19 Zombified Human

"All right. Since you believe in that, what are you going to do next?" I asked and she closed her eyes as she began pondering about it. A few minutes passed and she was still thinking before she looked at me and asked,

"What about you, Michael? I am not doubting you or anything, but can you first tell me why you are not taking the zombie core, first? Do you want to test it on me? If it is true, then it's fine, I will be your test subject, but can you at least be truthful about it to me?"

I looked at her with a wide-eyed look as I gulped a little. She had a sad smile on her face as she really wanted to know my intentions here. I closed my eyes for a few moments, before speaking,

"Want me to show you a magic trick?"

There was a smile on my face and she, a bit confused, nodded slightly and then I raised my palm in her direction and a knife came out of the dimensional storage I had. I had kept a knife there just in case of emergency until I found a better weapon.

Looking at the knife, she stared blankly at it before I put it back into my dimensional storage. I smiled at her again before speaking,

"I don't really need the zombie genes to get stronger. I have something else… Maybe when I gain your trust enough, I will tell you about it but for now, can you please not ask anything much about it?"

She looked at me blankly before asking,"who else knows about this?" and I shook my head as I answered her,"no one else. Only you and me."

"Really," her eyes brightened as she looked at me and I answered,"Yeah. Just you and me."

"All right… though… Can I ask you a question?" she looked at me sheepishly and I turned at her with a sigh before speaking,"well… go on."

"Are you an alien?" she gulped as she looked at me with a complex expression and I almost yelled at her before slapping myself on the forehead.

"All right. My bad that I didn't explain it to you clearly… Well, listen Caroline. I am a human through and through. What I have is a sort of a… I don't know, more like an equipment? I am not an alien, okay?" I spoke with a slightly frustrated voice and looking at her sudden relaxed smile, I think she believes.

"What would you have done, if I were one though?" I asked her and she pondered a bit before speaking,"even if you were the devil, I couldn't care less. I have known you long enough to understand what kind of person you are."

I looked at her unshakable expression and it made me see her in a different light. I then shake my head before speaking,"so that clears up a few things. Back to the topic, will you absorb the zombie core?"

I don't know but after telling her a bit about my powers, I felt like a heavy object was lifted from my chest. Even though I had known for only less than a couple of days.

"Do I have to eat that thing?" she spoke as she looked at the zombie core in my hand and I recall how it was entering my body when I had touched it. Thinking that I spoke,"maybe touching it would be enough."

She looked at me for a few moments before taking it from my hand as she spoke,"well, let's test it then."

When she did that I immediately touched her hand, while also using my Inspect Skill on her.

[Name: Caroline Escarte

Race: Human

Zombification: 3.009%

Class: Archer

Status: Healthy

Strength: 8

Constitution:10

Dexterity: 13]

With my Inspect level 2, I was able to see her status more clearly with some of her stat points. Another tab for zombification opened up and I looked at it rising about 0.001% per sec.

'This is…' I observed her and it raised a lot of questions in my mind. If the process is this slow then… how can she already have 3% zombification?

"Caroline, did you get bitten or something?" I asked with a serious look on my face and she immediately denied,"no, I was not. Why? Did something happen?"

I closed my eyes for a few moments before sighing as I wondered if everyone is getting zombified despite not getting bitten or something? How exactly is it working?

I then concentrated on the core and used my Inspect Skill

[E-Grade Zombie Core: 99% Energy left]

I saw that about 2 minutes have passed so, it is half percent per 0.5%. This should take about 3 hours… Should I let it move at this speed or wait for it to proceed slowly?

'Think Michael! Figure a way out of this! There must be something you are missing! Evolution is a process that takes ages, if done hurriedly it will be a mutation. Let's say that zombies are mutations, then for evolution it should be done slowly but we don't have time… what is it that makes evolution safe? Stability…. acclimatization … adaptation… time taken for the body to adapt?' I then opened my eyes and turned to Caroline who was still holding the zombie core without knowing anything that was going on.

[Basic Time manipulation Activated!]

I activated my skill and then used it to increase the speed. Caroline must have felt something, cause she closed her eyes and began concentrating as well. As for the time to absorb the core completely

[12 minutes: 12 seconds]

12 minutes later…

[Name: Caroline Escarte

Status: Mutating into a Zombie: Half Dazed

Zombification: 10.8%]

I saw her skin turning really whitish and her eyes weren't really looking so good. I then questioned in my mind as,'How long before she adapts to the zombie genes?'

[3 days: 13 hours: 13minutes]

'How long before the zombie genes take over her?'

[7 days: 14 hours: 38minutes]

'So she would survive by the end of the day anyway,' I thought as I sighed in relaxation before concentrating once again

[Basic Mana Manipulation!]

'How long before she adapts?'

[5 hours: 44 minutes: 52 seconds]

I then kept her close and sat beside her for the next few hours. I waited and waited… until hours turned into minutes and once it was over the timer was off…

[Name: Caroline Escarte

Race: Zombified Human (Grade-F)

Class: Archer

Zombification: 10.8%*{Reach 100% to evolve into next grade}

Status: Healthy

Strength: 12

Constitution:13

Dexterity: 17]