[Cornrage Striker: Elite]
HP: 21,500
Attack: 71
Defense: 66
Speed: 43
Barrier: 21,500
Skills: (Corn Shot), (Rooted Ambush), (Shuck Shield)
"What? Elite tier?" Adam muttered, raising an eyebrow. No wonder Amel said this corn monster was a pain. With her current stats, it would definitely be tough.
He quickly raised his Viper Sniper, shifting his aim toward a pack of rabbits not far away.
[Red-Eyed Rabbid]
HP: 5,000
Attack: 15
Defense: 6
Speed: 16
Skills: (Berserk Leap), (Bloodthirst), (Pack Instinct)
"They're low-tier, but still deadly for a new evolver," he thought, calm but alert.
"Amel, the rabbits are yours. I'll handle the corn," he said, glancing at the floating girl.
"Roger, boss! Leave it to me!" Amel replied cheerfully.
With a flick of her hand, she hurled an energy orb into the rabbit horde.
Boom!
Dust burst into the air as the blast shook the ground. The rabbits froze momentarily. Then, their glowing red eyes locked onto Amel. Fangs bared, they charged her in a wild formation.
With the threat diverted, Adam repositioned himself and refocused on the camouflaged corn mutant hiding in the bushes.
"You think you can trick me with something that simple?" he muttered, pulling the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet from the Viper Sniper flew straight at the corn monster's head. But—
Crack!
The round hit something—an invisible barrier. It cracked on impact, then broke, releasing a faint green gas that dispersed in the air.
The corn monster growled, its head whipping toward Adam, clearly reacting to the toxic gas.
"Damn... It noticed me."
Adam dove to the side and dashed away. "Izul! Move, now!" he shouted without looking back.
The young porter scrambled out from hiding, legs trembling as he ducked behind debris.
Corn roots burst from the ground, snaking after Adam. The monster turned its head—
Bang! Bang!
Kernels launched like bullets, exploding on contact with the rubble. Adam rolled and leapt between shots, narrowly dodging each one.
Fortunately, the monster had a firing delay between shots.
Catching his breath, Adam slung the Viper Sniper over his shoulder. Close combat was unavoidable.
As the corn monster approached, its leaves twitched like sharpened blades.
"Alright... let's see who's faster," Adam whispered, eyes narrowing. He activated Skyfall Fist.
A red target locked onto the monster. In an instant, Adam's body shot forward like a magnet pulled him.
But—
His eyes caught a sharp movement. One of the corn leaves lashed toward him like a knife aimed at his gut.
"Cancel!" he screamed in his mind.
His body dropped to the ground mid-skill, twisting to stabilize. His heart pounded.
"Damn... that was close," he muttered. "I need to be more careful."
Skyfall Fist was powerful, but risky. If the target wasn't in a vulnerable state, it could backfire hard.
Without hesitation, he drew his long machete from his waist and faced the monster. "Come on. Get closer."
Adam lunged low, aiming at the monster's stalk. His blade slashed—
But—
Swish!
A leaf struck from the right, swinging at his back.
"Shit!"
He kicked off the ground, leaping backward, barely dodging the slash.
Catching his breath, he kept his eyes on the monster.
The plant stood tall and firm, like a gatekeeper. Its razor-sharp leaves swayed gently, like swords waiting to cut.
"Damn... too dangerous to approach," he thought.
He swallowed hard. His close combat still had a long way to go. Without protection or speed buffs, charging in was suicide.
His eyes drifted to a few rocks near his feet. He took a deep breath, then murmured, "Yeah… maybe I'm just not built for melee today."
He quickly infused each stone with microbes. His hands moved with precision. Once done, he tossed one straight at the corn monster—bullseye.
The corn mutant trembled. A strange groan escaped its body.
"Urgh..."
It was angry. Furious.
It started launching corn kernels at Adam—rapid-fire, like tiny bullets shot mercilessly. Its roots slithered forward, creeping closer inch by inch.
Adam didn't just stand there. He kept stepping back, eyes sharp, analyzing the now-spotted surface of the corn's body—dots of red and yellow beginning to appear.
(Necrolysis) — the red microbes, designed to dissolve enemy cells.
(Neurohive Control) — the yellow ones, specialized in targeting the control center of living beings: the brain.
Closing his eyes for a second, Adam focused inward. He could sense the corn's cellular layers—layer upon layer, like a map.
With precise mental commands, he sent the red microbes to spread through the entire body. Then, he pushed the yellow ones upward—toward the core, where the control system resided.
All the while, he kept throwing infused stones, one after another, ensuring a continuous flow of microbes. They only lasted 10 seconds outside his body—he couldn't let a single gap break the chain.
Time seemed to slow. Two minutes crawled by.
The corn's movements grew sluggish. Its leaves no longer slashed wildly.
Adam kept staring, fully focused. He could feel it. The internal system was collapsing.
A grin spread on his face. "Hah… got you."
The yellow microbes had seized control of its brain.
Ting.
A strange sensation flickered in his mind—like a tiny chime ringing from inside his skull. Suddenly, the world felt… different.
He could see through the corn mutant's eyes.
"No way…"
He smiled, wide-eyed. A slight thought—
The plant responded. It moved.
Its leaves lifted gently.
Adam's eyes widened. "I can move it…"
A vision of the future exploded in his mind—dozens of mutants under his control… maybe hundreds.
"If I can control one… why not more?"
Dar... Dar...
The corn launched two more kernels, the explosions now sounding like drums of victory in his ears.
"With this... future explorations are gonna be a breeze," he muttered, eyes narrowing with ambition.
"BOSS!"
A voice rang out.
Amel shot down from the sky, face tense, her eyes locked on the corn mutant standing near Adam.
"Get back! I'm taking the shot!" she shouted, hand glowing as she formed a ball of energy.
Adam's head jerked up. "Wait! Stop, Amel! I tamed it!" he yelled, hands raised in panic.
Amel paused midair, confused. "Tamed…? Since when can you tame monsters, Boss?" she asked, floating down with childlike curiosity all over her face.
Adam just sighed and grinned. "Long story. We'll talk later. For now—what about the rabbits? All done?"
Amel nodded, walking beside him. "Yep. Izul took care of the corpses. Total count: twelve."
They made their way back to the original spot.
Adam spotted the rabbit carcasses stacked neatly. From behind the rubble, Izul appeared, dragging two massive mutant rabbits at once.
Adam squinted slightly. "He's stronger than he looks," he murmured. Izul's clothes were soaked in sweat, his face dirty, but he kept dragging the corpses with focus.
"He's really into it," Amel said with a small smile.
"Izul, take a break after this. We'll head deeper soon," Adam called out.
The boy nodded, breathing heavily, but kept going.
The mutant rabbits were nearly a meter long—like overfed goats, heavy and hard to carry.
Adam sat on a piece of rubble and wiped sweat from his forehead. They rested about ten minutes before getting ready to move again—heading deeper toward Exploration #32.