The Dark Lord emerged from the shimmering portal, his crimson aura dimming as he took in his surroundings. New Lennium City stretched out before him, a sprawling metropolis once brimming with life but now eerily silent. The air was thick with static, faint glitching patterns rippling through the environment like fractured glass. In the distance, the skyline flickered inconsistently, buildings phasing in and out of reality as the ViraBot infection consumed the city.
"This world…" The Dark Lord muttered, his voice laced with regret. "It's already falling apart."
As he moved deeper into the city, the telltale signs of the infection became more apparent. Streets were littered with corrupted debris—streetlights flickering erratically, cars frozen mid-crash, their drivers long gone or worse. Billboards displayed warped advertisements, their cheerful slogans twisted into ominous warnings.
"ERROR 404: LIFE NOT FOUND."
The silence was broken by a sudden burst of static, followed by the distorted voice of a news reporter. He turned sharply, his gaze landing on a feline figure perched atop a collapsed news van. It was an infected cat-like creature, her face twisted into a grotesque grin as her voice played in loops.
"This just in…" she droned, her tone glitching with every syllable. "…the infection spreads... no hope… only... assimilation."
Behind her, a hulking ViraBot loomed, its mechanical appendages twitching erratically as it seemed to puppeteer the reporter's lifeless body. The Dark Lord's hands ignited with crimson flames, and with a swift motion, he hurled a fireball, incinerating both the ViraBot and the infected reporter.
Before he could recover, a high-pitched laugh echoed through the alleyway. A fox-like figure leaped into view, her form grotesquely mutated. The infected Vivian, once a bratty young fox, now bore elongated limbs, jagged teeth, and glowing eyes that oozed with malicious intent. She landed on all fours, snarling as she circled him.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Vivian taunted, her voice a distorted mockery of her former self. "Another guest for the infection?"
The Dark Lord braced himself as she lunged, her claws slicing through the air. He dodged and retaliated with a stream of fire, but Vivian was fast, darting around his attacks with unnatural agility. Their battle raged through the narrow streets, leaving trails of scorched asphalt and glitching patterns in their wake.
Finally, the Dark Lord managed to land a decisive blow, sending Vivian crashing into a derelict car. She snarled and twitched, her corrupted form flickering before retreating into the shadows.
Panting slightly, the Dark Lord continued his journey, his senses on high alert. He eventually found a cave carved into the side of a hill, its entrance hidden behind layers of vines and rubble. He froze as a low rumble emanated from within, followed by the sound of massive claws scraping against stone.
Peering inside, he saw Mitzi, a monstrous, squirrel-like creature. Her once-bright fur was now matted and glitching, her eyes clouded and blind. She sniffed the air, her massive frame shuddering with every breath. The Dark Lord scanned her stats, his internal system identifying her as a Phase 3 mutation.
"Blind but deadly," he muttered under his breath, carefully navigating around her. Any sound could alert the hulking creature, and he wasn't in the mood for another fight.
Deeper into the cave, he found two figures huddled together. The first was Murphy, a scrappy 12-year-old skater cat clutching a jagged piece of his broken skateboard. His wide eyes darted around nervously, his tail twitching with unease. Beside him stood Zoe, a taller, more composed roller-skating dog. She had an air of maturity, though her bandaged eye and trembling hands betrayed her fear.
Murphy spotted him first, raising his makeshift weapon. "Who the heck are you? You infected too?"
The Dark Lord raised his hands in mock surrender. "If I were, you'd already be running. Or worse."
Zoe placed a hand on Murphy's shoulder, her voice steady despite the tension. "Relax, Murph. He's not like the others… yet."
The trio exchanged introductions quickly, though trust was clearly in short supply. Murphy's brash demeanor contrasted sharply with Zoe's cautious pragmatism, and both seemed to view The Dark Lord as an unpredictable wild card.
"We've been trying to find a cure," Zoe explained. "But there's no lab left in New Lennium City. The ViraBots wiped out everything."
"Then why are you still here?" The Dark Lord asked, his tone blunt.
Murphy gestured to the cave entrance. "Because out giant is freaking ViraBot! It's like a skyscraper with legs, and it's hunting survivors. You see what that thing does to people?"
Before The Dark Lord could respond, the ground shook violently. A deafening roar echoed through the city, followed by the sound of metal scraping against metal. The trio scrambled outside, only to see the monstrous titan-sized ViraBot towering over the skyline. Its glowing eyes scanned the city, seeking out any remaining life to assimilate.
As the ground trembled beneath their feet, Murphy clutched his broken skateboard. "Well, there goes the neighborhood."
The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes. "Get moving. Now."
The trio made a break for it, dodging falling debris as the ViraBot unleashed its destructive power. Behind them, buildings crumbled and streets fractured, the once-great city collapsing under the weight of its infected oppressor.
They reached the edge of the city just as the ViraBot turned its attention to them. The Dark Lord stepped forward, flames igniting in his hands. "Go. I'll handle this."
Murphy hesitated, but Zoe dragged him away. "He knows what he's doing. Let's move!"
As they fled, the Dark Lord launched himself at the ViraBot, a blaze of crimson energy against the towering machine. But just as he prepared to strike, the ViraBot vanished into the static, leaving only destruction in its wake.
Breathing heavily, the Dark Lord turned back to the horizon, watching as New Lennium City crumbled into a sea of glitches. Murphy and Zoe stood at a distance, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"We need to find a lab," Zoe said, her voice trembling. "Somewhere. Anywhere."
The Dark Lord nodded grimly. "Then we keep moving. This infection won't stop unless we make it."
As the trio began their journey, the distant sound of static reminded them: the ViraBots were always watching.
To be continued...
clarification
all 4 escaped New Lennium City
the stick gang hive of destruction is named "the Grand Fighter"
Mitzi escaped as well and has entered phase 4
the dark lord's 2nd destination: SrPelo/videos
Hints
hint: the reason I typed 4 is that there is one survivor who already escaped before the dark lord arrived
hint: same thing as the last chapter
