NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: chapter 14
This was going to be tough.
Alex knew it the moment Ralph dropped—this was the phase he'd dreaded. The very reason he had targeted Ralph from the start wasn't just strategy. It was survival.
If Lizzie was the tank, then Ralph was the dagger.
He needed the wolf gone. Fast.
And now, only Lizzie remained.
The monstrous, spiked crocodilian let out a bone-rattling roar and charged—her massive jaws wide open, aiming to end Alex in one bite.
Alex reacted on instinct.
He leapt, wings flaring as he landed directly on her face.
Then, he started flapping. Hard.
The gusts from his wings forced Lizzie's head downward, slamming her into the rubble as she thrashed, trying to throw him off.
That's when George moved in.
He came from her blind side—the one with the gouged-out eye—and in his hands was a twisted steel pole.
With a grunt of effort, George jammed it deep into Lizzie's empty socket.
The beast screeched, shaking like a wounded leviathan, and Alex was thrown off—wings spread, catching himself mid-air before landing in front of her.
Rage-blind, Lizzie charged.
She headbutted George with terrifying force—sending the albino gorilla flying.
Then she lunged again—this time clamping her jaws onto George's leg and thrashing, trying to rip it off.
> Not good.
Alex flew in, aiming to ram the steel pole deeper—only to realize, too late...
It was a trap.
With speed unnatural for her size, Lizzie released George, snapped her jaws open, and caught Alex mid-flight.
Crunch.
Her teeth sank into his right wing, fracturing bone and tearing flesh as scales split and nerves screamed.
Alex snarled in agony as Lizzie dragged him across the ground, her massive head shaking violently, nearly ripping off his wing before finally releasing him, sending him tumbling across the shattered streets, his body trailing blood.
Lizzie turned, roaring, and charged again—ready to finish him off.
But then—
George leapt, landing on her back.
With both arms, he gripped the steel pole still lodged in her socket, and with primal strength and rage, he drove it deeper.
Lizzie howled, her tail flailing, body thrashing wildly.
Alex, his broken wing barely reforming, crawled forward, dragging himself through the rubble, pain flashing in every nerve.
He reached them.
Then, with all his remaining strength, he punched the pole using the clawed edge of his regenerating wing.
The metal shrieked.
The pole pierced deep into Lizzie's skull.
She froze.
Trembled.
And then—
Collapsed.
Dead.
> DING! You have hunted Mutated Crocodile – +15,000 EVs
Alex didn't hear it.
Not really.
All he heard was silence.
Finally… it was over.
Alex turned towards Lizzie's still warm corpse and started eating after all flying such a distance then participating in a fight against Monsters on par with him was exhausting.
--
Alex was busy tearing into Lizzie's carcass, blood dripping from his fangs as the warmth of sustenance soothed his aching muscles. The battle had left him drained, and her biomass was exactly what he needed to recover.
Then—
Ding!
> Detected: Mutated Crocodile DNA.
Do you wish to integrate?
He paused mid-bite, blinking. "Nah," he thought. Sure, Lizzie's armor and bone tusks were cool, but he wasn't looking to bulk up unnecessarily. He still valued speed and flight—any more bulk and his aerodynamics would suffer.
But then another message popped up.
Ding!
> Detected: CRISPR-based Pathogen
Do you wish to integrate?
Alex's eyes widened.
The pathogen—the one responsible for mutating the animals in the first place.
That was no ordinary gene. It was genetic dynamite.
Without hesitation, he selected "Yes."
Almost immediately, heat flooded his veins. He collapsed onto all fours as his muscles trembled, bones cracked, and organs expanded. His skin split in places only to rapidly stitch back together. Davis, who had been casually talking with George, turned toward the sound—then froze in place, eyes wide with awe and dread.
"Jesus Christ..." Davis muttered, watching as the creature morphed in real-time.
The transformation wasn't just a change—it was a metamorphosis.
When it stopped, Alex rose from his crouched position and unfurled his wings, casting a massive shadow over the wrecked city.
He was 35 meters long, 20 meters tall, and his wingspan now exceeded 100 meters. The ground quaked beneath his 90-ton frame.
Ding!
> Infinite Growth has reached Level 2. Cap increased.
A savage grin split Alex's face.
"System interface." he growled inwardly.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Alex
Species: Green Anaconda (Highly Mutated)
Lifeform Tier: Upper Apex
Level: 22
Age: 1Y 3M
Length: 35 meters
Height: 20 meters
Weight: 90t
Wingspan: 100 meters
---
Integrated Dominating Genes:
Indominus Rex (Hybrid):
Thermoregulation Suppression (Infrared Cloaking)
Combat Adaptiveness
Enhanced Speed & Strength
Forelimbs with Opposable Digits
Mosasaurus:
Enhanced Lung Capacity
Webbed Digits (Selective)
Improved Underwater Mobility
Cold-Water Resistance
Water Pressure Resistance
Pteranodon:
Flight Capability (Wyvern-type Wings)
Aerodynamic Bone Restructure
Stabilizing Rudder Flaps
Enhanced Visual Acuity
CRISPR Pathogen:
Genetic Adaptivity Boost
Accelerated Growth Rates
Evolution Threshold Removed
Partial Immunity to Pathogenic Manipulation
---
Unlocked Attributes:
Jaw Strength [Lv13 → Lv14]: 26,000 psi
> Next Upgrade: Lv15 → 31,000 psi (Cost: 14,500 EVs)
Armored Scales [Lv1 → Lv3]:
Now resists high-impact explosives, tank rounds, and heavy pressure
> Next Upgrade: Lv4 (Cost: 28,000 EVs)
Infinite Growth [Lv2]:
> New Size Cap: 50m Length | 30m Height | 160m Wingspan
Next Upgrade: Lv3 (Locked until Lifeform Tier: Apex Supreme)
---
EV Points: 0
> (Previous Balance: 44,222)
Armored Scales Lv2: –8500
Armored Scales Lv3: –17,000
Infinite Growth Lv2: –18,722
---
Alex looked over his new stats with fierce satisfaction.
His Lifeform Tier had evolved from Exotic to Upper Apex.
He was now on par with—or possibly above—creatures like Skullcrawlers, Ralph, and even some juvenile Titans.
"Let them come," he thought, flexing his wings as a storm rolled in on the horizon. "I'm ready."
---
Alex was busy tearing into Lizzie's carcass, blood dripping from his fangs as the warmth of sustenance soothed his aching muscles. The battle had left him drained, and her biomass was exactly what he needed to recover.
Then—
Ding!
> Detected: Mutated Crocodile DNA.
Do you wish to integrate?
He paused mid-bite, blinking. "Nah," he thought. Sure, Lizzie's armor and bone tusks were cool, but he wasn't looking to bulk up unnecessarily. He still valued speed and flight—any more bulk and his aerodynamics would suffer.
But then another message popped up.
Ding!
> Detected: CRISPR-based Pathogen
Do you wish to integrate?
Alex's eyes widened.
The pathogen—the one responsible for mutating the animals in the first place.
That was no ordinary gene. It was genetic dynamite.
Without hesitation, he selected "Yes."
Almost immediately, heat flooded his veins. He collapsed onto all fours as his muscles trembled, bones cracked, and organs expanded. His skin split in places only to rapidly stitch back together. Davis, who had been casually talking with George, turned toward the sound—then froze in place, eyes wide with awe and dread.
"Jesus Christ..." Davis muttered, watching as the creature morphed in real-time.
The transformation wasn't just a change—it was a metamorphosis.
When it stopped, Alex rose from his crouched position and unfurled his wings, casting a massive shadow over the wrecked city.
He was 35 meters long, 20 meters tall, and his wingspan now exceeded 100 meters. The ground quaked beneath his 90-ton frame.
Ding!
> Infinite Growth has reached Level 2. Cap increased.
A savage grin split Alex's face.
"System interface." he growled inwardly.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Alex
Species: Green Anaconda (Highly Mutated)
Lifeform Tier: Upper Apex
Level: 22
Age: 1Y 3M
Length: 35 meters
Height: 20 meters
Weight: 90t
Wingspan: 100 meters
---
Integrated Dominating Genes:
Indominus Rex (Hybrid):
Thermoregulation Suppression (Infrared Cloaking)
Combat Adaptiveness
Enhanced Speed & Strength
Forelimbs with Opposable Digits
Mosasaurus:
Enhanced Lung Capacity
Webbed Digits (Selective)
Improved Underwater Mobility
Cold-Water Resistance
Water Pressure Resistance
Pteranodon:
Flight Capability (Wyvern-type Wings)
Aerodynamic Bone Restructure
Stabilizing Rudder Flaps
Enhanced Visual Acuity
CRISPR Pathogen:
Genetic Adaptivity Boost
Accelerated Growth Rates
Evolution Threshold Removed
Partial Immunity to Pathogenic Manipulation
---
Unlocked Attributes:
Jaw Strength [Lv13 → Lv14]: 26,000 psi
> Next Upgrade: Lv15 → 31,000 psi (Cost: 14,500 EVs)
Armored Scales [Lv1 → Lv3]:
Now resists high-impact explosives, tank rounds, and heavy pressure
> Next Upgrade: Lv4 (Cost: 28,000 EVs)
Infinite Growth [Lv2]:
> New Size Cap: 50m Length | 30m Height | 160m Wingspan
Next Upgrade: Lv3 (Locked until Lifeform Tier: Apex Supreme)
---
EV Points: 0
> (Previous Balance: 44,222)
Armored Scales Lv2: –8500
Armored Scales Lv3: –17,000
Infinite Growth Lv2: –18,722
---
Alex looked over his new stats with fierce satisfaction.
His Lifeform Tier had evolved from Exotic to Upper Apex.
He was now on par with—or possibly above—creatures like Skullcrawlers, Ralph, and even some juvenile Titans.
"Let them come," he thought, flexing his wings as a storm rolled in on the horizon. "I'm ready."
---
End of chapter.