In a spacious, comfortably furnished office, a man sat behind a massive desk. His face was lit by a faint smile, and his appearance was remarkably unassuming—one of those people you’d instantly forget after passing them on the street.

He wore a formal black suit paired with a white shirt and a red tie. His short black hair was neatly styled, and a pair of glasses with gold frames rested on his nose. Yet, the most striking feature about him was his eyes: bright yellow, both unsettling and mesmerizing.

The office resembled the private study of a wealthy estate owner. Tall bookshelves, a soft carpet, and dim lighting created an atmosphere of comfort. A soothing flute melody played softly in the background, adding to the tranquility.

The man held a book with a black cover adorned by a golden illustration of a mysterious eye. Turning the pages, he read with evident enjoyment, occasionally sipping from a cup of hot beverage. It seemed as though nothing in the world could disrupt his serenity.

However, the peace was interrupted by a knock at the door.

«Director, may I come in?» a restrained voice called from outside.

«Enter,» the man replied without looking up from his book.

The door opened slowly, and a man dressed in standard office attire stepped inside: a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. A badge hung around his neck, displaying the name: Caleb Williams. He held a tablet close to his chest as if it contained information of great importance.

Caleb approached the desk and briefly glanced at the director’s nameplate: Neman Neferhotep. As always, the name sent a shiver down his spine—exotic, unusual, and faintly intimidating.

Many employees whispered that it sounded like the name of an ancient prophet or a figure from forgotten myths, but no one dared to joke about it. The director commanded absolute respect, even from the board of trustees, which only added to his mystique.

Caleb stopped near the desk, hesitating to interrupt the director’s reading, and stood waiting.

As the director read, Caleb found himself lost in thought. He tried to understand how such an inconspicuous-looking person had achieved such influence. The director’s charisma was almost tangible.

It was thanks to him that the small company he had inherited had, over ten years, transformed into a powerful corporation spanning nearly every sector—from utilities to military technologies. Caleb couldn’t stop marveling at how deeply the corporation had integrated into all facets of society, becoming an essential part of it.

Finally, the director finished the page, placed a bookmark with care, and closed the book. Setting it aside, he removed his glasses and looked at Caleb for the first time.

The piercing gaze of those yellow eyes seemed to go straight through him. Summoning his courage, Caleb took a deep breath.

«Director, these are the latest data on the company’s project,» Caleb said, carefully placing the tablet on the desk and sliding it closer.

The director’s gaze shifted to the tablet, where data was displayed, and he began to review it with his usual unhurried precision. Caleb couldn’t help but note the methodical way in which the director approached every task.

It was as if he had all the time in the world, unlike most of the corporation’s employees, who hurried to complete their duties as quickly as possible, desperate not to disappoint their superiors.

But one glance at this man was enough to understand—he, the Director himself, made the rules, not followed them. Everything the corporation had achieved was his doing, and Caleb felt this acutely in that moment.

No matter how high he had climbed on the career ladder—as head of the analytics department, a division that monitored global events and reported directly to the Director—Caleb still felt like a newcomer.

Especially in the presence of a man who had transformed an unremarkable company into a powerful corporation spanning all sectors—from domestic services to military technologies.

Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, Caleb gathered his courage and began his report:

«Director, it has been two days since the events began, and everything is proceeding as you predicted. The contagion is spreading at a stable pace. However, we’ve identified several discrepancies in our calculations, which have already been accounted for in the updated models.»

The Director raised an eyebrow without looking up from the tablet.

«And what discrepancies are these?»

«We anticipated that the infected would exhibit aggression during nighttime or in areas lacking daylight,» Caleb began. «However, we did not account for the fact that specimens in such conditions would begin mutating at a significantly faster rate. This was unforeseen. According to our initial projections, mutations were expected to occur only at night, with a longer interval between the emergence of new variants. Yet, our field agents have already documented several new forms that were previously unobserved.»

The Director gave a slight nod to indicate he was listening and continued scrolling through the data on the tablet. Feeling that the conversation was progressing smoothly, Caleb continued:

«The research department has requested authorization to capture one of these new specimens for detailed study. They want to determine the reasons behind the accelerated mutation and what these creatures are capable of. So far, no clear similarities have been observed between these mutated forms and the experimental specimens we studied in the laboratories.»

The Director paused on one of the photographs taken by field agents. Due to the poor quality of the images, taken from a distance, it was difficult to discern the details of the infected’s changes. Nevertheless, he carefully examined each photo until he reached the last one. Raising his gaze to Caleb, he asked:

«And what does the research department propose?»

«They intend to capture one of the specimens to conduct experiments and determine whether these new forms can be controlled, as we’ve managed with other types of infected. So far, these creatures have only been observed in one location—a metropolis called Harran. Our agents refrained from attempting a capture, fearing potential equipment failures, and immediately sent the data for further analysis,» Caleb replied.

The Director contemplated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

«Let them proceed as they see fit. The priority is that our plan continues without deviation.»

He placed the tablet on the desk and slid it aside, returning to his usual calm demeanor.

Caleb nodded, retrieving the tablet. As he held it, he remembered another request that had arrived before his meeting with the Director. It was a request from the board of trustees, who were curious about the current plans and their progress. The board wanted to hear directly from the Director.

«Something else?» the Director asked calmly, noticing Caleb hadn’t left.

«The board of trustees wants to know when we will transition to the second phase,» Caleb asked the question that had been on their minds.

The Director paused for a moment, then looked at Caleb with a faint smile and posed his own question:

«Caleb, tell me, what is our company’s ultimate goal?»

«Our company strives for the evolution of humanity,» Caleb replied without hesitation.

«Exactly. Our goal is to lead humanity to the next stage of evolution,» the Director said with certainty, holding Caleb’s gaze. «In just the first two days of the outbreak, all undesirable elements have already been eliminated. Those who remain are either fortunate survivors or those capable of becoming part of the next stage. But this is only the end of the second day. We mustn’t rush. The survivors need to feel a false sense of safety in the shelters they’ve built around themselves.»

The Director paused, as if checking whether Caleb was following the train of his thoughts.

«Humans have a unique ability to adapt, but for this to happen, they need to be subjected to pressure gradually, step by step. If we rush and begin the second phase too soon, we risk ruining everything that has been carefully planned. Do you understand what I mean?»

«Yes, Director. But the board of trustees is concerned. The emergence of new specimens, which should not have existed, is causing them unease. They fear that the virus, continuing to mutate uncontrollably, will jeopardize all your years of hard work,» Caleb responded, expressing the board’s concerns.

The Director let out a quiet hum, as if he had anticipated such worries, and said:

«Pass on my words to them. Everything happening right now, including the unforeseen events, is part of the plan. There is no perfect plan; small deviations are acceptable. The appearance of new specimens only confirms that the process is proceeding correctly. If new forms are emerging, it means there will also be those capable of controlling the virus. That’s what we are aiming for.»

The Director spoke calmly and confidently, leaving no room for objections.

«I understand, Director. I’ll convey that,» Caleb said, giving a slight bow, then turning and heading for the exit.

The Director watched him leave, and once the office was again immersed in silence, the sound of a flute melody played from an old player. To its soothing notes, the Director stood and approached the large window behind his chair.

The view revealed something far from a cityscape. Instead, before the Director stretched a giant underground bunker with incredibly high ceilings. Below, corporation workers scurried back and forth, like diligent ants, tirelessly working for the benefit of the colony.

The Director’s yellow eyes gleamed brightly in the dim light of the office, and a barely noticeable smile appeared on his face. He observed the orderly chaos with a sense of deep satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.

While an extremely important conversation was taking place in an unknown location, one that could shed light on the larger picture of events, it remained within the walls of the corporation behind all the horrors happening in the world.

None of those who had become victims of its experiments had any idea they were part of a grand project. If Alex had seen the Director’s face, he would have understood exactly what was going on. But right now, Alex had completely different concerns.

Alex was busy installing cameras at key points needed for surveillance. After finishing with the first camera, he moved on to the next location, which clearly didn’t inspire optimism. Jumping down into an alley, he stopped before a sealed hatch, his expression clearly showing that he didn’t want to go down there.

«Do I really have to go in there?» he muttered, reluctantly looking at the hatch leading to the sewers.

«Stop acting like a kid and get down there,» Rebecca’s voice sounded through his communicator.

«It smells so bad that even the livestock would be envious. I don’t want to breathe that in all the way…» Alex grimaced as if he could already smell the awful stench.

«You’ve been in worse places, so stop whining and get in the damn sewer,» Rebecca snapped, losing her patience.

Alex only sighed heavily. G.I.R., his loyal robo-dog, gently patted his head with its paw, as if comforting him. Alex smirked crookedly. One of the few comforts at that moment was the fact that he had equipped G.I.R.’s suit with a cleaning system designed to deal with blood and dirt.

Sighing again, Alex pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one, hoping the bitter taste could overpower the awful stench. Taking a drag, he kicked the hatch, sliding it aside, and, gathering his courage, jumped into the sewer.

Once inside the dark tunnels, Alex took out his phone to check the route and looked around, checking for any zombies nearby. After confirming the area was quiet, he began moving along the indicated path. From time to time, he had to turn, strictly following the route.

Finally, reaching the desired spot, Alex stopped and looked down, where the water was flowing. There, he was met with a sight that made him tense.

«Becca, are you still there?» he asked, contacting Rebecca.

«I’m here. What’s going on? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten lost again, like last time,» she replied, struggling to hold back laughter.

«No, I’m not lost. I’m already at the spot. Just, am I the only one seeing this?» Alex looked down at several meaty cocoons wriggling, as if something inside them was moving.

The cocoons reminded him of scenes from the movie Gremlins, where the monsters were in similar slimy casings, preparing to transform into their horrific forms.

Rebecca glanced at the monitor showing the feed from G.I.R.’s optics and snorted, catching the attention of the girls nearby. They gathered around to see what had surprised her so much.

«It’s not just me seeing this, others are too,» Rebecca said, frowning. «I told you, the virus is too aggressive. The mutation is happening faster than we expected. We might see new types of zombies in a day or two.»

«Maybe even tomorrow,» Alex agreed thoughtfully, attaching the camera and aiming it directly at the cocoons. «What about the other cameras? Have you spotted anything suspicious in other areas, or are the signs of mutation only here?»

Rebecca frowned, staring at the monitor, and began checking other zones to see how far the process had progressed. Everything happening indicated that they were on the brink of something truly dangerous.

Rebecca shifted her gaze to the girls, waiting for their responses, but they shook their heads one by one, indicating that they hadn’t noticed anything unusual. On the streets, red-eyed zombies were still wandering, continuing their erratic movements.

«They say they haven’t seen anything unusual. Even mutated zombies haven’t been spotted yet. If any have appeared, they’re probably just a few individuals that haven’t made it onto the cameras yet,» Rebecca responded after a brief survey.

«Got it. It’s possible these cocoons are connected to the fact that some zombies were in dark places since the beginning of the outbreak, where the virus could mutate unchecked. But that’s just a hypothesis; there’s no proof yet of what exactly caused this,» Alex noted, crouching down to get a better look at what was happening below.

«Maybe. But you know, I’m curious to see what’ll hatch from them,» Rebecca said with an unexpectedly cheerful curiosity.

«I’m not curious at all,» came Shizuka’s voice through the communicator.

«Sorry, Shizuka, but I don’t have anything with me to destroy these cocoons. So, for now, they stay. If a nest forms here, it’ll give us a chance to gather more data,» Alex replied, internally debating whether he should toss a Molotov cocktail down there.

«Fine… but it’s still disgusting,» Shizuka muttered with clear displeasure.

Alex snorted and glanced again at the slimy cocoons, which could eventually give birth to a new type of zombie. Two opposing thoughts battled in his mind. On one hand, he understood the importance of gathering information for the ongoing fight. On the other, he knew these cocoons would hatch creatures that would hunt humans. His indecision irritated him.

«Darling, you always say that every choice has consequences,» Göndul’s voice echoed in his head. «If you leave these cocoons, people will still die, and that’s unavoidable. But think: the information gathered now might save many lives in the future.»

«Göndul’s right, Alex,» Reginleif chimed in. «If you destroy the cocoons, you’ll lose valuable information. We understand your concern, but remember: your goal isn’t just to stop the zombies, but to uncover who’s behind all of this. Every day, people are dying. If you miss this chance now, you might not be able to protect those who can still be saved.»

Alex took a deep breath and exhaled, finally making up his mind.

«Alright, I get it.»

Clearing his thoughts, he continued with his mission. After exiting the sewer, Alex immediately headed toward the next point marked on the map.

His next destination was the city center—the site of the most brutal massacre on the first day of the virus outbreak. After setting up a camera on a skyscraper overlooking the street, Alex moved on to the third location—the bridge leading toward Tokyo. This camera was meant to monitor the horde that might potentially move from Tokyo in the future.

Moving quickly, Alex leapt from building to building, avoiding encounters with the persistent fans in the form of zombies wandering the streets of the deserted city. From time to time, he stopped, listening for sounds, hoping to hear the voices of survivors.

But the city remained eerily silent, as if it had been completely wiped out. Alex explained it by assuming that the survivors were likely being as stealthy as possible to avoid attracting the attention of the zombies.

An hour spent running through the city allowed him to set up cameras at key points. Finally, he arrived at the residential area.

«Rebecca, ask Shizuka if she needs anything. I’m near Rika’s house; I can stop by and grab her clothes,» Alex said, stopping on the roof of a building and looking down at Rika’s house.

«I’ll check now,» Rebecca replied after a moment.

Rebecca turned to Shizuka, who was sitting on a mattress, barely holding off sleep. The other girls were still focused on the monitors, hoping to spot something important.

«Hey, big-breasted, wake up!» Rebecca said loudly, waking the drowsy Shizuka from her nap. «Alex is by your friend’s house. He asked if he should grab your things.»

Shizuka flinched, opened her eyes, and blinked a few times as she looked around. Her gaze landed on Rebecca, who was looking at her with a sly grin.

«My name is Shizuka, not ‘big-breasted’!» the girl replied, her lips puffed up. «If he’s already there, let him take my stuff. I’m still wearing this torn skirt! And let him grab Rika’s tank, since he’s right there.»

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

«Got it, I’ll pass it along.»

Unhappy, Shizuka got up from the mattress and walked over to Rebecca, clearly showing her displeasure. Her ample chest once again pressed against Rebecca’s neck, causing Rebecca to click her tongue in irritation.

«She says to grab her things and… the tank. Whatever that means,» Rebecca muttered into the communicator with barely concealed annoyance.

Standing on the roof of a nearby building, Alex leisurely smoked a cigarette, waiting for a response. Hearing the confirmation, he flicked the cigarette away, jumped to Rika’s house’s roof, and surveyed the yard. A few zombies were wandering around.

«GIR, close the gates and the fence, so no more show up,» Alex said calmly, removing the robo-dog from his shoulder.

GIR nodded, jumped down, and hurried to the gates while Alex dealt with the zombies. Landing on the ground, he swiftly and quietly took care of all the infected, then made his way into the house.

«Well, let’s go find her stuff,» he said with a smile to GIR when the dog joined him.

On the second floor, they split up. Alex entered the first room he found, which turned out to be Rika’s bedroom. His attention was drawn to a massive safe. Wasting no time, Alex ripped the door off the safe and found an arsenal of weapons inside.

«This will definitely come in handy,» he muttered, stuffing ammunition and weapons into a sheet, which he rolled into an improvised sack.

At that moment, GIR burst into the room with Shizuka’s bra on his head.

«Take that off your head,» Alex laughed. «She’ll definitely get mad. Better pack her things in a bag.»

GIR obediently removed the bra and ran back to Shizuka’s room. A few minutes later, he returned, dragging a suitcase stuffed full of clothes.

«Well done,» Alex praised, slinging the weapons bag over his shoulder. «Let’s go, we’ll load everything into the Hummer.»

Heading into the yard, he started loading the items into the vehicle. Then, Alex decided to grab some supplies from the house, so they wouldn’t go to waste. When he finished, he returned to the car, where GIR was already sitting in the front seat.

As Alex was closing the trunk, he heard a noise.

«What’s going on there?» he frowned, jumping onto the fence and peering into the street.

Jumping onto the fence, Alex noticed two figures in the distance trying to break into the house. He immediately recognized them as Alice and her father. Before Alex could take action, Alice’s father fell, just like in the original story, and Alice, with horror on her face, watched as her last close family member died.

«GIR, get behind the wheel. There’s a child in danger,» Alex said, his gaze fixed on the scene.

GIR immediately moved to the driver’s seat and started the engine. Meanwhile, Alex jumped over the fence separating him from Alice and sprinted toward her. Just in time, he landed on the head of the zombie that was about to attack the girl, turning its skull into a bloody mess. Alice flinched in fear, but when she saw that it was a human, she calmed down slightly. However, the pain from losing her father still showed on her face.

Alex kicked aside another zombie that had burst through the door, knocking over those standing behind like bowling pins. He quickly slammed the gate shut, blocking the path of the dead, but he knew the barrier wouldn’t hold for long. Immediate action was needed.

«Hey, little one, how are you?» Alex squatted down, looking into the girl’s eyes.

«My dad… did he go to mommy?» Alice asked quietly, sniffing.

«Yeah, your dad went to mommy. But he wouldn’t want you to join them so soon. So let’s get out of here, okay?» Alex gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

He continued to pat her on the head, giving her time to say goodbye to her father. Alice glanced once more at the lifeless body, whispered a farewell, and got to her feet.

«Climb onto my back and hold on tight. It might be a bit bumpy,» Alex turned, allowing her to climb up.

Alice wrapped her arms around his neck, and Alex made sure she was securely positioned. Then, without wasting any time, he jumped over the fence and signaled GIR.

GIR, like a professional driver, floored the gas pedal, crashing the car’s gates open, and after a quick turn, sped down the road. Alex raced along the fence, and then, with a powerful leap, landed on the Hummer’s roof. Getting inside, he carefully placed Alice in the seat before switching places with GIR at the wheel.

«Keep an eye on Alice while I drive,» he said, and GIR, with a quick glance, sat next to the girl.

As if on cue, the zombies on the street turned their heads toward the car. Their eyes glowed with a red light, and they charged at the Hummer like a crazed herd. Alex hit the gas, running over the zombies in his path, and turned onto the intersection, heading back to the bank.

«Rebecca, I’m on my way. Something went wrong, but I’ll be there soon,» Alex said over the radio.

«What happened?» Rebecca asked, sensing the tension in his voice.

«I saved a kid. Setting up the cameras in one night won’t be possible.»

«Got it. We’ll have everything ready for your return,» she replied.

Ending the conversation, Alex focused on the road. Meanwhile, GIR tried to distract Alice from her heavy thoughts, entertaining her. Alex listened as the girl slowly started to cheer up, smiling at the robo-dog’s antics, and he sighed in relief.

«Tomorrow will be a new day, but for now, I need to make sure Alice is safe,» he thought, his gaze fixed ahead.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep