"There's no doubt that these Flesh Rippers are contagious like a virus. It's highly likely that this is a special ability Chaos granted them: any corpse killed by a Flesh Ripper will transform into a Chaos creature. But as elite units, Flesh Rippers require their original hosts to have exceptionally agile bodies in order to be created. That makes elves the ideal targets for conversion.
"I have ample reason to suspect that the biologists of the Scholar faction designed these special Chaos life-forms to support the Witch Cult's operations in the Kingdom of Castia."
In the Origin Vanguard's laboratory section, Triss had just finished an autopsy. As she cast a purification spell on herself, she spoke to Murphy beside her.
"These things have all the absurd traits of Chaos creatures, and their exponential reproduction and conversion require death energy. So they can also be considered a kind of mutated undead. In theory, spirit-repelling arrays and undead enslavement spells should work on them too, though probably not as well as they do on proper undead.
"For now, finding a way to counter Flesh Rippers will be difficult. But if the elven kingdom's underworld system can be established, perhaps it could exert some unusual suppression and restraint over them.
"Still, that's your job, my dear Hades, Lord Murphy.
"Also, judging by how powerful the Chaos forces have become, enough to attack Amastasia Harbor directly, they can bring more strength to bear than we expected. I suggest pulling some elite players over.
"Hell Divers are quite capable in combat and adaptation, but they're still lacking when it comes to top-tier fighters."
"No need. They're about to get a batch of 'top-tier fighters' of their own."
Murphy, who had been following the fighting in the city below, glanced at the figures Rose was tracking.