Ch 22 : Reunion_2

" Evolution?! "

Derek asked, stunned. Last night, Rosze had mentioned it, but he hadn't believed her. Now, hearing the same word from Evelon's mouth, he was shocked.

He had never heard anything like it, and neither had the others—not even Dr. Evelon Shelby himself initially.

"Yes ! ,—"

Evelon continued. "Because of this evolution, the virus has become capable of fully controlling the human mind, turning people into monsters or zombies.

Their direct bite spreads the virus. If a zombie bites a dead person, they'll rise again as a zombie within two minutes. If a healthy person is bitten, it takes longer to turn—

Sometimes five minutes, sometimes half an hour, or even an hour, but they will definitely turn into a zombie."

Evelon had been meticulously observing the zombies' behavior, their method of spreading, and the timing since last night. He noted every detail carefully.

It was through this close observation at the military headquarters that he identified their weak point. While soldiers were firing in panic, some zombies hit in the head with bullets didn't get back up.

To confirm his suspicion, Evelon ordered targeted shots to the head, and his guess proved correct—they started dying when shot in the head.

" So, have you found a cure for it?! "

Dylon was listening to Shelby with intense seriousness. He knew how dangerous this virus was, having faced it up close and lost a close friend to it.

He desperately needed to know if there was a solution, hoping it could prevent him from losing others he cared about.

"No!" Evelon replied.

"What?! Your name is among the top doctors in this country! You found a cure for an incurable disease like cancer, but you can't find a solution for this virus that could wipe out all of humanity?!"

Disappointment was evident on Dylon's face. He had always seen Evelon as a rival, working tirelessly to outdo him but never finding a flaw in his work.

His resolve had never faltered, but hearing Evelon's response now shattered the image of the genius freak he had in his mind.

"Dylon, you don't understanding my words. The structure of this virus is incredibly complex. We haven't been able to suppress it even for a second. All we know is that its origin is ancient, possibly linked to an alien gene. My team is working every second to crack it."

Dylon's shouting irritated Evelon. Since he began studying the virus, he hadn't slept properly or eaten well.

He was determined to uncover every detail about it, and though he had managed to gather about twenty percent of the information,But he wasn't satisfied. It was only basic knowledge.

"Hold on! Alien gene?!"

Syrus exclaimed, startled by the mention of aliens.

"It's just a guess, but I believe this virus might be derived from an alien gene,"

Evelon Shelby had developed a few theories: such a massive attack on human civilization couldn't have happened out of nowhere.

Perhaps someone deliberately engineered this virus and released it into the Neon World.

Or maybe it was an ancient entity, trapped for thousands of years in the ICENTRICA continent, triggered by global warming. These were merely his speculative theories, not backed by solid evidence.

When humans face an unknown force with no answers, their minds resort to imagination.In the Neon World, just as no one has seen a true God, humanity assumes a divine entity created them.

"If this virus is made from an alien gene, then those aliens must be watching us!!,"

Eithen thought, a faint trace of fear creeping across his face. After hearing Evelon's explanation, the idea of a mysterious alien entity felt even more dangerous than the virus itself.

A deep fear of this unknown force settled in his heart. Looking at Evelon, he asked in a trembling voice,

"Dr. Evelon, if the virus's gene is alien, does that mean aliens will attack us in this chaos?"

Evelon, seeing Eithen's expression, understood his fear.

"Dr. Eithen, humans have a unique quality: no matter how dangerous the situation, we always find a way out. Now, we face a new challenge—the Z-virus—and we will find a way to fight it.

As for your question about an alien attack, I don't think they would. If they wanted to attack, they wouldn't do it through a virus like this. They'd wage an all-out war directly against us. But that hasn't happened."

"But why would they do this? What would they gain by attacking us with this?"

Felix, who had been silent until now, spoke up. He was still processing all the information.

"That, I don't know. Any more questions?"

Evelon felt he had shared everything they needed to know, but he was ready to address any lingering doubts. He glanced at everyone in the room.

"I want to join you in the lab !.. If you can't find a cure for this virus, I will,"

Dylon declared firmly. He had made up his mind to destroy the virus with his own hands.

Evelon was slightly shocked by Dylon's offer to join him, knowing their history of rivalry. Back at university, if they were ever chosen to work on the same team for an experiment,

Dylon would immediately leave and join the opposing team, determined to outdo Evelon. Evelon admired that passion—despite Dylon's many failures, he never gave up. Instead, his eyes burned with even fiercer determination.

" This time I lost, but next time I'll show you the taste of defeat, you genius freak."

Evelon recalled Dylon's words from their university days, and a slight smile crept onto his face.

"What the…?! Hey, bastard, what's so funny?!" Dylon snapped, furious at the sight of Evelon's smile.

"Nothing… I'm actually happy that a genius doctor like you, Dylon Frost, will join my team to find a cure for this virus,"

Evelon said, genuinely pleased that Dylon had agreed to work with him.

But that happiness wasn't mirrored on Dylon's face. He realized that the rivalry he had clung to for years would no longer define him now that Evelon had mentioned working as a team. Regret began to sink in.

"Ahh! Shit !! " he cursed himself silently.