Nemesis growls, his muscles swelling further, his scaly skin hardening to a dark, almost metallic sheen. Bony spikes erupt along his arms and back, extending like natural weapons poised to pierce. His rapid, aggressive mutation transforms him into a true war machine, and I realize that this fight has just escalated.
He charges at me again, his weight and power amplified to the point that each of his punches feels like a battering ram, forcing me back several steps. His fists hammer down on me with monstrous force; each impact echoes through my body, and my regeneration begins to struggle to keep pace with his relentless onslaught. A brutal punch to my chest sends me crashing into a parked car, which disintegrates under the blow, debris flying in every direction.
Gritting my teeth, I try to counter by sending out vines to ensnare him, my claws aimed at his shoulders and torso, but he rips them away in a single motion, shredding my vines like mere blades of grass. I backpedal, attempting to reposition, but he gives me no chance to rest: he charges, his claws tearing through the air in a violent frenzy.
I defend as best as I can, blocking where possible, but his pace is brutal. His arm crashes down on my shoulder, and I hear a dull crack, pain flaring as I force myself to stand firm. With a powerful leap, he's on me again, eyes blazing with pure rage. He slams me against a wall, leaving an imprint of my form in the fractured concrete.
I struggle to push him back with a final effort, my vines coiling around his neck and legs in a squeezing motion. He growls, resisting, tearing at my vines one by one, his gaze growing increasingly furious. His mutations accelerate, his arms now as thick as tree trunks, his movements swift and precise, more so than at the beginning of the fight.
With overwhelming force, he hurls me to the ground, his claws tearing at my skin. "Damn it! He's mutating faster than expected. I need to find a way to slow him down, or even the nitrogen stockpile won't be enough," I think, jumping back to dodge another swipe.
I focus on Nemesis, observing as his skin seals over the gaping wound in his chest, encasing his monstrous heart inside. A twisted idea sparks in my mind, and a predatory grin crosses my face.
I launch myself toward him at full speed, dodging a massive swipe that slices through the air just above me. His razor-sharp claws whistle dangerously close, but I slide under his arm and quickly summon a bulb of Plant 42, modified by Marcus to be even more invasive and devastating.
With precise timing, I plunge the bulb deep into his chest, tearing open his flesh again to plant it right next to his beating heart. The roots spring to life instantly, embedding into his flesh and spreading through his system.
"Here you go, walking fertilizer. Didn't you always dream of an indoor garden?" I sneer as I leap back, looking satisfied.
The colossus growls in pain and fury, and with a powerful swipe, he sends me flying across the street. I slam into a facade, the impact throwing me back, and I slide another twenty feet before stopping. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth reminds me I've taken a serious hit.
Shaking my head, I look up to see him still standing, glaring at me defiantly. He roars and charges again, heavy and powerful, each step shattering the concrete beneath him.
"Come on, show me you still have some fight left in you!" I shout, clenching my fists and preparing myself.
But twenty feet from me, he suddenly slows. His movements become erratic, his body stumbling under the weight of an odd growth that begins to spread beneath his skin. Roots erupt suddenly from every pore, punching through the concrete and entangling him, binding him in all directions. He growls, enraged, trying to break free, but Plant 42 grows rapidly, its network of roots spreading like a thirsty parasite.
"What's wrong? Grass growing too fast for your taste?"
He continues to struggle, but his body is now completely overtaken by the roots, imprisoned by the voracious vegetation that uses his blood and muscles to grow. His roar morphs into a choked gargle as the roots block his throat, weaving through every opening.
"Well, looks like all you needed was a touch of green!"
I move to capture this specimen, but no message appears. I try again, this time touching a part of the plant.
The Plant 42 specimen has reached maturity; recovery of organisms used for its capture is impossible. Specify the hunting limits you wish it to observe.
I contemplate the vegetative carcass of Nemesis, his flesh absorbed and dismembered within the massive network of roots that now form a kind of colossal oak tree in the middle of the street.
"Stay in this area, feed from the soil, but don't hunt anything unless I give you permission," I say firmly, instructing Plant 42 to rein in its appetite.
Gradually returning to human form, I realize I'm completely naked again. I quickly slip into a nearby alley to pull clothes from my inventory. Once dressed, I place Oscar back in the factory so he can finish regenerating.
A few moments later, a modified fire truck arrives with a roar. Inside, I spot Marcus, Wesker Junior, and the Jordans, with a massive tank of nitrogen in the back.
One of the Jordans lowers the window, grinning at me. "So, boss, where's the beast? Not that we mind clean-up duty, but are you sure we'll even need the nitrogen?"
I point at Plant 42, now transformed into a giant oak. "Over there… and by the way, you guys have the timing of horror movie cops, showing up right at the end!"
Marcus steps out of the truck, approaching the oak with fascination. "Good lord… this Plant 42 actually absorbed the entire Nemesis? What a phenomenal creation." His gaze is almost deranged with admiration, fixated on the massive trunk.
Wesker Junior, who remains in the truck, looks at me sarcastically. "You've turned the whole street into a battlefield. Not exactly low-profile, huh? Maybe next time you could avoid smashing every wall you come across?"
I shrug. "Hey, that's after-sales service, Junior. They send me a mutant, I send them back as fertilizer."
The second Jordan, looking at the damaged buildings and crushed vehicles, shakes his head. "Honestly, boss, between the overturned bus, the wrecked cars, and the craters in the street, you've done demolition duty as well as monster hunting. We should start calling you Bulldozer King."
"Alright, enough, guys. The city's already in ruins, so a little extra damage won't even be noticeable," I laugh, then have an idea. "All of you head back to the factory. I'll summon Pascal's clones to handle the truck, just in case. You're all unique, except you, Jordan, so I'd rather keep you out of harm's way."
The three Jordans glare at me, clearly not thrilled with the idea, but I give them a reassuring smile. I barely have time to check that the civilians and STARS are starting their evacuation from the factory when I feel a sharp sting at my neck.
A dart hits my neck, penetrating just two centimeters but enough to inject its contents. In a flash, I spot a man watching me from afar with a smug grin. He shoots himself in the head before I can react. More syringes start coming from various directions. I sprint to take cover inside a building, summoning more wasps to clear the area around me. An unusual fatigue starts to creep in, and I watch my skin turn pale. "Marcus, Wesker…" I call, hoping they can examine the syringes and understand the effects of the injection on me, but no one appears.
I see a message appear, and reading it clarifies a lot:
"Just a reminder that you're part of the army model, but you've been using your body a bit too much for my liking. So, for the rest of your tutorial, you're going to function as a human. I'm giving you the last bonus the previous administrator blocked for balance purposes.
*Congratulations on reaching 100 m/s: regeneration improvement 100 achieved.
There you go. You'll have resistance benefits, but no more superhuman strength or speed. Now, learn to play with your summons—what we need with this model is a strategist, not a brute."
I read these words, and despite myself, I smile with resignation. It was almost inevitable. Getting through all the challenges with "brute force" mode would've been too easy, and in some way, I expected it. My body feels heavier, my strength drains away, and I collapse, slipping slowly into unconsciousness as my system adjusts to this new condition.
(NB: For those who don't get the reference, think of Wesker injecting a serum into Alice to strip her of her powers. I'm going to focus more on the army-style aspect for the tutorial at least, so sorry to those wanting increasingly monstrous battles. Feel free to leave a review or rating; it helps increase my visibility.
For anyone interested, I have a One Piece fanfic with a Kingdom Hearts system in English.)