The younger man shook his head. "No, it’s just us. We were already on that floor. We’ve been barely holding on, trying to reach the barrier and escape that monster, the one that kept leaping from the rooftop to the ground. It’s been patrolling outside."
Theo gave a short nod. "It’s dead. You’re safe now. Head to the barrier, there’ll be help waiting for you there. Go."
"Thank you," they said in unison, relief washing over their faces.
But the man holding a tal pipe didn’t move. He hesitated, glancing at the others, then looked at Theo. "There’s soone else... a friend. He helped us get here, but he’s wounded."
Theo frowned slightly. "Alright. Don’t worry, I’ll find him. You three go ahead so the dics can treat you. You all look like you’re about to collapse."
The man opened his mouth, hesitated again.
Then the older man behind him stepped forward, firm and tired. "Just tell him the truth already."
Theo turned to him as the older man continued. "He’s a UMS but he saved us. He held off the infectees so we could escape and told us to survive and find a way out. If it weren’t for him, we’d be dead."
"I see. Leave this place now. I’ll check on him," Theo said simply.
The man with the pipe hesitated, but the other two quickly pulled him along, urging him to move. Within seconds, the three were rushing out toward the barrier zone.
As soon as they were gone, Theo tapped the side of his neck. "Commander, co in. Three survivors heading to the barrier now. Ground floor’s clear."
"Copy that," Brix’s voice replied through his earpiece. "We’ll get dics there ASAP."
Theo turned toward the fire exit and jogged over, but his brows furrowed as he gripped the handle. It wouldn’t budge.
He gave it another tug, nothing.
"Jamd?" he muttered, then leaned in to inspect it. From the feel of the pressure and slight vibration against the tal, sothing had been wedged against it from the other side.
Theo stepped back slightly, eyes narrowing. "Must be him... Blocking off the stairwell. Trying to keep the infectees from chasing the others down."
Theo stepped back from the jamd fire exit, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation.
He grabbed his tablet and quickly pulled up the building’s floor plan. His eyes scanned the schematic until he spotted it.
"Ergency Maintenance Ladder... West Wing," he murmured, tapping the marked route. "Of course it had to be on the other side."
He glanced toward the dark hallway stretching left, where the alternate route was marked. But he didn’t move.
Instead, he tightened his grip on the fire exit door handle and crouched slightly, activating his enhanced strength.
"Let’s not waste ti."
Using Kinetic Pulse, Theo exhaled sharply and yanked the door with a powerful pull.
CRACK!
The door gave way, the hinges groaning as it was forced open. A tal bar had been wedged against the stairs from the other side, now clanging down the steps as it broke loose.
The floor was a ss of overturned furniture, broken glass, and scorch marks. But more than that, every single infectee had already been taken down. All of them.
He frowned. ’Soone had fought hard here.’
And then he saw him.
A young man, probably around Theo’s age, slumped against the wall near a pile of broken shelving. Blood soaked his shirt, spreading fast from a gash in his side. His breaths were shallow, each one raspier than the last. His iron pipe lay discarded nearby, bent and stained.
Theo approached cautiously, but the man didn’t move. He just lifted his head slowly and gave a faint smirk.
"So... you’re the one they sent?" the young man muttered, voice hoarse. "Too late. Not that it matters."
Theo crouched down beside him. "You did all this?"
The young man chuckled weakly. "Guess I bought them enough ti." His eyes looked distant, dark circles under them. "But it’s pointless now."
Theo scanned his body, his system tagged him instantly.
[Warning: UMS Detected - Blood Contamination Level: 72%]
[Status: Irreversible Mutation Imminent]
The man must have seen the change in Theo’s expression.
"Yeah. Figured you’d know. I’m dying..." He grimaced and leaned his head back against the wall.
Theo’s jaw clenched.
"I can still carry you. The barrier’s not far-"
"No." The man’s voice hardened for the first ti. "I’m already gone, man. Just not fully changed yet. If I step out that door, I’m a risk to everyone. You know it. I’m a UMS and I can already feel sothing weird inside my body."
Silence stretched between them. Theo’s hand curled around his axe handle.
"Then what do you want to do?" he asked softly.
The young man didn’t hesitate. "End it. Make it clean. Decapitation’s the only way. You know that."
Theo’s breath caught in his throat. The governnt never said it directly, but the truth was hidden in the way they compared AMS to UMS.
AMS fell unconscious after being hit by the teorite. But after a few hours, they woke up. Their bodies had absorbed the teorite’s energy properly, distributing it evenly throughout.
UMS, on the other hand, stayed conscious the whole ti. The teorite’s energy didn’t spread through their bodies. Instead, it remained trapped, mostly in their brains. That trapped energy beca unstable over ti. And when a UMS was close to death or actually died, it triggered corruption, turning them into teorborns.
"I’m not scared of dying," the man said, a small smile forming on his lips. "But I don’t want to beco one of those monsters. Please..."
Theo stared at him. There was no madness in his eyes, only quiet, exhausted resolve.
Theo’s jaw clenched. He was trapped in a dilemma. This was a human. Could he really kill soone like him?
"Please... I want to die still human," the man whispered, his eyes welling with tears. "I..." His voice shook, ending in a faint, trembling smile.
But what if there’s still a way to save him?
’Can I save him?’ Theo’s thoughts spiraled. He glanced at his inventory, his dpack was empty. Worse, he wasn’t even sure if the items stored in his system could be materialized or used on others.
So far, only weapons, combat gears and gold coins converted to their Nexa Money had worked outside his body. ’Everything else in his inventory?’ Still a mystery. And ti was running out.
"Tell if there’s another way!" Theo grumbled at his system, frustration boiling in his chest.
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