Chapter 5

For it being night it was quite bright. It was also eerie as everything was cast in a green shadow. I held out my hands and spoke *summon chicken*. Yet again the same chicken appeared and it looked over at me before cocking its head and letting out an angry "cluck" at me, before running at me and spurring me in the foot. I was wearing jeans and a red and black jacket before the… unfortunate accident that happened, but I wasn't wearing any shoes.

Backing up I scolded the little cock before turning and walking away. Sensing that my bally high was completely gone I got another message; *Congratulations you have killed a tier 6 bee! You have gained a Boon! Congratulation, Bee'lzebub has activated and you gain one [bee] related ability.

*Astral Stinger Gauntlet tier 1; Cast a phantom stinger that surrounds your hand. This counts as a gauntlet weapon and can be combined with poisons.*

*Boon: Bee right back. Allows you to unlock the map of Insectus, the insect plain. Can be viewed from your P.S.S. (personal status screen). Just think "map" to access*

Thinking map a screen popped up in the top right of my vision that, even though it wasn't in the focussed area of my eye, I could still see clearly. Of course, though it only showed where I have been, so all that I could see was this field. Holding out my right hand I decided to wait to experiment with the map later and thought *stinger*. A blue see-through stinger appeared around my hand, and when I touched it with my other hand I realized that it was solid even though it seemed like only a projection. Focussing on my black blood ability I thought of the poison that burned my hands and a clear substance started to trickle and fill the tip of the stinger. Walking over to a tree I thrust out my hand and the tip of the stinger impacted it, causing it to lodge into the tree before disappearing. Ripping my hand back I was concerned that the venom I had used was going to get all over me again when I realized the stinger had injected it all into the tree, and smoke filtered out of the hole it left in the tree. I also realized that my hand had recovered and when I checked my screen, I found that there were two new development. One was that I was no longer classified as a rank 1 minion hybrid, but a rank 3 Minor Hybrid. The other development was that I unlocked a new stat, Reg. or Regeneration. I dont know if it was a side effect of my black blood, or because I was a hybrid being, but My regen had jumped from the baseline of 1 to 7.

I heard a rustle that broke me out of my contemplation. There was something to the left of me in the bushes and as I looked at my chicken, I realized that it was terrified. It had laid down on its chest and put its forehead down on the ground in front of it. Getting up I faced the edge of the forest and got ready for a fight. A giant praying mantis came out and into the small meadow. It was black but tinted green due to the color of the moon. I heard an angry buzz come from behind me as a swarm of bees passed me and attacked the praying mantis. I wasn't planning on sticking around to see the outcome and turned tail to run, but not before I shot off a scan to see what the praying mantis was.

*Ninja Mantis, Tier 12*

As I was running away I realized that My little chicken wasn't coming, it was instead creeping closer to the ninja mantis. Swearing I ran after my chicken as It let a loud and reverberating crow out. 5 spectral hens formed behind it as the rooster charged into the fray, the glowing blue hens quick on his heels. I stopped in shock before scanning my rooster to see his stats as well.

*Pheonix, Tier 5. Abilities: Ghostly Call* I remembered that he had gained an ability from killing that first bee and looked on as he and his spectral flock slowly pecked the mantis to death. Getting excited I forgot my fear and charged in, calling upon my Stinger and bee venom. Sneaking under it stabbed upwards. The mantis lurched as venom was injected directly into its blood, dissolving it from the inside. It started to flail, which seemed to set my rooster into a flocking fury. He jumped up on the mantis head and began to attack its eyes with his spurs. I started to back up as a long black-bladed arm came sailing towards me.

I didn't have enough time to dodge it so instead I held up my arms over my chest in an x to try and stop the attack from hitting any vital points. I was sent flying in an arch of blood as the mantis blades shredded my arms to pieces and sent me flying. I thudded into a tree trunk and came to a rest at the base of the tree, just barely able to bite off a scream as I saw green blood start pouring from holes that started appearing all across the mantis. The venom was working as hoped. In no time the mantis collapsed, and a message screen appeared. *Congratulations, you and your summon [chicken] have successfully killed a Ninja Mantis. You have gained a boon. Your chicken has gained an ability. Congratulations! You have gained an ability from Bee'lzebub activating.*

*Boon: Bugged Eyed Weirdo. You may customize your eyes now, and your vision has been enhanced, allowing you to zoom in on things with your eyesight alone. Unfortunately, all other people will look at you differently depending on what you make your eyes look like.*

*Ability: Phantom Scyth, tier 1; When hitting, punching, or kicking things, you have a chance to conjure a Phantom blade that does piercing or slashing damage, and has a chance of critical damage*

A screen popped up allowing me to effectively change my eyes once. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see what it was randomized to as I passed out from loss of blood.