"Jack... where are you going?"
"We have enough to survive for a month!"
"I know, but your leg is still the same. The only way to get it back to normal is to go out there. I won't stop until I find someone who can help us... I can never give up!"
"Ah... you're right. I won't try to stop you anymore. Just come back to me!"
…..
Jack turned away, blushing with embarrassment, and quickly left the place.
Last night I was studying the route map I've made over the seven months since I woke up in
that hell.
I mark it carefully every day upon waking. Between six and seven months have passed, give or take—it's impossible to be sure of the exact time.
The next available route leads to a supposed military hospital on the outskirts of the city. If
I'm lucky, maybe I can find a cure for Valentine's leg there... I hope.
The advantage is that I've been here for months and discovered some underground tunnels
that can get me to these places quickly.
"Alright. According to my map, the fastest way is to head above ground to 'Smag Dog Burger' and cut a hole straight into the sewers. My goal is to avoid fighting as much as possible."
"Here I go."
Electricity surged through my body, and I concentrated it in my feet. I began to run at such a speed that no giant or disgusting monster could catch or touch me.
"Straight to Smag Dog without a hitch. How convenient it is to manipulate electricity!" I shouted as I ran, smiling while dodging swipes and surprise attacks from the city's creatures.
"Raaahhh zuuuuh. "
"Ka, ka, ka, kakaka. "
"You guys again? Dammit, Runners!"
"Don't get in my way, trash!" I yelled, preparing the vibration in both hands.
I accelerated straight toward them. I grabbed both their heads with my hands and slammed them together with all my strength. Their brains flew out of their skulls, killing them instantly.
"Done. Trash taken out, heh. I'm close to the spot on the map." "Ah... dammit, a lot of rotting meat has gathered behind me!"
Jack noted as he turned right toward the door of Smag Dog. He kicked the door open and entered. Thousands of creatures were heading for the building to attack him.
"See you, bastards," he muttered, preparing to expand the vibration to his fingertips. He clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the floor.
The floor began to crumble. Seconds later, I reached the tunnels. I started running, checking the map at every intersection. Hundreds of thousands of disgusting things dropped down to chase me, and a giant stuck its hand into the hole to try and catch me—but it got stuck.
"Thanks, you bastard... for lightening my load!"
Right... Left...
Left... Right...
Right... Right...
Left... Left... Right.
Interesting, there are still twenty behind me. No time. I'll crush them here.
I began to heat up my body. I clenched my fist and waited for them to jump toward me. I charged my legs with electricity and... quickly charred their heads one by one.
I'm leaving before the noise brings more. Right... Right...
Left... Left... Left... Right.
"Alright, this is it: 'Military Hospital: California Branch.'"
No way! I've been in California this whole time and didn't even realize it.
I entered the hospital, which was in ruins and a deplorable state. It was completely calm. Not a single sound except the echo of my footsteps down the long corridor.
When I reached the reception, I noticed... someone was there, with their back to me.
At first glance, they looked alive. However: could it be a monster? Or in the middle of changing?
I've seen corpses get up and turn into monsters before. Many have lunged for my neck or tried to rip my head off, but their teeth and hands break when they hit my body. I have to stay alert; the world is changing, and humans... aren't humans anymore.
I slowly approached the body in the reception chair. I turned it around slowly; the face was disfigured. One half was a girl's face with a bit of hair on the right side, but the left side had no hair, no eye, and a gaze so empty it chilled your soul.
Sonia... that was her name when she was alive.
She looked dead and alive at the same time. How terrifying! However, I've already
confirmed there's no sign of a monster transformation.
In all this time, I haven't been able to figure out the connection between the newly "awakened" and the monsters currently inhabiting this city. And whether they are, in fact, evolved humans.
I started walking again, slowly and in a straight line.
Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap. A sound of knocking against a door came from behind me, right where I had just been.
I returned to the spot immediately, and everything was exactly the same.
Something is lurking in this place. I focused on the path again.
Boom, Tap-tap-tap, Boom. The noise grew louder.
Electricity expanded outside my body. "Impossible... I don't detect any presence!" I walked toward the noise again, and... the corpse was no longer there.
Dammit, if it's a walking corpse, it seems to be a new type I can't detect.
To the right of the reception, there was a secret room. Inside, there was a bed, a small table, and a lamp on the right side. A huge window was open to the outside with a massive hole in it. The wind was blowing hard.
Thud. I jumped a bit at the sound of an object falling. I approached it; it clearly said FILE SAB-XM20. Opening it, the first page read:
Page One. Specimen One.
Name: Minion (Esbirro).
Description: Hollow-eyed aberration, blind, slightly visible spine.
Movement: On four legs.
Brain Capacity Percentage: 5%
Ability: Electrical echolocation.
Origin: Inconclusive or possible human evolution.
Page Two.
Specimen Two.
Name: Shocker.
Description: 1.90m to 2.00m tall, black eyes, torn and thin body, skin color: various.
Ability: Paralysis and body control.
Brain Capacity Percentage: 7% to 20%
Origin: Inconclusive or possible human evolution.
Page Three. Specimen Three. Name: Runner.
Description: 1.90m to 2.00m tall, black and red eyes, robust body, skin color: pale, almost white.
Brain Capacity Percentage: 20%
Ability: Electricity plus concentrated vibration in the legs.
Origin: Inconclusive or possible human evolution.
Page Four. Specimen Four. Name: Gigan.
Description: 7m to 30m+ tall, black and red eyes, muscular body.
Brain Capacity Percentage: 20% to 30%
Ability: Air acceleration: muscle enhancement. Origin: Inconclusive or possible human evolution.
Page Five.
Specimen Five.
Name: Arachne.
Description: (Page torn and stained with blood...)
Pages Six and Seven were torn from the file.
Page Eight.
Specimen Eight.
Name: Bunker.
Description: Height inconclusive, four blue or red eyes, mythological Dragon type.
Brain Capacity: Inconclusive.
Ability: Crimson Flames.
Power: Destroys an entire city with a single attack.
Origin: Mysterious.
I was speechless. This told me exactly what I'd been facing for so long! And why Dragon
had shouted that day: "Thirty-five percent, activated!"
According to this book, whatever is alive right now has exceeded the normal capacity of a human, pushing them beyond their natural limits. In short: Evolution...
Autor Note.
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