Zombie Domination-Chapter 387- Scarlet

Julian lay beside Beatrix in the dim glow of her quarters, the sheets tangled around their bodies like a testament to the intensity they’d shared. Beatrix had finally drifted off—her breathing deep and even, short dark-blue hair splayed across the pillow, pitch-black eyes closed in peaceful slumber.

A faint, intricate womb tattoo glowed softly on her lower abdomen—black-and-violet lines forming a stylized symbol encircled by subtle runes, pulsing once before settling into a permanent, subdued mark. Proof of the quest’s completion.

A translucent panel shimmered into view at the edge of his vision—confirming what he already knew.

[Domination Quest Progress]

Objective: Beatrix Quinn

Slap her ass: 12/12 (COMPLETE)

Creampie: 5/5 (COMPLETE)

Make her climax with fingers: 1/1 (COMPLETE)

[Beatrix Quinn – Domination: 100% – COMPLETE]

Congratulations! You have completed the quest.

[Reward will be granted.]

[New Skill Acquired: Regeneration]

-Pasive: Accelerates natural healing processes by 300%. Wounds close faster, stamina recovers quicker, and resistance to fatigue, toxins, and minor ailments is greatly increased. Ideal for prolonged battles or endurance scenarios.

Julian stared at the panel for a moment, then dismissed it with a thought. ’Regeneration...’ he mused silently. ’This will be invaluable for endurance fights. No more worrying about wearing down in drawn-out battles—cuts heal mid-combat, energy replenishes faster. Perfect for what’s coming.’

Beatrix shifted slightly in her sleep, nuzzling closer to his side with a soft sigh. Julian brushed a strand of her dark-blue hair from her forehead—gentle, almost absentminded—watching the womb tattoo fade to a subtle outline against her pale skin. She looked peaceful, sated, utterly his now.

His mind drifted to bigger threats. The Arbiters. The Origin—or whatever the hell it truly was. Beatrix’s revelation earlier had shattered the illusion: no cosmic Nexus overlord, just a web of lies spun by the real culprits to hide their ancient fuck-up. The Blight as a bioweapon gone wrong. The Aethel Seeds as traps. The Reaper Protocol as damage control.

’We need to dig deeper,’ he thought, gaze turning toward the ceiling. ’More research. More intel. Track down any surviving Arbiter fragments, cross-reference with Thorne’s nets’

Julian rose from the bed with silent grace, careful not to disturb Beatrix’s deep, contented sleep. He looked down at her for a moment—the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the way her short dark-blue hair fanned across the pillow. Leaning over, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then carefully pulled the disheveled sheets up to cover her shoulders.

He dressed quickly and efficiently, the new Regeneration skill already humming faintly beneath his skin, smoothing out the last traces of fatigue. Slipping out of the room, he closed the door with a near-silent click.

He hadn’t taken more than a few steps down the sterile, brightly lit corridor when the familiar click of heels approached from a side passage. Dr. Aris Thorne fell into step beside him, a data-slate tucked under her arm, her expression one of keen interest.

"Julian. You’re up early. Or perhaps just... continuously active," she said, a knowing, slightly teasing edge in her voice.

"Thorne," he acknowledged with a slight nod, not breaking his stride.

"Oh, please. Given the... circumstances, I think we can move past formalities. Call me Aris," she said, smiling up at him. "I’d like us to be on more familiar terms."

"Very well. Aris," Julian replied, his tone neutral but accepting. It was a logical adjustment. Allies could afford familiarity.

"Good," she said, seeming pleased. "You seem... busy. Managing your team is one thing, but attending to each of your... companions so personally must be quite demanding."

"It’s important to me," Julian stated, his voice retaining its usual calm, but the words carrying a weight more personal than tactical. "They’re not just part of the team. Their well-being matters."

Aris’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her features before melting into a softer, more intrigued smile. "Now that’s a side I haven’t seen. I suppose even the most calculated minds have their priorities." She paused as they neared a junction. "There is something I’ve been... intensely curious about, if you don’t mind my asking."

"What is it?"

"How did you do it?" she asked, her gaze sharpening. "The utter dismantling of the New Order. From all intelligence I’d gathered—and I gathered a lot—they were a formidable faction. A rigid hierarchy, fanatical loyalty from their rank and file, and those elite enforcers were no joke. Yet you didn’t just beat them. You shattered their entire foundation in what seems like a single, brutal stroke. What was the tactic?"

Julian stopped walking and turned to face her fully. His icy eyes held hers, devoid of boastfulness, only cold analysis. "Direct decapitation. Their strength was also their weakness: total centralization around Heikal and the ’Mark of Scales.’ We didn’t fight their army. We infiltrated the heart, isolated the head, and forced it to destroy its own body. I captured Heikal and made Rei nullify every active Mark simultaneously. The resulting systemic collapse was instantaneous and total. Their solid structure became a prison with no warden."

Aris listened, her scientific mind racing to map the variables. "A high-risk, high-precision maneuver. It required perfect intelligence, flawless execution, and a willingness to bet everything on one moment of extreme vulnerability."

"Yes," Julian confirmed. "It did."

A slow smile spread across Aris’s lips, one of genuine, deep fascination. "Fascinating. You didn’t out-muscle the system. You found the single point of catastrophic failure and applied maximum pressure. It’s... elegant in its brutality." She looked at him with renewed intensity. "I look forward to seeing what you apply that same principle to next."

"The next target will require more than a single point of failure," Julian said, resuming his walk toward the command center. "The Arbiters are a distributed network built on deception. The strategy will be different."

"Then I’m even more intrigued," Aris said, matching his pace. "And my resources remain at your disposal... Julian."

Julian paused, his gaze drifting toward a large topographic map of the continent displayed on the command center wall. "There is another faction I’ve been meaning to observe more closely."

Aris tilted her head, curiosity lighting up her eyes. "Oh? Which one?"

"I don’t know their official designation," Julian admitted, his tone analytical. "But I know the leader’s name. Darwin."

Aris went still for a moment, her mind clearly racing through files and intelligence reports. Her playful demeanor sharpened into something more serious. "Darwin... You’re referring to the so-called Crimson Sovereign of the Scarlet Eclipse faction, aren’t you?"

Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly. The name sounded more fitting than what he’d vaguely heard. "Crimson Sovereign. That sounds about right. Do you know something about him?"

"Not as much as I’d like," Aris replied, crossing her arms. "The Scarlet Eclipse operates mostly in the blighted zones to the far east—places where the vegetation has turned permanently reddish, almost like rust or dried blood. They’re reclusive, highly territorial, and rumored to use biotech fused with the Progenitor Blight itself. Darwin is more of a myth than a confirmed person. Why the sudden interest? Did he do something to you?"

"Not directly," Julian said, recalling his time in the Meltdown City. "When I was in Meltdown, the city leader warned me about him. Said he was dangerous in a way that wasn’t just about brute force. That he was... evolving his faction, literally and figuratively. It sparked my curiosity."

Aris nodded slowly, her researcher’s mind latching onto the puzzle. "That aligns with the whispers. The Scarlet Eclipse doesn’t just use technology or brute force—they’re said to manipulate biological matter directly, adapting themselves and their tools to the Blight rather than just fighting it. If Darwin is real, he might be a pioneer in controlled mutation or symbiotic corruption."

She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "If you’re thinking of making contact or gathering intel, be extremely careful. We have almost no reliable data on their capabilities. They could be anything from brilliant survivalists to... something entirely post-human."

Julian processed this. A faction that didn’t just resist the Blight, but harnessed it. In a world where the suppression field was gone and evolution was running wild, that made them a variable he couldn’t ignore.

"Then they’re worth understanding," Julian stated coolly. "Whether they become an obstacle or an asset remains to be seen."

Aris smiled, that familiar gleam of scientific intrigue returning. "Always thinking ahead. I’ll start compiling what little data we have on Scarlet Eclipse sighting and rumored capabilities. If you plan to move, I’d rather you didn’t walk in completely blind."

"Good," Julian said. "Keep me updated."

Aris nodded, her expression shifting back to its usual efficient calm. "I’ll compile everything we have on the Scarlet Eclipse and Darwin. You’ll have a full dossier by tomorrow. Rest assured."

She then paused, a flicker of something less clinical—more personal—crossing her features. "After this is all settled... would you like to go out with me sometime?"

Julian blinked, his analytical stare turning briefly incredulous. "Go out? In a world like this?"

Aris smiled, undeterred. "I don’t mean a casual stroll through a blight-zone. I mean spending time together. Somewhere secure, relatively quiet. I’d like to get to know you better—beyond tactical briefings and battlefield reports."

Julian studied her for a moment. The offer was unexpected, but not illogical. Strong alliances were built on more than shared objectives; understanding drove cohesion. Still, his priority chain was clear.

"I’ll inform you if I find the time," he replied, his tone neither dismissive nor encouraging—simply factual.

Aris didn’t press further. She nodded gracefully, that same patient, knowing look in her eyes. "No rush. I’ll be waiting."

With that, she turned and walked down the corridor, the sound of her heels fading gradually. Julian watched her go for a second before shifting his focus back to the command center ahead.