Chapter 20: Apartment 29C

Harvey and Mildred went through continued with their specialized tactics, covering each other’s backs and flanks as they breached the next two rooms, apartment 29B and apartment 29C.

Inside apartment 29B, they came upon two mutants, which Mildred dispatched with swift efficiency, but she wasn’t able to secure any crystals from them.

Along with the two mutants, who were a rich businessman and his wife, they also came across the remains of their children. The scene was too brutal to describe.

It was immensely gruesome, and Mildred and Harvey were beset by emotions they had a hard time shoving deep down to keep a level head and maintain a professional calm as they advanced.

Scenes like these were taking place around the world, but hearing about it in the chats and seeing it in person were two completely different things. One could only imagine the stories of these unfortunate souls with such full lives ahead of them, now subject to such a brutal world and horrific ends.

Just like the penthouse suite, which had a dedicated trash chute large enough to fit several of the unfortunate students who had ended up dead, either by turning into mutants or being mauled—

These other apartments also had their own dedicated trash chute system, so Harvey carefully wrapped the bodies in sheets and let them fall into the chutes.

It was a very necessary process, something they even had to double back to do with those from apartment 29A; though for them, it was a more grueling experience as they had to go through the process of unbinding and disentanglement.

Having calculated that they might be stuck in this building for a while, as this was the current safest place for them, seeing that below them as well as the base level was already swamped with mutants—

Unless there was no choice but to risk their lives to escape, they couldn’t afford to leave the building yet, and they also couldn’t afford to leave dead bodies lying around in apartments.

The building was run on a centralized ventilation system that luckily was more mechanical than electrical; given the trajectory things were headed in, Harvey felt the grid would soon fail due to lack of maintenance.

Because of the way the ventilation system was built, when the rot and smells start piling up in the next couple of hours from these dead bodies, it would become unbearable for any survivors in the building to endure, and might directly lead to the spread of sickness and diseases in addition to all that was unfolding.

All these were scenarios Harvey had calculated and foreseen. So the action of getting rid of these bodies in such a way was very necessary, even though unsavory. There was no other efficient option available.

Their first two goals were clearing the twenty-ninth and the twenty-eighth floors, but eventually, when things settled down more, they would have to do a run of the whole building.

Hopefully, before then, rescue would arrive from contacts they’ve reached out to for help, and they would be able to be relocated to one of these government safe zones in the states.

From the intel provided on the global channels, the nearest government safe zone of Nawhaven was located in the city of Dempture, a few kilometers away from the state capital of Redmont, where they currently were.

The current issue, however, was getting their hands on origin crystals. Their target for this mission was a total of five origin crystals, which would allow them to purchase an item listed in the store—

[HEALTH INJECTOR (T-0)

RESTORES HEALTH AND HEALS MODERATELY SEVERE WOUNDS

COST: 5 OC

CAUTION: (INEFFECTIVE ON CONDITIONS BEYOND T-0)]

It was one of the current most popular items on the Origin store.

Though the description appears humble, it is said that this item performs medical miracles.

It was in great demand since hospitals were out of the question for the foreseeable future, and regular first aid treatment didn’t seem to work on severe injuries or injuries infected by mutants.

The price was steep, but there was no other choice.

At the start, they had been lucky to gain one crystal from room 29A on their first try, but it seemed their luck was short-lived, as after killing another two mutants from Apartment 29B, they got nothing.

Harvey and Mildred concluded their business in apartment 29B and moved on to 29C.

In there, they were met with a peril they weren’t able to predict.

It was an apartment owned by an old retired politician who came over to meet up with his mistress. it was like a getaway home for these people, their meet-up spot.

It was the weekend, so it was likely they had met up again—

However, since Mildred and Harvey had been out of the city with Damon for a short vacation, Mildred didn’t know if this person had come over to spend time with his mistress again during this weekend—

So she and Harvey approached the apartment, prepared to face either one or two mutants, or none at all, in case none of them actually turned. It was also possible that the room might just be empty.

Either way, they were prepared.... But not prepared enough for what happened next.

After knocking and getting no response, Mildred proceeded to breach the door using her tools and expertise.

Because each apartment was constructed in a manner that promoted quiet and privacy, barely a sound could be heard from the outside until Mildred finally got the door opened....

First was the foul smell that flowed out of the room.... This told them something was very wrong, causing Mildred to jump back and create immediate distance, with Harvey doing the same.

What followed were loud, frenzied growls, accompanied by the bestial charge of six naked old mutants, both male and female— hurtling with inhuman might and stride at Mildred and Harvey.

For so many people to gather in one apartment and also to be naked. It could only mean one thing.

Why now of all times did they choose to do something like this? Mildred thought helplessly as she got into position for an unfavorable fight. Their chances of surviving such a large number in such a closed space were very slim.

"Damn it."

Harvey cursed out loud as he released two precision shots, striking true, right at the foreheads of the male and female mutants leading the charge; their bodies slamming to the ground with a heavy thud. Both dead on the spot.

Mildred engaged two incoming with her knives, while Harvey returned his now-empty pistol to his belt, quickly retrieving the sledgehammer he had brought along.

Holding it up with his last remaining arm as one mutant lunged at him with jarring claws and fangs.

"Sigh..."

"This is gonna be rough."