Chapter 3: Demi Necromorph.

Fortunately they were only in a simulation so they couldn’t technically die for real. Their overall performance review would be negatively impacted by this though as dying so quickly in a simulation reflected poorly on their skills.

The stench became unbearable as stark made up his mind to attack.

Fancying himself a silent assassin in the shadows, Stark slipped across the floor until he stood just behind the behemoth’s back.

The time to strike was now.

Stark plunged his blade into its right shoulder before dragging it through its thick flesh. His eyes widened with shock as he found that his katana became stuck.

The monster let out a muffled scream before quickly regurgitating as it swung behind it with blinding speed and force. Stark ducked quickly before he activated the mini flame thrower built into the tip of the suits right index finger and lit the black blood that was now streaming down his katana. His intention was to exploit the flammable nature of the black blood and have the fire ignite it and explode the monster from the inside out.

Before the fire could spread towards its body, a black mucus like substance suddenly spewed out from where the sword pierced it, quickly engulfing the entire blade and extinguishing the fire.

“Such gimmicky bullshit!” Stark cursed as he jumped back abandoning his weapon. This was the thick black mucus he had previously been worried about not too long ago. Hockney wasn’t lying when he said this simulation would be harder. This particular Necromorph would be a real problem.

Delilah’s body soon fell to the ground broken and covered in mucus before the creature charged at Stark in a fit of rage.

It was now that stark got a good view of its appearance. It resembled a bloated and giant girl with both of her eyes having sprouted multiple pupils. She wore a night gown that was stretched across her swollen body.

“Mommy I’m hungry!!!” She cried out disgustingly as black sludge seeped out of her mouth. “I’m starving, I’m starving.”

As stark quickly dashed back through the corridor towards the outside he finally understood. This entity still had its human consciousness partially intact meaning that it was only a Demi Necromorph. Typically they were easier to kill than fully realised Necromorphs but there were instances in which an abnormally strong individual emerges. Such mutations were also much more powerful when fully transformed as well.

Stark quickly understood why it was able to kill his two peers so easily.

As he exited the apartment and returned to the corridor he suddenly came across an alive Delilah and Lupus.

Delilah was the first to speak up upon seeing Stark stumble towards the two of them. “look at you finally turning up when there’s a new simulation. Why don’t you go further up and leave this one to us.”

“You’ve already died.” Stark sneered at the effeminate boy infront of him. “Don’t go ordering me around when you’ve been the first to die.”

“Well… I… Shut up okay.” Delilah quickly turned look at the large looming lupus for support.

Lupus shrugged at the smaller boy before fixing his eyes back on stark. “Just let us try one more time, if we both die then you can have that thing all to yourself.”

“Fine.” Stark sighed stepping aside while gesturing for them to hurry up.

As they both stepped forward the giant Demi Necromorph suddenly erupted through the door taking half of the wall with it as it rampaged.

Chunks of the wall and heaps of garbage were sent cascading everywhere. The stench of the Cosmic death hit them again making everyone nauseous.

“Shit!” Lupus quickly charged through the flying debris and tackled the girl head on. Despite standing over seven feet seven inches tall the girl still dwarfed lupus in size as well as strength.

She roared so loudly it made everyone cry out in terror as their ear drums exploded. A massive sound wave cracked the walls and shattered all of the windows.

Stark staggered back several steps before falling to his knees.

Infront of him Delilah had fallen unconscious and lupus still fiercely resisted the Demi Necromorph. Stark couldn’t help but be impressed by the large boy’s endurance. Lupus was the opposite of Stark in terms of combat preferences. Stark was an explosive fighter who preferred to unleash as much destruction as possible while taking as little damage as possible. Lupus on the other hand, could take hits that Stark could only dream of enduring despite Lupus’s relatively weaker destructive capabilities. Stark and him had even sparred together multiple times in the pass with the sessions being the only ones where Stark was badly hurt. No one else in his year was able to do as much damage to him as Lupus could.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Like a complete dumbass Lupus activated his flame thrower immediately jeopardising everyone.

“Idiot don’t do that!!” Stark yelled only to realise that neither himself nor Lupus could hear his voice.

The Demi Necromorph was devoured by a vortex of flames that scorched the air in the corridor. The trash that had been scattered everywhere quickly caught fire causing plumes of black smoke to immediately spread everywhere.

Stark couldn’t see or hear the fight anymore but the vibrations could be felt through the filthy stone floor and walls. Stark felt several thunderous tremors as if both Lupus and the girl were swinging at each other relentlessly. He then felt one massive all encompassing thud that caused him to bounce off the ground.

Lupus’s severed head rolled out from the fire and smoke before coming to rest at Stark’s knees.

Before Stark could react he felt two hands slip down his shoulders as he was hugged from behind. They then pulled him up to his feet causing him to scowled deeply. Who the hell was this person to infantilise him like that? He quickly spun around to see Victoria who looked up at him stunned as if she didn’t expect him to react the way he did.

Stark gave her an annoyed head shake before turning back to look into the black smoke that was quickly intensifying.

The creature soon emerged completely covered in black mucus before roaring rather fruitlessly. His ears had already been thoroughly decimated. He then quickly looked back to check on Victoria.

Victoria on the other hand fell to her knees before staggering back up. She gritted her teeth before charging the creature head on like an idiot.

Stark instinctively yanked her back behind him before looking into her eyes and making up his mind. The thick smoke was starting to affect his breathing and consciousness, he probably wouldn’t be able to reach the staircase before passing out. Despite all of the vile smells he was smelling he didn’t seem to be fazed at all, it was probably his body going into shock.

“Screw it, this simulation was a failure.” Stark chuckled. He didn’t know if Victoria heard him or not, he assumed that she must have judging by her wide smile that matched his own. She then said several words of her own that fell quite literally on deaf ears.

As if reading his mind she embraced him as the Demi Necromorph thrusted its massive hulking arm down upon the two of them.

There was never any pain when a person died in a simulation. Stark had always assumed it was the directors way of showing them pity.

He quickly found himself and Victoria back where they had initially entered the simulation.

The apartment building was now burning like there was no tomorrow as plumes of thick black smoke rose into the sky. The other four were also there alongside them watching as the building slowly collapsed down.

*This simulation has resulted in the failure of all of the participants, it will now come to an end.*

Everything went to black at the next moment before the light of two massive opening doors revealed the director chuckling as he stood waiting for the six of them to leave the simulation room.

Delilah was the first to leave feeling no particular shame at his situation. He approached the director before saying. “You win some you lose some.”

“Indeed.” The director nodded. “The jump in difficulty is actually much more extreme than I had initially led you all to believe. The enemies become progressively stronger the higher up you go.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Stark sighed as he stepped forward with the rest. “How many stories are there again?”

The director turned and began to walk with his hands behind his back, his white lab coat swayed in the cold sterile air as he spoke. “Sixty floors.”

Victoria suddenly threw herself on Beverly’s back before immediately whining. “Beverly… please carry me I think I’m going to faint…”

She threw her hand over her forehead as if to mimic a Shakespeare character.

“My poor baby.” Beverly sighed.

Hockney and lupus were dead silent. It was clear that they had no idea on how they’d manage.

Stark then suddenly dawned an expression no one could’ve seen coming, a smile.

Upon seeing his expression Victoria immediately asked. “Stark are you okay?”

“This is exactly what I wanted.” Stark grinned. “A challenge.”

“I think he’s really lost it this time.” Hockney chuckled before nudging lupus who himself also began to smile.

“I think he’s on to something.” The giant said.

“On the train to the psych ward maybe.” Delilah snickered. “If a monster on the fourth floor is already that bad then just imagine what’s lurking further up. I don’t think I’ll ever see it so it’s Stark’s problem.”

“Enough.” The director said as they reached the cafeteria. “That simulation is actually the new standard final exam for most immortal soldier academies. You will all have to reach the level where you can at least ascend to the twentieth floor on your own without dying in order to graduate and be released into society.”

“Only twenty!” Delilah sneered before replying sarcastically. “This sounds very doable.”

“That’s more like it.” Victoria cheered as she patted the boy’s head completely oblivious to what he actually meant.

“You’re going to mess my hair up.” He sighed taking out a hairbrush from his coat before brushing his golden locks.

The director cleared his throat before continuing. “There’s actually another thing we’d like to introduce to you kids…”

“What’s with the awkward pause?” Stark raised an eyebrow.

The director then smiled before finally saying. “Everyday starting from tomorrow we will take you all to the outside world and give you three hours to explore at your leisure. If you are able to reach floor ten within a week you will be given the entire weekend to roam around outside.”

The entire group became speechless. As if they heard something completely whimsical.

Stark’s brain had frozen as he began to process what he could’ve sworn he had just heard the director say.

Upon regaining his senses he promptly sighed before saying. “Okay, I get it now. First we get a new simulation and now you’re telling me that I can go outside for three hours? Nice try brain you can wake me up from my dream now.”

The director’s cheeks swelled up as he held in his laughter.

The rest were still dead silent. Only the sound of kids procrastinating in the distance could be heard.

Stark began to laugh hysterically before quickly being joined by Victoria and Beverly.

Delilah and Lupus simply stared at the director with vacant eyes.

The director began to sweat nervously as he wondered just what the hell he had done. He understood that these were kids who never saw the outside world so suddenly being told they’d be able to explore the outside could be overwhelming. He could have never imagined that he’d fry their brains entirely.