While Marcus' clones inspect the mansion, I head to the door next to the fire before opening it. I walk down the hallway, my footsteps echoing softly on the wooden floor, until I come across a classic Zombie T. Without hesitation, I reach out and capture it, adding this new creature to my arsenal.
Unlike the research center, I am alone here. Every creature I come across is an opportunity to seize, a new addition to my growing army. I will methodically capture absolutely every creature that passes through my hands.
I will not let any threat go free, every monster encountered will be assimilated and used to my advantage. My proactive approach is clear: I am here to dominate this place, to transform every abomination into a powerful ally.
Far from being a simple observer, I become a predator in this mansion, every creature I come across is potential prey. My goal is simple but ambitious: to clear this place of any threat while strengthening my own power.
I quickly run between the various positions of Marcus' clones whenever I receive a report of creatures or other interesting elements. The first thing I notice is that Marcus' clones are like T-zombies: slightly stronger but slower than a normal human. Their intelligence is on the same level as a trained dog.
They understand orders and carry them out, but they cannot show initiative when the situation goes beyond the instructions given. The main problem is that they cannot even break down a door without spending a lot of time doing so. So, I take it upon myself to break down all the doors in my path to facilitate their exploration, while I focus on capturing the Crimson Heads that haunt these places.
I quickly cross the main hall of the mansion, the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling diffusing a dim light. I pass old paintings of landscapes and family portraits, their faces staring back at me with blank stares.
As I open a door leading to a reception room, I come across a Crimson Head, its red eyes glowing in the dim light. It lunges at me with inhuman ferocity. With a swift movement, I immobilize and capture it, adding its strength to my ranks.
I continue my exploration, crossing a long corridor lined with tapestries depicting hunting scenes. Marcus' clones alert me to another creature in an adjacent room. I break the door open and discover another Crimson Head, feeding on a corpse. I catch it before it can react, capturing it as well.
I then head to the library, a large room with shelves filled with old books. The smell of yellowed paper and aged leather fills the air. Another Crimson Head leaps out of the shadows, its claws reaching out towards me. I quickly subdue it, adding another capture to my arsenal.
In the kitchen, the floor is littered with pots and pans scattered about. A Crimson Head approaches me, growling gutturally. I capture it before it can touch me, securing another room.
Each encounter with a Crimson Head brings me closer to my goal. The Spencer Mansion, with its many nooks and crannies and lavishly decorated rooms, becomes a methodical hunting ground. Marcus' clones continue to explore, their rigid movements and limited understanding requiring my frequent intervention.
I cross the ballroom, its large mirrors reflecting the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Another Crimson Head stands before me, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. With a sure gesture, I immobilize and capture it, adding to my power.
After about an hour of intensive hunting here, I have captured nearly every zombie roaming the mansion. My exploration reaches its climax when I find an old wooden door covered in multiple layers of cobwebs. The air is thick with the smell of mold and dust, and a sense of impending danger washes over me as I prepare to enter.
I push the door open, which creaks ominously as it opens, revealing a vast and dark room. The walls are decorated with old stones covered in moss and lichen, and roots burrow into the ground, adding a natural and eerie ambiance to the place. Rays of light filter through cracks in the ceiling, casting strange patterns on the uneven floor.
In the center of the room, there is a large skylight surrounded by debris and pieces of broken wood. Overturned bookcases and antique furniture, covered in dust, add a touch of abandonment to the atmosphere. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling like ghostly sails, swaying gently in a cold draft.
Suddenly, a swift movement catches my attention. A shiver runs down my spine as I see the giant serpent Yawn emerge from the shadows. Its massive body writhes with surprising agility, scales glinting in the dim light. Its piercing eyes fix on me, filled with primal intelligence and insatiable hunger.
Yawn steps forward, its movements fluid and silent in contrast to its imposing size. Its sharp teeth gleam with poisonous liquid, ready to deliver a deadly bite. I can almost smell the acrid stench of poison leaking from its fangs, adding a tangible note of menace to its presence.
"I hope you won't hold it against me," I say, dodging its lightning bite with a quick leap. "But I prefer to stack the odds in my favor," I declare mockingly, summoning two Centurions to counter the serpent's massive body.
The two Centurions, giant centipedes with fearsome mandibles, appear on either side of Yawn, ready to engage in combat. The giant serpent, surprisingly fast, quickly wraps itself around one of the Centurions, its scales rubbing against the chitinous segments of the centipedes with a shrill noise.
The Centurions react by violently biting the body of the serpent with their powerful mandibles, seeking to immobilize it. One of the Centurions manages to grab Yawn's tail, while the other tries to hold the head of the serpent by using its multiple legs to block it.
Yawn, despite his entanglement with the Centurions, shows disconcerting agility. He struggles with brutal force, managing to bite one of the centipedes, his fangs sinking into the hard shell. Poison oozes from Yawn's fangs, but the Centurion, resisting, continues to maintain his hold.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, I rush to help my summons. However, Yawn quickly turns and, with an unexpected movement, manages to bite me on the arm. The pain is searing, the poison quickly seeping into my flesh as I struggle to free myself from his hold. I feel an unspeakable amount of liquid added to my bloodstream.
With a cry of rage, I gather all my strength and, in a desperate movement, I twist Yawn's body with such force that one of his fangs breaks under the pressure. The snake recoils, freeing my arm, a trail of blood and venom flowing from his mouth.
The Centurions waste no time and attack again, their mandibles sinking into Yawn's body, seeking to incapacitate him. The snake, weakened by the loss of its fang, struggles to free itself, but the giant centipedes show implacable determination.
I stand up, pain pulsing in my arm, but I refuse to give in. The Centurions continue to harass Yawn, their coordinated attacks undermining the giant snake's defenses. Finally, in a last ditch effort, one of the Centurions manages to sink his mandibles deep into Yawn's neck, pinning him to the ground with incredible force.
I slowly approach the snake, completely bound, attentive to every movement. I observe him one last time before placing my hand on his head.
DING
T-virus mutation detected or Yawn, absorption will take 30 seconds.
The time will be reduced by 10 seconds due to the bonus on T-virus mutations.
The time will be reduced by 20 seconds due to the injuries and significant bleeding suffered.
30, 0
T-virus mutation detected or Yawn successfully absorbed available in the factory
1 Yawn will be produced every 20 days. You have 2 Yawn directly in the factory.
You will be able to instantly subdue any giant snake mutated with the T-virus that is not under your control with a simple touch.
Feeling the weakness overwhelming me because of the poison, I call back the two Centurions before summoning three Zombie G to take me to the infirmary of the mansion, where I know there is serum for the venom.
"I should have prepared a dose instead of thinking I'm invincible," I thought as I removed the hook from my arm. The hole caused by the hook is closing before my eyes, while there is no longer a trace of the wound, except for my torn sleeve.
As I am carried by one of Jordan's clones, the other two escorting us, I feel the poison slowly spreading through my body. Each beat of my heart seems to amplify the pain and weakness. My breath becomes short, and my vision begins to blur.
The walls of the manor pass before me, their outlines becoming blurred and indistinct. Shadows seem to dance on the periphery of my vision, adding a nightmarish dimension to this already oppressive place. Each step of my bearers echoes like a drum, and each vibration worsens my feeling of dizziness.
My thoughts blur, mixing in a whirlwind of confusion and despair. Memories of past battles and the faces of my comrades blend with reality, creating a chaotic mosaic of images and sounds. The weight of my own body becomes unbearable, and I feel myself sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.
I try to stay conscious, to keep my eyes open, but the poison is relentless. A burning fever takes hold of me, turning my skin into a furnace. My heart beats at a frantic pace, each pulse sending a wave of pain through my body.
"Not yet... I can't fall now..." I whisper, my words trailing off in a hoarse breath.
The light around me fades, dwindling to a single point in the growing darkness. Sounds become distant, as if they're coming from another world. My muscles relax, and I feel my eyelids closing despite my best efforts to stay awake.
Finally, exhaustion wins. My mind disconnects from my body, plunging into a silent, soothing nothingness. I pass out, carried away by fever and poison, letting my Jordan clones carry me to the infirmary, to the hope of an antidote and a revival.
I wake up in a bed in the infirmary, my body still a little heavy. In front of me stands Marcus, as well as the three G Zombies, but I don't see any empty serum bottles around me.
"Hello, Gerald," he says before motioning for me to stay calm. "When you passed out, your subconscious summoned me to get you out of trouble, so I followed the three you called here," he says, answering my first question without me asking it.
"Why do I still feel heavy?" I ask Marcus, who smiles at me.
"I didn't inoculate you with the serum and I let your metabolism resist the poison. Gerald, you should know that a venomous snake can kill an adult man without proper care. However, this snake is a rare biological weapon with a poison 100 times more powerful. A scratch is enough to cause death in about fifteen minutes, but you..." he said, catching his breath.
"You took nearly 10 liters of poison and you didn't die. I monitored your condition for four hours to decide if I was going to inject you with the serum, but your body mutated to resist the poison. Now, you should be impervious to most venoms and toxins in this world," he said, admiring my body's adaptability.
I lay my head back on the pillow, assimilating the information.
"I understand, so I won't hold it against you, even if it cuts short my time exploring this place," I said, calling them back into the factory with two of the G Zombies.
"You, guard the door while I rest for a few more minutes," I ordered the last G Zombie, who left the room.
Marcus had made me aware of my body's incredible ability to adapt. His scientific lecture on the power of the poison and how my metabolism had managed to fight it gave me new insight into my abilities.
"Body," I asked for the first time since the center.
Body: ON/OFF
- Strength: 4452 kg / 80 kg
- Speed: 93 m/s / 10m/s
- Resistance: 8745 kg/cm² / 8745 kg/cm²
- High resistance to flames and heat
- Immunity to venom and natural toxin
- Increased resistance to synthetic poisons.
(Editor's note: a little fun chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, thank you very much to those who offer me power stones but if you can, don't hesitate to decorate the chapters with gifs and comments, I love seeing your reactions and don't hesitate to ask questions even if I can't answer them completely to avoid spoilers, have a good evening ^^)