Kai kept cycling up the winding road that led toward the forested edge of the mountain.
The air was colder now, the wind slicing past his jacket as pine trees began to crowd the roadside.
Sekh's voice echoed in his head, calm but curious.
"You never explained. Why the name Ottokai Von Seraphis?"
Kai smirked as he pedaled harder. "I went to the public library a few days ago. I scanned through old records and books, looking for names that stood out. There was this king or duke or something named Ottokar. It had a nice weight to it, so I twisted it a little and made it Ottokai."
"And the Von Seraphis part?"
"I needed a surname that gave me some background. 'Von' makes you sound like royalty. It's a subtle code in most of Europe—even today. People see it and assume nobility. So I asked the black market guy who forged my ID to add a backstory, like my family was a forgotten noble line wiped out during a purge or war."
"So it's for manipulation?"
"Exactly," Kai said. "If I ever need access, influence, or to fake connections with old money, that name might buy me time or trust."
The mountain path narrowed and the terrain became rougher, forcing him to get off the bike and push it uphill.
His legs ached, but the silence helped him focus. Then his thoughts shifted toward Manny. That little guy...
He remembered their deal—Manny had agreed to help in exchange for half of the material he harvested from each Rift. That was his main motivation. The tiny Heloxian Knight had been a respected scientist in his world, and Kai figured the guy still had ambitions.
Manny wanted resources and materials he could use to rebuild Heloxian tech. For Kai, it was a simple trade—knowledge and tools in return for a cut. And honestly, having someone who understood parasite mechanics and biotech was more than worth it.
Kai finally reached the edge of the forest. The Rift isn't far now. The scanner pinged softly from his bag, locking onto a signal in the F- tier frequency range.
He took a deep breath, eyes narrowing at the faint shimmer in the distance. "Time to get to work," he muttered, stepping off the trail and into the trees.
As Kai stepped past the last row of trees, he saw it—a wide crater carved into the earth, like a meteor had slammed into the mountain.
At its center, a massive spider crouched low, its chitin glistening black under the late afternoon sun. Its many eyes gleamed as if sensing him before he even moved.
The Gene Scanner beeped.
[Mutated Widowspawn]
[F- Tier Monster]
[A skittering, malformed spider-creature with translucent flesh and twitching egg-sacs.]
It hissed and rose to full height, legs clicking against stone, and lunged toward him. Kai didn't flinch. He let his parasite react—his right arm shifted, skin hardening into jagged obsidian-like rock. The transformation was fast and seamless now.
He ducked under the spider's first strike and twisted, using the slope of the crater for momentum as he dashed up the wall.
Then he launched himself off the edge and slammed his hardened arm into the spider's head, cracking part of its exoskeleton.
Alright, nice!
The spider shrieked and flailed. Kai landed, rolled, and immediately rushed again. He spun under a flurry of legs, grabbed one, and yanked it from the joint with raw force.
The spider recoiled but swiped him with its other limbs. He skidded back, bleeding from his shoulder.
Sekh buzzed in his head. "The pressure's too low, shift your stance!"
Kai adjusted, side-stepped the next strike, and lunged again. This time he climbed onto its back. Using his rock arm, he drove it through the soft joint between its head and body. The spider jerked violently before collapsing.
At least I won over an F- creature.
He exhaled and placed his hand on the corpse. His arm shimmered, and the spider's body was absorbed—gene strands swirling into his parasite core.
[GENE FRAGMENT ACQUIRED – "ECHO-HAIR FILAMENTS"]
Classification: External Trait / Sensory Vestige
Effect: Causes the user to grow thin, hair-like filaments across the back and arms that twitch in response to minor vibrations. Originally used by the Widowspawn to detect mates or prey, but offers little utility to human hosts.
Status: Stable.
Risk: Persistent itching / Uncontrollable twitching in damp environments.
A useless one... Then he turned toward the center of the crater. There it was—the Rift, pulsing faintly. Around it, more spiders waited, slightly smaller but just as aggressive.
Kai squinted. "Alright, time to clear the nest."
He crouched slightly and called them out, shouting and throwing a rock toward them. The spiders screeched and began crawling toward him.
Kai braced, muttered under his breath, and then—without hesitation—pulled his pants down and grabbed his private part.
A compartment opened, and a thin nozzle extended from a concealed Heloxian organ that had merged with his anatomy. A stream of poison sprayed out in an arc across the charging spiders.
The venom hissed on contact. One by one, the creatures stumbled, twitched, and collapsed. Their systems couldn't handle the neurotoxin.
Kai grinned. I still had some venom stored in the sac... Lucky.
He walked through the field of twitching bodies and began devouring them one at a time. Each gave weak gene fragments, but enough to matter. It was slow progress, but it was progress. The scanner dinged quietly as each was absorbed.
Finally, he stood before the Rift. It pulsed quietly, waiting.
Kai stepped into the Rift without hesitation, heart pounding with excitement.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world twisted. Colors stretched into streaks, and his body felt weightless, spinning like he was tumbling through a dream. He wasn't falling, but everything moved around him like he was inside a living wormhole.
Then, with a jolt, he hit the ground.
He gasped, eyes wide. The air was filled with smoke, and flames lit up the horizon. All around him, chaos raged. There were human-like soldiers locked in combat with giant spiders. Weapons clashed, bodies fell, and screams echoed everywhere.
[SYSTEM ALERT: AREA ENTRY DETECTED]
Zone: VANHEIM
Type: Medieval Kingdom
Threat Level: F-
Visibility: Moderate
Atmosphere: Clear
Gene Yield: Low–Mid
Mutation Risk: Moderate
Before he could get his bearings, a soldier grabbed his arm. "Stop standing around! Push forward!"
Kai blinked, confused, but instinct kicked in. He charged with the soldier, but just moments later, a spider lunged, impaling the man right through the stomach. The soldier's eyes went wide before he collapsed.
Kai clenched his teeth. There's no time to freeze. You've seen worse.
He turned and fought. Two spiders attacked him, but he dodged one and slammed his rock-arm into the other's head. He twisted to the side, avoiding a claw, and then pierced the second spider's eye. He stumbled back, breathing hard, his side bleeding.
"Keep fighting! Don't let them push us back!" he yelled, rallying the soldiers nearby.
But before he could press forward, a powerful voice rang out from the distance.
"Retreat! Fall back! All units!"
Kai looked up. A man on horseback rode through the battlefield. He wore gleaming armor, had a long mustache, and a presence that made the others instantly obey.
That must be the general here…
---
Later, he was inside their kingdom—more like a small city surrounded by high stone walls. It wasn't modern, but it was clean and livable. The people wore medieval-style clothes, and despite their exhaustion, they welcomed him. They treated his wounds, fed him warm stew, and gave him a bed to rest.
He sat quietly when the door opened again.
The same man entered, still in uniform but now without his helmet. "You fought well back there," he said. "Are you... a GeneDevourer?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. I am."
The man stepped forward and extended a hand. "I'm Ozark, General of Vanheim. We've called for GeneDevourers to help, but most avoid this zone because it's too low-tier and not enough rewards."
Kai scratched his head. "I mean... I'm weak right now. But I'll help. I'll do what I can for your kingdom."
Ozark smiled slightly, then his expression darkened. "The princess was taken by the Spider King three months ago. She's alive—we're sure. He took her not for ransom, not for politics… but because she was beautiful."
He suddenly knelt before Kai. "I don't care if you're weak. I've seen what you can do. Please... help us get our queen back."
Kai stared, unsure how to react.
They're really counting on me like I'm some hero… Even though I'm starting from zero.
He nodded. "Alright, General. I'll help you get her back."