Life Mission

A mutant as skinny as a skeleton with muscles split like thread, is hanging from a spire. It looks really odd. Its most prominent characteristic is a red bead flapping on its chest. If Lifer Cha Jun Sung had seen it, he would have resented the heavens.

Level 7 Red Heart.

Of the mutants that use their bodies, it enjoys speed. It goes after its opponent with its sleek form. The red bead is its heart, which protrudes from its body as it evolves.

That is the source of its speed. The heart also functions as the lungs. It helps with control so that it does not run out of breath no matter how much it moves around.

Kyak!

'Leave. This is my turf.'

The Red Heart scratches the spire with its fingernails. It is a warning it is sending to Cha Jun Sung.

It is telling him that their instincts are similar at the least or that it is stronger.

But its pride will not allow it to surrender when it is a level 7 that has been reigning this area for a long time. It has protected the area from all enemies.

Cha Jun Sung loosens up his muscles. His sanity is paralyzed, but the Red Heart is different from the trash he has killed until now and will be fun for him.

His combative spirit boils. His appetite also soars. He wants to rip that heart off and fill his stomach with it. It looks delicious.

Bang!

Cha Jun Sung spurred off of the spot. Red Heart decided to use his big size as a tactic. It is too much to go at him head on.

The Red Heart tried to injure him by going around him. There is no use. Rapid regeneration makes him recover within seconds. It really is fast.

All he can see with 9 eyes is a hazy image. The Red Heart surpasses him in speed alone. But it cannot attack its opponent because it only runs away.

Cha Jun Sung's body turns. If he cannot hit it, he will attack the whole area. He will not leave even the slightest gap open. It can only get away if it wants to stay alive.

His tail changed like a thin sword and extended to its limit. The already scorched apartment complex just blew powder under that attack.

The Red Heart got through the storm, and barely escaped the area of attack. If it had been a little later, it would have been sucked in among that dust.

Like its left foot.

Its ankle gets cut off whole. Blood soaks the ground. It lost balance, but did not panic. This will just regenerate. Rapid regeneration is not an ability unique to level 8 and 9 mutants like Cha Jun Sung. It is an ability given to a few special low level 7s as well.

Bang!

It was just one to two seconds. The progression from start to finish was short. Cha Jun Sung did not miss his chance while the Red Heart had lost mobility.

The 10m height shrinks down to 2m. He had gone from the size of a building to that of a human. On behalf of this change, he became as fast as the Red Heart. There is distance between them, so it will either regenerate and run away or reduce the chances to attack if he does not increase his speed. This is a result of Cha Jun Sung's combat experience and the Oriax's ability to transform.

Kyak!

The Red Heart erects its nails. It can read Cha Jun Sung's movements with its eyes, but its body does not follow suit. If it cannot avoid him, it will counter. It has no choice but to ignore the level and difference in militant characteristics, and go into a second melee. The Red Heart is extremely thin and weak.

Bang!

Cha Jun Sung enlarged his fist, and hit the Red Heart. A power of hundreds of tons breaks all of the bones in its body and crushes its skin.

The Red Heart bounces off of the ground as though playing in water. It did not die. A level 7's vitality is beyond imagination.

He walks in a relaxed manner. He attacks everywhere and damages its heart.

Quick regeneration is not universal, so the nucleus and source are damaged and cannot recover smoothly as if its arms and legs have been cut off. He has won.

Cha Jun Sung stepped on the Red Heart's stomach and picked off its heart. His finger had changed into a hook and broke it off cleanly.

The blood vessel comes trailing out with it. He cut the vessel with his nail, and chews on the heart. As soon as the heart is destroyed, the Red Heart's eyes roll back. It really is delicious.

Ha ha ha ha!

This is somewhere in Europe. Somewhere in Firenze, Italy to be more precise. The large city that the Red Heart ruled is now Cha Jun Sung's.

xxx

England, Buckingham Palace.

This palace, constructed by Duke Buckingham through Sheffield in the year 1703, became a royal building and became the king's residence at some point.

It is a symbol of England and part of the royal family's history. But even this place that was expected to be fated with the English royal family forever, became a mess when the A virus swept across the planet.

There is just one character from the royal family living in the Buckingham Palace right now, and everything including that one character is a mutant wearing the mask of humans.

A lot of time has passed since this happened. But what use is there to consider such things when the world has come to its end? It is all futile.

***

"Apparently there's detection of a new entity in the southwest, near Italy."

"Southwest?"

Four beings are gathered in the Buckingham Palace's private royal conference hall. They are similar in form to humans, but they are just similar, not humans.

A man covered in smooth red fur, speaks on behalf of everyone. It is highest in rank of the four, and it is accordingly strong.

They have received information on a mutant destroying Italy recently.

There is a means of contact among mutants. Though humans' technology was lost with the downfall of science, they maintained living conditions for useful humans and even received a little help.

"It must have woken up not too long ago, because it's going around smashing everything it comes across."

In reality, they really do not know how long it has been since the mutant woke up. Generally, ultra high level mutants beyond level 7 have a tendency to make a fuss for a few months after initial awakening.

"Italy….."

"Hee hee! Medusa, it's your area."

A bald man with no nose, ears, or mouth and just a big eyeball, asks a young woman with a lot of snakes on top of her head.

They look like they are just sitting on her head at a glance, but they are her hair. Each one is alive and are her treasures as they each have deadly poison.

Medusa. She is a level 8 mutant ruling southern Europe, areas like Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

It is under her jurisdiction because an unidentified mutant is creating chaos in Italy.

"Catch it and bring it to me."

"Alone?"

Medusa frowned at the leader's words. If it is to the point for him to gather everyone together to say this, it must be a mutant at their level that has completed evolution. Capture and not killing. Does he not know how difficult it is to repress an opponent? There needs to be additional help for this.

"Go with Beholder."

"Hee hee! Going with Medusa? That makes me happy."

"Ugh!"

Beholder, the bald man, drools. Medusa is uncomfortable and looks away.

"Can't I go with someone else?"

Medusa looks at a giant that has been silent in a corner seat. It only listens with its arms crossed. It has a reticent personality. It does not get involved unless it is necessary.

"Titan needs to go north."

"Hedgehog is still alive?"

"Its army is impressive. It came fully prepared. Kimeira is struggling."

Expressed as a struggle, it is actually a siege of pushing and pulling between matched powers. The Hedgehog they are discussing is the Blood Lord.

It is determined because of a loss in the past and has come back stronger, with more power.

"They'll be dead if Titan is going."

"We're not killing it, but bringing it back. Just like the new guy you need to capture."

"Huh?"

"It's what the Empress desires. There needs to be a reinforcement of power to widen her influence."

"Because of Asia?"

"That's only a part of it. It's because of Asia like you said, and Africa."

Asia's Red Eye recruited a new face. Black Horse is not interested in battles over zones, but he is different. He is very aggressive and active.

Of the six continents, Asia has the most land and Black Horse is the most powerful of the six Disasters. It is lacking underlings. As long as that aspect is satisfied, everything like individual strength, area, and influence will be complete.

"Africa….."

"He is an ally, but he isn't trustworthy. We never know when he'll betray us."

Medusa recalled Africa's Disaster, that she came across a few years ago. It is sneaky and cunning. She gets goosebumps just thinking about it.

"We're equal with Africa if we capture Hedgehog and Italy's crazy guy. The Empress has a lot of expectations riding on this. Give it your all."

"When do we leave?"

"It's better to get moving since it's pretty far away. Go immediately."

Medusa stood up. Beholder smiled as he followed behind her. The 4 of them, 5 including Kimeira in Latvia are equal in level, but the leader, Heat Wave Inferno, is special.

He is a powerful mutant that the Empress personally appointed. He can take on any two of them at the same time.

That is why they follow his orders. There is no reluctance. They can fight and win if they think it is unjust.

"Titan, I'll leave it to you. Bring Blood Lord to the Empress. It'll get over its arrogance and yield if it sees a mutant more powerful than itself."

Blood Lord is just interfering here and there because of its arrogance. If it encounters a true predator, it will surrender because it does not want to die.

"Alright."

Boom!

Titan also left to complete the assigned mission. Inferno, left behind alone, also thought intently and then disappeared like a ghost.