American Horror Story, Starting from Falls Town

Chapter 316 The Tree of Flesh and Blood

After getting dressed, Jay finally remembered the circumstances before he was infected.

Roy thought about it for a moment and decided not to tell Jay the truth, otherwise she might not be able to accept such a terrible thing.

“That strange humanoid creature just sacrificed itself to summon a succubus. You were affected by the succubus, which is why you look like this.”

"A succubus? So I knew I hadn't fallen for Blake after all; it was all the succubus's doing!"

Jay was very surprised. She had heard rumors about succubi, but had never actually seen such a hellish creature.

"What are you muttering to yourself?"

"Nothing! By the way, we still have work to do, now is not the time to chat!"

Jay was clearly changing the subject, which surprised Roy, but he didn't press the matter.

Next, Jay explained to Roy the information she had obtained from Cliff Layton, and the two began to discuss their next plan.

"Actually, based on the intelligence we have now, we can go back to General Hammer to report."

Cliff has basically explained the whole story clearly. Now, for Jay, the remaining questions are what is the situation with Elsa Layton in the main laboratory, and why such a big change has occurred at the bottom of the canyon.

"Since that's the case, why don't we just investigate the experimental area?"

Roy looked at Jay. Since there was still some time before dawn, he might as well continue the investigation.

Jay hesitated because, according to Clive Layton's previous description, the experimental area should be very dangerous, and opening it could easily lead to the leakage of biological contaminants.

But then I thought, since Roy can even handle succubi, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with investigating him.

"How about this, Blake, I'll stay in this lab, and you can go and investigate the experimental area, okay?"

In the secret lab, Jay can remotely open and close doors for Roy using Cliff's access privileges, and he can also give Roy instructions via walkie-talkie, which is quite convenient.

"Okay! But my gear is broken, I need a new protective suit."

Although Roy wasn't afraid of biological contamination in the experimental area, he didn't want to bring the contamination out, so a protective suit was still very necessary.

"I think there should be spare protective suits in the energy zone. You need to go there and look for them."

Jay handed his PAD to Roy.

"I've already planned out the route for you. I'll let you know about any issues along the way via walkie-talkie."

"no problem."

Roy took the PAD and turned to leave when Jay called out to him.

"Blake!"

Roy turned around and looked at Jay with some confusion, while the female intelligence officer had a hesitant expression on her face.

"Miss Jay, do you have any other questions?"

Jay pursed his lips and looked at Roy.

"Blake, watch out!"

Roy nodded.

"I will."

Not long after Roy left the secret laboratory, Jay turned on the lights in the living quarters.

Walking through the bright residential area, Roy felt much more relaxed.

Then, Jay's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

“I just checked the surveillance footage of the energy zone, and there is indeed no biological contamination inside. You can enter the energy zone directly through the area gate.”

"Roger that!"

Having someone to guide you is so convenient. Roy arrived at the area gate in just a few minutes, and Jay opened the gate remotely.

Soon, Roy found a complete set of protective clothing in the energy zone. Although it was an industrial-grade protective suit and not as good as military-grade ones, it was sufficient.

“Blake, I checked the surveillance footage of the experimental area. Only Lab 3, which connects to the energy zone, is visible. The other labs have all been compromised. You can enter the experimental area through the gate of the energy zone, but you'd better be prepared; the scene inside… isn't pleasant!”

How much worse could it be?
Roy prided himself on being well-informed and not easily intimidated.

"Just open the door, I'll go in now."

"The door is open, but you must undergo sterilization before you enter."

Roy knew that in order to maintain a sterile environment as much as possible, the laboratory would sterilize people before they entered the laboratory, which meant that they would be sprayed with a lot of disinfectant when they entered the sterilization room.

This process has been shown in both movies and games.

Of course, this was Roy's first time experiencing it firsthand.

Upon entering the sterilization workshop, the expected disinfectant solution did not spray out.

"Miss Jay, what's going on?"

"Wait a minute! The sterilization process seems to have been manually shut down. It must be Cliff Layton doing this to make it easier for Dren to enter and exit Lab 3. I will manually open the lab door."

A few seconds later, the door to Lab 3 opened, and Roy saw the less-than-pleasant scene Jay had described.

The entire Laboratory No. 3 was littered with the remains of corpses, roughly estimated to be several hundred. All of these corpses showed signs of being eaten, and some were missing limbs.

It seems this is where Dren ate. Cliff Layton tricked Roy and Jay into coming here so that Dren could have a meal.

"Blake, how are you feeling?"

"It's alright, I've seen much more terrifying situations."

Roy answered Jay without changing his expression.

"That's good! I was a little worried that this scene would affect you!"

"What should I do next?"

"Wait a moment, I can't see the monitoring from other laboratories, I need to assess it further."

There's really not much to assess; there are only two directions to take.

"Okay, go through Lab 2, which is the exit on the right. The door to Lab 1 seems to be broken and can't be opened."

"Roger that!"

Roy walked down the right-hand passage, and this time he finally experienced the disinfectant sterilization process.

As for feelings, there were none, because Roy was wearing a protective suit, so how could he feel anything?

"I'm opening the door, Blake, get ready!"

"I am ready!"

Roy held the M1014 pistol and aimed it at the door of the sterilization workshop.

"3, 2, 1, Open!"

As soon as the door to the sterilization workshop opened, Roy immediately felt a wave of heat; even though he was wearing industrial protective clothing, he could clearly feel the temperature rising.

Behind the door was a world of red and yellow, where countless cellular-like substances covered the corridor, connected by hyphae, making passage impossible. "Roy, how's the situation?"

"This is very bad. The area outside Laboratory 3 is full of Cariion, the kind we saw in the maintenance corridor."

"Damn it! Does that mean you can't get over there?"

"It's not a big problem. I have a way to clean these things up. It's just that I might not be able to talk to you anymore."

Jay paused for a moment on the other end of the walkie-talkie before answering Roy.

"Then I'll talk to you every ten minutes, and you can report the situation."

"can."

After saying that, Roy put away the walkie-talkie and then took out the execution knife from his inventory.

"Let me see what's going on with all this stuff!"

When Roy gets close to Carion, the yellow pustules burst, releasing a large amount of pale yellow fluid.

When these fluids land, they form new pustules, and the red hyphae connect with the new pustules.

(That's roughly the situation.)

Carión seems to reproduce in this way, which explains why it has been able to expand so quickly.

In just a short while, there were already quite a few Carión in the sterilization workshop.

Roy tried to carve a path with the executioner's blade, but even though the blade, strengthened by several executions, was strong and sharp enough, it was still too inefficient.

After thinking for a moment, Roy changed his plan and transformed into Nephilim.

After using Nephilim form to materialize a cutting weapon that could rotate automatically using chaotic energy, the efficiency indeed increased greatly.

Before long, Roy walked through the corridor and passed through Laboratory 2, which was also occupied by Carion, and arrived at the final destination, the main laboratory.

Instead of Carion, there is only a blood-red tree growing in the center of the main laboratory, a huge circular laboratory, with some strange yellow fruits growing on it.

It looks a lot like those Carion trees outside that have turned into flesh and blood.
The roots of the large red tree have penetrated the sunken floor of the laboratory, extending to who knows where.

The most terrifying thing is that there is a face that is clearly a woman's on the trunk of the red tree. Could this be Elsa Layton's face?

"Blake, where are you?"

"I have arrived at the main laboratory, and here I see a big red tree."

"A big red tree? What does that look like?"

"Wait a minute, I'm going to take a picture with the PAD."

After Roy took a photo using the PAD's camera, it was transmitted to Jay's computer via the lab's intranet.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before, and there’s no record of it on Cliff Layton’s computer!”

"Really? It seems that Carion mutated during this period."

"Alright, whether it's a mutation or something new, our mission is complete. Blake, you can retreat now."

“Wait a minute, Miss Jay, I have a new idea. Maybe I can have a chat with this tree.”

Roy noticed that the face on the trunk of the red tree would change its expression from time to time, as if it had its own consciousness.

"What? Blake, don't act on your own! You're all alone now, and if something happens, no one can help you!"

"Don't worry, Miss Jay, I'll be fine."

After saying that, Roy tossed the walkie-talkie into his inventory and then entered the actual core area.

"Who, who is there!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Roy entered the core area, the face on the red tree sensed him.

"it's me."

The red tree suddenly began to twist its body, turning its face toward Roy.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before!"

"I'm here from the military to investigate this experimental base. Are you Elsa Layton?"

"Yes, I am Elsa Layton. I'm asking you, have you seen my husband, Cliff Layton?"

Roy never expected that this woman would even refer to Clive Layton as her husband.

Could there have been feelings between the two of them before?
“Cliff Layton is dead. I killed him with my own hands.”

Upon hearing this, Elsa remained silent for a moment, then began to tremble violently, her expression becoming one of unparalleled pleasure.

"Hahaha... That beast is finally dead!"

Sure enough, the Laytons had long since lost their affection for each other, and that last word, "husband," probably slipped out habitually.

After laughing enough, Elsa looked at Roy with an indescribable expression.

"Sir, thank you for avenging me, but unfortunately there's nothing I can do now. Suppressing this body has already exhausted all my energy."

suppress?

"Ms. Elsa, why are you suppressing your body?"

"Because this giant red tree has an instinct to devour all living things! I used the power of hatred to transform the chaotic and disordered Carion into a giant tree. The Carion you see outside are actually the products of a failed transformation. But now I feel I can no longer control this giant tree; its roots have penetrated deep into the island's groundwater, affecting the canyon's ecosystem!"
This great tree has even gradually developed its own will!

Roy listened quietly to Elsa Layton's story.

It seemed that because her enemy was dead, Elsa's pent-up anger suddenly dissipated, which might be why she began to lose control of the Red Tree's will.

What would happen if the red tree completely spiraled out of control?

Elsa took a deep breath and then answered Roy.

"I think it will completely turn the entire island into its fertilizer and then start polluting this ocean! Sir, please go back immediately and inform the military to destroy this base with the planted nuclear bombs before it's too late!"

There are nuclear warheads here?
Roy was startled. There were not many technological weapons left that could threaten his life, and nuclear bombs were one of them.

Once Roy is able to withstand a nuclear bomb with his bare hands, his stats should be fully restored, and nothing in the human world will be able to threaten him anymore.

However, Roy didn't think that this flesh and blood tree made of Carion could really be that harmful. He felt that it was nothing like the Starry Sky, which was just pure biological pollution.

The Star's Color can at least influence intelligent beings within its range, and can also create mutated creatures that possess a certain degree of intelligence.

What is this tree of flesh and blood?
To be honest, the pollution produced by nuclear bombs may not be less than that produced by flesh and blood trees, right?
Seeing that Roy was still standing there, Elsa immediately urged him to leave anxiously.

"Hurry! I can barely hold back the tree's will! Oh no, it's too late!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Tree of Flesh and Blood began to tremble violently, as if it was unwilling to remain a plant and wanted to become an animal instead.

A huge branch, twisted together from countless carión, swung towards Roy as if to smash him into a meat patty.

Then, Roy supported the huge branch with one hand.

"Ms. Elsa, there's no need for that. Let me resolve this problem now!"

(End of this chapter)