Mutagen

It was a settlement not under the hands of the military or the government. Yet, it might be the safest and most stable safe zone for survivors within the whole Philippines. And probably, one among the best places to live around the world in its current apocalyptic state.

Two walls protected and divided the inner and outer areas of the base.

The outer areas protected by a tall earthen wall were assigned for both agriculture and manufacturing. Fields of crops and farm animals, mutated or not, could be seen here, especially in the northern areas. There were also some structures built within the outer area. The buildings up north were used as barns and crop storage, while the buildings in the southern parts were used as workshops and warehouses for less important items. On the east side of the outer area, training fields where combatants hone their skills were located.

On the other hand, the inner area, surrounded by the reddish-black walls,  was now dedicated mainly for housing, storage of important equipment and human necessities, and facilities needed for life improvements such as a medical facility and even a small school.

From above, the whole base was more or less shaped like a giant rectangle with narrow sides in the north and south directions. However, it was not entirely a rectangle, considering that the western side, a steep hill with a cliff behind it, had no walls. Furthermore, the inner wall, which was a perfect square, was not centered inside the outer wall either.

There was a wider area on the north side of the outer areas than the southern and eastern sides. Not to mention that there was no inner wall on the west side of the base. Both outer and inner walls were joined together upon reaching the steep hill.

The shape and placement of the walls might cause those with obsessive-compulsive disorder to wince painfully. However, it was not like it was built like this in order to piss them off.

These walls were built with both terrain and other aspects in mind.

More space was needed for both agriculture and training areas. And as such, the north and east sides had wider space between the outer and inner walls. But one factor for the distance and designations of the areas was the fact that [Infected] attacks were mostly coming from the south. It was only animal attacks, which were rare, come from the north and east.

Given that the [Infected] were far more dangerous, they need a lesser distance from the inner areas to the southern walls, allowing the combatants to quickly respond to the attack. On the other hand, due to human habitation, animals tend to avoid the base. Only feral ones would be brave, or dumb, enough to do so. It greatly reduced the intensity of attacks from the mountains.

As for the western side, due to the steep cliff, no attacks come from this direction. Flying [Infected] could fly from the west, but it was the same for other directions.

Currently, the farmlands were mostly covered in green. A variety of crops were planted, and every single one of them was growing healthily. It might still take some time before harvest came, but their future food source was already secured with this.

Nonetheless, there was one problem. Everyone was beginning to worry.

It was already past one month since the leader of the base and his group left on a journey. A week of absence was already worrying, not to mention more than a month. With how the world currently was, deaths could come unexpectedly, after all.

If this place was any regular settlement, it would already be chaotic.

The prolonged absence of a leader could start fights between people vying for that position. Factions would form and contend until one faction remained and take the throne.

In the Mountain Base, it was different.

The management was left to Odelina and Huey, along with other trusted people. Nonetheless, none of them vyed the position of the settlement\'s leader. They were following the orders they were given up to this day without complaints.

Well, there were complaints about why their leader would not even show their faces once in a while, considering that they have Spera to open portals for them.

Of course, they were worried. It was impossible not to.

Even so, they trusted that Mark\'s group would be unharmed and return safely.

This was the effect of Mark\'s actions. He did not let just anyone into the home he founded. Each person was either carefully observed or personally chosen by him.

Because of this, the people were mostly good in nature. Or at least, they knew what they should and should not do.

Furthermore, most of these people were indebted to Mark in one way or another. It made them have less urge to do the wrong things.

Not to mention that in the current state of things, not only they were safe and alive, their stomachs were also filled, and they were properly clothed.

It was extremely different from the state of the people outside this settlement.

None of them wanted to lose this.

***

And today... At near sunset...

Everyone\'s worries were washed away.

After their prolonged absence, a portal opened in the sky, signaling the return of their leader and his group.

Everyone rejoiced, knowing that their leader\'s group was all safe and sound.

It almost became a celebration. However, Mark stopped it as they only returned to unload the things they gathered. They had yet to touch the tip of the goal of their journey either, as they had not yet found Sinogo\'s whereabouts, not to mention eliminating the threat.

The celebration was for another time when they returned victorious after a dangerous battle.

Mark\'s group returned and they could not help but feel tired. It was the sense where the accumulated fatigue would suddenly tug onto your mind and body once you step into the safety of your home. They got the feeling of wanting to have a comfortable rest once after a long time.

And the first thing that happened?

Well, Mei and the females of the group gathered together towards the bathhouse. Taking a proper bath was the most difficult thing during travels. They could only wash their bodies with cloth and water, but it was not as comfortable as having a proper bath.

Mark could only shrug as he and Chimetrice were left alone to move the things they brought home into the warehouse. Fortunately, they had a lot of people to help out. Even for Mark and Chimetrice, it would be tiring to move a few tonnes of wood, baskets of crystals and herbs, and even the caged animals.

And to say, while the trees and herbs did not make the people interested, the shining crystals and beautifully strange animals took the people\'s attention. It made the workers wonder, however. Crystals were mostly used for accessories, meaning money, which was now useless. They could not help but ask Mark what the crystals were for.

That was when they began shaking when Mark told them that those crystals were magical and could probably be used to make magical equipment in the future.

They were literally shaking. After all... Who would not want to dabble into magical things?

Returning from their journey... A month was too long.

Mark could not help but see and feel the changes that the Mountain Base underwent while they were gone.

Rather than a settlement of ragtag survivors, the whole place now looked more and more like a proper community. If not for the tall walls affixed with stationary weapons, one might think that this place was nothing but a rather odd-looking rural village in the mountains.

Well, despite the changes, there were many things that did not.

For example...

"Elder brother!"

Elise, the poor neglected girl from New Jersey, jumped unto Mark and embraced him the moment she saw him. Of course, it made Roan, Elise\'s real older brother, shrug, as Elise basically treated her own siblings more like strangers compared to how she treated Mark.

There was also Snow and Janette, who now seemed to have grown more intelligent. They came to see Mark, feeling that he had returned. If not for the fact that the two had pale skin, no one would think that these two were actually [Queen Type Infected]. Furthermore...

"Wel...come? Ba..k?"

Jannette voiced out to Mark. Then, looking back at her sister, Mara, as if asking if she said it right.

That was right... Jannette, due to Mara\'s help, started to learn to talk.

Unfortunately, Snow had yet to reach this stage. After all, not only she was parasitized by a [Queen Type Infected] Spider, but she came to Mark\'s custody later than Janette.

The two [Queen Types] were learning. Mark would just wish that the two stop asking head pats from him like pets since the people around him could only give him strange looks.

There was also another one eagerly awaiting Mark\'s return. It was no other than Chiyo, the [Night Everred Pure Spirit Tree]. Its red leaves glowed brightly and its branches swayed in joy as it felt Mark\'s return.

Although it was only to drop off their things, the return of Mark\'s group was surely a joyous occasion.

But it was not only Mark who could surprise the people of his base.

Now, it was time for these people to surprise him further.

A woman arrived at their current location and Mark could not help but stare at her, wide-eyed.

The woman wore normal clothing, but her clothes did not do much to hide her nice body shape and charm. She looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

But most of all... She was walking towards Mark, clutching a large stone-like egg on his arms.

"Aimee?"

Mark voiced out, feeling the familiar mental fluctuation from the woman.

Aimee, the gigantic [Infected] woman they encountered in Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The odd [Infected] that remembered her past, despite looking like a thousand-eyed tentacle monster. And it turned out that she was a descendant of a fallen [Eye], causing her odd mutation.

It would be odd if Mark was not surprised, considering that the woman in front of him was far from looking like a monster.

Aimee approached Mark, with her hair cut strange above her shoulder and her forehead fully covered with her bangs.

"Sir. I can finally thank you properly for everything you\'ve done for us."

Aimee said while caressing the egg-like stone, which was supposed to be her child.

There was no doubt. This woman was Aimee.

"How?"

That was the only question that Mark could voice out, as his mind churned, thinking of the possibilities.

"Actually... I don\'t know either..." Aimee replied, understanding Mark\'s question. "Two weeks ago, I just woke up like this. But it is not like I returned to being human either."

Aimee then lifted her bangs, revealing three pairs of eyes arched on her forehead. She had eight eyes on her face, and also indicated that she had others hidden all over her body, totaling exactly eighteen eyes.

Mark stared at her, realizing something. Her current form did not look different from the human form of the [Eyes]. In fact, the human appearance of the [Eyes] was not their true forms either. Was it possible that Aimee gained the same ability?

It was a question that no one would be able to answer aside from the [Eyes] themselves. Unfortunately, none of them was present right now.

Nonetheless, this was a good thing for Aimee. In her human form, she could take care better of her child, not to mention properly experiencing life inside this place.

And when Mark thought that Aimee was the only surprise...

He was wrong.

A group of people arrived while Mark and the others were busy moving stuff.

It was the remaining members of the tribe from the mountain province.

And Mark could not help but stare as the warriors of the tribe escorted the girl in the middle. It was Mayumi, the granddaughter of the deceased elder of the tribe.

Mark, for the second time today, was surprised.

Although it was hard to notice in a passing, Mark could feel that the girl had changed, along with strong magical energy building up inside her.

"Mayumi... did you inherit it already?"

Mark asked.

And the girl nodded, looking proud and thankful to Mark.

"Yes. I have successfully inherited my grandmother\'s gift. Although I\'m still inexperienced, I vow to take grandmother\'s place and protect our new home with the aid of my newfound ability."

Mayumi boldly declared.

With Mayumi inheriting the [Clairvoyance] of her lineage, it would be a great help to keep the base safe. It was an extremely good piece of news for everyone.

Getting these surprises, Mark could not help but feel really glad. Who would expect such things to happen while he was gone. It was a pity that he was absent to know these things firsthand, but having the news as a surprise was not bad either.