Mutagen

Day 41 – 4:58 PM – Death Valley Settlement, Barangay Poblacion, General Nakar, Quezon

Hearing Mark say his name, Sherwin frowned.

"I'm surprised that you know my full name. I bet those dolts told you."

"What a high and mighty attitude for someone who escaped from his responsibilities. Don't forget, for me, you're nothing but a fugitive."

Mark spoke in a condescending manner. Among the people in Hallie's group that time, it was Jefferson and Sherwin that messed with his things the most and yet, they were the ones with the guts to escape and not pay back the damages they did.

Hearing that, Sherwin's frown grew deeper.

"As if I would care about what you think."

"Sir Ferrer, do you know this person?"

The fat man spoke not minding that Mark and Sherwin were still talking. Sherwin looked at the fat man.

"A bastard who messed up my plans before."

Sherwin replied.

Mark observed Sherwin and the fat man.

As the two conversed, the fat man was obviously showing respect to the other. It seemed that Sherwin was not just someone simple in this settlement. Furthermore, even though Mark did not converse with Sherwin before, he saw his conduct towards Hallie and the others. His personality was way different from before. Some people might think that his experiences changed him but Mark would not think so. The way he carried himself right now looked more natural than before.

It meant that his previous personality was a façade, a huge act. Unfortunately, Mark had no way to detect that façade at that time since his ability as an Empath had not recovered yet.

"I don't remember ruining anything you know that, especially a plan of yours. If there was someone who messed up with another's property, it's you and your friends, right?"

Hearing that, Sherwin sneered.

"Friends you say? Who is a friend of those imbeciles who can't even do things properly? The best thing that they can do is to serve as bait so I can escape."

He then glared at Mark.

"You know what? If not for you, Nicole, Trisha and Jolleen should have been my toys already. However, Nicole and Trisha stayed back and unfortunately I had to give up on Jolleen. That damn tiger sure is lucky to have her as dinner."

***

Sherwin stared at the man that ruined his plans with a smirk and remembered the things that happened.

Back at the Hotel where they got stuck when the apocalypse started, things were going awry. Fortunately, an armed helicopter scattered leaflets about the settlement at the east. When he saw the leaflet however, he could not help but smile.

That leaflet was not a ticket for salvation but both a way to message the remaining members of their organization and to lure others into their trap. After that event, he started manipulating things within the shadows. He caused the group to split up between those that wanted to leave and those that would stay.

Through coercion, he made the men that stayed behind the hotel to force those Nicole and Trisha out while he convinced Jefferson to leave the hotel and make Jolleen and a few more good looking women to come with them. Although there were unexpected circumstances like the appearance of the tiger, he made sure that his primary targets would stay safe while he caused others some of the unwanted people to die.

In fact, he was also behind that wound that Hallie received from the attack of the tiger. He pushed one of the useless men to bump unto Hallie causing her to fall down as she was attacked by the tiger. Unfortunately, Hallie managed to get away with just the deep wound on her leg.

To those people who knew him before, he was just a happy go lucky person who was a good friend of Jefferson. They did not know that it was just all an act and Jefferson was his puppet that was easy to manipulate and was useful in many things, especially in luring women to their demise.

Jefferson was popular with women and Sherwin took advantage of that. He used the name of his friend to call those women with good looks to places. There, he would do various things to knock them out and have his way with them. After that, the women would vanish from the society.

Sherwin's other identity was an illegal human trafficker. He was a member of an international organization that was involved with slave trading in the deep web. It was a huge criminal organization that had its hands on various illegal acts. Illegal Drugs, Human Trafficking, Guns for Hire and even Arms Trade, any criminal business could be linked to that organization.

That very same organization founded the Death Valley Settlement. The international Drug Lord, Adrik Volkov was also a member of the organization and was someone with a high standing. At the surface, everyone knew that Adrik founded this settlement but of course, the organization was always behind him.

To Sherwin, this settlement was a paradise. Due to the organization, he was given a good position in the settlement and he was able to indulge himself in his desires.

Sherwin looked at the fat man. He was Filameno Alcantara, one of his business partners in selling slaves along with Elliezer Volkov who was the son of Adrik. Unfortunately, Elliezer was already dead and the one who caused that was the very same person as the one standing in front of him right now.

He witnessed it since he was there observing everything. Sherwin recognized him because of his Mutator ability.

That was right. Sherwin was a Mutator since the start. Unlike most people however, he became an Evolver first before he was bitten and thus, he gained two abilities. First was his Evolver ability which was the fast movements and metabolism he showed everyone while the second was his Mutator ability, an ability that allowed him to see in a different manner. It enables him to see using temperatures as if his eyes were an organic thermal scanner.

While this enabled him to see hot and cold temperatures alike, it did not allow him to recognize people through that manner. However, he was able to recognize Mark due to the fact that the temperature in Mark's body was rather strange compared to normal people.

Sherwin's eye contact with Filameno was a signal and it was to deal with Mark immediately.

While they were exchanging signals, Mark spoke.

"Too bad for you then. Those girls chose me over you." Mark spoke with lines that could easily be misunderstood. "By the way, don't curse someone to death. Jolleen is still alive and kicking, you know that? If I were to compare you to her, you're much weaker. No kidding."

***

Mark watched Sherwin's face twist in the insult he received. It was rather effective since the latter viewed women as toys and merchandise. For him to be compared to a lowly merchandise and was already an insult not to mention that he was told that he was weaker.

Sherwin then spoke.

"Don't get too cocky. You think that you'll be able leave this place especially since you lured that monster here? I don't know how you concealed yourself and your pet but don't think that you escaped my eyes. The moment that you landed here, my men already surrounded the place. Don't think that the pet you have there hiding at the side could help you. No matter what, it's just a huge lizard."

Mark did not doubt what Sherwin said. It was very likely that Sherwin could see him even with his [Optical Camouflage] on since his appearance was very timely.

He then released an exaggerated sigh as he shrugged his shoulders at the same time.

"Are you sure that you have time for this? That big guy there will destroy this place if you guys don't stop it. Anyway…" Mark smirked. "You guys think that you can kill me?"

After saying that, Mark vanished in a puff of black mist.

He should have appeared behind Sherwin intending to end his life immediately. However…

BANG!

Mark retreated as a sniper bullet passed through where he intended to appear. Instead, he appeared several meters back.

"That's surprising. You have capable people with you."

"As I said, you won't leave this place alive." Sherwin faced Mark calmly. "We already gathered enough information about your abilities. You thought I will appear here without preparing?"

Mark let out a deep breath. What a troublesome situation. In this case…

"Sorry but I think… Your preparations are still not enough."

His eyes turned red and glared at the nearest people.

The armed men targeted by his glare immediately clutched their heads and screamed in pain. Following their screams, their eyes, nose and ears started to bleed and they even started coughing up blood.

Filamino and the others could not help but step back as they witnessed the situation that suddenly happened.

"F*ck! Shoot!"

Sherwin shouted.

Following that orders, the armed men started shooting their guns.

Mark planned to receive the brunt of the gunshots by phasing through them and his body blurred as he started running. The first bullets passed through his body until. Seeing that, Sherwin smiled with confidence.

"DIE!"

SPLAT!

CLANG!

Several sounds were heard as bullets started to hit Mark's body and armor. Forced by the sudden situation, Mark disappeared from the line of fire and appeared somewhere else. This time however, he looked tattered as his jacket was drilled with several holes and his arms and legs that were not protected by the armor had wounds.

Sherwin was delighted when he saw Mark got hit by their bullets but his delight turned to shock to see that Mark was still calmly standing despite his fatal wounds. Now to think of it, there was no blood gushing out of his wounds.

"H-How are you still alive?!"

Sherwin shouted which made Mark frown.

"You really like cursing people to death aren't you? I'm surprised though. To think that your bullets managed to hit me. It hurts I tell you. I haven't even dealt with the thorns yet."

While Mark said that, an amazing sight ensued. From the wounds Mark received, the bullets that drilled into his body started to resurface and fell on the floor. Afterwards, all his wounds closed up and his body returned to normal as if nothing happened. If not for the holes on his clothes, they might have thought that Mark being hit was just an illusion.

"Damn it! Just what the hell are you?!"

Sherwin's face twisted in anger. That ability to make people bleed and feel pain and that insane body recovery. It was the very first time he heard of it even from the spies that was present during the attack of the horde at the military settlement. Also when he observed his fights back at the highway, he never saw this.

Everyone present started to think that the person currently at the center of attention was not human.

"Well then…" Mark glared and the light in his eyes intensified. "My turn."

Mark kicked the ground and charged. The force of the kick was too strong that it launched him forward that his body almost blurred. A second after his foot left the ground, he vanished. This time, the trail of mist left by his movement moved in a straight line. Before everyone was able to react, Mark appeared behind Sherwin and he clasped the back of his neck.

Sherwin's eyes widened as he felt a piercing pain in his neck as if something entered his body and that pain travelled through his body to his limbs.

SPLASH!

Everyone froze as blood splattered on the ground mixing with the rain water.

Sherwin's limbs were suddenly severed and fell onto the ground painting the rainwater even redder.

Mark stood there clasping the screaming Sherwin. His limbless body trashed around while in Mark's grasp. However, he would not die any soon. It was because Mark prevented his limbless body from bleeding to death.