Lyerin''s gaze swept over the huddled group, his sharp eyes catching details that sent a chill down his spine. His instincts, honed from years of surviving in this twisted world, screamed at him to be cautious.


    As the protectors kept their weapons trained on him, his mind was thinking flying elsewhere, recalling the horrors of his past life. He mumbled to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, "Don''t tell me… they''re vinated individuals?"


    The memories hit him like a tidal wave, dragging him back to a time when the world still clung to the remnants of civilization.


    The government had rolled out a vine, a supposed miracle cure for the gue that was sweeping the globe.


    Desperate people had lined up by the thousands, trusting in the promises of their leaders. But the truth was far darker than anyone could have imagined.


    The vine was a trap, a twisted experiment that had gone horribly wrong. Instead of curing the afflicted, it had turned them into something else—something far worse.


    The vinated became monstrous flesh-eating creatures, but unlike the mindless hordes that roamed the streets, these beings were different.


    They retained their intelligence, their ability to think and n causing them to be uncontroble and not as government weapon.


    They became organized, forming packs that ambushed survivors,ying traps, and waging guerri warfare on those who had once been their neighbors.


    Lyerin could still remember the first time he''d encountered one of these mutated horrors. He had been scavenging with a group of survivors when they were ambushed.


    The creatures had attacked with terrifying precision, outsmarting them at every turn.


    It was only by sheer luck that Lyerin had managed to escape with his life. But he had never forgotten the terror, the knowledge that these creatures were not just beasts—they were hunters with minds of their own.


    He mumbled to himself again, the words tumbling out as he pieced together the clues. "They''re more organized… smarter… more dangerous. They were supposed to be controlled by the government, but they broke free. They nned, they ambushed, they destroyed…" His voice trailed off, the weight of the realization settling in. "That''s why this city fell. It wasn''t the mutated horses.


    It was them. The vinated."


    Lyerin''s eyes narrowed as he looked closer at the people in front of him.


    Now that he knew what to look for, the signs were unmistakable.


    The faint oozing of ck liquid from their pores, the unnatural darkness creeping into the children''s eyes, the slight sharpening of their fingers—all were indicators of the mutation taking hold.


    Even in the dim light, his enhanced senses as an Eldren Warrior picked up on the details that would have been invisible to an ordinary human.


    The man in front, who seemed to be the leader of the group, noticed Lyerin''s scrutiny. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he raised his gun a little higher, his voice rough with hostility. "Don''t move. If you do, we''ll kill you."


    Lyerin''s expression remained calm, but inside, a storm was brewing. He could sense the danger, feel it coiling around him like a noose.


    These people—these vinated individuals—were on the brink of turning. He had seen it before, knew the signs.


    The transformation was slow at first, almost imperceptible, but once it began, it was unstoppable.


    The man''s threat remained, but Lyerin didn''t respond as he was unfazed by it.


    Instead, he moved with blinding speed, his hand a blur as he struck.


    Kwashack!


    The man''s gun ttered to the ground, his hand severed cleanly at the wrist. He didn''t have time to scream before Lyerin''s foot connected with his knee, shattering the bone and sending him crashing to the floor.


    Chaos erupted.


    The other protectors tried to react, but Lyerin was faster, stronger. He moved like a shadow, a blur of motion as he disarmed each of them, breaking bones and severing tendons with precise, ruthless efficiency.


    He didn''t kill them—there was no need. Not yet.


    As the protectors crumpled to the ground, their weapons useless, Lyerin turned his attention to the rest of the group.


    The women, the children, even the elderly—they all cowered in fear, their eyes wide with terror.


    They had no idea what was happening to them, no understanding of the fate that awaited them.


    One by one, they began to plead for their lives. "Please, don''t kill us!" a woman cried, tears streaming down her face. "We''re just trying to survive!"


    But as the words left her lips, ck ink began to seep from her ears, her nose, her eyes. Lyerin''s heart clenched as he watched the transformation begin.


    The mutation was taking hold, twisting them into something monstrous. There was nothing he could do to stop it.


    Another woman, younger, with a child clinging to her leg, looked up at Lyerin with pleading eyes. "Help us… please…" But even as she spoke, her skin began to darken, the veins beneath her flesh turning ck.


    The child at her side let out a strangled cry, his small fingers elongating into sharp ws.


    A man, older and frail, tried to crawl away, his voice a rasping whisper. "Spare me… I don''t want to die…" But as he begged for his life, ck liquid gushed from his mouth, staining his teeth and lips. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his body convulsed as the mutation overtook him.


    A young girl, no older than twelve, reached out to Lyerin with trembling hands. "Please… I''m scared…" But even as she spoke, her fingers twisted into grotesque ws, now her once-clear eyes filling with darkness. She let out a choked sob as the mutation consumed her, turning her into a creature of nightmare.


    Thest of the group, a middle-aged woman with graying hair, clutched her chest as ck ink dripped from her nose. She looked at Lyerin with a mixture of terror and resignation. "I don''t want to be a monster…" she whispered, her voice breaking. But there was no stopping it.


    The mutation was inevitable.


    Lyerin watched, his heart heavy, as each of them sumbed to the transformation.


    It was a fate worse than death, to be trapped in a body that was no longer human, driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh. He had seen it too many times before, and it never got easier.


    With a deep breath, Lyerin steeled himself. His hands began to change into his beast form, the fingers elongating into monstrous ws, his skin darkening as he tapped into the Eldren power within him. He didn''t hesitate.


    One by one, he struck down the mutated creatures before they could fully turn, his ws tearing through flesh and bone with brutal efficiency.


    He didn''t say a word as he did it, his expression nk, his movements methodical.


    The room filled with the sickening sounds of flesh rending, bones cracking, and the low, gurgling moans of the dying. But Lyerin didn''t flinch. He couldn''t afford to.


    These were no longer people—they were monsters, and he had a duty to stop them before they could do any more harm.


    When thest of the mutated creaturesy dead at his feet, Lyerin finally allowed himself to breathe.


    The room was silent now, the only sound was the faint dripping of ck liquid from the bodies. He looked around, taking in the carnage, the blood, the shattered lives.


    It was heavy—too heavy. Even for him.


    Lyerin sighed, the weight of what he had just done pressing down on him like a physical blow. He was used to killing—he had done it countless times in his past life—but this was different.


    These weren''t hardened superhumans or battle-hardened warriors.


    These were children, women, the powerless, and the weak. And he had been forced to end their lives.


    He closed his eyes, trying to push away the guilt, the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm him. He knew he had done what was necessary, but that didn''t make it any easier.


    These people had been victims of a twisted world, caught in a nightmare they couldn''t escape. And now, they are gone.


    Lyerin opened his eyes and looked around the room onest time.


    It was over.


    Suddenly, there was a demonic smile painted in his expression but he immediately noticed it and suppressed it.


    "Damn it! I''m no longer a demon! In this new life, I won''t be a demon!"


    There was nothing left for him here. With a final, heavy fake sigh, he turned and left the building.


    The city outside was bleak as ever, but Lyerin didn''t stop. He had to keep moving, there was no time to dwell on the past, he still had a tribe to make in this real world.