"She finally left."
Cain took a short breath, watching his comrade Louise run towards the broken door while gripping a spear in her hand. He glanced to the side and saw a blue panel appear with a notification.
[Corruption began: 17% ...19%...]
The continuously soaring number indicated the danger infecting his body. This virulent virus would corrode its host, not only physically but mentally as well, and transform him into a mindless iron-clad monster.
However, even knowing that what he was experiencing was something horrifying. His black eyes showed no ripple. He turned away as if he hadn't noticed the notification and opened his mouth.
"Status."
Cain placed a hand on his chin and began to divide his bonus points evenly.
Parameter Up!
- Vitality: 47 > 52
- Mind: 45 > 50
- Physique: 45 > 50
- Agility: 52 > 57
- Sense: 45 > 50
[Remaining Bonus Point: 25 > 0]
'Here it comes.'
He closed his eyes, feeling a hot sensation spreading. A jolt of adrenaline coursed through his veins, sending an invisible power that seeped into his flesh, bones, and nourished his brain. The process took a few seconds until he opened his eyes again, exhaling a white mist.
Different from before, where a sudden surge like this would snatch his freedom within a time limit, but now the process felt instant, and Cain could feel that his body was lighter than usual.
However, the change was not permanent. It was only an illusion that triggered a momentary surge of dopamine in Cain's brain. And when the process ended, Cain felt his body was chained to a large rock. A remnant from his previous battle.
The boy clicked his tongue before pushing himself to his feet. At the peak, his vision was shaky, as if his legs had no bones.
'Damn it!'
For a moment, his mind was pushed to continue the process of updating his system, but that posed too much uncertainty, so he shook his head. His gaze turned to the next room, which was still illuminated by white light from the neon.
"This is my chance."
Fortunately, Louise did not read the journal or the data displayed on the monitor screen. So the bluff he created spontaneously, 'to fix his broken armor suit,' could easily deceive her.
There was another reason why he did all that. First, it was to inject the black-colored attribute that contained pure energy extracted from nature.
And second, the reason Cain opened his armor suit was that he wanted to know the mechanism of his third ability, named Limit Break. The skill activation required a specific condition: his body must first be contaminated by the cosmic virus.
Since he first received the Null Sequence, there was never a single chance to use it, and now was the time. Although there was a possibility that the monster was stronger, or he would be hit by the rebound and cause the entire team to perish.
At least there was no harm in challenging the unknown. And if possible, Cain would become a diversion for his comrade to flee.
Cain dragged his heavy feet to the door in the corner that led him down, passed the stairs, and stood at the iron door with a round lever. The cold sensation when he touched the lever spread, making his body shiver.
The creaking of the door as it shifted released a white light into the dark hall where he stood. His gaze was straight, fixed on a small tube in the corner with a black ball inside.
"Finally."
Stepping inside, Cain swallowed his saliva to wet his parched throat. Other things seemed not to enter his brain because he kept looking at the black ball that emitted tiny flashes of black veins.
His hand reached for the tube, making the black ball inside it tremble, showing a hint of alertness towards him.
Cain paused briefly, and he stared at the black ball before opening his mouth.
"I'm sorry, but our time is limited."
He put a little force on his arm, and the tube that stored the elemental energy cracked, then shattered into small pieces that scattered, raining onto the floor.
When freed from its shackles, the black ball crackled and scattered black lightning that ravaged the surrounding area. At the same time, the neon in the room died, proof that this room was supplied by raw power from the attributes that were rampaging now.
His expression twisted when he received a hot sting that brought a burning smell into his nose, which came from his scorched palm.
Cain gritted his teeth, his burned black hand stretched out towards the ball.
"Please, help me to conquer this dying world!"
The black lightning that came out of the ball whipped through the air and reduced the equipment in the room to ash.
Despite showing a terrifying, destructive power, the boy stepped forward. His black pupils shrank as he received a direct attack from the wild lightning.
However, he did not stop; this made his right hand turn black and emit a carbon smell that pierced his nose.
"Ukh! Aaaaakh!"
With his last strength, Cain gripped the ball in his hand and received a direct attack from the lightning. Lightning crackled around his skin, causing the darkness on his hand to spread and cover his entire body as he groaned, screaming in excruciating agony.
"AAAAAH!"
***
Louise's footsteps stopped as she vaguely heard a scream from behind her echoing in her ears. She turned and found a long room that was destroyed thanks to the large monster that had beaten her leader badly.
She clenched her hand to feel the weight of the spear she was holding, somehow making the loud pounding in her chest subside.
The hot glow from the tip of her spear was dim due to the monster attack earlier that had caused other electronic devices to malfunction. That dark color reminded her of her recent condition.
The girl reached for her left chest and raised her chin to see a gathering of black clouds covering the sky that should have been clear. A flash, added to the rumbling thunder, became music in her ears.
'Calm down, me! Rika, and the others need help.'
Louise closed her eyes while bringing her spear closer to her face. She took a deep breath and felt a sensation that coiled around her wrist, the place where Cain gripped her just now, which made the corner of her lips rise.
"This team needs me!"
She opened her eyes, her green pupils shone brightly like neon in the night sky. Her body blurred, sprinting outside and saw the battlefield covered in debris that was leveled with the barren ground.
Roar!
A roar that shook the air caught her attention. Louise saw an enormous monster with a towering body like a primate. It has two long, bulky hands and relatively short feet with wriggling tentacles on its tail bone.
The whole body was covered in hard metal and a complex cable entanglement. All of that was a disguise to hide the black flesh twitching underneath.
Her expression hardened when she saw Abel with his body wrapped in a yellow Aura, jumping back to avoid the monster's punch.
But all that was in vain because the strong punch sent debris that rained down on Abel. Then her gaze was diverted, seeing Peter, who had a brown aura on his body, jumping as high as the monster's head and stabbing his dagger.
Clang!
Spark scattered, the monster grinned and raised its hand upwards, roaring as if wanting to show its power to the silent sky. The roar sent a shockwave that pushed them back far, and they clutched their ears.
A red bullet shot towards the monster's head. When it collided, an explosion occurred, making the monster's face wrinkle with annoyance.
"Rika?"
Her instinct kicked her consciousness into immediate action. Her green eyes radiated a sharp glow that drew in fresh wind, forming a strong vortex around her, making her the center.
Louise lowered her stance while gripping the spear shaft with both hands.
The monster that saw Rika's presence jumped, its large body casting a humongous shadow that threatened the red-haired girl, who was a bit late to get out of her firing spot.
The brown-haired girl took a deep breath, and with one kick from her leg, blew away the debris where she stood as her body shot like an arrow.
In an instant, the two met in the air. Louise knitted her brows. The wind vortex that gathered around her solidified and started to coil around her spear.
The monster turned its neck with a 'creak' sound, but it was too late when Louise thrust the weapon in her hands straight to its right eye.
Roar!
It stabbed straight into the retina, dimming its red glow. The girl put more strength in her hands, pushing her spear further.
"Haaap!"
Louise howled, her body moved instinctively. She twisted the handle, which caused the wind gathered in her weapon to explode and rotate the monster's head ninety degrees.
"Yes, I can fight too."