CHAPTER 111: ELIMINATE

Lexa, already halfway to the gym doors, cursed under her breath. "Copy that. Delta Team moving. Hang on, Bravo."

She waved at the others. "We’re moving to Building F! Now!"

Theo’s ears perked. He followed without question, sprinting beside Lexa and a few remaining squad members. The corridor leading to the east wing was smeared with blood but eerily quiet.

As they reached the entrance to Building F, they slowed. From inside, muffled voices could be heard, people crying, someone giving instructions, saying everything was fine now.

Theo’s steps halted.

[Ding! Main Quest Available]

Eliminate the MHusk(s) hidden among the survivors.

[Main Reward: +500 EXP, +50 Gold Coins, MHusk Core Fragment, Basic Loot Crate]

[Accept Quest? YES / NO]

Theo’s eyes narrowed. "YES," he muttered under his breath.

They turned a corner and found the Bravo team.

Five AMSO soldiers crouched in a broken circle, surrounding a group of about eight civilians. Two women, a child, and a few older teens, all looking worn and terrified, but otherwise unharmed.

One of the "civilians," a young woman with a blood-streaked face, was crying quietly, arms wrapped around the girl beside her.

Lexa raised a fist, signaling everyone to pause. "Status?" she asked a Bravo soldier.

"We found them hiding in the old storage lab. No signs of infection so far, but they’re shaken-"

Theo stepped forward, scanning every face. His eyes settled on the crying woman.

His system pulsed.

[Alert: MHusk Detected.]

[Alert: MHusk Detected.]

His stomach dropped.

"That woman," he said, voice steady but cold. "And the guy beside her. They’re not survivors."

One of Ben’s lackey, Jex, a smug-looking man, snorted. "What the hell are you talking about, Luther?"

Theo didn’t even look at him. "Step away from them. Now."

Jex glanced at Ben, who gave a mocking shrug. "Dude’s probably paranoid. Wouldn’t be surprised if he thinks we’re infected next."

Theo stepped forward again, fists clenching. "You’re standing next to monsters. Get away now."

Jex rolled his eyes and turned back to the woman. "They look normal to me-"

She moved.

A sickening, wet snap echoed as her jaw unhinged unnaturally wide. A pale, fleshy stalk slithered from her throat like a grotesque second mouth, lined with jagged teeth. Her eyes went black as tendrils erupted from her back.

Jex screamed but it was too late.

The MHusk woman lunged. Theo Flashstepped.

In one blur of motion, he grabbed Jex by the collar and yanked him back. The MHusk’s clawed fingers missed his throat by inches, slamming into the dirt.

"Open fire!" Lexa shouted.

Bullets lit the air. The second MHusk, disguised as a limping man, dropped the child facade and roared, its torso splitting open into tendrils and muscle.

Theo slammed his axe into the female MHusk’s spine, embedding it deep. Electricity danced around his frame as he activated Chain Shock, arcing lightning between both targets.

Screams followed.

"Keep the real survivors safe!" Lexa commanded, her eyes glowing faintly as she threw debris telekinetically to separate the monsters from the trapped people.

Theo dropped low and activated Predator’s Rush, his boots tearing through the ground as he launched himself forward. Blood Tempo surged. Each slash, each hit, made him faster.

Stronger.

One of Bravo’s soldiers gaped. "What kind of power is that?!"

Ben, at the rear, stared in stunned silence. His lackey Jex clung to his side, pale and trembling.

Theo ducked under a tendril swipe and countered with Gale Fangs, sharp wind blades cutting through the MHusk’s arm. He followed it with a Kinetic Pulse that blasted the creature into the wall.

[Success: MHusk Eliminated]

[+500 EXP, +50 Gold Coins, +Basic Loot Crate, +Contamination Sample]

The second MHusk hissed and tried to leap only for Theo to raise his hand. "Chain Shock."

The bolt struck the monster in mid-air, freezing it in place with a violent convulsion. Lexa didn’t miss the opening, she crushed it midair with a falling beam she lifted and hurled.

The MHusk twitched once... then collapsed in steaming heaps.

[Success: MHusk Eliminated]

[+500 EXP, +50 Gold Coins, +Basic Loot Crate, +Contamination Sample]

The field went silent.

Theo panted, looking around. Lexa lowered her arm. "Status?"

"All clear!" one recruit shouted.

Theo turned to Ben’s group. They were staring at him again. Jex looked like he might cry.

"You..." Ben said, breathless. "You saved him."

Theo didn’t reply.

One of Lexa’s team muttered, "He took out two MHusks like it was nothing..."

Lexa met Theo’s eyes. "You really didn’t hold back this time."

Theo shrugged faintly. "Didn’t have the luxury to."

Then he turned to the real survivors and said gently, "You’re safe now. Follow the path behind us. It’s clear."

As the group moved out, Lexa radioed command, voice tight. "Bravo safe. Two MHusks eliminated. Sending survivors back now. No losses."

Theo silently trailed behind, one eye on the horizon. He knew more were coming. Then he froze. His boots crunched against broken gravel as he came to a halt behind the last of the civilian group. His eyes darted to the corner of his screen.

[Ding! DARK SYSTEM ONLINE - PROTOCOL OVERRIDE INITIATED]

PURGE MISSION AVAILABLE: "While the Iron’s Hot"

[Dark System Justification Protocol: Active]

"Survival requires dominance. You must grow stronger if you wish to live. AMS’s path is slow. You need power, real power."

[Objective: Eliminate Fellow Survivors]

Target: Infected UMS currently in dormant stage. Purge before activation.

[Accept PURGE QUEST? YES / NO]

Auto-decline in 15 seconds...

Theo’s heart thudded like a drum. He didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

He looked ahead. The survivors were laughing softly, grateful to still be alive. One of them, a boy in a torn school uniform, held his sister’s hand protectively. Another limped with the help of Lexa’s teammate. The older woman, who looked like a professor, kept whispering thanks under her breath.

He clenched his jaw.

[Ten seconds left.]

The words blinked in red.

And beneath them, that chilling line glowed again: "Eliminate Fellow Survivors."

Theo’s fist tightened.

These weren’t active Infectees. They were people, maybe UMS, maybe dormant, but still human. Still innocent. Right now, they didn’t pose a threat. But the Dark System didn’t care. It only saw potential corruption. It only wanted fuel.

The system hummed against his consciousness, almost like a whisper... "Power. Power. Power."

He drew a slow breath, forcing his hand to relax. "Not this way..." he muttered.

[Five seconds.]

His screen flashed rapidly now.