369 The Nest in the Medical Center, The Breeder Type and Finding the Blood Bank (1/2)

Day 59 - 9:46 AM - Maternity Ward, Perpetual Help Medical Center Central Compound Building 2nd Floor, Alabang-Zapote Road, Barangay Pamplona Tres, Las Piñas, Metro Manila

”Well, this is disgusting...”

Mark murmured.

A huge obese woman with a bloated body and overly huge stomach, the monster was plastered on the walls inside the nursery. However, it did not look like she was there by coincidence. It was more like she was one with the flesh membrane that covered almost everything in this area of the hospital.

The most disgusting thing about her was that instead of a navel, at the center of her bloated stomach was a hole that was large enough to fit an adult human head.

From that hole, dozens upon dozens of umbilical cords extended out like electrical wiring that was bound to be faulty no matter how someone would look at it. On the floor, on the walls, and even on the ceiling, these umbilical cords stretched out while sticking on the flesh membrane without problems.

At the end of each birth cord, there was an infant attached to it. The little critters roamed the building like ants working for their queen.

As the umbilical cords were going almost everywhere, Mark immediately made the ball of light that was lighting the way to scatter and illuminate the place darkened by the flesh membrane covering anything that could let light enter from outside. At the same using the [Photokinesis Mental Crystal] once more, he used [Optical Camouflage] to hide.

Of course, as it was a psychic ability, there was also the chance of them to get noticed. That was why Mark scattered the light sources at the same time. It was not only to lure the infected babies near the light but also scattered some psychic energy around to confuse the infected to some extent.

Mark and Mei neared the already broken glass windows of the nursery to get a closer look. As they neared, the earthy and bloody stench intensified. While enduring the disgusting smell, they realized that the woman seemed to be in a dormant state.

Yes, the woman inside was dormant to the point of not moving at all. It was even though they heard a roaring screech just earlier after Mark killed the infected baby crawling on the ceiling.

With its body stuck unto the wall by the flesh membrane, its arms stretched out wide covered by oozing flesh and her legs that was nowhere to be seen due to her bulging stomach, the only thing she would be able to do was moving her head.

Yet, the head just hanged low as if she was staring at her stomach with her barely opened eyes.

With Mark's observation and using the measurement about the infected in Eriellis as a reference, he could assume that the mutation of this infected should be around a level three to level five. Furthermore, looking at it made Mark remember the pregnant infected he encountered at Barangay Daraitan before. Although there were differences in the mutation, there were also some resemblances.

First, both infected were pregnant women. Another was that both infected took the path of a mutated that was either fused or connected with the babies inside their womb.

However, it seemed that not only they differ in their branch of mutation but also took different turns in terms of utilizing the babies inside them. Furthermore, the one in front of Mark and Mei currently was not only a higher level mutation but there was more to it.

It was then they heard some movements from behind.

Mark and Mei turned their heads, just to see a couple of infected babies dragging another infant on the flesh covered floor.

Seeing the baby being dragged by the others, that baby could not be any more familiar to the two. The dangling eyes, the twisted neck, and the small hole on its forehead bleeding profusely, there was no doubt that it was the same baby Mark shot with his crossbow.

This time, however, not only it was dead, but it seemed that its umbilical cord was torn off from its belly as its navel was left with nothing but a wound bleeding profusely.

Not being able to see Mark and Mei, the babies passed in front of them, crawled onto the wall and climbed into the broken window of the nursery. As the babies dragged their umbilical cords around, Mark and Mei were careful not to get tangled on the umbilical cords as the babies passed by.

Mark watched the scene with interest. After encountering who knows how many infected since the start of the apocalypse, this was the very first time he witnessed such a scene. Normally, the infected would not care about the dead bodies of their kind and would most often end up cannibalizing the dead bodies after the Biters grew too hungry and were not able to find food.

This scene, however, the other infected babies were bringing their dead comrade back for an unknown reason.

Finally, for the first time, the infected woman raised her head looking at the babies in front of her.

Mark and Mei then saw a stomach-churning scene.

As the babies retreated backward leaving the dead infected baby in front of the woman, the woman's bulging belly started to pulsate. The gaping hole then started to move. From the gaping hole, the bulging stomach started to tear apart. Like a flower in spring, the stomach opened wide. A large flower made of oozing flesh and disgusting matter.

The moment it opened, smelly water burst forth from her stomach revealing layers upon layers of fetal sacs inside. Inside each transparent sacks, a fetus could be seen. Unlike a normal human fetus, however, in each fetus, deformities could be seen. Some had overly large heads while others were missing limbs. Although it could be said that fetuses were still in developmental growth, those irregularities were already apparent.

From the rows and columns of fetuses, there were odd spaces in several places and from each of that space, an umbilical cord could be seen attached in her mutated organs inside. Some of those birth cords could be seen attached to the few babies in front of her.

Seeing that scene, there was only one thing that entered Mark's mind and he started to stealthily take pictures of the infected woman and the babies around her.

”A new type of infected.”

Mark frowned. There was no doubt that his infected woman was capable of reproducing on its own. Furthermore, to ensure that the babies she gave birth to would grow, they were kept connected unto the mother's body and was limited from going out of the nest.

It was no wonder they did not encounter any infected baby outside despite their large numbers inside this area of the hospital.

Mark also felt suspicious before as to why the numbers of the infected babies here were rather large compared to the capacity of the nursery and the possible number of babies that could be delivered in a day even before the apocalypse. Since he also noticed the irregularities in the bodies of the babies, seeing the fetuses in the woman's stomach revealed where they came from.

”Gege...”

Mei voiced silently as grasped his hand tighter.