Mutated Humans

Zhan didn't mind revealing just a little bit about his power. If this group was going to be working together, perhaps it would be best to understand one another. Still, Zhan planned to keep the system a secret for now. It was too strange, even he didn't trust this 'system' entirely.

'0.2 agility.'

'0.2 defence.'

He added more life-points as he felt himself recover from the previous addition. Every improvement made a big difference, even when the points were spread across different sub attributes.

"You seem to be improving just by sitting here..." Miu narrowed her eyes as she watched Zhan tremble for a moment, before regaining his posture. His aura also gradually began to rise higher…

"As I said, it's complicated. My improvements don't come immediately after killing, but killing is needed to trigger the improvement." He dismissed Miu's confusion with this. She saw that he clearly didn't want to explain further and dropped it there.

"Miu, don't overexert yourself." Zhan suddenly said. Miu blinked and turned towards him, then smiled wryly as she realised that Zhan had been watching her.

She was trying to analyse as much as possible…all of the people in this room, basically. The more she analysed, the more detailed her analysis became. She took one final glance around the room, then paused on two individuals.

"Zhan, those two are-"

"I know." He sighed and stood up, stretching slightly, before opening a second black case, identical to the other case he used to carry his spear.

The spear he used before was dulled in his recent fights. It could be sharpened, but he had the syndicate create 10 identical spears, just in case. Shia had brought up two of them along with the other weapons ten minutes earlier.

"Zhan, I can help!" Shia quickly stood up, leaving Miu to hold Nui as she continued to sleep soundly.

"I'm going to kill those two people. Shia, you don't need to do this."

What Miu and Zhan noticed at the same time, were the two individuals who were currently undergoing mutations…the type of mutation that would leave them violent and without mental clarity. After following his firm gaze, Shia also noticed these two people. Not long after they both stood up, some others noticed that something was wrong.

There were others who had undergone mutations, but only two who developed red, bloodshot eyes, and started breathing heavily whilst releasing their killing aura.

This was the reason that not many people would choose to deliberately awaken by consuming mutated beast flesh, or even just by coming into contact with the blood like Miu and Nui. There was a chance they could mutate, a chance to develop a superpower…or the chance to turn into an insane monster.

Out of the eight people who had undergone changes, including Miu, it seemed like two had lost their minds. This 1 in 4 statistic was similar to that which was reported in the news over the past month; undergoing the 'awakening' as many were now calling it, had a 1 in 4 chance of either killing a human or sending them insane.

"I…I can do this!" Shia clenched her fists and turned to Zhan with a determined, albeit shaky look. Zhan sighed and shook his head, then patted Shia's shoulder when he walked past her.

"These two are too strong, it's dangerous for you. Let me handle it whilst you protect Miu and Nui."

Shia bit her lip and clenched her teeth harder, but did as she was told and hung back. Looking at those two individuals again, she realised that they gave her an extremely ominous and somewhat terrifying feeling.

They were growing stronger by the second.

"Move out of the way!" Zhan yelled out coldly. The crowd scattered, aside from one man who hung back and stood between Zhan and a mutating woman. He was shaking in fear, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please, she's my wife, please just let us leave instead!" The man sounded desperate, but Zhan wasn't so easily swayed. He stopped, looked the man in the eyes and sighed.

"Your wife is going to kill you if you don't move." He stated plainly. The man's eyes widened and he turned around, facing his wife with a disbelieving gaze.

"S-Sarah, it's me, Richard! Please Sarah, I know you're in there, you-"

"GRAAAH!" The woman suddenly stood up straight, her two blood red eyes staring at her loving husband with only killing intent directed towards him. Her previously well kept black hair now looked greasy, whilst her skin was turning a sickly shade of green.

Whoosh!

The woman didn't move, but her hair rapidly exploded outwards whilst elongating.

CHI CHI!

The hair grew to a length of twenty feet, curving around the empty space before stabbing through the her husband's brain from either end. The woman then stayed standing and entered a sort of trance, whilst the man's body began to wither and-

Whoosh!

Zhan had seen enough. He rushed forwards, intending to stop the woman before she could absorb her husband's energy. Zhan could feel her aura rising by the second, it wouldn't be good if she finished 'feeding'.

Chi!

Zhan first cut through the man's withered neck, drawing the woman's attention away from her meal.

CHING!

He cut upwards through her hair, finally causing the woman to let go of the head. She turned towards Zhan but didn't move…only her hair began to wave about wildly, attacking Zhan from four different directions.

Everyone who saw this felt their hearts skip a beat, it was too eery, too terrifying! With such a strange method of attacking, who the hell would be able to predict and counter attack this?

CHI! CHI! CHI!

Zhan cut all four strands of hair as he rushed forwards. The hair chains paused, then eight new chains formed and rushed towards him. Zhan narrowed his eyes and lifted the spear over his head, before stepping forwards and throwing it across the final 15 feet stretch.

He stared with wide eyes, not avoiding the hair spears directed towards him, but just standing there motionlessly.

BANG!

The woman's head exploded in a mist of blood. The hair around him dropped to the floor along with the woman, she was clearly dead.

"RAAAH!"

Of course, that wasn't the end. Zhan never stopped paying attention to the second mutated human, an obese man that nobody stepped in to protect.

Zhan remained calm, then turned towards his side and punched the man in the throat.

BANG!

"Keuh…!" The man was stopped in his tracks, then fell to the floor as Zhan stepped out of the way. Before the man even hit the ground, Zhan lifted up his foot and stomped down on the back of his neck. When he saw the white light travel from the man and enter his own body, he knew that like the woman, this person was now dead.

The woman gave him 0.6 life-points, the obese man only 0.1.

'So insane mutated humans give me just as much as the equivalent strength beasts…interesting.' Zhan thought briefly. He retrieved his spear from the wall just behind the mutated woman, ignoring all of the shocked stares before returning to the girls.

"Nui, you're awake, great!" Zhan was happy to see her awake. This girl's power had put him into a good mood…not only because it increased their chances of surviving, but because if she trained this ability properly, he wouldn't need to worry about getting badly injured in a fight!

"Zhan, I'm, I'm sorry, I've caused everyone more trouble again." Nui muttered shamefully.

"Nui…" Zhan rubbed the young girl's head once again, an action he was completely unable to resist whenever he was next to her.

"Nngh?" She looked at him questioningly whilst blushing.

"Nui, you have an ability, the ability to heal. I mean this literally this time, you're able to accelerate the rate of recovery rate in living creatures. You used it on me earlier without even realising, which is why you passed out."

"W-wait, really? I can really heal people?!" She jumped up from the couch and stared up at Zhan with bright eyes.

"Mm, Nui's power is really good, you should practise so that you can learn to use it well." Zhan smiled brightly.

He was also happy that Nui could now be useful, without having to fight. It was the perfect power for her…though he wondered if Miu might feel like she had become less useful as a doctor with Nui around. No, rather than Miu, it was Shia who probably felt the most helpless….

Zhan turned to Shia and saw that whilst she was trying to act strong and calm, there was anxiety and unease hidden in her eyes. She clenched onto her sword tightly and looked like she wanted to do something, anything…but there was nothing she could do.

"Shia, don't worry about it too much." Zhan comforted her.

"But I'm the only one without a power…I'm useless compared to you three…" She gritted her teeth and looked down.

"Shia…" Zhan sighed. "Just keep fighting and improve that way. Remember when I first fought that three headed wolf one month ago? I didn't have any sort of power at that time, I was even injured. There are multiple people with combat oriented powers in this room, but most of them are still too afraid to even fight against those little rats…a superpower isn't everything."

Shia looked up slowly and finally nodded.

"I have no plan of staying a normal human forever, Zhan. It's barely half an hour into the second wave, yet all this has happened so far…I will definitely become strong enough to fight besides you!"

Hearing her determined declaration, Zhan was startled for a moment. He had never before met a girl with such desire to fight…even most men didn't have the battle intent that Shia possessed. She didn't yet realise it herself, but Shia clearly had the potential to become a warrior.

As someone who had spent the past few years battling against a range of people, including those not suited to battle and those who's lives revolved entirely around that short period of time in the arena, Zhan was able to assess Shia properly. Miu also felt that Shia was quite impressive.

"Mindset is more important than anything else, and your mindset is above some of the strongest warrior's I've faced. Shia, you will definitely become strong, I don't doubt this at all." Zhan grinned.

Shia blinked, then smiled and nodded. Hearing such praise from Zhan, someone who didn't just speak empty words to make people feel better, really did boost her self confidence.

Over the following half hour, the sounds of chaos and screams of despair from outside continued to echo out. The city was heavily populated with humans, whilst animals could be found anywhere, no matter the countryside or city.

Rats, birds, insects, pets…as time passed by, an increasing number of animals mutated, along with many humans.