Mutagen

Day 250 - 10:48 AM - Codon Settlement, Barangay Codon, Municipality of San Andres, Province of Catanduanes

After removing the trash, Mark continued to wander around the settlement. He tried to be as inconspicuous as he could be, not letting people unnecessarily see him. Mark even called out the [Photokinesis Mental Crystal] and covered himself with [Optical Camouflage]. This method might alert magically sensitive creatures and people if he got too close, but it was way better than easily being seen as suspicious by the people of the settlement.

And as more time Mark spent around Codon Settlement, the more he learned about the things that happened here.

Although it was known that the Political Faction now ruled the settlement, it was in name only. It was because...

Most of the members of the faction had already perished, and the main perpetrators of the rule change were no exception.

Mark found another older person, now a woman without one of her feet. The missing feet seemed to be amputated from the knee downward. She had no relatives left and could not do anything to feed herself anymore. However, the people around her had yet to give up on her. While the people taking care of her were away to find anything to eat, Mark took the opportunity and started a conversation with her.

The old woman was wary of Mark, a stranger who looked no less than a mercenary or a criminal. However, as Mark remained a proper safe distance between them as they conversed, the wariness slowly vanished.

This woman knew more than the old man from before. Apparently, she was already left alone long before the catastrophe began and had nothing else to lose. The people taking care of her now were actually people who she tried to save during the earthquake. The people she helped survived, but it was in exchange for her currently missing foot.

From the old woman, Mark learned of the current situation in the settlement.

As mentioned before, the settlement was under the Political Faction's rule only in name. The actual rulers of this place now were the members of the private armies raised by the deceased politicians, now led by the mercenaries hired by the same people.

When Mark learned of this, it became clear why the state of this place was a mess.

Politicians could be greedy for power, but they would show otherwise to people. As such, to maintain support and power, they would, in turn, make the people believe in them. Since these people could not rise into their positions without using their intelligence, they knew that providing things for the people would help the settlement in the long run. Making the people willingly follow their lead would likely result in a better state of the settlement.

But because it was now led by the members of the politicians' private armies and mercenaries with less knowledge about politics and how to manage the common people, the settlement was an utter mess.

These people only believed in strength and money. They would care less about the weak.

But what happened? How was it possible that the core members of the Political Faction just all died?

It was because of selfishness.

A retreat bunker was constructed under the ground of the military zone of the settlement. The construction was started right after the Codon Military Settlement was established and was prioritized over many things. It was not that large of a building, only enough to let around a hundred people inside with a bit of space for emergency supplies. Due to its small size, the military managed to finish its construction in a little bit more than five months since it started.

If they managed to follow the architectural blueprint correctly, it should be able to withstand a couple of explosions before collapsing. It would also allow fifty people to live inside it for a few months in isolation.

It was not wrong to say that it was the sturdiest structure in the settlement, even compared to the defensive walls outside.

And when the soldiers were ousted from the settlement, this underground bunker fell unto the hands of the politicians.

When the catastrophe came, as the space debris fell unto Earth, all the politicians took refuge in the bunker. Well, most of them. Although the bunker could fit a hundred people, the ideal number was actually less than half for a comfortable and safer stay.

Thus, the politicians with less power were forced out of the bunker. It was the same for most of the mercenaries and members of the private armies they raised.

Of course, it was not something that went smoothly. Those already inside did not want to get out. As such, those people had to be forced to move out. It became a violence-filled eviction where the loser could only retreat outside the bunker.

The violence ended soon. It was not when everyone the intended results were achieved but when the shockwaves forced those inside to close the gates of the bunker.

Shockwaves from the fall of the space debris destroyed almost everything within the settlement. The defensive walls collapsed as they were blown away, while houses and tents were toppled to ruins. Even the docks were torn to pieces by the raging waves.

Fortunately, the underground bunker would only suffer a few strong shakes since it was built underground.

Furthermore, while they suffered shockwaves from nearby crashes of space debris, no direct hit happened due to the invisible barrier that protected everyone. This caused the bunker to stay standing.

And then, the error came.

The space debris was one thing, but no one expected the incoming earthquake of unprecedented strength.

Before anyone inside the bunker could even go out, it collapsed. Even the bunker did not manage to withstand the violently shaking ground despite supposedly being able to endure explosions. It might be due to a lapse in the hastened construction. No one would know.

Did all the people inside the bunker die immediately? No one would be able to answer. None bothered to do any kind of rescue either. After all, everyone outside was those who were betrayed and ousted by those inside the bunker.

In order to selfishly save themselves, they were the ones who died instead.

Mark had an eerie sneer as he thought of such. Those guys definitely deserved their deaths, and karma struck them when they least expected it. That event must have been a beautiful sight as they all regretted their decision to enter that bunker while they desperately struggled to live.

When things subsided, more than half of the settlement's population was lost. Many mourned the deaths of their remaining family members.

As for the fate of the Political Faction, it was clear to see. Their core members, and all of the Marcos Family, were buried inside the bunker.

All that was left outside were those powerless politicians who had no control over the remaining mercenaries and private armies of those who died.

And those mercenaries and private soldiers... They were angry as they were thrown away at the last moment. There was no way they would follow any other politician nor be led by those without strength.

That was when the remaining mercenaries and private soldiers decided to take control of what remained of the settlement. In the first place, they were the only ones left who could fight the threats outside.

For the same reason, all the people left within the settlement had no other choice but to follow the new rulers of the settlement. There was nothing else they could do, and those who opposed the new rule could only face death.

From then on, the Codon Settlement became a place where the strong ruled and the weak would follow. If the weak want to live peacefully, they must remain silent and follow those above them without question.

With that rule being followed, the weak were living silently in their current unsightly conditions. Still, it was way better than being killed. Not to mention that while their living conditions were not optimal, they were not being treated as slaves forcefully pushed into dangerous labor.

Unfortunately, as if this place was cursed to suffer, history began to repeat itself.

The Codon Settlement was currently being ruled by the mercenaries and the private soldiers. However, these two kinds of people were different in their own ways.

Mercenaries were hired using money and other valuable resources. Money was their god, and they could steep low in order to get things they wanted.

On the other hand, the private soldiers were different. Although they were discarded by the politicians in the worst moment, the innocent people had nothing to do with their anger. In the first place, not all of them were serving the politicians because they wanted to. Most of them were forced to be loyal due to circumstances they could not handle. Now, they were free, and they were understanding of the current situation of the common people.

Unfortunately, many of these private soldiers were raised as such, starting when they were young. Their knowledge in other fields was basically nonexistent as they were raised with nothing but the ability to fight. As such, they were barely of any help with the current state of the settlement.

With the two kinds of people having different ideals, two factions were once more created, contending against each other over the rule of this dilapidated place.

Not to mention there were also the soldiers from the military that did not leave. Those chose to be under the politicians instead. Although they could not make a faction of their own, they still had some influence over the people now that the politicians were mostly gone.

"What a mess."

Mark said as he heard the details.

"A mess that no one could clean," The old woman said with a little chuckle. "Unfortunately, we can only live like this. Although it might change if someone like you intervened, perhaps."

The old woman's words made Mark tilt his head as he asked.

"So, you recognize me, huh..."

Mark already realized that the old woman was slowly warming up to him for some reason as they conversed. It was unlike when he first approached her.

"The savior of that night when the [Infected] rose from the sea, and the dragon rider," The old woman proudly declared. "I was watching that time closely. I lived near the docks before and saw what happened clearer than others."

The woman then pointed at her eyes, having a bit of a greenish hue. This woman was not a [Mutator], but likely an [Evolver] with a rather unique eye ability like Mei had.

"I can see better and farther at night due to these eyes, you see. I was also there when you and your people left on the dragon's back," The woman said. "Although I was unsure earlier, I managed to recognize you as I observed."

"You're not asking me to meddle with the situation here, are you?" Mark asked. "The information you gave won't be enough as a payment for that."

"Haha..." The old woman laughed without regard that her mouth with barely any teeth left was showing. "You can probably make some change, but I won't ask that. This mess is our problem, brought by ourselves. Outsiders better mind their own business. Just the food you promised in exchange should be enough."

Mark was rather amazed at this old woman's outlook. She sure was a mentally strong person. Although she hinted that Mark's intervention could possibly do something, she was not begging Mark for it.

Staring at the woman, Mark could only shrug. There was nothing much for Mark to ask now that the outline of the situation here became clear to him. As such, he fulfilled his end of the bargain. He gave the woman food and water, similar to what he gave the old man earlier.

However, instead of tearing up, like the old man, the old woman smiled and thanked Mark gracefully. Nonetheless, it seemed this old woman would not keep these supplies for herself. It would not be a surprise if she only shared it with the people taking care of her, but it seemed that she wanted to share it with other people too.

Mark gave another shrug as some footsteps were heard approaching them. It seemed that the people taking care of the old woman had returned and their voices made her turn.

In this opportunity, Mark vanished, making the old woman show a bitter smile. She seemed to be hoping to introduce Mark to the people taking care of her, but he just left mysteriously.

With the investigation basically finished, Mark made his way out of the settlement.

However, not far from the walls of the settlement, Mark could not help but stop as a child with dark skin came zooming in his direction.

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