Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 154 What Exactly Happened?

"Because there is, Mr. Wayne. Next time you’ll lay your hands on me, you’ll regret it... at least you have experienced it before." Laurel said, her words cutting deeper than any sword could.

"Laurel, what did I do for you to treat me this way?" Alexander’s gaze softened.

Tina looked up at Alexander and Laurel, she carefully tugged Laurel’s sleeve. "Aunty Laurel," she called in a small voice.

Laurel looked down at her with a comforting smile, before turning back to Alexander. "We should get going, we can’t afford to waste time."

Her words suddenly broke the tension in the air, and everyone continued walking again.

Laurel walked past Alexander, but stopped midway. "We are on a mission, our relationship will be resolved once we get back to the fortress." She said before continuing walking.

...

Severance Cult’s Base

The moment Benjamin’s eyes snapped open, he exhaled sharply. His vision blurred as he tried to pull himself up.

"Stay down... stay down... you are safe... everything is fine now." A female’s voice echoed through the well-lit room.

Benjamin shook his head, but he let out a groan as he felt his body weak and hurting. He held his head with one hand, before letting out a shaky breath.

"Who are you?" He asked, trying to see the person in front of him.

"You don’t remember me? Look properly and you’ll know." The soft female’s voice echoed again.

Benjamin squinted his eyes again, and the features of the woman finally became clear.

"Vice-leader Camile?" He muttered.

"Yes, it is me. I see your memory is still good." She murmured under her breath, but Benjamin still heard her.

"What do you mean my memory is still good, of course it is still good." Benjamin almost laughed at her statement.

Camile kept quiet, staring at him with a look of pity.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Benjamin asked, trying to stand up but couldn’t, only then did he realize something was wrong with his body.

Benjamin’s movement halted abruptly as a strange tingling sensation crawled beneath his skin, spreading from his chest to his limbs like something alive moving through his veins, and the moment his gaze dropped to his arms, a terrified scream tore out of his throat as black veins bulged visibly beneath his skin, twisting and spreading like roots throughout his body.

"Calm down," Camile said firmly, stepping closer without a hint of panic, her tone calm as though she had already expected this reaction. "You should be grateful you’re even alive, not screaming like a madman."

Benjamin’s breathing turned erratic as his eyes darted across his arms, then his neck, then his trembling hands, unable to accept what he was seeing as his voice shook uncontrollably. "What... what is this?! What happened to me?!" he demanded, his fear evident as he stared at the unnatural patterns crawling across his body like a living curse.

Camile watched him quietly for a moment, allowing his panic to settle slightly before speaking again. "You survived something that should have killed you," she said calmly, her gaze lowering briefly before lifting again. "That alone makes you luckier than most."

Benjamin’s lips trembled as he swallowed hard, his mind racing as he struggled to process her words, but the fear in his chest only grew stronger as he looked at himself again, his voice dropping into a whisper. "I... I look like a monster..."

His thoughts suddenly snapped to something else, and his head jerked up sharply as his eyes locked onto Camile. "Scott... where is Scott?" he asked quickly, urgency replacing the fear for a brief moment as he searched her face for an answer.

Camile tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable as she met his gaze. "You’ll see him," she said slowly, her voice calm but firm. "As long as you follow instructions and don’t make things difficult."

Benjamin frowned, unease creeping into his expression as he stared at her, but before he could question her further, Camile lowered her head slightly as if considering her next words carefully.

"You should understand your situation first," she said in a quieter tone, her voice carrying a weight that made Benjamin’s chest tighten. "You are no longer ordinary... you are an awakened."

Benjamin blinked, confusion replacing his fear for a moment as his brows furrowed. "Awakened?" he repeated, the word unfamiliar on his tongue. "What kind of awakening is this supposed to be?"

Camile’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she spoke again, her voice dropping lower as if revealing something she found both interesting and disturbing. "Your ability is... unusual," she said slowly. "You can control a virus within your body and cultivate it through your blood."

Benjamin froze, his expression turning blank as her words sank in.

"When your blood enters another body," Camile continued, "the virus spreads immediately, multiplying at an accelerated rate until it destroys the host completely... in approximately two minutes."

Silence fell heavily between them.

Benjamin’s pupils trembled as he stared at her, unable to fully comprehend what she had just said, but the horror of it crept slowly into his mind.

Camile let out a soft chuckle, the sound low and unsettling as she folded her arms. "Of course," she added, her lips curling slightly, "there was one person who managed to survive your virus."

Benjamin’s eyes widened instantly, shock and disbelief flashing across his face as he tried to push himself up, but the moment he moved, a sharp clink echoed through the room, and his body jerked to a halt as he finally realized the cold restraints binding his wrists and ankles to the bed.

"What is this?" he demanded, struggling against the cuffs as panic surged back into his chest, his breathing turning heavy as he looked up at her. "Why am I restrained?"

Camile did not answer immediately, her gaze studying him carefully as if observing a specimen rather than a person, and after a brief pause, she stepped closer, her expression turning serious.

"There is something I want to know," she said slowly, her voice calm but carrying an edge that made Benjamin instinctively still.

Her eyes locked onto his.

"What exactly happened beyond the gate," she asked, "when you fought against the infected?"