Mutation Abyss-Chapter 20: A Frozen Crucifix

Theo inwardly cursed. 'Mutation Corruption? That sounds dangerous...' He hesitated, weighing the risk. But in this world, where chaos was ongoing and death was just around the corner, playing it safe wasn't an option. Not anymore.

If he wanted to protect the people he cared about, he had to get stronger, even if it meant taking risks like this. His mother was on the fifteenth floor of the hospital, so he needed to get there stronger as quickly as possible.

He took a deep breath and made his decision. 'I have to do this.'

He selected [YES].

[Ding! Quest accepted.]

"Move faster, boy!" one of the soldiers barked as he brushed past him, pushing into the crumbling building ahead. Others followed quickly. In seconds, Theo was at the back of the line.

He gripped his double-sided axe tighter and pressed forward, his eyes sharp and alert.

By the time they reached the thirteenth floor, the air was thick with smoke and the sharp sting of burned flesh. The hallway was littered with debris, overturned stretchers, and blood smears that trailed into darkened rooms.

Screams continued to echo from down the corridor, high-pitched, panicked cries. Gunfire cracked like lightning, followed by the low, rumbling groans.

"On me!" Sergeant Jones shouted, motioning for the squad to push forward. The group fanned out, weapons raised, stepping over the body of a half-eaten soldier slumped against the wall.

From the smoke ahead, a figure charged, a former nurse, now mutated beyond recognition. Its jaw hung loose, eyes glowing faintly green, and veins pulsed with a sickly luminescence.

BANG! BANG!

A soldier fired. The creature's body jerked back but didn't fall. It screeched, leaping forward with unnatural speed. Theo didn't think, his body moved. With a swing, his double-bladed axe cut through the air.

CRACK! The edge caught the creature mid-lunge, splitting its torso with brutal force. Blood sprayed across the floor as the infected dropped, twitching violently.

[Ding! +10 EXP, +1 Gold Coin]

Another scream followed a woman's voice from the nearby room. "In there!" someone shouted.

Two soldiers kicked the door open. A group of civilians cowered inside, surrounded by two Meteorborns, these with charred, stone-like skin and glowing orange cracks spreading across their bodies.

Trails of smoke hissed off their bodies, and fire blazed in their eyes. One of them turned its head slowly, the flames along its arms pulsing like a living furnace.

Theo's eyes glowed faintly as he activated Observer's Insight.

[Name: Meteorborn Pyre]

Meteorite Core: Inactive - Weak energy signature detected

Danger Level: Moderate - Fire element manipulation confirmed, but weakened due to inactive meteorite core

'So I can easily identify which ones have active or inactive cores with Observer's Insight! This is great!' he thought to himself, feeling more confident.

While the soldiers were already engaged with the Meteorborn Pyre with the inactive meteorite core, Theo's gaze shifted to another Meteorborn Pyre in the room.

[Name: Meteorborn Pyre]

Meteorite Core: Active - Detected in the central chest region

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Danger Level: High – Fire element manipulation confirmed

"Pull them back!" Sergeant Jones ordered, but it was too late. One of the Meteorborn Pyre hurled a massive wave of flame from its chest. The fire rolled across the floor like a living tide, scorching everything in its path.

"Get down!" someone screamed.

"You AMS! Do something! Don't just stand there!" Sergeant Jones barked at Theo.

Theo dove to the side, heat licking at his back as the fire scorched the walls. He activated a Kinetic Pulse.

BOOM! A shockwave burst from Theo's feet as he launched forward. The axe met the Meteorborn Pyre with an active meteorite core mid-roar, slamming into its chest. He aimed for the faint glow behind its ribs, targeting the faint glow of the meteorite heart that pulsed within its ribcage.

But as the axe came down, the Meteorborn Pyre twisted, its fire-filled form moving in a blur.

Theo's axe crashed into its side instead, scraping along its hardened flesh, but it missed the heart. The glow behind its ribs flickered but didn't shatter.

"Shit!" Theo cursed, his body twisting with the force of the failed strike. The Meteorborn Pyre roared, pushing Theo back with a violent burst of flame.

The fire erupted from its chest, bursting forward in a wave. Theo barely managed to duck and roll, the flames scorching the air just inches from his skin.

"Get up!" Sergeant Jones shouted while firing at the other Meteorborn Pyre. "Don't just stand there, finish it!"

Theo's heart pounded in his chest, frustration burning just as hot as the flames around him. The Meteorborn Pyre reared back, preparing another blast of fire. He could feel the energy coursing through him, but his body lagged behind... sluggish, heavy. His breath came in sharp gasps as he struggled to rise.

"Damn it... my body can't keep up. I really need to lose weight," he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stand.

"Stop hurting people!!!" a kid's voice rang out, raw and trembling.

Theo's eyes snapped toward the sound, just in time to see a small boy hurl a broken brick at the Meteorborn Pyre. It struck the creature's shoulder with a dull thud, barely doing any damage.

But it was enough. The Meteorborn's glowing eyes locked onto the boy. It let out a deep, guttural growl, then turned, its molten limbs cracking as it moved toward him.

Theo's heart dropped. 'No, no, no!'

"Run!" someone screamed, but the kid was frozen, wide-eyed in terror.

"Damn it!" Theo pushed his aching body forward, adrenaline cutting through the fatigue.

"Hey! Over here!" he shouted, trying to draw its attention back, but it was too late. The creature's arm lifted, flames swirling at its fingertips.

Just before the Meteorborn could strike, a sharp whistle cut through the chaos, and then a streak of bluish light shot from the side like a spear of ice. It pierced straight through the Meteorborn's shoulder, slamming it into the wall with enough force to crack the concrete.

Theo's eyes widened as pointed ice spikes exploded out from the impact, pinning the creature's limbs and chest against the wall like a frozen crucifix.