Chereads / Shut-In Of The 'Dead' / Chapter 42 - Stranger Danger

Chapter 42 - Stranger Danger

Kazuichi knew what it felt to be bitten, and he knew just how fast the virus would take effect on his body since he had already experienced it in the past. The difference between this bite and the bite he underwent in the past was that— he already has the virus flowing in his veins.

Surely, the effect of the additional infection would be nothing compared to his first time. Or so that's what Kazuichi thought.

Before they could reach the foot of the building wherein they'd be staying for the night, Kazuichi tripped as a throbbing headache overcame him. Veins started popping all over his body as his blood flow was constricted. The virus was stronger than Kazuichi had initially assumed, and now it was taking over his body as if he was experiencing a brand new infection.

"Argh~!" Kazuichi groaned as he squirmed on the ground. He still had his consciousness intact, but his instincts as an infected were beginning to heighten, and his senses were becoming more sensitive than ever before. And his unusual attraction to flesh abnormally ran rampant in his body. Before, he saw Tris as an ally, but now he was already seeing Tris as something to bite on.

"Kazuichi, are you okay?" Tris asked as she struggled to get up on her feet. She could clearly see that Kazuichi was about to turn into an infected, but she didn't want to leave him right then and there. After all, she owes him her life. Even if he were to become an infected, she should at least pretend to help him.

"Get out of here. I'll join you once I control myself." Kazuichi muttered to himself, tearing a piece of clothing from his already tattered t-shirt and putting it in his mouth. This was his poor attempt at suppressing his urge to bite someone.

"No, let me pull you over here." Tris adamantly refused. Deep inside, she wanted to run away, steer clear from Kazuichi who was about to turn into a man-eating monster. But she still had a sense of compassion in her, and she didn't want Kazuichi to suffer even if he was already turning.

Ignoring Kazuichi's plea, Tris grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him inside the building where they'll be staying. While he won't be staying on the same floor as her, he'd be safe from the horde who had been lurking by the edge of the forest.

Honestly, it already took every cell in Kazuichi's body to stop himself from biting Tris. That's why when Tris dragged him inside the building, he didn't have the power to resist. He simply let Tris do her thing, dragging him to safety and all that.

"Thanks, now you should leave. If you don't, we're both going to die." Kazuichi shooed Tris for the second time. At this point, Kazuichi feared that Tris would still insist on staying with him. If that were to happen, then there was no way he'd be able to rein in the virus in his body. The temptation would be too severe.

"All right. I'll go up to the penthouse. I'll wait for you there, okay?" Tris muttered with a deep look of concern in her eyes. She turned away and headed up the flight of stairs before Kazuichi could say anything else.

"Now that's better." Kazuichi heaved a sigh of relief as he succumbed to the virus.

If a hybrid was bitten by an infected a second time, there are only two things that could happen. One, the infected who bit the hybrid is carrying a stronger or different strain of the virus, causing the hybrid to get infected a second time. If this were to happen, the hybrid is at risk of turning into a mindless infected. This is presumably dangerous since a mindless hybrid is more threatening than a normal infected or an aberrant. Furthermore, their abilities are still intact if they were to turn into mindless infected. A Hound will still have its speed, a Merc will still have its balanced capabilities, and a Bulwark would still be defensive.

And two, the hybrid who bit the infected has the same or weaker strain of the virus. This is highly unlikely to happen, but if it did, the hybrid who was bitten a second time could count himself lucky. Not only would this make the virus in his body more potent, but it could even give him a power boost, turning him into an even stronger hybrid.

This is the reason why Hybrid Blood fetches for a good price in Hybrid Auctions. For example, if a Hound drinks a tolerable amount of blood from another Hound, it could give him a power-up. Hybrid Blood could also be used to infect another person and they would have a better chance of turning into a hybrid instead of becoming a mindless infected (that's another topic for another time though)

"I was careless... too careless... let's just hope that I don't turn into an infected. Was it worth it risking my life for a girl I just met? Sigh~ this is why you shouldn't be too kind during an apocalypse." Kazuichi muttered to himself as his body started heating up.

A fever now plagued his body, and he squirmed in pain as his headache aggravated. It wasn't the most pleasant of feelings. Kazuichi could've sworn that dying would feel so much better compared to how he felt at the moment.

"At least... haah.... she was kind enough to drag me inside the building. I guess I won't have to worry about other infected biting me while I'm here."

...

At the penthouse on the rooftop of the building,

The moment Tris got to the top floor, she heaved a sigh of relief. At least she'd be safe here, and she'll be able to get plenty of rest while her ankle recovered.

Rustle. Rustle.

Tris realized a little too late that she wasn't alone in the penthouse. Before she knew it, a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulder and pinned him on the ground. "Where do you think you're going, miss?" The man asked as he licked his lips.