Chapter 56: Dangers in the Depths
The food was less than palatable, but at least Mitch could swallow it without hurling his insides out.
He started with the Infused lion, slowly absorbing its powers while gathering genetic material.
Mitch already had the muscle mass for quick accelerations, but his body was not structured in a way to maintain that speed.
As such, he wanted to find a mutation to restructure his lower extremities while still retaining the ability of extended exertion.
Numerous alternatives started popping up as he kept eating more and more lion meat.
The first one to appear was for a lion’s mane, but the legios’ bodies lacked hair follicles. Therefore, the mutation required a ton of genetic data.
After that were claws, the mutation that Komutan probably went through.
Finally, Mitch found something similar to what he was looking for.
[Lowered Center of Gravity]
[3% / 0.4%]
[To accommodate the skeletal structure of a quadrupedal creature in a bipedal one, an improvised mutation has been added. Changes the position and structure of several joints in the pelvis and legs with minimal detriment to mobility.]
[Time in hibernation: 30 days]
The design of these tabs kept getting increasingly minimalistic each time Mitch looked. He wasn’t complaining; it helped in organizing the information.
Nevertheless, the conditions for this mutation were quite harsh.
He had already eaten a large chunk of the lion, yet he was only a thirtieth of the way done. Additionally, he would need to go to sleep for 30 days to complete it.
Though, it would be a lie if Mitch said he didn’t expect it. He got very lucky with his first mutation. Well, whether it was luck or by intent of the cosmic will, he had no idea.
Instead of wasting his thoughts on that, he just kept eating.
Halfway through the first lion, Mitch heard rapid footsteps approaching the hut. He could guess who it was, so he just kept eating.
Rushing through the door was Madeline, tears streaking from her eyes as she scanned the room, immediately finding Mitch.
"Michael! You’re alive!" She jumped towards him and into his embrace. "Why didn’t you come and tell me?"
Mitch chuckled as he patted her back, letting her vent.
"You seemed busy teaching the kids how to speak, and I would rather not disrupt you. Besides, what does a few minutes’ difference do?"
Madeline lightly hit his chest at that remark, bemused by his nonchalance.
"Why do you keep risking your life like this? It’s like you’re on a time limit," she inquired, stunning Mitch with the accuracy of her observation.
"Khad Mitch is occupied with something very important and requires my assistance urgently. As such, I will develop this world to the best of my abilities with as little delay as possible, even at the cost of my own life."
He decided to let Madeline know about the time crunch. Hiding it would do no good and might even cause harm if she got lazy, thinking that the world was a safe haven.
As intended, she started to fidget a little, she too feeling the pressure of time running out.
"Do not worry too much about it, child. There are still a few years left before I am required to leave."
The thing Katherine had told him about would happen in less than ten years, but Mitch wanted some time to prepare.
The prospect of being able to use other power systems was exciting, and he wanted to explore that possibility a little before the ten-year period was up.
Hearing that there was still time left, Madeline relaxed slightly. With a calmed mind, she asked Mitch for a bit of the lion meat, which he happily gave her.
They ate together for a while, mostly Mitch asking her if anything had happened in the last few days, to which she responded that the villagers had been collecting as much food as possible.
It would seem that the animals in the surroundings have started fleeing, making it difficult to hunt enough for everyone to eat their fill.
The idea of moving appealed to Mitch. He had found no traces of elephants yet. Moving to another location might end in better results.
"By the way, have you bonded with all the children yet?"
With Madeline teaching all the kids how to speak, Mitch would assume that they had been connected.
Surprisingly, that was not the case.
"I tried doing it, but it takes much longer for these children than it did with the rats. But I can tell that it is working. I have connected with a few of them already," she swiftly added in the end, afraid that Mitch would think she was unproductive.
"Very good job. Do it slowly; it is better that it is done properly rather than quickly. How many connections can you have active at the same time?"
Madeline’s face sparked with joy at being praised by Mitch, and she answered with enthusiasm. "After I open five of them, I can’t think properly. All my thoughts become jumbled, and it starts hurting."
He fell into thought.
’Five is too low for our plans to work. Will the elephant brain be enough?’
"You’re right, it might not be enough. Is there any other animal that would help in this situation?"
’Maybe octopuses will work, but we don’t have any way to access the ocean right now.’
The segmentation of an octopus’ brain might combine with the already unusual mutation Madeline had, resulting in her being able to use the brainpower of those connected to her rather than her own.
Still, the problem remained that Mitch had no idea what the situation of the ocean was right now.
For all he knows, there is already a Pulsed animal lurking in the depths. Diving in to hunt squid would be the same as suicide.
Shoving that idea to the back of his head, Mitch returned his focus to the mutation skill window.
He had already reached the required amount for his mutation, but he found another one that interested him.
[Faster Reflexes]
The description told him that it made some changes to the muscles and nerves in the one transforming, improving their reaction time and reflexes. However, it would take 2 months for it to complete.
Mitch didn’t feel like it would be necessary. He had learned how to predict his enemy’s next move through playing games. Reacting faster would be useless if he reacted before his enemy attacked.
No, he wanted Isaac to gain this trait. If he’s to become a royal guard, he needs to react quickly enough to save the queen if anything happens.
