Mutation Abyss-Chapter 66: Made A Breakthrough

Theo left Kael in Aries and Calix’s care and quietly slipped away to his room. His body ached from the day’s chaos, and his thoughts buzzed from everything that had happened. All he wanted now was a hot bath and a few minutes of peace.

He filled the tub with warm water and sank into it with a sigh, letting the heat soothe his sore muscles. After a few minutes, he reached for a cold beer from the small fridge beside his sink.

Just as he popped the cap, the system’s notification rang in his mind.

[System Alert! Alcohol intake is discouraged. Current cellular recovery and mutation stability may be affected.]

[Recommendation: Wine in limited quantity is acceptable for minor stress relief. Beer rejected.]

Theo raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself. "Even my system is picky."

He set the beer aside, grabbed a half-full bottle of red wine from the shelf, and poured himself a glass.

"Fine, wine it is," he muttered, taking a small sip as he leaned back in the tub. The warmth seeped into his bones, and for the first time in hours, he allowed himself to relax.

Then he muttered, "Stat’s Update...."

[Rank: Evolved]

[Mutation Level: 5]

[HP: 136 / 150]

[EXP: 2,990]

[MP/EP: 89 / 150]

[Strength: 88 / 150]

[Agility: 88 / 150]

[Intelligence: 99 / 150]

[Endurance: 99 / 150]

[Perception: 66 / 150]

[Wealth: 2,559 Gold Coins]

Theo wondered how he could bypass AMSO. It seemed to detect him every time he entered a red zone now. "It’s because I’m recently fighting outside and they can see it through their drones and cameras," he muttered with narrowed eyes.

Theo frowned as he thought about his Shadow Step ability. Right now, it gave him only five minutes of near invisibility after teleporting, but the ninety-second cooldown felt like an eternity in a fight.

Moreover, the moment he attacked or sustained damage, the stealth vanished entirely. This was particularly frustrating during combat, as Shadow Step hardly assisted him in evading AMSO’s surveillance cameras, especially outdoors and in open areas.

He knew an upgrade could fix this, maybe extending the stealth duration or cutting down the cooldown but the system said that upgrade would only unlock once he reached Mutation Level 6.

’I really need this upgrade,’ he thought. Then he asked the system, "Is there any way I can enter a red zone without being detected?"

[System Notification]

You can obtain a Basic Loot Crate containing stealth-enhancing items, including: one-time-use camouflage gear that blends you with your surroundings (though it breaks and disappears when you take damage at 100%), and potions that grant temporary invisibility or sound suppression. Each potion lasts up to 30 minutes, with possible upgrades depending on your Mutation Level.

Would you like me to display nearby Red Zone locations where these Basic Loot Crates can be found? [Yes / No]

Theo answered, "Yes, show me the locations."

[System Notification]

Displaying nearby Red Zone areas with Basic Loot Crate availability:

Red Zone A2 - Emerald Plaza Apartelle, moderate hazard level

Red Zone C1 - Kalun District Hospital, high hazard level

Red Zone C3 - Brave Parity Warehouse Complex, high hazard level

Red Zone D5 - Shop and Go Supermarket, moderate hazard level

Red Zone B4 - Leyto Municipal Hall, high hazard level

It was fine if there were only MB Infectees outside. He was confident he could take them all down in less than five minutes out in the open. The real problem was when Meteorborn appeared. Those fights took longer to finish, and that’s when AMSO was able to track him and mark him as an intruder.

*****

At AMSO Headquarters

"Seriously!" Marlon complained as soon as he stormed into the control room.

Hayden was already there, focused on giving instructions while reviewing all available CCTV footage to track the mysterious man suspected of blowing up the textile company building in Red Zone D2 of Argo Province.

Ignoring Marlon, Hayden said, "I want this man hunted down. We just need to trace the footage and see who used the roads near that area."

Marlon shot back, "You know not all CCTV cameras in the provinces are working right now, only the stable cameras and drones monitoring the red zones are reliable enough to ensure no one breaches from inside."

Hayden said nothing, his eyes fixed on the blurry image of the intruder captured on camera.

"He saved three survivors. Can we stop focusing on him for a while?" Marlon hissed. Pointing to the screen on the left displaying their country’s map, dotted with red zones, he added, "We need to send more units to prevent adding more red zones to the list!"

Hayden clenched his jaw but didn’t respond immediately. His gaze shifted from the blurry photo back to the flickering red marks on the map.

"We can’t afford to let him go unchecked," Hayden finally said, voice low but firm. "If he’s strong enough to take down Meteorborn and survive red zones, he could be a serious threat. He could disrupt everything we’re trying to control."

Marlon sighed, rubbing his temples. "I get that, but we can’t treat him like the enemy if he’s saving lives. We need a plan that doesn’t waste resources chasing him while real outbreaks are spreading."

There was a heavy silence. Hayden let out a deep sigh, signaling he had regained some composure. "Come with me," he said quietly.

Without a word, Marlon followed Hayden to a private, secured elevator that descended to the underground laboratory, an area only a select few were authorized to access.

They stopped in front of a sterile, brightly lit room where researchers were working on a cure.

Hayden explained, "We’ve made a breakthrough. I plan to report this to the president first thing tomorrow. We’ve developed a serum that can slow down the mutation process, delaying the transformation into MB Infectees after exposure."

He paused in front of a large glass window. Inside, a naked human floated suspended in a capsule filled with clear fluid, tubes connected to the body, monitoring every vital sign.