Mutation Abyss-Chapter 53: Who the hell is that guy?

A few minutes earlier...

The shimmering barrier flickered as Commander Lexa and her team stepped through. Weapons drawn. Eyes sharp. But instead of chaos, they found eerie silence.

The outer field was littered with the remains of MB Infectees - scorched, shattered, and split. The soil still steamed in places, blackened by heat and impact.

"He’s efficient. Precise," Lexa muttered, scanning the carnage.

Mira, crouched beside a mangled corpse with bark-like skin and shattered limbs. "Definitely an MSentinel," she confirmed. "These breaks... heavy impact. And here-" she pointed at blackened veins along the torso, "whoever did this is strong."

She carefully scooped a sample of its mucus into a vial. Lexa didn’t answer. She was already heading inside.

First floor - cleared. Signs of a struggle. A cracked wall. Deep gouges in the floor and ceiling. No sign of moving infectees or survivors.

Second floor - also cleared.

More damage, this time, a large chunk of the hallway had collapsed. Fungal growth was splattered across the walls like it had exploded mid-battle.

Mira knelt near a twisted body half-fused to the ground by roots. "MSapborn," she said. "Burnt through and slammed hard. It didn’t even get a chance to move."

She collected another sample. "Who the hell is this guy, killing them alone?"

Suddenly, a scream from above.

"Help! Someone, please!"

Lexa was already running. "Third floor!"

They burst up the stairs, weapons raised.

And then they saw him.

A mysterious man, body braced, holding a massive double-edged axe. His clothes were scorched and tattered, arms coated in a strange stony layer, and flames danced faintly around his shoulders. He stood over a girl, ready to strike.

The girl looked normal... too normal. She was on the floor, sobbing, her dress torn, blood on her cheek.

"Wait, he’s going to kill her!" Mira gasped.

Before Lexa could think, she extended her hand.

WHAM!

A blast of telekinetic force launched the mysterious man across the hallway. He hit the lockers hard and dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

Lexa moved in fast, standing between the girl and the attacker.

The girl cowered behind her, trembling, eyes wide.

She narrowed her eyes at the man as he slowly pushed himself off the floor.

"Stand down," Lexa ordered, her voice sharp.

She narrowed her eyes at the man. There was something about him... familiar.

"You..." she muttered under her breath, confused. Her frown deepened.

She knew him. There was no mistake. Even with the changes, he was leaner now, his frame hardened. Gone was the puffy face and double chin she remembered. This version of him was sharper... and fit.

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" Theo growled, already using medpacks from his system to seal his wounds.

"That girl will kill you! She’s an MHusk!" he shouted.

Behind Lexa, the girl - no, the thing twitched again. Her mouth widened unnaturally, her body convulsing, eyes darkening.

Theo didn’t waste a second. He activated Shadow Step, vanishing in a blur of black mist, and reappeared behind Lexa, just in time to grab her by the arm and pull her back as the MHusk lunged forward with a screech.

Roots shot out from her back. Her face began to split open once more. Lexa stumbled as Theo shielded her with his granite skin, forcing the creature back.

Breathing heavily, Theo glanced at Lexa. He hadn’t expected this. Not here. Not now.

Of all the people...

Who would’ve thought he’d run into Lexa Spears again like this? But there was no mistaking those cold, alluring azure eyes - sharp as ice, even when filled with shock.

And for a second, just one second, he forgot about the danger around them.

Theo gritted his teeth, trying to stand again as the MHusk lunged. Her limbs were twitching erratically, jaw still half-split, leaking black ooze.

Then-

BOOM!

A force blast hit the MHusk straight in the chest, knocking her across the hallway. She slammed into the wall with a thud.

Theo turned sharply.

Three unfamiliar figures stood at the far end of the corridor.

One of them, a tall man in crimson with black detailing uniform with short dark hair, raised his hand. Sparks of energy crackled across his knuckles. "You alright?"

Theo didn’t answer. He stayed on guard, breathing heavily. But took the chance to scan them using Observer’s Insight.

[CodeName: Zeke

Affiliation: Awakened Meteor Survivor Order (AMSO)

Rank: Class 2 AMS

Power: Electrosurge

- Manipulates electricity in high-voltage bursts

- Can chain-lightning through enemies or electrify melee weapons

Combat Style:

- Aggressive frontliner

- Uses electrified gauntlets and arcing pulse fields]

Two others flanked the man. Twin boys with matching weapons, a blade and a blaster. Both wearing those hunter green uniforms, judging from the faint aura coming off them. They moved in perfect sync, rushing toward the recovering MHusk.

[Codename: Dax

Affiliation: Awakened Meteor Survivor Order (AMSO)

Rank: Class 3 AMS

Power: Ghost Veil

- Temporary invisibility

- Phases briefly through solid objects

Combat Style:

- Stealth-based with dual energy knives

- Ambush and scout role]

[Codename: Lior

Affiliation: Awakened Meteor Survivor Order (AMSO)

Rank: Class 3 AMS

Power: Cryoform

- Can freeze air or surfaces

- Creates ice projectiles, spikes, or barriers

Combat Style:

- Mid-range combat and battlefield control

- Carries a modular ice rifle and frost grenades]

The MHusk shrieked and swiped at them with clawed hands, but the twins dodged cleanly. One slashed her knee, the other blasted her shoulder.

Theo stepped back from Lexa and didn’t waste a second.

With a sharp roar, he swung his axe, now blazing with Pyre Burst energy, straight at the MHusk’s head.

CRACK - WHOOSH! frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Flames exploded on impact as the blade sliced through.

Her head flew, severed clean.

The body dropped, twitching, before falling still in the smoke and fire.

[Ding! Main Quest: Unmask the Husk - Complete]

[+500 EXP, +50 Gold Coins, +Empathy Resistance Trait, +Rare Shard]

[Bonus Reward Unlocked - Husk Slayer’s Insight

Description: Grants passive resistance against mimic-based deception and false emotional triggers used by mutated human-type enemies. +10% Perception when facing deceptive or illusion-based enemies.]

"Did you see that?" Mira whispered next to Lexa, eyes wide. "He can manipulate fire, too, not just that granite skin. That’s not a normal mutation. It looked like the skin of an MSentinel, but... it disappears from his body after use."

She leaned in, voice low. "Who the hell is that guy?"

’Theodore Luther?’ Lexa whispered to herself, stunned.