Mutagen

<strong>Day 36 – 12:09 AM – Barangay Poblacion I, Real, Quezon</strong>

Mark wielded the odd looking weapon with both his hands. This was not the first time he used this weapons, all these weapons had been tested back before he left the base while doing a supply run alone. Still, he had not used these weapons in an all-out battle with other humans. This was why he took out weapon after weapon. After this battle, he would storm his brain for issues and work of modifying the [Darkness Shade] set further.

Still, it was obvious that the veteran mercenary, Ogre, was taken aback and was confused as to why their enemy would use such an inconvenient to use weapon. The torso sized shield after being attached to the almost two-meter long whip blade looked totally like an oversized flail. In terms of pure power, this kind of weapon was strong but in terms of speed, convenience and effort needed to swing it, it lost to all other cold weapons he had seen before even abroad.

On the other hand, Drake felt even more furious. He also realized the deficiency of such weapon but if felt like their enemy was underestimating them too much to use that odd and hard to use weapon.

Mark also knew of those deficiencies and would not be able to actually use this as such. However, he had his own methods to eliminate such deficiencies.

Holding the [Blade Star] behind him through his right side, Mark kicked forward his left foot that was on front of the other.

PUFF!

Mark vanished into the black mist that sent the remaining outlaws into extreme vigilance. He then appeared in front of stone skinned man. The [Blade Star] was already on full swing. Using the acceleration he could get from the subspace created from his ability, he swung the weapon inside the subspace and appeared at the moment the swing was about to finish.

Without any chance to dodge and also due to his stone skin ability hindering his movements, the outlaw was hit squarely on his waist by the edge of the shield. The stone skin ability of the outlaw prevented his body from being bisected by the blades at the edge of the shield but the impact of the hit obviously churned his organs.

Despite the looks of the [Defier], its actual weight was around six kilos even without the other weapons. It was all due to the mechanisms in the shield that it accumulated that much weight in its small looking body.

The outlaw's body was hit straight with a lump of metal that heavy at the speed of a racecar. The outlaw slumped on his knees and started to vomit all what he had eaten earlier together with clumps of thick blood.

"Big Brother!"

The man with fast hands immediately came to rescue the stone skinned man. However, the shield already appeared in front of him making him jump back by reflex. He managed to dodge the attack and the shield swung past by his side. At the moment he jumped back, two of the other elites rushed forwards taking advantage that the shield had already been swung away.

With the shield and the whip blade at the center, the fast handed outlaw together with the other two ran along the sides of the whip blade as they aimed for Mark.

At that moment, Mark suddenly twisted the whip blade and pulled it back mid swing. The swing of the shield stopped midair but it would not easily comeback even if pulled that way and that reason bolstered the courage of the three to hasten their charge. Still, they underestimated the shield that they ran past through.

The whip blade retracted causing several clicking sounds inside the [Defier]. Before the three outlaws charging at Mark could know what happened, they lost the feelings of their bodies and fell down on the ground at the same time. Not only them fell but another elite outlaw that was about to follow the attack of the three. Behind them, shield had already lost the blades on its edge. As for the blades, some of them were embedded on the ground while some were embedded on the bodies of the outlaws that had just fallen down.

The moment Mark pulled back the whip blade, the mechanism of the shield to launch the blades on its edge activated which hit the bodies of the outlaws without them knowing. Then, Mark pulled the shield back to him and also caused blades to return to the shield. Each of the blades had two almost invisible metallic tread attached to them and the shield. The mechanism was like a grappling hook and the hook this time which were the blades would be pulled back to the launcher due to the threads.

"DIE!!!"

Drake shouted as he bolted off towards Mark before he was able to fully retrieve his weapon.

There were only three of them left. If he, the boss, still did not make his move, they would surely be annihilated here without a fight. Who knows how a dangerous monster appeared here and his men had gotten into conflict with this monster but it was already too late to retreat. If there was someone to blame, it was that Observer that did not give them accurate information about the enemy.

Not only that he did not manage to get revenge, he was even at the risk of dying right now.

As he charged towards Mark, Drake's body grew larger and became covered with reddish scales, his eyes turned golden in color and his pupils became slits like a snake. His tongue elongated and split into two and red scaly wings burst forth from his back. His nails turned into claws and the temperature of his throat became higher and higher that when he opened his mouth, it had a sort of glow. From his running stance, he started to glide towards Mark in a very fast manner.

Living up to his name, Drake, his ability was [Dragonification]. He turned into half-man and half-dragon in almost an instant.

Drake tried to punch Mark with his right fist but Mark had already vanished once more. Without the target, his punch swept through Mark's previous position down to the ground. His red scaled fist hit the ground a creating a loud boom with a half-foot deep and a foot wide crater left on the ground.

Mark was a bit surprised to the outlaw leader's transformation. He was not just some [Lizardman] like Chameleon but an actual [Dragonewt]. Still, the stronger the enemy, the faster he needed to deal with him. Not to mention that this guy had wings and could escape by flying. After his weapon was retrieved inside the subspace, he appeared once more but further away from Drake in his [Dragonewt] form.

This time that Mark appeared, his weapon had a different form once more. The whip blades retracted to its original shape while the [Defier] was not on the tip of the blade anymore but actually just above the handle of the sword. The blade was pierced through the shield where the shield looked more like an overly large hand guard.

Before Drake managed to see his figure, Mark pulled the sword to the back of his neck and did a very wide and every strong wave of his sword. As he waved the sword, the shield shifted positions from the guard of the sword to the tip. The moment he stopped the slash midair in front of him, a whirling sound was already present coming from the [Defier] it then detached and flew forwards Drake. As it detached and flew forwards, it started to spin horizontally and the speed of the shield's spin started to pick up.

Midway, the shield released another plethora of clicking sounds as it all released its blades along with the almost invisible threads. The blades and threads followed the momentum of the spin and started to create a top like effect as it spun on the air.

By the time that the shield connected with Drake's body, the shield was already spinning as fast as a chainsaw.  The impact and the speed of the spin caused a large opening on the scales of Drake's side despite how his scales should have been able to block bullets. Following the pain, Drake felt constricted and was not able to move. His body fell down from being out of balance. When he realized that he fell, he saw layers upon layers of thread and blades tying up his body. He tried to move but he ended up letting the blades and sharp thread to slice up his scales.

Mark was surprised as to how sturdy Drake's scales were and how these scales saved Drake from turning into grinded meat. Still, he was caught by the threads and was for sure, not going to live through the night.

The moment Mark caught Drake, he heard a sigh coming from the side. He turned his head and saw Ogre already snapping the neck of the remaining outlaw. Ogre then turned to Mark, his stern but helpless face was apparent. It was as if he was going to deal with a troublesome matter later on.

"What's your agenda for that?"

Mark paused and asked Ogre while pointing at the outlaw with a broken neck lying on the ground. Since the start, even though Ogre was emitting a dangerous feeling on him, he never took a hostile stance against Mark. In fact, this whole time, all he did was advice Drake to retreat.

Ogre did not reply but took out a card, then a handkerchief and wiped his face. After wiping his face, his countenance changed. His burly and tall body was still the same but he had a younger looking Caucasian face about just two or three years older than Mark.

He approached Mark and handed the card without any hostility and even in a friendly manner. Mark took the card with a calm face. If it was just a farce, he could just disappear in a puff of smoke.

The card was an ID of a US soldier.

"I'm Jones Galley. I'm a mercenary but I'm always working for the US military that they gave me that identification."

Jones extended his hand for a handshake but of course, there was no way Mark would extend his. The guy that had just introduced himself as a US mercenary could not help but awkwardly retract his hand.

"OGRE! YOU TRAITOR!"

Drake shouted with difficulty since the threads around his mouth and jaw would cut his scales and lips.

To that shout, Jones just sneered.

"I'm not with you people since the start. You had to use your connections to hire me but that is within the plot. I've been sent to a mission to monitor you people from the Death Coast Settlement and I have been sending reports regularly to the Port of Real Military settlement. Actually, this time, I'm instructed to delay you people. The soldiers will be coming soon after all. I received that a group of four was missing and you criminals were the suspect. And then, you organized this operation which coincides with the details about the missing group. How do you think that your operation got too delayed up to this late? Remember how I insisted that the ten trusted men of yours to stay behind and let the lackeys do the job?"

Drake's eyes turned wide to the realization that came into him. The outlaw leader coughed up blood due to his anger and fainted.

Jones then turned at Mark.

"Still, I don't expect to find someone as strong as you here. Is that missing group under your care? If that is the case, then thank you. Your country's military assets are sorely lacking. Even the current manpower was too weak that they every group they could ask for assistance was too precious. Also, what are those weapons you are using? Are those made by you? How are they working?"

"Can I have a question?"

Mark interjected with a frown.

"What is it?"

"Can you shut up?"

Mark then walked towards Drake. In a swift movement of his arm, the unconscious outlaw was beheaded.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Mark ignored the shouting of the self-proclaimed mercenary. He still did not totally believe him but according to what Jones said, the military would be coming soon. If that happened, then, he was speaking the truth.

One by one, Mark beheaded the corpses of the elite outlaws after he retrieved the [Defier]. He then left the vicinity carrying nine, tied up heads under the flabbergasted gaze of Jones.

Five minutes or so later, military vehicles arrived and stopped near the highway. The incoming soldiers were received and guided by Jones.