Lumen

Marco's transformation into an infected marks a drastic shift, diverging from Kyle Crane's journey. While Crane succumbed to the infection, ultimately becoming the Night Hunter, Marco's progression takes a different turn, guided by the influence of the "Mother" and the power of the Sun. His path represents not total infection but an evolving state of control over his own condition, driven by his persistence and unwavering will.

Marco's Infected Path: The Sunborn

Rather than being overwhelmed by the infection, Marco embraces the power it offers. He learns to harness it, shaping his identity as a being who blurs the lines between humanity and the infected. As the infection progresses, Marco becomes known as "The Sunborn," a hybrid of man and infected, fueled by a force greater than the virus itself. His bond with the Sun becomes the source of his power, channeling his newfound abilities to protect, destroy, and endure.

Skill Tree: The Sunborn

The Sunborn skill tree would be distinct from Kyle Crane's mutation tree, offering a unique set of abilities that blend Marco's combat prowess with his infected transformation. This skill tree would be based on strength, control, and the ability to unleash raw fury while maintaining his mind and clarity. Unlike Crane's brutal mutation into the Night Hunter, Marco can resist the full loss of control, using his infection as a weapon without losing his sense of self.

Sunborn Skill Tree Abilities:

Solar Resilience (Tier 1)

Marco's body begins to withstand greater amounts of damage, thanks to his Sunborn state. He becomes harder to incapacitate, gaining increased resistance to damage from Volatiles, Virals, and other infected.

Passive Ability: Reduced damage taken from infected attacks.

Solar Fury (Tier 2)

Marco taps into the burning rage within him, gaining bursts of speed and strength when angered. His attacks become faster, stronger, and more brutal.

Active Ability: When Marco is injured or facing multiple enemies, he gains a temporary power boost that increases attack speed and damage.

Embrace the Sun (Tier 3)

Active Ability: Marco taps into the Sun's power, allowing him to perceive all enemies with heightened clarity. Each type of entity is surrounded by a unique colored aura, allowing Marco to easily identify and target them. His movements become swifter, his reflexes sharper, and his combat abilities improve.

Aura Effect:

Blue for Volatiles (faster movement, easy to parry)

Cyan for Virals (easier to hit and evade)

Light Blue for Biters and Night Biters (slows their attack speed, easier to block)

Lime Green for Toads (clear vision of acid spits, faster dodge ability)

Red for Survivors (indicates living humans, improved interactions or confrontations)

Purple for Demolishers and other Tank Infected (weakened defensive ability, improved countering)

Yellow for Bolters (increased tracking, harder to escape)

Orange for Hazmats (can pinpoint weak points in their suits, more effective ranged attacks)

White for Callers (enhanced ability to neutralize before they scream, increased awareness of nearby threats)

During the ability's activation, Marco can focus on these different auras to prioritize targets, gaining a significant advantage in combat. The ability grants increased reaction time and speed, enabling Marco to counter, dodge, or strike more efficiently depending on the enemy he faces.

Sun's Grasp (Tier 4)

With the infection's energy flowing through his veins, Marco can unleash his mutated strength to grab and crush enemies. He can disarm opponents or destroy their weapons, rendering them defenseless.

Active Ability: Marco can perform a "grab" move where he reaches out to seize and crush or disarm enemies. This move is especially effective against Volatiles and Virals.

Sunstrike (Tier 5)

Marco unleashes a devastating shockwave of energy from his body, fueled by the Sun's energy coursing through him. This attack can stagger or kill enemies in a wide radius, and has a chance to stun stronger enemies like Demolishers.

Active Ability: A powerful area of effect attack where Marco releases a burst of radiant energy, knocking back and damaging enemies in a large radius.

Sun's Rebirth (Tier 6)

Even in the face of death, Marco can tap into the Sunborn power to heal himself and recover, using the infection's regenerative properties to mend his wounds. His health slowly regenerates over time.

Passive Ability: Gradual health regeneration when not in combat, aided by the infection's regenerative abilities.

Unholy Sun (Tier 7)

Marco's infection evolves to the point where he can control the environment around him, using it to his advantage. His attacks become infused with radiant energy, allowing him to temporarily corrupt the minds of nearby enemies, making them fight on his behalf.

Active Ability: Marco can temporarily take control of a small group of nearby infected, turning them into temporary allies for a short period.

Final Evolution - The Sunborn Becomes One with the Light:

Over time, as Marco's infected state deepens, he becomes more connected to the Sun, and the infection's power becomes a guiding force in his journey. His connection to the Sun's energy gives him unparalleled abilities in both combat and survival. However, he remains in control, unlike full-blown infected beings like the Volatiles, able to think clearly and strategize.

Marco's final evolution would mark the Sunborn as a being capable of transcending the typical infected limitations. His internal struggle is no longer just about surviving the infection but about controlling it, using it to save others and protect the world from the horrors of Harran. His newfound abilities allow him to serve as both protector and destroyer—ultimately, a symbol of hope and darkness intertwined.

The Sunborn's Legacy:

Marco will never fully return to his former self, but he evolves into something else entirely: a hybrid that, rather than succumbing to the virus, harnesses it to protect the innocent and fulfill his mission. His transformation is both a curse and a blessing, and his story will leave a mark on those who witness his strength and unwavering determination.

As for his ultimate fate, only time will tell if Marco, the Sunborn, will continue his journey as a leader in the battle against the infected or if his eventual decline into the depths of the infection will be inevitable, leaving him to become a living legend—or a harbinger of darkness.

This unique form of infection Marco undergoes, where his mind remains intact while his body adapts with enhanced strength and sensory perception, could be called the "Lumened" or "Lumen." The name draws from the concept of light and the Sun, signifying his connection to the radiant power that guides him while also referencing the dual nature of his infection—his physical transformation paired with his inner resilience.

The Lumened would be a rare, evolving type of infected—neither fully succumbed to the virus nor entirely human—embracing a fusion of both worlds, able to see and interact with the infected in ways no one else can. Their abilities would be defined by their sensitivity to the aura of others, and their capacity to move faster, react more efficiently, and harness the energy of the infection for a purpose greater than mindless destruction.

For Marco's evolving abilities in combat against survivors or groups, "Be the Zombie" could evolve into something more than just raw strength and speed. Since Marco is becoming a unique form of infected (the Lumened), his encounters with survivors could tap into these new, emerging powers. These abilities would be a way for him to harness his infection while retaining control, making him more of a tactical, strategic force when facing human adversaries. Here are some ideas for abilities he could develop in this phase:

Be the Zombie (Evolving)

Passive Ability 1 – Infected Perception

Marco's heightened senses allow him to detect survivors more effectively. Their movements leave a faint ripple in the air, causing them to glow with a faint red or purple outline. This allows Marco to track them through walls or obstacles at a short range. The more survivors in a group, the clearer the outlines are. This perception also enhances his ability to read the environment and predict attacks or ambushes.

Passive Ability 2 – Rage of the Sun

As Marco continues to fight and take damage, his anger fuels his powers. This manifests as a "rage" mechanic, where after sustained combat, Marco enters a berserk mode, increasing his strength and speed for a limited time. The longer the fight drags on, the more feral and uncontrollable he becomes. Survivors in close proximity will feel a wave of pressure, slowing their movements or reactions as Marco's presence intimidates them.

Active Ability 1 – Frenzied Charge

When Marco targets a survivor or group, he can use his speed to rush in a straight line with terrifying force. This causes a shockwave upon impact, knocking back enemies and dealing damage. If he makes contact with a survivor directly, the victim gets knocked down and stunned for a brief period, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Survivors can try to dodge it, but the charge is fast, making it difficult to avoid.

Active Ability 2 – Sunflare

Marco can unleash a burst of intense, concentrated energy in the form of a blinding light from his hands or body. This ability is a short-range, high-intensity attack that temporarily disables the survivors' vision and hearing, disorienting them with the intensity of the Sun's power. This can be particularly effective for crowd control or disrupting enemies before an attack. Survivors hit by this will be blinded for a few seconds and lose their ability to aim properly, creating an opening for Marco or his allies.

Active Ability 3 – Absorption

As Marco continues to evolve, he gains the ability to absorb the energy of fallen enemies—specifically, survivors. When Marco defeats a survivor in combat, he can "consume" them briefly (a quick action) to restore health, stamina, or energy. This absorption increases his strength for a short period, allowing him to deliver more devastating blows or recover from sustained combat. However, this act is not without its costs—it can make Marco more vulnerable to attacks during the process, as he becomes temporarily distracted.

Narrative Impact:

Marco, in this phase of his infection, would be an anomaly—almost a hybrid between man and infected, with abilities that give him an edge against survivors. However, his methods are still evolving, and he doesn't yet possess the full control that an established Night Hunter or other fully evolved infected might have. This means he's still vulnerable to experienced human tactics—especially against organized survivor groups or specialists who understand the infected well.

His strength and speed are just the beginning. As Marco battles more survivors, his abilities will become more focused on controlling the environment and reacting strategically, rather than simply relying on brute force. Over time, his infection might push him closer to embracing the Sun, fully tapping into its transformative abilities, which could ultimately lead him to question his own morality and the price of power.