The Eternal Winter - Book 1 - Chapter 74.2 - The Infected Symbiont Host Part II (Patreon)

You may ignore these lines as they are because a certain website is stupid and has made some stupid new changes.

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                                                Alexander North

Seconds pass before the seconds turn into minutes, and throughout every one of my attacks, the infected symbiont host doesn’t put up much of a struggle. Instead, it simply continues trying to escape towards the city, eventually abandoning the idea of fighting back. And honestly, at this point it’s starting to feel like I’m bullying it instead of killing it.

Over time our ‘fight’ proceeds to get closer and closer to the city until it finally begins to slow down, its wounds no longer healing at which point its survival instinct seems to snap it out of whatever stupor the horn put it in. The creature just stops running and turns around, sending a fist straight towards my own. But despite that, mine wins, both due to me being stronger in general, but also because of its current wounded state.

The tradeoff sends the creature sprawling on its back and I jump on top of it before digging my claws around the symbiont visible on its chest and trying once again to rip it out. But unlike the other times where the creature instinctively managed to move out of the way, with the symbiont itself somehow helping, this time it doesn’t manage to gather the strength, and the symbiont itself remains inert as I tear it straight out of the creature’s chest. Then, just like with the other symbionts I’ve touched, I feel a powerful urge to eat it after it’s disconnected from the frozen one. Despite it being a bonded symbiont, which is quite different from an unbonded one.

A surge of strength runs through my body. One stronger than the surge from the other symbionts I’ve devoured till now, quickly making me realize that a bonded one gives more benefits than an unbonded one. A rather scary thought, to be honest.

After a second, I reach down to the corpse again, only to pause as I realize that there isn’t an energy source left in it. Which means that the energy source in this frozen one was in its symbiont and not in the heart.

My eyes narrow as I consider the possible reasons for that, only to shake my head and stand up again, turning towards the city.

I can think about that later. For now, I need to get back to the city.

Right when I’m about to step off of the frozen one’s corpse, I feel a prickling sensation in the bottom of my foot as if something had just poked a needle through my foot or something. Which shouldn’t be possible considering that I’m wearing armored boots. Then the terminal’s voice echoes in my head.

|A small amount of energy has transferred from the inert armor on the deceased frozen one’s corpse into your body. The effects of this are unknown but do not seem to be doing anything negative at this moment in time|

I grimace at that.

Seriously?

That can’t be good. But you say it’s not doing anything negative to me at the moment, terminal? How can you know that if its effects are unknown?

|To answer your query, the energy that has entered your body is merging with your own energy source with your energy source as the dominating power. Furthermore, the alteration to your current energy source caused by this is incredibly miniscule. If an estimation must be made, then it is assumed that it is waiting for something else to happen|

My grimace turns into a frown.

That… doesn’t sound good.

Terminal, can you make an assumption as to what it’s waiting for?

|If an estimation had to be made, then it is most likely that the energy is waiting for the same metal that the creature was wearing to be adorned by you. However, this is an assumption made off of estimations and unconfirmed theories|

So it’s waiting to merge metal into my own body like the infected symbiont host? That’s… huh.

My thoughts cut off when I see the armor around the infected symbiont host vanishing completely into its skin, leaving the thing in what’s basically rags. Rags that used to be the under armor it was wearing.

I stare at it for a few seconds before turning back to the city and beginning to make my way there.

These questions can be answered later. For now, the others need my help.

Since our fight dragged out for miles and miles, it doesn’t take too long to get to the point where the city is visible. And when it is? I can’t help but gape at it.

At the sight of thousands of flying frozen ones around the city, each heading towards the center. Not to mention the large frozen ones – mostly wraiths and wendigos – jumping from building to building towards the center. All of which I can see from a cliff several kilometers from the city itself.

“Holy shit…” I mutter, just staring at the sight.

How the hell am I going to save them all from that?!

Amongst the frozen ones, I see flocks of what look like pigeons twice the size of normal ones but with wings of ice and pale blue feathers, along with some hawks that are quite similar to them but even larger and, well, hawks, and more insects. Like giant mosquitos which is just disturbing to look at.

I shiver at the sight of it all, truly wondering how humanity is going to survive this.

|Thousands of incredibly weak energy sources detected flying above the city|

Wait, incredibly weak?

Terminal, tell me their energy level.

|The average energy level between the smaller frozen ones is about 0.2|

Oh. So, they’re weak as hell.

That makes it a little bit better, I guess. But a swarm of them would still kill someone in an instant. Or at least a normal person.

Although I’m a little surprised that the terminal can actually scan them from this distance. Is it because of the massive amount of them? Because I guess that would make some sense. I think.

I watch them for a few more seconds before breaking into a sprint towards the city.

Let’s hope I get there in time. And I need to pass by the bunker to check on Snow and the girl while making my way through. Just to make sure they’re okay and still inside.

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