⁜ Mary Darkwood POV
There was a sterile scent and bleeping sound as the humidifier and breathing apparatus helped the young master of the Darkwood family breathe.
His mother was sitting outside in a black suit, her face looking nothing like a middle-aged woman due to her good skin care and genes.
"Doctor, are you sure my Seth will recover without any issues?"
The elderly doctor was, in fact, the director of the hospital, but due to the severity of the patient and his VVIP status, he came himself as a sign of respect and to avoid any troublesome situation as this mother and son were known to cause trouble over nothing wherever they went.
"Miss Darkwood. Do not worry—when he wakes, there should be short-term memory loss due to his fall, or his memories and thoughts might be out of place, but after taking every scan and test possible, there is no lasting damage."
Honestly, many people misunderstood this woman, Mary Darkwood, the widow of the late Judas Darkwood, an experienced and genius businessman who managed to tame the woman known as the Empress of Trade.
The two created a huge corporation worth billions in a few years and since his passing in an accident...
After that, it seemed like Mary became protective of their only son Seth, who was a bit of a playboy but had inherited both of their talents for business and trading—thus, she became too hysteric at times.
"I see... Seth will be okay, Judas, don't worry. I won't let anything happen to him."
She gave a polite bow to the doctor and entered the room, a gentle spray of sterilising air and scent spraying her face as she entered the room to find that her son was sitting up!
Seth was awake!
"S-Seth! You're okay... I am so glad!"
***
⁜ Seth Darkwood POV
A beautiful woman with silver hair and a mature look suddenly grabbed Seth's body, her arms stroking his back as she repeatedly kissed his face while calling his name.
"Seth... My baby, are you okay?"
Ah... this woman, she's so beautiful, who is she...?
"Ugh..."
A searing pain surged through Seth's skull, a relentless assault akin to steel bars mercilessly crushing his head. Memories, not his own, flooded his consciousness, a chaotic torrent threatening to drown his senses.
This guy... is so crazy about Su Muyue... what is this simp... damn so many gifts, and you haven't even gotten a blowjob!?
All of a sudden, countless memories and actions that he did not do entered his mind, creating a throbbing pain in the back of his skull while he hugged the beautiful silver-haired woman tightly, trying to endure the pain in his head.
"S-Seth!? Are you alright... Let me call the doctor!!"
No... I don't need that... Even with the guy's memories, it's hard to sort them... and I have other things to think about the date... when will the city become messed up?
"N-No... it's just a headache... Mother, please wait." Seth grimaced, a voice deeper and more attractive than his former one, causing him to feel jealous of himself for a moment as the pain seemed to disperse through his body.
"He is busy, and I am better just hugging you like this... ha....see?"
Damn... the feelings towards this mother are not quite that of family... her scent and breasts stop being strange!
There are billions of other women to sleep with all around this world! Treasure the first life you have a caring mother instead...
A strained smile played on Seth's lips, a feeble attempt to soothe his mother's distress as her eyes filled with tears as she kissed his cheeks obsessively and hugged him so tight he could feel her chest perfectly through his thin hospital gown.
"You made me worry so much... Falling from the rooftop. If that wasn't your garden below, Mommy might have lost my son and husband in the same decade."
"Oh my... it seems you grew up even healthier than your father..."
His mother backed off—after she saw the issue, Seth tried to hide, but she didn't say anything; instead, moving to the side of his bed, she looked out of the window, seeming to have changed into business mode...
"That Su Muyue girl, are you certain you want to go forward with this engagement party?"
No thanks... although she is a beauty and ranked SS+ once the virus spreads throughout the entire world and people begin evolving, I don't want to force that woman like this...
How would I ever get her in my bed if she's disgusted with me after all?
"Let's forget that, Mother, and change it to a business deal. The Su family has great power in the eastern market, and our family makes many elixirs that could benefit from their special herbs and secret ingredients." Seth's voice was stern as he leaned forward, holding his mother's hand with a confident gaze.
"Seth?"
The author, seemingly enamoured with cultivation, introduced it as a subgenre only to abandon it entirely by the second and third volumes.
I planned to use this loophole to try and purchase all the herbs and ingredients to make several potions and elixirs.
For his mother, this was the first time in the past two years her son had seen the light and stopped obsessing over a girl who was uninterested in him and his pathetic attempts to woo her.
"I'm not sure if it's due to the fall or my thoughts being all strange... but I feel like there were many recipes you could use for our pharmaceutical company in the south."
"Hmmm, do you think so? But if I leave, then won't you just run after her little butt again?"
How do I get her to go and make her realise that I don't need to obsess over that girl?
Oh...let's do that!
"If you do this favour for me... I will meet with your friend's daughter for an official meeting."
In the memories in my head, this lucky guy had a beautiful childhood friend.
It was never mentioned in the novel, but it seemed similar to a heroine who said that her pathetic, simp childhood friend rejected her and came to the city to find him...
He chose to chase a cold assed bitch instead of a sweet girl who would do anything for him when they were younger.
When she heard her son's words, Mary became shocked as she looked at him with scrutinising eyes... "How did this boy change? He was like a little lapdog for that Su girl... now he's willing to meet with Lan'er?"
She watched as he seemed to begin writing something on his phone before he made a large smile and gave a thumbs up to his mother. "Here, you should go to the south and test these. You'll thank me forever if you do!"
"Stupid boy... why would I—" Mary's words hung in the air. Her face shifted abruptly, the playful expression replaced by seriousness as she delved into each of the three recipes...
One was a beauty cream that claimed to permanently remove ten years off your skin, while continued use would remove an additional five...
The second was a pain relief medicine that helped soothe those with back problems or heavy period pains.
However, it was the last...
"Son... where did you see this?" Mary's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering.
"Who else knows?" She leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper, demanding answers. "Can they recite this recipe before I can test and develop it as a staple product?"
"She's speaking so fast!?" Seth marvelled at her rapid-fire words. "This woman is so intelligent... and quick-witted...
A product that could make one remain forever youthful from the moment they took the medicine, it would last forever and make them look at least five years younger.
Added with the other product, it combined to make the middle-aged women fifteen years younger—it did have limits, though and could never make anyone look younger than their adulthood... It seemed to be the author's way to avoid issues later on.
I don't know if this will happen in this strange world.
Seth hesitated, questioning the relevance of his actions in a world on the brink of collapse within six days... but he wanted to have his mother leave this city as it was the central city of the outbreak for the West.
The novel mentioned the recipes in the first ten chapters, but never got made...
Seth wanted to test whether the small things he remembered could be used.
I just hope that the testing can help keep her safe, at least until it's finished because there is another side effect to the youth-inducing medicine...
It makes a person immune to the early stages of infection...
Until later in the novel, when the zombies began to evolve, this medicine was touted to be enough to make their danger much lower for at least a year and was something that the protagonist of the novel spent much of the first volumes searching for information on.
He then began to write another note and plan and sent it to her with details regarding how to test them in the best conditions and what temperatures would be the most optimal and dangerous things to do when testing.
The more Mary Darkwood read, the more impressed and stunned she was with her son's changes... her heart was racing as if seeing her late husband sitting in front of her as he smirked, making the notes.
"Son, Mommy loves you the most, but this could make our company finally reach the top leagues, even in the West!"
I know she doesn't want to leave, but her heart and promise to Dad was to make the Darkwood Corporation one of the top ten in the world...
"It's okay—I am alright with that woman you hired to help protect me. I will behave and find a path for me to take."
Abruptly, a mechanical voice echoed in Seth's mind, detailing completing the optional task.
⁜Apocalypse Survival System
∟ Completed Optional Task (Save Mother)
In a heart-wrenching sacrifice, your mother, trapped under burning rubble, chose infection to save her staff members from certain death, calling you and your father's name in her last moments before transforming into the first Overlord Ranked Zombie.
∟ Rewards
Your mother's fate is now her own! No longer locked to the novel's story, she can do anything or become anything if she endeavours to improve!
Basic Body Cleansing Treatment
Basic Body Enhancing Therapy
Basic Marksmanship Skill
Uncommon Quality Handgun (Large Magazine)
Gain 10 Experience