Dark Civilization Volume 1 Chapter 23

Book 1 Chapter 23: Superhuman Warrior! (Arc Finale)

Allowing himself an entire day's rest enabled Ye Chen's augmented body to mend considerably. He was now able to leave the bed and perform some light activities. As long as he kept his range of motion to a minimum, there wasn't a risk of reopening his wounds.

"It's the final day."

Ye Chen inwardly muttered as he gazed beyond the window and into the skies above.

The sky was blue and the clouds were fair.

Ye Chen spent quite a while in silence. Eventually, the door opened and his sister entered the room wearing a lavender coloured one-piece dress. Seeing her brother gazing through the window, Ye Zhu softened her gaze as she approached him. Speaking softly, she asked: "What's on your mind?"

Ye Chen slowly withdrew his gaze from the sky and turned to look at his sister. After a moment's silence, he breathed a sigh before saying: "It's nothing. Anyway, has Prof. Mo Feng been successful in extracting that mutant ant's gene cells?"

Ye Zhu nodded her head. Curious, she inquired: "Is there a reason why you wanted those gene cells?"

Ye Chen gave a light smile while shaking his head, offering no explanation.

The process of becoming a genome warrior carried great risks, especially during the early stages where scientific knowledge regarding the proper procedures were sorely lacking. Under such conditions, the odds of dying were nine out of ten. Naturally, he decided against letting anyone in on such specifics. Talking about it wouldn't improve his odds, so why would he speak knowing it'll only worrying them excessively?

Ye Zhu lightly creased her brow. She could vaguely tell that there was something weighing on her brother's mind. Yet if he wasn't willing to divulge anything, she wouldn't force the issue. When people kept something from others, they naturally had their own reasons. It's best not to pry further.

"Come, join me for a walk." Ye Chen got off his bed and put on a pair of slippers. With a smile, he pulled opened the door and exited the room.

Ye Zhu stared at her brother's back as he left before heaving a frustrated sigh and followed behind him.

Outside the room was a vacant and silent corridor. Although the lights were bright, there wasn't even a trace of another human close by, making the surrounding silence seem chilling and oppressive.

"Right now, we're in the residential area of this research facility. The lounge is this way." Ye Zhu pointed to the left of the corridor. All the while, she gave Ye Chen a detailed explanation of the overall layout in the facility as they walked.

Ye Chen quietly listened to her voice that was sweet and clear like an oriole's song. As his heart began to calm, he could feel the tension of slaughter that was repressed within his body, gradually subside.

Through the silent corridor, the two moved forward at a relaxing pace.

Within Ye Chen's eyes, there hung an almost imperceptible glint of desolation. Every time he acted, he always took the worst case scenario into consideration. This time was no different. Taking into account the modest equipment within this research facility, the process of awakening himself to become a genome warrior had a mortality rate as high as ninety percent!

If he failed during the awakening, he would undoubtedly die!

Were he to succeed, it would elevate his standing to never seen before heights. Having a power like that during the early stages of the apocalypse guaranteed him the ability to protect everyone around him. An insurmountable incident such as their encounter with that demongale hound would never come to pa.s.s ever again.

Ye Chen was no gambler, yet the world and fate itself seem to be forcing his hand into being one.

The strength of 31 men which he possessed during the dark era's second month and first year wasn't enough to offset the dangers that loomed ahead. He'd probably manage somehow to live past the second month, but the third month will plunge him into a living nightmare. The fourth month, fifth….

The strength of every mutant freak out there will continue to grow more and more terrifying!

From the memories of his previous life, Ye Chen recalled the birth of the first genome warrior during the second month. Soon after during the third month, the army began establishing a base inside the city. This was the turning point where humanity's redevelopment gained more traction, paving the way for the birth of many more genome warriors.

In the later stages of the apocalypse, almost every living human was a genome warrior.

One thing in particular which he was aware of was the fact that earlier on, it was relatively easier to integrate with the more volatile species of mutant freaks. Later on when the genes evolved further, it'd become too violent and ferocious to tame.

"If I were to perish.…"

Ye Chen's heart hung with a trace of grief. The one thing which he wasn't willing to leave behind was his sister Ye Zhu.

When a person is made to face their own death, he will undoubtedly discover many things which he is unable to let go of.

The two walked along the corridor and continued to advance.

Not long after, they came upon a s.p.a.cious lounge, lit brightly by some lavish looking chandeliers. Ye Zhu led her brother into an elevator, taking them towards bas.e.m.e.nt level 1.

*Ding!

The elevator doors slid open.

"Hey, are these all zombies?"

"How could there be so many of them?"

Yue Heng and Bai Long's voice resounded crisply through the silent bas.e.m.e.nt floor. Ye Chen looked around; it appears that this bas.e.m.e.nt floor was structured like a miniature factory. Throughout the entire floor were numerous transparent containers filled with some kind of nutrient solution. Soaked within were a mult.i.tude of men and women who were completely nude.

Ye Zhu gazed at the transparent containers around them. With a hint of fright written across her face, she said: "These people were previously test subjects within this research facility. When the virus broke out, they all turned into zombies."

Ye Chen nodded his head. As the two walked past one of the transparent containers, the naked woman soaked inside suddenly opened her eyes and coldly glared at their backs….

Further within, Yue Heng and Bai Long were following behind Prof. Mo Feng. The both of them were gazing restlessly all around, eyes filled with curiosity. Bai Long was considerable more reserved in his reactions. After all, he was someone who graduated from Qing Hua University with top honours. The man took pride in being someone of considerable insight; therefore he kept his composure well.

On the other hand, Yue Heng was like a country b.u.mpkin on his first trip in the city, sizing up every new thing he came across. He was just an ordinary person who never pursued a higher education after graduating from high school and went straight to becoming a working member of society. He was deeply engrossed with such a scene which one might only find while watching a movie.

"What are you guys up to?" Ye Zhu asked as she curiously gazed at the three men.

Bai Long turned around, immediately spotting Ye Chen behind his sister. Surprised, he said: "You're already fine enough to leave the bed?"

Ye Chen lightly nodded his head.

Bai Long chuckled as he said: "We're following this distinguished professor in his experiments. The madman said that he'd find a way to make a vaccine for the virus. He specifically begged for me to be his senior consultant. As you all know, with me being an honour student who graduated from Qing Hua University, there's nothing between astronomy and geography which I'm not an expert on. This lucky rascal sure picked the right man for the job." After saying so, he gave Prof. Mo Feng a knowing wink.

Prof. Mo Feng merely gave him a glance and ignored him completely.

Yue Heng who was standing beside, objected by saying: "Weren't you the who begged Prof. Mo Feng to show you his lab?"

Bai Long stared daggers at Yue Heng, saying: "Would you have died if you kept your mouth shut?"

"I won't. I'd just feel awfully uncomfortable."

"Die!"

"Why don't you?"

"Cause I'm more handsome."

Ye Chen gave those two clowns a glance before shaking his head as he walked towards the professor. As he approached, he noticed the mult.i.tude of vials filled with various gene materials, cells and viruses strewn across the professor's sizable work table.

Currently, Prof. Mo Feng was using a syringe to extract some kind of red liquid from a vial. After doing so, he stepped over towards a platform with a zombie lying atop a bed. With pale skin, milky green eyes and long, sharp nails, the zombie laid there with its hands and feet bound tightly to the bed.

"What're you doing?" Bai Long curiously asked.

Prof. Mo Feng was expressionless as he ignored his question.

Ye Chen walked over and picked up the vial filled with red liquid, written below were the words: blood bacilli.

Observing the professor's actions, he furrowed his brows while shaking his head, saying: "It's no use; zombies are cla.s.sified as 'dark' creatures. Blood bacilli won't have  any effect on its gene cells. Returning their humanity is simply impossible. It'll only absorb the bacteria as a source of sustenance, making it more violent."

Prof. Mo Feng raised his head with a trace of astonishment in his eyes. After staring at Ye Chen's heavily injured body for a moment, he creased his brows and resumed injecting the zombie with his syringe.

"Rrrrargh!"

Immediately after administering the blood bacilli, the soundly sleeping zombie awakened. Its eyes flared with bloodl.u.s.t as it began a mad struggle to break free. Directing a ravenous glare at the professor, it snarled viciously while rattling the chains that bound its body.

Ye Chen shook his head but said nothing.

With furrowed brows, Prof. Mo Feng retrieved another syringe filled with blue liquid and injected its contents into the zombie. Soon, the violently struggling zombie began to calm and eventually fall back into slumber.

Prof. Mo Feng threw the syringe that was previously used to administer the blood bacilli straight into the trashcan. Creasing his brows, he urged: "How did you know?"

"Many scientists have done the same, not one of them was successful." Ye Chen heaved a sigh. In his previous life, similar experiments were performed across every base within a city. Of course, every single attempt failed to bear results.

Prof. Mo Feng no longer said anything else. He had always been a man of few words. He walked over towards his work table and retrieved a vial filled with black liquid. Pa.s.sing it over to Ye Chen, he said: "This is the gene cells of that mutant ant you wanted."

Ye Chen scrutinized the vial. After ascertaining its contents, he gladly accepted it.

"Let's go grab something to eat!" Bai Long patted his belly while smiling towards the rest of them.

Ye Chen nodded his head while placing a syringe into his pocket. After turning around and taking a few steps to leave, he abruptly stopped as though he suddenly recalled something. Facing the young professor, he said: "I advise you to kill off all the zombies within this facility. After today, their strength will increase significantly. By then, these containers won't be able to hold them any longer."

Prof. Mo Feng's pupils contracted. After directing a scrutinizing gaze at Ye Chen, he nodded his head.

Ye Chen said nothing more and left the bas.e.m.e.nt floor along with his sister and Bai Long for the kitchen. Prof. Mo Feng stared off towards where Ye Chen was standing for quite a long time. His eyes reflected a deep sense of contemplation. Eventually, he walked towards the transparent containers and glanced over the slumbering zombies inside. In a tone devoid of any emotion, the professor uttered: "You've all lost your worth."

"Rrrargh!"

"Hissss!"

The naked men and women soaked within the containers suddenly opened their eyes. The serene expressions on their faces instantly morphed into a visage of savagery. Their bloodthirsty eyes collectively focused upon Prof. Mo Feng, flaring with an insatiable l.u.s.t to feed upon his flesh.

With complete indifference, the professor walked over and flicked a red switch which caused the nutrient solution within the containers to drain off towards an unknown location. Soon after, a yellow liquid began flooding the containers.

Immediately upon contact, the zombies began emitting piercing shrieks. Under the continuous shower of yellow liquid, the zombies began a mad struggle to break out of their confinements. Yet, to no avail. As the last of them succ.u.mbed to the ground, they laid there, completely motionless….

In the evening, just after having dinner, Ye Chen returned to his room without anyone accompanying him. Through the window, he gazed at the crescent moon that hung in the night's sky. The pale moonlight pierced through the window and shone its mystifying luminescence upon Ye Chen, causing a tall shadow to stretch out behind him.

After a long silence, Ye Chen took out the vial filled with mutant ant gene cells and the syringe he pocketed earlier. With the syringe loaded up with mutant ant gene cells, he directed it towards a vein on his arm and injected.

The contents in the syringe were slowly emptied into his bloodstream.

Every moment through this excruciating process seem to drag out for centuries as he battled between life and death. However, Ye Chen was able to keep his heart calm. With the syringe now empty, he dropped it to the floor and sat on his bed.

*Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

The silence permeating the room was so profound that it was frightening. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his mind.

After keeping quiet for an extended period, Ye Chen gradually began to feel his body transform. An unbelievable amount of heat started to spread out from his abdomen, causing him to break out in perspiration. Steadily, he walked towards his backpack and took out a picture from within. This was a photograph depicting the image of an entire family. On both sides of the young couple, a boy and a little girl were smiling cheerfully….

"Dad, Mom."

Holding the photograph, Ye Chen quietly cried out.