COVELENT: XenoTrait

Reina studied the sensors and the once stagnant marker started moving. It started moving rapidly at a very fast pace.

Her eyes widened slightly. "He’s here."

Several heads turned.

Markus smiled. "Felix..."

The room immediately grew interested, and Reina enlarged the display. The signal was approaching the camp.

Markus leaned back. "Looks like he finally decided to come."

A man standing nearby grinned, holding a long, diamond-colored katana at his side. Diamond-like veins ran from the sword’s handle into his forearm, as if the weapon were growing from his body.

His name was Varek, one of Markus’ most dangerous fighters.

Markus looked toward him. "Go intercept him... I need some time to prepare."

Varek smiled. "With pleasure." He walked out of the room, and several other soldiers followed him.

The Russian wilderness stretched endlessly. Felix looked around and heard footsteps approaching. He stopped moving, then noticed movement coming from a bush.

"Multiple hostiles. Six, seven, eight," Felix counted as more poured in, emerging from the trees, each one carrying strange mutations.

One had elongated arms made from crystal, another possessed crystalline skin, and a third moved on all fours like an animal.

Felix sighed. "Move."

They all continued charging forward.

"Nobody wants to listen, huh... Big mistake."

The sound cracked through the air.

Dark scales erupted across Felix’s body as his pupils narrowed and changed into a gold-like color. His claws extended outward as his posture shifted.

The soldiers hesitated. They stopped for a second.

Felix scoffed. "So now you stop... too late."

They all attacked, spreading out to surround him.

Felix did not move. He only smiled. "So you guys surrounded me, huh... Come and attack me. Let’s see who comes out on top."

One of the mutated people barked, "Attack him!"

They all started charging from all sides.

The same mutated person spoke again. "There is only one of him. He is too cocky."

Felix whispered, "Cocky, huh?"

He locked eyes with the one who had been speaking.

Felix disappeared from view.

The mutated horde stopped their charge and began arguing among themselves.

"Where did he go?"

"He just disappeared!"

"He must’ve run because he saw he was outnumbered!"

The leader of their charge thought, "With the way he looked at me earlier... did he just run?"

Another person shouted, "Above... look above you!"

The leader looked up, only to see Felix above him. Before he could react, he was struck with a punch straight to the face.

Blood gushed out.

One of the mutants barked, "Boss!"

All of them looked at Felix with hostility.

Felix smiled. "Now come!"

They all started running toward Felix.

Felix adjusted his stance and thought, "Good thing I’m in the middle of them now."

He jumped into the air and snapped his head forward. His hair burst outward as thousands of needle-like quills launched into the air.

The barrage struck every target. Necks, arms, faces, legs.

One after another, all the soldiers fell to the ground and collapsed.

Felix finally landed and thought, "They should all be paralyzed by now, unable to move or scream."

Felix exhaled. "Done."

Then a voice was heard.

"Nice."

Felix immediately looked toward the source of the voice.

One person remained standing. Not a single quill had touched him.

Felix clicked his tongue. "...Damn."

Felix thought, "Can’t believe none of them hit him. If only they didn’t take so long to regrow."

He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. "Haaa... welcome back, short hair."

Varek smiled. "I expected something like that."

Varek moved his hand out of his cloak, and a diamond blade shimmered. The katana slid free.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Varek said.

Felix answered, "No, it’s kind of grotesque." He pointed at the katana. "The way those veins are coming out of that sword and into you."

Felix covered his mouth. "I think I’m going to throw up."

Varek’s jaw tightened. "What? You said it’s grotesque?"

Felix snapped back, "Yes, it is."

Varek clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Dammit."

Felix’s face turned serious as the two vanished.

Their clash shook the raindrops beneath them.

Claw met sword again and again.

Varek laughed. "You really are everything Markus said."

Felix tried to slash him, but Varek blocked him.

The battle intensified as every part of the area around them began to fall apart. Trees collapsed, and the ground cracked as each clash echoed through the forest.

"He seems too guarded, but his guard breaks every time his eyes wander," Felix thought.

Then, suddenly, a slice appeared across Felix’s forearm.

Felix froze. "Was he leading me on?"

The wound glittered. Diamond began spreading beneath his skin.

"Slowly but surely, that wound will consume him whole," Varek thought.

Varek grinned. "My mutation."

The diamond spread further, now visible on the surface.

"Anything my blade cuts becomes mine."

The growth accelerated.

Felix’s hand began hardening. "I’m losing flexibility," Felix thought.

Varek laughed. "Soon you’ll be a statue."

Felix thought, "Shit... my arm is going to be the end of me. I have to remove it or I die."

Felix raised his arm, slowly removed the scales on his other arm, and cut it.

His claws flashed as blood sprayed across the ground, mixing with the rainwater.

His arm hit the ground, severed cleanly above the infection.

Felix screamed.

Silence followed. The only sounds were Felix’s heavy breathing and the drops of blood hitting the ground.

Varek looked surprised.

Felix stepped back, one-armed and bleeding heavily.

"The diamond stopped spreading," Felix thought.

The severed arm, which had been about to fully crystallize, began reverting. The crystals faded away.

Felix’s eyes widened. "Did I just cut off my arm for nothing?"

Varek stared at the arm and started laughing. "You’re insane."

Felix shouted, "Answer me. Did I cut off my arm for nothing?"

Varek’s face turned serious. "No, you did not. My power only affects things that are alive and are distributing carbon."

Felix smiled. "Good... at least it wasn’t for nothing."

Varek smirked. "You really are insane."

Felix flexed his remaining hand. "No." He moved the stump where his arm had been. "I just gathered information."

Varek laughed. "That information cost you an arm."

Felix smirked. "At least it’s something I can replace."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to replace it with, a stick?" Varek said.

Felix grinned. "You really don’t pay attention, huh? Look."

Dark flesh began forming at the stump. A small mass appeared, shaping into bone. Veins spread across it, followed by muscle and skin.

Varek’s smile vanished as his eyes widened.

"Who the hell is this guy?" he thought.

Felix disappeared from his view and cut off his arm.

Varek froze. "Huh... what is this?"

He looked at his hand, now covered in blood. His eyes widened as he screamed.

Felix stood in front of him. "It took you six whole seconds to realize what was happening."

Felix looked down at Varek and said, "Let me set you free from this pain."

Felix crouched down, and his claws pierced Varek’s chest.

Varek’s eyes widened as he grabbed Felix’s back. Felix twisted his hand, and Varek coughed up blood.

Felix stood up and pushed Varek’s body forward.

Felix looked at his now healed hand and whispered, "Good."

He then walked forward, passing all the paralyzed bodies.

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