Chapter 22: Necroseed

Never thought I'd say this so soon, but that was easy.

Earlier, Blaze had been worried about his slow evolution speed, as compared to the humans. Now he knew why. It was to maintain the balance between the two races.

Humans were quick to adapt and evolve, but the undead had explosive growth despite their slow evolution pace. He was the living proof of that.

—x—

Subject: Blaze Darwin (Subject Code: J#117)

Race: Undead

Status: Reanimated

Class: Ghoul

[Attributes:]

— Strength: Ghoul-Class

— Agility: Sprinter-Class

— Durability: Ghoul-Class

— Intelligence: Alpha-Class

[Evolution potential: 9%]

[Hunger Level: 1%]

[Regeneration rate: Ordinary]

[Decay Rate: Halted]

[Mutation: Onyx] (1 slot remaining)

[Horde: 4/7]

Special traits/Functions:

— Sentient Rot (Lvl 2)

— Necrolink (Lvl 2)

— Corpse vault (Lvl 2)

— Horde management (Lvl 2)

— Undead Encyclopedia (Lvl Max)

— Corpse Unification (Lvl 1)

— Necroseed (Lvl 1)

—x—

Just one evolution changed him entirely. The number of zombies he could tame had almost quadrupled, and he unlocked another mutation slot. But all that was just scratching the surface.

Evolving into a ghoul had turned his appearance slightly human-like. He was still an undead with pale and somewhat rotting skin, but he had regained some control over his stiff expressions.

Before anyone could tell that I was a zombie at a glance, but now it'll take them two or even three looks.

Although it might not seem much, it was enough to fool people or at least take them by surprise like he did before with Luis.

However, there was one thing more important than anything else.

I have the necroseed.

A ghoul was a higher existence than a regular-class zombie. As such, they have the authority to turn any dead creature into a regular-class undead. As he continues to evolve, the skill would upgrade alongside, unlocking more privileges.

However, Blaze was excited about the prospect of choosing his own undead. So far, he could only bind the existing undead through necrolink, but these creatures were often too weak.

Five of them couldn't kill a single chosen human.

That was the pitiful condition of walkers. With their existing strength, he'd need a horde at least thrice as large to do any actual damage to a group of chosen humans. After all, it was rare for a lone wolf to scour the surroundings.

Blaze didn't have the time or the patience for that. He would rather have stronger zombies from the get-go. The necroseed would help accomplish that.

As good as the skill was, it wasn't without setbacks. Like all his abilities, even Necroseed had some restrictions.

He could only use the ability once a day, and it had a failure rate of 50%. On top of that, the seeded creatures would only inherit 60% of their stats. But perhaps the worst restriction was regarding the condition of the corpse.

I can't raise corpses that are mutilated, headless, or burned.

Blaze looked at the fresh corpses before him. The two from before had already turned into an unrecognizable heap of flesh and bones. That was just the way the zombies worked.

They weren't civilized creatures, but barbaric ones. Their sole purpose of eating was to quell the hunger, and they didn't care how they looked while at it. Any corpse in their hand would end up mutilated.

That was the reason he couldn't resurrect the girl stored in the vault. He needed to fix her body first, but who had the time for that? He could use her body in other ways, however, he'd think about it later.

Let's deal with this guy first.

Blaze squatted next to Darnell's corpse. Fester jumped out of his skin pocket and began sniffing the corpse alongside its master.

"Skree!"

You approve of him?

"Skree," Fester replied, patting the corpse's head.

He's got a nucleus, too? Isn't this an interesting find?

Blaze smirked as he leaned in and bit into Darnell's corpse. To convert a dead, he needed to bite them as it was the only way of transmission for the necroseed. But it, too, had its own problems.

You know what to do.

"Skree."

Despite evolving, it was difficult for Blaze to hold back after tasting human flesh and blood. Thankfully, he had Fester with him.

The moment he got too into it, the rat pierced his tongue through the chin. The sudden attack jolted Blaze back to his senses, saving the corpse.

It was a crude method, but an efficient one.

Thank you, Fester.

"Skree!"

Blaze had barely taken a step back when Darnel's corpse twitched. His fingers moved first, then the heels. The deep gash on his chest healed in a flash, immediately piquing Blaze's interest.

Why did my wounds not heal on their own?

Finally, his eyes opened once again, revealing an emerald glow that quickly reverted to black. But then he saw Blaze and immediately lunged at him.

Bind.

Just like Fester, Brute fell to the ground, convulsing like a demon during exorcism. It took a few seconds, but the familiar message appeared before Blaze.

[Binding successful!]

[Available slots: 5/7]

+++

Subject: ??? (Subject Code: B#017)

Race: Undead

Status: Tamed

Class: Brute

[Attributes:]

— Strength: High

— Agility: Low

— Durability: Very High

— Intelligence: Minimal (Can follow basic commands and improvise at the basic level. Cannot perform advanced tactics)

[Evolution Potential: Detected (35%)]

[Hunger Level: 72%]

[Regeneration Rate:] Low

[Decay Rate:] Halted

[Special Traits:]

— Bone Armor: Grows a thick exoskeleton that acts as armor, reducing physical damage taken by 60%. The armor is vulnerable to acidic attacks.

— Aggravate: The subject lets out a screeching roar that stuns enemies, drawing their aggro on itself. While in this state, gains +30% addition damage reduction.

— Pulverize (Passive): Melee strikes deal blunt trauma that can stagger enemies or break novice shields with ease.

— Protection aura: Increases durability of all allied creatures within 30 meters by 1 level.

[Other Information:]

A frontline tank focusing on defense. Its low mobility renders it incapable of chasing targets, but its over-the-top durability makes it a sturdy wall. A strategic position can make it shine the brightest.

+++

Four traits? Like I thought, the chosen humans are built different.

Blaze's smile widened as he got just the thing he wanted. Someone to tank the strikes for him, since he was weak in the durability department.

What should I name you? How do you feel about Breaker?

Breaker grunted in acknowledgment. But there was something else. It seemed something was bothering his new recruit. Only then did he realize someone was hungry.

Thankfully, Blaze had already prepared a feast for Breaker.

Eat as much as you want. Go, [Devour] them.

Blaze said, pointing at the dead and undead before him. After all, he had no use for the walkers anymore. The least they could do was to serve as nourishment for Breaker after everything they ate.