11. Secret Operation
So, now what to do with this guy? I'd finished testing my powers, but letting him go just like that felt a bit of a waste. You have to give the last guest of the night your utmost hospitality, after all.
Hmm... Looks like your arm's hurting too, huh? Perfect, I've decided! From now on, your name is Chun-sik. I'm the new village chief of this flower field settlement. If you've come to the countryside, you follow countryside rules.
Don't worry, though. I'm a generous village chief. My first order of business as chief is to cure Chun-sik's illness. The poor guy's arm looks horribly mutated from the hardships of rural life! It breaks my heart just to look at it. In a few months, he'll lose his human form entirely and turn into a full-blown cadaver.
Estimating his current activation index... maybe around 2.7? I'm no doctor, but I've spent enough time researching the P.V. Virus with the Doc to make a pro call. And my professional judgment? Amputation.
If it's visibly deformed, that means the virus is concentrated there. No mercy—cut it off! You can't salvage food that's already burned to a crisp. Better to serve something fresh instead of wasting time on the ruined stuff.
"Stop..."
Chun-sik, sweetie, that stings a little.
"Fuck, cut it out...!"
The blood tendril writhed. As if prepared in advance, it yawned wide open.
The next instant—
The tendril shot out fast, chomping deep into Chun-sik's arm. Flesh tore with a rip, and the whole limb got crunched right off.
"Gaaah...! Fuuuuck...!"
Chun-sik started bawling like a newborn baby. Don't cry, Chun-sik. Santa Grandpa's right here. Red suit, gifts, and it's even nighttime. But Santa doesn't give presents to crybabies.
"Hic... Hic...!"
Okay, can't have this. Time for drastic measures.
"Mmph...!"
A slender tendril whipped out in a flash, wrapping around his limbs all at once before sealing his mouth shut.
"Mmmph...! Mmmph...!"
He's really struggling more than I expected—better wrap this up quick. But is losing one arm that painful? Kids come with scars from all sorts of ordeals etched into their bodies. You're making me look like the bad guy here. My intentions are pure, I swear...
Blood started gushing endlessly from the empty shoulder socket.
Whoops! No time to wait!
Got to move fast for Chun-sik's sake! Treating him is simple: give him a new arm!
The tendril approached Chun-sik again. No fangs this time. He hadn't forgotten what just happened—he started trembling violently.
Hey now, shake like that and I'll miss the mark. I tightened the tendril a bit more.
"Mmph...!"
Good, Chun-sik's calming down. Time for your present!
I pictured an arm's shape and connected the tendril to his stump. Blood vessels, nerves, muscle fibers, and finally fat and skin. I suck at medicine, but the tendril started morphing into an arm just like I imagined.
This is Dead Flesh Revival for ya. Who knew blood could reshape itself this freely? Can't make actual life, sure, but maybe any organ if I really tried? Anyway, surgery success.
I happily released his body. He stared blankly, not grasping the situation, then scrambled away from me. He didn't get far—just a pathetic crawl.
I gave him a brand-new arm, and he doesn't even appreciate it? Rude. That arm's got full P.V. Virus immunity, no less!
"Wh-what the hell is this?"
Finally checking it out! Shame I skipped the dye job—it's all red—but performance-wise, it's way better than your old one!
Chun-sik's eyes darted between me and the new arm. He gulped, then tentatively flexed it.
Whoa, it actually moves.
...Duh, of course it does. What did you think, I'd experiment on my Chun-sik for fun? But his reaction's off. Shouldn't he be bowing like, "I'll serve you forever!" by now?
"Gaaaah...!"
Okay, that's really weird. Instead of joy, he's flailing the arm wildly? Hate the new one that much? My heart's crumbling like a collapsing wall.
So why the tantrum? I can't help if you're acting like a brat.
"Get it off... quick!! This fucking thing's eating me—!!"
What're you on about, Chun-sik...? My product's flawless.
...But no matter how I look, he's not faking it. Something's wrong for real.
I walked over slowly and flipped him onto his back to check. The arm looked fine. But at the joint, veins were bulging grotesquely. An artery protruding outward! One poke and he'd mummify in seconds. Definitely not normal. It was like... the arm I gave him was sucking all his blood dry.
...A defective unit? But I never ordered that. It was all for Chun-sik from start to finish.
Fine, let's detach it. He'll turn into a real mummy at this rate.
With my will, the blood fixed in arm shape melted back to liquid instantly. Radial release, basically—virus remote control in action. Whee! The blood flowed back to me naturally. Whoa, feeling full now? Just like after devouring a cadaver corpse.
Ooh, Chun-sik's gone super pale. At least not a mummy—phew!
...Ahem, my blood control's top-tier, but I can't stop cellular phagocytosis.
...Uh-oh, no! Chun-sik! Wake up! You'll die if you pass out like that! Hold on, I'll reattach an arm! It'll work this time, for real!
Maybe my panic's the issue—the tendrils started twisting wildly, slipping my control.
"Please... stop... just kill me..."
Quit whining. I haven't permitted your death.
-BAM!
Whoa, Chun-sik just burst? Red liquid sprayed from his head like a popped watermelon.
...No, my Chun-sik! Unforgivable—!!
I whipped my head around. Time to see the face of whoever pulled this ungrateful stunt.
"Having fun?"
*****
'A monster,' Carlos thought. Cadavers were monsters by nature, of course. Their grotesque forms and brutal actions were just survival instincts. You don't call a predator evil for hunting.
But this one was different.
Every flower field settlement they'd passed on the way here lay in ruins. Limbs torn off and scattered, buildings smashed for no reason. He'd first pegged it as a unique specimen. But arriving here revealed the truth: leftover scraps of flesh. Meaning it was already full.
Yet it didn't stop. Smashing things. Defiling them. And... toying with living beings like playthings.
Not for survival, predation, or defense. Just whimsically wrecking everything to satisfy its urges.
-Bang!
Couldn't stand by. Whether the settlers were scum who deserved ripping apart didn't matter. If the virus had driven them mad or not, it was irrelevant to Carlos. Only one thing counted: no evil—no matter what kind—deserved torment like that. If someone's crushing another so cruelly, even villain on villain, you stop it.
That was Carlos's justice.
The thing rose silently. No more playful movements. Was it... expressing displeasure? Laughable. For its last scraps of emotion to be that.
Whatever lingering intellect remained was purely, uncomplicatedly evil.
"Too fast. Careful. 4.9 stage."
Nova warned from behind, her qubits glowing, laser at the ready.
"Doesn't matter."
His bullets delivered fair death to all cadavers. Carlos calmly aimed the Finisher and fired once.
The muzzle jerked, the bullet crawled forward lazily. In that slow gap of time, the sackcloth-draped cadaver twisted aside effortlessly. The fluttering hem was infuriating. Like a monster desperately donning human skin.
Hideous enough bare— what point in covering up?
As expected, the bullet missed wide.
Fast.
Each miss closed the distance. Right, left, then dead ahead. Three shots, and it was upon him.
Carlos yanked the trigger instantly. At the same instant, the cadaver twisted the barrel aside. What emerged: a small, pale white hand.
*****
Why the hell is bro here? Wait, for me it's big bro... This is awkward. Bro's no good either. Hmm.
Anyway, close call. If I hadn't instinctively grabbed and twisted the Finisher, curtain call for my life right there.
...But seriously, isn't this an emergency? 1st Squad's tough, sure... but showing up this fast? Something's off, no matter how you slice it.
Yeah, I took my sweet time with the settlement. But I didn't spend hours joy-killing like a psycho! Combat started, I lost control, dozens died instantly.
"Definite intelligence remaining."
Nuh-uh? Just your average dumb cadaver here. So loosen the grip, please. Scary.
"Can't speak? No, it should be able. Dodging my bullets so precisely means... it recognizes the threat. Where were you watching from?"
I watched, but not the way you think.
"Duck."
Nova called out. Her qubit flared bright. Playing chatty while prepping a sneaky ambush? Humans this sneaky? Is this your justice?!
We ducked in sync. Carlos seized the opening, reclaiming the Finisher.
-BAM!
Sure enough, an unavoidable sure-hit. Impressive teamwork. But overwhelming power trumps all that.
Can't dodge? Bounce it!
Carlos, lemme teach you to shoot. Compress blood at your fingertip...
Fire!
-Whirr!
No gunshot. Just the blood clump rocketing forward. The faintly frosted metal bullet got obliterated by brute force—maybe vaporized, judging by the sparks.
"Gasp—!"
Scared ya into ducking, huh? Aimed to graze the shoulder precisely. Not killing~
"...Qubit damaged. 3 units left."
Bonus: targeted the qubits behind too. What to call this? Blood Bullet Barrage, yeah.
Heh, stunned by my Blood Bullet Barrage, frozen stiff! Smart situational awareness too. Carlos, you could dodge, but Nova behind you? Warning shot. Move more, and Nova dies.
"Ha... resorting to cheap tricks."
What! What can you do besides posturing—?!
-Grind.
Teeth gnashing. The air chilled. Frost rapidly coated Carlos's body.
"Captain, watch for virus rampage."
Nova warned. I agree fully.
"Bring it."
But crazy Carlos shows no sign of backing off. Icicles forming now!
I'm losing it. ...How'd he trigger that himself? No catalyst even!
I fired a Blood Bullet anyway. It vaporized before reaching him.
Ah, overclock confirmed. Temporarily amps the virus, boosting all stats—a berserk mode. Raises cadaver mutation risk too... but protagonist here's special, no turning.
Abuse it too much and death, though. But now I'll die first?!
Planned to subdue lightly and bail, but he's too aggressive... Where's Rira anyway?
-BAM!
Whoa, bursting from the wall? Didn't know you liked me that much. Overly aggressive aftercare's no good.
"Got you."
Hey, no collar grab. Not my kink. Hey, no shooting! Bullets kill people!
Hmm, big trouble? ...Okay, assessed. Can't win!
-BAM!
Bullet approached leisurely. Frost trailed its path. Direct hit? Dead for sure.
But can it match my speed? ...It shouldn't!
So let go, you psycho! Wanna die together?!
Carlos is charging too. Argh, just die already. Apocalypse!
I roughly swatted Rira away with a tendril. Didn't wanna hurt much, but her regen'll handle it.
My blood's infinite. Unlimited Blood. Not just compression shots.
Watch closely—this is Blood Storm!
⏤⏤⏤!
Ears rang. Carlos's white frost bullet neutralized just a chunk of the blood storm.
"Shield up, everyone back!"
Rira flew wildly; Carlos caught her. Amid the blood gale, we lost sight of each other.
Play again next time.
*****
"What the hell was that thing...!"
Rira slammed the ground hard. The vibration echoed, dust billowing.
"Dust, obstructing."
"Ahh, sorry, Senior. Got too mad and..."
Rira bowed apologetically to Nova, but Nova's gaze stayed fixed on her shattered qubit.
"But... you okay? That was pricey, right?"
"No issue. Life insurance covers."
Should she point out the mismatch between words and actions? Rira pondered briefly, then opted to pat her senior's head silently instead.
"Nova, what was the last measured activation index on that thing?"
"4.9."
"...For real?"
"No machine error. Verified multiple times."
Carlos replayed the fight in his head over and over. The result was undeniable. No way that thing was under 5.0 stage.
His certainty stemmed clear: as an enforcer who'd hit 5.0, he'd been outpaced and toyed with thoroughly by the squad.
Carlos exhaled deeply. Tiny frost bloomed from his mouth—a recoil from forcibly drawing out his special trait.
"Captain okay?"
"...Fine. We're here."
Carlos opened the military vehicle's door. Nera waited inside.
"You're quite late. Did you stop for a brawl somewhere?"
Not a speck of dust on her pristine form.