NOVEL FROG 077. ALPHA
- ALPHA
Whew...
Li Aozi exhaled a breath of turbid air. 【Sever Life】 was a psionic ability he possessed, so the genetic load couldn't be transferred.
But what was lifespan? The one thing 【Starfall Masters】 didn't lack was lifespan. Exchanging just one year of lifespan for such a good psionic ability was quite worth it.
The real price, if anything, was that his pale skin became somewhat distorted, almost without wrinkles, lines, pores, or blue veins.
Although it made him appear more handsome and beautiful, it also exuded a sense of otherness, making him seem not quite human.
Li Aozi didn't mind. As long as his 【Charisma】 was high, even a snow leopard's smile would look more innocent than Dingzhen's.
He sent Naomi to procure some supplies and find Qiu Ran and Dimitri, asking if they wanted to leave together. Alone on the battlefield, scavengers saw that the scavenger showed no interest in the surrounding weapons and bodies, so they boldly came to strip the corpses.
The hatred for the four nations was deeply buried in their hearts. Many dismantled the Frost-Plated Republic special police's equipment, prosthetics, and chips, spitting on them in revenge.
Li Aozi didn't care about this equipment. As a 【Mutant】, he couldn't equip prosthetics, and his attributes were too low to wear the equipment, and he couldn't aim with a gun.
Everyone had their weaknesses, and Li Aozi was especially bad with firearms.
In the early stages, most professions relied heavily on firearms, such as 【Rangers】, 【Mechanics】, and 【Doctors】, because firearms were easy to use and training was relatively straightforward.
Unlike melee fighters and mages, the former required high skills in positioning and charging, while the latter had to calculate trajectories, programming, linear arrays, and avoid self-explosion during casting.
But Li Aozi was severely one-sided.
He had an extraordinary talent for cold weapons like swords and knives. Without any guidance, the first time he held a half-sword, he made the HMA (Historical Martial Arts) coach at the youth training camp doubt life, insisting on testing him.
——If not for the subsequent range test where he missed all 200 shots at a fixed target and only hit one with a shotgun in moving shooting, Li Aozi felt he could have joined the professional team, gained fame, and brought glory to the country.
Professional teams were unfriendly to someone like Li Aozi, who was only proficient in one aspect, but he didn't blame them.
Professional players were backed by capital and even the state, aiming to win competitions. Li Aozi's obvious shortcomings would add instability to the team.
Li Aozi didn't understand why, as a modern person, he was so unfamiliar with firearms.
He couldn't help but ponder, could it be that he was an ancient person in his past life?
Compared to the scattered weapons and equipment, the real concern was the intense pain that followed.
The cell division rate kept increasing, and red-black spots spread rapidly on his skin like sludge.
The system panel quickly turned red-black, with DNA double helix cracks everywhere.
【Warning: Genetic sequence unstable!】
【You have experienced a benign mutation, integrating gene fragments...】
【Your excellent gene traits are emerging. Please choose one direction from the following mutation traits:】
A—【Gene Editing: Golden Bacteria Cluster】: Re-edit the genes to produce a massive amount of beneficial bacteria controlled by your consciousness, blocking all external invading bacteria. Disease resistance +80%.
Choosing this trait will emit a noticeable rotten smell, 【Charisma】-5.
B—【Gene Integration: Synaptic Node】: Integrate disordered gene sequences, adding a neural synaptic node in the spine as your second brain to control the motor system. 【Strength】, 【Dexterity】, and 【Constitution】 +2.
Choosing this trait will reduce gene fragments, increasing cumulative mutation failure rate by 5%.
C—【Gene Screening: Digestive System】: Screen all genes, eliminating those unsuitable for the current environment. Your digestive system is fully optimized, converting stomach acid into a complex biological acid that can corrode metal, bacteria, and rotten flesh, extracting energy and repairing telomeres—you can restore psionic energy through various foods.
Choosing this trait will result in missing gene fragments but will increase the probability of unprecedented mutations in the next mutation.
【You can spend 5000 experience points to reset this mutation.】
"It's the 'Iron Stomach'!"
Li Aozi was surprised. This mutation option was quite good. Eating to restore psionic energy could save a lot on potions.
Food was much cheaper than potions, and Li Aozi remembered that this mutation had an advantage: players could eat trash and teammate corpses, and the strong digestive ability could immune all food poisoning.
In a pinch, vomiting stomach acid could also be used as a weapon.
At least in battles before level 60, he wouldn't have to worry about running out of mana.
The negative effect was entirely acceptable.
This was the exclusive reward for 【Mutants】 in the previous Cannibal mission. The system encouraged 【Mutants】 to challenge their nemesis, creating conflicts and bringing fun to players.
According to Li Aozi's experience, facing a stronger 【Biochemist】 than himself would likely trigger this 'Mutant exclusive' reward option.
This time's three options were much more useful than the previous two times. Li Aozi was eager to advance to the Alpha tier, and now had a very suitable option, so he chose it.
【Gene screening completed】
【You have gained the status: Missing Gene Fragments—Reproductive isolation with 'New Era Sapiens' of your species】
A very inconspicuous negative status, exchanging reproductive isolation with humans for cockroach-like vitality, Li Aozi thought it was worth it.
After all, there were many species in the universe, and New Era Sapiens were rare. He had no desire or need to have offspring. Having children was merely to extend one's life or for political purposes.
Li Aozi was destined to walk the path of 【Starfall Master】, competing with the universe for longevity. By the time he died of old age, a nebula-level civilization might have perished.
He still had one dose of 【Evil Calamity Experimental Potion IV】, initially intended to awaken the prerequisite psionic ability for 【Starfall Master】 to supplement mid-stage combat power.
But now, with Yavanna's 【Object Resonance】 talent, once he acquired that, he would be invincible in the mid-stage after advancing to 【Bishop】.
"I'll use it directly here. Hopefully, I can get a blood magic talent... if not 【Death Link】, then 【Pain Contract】 will do."
Li Aozi made up his mind and injected the last dose of 【Evil Calamity Experimental Potion IV】.
This time's result was mediocre. According to the so-called luck conservation law, there was no call from the abyss, and the four psionic abilities were unremarkable.
【Musical Pulse】: Twist reality with the power of music—Zeta-level (z, the sixth Greek letter)
【Werewolf Transformation】: Freely switch between human and werewolf forms, but fear silver weapons—Delta-level (Δ, the fourth Greek letter)
【Soul Sword Saint】: Gain power and skill bonuses when killing with sword weapons. The more you kill, the more the weapon awakens its own consciousness—Cauchy-level (Ξ, the fourteenth Greek letter)
【Swan Wings】: Grow wings capable of fast flight and agile maneuvering. The feathers can be shot as weapons—Theta-level (Θ, the eighth Greek letter)
"Not unacceptable... 【Musical Pulse】 is for 【Musician】 and 【Cultist】 secondary professions, but I don't plan to take that path."
Li Aozi considered:
"【Werewolf Transformation】 is popular among 【Martial Artists】 and 【Psychics】, doubling the 【Constitution】 attribute during transformation, but my 【Constitution】 is too low, so it's not cost-effective."
Actually, the potential of the 【Werewolf】 series psionic abilities was quite good. Whether taking the magic wolf route for output or becoming a flesh tank, both were possible. But it wasn't suitable as his subordinate psionic ability.
"【Swan Wings】 is pure garbage, only impressing girls who have never seen the world with their angelic, pure, dazzling white wings. Looks cool, but the feathers wouldn't even count as a scratch in a fight, completely useless... only a fool would be attracted to that ability."
Don't ask how he knew this.
A certain Mr. Li, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated it was totally a friend's experience, and he wasn't the fool in question.
At least not this time.
"【Soul Sword Saint】... seems okay."
Li Aozi stroked his chin.
This psionic ability suited his combat style, with low genetic load, almost none, and minimal consumption during combat.
It was just a filler psionic ability, but still worth it.
【You have chosen 'Soul Sword Saint'】
Li Aozi felt a surge of pain, spreading his hands, his bone structure and
skin subtly changed, becoming more suitable for gripping cold weapon handles. A keratin layer grew on his fingers, preventing slippage from blood and sweat when holding weapons.
The subsequent mutation options were unsurprising, with nothing special.
"【Gene Editing: Cancer Immunity】, my DNA is more fragmented than bagged cookies, afraid of cancer? 【Gene Integration: Enhanced Lungs】, unfortunately not in the antiviral direction, the side effect is increased liver load, which isn't good, the liver is crucial for 【Mutants】..."
Li Aozi looked over and chose 【Gene Optimization: Superior Vision】.
This mutation's negative effect was reduced energy absorption from vegetables and fruits, but with the terrifying digestive ability of Iron Stomach, it was negligible.
The positive effect was excellent, allowing Li Aozi's eye structure to automatically adjust and deform, adding two extra central fovea for close-range ambush, long-range sniping, and ultra-long-distance observation.
Additionally, his ability to capture high-speed objects greatly improved, further enhancing visual analysis capabilities.
Li Aozi tried it out with interest. Previously, his vision was like playing a game in a washing machine—lagging, frame-skipping, blurry, lacking light perception.
Now, the world suddenly became beautiful and vivid.
He could see two additional colors and the fine particles in the air became extremely clear.
Looking up, the red-black clouds of Evil Calamity on the dome pulsed, tore apart, and fought like human blood vessels, savage and bloody like a swarm of locusts.
"This is nice, like having an extra telescope."
But the most important part was the next step.
With all three mutations completed, Li Aozi sat cross-legged, quietly sensing the changes in his physique.
【Promotion task completed】
【Individual sublimation in progress...】
【The gene fragments within you are starting to react mysteriously】
【They attract, understand, and devour each other—finally merging into one】
Li Aozi held his breath, feeling immense pressure from within, as if his cells were guided, violently surging like tides.
Crack—
His skin split open with cracks, from which red-black crystalline spikes grew, and the veins in his neck hardened.
Crack—Crack—
His pale skin suddenly lost elasticity, with his ribs breaking through, covered with calcified armor.
His outstretched hands turned into sharp, savage claws, with retractable nails still suited for gripping swords.
Additionally, a red neural tendril as thick as a pencil extended from a slit in his left palm, usable as a weapon to strangle targets or pierce their bodies to extract life force.
Li Aozi's golden pupils stabilized, with gravity naturally forming a protective barrier around him.
Opening his mouth, his teeth were as sharp as bayonets, gleaming with a metallic sheen, and his tongue became thin and long.
His facial muscles split and turned, covering his face with inner crimson membranes, with red-black crystals cleverly concealing the gaps.
In an instant, he became a far more terrifying monster than the Cannibal.
【Sublimation completed】
【Your lifespan +20 natural years.】
【Tier effect: When attacking/defending targets below Alpha tier, their defense/attack actions are considered only 90% effective.】
【Note: Dominator form—unlocked】
【In Dominator form, your psionic ability benefits increase by 10%, gain 20% extra health, and movement speed increases by 50%.】
【You have entered the ranks of the extraordinary. Your mutation direction will be influenced by your subjective consciousness】
【Your genes have finally recognized your presence, starting to fear and submit to you.】
【With increased mutations, you will completely dominate everything about yourself, from genes to destiny.】
【The past belongs to history, but the future will inevitably bow to your domination.】
"Finally."
Li Aozi clenched his claws, his vocal cords resonating, emitting a terrifying shriek like a ghost demanding life:
"Fifteen days to reach Alpha tier and become a true 【Mutant】."
This was a speed no player could imagine. The leveling difficulty in "Abyss of Stars" was high, with many players reaching max level only by the end of a version, and not always completing the promotion task.
Even a studio boosting a character within a month was considered very diligent.
"Next, it's time to settle the score with the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization!"
