Location: The Apple Inn – Room 303 (Executive Suite).
Time: 08:15 AM.
The air conditioning in the Executive Suite hummed with a low, steady drone, a stark contrast to the screeching and grunting of zombies, screaming alarms and gunfire that had filled Atlas's ears for the last six hours.
Atlas lay sprawled across the king-sized bed, his limbs spread wide in a starfish position. The high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets felt cool against his skin—or rather, against the thick, white terrycloth robe he wore. He sank into the mattress, letting the memory foam contour to his dense, evolved musculature.
For a moment, he wasn't a biological weapon. He wasn't the Apex. He was just a man enjoying the kind of luxury most people would rarely be able to afford in his previous life.
"This," Atlas muttered to the ceiling fan spinning lazily above him, "is the peak of the middle class. Soft beds and silence."
But the silence was deceptive. His body was at rest, but his mind was racing at the speed of a computer. He knew the clock was ticking. The Nemesis was being thawed. The U.S.S. kill squads were mobilizing. Raccoon City was rotting from the inside out.
He couldn't afford to just rest. He had resources to spend.
"Hey, Pleione," Atlas called out, his voice lazy but his intent sharp. "Let's see what body parts I can upgrade today. I feel like doing some shopping."
The System's chime resonated in his skull, a comforting, digital presence.
[Affirmative, Atlas.]
[Accessing Evolution...]
[Analyzing Current Physiology (Tier-1 Undead Variant)...]
A translucent blue menu materialized above the bed, hovering in the air like a holographic projection.
[ BODY PARTS EVOLUTION OPTIONS ]
> 1. Skeletal–Muscular Optimization (Limb Focus)
> * Cost: 50 EP
> * Description: Localized reinforcement of arm and leg striations. Increases burst speed and striking power.
> 2. Skeletal Reinforcement (Bones & Blood Protection)
> * Cost: 160 EP
> * Description: Comprehensive systemic overhaul of the skeletal matrix and marrow production.
> 3. Body Reinforcement (Muscular & Structural Optimization)
> * Cost: 160 EP
> * Description: Systemic toughening of muscle fibers, tendons, and epidermal layers.
> 4. Basic Body Senses Reinforcement (Neural & Sensory Optimization)
> * Cost: 175 EP
> * Description: Calibration and enhancement of the 33 biological senses and neural processing speeds.
Atlas narrowed his eyes, scanning the list.
"The first one is still here," he mused, dismissing it. He was looking for foundational changes, not just a temporary patch.
"It's great that my last evolution doesn't reset! I can level up five times even if I can't afford to evolve in some tough situations, so I won't miss out on any evolutions! Simple things like this are great."
Atlas said, crossing his arms behind his head. "Pleione, do you mind explaining the big ones? Leave the limb strengthening aside. Give me the breakdown on the expensive stuff."
[Understood.]
The window shifted, expanding the text for the second option.
[ OPTION A: Skeletal Reinforcement (Bones & Blood Protection) ]
[ Cost: 160 EP ]
[Analysis:]
Skeletal Reinforcement is a foundational evolutionary upgrade that restructures and purifies the user's entire skeletal system. All bones are gradually reinforced, becoming denser, thicker, and more resistant to fracture while maintaining flexibility under stress. Micro-impurities within the bone matrix are eliminated, resulting in a stronger and more stable internal framework.
This reinforcement also enhances the bone marrow environment, improving blood cell production efficiency and resilience. Red and white blood cells become more robust, reducing internal bleeding risks and improving transport and immune response under physical strain.
Creates 'Blood Residue Channels' within the bones. These microscopic canals simulate internal pressure balance, reducing damage from internal ruptures (e.g., from high-G maneuvers) and improving cohesion during impact.
By stabilizing the skeletal and hematopoietic systems, the body's natural recovery processes become more efficient. While this evolution does not grant rapid regeneration, it slightly improves long-term healing consistency and reduces recovery time from fractures, internal damage, and blood loss.
Since your primary weapon (Claws) is an extension of your skeletal structure, this upgrade directly buffs your offensive capability and weapon durability.
A core upgrade for survival-oriented evolution paths, Skeletal Reinforcement strengthens the body from the inside out, forming the structural backbone for future physical enhancements.]
Atlas nodded slowly.
"My claws are bone," he realized. "If I upgrade my skeleton, I'm essentially sharpening my swords. Plus, better blood production means better recovery. And if I get hit by a truck-kun... I won't shatter like glass."
He gestured for the next one.
[ OPTION B: Body Reinforcement (Muscular & Structural Optimization) ]
[ Cost: 160 EP ]
[Analysis:]
Body Reinforcement is a foundational evolutionary upgrade that restructures the body's soft tissues—muscles, tendons, cellular framework, and skin to achieve a stronger, more efficient physical form. Rather than granting sudden power or abnormal healing, this evolution focuses on gradual optimization, reinforcing the body so it can safely sustain higher physical output over time.
Muscle Fibers are compressed and reorganized into denser, high-efficiency bundles. This increases force generation (Strength) without adding excessive bulk while reducing strain and micro-tearing. Tendons become tougher and more elastic, improving power transfer between muscles and bones. This allows for smoother acceleration and sharper movements without tearing ligaments. Improving agility without sacrificing control.
At the cellular level, structural cells are strengthened and stabilized, enhancing tissue resilience and maintaining consistent cellular turnover. This reduces long-term wear, prevents premature cellular breakdown, and slightly improves the body's ability to recover from physical stress. The skin and epidermal layers are subtly reinforced, increasing resistance to abrasions, cuts, and surface trauma while maintaining flexibility and sensory function.
Body Reinforcement also marginally improves regeneration speed—not by accelerating healing directly, but by improving cellular repair accuracy and structural efficiency. Damage accumulation is reduced, and recovery becomes more reliable and complete. This also contributes to the extension of cellular lifespan.
This evolution provides a balanced increase to strength, agility, and endurance, serving as a core physical enhancement that prepares the body for higher-tier evolutions without risking instability, deformation, or uncontrolled growth.]
"Solid," Atlas muttered. "For long is it pretty good at preventing cell collapse? Let's see the expensive one."
[ OPTION C: Basic Body Senses Reinforcement (Neural & Sensory Optimization)]
[ Cost: 175 EP ]
[Analysis:]
Basic Body Senses Reinforcement is an evolutionary enhancement focused on refining the body's sensory systems and the neural pathways that process them. Rather than granting supernatural perception, this evolution improves the efficiency, clarity, and coordination of the body's 33 distinct biological senses, bringing them under better conscious and subconscious control.
Sensory organs—such as vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, balance, proprioception, spatial awareness, pressure detection, thermal sensitivity, and internal state monitoring—are subtly reinforced at both the cellular and neurological levels. Signal transmission becomes cleaner and more stable, reducing sensory noise, delay, and misinterpretation. This allows the user to perceive environmental changes more accurately and respond with greater consistency.
The Mind/Neural Control receives a targeted enhancement to its sensory integration centers, improving how multiple sensory inputs are processed simultaneously. Instead of overwhelming the self, the senses are better prioritized and filtered, enabling smoother transitions between focus states—combat awareness, exploration, or fine motor control. Instinctive responses become more reliable, reacting to stimuli before conscious thought fully engages, without overriding rational control.
Reaction speed is moderately increased, not through time distortion or predictive ability, but by reducing neural transmission latency and improving reflex pathway efficiency.
Movements triggered by sensory input—dodging, adjusting posture, reorienting balance, or responding to sudden threats—occur faster and with greater precision.
This reinforcement does not expand sensory range beyond natural limits, nor does it grant extrasensory perception. Instead, it refines what already exists, unlocking latent biological potential and establishing a stable sensory foundation for higher-tier perception or combat evolutions in the future.]
Atlas let out a low whistle.
"Sweet"
"The 33 senses," he whispered. "That covers everything. Balance. Heat. Pressure. Even the sense of where my limbs are in space without looking.."
He sat up, the robe slipping off his shoulder. He looked at his hands.
"If I fight Wesker... or a Hunter... strength won't matter if I can't track them. Speed is nothing without control."
He frowned, doing the mental math.
"So, it's like that. They are all incredible. But isn't 160 and 175 Evolution Points a little too much for a single upgrade? That's expensive, Pleione."
The System's voice was calm, almost patronizing in its logic.
[I do not believe so, Atlas. These are not simple stat boosts. These are foundational biological re-writes. You are building the chassis of a god on top of the corpse of a human. Skeletal Reinforcement alone would make your bones denser than human without compromising mass. The Sensory upgrade would allow you to hear a heartbeat. The price is commensurate with the value.]
"Fair point," Atlas conceded. "Quality over quantity."
He rubbed his chin.
"Pleione, how many Evolution Points do I have right now? Give me the total."
[Calculating Resources...]
[Current Evolution Points (EP): 297]
Atlas stared at the number.
"297," he repeated.
He looked at the costs again.
* Skeletal: 160
* Body: 160
* Senses: 175
"I can't afford two," Atlas realized, a look of annoyance crossing his face. "160 plus 160 is 320. I'm short by... 23 points."
He fell back onto the pillows with a groan.
"I knew I should have killed that last squad of U.B.C.S. instead of just running away. Being a pacifist is bad for the economy."
He stared at the ceiling, weighing his options.
"If I take the Skeletal Reinforcement, I become durable. My claws get sharper. I can take a hit."
"If I take the Senses, I become impossible to ambush in this world. My reaction time goes through the roof."
He closed his eyes, visualizing the coming fights. The Nemesis. The Tyrants.
"Durability keeps you alive," Atlas whispered to himself. "But perception... perception makes you the hunter."
"But all of them are good," Atlas whispered to the empty room, looking at the glowing blue options of the System menu. "And I do need to follow up with all of them eventually. But poor old me... always short a few dollars, always a few points shy of perfection."
He dismissed the screen with a mental flick. The blue light dissolved, leaving him staring at the ornate plaster molding of the ceiling.
He closed his eyes.
He didn't need to sleep. His Undead self seems to be perpetually energized, vibrating with a limitless stamina that laughs at the concept of fatigue. But his mind... his mind was human.
And the human mind craved the dark.
He lay there, sinking into the plush mattress, taking long, rhythmic breaths. He didn't have a heartbeat—not really. Just a slow, hydraulic pressure moving the silver-red fluid through his veins.
He let go of the tension. He let go of the excitement of the kills, the thrill of the upgrades, the lust he felt for Alice.
And in the silence, the memories came flooding in.
There was nothing special about Atlas's previous life. Not really.
He hadn't been born a hero or a villain. He grew up in the suburbs, a product of a peaceful age where the biggest worry was passing algebra. He was a carefree youth, drifting through high school with average grades and an above-average indifference to the future.
By the time he graduated, he was fed up.
Books were boring. The idea of college—four more years of sitting in a classroom, accumulating debt to get a job he hated—felt like a prison sentence.
He was stuck. Aimless. A ship without a rudder.
It was his grandmother who steered him. She was a tough old bird, a former Military Nurse who had seen the worst of Vietnam and came back made of iron.
"The world doesn't need another accountant, boy," she had told him, smoke curling from her cigarette. "The world powers are always hungry. They are always looking for young, strong, stupid men to feed the machine. Go. Let them break you down and build you back up."
So, at the age of eighteen, Atlas signed the papers.