C10 The Benefits of Surviving, the Intelligence of the Setruarhiel.

The pungent scent of rust invaded Urlan's senses, filling his nose and mouth, but he was beyond caring about such discomforts.

"If I just keep my head submerged, I feel a bit better," he thought. Seizing a moment of clarity, Urlan queried, "System, is there any other way I can fight this?"

[Information: It is rumored that with sufficient mental strength, a person can control every single cell in their body. This theory remains untested, but you may attempt it.]

Without hesitation, Urlan began to self-hypnotize. Whether it would work was irrelevant; he had to try.

"I will conquer the zombie virus. Each cell in my body is a warrior, and those viruses don't stand a chance against my lymphocytes!"

Murmuring this mantra, Urlan slipped into unconsciousness.

Back in the live broadcast room, viewers were on edge, anticipating news of Urlan's demise and wondering who would be next to brave the Chaotic Space.

The room had fallen silent, save for a few attention-seeking foreigners; the regular chatter had ceased.

Ollie, fixated on the now-darkened screen, murmured with conviction, "Urlan, you've got to pull through."

In the isolation ward, Nicole's thrashing began to subside, and the zombification symptoms started to fade.

"It looks like we've made it!" an expert exclaimed, hardly believing their own words.

"Yes, it seems so! Our efforts weren't for nothing!"

Lacking a specific antidote for the zombie virus, they had supported Nicole's failing bodily functions with external interventions, snatching her back from death's clutches.

As Nicole's consciousness returned, she felt an odd new ability to control plants. Uncertain, she gazed at the protective-suited medical staff surrounding her.

"How are you feeling?" inquired a doctor, noticing her awakening.

"I'm okay. Where am I?" Nicole responded.

"You're in a quarantine ward. Congratulations, you've beaten the zombie virus! You're the first in Osmistan to do so," the doctor replied, beaming.

Snapping back to reality, Nicole urgently asked, "What about Urlan? How is he?"

The doctor shook his head; Urlan's live broadcast remained ominously black, unresponsive.

"Can I leave now?" Nicole asked, attempting to sit up.

"Not yet, you need further examinations," the doctor answered.

"Then, may I at least watch Osmistan's live broadcast?" Nicole bargained.

"Certainly. Get her a large screen," the doctor agreed.

A nurse promptly set up a 42-inch screen, which still showed nothing but darkness.

"You guided the doctors to heal me; surely, you can save yourself too, right?" Nicole whispered to herself.

Relieved to hear Nicole had survived, Ollie sighed deeply as he donned his protective suit and approached her, asking, "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine. Is everyone else in the office okay?" Nicole inquired.

"They're safe. Urlan's timely warning meant the virus was contained before it could spread," Ollie assured her, sighing once more.

In the live broadcast room, a new message flashed across the screen.

"Survived an attack by a mutant animal and still not dead. He's got some fight in him!" It was a taunt from Green, the Setruarhiel netizen infamous for his earlier outburst.

The Osmistan viewers were not having it.

"Damn, haven't finished your last meal of crap, huh? Your mouth is disgustingly foul!"

"Exactly, the live broadcast room reeks because the crap-eater showed up. Close your mouth already, or everyone will know your dirty secret!"

"You've got some nerve showing up again. Who was it that ran off so fast last time? Looking for more trouble, are you?"

Green brushed off the taunts from the Osmistanis, saying, "Why would I waste my time with a dead man? Of course not. I'm a proud Setruarhian!"

"You're not worried about disgracing your country? Still bold enough to announce yourself here?"

"Setruarhians have thick skin and are known for breaking promises. It's in our blood, so there's no point in denying it!"

"Ha, I can't be bothered with this verbal sparring. You Osmistanis are too far behind to catch up. Look here, our Setruarhian trial challenger has already secured the latest communication tech. We'll be tracking you down in the real world soon enough!" Green even posted a photo in the chat showing their trial challenger with the documents!

"Damn, I wish I could reach through this internet cable and give him a piece of my mind!"

"We can't help it. They've got the swagger because we're lagging behind!"

"I refuse to believe that mighty Osmistan will decline because of some spatial anomaly! We will rise again!"

"Hold on, did something just flicker on the screen?"

"Did it? I didn't see anything. Maybe you accidentally touched your phone?"

"Perhaps..."

Nearly everyone in Osmistan was hoping for a miracle.

Meanwhile, in a hidden spot on the eighteenth floor, Urlan woke up, stretching his hands to find his skin perfectly normal.

"Did I actually make it through?" Urlan was in disbelief.

[Information: Congratulations, host. You've successfully ascended to First Level New Human status and awakened your gold-type superpower!]

Urlan's eyes went wide at the message. "Is this a double celebration?"

Not everyone who took the gene potion could awaken a superpower, indicating how rare these awakenings were, with most benefits being physical enhancements.

"How do I use this superpower?" Urlan inquired with curiosity.

[Information: Channel your mental energy into metal objects to manipulate them at will.]

Following the instructions, Urlan focused his mental energy on a nearby steel pipe, morphing it into a sharp dagger.

"This is incredible!" Urlan was astounded, though he felt his energy wane after the transformation.

[Information: You can strengthen your mental energy through practice, and it will gradually increase.]

"Got it!" Urlan got up, wiping the foul-smelling water from his face, and clenched his fists. "If I run into that mutated black cat now, I could take it down with ease!"

With that thought, Urlan turned his attention to the live stream's chat.

From his secret vantage point, Urlan could see the chat, but he remained unseen by others.

Seeing Green flaunting the photo of his country's communication tech in the Osmistan live stream, Urlan smirked, "If you're going to put yourself out there like that, then I won't hold back!"

"Information: …"