Mutagen

Day 378 - ▋▋:▋▋ ▋▋ - Stasis Chambers, Industrial and Research Zone, CNC Subspace

Devon's brother, Cathaoir, looked at his brother's face and into his surroundings, confused. The last thing he remembered was losing consciousness due to the bite he received during his latest business trip.

Cathaoir met with his client for a sudden transaction. Unexpectedly, what the client wanted to buy was a cure for the new pathogen currently engulfing the world, [Mutagen]. It was an impossible transaction as such an item did not exist. It would never be, since [Mutagen] was neither a disease from a bacterium nor a virus. Furthermore, [Mutagen] not only affected the physical body but would also attack the victim's soul directly.

[Mutagen] was an incurable affliction. That was what most people, even the researchers of Crystallus Notitia Coetus, had concluded. One bite and it would end everything, even the magical beings of the underworld would not escape this fact.

Unfortunately for Cathaoir, the client he met with was not only looking for a cure for someone else but also for himself. In the short lapse of judgement, Cathaoir was caught off guard when the client who groveled at his feet begging for a cure suddenly bit him. The client had yet to turn, but someone at his stage of infection could already transmit it to others. At the pits of his despair, the client decided to drag Cathaoir with him. It was such a selfish act.

Cathaoir kicked the client hard enough to make the client roll off the floor before crashing into the wall further away. However, the client did not mind his arms and legs bent at the wrong angles as he laughed crazily in his last moments. The client then turned as Cathaoir escaped the location.

Although Cathaoir managed to return to the Subspace, it was already late. He got his leg bitten, and the infection was spreading. As a half-human, the infection would be slower, and he could also become a [Mutator]. However, the same reason also made it impossible for immediate amputation of the bitten leg to be effective.

As Cathaoir showed the first signs of mutation, he could also feel his soul being gnawed upon by the infection. Soon enough, he could feel his soul as if it were being torn from the inside as the mutation progressed.

Cathaoir was, without a doubt, turning into those so-called [Failed Mutators].

That was when his brother, Devon, decided to make one last gamble and exchanged their accumulated assets over a few hundred years, and put Cathaoir in one of the [Stasis Chambers]. There would be a limit to this, but it would at least delay his death for some time. Until then, it would be up to Devon to find a way to save him.

"Looks like you made it, Devon."

Cathaoir spoke to his brother as the confusion in his sudden awakening cleared up.

"Fortunately, I did. Thanks to this guy."

Devon replied, glancing at someone.

Cathaoir slowly lifted his body. He felt fine, as if all the pain and suffering he felt before getting placed inside the [Statsis Chamber] were just illusions. He then looked at the unfamiliar people with his brother. The man should be the one who saved him, according to what Devon had said just now.

"Are you the one who saved me?" Cathaoir spoke to Mark. "Thank you."

It was a heartfelt gratitude from someone who felt the fear of being helplessly at the brink of death.

"Don't thank me," Mark replied as his gaze shifted from Cathaoir to Devon. "It's a transaction and your brother has to fulfill his end tf the deal."

"I don't have any reason not to renege on the deal. And now that you saved my brother, I feel like the deal was unfair to your side."

Devon stared at Mark. The deal, after all, was for Devon to supply needed materials to Luna's future base. Mark and his group had no benefit whatsoever in this deal.

"It's fine," Mark shook his head. "Don't think that assisting Luna and the others to rebuild would be an easy thing. Considering the things you already knew about us, you should understand that."

Devon suddenly remembered. Mark and Luna were among those chosen by the guardians of this world to lead the humans to the new era. There was no doubt. This path would be fraught with countless perils. It would not be easy. It would never be.

"I understand."

Devon nodded, understanding the meaning behind Mark's words.

"Then," Mark turned his eyes somewhere. "We still have another thing to deal with."

"Wha-!"

A familiar panicked voice entered everyone's ears.

"So, you're still here..."

Devon turned to the employee with a troubled expression.

The employee moved further away as she was scared of the mutating Cathaoir. However, it was her duty to safeguard the place's facilities. As such, although she moved close to the door for easy escape if anything bad happened, she did not leave as suggested. It led to her witnessing a miracle.

"What are we going to do?" Val'Flora chimed in. "I doubt she can keep quiet about it."

Those words made the employee shiver. She could run away since the door was just a step away from her. She could then ask for help. However, she felt that she should not. She never should. She would be in more danger if she did. At least, that was what she could feel from the gaze of the man who cured the patient.

"She needs to report everything that happened here to her employers, after all. She's obligated to."

Devon spoke.

But an unexpected decision came from Mark.

"Then, let's just leave it at that."

"Are you sure? If what you did here gets around, you might end up getting unwanted attention."

Devon asked.

"Yep," Mark shrugged. "Silencing her or making her disappear will just complicate things more. She also did nothing wrong. Besides, it's not like I did not consider this when I accepted this deal, you know?"

"If the worst happened, it's not like I can't do anything. I can go and destroy this entire place, you know?"

Mark added.

Those words made Devon and Val'Flora shiver. It sounded ridiculous to Cathaoir and the employee, but the former two knew it was possible for him.

"What are we going to do next?"

Mei, who had been watching everything by Mark's side all this time, asked.

"Is there anything else?"

Mark responded with a tilt of his head.

"I'll hand over the items Sir Mark asked me to buy. So we can go to the storage area next."

Val'Flora spoke.

"Then let's go there now that we've finished our work here," Mark said as he turned to Devon. "You're staying here, correct?"

"Yes, I'll handle things here. I also have to take care of my brother. You can go and handle your other business."

Devon replied.

"Then, let's go."

Mark said, leading Mei and Val'Flora to move out.

"Please guide us out."

Mark then said to the stunned employee. She then hurriedly nodded and opened the door to lead the three out.

As the employee guided the three through the corridor, she glanced at Mark behind her over her shoulder.

"You need something?"

Of course, that glance did not escape Mark.

"Um... are you sure... You, Sir, won't silence me?"

The employee asked.

"You want to be silenced?"

Mark asked while staring at the employee's back.

"N-no!!!"

The employee hurriedly shook her head in a way that it was about to fall off.

Val'Flora and Mei stared at the antics of the employee while Mark could not help but find her expressions interesting.

"You aren't cut out for this job."

Val'Flora suddenly said.

"Hahaha," The employee let out a strained laugh. "I heard that a lot before... But I'm not cut out for other jobs here, either. Being the receptionist here is the best thing I can do, although I'm bad at it too."

So, she picked this place where only a few people would go as her workplace.

With that kind of conversation, they reached the main doors.

As the door opened, Mark stopped in front of the employee.

"Your name?"

Mark suddenly asked.

"M-me?" Flustered by the question, the employee stuttered. "I-it's Rue. I don't have a surname."

Hearing the name, Mark was surprised.

"Not an alias? And that name..."

"I guess we haven't explained it, but only Agents tasked to deal with outside clients receive official aliases," Val'Flora spoke. "Employees here who stay inside still use their original or personally chosen names. Still, I think I can share the sentiment about that name..."

"Hahah," Rue laughed awkwardly. "It's my original name."

"An important name, I guess?" Mark smiled. "I'll remember you."

With those words as farewell, Mark led the group out of the door under the stare of the guard outside behind their backs.

"Gege," After getting a distance away from the building, Mei grasped Mark's sleeve as she spoke. "Is that the type of woman you like?"

Mark stopped in his steps and faced Mei. She was pouting, looking jealous. It was not surprising. It was the very first time she had seen Mark engage in that kind of interaction, especially with the opposite gender.

"Weh???"

Mei froze as her cheeks were now locked in Mark's fingers.

Mark slipped his hands under the veil Mei was wearing and pinched her cheeks with a playful expression. He then began pulling and kneading her face.

After being satisfied, Mark let go of Mei's reddened face and finally answered her question.

"Nope," Mark patted Mei's head. "She's pretty, so maybe a yes on that part, but her chest is too big for my taste. That part is a no. There's another 'no' with her age. She's about three times our age, after all."

Mei held her reddened cheeks as she listened to Mark's frank reply. She then tilted her head.

"Then why?"

"Well," Mark shrugged. "It's because even though she's trying too hard not to, all her emotions are being expressed in her expressions and actions. To an [Empath] who knows how most people would wear thick masks to hide their thoughts and emotions, she's just an interesting and refreshing sight."

"I see?"

Mei seemed to understand, but also did not understand at the same time.

"Just don't think too much about it," Mark peered closely at Mei's face and whispered. "I'll die first before I show any romantic interest in women other than you."

Of course, it made Mei's face redder in a different way.

"Can you two please do that thing later in private?"

Val'Flora suddenly spoke while sighing.

Mark and Mei's actions were starting to gather attention since they were in the middle of the street.

"Sorry about that."

Mark replied as he grabbed Mei's hand and began walking again.

However, Mark stealthily frowned as he noticed an unpleasant gaze. Without turning his head, Mark tried to find where it was coming from.

There, Mark noticed a familiar presence. He did not know them, but they briefly crossed paths today. It was at the Moonstone Boutique. They were the customers who entered when Chris guided them out of the store.

Did something happen? Mark was confused by the hostility they had towards his group.

But did it matter? Mark shrugged. They were clearly foreigners. The chances of crossing paths with them again would be small.

Ignoring the hostile stare, Mark's group left the area and headed to the place where Val'Flora stored the items she gathered.

The place, as Val'Flora had said, was just a storage area. The only fascinating thing was that the place was equipped with different facilities to store all kinds of things to keep their quality without deterioration. It was maybe why Val'Flora decided to use the services of this place.

Val'Flora gathered everything Mark wanted except for the items in the auction. It looked like she had the talent and connections to continue being in the item trade rather than solely remaining as an information broker.

With everything done, Val'Flora sent Mark and Mei out of the Subspace.

Mark had already gathered the materials he needed. He would be busy for the next several days working on new armors and weapons. Mark and Mei urgently needed theirs replaced, after all.

The next few days then passed quickly. The preparations of the Indonesian survivors were reaching their end. The coastal area was also prepared as much as possible.

With the next wave closing in, it was time for the Evernight group to bid their farewells to the Indonesian survivors.