"Two weeks," Alex whispered to himself as the heavy truck rumbled through the inner-city gates, disappearing from view. "I still have some time to save Iron Head."
The rational part of his brain told him he was insane. He was considering infiltrating a noble's estate to rescue a monster.
But the Empress was right; in this world, the strong ate the weak.
If he did nothing, Iron Head would be slaughtered for entertainment. And deep down,
Alex knew that the snake saved him from the green tide. He owed the beast.
Turning away from the crowd, he pulled his dark grey hood lower over his face and resumed his walk toward the Gene Association.
On his way towards the Gene Association, Alex couldn't help but open his attribute panel to check his status.
He felt a shift in his body after the intense shedding in the shower and the "training" session in the alley.
His muscles felt denser, his movements lighter.
He focused his mind, and a blue translucent screen flickered in front of his eyes.
[Name: Alex]
[Race: Human / Snake Demon Hybrid (Mutating)]
[Level: F- Rank (38%)]
[Gene: Ancient Naagin (Enchantress) - Awakened 0.1%]
[Gene: Recovery (F-Rank)]
[Class: Civilian | Status: Healthy]
[Attributes:
Strength: 13 (Average is 10)
Agility: 17
Charm: 18 ]
Alex blinked, nearly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.
Compared to before, all three attributes improved slightly… mostly strength and agility attributes.
His strength had jumped from a below average 8 to 13 points.
His agility had spiked massively, going from 11 to 17 points.
"Is this the power of the Naagin Gene?" he pondered, flexing his hand inside his sleeve.
His muscles didn't look bulky; in fact, they looked softer and smoother than before, yet he felt power hidden within them.
Just one shedding improved his attributes so much, he estimated that by the end of Phase 1, his attributes should be doubled again…
"If I have to shed three times to complete the Ecdysis phase," Alex calculated, "I might hit 20 in agility before I even reach F-Rank officially."
"Don't look so surprised, little vessel," the Empress's voice drifted through his mind, sounding smug.
"Did you think turning into a superior lifeform was just about soft skin and breasts?"
Alex ignored the "breasts" comment, scrolling down, he opened the gene abilities his body slowly began to awaken… as the shedding began.
[Feminization Progress: Phase 1/9 (Ecdysis)]
[Ability Name: Shedding]
[ Type: Mutation / Passive]
[Current Progress: 38%]
[Effect: The host's old, rough human skin to accommodate the new gene, the body must purge the old layers. Dead skin will peel away slowly to reveal the new, superior dermis underneath. Once the shedding progress reaches 100%, the host will undergo his first Molting.
Requirement: The higher the Ecdysis phase, the more Empathetic Energy is needed for shedding. Empathetic Energy is most efficiently absorbed during intense intimacy (Sexual Contact, Exchange of Fluids, Deep Emotional Bonding). ]
[ Ability Name: Feral Gaze – Proto]
[ Type: Passive/Active]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Effect: Brief stun OR emotional sway (fear / hesitation / attraction)
Effect strength scales with target Spirit vs Host Spirit.
Stronger on emotionally unstable targets.]
[ Ability Name: Thermal Spirit Sight (Feral Gaze)]
[ Type: Active (Toggle)]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Description: The host's pupils contract into vertical slits, allowing them to perceive the world through heat signatures and Mana fluctuations rather than light.
Effect:
Night Vision: Grants perfect visibility in low-light environments (Tier-1 trait).
Bio-Scan: Highlights living targets in Red/Orange (Heat), Purple Tint Yin-aligned beings and Spirit Beasts in Cool Blue (Spirit Energy) within a 50-meter radius.
Side Effect: Continuous use causes dry eyes and drains Stamina rapidly.]
[ Ability Name: Serpentine Musculature]
[ Type: Mutation / Passive]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Description: The host's muscle fibers begin restructuring into layered, elastic bundles similar to high-tier serpent demons.
Effect:
Flexibility: Joint range increases significantly; "locking" joints becomes impossible.
Elastic Recoil: Muscles store kinetic energy, allowing for short, explosive bursts of speed without spiking heart rate or stamina.
Silent Step: Movement noise is reduced by 50% when moving slowly (mimicking the silent slither of a snake).]
[ Ability Name: Cold-Blood Optimization]
[ Type: Metabolism / Passive]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Description: The host's metabolism shifts toward ectothermic efficiency.]
[ Effect:
Solar Recharge: Heat absorption from the environment (sun, fire, warm water) drastically increases Stamina recovery.
Thermal Stealth: Body temperature subtly adapts to the surroundings, making the host harder to track via thermal or infrared senses.
Environmental Adaptation: Reduced fatigue in hot environments.]
[ Ability Name: Scaled Dermis – Proto Stage]
[ Type: Defense / Passive]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Description: The host's skin undergoes microscopic restructuring, mimicking embryonic Naagin scales.]
[ Effect:
Toughness: +10% Resistance to physical damage (blunt force & slashing).
Sensory Skin: Skin becomes smoother but gains heightened sensitivity to air pressure and airflow (Draft Sense).
Abrasion Resistance: Immune to "road rash" or friction burns from sliding on surfaces.]
[ Ability Name: Empathic Resonance]
[ Type: Sensory / Passive]
[ Rank: C]
[ Description: The host's body subtly synchronizes with nearby emotional frequencies.]
[ Effect:
Mood Reader: The emotional states of others "leak" into the host's perception as vague tastes or colors.
Energy Siphon: Intense emotions directed at the host (Lust, Fear, Rage) can be absorbed to restore small amounts of mental energy.
Pre-Cognition: Acts as a "danger sense" against hostile intent before a blow is thrown.]
[ Ability Name: Pheromone Secretion]
[ Type: Passive (Uncontrollable in Phase 1)]
[ Rank: F (+)]
[ Description: The host's pores release a special scent. This scent bypasses logic and triggers biological lust or hunger in nearby entities.]
[ Effect:
Charm (Low): Humanoids of the opposite sex (or compatible orientation) within 5 meters suffer a -20% to Logic/Willpower.
Predator Bait: Beast-type monsters are drawn to the host, perceiving them as a high-value nutrient source or mate.
Resource: Generates Empathetic Energy when targets are aroused or intimate with the host.]
[ Ability Name: Void Yin Constitution]
[ Type: Innate Passive (Body Cultivation)]
[ Rank: C]
[ Description: The host's meridians have mutated into an "Empty State." Instead of generating Yang energy naturally, the body acts as a black hole for Yin energy and a siphon for external Yang.]
[ Effect:
Yang Hunger: The host cannot generate Body Heat or Yang Qi naturally (Cold-Blooded status). Must absorb it from external sources (Sunlight, Fire, or Intimate Contact with high-vitality targets).
Contact Absorption (Active): Physical touch with a target allows the host to slowly drain 1-5% of their Stamina/Yang Qi per second, converting it into Experience Points or Mana.
Moonlight Resonance: Cultivation speed increases by 300% when exposed to moonlight (Pure Yin source).]
"Fuck, so many new abilities, when did this happen?" Alex muttered to himself in shock, his eyes darting across the blue translucent list floating in his peripheral vision.
"Even a C-rank Gene Awakener doesn't have these many gene abilities... However, most of them seem just low level and kind of useless... except for a few."
He tapped the air, dismissing the detailed descriptions of Scaled Dermis and Serpentine Musculature.