my eyes closed, i can even know the colors, ins't that the function of the eye?
*OP: The nose are taking some of the function of the eyes like color perception, the ears are working as a omni directional radar as it catch even the microscopic sensations and sound to paint the surroundings and pinpoint areas of interest, the two senses also works with the feelings of the skin, fur, and feather, along with tact, with the same motives as mentioned before, all that allow you to do things that no normal being can manage to sustain, that’s why the Hunters don’t have eyes, but you do, and it’s your trump card when you need more or better information.*
I chuckle at the info, now more relaxed as i have a more definitive knowledge of how’s my body is working now.
“What about space.” i mutter with curiosity at how my new sense will be affected in space as i know it’s just a matter of sooner or later.
*OP: Hunters don’t have a sense of up or down, but they have more capacity than a cat at adjusting to gravity, and in non gravity areas, they will automatically adjust to where the gravity is pushing it down, if no gravity is felt, they will change their approach in moving just like they do when ambushing.*
“That is, forget the gravity and use the walls like a friggin resident evil licker...” i mutter to myself, the information being saved on my mind.
*OP: Correct, also i hope you don’t mind me suppressing Nexus Protocol for the time being.*
Sure i don’t mind! That protocol looks like it was made by a jerk with perfectionist problems coupled with control freak disorder.
I won’t be surprised if it decides to kill me sooner or later too... I’ll be furious tou...
Anyway! Need to find that water! My pancakes are waiting me! Better food to clean the taste of infected brain from my system there is none! I can’t even think of eating meat right now or my stomach will do flips...
With a long breath and a jet of red smoke my mind, and pseudo vision shows me where i can find water very easily to my surprise.
So i start walking back to where i was heading before having to fight that hunter, reaching the crossroad i continue forward and a minute of walking later i find a door more spaced than the others, the smell of clean water is coming from inside.
I just enter as my senses and instinct say it’s empty, giving a look i do find a water dispenser in excellent condition and that this room is a rest area for workers.
Going directly to the water dispenser i fill my water bottle, that done i give some sniffs and find that there is no food here so i return back to my room.
As i reach the 4th floor where my room is i find a lone wandering infected close to the guard rail.
“Just a normal infected huh...” i mutter as my mind gives me a idea and a question.
Why there is no corpse on the ground floor and why the number of infected did not decrease after the little mass suicide i made then do? One easy way to find out, toss the infected over the rail and keep looking.
With that in mind i grab the infected after a small kick on the knee so i can grab it’s neck, and with a toss it flies over the guard rail to the ground floor as i look it fall.
The sight is not pretty as it land with a splat, brain juice scattering on the already red ground, but not even a minute later i feel movement coming for the dead infected, opening my eyes i get a better zoomed in vision with plenty of details about the infected, and it does not look like the others in some parts of the look but can pass as a normal infected if not looking carefully.
It's main trait is that it’s malnourished, unlike the rest of the normal infected, only that differentiate it, if not for my new senses I'd find that strange at best.
The malnourished infected grabs the dead infected by the ankle and starts dragging it somewhere to the... north.
I know it did not have any intention of eating the corpse, but is hauling it somewhere, and it just look malnourished but is not, as it easily drags the corpse out of my line of view as i close my eyes again but my ears keep tracking it’s movement.
After tracking it for five minutes it finally stops on a small room and the sound of a body being tossed before it goes away, but i pay the infected no heed as the one in the middle of all the corpses catch my attention as now that i know it’s existence, it’s smell and some information about it enter my brain...
-Unknown infected
-Unknown strain
-No mobility capacity
-Extreme amount of fungal growth around it
-Denser 'zedspore' atmosphere
-Smell contains strong aphrodisiac with fast reaction speed
Wait... what??? Seriously??? Why does a infected need strong aphrodisiac!?
Bah! That's for another time, for now back to the safe house and pancakes!
A minute later i get at my safe spot and see that the three dead infected was collected too, not minding it i enter and go directly to the kitchen area and plug in the mini capacitor then start making the pancake mix for cooking.
In less than a minute I'm done and the pancake is on the pan frying as i lean on the table, arms closed as i wait for it to be done.
“I miss being able to sing...” I sigh as i open my eyes to directly see the faint glowing red lines on my body looking like i activated ‘Wrath overdrive’.
Closing my eyes again i flip the pancake as Omega Protocol talks to me.
*OP: Don’t worry about the lines glowing on your body, it does not have consequences to you... if you don’t count your social life...*
“HEY!” That’s a sore spot to poke! I was somewhat of a loner my last life but i do like some company!
*OP: Sorry, but I'm talking right now to say that your ‘Wrath overdrive’ now is three times stronger now.*
“Three times again... is that number haunting me or something?” i mutter as i collect the ready pancake and get a new one on the pan to cook.
*OP: Maybe? I too don’t know why the number 3 is appearing so much latelly.*
“Haha, don’t worry, I'm not worried about it unless it harms me or closed ones.” i chuckle as i flip the second pancake as i prepare to eat the first one as my mask depressurize.
“Now the only thing left is having only enough mix for three pancakes, that will be fun, hahaha.” i chuckle again at the possibility.
My mask unlocks and with a chomp i bite this piece of tastiness as i get the second pancake off the pan and to my surprise the mix ends as i place the third pancake on the pan to cook.
I chuckle again as i give the pancake another bite.
“What can i say about this? I'll just laugh it out at the coincidence, hahaha.” i say out loud as i chuckle again as i finish the first pancake and get the second one to eat as i flip the third one in the pan.
“Looks like the infected don’t like non meat food, as i don’t hear or smell movement around.”
I say looking at the roof as i bite the second pancake, the sweetness making me salivate more than normal.
“Sigh... can’t help having a mouth full of sweet tooth, sharp ones at that.” i chuckle as i finish the second pancake and take the third one after deactivating the oven and getting the mini capacitor back on the belt as i move to the half dismantled sofa as i eat the last pancake.
Finishing the last pancake i lie down on the sofa as my mask locks up again, and so i go to sleep after giving my nanite storage a look, I'll need it, this place is more dangerous than it looks...
*Nanite storage: 1750u\4000u*
Status:
Health: On Duty.
Day: ? (Brightdawn?) Month: 12?
Age: 16 (Legal adult)
Credits: 10050 (No change.)
Nanite storage: 1250 units (Max 4000 units, 500u Needed per day)
Abilities:
Omega Protocol: Unlocked.
Path 1:
Alpha Protocol: 0% Decoded.
Path 2:
Scavenger Protocol: Unlocked.
Harvest Protocol: 0% Decoded.