Mutagen

Day 126 - 12:15 PM - Bally's Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States of America

Mark munched on the chocolates from the box on his hands. From the appearance of the box, it seemed to be some holiday chocolate box. After all, the outbreak started several in December about two weeks before Christmas. Of course, items like this were usual inside untouched shops.

And since shops aimed for the rich filled the casino and hotel area, this was some luxury assorted chocolate with gold decorations.

It was something that Mark had never tasted before. That was why he was quite enjoying the food while he watched the deadly situation below.

Below, the group of survivors was doing their best. Unfortunately, in front of almost a thousand mutated infected army, it was far from enough.

Despite their efforts, it would not be too long, and the infected would reach the roof they were standing on. And at that time, they would have drained all their energy already.

Mark turned his head as he detected some movements. Sure enough, the situation was being watched by the soldiers at Great Island from multiple angles.

Drones wandered around the area, whether it be on the air or land. The drones just kept enough distance so that regular people would have a hard time detecting them. Especially with the current situation, the survivors would not find the drones since their attention was on the attacking horde.

COUGH! COUGH!

"Morgan! Are you okay?!"

One of the two female mutators rushed towards Morgan after he had a coughing fit.

Morgan was already wasted. He could not even reply to that question. Nevertheless, he did not fall. Holding tightly onto the ledge of the rooftop, he glared at the incoming infected below.

Stretching his left arm forward with his palm open wide, seven spears made of cement detached from the face of the building.

SHOOM! SHOOM! SHOOM!

The spears launched at a speed of a tank cannon tearing holes on the bodies of the infected that it passed through.

Several dozens of infected fell off from the room because of the spears.

Morgan succeeded in pushing the line of climbing infected back several floors.

Nevertheless...

COUGH! COUGH! SPLAT!

Morgan gave out another coughing fit. This time, he started coughing out blood that splattered before his feet.

"MORGAN!"

Many of the survivors around could not help but feel shocked at that scene. At the same time, they felt touched. Everyone here was in danger at this moment and Morgan was not holding anything back to protect everyone.

Despite the blood dripping from his mouth, Morgan did not stop. He was about to stretch his arm forwards once more. Fortunately, the female Mutator caught that arm and prevented Morgan from moving.

"Morgan! It's enough! Your body can't hold it anymore!"

"I'm... Fine... Felicia. Let go... of my arm."

"NO!"

Felicia held onto Morgan's arm tightly, not letting go. Morgan was already pale from using his ability far more than he could handle. It was already questionable where he was getting the energy to fire the attacks that started to damage his body.

"Everyone! Don't let Morgan do all the work! Hurry up!"

The leader shouted as he pulled a metal tube from a metal chair with his fur-covered hands. Running towards the edge of the roof, he threw the metal tube with a wide swing.

Flying at fast speeds, the metal tube pierced the head of the closest climbing infected. The infected fell pushing the ones behind it back to the ground.

The other survivors continued to drag the beds from the tower out unto the lower rooftop where they stood.

It did not take long, another spider managed to climb up. Fortunately, it was immediately found out before it managed to latch on anyone.

Still, killing one or two spiders would not stop the horde. It was just making the situation worse.

Every time that a spider managed to climb up and see the people on the roof, the others below were being alerted of the prey currently present. Their climbing speed became faster and faster for every spider that was killed.

Finally, there was just one-floor distance between the roof and the frontline of the climbing infected.

Everyone was already tired and they almost used up all the things they could throw down. Although there were still other heavy things inside the upper floors of the hotel tower, the infected would already have climbed the lower roofs before they could take out the furniture.

"Everyone should run into the tower and hide. I'll hold them back..."

Morgan, who managed to rest several minutes because of Felicia said with great conviction.

Everyone looked at him. They all knew that Morgan was planning to sacrifice himself.

Unsteadily, Morgan stood up with his resolute eyes.

"But Morgan!"

Felicia wanted to convince Morgan not to do what he wanted.

Morgan and Felicia was not any lover of sorts. However, Felicia owed her life to Morgan when the outbreak started. She was nothing but a lowly girl attending to VIPs of the casino wearing clothes that would break any girl's dignity in the eyes of common people.

Yet, Morgan saved her with his abilities and they reached this far in the outbreak. She did not want to see her savior fall before her eyes.

"Felicia, hurry up before the zombies reach this area."

"No! I'll stay with you!"

Felicia said with conviction.

"I'll stay too. Everyone else run inside and hide. We'll try to distract these zombies away."

The leader said.

"Arnold. You should go with everyone." Morgan glared at the leader of their group. "You too, Felicia."

"What are you saying. You can't even stand up straight!"

Arnold shouted.

"There's nothing you two can do here. At least, I can hold them back until everyone can hide."

Morgan then turned towards the two.

"As long as you guys are still alive, it is not over yet. My sacrifice won't be in vain."

Morgan smiled.

***

"As long as Your Majesty is alive, it is not over yet! The sacrifice of this General won't be in vain!"

Mark held his head as a nostalgic voice played in his ears.

Emotions swirled inside of him. It was not his emotions but what was left of Freed's memories.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

Mark laughed out loud like a crazy person.

It was different if Freed just gave his memories to him. But no. He and Freed became the same person when Freed fused his ability and soul into his.

He was still Mark, but he still had Freed's fragments.

The very same words that General Gordilius Efleria left before he died protecting his king. It left a deep mark on Freed's memories and emotions.

***

Below, everyone had already retreated despite their reluctance.

The only one left was Morgan, standing while facing the part of the building where the infected were climbing.

He closed his eyes. Since he had gotten this ability six years ago, he thought that his life would become better.

He was the bastard son of a refugee...

He was scorned since he was young...

He became a subject of racism because of his color...

But he did not give up. He wanted to prove his worth, at least even once.

Despite having this ability, it did not mean that he could become a superhero. Superheros only exist in comic books. In reality, if you fight off crimes without authorization of the government, you were nothing but a vigilante, a criminal.

It was only when the outbreak came that he managed to show his worth. Protect everyone, save people. Despite his color and background, the people he saved accepted him. Not as a black man, not as a bastard of a refugee, but as Morgan who saved them.

That was why, if protecting them was the last thing he could do, he would not hesitate.

He did not know why, but it felt like this ability that he received was agreeing with his current thoughts.

Morgan breathed deeply, lifting his face towards the sky with his eyes closed.

Slowly, magical energy started to gather in the surroundings.

Morgan did not know how he was able to do it. He just felt like he could do so.

Slowly, he bent down. He planted both his palms onto the floor while keeping his eyes closed.

Magical energy continued to gather around Morgan.

GROOOWWLLLL!!! ROAAARR!!!

The infected finally reached the rooftop. Dozens of infected immediately saw Morgan, who stood before them alone.

Without waiting for anything, the infected charged towards their only prey.

***

"Earthen Resonance."

Mark said as he watched the tide of magical energy gathering in the surroundings.

It was General Gordilius' ultimate attack. As long as he was in a place filled with stone, he was able to draw in a large amount of energy for a full-force attack.

A city like this made of crushed stone, cement, and other stone materials was a perfect place to use this ability.

However, it was not without repercussions. Drawing in a large amount of energy into a human body far from it could take in would render the user incapacitated.

At Morgan's current state, it would spell death as he would not be able to move after this. Whether he got caught by the attack he was going to use or get attacked by the infected that would survive the attack, he would surely die.

***

As the infected swarmed towards Morgan, he shouted.

"BREAK!"

BOOOM!!!

A large part of the whole building of the casino fractured.

As the cracks started to spread across the whole part of the building, it began to collapse.e

CRASH!!!

Debris after debris, the large parts of cement fell to the ground.

It all fell along with the infected causing a loud sound and a thick cloud of dust.

Everyone inside the tower watched what happened with both shock and worry. However, the survivors could not see the situation clearly as everything was enveloped by a thick cloud of dust, including the roof.

As the ocean wind blew a bit, they saw the silhouette of the unconcious Morgan that lie down on the roof, in the middle of the spreading cracks.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The fracture of the cement continued to spread as Felicia and Arnold rushed out to retrieve Morgan and retreat.

However, they were late. The part where Morgan lay down fell before they could reach him.

"MORGAN!"

Felicia could only shout as she watched Morgan get swallowed by the cloud of dust below.

GROWL! GRRAAAUUU!!!"

Both Felicia and Arnold flinched, hearing the sound of the infected.

Despite Morgan's efforts, the infected were still advancing. Still, the sounds were quite far, which meant that Morgan succeeded in holding the infected back. They only needed to return to the tower and hide.

With teary eyes, Felicia rushed with Arnold back towards the tower, hoping that the infected would leave soon.

Not long after Felicia and Arnold left the rooftop, a large number of infected swarmed the area.

And they saw nothing. The infected started climbing everywhere, including the tower, searching for their missing prey.

And...

"AAHHHHH!!!"

The survivors inside the tower were found by the swarming infected. An idiot tried to see if the infected were already gone. It was fine to do that. However, it was done too early. He was spotted by the infected as soon as he peeked out.

Along with that painful scream, more and more infected swarmed the tower like a black Friday sale.

And the infected were fighting to shop for human meat.

***

Atop the tower, Mark waited as he continued to watch the situation.

"What are you going to do? Your sacrifice is in vain."

Mark voiced out towards the unconcious man lying beside him.

It was no other than Morgan, who tried to sacrifice himself to save his group.

After he was swallowed by the dust below, Mark was swept down to catch him.

It was not really his style. However, this person reminded him of the General in Freed's memories. Mark could not just let this guy die like that.