Global Evolution: I Became A Zombie!

Blaze took a moment to look around the room before heading deeper.

The overwhelming smell of the rot hung over the room.

It wasn't a surprise since Blaze had covered every inch of wall, window, and ceiling with corpse walls. Not to mention dozens of zombie corpses that remained split open on various tables.

While he found the smell to be pleasant, he did not know how Voss and Alaric handled it.

As much as Blaze didn't want to admit it, the walls were made like that on Voss's recommendation.

In his words, separating the room from the outside world would help the cordyceps create their own stagnant ecosystem within.

What did he mean by that?

At first, Blaze was as clueless as the rest of us.

However, as he looked around, he noticed something.

Strange thread-like structures had sprouted all over the walls. They looked like veins or small roots, looking for something.

It was the same with the corpses. The Cordyceps had taken hold of them, with some sprouting mushroom caps out of their orifices.

No wonder Alaric insisted Blaze wear the hazmat suit instead of his three-piece one.

Within a month of its creation, the room had turned into the perfect environment for Voss and Alaric's work.

A place where no sunlight or wind could interrupt the invasive growth of the fungus.

Even with all that, they were yet to integrate the necroseed with the cordyceps.

It was difficult to see perhaps the two brightest brains in the world struggling to solve one issue for Blaze.

Just then, they heard something rip apart. Blaze looked up and saw Voss engrossed in the new corpse he had had delivered.

It was difficult to find an offensive Headless, the one with tentacles. It was because they had either been killed or had evolved into Devourers.

However, the observational Headless, the one with a massive eye, was comparatively easy.

It didn't seem they had an evolutionary cycle. They stayed the way they were before. Just an eye observing the humans, zombies, and mutants alike.

Blaze followed Alaric and joined Voss at the operating table.

No one knew what the necroseed looked like or where it could be. That meant they had to take the corpses apart piece by piece, searching for anything unusual.

It was easier said than done. Once they started, they found out that a zombie's anatomy varied significantly from a human's based on their stage of evolution.

As for the headless, it hadn't evolved at all. Its body was the same as a human's, at least from the neck down.

"Oh! Right on time," Voss said, pointing at the Headless's corpse. "This thing might be useless, like the rest."

Blaze raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"As you can guess, most of its body is the same as humans," Voss explained. "Minus the rotten organs. As for the eye…"

Voss picked up a bone saw and severed the thing in half. Blood shot out of it, splattering on the walls, which the cordyceps' outgrowth quickly absorbed.

Blaze pointed at it, but Voss waved his hand dismissively before realizing who he was talking to.

"As a fungus, the cordyceps also needs to feed. While they don't absorb blood like sponges, they have evolved into a new strain capable of it." Alaric said, interrupting before Blaze got annoyed.

He continued, "This new strain absorbs any liquid thrown at it. Blood, even rotten blood, contains proteins, iron, and sugar compounds. They're like plant roots actively seeking water."

Right. I forgot everything was evolving now.

Blaze looked at the outgrowths for a minute before pointing at Voss to continue.

Voss let out a sigh of relief and continued pointing at the eye.

"Other than being filled with rotten blood and its size," he said. "The entire thing is just like a normal human eye."

"In other words—" Alaric said, but was interrupted.

They don't have a necroseed.

"Yes…"

Blaze nodded. He had hoped they'd find the necroseed in some other zombie.

However, that wasn't the case.

Normally, he would have waited to find it naturally, but he was running out of time.

He was well aware of the strange weapons and abilities the chosen had gained. They had already begun pushing back.

For now, their efforts were useless, but if the losses kept piling up, Blaze would be overwhelmed sooner or later.

He needed the necroseed now more than ever.

Blaze walked out of the room. Alaric and Voss abandoned everything and followed him outside. The cool and fresh air seemed like heaven's blessing to them, but they kept chasing after Blaze.

Raven, get Marrow here.

"Grr?"

No, you'll return with her.

"Hurrr…"

Now!

Raven rolled his eyes and jumped onto an ant's back, rushing into the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Alaric and Voss didn't know what Blaze was up to. The latter nudged Alaric to ask Blaze about it.

Alaric frowned, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't curious.

"Son, what do you need her for…? If you don't mind me asking."

She'll protect me.

"From what?" Voss asked.

From the Cordyceps.

"…"

"…"

Both men turned silent. All of a sudden, it wasn't difficult to imagine what Blaze was thinking.

The cordyceps could hunt for nutrients. As such, Blaze wanted to use their plant-like nature to find the necroseed within himself.

It wasn't a dangerous plan, but a suicidal one!

"Son, this isn't a joke!" Alaric shouted, grabbing Blaze by the shoulders. "That fungus can kill you!"

Blaze looked at Alaric, wondering if he was serious.

He was as dead as anyone could be. Sure, for the evolved cordycep, it didn't matter. To it, he was just a sack of nutrients.

He also understood what Alaric meant by death. That's why he wanted Marrow there to heal any damage the fungus caused.

Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine.

Blaze said, still smiling as he walked back inside. Even with Marrow there, he wanted to prepare some things.

Just in case.