Chapter Four: The Abandoned Hospital
The sun had vanished behind a curtain of smoke.
Neo-Lagos lay silent and broken, its streets littered with corpses and twisted metal. Aiden carried Maya on his back as they followed the cracked pavement toward their next destination:
St. Ivana Memorial Hospital
—once the busiest emergency center in the region,
now rumored to be abandoned… or worse.
The System glowed faintly in front of Aiden.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
Find a safe location to regroup.
Recommended: Hospital
Risk Level: Moderate → High
Dara walked beside Aiden, machete gripped tight. The remaining gang members moved in an uneasy formation behind them.
Maya peeked over Aiden's shoulder.
"Are we going to be okay?"
Aiden squeezed her hand.
"Yeah. I'll keep you safe."
The System pulsed.
[PASSIVE: Guardian's Resolve ACTIVATED]
Stats increased while protecting family.
Dara raised an eyebrow. "Bro, you literally get stronger because your sister is here?"
Aiden shrugged. "She's the only cheat code I didn't ask for."
---
The Hospital Gates
St. Ivana rose like a giant shadow over the ruined city.
Windows shattered.
Lights flickering.
Blood smeared across the outer walls.
The front gates hung open.
Dara gulped. "This place looks like a boss battle."
Aiden stepped inside.
The smell hit first.
Rot. Death.
And something… chemical.
The lobby was dark except for sparking ceiling lights. Desks were overturned. Wheelchairs scattered. A bloody handprint dragged across the floor toward the stairs.
Maya clung tighter.
"Aiden… we shouldn't be here."
He whispered, "We don't have a choice, Maya. We need supplies."
A voice echoed from deeper inside.
"…Help… someone… please…"
Everyone froze.
Dara whispered, "Nope. Nope. That's how horror movies start."
Aiden raised his fist, golden light gathering.
"Let's check it out. Carefully."
They moved down the corridor.
Every step echoed.
Every shadow looked alive.
Then—
A door creaked open.
A figure stumbled out, collapsing to the ground.
Aiden rushed forward.
"Hey! Are you—"
The figure turned.
Its eyes glowed an unnatural blue.
Not milky zombie white.
Not human.
Something else.
[ALERT: NEW VARIANT DETECTED]
• Type: Ascended Zombie (Stage 2)
• Ability: Bio-Energy Absorption
• Threat: Severe
The creature hissed and lunged instantly.
Aiden barely had time to grab Maya and leap back.
Dara shouted, "What the hell is that?! That's not a normal zombie!"
The variant moved on all fours, fast and fluid, like a predator.
Its skin pulsed with glowing veins.
Aiden lowered Maya behind a wheelchair and stepped forward.
"…Alright. You want a fight?"
He cracked his fists.
"You got one."
---
Battle in the Dark Hallway
The variant charged.
Aiden met it head-on.
Ascended Heavenly Strike!
His fist collided with the creature's chest—
Its body absorbed the blow.
The zombie's glowing veins flared, drinking the force of his attack.
Aiden staggered. "It absorbed my power?!"
The creature's claws slashed—
Aiden blocked, sparks flying from his arm.
Dara threw his machete.
It bounced off harmlessly.
"We're dead," a gang member whispered.
The creature crouched…
Then unleashed Aiden's own golden energy back at him like a shockwave.
BOOOOM!
Aiden crashed into the wall, coughing.
The System chimed rapidly.
[WARNING: Variant storing Heavenly Energy!]
[Recommendation: Disable energy core on the chest]
Aiden wiped blood from his lip.
So that glowing node… that was the weak point.
The creature sprinted toward Maya.
Her scream tore through the hall.
Aiden's vision went red.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!"
The System pulsed violently.
[EMERGENCY TRIGGER: Guardian's Resolve OVERRIDDEN]
[UNLOCKING NEW SKILL]
Golden flames surged around Aiden.
• Heavenly Grasp (Lv. 1)
Grab and suppress energy-based foes.
Aiden flashed forward with Celestial Step—
His hand clamped around the creature's chest—
And golden chains of light wrapped around the variant, pinning it in place.
The creature shrieked, its glowing veins flickering wildly.
Aiden roared and slammed it into the floor—
Once—
Twice—
The third time, he crushed the glowing core with his bare hand.
Light exploded.
The variant went limp.
Silence fell.
Aiden breathed hard, fists trembling.
Dara stared at him like he was looking at a god.
"…Bro. You're not human anymore."
Aiden didn't answer.
He rushed to Maya and hugged her tightly.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
The System blinked warmly.
[VARIANT ELIMINATED]
Reward: +30 XP
Skill Upgrade: Heavenly Strike (Lv. 3)
New Item: Bio-Core Fragment (Ascended)
Aiden picked up the glowing shard.
It pulsed in his hand.
Dara scratched his head. "You think that's safe?"
The System answered for him.
[Bio-Core Fragment can be used to forge: New Heavenly Ability]
Aiden smirked.
"Yeah. It's safe."
Or at least… safe enough to get stronger.
---
As they moved deeper into the hospital, something else stirred on the second floor.
A tall silhouette watched them from behind shattered glass.
Eyes glowing deeper blue than the variant.
Smarter.
Older.
Hungry.
It whispered:
"…The Celestial Host… has awakened."