Mutated System : Rise Of The Alpha

The Man Who Know Anthony

Nathan collapsed onto the cracked asphalt, his chest heaving as the glowing blue light in his eyes slowly dimmed. All around him lay a carpet of mangled limbs and shattered skulls—the remains of the fifty-plus horde he had just dismantled with terrifying, systematic efficiency.

"Fifty bodies... and I'm barely breaking a sweat," Nathan muttered, wiping a streak of black ichor from his cheek.

He turned his attention back to the unconscious girl. With the immediate area cleared, the flyover felt eerily still, save for the distant sound of explosions echoing from the city center. He knew he couldn't stay out in the open for long; the smell of fresh blood would only act as a beacon for more "evolved" types.

Nathan leaned down and carefully scooped the girl up in a bridal carry. Her head slumped against his shoulder, her breathing shallow but steady.

"Don't die on me now," he whispered. "I didn't break my back saving you just for you to give up here."

He adjusted his grip, feeling the surge of power still humming beneath his skin. With a sudden burst of speed, he took off. Every stride covered meters of ground, his enhanced muscles propelling him forward with the grace of a predator. He bypassed the main roads, sticking to the shadows and navigating through the familiar suburbs of Jakarta toward his home.

He needed a door he could lock. He needed a moment to figure out what the hell "Project Z-Alpha" actually meant before the world outside completely dissolved into madness.

[ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TO SAFE ZONE: 4 MINUTES]

"Shut up, system," Nathan grumbled, leaping over a pile of burning tires. "I'm moving as fast as I can."

Nathan arrived in front of his house, but he skidded to a halt, his eyes widening. His home—the one place he thought would be a sanctuary—was crawling with men in tactical gear, their assault rifles held at the ready.

​"What the hell are they doing at my place?" Nathan muttered, his pulse quickening.

​He moved quickly and silently, ducking behind a rusted SUV parked across the street. He gently leaned the unconscious girl against the side of the car, hidden from view. After taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he stepped out and walked casually toward his front gate.

​The moment he came into view, the nearest guard snapped his rifle up, aiming directly at Nathan’s chest.

​"Nathan Anthony? Don't move!" the man barked, his finger hovering over the trigger.

​Nathan didn't flinch. He calmly raised both hands, his expression unreadable. "What are you doing at my house?"

​The front door creaked open, and a man in a crisp, white lab coat stepped out, looking wildly out of place amidst the tactical gear and ruins. He adjusted his glasses and looked at Nathan with a clinical curiosity.

​"Nathan... we need to inspect Professor Anthony's study," the scientist said, his voice smooth and unsettling. "Could you be a good lad and show us the entrance?"

​"Study?" Nathan’s brow furrowed. "There's no study in my house."

​The scientist’s lips curled into a thin, knowing smile. "Capture him!"

​The guards moved instantly, lunging forward to pin Nathan down. But to them, Nathan was a normal human; to Nathan, they were moving in slow motion. Before the first guard could even grab his arm, Nathan blurred.

​CRACK. THUD. CRASH.

​In a matter of seconds, the guards were sprawled across the pavement, groaning as they clutched broken limbs and bruised ribs. Nathan stood in the center of them, his eyes glowing a faint, menacing blue.

​"Leave," Nathan said, his voice dropping to a bone-chilling cold. "There is no study in that house."

​The scientist didn't look angry; he looked delighted. He held up a hand, signaling the rest of his men to stand down.

​He gestured toward a black tactical vehicle idling nearby. The guards scrambled to their feet, retreating quickly under Nathan’s icy stare. As the scientist reached the car door, he paused and looked back over his shoulder.

​"See you soon, Nathan," the man said with a chilling smirk.

​The engine roared to life, and the vehicle tore away, leaving Nathan alone in the silence of his driveway. He stood there for a long moment, the scientist's words echoing in his head.

​Nathan picked the girl up from behind the car and carried her toward his front door, his eyes scanning the street one last time for any lingering threats.

​He kicked the door shut behind him and locked it tight. The house felt eerily quiet now, the scent of the scientist's expensive cologne still hanging faintly in the air. Nathan laid the girl down on the sofa, his mind racing with everything that had just happened.

​"I came here looking for a safe haven," Nathan muttered to himself, his jaw tightening in frustration. "Instead, I found more trouble."

​He looked around the living room—the peeling wallpaper, the dusty bookshelves, the old framed photos. Everything looked normal, yet he couldn't shake the scientist's words. Professor Anthony's study. Nathan stared at the floorboards, the blue glow in his eyes flickering as his adrenaline began to settle. He had lived here his whole life, but for the first time, the walls felt like they were keeping secrets.

​[INTERNAL SENSORS DETECTING HOLLOW SPACE...]

[SUB-LEVEL STRUCTURE FOUND.]

​Nathan froze as the system's voice vibrated in his skull.

​"What?" he whispered, his heart skipping a beat. "There really is something under here?"