"Well, we're definitely avoiding that group for a while," Tyler said once they were a couple of streets away from the medical center. For the most part, they had avoided fighting, hoping to stay quiet to avoid detection.
Apparently, it worked. No gunshots followed them, and soon, only the constant screeches and hisses of nearby Wretched filled the silence. How that became a comforting sound nowadays, Isaac still had no idea.
"Guys, look," James called out, nodding toward one of the surviving buildings next to them. "Anyone fancy a coffee?"
"Doubt they still have any hot water," Elaine pointed out even as she followed James into the corner cafe. "What I wouldn't do for a good cappuccino. Wait… I have an idea."
Meanwhile, Isaac and Tyler were left outside, watching the duo scramble around the small store. "Am I the weird one here for not being excited about coffee?" he asked, turning to the older man.
Tyler huffed. "Nay. I swear, most people I meet can't go a day without at least a couple of cups. I will never understand how people drink that bloody abomination. Now, I would never say no to a good tea…"
Isaac snorted. "Spoken like a true Brit. What if I tell you I like neither?"
"Then what the hell do you drink, lad?" The older man shot him a side glance. "Soda? Energy drinks? That's even worse."
Isaac shrugged. "I drink what I like and what my wallet allows me to buy. Can't go wrong with that."
Tyler clicked his tongue. "Fair enough… Anyway, let's join them. I bet we can find something for ourselves, too. Besides, I want to see what the lass came up with."
With that, they entered the cafe and helped where they could. Elaine, as it turned out, decided to use her own Origin to warm up some water and prepare drinks for everyone. They also tried to find some edible desserts in the backroom, but most of what remained was either covered in blood, shattered glass, or other weird stuff.
As such, they settled for some cookies James found in a drawer, along with whatever rations they had brought along. Overall, not a bad setup, considering they were dining in the middle of a monster-infested city. Hell, even the double-layered Quarantine was like two streets away from them.
"I say that's a good haul, ladies and gentlemen," Tyler declared, spilling all the Virality Gems they had gathered in the hospital onto the table before them. "Fair split?"
Elaine put down her steaming cup of coffee and shook her head. "I will take a few, but most should go to you and Isaac."
"Seconded!" James exclaimed.
But Isaac simply pushed his share away. He would get rewarded once the Double-layered Quarantine went down. Besides, it wasn't like he had done much in the medical center. Aside from scaring the other group with his Legacy form, he only killed some Wretched. And even then, he let Elaine handle most of the fighting.
He said as much to the others, and they reluctantly accepted his reasoning.
"I, for one, will gladly take a bit more." Tyler grinned, sweeping about a third of the gems. "And you lass, take some more too. We're the only ones still stuck at phase three Virus."
Elaine hesitated, but at Isaac's nod, she took half of the remaining gems. James reached out next and split the final third equally between himself and Isaac. This time, no one objected, and they all consumed their share in silence.
"I will say," Tyler spoke up. "This wasn't what I expected from this trip."
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "To UC Davis or Sacramento overall?"
"Overall. I thought we would come here, potentially make contact with some smaller group, and return to Galt after checking out this crimson fog. Then we would regroup with Regina and work our way up from there."
James snorted. "I knew that plan was doomed the moment Isaac turned into a bird."
Tyler snapped his fingers. "Aye, fair point. Either way, we're contributing to the task, so that's all that matters."
Right… The task.
How Isaac kept forgetting about it, he had no idea, but somehow he did. Sure, he wanted to get the rewards from completing it in time, but even without it, he was still planning to kill as many Wretched as he could. The task was just a nice, big incentive for him.
Speaking of…
With a thought, he summoned the progression notification.
Current progress: 45% | Your contribution ranking: 1st | Time left: 31h:42m:6s
Five percent in four hours. Could be better, especially with the night fast approaching.
He looked out the window next to him, his gaze drifting toward the sky. The sun still shone over Sacramento, but it was already past five in the evening. A couple more hours and it would be dark.
Not a problem for him, but definitely for others.
And I will get tired sooner or later, too.
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That said, his enhanced attributes definitely helped keep him wide awake despite all the fighting he did today. Maybe, if he pushed himself, he could even avoid going to sleep for the rest of the task. He doubted it, though.
Just then, someone shook his shoulder. He turned away from the window only to find all eyes already on him.
"You good there, lad?" Tyler asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, just thinking… We need to get moving soon, or well, I need to get moving."
The older man narrowed his eyes. "Are you one hundred percent sure about this? We could just keep doing what we did today. Overall, we made some decent progress."
Isaac shook his head. "Decent is not enough. Besides, night is coming. I have to pick up the pace. I've been slacking."
Tyler held his gaze for a moment before letting out a sigh. "If you say so, lad. If you say so..."
"Where do you need us?" Elaine asked, which was a bit of a surprise. The last time they had talked about his venture into the crimson fog, she was fully against it. Now, she sounded like she wanted to go there herself.
How quickly things changed…
"Make your way to the border close to this place," he said, standing up. "Clear out the area, set up a camp if you want, and wait. I will do the rest."
"Aye, aye, boss!" James saluted, while Elaine just gave a nod.
Tyler, however, also got to his feet, rummaging through his backpack. "Hold up. Take those with you," he said, handing him one vial of each potion. "Hopefully, you won't need them, but you never know."
Isaac smiled, taking the offered items. The energy and health regeneration went into his pockets while the third one landed in the small bag slung across his chest.
"Thanks."
Tyler nodded. "Good luck. We will see you soon."
Yes, you will.
Without another word, Isaac stepped out of the cafe and transformed into a raven. After one last look at his team, he spread his wings and shot into the sky, the next destination clear in his head.
The heart of the massive Quarantine.
Still looks the same, Isaac mused as he fluttered down onto one of the few remaining lampposts in the area. Once again, the mutants scattered across the park ignored him, treating him like just another mindless animal.
That thought gave him pause. Since the Breakout began, he had only seen a handful of cats, maybe a dog or two, and some birds. And while he never really paid attention to the local fauna, he was pretty sure there should be a lot more animals than just that.
The obvious explanation for this would be that the Broken Strain turned all creatures—not only humans—into monsters. But if that were the case, why did none of the Wretched resemble animals?
Did most of them just die? Or are they hiding somewhere?
Both possibilities made sense. Aside from the short trip to the edge of the Contamination Zone, the wilderness remained largely unexplored. Who knew what happened to the areas without too many humans around.
A problem for later, he thought, glancing at the Corrupted Heart protected by the ever-present yellow barrier. It's time.
With just that single thought, Symphony of Blood flared to life, its thrum already syncing with the beat of his heart. They were like two drums of war, waiting for the inevitable battle to begin.
Isaac took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Viron inside his body stirred, eager, but he held it in for now. This wasn't the time, not yet. Soon, though.
Let's go.
His eyes snapped open, and he dove off the lamppost, heading straight for the nearest Mutated Wretched. The massive beast never saw him coming and could do nothing when he transformed mid-flight, summoned the Root, and cut right through its neck. Then, before he could crash into the ground, he shifted again, reclaiming his place in the sky.
[Mutated Wretched (LVL. 7) slain.]
Isaac ignored that notification and paid close attention to the monsters close to the one he had just killed. They were alert, looking around for danger, but still couldn't find him. It all happened too fast.
Again.
His gaze locked onto another isolated Wretched. Tucking his wings, he shot toward it like an arrow. A quick repeated transformation later, and the beast lost its head just like the other. This time, however, Isaac's action didn't go unnoticed.
Just as he was pulling up away from the corpse, a sharp screech came from a tree a few feet away. He barely had time to swerve to the side before a Spiderling dropped at him like a meteor.
Shit.
Despite getting out of its reach, the beast was relentless. It screeched and howled, alerting every single mutant in the area. This time, though, they had no issue spotting him, and soon dozens of yellow eyes were watching him from below, their calls taunting him.
Symphony of Blood switched into a higher gear, its song slowly growing in intensity.
Isaac's vision sharpened.
You want to play? Let's play.
Half a dozen Blood Daggers manifested around him. Together, they descended toward the horde. One by one, the blades left his side, only to be replaced by another. Screeches of pain erupted across the park, but unfortunately, one or two daggers weren't enough to kill anything here.
Not that Isaac expected a different outcome. This was just to soften them up, to spread panic in their ranks.
My turn.
When the ground appeared within reach, he shifted back into human form with the Root already mid-swing. The blade met the soft flesh of a Spiderling and cut right through it.
Not done yet, Isaac leaped over the fresh corpse, pulled more Viron from his body, and struck again. Blood Draw exploded from the Root, carving deep into another Spiderling. A follow-up slash finished the job.
Uh, oh.
Three Mutated Wretched charged at him from the front. At the same time, the horde behind him finally caught up with what had happened and also started moving.
This meant two things. He could either face the massive beasts head-on with enhanced Blood Draw, or…
I can do this.
In an instant, he shifted into a raven and flew straight at the big trio. He didn't attack, though, no. Instead, he aimed for the narrow gap between them, slipping through untouched.
Then, he transformed again and spun on his heel, pulling at some fuel from Bloodbank.
Sacrificial Blood Draw.
A crimson tsunami erupted from the Root, drowning the three charging Wretched in blood. There was no need for a follow-up strike, as the moment the first swing came to an end, the beasts lay dead, half of their bodies missing.
The approaching horde stopped, the familiar glint of fear entering their yellow eyes for the first time. This momentary hesitation gave Isaac a chance to read the notification that just appeared before him.
The protection around the Corrupted Heart has been slightly weakened. Continue cutting off its lifeforce supply to disable it completely.
So I was right. Isaac grinned, sweat and blood coating his body. Now we can fight for real.
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