DING!

INFECTION PROGRESS REACHED LIMIT

COMMENCING LEVEL UP

LEVEL UP COMPLETED

SKILL <<DNA EXTRACTION>> ACQUIRED

Throughout the passing days, Moss continued infecting until he had successfully reached level two. With the level up, his IP needed twenty thousand infections to level up. Although his durability didn’t increase, his infectivity did. In addition, he acquired a new skill called <<DNA Extraction>>.

However, that was something strange. Moss had asked beforehand what kind of skills he would be getting once he leveled up. His response was nothing. A Bluegrass Yellow Patch Virus would not get any more skills after <<Pollinate>>. So, how was it that he had gained a new skill?

Moss wanted to tell his fellow species, but he didn’t want to risk drawing unwanted attention from Lady Tully. So, he kept to himself and only experimented with the skill when no one was watching.

Now, viruses infect by transferring their DNA or RNA into their victims. However, what need does a virus have for extracting DNA? Or rather, what could Moss extract from? From anything? All of these questions piled up in Moss’s mind, deepening his curiosity until one day, he decided to test out his skill.

Moss approached a perfectly healthy eukaryotic cell and, instead of infecting it, he extracted some of the cell’s DNA and absorbed it. Feeling no different, Moss decided to extract all of the cell’s DNA.

<<DNA Extraction>>! Moss activated his skill at full power and pulled out all of the cell’s DNA. With its DNA removed, the cell quickly ceased all functions and collapsed in a withering state. Moss took the sloshy mixture of DNA fluids and absorbed it directly.

As soon as the last drop of DNA entered Moss’s system, the virus lit up with excitement and surprise. If Moss had taste buds, he would immediately relate the sensation he got to that of drinking a glass of pulpy mixture of orange and mango. Moss could feel the DNA boost him overall. Every infection agent connected to him had experienced a miniscule yet noticeable increase in power and vitality. Refreshing!

Moss mentally smiled at the pleasant discovery, but this got him into thinking of some dangerous ideas. If absorbing the DNA of a simple eukaryotic cell could bring such benefits to him, what about absorbing the DNA of a stronger species…say another Bluegrass Yellow Patch Virus? What about the DNA of Lady Tully? How much increase could he gain from that?

Greed overtook Moss as he hungered for more DNA. Luckily, he still kept some of his reasoning while he thought up a plan to get even more DNA. An infected cell would provide a future for more viral agents; however, an extracted cell would be useless to do so. Moss needed a balance.

He decided that, to avoid suspicion, he should extract DNA from a hundred cells per infected blade of bluegrass. He tried this process on his first blade of bluegrass and the results were satisfactory. Not only did he have his dose of boost, no one was the wiser.

Because of this, Moss continued to extract DNA. No one noticed and because of that, the virus got careless and let his guard down. One day, while he was busily extracting DNA from a number of cells in a newly infected bluegrass, a fellow virus agent from another BYPV species found out.

Infection Progress (IP): 13293/30000

The virus agent was a dormant agent in its incubation period. Moss didn’t know about this agent when he fired a spurt of pollen at the bluegrass. He had assumed it to be virus-free since there were no changes in color.

Now, he was caught red-handed. The sleeper agent sensed the disturbance in the balance of the bluegrass and went out to investigate. The virus agent saw how Moss destroyed a cell just to extract and consume the DNA.

Unfortunately for it, Moss sensed the virus agent as well. Initially he panicked but after racking his nucleus about how he should explain himself, he realized that there was only one thing to do. Moss immediately ordered a couple of infection agents to chase after the retreating virus agent.

Maybe it was because of the boost he had experienced from absorbing cellular DNA, Moss’s agents quickly caught up to the single virus agent. One of Moss’s agents lunged forward to tackle the escaping enemy.

Before the enemy could process and send out information to the main virus, Moss’s agent struck the virus agent and disrupted its functions. While the agent pinned down the enemy, another agent pierced the enemy agent with a DNA extractor and removed the DNA mixture.

Moss looked at the dying virus agent before turning his attention on the DNA fluids in his grasps. Curiosity killed the cat and Moss’s hunger got the better of him. With a couple of gulps, Moss absorbed the BYPV DNA.

DING!

VIRUS DNA ABSORBED

MUTATION ACTIVATED

MUTATING….

MUTATION COMPLETED

VARIATION DETECTED