Anna took a deep breath as she injected the other compound she created into the subject's forearm, using a vein that hadn't collapsed.

"Brian… Stay strong." Anna muttered as she observed any changes in its physique.

The reaction was slower this time.

No convulsions were seen but just a long, shuddering breath from the subject…

Then, the subject made a sound. He wasn't speaking, but it was as if he was trying.

"Brian? Brian? Super Soldier Brian? Can you hear me?" Anna tried to call for his name, hoping he'd remember it…

Soon, something unexpected happened….

"…Anna…"

She froze. The voice was hoarse, but it was unmistakable.

The Super Soldier Zombie, or Brian, had actually remembered her.

She stepped closer with her heart pounding. This was an incredible result.

"Can you hear me?" she asked.

The subject blinked once. Then twice.

"…hurts."

Anna's eyes lit up after hearing this… Before she quickly nodded. "I know. You're fighting it."

She turned to Cloud's controlled Warden Unit and gave a series of orders to monitor any changes in the Zombie's body.

Outside, another tremor shook the walls. A distant explosion occurred as the defenders were still holding outside the shelter.

Nonetheless, Anna didn't flinch.

She had her own battle to fight.

She turned back to the blood sample from the Licker King. It was still unstable, but she had an idea. If she could isolate the viral disruptor proteins, she might be able to create a Neural Binder or something that could lock the subject's cognition in place and prevent regression.

She began the process with Cloud's assistance and the knowledge she obtained from the Book of Alchemy.

After all, she knew that this compound she created wasn't enough for ordinary Survivors who had become Zombies.

It was only quite effective since the Super Soldier's body was already quite resistant to the virus.

With that in consideration, she knew that she had to make adjustments.

***

As she continued working on her new medicine, the lab's silence was broken by the sound of boots.

It was heavy or rushed movement, so she knew that it was definitely urgent.

Anna looked up from her monitor as the door slid open. Two Warden Units entered, flanking a stretcher. On it lay a man, mid-thirties, lean build, with the standard-issue armor for the guards of the Eclipse Domain. His breathing was erratic. His skin was pale and his left arm was twitching uncontrollably.

Behind them, a medic followed with a serious look on his face.

"He was bitten during the last wave," the medic said. "We tried stabilizers, but the infection's already past the first stage. We thought it worked but we just noticed that he turned into this. We didn't have the time to issue the Super Soldier Serum. Ahem… But we tried to issue it after this happened but the Serum didn't work anymore."

Anna stepped forward, scanning the man's vital signs and confirmed that the man had already turned. It was obvious since even the Super Soldier Serum failed.

"Why bring him here?" she asked.

The medic hesitated. "Sir Shane ordered us to have him checked alongside the Super Soldier Zombie.

Anna looked down at the man. His eyes were glazed, but not fully lost.

'Ahh? What's this? He's already a Zombie for sure, but his eyes still have sentience…

It seemed that the man was actually trembling not from fear, but from effort... Fighting the virus with nothing but willpower.

She nodded once.

"Prep a secondary containment unit. I'll need full restraints."

[ Confirmed. Secondary chamber activating. ]

The Warden Units moved quickly, transferring the subject to a sealed chair identical to the one used for the Super Soldier.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Anna returned to her bench. She didn't have much left.

Only one full dose of Reversion Catalyst-X. Enough for one attempt. She could try diluting it, but the risk of failure was high. And this subject didn't have the same durability.

She glanced at the Super Soldier in the primary chamber. Then back at the guard.

He was already deteriorating.

"Fine… Let's try this…"

Anna began mixing a modified version of the compound. She reduced the Aegis Serum to a trace amount, just enough to reinforce neural tissue. She added a higher concentration of stabilizers to slow the viral spread. The color shifted from violet to a deep blue.

She called it Variant-B.

It wasn't as strong, but it was safer.

Just like that, Anna stepped into the secondary chamber.

The guard's eyes turned toward her. His mouth moved as if trying to bite him… However, for some reason, Anna believed that the man was trying to say something instead, but no voice came out of his mouth.

"…please…"

Anna didn't hesitate.

She injected the compound into his neck.

The reaction was slower than with the Super Soldier. His body convulsed once, then slumped...

Anna swiftly confirmed that the man or zombie didn't die and still had a beating heart. If that was the case, it might still be possible to save him.

After all, she knew that it was impossible to save those with already rotten flesh, damaged organs, and other severe deterioration. Only Magic could save them at that point.

Thankfully, this converted Zombie only happened a few minutes ago, so they still have a small chance of helping them.

After another hour of work, it showed that the Super Soldier Zombie had become stable, responsive, and was slowly regaining cognitive function.

However, the other guard's progress had slowed. He had weaker vitals, but was still fighting.

Anna stepped back as she looked at the result…

Although there wasn't any conclusive result yet… This had already changed everything. If Variant-B could stabilize a regular infected that was recently turned, it would be a great deal!

***

In the mean time, the northern gate was under siege.

The traps had done their job, at the very least, partially. Rows of spike pits and foot snares had slowed the first wave, but the Crypt Crawlers weren't like the others.

They were humanoid in shape, but their limbs were elongated, moved for speed and flexibility.

In the caves, they moved like shadows. Out here, in the open, they slithered low to the ground, using their arms like legs, with unpredictable bursts of movement…

And now, they were swarming.

Loreen, one of the medical practitioners, was actually fighting in the frontline unlike the others…

It was all because of her Special Set of Equipment…

[ Alchemist Sanitarium Boots ( Tier 4 ):

Effect: +50% Movement Speed when carrying alchemical items.

Grants passive skill "Step of Clarity" briefly reveals infection status or injuries of nearby allies every 30 seconds. ]

[ Alchemist Thread Pants ( Tier 4 ):

Effect: +30% success rate during potion brewing or pill making, +10% resistance to poison, acid, and biohazard effects. ]

[ Alchemist Precision Gloves ( Tier 4 ):

Effect: +25% efficiency on alchemical or medical actions, slightly boosts Spirit regeneration during medical procedures.

Grants active skill "Blood Control" an ability to control or stop blood loss of patients once every 5 minutes. ]

[ Alchemist Coat ( Tier 4 ):

Effect: +30% effectiveness of all healing and enhancement potions, +50% armor bonus against psychic or corruption-based attacks.

Grants passive skill "Healing Zone" - after using a healing potion, nearby allies recover +10% HP over 10 seconds. ]

[ Remedy Circlet ( Tier 4 ):

Effect: +20% Potion Crafting Success Rate, Reduces survivor skill Spirit Consumption by 10%

Grants passive skill "Healer's Vision" – highlights critically injured allies in bright red for 10 seconds ( 30s cooldown ). ]

The boots alone were already a huge assistance in the battlefield.

The reinforced soles absorbed the shock of impact, letting her glide over debris and broken terrain with ease. Her coat flared behind her, reagent pouches clinking softly with every motion.

[ Passive Skill Activated: Step of Clarity ]

[ Nearby Allies: 18. 2 Injured, 1 Critically Wounded ]

Red outlines flared in her vision. She saw one Super Soldier, clutching his side, another limping from a torn calf, and a third collapsed behind a barricade as blood started pooling beneath his armor.

"On it!" Loreen called out as she moved toward the downed soldier.

The Super Soldiers were also assisting her. There were eight of them, clad in Tactical Sentinel Combat Exosuit I that Shane had created…

With them working together, no Zombie could harm Loreen as they cut through the Crypt Crawlers.

However, as the Wave intensified, they were also being pushed back.

The crypt crawlers came in waves, and it started to overwhelm them…

Loreen slid to a stop beside the collapsed soldier.

"Hold still," she said, already pulling a vial from her coat.

His chest was torn open, and she could see deep gashes from a crawler's claws. Blood poured freely, soaking his armor.

[ Active Skill Ready: Blood Control - Available ]

She activated the skill, and aside from that, she gave the man the stabilizer he needed…

Lorreen could only hope that the medical team behind could completely heal the man later.

Soon, a faint silver glow pulsed from her gloves as she pressed her hands to his chest. The bleeding slowed instantly as the soldier gasped, before his eyes opened.

"You're not dying today," Loreen said with a calm and assuring voice…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.