When the man heard Kisha’s proposal to allow him into the quarantine area and stay by his wife’s side, his eyes widened in disbelief, and the tears that had been choking him began to subside. Fearing that Kisha might change her mind, he nodded vigorously and quickly moved to lift his unconscious wife.
"I—I’ll go right away!" the man stammered, his voice filled with urgency. "I’ll bring my wife! This is true, right?" He desperately sought confirmation of Kisha’s offer.
"You see, since not everyone would be able to awaken, it means, superhuman would be not only a valuable asset but at the same time a rarity, this people would be very crucial in our survival and protect the people such as yourself and everyone around here." Kisha meant to say that people shouldn’t fear this change because this only meant that although they are all thrown into this apocalyptic era, fate still took pity on them and made sure that they could be able to protect themselves and be able to survive.
Instead of acting out of fear, they should anticipate the emergence of superhumans who will lead the fight against zombies. By uniting and supporting these individuals, they would help pave the way for a safer future for their children. Kisha hoped her message would resonate with everyone present and encourage them to spread the word.
Kisha didn’t wait for a response to her words. Instead, she immediately led the man and his wife to the quarantine area. Along the way, they encountered the doctors and soldiers heading to the site, and together they proceeded to the quarantine area. As they walked, Kisha noticed several rooms were already occupied. Observing her gaze linger on these rooms, the leading doctor began to explain.
The doctor explained, "Since the City Lord and your family’s case of falling ill and awakening, we’ve seen a surge in similar cases. We’re fortunate that you alerted everyone, or we might have mistakenly ended up killing many who could have been saved, simply out of fear of spreading the virus.
In the past, our only response was to eliminate those showing symptoms, as we lacked the means to develop a cure or conduct proper research due to insufficient equipment. Regrettably, our approach then was to prevent any potential outbreak by any means necessary, even if it meant taking lives." He lowered his head in shame, acknowledging the harsh reality of their previous methods.
He now pondered the cost of their previous approach: how many of those they had eliminated might have been undergoing awakening instead of turning into zombies? The thought plunged him into deep contemplation and self-reproach. As a doctor, his duty should have been to find ways to help and save lives, not to take them. Yet, the dire circumstances had driven them to act out of fear.
In the end, from millions of people across various cities, only a few thousand survivors remained, a grim testament to their desperate measures during those dark times.
They felt immense pressure and fear that without taking drastic measures to protect the dwindling number of survivors, they might all fall victim to the zombie apocalypse and face extinction.
"Don’t worry, I understand your situation. I can share my insights on what’s happening and how the awakening process works to give you a clearer understanding. You can use this information to start your research. In the future, if we acquire more medical equipment, we can send it here to help build a larger hospital for the base," Kisha said.
She had learned to detach her emotions from the situation, which sometimes made her seem heartless. Despite her lack of visible sympathy, she offered practical solutions and reassurance to the doctor who was visibly emotional.
"Do you understand how the awakening process works?" The doctor stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in disbelief. This was the information they had struggled to grasp—how the virus and awakening process functioned.
"As you might have observed, this virus primarily targets the brain. It erodes human rationality, leaving behind only primal instincts driven by a need to feed on the living. The virus forms what we refer to as ’Crystal Cores’—clusters of virus-filled energy that manifest in the infected after some time. However, it’s not just the zombies who are affected; humans are also infected.
This may be linked to the blood rain that preceded the zombie apocalypse, following the massive earthquake. We could have been infected unknowingly, with our immune systems managing to suppress the virus without turning, or it might be related to latent potential within us."
"But once the virus spreads and begins attacking the brain, that’s when the awakening process starts. Unlike zombies, which develop a Crystal Core filled with the negative energy of the virus that eats the brain, the awakening of a superhuman follows a different path.
The illness we experience is a result of our bodies fighting the virus, attempting to transform it into a more refined energy cluster. This process creates what we call an ’Energy Core,’ which is the source of superhuman abilities. Essentially, it’s like a battery that harnesses the virus’s energy in a controlled, beneficial way."
"That’s why some awakenings fail. It’s usually because the body isn’t strong enough to transform the virus’s raw and harmful effects into a refined energy that can strengthen us.
In other words, if the body can’t filter and harness the virus’s energy, the awakening won’t succeed, and the potential to evolve into a more powerful version of ourselves is lost and the virus overtakes the body and turns into a zombie."
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