I quickly stepped through the destroyed entrance of the East Wing. The former doors were now nothing more than a pile of shattered wood and twisted metal scattered across the corridor. Behind me, Leon advanced with his weapon drawn, while the blind colossus I had recently mutated inside my Factory served as a reliable backup plan for any unfavorable encounter.
The atmosphere in this wing was even worse than in the West Wing.
The lights flickered more frequently here, and some sections were completely swallowed by darkness. A metallic odor lingered in the air, mixed with the scents of disinfectant and decaying flesh.
I moved swiftly through the main corridor, capturing five ordinary zombies wandering the halls along the way. Now that the System recognized this mutated strain, they vanished instantly into the Factory the moment I touched them.
Convenient.
Eventually, we arrived at a large operating room whose sliding door had been left partially open.
As I stepped inside, I slowed slightly.
The room looked like a cross between a surgical theater and a clandestine laboratory. The medical lamps still projected a harsh white light onto a central operating table...
Where a body lay opened from the sternum all the way down to the pelvis.
Completely hollowed out.
Not a single organ remained.
Even the ribs had been neatly spread apart, as though someone had methodically searched through the patient's insides.
"Jesus..." Leon muttered behind me.
I calmly approached the table while my back vines pushed aside several surgical instruments stained with dried blood.
Then I noticed a metallic injector resting beside a surgical tray.
A small label sat just beneath it.
Hemolytic Injector:Special substance designed to destroy infected blood cells.Prevents contaminated bodies from mutating.Side effects: Extremely violent biological reactions in infected subjects.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Strangely enough... I really don't feel like testing this thing on myself."
I immediately stored the injector in my inventory before capturing two more zombies still wandering slowly through the room, probably former patients.
We continued down the adjacent hallway when a repetitive noise caught my attention.
CLICK.CLICK.CLICK.
A zombie stood beside a wall switch, compulsively alternating between light and darkness like a child playing with a toy.
Leon sighed.
"That guy really found his passion after death."
I glanced briefly at the hemolytic injector in my hand.
Then at the zombie.
Then back at the injector.
"You know what... might as well test this thing now."
"Gerald—"
My back vines struck before Leon could finish his sentence.
One of them drove the injector directly into the zombie's neck from a distance before immediately retracting.
For a second...
Nothing happened.
Then the zombie's body began to swell.
Violently.
Its veins instantly turned black while its skin stretched in a grotesque manner. Its stomach expanded like a balloon on the verge of bursting.
The zombie let out a horrifying scream.
Then—
BOOOOM.
Its body literally exploded.
A rain of flesh, blood, and pulverized bone instantly coated the walls, the ceiling, and a large portion of the corridor.
One of its arms even smashed against a window several meters away.
Silence fell.
Leon stood frozen for a few seconds before slowly wiping a chunk of flesh off his jacket.
"...Disgusting."
Leon looked over the carnage covering the corridor.
"I understand the 'violent reactions' mentioned in the description now. Though 'turns subjects into bloody shrapnel' would have been a lot more accurate."
I calmly nodded.
"That's why you always test unknown products from a safe distance."
"Or don't test them at all."
"Less fun option."
Leon let out a deep sigh as we immediately changed rooms to avoid walking through the still-smoking remains of the exploded zombie.
We then entered a laboratory that was noticeably cleaner than the rest of the wing.
And immediately, my eyes locked onto a metallic machine mounted against the wall.
The Blood Collector.
The same device mentioned by the upgrade module I had found earlier.
Several transparent reservoirs filled with dark blood were connected to the machine through thick tubes, while a digital panel displayed various incomprehensible biological statistics.
I quickly picked up the manual beside it.
Then I read a few lines.
And remained silent for a second.
"...What kind of weird world is this?"
Leon took the manual from my hands while I inspected the machine.
"Seriously..." he muttered while reading. "You can create things from infected blood?"
He slowly raised his eyes toward me.
"That's really... I can't even call it unscientific considering you literally walk around with a living dimensional reserve inside your body."
I paused for a moment.
Then I realized the irony of my own remark.
...
"Okay. Fair point."
Leon finally showed a small satisfied smile before shrugging.
"Thanks. After all, I've got a divine boss, mutant parasites inside my body, and superhuman powers. Logic became relative a long time ago."
I snorted softly before turning my attention back to the Blood Collector installed in the center of the laboratory.
The machine emitted a low hum, connected to several bags of blackish blood hanging from metal hooks. Transparent tubes ran throughout the main structure while a strange red laser periodically scanned the reservoirs as if automatically analyzing their biological contents.
"Still..." I murmured while studying the device with interest, "if this thing really works the way the manual says... we may have just found a new way to produce useful supplies."
I immediately began searching through the laboratory tables.
Among several shattered test tubes and medical notes covered in dried blood, I eventually found a small sample labeled:
Denatured Infected Blood — Gideon Strain
"Jackpot."
I carefully placed the tube into a laser microscope integrated into the Blood Collector.
Immediately, several luminous lines swept across the sample while symbols and biological data appeared on the main display.
Then a series of recipes automatically unlocked.
9mm Ammunition Unlocked.Hemolytic Injector Unlocked.
Leon observed the screen for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head.
"They have technology that borders on the impossible... and they're still using computers from the pre-Raccoon era."
I looked at the massive beige CRT monitor mounted on the wall.
It crackled faintly.
"...Yeah, when you put it that way, it's kind of unsettling."
I then turned toward him.
"Give me some of your blood. I want to see if it unlocks additional recipes."
Leon immediately sighed.
"Of course. Because giving my blood to a guy who already owns a dimensional biological factory is completely normal."
"Exactly."
With visible resignation, he finally held out his arm while I used a medical syringe abandoned on a nearby table to draw a small sample.
I then did the same with my own blood.
The Blood Collector immediately reacted to the new analyses.
Using Leon's blood, two additional recipes appeared:
Injectable Remedy.12-Gauge Ammunition.
"Interesting..." I murmured.
Then I analyzed my own sample.
...
Silence.
I slowly blinked.
Available Production: 90% Alcohol.
Leon looked at me.
Then at the screen.
Then he completely burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA! Seriously?! Your blood can be used to make alcohol?!"
I stared at him for several seconds before sighing.
"I'm going to pretend that's related to my former complex biological mutations."
"Or your body just turned into a walking distillery."
I decided to ignore that comment and properly installed the Blood Collector onto its primary support frame, permanently transferring the unlocked recipes into the machine.
Then I checked the required components.
For 9mm ammunition:
Scrap metal + contaminated blood.
For Hemolytic Injectors:
Scrap metal + contaminated blood.
For my alcohol...
Only contaminated blood.
"This world is really weird..."
I thought about it for a few seconds before shrugging.
Then I directly stabbed the collector into my own arm.
The suction system immediately activated with an unpleasant wet sound.
Almost instantly, a wave of weakness washed through my body as a significant amount of blood was drawn into the machine's internal reservoirs.
Even with my regeneration...
The sensation was horrible.
I quickly pulled the device out less than ten seconds later and staggered slightly.
"Damn..."
Leon immediately caught me by the shoulder.
"You really just volunteered as a living blood bag for an unknown machine."
I looked at the collector.
80 / 150 units.
"At least the expansion module works."
I then selected the 90% alcohol recipe.
The collector immediately began vibrating before slowly dispensing a clear liquid into a beaker positioned beneath it.
Almost a full liter.
For forty units of blood.
Leon watched the process with a completely bewildered expression.
"So weird..."
Then he grabbed a small bag filled with rusty metal fragments lying on the desk.
"Here. Try the ammunition."
I poured the scrap metal into the upper compartment before activating the 9mm rounds recipe.
The collector began humming again.
The metal almost instantly melted inside the machine, mixing with the remaining contaminated blood.
Then—
CLICK.
Eight perfectly new bullets dropped out of the other side of the device.
Shiny.
Functional.
As if they had come straight out of a miniature industrial factory.
Leon and I remained silent for several seconds as we stared at the ammunition.
Then he slowly picked up the rounds.
"Keep this thing safe."
His tone had become much more serious.
"It's probably one of the best items in this world."
I slowly nodded before carefully storing the collector in my inventory after confirming it was completely empty.
Fortunately...
I could already feel my body gradually recovering. The weakness caused by the blood loss was slowly fading thanks to my regeneration, even if I was still far from my true level of power.
"Well..." Leon said as he reloaded his pistol with the freshly produced rounds. "The longer we stay here, the more ridiculous this place gets."
I didn't answer.
Because deep down...
He was right.
We quickly left the laboratory and returned to the main corridor. The area was still covered in the aftermath of my earlier test. Blood and dried chunks of flesh stained the walls and ceiling, while the metallic smell had become almost suffocating.
We soon passed a heavy reinforced metal door bearing an unsettling inscription:
Isolation Ward
I paused briefly in front of it.
My eyes narrowed slightly before I continued walking.
"Later."
Leon looked at me.
"You sure?"
"I'm still weakened. And judging by the name of that section... I'd rather avoid releasing another nightmare for now."
He immediately nodded.
We continued until we reached a large intersection. One direction led toward the immense waiting room where the blind zombie had originally been captured, while the other led to a staircase ascending to the upper floors.
I chose the stairs immediately.
Then—
BOOOOM.
The floor violently shook beneath our feet.
The entire stairwell vibrated.
Dust rained down from the ceiling.
Leon instantly raised his weapon.
"Fuck... what is it now?!"
I didn't even have time to answer.
The sound of massive flesh scraping against the walls echoed from the floor above.
Then something appeared at the top of the stairs.
And this time...
Even I froze for half a second.
The monster practically filled the entire width of the corridor.
A gigantic mass.
Deformed.
Its body looked swollen with diseased flesh and hypertrophied muscles, as if several corpses had been fused together into a single being. Thick patches of grayish skin hung loosely in places, while its enormous torso rose and fell with a wheezing, monstrous breath.
But the worst part...
Was its face.
Or rather, what remained of it.
A gigantic mouth stretched across the center of its misshapen head, hanging open in a silent scream. Its tiny, glassy eyes seemed almost drowned within the bloated flesh covering its skull.
And despite its absurd bulk...
The creature was fast.
Far too fast.
Every step made the stairwell walls tremble.
"...Oh shit," Leon muttered.
The monster suddenly let out a wet, guttural roar and charged straight toward us.
The entire staircase shook.
"FALL BACK!" I shouted immediately.
I spun around and ran with Leon without even attempting to fight that thing in my current condition.
Behind us, the monstrosity threw itself down the staircase.
BOOOOM.
Part of the railing exploded beneath its weight.
Fortunately, the stairwell had several sharp turns between floors.
Otherwise...
We would have been dead.
The monster was literally barreling down the stairs like an avalanche of living flesh, incapable of properly navigating the corners. At every turn, its enormous body smashed violently into the walls with monstrous impacts that cracked the concrete.
BOOOM.
KRAAAASH.
Chunks of plaster and twisted metal flew in every direction as we raced down the stairs four steps at a time. Behind us, the monstrosity continued its descent like a living landslide, its massive body shattering railings and cracking walls with every collision.
BOOOOM.
An entire section of ceiling nearly collapsed behind Leon, who dove aside at the last possible second.
"Fuck!" he cursed as he rolled across the floor before immediately getting back up.
We finally reached the ground floor amid a deafening cacophony. The larger open space of the secondary hall finally allowed me to breathe properly and, more importantly...
Use something bigger.
I immediately extended my hand in front of me.
"Come out."
An organic opening appeared behind us, distorting the air with a dark ripple.
Then my blind colossus emerged from the Factory.
Even after his mutation, his size remained impressive. Three meters of compressed muscle nearly filled the corridor by himself, his bony plates cracking softly as he slowly turned his head.
The Chunk arrived a second later.
The monster literally exploded through the final corner of the staircase in a shower of concrete before charging straight at us.
And yet...
My colossus didn't move a single step.
He simply turned his head toward it.
As if he could see perfectly despite having no eyes.
Then he intercepted the mass of flesh head-on.
BOOOOOM.
The impact shook the entire corridor.
The two monsters crashed into the opposite wall, fracturing the concrete under the sheer force of the collision. But unlike the Chunk, my colossus seemed perfectly stable.
His enormous arms closed around the creature with a monstrous crunch before he lifted it slightly off the ground...
Then he slammed it violently into the ground.
KRAAAASH.
The Chunk roared in fury, its gaping mouth releasing a wet, inhuman sound as it struggled to break free. But my blind mutant held it down with almost insulting ease.
"...Okay," Leon muttered, taking a small step back. "I'm really starting to like your army."
The Chunk tried to move again.
Without success.
Its massive body was completely immobilized.
I immediately approached and placed my hand against its bloated flesh.
This time...
The capture worked instantly.
Chunk Zombie acquired.
Restoration of missing cerebral tissue required.A Plagas is required for neural substitution.
I didn't waste a second.
I immediately generated a modified Plagas from the Factory and sent it into the repair process.
Biological data instantly scrolled before my eyes.
Brain repair completed successfully.
Two stabilization options available:
— Evolutionary Mutation: Unlimited growth as long as organic material is provided.Warning: Extremely high biological consumption.
— Armored Mutation: Specialization in demolition and speed.Development of a reinforced bony carapace.
I remained silent for a moment.
The first option sounded far too much like a future problem.
I already had Nemesis in reserve for that kind of uncontrolled evolution.
I immediately selected the second option.
Second option.
The System instantly confirmed the choice.
Armored Transformation Confirmed.Specimen stored within the Factory.
I let out a satisfied sigh while my blind colossus also disappeared back into the Factory after completing his mission.
"Great..." Leon muttered as he stared at the enormous impact marks left in the stairwell walls. "That one was easy."
His gaze then drifted toward the completely wrecked staircase.
Then to the size of the holes punched into the concrete.
I could clearly see his imagination showing him what would have happened if he had been hit head-on.
Probably a very impressive red stain.
"Yeah," I replied calmly. "Good thing he was too big to handle corners properly."
Leon nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"I definitely prefer normal zombies."
I chuckled softly before turning my attention toward the now-devastated staircase.
"Come on."
I fully stored the newly armored Chunk inside the Factory before heading back toward the upper floors.
"Let's go see if we can find something useful before another nightmare crawls out of the walls."
"You literally just jinxed us," Leon muttered as he followed anyway.
(Author's Note: See you next week ^^)