Power.

The power to mutate. Right inside his grasp. It was so simple, so easy! Had it always been like this?

Mir couldn't help but recall the hooded men who were stalking them. As long as he underwent one mutation right now, he could protect himself. The main concern, that, the active virus inside his body could take over the control of the mutation to turn him into an abomination was not really something he feared right now. Because the virus inside his body had been repeatedly expelled by the diary to the point where he didn't even need a Virus Neutralizer Manual to do that job. All of his major stats were at rock bottom. The only remaining risk was the possibility of his neural network not being capable of withstanding the genetic modifications.

Naturally, he decided not to risk it. A mutation could be helpful, but there was no need to risk his brain over it.

It had been a while since he had closed his eyes and let the Witchweed establish a mental connection with him. Yet other than his body suddenly telling him that he could officially mutate right now, he felt no other changes, not even a serious urge.

"Well, that was disappointing. I was expecting something more...cool from a mutant plant named Witchweed," he remarked loudly, still keeping his eyes closed.

The Witchweed plants seemed to have been hurt by the taunt, because a moment later, he felt the urge to mutate finally appear inside his mind. Within seconds, the urge spiked up to the point where his legs shook, reeling from a physical shiver as he tried to hold his thoughts back.

Nope! Not mutating! Never!

The urge was like an inescapable net. His rationality seemed like a flimsy boat on a torrent of Tsunami. He could even 'see' the numerous possibilities he had the option to choose from.

Mutate your arms to grow claws! Mutate your back to grow spine spikes! Mutate your lungs to breathe fire! Mutate your throat to shout above 200 decibels! Mutate your eyes to see in the dark! Mutate your nose to smell any residue! Mutate your teeth to bite through steel! Mutate your mouth to spew poison! Mutate your chest to withstand being hit by a four-wheeler!

You can become invincible!

Mir chuckled derisively. All the options were tempting, but he only felt the need to reign his thoughts in, not entertain the ideas.

"You know, you're focusing on the wrong areas here. Try telling me I can mutate my dick. That'll make any man at least consider the offer. But I guess being a plant makes you less than likely to comprehend why..."

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Immediately, Mir felt a sharp pang of pain in his other palm. He couldn't help opening his eyes to look at what the plant was trying to do.

As it turned out, the plant was trying to do much more than he had just assumed.

The woman who was being used as the plants' food reserve was nowhere to be seen. Behind him, Reno was lying in a pool of blood, still alive, but all four of his limbs had been nailed to the ground with dozens of sharp, barbed branches. The gas torch was rolling on the floor right beside him. But Reno couldn't move a single finger, let alone use it to fight off the plant and defend Mir.

With both of his hands pierced by the plant's powerful stems, Mir couldn't move much either. He could only watch as a special root hurled itself towards his forehead, clearly aiming to penetrate his skull, just like how the woman's skull had been.

However, as soon as the sharp, tough end of the root crashed into his forehead, it crumbled. It couldn't pierce his skin. It couldn't even make a depression on his skin as if he was wearing an invisible metal armor over his forehead.

For the first time, the plant seemed unsure of itself.

But it immediately recovered, because Mir felt the rush of urges and ideas of mutations appear inside his mind once more. All it would take was a permissive thought. One hopeful glance at any part of himself imagining a single mutant trait in that part. He could have it all!

His entire body felt like it was being wrecked from the inside. A burning sensation spread across his limbs, trying to influence his judgment.

Mir looked back up at the barrier of weeds that had surrounded him from all directions. With a rigid smile, he repeated himself.

"No."

From the barrier, innumerable roots, barbed branches, and serpentine haustoria launched themselves into the air, trying to inject themselves into his body.

Yet, not a single one of them managed to push his skin back by a millimeter. Mir's body was like a granite statue, rendering all attempts at damaging it unsuccessful.

Ignoring the searing pain inside his body, especially his ripped palms, Mir clenched his fists, grabbing a handful of stems in each hand.

With a roar, he pulled the stems away from their origin points in the barrier. For a fraction of a second, a new idea popped into his mind; that he could deal more damage to the weeds this way as long as his physical constitution became stronger. Just one mutation was all it would take-

"No."

Ripping the stems out from the main body of the weeds, Mir used them like whips, beating around the bush quite literally. The army of Witchweed plants seemed to have suffered a great shock. They finally began to back down, shivering visibly.

It had lost control of the prey's mind! The Witcweed had lost the mental battle!

Mir didn't let it retreat as it wished. He leaped backward to pick up the gas torch. The moment the flame on its mouth flickered into existence, the entire army of Witchweeds began to flee underground again hysterically, abandoning its dense formations and united front.

"I'm going to burn each and every stalk, every seed, every root you have," Mir declared while approaching the visibly panicked plants.

"Mir! Help!" Reno groaned.

Startled, Mir turned to look at his fallen friend, only to see a thick root piercing his chest. Blood began to gush out from the hole as the root tried to escape.

Furious, Mir sprayed the fire at the root, making it writhe on the soil. From the backpacks, he pulled out a bandage to wrap around the fatal wound.

"Use medicine! There has to be something in the bag, right? Something that can help..." Reno's hysteria was contagious. Mir kept rummaging through the bag to look for any medicine that could treat a hole in the chest. But even the strongest gel they had wouldn't be able to perform that miracle.

"The data tower! Carry me to the data tower!" Reno screeched. "The medical rooms will have something! Please!"

Mir looked back at the Witchweed plants. They had almost managed to hide their entire population below the soil. If he left with Reno now...there would be no catching it.

"...Mir?" Reno whimpered, his tone uncertain.

"Reno, I don't think you'll make it, to be honest. The journey will take more than an hour. You'd last 5 minutes, tops. I suggest you start praying to your god Doomhorn," Mir replied in a despondent tone.

"Meanwhile, watch me exact the most brutal vengeance for you, buddy. At least you can die with a smile that way."

A grim