Chapter 63: Chapter 63 - Abomination

The ones who greeted Dr. Samson with respect had a strange, almost fanatic glint in their eyes. Meanwhile, most of the others avoided eye contact entirely, keeping their heads bowed. The air was thick with an unspoken tension.

"It seems you’re quite beloved," Zack said sarcastically.

Dr. Samson chuckled. "In times like these, people cling to anyone who can provide food and shelter. It’s human nature. Now, shall we move on? The laboratory is just downstairs."

Dr. Samson remained overly friendly, but Zack was no fool. He’d seen the satellite images—this man was conducting some kind of horrific experiments. Even so, Zack followed him, playing along for now.

Dr. Samson led Zack down two flights of stairs to a dimly lit corridor. The walls were lined with panels of dark glass, preventing any view of what lay beyond. Zack’s suit beeped softly in his ear. “Trace amounts of poison detected. Life support systems engaged. Air purified.”

Zack sighed inwardly. ‘So that’s your plan, huh?’

Dr. Samson glanced back, oblivious to Zack’s awareness. "By the way, Mr. Zack," he asked casually, "did you build that suit yourself?"

"Yes," Zack replied, his tone flat.

"Impressive," Dr. Samson said, nodding thoughtfully. "Very impressive."

Finally, they stopped in the middle of the corridor. Dr. Samson turned, smiling in a way that sent chills down Zack’s spine. "What’s the holdup, Doctor?" Zack asked.

Dr. Samson removed his glasses slowly, his demeanor shifting. The kindness in his eyes was gone, replaced by something cruel and unhinged. "You’re the first person bold enough to walk willingly into my lab," Dr. Samson sneered. Before Zack could respond, Dr. Samson pressed a button on the wall. Instantly, green toxic gas hissed from hidden nozzles in the ceiling, filling the corridor.

"I’ll carve you open, savor your heart, and then rebuild you into something extraordinary!" Dr. Samson’s wild laughter echoed in the enclosed space. He stood calmly amidst the swirling poison, completely unaffected.

Zack’s voice cut through the chaos, calm yet tinged with disappointment. "Poison? That’s all you’ve got? How... predictable."

Dr. Samson’s laughter faltered. "What?!" From the green fog, Zack’s armored form emerged, the dark gas curling around the scratched metal like a shroud. The war machine looked even more menacing in the toxic haze. Two steel hands shot out, grabbing Dr. Samson by the throat.

"Did it never occur to you that my armor might have a purification system?" Zack growled.

Dr. Samson clawed at Zack’s grip, choking. But he wasn’t giving up yet. "K-kill him!" he gasped. At his command, the glass panels on either side of the corridor shattered. Two grotesque creatures burst through, their monstrous forms charging toward Zack. They crawled on four human-like legs, moving with the feral speed of beasts.

"Guess I’ll deal with you first," Zack muttered, tightening his grip on Dr. Samson’s throat.

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But before he could finish the job, Dr. Samson let out a guttural roar. His body began to twist and contort. His muscles swelled, ripping apart his lab coat, and thick fur sprouted across his skin. His jaw elongated, fangs pushing through his gums, as his face took on the form of a wolf.

In seconds, Dr. Samson had transformed into a towering werewolf, standing over two meters tall. With a savage snarl, he tore free from Zack’s grip and disappeared into the poisonous mist. "Was that... a werewolf?" Zack muttered, stunned.

Ego’s voice buzzed in his ear. "It appears so."

Zack didn’t have time to dwell on it. The two twisted creatures were already lunging at him. Their distorted forms and unsettling speed promised a fight unlike any other. "Fine," Zack muttered, raising his arms. "Let’s see what you’ve got."

Before he could pursue, a deep rumble echoed through the corridor. Heavy metal doors slid open, revealing a new nightmare: abominations. Bodies piled up at odd angles, a grotesque patchwork of limbs creating monstrous shapes. The creature before Zack had seven or eight arms, an amalgamation of human hands, animal forelimbs, and claws. The stitches at its joints told the horrifying story of its creation.

"I get it now. Frankenstein really is a horror story," Zack muttered, raising his F2000 rifle. The weapon spat a hail of bullets, striking two of the grotesque beasts. Blood sprayed like crimson flowers, painting the walls.

The unmistakable roar of a Vulcan machine gun echoed down the corridor as Zack’s automated turret kicked in, sending a torrent of bullets into one of the monsters. Its body convulsed under the onslaught but refused to die. It dragged itself forward, clawing its way toward Zack with unnerving determination.

“Where’s the head on this thing?” Zack growled, his eyes scanning the patchwork creature. The lack of a clear weak point was infuriating. “Forget it,” he said with a sigh. He slung the rifle over his shoulder, pulling out his trusty saw-chain sword. With a flick of the switch, the weapon roared to life, its serrated teeth spinning menacingly.

The monsters didn’t stand a chance. Zack charged, slicing through their limbs with brutal efficiency. Arms, claws, and other unidentifiable appendages fell like chopped vegetables, the creatures collapsing into piles of gore and twitching parts. Soon, the two abominations were nothing more than heaps of dismembered flesh. "Ego, where’s Samson?" Zack asked, shaking the blood off his saw-chain sword.

“Sir, the satellite shows Dr. Samson is fleeing the laboratory with a group of people,” the AI replied smoothly.

“Seriously? He ran?” Zack blinked in surprise. He’d half-expected the deranged scientist to transform into some kind of monster and face him head-on. Instead, the man had opted for cowardice.

“Fine. I’ll deal with him later. He can’t hide from the satellites,” Zack said, waving a hand dismissively. “For now, let’s see if this lab has what we need for serum research.”

“Sir, the poison gas system is still active,” Ego reminded him.

“Right. Where’s the control?” Zack asked.

“On the wall ahead, to your left.” Following Ego’s directions, Zack deactivated the gas and activated the ventilation system. The green haze that had filled the corridor dissipated quickly, revealing the horror concealed behind broken glass panels.

“Damn… This guy is completely insane,” Zack muttered, his expression darkening as he took in the scene. The laboratory was a nightmarish spectacle. Dismembered human organs and tissues were strewn about like discarded trash. Glass jars lined the walls, each containing warped creatures—neither human nor beast—floating in murky liquid.

Zack’s eyes narrowed as he spotted several iron cages at the far end of the room. Inside, zombies growled and thrashed, their rotting bodies pressing against the bars. On an operating table nearby lay a dismembered super-hunter, its limbs grotesquely altered.

“He’s splicing zombie limbs onto human bodies?” Zack’s voice was tinged with disbelief as he approached a half-finished creature. It was horrifying.

The limbs of zombies had been grafted onto human torsos, creating abominations that were both tireless and unfeeling—perfect weapons. “Sir, something’s moving in that covered cage,” Ego warned.

Zack turned toward a large cage draped in a black cloth. The sound of something banging against the bars filled the room. “What now?” he muttered, pulling the cloth aside.