Apocalypse System: The Disabled Doctor

Chapter 4. Precision Execution Diagnosis

"Show me exactly how much a life is worth tonight." Zac grinned widely, spinning the scalpel in his left hand.

​[The valuation of a life depends entirely on the host's anatomical execution precision. You may commence the surgery, Dr. Zac.]

​The system's mechanical voice replied instantly inside his skull. The semi-transparent blue screen on Zac's retinas projected a red grid pattern. That digital pattern locked onto the bodies of the three walking corpses in front of him. Critical weak points in the monsters' anatomy blinked brightly, indicating the absolute optimal targets for an incision.

​"I will dissect them right down to their nerve roots." Zac lowered his posture, settling into a solid fighting stance.

​The three walking corpses lunged ferociously all at once. The air in the morgue was thick with the stench of rotting flesh and the metallic tang of dried blood. The muscles in their legs bulged savagely, tearing the seams of their medical uniforms. The creatures had lost all sense of reason; they moved purely on the instinct of starvation.

​Zac did not step back a single inch. His dark eyes scanned the enemies' movements with supercomputer-like speed.

​The monster wearing the hospital gown leaped to the very front. Its spilled intestines swung disgustingly, splattering foul blood onto the white tiled floor. Its jaw unhinged impossibly wide, baring blunt teeth ready to tear into Zac's chest.

​"First patient." Zac's voice was cold as he welcomed the opening attack. "Initial diagnosis: severe motor hyperactivity."

​Zac tilted his body to the side, smoothly dodging the monster's filthy grasp without wasting a single ounce of extra energy. His left hand shot downward, cutting through the air with lightning speed impossible for an ordinary human. The silver scalpel blade slashed precisely above the back of the monster's heel.

​"Medical procedure: severing the Achilles tendon." Zac pressed down on the blade, slicing through the thick layers of skin and muscle.

​The main tendon snapped cleanly in a single, fluid strike.

​The monster instantly lost its footing. Its body slammed into the ceramic floor with a violently loud thud. The creature thrashed wildly, desperately trying to stand back up on its two legs. The anatomy of its leg was completely destroyed, absolutely refusing to respond to the brain's neural commands.

​"Lower motor nerves successfully deactivated." Zac stood tall, examining his handiwork with a clinical stare. "Limb paralysis is permanent."

​[A highly efficient strike. The reaction speed of the host's left arm muscle tissue has increased by three hundred percent beyond normal human limits.]

​"A highly satisfactory improvement." Zac spun his silver scalpel again, flicking the dark blood off the sharp tip of the blade.

​The first nurse monster lunged from his blind spot on the right. Its mouth let out a shrill growl, aiming straight for Zac's jugular. The monster's hands clawed wildly at the air, desperately trying to grab the young man's filthy coat.

​"Second patient." Zac did not turn his head in the slightest. "Secondary diagnosis: end-stage acute aggression."

​Zac spun his body rapidly, using the heel of his boot as a pivot point. His right hand clamped down on the monster's jaw, holding back its bite with absolute force. Zac's grip locked the savage creature's head in place so it could not move a single millimeter. The strength of his right hand now matched the monster's raw power, thanks to the power compensation from the system's chip.

​"Focus of medical procedure: the second cervical vertebra." Zac stated his anatomical target in a flat, emotionless tone.

​His left hand drove the scalpel blade directly into the back of the monster's neck. The silver metal pierced the skin layer, slipping precisely between the cervical bones. The tip of the blade tore into and severed the main spinal cord in a fraction of a second.

​Dark blood spurted violently, staining the white ceramic wall behind them.

​"Spinal cord severance complete." Zac whispered directly into the ear of the monster, which had now gone completely stiff. "Total paralysis successfully achieved."

​The nurse monster was instantly paralyzed. All bodily motor functions died completely from the neck down to its toes. Zac yanked his knife out with a rough pull, letting the stiff body fall with a heavy thud into the puddle of dirty water at his feet.

​[Spinal cord execution flawlessly performed. Vital point successfully destroyed without expending a single fraction of extra energy.]

​"Only you remain now." Zac turned his head to stare at the second nurse monster, which was stealthily crawling closer.

​The monster growled angrily, attempting to claw at Zac's face with its long, filthy nails. The creature's leap was incredibly fast, closing the two-meter gap in the blink of an eye.

​"Third patient." Zac stared coldly at the final threat in the morgue. "Final diagnosis: massive blood loss."

​Zac deliberately swatted the claws away using his right arm. He allowed the monster's filthy nails to scratch and tear the fabric of his coat. He needed the absolute closest attack distance to deliver the most fatal incision. His left hand moved in a cross-slash motion, aiming for the base of the monster's neck with absolute brutality.

​"Medical procedure: severing the carotid artery and jugular vein." Zac drove his scalpel deep into the enemy's neck.

​He pulled the blade outward, tearing open both major blood vessels at the exact same time. A long, gaping incision was laid wide open.

​Blood sprayed violently like a fountain, splashing across Zac's pale face. He did not blink, let alone close his eyes. He allowed the warm, sticky liquid to soak the skin of his cheek. In fact, he felt an incredible surge of twisted satisfaction slowly creeping into his chest. The sheer sensation of reaping a life felt far more intoxicating than any sedative in this hospital.

​The fear and helplessness that had tortured him for the last three years evaporated completely, incinerated by the absolute euphoria of murder. He yanked the knife out and kicked the monster's chest, sending it flying backward into a medical cart.

​"How are the results of my third surgery, Machine?" Zac wiped the blood splatter off his cheek using the back of his left hand.

​[Kill precision rate has reached ninety-nine percent. Kinetic energy successfully extracted from the deaths of three infected entities. The host's energy bar has been recharged to sixty percent.]

​"How many Protocol Points did I get from these three pieces of trash?" Zac checked the system interface in his eyes.

​[The host has received a total of thirty basic Protocol Points. These points can be used to unlock access to the Emergency Medical Vault in the future. The system strongly advises the host to immediately evacuate this high-risk area.]

​"Of course." Zac rolled his neck, stretching the muscles of his body that now felt incredibly light. "This formaldehyde-scented room is starting to feel incredibly boring. There is still a lot of trash out there waiting for my surgery schedule."

​Zac walked toward the half-destroyed double steel doors. The door hinges were severely warped from the monsters' previous impacts. The deadbolt that Bryan had locked from the outside still held the doors tightly shut.

​"Unlock that deadbolt from the outside." Zac issued a direct command to the system.

​[The system does not possess the capability for physical manipulation of mechanical objects outside the host's body. The host must use pure muscular strength to destroy this physical barrier.]

​"Then I will break it down my own way." Zac stepped backward, gathering momentum and settling into a full stance.

​He focused all of his strength into his right leg. The leg that Bryan had forcibly shattered earlier now stored a terrifying spring-like power, entirely thanks to the system's tissue regeneration. His calf muscles tightened as solid as coils of steel cable.

​"Get out of my way!" Zac kicked the surface of the thick steel doors with all his might.

​A deafening crash of metal exploded through the morgue. The hundred-kilogram steel doors were instantly ripped from their hinges. The massive chunk of metal flew five meters, slamming into the hallway wall outside with a devastating crash. Cement dust rained down from the ceiling due to the violent vibration.

​Zac stepped out of the morgue with a calm stride. The air in the ground-floor hallway felt far colder, biting at his skin. The red emergency lights flashed continuously, illuminating a scene of absolute chaos.

​Human corpses were scattered gruesomely across the ceramic floor. Splatters of fresh blood decorated the glass windows of the registration desk and the patient waiting chairs. Absolute chaos had truly swallowed this elite hospital whole in less than an hour.

​The sound of ragged breathing could be heard faintly from behind a wooden reception desk in the corner of the east hallway.

​Zac stopped in his tracks, sharpening his hearing. His predatory instincts locked onto the source of the sound in a matter of seconds. He walked slowly toward the desk without making even the slightest scrape with his shoes. The silver scalpel in his left hand dripped thick blood with every single step he took forward.

​"Come out of your hiding place." Zac's cold voice shattered the dead silence of the hallway. "Or I will dissect that thick wooden desk right along with the intestines in your stomach."

​Someone shifted in a panic, knocking over a stack of medical record papers. A man wearing the signature black suit of a mafia guard slowly appeared from behind his protective desk. The man's hands trembled violently as he gripped a nine-millimeter caliber pistol tightly. His face was deathly pale, covered in a cold sweat born of extreme terror.

​Zac recognized the man's terrified face instantly. It was Bryan's elite guard—the exact same guard whose steel baton Bryan had used to shatter Zac's knee just minutes ago. Karma had come back to exact its vengeance incredibly quickly tonight.

​"You died in there!" The guard stuttered, forcing his voice out. The barrel of the gun in his hands swayed unsteadily, aiming at Zac's chest. "I saw those monsters tear into your neck. You should be a rotting corpse right now."

​"I am already dead, friend." Zac grinned widely, flashing the most cruel, terrifying smile the guard had ever seen in his life. "Unfortunately, hell flat-out refused to take me before I drag all of you down there with me."

​"Do not take another step!" The guard pulled the trigger of his gun back, letting out a sharp, mechanical click. "I will blow your head to pieces if you dare to move."

​"You are free to shoot me however you like." Zac raised his scalpel up to eye level. He stared at his own reflection on the blood-soaked silver blade. "Just make absolutely sure your bullet is fast enough to stop this knife from slicing through your vocal cords. Because if you miss, I guarantee you will never be able to scream again for the rest of your life."