Mutation Abyss-Chapter 47: Meteorborn Sentinel

He parked the motorbike along the side of a cracked, broken road, then carefully covered it with a tarp and some branches for camouflage. Not far ahead, he spotted the barrier and patrol service hatch beyond the high school’s crumbling perimeter wall. After one last glance around, he activated his stealth skill and moved in silently.

[Shadow Step Activated]

His body melted into the dusk, blending with the shadows. No light touched him. No camera or patrol would see his presence.

The hatch gave a quiet click as Theo unlocked it using the override code Commander Brix had sent earlier. He slipped through the narrow opening, closing it gently behind him. Not a sound. Not a light stirred in the darkened perimeter.

As soon as his boots touched the cracked cement of the school grounds, he pulled out his mobile phone and called Brix. "I’m in. Hatch secured. No one noticed."

"Copy that. Good luck in there, Theo. Stay sharp."

Theo pocketed his mobile phone just as a foul breeze drifted in from the open field ahead. He moved forward and emerged into what was once a school’s soccer field, now overrun with weeds, shattered bleachers, and broken fencing. The moonlight spilled across the uneven ground.

That’s when he saw them. MB Infectees stood scattered across the field. They wore decayed remnants of school soccer uniforms, numbers barely visible on their backs. Their bodies twitched with unnatural stiffness, heads jerking occasionally, as if responding to distant sounds.

One of them let out a sharp exhale, almost like a sigh. Theo froze, crouching low in the shadows behind the thick trunk of a large tree. That one wasn’t like the usual roaming MB infectees, seemed to be encased in hardened stone-like meteor armor.

It was then that he heard that familiar chime in his system.

[Ding! Special Quest Available: "Heart of the Meteorborn"]

[Objective: Eliminate Meteorborn Sentinel (MSentinel) with active meteorite core.]

[Primary Reward: Host gains abilities and traits extracted from the defeated Meteorborn with active core.

[Acquirable Trait: Stoneborn Resilience - Enhances physical durability and grants partial resistance to blunt force and impact damage.]

[Bonus Reward: +10,000 EXP, +1,000 Gold Coins]

[Rare Drop Chance: Hardened Meteor Shard]

[Warning: Failure to eliminate at least one target within 16 hours will result in Mutation Corruption. Proceed with caution.]

[Accept Quest? YES / NO]

Theo gulped, debating whether he should try to defeat the creature or slip past it and head straight into the high school building. It was a private campus with only one main structure, five stories tall and no rooftop access. No helipad. No emergency exits from above.

"If there are survivors," Theo muttered to himself, eyes scanning the shadows, "the only way out is through here."

He tightened his grip on his weapon. If he wanted to secure a safe route later, he had to clear the soccer field first. With that Theo accepted the special quest.

Theo’s breath slowed as he crouched low, using his Stealthborn ability to blend with the shadows. The soccer field was littered with MB infectees. He moved carefully, closing the distance with silent steps. Using quick strikes, Theo took down the first few infectees before they even noticed. His axe flashed in the dim moonlight, striking them directly in the head.

He avoided the area where the MSentinel patrolled. Taking his time, Theo worked his way around it, picking off the weaker ones first. When the last of the MB infectees was down, only the MSentinel remained.

Theo’s heart pounded as he watched its slow, deliberate steps. He waited for the perfect moment, then dashed from cover, striking quickly with a burst of kinetic energy transferred into his axe.

The Sentinel roared and staggered but recovered fast, swinging its heavy limbs. Theo ducked and rolled, using agility and shadow steps to stay just out of reach.

Then he struck with his axe, sending a sharp crack through the bark. The MSentinel growled and swung again. Theo kept moving, using quick steps and shadows to avoid the heavy blows.

Each time the MSentinel attacked, Theo found a weak spot, the joint behind its knee. With a burst of energy, Theo struck hard at the joint. It faltered and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

[Success: Meteorborn Sentinel eliminated.]

[Reward:Core Extraction Available - Physical Mutation: Stoneborn Resilience]

[+10,000 EXP, +1,000 Gold Coins, Meteorite Core Essence Acquired]

He exhaled deeply as the system continued..

[Initiating Meteorite Core Absorption...]

[Extraction complete. New ability and power acquired.]

[You have acquired: Stoneborn Heart Meteorite Core.

Physical durability significantly increased. Resistance to blunt force and impact damage enhanced.]

[New Abilities Unlocked:

Granite Skin - Temporarily hardens your body like stone, drastically reducing physical damage.

Immovable Stance - Increases stability and knockback resistance. Cannot be easily thrown off balance.

Seismic Counter - Absorbs impact and releases a shockwave of force upon counterattack.]

Theo straightened up slowly, his breath now steady. He felt the weight of his new strength settle into his bones. The field was quiet now. He had cleared it and emerged even stronger.. Now, it was time to move inside the high school building.

*****

Third Floor, Room 3B, High School Campus Ruins - Red Zone B1

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Inside Room 3B, a group of survivors sat in silence. The door was blocked with desks and chairs. The room was quiet, only lit by the fading light from a cracked window.

Then came the voice.

"Please... someone... help me..."

Everyone turned toward the door.

"There’s another survivor," said Mr. Kellan, the teacher, standing up slowly. "That’s a woman’s voice."

Knock. Knock.

"I know you’re in there... please. I saw others get attacked. I barely made it..."

In the corner, a girl stood up quickly. Her arm was bandaged. Her face pale.

"Don’t open it!" she said, voice shaking. "I saw her downstairs. I swear she looked normal but she wasn’t." The others stared at her.

"She looked okay at first," the girl said, breathing fast. "She knocked... talked like a normal person... Then she changed. Her body twisted. Her face, it split open. She attacked everyone!"