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Shut-in Angel: "If Umbrella's involved, then yeah. T-virus infections have a high mutation rate."
Blizzard from Hell: "What kinds of mutations are we talking about?"
Shut-in Angel: "Hang on, I'll dig up the data and post it."
A moment later, a "T-virus Mutation Guide" appeared in the group files.
Rosen, curious, skimmed through it.
The T-virus—an evolved strain born from the Progenitor Virus fused with leech DNA—was insanely infectious and highly prone to mutation.
Umbrella's research had also spawned countless other variant viruses.
Once it spread, infected creatures would first show cold-like symptoms—headache, fever—before deteriorating further. The unlucky ones died outright; the rest became slow, brain-dead zombies.
Among them, a few would turn into berserker zombies.
Beyond the low-level fodder you saw as movie extras, the most notorious variant was the Licker—a grotesque, skinless monster that moved on all fours with a disturbingly long tongue.
Old Mage: "If I had to guess, the noises Saeko heard were probably Lickers or berserker zombies."
Bad Woman: "Didn't you win some kind of genetic enhancement from a draw? You should be superhuman now, right?"
Saeko: "Yeah, but my power's just enough to keep myself safe. If monsters find our hideout, my teammates won't make it."
Shut-in Angel: "Which is why you're asking about group quests."
Blizzard from Hell: "Yeah… weak teammates are a huge problem."
Old Mage: "If you could fly, it'd be easier."
Saeko: "I can't fly…"
Bad Woman: "The main issues are avoiding infection, breaking through the zombie horde, and finding the next safehouse. Solve those, and you're good."
Saeko: "I know. But… in the whole of Chuangzhu City, there's nowhere truly safe to hide."
Blizzard from Hell: "If a quest pops up, I could pull you out of there."
B-class hero or not, Blizzard's psychic powers were top-tier, even compared to many A-class heroes.
Her world had faced viral outbreaks before, but those incidents barely counted as tiger-level threats—far less dangerous than some mutant monsters she'd fought.
Shepherd: "If a quest shows up, I can head over too."
Shut-in Angel: "Wait, aren't you just a normal guy? That could be risky."
Shepherd: "Not exactly normal. And if it's just zombies, I'm confident enough."
Rosen didn't stream his reaction, but if he had, the others would've seen him measuring something small between his fingers.
Zombies were kind of nostalgic for him—Umbrella had been part of his childhood memories.
There'd been a time he'd imagined how he'd survive in Resident Evil's world. His conclusion? Without a cheat ability, bad luck meant instant death; good luck meant finding a barricaded room and starving—or dying when the U.S. government dropped a nuke.
He also wondered if women from other members' worlds could become his followers. If so, his options just widened considerably.
While the others kept brainstorming, comforting, or offering help, Rosen quietly left the group chat.
Classes that afternoon weren't long. As soon as the dismissal bell rang—
"Hey, Miko, come with me somewhere. There's a new cake shop by the station and their cream cake is amazing," said Yurikawa Hana, her eyes bright with anticipation.
Before, Miko Yotsuya would've said yes immediately. She treasured her hard-earned friendship.
But lately, she cared more about the changes in herself. Being scared witless by ghosts for so long had left her craving the thrill of hunting and destroying them.
Still, before heading out, she wanted to check in with Rosen.
When she reached his classroom, she ran into someone else with the same idea—Mai Sakurajima.
"..."
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