"Alissa, you go first. Tell us the last thing you remember?" I spoke as I looked at Alissa and she nodded before speaking,

"I was in the laboratory workshop learning about plants and the various medicines created from them. Everything was going fine until a certain noise started coming from outside the herbarium.

At first, people just wondered what was going on, but as time passed, the sound kept growing on and on and the metallic gate of the herbarium started getting banged really hard. The whole area began shaking as if an earthquake had appeared.

Then... the zombies broke in. It was a massacre as most of us just kept running left and right, trying to find a safe zone. The zombies were slow, but numerous. Even though the security was killing them left and right, their numbers only kept growing before they even took the security in their numbers.

As for me, I reached the other side of the herbarium and out of nowhere; I heard a sound coming from my mind. It felt like a cry of a woman to be honest, a cry pleading me to help her out,"

Alissa took a deep breath as she looked at me.

Her eyes seemed to be really sad as she observed me before continuing,

"Since I could more or less see my death in front of me, crazy or not, I decided to follow that sound which took me near a flower at the corner of the herbarium. The voice asked me to eat the red fruit present within the flower which I did without any hesitation."

Alissa touched her chest as if trying to feel that fruit which she ate. Myla and Caroline just kept looking at her with a concentrated gaze.

"As soon as I ate that fruit, my consciousness was transferred to another place where I met a dying woman covered in red vines that seemed like sucking her life force out of her. It was more of a forest-like area with everything withering slowly and slowly," Alissa continued, trying to recall every bit of information.

'I guess it was the same place where I went to,'I recalled as the description matched with what she just told me.

"That woman made a deal with me. That I would protect her and her plants in return for her helping me survive and protect what I wish to. That she will give me enough power to survive, but I must protect her in return for that power. Though she spoke that I will lose my consciousness for months or even years," Alissa spoke as she sighed with a bit of a sad expression as she turned at me,

"After that... I accepted it before drifting into an eternal dream of nothingness. I guess... it must have been months now... I have always wished to see you, Michael... in the dark cruel world."

Making a cute puppy face, she teared up a little before trying to reach me, but Caroline was one step ahead and hugged her tightly as she spoke,

"Yosh! Yosh! Don't worry about it. I am with you now. We are with you."

"Huh! No! Wait! Wait! Wait!" Alissa's expression changed as she saw Caroline hugging her tightly before she tried escaping from her grasp. However, before Alissa could touch Caroline's body

-Whoosh!

I moved and held her hand as I slowly separated Caroline before I smiled at Alissa as I spoke,"Don't get excited now." Then I turned to Caroline as I spoke,

"Her power is way above normal. She might crush you without even realizing."

[Inspect!]

[Name: Alissa Rosalyn

Race: Hybrid Plant-Zombie-Human (Grade-B)

Class: Herbal Queen; The First Hybrid

Description: A girl with great hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, she got caught in between this mess between two opposing energies. Her will power to survive no matter what let her survive till the very end, only to become the final product of an abomination between the two energies.

Zombification: 0%*[Reach 100% to evolve into next grade]

Plantification: 0%[Reach 100% to evolve into next grade]

Cessation Energy: 1,240,000/1,240,000

Plant Life Energy: 1,210,234/1,210,234

Status: Healthy

Skills(18)*

Strength: 678

Constitution: 1023

Dexterity: 876(+234)

Intelligence: 671

Wisdom: 234(+344)

Charm: 1023(+523)]

Except for her constitution and intelligence, her other stats were still as high as before. The fact that she kept all her stats after all the things that happened was both good and bad. Good, because she is one of the people I know through and through. Bad because it will take sometime to help her get her strength in control

'With her being so strong, I am the only one who could control her, I guess?' I thought before turning to Caroline.

[Name: Caroline Olivia Escarte

Race: Zombified Human (Grade-E)

Class: Archer

Description: An artist who learnt the ways of the painting and other related brush methods. She also excels in archery, guitar playing and similar activities that require concise precision.

Zombification: 78%*[Reach 100% to evolve into next grade]

Cessation Energy: 1210/1210

Status: Healthy

Skills*

Strength: 56

Constitution: 87

Dexterity: 92

Intelligence:76

Wisdom:34historical

Charm: 88]

Her stats were a bit higher than before, but honestly, she needed some more work before she could handle it. Hmmm... I guess I can help her a bit here,

[13 C-Grade Cores]

[134 D-Grade Cores]

I looked at the amount of cores I had before turning at Myla as I spoke,"Measure Alissa's potential and powers. Alissa, you too. Behave properly and listen to her."

Hearing my serious voice, Myla nodded, and Alissa just looked at me with a bit of confusion.

"Caroline, come with me," I spoke again as I moved away from there, towards the room beside us. Caroline just looked at Alissa and Myla, before hurrying towards me with a bit of question filled face.

Reaching the next room, which was filled with some lab stuff, I first cleared the area and created a space on the floor. Finding a clean mat, I placed it on the floor before I looked at Caroline and spoke,

"Sit on the ground in a meditation position."

Immediately sitting on the ground, she sat in a meditation position before I took out a D-Grade Core and placed it in her hand. Then I asked her to absorb it as much as she could.

'How long before the Zombie Core takes over her?'

[4 hours: 15 minutes: 17 seconds]

'How long before she takes over the complete Zombie Core energy?'

[8 Days: 12 hours: 14 minutes]

[Advanced Time Manipulation!]

[1 hours: 12 minutes: 56 seconds]

'Hmmm... that's a bit long, but okay. Myla should take some time to figure out Alissa's power as well,' I thought as I just kept waiting for Caroline to absorb the whole core.

Minutes passed slowly as I just kept waiting for the time to pass by. I mean, I could have used [Second Space] to take her in and finish everything faster, but...

'I would like to have some secrets to myself for now,' I thought as I kept helping her up her powers. And after an hour passed.

[Name: Caroline Olivia Escarte

Race: Zombified Human (Grade-D)

Class: Archer

Description: An artist who learnt the ways of the painting and other related brush methods. She also excels in archery, guitar playing and similar activities that require concise precision.

Zombification: 9%*[Reach 100% to evolve into next grade]

Cessation Energy: 12380/12380

Status: Healthy

Skills*

Strength: 102

Constitution: 197

Dexterity: 145

Intelligence:144

Wisdom:123

Charm: 188]

'Now... let's give a few more Cores to her.'