Ted sat straighter in the hard metal chair, keeping his expression neutral despite the colonel's piercing stare and Marcus's smug presence by the door. The office felt smaller than it was, the tactical maps on the walls seeming to close in. His Minor Flesh Crafting remained active, subtly smoothing any micro-twitch or unnatural pallor that might betray him. The Emergency Quest timer ticked silently in his vision.
Colonel Voss leaned back, fingers steepled. "I'm waiting, Harlan. Luck and survival instinct only go so far. Your scans are clean, but your performance logs from the recent runs don't match a baseline civilian profile. No pre-outbreak enhancements on record. Yet you handle mutated variants like they're training dummies."
Marcus couldn't resist jumping in. "He was a nobody at the academy, Colonel. Bullied, average grades, no awakened talent. Then the outbreak hits and suddenly he's carving through infected like he's been doing it his whole life. He heals too fast, moves too clean. I saw it with my own eyes, multiple times. If he's hiding something, the whole hub could be at risk."
Ted met the colonel's eyes directly, voice calm,the way a scared but determined survivor would speak. "I wasn't anyone special before, that's true. But when the virus started spreading in the academy, everything changed. I got bitten early on,a shallow one in the chaos. Thought I was done for. Instead of turning, I just… pushed through. The pain made me faster, stronger when it counted. Adrenaline, maybe some natural resistance. I don't know the science. I just know that if I stopped moving, I died. So I didn't stop."
He paused, letting a hint of exhaustion creep into his tone. "I'm not hiding an infection. I passed every scan. I'm just trying to pull my weight so we all survive. If that makes me look suspicious, I'm sorry. But accusing me without proof only hurts the group."
Colonel Voss studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. The scientist from the earlier screening had joined via monitor, reviewing data on a tablet. "His blood work shows neutralized viral markers and elevated regenerative factors, but nothing active. It could be a rare natural immunity variant. We've seen a handful of similar cases, potential assets if properly monitored."
Marcus opened his mouth to argue, but the colonel raised a hand, silencing him. "Enough, Kane. Your concern is noted, but we don't condemn people on suspicion alone. Harlan, you'll continue on reconnaissance and supply teams. However, you'll submit to weekly scans and report any unusual symptoms immediately. One anomaly, and you go into observation. Understood?"
Ted nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
The colonel waved them out. "Dismissed. All of you. We have real threats outside the walls."
As they left the command building, Marcus fell into step beside Ted for a moment, voice low and venomous. "This isn't over. I know what I saw. Sooner or later, you'll slip and I'll be there when you do."
Elena was waiting outside, tension clear in her posture. She fell in beside Ted as Marcus stalked off. "What happened?"
"Weekly scans now," Ted replied quietly. "They're watching, but I bought time. Marcus is pushing hard."
The Ally Bond buff let him feel her quiet resolve. "Then we stay ahead of them. Stick together on runs. If it gets worse, we talk about leaving."
That afternoon, Ted was assigned another short external task, helping reinforce a nearby outpost with supply crates. It gave him a narrow window. While the team unloaded, he slipped to the edge of the secured perimeter where Horde Sense detected four isolated lesser infected behind some rubble.
He moved fast and quiet, using his boosted agility. The pipe did its work efficiently. He absorbed the necro-energy in seconds, the cold surge refreshing after the tense meeting.
*[Necro Essence +8 +9 +10 +12]*
*[Daily Quest Completed: Feed the Hunger]*
*[Reward: +20 Necro Essence, +1 to Strength.]*
**Strength: 22**
With his total now over 460, Ted felt the growing potential. He mentally reviewed the Intermediate Shop again, tempted by the Flesh Crafting Upgrade or Undead Resilience, but held back. Saving for a bigger leap once he hit Level 3 made more sense.
Back inside the hub, the evening meal was tense. Whispers followed Ted, thanks to Marcus's efforts. Some survivors avoided eye contact; others gave him cautious nods of respect for the recent runs.
Elena sat with him at a corner table, sharing a ration pack. "You handled the colonel well. But we can't keep doing this forever. If Marcus keeps pushing, or if they find something in those weekly scans…"
"I know," Ted said softly. "The System, whatever this power is ... is keeping me alive. It's making me stronger so I can protect people like you. But it comes with risks. I'm still me, Elena. I'm not turning into one of them."
She searched his face, the bond making the moment feel more intimate. "I believe you. For now. Just don't shut me out completely."
As night cycle began, a new System notification appeared, tied to the hub integration quest:
*[Emergency Quest Progress: Suspicion partially defused. +40 Necro Essence. Timer extended. New opportunity detected in restricted research wing.]*
Ted lay back on his bunk, the weight of the hub's walls pressing down. He was gaining power, allies, and a fragile place in this new order.
But Marcus's eyes, the colonel's scrutiny, and the weekly scans loomed like a tightening noose.
The dead outside were evolving.
Inside, so was the danger.
And Ted Harlan's secret was one wrong move away from shattering everything.