Chapter 193: The Potent Fourth Talent

Sizar betrayed Milk.

Or rather, Sizar openly tied that key around Milk’s neck right in front of him. As a servant, Milk had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure Sizar’s bullying.

Now, with the two acting separately, Milk—carrying the key—became the primary target, allowing Sizar to slip away.

This forest was a two-hour drive from Whitehall City. Not too close, not too far, deep but not uninhabited. Dispatched Demon Flies had located three modern jungle tribes—no, wait, rural towns!

First: an orcish hamlet with about 600 residents. Every household had two-story villas. Next: a wooden-elf town, nearly 1,000 people nestled in massive treehouse clusters. Third: a goblin tent encampment, home to over 2,000 souls, living in the harshest conditions.

Years ago, a rural tourism trend called “farm-stay” boomed in Whitehall. Nearby tribes seized the chance. Balkan Goldtooth—chief of the Goldtooth Orc Tribe—foresaw the potential. Borrowing five million from the bank, he opened the “Big Goldtooth” resort deep in the woods. Guests could gamble, do drugs, or visit prostitutes—all under one roof. He struck gold. Soon, his entire clan was feasting on meat every night.

Seeing Balkan’s success, clever wood elves followed suit. They borrowed two million, constructing breathtaking treehouses from forest vines, advertising “Ditch the Nouveau Riche, Embrace Noble Living.” Though lacking in vices, their longevity fruits, vegetarian feasts, “health tea,” and virility herbs helped them compete evenly with the debauched orc resort.

Chaos reigned during that turf war. Today, elves laced a rival’s well with diarrhea powder; tomorrow, orcs poisoned pig pens—anything to poach customers. Ultimately, elves schemed best: they imported a troupe of drow women from the underground—legendarily wild, impossibly alluring, and presumably able to please ten partners a night. Adding a “natural couple’s bath” sealed their dominance, crushing orcs who relied on lame gimmicks like “full force punch for 10 coins, blood spitting guaranteed free!”—ushering the elves into glory.

Years later, Whitehall officials noticed too many illegal attractions sprouting nearby. Unimpressed by tribal bribes, they “cleaned house” and re-zoned large official parks west of the city. Imported Eastern Continent kitsune girls, safe and sanitized, delighted citizens but doomed the orc and elf resorts.

Then a small coal mine was found nearby. A trickster goblin coal-baron convinced his fellows to mine it, roping newcomers in over time. Slowly, the area was forgotten. Young orcs and elves became city workers, leaving only the frail and elderly to scrape by. A graveyard shift of numb, oppressed migrant miners endured.

After processing this, Sizar targeted the orcs. Stronger than the countless elves and goblins, they’d mutate better when infected.

While Sizar and Milk distracted the mechs, helping Dorothy escape, Demon Flies secretly lugging hoards of mutated B-virus flew toward the orc village.

None questioned the sudden arrival of flying pests. How could flies be surprising in a forest? And weren’t these just weird-looking “bees”?

Unnoticed among orcs, the Demon Flies infiltrated kitchens. They laid virus particles everywhere before crawling into food. Reckless orcs wouldn’t care: a bee in your meat? DON’T YOU DARE REMOVE IT! YOU WASTREL! Who knows how hard your pop worked feeding you! It’s been AGES since we’ve tasted meat here in broke Goldtooth Village! SPIT IT OUT, BRAWLET! INSOLENT! I’LL BREAK YOUR LEGS!

Soon, every household celebrated. Buzzing bees fell from the sky like heavenly manna, each thumb-sized, tasty beyond imagination. All thanks to the joyful god of jackals… wherever he partied that day.

Half an hour after lunch, Sizar reached the outskirts of Goldtooth Village. Sipping Blood Honey to heal his wounds, he waited. Choosing orcs had been inspired: which elf would ever eat flies? And while goblins gobbled ANYTHING even poo—worthless even as zombies—these rugged orcs? Perfect candidates.

He didn’t wait long. From deep inside the village came a gut-wrenching howl, then frightened cries, shrieks of pain, furious roars and snarls.

The virus was working!

Before charging the gate, Sizar drew a triangle-inscribed circle on his chest, pretending to mutter, “May Heaven’s Condemnation Church bless you!”

Unlike any prior demonic experiment, Sizar had surrendered all viral control. Freed viruses accelerated host mutations wildly. There was no telling what monstrous, evolutionary freak shows might appear.

Inside the village, survivors swarmed together, fighting off zombie orcs. They beckoned Sizar toward “safety” until their eyes bulged in horror at the realization.

Even without control, fresh zombies sensed Sizar’s viral aura. Growling briefly at him, they stepped aside. Unimpeded, he strode through them as casually as Moses parting the sea. Compared to the gathered zombie fodder, Sizar was a viral deity—the genetic queen, spawning every walking dead detritus around him.

See? Who needs the Monkey Mother Ring to breed monsters?

Softly, through some lingering link, Sizar felt the zombies connect to him despite his rejection. His gift: rampant infections, rapid mutations; his curse? Total anarchy! He could army-build endlessly, sparking frantic case-zero bio-disasters. But NOT them zombie drones would never obey—if starvation hit, “mother” would be their first choice of diet!

Surrounded by his spawn, he bellowed orders mentally: Those survivor gluttons tasted pathetic! Sweeter meals lay elsewhere!

After drooling deliberation, droves infected with Demonic Virus stampeded toward the elf settlement. Along the way, bites and scratches infected countless animals. The zombie tide surged like shockwave—transferring mass grief into viral wrath. Sizar shed proud tears. My Fourth Talent… surpasses garbage tier!

A surviving orc leader yelled at Sizar. “Who are you? Did you do this? WHY?!”

“I’m busy!” Sizing him up, Sizar shot the farmer’s knee. He collapsed.

“Everyone! Get him!”

Sizar responded instantly by initiating “Virus Outburst!” Scales exploded across him, morphing him impossibly reptilian: half human stood coiled upon a serpent tail. Silver scales glittered beneath intricate black designs. Faint devilish horns marked his crown, nothing demonic lingered otherwise.

“He carries the cure!” roared the kneeling orc as survivors raged into battle mode. “For our clans! Kill him!”

Siar scanned the crowd. Dispassionately noting—yes! the elderly, sick, and children had died first luckily. These remaining warriors? All returned urbanites! Construction jobs paused for Whitehall prelims, forcing displaced brickmen to hunt here. Exactly where Sizar released his Undead Cataclysm, casting them as glorified extras in his supernatural plague flick.

“Excellent! Only the apex survivors remain! Your fighting spirits are glorious! Very well, shall we see if targeted mutations outperform random disasters?” Sharp claws flicked out of Sixar’s fingertips; poison-green droplets oozed like venom collecting upon steel.

Driven by crazed desperation, battle hunters closed the gap.

But his viral prowess erupted as legend. The Fourth Talent granted impossibly creative control over zombie mutations; he could define pathways instantly, creating feats like raw tissue evolving threefold in moments. With proper stock specimens… elite monsters you’d call aberrant, unstoppable.

Unleashed and frenzied, Sizar dominated. Battle raged relentlessly against the increasing hoard of absurd monstrosities rising from his newfound power to twist untold forbidden horrors into living nightmare mutations; every fallen victim became test subjects for inspired calculations to engineer wider conquest protocols into effect now where nothing stops reign now kill unleash now unleash NOW!

Crushed after ninety minutes grinding victories bloody scrapes brutal carnage, Sizar lay panting drool-pooling exhaustion. Behind him clustered black smoke-belching horrors with no recognizable features; they peacefully gnawed dismembered ingredients at his sandals as beasts crouching around their mother’s safety signal.

The fresh bodies? Ruined Undead components willingly donated by long-defeated gnome wizards of Pop City. Collected carnage really stored as potential material combined patiently into structures later reassembled outside Laboratory storage. Sizing his tools, Sizar methodically extracted fragile best-performing Heart Engine mechanisms—bolted piecemeal inside newly opened chest cavities of shambling freaks injecting fast-brewing purified viral loads calibrated explicitly maximizing potential for ranked evolutionary jumps… birth of prototype zombie royalty.

Given extra time during surgeries, Sizar rewired inner souls via Soul Parasitism innovation transferring parasite consciousness into shell carcasses thereby achieving theoretical resonance entrapment abilities sufficiently capable guiding instinct blended to roughly resemble voluntary obedience tactics. Mostly harmless experimentation stages; low-grade survivors at worst destructive negligence tendencies but sufficient as controllable stock meanwhile expendable pets; disposable frontline battalions held securely.

Control band exceeded limit. Weapons built… now release.

Pointing southwest toward distant cityfront military installations—”That way! Feast! Slaughter! Expand!”—Sizar commanded his gathered zombie princes…

Utter silence…

The zombies rejected diplomacy entirely. Infect—deactivate—dissect prey? Enough Death Energies leaking from picked corpse piles seemed satisfying current priorities. Who cares what that boring tall one thinks? Hunting later maybe—now snack time rules unbreakably!

Random foot soldier shuffling obliviously, ignored Sizar’s majestic loud orders? Frowning sourly, Sizar abandoned military commander fantasy promptly walking deeper into zombie hell town muttering, “Forget helping you lot, I’m playing solo here.”

Zombies layers rolled backward helpless fearfully scattering before him… like clay footsteps carving path through midst violent ocean… yeah—felt awesome—victorious gravity ignoring screaming madness swirling… instinctively bow wave fled!

But oh, unproblematic peace lasted… fleeting. Hunger stirring elsewhere among royalty; and what kept them worshipful when instincts screamed EAT familiar fragrance emitting strongest concentrated desire source nearby? Srizling danger lived inside calm eyes… as near swarm lords suddenly twisted necks hungrily intensely staring… sheathed fangs peeking underneath… prepared blood feast sensation readily devour entire kin god-mother… upon realization rip shred whole if triggered needful craving impulses…

Tight timing. Quit stand ground testing limits impossible victory prediction war… climb atop two-story roof appreciate surroundings distant tactical.

Fields crawling zombie farms: Infected orcs heavily dominated alongside neighboring elves stained death decay blotches upon beautiful trees; soil-plagued goblin miner archetypes stumbled into filthy trenches; plus zombie mountain goats kicked dust nearby; cats teamed mice for… residual skirmishes; waves zombie sparrows clustered hanging laundry lines awaiting signal flock…

Ah forest provided splendid variety endless buffet army swelled happily grow proudly together strong family glorious pride satisfied greedily…

Alas caveat exists efficient rapid viral decay effectiveness generationally: Supremer rulers potentially Affliction Level; fifth-gens… barely lickers; tenth-gens… superior humans but dimwit stability finally falling into slow moving disasters canceling spread efficiency permanently eventually rendering virus like basic cold germs coping antibiotics alone beats readily survivablized mild sneezes lasted minute discomfort…

“One carrier transmitted four others… each transmitted four more…” Sitting calculating on roof ledge napkin all-time potential amplitude zombies apocalypse logical endpoints contemplating fifty-seven million apex reach plausibility thrilling galactic scope possibility… glorious fantasy destroyed abruptly harsh interruption…

“You sleepwalking? Those idiots started eating each other already! Read army cannot multiply forever burning countless hosts tissue decreasing sharply impossible hitting absurd numbers realistically reaching seventy thousand miracle already unfolding presently degrading inevitably ceasing!” Camilla cut his imagination brutal naked facts mocking hopes deep embarrassing!

Cornered logic embarrassing clearing dreaming… reality sinking unsettling realization currently army splintered infighting consumed decreasing forest density annihilation slowing rapidly irreversible predictability solution failure meeting goals standing danger sharply increased exponential timeframe…

And Milk kept screaming alarms mentally nearby focus decaying rapidly distance patrol closure… choices vanished quickly panic looming alarming heights pressing forced escape act fast…

Thinking snaps cracking… Camilla jumps shoulders inspiration kicking: “Faster plan idea! Infect zombie birds; send flying Whitehall centrally packed delicate harmless exterior… skies thin gaps; civilians densely packed soft targets; cascading conundrum for soldier’s targeting… eventually confusion masking us escaping easy!”

Direct eye enlightenment burst joyfully surprise… gave Camilla big grateful kiss smile concluding agreement explosively loud pleasure praising wise suggestion earnestly handily solved fixed bottlenecked preparation executed… violently romantic kiss accepted blushing furiously struggling escape angrily protesting accusations ethical misconduct stating “Release idiot pervert touching cat forbidden cruel!”

Content peace restored smirk proudly victory claimed resonant elegant selection partner made prior now vindicated because Camilla rare element happiness glowing warmth affection seeping interactions pleasantly calming reassuring contact confirming truth instincts never betray foundations built survive survive survive…

Holding glass bottle harvested pure Blood Honey mixture injected sampling triggering controlled infection stable result isolate candidate standing nearby obedient specimen waiting listless; here already existing semi-handled zombie orc given priority order carrying fluid vessel toward deeper wildlife regions seeking sizeable tigers lions bears infecting efficiency spread quickly securely meaningful numbers assured without attention efficiently utilized minimal effort maximum outcome satisfaction schedule adjustment newly formed air-relay purpose airborne zombie carriers…

Hours lavished spawning unstoppable army; if only extra day spared, entire woods drowned under undead dominance! Elite warriors too matching Ability Users powers competing… lost privilege fast retreat impending Milk signals vanished peril unlimited renewed hunting signals nearby converging steadily…

Reluctantly cutting viral carnival short initiated… hurling Demon Fly larva cloud heavily toxically airborne swarm parasites devastating project toward city airport radius guided mentally…

Enhanced powers maturity smooth tricks emerged after finally combining “B-virus Injection” with “Demon Maggot Parasitism” integrated dual infestation method neatly wrapped single delivery process…

Leaping rooftop saddle landed zombie stallion ready departure… bored hands plunged skull deep injections intensifying mutation capacity simultaneously planting multiple maggots brains Soul parasitism unleashing ultimate puppeteer mastery forcibly overriding nervous system movement command…

Wheezing exhausting every gasping breath swallowing bottles Blood Honey later rapidly replenishing energy reserves… Sizar sent out powerful domination signal beckoning mob coordinated pursuit charging gateways escaping forests converging plaza possible…

Instantly zombie mob quaked chaotic stir becoming tidal waves trampling plants foliages chasing phantom lead scent blindly… creating tremendous ground shaking shaking nearby animals startled causing running everywhere panic bleeding trail behind them carrying infectious contagion multiplying batches generation waves dangerously uncontrolled dispersion gaining momentum frightening exponential rates accelerating destruction… bloodcurdling screams filling bustling woods… creatures immobilized agonies morphing zombie thralls… swelling ranks unstoppable momentum…

Critical factor saved potential doomsday scenario: the infection loss functions built inside prevented cumulative destructive apocalypse scale abilities constantly optimized… else competing with T-virus prototype designer evolution pathways? Unchecked potential might actually challenge legends like legendary Warcat O’Toole apocalyptic conquest level unachievable height… temporary relief slowing sustainable cycles reached; theoretical doom narrowly dodged temporarily soundly resolved cleanly… fortunately self-correction mechanisms existed applicable avoiding catastrophic outcomes facing present moment… perhaps it best holding back vast potentials reserving future bigger stakes possible confrontation when stakes adequately matched readiness levels proving capacity dealt consequences responsibility owned…