RB Chapter 100 Uncertain Future

Multiple streaks of light were colliding and separating, changing positions and once again doing the same thing. In particular, there was a blue streak colliding with a yellow one, with such speed that the yellow one was barely keeping up! It was doing all that it could to keep the blue streak at bay, but ultimately, it was fighting a losing battle.

A gash opened up on a monkey's chest as Eric's palm blade slashed down, leaving a shallow wound. The monkey tried to retreat at an explosive speed but he didn't let it! He followed and did a horizontal sweep with his right leg to the side of its waist. The sound of bones breaking was heard before the monkey was hurled and collided into a banana plant, where it was buried deep.

'I am very tired! We need to find a breakthrough point!' Eric thought as he took that moment of respite to observe the others. That was the fourth monkey he had killed! The group of monkeys was in front of them and only four were fighting them at any one time. Only if one of them died would a replacement come from the group. The monkeys were trying to exhaust them through their clones. 

They had figured that the monkeys were led by four with awakened intelligence. They were located somewhere away from the battle, preferably behind the monkey troop barring their way. The monkey troop consisted of drones, they only followed orders and didn't have the power to think for themselves. The four could take over any monkey telepathically and control its movements, but if they wanted to fully control one, they had to abandon the many, whom they gave orders to, a flaw in their otherwise perfect army. That's why the others weren't attacking.

The first person that entered his sight was Chloe, she was having an easy time fighting her opponent and that alone made him breathe out a sigh of relief. The other two monkeys were being countered by Monki and miss Njibwa.

Eric had been taken by surprise when he saw her slaughtering monkeys like chickens, her graceful figure, her experience and her determination were striking. She was much more that a flower in a vase.

"Mugumivu! What the hell are you still hesitating for? Do you want all of us to die before you act?" Monki roared, startling him.

'Could it be that he is still hiding something...a trump card?' Eric moved his gaze towards the burly man. He was monitoring miss Njibwa's battle.

"Okay." He only said one word. Eric, and the others not engaged with any opponents were the ones who managed to see the changes that took place once Mugumivu answered.

A while liquid like material gushed out of his pores and spread all over his skin. It hardened and formed a white bone armor over Mugumivu's body. Except for the eyes, every piece of skin was covered by it.

He stomped on the ground and his figure turned into a streak which passed by the battlefield, heading towards the troop of monkeys. One step, had caused his body to shoot 20m forward and another step continued to propel him forward. 

"Follow him!" Monki roared. He took the initiative to follow, completely abandoning his opponent! Of course he didn't give the monkey any chance to stab him in the back, he also channeled a lot of energy into his feet and dashed towards Mugumivu, his speed inferior by only a bit. The monkey sisnt even have the chance to catch up, as it had been caught off guard. Its expression drastically changed when it saw all the others following after Mugumivu.

'These people...we are in such a predicament and they are still hiding trump cards?' Eric became even more wary of them. 

"Chloe!" He called and she instantly appeared at his side. They both followed in the two's footsteps.

"Chloe, what do you think is their reason for hiding their power? We are in a dangerous situation and they are still thinking of such things?" Eric asked with blame thick in his voice. The blame wasn't directed at her. He had thought that all of them were going all out! And it came as a shock to him that Mugumivu had been hiding such a trump card! That made him become suspicious of the others too.

"That's how they are, its in their nature. They grew up in large clans where competition is everywhere, so from a young age, they learnt the importance of not unveiling your full power to the masses." Chloe explained. But he still felt that it was unfair, take Leah and Elena for example, they hadn't even filled in any of their genetic slots, energy channelling was new to them, but they were putting in a lot of effort to fight! None of these people even thought about helping them! If it wasn't for Chloe who occasionally lent a hand, they might have died! Even the kind miss Njibwa didn't think to help them at all! It was like their trio was separate from them, like that were tacitly being excluded from something! The others hadn't even shown looks of surprise when Monki had shouted! They must have known!

Eric felt a lot of frustration towards the situation! Just because the three were young, and they had just met them, they didn't care about their life and death at all! He was angry that they were being treated as strangers! He had even helped them by teaching energy channeling!

Chloe looked at his ugly expression with worry in her eyes, but she didn't have any idea how to comfort him. Even she hadn't known Mugumivu's hidden power, if she had, she would have already told him. These people weren't trustworthy at all! Even Sally, the one she had somewhat closer ties with hadn't mentioned anything.

"After this, we are separating from them!" Eric regained himself by taking a deep breath and said with determination. If they tried to follow him, he was going to kill them! People who didn't trust their comrades weren't allowed to stay in his group.

He slowed down a bit and Leah caught up. She was panting, and her body was riddled with wounds. She was only holding on by sheer will. He wanted her view on making their own separate team.

"Leah...are you okay?" He asked with concern. She was the only one left who had been close to them.

"I...am!" She answered between breaths. But he could see that she was totally not! Gashes, some deep, some shallow, dotted her curvy body, which was covered in scales. The trio were the only ones without symors, so they were trying to cover up their bodies with any means necessary. Elena was covered in brown fur and Eric himself was covered in dark scales.

"You don't look okay to me." Eric said.

"Then, what can you do for me? Nothing! So, please don't try to talk to me. I was friends with Elec, not you! Why did he have to die?" She shouted.

"Huh! Elec was a scumbug, how come you care about him?"

"I don't, I just wanted him to stay alive so that I could get my revenge, but looking at you, makes me hate you more than him. I even wonder why Baguma decided to create you!" 

Eric trembled at her words. It had been some time back, since someone degraded him, and he had forgotten about it. Now someone was prodding those long forgotten wounds.

"Your usefulness has expired now that I have learnt energy channelling, so, fend for yourself! Don't try to care about me." She directly made some distance from him.

"She is right! The world is cruel, its something you have to learn sooner rather than later." Elena, who had been nearby, had listened in on their conversation. She was in the same state as Leah, but she was more lively than her, you could even say that she was excited.

"Do you think the same as her?" Eric asked with a dark expression.

"I was like her once, but after the hardships I went through, I learnt one thing, there are very few good people in this world. You helped me learn energy channeling, that means that I owe you a favor. I will repay it in the future." She said seriously.

"What are you going to do from now on?" He asked.

"I am going to accumulate power. I need to become strong and also gather followers. I am going to take revenge upon the people who killed my parents. What about you...So far I haven't seen you as a person who has any goals."

"I..." Eric tried to answer but words failed him. Revenge, he was way weaker than that existence. If by some chance he got revenge, he still didn't see any future ahead. To him, even this competition wasn't that important. He was still searching for an answer for his future.

'I still don't have an answer, even now?' That was a hard blow to him. Chloe slowed down to match his pace. To her Eric was more important than anything, but she still hadn't yet acknowledged it.

"Good luck!" Elena said before speeding up and passing him. Eric was continuously slowing down while deep in thought. The thoughts clogged his mind and he ultimately even forgot that he was still on a battlefield.

TRIVIA

Njovu Mugumivu has a gene which rewrites the glands suitable for producing the hair which is made up of the protein keratin, into one able to produce the protein collagen, which is contained in bones. This is the how his white bone armour is generated. It occupies one of his genetic slots. It is modified from the one of the genes which the ants use to produce chitin, a protein that makes up their exoskeletons.

NB; Chitin, Keratin and Collagen are long chained proteins.