There was only silence within the Quarantine Ward as Anna left Terin's room.
There were only the sounds of Warden Units passing through the corridor as they carried patients in or out of the Quarantine Ward.
Still, she barely made it halfway down the hall before a sharp buzz rang from the wall comms.
"Anna, we've got another wave coming in. Four new patients—critical. Prepare for trauma protocol."
The voice didn't come from Cloud or Shane… However, it was definitely from one of the Elves in the command center.
Apparently, one of the Elves was no longer suited for combat due to heavy injuries and had now become a staff member within the Command Center.
Anna's heart sank slightly, but she inhaled deeply and straightened her body…
"Understood. Route them to Emergency Bay 3. I'll be there."
The next few minutes had been so very busy for her.
The sliding doors burst open as a team of Medics rushed in, pushing two bloodstained patients.
Just from the scent that the patients were giving off, Anna could tell that they had already taken potions, and received Fast Regeneration from the Aura Sentinel, but still, they weren't getting better.
It means that the injury was too heavy, it had a powerful curse, it was something incurable even for her, or perhaps, they were already close to turning into Zombies.
It wouldn't be surprising if they were indeed sent to her.
"Vitals unstable! We've got heavy blood loss—one male, aged around twenty-five. His right arm's gone. We couldn't cauterize in time! There's also a possibility of infection."
One of the medical staff said.
Still, the patient had a strong vitality. Perhaps, the man was about Level 30 with high Vitality Points. He should be able to hold for some time just with the right potion.
Anna then turned to the next patient.
"Female, mid-thirties! Severe necrosis on the left leg. Possible viral overload! She's seizing—give her another sedative!"
Anna moved swiftly as she treated every patient carefully and decisively despite having to rush…
Her gloves were already on and after some consideration, she decided to treat the man who had a missing right arm…
His body trembled as he felt his energy leaving his body.
Still, Anna remained composed as she injected a viral suppressant straight into his neck and used a bandage over his exposed shoulder…
It was actually a system's bandage called Cryo-Bandage… As soon as the bandage was activated, she watched the cooling foam expand to slow his bleeding.
"Keep pressure here—he's going to lose consciousness. Set him in Quarantine Room 7. Get a sample of his blood before we lose viability!"
Nearby, the woman with the infected leg was already convulsing. Anna knelt and forced a respirator onto her face.
"We have to stop the spread—start the limb isolation procedure now!" She ordered with urgency.
This wasn't something that could be resolved by using Fast Regeneration or Serum.
The leg had already started to rot. Even if she gave her the serum, the leg would still be damaged at this point.
Elen, one of Anna's apprentices, rushed to assist with the surgical blade.
Together, they activated the Containment Cutter, a tool that Cloud designed to burn away infected flesh while sealing veins simultaneously.
Screams filled the hall as the woman thrashed… Thankfully, it didn't last that long as the sedative finally kicked in and she slumped unconscious.
Anna stood over her as she was already getting tired.
"Just another minute and the virus would've reached her spine…" She muttered.
"You can inject the Anti-Virus Serum now." She added.
Once again, it was simply the Perfect Variant of the Super Soldier Serum that could handle the Zombie Virus. Once the woman woke up, she would have to be rehabilitated to ensure that she'd be able to control her newfound strength.
Still, there were more patients to arrive.
A young boy, barely twelve, was wheeled in with half his face burned off. There were claw marks etched across his scalp. His older sister was crying beside him.
'What? How did he get injured? Did he go to the front lines?!' Anna was shocked. After all, kids and other non-combatants shouldn't be near the front lines.
There shouldn't be a way for them to get injured by the Zombies.
Still, she had swiftly taken the boy and asked questions later…
"One of the Soldiers turned into a Zombie while being transported here for treatment." One of the Medic Staff explained after realizing Anna's confused expression.
"That's a problem… I guess we're lacking some manpower now… The Zombie Wave has been going on for more than 15 hours already." Anna muttered to herself as she realized that most able-bodied men were probably fighting on the front line.
Still, she immediately controlled her emotions and treated the patient.
Soon, an older man, likely a recruited scavenger, dragged himself in on one leg. He had tied a belt around his thigh to stop the bleeding, but his eyes faintly showed the early stages of infection.
He was then followed by a few more patients who had come from the front lines…
One by one, Anna treated all of them. Of course, she was doing this efficiently as she could tell who to save now and who could wait.
Then, as she was in the middle of stitching up a man's jaw, she heard a heavy thud behind her.
As she looked up, she saw a man wearing black reinforced combat armor.
His chestplate had a familiar sign of Leo, the Blacksmith in the Springriver Manor.
Anna easily guessed that the man was a Super Soldier under Shane's direct command…
'Why is he here?' She thought.
Well, a Super Soldier had distinct features. Aside from their intimidating physique, they stood well over six feet tall and had a terrifying aura around them…
"I'm assigned by Commander Shane to guard Alchemist Anna." The super soldier said.
It seemed that Shane also heard about the patient who turned into a Zombie, and swiftly sent an additional guard.
After realizing this, Anna couldn't help but show a genuine smile…