章節 14: Chapter 15. Interrupting a breakthrough.

"What? Are you crazy?" Frederick exclaimed, his eyes darting between Kyoji and the grotesque mutant before them.

One look at the creature was enough to set off every alarm bell in Frederick's head. Kyoji was suggesting they kill it? It was insane! Even with their combined strength, they wouldn't be able to scratch it.

Kyoji sighed. He knew convincing Frederick wouldn't be easy, but he had to try.

_____

Minutes later, two figures crept through the shadows of the ruined temple. They were Kyoji and Frederick, making their way towards the massive, frog-like mutant lurking in a dark corner.

It had taken Kyoji a good five minutes of serious persuasion to get Frederick on board. He'd thought the younger man had more guts, but it turned out he wasn't as brave as Kyoji expected.

Still, he couldn't really blame him. Frederick was just seventeen. Kyoji himself was twenty-six, mentally at least, trapped in the body of a sixteen-year-old. He knew there was no way his younger self would have dared to face a Twisted mutant, even one undergoing a breakthrough.

"You remember the plan?" Kyoji whispered as they neared the creature.

"Distract the beast while you go for the kill shot," Frederick mumbled, his voice tight with apprehension.

Kyoji gave a thumbs-up, his face blank as he turned towards the monstrous frog.

The mutant had settled in the darkest recesses of the temple, its terrifying aura gone, retracted within itself. It no longer radiated the menacing power of a Twisted mutant. Instead, it resembled a mere oversized animal. But both Kyoji and Frederick knew better than to be fooled.

Mutants and Chosen alike, when breaking through to a higher level, always went through this. The process of ascending to a new level of power required a massive amount of energy. This energy would concentrate within them, forcing their limits and pushing them to break through to greater strength.

This moment, however, was also their weakest. It was the only reason Kyoji and Frederick even dared to approach.

During a breakthrough, the mutant's focus would be entirely internal. Their movements and ability to fight were severely hampered. From the moment the process began until its completion, they were essentially rooted to a single spot, lest they interrupt the delicate process. An interruption could lead to a failed breakthrough, a shattered core, or even death.

Despite this vulnerability, Kyoji knew it was still an incredibly dangerous gamble.

Even with restricted movement, the mutant could still launch its deadly spikes. Then there were its spiked tentacles, its long, sticky, and equally spiked tongue. And to top it all off, its hide was notoriously tough.

Kyoji knew that even with all his strength, he wouldn't be able to dent the beast's defenses. In fact, even with Frederick's strength added to his own, they wouldn't leave a scratch.

His only hope lay in the mutant's eyes.

He remembered from his past life that the eyes were the creature's weak point. Every other part of it was almost impervious to harm.

As they drew closer, the mutant turned its head towards them, its unsettling grey eyes sending shivers down their spines. But they held their ground.

The creature snarled, a low warning rumble that vibrated through the air.

Ignoring it, Kyoji turned to Frederick...

"Remember, aim for the eyes. It's the only thing that'll faze it. And watch out for its retaliation."

With that, he turned and began to move.

Frederick sighed. Standing there, a mere thirty meters from the monstrous creature, he was starting to have second thoughts about this whole plan.

But Frederick, after a moment, gathered his courage. He took a deep breath, reminding himself of the prize: the core of a mutant on the verge of becoming Corrupted mutant. It was a reward worthy of the risk.

He watched Kyoji's retreating back as he disappeared into the shadows...

"Why am I stuck with the hard part?" Frederick muttered to himself, turning to face the mutant.

His job was to keep the creature occupied while it was vulnerable. Not to actually hurt it, but to annoy it, distract it, while Kyoji moved in for the kill with a throwing spear.

Kyoji might have the easier task on the surface, but Frederick knew it had its own challenges. Timing and precision were crucial, as was the perfect amount of force.

With a sigh, Frederick materialized a bow in his hand, a quiver filled with arrows appearing on his back. The arrowheads were tipped with small explosives.

He wasn't the best shot, but he was competent with ranged weapons. As heir to the Gilles family, he'd been trained to use a variety of them.

He nocked an arrow and let it fly, aiming for the mutant's eyes.

He missed. The arrow struck one of the creature's thick tentacles instead. The explosive detonated with a muffled boom, momentarily filling the air with smoke.

When it cleared, Frederick could see the spot where the arrow had hit. There wasn't a single mark.

His eyes widened in disbelief. That attack would have killed a Feral mutant and injured an Aberrant one. Yet, it hadn't even scratched this one. He hadn't expected to pierce the mutant's defenses, but the sheer resilience of its hide was shocking.

Though his attack had failed to cause damage, it did succeed in infuriating the mutant. It roared in displeasure.

"Guess this isn't so bad," Frederick murmured, reaching for another arrow.

The only downside was the cost. Each arrow was worth a small fortune – 5000 E₵ to be precise.

With a grimace, he loosed another arrow, telling himself it would be worth it in the end.

Meanwhile, Kyoji moved silently through the shadows, hidden behind a large boulder. He crept closer and closer to the preoccupied mutant, a single throwing spear clutched tightly in his hand.

He'd left the other two spears behind. They were simply too heavy to carry while trying to remain stealthy. He needed to be able to move quickly, to escape if things went wrong.

The mutant remained oblivious to his approach, too focused on its breakthrough to notice him. Besides, it already had one annoying little ant to deal with.

The creature roared again, frustrated and angry as Frederick continued to pepper it with arrows.

'Good work,' Kyoji thought, a flicker of approval in his chest.

He didn't pause, didn't break his stride. He continued forward until he was a mere ten meters from the monstrous frog.

"Now we wait," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the unsuspecting mutant.