Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

**SLASH!**

The scythe cleaved through the Wormtant with terrifying ease, slicing the mutant's body cleanly in half. Dark purple blood exploded from the gash, splattering the hot desert sands, creating thick, violent pools that immediately began to soak into the ground. The creature's two halves dropped with a sickening thud, organs spilling from the opening in grotesque heaps.

**[Congratulations, you have slain a Grade 3 Wormtant Serpent.]**

Silas exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling heavily as adrenaline coursed through his veins. The thrill of victory was short-lived, however, as movement caught his eye in the periphery. His heart stuttered for a moment.

Three more Wormtant Serpents erupted from beneath the sand, their massive bodies curling and writhing as they surged toward him with deadly intent. Their screeches echoed, filling the barren air with a chilling sound.

"Shit!" Silas cursed under his breath, his eyes widening with terror as the mutants rushed toward him at a terrifying speed, their mouths gaping wide to reveal rows upon rows of jagged, razor-sharp fangs, gleaming in the harsh desert sun. Each fang looked capable of tearing through flesh and bone with little effort.

Acting on pure instinct, Silas leapt backward, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to evade their snapping jaws by mere centimeters. He could feel the rush of air as their fangs barely missed his flesh, the sensation of narrowly avoided death sending a fresh surge of adrenaline through him.

He landed smoothly, his feet digging into the sand as he skidded to a halt, kicking up a small dust cloud around him.

There was no time to rest.

One of the mutants lunged toward him immediately, its serpentine body coiling tightly before launching itself into the air. The shadow of its massive form loomed over Silas, its maw widening as it attempted to swallow him whole in a single, brutal attack.

Silas reacted instantly, his body moving with the precision of someone trained for combat. He sidestepped gracefully, his enhanced speed and reflexes granting him just enough time to dodge the attack by inches. The sound of the mutant's fangs snapping shut just behind him sent a shiver down his spine.

Without missing a beat, Silas countered, his scythe cutting through the air with deadly precision.

**SHUK!**

The blade of his scythe bit deep into the Wormtant's thick, leathery hide, piercing through muscle and tissue. The creature shrieked in pain, its dark purple blood oozing from the fresh wound, staining the ground beneath it.

Silas gritted his teeth, feeling the resistance of the creature's flesh as he dragged his weapon through the mutant's body, creating a deep, jagged gash that extended from its midsection to its tail.

Blood poured from the wound, thick and viscous, and part of the Wormtant's insides spilled out, leaving a trail of its own innards behind. But despite the grievous injury, the creature wasn't done fighting. It let out a guttural growl and twisted its body with incredible speed, whipping its tail toward Silas in a last-ditch attempt to take him down.

Anticipating the attack, Silas leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the tail as it lashed out beneath him. He felt the wind from the strike rush past his legs as he soared upwards, gripping his scythe tightly with both hands. Time seemed to slow as he lifted the weapon high above his head, ready to deliver a finishing blow.

"DIE!"

With a mighty yell, Silas swung the scythe down.

**SLASH!**

The blade connected with the mutant's skull, slicing cleanly through bone and brain matter, splitting the creature's head in two. Dark blood sprayed in all directions, coating the crimson desert sands as the Wormtant fell lifelessly to the ground with a heavy, echoing thud.

>>[Congratulations, you have slain a Wormtant Serpent]<<

A familiar notification flashed before Silas's eyes, and he allowed himself a brief moment of relief, wiping the beads of sweat and splatters of blood from his face with the sleeve of his jacket. His chest heaved with exhaustion, the toll of battle weighing heavily on his body.

But his respite was short-lived.

**SWOOSH!**

A sudden rush of air reached Silas's ears, his instincts flaring with alarm. He whipped around just in time to see something hurtling toward him at blinding speed. His eyes widened in shock as he realized his mistake. He had forgotten about the remaining two Wormtant Serpents.

The two mutants opened their cavernous mouths, their throats glowing an eerie, sickly green. A split second later, they shot streams of liquid from their mouths—glowing green acid, bubbling as it soared through the air with deadly accuracy.

"Shit!"

Caught off guard, Silas had no time to dodge.

The acid hit him square in the chest, and the moment it made contact with his skin, he felt an unbearable, searing pain. His flesh began to bubble and burn, the acid eating away at him as blood poured from the wound.

"What the—" Silas gasped, his voice choked with pain. "Acid?!" His eyes widened as the realization hit him. He gritted his teeth, his body trembling as waves of agony coursed through him. Sweat poured down his face, mingling with the blood that now soaked his chest.

**[You have sustained a critical injury]**

**[You are bleeding]**

**[-10 HP]**

**[Passive skill: Superfast Healing activated]**

**[-10 Soul Points]**

Through the haze of pain, Silas saw the notification appear in front of him. His passive healing skill kicked in, and within moments, the burning sensation faded. His skin began to knit itself back together, the acid wounds healing rapidly. In a matter of seconds, the injury was completely gone, leaving only smooth, unscarred flesh behind.

"Damn it," Silas muttered under his breath, his chest still heaving as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His gaze turned back to the two Wormtant Serpents, now watching him warily from a few meters away.

"They had that kind of ability, and they waited until now to use it? Pathetic," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Silas gripped his scythe with renewed determination, the weight of the weapon familiar and comforting in his hands. Without hesitation, he charged forward at lightning speed, his body blurring as he closed the distance between himself and the mutants in an instant.

The Wormtants responded by unleashing another volley of acidic spit, the glowing green liquid cutting through the air in deadly arcs.

"Not this time!" Silas growled, his eyes narrowing as he weaved and dodged, his body moving with the fluidity of a dancer. He sidestepped the attacks with ease, the acid splashing harmlessly into the sand as he closed in on his targets.

When he was within striking distance, Silas leapt into the air, his scythe raised high above his head. With a single, powerful motion, he swung the weapon down.

**SLASH!**

The scythe cut through the first mutant, splitting its body in half with a clean, brutal strike. The creature let out a final, pitiful shriek as dark purple blood gushed from its wounds, staining the ground beneath it.

>>[Congratulations, you have slain a Wormtant Serpent]<<

Silas landed gracefully, his eyes already scanning for the second Wormtant. To his surprise, it was retreating, burrowing itself back into the ground in an attempt to escape.

"Damn that bastard," Silas muttered, his gaze locked onto the sand where the creature had disappeared. He could feel the tremors beneath his feet as the mutant moved underground, but he stood still, waiting patiently for it to resurface.

The ground shook violently, and a moment later, the Wormtant burst from the earth, launching itself at Silas in a desperate, final attack.

But Silas was ready.

Before the creature could close in on him, he swung his scythe with all his might.

**SLASH!**

The blade cut cleanly through the Wormtant's body, slicing it in half before it even had a chance to strike.

>>[Congratulations, you have slain the last Wormtant Serpent]<<

The notification flashed before Silas's eyes, the word "last" standing out in bold. It was over. No more ambushes, no more surprise attacks. He had slain them all.

Silas stood there for a moment, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun beat down on him mercilessly, but the heat was the least of his concerns.

"It's only just the beginning," Silas muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration . "And I've already lost 10 soul points. I can't afford to lose more...not when there are even more tougher mutants waiting for me ahead."