Chapter 177: The Clockwork Virus (SCP-217)

A sharp, piercing screech echoed through the air.

It was almost impossible to imagine that such a sound could come from a human throat. The next moment, it began tearing at its own skin.

The flesh peeled away like a thin membrane, effortlessly stripped and shredded into fragments.

There was no blood.

Only more metal, exposed to the air.

"This is evolution! The machine is eternal and immortal! Join the evolution! Join the evolution!"

The mechanical synthesized voice rang out like a broadcast, devoid of any emotion.

Eriri could no longer withstand the pressure. She turned and rushed into the abandoned warehouse.

And it attempted to follow.

Just then, a deep gunshot resounded.

A large-caliber bullet struck it precisely in the forehead, right above the eye sockets.

A bullet of this caliber should have caused flesh and blood to splatter, leaving a gaping hole in an ordinary human body. However, when it hit this creature, it merely bent its upper body backward by more than 150 degrees.

Click-clack...

The sound of gears turning could be heard.

Then, with a motion that defied human anatomy, it straightened itself upright once again.

The bullet embedded in its forehead was lodged in metal, unable to penetrate further.

The next second, the bullet melted into its head, assimilating, becoming part of it.

"Obstruction of evolution detected. Terminate!"

The mechanical voice rang out again.

It swung its arm, and the remaining flesh on it shattered and crumbled away, revealing what lay beneath.

Its entire arm was constructed of metal.

Where joints and muscles should have been, there were only interlocking gears. Its bones had been replaced with a single solid metal column. Its fingers had transformed into sharp metallic spikes.

Then, it lunged straight toward the source of the gunshot.

It no longer moved with human legs.

Its lower limbs had turned into a mass of gears and metal tracks.

It now advanced like a tank or a heavily armored vehicle.

And it was fast, faster than a sports car.

A barrage of gunfire erupted instantly.

The Foundation operatives, lying in ambush, stepped out and unleashed their firepower.

Bullets rained down like a storm of steel, engulfing the mechanized entity. The sheer kinetic force hindered its movement, even forcing it to a temporary stop.

But the bullets failed to deal any lethal damage. Instead, they were swiftly assimilated into its body, becoming part of it.

Its frame grew larger. Its height increased.

From its back, razor-sharp metallic wings sprouted.

"Cease fire! Full retreat! This site is now under the jurisdiction of Mobile Task Force, Black Sphere!"

Suddenly, a commanding voice rang out across the battlefield.

The steel storm came to an abrupt halt.

The Foundation's armed personnel began an orderly withdrawal.

Several figures in tight-fitting suits arrived at the scene, elite operatives handpicked from the Black Sphere Task Force.

Among them was Suu. She raised her weapon and pulled the trigger.

A newly developed gravity gun lit up.

The next moment, a terrifying gravitational shockwave descended from above, slamming directly onto the creature's head.

A series of metallic creaks and groans followed.

The ground beneath it instantly collapsed.

The shockwave blasted it straight into the earth, sending countless gears and metal pipes scattering in all directions.

The power of the new gravity gun was simply overwhelming.

The impact was significant, but Suu remained highly vigilant, keeping her finger firmly on the trigger. Meanwhile, under her suppression, the other Black Sphere members, wielding specialized weapons, cautiously closed in.

Peering through the gaps in the warehouse, Eriri watched the scene unfold, eyes wide with shock.

Despite being part of the Multiversal Chat Group, this was the first time she had personally witnessed an anomaly, let alone seen one being fought.

The sci-fi-like battle before her was utterly mind-blowing.

Blonde Defeated Dog: So strong! Suu is so strong! That thing was immune to bullets, yet she suppressed it so easily!

Blonde Defeated Dog: But… why is Suu the one who showed up? @Big Sister is Supreme, where are you?

Big Sister is Supreme: Look behind you.

Blonde Defeated Dog: Ah… this…

Big Sister is Supreme: Given that this anomaly absorbs metal and currently lacks long-range attack capabilities, the Foundation has decided that the Black Sphere Task Force, specializing in energy-based assaults, will handle this containment mission. The Demon Slayer Task Force is on standby nearby… Understood?

Pain Magnet: Terrifying… trembling.jpg

Portal Daddy: A wise decision. If someone like Shinobu handled the containment, it would be far more difficult.

Portal Daddy: Though I'm curious, what exactly is this anomaly? It really seems to be evolving.

Hall Master of Wangsheng: It no longer has a soul, has it? The most important thing about being human, emotion, is completely gone.

Portal Daddy: That's true… It seems to have fully transformed into a metallic entity now.

At that moment, in the center of the battlefield, the creature suddenly spread its metallic wings. Even under the crushing force of the gravity gun, it still had the strength to resist.

However, the other Black Sphere members immediately reacted.

They raised their weapons, aiming for its joints and the points where its wings connected to its back.

As the gun barrels glowed with a blinding white light—

In the next instant, devastating energy explosions erupted all over its body.

The wings that had just lifted were instantly severed and fell away.

Its body sustained heavy damage, and the next moment, another gravity shockwave struck, smashing it deep into the crater.

"Cease fire! Prepare for containment! Construct a full-carbon containment box!"

The nearest operative, Oka Hachiro, made a decisive call.

Suu halted her attack but remained on high alert.

Meanwhile, the other Black Sphere members retrieved carbon-based containment equipment and began extracting the creature from the pit.

Soon, a heavily damaged yet still functional metallic body was revealed.

The gears still turning within it were proof that it had not been destroyed. It had simply lost all its metal limbs, rendering it temporarily incapable of resistance.

Before long, a fully carbon-constructed containment box was brought in.

The Black Sphere team secured the anomaly inside and sealed the container shut.

The initial containment was complete.

"Eliminate any remaining anomalous materials!"

Oka issued the next command.

Immediately, several Black Sphere members raised their weapons, cranking up the energy output to maximum. Without hesitation, they pulled their triggers, incinerating every remaining metallic fragment in the crater.

Afterward, they donned specialized goggles and scanned the area for any remaining anomalous residue.

Gathering up all the scattered parts, including its shed flesh, they consolidated them into one pile and subjected them to a final round of destruction.

Only then was the risk fully eradicated.

High above, observing the entire containment operation from the sky, Haruto suddenly saw a notification pop up on his system interface.

[Anomaly: The Clockwork Virus (SCP-217). Anomaly Level 4: Destruction.]

[This anomaly manifests as a virus capable of infecting all animals, with a 100% fatality rate. Infected organisms undergo a gradual transformation into mechanical constructs, a process accompanied by extreme pain.]

[This virus is highly contagious and spreads through physical contact. The mechanization process is irreversible. Once infected, the individual fully transforms into a mechanical entity, losing all emotions and physiological responses.]

[Note: The Clockwork Virus alters the biochemical properties of organic tissue, reorganizing it into a substance known as "organic metal." The exact mechanism behind this process remains unknown, though its late-stage symptoms have been documented.]

[Infected individuals gradually become complex entities composed of gears and clockwork mechanisms, which replace their original biological functions. Reports suggest that the late-stage transformation is excruciatingly painful. However, early symptoms are subtle and often go unnoticed, presenting only as sluggishness, insomnia, and joint stiffness. The heart is replaced by gears and small pipes, joints function via a gear-driven system, and the eyes become primitive "handheld" cameras, among other changes.]

[Anomaly: The Clockwork Virus (SCP-217) successfully contained.]

[Containment Level: 4 - Destruction. Containment Status: Stable.]

[Reward: One Level-4 Lottery Draw.]

Staring at the anomaly report, Haruto furrowed his brows.

He had already suspected that the infected female student was not the true form of the anomaly, but rather an extension of it.

However, this virus was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

It spread through simple contact, had a 100% infection rate, and affected all living organisms.

Moreover, the transformation was irreversible.

Come to think of it… this aligned perfectly with what the infected girl had claimed.

She had "evolved" into "it," and since her body had been converted into machinery, she was indeed immortal. Freed from the limitations of biological life, she had become stronger and more resilient than humans, one could even call it a form of evolution.

So… was the "god" she spoke of real after all?

Haruto made a mental note to conduct extensive experiments on the The Clockwork Virus (SCP-217) in the future to test this hypothesis.

But for now…

He immediately issued a directive to all Foundation personnel: under no circumstances were they to make direct contact with the anomaly.

With that done, he descended from the sky.

From the moment Eriri joined the Multiversal Chat Group, Haruto had known that she would eventually learn about anomalies.

He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Meanwhile, Suu had already departed with the containment convoy.

Shinobu Kocho, seemingly sensing what was coming, had made an early exit as well.

By the time Haruto landed, only Eriri and the Foundation's cleanup crew remained.

"I don't want my memory erased! Can I join the SCP Foundation?"

Eriri was adamantly arguing her case.

The Foundation personnel looked troubled.

He wasn't in charge of recruitment and had no authority to approve such requests. Moreover, the SCP Foundation had a rigorous selection process.

Just then, the staff member's gaze shifted past Eriri, and his tense expression relaxed.

Noticing this, Eriri immediately turned around—

Only to find Haruto standing right behind her.

"President, this lady refuses memory erasure and wishes to join the SCP Foundation. I'll leave this to you."

Having said his piece, the staff member turned and swiftly made his escape.

Eriri, now facing Haruto, put on a look of exaggerated shock.

Unfortunately… her acting was utterly terrible.