Virus invasion

In 2048, a meteor strike unleashes the Z-Virus, turning oceans to blood and skies crimson. Liam, a survivor who resisted the virus’s transformation, becomes live bait for the Evolved—four superpowered humans ruling a sanctuary. When betrayed during a hunt, he is dragged to a Brain Bug’s lair, where he meets Noah, a man with a fractured mind who reveals the Evolved’s secret: they hoard Source Cores from apex mutants to maintain their power.After the Brain Bug kills Noah, Liam seizes a crimson core, evolving into a being with abilities to devour, self-optimize, and spawn loyal parasites. He escapes the lair, befriends a mute girl with a mysterious green crystal, and faces hunters Lucas and Elijah, who covet the girl. When Elijah is killed, Liam absorbs his information-gathering powers, unlocking a godlike optical brain.As Liam builds his parasite army, the girl reveals her hidden strength, and the story weaves into a larger apocalyptic tapestry—where survival demands evolution, and trust is a fragile lifeline in a world of monsters and men.