Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 104 The Mother Turned (Bonus)

The reinforced glass shattered outward as if struck by a speeding truck, and the force of it sent shards flying past Laurel’s face while the metal frame twisted with a deafening screech. The creature lunged through the broken doorway without hesitation, its movements no longer sluggish or human but fast and violent, like an animal driven by pure instinct.

Laurel stumbled back, her heel catching against the smooth floor as her heart pounded violently in her chest. The sight before her refused to align with the memory from minutes ago, because the woman who had held her newborn gently and whispered soft words had been fragile and exhausted, yet the thing standing before her now was something entirely different.

Susanne’s spine arched in a grotesque curve as her head tilted too far to the side, her eyes glowing a violent red that pulsed faintly beneath the harsh white hospital lights. Blood dripped from her chin and trailed down the torn fabric of her gown, and when she inhaled the sound was wet and rattling, as if her lungs had already begun to rot from the inside.

"Laurel, move."

Ling Xuan’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears like a blade.

Laurel barely had time to react before the creature leapt again, its fingers outstretched with unnatural length and strength, nails blackened and sharpened. Laurel ducked instinctively, feeling the rush of air graze her scalp as the creature’s claws sliced into the wall behind her, leaving deep gouges in the concrete.

The impact shook the corridor.

The shrill sound grew louder in Laurel’s head, vibrating painfully through her skull, and she felt her knees weaken as her vision blurred at the edges.

"She is emitting something," Ling Xuan said sharply. "Switch, now!"

Laurel did not argue and immediately allowed Ling Xuan to take over the body.

The change was in an instant, and the trembling in their limbs ceased as Ling Xuan’s presence flooded the body with cold clarity. The dizziness vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by razor-sharp focus.

Susanne twisted around with a jerking motion, her movements snapping unnaturally as her gaze locked onto them again.

Ling Xuan did not hesitate. Her hand stretched outward and her sword materialized in a flash of silver light, the blade humming faintly as it caught the lights of the corridor.

The creature let out another piercing shriek and lunged forward again with terrifying speed, but Ling Xuan stepped aside at the last possible second and brought the blade down in a clean diagonal arc.

Blackened blood sprayed across the white walls as the creature’s arm was severed mid strike, yet there was no scream of pain, only an enraged growl as the stump writhed and twitched violently. The detached limb hit the floor and continued spasming as if still alive.

"This is not an ordinary infected," Ling Xuan muttered coldly.

The creature did not retreat. Instead, it crouched low like a beast and sprang again, this time aiming directly for the throat. Ling Xuan pivoted, driving her knee into its abdomen with enough force to send it crashing into the opposite wall. The impact cracked the wall and left a spiderweb fracture in the concrete beneath.

For a brief second, the corridor fell still. Then the creature rose to its feet again.

The severed arm on the floor dissolved into dark mist before their eyes, and to Ling Xuan’s disbelief, the stump at Susanne’s shoulder began knitting itself together with sickening speed. Tendons reconnected and the bones extended, and within seconds a new limb formed.

"Laurel," Ling Xuan said inwardly, her tone grim. "See what your mercy has caused."

Laurel’s voice trembled. "Be careful."

The creature lunged again, and this time Ling Xuan met it head-on.

Their bodies collided in the narrow corridor with brutal force, slamming into equipment carts that clattered loudly across the tiles. The creature’s strength had multiplied beyond what any normal infected should possess, and its fingers tried to dig into Ling Xuan’s shoulder with crushing pressure, but she swiftly blocked it with her sword.

Ling Xuan twisted sharply, driving the blade upward through the creature’s ribcage. The tip burst out through its back, yet even impaled, it continued thrashing violently.

Its mouth opened unnaturally wide and a guttural sound escaped that was far deeper than before, vibrating through the air like a low-frequency alarm.

In the distance, alarms began to blare.

The isolation wing lights flickered as soldiers rushed toward the source of the disturbance.

Ling Xuan ripped the blade free and stepped back just as the creature collapsed to its knees.

For a fraction of a second, its red eyes flickered.

"Laurel..." it croaked in a voice that was no longer fully human.

Laurel’s heart clenched painfully inside.

Then the creature’s head snapped upward again and it launched forward with renewed fury.

Ling Xuan’s patience thinned. She swung her hand, and her blade flashed once more in a swift horizontal sweep.

The head separated cleanly from the body.

It rolled across the white tiles, leaving a dark trail in its wake before coming to a stop against the wall. The body remained upright for a heartbeat before crumpling to the floor in a heavy thud.

Silence descended except for the wail of distant alarms.

Ling Xuan stood unmoving, her sword dripping blackened blood onto the floor as her eyes scanned the body carefully. It did not move again nor show any sign of life.

Footsteps thundered down the corridor as soldiers arrived in full gear, rifles raised and safety seals engaged. Chris was among them, his expression tightening at the sight before him.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Ling Xuan lowered her blade slowly, her gaze cold and steady. "The mother turned."

Shock rippled across the soldiers’ faces.

"That is impossible," one of the medics muttered from behind them. "Her tests were clear."

Ling Xuan glanced toward the shattered room behind her where the lifeless bodies of the nurses and soldiers lay sprawled across blood-soaked tiles.

"Impossible things are happening every hour now," she replied flatly.

Her fingers tightened around her blade... today she had lost four of her people because of kindness. She closed her eyes, trying to control the anger boiling inside her.

Chris stepped closer, studying the corpse with narrowed eyes. "Are you alright? You are bleeding."

"It’s not mine," Ling Xuan said calmly.