Mutagen

Day 376 - 2:32 PM - East Plains, Gilimanuk, Melaya Subdistrict, Jembrana Regency, Bali, Indonesia

A rescue. Although the survivors of Gilimanuk were hopeful, no one expected it to actually happen. Furthermore, the people who rescued them were total strangers. It was unsurprising for them to feel a bit cautious about the situation.

However, the cautiousness lowered upon seeing the soldiers in uniform escorting the truck. Another thing that reduced it was the blue-haired girl among their rescuers, who appeared too bubbly and innocent to commit anything heinous.

Unfortunately, a single damaged truck could not transport all of them at once. As such, the children and the weaker adults boarded the vehicle first while the others followed on foot with the escort soldiers.

While everything went on, the survivors from the school looked around in caution. After all, the place was swarmed with the [Infected] just earlier. However, not a single [Infected] was left in sight. It was truly unbelievable.

Another strange thing to see during the rescue was a man with a large shield and a long sword among the rescuers. He also asked for a cart or trolly or anything similar. Fortunately, the school had those since the place was used to store the town's supplies.

What surprised them even more was what the man with the sword and shield intended to transport using the cart.

It was a corpse.

Seeing the corpse, the survivors could not help but shed tears.

It was the brave Endro who protected them even after he turned.

Everyone inside the shelter knew that Endro never stopped guarding the doors, even after he turned. As such, he was their hero. He was the reason they were still alive.

Seeing the reaction of the survivors, the man with the shield and sword explained what happened. It made everyone feel even more thankful for the miracle Endro created.

The respectful gesture towards Endro's remains was the final nail for the survivors to lower their guards.

But as the transport began, a question popped up among the survivors of Gilimanuk.

The survivors expected to be transported out of the town. After all, it was their town. It was obvious to think that the rescuers had a base somewhere else.

Yet, the survivors were being brought towards the direction of the port.

As the survivors addressed their concerns, the soldiers did not hesitate to answer with the surprising truth.

The people who rescued them had just arrived at this place a few hours ago. And the most surprising fact was that these people came from the other side of the strait. They were survivors from Java.

How?

The question entered the survivors' minds after hearing the fact.

Since the apocalypse began, all modes of aquatic travel have become far more dangerous than on land. Monsters under the water had become a thing, and even just a prolonged stay near the coast would be suicidal.

Yet, this group of people actually traversed the dangerous strait.

Everyone soon reached the port. The survivors of Gilimanuk were not too familiar with the place, either. After all, not only was the port area a dangerous location near the waters, but the place was used as a private area where only the leaders and the trained personnel of the town could enter.

However, those leaders and personnel were not here. The port area was now occupied by a group of strangers from Java.

But that was not all.

As the survivors alighted from the truck, they could not help but see that large rift in space at the port's central road. Furthermore, people came and went from that rift, carrying stuff as they went out.

A commotion also rose among the children from Gilimanuk as they saw another group of children among the people in the port. And they were all playing with several gigantic animals and what seemed to be a fairy.

A few girls dressed as western maids could also be seen looking after the children.

It felt like they entered a strange place.

But before anything else, the survivors were brought somewhere else. It was a temporary outdoor kitchenette. Here, they were free to fill their empty stomachs without worrying about the amount of food they had left.

***

"They really are hungry, aren't they?"

Kana remarked with a shrug while the survivors they rescued ate with tears leaking from the corner of their eyes.

"You can only say that because you never experienced being trapped in a place without water, food, and hope in sight."

Nelia responded to Kana's childish remark.

"Well, yeah..."

But instead of being repentant, Kana just accepted it. Even her teammates nearby, Estia and Kela, smiled bitterly. The members of the 3rd Wave might have experienced a bit of hunger before, but they never lacked water because of Kana's ability.

"Still, it's only then who survived, huh?" Edge said with a sigh. "From what I gathered, there were supposed to be people who took shelter in other school buildings. But there's no sign of life left in the place except the ones we rescued."

Everyone fell silent due to Edge's words. It was similar to what happened in Muria, where only the ones here were left to survive, albeit on a smaller scale.

"Is there no news about Mark?"

Luna arrived with a question.

"He's not responding,"

General Wijaya answered while holding his radio.

"I've been trying to contact him all this time."

"Mei said he's okay,"

Luna said, pointing at Mei, who was also watching her daughters.

"But it seems his responses were minimal. She's not really worried about his safety. It's just Mark became a little bit strange after those battles."

"I kinda felt it, too,"

Edge nodded.

"Mark is going through something."

"Hmmm?"

Nelia noticed something.

"It looks like they are going to find Mark."

Everyone saw Mei jumping onto the back of the black dragon with Annica and Emika...

And Kana.

"Kana?"

General Wijaya voiced out in confusion as he began looking around them.

However, Kana was nowhere to be seen. It meant that it was definitely Kana riding on the dragon's back.

"When did she?"

Nelia voiced out, perplexed.

The girl with the bright blue hair that was supposed to stand out could slip out without anyone noticing. It was not the first time. During the first encounter with the Night Goddess, Kana also vanished.

Just like her ability, Kana was as slippery as water.

Everyone watched the dragon soar into the sky. The ones most amazed by the sight were the survivors of Gilimanuk.

Seeing the direction they flew, they were definitely going to find Mark.

***

The four girls rode on Chaflar's back. Mei could fly alone, but there was no need to at this moment. It was because the three adventurous girls insisted on coming. The suggestion to look for Mark came from them too.

Annica, Emika, and Kana sure were kindred spirits in this regard.

The location was not far. Mei's GPS, which was dedicated to Mark, was going strong.

And from the sky, they could see the location before they reached it.

"Huh?"

Annica could not help but let out a strange voice. Even Emika and Kana had a similar reaction.

The flat area outside the town turned into a grassland of death. The grass had turned red, covered in blood. Corpses without intact bodies littered the place.

And at the center of it all, a figure was sitting down in the only clean location within the bloodbath.

That figure was definitely Mark.

But even in this distance, the four girls, even Chaflar, could feel an odd aura surrounding him. It was strange since Mark's aura could be barely felt after he received the [Blessing of Death's Aura] from Magwayen.

Unable to hold herself back, Mei opened her wings and rushed first. Chaflar also hurried after her.

After landing, the first thing Mei noticed was a little girl hiding behind a large rock not far from Mark. When the little girl saw Mei, she jumped out of hiding, flew towards Mei, and pushed her towards Mark.

"Hurry!"

The girl said something Mei could not understand, but she could feel what she wanted.

As Chalfar landed, trampling some of the scattered bodies, Mei already approached Mark under the little girl's urging.

"Gege?"

Mei called out from behind.

Hearing Mei's voice, Mark visibly flinched. The aura surrounding his body vanished as if it was never there.

And like a child caught sneaking out of the house to play, Mark slowly turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

"Mei'er..."

Mark voiced in a muffled voice.

It was when Mei saw what Mark was holding.

"Eek!"

Annica, the most sheltered of them, could not help but scream a little.

It seemed that it was not only Mei. The three girls who already jumped off Chaflar's back also saw it.

With his hands covered in blood, Mark held what seemed to be a lump of combined flesh, bones, and blood vessels. It pulsated as if it was alive and breathing.

"What is that?"

Mei asked in a reprimanding tone.

"I just tried doing something... It just ended up like this."

Mark spoke incoherently.

"What is that?"

Mei repeated in a stronger tone.

"A weapon,"

Mark finally answered with a sigh.

"A parasitic weapon, I think."

As Mark answered, he latched the lump of grossness on his right wrist. The girls saw needles stick out of the lump before piercing Mark's skin. Then, an eye opened at the center of the lump as its entire structure changed. A long whip-sword created from spinal bones formed and shot out of the lump as its central part began to metalize.

In the blink of an eye, the lump of grossness turned into a sinister-looking weapon.

However, instead of amazement, Mei approached Mark with a frown. Without showing disgust, she grabbed the thing on Mark's wrist and ripped it out despite it causing deep wounds on his wrist. After she threw the thing away, she immediately kneeled and hugged Mark.

Mark froze in the spot. His hands hung in the air behind Mei as the wounds on his wrist closed quickly.

Then, Mark's arms went limp and his head fell onto Mei's shoulder.

Mark fell unconscious.

It was only then that the little girl who pushed Mei relaxed.

"What happened to uncle?"

Emika asked in worry. It was clear that something was really wrong with Mark's condition.

"Let's go back first,"

Mei said as she carried Mark's unconscious body.

"I'll bring this back too, just in case."

Mei grabbed the sinister weapon and stored it inside her [Spatial Ring].

The four girls rode on Chalfar's back. This time, with Mark and the unfamiliar little girl in tow.

It was the same as when they set out, the journey back was also short.

As Chalfar landed at the port with Mark unconscious, everyone present showed concern.

Even to the survivors of Gilimanuk, the scene made them think that the unconscious individual was very important to these people.

Of course, everyone hurried Mark into a place to rest. He was not injured or anything. In fact, it would have been better if it was a physical injury since his inhuman regeneration could fix it easily.

Unfortunately, the issue with Mark was on a deeper level.
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"Mei."

Luna confronted Mei inside the tent. Behind her were the members of Evernight and the core members of the Indonesian survivors.

"Can you tell us what is happening with him? Please. We want to help."

With that heartfelt request, Mei began to explain with a sigh.

As an [Empath], Mark's mental stability had long been questionable. It was already fortunate that his [Mutator] trait stabilized it. But now, it seemed that the accumulated disregard for his own well-being began to bite him back.

Mark's [Mutator] trait might have been able to lessen the blood thirst of the Deity of Bloodshed, suppress the greed of Feng Zhiruo's Elder, hold onto the Blood Slime's wishes, and keep Freed's mentality.

However, it seemed that the addition of the Deity of Soul Sacrifice's craziness and the countless souls' vengeance caused the trait to begin malfunctioning.

Taking in all those souls during the battle and absorbing the fragments of the Deity of Soul Sacrifice might be the best move at that time. However, the side effects were not something to be desired.