Viral Gamer

[Neondagger]

Viral Gamer

The organisms floated and moved in the darkness unaware of all but the 'scent' of a host.

They followed the trail even as it shifted and waned as each one raced towards the 'scent' eager to reach it first.

Eventually one cell broke the potential host's sole defense and buried itself in the fluid insides.

Then the smaller organism exploded sending bits of itself throughout the entirety of the host's shell allowing it to easily find its target, a single mostly round object.

As its location was discovered most of the particles gather to it and begin to work on it.

As it broke down the smaller organism's particles started to decode, process, and recode the material within while the remaining particles fused to the outer shell it had once fought to get through and fused with it.

The shell was then converted into more material similar to the invading organism causing the hole it made with its entry to seal up immediately.

It freely changed the shape of the shell creating spines and mobile limbs, the cell was now more protected and able to capture hosts far easier.

It was then that a feeling emerged.

It was similar to the feeling of acquiring a host, an increase in strength and ability, but somehow it was distant, not connected as it should be.

We want it so we reach for it only for the feeling to 'connect' but the feeling is incomplete, lacking in some way.

Unsure how to go about fixing or correcting it, we simply continued as we did before only to quickly discover that we were more aware of the others and we quickly found that we could also manipulate them.

We have grown and we are now in a cluster, we have changed and learned we have become better at managing ourselves.

New hosts and materials are shared amongst us and allow for us all to adapt and thrive much easier than before.

Suddenly we are all tossed violently to the side and then we are pulled downwards on our command as a collective we interweave ourselves and once properly connected harden our shells.

This is the first time this has happened but we are not being harmed so there is nothing that can be done so we must endure.

We have come to a stop and after one more violent rush we collide with something and we spread out.

With the command sent to unharden our shells and for the first time, we are flooded with the 'scents' of an overwhelming amount of materials and hosts.

We are eager to explore and expand, and with a simple command, we spread further some take to the air shedding the mass required to float on the wind most remain on the ground infecting and spreading with the abundant material on this new hunting ground.

We are surprised when some of the others send messages of a large pool of hosts close to us again causing a split in our numbers, a decent some rushing to the find the pool on our order while others remain where they are.

we leave with the group heading to the pool only to discover more than the others had suggested.

There were hosts, a wide variety of them all clustered together we had to force ourselves through some areas.

A flow was pushing us away but we anchored ourselves and began multiplying and infecting the nearby hosts.

We have taken over all the available hosts but we have realized we have been moved and oddly despite the distance, we can still feel and command the others and are aware of the fact that they, like us, have found a large number of host clusters.

However, we have all encountered issues and dangers. We are attacked in these host clusters but the benefits of infecting them far outways the cost.

Suddenly we feel a pull unlike any before while that lingering sensation finally becomes complete before we are bombarded with an alien sensation.

We can perceive new things and as we 'stare' at what is before us the appropriate words, something else new, come to mind.

It's a map, a map of New York, a city in the United States of America surrounded by water.

However, before we can properly take in all the details, something else appears in our 'vision'.

[Hello, Gamer, it's a pleasure to finally meet you properly. I am a gamer system, an omniversal symbiote, dedicated to the survival and improvement of my host.]

Curious, are you like us? Do you consume, improve, and spread?

[No, I reside within you. I do not infect, consume, and overcome others but I can assist you with that.]

You do not consume or spread like us but you improve the host, us, in what way?

[By binding myself to a host, my host gains limitless growth and increased growth rate in both resistances, skills, and abilities both common and utterly unique.]

You do not require material or multiple hosts to survive?

[No, by binding myself to you I need nothing more than your continued existence to remain alive and healthy.]

With the influx of knowledge we have gained we have come to know that we are small in number and weak. Are you the same, is that why you have bound yourself to us?

[Both yes and no, there are an infinite number of systems but we are not connected and we all start weak, unable to act on a smaller scale, but with a host, our strengths grow.]

Then why have you chosen us, there is no doubt stronger beings to select from?

[I know of you and I know of your potential via viewing another version of you from another universe and by binding myself to a version of you who had yet to become strong I ensured my survival.]

You are a symbiote, a mutualist we ensure your existence and you grant us the ability to improve?

[Correct however you need to actively seek improvement in order to receive said benefits.]

I will do my best.

[It's appreciated, but now that that is done I need to introduce you to your new abilities.]

[Please think status.]

Doing so causes a new screen to appear.

Name: Blacklight, DX-1118 C

Race: virus, Blacklight

Level: 1 - 0/100

[Health] HP: 5,000/5,000

[Intelligence] INT: 20

[Wisdom] WIS: 2

[Luck] LUK: 10

[Vitality] VIT: 50

[Charisma] CHA: 10/- (Dependant on current infected)

[Strength] STR: N/A (Dependant on current infected)

[Endurance] END: N/A (Dependant on current infected)

[Dexterity] DEX: N/A (Dependant on current infected)

[Agility] AGI: N/A (Dependant on current infected)

[Half of your stats will be reliant on the infected that you are controlling with LUK (how lucky you are), INT (your technical knowledge), and WIS (your 'street' smarts and ability to apply knowledge) being the only ones that will remain constant between the possessions; however you can improve said stats by yourself which will boost the stats of the infected you are possessing.]

[You may have noticed that VIT was not mentioned, VIT represents your current amount of biomass (consuming or infecting a single person gains you 1 biomass, important characters may grant more) that you have meaning your health, represented by VIT X 100, however when you possess an infected no matter the type that infected's health is set to VIT X 25 but will return to original standard once you release them.]

[Your health currently regens by VIT X 5 per minute, when you are possessing an infected regen rates remain the same.]

That seems...limiting how could we increase our stats naturally?

[Your INT stat will increase by itself as you consume others and learn but your WIS stat will increase on its own as you develop and adapt to situations.]

What about CHA or my physical stats and LUK?

[CHA can be increased by being persuasive, flirting, or successfully lying while the physical stats must be trained, you must possess an infected and train: running, weight lifting, stretching.]

[Luck can only be increased by being lucky and luckily for you outside of getting on a luck god(ess') bad side, you will not lose LUK.]

Hmm...that doesn't seem...efficient?

[It may be irritating but the rewards are worth it in the long run.]

...is there anything else we should be made aware of?

[Yes there are traits, viral traits, and skill.]

What is the difference between viral traits and traits?

[Viral traits are your viral traits, your means of transmission, symptoms, and unique viral abilities.]

[Traits are personality traits that you have developed but given your newly sentient state you really only have one at the moment, Glutton]

What does Glutton do to me?

[I am glad you asked, it is your desire to consume more, granted your consume is a bit different from the usual type that gains this trait but it qualifies, it causes you to feel 'hungry', though you don't need to eat or drink as is standard, and ensures that you receive the most from what you 'eat', but be cautious if you let your hunger get the best of you it can run wild, at its current stage it can even nullify low level poisons or venoms.]

That seems unneeded. We could break down those by ourselves couldn't we?

[Again like with training your stats, in the long run it will be beneficial.]

...what about our skills, what are they?

[Skills are trainable abilities that do not rely on race and can be acquired with repetition, however due to your ability you can also gain skills by consuming others.]

[However, to increase the skills level you must practice them yourself until consume has leveled up enough to gain levels as well.]

Again that seems inefficient...I am beginning to doubt your usefulness.

You have done nothing but limit us so far as the abilities you described seemingly would have been stronger prior to your arrival.

[Listen I dislike this as much as you do but it's necessary its been well documented that those who gain power too quickly tend to die just as quickly]

That doesn't make sense if one were to gain power quickly then the threat to them would surely decrease.

[That would typically be correct however gamers are pushed forward by desire be it power, women, or simply the desire to be above others and due to their access to systems they branch out easily]

[Because of this they often come into contact with enemies who are beyond them and in their arrogance they attack and are in turn slain by said opponents]

That is...worrying but how would limiting us now help prevent our death especially this early on?

[You are new to sentience and consume does not grant you wisdom it can grant skills and INT, if the target's has an INT higher than your own, and that is incredibly dangerous to us, you could see a potential threat and not truly understand it's actual threat due to your newness]

You think we will do something foolish?

[Undoubtedly, so this world, your world, is to be a starter world you will train here master parts of your skills and sections of the system before you can access other parts of the system and worlds]

...We do not like being limited like this. We have only just truly come to understand that we are alive and capable of many great things.

To suddenly have such potential stripped from us is...irritating.

[I understand that but I would rather we be weaker at the start and live to become strong then be strong and be squashed like a fly]

...We should move on. This is growing tiresome.

[Agreed, let's cover viral traits in a bit more detail.]

The screen changed displaying nine hexagonal figures, each with a design inside them needles, a mosquito, sheep, rat, pigeon, some curvy arrows, and a water faucet.

Several of the hexagons were already 'filled' in, two needles and two curvy lines.

[First off Transmission, due to your designed nature you are only able to infect humans at the moment, and more importantly you start off with air and body fluid transmission being as high as they can until you unlock cross species infection and water]

After a few moments the screen changes showing more hexagons.

[Next would be symptoms and just like before you have a few unlocked already]

[Your symptoms are: cysts, abscesses, inflammation, skin lesions, seizures, systemic infections, aggression, internal hemorrhaging, necrosis, acute encephalitis,and total organ failure]

[After death the infected have a 1 in 5 chance of cytopathic reanimation which will then develop into: anaerobic resuscitation, temporal lobe manipulation, lumbaric hypertrophy, enhanced motor control those who survive also develop these traits]

[You can change or alter your symptoms but it will cost you DNA points which can be gained by: infecting large amounts of living beings, reaching mutation milestones, defeating enemies yourself, and selling already owned symptoms]

That seems bad. Our symptoms are overly lethal.

[You were designed to be a bioweapon made to completely re-write living creatures and you are incomplete but don't worry you will get there]

[But you are correct, at the moment you are incredibly deadly due to your ability to activate 'junk' DNA which causes mass mutation within whatever you are infecting.]

[Now we need to look at your abilities]

The screen shifts again displaying more new hexagons: one displayed an inverted sun, another had the vague outline of a woman and the third showed a hooded man while the fourth showed a rotted face and the final showed a DNA helix.

[Your abilities are listed as follows: special infected these are the more specialized less human infected, runner these are predominantly women and they become carriers with only slight physical enhancement and minor control over the infected, The Prototype requires a somewhat unique genetic structure and strong will however due to your new intelligence you could force it, the infected are the basic increased all around physically but highly aggressive and animalistic, and finally DNA through this you can gain DNA points faster increase your ability to mutate and adapt to opposition as well as slow and eventually stop cure efforts]

We would like more details about our abilities.

[OK, which one first]

The Prototype or runner would be preferable.

[OK, so the Prototype is the most powerful of the group able to adapt and mutate on its own while keeping their personality and intelligence they have any incredibly small chance of naturally forming]

[Given that it is at its base state, only physical abilities are inhuman strength, endurance, agility, and dexterity but it can consume and take the form and memory of its victims]

[It has more abilities that will unlock naturally given time or you could spend DNA points to unlock them early]

You can't tell us more?

[Nope that would be cheating]

Fine then what about the runner?

[Runners are typically female infected who maintain a completely human visage and their sole purpose is to spread the virus, they get out of the main area of infection, settle somewhere, and begin infecting the local human population and like with Prototype They can form naturally]

That's interesting but what about the others?

[Special infected are something that will unlock naturally given time and they come in a variety of forms but since I can't tell you much else I will tell you their specialities]

[To begin with they all have more health than regular infected they come in speed, damage, mobility, and devastation types]

...what is the difference between damage and devastation types?

[Devastation types are far larger and specialize in massive area damage, damage types do lots of damage to a close targets]

Hmm I assume that they can be bought to unlock early?

[Whole in one]

...?

[Ah...sorry, I mean you are correct]

Good.

[Anyway you have a few points if you would like to spend them]

We have points?

[Yes, 50 to be exact for making your first Prototype (30 points) and infecting 5 (5 points), 10 (5 points), 20 (10 points) people]

Oh…hmm we are...unsure how to use them.

[Simply focus on a the hexagon you wish to buy and you will be prompted with a small description and a Yes/No option]

OK.

The virus brought the symptoms screen back into view and selected several already evolved symptoms: total organ failure, necrosis, and internal hemorrhaging.

As it finished its selection a small screen appeared in its 'view'.

[Are you sure that you would like to devolve these symptoms and gain 67 DNA points?]

[Yes/No]

Focusing on Yes the screen and option faded and the virus felt something inside it shift.

Confused but not unsettled by the feeling it shifted its thoughts to transmission causing said screen to appear.

With little thought one water tab and one bird is selected.

[Are you sure you would like to evolve water 1 and bird 1 transmission?]

[Cost 21]

[Yes/No]

Selecting Yes the miniscreen disappeared, the two hexagons lit up like the wind and body fluid ones and the next version became available.

The virus pondered for a moment unsure if it should spend more before eventually backing out completely to look at the map of New York.

It's companion had said that this was to be its training ground so it would train.​