Biohuman

Liz shook Keng as Ritsuka, Olivia and Evan watched their friend sob. Liz continued to ask Keng the same questions. "Why couldn't he heal her? What's wrong with Manny?" Keng studied Manny as he coughed blood. There was something obviously different, but he didn't understand what triggered it.

'I couldn't have done this, right?' Keng thought. 'Lee Seng's Mutation ability couldn't work with me. We're two different people, right…? If that's the assumption, why is Manny showing signs of a breakthrough?'

Breakthroughs were milestones Biohumans could reach when they pushed themselves hard enough. It was an odd phenomenon in of itself, but it was how Biohumans continuously grew stronger. It was the whole reason why they were all told to put their hands onto a plasma ball. They graded someone's potential and showed each individual what they could become with dedication and practice.

Manny was obviously showing signs of a breakthrough, but it didn't follow his power skillset. He was an Observer, a healer. His healing abilities would've grown stronger in a number of different ways. Manny could potentially have a breakthrough and: heal multiple people, regenerate Dark Matter, itself, etc.

'Why is nothing following those parameters, then?' Keng wondered.

"Please! Help him!" Liz cried. Keng sighed as the kinetic wall shook. It drew everyone's attention except for Liz.

"They're attacking already?" Olivia asked.

"I thought I weeded them out well." Keng sighed, turning to face the group.

"What now? One person's out of commission and we don't know why." Ritsuka motioned.

"Did he have some sort of breakthrough?" Evan asked.

"He's a healer." Olivia motioned. "Even if he did have one, it'd grow his power in the direction of a healer, not some sort of-of…"

"Tank?" Ritsuka finished.

"Exactly." Olviia nodded.

"What did he do exactly? I didn't really capture the whole thing while in temporary Evolution." Keng asked.

"He took on that Orc Magician's black beam of death!" Evan answered. "Sapped the energy out like he was sapping out life altogether."

"Something totally opposite to what he normally does: give life." Olivia added.

"So why can't he be healed?" Liz asked. She used Keng to stand as she wiped her tears. "W-what's wrong with him then?" Another strike exploded against the kinetic wall, thundering with a loud noise.

"It's not gonna hold for much longer." Evan told them.

"And they're climbing the wall, again." Keng informed them.

"What do we do with him?" Ritsuka pointed. "If it isn't a healing problem, it's something with him then, right?"

"You four hold them off." Keng told them. "I'll take him back there and put up a shield of sorts. Might need a wall from you, Evan." Evan nodded. "I'll study him with the help of Runes. That way I can understand what exactly is happening to him before he spews out all his blood and dies."

"Are you sure it'll work? I thought Fox runes weren't as potent?" Ritsuka asked.

"When I evolved, all of my skills evolved, including my job." Keng informed them.

"What does that mean? Is it like a class?" Evan asked. The wall boomed once more cracking. Hobgoblins and Orcs poked their heads out as they screeched. They looked worn out and dusty from the powerful attack by the Fox Spirit.

"I'll tell you later. For now, deal with them." Keng motioned. He began to reach down for Manny when Liz grabbed his hand. He looked at her as she shook her head.

"He might drain you of DM. Don't touch him." Liz told him. She sniffed and Keng nodded, standing back up.

"Fine." Keng nodded.

"How much time do you need?" Olivia asked. "I'm kinda useless against them." Keng summoned Hydrosphere and handed her it.

"You good with a dagger?" Keng asked.

"I'm more comfortable with swords, but—" Olivia watched Hydrosphere grow into a sword. Her mouth agape as a rune hovered above Manny, pulling him up. "How did you—"

"I can change its form at will. It's apparently like me – adaptable. Use it for a while. As for the katana… I'm not sure where that went."

"What about the bow? Did you bring the bow?" Ritsuka asked.

"You want it?" Keng stuck his hand into the Void Storage. He pulled it out and handed it to Ritsuka.

"I-I was gonna suggest she take it if she wasn't comfortable…" Ritsuka mumbled as Keng's hand pulled away. He moved Manny past Ritsuka and Olivia as the kinetic wall shattered.

"Wall him first." Ritsuka motioned at Evan. "W-we'll deal with this." Ritsuka moved backwards as he pulled the bowstring. Loads of commands appeared as the familiar whisper of the weapon greeted him. "Rain of Arrows!" A barrage of arrows flew into the sky as Angerfang faded from his body. The black-blue Dark Matter energy wrapped around the bow, greeting it.

"Let's go!" Ritsuka shouted. The bow disappeared in his hands and was replaced with Obsidian Glass. Olivia and Ritsuka rushed forward as Liz moved backwards, firing bolts of psychic lightning at the hobgoblins and orcs.

Keng placed Manny onto the ground and turned to watch the others fight. Arrows rained down on the enemies, piercing them and killing a few as the bow vanished from Ritsuka's hands and was replaced with Obsidian Glass.

'He bounded it to him?' Keng wondered. Evan summoned a shield and stuck it onto the ground. A barrier curled around Keng and Manny, encasing him in it.

"You'll be safe in there for a while!" Evan shouted. "I'm going to go help them!"

"Alright, good luck!" Keng shouted. He listened to Evan run as he turned his attention onto Manny. Blood was spilling from his lips. He was a mess. Keng lifted his hands. The cosmic aura lit his entire body up. The ruby and sapphire eyes lit into pure Silver as runes began to form.

"Let's figure out what's wrong with you…" Keng whispered. "Detect Status." The runes shimmered as they began to lower and scan Manny. Manny continued to cough up blood as his body twitched.

[Notice: There seems to be traces of mutations in his DNA.]

"What do you mean?" Keng whispered. A loud blast shook the barrier and Keng as sounds of fighting grew. Keng turned to look as the AI continued its explanation.

[When you possessed him, I believe you accidentally triggered something within him. It seems like traces of Lee Seng's mutation ability were let out. The Runic Hivemind somehow expanded these microscopic mutations and grew them. When the monster left, it attached some of its own energy and Lee Seng's mutation onto Manny.]

"That's why he suddenly had some sort of breakthrough… What do we do then?" Keng asked.

[He's perfectly fine, physically. It seems he's taken too much energy and needs to expend it.]

Keng turned his attention onto Manny as he coughed.

[In order to do that, you must force him to release it.]

"Wouldn't that… be bad if he accidentally hit an ally" Keng asked.

[The easiest way is to throw him to the wolves, so to speak. Let him become a ball of pain.]

Keng cracked a smile. "That's the most sensible thing I've heard." He touched the barrier and forced his energy into it. It glowed a bright white, shattering to pieces. A gravity rune appeared on Manny as Keng made a tossing motion with his right arm.

Ritsuka and Olivia carved through their enemies as Keng's voice popped up on the comms.

"I figured out the best course of action." Keng told them. Liz turned to watch as Manny sailed through the air, ragdolling straight for a group of enemies with spears.

"K-Keng! He's going to turn into a Manny-kabob!" Liz shot a couple bolts towards the spears, shattering them as Manny arced straight for the group of Orcs.

"W-why are you throwing him?!? Isn't that the worst thing you could do?!?" Liz shouted. "I swear to god if your plan is to just get rid of him, I'll—"

A burst of green energy fired out from Manny as he connected with the group. A large rotating spherical energy exploded out Manny's body, instantly killing the Orcs nearest to him. The energy grew to be forty feet in diameter. The whole group watched in awe as the energy pulled back in.

Manny gasped as he lifted himself up. There were no enemies around him as he coughed up the last bits of blood.

"W-what the hell?" Manny whispered. He wiped his mouth and stood up. "Why'd you throw me?!?" Manny shouted at Keng. Keng smirked as the Orc Magician billowed with dark energy. Keng's smirk faded in an instant as a rune appeared to the side of Manny. It exploded, raining silver light as Keng appeared, left hand raising to the Orc Magician.

"Disintegration Ray!" The Orc Magician screamed in Orcish. Fifteen Runes grew from Keng's hand as he watched the black and red ray fly straight for Manny.

"Solarium: Autumnal Fall." Keng whispered. The runes lit up in a golden-orange hue resembling Autumn leaves. The runes blasted a cosmic wave of Autumn leaves straight for the Disintegration Ray. The two energies collided, pushing the cosmic leaves away as the two Glasses pushed against each other.

"You will never get past me!" The Orc Magician shouted. Keng's smirk grew back.

"Who said you'd live?" Keng asked. "Or your allies?"