Chapter 119: Infestation
Percy was a little bummed out by his latest venture. This was his first clone outside Remior in months, though luck hadn’t been on his side. He’d spent the entire trip looking for a suitable host, but all he’d found were crumbling souls that wouldn’t last a minute once he took over. In the end, he went with the least damaged option, though their grade left much to be desired. It was somewhere between a Red and an insect – which was a first for him.
‘Better than nothing, I guess…’
At least, the actual possession went smoothly. For some reason, his host appeared completely absent this time. It was nothing like the lizard or the furball, which had remained passive yet still present in the background. No. This body’s owner was gonzo. Encountering zero resistance, Percy slid between the gaps, patching the broken soul with unprecedented ease. A few memories flashed through his mind in the process, though they were too disorganized to piece together.
‘What the hell?! Did this guy get hit in the head or something?’
Tapping into the body’s senses, Percy finally pried his eyes open, only to be greeted by endless darkness. After a moment, some vague shapes started coming to focus, but he didn’t have the chance to worry about them, as he discovered he couldn’t even breathe. Something was squeezing his neck tightly.
Trying to move his hands, he soon realized his left was bound too, leaving him only his right to pummel the object with. Whatever it was felt slimy, its surface smooth and damp. It slowly slithered around his throat, a small spike tracing a shallow cut along his skin as it did so.
‘The fuck?! Some kind of thorny snake?!’
Not getting anywhere barehanded, Percy summoned a sliver of his stored mana, forming a weapon in his hand. Soon, a teal flash sliced a line through the darkness, severing the tendril off him.
Percy filled his lungs with air a couple of times as he practically felt the colour return to his face. But he was still trapped. Hacking again with his sickle, he cut another three “snakes” a second later, freeing the rest of his limbs. Jumping to his feet, he activated Mana Sense, hoping to scan his surroundings better. Or he tried to, at least. For some reason, his current body couldn’t even use Mana Sense!