LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 15: Infected Zoo problem

Meanwhile, Lyerin rode a powerful motorcycle through the chaotic streets.

The roar of the engine drowned out the screams and explosions around him. He weaved expertly through the carnage, his movements precise and controlled.

A car crashed to his right, flipping over and bursting into flames with a loud BOOM, the heat singeing his skin as he sped past. He didn't flinch. His eyes were fixed ahead, scanning for any obstacles.

The road was littered with debris—abandoned vehicles, shattered glass, and the occasional mangled body. Lyerin's grip on the handlebars tightened as he approached a massive pile-up.

Without slowing down, he leaned to the side, skidding around the wreckage with a sharp SCREECH that would have sent a less experienced rider flying. His heart pounded in his chest, but his face remained a mask of determination.

A sudden explosion KABOOM rocked the ground behind him, the force nearly throwing him off balance. He twisted the throttle, accelerating to put more distance between himself and the danger.

The tires screeched EEEKKK as he braked hard to avoid a fallen street light, the bike sliding sideways before regaining traction.

Lyerin navigated through the chaos with a skill that bordered on the supernatural, his reflexes honed by countless hours of practice and a desperate will to survive.

Deep in his eyes, panic flickered. He knew the location of the nearest Borgias family headquarters, a place not far from where he was.

It wasn't the same facility where he had been captured in his past life.

That place had been razed to the ground by the very creatures they had been experimenting on.

It was a zoo—a terrifying zoo filled with countless animals that were evolving at an alarming rate.

As he rode, Lyerin's mind conjured up images of the horrors that awaited him. He wasn't just thinking about the lions, tigers, and other predators.

It was the herbivores that haunted his thoughts.

The Eldren substance was more potent now, it would surely affect everyone.

Elephants with tusks sharpened to deadly points, capable of skewering a man with ease, and long noses capable of spewing dark liquid that would absolutely corrode man skins turning them into rabid creatures too.

Giraffes with necks that swung like lethal whips without a care in the world as if they won't feel pain from it, and with their hooves powerful enough to crush skulls.

Zebras with teeth that had grown razor-sharp, and eyes that glowed with an unnatural hunger. Hippopotamuses, already one of the most dangerous animals, now turned into monstrous beasts with jaws that could snap through steel.

Lyerin imagined them in vivid detail as he was speeding through: the elephants charging through barriers, their trumpeting calls filled with rage.

Giraffes towering over their prey, their long necks snaking down to deliver deadly blows.

Zebras moving in packs, their once beautiful stripes now a blur of black and white death.

The hippos, moving with terrifying speed and agility, crushing anything in their path with bone-crunching force.

The thought of these creatures, twisted and enhanced by whatever eldritch energy had infected the world, sent a shiver down Lyerin's spine. He had to get to the Borgias headquarters before these nightmares became his reality.

The streets ahead were no less treacherous.

He saw a massive truck skidding out of control, heading straight for him. With a split-second decision, Lyerin swerved to the left, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

The truck slammed into a building with a deafening CRASH, debris flying everywhere. He ducked instinctively as a piece of concrete flew past his head, his bike wobbling but staying upright.

His journey was a constant battle against the environment.

Another explosion sent a wave of heat and shrapnel across the street.

Lyerin braked hard, feeling the tires grip and hold as he maneuvered through the smoking ruins of a storefront.

A quick glance to his right revealed a group of survivors being overwhelmed by the undead. He couldn't stop; he had to keep moving.

…

Back in the building, after neutralizing the threat posed by their coworker, the atmosphere remained tense and unsettling.

The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the collective sighs of relief. Despite the immediate danger being over, an undercurrent of fear and uncertainty lingered.

One of them finally broke the silence. "What just happened? How did he turn like that when he already had the vaccine?"

All eyes turned to the man who had fetched the vaccine. Suspicion was palpable in the air. "Did you tamper with it? Do you have some personal grudge against Marcus?"

The accused man, pale and shaken, raised his hands defensively. "No! I swear, I didn't do anything to it. I followed protocol exactly. Why would I risk all our lives?"

"Then how do you explain this?" another demanded. "We've seen the vaccine work before. Why didn't it work on him?"

"I don't know!" the man protested. "Maybe it wasn't the vaccine. Maybe something else happened to him."

The tension in the room was thick. "You used to have a thing for Marcus' wife, didn't you?" one of them said, eyes narrowing. "Is this your twisted way of getting back at him?"

"That's ridiculous!" he shouted. "Yes, I liked her once, but that was years ago, before they were even together. And I would never put all of us in danger over something so petty!"

"Then explain why the vaccine didn't work," another colleague pressed. "It should have cured him instantly. There's no logical reason for this."

The accused man took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "Look, the vaccine was perfectly stored. It's designed to combat the eldritch infection we've encountered so far. So it's impossible to do that! I wouldn't risk my life for something petty like that."

The room fell silent again, they are not satisfied with that reply.

Suddenly, one of the coworkers, a young woman with wide eyes, pointed at the deceased Marcus. "Look at him," she said, her voice trembling. "The ink... it's so dark!"

Everyone turned to look. The dark substance oozing from Marcus' wounds was almost black, a stark contrast to the dark-violet hue they were used to.

Soon, the accused man would mumble upon realizing a horrifying thought, "Maybe... maybe this isn't the same infection anymore. We've been thrown into another galaxy or universe. What if the rabid eldritch-like substance has changed, become more potent? The vaccine might not be effective against this new strain."

Hearing this, they all froze.

They had all been so focused on the immediate threat that they hadn't considered the possibility that their very environment had changed in ways they couldn't comprehend.

"You're right," another said in horror. "The vaccine we've been using is for the eldritch substance we knew. If this new substance is more potent, it would explain why the vaccine didn't work."

A collective realization dawned on them, chilling them to the bone. If the eldritch substance had evolved, then they were dealing with an entirely new threat, one their current measures couldn't counter.

As they stood there, still processing the implications, a howl echoed from outside, sending a fresh wave of panic through the group. "Oh my God," someone whispered. "Didn't Marcus mention that his dog was bitten too?"

The room erupted into chaos. "We need to find that dog, now!" someone shouted.

"Where did he keep it?" another asked frantically.

"In the kennel behind the building," the man who fetched the vaccine replied, his voice shaking.

"Grab the weapons!" someone yelled. They ran to a secure room where various firearms and other weapons were stored. Rifles, pistols, and ammunition were quickly distributed among them, the metallic clinking of loading guns a stark contrast to the earlier silence.

Armed and ready, they navigated the dimly lit corridors, the sounds of the outside chaos barely muffled by the walls. When they reached the back of the building, their hearts sank.

The kennel was empty.

The dog was gone, the gate to its enclosure hanging ajar. Panic surged through the group as they exchanged fearful glances.

"Where the hell is it?" someone muttered, the fear in his voice barely controlled.

Before anyone could respond, they heard unsettling noises emanating from beyond the building's perimeter. The sounds of various zoo animals—growls, roars, and screeches—filled the air, sending chills down their spines.

"That doesn't sound like just one dog," someone whispered, his voice shaking. "What else is out there?"

"It's the zoo animals," another realized, his face going pale. "They must have gotten out too. And if they've been exposed to the same eldritch substance..."

Just by thinking of it, it was horrifying. If the eldritch infection had spread to the zoo animals, they could be facing a horde of mutated, rabid creatures far more dangerous than the infected humans.

"We need to get back inside, secure the building," the leader ordered. "We can't deal with this out here."

As they turned to retreat, the noises grew louder, more frenzied.

The unsettling chorus of transformed animals echoed through the night, a grim reminder of the escalating threat they faced.

The group moved quickly but cautiously, their weapons ready as they re-entered the building and secured the doors behind them.

Inside, the unsettling atmosphere remained.

They knew the situation was growing dire, and their previous concerns seemed almost trivial in comparison to the new dangers lurking outside.

The realization that the eldritch infection had evolved and spread to animals added a new layer of terror to their predicament.

They gathered in a central room, barricading the doors and windows. The leader turned to the group, his expression grim. "We need to come up with a plan. If those animals get in here, we're done for."

One of the coworkers, still pale from the earlier events, spoke up. "We need to figure out how to make the vaccine work against this new strain. It's our only hope."

"And we need to find a way to secure the perimeter," another added. "If those animals break through, we need to be ready."