- BOOM!
- BOOM!
- BOOOOOOM!
Sounds of explosions rocked the whole campus. Flames burst across the night sky as the ground trembled from the collision of several savage horrors. The air tasted of ozone and burnt hair, thick with the heavy heat of the spreading fires.
The centipede-like monsters skittered forward in a blur, their numerous limbs leaving deep carving lines on the ground and the floors of the buildings. Spheres of greenish acid formed before their mouthparts before being launched forward like cannonballs.
They exploded within the ranks of the undead, corroding dead flesh and peeling skin to reveal ghastly dark bones. The acid hissed as it ate through the zombies, sending up plumes of acrid, yellow smoke that smelled of chemical rot. The zombies dropped in large numbers under the barrage of deadly attacks.
On the other side, the dark wolves moved in units, their bodies disappearing into the shadows before flashing out from within the ranks of the undead. Their bared fangs tore into flesh, severing limbs and heads from bodies. Blood bloomed into the sky, its distinctive metallic stench pervading the surroundings. The moonlight caught the spray of blood, turning the crimson mist into a rain of dark, glistening rubies.
However, despite being sandwiched by two enemies, the zombies were not to be underestimated.
The undead jumped into the air; some marched on the ground like a swarming mass of insects before devouring the massive bodies of their attackers.
Bone spikes erupted from pale flesh, black veiny tendrils flew around the battlefield, and various other magical abilities were used by the legion of undead. Despite lacking intellect, their instincts allowed them to use these powers almost innately.
Yet, the most notable figures on the battlefield were certainly those special undead.
Kael's eyes didn't leave their ghastly-looking bodies for even a moment.
Despite resting on all fours, the bodies of the corrupted creatures still loomed over three meters tall. Their bodies sprang forward with unnatural movements, their disgusting mouths parting wide enough to swallow a centipede monster down to its midsection before their razor-sharp teeth closed on the half-devoured body, splitting it in two as waterfalls of greenish foul blood rained from the sky.
The undead disappeared and reappeared among the wolves, their claws easily parting their dark fur as if it were mere paper.
'Is that teleportation?' Kael's body tensed as he watched these elite monsters.
That was right! It wasn't just speed; they were blinking through space, bypassing the laws of physics that governed the common infected.
Fixing his eyes above the head of the unique undead, bright yellow text flashed into existence.
[LV. 15 CRAWLER (ELITE)]
[LV. 14 CRAWLER (ELITE)]
[LV. 18 CRAWLER (ELITE)]
"Elite..." Kael whispered softly in a voice barely audible over the roar of battle, not wanting to draw the attention of the two girls beside him as his expression tightened.
He could still remember the very first undead he had faced when the apocalypse descended. The zombie was clearly unusual from the normal ones. It had been stronger, faster, and its ability had been far more deadly than most zombies he had faced.
The system had also called it an elite, and it was what had cost Kael his limb. A phantom ache throbbed in the stump of his missing limb, a cold reminder of the price he had already paid to these things.
In fact, Kael felt that if he had not been so unfortunate as to meet that particular undead, he would have been no different from the human survivors—able to kill common zombies more easily and level up accordingly.
Alas, fate was not fair.
One of the largest centipedes suddenly climbed the front walls of the male dormitory, its many limbs moving quickly across the concrete surface. Almost at the top, the centipede suddenly coiled into itself as it tilted its humongous head back toward the battlefield and released a loud screech.
- SKREEEEEEE!
A crawler zombie suddenly shifted its attention onto the monster as its body rushed forward, barreling through wolves, centipedes, and zombies alike.
Noticing its movement, the massive centipede suddenly formed a large green sphere before its mouth, rot spreading into the surroundings and casting a greenish tint on the wall surface.
Seeing the crawler draw close, the centipede released its attack, the massive sphere resembling a small green sun as the gentle moonlight illuminated it.
The crawler, as if unfazed, leaped toward the approaching sphere, yet before their bodies could collide, it suddenly vanished like smoke.
- SKREEEE!
A split second later, a painful screech shook the entire campus, causing several human survivors to cover their ears in pain as blood flowed down the sides of their heads.
The crawler appeared directly on the body of the large centipede before plunging its massive mouth into the monster's side.
The scales covering the centipede offered no protection as greenish blood splattered in every direction.
The centipede recoiled in pain, its limbs losing grip on the wall, and soon both massive bodies plunged back into the battlefield below, chips of stone scattering from the wall.
- BOOOOM!
Both bodies slammed onto the ground, crushing everything beneath into meat paste. A massive shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sweeping dust into the air and enveloping the scene, hiding it from sight.
Yet the painful screeches that continued to echo from within told the story of what was happening.
Scenes like this played out across several parts of the battlefield.
Back in the room, the light from the explosions illuminated the faces of the watching survivors in intervals, revealing their pale faces filled with horror and the despair clouding their eyes.
"Just how are we supposed to survive this?" Claire burst into tears as she crouched on the ground, unable to continue watching.
The fear she felt had long given way to despair, and the realization that death could come for her at any second overwhelmed the young teacher.
Kael, Nathan, and Alice said nothing, but their reactions were no different from the young teacher.
In fact, it was worse. After all, they were still kids. If adults were already crumbling under the pressure, what could they do?
Yet, as they continued to watch the battlefield, something suddenly changed.
From the boys' dormitory across from them, a group of humans suddenly rushed out of the stairway leading to the upper floors, their battle cries barely reaching them over the sounds of battle and explosions.
"IF WE WANT TO SURVIVE, WE HAVE TO FIGHT! THIS IS OUR BEST CHANCE!"
"WE NEED TO MAKE USE OF THE NIGHT BUFF AND RISE ABOVE THESE ACCURSED CREATURES!"
Claire, who had crouched down crying, suddenly rose in shock, her eyes locking onto the scene as she recognized the male teacher at the forefront of the survivors—the one shouting to boost morale.
The battlefield continued for a few seconds as if nothing had happened.
And just for a moment, it looked as if the arriving group of humans had made the right choice.
The male teacher, together with three young boys, jumped into the battlefield but remained at the edges as they targeted stray zombies.
Kael's eyes widened when he saw the numbers above them rising after just two or three kills. Just as he started to feel unsure, the raging battlefield suddenly went still and quiet like a graveyard.
The unsuspecting humans were too excited to notice immediately due to their surging strength, but it didn't take long for them to realize.
"S-sir..." A boy's voice trembled in fear, but the others didn't hear him. They were still relishing their kills as they used their class skills and raked in as much EXP as possible. In less than a minute, even the weakest of them had increased by a level.
"Sir!" the boy suddenly screamed, finally gaining their attention.
"What?" the teacher growled in annoyance, only to realize that the boy's voice had sounded far too clear in the once chaotic battlefield. The silence was physical, an icy weight that pressed against their eardrums, and one that caused a chill to run down their spine.
The teacher's eyes widened in horror as he turned to survey the battlefield.
And that was when he saw it.
Every single creature on the field—be it undead, wolves, or those eerie centipedes—was doing one thing.
They were staring at them.
- GULP!
- GULP!
- GULP!
- GULP!
The four humans gulped in unison, their limbs trembling under the suffocating pressure.
Without hesitation, the teacher turned and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"RUN!"
The quiet battlefield suddenly erupted into a volcanic eruption of violence.
All the monsters seemed to forget their previous battle, their instincts driving them to eliminate the human prey before them.
The four survivors barely took four steps toward the boys' dormitory before a massive wolf burst from the teacher's shadow.
Its maw opened wide, revealing terrifying fangs, and before anyone could react, it clamped down on his head. The decapitation was silent and efficient, the man's headless torso swaying for a second before hitting the ground with a wet thud.
- AAAH!
- AAAH!
The remaining students screamed in horror, but it didn't last long. Before the wolf could move again, the other three were swallowed by a horde of undead—their flesh torn apart, eyes gouged, tongues ripped out, and their guts exposed.
"He-help!"
One of the boys raised his hand in Kael's direction, his fading vision with the help of his class skill, catching sight of the hidden survivors from afar.
Kael's eyes widened at being seen.
But in the next instant, the raised hand—and the boy's head—were stomped into bloody paste by an appearing crawler.
.....
AN: COME ON! Vote power stones, drop comments and leave reviews. It will motivate me to write better. Still, thanks for reading!