They began to backpedal, refusing to turn completely around. Another walker wandered into their path. Noah shoved it aside with the shaft of his spear, leaving Levy to finish it while they kept moving.
A second suddenly emerged from between two abandoned cars. It reached Noah before he could fully acknowledge its existence, fingers grazing the cloth of his shoulder. His body moved before his mind could catch up, as the spear punched cleanly through its skull.
〔+5 EXP〕
His eyes flickered toward the corner of his vision.
〔795/800 EXP〕
One more.
His jaw clenched as frustration grew, lowering his spear.
"I really can't afford to kill another one, Levy."
Levy spoke but kept his eyes up front. "You about to level up?" Noah nodded to that.
"I don't know what's going to happen," he admitted. "And I'm not too keen on finding out out here."
He gestured toward the ever-growing horde of walkers. Whenever Levy killed one, two popped up. Whenever he managed to redirect one of the attacks to the side, another one still appeared. No matter what they did, they wouldn't stop coming, and that was a problem they were beginning to recognize.
"Then don't."
Noah turned to Levy as the response came instantly.
"I got it."
Noah's former worry settled slightly as a smile formed on his lips. From there, their rhythm changed. Noah stopped aiming for heads and using the head of the spear. He opted to use the butt of his spear to strike their torso, pushing them back, while using the length of his spear to shove walkers aside, hook ankles, strike shoulders, and force openings wherever he could.
Levy moved through each one without hesitation, putting down walkers as if he were a cartel member and they owed him a dollar.
It worked—for a while. Then the horn drew too many.
Walkers began spilling into the intersection from three different streets at once. One hauled itself over the hood of a sedan, while another squeezed through the narrow gap between two vans. More emerged from storefronts they'd already passed, more staggered out of the alleys. Wherever there was space for a human to pass, a walker seemed to be waiting on the other side.
Levy clicked his tongue. "...This is getting bad."
"'Getting'?" Noah asked, perplexed. "Brother, this has been bad. It's getting worse."
A short, humorless chuckle escaped him. He wasn't amused; it was simply the only sound that he could manage.
Noah looked around.
Cars hemmed them in on one side, walkers closed in from the other, and concrete barriers cut off what little room they had left to maneuver. Noah's eyes locked onto a weathered apartment building across the street. Though the doors were closed, the chances were much better there than their current ones.
"There!" he shouted. He couldn't bring himself to care about the deep bellow of his holler. "Let's go!"
The two broke into a sprint while walkers continued to lurch after them. They shoved past abandoned shopping carts and weaved between stalled vehicles, refusing to slow despite the chorus of groans growing louder behind them. Not because they were gaining but because the density was.
Levy arrived at the entrance first, yanking the door open just as Noah slipped inside behind him. Together they slammed it shut. In just moments, bodies crashed against the opposite side, smearing the glass in blood, dirt, and decay.
The old glass rattled violently as hands slapped against it, the frame groaning beneath the growing weight. They steadily backed away from the door as if any loud sound would cause the glass to shatter and welcome the swarm inside.
After creating distance from the door, they stood there, breathing heavily as walkers continued to pile against it. Several seconds passed before Levy let out a shaky, breathless laugh. He'd waited through them like an incubation period, watching to see whether the glass would hold. Only after he was certain it would did relief wash over his body.
"...ho, ly, fuck."
Noah rested a hand against the wall, drawing in another slow breath.
"...That about sums that up."
The pounding continued—if it could be considered that. Somehow the door was still holding up despite the fact the glass was now completely curtained by their decayed bodies.
"They're actually climbing on top of one another," Levy muttered through wide eyes.
Noah turned to look at the door, but just as he did, a slow groan echoed from somewhere deeper inside the building. He turned toward the sound while Levy continued to inspect the glass. The sound came from the top of the staircase; the walker shuffling into view confirmed it. A torn hoodie hung loosely from its frame, while dried blood stained one side of its face.
It stood there, staring at Noah. For a moment it looked almost human—again. Almost pitiful. He shook the thought and glanced at the experience bar hanging out in his peripheral vision.
"I guess this is fate then."
〔795/800 EXP〕
He walked toward the walker as it buckled down the stairs toward him. He watched it for a moment, surprised it was managing to walk down the stairs despite its body's obvious desire to tumble down.
He continued up the stairs, stopping when there were only seven steps between them. His grip on his spear sharpened. Five steps, four, three. That was all the space he allowed it.
Noah stepped forward. One clean thrust. The spear pierced straight through the walker's head before its body gave up, slouching against the handrail.
There was a short-lived silence.
A familiar chime echoed inside his head.
〔+5 EXP〕
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then—
〔Level 5 Reached.〕
Noah's grip loosened around the shaft of his spear. Another notification materialized before him. Unlike any message he'd seen before. The border was a dark green tone with accents of a deep purple neon.
〔Requirements Fulfilled.〕
Noah's heart began to pound as he stared at the notification.
The letters dissolved, replaced by a final message.
〔Initiating Awakening...〕
Noah's eyes widened.
"...Levy."
Levy looked over.
"What?"
Noah didn't answer, more like he couldn't. The corridor suddenly felt colder. The System had finally reached the milestone it had been quietly building toward since the beginning.
Level Five.
The Awakening.
Noah shot one last glance at Levy before pain shot through his very essence.