GENE DEVOURER
Chapter 45: A Traitor

Chapter 45: A Traitor

[Notice!: Host poison is different from mutant beast poison]

"Ah..."

A mist of relief escaped Marcus’ mouth.

’I thought I was done for’

"Alright, I’m all fired up"

Just like how he had manifested, Sir Kite became invisible and all his traces vanished.

"Let’s kill the monster babies!!"

The guys trembling earlier yelled and charged forward enthusiastically even before the Rogue Ant reached them, however, what they met was horror.

"How?? They were supposed to be in their pupal stage, how the hell are they defeating Fist Kong and the others?"

For a moment, Cai Fiora was spooked, looking at how the baby monsters disappearing and appearing, flickering in and out of view, stinging the guys mercilessly, she shifted back fearfully. Some didn’t take up to three stings from these fearsome ants before their whole body turned purple and they bled to death.

"It is.... it is like they are using some stealthlike ability... And some bleeding status effect?"

Ming was doing quite well, it seemed she had grown yet again.

’She is doing well, the ability to be innovative in using her powers.

Wait a minute, did Sir Kite’s farewell trigger it?’

Marcus couldn’t understand, looking at the way she was rotating her cross-hell weapon, it was like she was on a killing spree, since the monsters weren’t intelligent enough to avoid her, anyone that came close into her range of attack was slashed through, no matter the stealthlike skill they used.

’For a B rank Awakened, she is quite talented, it seemed her awakened power is ambidexterity, she is good with any weapon she lays hands on, in her hands, a small kitchen knife could even become a weapon of massive destruction’

WHOOSHH!!! WHOOSHH!!

Not long after, Cai Fiora met her doom, just when she was in a daze at the mutant baby fire ants she had underestimated, a relatively small one had sneaked into her blind spot, and it had stuck out its abdomen and was on the verge of prickling one of her long legs with its stinger

SLASH, this mutant fire ant met its demise immediately as the blade of Ming’s axe cleaved through its red exoskeletal body, cutting it cleanly in half.

"Are you okay? Fiora"

Ming went to help the already-tripped Fiora up.

’Ambidexterity, what an impressive ability, even I would have a problem surviving in her attack range’

[Host has used skill: Venom dance]

[Level up!!]

[Level up!!]

[Level up!!]

Marcus, using his venom dance to move through the attacks of the Rogue Ants, had stacked up quite high XP, and he was so calm that he had the opportunity to look at others’ battles.

"I have leveled up countless times such that I have lost count, I feel like my attack power is increasing also, I will take all the loots later, I gotta concentrate on the battle"

[You have found a loot, Skill book, take it?]

[Consume gene cores to acquire an evolved skill]

[Consume gene remains to craft a gear]

Marcus took the skill book loot but neglected the two other notifications that popped up on every slain mutant beast, after all, those were someone else property, but since he had been counted as a bona fide member after joining in the battle, he was sure to get his share in the beast stone loots when the raid was completed, however, Marcus couldn’t see any way the team could defeat the rogue ants no to mention that mutant mosquito.

’In this world where only I can grow stronger during battle, perhaps I could be the one to defeat it’

Amidst the battle, Marcus viewed his stats.

[Name: Zhao Marcus Cheng]

[Species: Hiveman]

[Class: Insecta]

[Rank: 4]

[Level: 11]

[XP: 1300/8000]

[Gene Tokens: —]

[Health Recovery Portion: —]

[Titles: Gene Devourer, Hungering Lord]

[Strength: 22]

[Agility: 26]

[Speed: 22]

[Dexterity: 26]

[Constitution: 24]

[Perception: 24]

[Intelligence: 23

[Charisma: 21]

[Luck: 22]

[Will: 23]

Then some notifications popped up.

[New Quest: Defeat enemies with the same class]

[0/10 600 XP ]

[New Quest: Defeat enemies near your level with different class]

[0/1 1000 XP]

[You have unlocked a potion shop!]

[New Quest: Buy and use a health recovery potion]

[0/1 1800 XP]

"Good grief"

Marcus didn’t know what to make of this occurrence, lately, his quests have started piling up.

"Does my luck stat have anything to do with this?

Well, I will make sure to give my best"

WHOOSH!!

Marcus didn’t know what made his head turn, was it instinct or perception?

All he knew was that at that time, one idiot member had drawn a large swarm of rogue ants toward him.

At least that was what he thought, looking at his devilish eyes, he seemed to be using some ability that let him infuriate any target and also direct their fury to another target.

"Bastard! I’m not your meat shield! I will murder you before they do!"

Marcus was getting infuriated, seeing the aberrant behavior of the swarm of rogue ants approaching him, anger couldn’t help but welled up inside of him.

Then the system notified.

[Ally has used skill: Cry of Fury, host as became a new target for ant swarm]

[Rogue ants have used skill: Berserk]

[Skill: Berserk]

[+200 attack power]

[-60 defense]

"I have to thank this system later

Now that their attack power has increased greatly, that means with my exoskeleton on, it will take only a couple of stings to kill me, but with my stinger blade dagger, their death will be quick"

Marcus’s eyes glowed with fury, and even the member who had used this cruel skill could feel it.

As if he was starting to reminisce about what he had done, he started running away.

The swarm of ants didn’t follow him, instead, they focused all of their rage on Marcus.

Their devilish eyes glowed bright red with rage, their opened jaw dripping with disgusting saliva.

"The berserk skill, I wonder if I will still regain my reasoning if I were to acquire and use it.

But firstly, the traitor must be exterminated!"

At this moment, Marcus’ eyes reflected murderous intent.

"His sin is unforgivable"

As if Ming could feel the eerie atmosphere since she was closer to Marcus than every other Awakened in battle, she felt her hair stand on end.

It reminded her about the feeling of standing in the shadow of death.

She could remember, at least this feeling triggered the memory.

It was when she followed her brother to a raid, that time when her caring brother had sacrificed himself for her safety, that time she was the only survivor in a mutant tree beast zone, the Speaking Woods.

Ming’s body started shivering from fear, and even with her ambidexterity-awakened ability, her movements had started becoming slow and clumsy, and her superior adaptability and skillful use of her hands were starting to become a joke.