4. Meet After Years

"What are you doing, Jansen?!" Matthew exclaimed when he saw Jansen approaching the infected woman. 

Jansen ignored Matthew's rebuke and stopped in front of the infected woman. With his breath catching, Jansen focused his concentration on the woman. 

A split second later, Jansen saw a system hologram screen in front of his face. 

[VIRUS TYPE DETECTION] 

[NAME: T-ABYSS VIRUS] 

[DESCRIPTION: A virus that multiplies rapidly in just one hour. It makes the victim aggressive, uncontrollable, has trouble breathing, and becomes extremely strong] 

[STRENGTHS: In bites and scratches. The T-Abyss virus will cause sensitive fluctuations that make it aggressive every time the victim sees prey. The level of sensitivity to the sound of movement is very high] 

'Aggressive agitation every time the victim sees prey?' Jansen thought.  

"I'M FINE! AARGGHH!" The woman's voice sounded like it had changed to a male baritone. 

Jansen watched as two other men arrived with ropes. While Matthew and another man were still struggling to hold the infected woman's hands, the two men carrying the rope were trying to tie the woman's legs.

Jansen's whole body stiffened as the woman's appearance changed. Both eyeballs began to turn white, veins along with bones protruded abnormally from both sides of the nape, and her face turned red. 

"I'm not infected..." The woman voiced with a growl. 

"Let me go! I don't want to die! I'm not infected!" 

"She'll continue to rebel aggressively at the sight of humans," Jansen muttered as he watched the woman's movements. 

"Jansen, step aside, you're about to be attacked!" Matthew warned. 

It wasn't long before Jansen felt his hands being grabbed. He saw two male citizens wanting to pull him back. But he immediately jerked his hand to release the grip. 

Jansen then walked quickly to the health tent table. As the system had told him, Jansen searched for an object to cover the infected woman's eyes. 

After finding a long black cloth, Jansen brought the cloth to the infected woman. 

"Jansen, whatever you want to do, stop. This is dangerous for you," Matthew warned Jansen beside him. 

Jansen did not listen. He prepared himself while extending the black cloth in his hand. 

"Why are you doing this to me?! I'm not a monster! I'm not infected!" 

The two men who were about to tie the legs got a powerful kick from the infected woman. They were instantly jerked back several meters. 

The infected woman's gaze shifted to Matthew behind her. Blood was already flowing from her nose, then her mouth snarled with green veins on her face. 

The woman became more and more rebellious as she twisted her body towards Matthew. As a result, Matthew, Jansen, and a citizen had to turn in the same direction to avoid. 

"Damn! She's so strong!" grumbled Matthew. 

"Matthew, tell the villagers to keep quiet," Jansen said. 

Matthew furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, that's not easy! They're panicking so much!" 

"Just do it! The virus in this woman's body will sensitize her to the sound of movement. She'll feel threatened!" 

Matthew didn't believe it at first. But seeing Jansen's reassuring expression, he gave the code to the three residents who were helping him. Telling them to keep the residents quiet. 

The three men then split up to each side of the crowd. Meanwhile, Jansen helped hold the infected woman's left hand. 

For a few seconds the three men who helped Matthew gave instructions to the residents. At first they found it difficult to keep quiet, but gradually they fell silent. 

As the sounds of panic diminished, Jansen saw the aggressive movements of the infected woman begin to subside. Her face looked around in a broken motion. 

Jansen still raised his hand to signal the residents to remain silent. Even some small children were gagged or brought inside the building so as not to create noise. 

"You, come here," Jansen said with only mouth movements, calling out to a male resident. 

He came quietly, trying not to make a sound. When he was near Jansen, he took the infected woman's hand. 

Jansen prepared a black cloth, and hurriedly wrapped it around the woman's eyes. 

"Rrrr..." The infected woman began to growl, signaling the process of the parasitic virus changing. 

Jansen had managed to tie the cloth behind the infected woman's head. In an instant, the woman's aggressive movements stopped. 

Matthew was stunned in disbelief that Jansen's method worked. 

"How..." Matthew stopped talking when Jansen put his index finger to his lips. 

Finally Matthew spoke with silent mouth movements, "How can you do this?" 

Jansen just gave a smile. 

The two male citizens then tied the legs of the infected woman together. Matthew also tied the woman's hands together, then looped the rope around her hands to her waist. 

Soon, the sound of a car engine could be heard coming closer. Everyone's attention was drawn. Some residents stepped aside to make way for three large cars. 

Jansen noticed the insignia of the Parasitic Creature Eradication Organization on all the cars. He watched as one by one the Black Warriors, the organization's official security force, got out quickly. 

They approached the infected woman and hurriedly set up iron security. Within seconds, all of the infected woman's limbs were bound immobilized. 

Soon, someone got out of the car. In his hand was a rifle. 

Jansen knew it was Mr. Michael, one of the members of the Parasitic Creature Eradication Organization. 

Mr. Michael walked over, then stopped a few meters away from the infected woman. He aimed the rifle at the woman, then fired something. 

In just seconds, after the body froze, the infected woman fell unconscious. She was limp and lying on the ground. 

"Ah, these trash creatures. They're really interfering with my time," Michael said in exasperation. 

Michael looked around the crowd. He let out a rough breath. 

"This is why I hate poor people! You can't buy virus vaccines and just spread the viruses around. What a hassle!" Michael grumbled. 

Jansen was surprised to hear Michael's words. Why would an organization member say something like that? 

"Disband yourselves! You'd better protect yourselves from getting infected, or you'll be like this woman!" Michael said sternly. 

Finally, the crowd began to separate themselves. 

Leaving Matthew and Jansen still standing in their respective positions. 

Jansen was still glued to the aging Michael. Until Michael's eyes finally fell on him, and they looked at each other for a split second. 

Michael's eyebrows furrowed sharply at the sight of Jansen. There was confusion as well as disbelief and panic. Michael stepped quickly toward Jansen. 

"You?" Michael pointed at Jansen. His gaze was both confused and angry. "How could..."

Jansen curved a lopsided smile. 

"Do you know me, sir?"

Michael was silent for a few seconds. He seemed to want to say something, but then he closed his mouth again.

"No way," Michael said, shaking his head. "What is your name, are you new here?" 

Jansen hesitated, considering whether or not to tell his name. 

"Alexander Jansen," Jansen replied. 

Michael was stunned. Within seconds, his face hardened and he looked even more furious. 

Michael suddenly grabbed Jansen by the neck. 

"Who are you? Why do I see you controlling that infected woman?" Michael asked. 

Matthew spontaneously pushed Michael's body to release the grip on Jansen's neck. 

"What are you doing?" Matthew grumbled at Michael. 

Michael looked at Jansen in panic and confusion. 

"You can't be the Jansen I know. Who are you?" 

***

"Why is Mr. Michael reacting as if he knows you?" asked Matthew as he sat down next to Jansen. 

Jansen shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand. Maybe he's seen someone with a name like mine."

Matthew looked unconvinced, then asked again, "Have you ever been in trouble with a member of the organization before?" 

Jansen almost couldn't control his panicked expression. He couldn't possibly say that he came from the past, and that it was during that time that Jansen had problems with members of the organization. 

"No, of course," Jansen replied with a grin. "I even just met a member of the organization." 

Matthew nodded his head in understanding, then took another sip of his drink.

"It looks like they'll be selecting healthy, fit young men to take to the Training Center," Matthew said.

Jansen frowned. He had just remembered about the Training Center that Matthew had mentioned a moment ago. But he hadn't had a chance to get an explanation of what the Training Center was. 

"You haven't explained what the Training Center is," Jansen replied. 

"The place that the Parasitic Creature Eradication Organization built to train people. They will eradicate the parasitic monsters," Matthew explained.  

"The organization built the Training Center?" asked Jansen in astonishment. 

As Jansen recalled, there had been no Training Center built by the organization in the past. 

"Ah, they've built it now," Jansen said again. 

Matthew immediately looked confused at Jansen's murmuring voice. 

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked. 

Jansen was surprised, then hurriedly shook his head.

"It's nothing." 

There was a short silence between the two of them. Before Matthew finally said, "I've honestly been waiting for this moment since last year." 

Jansen looked at Matthew questioningly. 

"I had three of my friends who are residents here brought to the Training Center. I thought it would be great to be trained to eradicate monsters, so I told them that if they came back here to help the citizens, they should train me too." 

Jansen didn't answer, he was listening to Matthew's story very seriously. 

"But until this year, they didn't come with the Black Warrior. Usually some of the people who have been trained will come with the Black Warrior and patrol certain areas."

"You didn't look for news of them?" asked Jansen. 

"I asked, but no one answered," Matthew replied. "Then one time, I was hunting in the forest and came across a half-human parasitic monster..."

"When I fought the monster, I realized he was one of my friends," Matthew continued. 

Jansen was stunned for a moment. 

"You mean, your friend was turned into a monster?" asked Jansen. 

"That's right. I've been suspicious of the organization ever since. What did they do to 'The Chosen One'? Why has my friend turned into a monster?" 

Hearing that, Jansen also began to feel suspicious about Matthew's explanation. Considering that the Parasitic Creature Eradication Organization hated poor people, were they really training? 

Or... 

When Jansen was busy struggling with his thoughts, someone's voice rang out. 

"Hey, you!" 

A Black Warrior member approached Jansen and Matthew. But he pointed at Jansen. 

"I heard reports that you're the one controlling the infected woman," said the Black Warrior member. 

Jansen stood with Matthew. He nodded his head. 

"That's right. What's wrong?" asked Jansen. 

"Would you like to come with us to the Training Center?"