Raptor One - Chapter 25
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Opening my eyes i get up directly.
“No more delay, i have to return fast, this is taking too long.” I say with my cold voice as i head to the door.
*OP: What’s the plan? Same as before?*
“Niet.” i say as i close the door and head to the mall floor the 2th floor.
The walk was peaceful as there is not much special strain, and the ones that do apear just ignore me.
Reaching the 2th floor i start sniffing for the scavenger strain, I'll assimilate it in one move.
My enhanced capacity to smell and the horrible smell the scavenger strain works agains’t then so i not only easily find then but i even know their location and doings, this gives me a chance to ambush one before they find me.
Going their way while not making sound is so easy that i don’t need to worry, ‘Raptor Stance’ helps a lot at keeping my pace faster than the speedy buggers and my ‘Enhanced Tail’ helps me avoid anything that may break my stealth, and in no time I'm about to ambush a small group of Scavenger Strain that have only six members.
I get really close and the group don’t find me until i lunge at one of the closest scavenger, my lunge was a critical success as i drop down on top of the scavenger with ease, my toe talons pinning it down, it tries to struggle free but the scavenger fails and i manage to inflict heavy injury using my ‘Toe Talons’ the rest of the scavengers look at me but i roar with a threatening tone and they immediately scatter in all directions fleeing in terror.
The scavenger that i pinned down tries to get free but fail miserably only hurting itself in the process.
I look at it and slash with my claw at the scavenger, i almost fail spectacularly but with my tail and experience in close combat i manage to hit the scavenger, it tries to dodge but i behead it in one wave of my hand.
As the body slump down immobile and it’s head roll a little in a pray of blood i take off my leg and toe talon off the scavenger and pick it’s head up ignoring the bad smell and the surroundings.
*OP: i have a better way to assimilate the brain with lower impact on your will, Take the brain out of the head, envelop it in tick nanite avoiding contact, when you think you have enough nanites enveloping it, just devour it as fast as possible.*
“Da, Spasibo.” i say as i use my claws to easily open the head and get the brain out.
Enveloping the brain with as much nanites as i can i wait for the density i desire.
When the density i want is reached i assimilate the brain as fast as i can, i manage to resist the hit to my will and leave with no damage, be it body or will.
With a swing of my hands the blood flies off it and I'm clean again as i decide to go to the 6th floor and give the crying girl a hug... and a slash to the neck, that how irritated i am with it.
Maybe I'll take a look at the 7th floor and see if it is connected with the other side of the building, if it is i can return, finish what i have to do here and get going.
As i was going to climb the stair to the 3th floor i hear a Gravekeeper looking at me and my actions but it does not show hostility so i ignore it as i continue to climb to the 4th floor.
After some look i climb to the 5th floor, the work area floor.
I don’t see anything out of the normal here too so i climb to the 6th floor for the first time.
As i finish climbing the stair I'm suddenly ambushed by a Hunter Strain, it almost get me off guard but i manage to avoid it’s tongue lash with a combo of raptor stance and a good tail, it’s saving me a lot today.
We get into a face off but i break it using my superior speed and dexterity to close the distance and lunge at the hunter, The hunter as always is on the ceiling, that makes hitting it hard, but i manage to claw at him, the hunter expertly manages to dodge me, that what it thought because i manage to graze him using my superior capabilities and expertise.
The hunter lunges at me with it’s claws but i easily dodge but can’t get a good angle to counter.
I step forward and swipe at the hunter, but fail as the hunter jumps back as i gave it no way to counter attack.
“That was close.” I mutter as the hunter almost got a counter on me, but my fighting experience managed allowed me to deny it’s counter.
As the hunter was at some distance of me it lash out it’s tongue at me, but fail miserably as i dodge and get wide open for a counter.
I drop my chain scythes and swing at the hunter, but the swing goes wide as the hunter dodges and counter attack back!
The tongue lash hit me hard on the chest and i feel the pain, but it just a grazing hit.
Waving my hand again in a half moon motion the chain scythe flies into the hunter, it tries to dodge but i make it’s head fly off it’s body with a beautiful swing of my chain scythe.
The hunter drops with a fountain of blood as it’s head flies off with a blood trail as i recover my nanites and use some to repair the damage i got from the hunter.
Not minding the body i try to pinpoint the crying voice location with my hearing, it’s crying is too muffled, but with some focus and thinking i manage to get the direction where it’s coming, but not the exact location.
Going north i pass by many work rooms, as this floor is another work area just like the one in the 5th floor.
Getting closer to the blocked path the sound become clearer so i manage to pinpoint the location.
Getting close to the very last work room where there is only bodies cut by a very, very sharp claw, i hear the crying coming inside the work room on my right.
I try to open the door while making no sound, with a lot of caution, using mostly my hearing and speed i manage to open the door so silently that it does not even know I'm close to her...
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Yes... it’s a ‘Witch Strain’.... Creepy in a game, worse in real life! May god help me and let me kill it in the first attack...
As i managed to get inside with no problem I'm already in ambush position, just need to get a good hit....
With a lunge i get the witch by surprise and before she manages to regain focus i swipe my claw at her neck and her head flies off with no resistance at all.
“RNG Jesus is on my side this time...” I sigh, four jets of red smoke leaves my mask and caress my ears.
Getting my leg off the body of the dead witch along with my toe talon, i head to where the head flied off to and grab it.
I sigh again as i know what to do...
Getting the brain out of the head easy as always, just like dismantling a component.
Getting the nanites condense around the brain i prepare to assimilate the ‘Witch strain’.
In one second the brain is assimilated, but i still feel the hit... it’s small but it’s there, i may need a day to recover from this.
*OP: Will at 90%, Scavenger strain collected, Witch strain collected, good work kumpel.*
“Thanks...” i Sigh.
*OP: Want the upgrade now or later? You will like what the hunter strain have to offer, much better than the Witch strain when it comes to survival.*
“Got my interest freund.” I say as i leave the room and get inside a empty work room and sit on the chair and relax.
“Do it, kumpel.” I say as i relax in the chair.
*OP: Assimilating Scavenger strain and Witch strain...*
*Complete.*
*Harvest Protocol Liberated*
*Teeth, claw and talons upgraded*
*Reflex upgraded*
*OP: Harvest Protocol, auxiliary frame that enables the consumption of non organic materials and enables ‘Replication’, this ability allow you to make any tech and item you have access to the blueprint, but the materials need to be known too to make a full copy.*
*OP: Harvest Protocol also upgrades biomatter consumption from 2 to 1, into 1 to 2. Non biomatter consumption are 2 to 1, and so is the replication, don’t forget that different materials have different costs, that makes it two times costly to make.*
“Da, understood.” i nod as the upgrade finish and the feeling finally pass.
I give a look at the nanite storage just to become surprised at the change!
*Nanite storage: 1925u/6000u*
That’s two thousand extra units of nanites allowed for storage! Just because of a auxiliary frame activation!
*OP: Compared at what you’re going to get when you activate my last two auxiliary frames and get it’s bonuses.*
“Now I'm curious, and i did not forget about that alpha candidate chance you said, is it related to liberating the second locked auxiliary fame?” i ask curiously.
*OP: Yes Freund, that is correct, to activate ‘Mimic Protocol’ you will need to have a submissive alpha candidate of the female type to start unlocking it.*
“... That involves intercourse, right?” i say, my tone worse than normal.
*OP: .... Can’t deny it, also, Intercourse works for Strain collection too... Female only.*
“What do you think i am!?” i almost curse out loud...
*OP: Sorry kumpel.*
I sigh as i get up and leave the room, and decide to head south.
Passing the staircase as it does not go to the 7th floor, yes, it exist but is not connected to the main staircase, wonder why...
I continue my way as i pass by the work rooms, fungus and mushroom everywhere along with lots of fungal beds, and i mean lots, almost like they are prepared for a siege...
The special infected that i pass by don’t even look at me as they keep their attention at the stair at the end of the corridor of the south side of this floor, but unlike other floors, this one does not emit light.
I go inside and look down.
The light emitting from the broken wall illuminates the broken stairs from the 5th floor right to the 1st floor, on the 1st floor does not emit light as the part of the wall there is not destroyed unlike the stair pieces that clogged the 1st stair area.
I decide to climb the stair to the 7th floor.
The climbing was pretty chill but i lost the relaxing mood as i exit the stairs and finally enter the 7th floor...
“It’s full of windows...” i mutter as i watch the light pass into this shaded area and light up the whole floor, only the shadow between the windows spacing allow some shadow to keep itself there.
I decide to dash into the next shadow, just the two seconds i made contact with the light hurts as i stop in the shadow between the windows.
“This will take a while...” i mutter as i feel my body cooling down almost as fast as i heated up.
So, dash, cooldown, repeat.
As i got in the middle of the floor i stop to breath a little.
Suddenly i feel something lung at me at point blank range!
The sudden attack almost rip my head off my body if not for me dodging it and blocking it with all my fighting experience in CQC and Panzer Kunst, but i still get a nasty bite that get a chunk out of me.
I open my eyes as all my senses did not detect this infected and i finally see what got a piece of me.
A infected releasing red smoke like substance that does not leave it’s body, it have no shadow as it stands in the light unperturbed, it walks my way with no sound at all and don’t give any smell at all, it fooled all my senses as i need to force my eyes to open to even detect it, a heavy counter to me and my superior senses, if not for the experience i would be dead right now... in a way that is.
The ‘Shadowless Strain’ lunges at me, but i dodge the Shadowless, it was wide open for a counter but my injury did not let me grab the opportunity.
I swipe back at the Shadowless and manage to swipe at the Shadowless at his bad angle, this swipe alone sealed it’s fate as i severe it’s head off.
I feel the pain of the bite, but i ignore it to catch the flying head has it started to smoke!
The head was flying in a really bad angle but with my eyes open, hearing sharp, fast and nimble reflex i manage to catch the head and haul it back to the shadow fast enough to avoid damage to it...
At the cost of extra pain because of the bite, but luckly it did not stop me, but it hurts...
I sigh as i repeat the actions i did two times today, open the head, get the brain and condense nanites around it for assimilation.
My eyes already closed automatically as i condense the nanites, the wound make me lose some concentration but i assimilate the brain in less than a second and i almost don't feel the taste of raw brain.
*OP: Will: 90%, Injured, ‘Shadowless Strain’ collected. Upgrade? Yes or No.*
“Da.” i say as i sit on the middle of the shadow between the two windows.
The feeling of something changing deep inside my nanite blood is amazing, but it soon stops and i manage to focus again.
*OP: ‘Shadowless Strain’ assimilated, new ‘Trait’, ‘Nightmare Form’.*
*’Nightmare Form’ is a active/passive ability that acts not only as a natural EVA suit but also serves as stealth, while active the user don’t make sound and smell, if used in dark areas it also help avoid detection, unless it’s psionic detection, you will not need to worry about being hunted in the dark anymore, because you’re the hunter now.*
“So it’s a passive active Trait? How does it works?” i ask in curiosity.
*OP: Simple, if you want, you can cover yourself with a layer of nanites, yes you could do that but it won’t be of use even on light, but now it is. Your body will automatically release nanites to protect you from things that can harm you like light, EMP, Extreme Heat, Space, etc. It does cost to keep it active, the cost being 1 nanite per two minutes or 30u per hour.*
“That’s useful, I'm going back, need to prepare to visit that last Strain, eat the food then get the heck out of here...” i say as i sigh, getting up and walking back into the 6th floor.
Passing by the light my body automatically cover itself in nanites that immediately release black smoke that envelop my body, the only parts that does show are the red lines of my body, mask as it releases red jets of smoke in this form every time i breath, and my red and cyan eyes when i open it, the look can’t get more threatening than this.
I chuckle as i descend to the 6th floor as i deactivate ‘Nightmare Form’.
As i pass back with a hand on my shoulder to hide the wound i see the same Gravekeeper i spotted looking at me along with the other infected before returning and disappearing from my sight.
I pass by the infected with no resistance as i return to my room in the 4th floor.
Closing the door i go to the water dispenser as i drink all the water in the bottle before refilling it and placing it back on my belt.
Getting to the sofa i lie down, I'll be busy tomorrow as i will have to visit the last strain here before emptying the pantry and heading out.
I wince at the pain of the wound, but i soon fall asleep.
*nanite storage: 2025/6000u*
Status:
Health: Injured - 1x.
Will: 90%.
Day: ? (Brightdawn) Month: 12?
Age: 16 (Legal adult)
Credits: 10050 (No change.)
Nanite storage: 1975 units (Max 4000 units, 50u Needed per day)
Mainframes:
Nexus Protocol: Mainframe type, Being Suppressed by O.P.
Omega Protocol: Mainframe type, Contained by N.P.
Auxiliary Protocols:
Alpha Protocol (O.P): Needing resources.
Mimic Protocol (O.P): Needing resources.
Scavenger Protocol (O.P): Liberated.
Harvest Protocol (O.P): Liberated.