Chapter 13 - Horror

The long night finally ended. His second night had passed without trouble. If things continued this way, he figured he had at least one more peaceful night before the real dangers emerged, the high-ranked creatures.

Peering out from the cave entrance, he scanned his surroundings.

The jungle stretched endlessly before him. Twisted roots coiled around massive trees, their leaves so thick they blocked much of the sky. After ensuring nothing dangerous lurked nearby, he stepped out.

It was the second day of the trial, and he had no time to waste. His first day had been unproductive, with only a few points gained. The longer he waited, the tougher it would get.

The others wouldn't sit around either. The competition had only just begun, and he needed to get ahead.

Yet, a nagging feeling told him he had overlooked something.

Those giant eyes from last night.

For just a moment, deep within the fog, he had seen them, watching. Staring. Then they vanished. He had told himself it was his imagination, but the unease remained.

Shaking off the thought, Nex crouched low in the underbrush. His sharp eyes locked onto a small creature a few meters ahead. A red rabbit.

It hopped between patches of grass, ears twitching at every sound. It was fast and alert, but not fast enough.

Nex steadied his ether gun, lining up the shot.

The rabbit paused to nibble on some wild grass.

He exhaled.

A quiet zap cut through the air.

The rabbit collapsed instantly, its small body hitting the dirt without a sound.

Nex rose and approached with caution, his gun still in hand. Even weak creatures could be unpredictable at times. He knelt beside it, studying its faintly shimmering fur.

"Mod," he muttered, "can I eat this?"

The translucent screen flickered to life.

[Tier: Normal Creature]

[Edibility: Yes]

[Taste: Varies. Not preferred by most.]

Nex sighed, rubbing his chin. "Not preferred, huh? Well, beats starving."

He reached for the rabbit, already thinking of how to cook it. Maybe roasting it over a small fire would make it edible.

Then the air changed.

A sharp gust sliced past his neck, too fast. Too close.

Pain flared at the back of his neck, a warning far too late.

His instincts screamed. His body moved before his mind could catch up, twisting just in time to see a figure emerging from the shadows.

Eyes burning with murderous intent.

A knife flashed, Aimed straight at his neck.

Too fast. Too close.

His body tensed, ready to react, but there wasn't enough time. He was caught off guard.

He was careless. He had let his guard down. This was it.

Then, something unexpected happened.

The attacker's body jerked violently. Their strike halted midair, their face twisting in shock and agony.

"Wha-?!"

A guttural groan escaped their lips.

Nex stumbled back, his gun and knife raised.

The attacker convulsed, their limbs twitching unnaturally.

Then, Nex saw it.

The body was riddled with holes, deep, gaping wounds, as if the man had been caught in the crossfire of a high-caliber machine gun.

Then, from the corner of his eye, something moved.

He slowly turned his head, dread settling deep in his gut.

Tentacles.

The slick, black appendages twisted and coiled like living shadows, glistening with fresh blood. But they weren't just moving randomly.

They were retreating.

Back to his right shoulder.

His stomach turned as he watched in horror. The slimy, writhing tendrils slid beneath his skin, disappearing into his body as if they had never existed.

Within seconds, his shoulder looked completely normal, smooth, and unmarked, as though nothing unnatural had just emerged from it.

A wave of nausea rolled through him.

'This isn't real. It can't be.'

His heart pounded against his ribs as he stumbled back, his entire body stiff with shock. His mind screamed at him to move, to shake them off, but they were attached to him.

In front of him, the masked attacker lay sprawled on the ground, their body riddled with deep, unnatural holes. Blood pooled beneath, soaking into the dirt.

A weak, broken groan escaped the dying man's lips.

'He's still alive…'

The moment Nex had the thought, the tentacles on his shoulder reacted.

They slithered forward, drawn to the injured man like a predator sensing weakness.

Before Nex could even process what was happening, the tendrils coiled around the man's throat, wrapping tighter and tighter.

A sickening snap echoed through the jungle.

The attacker's head lolled to the side, his body going completely limp. The eerie silence that followed sent a shiver down Nex's spine.

He wanted to scream, to rip these things out of his body, but then, as suddenly as they had appeared, the tentacles began to retreat.

Slithering. Shrinking.

Merging back into his flesh.

"What… the hell is this?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

He felt nothing. No pain, no lingering sensation of the tendrils that had just killed a man in front of him. It was as if they had never been there.

Swallowing hard, he turned to his wrist device. "Mod… what's happening to me?"

The translucent screen flickered to life, but for a long moment, there was only silence.

Even it didn't seem to have an answer.

"Mod," he tried again, forcing his voice to stay steady, "run a full-body scan."

A faint hum filled the air as a soft, shimmering light pulsed over his body. The ether suit responded instantly, scanning every inch of him.

It was quick, but to him, it felt agonizingly slow. Every second stretched endlessly, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Then, the results appeared.

[Full Body Scan Complete]

[Status Report:]

• Blood Type: A+

• Skin: Positive (No abnormalities detected)

• Bones: Positive (No abnormalities detected)

• Limbs: Positive (No abnormalities detected)

• Organs: Positive (No abnormalities detected)

• Foreign Objects: Detected

Nex's stomach twisted at the last line.

"Foreign objects?" His voice came out strained. "What does that mean?"

The mod responded with another screen.

[Foreign Objects Report:]

[• Parasite Detected: Unknown-Type Symbiote]

[• Location: Right Shoulder]

[• Status: Merged]

[• Potential Effects: Enhanced regeneration, ether manipulation, physical augmentation.]

[Warning: Unknown behaviors may manifest under stress or combat situations.]

"Symbiote?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Merged?"

The word clung to him like a curse.

Before he could process it, the mod continued:

[Symbiote Description:]

[• Origin: Unknown (High Ether Contamination Suspected)]

[• Behavior: Symbiotic; assists host in survival by manifesting defensive and offensive mechanisms. May act autonomously when the host is in critical condition.]

[• Risk Level: High (Unpredictable behavior)]

[• Recommendation: Monitor closely for unexpected manifestations.]

His hands clenched tighter.

He sucked in a sharp breath, staring down at his arm, where the thing had just disappeared, waiting beneath his skin.

He had survived the forest.

But something inside him had awakened.

And he had no idea if he could control it.

Then he remembered something, this thing, it was not the first time he saw it.

"This… thing saved me back in the cave," he muttered. "But it's not just protecting me… it's acting on its own and Killing."

The image of the masked man's limp body flashed in his mind. The way the tentacles had snapped his neck without hesitation. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

He swallowed hard, touching his own neck. 'Could he even call this mindless thing an ally?'

"Mod, is there a way to remove it?"

The response came almost instantly.

[Removal Not Possible: Symbiote is fully integrated into the host's biological structure.]

[Unless the host wishes to lose his right shoulder.]

Nex stiffened. He glanced down at his arm, flexing his fingers as a bitter laugh escaped his lips. "So I'm stuck with it."

This thing, this symbiote, was a part of him now. Not just a parasite lurking inside his body but something fused into his very being.

"This isn't over," he muttered. "If this thing is part of me now, I need to figure out how to control it… before it controls me."

He exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing against his shoulder.

The enhanced regeneration alone was enough to make him hesitate to remove it. He had been on the brink of death just moments ago, yet here he stood unharmed.

If this ability had saved him once, how many more times could it do the same?

How many more times could it keep him alive?

But at what cost?

His jaw tightened. What if one day it decides I'm the prey?

The thought sent a chills. He had read about parasites, creatures that hijacked their hosts, warping their minds, taking control. Some forced their victims to drown themselves, others hollowed them out from the inside.

And this thing… this symbiote.

It wasn't just any parasite. It was an Unknown alien.

Even the Mod, with all its vast databases and advanced algorithms, couldn't fully classify it. That was terrifying.

"An alien parasite…" Nex murmured, his fingers tightening. "Something even the Mod can't recognize. What if it's just waiting? Growing stronger, biding its time until it can take over completely?"

His mind replayed the moment the tentacles had lashed out, killing without hesitation. They had acted without his command. Without his consent.

Sure, it had saved him. But that kind of autonomy was dangerous.

It was a double-edged sword.

He couldn't just trust it. Not yet. Not until he understood exactly what he was dealing with.