image [https://cdn.midjourney.com/163ee7b4-368f-4927-b644-e61d80bdf986/0_0.png]

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The remainder of the week was peaceful, but not uneventful. A wild bilghies' herd came close to the camp and the teacher made some students work together to shoo them away, using weak qi-bolts and shields. Wolves followed the herd, and the Body Cultivators were sent to hunt them. For the rest, picking herbs and light chores.

On Sunday morning, the students were allowed to sleep late, and then the camp was tidied up and secured with wards—to be used as a permanent base in the future. At eleven in the morning, they returned to Dartmouth.

"Peter, can you help me carry the samples to my office?" Alchemy asked.

The teacher picked one large cardboard box, Peter another one. After he deposited the item on the teacher's desk, she turned toward him and caressed his cheek.

"Thank you," she said softly.

the System said.

Not again! Peter sighed.

Then a jolt of pain came, and there was only darkness.

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"Uhhh…" Peter groaned, trying to move his head, but failing. His forehead, neck, thighs, knees, and ankles, as well as his chest, elbows, and wrists, were restrained by leather strips. He was laid on a medical table, naked, in a windowless room, with the mother of a headache to keep him company.

"Pee where?" Peter mumbled. "I'm restrained."

"What the fuck!" Peter yelled, only for the pain to assault him with renewed force.

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to be unconscious. There were voices outside, and then a door opened.

"Please, don't hurt him," a tearful voice asked. Regina. "I love him."

Peter jerked and almost opened his eyes.

The System ordered.

"The vaccine is perfectly safe," a second voice, Alchemy, said. "All the test subjects of the last batch survived. Wait outside."

What the heck is going on?

Hey, honey! Regina's voice reached him. I'm speaking to you through a doll. Listen to the System. Love you!

Something stung his shoulder, and he felt a warm sensation, first into his arm, then all his body. "We'll know in half an hour," Alchemy said. "He has a good fighting chance The infection is in the early stage, his body doesn't show signs of mutations."

"Can I stay and watch him?" Regina asked. "Perhaps my presence will help."

"No! There is a chance the parasite tricks you into releasing him. Then both of you will die. This is the only way, I'm sorry."

"If you say so, teacher," Regina sobbed.

There were steps on the floor, and the door opened and closed.

"What the heck is going on?" Peter whispered, opening his eyes and shifting them around as far as he could do with his head locked in place. He was in a lab, that much was clear. And not a clean one, there were traces of blood and dubious substances on the floor that looked a lot like puss.

"Fuck… I told you giving him the System was a bad idea."

"Gaslighting me? Really?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

What?

Oh… err… Peter tried to hide his thoughts. In a way, it was exactly how the System had behaved with Kostel.

Yeah…

"You're not visible on the scans?"

How much time has—

"How do I escape?"

"Plan B?"

"NO!"

"I like it."

"Go on…"

"Why risk it?"

"You told me it's harmless!" Peter raised his voice.

"Shit!"

Peter closed her eyes. The headache didn't help much in making a choice.

"OK… but if worst is to come, I don’t have the heart to hurt Melinda or Kostel… We'll keep them under lock or something."

"Right...."

Then it was a matter of waiting. When the two women entered the room, Peter turned the corner of his eyes toward Alchemy and stuttered: "Teacher? Regi? W-where am I? Why am I tied? I feel like I just woke from a n-nightmare…"

Plan E. Tell Regina to go with it and move into Ariana or Naomi. Now!

"It worked!" Melinda exulted.

"It did?" Regina widened her eyes. "Are you sure?" She frowned at Peter, who made puppy eyes.

Melinda grabbed a paddle similar to the airport scanners. "I'll do a scan. If the parasite is still there, I'll euthanize him… This is the only way."

"I can't watch! I can't watch!" Regina screamed, running out of the room.

Wow… Better than the Oscars!

"Teacher… please don't hurt me." Peter pleaded while Melinda walked the item over his body, with tears in her eyes. Her expression lightened just a second before Peter was about to Warp out of his restraints.

"He's clear!" she shouted, and Regina re-entered the room, jumping over Peter and covering his face in kisses. At the same time, the teacher started to untie the straps.

"Where are my clothes?" Peter looked around.

The teacher threw Peter his clothes, trying to look the other way, but still peaking at his well-defined muscles as he changed. His embarrassment when he threw the adult pampers into a hazard materials bin made his cheeks go beet red.

"In my office. Come." Alchemy and Regina took Peter by the arms, helping him walk. He was wobbling for real because the headache was still there. A short corridor ended in an elevator, large enough to fit a hospital bed, and it went up just behind Melinda's bureau. There, he was made to sit on a chair and the teacher checked his reflexes. "You were lucky… Half of those infected are beyond salvation," Alchemy said, inspecting his pupils.

"I-infected?"

"There's a parasite that infects and tries to control people's minds. One in about ten thousand people get it, of which another tenth die or transform into monsters, and the rest become Wild Magic users."

"I… feel… strange," he frowned, sitting on a chair and massaging his forehead. "I miss… memories… and have others that feel like don't belong to me…"

"The head of security told me the same," Melinda nodded.

I bet he did. To pretend that everything he did wrong was someone else's fault. "Is this parasite… sentient?" Peter tried his best impression at shivering. “An evil manipulative monster? A jerk, an asshole without an ass—”

"No," Melinda shook her head. "More like some fungi who transform bugs into their slaves…"

"I heard about a game in which a mutated mushroom caused an apocalypse," Regina said, her eyes showing a keen interest.

"I feel a bit different… like more… fit," Peter squeezed his right biceps.

"OK, I have things to do," Alchemy said, rising on her feet, her face redbeet in color. "Come to see me after tomorrow, ten o'clock sharp, for a check-up. If you want to stay Wednesday out, it's fine."

"No, it's OK... I like the trips."

"I insist. You two will take a break from Wednesday's trip. There's your backpack," Alchemy pointed to the hanger, a sign they had to go.

Peter stopped in the doorway, slightly turning to Alchemy. "T-thank you for saving me, teacher…"

"You're welcome…" Melinda blurted, avoiding his eyes.

"What's up with you?" Regina attacked once outside, on the lawn.

"N-nothing… just being polite."

She rolled her eyes. "You manipulated her… Why? People will die if we wait. We should tell her the truth now!"

Peter stopped and grabbed Regina’s shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Our purpose is to provide vaccines, not to pull Melinda into the Resistance. A slip of the tongue to her father, and we’re done. Naomi can go to Melinda and tell her she has an idea about improving the vaccine, pretending she had an Eureka moment after speaking with us. That will keep us under the radar."

"That's… clever," she admitted reluctantly.

"Meanwhile, I have a perfect cover to develop 'wild' magical powers," he air quoted. “Now, what do you say to go out for dinner? I’m so hungry I could eat a bilghie.”