The zombies weren't leaving.
Ash crouched behind the broken wall, his sharp eyes fixed on the massive group ahead.
More than eighty now.
And still increasing.
They crowded around the gymnasium entrance, their rotting hands slamming endlessly against the metal doors.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sound echoed like a death drum.
But the doors didn't budge.
Solid metal.
Impossible for the zombies to break.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"…Strange."
Zombies didn't gather like this without reason.
They wandered.
They hunted.
But they didn't… stay.
Unless—
"There are people inside."
His voice was low.
Certain.
The moment the thought appeared, it rooted itself firmly in his mind.
Ash had been watching them.
Learning.
Adapting.
These creatures could sense life.
Blood.
Movement.
Even from a distance.
That was why they were here.
Waiting.
Like predators surrounding prey.
Behind him, the survivors trembled.
Fear spread among them like a disease.
Their breathing grew heavier.
Unstable.
Ash glanced back at them.
Weak.
Unreliable.
Burden.
His gaze turned cold.
If he were alone—
This wouldn't be a problem.
He could move freely.
Strike.
Retreat.
Even use everything he had without restraint.
But now—
He was restricted.
Watched.
Measured.
Ash's grip tightened around the Glacial Tyrant.
A faint pulse…
Traveled through his arm.
For a split second—
He felt something.
Something deeper.
Something… inside his blood.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
Ash frowned slightly.
"…Not yet."
Whatever that was—
It wasn't ready.
But he could feel it.
Waiting.
Growing.
Soon—
It would awaken.
And when it did…
Everything would change.
Ash stood slowly.
His presence alone caused the survivors to stiffen.
No one spoke.
No one dared.
Because even without realizing it—
They had begun to rely on him.
To follow him.
To fear him.
Suddenly—
Swoosh!
An arrow shot from the distance.
It pierced a zombie's head instantly.
Then—
Another.
And another.
Three zombies dropped in seconds.
Ash's eyes sharpened.
"Someone else…"
The arrows were precise.
Fast.
Deadly.
Not normal.
But then—
They stopped.
Ash frowned.
The zombies shifted.
Moving.
Surrounding something.
"…Trapped."
Without hesitation—
Ash moved.
"Stay here."
His voice was calm.
But absolute.
He stepped forward—
Then exploded into motion.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
He shot forward like a bullet.
Fifty meters—
Gone in seconds.
The zombies turned.
Too slow.
Way too slow.
Flash!
The Glacial Tyrant swept across the air.
Two heads fell.
Then three.
Then five.
System notifications flickered endlessly.
Ash didn't slow down.
Didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
To him—
They were nothing.
Not enemies.
Not threats.
Just—
Steps.
Steps toward power.
A large figure roared nearby.
A massive man swung a giant hammer.
Crushing a zombie instantly.
Blood exploded across the ground.
"Damn! Who the hell is that?!" the man shouted, staring at Ash in shock.
Ash didn't answer.
Didn't care.
Because at that moment—
Something else entered the battlefield.
"Ice Spear."
A cold voice echoed.
Sharp.
Emotionless.
Ten ice projectiles formed in the air.
Then—
They fired.
Perfect accuracy.
Ten zombies dropped instantly.
Ash's eyes flickered.
He turned.
And saw her.
Silver hair.
Blue eyes.
Cold as winter.
Her presence—
Calm.
Controlled.
Powerful.
Ash studied her for a brief second.
Not admiration.
Not attraction.
Evaluation.
"She's strong…"
But not stronger than him.
Not yet.
The battle intensified.
Arrows returned.
Faster now.
More precise.
The hidden archer had adapted.
The hammer man roared with each strike.
The silver-haired woman killed without emotion.
And Ash—
Moved like death itself.
Cold.
Efficient.
Dominant.
Within two minutes—
Silence.
All eighty zombies—
Dead.
The ground was covered in blood.
Bodies.
Fragments.
The smell—
Rotten.
Heavy.
But no one reacted.
Because they had all crossed that line already.
The line between human—
And survivor.
Ash stood still.
His sword dripping blood.
His breathing steady.
Unshaken.
Slowly—
His eyes moved.
The hammer man.
The ice woman.
The unseen archer.
Strong.
All of them.
Different.
But useful.
Very useful.
A thought crossed his mind.
Cold.
Calculated.
"If they were mine…"
A faint smile appeared.
For a brief moment—
A dark red glint flashed in his eyes.
Gone instantly.
No one noticed.
But something had changed.
Ash turned toward the gym doors.
Then—
Toward the others.
Footsteps approached.
Fast.
Panicked.
His group had arrived.
And now—
Everyone was here.
Different survivors.
Different strengths.
Different intentions.
Ash tightened his grip on the Glacial Tyrant.
His presence grew heavier.
Colder.
Dominant.
Unknowingly—
He had taken the center.
The position of a leader.
No—
Not a leader.
Something more.
Something darker.
Something absolute.
His voice broke the silence.
"We move inside."
No hesitation.
No discussion.
Just command.
Because deep down—
Everyone present felt it.
That invisible pressure.
That instinct.
To follow.
To obey.
And far beneath his skin—
His blood stirred.
Quietly.
Hungrily.
Waiting for the moment—
It would finally be unleashed.