Mutagen

<strong>Day 41 – 12:59 AM – Cristobal Mansion, Inner District, East Port Settlement, Barangay Dinahican, Infanta, Quezon</strong>

In the block of the Cristobal Family, a rather large mansion was built. It was a modern mansion that had three floors and an accessible rooftop. Although the rooftop was accessible, unlike before the outbreak where the rooftops were used for leisure and entertainment, this rooftop was made in order for the people here to be able to defend against the enemies attacking from the air like birds and insects.

Unlike the block of the Salvador Family where the number of guards was lower, guards were patrolling around the block of Cristobal Family twenty-four seven in groups of three or four.  All of them guards were equipped with assault rifles and pistols. The security was too tight that it felt very stifling to anyone that saw it.

At a rather lavishly decorated room at the third floor, seductive moans could be heard even outside. It was the room of the Young Master of the Cristobal Family, Ace Bryant Cristobal. Inside, Ace was indulging in the pleasure with a woman. If Mark was to see this, he would immediately recognize the girl that he witnessed earlier that left her loyal lover for riches.

In the middle of their private session, a rather loud and panicked knock on the door disturbed their passionate mood. Ace could not help it and his temper flared up. He had already told his men to not disturb him and yet, someone knocked on the door.

Covering his lower body with a towel, Ace stood up with a dissatisfied face leaving Pearl on the bed who also covered her thin body with a blanket.

Opening the door, Ace looked at the man who was one of the leaders of the guards in their family, Epifanio Mejia. Since this man was a direct subordinate of his father, he could not openly shout and curse him but he still showed his dissatisfied expression. If he remembered correctly, this man should be leading the guards at the gates of the settlement tonight. If there was a problem, this man would directly report to his father. This made him confused as to why the captain of the guards was here knocking on his door.

"Young Master."

Epifanio saluted.

"What's the problem?"

"Three Mutators were attacked and fell unconscious at the outer district. If we are not mistaken they should be your men. I remember seeing them with Young Master several times before. They should be the Himenez brothers under you."

"What?!"

Ace was shocked. He sent those three tonight to take the slime that the poor family in that district was keeping. Unlike the previous times where he sent people that only needed to harass and threaten that family, the three tonight were tasked this time to make a move and forcefully take the slime. He wanted to give that slime as a gift to the Young Lady of the Salvador Family and her birthdate should be coming in a few days.

"What happened? Who would dare mess with my men?!"

"Young Master, it was rather complicated. It is better if you see them for yourself. The Master is also coming to check."

Epifanio replied in a humble tone but there seemed to be something that he hid.

"Father is already there? Alright, wait for me. I'll just wear my clothes."

***

Day 41 – 1:05 AM – Salvador Family Block, Inner District, East Port Settlement, Barangay Dinahican, Infanta, Quezon

On another block not far away from the Cristobal Family, Mark prepared to infiltrate the mansion of the Salvador Family. Mark knew that making a trade with this family in exchange for the [BloodChildren] was too slim. In that case, he would enter the mansion secretly and take them without alarming anyone.

Still, it would not be easy. From Mark's position, he could see the guards around the block and the mansion. Although the security here was not as tight as the other two Families, he could tell that the Mutators here were on another level. They looked strong and alert as if they were trained as soldiers. It seemed that rather than quantity, the Salvador family made up for quality and strength.

"Well then. Salacia, are you ready for a sky dive?"

Mark spoke making Salacia wiggle in confusion.

Without wasting any more time, Mark jumped up as high as he could before he vanished into a puff of black mist. Blanketed by the cloudy night, Mark waved diagonally upwards from outside the block to the direction of the room he was feeling the four [BloodChildren].

Since there was quite a distance from his starting point to the mansion, there was a high chance that he would be detected by the people below and that was why he was advancing upwards at a steep angle and he would sky dive from above the mansion and enter that room.

It did not take long and Mark landed on the roof of the second floor balcony that was directly outside the target place. The fall was quick but he managed to decrease the speed with his [Shadow Mist Movement] without problems. Salacia was shaking in his hands though. Although it was a still a mystery as to how the [BloodChildren] were able to perceive their surroundings, Mark could tell that his sky dive just now scared Salacia.

As he landed on the roof and the rather large room was now within the span of his emphatic detection, he was quite surprised. Outside the block, he could only detect the [BloodChildren] but now, he could detect about a dozen more creatures inside the room. Most likely, these were all among the animals and creatures that the Young Lady of the Salvador Family was collected. Furthermore, Mark could also detect someone sleeping inside.

Mark looked around to see if someone spotted him from below but it seemed that he was still in the clear. There were guards below and around the walls of the block but none of them seemed to be behaving strangely.

There was only one window in the room even though it was a large one and it was locked. Mark then let out a [Blood Whip] and made it liquefy a little, enough to make the [BloodWhip] to be controlled as it seeped at the small spaces around the window to unlock it.

CREAK!

The window creaked as Mark opened it slightly from inside. Even though the window had metal railings, Mark used the space distortion of his [Shadow Mist Movement] to enter the small space between the railings and the small opening of the window.

TAP! TAP!

Mark's feet landed inside the room with two faint tapping sounds. It was really big. The size of the room already had the same floor area as his house in Bacoor. It was not lavishly decorated but the furniture around the room was complete. The ben inside the room looked like a princess bed that could be seen in movies and dramas. There was the Young Lady of Salvador Family sleeping on it.

He then looked around the room. It was because he felt several pairs of eyes staring at him. Aside from the furniture, there were several cages and aquariums of different sizes inside the room. Each cage and aquarium contained at least on animal or insect. Since it was very dark in the room, he could only make out the shapes of some of the animals but could not see them clearly. However, that was not the disturbing thing. He was sure that there was something strange going on.

Immediately, he noticed some strange fluctuations coming from some of the animals.

Mark then turned his stern gaze at the princess bed in a defensive stance.

KACHA!

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room? How did you manage to enter?"

The woman who was supposed to be sleeping sat up with a forty five caliber pistol pointed at Mark. She spoke in an imposing manner. However, she then froze as she looked at Mark for some reason. She was even shivering as her imposing manner vanished and was filled with both fascination and fear.

It made Mark feel rather strange. However, he did not come here for trouble but just to retrieve the four [BloodChildren].

"T-that c-creature on your hand, it should belong to that family at the Outer District. Why is it with you? Did you do something to that family?"

The girl spoke in a rather inconsistent tone. However, Mark could tell that her feelings was not because he had Salacia but because of him. Nevertheless, Mark could feel a bit of genuine worry from the thought that Mark did something to Hamlin and his grandchildren. It was enough for Mark to judge the personality of this girl.

"Don't worry about Hamlin and the children. I ask them for this and they willingly gave it. It doesn't belong to them after all."

Mark spoke.

"What do you mean that it don't belong to them?"

"What you heard is what it meant, simple. I came here to do the same. I came for the four you had with you. I want to take them back."

"Take them back you say… You didn't come here to abduct me or do something to me?"

Mark was dumbfounded. Just how was this girl raised by her parents? That question was filled with innocence. However, Mark could detect shrewdness from her emotions.

"Stop with that innocent act. Seriously, you're really a daughter of a business oriented family. Anyways, as long as you don't do anything dangerous, I won't lay my hand on you."

"TCH!" The girl clicked her tongue. "You think an intruder like you can do what you want in here? Everyone! Get ready."

The girl's voice turned stern at her commanding voice.

Mark then sighed. His intuition was correct. Some of the animals inside this room were really strange. The moment that the girl let out her command, the animals with strange fluctuations opened their cages on their own and went out. They were all ready to fight Mark.

Looking back at the girl on the bed, Mark spoke.

"It's better to stop what you want to do. I know that you really care for your pets. They will get hurt if you make them attack me."

"Hmpf! Let's see what you can do! Attack!"

With her command, ten different animals were about to attack as several different animal sounds echoed inside the room. However…

They all froze. Then, the snake the size of an adult leg started wriggling on the floor, the mastiff like cat rolled on the floor, the hawk sized sparrow fell on the floor and the other animals were the same. Those that were weaker immediately fainted while those that were stronger wailed in pain.

The Young Lady was dumbfounded. She looked at the intruder in her room whose eyes were frighteningly glowing with red glow. Her shivering body became even worse.

Mark smiled bitterly in the dark and stopped the release of negative emotions towards the animals that were all lying on the floor.

"I told, you. They will get hurt. Don't worry, they won't die. Just make them rest until tomorrow."

Ignoring the animals on the floor and the girl on the bed, Mark made his way towards the cabinet on the further side of the room. Although the girl still had the gun pointed at Mark, he was not worried about it. She already had lost the will to fight and would only retaliate further if he came closer to her.

On top of the cabinet, four covered fishbowls were placed. Inside each fishbowl was a [BloodChild]. Two of them had the normal color while one was silver colored and the last one was bright red with a faint glow in its body.

Mark opened each fishbowl and touched the [BloodChildren] one by one.

Under the eyes of the girl that was dumbfounded even further, the four slimes affectionately responded to Mark and were even rubbing their gelatinous bodies on his hand.

"Alright, I'll be taking them."

Mark hugged the five [BloodChildren] in his arms and vanished in a puff of black mist and fled out of the room through the window. He really wanted to put the little critters inside his bag but he had no time left. The wails of the animals were surely heard by the people within the mansion and he detected several people approaching the room from the hallway. Since he had no plans to fight here, he could only flee.

Retrieving the [BloodChildren], his most important business in this settlement was finished. Getting them out of the Salvador Family Mansion was rather easy. Or is it?