Dawn came too quickly inside the reinforced barracks. Ted had barely slept, his mind running through every possible outcome of the upcoming scan. The two guards posted at the entrance watched him constantly, their expressions neutral but alert. Elena had managed to stay nearby overnight by claiming she needed to discuss patrol tactics, but even she was kept at a short distance.
At 0600 hours, the security officers returned.
"Harlan. Time for the scan. Dr. Thorne is waiting. No delays."
Ted stood without protest, exchanging a quick, meaningful glance with Elena. Her Ally Bond sent a faint pulse of worry and resolve. "I'll be right here when you get back," she said quietly.
The walk to the advanced medical wing felt longer than usual. Dr. Thorne was already there, the full-body scan pod powered up and humming with ominous energy. Colonel Voss observed from the control room via reinforced glass, with Marcus and Jax standing behind her like eager witnesses.
"Lie down, Harlan," The Dr. instructed, his voice clinical. "This will be more thorough than before. We'll map neural pathways, tissue regeneration rates, and any anomalous energy signatures. Try to remain still. The sedative is mild, just enough to prevent movement."
Ted climbed into the pod, heart steady despite the tension. As the lid lowered and sensors locked into place, he activated **Minor Flesh Crafting** at maximum capacity, spending 50 Essence to layer multiple layers of disguise: neural signal dampening, regenerative pattern smoothing, and even subtle adjustments to blood chemistry and limbic responses.
*[Deep Neural-Tissue Scan initiated. Masking engaged at full power. Success probability: 68%. High risk of trace detection due to recent Horde Command usage.]*
The machine began to hum louder. Lights flashed across Ted's body as data streamed across Dr. Thorne's monitors.
Minutes stretched into an eternity of mechanical whirring and beeping.
Dr. Thorne's brow furrowed deeper with each passing second. "Fascinating… regenerative factors are off the charts for a baseline human, yet no active viral replication. Neural synchronization in the limbic system is highly irregular, almost like an external command interface. There are faint echoes of… influence patterns. Not infection, but something adaptive. This could be a new evolution of the Necro-Virus."
Marcus leaned forward eagerly. "See? I told you! He's controlling them somehow. Lock him up before he turns the horde on us from inside the walls!"
Colonel Voss's voice crackled over the intercom. "Conclusions, Doctor?"
Dr. Thorne hesitated, adjusting his glasses. "Inconclusive but highly anomalous. I recommend immediate transfer to the containment wing for non-invasive study and possible controlled exposure testing. This could be the breakthrough we need or a major security risk."
Ted's pulse spiked, but he forced calm through sheer will and the crafting skill. The System flashed urgently:
*[Deep Scan ongoing. Masking holding at 71%. Trace patterns detected. Emergency Quest: Avoid Observation at critical stage.]*
Before the colonel could issue the order, the entire hub shook with a sudden, violent impact.
Alarms blared anew, different from the previous night's siege.
"Perimeter breach in sector 7! Multiple intelligent variants leading a concentrated assault on the east wall! All personnel to battle stations! This is not a drill!"
The scan pod hissed open automatically as emergency override engaged. Dr. Thorne cursed under his breath. "We'll resume immediately after the defense. Harlan, do not leave the medical wing until we finish."
Chaos erupted outside. Ted, still under guard but no longer restrained in the pod, was ushered toward the east wall along with other available defenders. Elena found him quickly in the rushing crowd, falling in step beside him.
"The scan was picking up too much," she whispered as they ran. "We got lucky again with the attack. But they won't stop next time."
Ted nodded grimly. His **Basic Horde Sense** was already screaming warnings: this new assault was more organized than the last, at least 150 infected, with several intelligent variants working in tight coordination, focusing fire on a single weak point in the east wall.
As they reached the defensive positions, the battle began in earnest. Gunfire thundered. Acid spitters melted sections of the wall while armored mutants battered the barricades and fast variants attempted to scale.
Ted fought hard on the line, pipe swinging with lethal efficiency while absorbing essence from every kill within reach.
*[Necro Essence +12 +10 +14 +9]*
During a particularly desperate moment when a section of wall began to collapse, Ted took a calculated risk. He targeted a group of ten lesser zombies climbing toward the breach and poured 60 Essence into **Basic Horde Command**: *Redirect. Pull back and attack the nearest intelligent variant from behind.*
The command hit with noticeable effect. Several zombies hesitated, then lurched backward, turning on one of the coordinating variants and creating a chaotic opening. Defenders poured fire into the distracted leader, breaking the assault's momentum on that sector.
The wall held once more, though damage was severe.
As the horde finally retreated, leaving piles of corpses outside, Colonel Voss surveyed the defense from the command post. Her eyes found Ted among the exhausted fighters.
"Harlan… that last maneuver with the climbing infected. It looked almost deliberate."
Marcus was quick to jump in. "Exactly! He did it again!"
Before the colonel could respond, Dr.thorne arrived, breathless. "The scan data is partial but concerning. We need to finish the test immediately."
Ted stood amid the cheering defenders, the taste of temporary victory bitter on his tongue.
The attacks were getting smarter.
The hub's leadership was getting more suspicious.
And his window to act, to feed, to grow, or to escape was closing rapidly.
The Necro System pulsed with a new notification:
*[Level 2 Peak Progress: 78%. Major evolution opportunity approaching.]*
Ted gripped his pipe tighter, the weight of every eye on him heavier than the ruined walls around them.
He had bought more time.
But time was running out.