Chapter 140

  He spent the rest of the day searg the city for buildings ied with replication pods. Unfortunately, whenever he came across such a building, he often found only remnants of destroyed replication pods, survivors having already cleared the area. Even when he was fortunate enough to discover intact replication pods, none taihe specific mutant type he needed. It became painfully obvious that if things tihis way, it would take him several days to successfully plete his current mutation research quest.

  As he prowled the streets choked with vegetation, he occasionally heard the distant sounds of gunfire and the roar of engines eg from various parts of the city. Fortunately, after his st frontation with two groups of Los Demonios, he hadn’t entered any ang members so far. He kept searg for buildings that tained replication pods, but more often than not, he found only remnants of cos that had already beeroyed. It was being increasingly tiresome.

  At one point, he entered anh-rise building and found the main room on the first floor filled with replication pods. He decided to remain in that room and wait for the desired mutant type to form in one of them. After sying all the ex-humans milling about the vast room, he carefully examined each co one by one. None were currently produg wraiths, but there was still a ce that one might after it finished creating the creature it was w on. So he decided to wait.

  He spent a while in that building. Whenever a pod finished creating a mutant and opeo release it, Jake swiftly took care of the creature and then looked into the pod to see what type of mutant was going to be created . Unfortunately, most of the mutants geed in replication pods were low-level walkers and leapers, as was usually the case.

  Jake spent several hours in that building, but only a couple of shamblers and whippers were created, and once, a ssher as well. The rest of the mutants that emerged from the replication pods were walkers and leapers, as usual. He tio wait in the building until, at st, a wraith started to take shape in one of the pods that had just released a walker.

  However, as it turned out, this wraith was a regur mutant, not ae o was truly disappointing. Jake then realized that all the replication pods he had ever entered had only produced regur mutants. Could it be that there was a distinct type of replication pod designed specifically to create elite mutants that he simply hadn’t entered yet?

  At some point, a group of survivors ehe building. As soon as Jake heard them, he decided to leave through a back exit, not wanting to unnecessarily get into a fight with humans. Besides, he was being increasingly vihat regur replication pods produced only regur mutants. To plete the mutation research quest, he likely o find replication pods specifically desigo create elite mutants.

  When night fell, he began searg for mana ables using Mana Vision. It was an excellehat made finding mana items a very easy task. He also remembered that perks could be upgraded to the ranks, just like skills and abilities. He was definitely going to upgrade it at some point. By the time m came, Jake had raised his total mana t to over 55,000. With that, he could purchase the Cloak ability, which cost 25,000 MP, leaving him with over 30,000 MP.

  Jake decided to postpone purchasing the ability for a little lohough. He wao stick to his daily routine and move on to clearing the sewers of mutants. So he spent the several m hours in the underground tunnels. Sihis time he didn’t bother to purchase the Increased XP booster, he only leveled up once by the time he finished clearing the sewers. His level was now 55, and he allocated four of the five skill points to Body.

  Body: 46 → 50

  Mind: 55

  Magick: 60

  Jake then purchased the Cloak ability and emerged from the sewers onto the city streets, now illuminated by the m light. He spent some time testing out his newly acquired ability.

  When Cloak was activated, he blended with the enviro. When he was pletely still, his outline softened, making him nearly uable. The ability merged him fwlessly with his surroundings, allowing him to dissolve into them and create an illusion of transparency.

  However, when he moved, the ability struggled to adapt quickly enough to keep him cealed. The distortion that cloaked him could only keep pace with him when he was pletely still or moved slowly. Whenever he shifted his weight or turned his body, the illusion faltered, causing parts of him to momentarily reappear and bee partially visible.

  When he dashed through the streets, his disguise became insistent, and the illusion of invisibility faltered, making his movements visible. When he moved quickly, he appeared as a blurry figure instead of being fully invisible. The faster he moved, the more difficult it was for his ability to keep him hidden. Also, while the ability was active, it ed his mana.

  He still had one skill point at his disposal and took a moment to sider where it was best to i it. He had two retly acquired abilities, Gravity Leap and Cloak, along with one skill, Adhesive Secretion. Each of the three was Unon and therefore had four avaible upgrades. In the end, Jake decided to ihe skill point into one of his perks instead. Currently, he had two perks: Enemy Appraisal and Mana Vision. He examihe former.

  Enemy Appraisal (Rank II) (on)

  Rank III: Allows you to see the elemental weaknesses of your enemies.

  Raise to Rank III: Y/N (Cost: 1 SP)

  He decided to allocate the skill point to Enemy Appraisal. Later on, he would upgrade Mana Vision as well. He examihe description of the perk one more time.

  Enemy Appraisal: Rank III (MAX) (on)

  Description: Allows you to see basiformation about any living being, including its level, attributes, skills, abilities, and elemental weaknesses.

  It seemed that perks could only be upgraded to Rank III, at least those of on rarity. Skills and abilities could be upgraded to the rarity after his evolving into the Stage, but he wasn’t sure if the same rule applied to perks.

  For the several hours, he tinued searg the city for replication pods. Unfortunately, every time he found some, they were only produg regur mutants. He o find pods that created elite ex-humans, but he had no idea where to look. Were they just extremely rare, requiring him to simply rely on luck to eventually stumble across one? Or were they spawned only in specific areas he wasn’t aware of? Jake wasn’t sure.

  At some point, something ued happened. He discovered another building filled with replication pods in the spaain room on the first floor. After sying the ex-humans who were aimlessly roaming the area, he ied the pods. As expected, eae was geiher a walker or a leaper.

  He was about to leave when he heard the screech of tires as a rge vehicle came to a sudden stop in front of the building. Doors swung open, and several people got out. Jake wasn’t sure what was happening. Instead of fleeing, he chose to do something else. Activating Gravity Leap, he jumped vertically upward. As soon as he reached the ceiling, he pressed his hands a against it, ging to the surface like a giant i as Adhesive Secretion automatically kicked in.

  Just as footsteps approached the entrance of the building, he activated Cloak. The ability didn’t work immediately, taking a few seds to pletely blend him into his surroundings. However, it was enough. By the time the newers ehe building a few seds ter, Cloak had successfully rendered him invisible. Remaining pletely still, Jake watched the se unfold several meters below him.

  He watched as several people ehe main room. Three of them were regur survivors—two men and one woman—while the rest were Los Demonios. Each of the Demons sported either a red scarf around their neck or a red bandana. It was obvious that at least two of the regur survivors—one man and the woman—were prisoners because their hands were tied behind their backs. However, the third survivor was not restrained for some reason.

  The group of bandits unleashed a barrage of fire upon the replication pods and a couple of walkers that had just emerged from two of them, quickly dealing with the ex-humans aroying the pods. The Demons then sed the area, but they failed to notice Jake ging to the ceiling above them. None of them even gnced upward.

  Then, the ttured regur survivors were forced to k the ter of the expansive room, the floor slick with pod liquid and strewn with the pulpy remnants of the shattered replication pods. The third survivor, the one who wasn’t tied, was allowed to remain on his feet. Although he wasn’t bound like the other two, he looked very unhappy. pletely invisible, Jake remained motionless, ging to the ceiling while watg the unfolding se below, eager to find out what it was all about.