Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1763: Codename: The Twin Eclipses: Part-4

When Young Aether arrived at the quarantined hospital where the cursed monsters were being isolated, he found himself momentarily stunned by the sheer scale of the security surrounding the facility.

It made perfect sense. No one wanted to witness those cursed zombie-like monsters escaping into the city.

Which also meant that entering the building through ordinary means would be nearly impossible.

Unless he forced his way inside…

‘What should I do now?’

As Young Aether silently observed the hospital while searching for a possible opening, a familiar voice suddenly echoed across the checkpoint.

“As always, nobody enters this perimeter without proper authorisation. Remain alert at all times because whatever is being contained inside this hospital is not something any of you would ever want to see escaping into the city.”

Young Aether instinctively turned toward the source of the voice.

“Isn’t that… the rescue officer?”

A faint smile slowly formed on his face as he walked toward the man dressed in a black suit who was currently briefing his subordinates. Before he could get any closer, however, two police officers stepped in front of him, blocking his path with electrified restraint batons lowered but ready.

“Sir, you cannot enter this area! It has been designated as a Restricted Zone!”

“But I know Mr. Laman! Please, just let me speak with him for a few minutes!”

Young Aether deliberately raised his voice loud enough for the black-suited man to hear.

Just as expected, the man turned his head before making his way over with a slight frown. His sharp eyes slowly examined Young Aether from head to toe, carefully searching his memory.

“Mr. Laman! It’s really me!” Young Aether said enthusiastically, while inwardly hoping the man hadn’t forgotten him. Otherwise, his only remaining option would be to force his way through every soldier guarding the hospital.

“Aren’t you the young man who was with… Squadron Two’s Commander?”

The corners of Young Aether’s lips gradually curved into a dangerous smile.

“Indeed. I’m glad you still remember me.”

Laman gave a small wave of his hand.

The officers immediately stepped aside, and the security barrier briefly deactivated, allowing Young Aether to pass through the restricted perimeter.

“What are you doing here? And… is the Commander coming as well?” Laman asked, wearing a puzzled expression as his eyes instinctively searched the surrounding area, expecting Commander 2 to appear at any moment.

However, Young Aether simply shook his head.

“He won’t. He’s occupied with another assignment, so I’m here in his place.”

Hearing that, Laman frowned slightly.

“You? Are you one of his squadron members? Did he send you here for something important?”

Without saying another word, Young Aether retrieved the authorisation pass Jonathan had entrusted to him.

The moment Laman recognised the command-grade clearance embedded within the ring, his expression visibly relaxed.

“I need to enter that hospital.”

Laman studied him for a brief moment before humming thoughtfully.

“For what purpose?”

“I believe there’s been recent military activity surrounding this division, and we aren’t permitted to disclose operational details… so?”

“…Fine.”

Laman let out a quiet sigh before nodding.

“If Commander Jonathan trusted you enough to hand over his personal clearance, then I have no reason to interfere.

Just don’t make me regret opening that gate.”

With a subtle hand signal, the containment checkpoint acknowledged his command. Layers of translucent holographic barriers dissolved into streams of blue light while the doors slowly unlocked with a deep metallic rumble, granting Young Aether access to the quarantined hospital.

Which he couldn’t refuse.

“Come with me,” he said before leading Young Aether toward the hospital building.

As they walked, Laman began explaining the current situation.

“Has he told you about what’s happening inside?”

“You mean… about the virus?”

“Oh? Good. Then be cautious. One mistake, and we’re as good as dead in there.”

Laman stepped into a large white decontamination tent erected directly in front of the hospital’s main entrance.

Inside, personnel dressed in fully sealed biohazard suits moved swiftly from station to station. The entire tent was saturated with the sharp scent of sterilising chemicals, while rows of advanced medical equipment projected holographic diagnostic screens and streams of biological data, tirelessly analysing countless samples beneath bright surgical lights.

“Are they… trying to find a cure?” Young Aether asked curiously.

“Yes. We’re doing our best to develop a cure for this virus,” Laman replied as he motioned for Young Aether to put on one of the biohazard suits hanging neatly along the sterilisation rack.

Young Aether inwardly chuckled.

‘They’re trying to find a cure for a curse? Haha… I’d love to see how the fuck that works.’

An amused smile briefly crossed his face before several sterilising nozzles suddenly descended from above. Pressurised disinfectant gas violently engulfed his body from head to toe, accompanied by pulsing ultraviolet and energy sterilisation beams that swept across him in precise intervals.

Once the decontamination cycle finished, he stepped forward and put on the biohazard suit.

After both of them were fully suited, they approached a heavily reinforced security door.

Laman entered several authorisation codes into the biometric scanner.

Immediately, multiple mechanical locks disengaged one after another with heavy metallic clicks before the airlock released with a loud hiss, equalizing the pressure between both sides. The reinforced door slowly slid open, granting them access to the hospital lobby.

The lobby was crowded with researchers and medical personnel wearing biohazard suits, all moving hurriedly between different departments while carrying sealed containment cases, refrigerated specimen containers, and transparent capsules filled with glowing orange samples.

“Where’s Doc?” Laman asked one of the researchers.

The researcher simply pointed toward the inner corridor.

“ICU.”

Young Aether silently followed Laman while carefully observing his surroundings.

The hospital barely resembled a medical facility anymore.

Human bones were scattered across portions of the floor, while nearly every section showed signs of catastrophic destruction. The reception counter had been completely torn apart; dried flowers still rested inside shattered vases; staircases were stained with layers of dried blood, chairs had been ripped into pieces, and several metal fixtures had partially melted into thick pools of cooled black slag.

‘What’s going on here?’

He quietly activated a private communication channel.

“Can you infiltrate this hospital’s system?”

A feminine voice echoed directly into his ear through the neural communication interface.

^I can. However, that requires access to the hospital’s Central Control Management System.^

As soon as she finished speaking, a translucent three-dimensional blueprint materialised across the lenses of his smart glasses. Multiple floors unfolded before him in holographic layers, highlighting security checkpoints, surveillance routes, restricted sectors, and finally the location of the hospital’s central control system.

Young Aether studied the holographic map before shifting his gaze toward the direction they were walking.

For a brief moment, it appeared Laman was taking him exactly where he needed to go…

‘Maybe not.’

He quietly sighed as Laman suddenly turned into a corridor opposite the highlighted destination.

As they continued deeper into the hospital, Young Aether’s expression gradually darkened.

Bloodstains coated nearly every hallway, cold streams of hardened molten metal stretched across the floor, broken glass reflected the sterile ceiling lights, overturned stretchers lay abandoned against the walls.

“Doc!” Laman called out.

Young Aether looked up and saw an elderly man wearing a biohazard suit standing silently outside the ICU isolation ward.

The old man merely glanced at Laman before rolling his eyes in frustration.

“I already told you. I need time to figure this out!”

Laman let out a quiet chuckle.

“That’s unfortunate to hear, but I’m not here about that. I brought Commander Two’s subordinate.”

The old man shifted his attention toward Young Aether, studying him through the transparent visor of his biohazard suit before speaking with a slight frown.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before. Are you Commander 2’s new subordinate? The one Commander 3 has been bragging about?”

“Who? Me?”

Young Aether tilted his head in confusion.

Commander 3?

That fucking asshole who had looked down on his friend?

Young Aether frowned, genuinely bewildered by the statement.

Laman asked curiously. “What do you mean?”

“There’s been a rumour spreading around the inner circles about Commander Two’s secret subordinate. The one who supposedly trained inside Hell’s Gate.”

The old man continued staring at the young man as though trying to verify the rumor himself.

“…”

Young Aether simply blinked.

Who exactly are they talking about?

Laman’s eyes suddenly widened.

“You mean… he trained inside Hell’s Gate?”

“Yes.”

The old man nodded.

“Personally under Commander Two himself. Not only that, but according to the rumours, he survived the training without relying on a mech-suit.”

Even through the transparent visor, the old man’s eyes carried unmistakable respect.

Laman stood frozen for several seconds.

Pieces of every strange event suddenly began connecting inside his mind.

No wonder Commander Two had refused every request to transfer this young man elsewhere.

If the rumours were true, then this boy wasn’t simply another subordinate.

“Anyway,” the old man continued, “what brings you here, Mr…?”

“Lackey.”

“…Mm. Lackey?”

Young Aether fell silent for a brief moment while hurriedly constructing a believable excuse.

“Commander Two ordered me to come here and learn from you. That’s what he told me.”

“Learn from me?”

The old man frowned thoughtfully.

“That’s interesting. He never liked me much in the first place.”

Young Aether inwardly gulped before quickly adding,

“I mean… he specifically meant regarding this virus.”

“Oh…”

The old man slowly nodded several times.

“That makes far more sense.”

Just as he was about to continue…

BANG!!

KKYYRRRRRRR!!!!

The deafening impact echoed throughout the corridor.

All three instinctively flinched as the ICU door violently shook under another tremendous strike. Thick streams of glowing orange molten lava splashed against the opposite side of the glass observation panel, accompanied by horrifying screeches.

The old man merely sighed.

“Looks like they’ve finally woken up.”

He turned toward Young Aether with a faint smirk.

“Since Commander Two sent you here to learn, I assume you already possess some knowledge about these monsters.”

He gestured toward the adjacent observation room.

“Come with me.”

The three of them entered the room beside the ICU.

The moment Young Aether and Laman stepped inside, both of them froze.

Especially Laman.

His face instantly turned pale as his legs nearly gave out beneath him.

Beyond an enormous wall of reinforced multilayer observation glass…

Hundreds of monsters wandered throughout the massive quarantine chamber.

Not ordinary monsters.

They had once been human.

Their skeletal frames were clearly visible beneath what little remained of their charred flesh. Instead of blood flowing through their bodies, glowing molten lava seeped continuously through every crack in their bones, dripping onto the floor with sizzling sounds that filled the chamber. Their faces had almost completely deteriorated into molten skulls, rivers of blazing magma pouring through the gaps where cheeks and jaws should have been, while blackened strips of burnt flesh still clung stubbornly to scattered portions of their bodies.

Some stumbled aimlessly.

Some crawled across the walls with broken limbs.

Others stood perfectly motionless, their hollow eye sockets burning with molten orange light as though patiently waiting for something beyond the glass.

“T… This many?” Laman muttered under his breath.

He already knew about the existence of these monsters, but he had never imagined their numbers had reached such an overwhelming scale.

The old man let out a weary sigh.

“Most of the patients, nurses, and doctors were already infected by the virus.”

He slowly raised his gaze toward the ceiling before continuing.

“And not just this floor. The upper floors as well… more than a thousand people have already been infected.”

“…Fuck.”

Laman stood there in complete disbelief before another question suddenly crossed his mind.

“Wait…”

He frowned.

“Those molten lava-like fluids… aren’t they capable of melting even military-grade mech-suits? Then how come they haven’t melted through this observation glass or breached the ICU itself?”

The old man nodded.

“That’s exactly where the difference lies.”

He walked toward the reinforced observation window and gently tapped the transparent surface.

“Unlike the lava produced by those monsters we’ve encountered, the molten substance generated by these infected humans hasn’t reached that level of temperature. It’s still incredibly dangerous, but nowhere near hot enough to melt this specialised containment glass.”

“I see…”

Laman slowly nodded, finally understanding.

The old man folded his arms behind his back while continuing to observe the creatures beyond the glass.

“Even after being infected, these creatures continue displaying remarkably human behaviours.”

His eyes narrowed with scientific fascination.

“They sleep.”

“They eat.”

“They even attempt to mate.”

“It is… astonishing.”

He remained silent for several moments before quietly adding,

“It’s almost as though something else has taken control of the human body. A parasite… wearing a human like borrowed clothing.”

He finally turned toward Young Aether.

“Since you’ve survived training inside Hell’s Gate without relying on a mech-suit… what do you think, young man?”

Young Aether stepped closer until he stood directly before the observation glass.

He slowly placed his palm against its cold surface.

The monsters didn’t react in the slightest.

It appeared the observation panel functioned as a one-way mirror.

He silently observed each infected individual.

They weren’t identical to Leon after his transformation.

Leon… He had possessed dragon blood.

Perhaps that was why his curse had forced him into a half-draconic form.

But these people…

They looked almost entirely human.

Apart from the exposed skeletons, the rivers of molten lava, and the horrifying deterioration of their flesh…

There was very little separating them from ordinary humans.

“Hmm…”

Young Aether narrowed his eyes.

“I think… it’s because they still possess humanity.”

“The parasite may have taken control, but the body itself is still human. Their biological instincts remain intact, so perhaps the parasite simply mimics those instincts in order to sustain the host for as long as possible.”

The old man’s eyes widened slightly before a satisfied smile appeared beneath his visor.

“Marvellous.”

He gave several approving nods.

“Young people these days are remarkably well educated.”

He looked back toward the infected.

“Anything else?”

“Hmm…”

Young Aether continued studying the creatures.

After several seconds, he finally spoke.

“Maybe… the lava itself is contagious.”

“The only thing continuously leaving their bodies is that molten substance. Every pathogen requires some form of transmission.”

“If blood no longer exists inside them… then perhaps the lava has become both their bloodstream and the carrier of the infection.”

The old man’s expression brightened.

“Excellent observation.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha… Commander Two certainly chose well.”

Placing a hand on Young Aether’s shoulder, he nodded approvingly.

“Yes.”

“So far, every test we’ve conducted points toward exactly that conclusion.”

“The lava itself is the virus.”

Feeling somewhat left out of the conversation, Laman stepped forward.

“So if we somehow neutralise the lava…we can stop this virus once and for all?”

The old man nodded.

“Yes… But that’s only our second priority.”

“Second?”

Young Aether frowned as he turned toward the old man.

“Hmm?”

The old man blinked.

“You weren’t informed?”

“Informed about what?”

For the first time since they met…

The old man’s expression slowly twisted into a cold smile.

“Our highest priority…”

He paused.

“…is to harvest the virus in massive quantities…”

His smile widened.

“…and weaponise it against the other Empires.”

“…P.A.R.D.O.N?”

The single word escaped Young Aether’s lips with icy disbelief.

At that very moment…

The temperature inside the observation room seemed to plummet.