Dawn of Day 7 broke over Muntinlupa, casting a gray, misty light across the fortified compound of New Bilibid Prison.
Inside the Supreme Commander's office, Elias stood by the window overlooking the administrative safe zone, holding a hot tin mug of coffee.
Below, the nine SIMBA 4x4 Armored Personnel Carriers and four Kia KM-450 tactical trucks held disciplined guard positions along the inner avenues.
Sergeant Mateo Cruz marched into the office, carrying green metal supply crates containing fifteen hundred Red Cores harvested from yesterday's Maximum Security surface battle.
"Clack! Clack!"
"Reporting to the Supreme Commander! Fifteen hundred Red Cores from yesterday's courtyard firefight have been clean-washed and processed!" Cruz reported, saluting crisply.
Elias stepped forward, placing his gloved hand over the metal crates.
"System, absorb all Red Cores," Elias commanded mentally.
"Ding!"
[ System Notice: 1,500 Red Cores Absorbed into System Vault! ]
[ Previous Vault Balance: 589 Red Cores ]
[ Updated System Vault Balance: 2,089 Red Cores ]
Elias felt a warm wave of energy flow through his body as his vault balance reached 2,089 Red Cores.
"Supreme Commander, should we resume Phase 2 clearing of Maximum Security cellblocks immediately?" Cruz asked.
Elias looked out toward the locked iron gates of Maximum Security, weighing the tactical factors.
"No. We hold our positions for a few hours," Elias instructed with calm military wisdom.
"Last night's blackout and distant explosion created massive agitation inside the compounds."
"If we breach now, we walk into another agitated five-thousand-zombie bottleneck wave."
"We give the horde time to calm down and disperse back into the cellblocks so our dismounted squads can clear them smoothly."
"Understood, Supreme Commander!" Cruz saluted.
***
"Rumble... BOOM!"
A sudden, violent thunderclap shattered the morning sky for the second time!
The earth-shattering shockwave vibrated through the windowpanes, rattling supply crates across the room!
"What was that?!" Cruz yelled, gripping his assault rifle!
Elias stepped up to the window, staring up at the darkening sky in utter disbelief!
Thick, blood-red clouds swirled rapidly over Muntinlupa, and dark crimson drops began falling from the heavens!
"Pitter-patter..."
It was the second crimson rain!
Elias watched dark red raindrops splatter against the glass windowpane, his face turning deadly serious.
Is this the Second Stage of the Apocalypse?! Elias thought frantically.
Do they really not want humanity to survive?!
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and law enforcement were already struggling to hold off standard turned hordes.
Evolved Fast Hunters and heavy Evolved Brutes were still killable with standard 5.56mm rifles and heavy .50 Cal machine guns.
But what terrifying, mutated zombie variants would be born after this second crimson rain?!
Elias watched the red rain fall in tense silence, but to his immense surprise, the downpour slowed down after just twenty minutes.
Within thirty minutes, the crimson rain stopped completely, leaving wet red puddles across the concrete courtyard.
***
"Clack! Clack! Clack!"
Rapid, frantic footsteps echoed up the administrative hallway!
Senior Officer Gabriel Torres burst into Elias's office, sweating heavily with an expression of deep anxiety!
"Commander Elias! We have a medical emergency in the safe zone!" Torres shouted, breathing frantically!
"Right after the red rain stopped, four civilian survivors suddenly collapsed completely unconscious!"
Before Elias could respond, Battalion Commander Cruz sprinted into the office with a grave, alarmed expression!
"Supreme Commander! Seven of our summoned soldiers—four from 1st Platoon and three from 2nd Platoon—have also collapsed into deep comatose states!" Cruz reported urgently!
Elias's expression turned intensely dark and solemn.
Eleven people—four civilians and seven summoned military personnel—had fallen unconscious simultaneously right after the second crimson rain!
Are they mutating into zombies?! Elias thought in grave alarm. Or are their bodies undergoing gene awakening?!
Either way, Elias could not allow a potential outbreak inside the administrative safe zone or military barracks!
"Commanders, hear my orders!" Elias declared with unshakeable authority.
"Immediately isolate all eleven unconscious individuals!"
"Move the four civilians and seven soldiers into separate reinforced holding cells under double-armed guard!"
"Order Dr. Aris Mendoza and the medical team to conduct immediate vital sign checks and blood monitoring!"
"If anyone shows signs of zombie mutation, isolate them instantly!"
"Copy that, Supreme Commander!" Cruz and Torres saluted in unison, rushing out to execute the quarantine protocol!
***
Elias grabbed his R4A3 assault rifle and stepped out of the commander's office into the administrative hallway.
Suddenly, a suffocating, crushing weight pressed down onto Elias's shoulders!
It felt as if a heavy concrete pillar had slammed onto his back, pressing him down toward the floor!
"Ugh!"
Heavy beads of sweat poured profusely down Elias's face and neck, soaking his tactical uniform!
A wave of intense dizziness washed over his mind, threatening to drag him into unconsciousness!
Elias gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as his 3x Peak Human physical physique fought back against the crushing strain!
He slammed his gloved hand against the hallway wall, his boots planting firmly onto the floor as he forced his body to remain upright through sheer willpower!
What is happening to me?! Elias thought, grunting through the excruciating physical pain!
"Ding!"
[ System Warning: Foreign Energy Infiltration Detected! ]
[ An unknown cosmic gene-evolutionary energy has entered the Host's bloodstream! ]
[ Do you wish to assimilate and integrate this energy into your physical physique to initiate Gene Awakening / Enhancement? ]
[ Option: ( YES / NO ) ]
Elias stared at the glowing blue System notification floating before his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest.
"System... select YES! Assimilate the energy!" Elias commanded mentally through gritted teeth!
"Ding!"
[ Host Selected: YES ]
[ Initiating Cosmic Gene-Evolutionary Energy Assimilation! ]
[ Integrating Energy into Host's Cellular Matrix! ]
"Argh!"
An agonizing surge of blistering heat erupted inside Elias's chest, tearing through every blood vessel, nerve pathway, and muscle group simultaneously!
It felt as if molten iron was being injected directly into his veins!
Sweat poured from every pore of his body as his bones creaked under intense genetic restructuring!
Yet, because of his 3x Peak Human physical attributes and unyielding willpower, Elias forced his legs to keep moving, enduring the unbearable agony without collapsing!
I have to check on Maya! Elias thought frantically through the searing pain!
Elias staggered down the administrative hallway, using the wall for support as he dragged his heavy boots toward the civilian residential suite!
"Thud! Kick!"
Elias pushed open the heavy wooden door of his sister's bedroom!
"Maya?!" Elias gasped, his vision blurring!
His heart dropped into a dark abyss of utter terror!
Lying on the bed, nineteen-year-old Maya was pale, sweating profusely, and writhing in deep physical pain in an unconscious comatose state!
"No... Maya!" Elias gritted his teeth, intense anxiety and panic flooding his chest!
She had also been affected by the second crimson rain!
Elias unclipped his tactical radio with trembling, blood-soaked gloves, bringing the microphone to his pale lips.
"Cruz... come to... Maya's room... immediately..." Elias gasped into the radio, his voice strained and trembling in agonizing pain.
"Maya is unconscious... Place double guards... Protect her at all costs..."
Static buzzed over the radio as Sergeant Mateo Cruz's frantic voice answered!
"Supreme Commander! What happened?! We are on our way!"
Before Cruz could finish, the overwhelming gene-evolutionary strain finally breached Elias's 3x Peak Human endurance!
Elias's vision turned completely pitch black!
"Thud!"
Elias's heavy body collapsed onto the floor beside Maya's bed, plunging into a deep comatose sleep as the cosmic gene energy reorganized his cellular physique!