Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

"Ah, damn it! Another group of dead mutants? Who the hell keeps killing them before we can?" A Grade 4 student with spiky red hair muttered angrily, his eyes scanning the floor, littered with the fresh corpses of goblins.

"Look over there! That guy… I think he's the one who's been taking down all the mutants around here," another boy from the group interjected, gesturing toward Silas, who was running several meters ahead, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

"He's alone," the boy with spiky red hair noted, narrowing his eyes as he locked his gaze on Silas. "Chase him down. Don't lose him. If he keeps grabbing all the body parts in this area, we'll end up with nothing. It's best if we confront him and make him share what he's collected," he growled, his face darkening as a plan took shape in his mind.

---

Meanwhile, Silas came to a sudden halt, spotting two goblins only a few meters ahead. These goblins were much larger than the ones he'd been fighting. Their weapons were no longer crude daggers but elongated, razor-sharp blades akin to katanas.

[Name: Gobtant King and Queen]

[Grade: 2]

A notification flashed above the mutants, drawing a fierce grin from Silas as he took in the information.

"Finally, the goblin king. That means I'm getting closer to the Realm's god chamber," he murmured, excitement glinting in his eyes as he focused on the mutants ahead, his grip tightening in anticipation.

The goblins stood there for a moment, still as statues, before launching themselves at him with explosive speed. Within seconds, they were upon him, swinging their massive blades with merciless precision.

Silas's reflexes kicked in, and he twisted to the side, narrowly dodging the deadly swings. As he leaped backward, he raised his right hand and unleashed five thin, glowing claws from his fingertips, each one shimmering with a faint, ominous light.

[Soul Claws has been activated]

The Soul Claws shot through the air with lethal speed. The goblin king managed to deflect the first set with its blade, a clumsy but effective block. However, as it lowered its weapon, it was greeted by a second, more intense barrage of claws hurtling toward it.

Caught off guard, the claws sliced clean through its right arm, sending it stumbling backward with a roar of agony, blood gushing from the wound like a fountain. The goblin queen, enraged by the sight of her mate injured, let out a feral scream before charging Silas with blind aggression.

The queen swung her blade, aiming directly at his neck. Silas reacted instantly, summoning his scythe just in time to block the deadly strike, metal clashing against metal with a loud, echoing clang.

The goblin queen quickly recoiled, only to lash out again. This time, Silas sidestepped, watching as her blade sliced through the air where he had stood only moments before.

Before she could withdraw her arm, Silas countered, swinging his scythe with precision, chopping her arm clean off. Dark purple blood sprayed from the wound, painting the ground beneath her as she let out a blood-curdling scream of pain.

But Silas wasn't done yet. Dropping low, he swept his right leg across the ground, knocking her off her feet. The goblin queen fell with a heavy thud, struggling to get up as Silas seized the moment. He raised his scythe high and brought it down, severing her head with a single, powerful swing.

[Your scythe has drained 10% of the Mutant's soul, and it has been added to your soul points]

[Your soul points have been restored]

[Congratulations, you have slain a Grade 2 Gobtant Queen]

Notifications flashed across his vision, but before Silas could focus on them, a thunderous roar shook the air around him. Spinning around, he saw the Gobtant King barreling toward him, its one remaining arm raised, eyes wild with fury.

Silas stood motionless, watching the mutant approach. As it neared, preparing to strike, it suddenly froze mid-swing, its body immobilized by an invisible force.

[Active skill: Soul Control has been activated]

With a flicker of concentration, Silas held the mutant in place. He approached it slowly, observing the rage and desperation on its contorted face.

"I know how you feel right now, little one," Silas murmured softly. "All that hate, and yet you can't do a thing. Believe me, I've been there."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He clenched his fist, and the Gobtant King's head exploded in a spray of blood and brain matter, splattering the area around him.

[Congratulations, you have slain the Gobtant King]

With a sigh, Silas dismissed his scythe, replacing it with a small dagger as he knelt down beside the bodies, beginning to carve out the valuable parts from the fallen mutants with careful precision.

However, just as he was absorbed in his task, a voice rang out from behind him.

"Hey! Excuse me!" The sharp tone of the spiky-haired boy, Spike, cut through the silence, making Silas freeze in place, though he did not turn around. "I had my suspicions earlier, but now that I see you carving up those bodies, I'm convinced you're the one who's been killing all the mutants in this area."

"Because of you, we're down to just four lousy goblin eyes!" Spike spat angrily, but Silas remained kneeling, his back turned to the group.

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to split those body parts with us—50-50!" he demanded, his voice laced with menace. The air grew tense as everyone waited, holding their breath, for Silas's response.

"Why should I?" Silas replied coldly, his voice low and steady. The question seemed to surprise Spike and his companions, leaving them momentarily speechless.

"Why should you?" one of Spike's lackeys sneered, stepping forward. "Because we're telling you to, dumbass." The group burst into laughter, mocking Silas.

Still, Silas remained silent, kneeling with his back to them, seemingly unbothered by their taunts.

"These body parts are for me and my group. Why should I split them with yours?" he asked, his tone challenging.

Enjoy new chapters from empire

"Uh… I don't see your group around here," Spike replied with a smirk, glancing around as his friends chuckled. "And maybe I wasn't clear. I'm not asking—I'm telling you. If you don't give us our share, you're dead. We're all Grade 4s, and your group isn't here to back you up. You've got no choice," Spike said, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"So that's how it is?" Silas muttered, rising to his feet. With his back still to them, he summoned his Ghost Face mask from his arsenal and slipped it on, the dark visor gleaming ominously as he finally turned to face Spike and his group, his gaze piercing and unyielding.

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A/N: Sighhhh..once again, vote with your Golden Tickets and Power Stones.