"You're right! I gained 1 point in Agility and an Evolution Point!" Wyn exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of relief and excitement.
This confirmed Primo's theory: his S-Rank skill wasn't the only way to get stronger. Anyone could grow by consuming gene cores; his skill just made the process more efficient and rewarded him with the creatures' specific abilities.
"Take a rest, then take the other one," Primo suggested with a smile. He was genuinely happy to see Wyn closing the gap.
While Wyn recovered, Primo took his second core—the one from the mutated cockroach. As expected, the pain was significantly more bearable than his initial evolution. It was a dull throb compared to the white-hot agony of the python core.
[Assimilation Complete]
[Feral Blattodea Core (Low-Grade) Absorbed]
[Gained:
+1 Agility
+1 Evolution Point
Skill:
He now had eight skills. Even if some were low-rank, in a world where a house lizard could grow as thick as a human leg, every small advantage was a lifeline. He quickly pulled up his status to see the full picture.
[Name: Primo Adam
Level: 2
Race: Human
Evolution Point(s): 2
Stamina: 9
Strength: 13
Defense: 6
Agility: 11
Will: 11
Skill(s):
He took a moment to review the descriptions of his new skills.
[Wall Grip
Rank: F (Active)
User can cling to vertical surfaces. Activating consumes stamina.]
[Regeneration
Rank: F (Passive)
Slowly heals light wounds and very slowly regenerates small body parts.]
[Tenacity
Rank: F (Passive)
Slightly increases user's Will in near-death situations.]
The Regeneration was a massive relief—no more worrying about every small scratch becoming a problem plus it regenerates small body parts though very slowly. Tenacity was more of a "insurance policy" for when things went south.
By the time he closed the panels, Wyn's second bout of pain was subsiding. This time, Wyn reported a plus one to Will and an Evolution Point.
"Interesting", Primo thought. "I didn't get a Will point from the cockroach core." He surmised that the system might have granted Wyn a raw stat point to compensate for the fact that he didn't receive a specific skill like Tenacity.
While Wyn caught his breath, Primo walked to a corner of the room to test Wall Grip. He placed his palms against the cement, trying to channel the "spider hero" he'd seen in movies. He activated the skill and felt his palms "lock" onto the texture of the wall with a strange, magnetic friction.
He tried to scale the surface, but his shoes provided no grip, causing him to slip. He kicked his shoes off and tried again. This time, his bare toes clung to the concrete, helping him propel himself upward.
However, the triumph was short-lived. Not even a minute into the climb, a heavy, grinding strain began to pull at his muscles. His Stamina was draining at an alarming rate. He lost his hold and fell back to the floor, landing in a crouch.
"You okay?" Wyn asked, looking over.
"Yeah," Primo panted, rubbing his sore calves. "It works, but between my body weight and the low rank of the skill, it's a huge drain. It's definitely not something I can use for long periods."
"Is that skill from the lizard?" Wyn asked, watching Primo step back from the wall.
"Yeah," Primo answered, dusting off his hands. "I gained a total of three new skills: two from the lizard and one from the cockroach. They're all F-rank, so they aren't exactly 'ultimate moves,' but they'll be useful. I'll practice with them more later, but right now, let's clear this second floor."
After a brief rest to let their bodies settle from the core consumption, the duo gathered their weapons and began their ascent.
The layout upstairs was different from the first floor. Instead of four standard rooms, there were only three: a long, spacious conference room and two offices for the college department deans. At the far end of the hallway sat a small pantry area.
Primo stopped at the top of the stairs, closing his eyes to focus. His Great Ear twitched as he filtered out the whistling wind.
"I can't sense any movement from the deans' offices," Primo whispered, "but there's definitely something in the conference room."
They crept toward the conference room doors. Primo pushed one open just a crack. Inside, a massive mahogany table stretched across the room, surrounded by high-backed chairs. The space was quiet, but Primo could hear a faint, wet crunching sound coming from the back of the room, hidden by the height of the table.
They entered cautiously, splitting up to flank the long table. Primo took the side nearest the windows. He noticed one was slightly open, potentially allowing a beast to escape or enter. He moved silently to close it.
Click.
The latch snapped shut. The sound was tiny, but to a predator, it was a dinner bell.
Suddenly, a dark, bristly shape blurred from the floor at the far end of the room. It leaped with explosive power, landing squarely on the center of the conference table.
It was a jumping spider, but mutated to a terrifying degree. It was as large as the mutated rats—the size of a small dog. In its fangs, it held a dead mutated cockroach, half-crushed and leaking fluids.
The spider dropped its prey. Its eight obsidian eyes—two massive ones in the front and six smaller ones surrounding its head—fixed instantly on Primo. It seemed to realize he was the one who had just cut off its only exit. Its front legs lifted slightly, a clear sign it was preparing to pounce.
Primo was caught off guard by the spider's sudden appearance, but his survival instincts, sharpened by his high Will and Agility, kicked in instantly. He lowered his center of gravity, gripping his spear tight.
He threw a quick side-glance toward Wyn to coordinate their next move, but the spider was faster than any predator he had faced so far. It didn't just act on instinct; it was a tactician. Sensing the split-second distraction, the spider launched itself from the table directly at Primo's head.
Primo barely managed to duck, feeling the bristly hairs of the spider's legs brush against his hair. The sheer explosive power of the leap was terrifying—it covered the distance in a blink. Before Primo could even turn around to counter-attack, the spider had already used the floor to pivot, springing again—this time toward Wyn.
"Wyn! Watch out!" Primo roared.
Wyn, thanks to the +1 Agility he had just gained from the cockroach core, reacted with a speed he didn't have ten minutes ago. He didn't have time to swing his heavy axe, so he threw it up in a vertical guard.
CLANG.
The spider's heavy fangs slammed into the steel of the axe head instead of Wyn's chest. The force of the impact pushed Wyn back a step, but the block was successful. The spider, failing to find purchase, scrambled back onto the far corner of the table.
The beast didn't immediately lunge again. Instead, it stood its ground on the polished wood, its eight eyes shimmering with predatory focus. It raised its two front legs high into the air—a classic threat display—and bared its dripping, needle-sharp fangs. It was assessing them, looking for the next opening.
"It's fast," Wyn panted, his hands vibrating from the impact. "Way faster than the lizard."