Chapter 1197: Fear and Trauma, A Talk Around The Campfire
Day 381 - 5:39 PM - Nam District, Busan, South Korea
Spera returned from her errand, bringing Amisha and Melfiss, who were waiting to be picked up at the base, through her portal.
Since Amisha was in a coma for too long, it was no surprise that her body was not suitable for long journeys on foot. As such, even though they planned to bring her, they decided to make her wait back home until they reached a suitable place before she could join.
The problem now was that it was not only Amisha and Melfiss who were with Spera upon her return. Behind the three, the figure of Snow could be seen following them.
"!!!"
All of a sudden, the petite-bodied Choi Seo-Yeon stood up from her seat. Her eyes, which were widened in shock and fear, stared at the woman behind the three girls.
"G-get ready for-!!!"
Despite the overwhelming fear, Choi Seo-Yeon still managed to let out a command to her teammates. However, she failed to finish her sentence.
Still, the rest of the Korean group, who sat circled around the campfire, understood Choi Seo-Yeon’s intention. They were about to grab their weapons and get ready to fight.
However...
"Wa! I can’t move!"
"Me too!"
The siblings spoke first while the rest could only remain silent in confusion.
"Sorry about this, but I had to stop you guys before things get messy."
Mark suddenly spoke. It was when they saw his left eye letting out a reddish glow.
"What is this about?"
The leader of the Korean Group, Kang Ye-Jun, asked with a frown. His expression was understandable considering the situation where one of his members was filled with fear due to the danger, yet the other party stopped them with some absurd and unknown ability.
"She’s not an enemy, you all can rest assured," Mark said. "It would be different if you guys attacked her first, though."
"Do-don’t joke around!" Choi Seo-Yeon yelled in fear. "Th-there’s no way that isn’t an enemy! That’s an [Infected Queen]!"
The commotion was noticed by everyone. Choi Seo-Yeon’s yelling confirmed what danger they were about to face. However, there was nothing they could do. The moment they thought of picking up their weapons to ready themselves for the incoming battle, their bodies would suddenly stop moving.
Everyone could not help but feel nervous. Among the most dangerous enemies they knew, there were those so-called [Infected Kings] and [Infected Queens]. Those were the type of [Infected] with high-level mutations. Although the appearance and abilities of each individual varied, a single one of them would be powerful enough to wipe out armed groups of mutants with barely any effort.
And now, Choi Seo-Yeon yelled that the incoming danger was an [Infected Queen].
In fact, it would be hard for a regular mutant to know if the enemy was at the level of an [Infected Queen], much less common people. However, it was Choi Seo-Yeon’s ability. She could determine the strength and level of mutation of the [Infected] she saw. That was why if she said that the enemy was an [Infected Queen], there was no reason to doubt her words.
But in response to Choi Seo-Yeon’s panic-filled words, Mark shrugged.
"She’s not an enemy. If she is, you won’t see her calmly following behind those three, right?"
Everyone turned to Spera, Amisha, and Melfiss. Spera was holding Amisha’s hand because the latter was too excited that she would likely run around if let go. On the other hand, Melfiss, who was perceived as strange by the Korean survivors due to her clothing, appeared to show the most vigilance, carefully checking the surroundings. And yet, she showed no vigilance to the [Infected Queen] walking behind them.
"Is it really safe?"
Kang Ye-Jun asked, panning his eyes at the rest of Mark’s group, who were showing varying reactions to what was currently happening. Even so, none of them looked like they were getting ready to fight.
"It’s okay," Mark nodded. "I’ll be releasing you all now, so stay put."
The glow in Mark’s eyes started fading, and the group felt regaining control over their bodies.
Fortunately, since Mark told them to stay put, they returned to their seats, although they all still looked rather cautious.
As for Choi Seo-Yeon, she still looked terrified. By the looks of it, something terrible might have happened to her in the past involving the so-called [Infected Queens].
It was when Snow, who was following closely behind Spera, Amisha, and Melfiss, raised her head. Her eyes seemed to have locked onto someone. Then, her figure turned into a blur.
The next thing everyone knew, she was standing in front of Mark and Mei. No sound, no wind pressure, only a blurry figure, and presto, she was there. Everyone was surprised by her movements. Even the members of Mark’s group never saw Snow, who always behaved dull and lethargic, move like this. It was only Mark who remained unfazed. Considering his first meeting with Snow in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Snow showcased most of her physical capabilities while parasitized by the [Empress Spider], this speed was nothing.
Of course, the members of the Korean group could not help but flinch and recoil at Snow’s sudden appearance in the middle of the group.
But Snow showed no interest in their reactions. She plopped down to the ground, where she stood, sat comfortably as she grabbed Mark’s right hand before putting the hand on her head. It was the usual pet-like behavior Snow would show whenever she was in front of Mark.
Mark shrugged as he accepted the obvious request and gently caressed Snow’s head.
Mei, to the side, sighed, but she had already accepted this. Snow was always like this after all. Well, not everything remained the same. While being patted by Mark, Snow looked at Mei, grabbed her hand, and also placed it on her head.
It might be because Snow started to detect Mei’s slight jealousy and displeasure every time she acted spoiled in front of Mark, and misunderstood that Mei also wanted to pat her head. It ended up like this. It was wrong, but it would be nearly impossible to explain to Snow unless she got a massive intelligence upgrade.
Snow’s behavior towards Mark and Mei made the Korean group freeze for a different reason. What was happening? Was this woman really an [Infected Queen]? However, seeing that Choi Seo-Yeon was still shaking in fear while hiding behind Kang Ye-Jun, they could not ignore her appraisal of this woman.
"See? It’s fine," Mark said while patting Snow’s head. "You guys call her kind [Infected Queens]? I guess what we call them isn’t much different than yours."
"N-Not much different?"
Kang Ye-Jun was trying to regain his composure as he asked Mark.
"[Queen Type Infected], [King Type Infected], [Empress Type Infected], and the like. I categorize [Mutated Infected] at the same level as what we call [Monarch Types]."
"[Monarch Types]..." What Mark said could not help but make Kang Ye-Jun’s group ponder. "We only have what we call Kings and Queens. Is there a difference between the Kings and the Emperor ones?"
"Well, it’s a separate category I thought of, recently," Mark shrugged and emphasized Snow with his gaze. "[King Types] and [Queen Types] are like this one. They are cut above the rest of the types of [Infected]. Strong and intelligent compared to other [Infected]. But they don’t lead hordes or anything. They might purposely lure hordes of [Infected] into their targets, but they have little to no control over the horde’s actions. And that’s where [Empress Types] and [Emperor Types] come in. These ones lead hordes to do their bidding. They have absolute control over the horde, and most often, their primary method of attack is to command their hordes rather than coming out to fight themselves."
"I see..." Kang Ye-Jun nodded. "We only categorize the [Infected] by their attack and defensive capabilities. It’s simpler, but it’s obviously lacking when an accurate identification of the target is needed compared to the system you are using. "
"Still, it’s unbelievable to see an [Infected Queen] not showing hostility. It even looked like she’s too attached to you two."
The fast-runner, Park Sung-Min, chimed in, looking at the overly attached [Infected Queen] before them, who seemed satisfied having Mark and Mei pat her head.
"Well, it shouldn’t be surprising. The [Infected] doesn’t share thoughts like a hivemind. Each individual has their own personality if you remove their instinctual urge to attack the non-infected. It just happened that this girl has this temperament. We have two more [Queen Types] in custody. They are also docile, but they don’t behave like Snow, who always follows me around when she can."
"Two more?"
The scared Choi Seo-Yeon blurted out in shock. It really seemed like she’s extremely scared of [Queen Types].
Before the discussion could continue, Spera arrived with Amisha and Melfiss.
"Uncle!"
Amisha waved in greeting, receiving a smile and nod from Mark in return. She looked at Snow, as if she wanted to replace her, but Amisha was a good girl, so she did not want to jump in unceremoniously.
Melfiss only stood behind Amisha, with her attention more focused on the strangers.
"I’m back," Spera spoke, and Mark’s eyes fell onto her. "No need to ask. I didn’t have a choice. The moment I arrived to fetch the two, Snow was already there waiting. There’s no escaping her, alright? So I asked Odel and Jaeya to help her dress up with the extra items in your workshop and brought her here."
Spera shrugged. The situation also gave her a headache. But what could she do? Snow might be docile, but she was still a [Queen Type Infected]. Spera had no way of overpowering her. Besides, Snow was learning, and it was very likely that she thought Mark would be on the other side of Spera’s portal. Even if they said no, she might jump into the portal on her own, which could end up more dangerous than letting her come with them.
"She’s already here. What else can we do?"
Annica chimed.
"Send her back?" Emika answered, making Annica turn to her. "What? It’s an option, right? I don’t think she will throw a tantrum."
"But it might impact her brain’s development."
Annica argued, and Emika had no comeback against that.
"We’re bringing her with us," Mark put an end to the two girls’ discussion. "Snow’s always obedient, anyway. There shouldn’t be any problem."
"OF COURSE THERE IS!"
The argument did not come from Mark’s group, but Choi Seo-Yeon. Even the rest of her group was surprised by her outburst.
"Seo-Yeon, take a deep breath and calm down." Kang Ye-Jun stood up and patted the girl’s back. "Here, sit beside me."
Choi Seo-Yeon looked around, realizing her inappropriate behavior. She followed Kang Ye-Jun’s instructions, but her agitation was still obvious.
"Sorry about this."
Kang Ye-Jun apologized.
"Don’t be," Mark waved it off. "It’s pretty obvious. She has some deep trauma caused by a [Queen Type], no, by an [Infected Queen]."
"Is it okay to share it?"
Kang Ye-Jun asked Choi Seo-Yeon, and she answered with a weak nod.
Turning back to Mark’s group, Kang Ye-Jun spoke.
"I’ll make it short. The first refugee camp she went to was destroyed by an [Infected Queen]. It killed everyone, alongside all of her family and relatives, and she had to watch through the entire process. She’s the sole survivor of that camp."
"I see..." Mark and the rest of the group can’t help but look at Choi Seo-Yeon with pity. "You’re lucky you managed to survive that."
"I’m not lucky," Choi Seo-Yeon spoke, fear and anger emanating from her voice. "It let me go on purpose. It knew I was watching and let me live. I will never forget how it glanced at where I’m hiding, with its sadistic smile, before it left everyone dead except me."
It was a surprising statement. But considering the [Monarch Types] Mark encountered in the past, such behavior from one of them would not be impossible to happen.
"Elise, can you help her a bit?"
Mark suddenly turned to Elise.
"Elder brother doesn’t need to ask. Just tell me what to do."
Elise smiled as her eyes released a faint golden glow before her gaze turned to Choi Seo-Yeon.
Of course, it made the Korean survivors both surprised and wary. After all, when Mark’s eyes glowed red, all of them ended up unable to move. That golden glow should be a similar type of ability, right?
But then, Choi Seo-Yeon’s body glowed in the same color as Elise’s eyes for a second before the glow faded. It only took a short moment, but afterwards, a noticeable change in Choi Seo-Yeon’s expression and behavior was evident.
"Feeling calm, now?"
Mark suddenly asked.
"I... What is this?"
Choi Seo-Yeon was utterly confused. Her fear was gone. She was neither shaking nor short of breath.
"Just think of it as some sort of mental buff," Mark said as she glanced at Elise. "It’s only temporary, but it should allow you to stay calm while Snow is around."
"This is amazing."
Choi Seo-Yeon muttered. In her current state, it probably felt like she could do anything.
At this time, a shout came from the dismantling crew.
"Leader, we’re done here!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the dismantling crew. There was still a significant amount of the Giant Boar’s carcass not dismantled, but by the looks of it, the electric truck was already filled with dismantled boar meat. There were also some packed bags for some of the members to carry, filled with meat.
It was unfortunate that they would have to leave the remaining meat behind, but there was nothing they could do.
Kang Ye-Jun left the campfire to check.
"Everyone! Prepare for departure!"
Kang Ye-Jun soon yelled. Everyone then began preparing to leave as fast as possible. They were lucky that they experienced no attacks during the dismantling process, but it did not mean they should linger longer in this place.
