** To all the readers, I am sorry for reposting the chapter 1.25.1 along with 1.25.2 I have removed the 1.25.1 part of the chapter, so not be confused anymore.
"I am sorry." These three words were all that escaped from Girisia's mouth over and over again.
The truck had come to a halt, the tentacles that Girisia released before were flailing around and Yoshikov stood there looking at Girisia, whose skin slowly started to crystalize.
The others in the Truck also acted at this moment, the three in their mecha jumped toward Girisia's tentacles and slashed toward them. But nothing happened, the crystalline layer had also grown on them.
"I am sorry…" Even after being incapacitated by Yoshikov, Girisia didn't stop his actions. His muscles started to bulge up, his height started to increase. The increase in muscle mass also caused tears in his skin, but no blood ever fell out, instead, the same crystalline layer started to grow on his body, increasing his defense.
Few of his tentacles also suddenly attacked the players who were enjoying the chaos that Girisia caused, including Tara, who was just trying to get up after Yoshikov kicked her away.
"Stop him, he has gone mad!" Yoshikov ordered his soldier, while the player suddenly try to jump away from the tentacles like headless chicks. But the closed environment didn't give them any space to move and one of their members, Ulsia, who had wanted to shove his rifle up Girisia's ass, suffered a similar fate.
Girisia's tentacle penetrated his brain as it did to the weakest members of the group that were killed by him previously.
"Stop right now or I will stop you myself." Yoshikov threatened, like the clothes on his body burned out, exposing his mechanical exterior. Girisia was right, Yoshikov was nothing more than a walking machine at the moment.
He gripped Girisia's wrist and crushed it, causing him to scream in pain.
But this pain was not enough to stop Girisia. Handless once again, Girisia used some new tentacles to push out the metallic spears that were stabbing him in the stomach.
Giving a thirsty look toward the players, who were still reeling in from the shock and death of their comrade, he shouted in a joyful voice. "I am sorry." A guttural hoarse cry of a beast shook the truck. Using the tentacles as his new limbs, Girisia punctured a hole on the side of the truck and got out.
The closed space limited his abilities.
"You three, keep an eye on those anomans. I will deal with him." There was not much to think about. Yoshikov came to an understanding, gaining so much strength always has a price to pay and the same was true for Girisia. He has gone mad and uncontrollable.
'Eliminating the weak ones first, not differentiating between enemy or friend and the repeated words… and I thought this job was going to be smooth sailing… I can't even kill him.' Yoshikov assessed the situation. From his experience, Girisia was showing signs of madness and if not for his specialty, Yoshikov would have opted to kill Girisia at the moment.
A thing he had done before, some were his enemies, some were his colleagues and one of them was his best friend. The madness of mutation is a curse for many.
'Yes… that's it, old man. I have gone mad.' Girisia hunched over to the ground, looked at Yoshikov, who left the truck approaching him slowly. His body also started to morph, his size increased as more augmentations digitized on his armor. Covering his exposed head in armor.
'This is bigger than I assume…' At the current moment, Yoshikov, 4 meters tall, towered over Girisia, who barely reached 2.5 meters in height.
'A level 15 vs some lvl 24 or 25… let's see how you fair old man.'
"I… Am… sorry!!" Girisia jumped, the stump of his hands grew out more tentacles covered in the crystalline layer, his target, not Yoshikov, instead of the young girl who drove the truck.
Unlike others, she was not in her armor and she also didn't possess the digitization ability. Meaning she was close combat personnel like Tarkov. And if she joined with Yoshikov, then he would be captured before Tarkov even arrived on the field.
"Not so fast." Drones flew out of Yoshikov's back, each of them blasting Girisa's back, penetrating his carbonized skin. If not for holding back, Yoshikov would have killed Girisia at this moment. But this is not what he wants.
"Sorry!"
'Don't hurry! Calm down Girisia! this is just a play before the actual fight' The pain from the injury didn't faze. He was fast and had high vitality. His danger discernment was also working at full force, letting him know which move will be safer and what is more dangerous. At the moment, he knew Yoshikov didn't plan to harm him.
Meaning, the death of the three from earlier didn't seem to affect Yoshikov's mentality.
So, Girisia jumped toward the girl once again. He didn't intend to kill the girl at the moment, he just acted as if he wanted to kill her. As long as Yoshikov thinks he can tire him out and capture him, Girisia will allow Yoshikov to do the same.
*Boom
Once again, Girisia was blown back. His whole body was smoking, his tentacles were broken and the girl was already in her mecha, approaching Girisia from his back.
"Remember, don't kill. He is more important than either of us."
The girl nodded toward Yoshikov in understanding. Her mecha was not a normal kid, it had six arms and four on the front side and two on the back.
Girisia got up again. This time, he didn't try to target the girl as it was already too late. So he turned his attention toward the players and Tara who had left the truck and were watching him get manhandled by Yoshikov alone.
He can even see the players enjoying his pain. 'Sigh… I don't have any true combat skills. And I can't match the versatility of Externalist. I currently lack a long-ranged attack and I can't even move from this place before Yoshikov pushes me back. This feels dirty.'
<...>
[Cost: 200 biomass]
Patches of tumor slowly grew on Girisia's body, some big, some small, and all of them covered with the carbon fiber armor.
'Huh?... What is this?'
And as if to explain what this was, his body was once again bombarded by Yoshikov's drones. But nothing happened this time. His body was unscathed and he can feel weird energy coursing through his skin toward a small tumor that grew in size as more energy is absorbed.
"This bastard… how did he turn even more ugly. What is with those meat lumps… they even move."
"He said it right in the post, Mutant path is fucked up."
'Don't tell me.' With his tentacled hand, Girisia ripped off the tumor which absorbed all the energy. And lopped it accurately at the girl who was barring his escape route.
*Boom
A huge explosion, a kind way more powerful than the ones Yoshikov has been bombarding Girisia with.
Girisia can see that even though the girl had escaped from the place before the tumor went off, The armor plates on her mecha were still damaged.
"What… why so random changes. This shouldn't be happening." Things didn't line up. Someone this new to the mutant path shouldn't have so many mutations of this nature. "No more holding back, cut all his limbs," Yoshikov ordered coldly.
"Swarm!" Girisia's action had forced Yoshikov's hand. He doesn't know what those tumors were, but he knew that they posed a threat and may even harm him.
Countless electric whips flew out of Yoshikov's back as he flew to Girisia. His drones started to blast Girisia with more powerful attacks, but none of them had any effect on his body.
Yoshiko's whips suddenly cracked on Girisia's body. Sending a jolt through his body, but that's it. His carbonized skin blocked his nerves from frying up under the high voltage much to Yoshokov's disappointment.
'Is my luck to god today?' Girisia with his heightened senses and agility backed away from Yoshikov. Four of his tumors were already bulging up with energy and he needed to get rid of them somehow.
And the only one who can help him at the moment was the girl who had been blocking his path. 'Too slow old man.'
It wasn't long before he reached the Girl. But before he can even touch her. A high-caliber bullet blasted through his stomach, throwing him to the side. This was not Yoshikov, instead of one of the sniper mecha operators from before.
'Fuck… this is cheating!' Girisai cursed, as tentacles grew out from his skin and closed the hole in it. In front of a grade two sniper, his defenses were nothing.
And if the sniper had the intention to kill, it would have been easy. He was just glad that nothing of this kind happened.
*Bam…crack
As Girisia was just recovering from his injury, The female mecha operator closer to him smashed his head with a giant hammer, cracking his skull and even the crystalized carapace on his head.
'Fuck… I messed up.' His senses were disoriented. But he knew panicking won't help him. He still had his high senses due to wits and high dex. Danger discernment was active too. All he needed to do was follow his instinct instead of his brain or emotions.
'Don't think… just do it.'
'Where the fuck is Tarkov anyway?' Girisai questioned. But he knew asking questions like this was stupid.
Picking up the tumors that were filled with explosive energy from his back Girisia got up and felt the approach of yoshikov.
'He plans to end it here and now.'
Girisia understood time was not on his side. He didn't think someone would use lethal means on him so early. But that's how life is, he can't always plan each detail and want them to go as he expects them to be.
So it was time to improvise.
Throwing two of the volatile tumors at Yoshikov. Girisia turned his entire focus on the girl. She was the closest.
'Don't think… just feel… just move… don't let emotions cloud your judgment.'
Girisia felt it, the sniper was going to shoot again.
*swiee
A silent sound and girisia jumped away at the right moment as the bullet lost its mark and penetrated a tree, rupturing the whole trunk at once.
And with the momentum he had gained, he focused all of his tentacles on the girl. The old man was already occupied by the bombs, so there was no one to stop him from focusing on his attack on the girl.
*swiee
Another silent bullet, another dodge, and another three became the collateral.
Girisia after closing in on the girl met her hammer with his tentacled fist, And as he thought, his fist was weak in front of the hammer, as it was brutalized by a single swing.
But that's just what he desired.
"I truly am sorry… I never really wanted to kill anyone here today." Girisai said in a barely audible tone that only the girl could hear.
And hearing these clean words, she knew. Girisai was lying all this while. He was not mad. And before she could say anything.
*Boom
A big explosion, the likes of which was not seen before.
There was nothing left of the girl, besides the two legs that flew out of the explosion.
'I truly am sorry.'