"Stop!" a loud shout was directed at them as they attempted to go past the strange masked men and the zombies.
Following the shout, a horde of zombies clustered around the escaping group, trapping them.
After trapping them, the zombies then looked back at the ten masked men and waited for further instruction.
Assessing the group before them, the masked men gazed deeply at Roan and the rest.
It was so intense that even with the mask on, the group could still feel it.
After half a minute, they glanced at each other and nodded in unison.
They had come to decision.
Following the mission given to them, they pointed their fingers straight at the escaping group for the zombies to see.
*Roar!*
As if being controlled, the zombies snarled and jumped at the group.
It didn't take long for a bloody fight to ensue between the two sides.
......…
"Shit," Nico cursed out loud.
His energy reserves were almost fully depleted, his muscles from his constant energy absorption, his mind was dreary from the long fights and yet, another horde of zombies was lunging at them.
It almost seemed like they were destined to fall, akin to mountain rock that is continuous beaten by raindrops; one day it would infiltrate the nearly unbreachable rock.
However, in the case of Nico and his friends, there wasn't going to be a "one day", instead, they would fall in a single day!
Among the horde of zombies were many [Gray Eye Zombies]!
Nico knew there was no way he could handle so many [Gray Eye Zombie].
His highest was five and even at that, he had suffered a good amount of injuries.
Most of the [Gray Eye Zombies] he had encountered hadn't used their total abilities. That was why the group managed to survive till this point.
However, the ones in front of him were already showing signs of intelligence.
They knew when to stop, and when to act.
Plus, from the way they had instinctively covered their body with [Nether Energy], they were probably more efficient in using [Nether Energy]!
Nico was given no time to think as one of them jumped at him.
The formation his group was using was still the circle formation, but despite him having soldiers at both his sides, they were preoccupied with their own share of the zombie horde!
So, he couldn't count on them!
Nico fiddled with his battle gloves as he timed the moment the zombie would get at him.
'Now!' he mentally shouted!
Taking a low stance to punch the guts of the stomach, Nico positioned himself, but he didn't expect what happened next.
*Whoosh!*
The exact second after the zombie gotten with a melee range, its terrifying decaying hand squirmed as it swiftly turned to a long blade.
After that, the zombie "instinctively" empowered it with [Nether Energy] and swung it down at a surprised Nico!
Nico only managed to roll away in time.
When he looked back, he saw a large portion of the street floor had been carved up and was thankful he didn't try to block the attack.
His eyes widened as he assessed the zombie again, 'This is an experienced one. Moreover, it had received a very disturbing physical mutation. Alone, it is equal to more than five inexperienced [Gray Eye Zombie].'
Nico suddenly understood what he was dealing with.
He was dealing with a zombie, something that had terrorized the land for a long time.
He had been clouded by his victories against those inexperienced ones that he forgot that they just actually inexperienced and had not yet learned to use their instincts.
Getting this understanding, Nico felt he should go on full attack, but instead identify the exact mutation the zombie got.
'From the looks of it, it could change its hand to a bladed weapon. However, this could be achieved by many different mutations. I should just assume that it can freely manipulate its body structure,' thought Nico.
He knew he was going in blind, but he could not take more time to assess.
That would require him to keep dodging the zombie's attack. Thereby, leaving a hole in the formation meant to protect those behind him.
As the zombie ran at him at an incredible speed, Nico went on his knees and pressed his palm on the ground.
However, in the next moment, he withdrew his hand back.
'I barely have enough [Spirit Essence] left. I will have to stack it up for just one attack, and it has to be a final attack!' reasoned Nico.
His thinking was right, but the reality was too cruel!
Again, the zombie swung its bladed arm at Nico, but Nico had already taught of a counterattack to that.
He nimbly drifted his arms in the air.
Using his left hand, he touched the blunt part of the zombie's bladed arm and used his right hand to hold the shoulder part of the arm, treating it as an actual weapon.
However, Nico forgot that the arm was an extension.
He tried to grab hold of the arm, but the zombie simply responded by elongating its arms, and like an insect pincer, it pierced Nico's shoulder!
*Ahhhh!!*
Nico screamed in pain as the formation broke into pieces.
*Ahhhhhh!*
He wasn't the only one though!
The other had also received the same brutality as him and gave way for the lesser zombies to prey on the innocent citizens.
Screams filled the street and blood splashed around like a blooming flower.
On the floor, Nico suddenly turned quiet as he thought, 'Upon everything we did, we still failed to protect them. Hahahahaha, what a joke?!'
Ignoring the zombie that was coming at him, he saw the feet of countless zombies as they preyed on those he was supposed to protect.
He saw the full view as they bent down to bite the neck of someone he knew from the guest house.
He felt the blood from the aggressive bite fly in the air and fall on him, painting his face with the reddish liquid.
He could even taste the metallic blood in his mouth.
Little by little, Nico went crazy, 'What a joke?! Hahahaha. It's all one big joke.I wanted to protect, but now I am left to watch. Life is just one big joke!!'
As Nico derailed further, he failed to notice that his expression was now one of a smile.
If Jake was here, he would also smile.
Jake had known that Nico had the potential to be the worst man there can ever be. He just needed a little....a little nudge to turn Nico's optimism to sweet despair...….a little nudge to convert good to evil....a little nudge to make a man fall!
Although he wouldn't have predicted Nico would fall into the psycho category, it was still the same, wasn't it?
As continuous splashes of blood fell on his face, Nico derailed further, "Hahaha, it's all a joke. It's all one big joke. Then let me add to the joke"
In life, epiphanies existed everywhere.
When a man gains an emphiphany that brings him true peace, he becomes obsessed with it.
It was the same for Jake, who now pursued perfection over everything.
It was also the same for an evolving Nico, who seems to have understood what life was.
It was a dangerous understanding, but it managed to keep him alive.
It wasn't all his fault. Part of his dangerous evolution was the enigma of Jake.
The way Jake had always looked at him, the actions of Jake, the hammering words Jake had said to him.
They all flowed in his head at this crucial moment, and he gradually changed his mindset.
Even he didn't know that his waves of laughter were all just in his head. In actuality, he wasn't saying anything!
*Clink*
Like the click of a picked lock, everything fell into pieces, and Nico echoed his first actual sound, "Hahahaha. Let me paint this joke further!"
His boisterous laughter made the others that were also struggling look at him in confusion.
After his bout, Nico slowly stood up and faced the zombie that was still walking to him, indicating it was not up to minute since the zombie had pierced his shoulder.
After his "evolution", Nico assessed a hidden well of energy below his energy reserve.
Like a cat, he leaped on a zombie and let it pierced his skin.
Ignoring the zombie's actions, he pressed his two hands on its head and let out the familiar yellow flames that consumed both him and the zombie.
Nico's resistance to his own flame was high, but it still didn't prevent him from burning.
The yellow flames turned his skin dark, while it fully burnt the zombie into char, killing it in the process.
Killing it, Nico fell on the ground and laughed at the other zombies.
However, his smile suddenly changed and a warm expression replaced his face.
"What happened?" he asked himself as he couldn't process anything that just occurred.
It seemed that the opened lock in him had regressed back and he was back to normal.
It was definitely strange and it marked the true beginning of the person called Nico!