Mutagen

Day 137 - 12:22 PM - Cliff House, Mountain Base, General Nakar, Quezon Province, Philippines

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. After the sudden appearance of Fourth in the base, Mark became more concrete on his plans. 

There was still no confirmation of anything that would start the Second Wave of the Apocalypse. However, remembering Fourth's reaction towards Mark's deductions about the Fusion of Earth's Dimensions, it looked like that he was not far off. Fourth did not show any disagreement either.

And thus, in these three days, the preparation of the base started.

First, dealing with the black dust around the base. The majority of this task was given to the farmers. They had nothing to do at the moment because of the same issue, after all.

When the fusion of dimensions came, there might be a possibility of the dust dispersing or getting buried. The chances of it getting layered over the soil were the same too. In both cases, it was better to remove as much black dust right now as they could as it would still affect the nutrients in the soil. In the former case, it would be even harder to remove.

Mark properly briefed them of the slow effects of getting in contact with the dust and were now wearing the protective armor that Mark made for gathering the black dust.

Currently, Mark had no specific purpose for gathering the black dust. However, considering its effects on living creatures, it might have some use in the future. Mark also intended to experiment on this.

Maybe, he might be able to use this black dust to slowly weaken enemy bases. Who knows? It could slowly drain and absorb nutrients out of the bodies of living things by touch. What would happen if it was ingested in large amounts? There were a lot of possibilities to try out.

The next thing that Mark focused on was the terrain around the Everred Spirit Tree in the Spirit Dimension. For the first time, he sent people on the other side. Many people in his base actually volunteered for the job. However, as they could not leave the other work unattended, only a picked few were selected. 

Of course, they were picked based on their physical capabilities as they needed to work on flattening the land as fast as possible. As for the dried remains of the trees there, Aephelia used the infected under her control. It made things a whole lot easier. Furthermore, the infected also served as a fighting force since the other side was not safe at all.

In fact, ever since the work team was dispatched there, they had experienced infected attacks every now and then. It was even more dangerous since a lot of the infected in the Spirit Dimension were capable of using magic.

Speaking of the Spirit Dimension, Pefile's group went ahead and left back to the Stone Fortress of the White Duendes. It was Felenia's suggestion as she wanted to relay the information to her father, the King of the Eastern Mountain.

The news alone would not worry her too much of it came from other people. However, Mark had no reason to deceive them, and an actual Eye appeared to further back up what he said.

Thus, Felenia urged Teremilio and their whole group to return as soon as possible. However, they were only able to return the next day since Spera had used up the times she was able to open portals that day after she gathered everyone for the meeting and transport the supplies they had in The Pagoda back to the base a few times.

Besides, though it might not look like it, Spera needed to spend more of her available energy to open a portal across Earth and the Spirit Dimension.

And from what Mark told Edzel, after the plans in the base stabilized, the rest of Mark's group would go back to the Spirit Dimension to fulfill his promise.

After all, they needed to find the mothers of Edzel and Teremillio. That was among their goals for entering the Spirit Dimension. However, the plans got cut off in the middle because of the appearance of Auraboros.

Now that Mark was back, they could continue the journey with him. It was not like they could not go on their own. However, without Mark's Miasma, dealing with Magical Infected was extremely dangerous for them. Although it was possible that they could reach their destinations without Mark, the cost of the travel was too enormous for them. It was not just food or equipment, after all. It could be someone's life.

And lastly, The events in The Pagoda.

As Mark had thought, a number of the survivors left the base after the incident. It was no surprise that the woman called Nanette urged most of the group to depart.

That woman, from the observation of Odelina and the others, had an excellent way of her words. It was in a worse meaning, though. She had the knack for manipulating people around her. And as Mark did not hide his red eyes back then, it was to force that kind of trash away from his turf. In fact, Mark also planted some fear in her subconscious, causing her to make that decision.

Unexpectedly, Nanette's best friend, the woman called Vera, was left behind with five other people.

The hateful fact about that group, they dumped the youngest and the oldest in the hands of Mark's people. It was the middle-aged couple and the pair of a girl and a boy. The girl was thirteen while the boy was fourteen. In the middle of a dangerous apocalypse, these ages were definitely young. As for the middle-aged couple, the man got injured while they were on the way to the Pagoda. There was no way that they would be able to make it longer if they left the place.

Unfortunately for that group, it was what Mark wanted. Those that left might be useful in terms of manpower. However, personality-wise, they did not pass. Besides, if Mark let too many people from different countries into his base, it would not be long for factions of those people to rise. 

It could create a rift between people in his base, and that was not a good thing at all.

And as for that man that was injured, that injury was nothing for Mark's group. They still had some stock of [Regeneration Medicine] and could likely commission more from the Infanta Settlement in exchange for many things.

This way, the couple would join his group wholeheartedly. They would be grateful and would work willingly because of this life debt. It was not wrong since an injured person would likely not make it long and die in this situation of the Earth.

Still, it was quite odd that Vera remained. She was like a dog that was being pushed around by Nanette without her knowing. After all, Vera thought that Nanette was her best friend all this time.

And when Mark voiced the question. It was Karlene's fault once more. She called Vera unto the upper floors of The Pagoda and showed the footages of Nanette doing her usual things, manipulating people.

It ended up into an argument with Vera and Nanette on the same night, with the more timid Vera on the losing side. It was even more because most of their group were on Nanette's side.

In that argument, Karlene and the other members that were in The Pagoda purposedly did not intervene. They were all watching using the cameras they installed at that time, securing that Vera would be left by the group.

It was because, in everyone's view here, Vera was too good for that group. 

In the end, she was abandoned together with the other four.

Karlene's plan was a success, although she broke someone's heart.

Now, the childish Karlene was in charge of Vera and the other four. And seeing their reactions after they were brought to the base, it would not be long till they get used to the new environment. For now, they were grouped with Roan as they were all from the same country. It was easier to get used to people that way.

The situation of the survivors aside, the collection of supplies in Reading City was going fine. It was not smooth since danger lurked in every corner. Still, as things would escalate as the Second Wave and the Fusion of Dimensions arrive, it would be better if they collected as much as they could.

After all, if what Mark deduced really was correct, a lot of places on Earth would be buried. Most places on Earth, cities, towns, roads, and a whole lot more, were built over flattened land. Since the Spirit Dimension was more or less the version of Earth untouched by mankind, the land would likely reclaim its former places, burying everything underneath it.

And it would bury everything, including uncollected supplies.

Furthermore, even without the Second Wave, just the magical infected alone appearing on the surface of the Earth would make the collection of supplies far more dangerous than its current state.

It would be possible to say that a cup of ramen could cost someone's life at that point in time.

Roan and the others also formed a group and went back to Pennsylvania. Of course, they were not going to leave, but they volunteered to group up as one of the collection groups there. Of course, in Roan's family, it was only him that joined the group. His parents and sisters stayed in the base since, aside from Felicia, the three were non-combatants.

Felicia, on the other hand, stayed to take care of Morgan, who was still unconcious. Nevertheless, after arriving here, it looked like Morgan started to recover faster.

Of course, Feng Zhiruo also stayed behind. In fact, she barely went out of her dwellings at all. Around her room, a strange energy fluctuation was always present, as they said. There was no need to ask what she was doing, and it seemed like she found the base suitable for her cultivation.

Leaving movements of Mark's group around The Pagoda, there were also movements on the camp of Auraboros.

According to Huey, it seemed that there was someone always watching the collection groups. He could detect it using the almost nonexistent noises that the enemies made. The Pagoda was in constant watch too. Although it seemed that for some reason, they stopped trying to infiltrate. The skirmishes also ceased from happening.

It was as if the Auraboros had given up all of a sudden and only decided to watch.

And to Mark, it was a good piece of news. He would not be able to concentrate on more important things if Auraboros kept on pestering them. He could wage war against them any other time but not now. Absolutely not now.

If they were just watching, just let them watch. If they made a hostile move, kill them. It was that simple.

And now, the third day after his return, Mark could see that the things they needed in the base were planned out.

It was time to start the preparation to return to the Spirit Dimension.

But of course, the preparation that Mark was talking about was not food, clothes, or equipment.

In his journey through New Jersey, he realized his weaknesses. Without relying on his Psychic Abilities and Demon Blood, he was weak in terms of Speed. He could not catch up with those that had naturally fast movements, like those bone armored brothers and the Jersey Devil.

And now, it was time to upgrade himself.

Even Mei was added to the account.

After all, Mark collected some awesome abilities that would suit him and Mei and would address their weaknesses.

Mark readied the crystals and handed one to Mei.

Like the usual, Mei would go first as he assisted her. After all, it would be a painful experience.