"Perfect! I can't wait to see how strong she'll be after turning into a zombie!" the others echoed, getting increasingly excited. Herold's expression grew darker as he listened to their words. Then, he discreetly slid his finger across a hidden communicator. He was sending orders to other Torchbearers. It was time for them to act. However, after transmitting the instructions, Herold noticed that no one responded. At that moment, a frail voice echoed from above him. "Two, is something the matter?" Herold raised his eyes toward Decision Maker One. Staring at his face, Herold felt that something about Decision Maker One seemed off, but he didn't have time to ponder. He stood up and said, "Something came up. I need to leave for a moment." "What could possibly be more important than witnessing our new ruler? Do you expect us to wait for you?" "No need. You guys can start without me. I just need to use the restroom," Herold replied faintly. "I'll be right back." Hearing his words, Decision Maker One smiled and said, "Okay then." Then, Herold strode toward the restroom. Initially, he was going to send commands to the outside. However, the moment he stepped into the bathroom, the door behind him snapped shut. When he reached for the handle, a jolt of electricity shot through his arm. In that split second, Herold stiffened. He knew that Decision Maker One had found out about his plan. On the other hand, Theresa still hadn't received any message from Herold. Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed inside the room. "Number 7913, please report to the conference hall." Then, her room door slid open, and a large group of scientists entered to restrain her. "Get out of my way!" Theresa flung the blanket at them. "I'll walk by myself."Weak and pale, she got out of bed and scanned the unfamiliar faces. None of them was the Torchbearer. The scientist said nothing and escorted her quietly. "What a bad temper." "Do you think she'll lose it when she finds out we're not actually in the meeting room?" "That's useless too. Having been injected by the Ability-Suppressing Inhibitor, she is as harmless as a lamb." "What a naïve girl. I can't believe she actually trusts us." Meanwhile, the Decision Makers watched Theresa on the large screen. She was brought into a huge empty room. "Where are they? Weren't everyone all supposed to welcome me?" asked Theresa. As her words fell, a large screen appeared before her. Then, the conference table with the eight Decision Makers appeared. "We are indeed here," Decision Maker One said with a polite smile. "We've fulfilled your request." "Is this how you welcome your new ruler?" Theresa asked, seemingly upset at their deception. Her words made the room erupt into laughter. Three stood up and said mockingly, "You still don't know your real identity, do you?" "Do you really think you are our ruler? You are just a sacrificial lamb!" "You are so naïve that it makes me reluctant to kill you this early." Hearing their words, Theresa lowered her gaze and said, "You guys lied. All those evolutionary sayings are nothing but a glorified lie." "So what if it is? You can't do anything about it. You can't even use your abilities." Three laughed. "Don't worry. After you die, the rest of your pitiful alliance will accompany you." "You won't be lonely." "Be a good girl and go to your death.""Become our nourishment." Just then, a shrill alarm blared. "Warning! Massive zombie outbreak detected underground!" "Activating defense systems!" Deep under the facility, chaos erupted. White-coat personnel moved through the fleeing crowds like assassins who were ready to face their death. As they passed through the crowd, they cut them with razor blades that were coated with Eclipse Serum. Soon, the zombie virus spread instantly. As the first zombie appeared, the entire underground camp locked down with a loud metallic clunk, sealing every chamber to prevent the outbreak from spreading.