Brant's thoughts were cut short by the sound of ligth footsteps.
The metal floor vibrated faintly as Steven moved through the inner section of the mechanical vehicle followed closely by One. Even in the dim artificial lighting, his presence was hard to ignore. He was tall, his frame dense and heavy, every movement carrying the sense of restrained force. Dark, vein-like patterns crawled faintly across his skin, pulsing slowly as if something inside him never truly rested.
Steven leaned against one of the internal support beams, arms crossed saying:
"One finally got us some results, i was starting to think he was just bullshiting us"
The others looked surprised then turned to look at One with some scrandefrude.
One mouth twitched a little but managed to calm down his growing frustration. He presents the six serums already glowing with green light.
He calmly said;
"My experiment finally produced something, thanks to the predator's corpse. As i said before, the higher the corrupted corpse, the faster the progress of my research"
Brant and Steven looked at each other with complex thoughts, while Veronica hurriedly saying:
"But this isn't the first predator corpse you've been provided with. I remember there being 3 more others right ??
One's slightly proud expression freezes.
He turns and looks at Veronica's stoic but slightly scheming expression.
He then tries to remember when he mistakenly offended this woman, enough for her to start attacking him like this all the time. After a while of thinking, he couldn't figure it out.
He looks at Brant then gives him one injection while trying to pacify him by saying:
"You all know how research is, there are various stages a newly consumable product has to pass through before it is regarded as a safe consumable product right?...now, after all my testing, this product is ready... why don't you try it and see for yourself"
Brant looks at the serum with an expectant expression. He receives the serum and after taken another look at One's sincere expression, he injects it into his arm while thinking that, incase something goes wrong, Veronica is here to fix it. So now is the safest time to take it.
After injecting everything, he prepared himself for the aftermath but, after waiting for 5 minutes, nothing happened.
He looks at One with a doubtful expression. One hurriedly explains:
"Please don't doubt the legitimacy of my product, that's just how it works,. you'll have to wait for 30 minutes before it takes effect"
Brant earlier doubtful expression eases. He sits down and waits for 30 minutes while Veronica and Steve continued studying him especially Veronica whose penetrating gaze made him a little uncomfortable....
After 27 minutes, he suddenly started getting all sweaty and hot, feeling a burning sensation in his entire body.
He closes his eyes in pain as all the sweat evaporated then steam rose from his body. He suddenly feels a large surge of energy fill his entire body rapidly strengthening his physique. Blood fog rose from his body encasing him in a blood coloured cacoon....
Veronica studied the development while looking at the other five serums with shining eyes.
One notices her stare and hurriedly covers the remaining serums while moving subtly behind Steven before finally getting some form of safety. Steven sees everything but didn't react much. He just continued to observe Brant with growing astonishment.
After 5 minutes, the bloody fog finally disappeared and Brant stood before them far smaller than his previous bulky figure...he was still covered in tight muscles but his height has reduced to 1.8 meters....
But even though his height has reduced, no one dared to underestimate him because after the upgrade, he now releases a form of pressure further amplifying his strength....
Brant's joyful voice was heard instantly;
"I feel more powerful, my constitution has increased about 5 times it's previous strength...these serums are amazing"
His hot gaze instantly landed on One standing behind Steven, then it shifted to serums held by One. He moved closer and asks somewhat earnestly:
"Can they be superimposed??"
This question catches both Stephen, One and Veronica off guard.
One hesitated before answering a with little unconfidence:
" Umm, yes, i guess...but i haven't tested it for that yet so, maybe, it can be used that way"
In truth, what he has showed them was what he got from abomination corpses, the real deal is what he got from the predator corpses. He only has one injection of it. It was a dark red liquid, he doesn't yet know what it strengthens so he really doesn't dare to bring it out for fear of being killed by his own group because what if the liquid was heaven defying and can evolve or directly ascend your abilities.
So he doesn't really trust anyone enough to expose his full capabilities before he reaches his full potential to avoid getting captured and enslaved then forced to produce serums.
He didn't know if the current strengthening serum could be superimposed, but even if it can, saying it so blatantly, and sounding hesitant or unsure are two different things entirely.
But One underestimated the value of such serums.. maybe it was because they were useless to him, so he didn't really understand their value but Brant, Steven and Veronica who have survived in these wasteland understood it well enough....
They immediately looked at each other with wary gazes. While simultaneously casting hot and scorching gazes at the serums held by One.
He began to feel uncomfortable because of the dangerous gazes. But he felt fearless because of Marco's strength, no matter how greedy they get, they won't dare to do anything that'll offend Marco, because he is Marco's student...
He grabbed two of the serums, giving one each to to both Steven and Veronica while keeping the remaining three admist the greedy gazes of the three.
Just then a rough and thick voice came from the inner compartment of the vehicle;
"We've been on this thing for months," he said.
It continued;
"The outside's getting worse. Predators used to be rare. Now they wander around like they own the place. Abominations are adapting faster. The pollution density is rising."
"We need to settle down at a Sanctuary,"
The voice said.
One's eyes narrowed slightly, then he hid his slightly joyous expression.
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps. A vague shadow suddenly materialized before slowly coming into view.
A 1.9 meters tall stalwart man with a short moustache and baldhead wearing worn out t-shirt, black jeans and big sandals. It was Marco.
He stretched out his hands unceremoniously towards One, whose expression instantly sank but still gritted his teeth, grabbed two serums and gave them to the outstretched arm.
Marco put on a pleased expression while inwardly thinking "hmm how dare you start giving away rare serums on my vehicle without giving the boss a share, see how i deal with you later boy.... such good things must be carefully safeguarded by me"....
He turns back and tells them;
"We're almost at the closest sanctuary in these wastelands, well get there in a few days" then left just the way he came. Leaving One who has already put on his original indifferent expression while holding the last serum, Brant, Steven and Veronica each looking at him with flickering expressions, thoughts unknown.
Five days later, the air changed.
Not cleaner.
Just… heavier.
The mechanical vehicle slowed as a massive structure emerged from the polluted haze.
Hundreds of crudely built houses formed a vast circular settlement, stretching across kilometers of dead land. The buildings were uneven, mismatched, constructed from scavenged materials, twisted metal, broken stone, mutated organic matter.
At the center stood something entirely different.
A colossal structure that had once been a church.
Now it looked like a fortress.
Dark stone walls rose high into the corrupted sky, jagged spires piercing the haze like blades. The entire building radiated a faint, unnatural warmth, as if something inside it was constantly burning.
No guards.
No patrols.
No people walking around.
The settlement was eerily still.
The group parked their mechanical vehicle over a mile away.
Marco didn't even consider driving closer.
"In the current world," Steven muttered while looking at the amazed One, "even being 99% sure you're stronger isn't enough."
Brant nodded slowly.
"All it takes is one concept-based power."
"And you're gone."
They group stepped out into the wasteland.
The Sanctuary loomed in the distance.
Not as a symbol of safety.
But as a reminder.
That somewhere inside that fortress…
Something far more dangerous than any abomination was waiting.