In the Cave
After he was in the forest he gulped for fresh air. Then he got a prompt.
<WARNING: Toxin levels are dangerously high>
<Body potential weakened>
Jacob's body felt weaker, but not by much. It was almost like he was tired. He looked at his prompt in shock and quickly made a beeline for the forest. "Damn, Toxins make me weaker? That makes sense but why don't I have an entry that makes me monitor it. It is more helpful than damage. That's no use."
He looked back at the black plumes of smoke in the sky "The smoke is getting too out of control, I need to do something about it". Jacob decided on what to do then moved the smoking dry shrubs in front of the entrance. "That should do it"
After he did this he went around and killed the confused ants that were locked out from the caves. Finally, he had time to himself. He looked around at all the dead ants "I don't have time for weak gene cores, I need something worth my while". He looked at the King Kuta spider's corpse and climbed onto it.
The corpse was ravaged and barely recognizable. Its legs were eaten out and were showing bare-bones, "Those Ants really did a number in you. I doubt there would be anything left of the queen at that point, but I have to try and get her corpse". Jacob went inside the corpse, he looked deep inside the thorax and finally found a shining sphere. When Jacob saw it, he knew exactly what it was and the size was impressive as well. It was the size of his fist.
"Finally, It's time to test this" Jacob quickly climbed out of the corpse. He then made a clearing where he would try and focus on absorbing the gene core like he should be able to. One like this was rather large and not easily come by.
He took a deep breath and tried to absorb the energy inside of the sphere.
***
<Foreign energy is entergin your body>
<Energy is ineffective>
<Excess energy will be harmful>
***
Jacob was evidently sad about this, as well as confused "If It's not energy, then how much stronger will I get? What form of energy will my body accept?" He was trying to figure out the meaning behind the system, and how it affected his body.
Jacob was pondered on it some more, "The book they gave me is not a Gene Art, Maybe that means I can't control my genes anymore, my genome is that of a regular human and it will grow like that. So it's the system that's making me strong, I have no power of my own"
Jacob's tone went down a few octaves with his sadness. He didn't know what to think. He would be reliant on the power that was never his left a bad taste in his mouth. It did not fit his character, but it was better than being crippled. But he couldn't help but think.
What will happen when the system is gone?
Is the system connected to the lady somehow?
Is it just using me?
Jacob was thinking about all these things but he could not come up with a definitive answer. "I can't keep thinking about this. I should just get stronger and deal with that when the future comes." There was nothing he could do now other than speculate. He would have to work with the enemy until the time came when he had to face them.
While he finished talking he spotted a bright light in the side of his eyes. He looked in its direction but he didn't see it anymore, Jacob went and searched some more and he found the source of the light.
It was the artefact that the king Kuta spider owned, or at the fragment. "Is surprising a piece of artefact has this much power, I think I should keep this. I never used artefacts before, Even prince creisons or artefact was powerful".
Jacobs face instantly cramped when he remembered something "If I don't have any gene core with energy, how will I refine this? Does that mean I can't refine artefacts either? Can I not activate weapons anymore? It's almost like I turned into a vampire, how the hell can I live like this!"
"I'm a monster now aren't I, I can't bear to live like this!" Jacob was dramatic as he slammed the ground, disgusted and unsure by what he became. In the middle of his drama show, he heard some loud noise followed by loud thuds sounding from the cave.
He stopped his grieving and focused his attention on the cave systems "I can't be crying about this no, the queen corpse is valuable, I have to find a way and get her body. I would be able to fins her paralyzing agents inside of her."
Jacob wanted the paralyzing agent that the queen used on the king Kuta spider to practically turn him into a statue. Something like that was powerful, even if it was a creature was beyond us[er creature class. It would be an asset.
Especially if he found anything else from her body it would greater his chances of survival.
Jacob first took some leaf stems and weaved them into a bag. He had no idea what he was doing but he weaved until he had made a large pouch that he could swing across his back. The back would look scrappy to a professional but it was perfect for Jacob.
"I have never even seen someone do this, I guess being in the wild changed me, I have to get used to this lifestyle" Jacob pocketed all the gene cores close to him, it was worth a lot to someone else even if he could not use it. He also packed artefact fragments, then he turned his attention to the rumbling in the cave.