[ D day - 2 ] [ 28 H : 00 M : 00 S ] [ Home Town A ]
Vikram was still watching the golden pangolin. The animal moved with utter total self confidence of being king of a castle.
It crawled leisurely along the honey path, not paying even a lick of attention to Vikram.
While the other pangolins' likced the honey, then rushed forward to get at the source, this pangolin licked the honey clean off the pebbles, as if it has all the time in the world to reach the source of the honey.
Thinking back, the pangolin boss indeed has all the time to go to the source of honey.
Could the bees hurt it ? The answer is 'No' !
Could other pangolin's snatch from it ? it's an even bigger and fatter ' No' !
Why would the boss be in a hurry?
The pangolin boss strolled where he wants when he wants and eats what he wants when he pleases.
After a moment, an idea flashed in Vikram's head.
Sure, it may work, or it may not work, but it's his only chance to do anything at all.
Pangolin boss is still licking honey leisurely.
Vikram rushed into the tunnels to bring back wet earth.
While the pangolin boss leisurely strolled into the stone dungeon he prepared, Vikram built it's walls to form a dome.
He threw the incense in his hands down, and then, filled up the area around the pangolin boss with stones and earth.
The boss paid him no attention at all.
After all, no matter how annoying the fly, it can always finish eating honey in front of it, then go and catch the fly.
There's no point killing the food too early to starve later.
Thus, let the 'dinner' a.k.a. Vikram roam around it self as freely as possible.
The idea fits the boss's lazy personality just right.
The dome is finished more and more.
Vikram knew the original stone walls could not bear the kick of the pangolin boss.
So, he rammed wet earth on either side of the pangolin boss, not enough to restrict movement of the pangolin boss, but enough to box him in.
Then, he continued building the dome.
While he was puttering about doing all this stuff, the Golden Pangolin boss finished eating honey and fell asleep.
The animal seriously fell asleep, with not even the smallest ounce of acknowledgement to Vikram's presence.
Vikram smiled at the creature.
' All muscle and no brain ' must be the motto of this pangolin's family.
He covered the dome.
There's one one small round, from which he dropped the kindling.
The kindling set the incense on light.
Vikram closed the hole with earth.
There are already ventilating holes that brought air to where the incense was.
The incense smoke has no way but to go to where the golden pangolin was, filling it's sleeping chamber.
Once the chamber is filled, the smoke will go up, but upwards is the rammed earth wall, from which not even the smell of stinky fart could break through.
Thus, the pangolin has no choice but to suffocate inside the chamber.
Some one may want to ask, is it this simple ?
The answer is, 'yes' , indeed it is that simple. That is why man was the last winner on earth.
No matter how superior a beast's skills, it would eventually submit to humans one way or another. It might take more men and resources, but the end is only one. The beast would be dead. The men would be victorious.
Vikram dared not rest after he put in the last piece of mud.
After all, this golden pangolin is still almost twenty feet long, and two feet wide. All of this is muscle, not fat. If it uses tail bash with all its strength, it could reduce the stones around to rubble. After that, it could get out of his little trap all too easily.
The solution to this is filling with mud.
He stuffed the stone hut with enough mud to not let the pangolin feel weight, but it could not move much save for wriggling around. This way, the pangolin could not build enough momentum for it's tail bash, nor could it build momentum for it's bite.
It needs to be dug out of the mud inch by inch. Even if the pangolin does it as fast as a drill machine, it would take more than fifteen minutes.
It would inhale the poisoned smoke as it digs itself out. The poison spreads faster as it works out. This way, a vicious circle is formed, tiring the pangolin to death.
Even if it doesn't get killed, it would be sufficiently weakened for Vikram to explore other opportunities.
Thus, he kept filling up the earth.
If one were watching him at this time, they would remember the single family home built by digging out earth in the desert.
He was running with all of his speed into the holes to dig out mud. He used all of his speed to pour the mud and pat it firmly.
There's not even a single ounce of technology man vibe on him.
He looked like an ancient farmer rushing around to build a river dam at the time of flood.
Vikram found a rhythm in his work.
Time passed unknowingly.
[ D day - 2 ] [ 28 H : 00 M : 00 S ] [ Home Town A ]
Dig .. pat … run back..
[ D day - 2 ] [ 27 H : 01 M : 22 S ] [ Home Town A ]
Dig .. pat . run back ..
[ D day - 2 ] [ 26 H : 11 M : 35 S ] [ Home Town A ]
Dig … Pat .. Thud ! … Thh.. th. Thud !
The Pangolin boss burst out of almost pyramid like structure Vikram built.
On the cue, one of the experimental boulders he placed on it as a boulder trap rolled down.
Thwap! CLUNK ! …Splotch!
The boulder fell right in the middle of the pangolin boss's head, the bone breaking sound was heard. Next moment, blood seeped out of the pangolin body, which is not even out half way through the tunnel.
White smoke surrounded the pangolin all around.
Vikram ran to the other side to avoid the poisonous smoke. He retrieved the gas mask, and wore it urgently.
It is only then he dared to venture into the poisonous gas along with his crowbar.
As he moved step after step, golden light flashed in front of him.
[ Golden skin gene ]
The golden bubble came out of the boss and got absorbed into himself.
Vikram stood still.
Last two times when he received the genes, he was either unconscious, or too strung up to perceive anything other than threats, but now, he sees it clearly.
When he kills the normal monster, he only gets a gene fragment, while he kills the boss, he gets the entire gene trait.
This time, he opened the status immediately.
' Status'
He called aloud.
[ Evolution specimen H-2234 ] [ dungeon orb : 2 ] [ Evolution gene modifications : 3]
[ All nighter : C ] [ Enduring muscles : C + ] [ Super recovery : Ex+ ]
[ nightvision : C ] [ agility : D ] [ Dexterity : D ]
[ explosive muscles : S ] [ Poison resistance : D ][ Golden skin : B ]
All the gene fragments disappeared.
Both Thick skin and camouflage skin disappeared. The enduring muscles raised in it's tier. All nighter changed upwards by a grade.
In the middle of the status board, a blue light showed up.
Vikram raised his head. The blue light is pointing towards one of the tunnels.
He started walking to the tunnel.
As he expected, the light led him to the red dungeon orb.
He took the dungeon orb into his hands.
The moment he did, the status board changed its color from blue to green.
[ Congratulations !!! ]
[ You have acquired three dungeon orbs. ]
[ You could combine these orbs to become an mutant. ]
[ Congratulations !!! ]
[ You are the first in the world to reach the status of mutant. ]
[ You will receive a corresponding reward when you merge your dungeon orbs. ]
[ Merge your dungeon orbs ? ] (yes) ( no )
The question hung in front of him.
Vikram chose yes.
He never heard of such a thing from Talin, so this must have belonged to someone else.
[ The orbs are assimilated into the genetic imprint. ]
[ They would follow you wherever you go. ]
[ As the first in the world reach the status of mutant, your access level is raised to Totem. ]
[ You could equip beast armor to totem according to your will. ]
[ Advice from the fates : there could always be a bigger fish somewhere else. ]
Vikram nodded his head seriously. Indeed. There could always be someone better than him somewhere else.
If the first place meant anything, then there won't be as many CEOs in the world with mediocre education. Moreover, Talin is still living in this world.
He opened status once more to check the current status.
[ Mutant : Vikram ] [ Evolution specimen H-2234 ]
[ Evolver + 3 ]
[ All nighter : C ]
[ Enduring muscles : C + ]
[ Super recovery : Ex+ ]
[ nightvision : C ]
[ agility : D ]
[ Dexterity : D ]
[ explosive muscles : S ]
[ Poison resistance : D ]
[ Golden skin : B ]
Fragments
[ Material +1274 ]
[ Inventory ]
Vikram was curious. The evolver, Material, and Inventory all could be expanded.
The evolver contained all his gene fragments and abilities. The material contained the leather, meat and bones from each of the animals he had killed. The Inventory could hold any number of items that belong to his world. It's the legendary ' Item box ' .
Looking at it, Vikram smiled from cheek to cheek. Finally … Finally… !!!! after the torturous six months, he did it !
He struck it Rich !!!!