Chapter 106

  Foul water spshed in all dires as a mutated rat colpsed onto the overflowing floor of the tunnel. Jake quickly spun around to front another creature. He found himself surrounded by several mutated rats, with more spshing through the tuoward the four-way interse where the fight was unfolding. These mutated rats resembled a blend of rats and kangaroos, possessing the body size and structure of the tter, allowing them to move fast, bounding on their hind legs. They quickly closed in on Jake from all dires.

  Despite being heavily outnumbered, Jake wasn’t in any kind of danger. Having leveled up to 30 and evolved to Stage 2, he was now even more powerful and agile than before. Enhanced Reflexes helped him evade enemy attacks with ease, while Enharength allowed him to deal with weak mutants like mutated rats with just a few quick strikes. This skill also made his flesh more resilient to damage. Enhanced Regeion allowed his body to heal minor injuries in just a few seds, ing the same amount of mana as before. Jake felt invincible now.

  A sudden sense of danger fshed in his mind. It was the Feral Instincts skill at work, warning him of some kind of danger he wasn’t aware of. He immediately jumped to the side, and in the instant, the jaws of a mutated rat that had sneaked up on him from behind snapped shut on the empty spot he’d just vacated. Jake struck out at the mutant, his cws sinking deeply into the flesh, nearly severing the rat’s body in half.

  After evolving, Jake had spent some time roaming the city, hunting down groups of ex-humans. He quickly learhat weaker types of mutants like walkers and leapers posed no threat to him at all now. Their cws and sharp teeth couldn’t everate his toughened flesh anymore. Even shamblers and whippers couldn’t withstand his attacks for more than a few seds now.

  At some point, he stumbled upon a chaser, the most dangerous oppo he’d faced so far. However, as it turned out, a mutant of the chaser breed was no longer much of a threat to him either. Thanks to the test upgrades, Jake had bee far mile and powerful than before, outmatg the speed and agility of the chaser. He easily dodged and blocked all of its attacks, successfully nding each of his own strikes.

  None of the ex-human types he currently entered posed any threat to him anymore. He o find stronger eo level up faster. That was why he desded into the sewers. However, he quickly learhat the two types of inhabitants there were also too weak for him now.

  One of the mutated rats suddenly lurched toward him, nearly succeeding in sinking its teeth into him. With the creature too close for a cw attack, it felt more natural and veo bite it instead. Leaning in, Jake opened his jaws wide, sinking his owh deeply into the creature’s shoulder area. Well, those weren’t actually teeth, but rather natural extensions of his body, with a triangur shape and razor-sharp edges. However, he’d e to think of them as teeth. He then pulled his head back, ripping a huge k of flesh out of the mutated rat’s body. The creature emitted a shrill cry of pain. Jake spat out the k of flesh before delivering the final blow to the wounded mutant.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d used his teeth to bite his enemies. He quickly learhat while he had a finely crafted mouth with jaws, jagged teeth, and an oral cavity, it wasn’t designed for eating or breathing, as his magical body had no need for either fun. With no throat cavity, he was uo swallow anything pced in his mouth, even if he desired to. It appeared that the sole fun of his jaws filled with sharp teeth was for use as a on.

  Finally, he dealt with the st of the mutated rats. He gnced around, but there were no more enemies in sight. The sewers were once again quiet. Jake chose a dire that led into a se of the sewers he hadn’t yet explored during this trip and tinued on.

  For some time, he traversed the dark and damp tunnels without entering any more mutants. He'd been in the underground tunnels for a while now, havi with lots of mutants. It was all quiet now. Putrid water trickled along the tunnel floors. Here and there, murky water ran in rivulets down the walls as well. A foul st permeated the air wherever he went. It was a truly unpleasant pce to be in, but Jake remained unfazed by that.

  In some areas, sunlight filtered in through the cracks above, but the deeper ses of the sewers were shrouded in total darkness. His incredible sight allowed him to see extremely well in the dark. Uurbed by the ck of light, the foul st, and the damp, dirty ditions of the sewers, he tio navigate the underground tunnels.

  Aside from the gurgle emanating from the running water and the spshes from his footsteps, silenveloped the tunnels. He’d been in the sewers for a while now, havi with most of their inhabitants. Uo find any more mutants to kill, he decided not to waste any more time and turned back.

  At some point, he suddenly entered a devourer, a mutant breed that resembled an alligator with the body and size of a grizzly bear. Having entered a few devourers i half-hour of his jourhrough the sewers, he was aware that this mutant posed no threat to him anymore. While a devourer could move quite fast in a straight line and was extremely strong, it was clumsy and sluggish, uo turn quickly. Jake danced around the massive mutant, striking out at it with his cws.

  It took him about fifteen seds to deal with the monster. When the devourer colpsed to the ground, sending spshes of filthy water in all dires, a system notification appeared in his mind.

  You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 30 to 31. You have gained 5 SP.

  Getting five skill points instead of just one was really nice. However, Jake decided to get out of the sewers before allog them.

  On his way back, he passed the door that led to a dungeon. He gave a mental and to appraise the door, prompting a piece of information to surfa his mind.

  he Maze of Torment

  Floors: 5

  Reended Level: 15-20

  He khat he couldn’t open the door without a Skeleton Key. It was really a shame. The dungeon was designated for levels 15-20, and he was already at level 31, well above the reended range of levels for the dungeon. heless, once he obtained a Skeleton Key, he po explore the dungeon and us secrets. Only he still had no idea where to find a Skeleton Key. Perhaps, being a mutant, he wasn’t even supposed to get one. Could it be that only regur survivors could obtain them by pleting some special missions?

  Once Jake returo street level, he ehe high-rise building, asded the stairs, and a mier emerged onto the rooftop. A magical anomaly hovered above the surface, positioned he ter of the roof.

  Jake had been on this roof before, so he was well aware of the anomaly’s presehere. However, out of habit, he appraised it with a thought. To his surprise, a system message popped up in his head.

  A challenge is avaible!

  See the details: Y/N

  This anomaly hadn’t had a challeo offer before. How e it had one now? Jake didn’t know, so he simply accepted.

  Speed Trial: Reach all the oints before time runs out.

  Time Limit: 15 seds

  oints: 15

  Difficulty: Hard

  Reeats: Evolution Stage 2 “Savage Ast”, Level 30, Body 25

  Reward: 5,000 XP, 20,000 MP, the Mana Vision perk

  Accept: Y/N

  So this challenge was designed for Evolution Stage 2. When Jake first entered it, he’d been at Stage 1, which was likely the reason the challenge hadn’t been shown to him then.

  He reviewed the rewards for the challenge once more. If he successfully pleted the speed trial, in addition to XP and MP, he would receive Mana Vision. He wasn’t sure what this perk was for, but it clearly had something to do with mana. Jake was eager to find out what this perk did.

  Without giving the matter more thought, he thought “Yes”. As soon as he accepted, a brief message emerged in his mind.

  Challenge accepted! The speed trial will begin shortly.

  Jake readied himself t into a.