“...I’ll be here.” Noah continued on, showing him the biobank room not far from the laboratory.
Hexa left with several people guarding the building. “Is your shift still a long way from over?” he asked, taking out his cigarette.
“No, sir. We’re on the morning shift. Our shift is about to change.”
“Sir, please don’t smoke on laboratory premises.”
“You think I want to smoke?” Hexa tucked the cigarette behind his ear. “You three, come with me.”
The guards followed Hexa toward the north side of the building.
One of the guards following Hexa asked in confusion, “What are you looking for, sir?”
“Monster.”
“Only living moss grows north of the building, sir,” one of the guards said.
“Ask your boss,” Hexa shot back. “Does that white-haired guy not realize there’s an F-rank Monster in Zone One? Tch!” Hexa muttered irritably.
“What is it, sir?”
“What if this is all there is?” said another guard, walking at the back. He pointed to a room. A window in the door offered a direct view inside.
Hexa and the other two guards approached and looked through the door’s window. He opened the door carefully. Its flickering light cast a horror-movie atmosphere that Hexa disliked.
A tree stood inside, covered in moss, its black roots spreading throughout the room.
Suddenly, the roots moved toward Hexa. They quickly backed away and shut the door again.
“What the hell was that...?” he muttered.
“Shh...” Hexa motioned for the guards to stay quiet. He took a scanner from his vest. Carefully and silently, he entered the room again. He pressed a button on the device.
Click!
[SCANNING: Dryas Octopetala]
He put on his gloves and circled the plant. But just as he reached for a root sample, the root moved.
CRASSSH!
The black root slammed into the floor right beside Hexa. The laboratory tile cracked, forming a spiderweb pattern.
“Damn it!” Hexa leaped backward, his hand instinctively reaching for the tactical pistol hanging at his waist.
BAM! One shot rang out.
The bullet pierced the root, but did not stop it. The severed piece writhed like a living worm.
“What the hell!?”
A cracking sound came from the moss-covered tree trunk.
Grrrrrrkkkkk...
New roots emerged from between the grooves in the trunk. Their numbers continued to grow, spreading across the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.
“Sir!” one of the guards shouted from outside.
“Don’t come in!” Hexa barked.
At once, the roots hanging from the ceiling thrust downward like spears.
Swwwooossshh!
Hexa rolled to the side.
Crash!!
The root drove into the floor with tremendous force. The scanner slipped from his hand and began to beep.
BEEP!!!
He immediately grabbed it. Text appeared on the scanner’s screen.
[WARNING!] [MUTATION DETECTED] [CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN]
The roots began moving faster and faster. Several of them headed toward the door. One panicked guard held it shut with all his strength.
Crash!!!
Crash!!!
A black root pierced the door’s glass and coiled around the guard’s neck.
“Uuugh...!”
The guard’s body was slammed against the door several times.
“Hel...p...!”
The other two guards fired several shots at the rampaging roots.
Hexa drew his combat knife.
SREEEETT!!!
One slash severed the root constricting the victim. But dozens of tiny roots emerged from the cut, writhing like tentacles.
“Get your friend out of here! Move away!” Hexa shouted.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three bullets struck the base of the trunk.
The small explosion sent fragments of black wood flying. For a moment, the roots stopped moving. The room fell silent. Hexa took a sample from the root.
“Monitor,” he said into his earpiece.
“Yes, sir.”
“Evacuate. I’ve sent you the location.”
“Yes, sir. We’re heading there now.”