I launched myself off the ground, avoiding an incoming zombie who hurled itself at me making sure to stab at it with my electric staff as it hit the floor. I landed on both feet and balanced myself into a fighting stance as the other zombies came at me all at once. I swirled my staff over my head and hurled it at the little horde and heard crunching sounds as it made impact with rotting flesh and bones. The electric currents of the staff created a bit of blue flashing lights as the staff kept swirling forward. I mentally used my aura to control the staff to keep on circling around, hitting whatever zombie it could. This gave me a few seconds to try and think of how to consume just enough zombies but still get out alive. I heard movement in the shadows not far from me - a couple of zombies tried to flank me from behind. One of them came rushing at me blindly gnashing its teeth. I firmly put my palm forward in front of me and holding its neck with that hand, ripped it apart from its midsection with my other hand. As I ripped the zombie apart, two tentacles came out of my frame and began to consume the remnants of the zombie. I felt the stats change a tiny bit but I didn't have the chance to look because the other one had already lunged at me, slashing the air with it jagged claws. I nimbly stepped to the side as it missed it's target. Before it could get itself off the ground, I stomped on its back with all my strength, resulting in my feet going through it's torso. A few smaller tentacles came out of my leg and started to consume the zombie.
Using my aura, I mentally called back my electric staff. It was still giving off blue electric crackling lights as it came towards me. I stretched out my hand and caught it. The zombies that survived the electric staff had started to regain their balance and I could sense more zombies from a little afar coming to join the fray. In that moment, I realized I couldn't sense zombies from that distance before. I also realized my aura was a little stronger than before killing the first zombie.
"Fury...", I said calmly as I heard the growls, grunts and shrieks that were begining to inch closer.
"YES, ACE?", Fury responded.
"Can you sense them?", I asked.
"YES", Fury answered. "YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO CONSUME AS MANY AS WE'D LIKE, NOT WHILE FIGHTING THAT HORDE".
"I have an idea but I'm not sure it'll work, Fury", I said as I looked at the green aura emanating from my frame.
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?", Fury asked.
"This aura. Can I manipulate it and channel it outward into something devastating like...", I started.
"...LIKE AN ENERGY BOMB?", Fury asked.
"Yes", I answered.
"I LIKE HOW YOU THINK! LET'S DO IT", Fury sounded excited. "YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT THEM OFF FOR A BIT WHILE I CHARGE UP YOUR AURA AND READY IT FOR YOU TO CHANNEL IT OUTWARD".
"Sounds good", i said as I swirled my staff above my head and went into a fighting stance again. The horde had finally gotten close enough to lunge at me. I yelled and charged at them, swatting the first one so hard it's head flew right off. The tentacles on my back dug into it while I started to jab, punch, kick, and throw the others that kept coming. I felt almost untouchable as I hit them with precision and power, while my tentacles dug into whatever it could. They had surrounded me now and the circle was getting smaller by the second. I pushed myself to fight faster and harder, rotten flesh and blood splattering all around me.
Ready yet?, I thought loudly. I was finally starting to get slightly winded and the zombies were now on me. I felt my stats going a little higher but I didn't dare to take a look, or remove my focus from what was currently around me and almost on top of me.
"ALMOST!", Fury said.
Just then, I started to notice a hum. While I kept fighting, the hum started to get louder. It was my aura getting charged up and ready for me to channel outwardly. I began to swirl my staff over my head again, this time mentally pushing it to its maximum electrical charge limit. I had finally started to sustain some injuries but none were life-threatening. Funny how, a year ago, in this same situation I'd have been dead thirty seconds into this fight.
"READY, ACE!", Fury yelled at me inwardly.
Immediately I began to channel the charged up aura, mentally turning it into what I wanted it to be - an energy bomb. For a fraction of a second I stopped swirling my stick and finally allowed the horde of zombies to cover me totally.
I shut my eyes and yelled as I channeled my aura into a devastating blast. To the outside eye, it would have looked like a green bomb had just gone off in that area. It sounded like a sonic boom and it gave off a blinding green light as the blast wave radius finally reached it's limit and dissipated.
I opened my eyes to find I was on my knees. I shook off the feeling of tiredness as I forced myself to my feet.
I looked around at the damage I had caused and realised I was standing in a crater. Surrounded by crisp, burnt and dismembered dead zombies, I was first dumbfounded for a few moments, then I found myself laughing in spite of myself.
I'd done what nobody else had been able to, alone - I'd killed a horde of zombies!
I laughed until it turned into a wicked cackle.
"HEY, DON'T BE CREEPY", Fury said, snapping me out of my reverie.
I stopped laughing after a few seconds and picked up my staff. I tried it's charge but there was no response.
Looks like I'd have to replace it's power core when I'm back home, I thought to myself.
I couldn't consume the zombies that were killed by the explosion but I very well couldn't consume and be consumed at the same time. Heh.
With my presently increased agility, I jumped out of the crater with ease. My clothes were battle-worn and I was winded but I could feel energy still brimming inside me. My body didn't have an aura at the moment so I guessed with how I had just expended my energy, I would have to wait a while before I could access that aura again. Right?, I thought to Fury.
"RIGHT. BUT LET'S CHECK OUT YOUR STATS", Fury replied.
I subconsciously activated the transparent green screen and checked out the stats in front of me.
STRENGTH 20/100
SPEED 15/100
DURABILITY 18/100
STAMINA 22/100
BYTE-SIZED GENE POWER 11/100
What? I had, on my own, wiped out a horde with just these stats? Granted, it took a huge boost from Fury and the explosion from the aura, nonetheless... I'd become stronger than I ever imagine I'd be. And I hadn't even reached halfway through my potential.
"STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO", Fury quipped.
"That, I do" I replied as I walked down the dark debris road. The last of my scars and gashes had healed and I stretched my body for good measure. "I'm stronger, faster, more agile. I don't know how long I can hide these changes from the other streamers", I said under my breath.
"WHY HIDE?", Fury asked.
"People fear what they don't understand. I don't want to be hunted or worse, experimented on like some lab rat. As far as we know, I'm the only one who has these abilities. That makes me an easy target if anyone finds out what I can do or what I'm truly capable of", I replied.
"HMM", Fury grunted.
"Yeah, well, it's time to go back home. It's almost midnight. There'll be stronger prey soon and I'm not in the shape to fight those tonight", I said as I put my staff across my shoulder and crossed both arms over it.
"WAIT", Fury suddenly said.
"What?" I asked as I stopped in my tracks.
"DON'T MOVE. DO YOU HEAR THAT?", Fury asked.
I'd never known Fury to sound this wary or cautious so I immediately honed my focus into my auditory and optical senses. I started to hear rustling and footsteps from what sounded like it came from something more than normal sized.
"I hear it. But I can't see it. What is it, Fury?", i asked cautiously.
"BYTE-SIZED FOOD", Fury said with a growl as a huge imposing dark figure made it's way out of the darkness towards me. I had just fought a horde of low tier zombies but what was inching towards me was a mid tier zombie. It wasn't midnight yet, but one was out and about and it looked like I was in it's crosshairs.
"Well, goddamit", i cursed under my breath. I had just started to get my strength back and here was a bigger problem. This mid tier zombie was as much a problem as a small horde of zombies. Right now, it was in the way of me getting back home. I exhaled. It stopped in its tracks and growled at me, frothing at the mouth and saliva dripping. Eww.
"Fury?", I called.
"YEAH", Fury responded and I heard a sound that resembled smacking lips. I guess Fury wanted to consume this mid tier zombie.
"We've expended our aura boost, I'm still recovering from the fatigue and my staff doesn't have electricity right now. Think we can take him?", I raised my eyebrow as I asked.
In response, a few fleshy tentacles came out of my back. Heh.
The zombie must have seen this as a threat because it roared at me then started charging towards me.
I guessed if I could consume the zombie, I'd get some good stats and I'd be able to quickly, if not immediately, regain my aura energy. For now, I'd have to depend on my strength, speed and agility to bring this brute down. It'd be a good chance to even see just how much stronger I'd gotten.
"Alright then", I gripped my staff as I lifted it off my shoulder, detaching it into two pieces. I shifted my weight from side to side and took a deep breath, letting my strength flow through me. I took a glance at the tentacles that stretched from my back forward. Looks like Fury was ready too.
Raising some debris in my wake, I charged at my new opponent.