Mutagen

Day 131 - 1:23 PM - Logan Square, Franklyntown, Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Logan Square. It was the vibrant mix of historic buildings, swanky high-rises, and museums sharing verdant parklands as described. A popular attraction in the middle of the busy city.

Its parks had been a place made, intending to please the eyes of anyone that could see it.

But what color should a park have?

Children's Parks had bright colors to attract children and stir their imagination.

Cultural Parks had a simple, nevertheless, classic color, displaying traces of history.

Leisure Parks had vibrant colors pleasing to the eyes, helping everyone that stop by to have a sense of relaxation.

Business Parks had a monotone, but professional-looking colors.

In any way, parks were made for people and the community around it to enjoy.

In front of Mark and his group, however, there was no trace of any of these colors.

Maybe, there were still other colors left.

However, all that they could see was the color red and black.

To be exact, the color of dried blood that painted almost the entirety of Logan Square.

Roan could not help but slow down the vehicle. Anyone in the current situation would do so.

At the roof of the vehicle, Mark frowned.

The grass that covered most of the park was all dead together with the trees and the bushes. All was left was dried trunks and branches that still managed to remain.

Dangling on the braches of the trees were skulls and severed rotting heads.

Dumped at the side were mangled, half-eaten, rotting bodies.

The water in the broken fountain at the center of the traffic circle was replaced with thick muddy blood.

"It is a Slaughter Park."

Mark murmured as he covered his nose. He had no problems with the smell of blood. However, the nasty stench of hundreds of rotting bodies was unbearable.

Not only Mark but everyone inside the vehicle could feel their stomachs churning.

The smell of death was the foulest stench that a human could smell in their whole lives, after all.

Still, Mark and his group had no time to pay attention to the dead bodies or the rotting stench.

Rather than that, they should focus on the person sitting in front of the blood-covered fountain. Furthermore, he was not alone. The guy was with his entourage.

Of course, it was no other than the [King Type] that Mark saw jumping from building to building. And his entourage? They were all Mutated Infected that was capable of trampling over a small military-controlled settlement alone.

There were seven of them present, standing around the fountain of blood with their King at the center.

The first was a woman. She was rather eye-catching because of her layered-looking slimy pinkish skin. Her fingers were moving in a way like it had no bones at all. No matter how one looked at her, she looked like a humanoid earthworm.

The second was a child. Or maybe not. He had the body of a ten-year-old. However, he had wrinkled skin and a face that was covered with his blood-covered beard. That appearance was highly contrasting with his clothes and size.

The third was another woman. Maybe, she was a high school student as she was still wearing her uniform. What was noticeable about her was the two blades that protruded on both her arms. She also had blade-like claws and fangs.

The fourth was... a baby. If an infant about the size of a bull could still be called a baby, then it was correct. It crawled on its fours with all the baby fats on its body jiggling as its body swayed.

The fifth was a middle-aged man. Maybe, he was not. However, it was hard to tell because of his fur-covered body.

The sixth was a lizard. It was not a crocodile but had the size of one. Its metal like scales told everyone that it was something impenetrable by bullets.

Lastly, the seventh was the hawk that intercepted Mark earlier.

Mark started at the Infected King. He seemed to be in his early twenties. He had long blond hair that reached his shoulders. Without a doubt, this guy was highly intelligent.

The King was wearing some neat clothes, although as an infected, he had no fashion sense at all. No, it was more like he tried to clothe himself but failed miserably. He was wearing a basketball jersey over an unbuttoned polo while wearing cargo shorts below and a pair of bedroom slippers.

Although he was emitting a dangerous aura around him, his appearance was nothing but a joke.

Of course, no one would be able to laugh even if that was the case. The murderous intent from the Infected King's eyes was enough to make a person mute.

Slowly, the vehicle came to a stop.

Roan had no choice. The whole Logan Square was already surrounded.

"Just how many are there?"

Ernst peered through the windows and asked. Sure enough, he was already scared. No sane person would be able to stay calm in this situation where their death felt eminent.

Not only Ernst, but the others were also the same, especially Elise and her parents. It was the very first time they had been in such a situation, after all. At least, the survivors from Atlantic City already felt how it was to be in an event like this.

There, Mark jumped off from the roof, standing between the fountain and the vehicle.

Then, there was silence.

Mark and the Infected King was having a staring contest. No, the battle already started. The two were trying to assess each other's strengths.

Inside the vehicle...

"Get ready for battle."

Mei suddenly spoke in a calm tone.

Everyone looked at her. They did not know how she was able to stay calm in a situation like this.

Roan sighed. It was not like they had any other choice. They might really go down in his place. In the least, they should fight.

"Don't worry," Mei added. "Gege will do most of the fight. He said that we just protect the vehicle."

Looking at Mei once more, everyone could not help but think that she and Mark were able to communicate telepathically. This was the second time they saw this happen with the event against the outlaws in Browning Square being first.

However, they had no need to question anything. The did not know, but because of Mei's calmness, they felt that there was no need to be scared in this situation. Mark was also the same, standing with confidence outside despite the danger.

A minute passed, and Mark and the King were still staring at each other. The surroundings were already cold from how much killing intent was there in the King's eyes. He was trying to subdue Mark with that alone. However, it was impossible.

"Can we start already?"

Mark stretched his arms and shoulders from getting stiff.

Sure enough, the Infected King was pissed.

"Human. Hand my Queen over."

That was the first thing that the Infected King said to Mark.

When he saw that moving metal box that humans ride, passing through the bridge, the Infected King was already prepared to play with them. However, he noticed something.

It was something that he never felt before, attracting him to an individual inside the box. For the first time, he found a Queen. His very own Queen.

He tried to connect to her, like how he was connected to his subjects. He commanded her to come to him. However, she rejected it.

The Infected King was furious. His kin, another person who stands above the infected, chose to go with lowly humans instead.

He needed to take her to his side. He needed to take her.

Take her...

Take HER.

TAKE HER!

The urge kept boiling.

However, he could not do any rash actions. These humans might harm her if he did.

"Hand her over, and I will make sure to kill all of you painlessly."

The Infected King had no urge to let these people go. After he got the Queen back. These humans would follow the fate of all the survivors in his territory.

They would become decorations in this blood-covered park.

"Tell me." Mark smiled. "Why should I?"

Mark returned the same amount of killing intent, surprising and infuriating the Infected King even more.

"I found her first. She is my object, and she doesn't want to go with you." Mark smirked. "You're have been rejected already. Face the facts. Don't be a sore loser."

The Infected King froze. His face was twisted.

Sure enough, that struck a nail on the head.

However, as an Infected King, he needed a Queen. This was not the first time he encountered one. However, that first one was already taken by another King. Now, he had a chance to have his own. And yet, she was following a human instead.

"Well," Mark suddenly added. "If you want her, why not come get her?"

Mark provoked the Infected King, even to the extent of inviting him over with his finger.

CRACK! BANG!

Sure enough, despite his intelligence and status, he was still an Infected. Violent, easily triggered, and craving for human blood and flesh.

As Mark provoked him, he was not able to hold back anymore.

The pressure under the Infected King's feet grew, the cement under it cracked as he kicked the ground.

Mark crossed his hands as the Infected King appeared in front of him in an instant. The King then jumped to the side, forcing Mark to shift his guard at the last second. Blocked by his right arm, a brutal kicked connected from his side.

SHOOOM!

Mark flew from the impact.

BOOM!

And crashed at the hotel on the south side of Logan Square. A building that was more than one hundred and thirty meters away. Looking at how the face of the building crumbled with a large hole on it, Mark could have flown further if he did not crash on that building.

Everyone watching that scene inside the vehicle stared with their eyes dilated. In contrast, Mei was shivering. Not because of fear but anger. She was about to rush out of the car to fight. Nevertheless, she held herself back as her ring vibrated.

"Will Boss be fine after getting hit like that?"

Roan asked, getting ready to fight himself.

No one here knew how strong Mark really was. Even Felicia and the others never saw him getting hit before.

"Che, weak. Just like how humans are. Fragile."

The Infected King sinisterly smiled as he saw the dust and the broken wall of the hotel that had a more than two-meter diameter hole after Mark crashed unto it.

Leaving his sight from the wrecked building, the Infected King turned towards the vehicle.

But then, as the Infected King stook a step forward, he felt danger.

By reflex, the Infected King jumped backward. Suddenly, in the place he stood before, a mark left by something sharp appeared on the ground.

Then, he felt a surge of thick, killing intent. Where was it coming from? It came from nowhere else but from the wrecked hotel building.

A silhouette stood by the hole. It was Mark, who looked like a ragged beggar now with his clothes mostly torn apart. His right arm was also bent in the wrong place and the wrong angle.

Opening his wings and with a red glow on his back, Mark flew. Once again, he landed standing between the Infected King and the vehicle.

"Darn, it hurts." Mark laughed. "It feels like I got hit by a truck and almost traveled to another world."

On the other hand, the Infected Kind jumped back once again, unable to believe what had just happened.

The weak human, after all, was still alive.

"So, you're a kick type, huh."

Mark stared at the Infected King, assessing him once more.

While he was caught off guard and got flown away, Mark provoked the Infected King on purpose. He wanted to see if this guy mutated naturally or with a paranormal catalyst like the first one he encountered.

As the Infected King became blindly furious, he would use the attack he was most comfortable and confident in. It was the same for humans, after all.

And this Infected Kind, he mutated naturally with highly enhanced physical strength, especially on his legs and feet. However, it was still a mystery if that was all that he had.