Starting from Prototype to Immortality

Chapter 2: Evolution!

Chang Wei clutched his head, ignoring the soldiers of Blackwatch, and immediately fled.

The momentary blankness in his mind made Chang Wei realize something unusual about himself.

It seemed that his brain could indeed affect him...

"In other words, my weakness is my brain. I wonder if evolution can solve this issue..."

Chang Wei pondered the implications. If his brain became so damaged that he couldn't maintain his ability to think, it would put him in a highly vulnerable position.

After all, he wasn't like Alex Mercer, a living humanoid virus without the limitation of a brain. Even if Mercer were riddled with holes, he could still retaliate swiftly.

Fortunately, Chang Wei had just killed a significant number of infected individuals, gaining a considerable amount of gene points. Now, he just needed to find a hiding spot to optimize and evolve.

He entered a convenience store, where an infected individual immediately lunged at him. Chang Wei casually killed it and absorbed it.

"Evolve the Blacklight Virus."

He selected the option.

[Would you like to consume gene points to mutate and evolve the Blacklight Virus?]

The system prompt appeared. After Chang Wei confirmed, a new notification appeared.

He then discovered that he could imagine his desired evolution form directly in his mind.

"This is possible? Perfect! Give me a Four-Armed Overlord Form!"

Chang Wei wasn't one to limit himself to Alex Mercer's forms.

The Four-Armed Overlord Form was similar to Mercer's hammerfist form but with four arms. Additionally, his muscles would undergo significant enhancement.

All he had to do was imagine; whether evolution would succeed depended on the system.

Soon, his gene points rapidly depleted. Chang Wei felt an intense, tearing pain throughout his body as the Blacklight Virus ripped through him, mutating and evolving.

When it was over, the convenience store now housed a towering figure.

Standing at two meters tall, his body was covered in explosive, muscular bulk reminiscent of characters from Hong Kong comics. Most notably, an extra pair of arms sprouted from his shoulders, covered in black-and-red material that also coated his body.

"What incredible power…"

Chang Wei threw a punch, and the convenience store wall exploded outward under the impact!

The deafening noise attracted nearby infected individuals, who came charging in with howls.

"Perfect timing to test the combat capabilities of the Four-Armed Overlord Form."

Chang Wei found controlling four arms surprisingly easy, with no signs of discomfort.

This new sensation intrigued him. When the infected appeared, he decided to use them to hone his combat skills and adapt to this new form.

Perhaps it was due to the real-world physics or his four arms, but the attack speed of this form didn't feel as "heavy" or "clumsy" as the hammerfist form in the game. Instead, it carried a relentless Ora Ora Ora barrage-like fluidity!

Moreover, Chang Wei noticed that his muscle enhancement had indeed been realized. Each punch carried the destructive force of a tank's main cannon, pulverizing infected into splattered remains that painted the ground and walls like grotesque "paint."

"So strong! In this form, I could probably pummel Hunters and even Supreme Hunters to death, right?"

Chang Wei was exhilarated. Well, maybe Supreme Hunters were still a bit intimidating—after all, they could dismantle aircraft carriers.

But at the very least, early-stage Hunters, super soldiers, and Goliaths shouldn't pose any threat to him now.

"With four fists, my attack speed is twice that of Mercer's hammerfist form. My attack frequency is the same. Plus, I can evolve four blade forms and play Four-Sword Style! Heck, maybe I could even go full Asura's Wrath with six arms…"

As he controlled his body, a surge of black-and-red energy flowed over him, transforming him back into his ordinary human appearance.

Naturally, Chang Wei wasn't about to abandon the Blacklight Virus's signature abilities of absorption, disguise, and mimicry.

"Next time, I need to evolve a pair of wings. Not having flight capabilities is really inconvenient…"

Chang Wei wasn't interested in interacting with Mercer. His current focus was solely on accumulating gene points.

"That said, working with him could be an option—for example, to accelerate the spread of the infection…"

Chang Wei's thoughts were becoming increasingly inhuman, directly gravitating toward the most advantageous strategies. The most efficient way to maximize benefits was to achieve widespread infection in just a few days instead of the weeks it would normally take.

"In the game, attacking military bases could accelerate the infection spread and progression… I wonder if it's the same in reality?"

His gaze turned toward the Blackwatch soldiers. Absorbing them would reveal the locations of nearby military bases...

"What a twisted thought. Is the Blacklight Virus influencing my thinking? Or is it the result of my system's evolution?"

However, with over a decade of human moral grounding, Chang Wei wasn't so easily corrupted. He calmly restrained himself from attacking the Blackwatch soldiers. Interestingly, unlike Mercer, he could obtain memories from the brains of infected individuals.

This eliminated the need to target Blackwatch soldiers altogether.