"Uhhh!"
The abandoned cars on the road were crushed by zombies. The zombies infected by the Black Light virus are faster than humans! Even the Exorcist couldn't escape. The distance between the prey and the Hunter was getting closer!
Lucius could smell death. But it's still not enough. These zombies were too slow to catch them!
"It's a ladder!" Suddenly Dana shouted. Everyone's turned to look and found an iron ladder above an alleyway!
This was the slum area. The buildings weren't even that tall, and this ladder can climb right up to the top floor. Maybe...these zombies didn't know how to climb ladders? Everyone hoped it that way.
"I'll go first!" Stein stepped right onto the ladder and climbed to the highest floor in the blink of an eye.
On the other hand, the silver-haired girl reached the highest floor with one easy jump, and she was more than capable. She's not afraid of the corpses, just to take care of the helpless. Their demise was still too far away for the strong Exorcist. Lucius was the third one to climb the ladder, followed by the two young Americans, and last but not least, Yuri. By the time Yuri ascended the ladder, the zombies had swarmed the entire alley and filled it.
"Uh...ah! Ah!" They reached upwards eagerly, trying to grab Yuri's feet.
Yuri exploded with his survival instincts, dodging the zombies' claws just in time. And climbed towards the roof. But when Yuri got to the roof...
"Everyone...why don't you run? Hurry up and go!" Yuri gasped, but realized that everyone was stunned. They all knew there're zombies frenzied down there. If they waste their time here, they will be eaten by them! Yuri saw the expression on their faces. That was an expression called panic. Disbelief was spread across their faces. Yuri followed their eyes into the distance and was unable to control his legs, he sat down on the ground in shock.
"That...what...is that..." Yuri's eyes trembled as he looked into the distance.
A building that looked like a demon's lair...
The nearly four-story-high building had completely lost its original appearance. Scarlet vessels like tentacles surrounded the building. Forming a sticky muscle tissue that covered the entire building seemed writhing from time to time as if the building had transformed into a living being!
It's a nest! The Mother Nest of the virus!
How did it happen? Lucius felt he was lucky as the Black Light virus had birthed the Nest so quickly. He was wondering why the Level 2 infected number suddenly increased. Turned out that a Mother Nest had appeared nearby. This was the home base of the virus, the Nest that bred infected life forms ranking at level 2 or higher such as Hunters. Brawler Hunters would be swarming out of it like the rest of the zombies.
Just when everyone was still stunned at the grotesque view…
"Roarrr!!!"
A gust of scarlet wind swept them, spreading the dust across the roof. The weaker ones were knocked to the ground by the impact. When the dust dissipated…
A bloody monster on 4 legs stood before them. Its scarlet muscle and hideous claws tore the ground apart.
Guardian of the Mother Nest, Level 2 infected life form… the Hunter!
"What the hell?" Stein saw the monster and instinctively gripped his sword.
Only in the next second, the creature was covered in ice crystals as the cold, shivering temperature began to spread.
"Go." The icy voice was just as cold as this temperature, the monster instantly turned into an ice sculpture with a snap of her fingers.
"Captain… you're willing to stay behind for us?" Stein looked at the mass of frenzied zombies below. They didn't seem to be able to climb the walls. Stein regained his usual calmness.
"Of course. We are God's messenger. We must face the enemy."
"Grrrrr!" A few more deafening growls were heard.
With a loud crack sound, Dozens of Level 2 infected descend from the sky. Shattering the house's roof all around the roof of the building. Hunter was the majority, their appearance was hideous to the point of disgusting.
"Go…" She repeated her word as cold air around her body began to spread.
"But…" Stein hesitated as he looked at his surroundings. Monsters cornered them, and he finally began to back away. "Captain, God will honor your sacrifice. May God bless you.." Stein maintained his sanity to say the words.
But suddenly, the Hunters roared again. It was like the signal for the lion alpha for the lioness to pounce its prey. Then, the unimaginable thing happened! The zombies began to ascend the metal ladder!
"Go… run!!!" Stein panicked again and ran towards the back where the iron ladders would allow him to climb to higher ground.
"Dana, take my hand! And don't look back!"
The only ones that could maintain their calmness were the Captain and the Young American man. Yuri and Stein were engulfed in fear. As for Lucius?
Right now, he was smiling excitedly. It's time to put this madness to an end! Lucius followed behind closely.
"Don't leave me..." Yuri also ran in fear, and he glanced at the silver-haired girl who was left behind. In the end, he chose to run away for the sake of his life.
Once everyone left, the silver-haired girl suddenly exploded with power. She began to block the zombies. But under such an endless enemy, one person's power seemed insignificant.
As if they had a plan, the zombies crossed the girl's defense and frantically chased the fleeing crowds. They all quickly began climbing the iron ladder to higher grounds. Just when they climbed to the higher floors, they realized the zombies were still chasing them! They could only run away. No one wanted to face the countless horde of zombies. They're unbeatable!
But human's strength had a limit, even the strong Exorcists. By the time they finished climbing the third metal ladder, Yuri and Dana ran out of their strength, but their survival instinct pushed them to run. The zombies pursued them relentlessly. How can they give up now?
"No! Don't come near me!" As he climbed the fourth iron ladder, Yuri felt his limbs losing strength, but he still tried with all his might to climb higher. He just wanted to stay away from those monsters!
Humans have physical limits, while zombies don't. In the end, these monsters who only know how to kill that win this chase.
As he climbed to the fourth metal ladder, Stein realized something. If they continue running, they will eventually run out of strength. By that time, they will be dead.
Dana and her brother still climbed up, while Lucius was directly behind the two Americans. Stein looked at the endless zombies below. The monsters let out a chilling growl as if cheering the humans they were about to devour.
They can't escape! The thought came to his mind. Suddenly, a voice greets him. "Mr. Exorcist…" Lucius walked to Stein's side, "The zombies only wanted something to eat."
It's about time…
Lucius looked down at Yuri, who had no strength left but was desperately trying to climb up. His struggle was heartbreaking. Right now, the boy must be filled with fear and anxiety, right? But there was no despair because he's still running away, clinging to the hope that he could escape.
Ah, the seed in his body could only bloom beautifully when he was in despair. So, Lucius felt he should add a small catalyst to that seed again. The ultimate catalyst!
"If we satisfy them a little, we might be able to slow them down."
Lucius' eyes glowed with a malicious luster under his dark glasses. But no one saw it. The man was the only one talking to him. He was already frightened by the zombies, the so-called Messengers of God, Agents of God, the Church, the Exorcists! What would you do? Self-proclaimed 'the Church of Righteousness, the Exorcists, who called themselves the Church's Agent of God.
What would you do at this moment? Let everyone see it… your hideous side. Lucius glanced at the two Americans, sat down on the floor, powerless.
"Ah, right..." A smile bloomed on Stein's face again. He narrowed his eyes and walked to the metal ladder. At Yuri, who was still trying to climb higher to survive, and at the endless stream of zombies below that craved for human flesh and meat.
"Mister...Stein?" Yuri crawled to the edge of the building, only a step away to safety. But when he glanced up, Stein was standing in front of him with a smile on his face. He felt terrified by his smile.
"I said, little Yuri…"
"What can I do for you? Aaaahhhh!" Yuri cried out in pain because his grip on the edge of the roof was stomped by Stein's foot.
"How many years have I raised you? Three years? Five years? I raised you since your parents were executed, right?" Stein's smile remained the same, but there was inexplicable cruelty to it.
"Don't... don't! Mr. Stein! No!" Yuri had realized what Stein was trying to do, and he endured the pain in his hand "No!"
"Don't what?" Stein's smile changed sharply to a grimace that resembled a malevolent spirit. He stomped again on Yuri's hand, gripping at the edge of the roof. "You useless little shit! If the Church hadn't ordered it, I wouldn't have raised you at all! You're useless! You're just wasting my time!"
"Ah... Now, Yuri. It's time to repay my kindness!" Stein's foot firmly stomped on Yuri's hand, he drew the shortsword against Yuri's hand, gripping on the roof edge.
"I want to live! I must live! Unlike you, I am an elite agent of the Church. There were still too many things I haven't enjoyed in this world! I can't die here! But now, you maggot can prove that you're worthy! You should be honored! Yuri!"
"Mr. Stein! Please, no! Please! Please! Please! Help me!"
Yuri instinctively turned his attention to Lucius, but he realized... Lucius performed a gesture of slicing his neck with his thumb. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something. But Yuri understood what Lucius was saying.
"Reborn!"
And right now, Yuri felt the intense pain!
"Arrghhhhhhh!!!"
Stein showed no mercy and cut off Yuri's grip on the roof's edge with one swipe of his sword.
Yuri stared widely at the sky, fading away and Stein's twisted face, realizing he was falling into the pile of zombies.
No...
No, no, no!
I don't want to die...
The zombies saw the prey dropped and immediately went crazy again! They grabbed hold of Yuri's body and began to tear at his flesh.
Arghh!!
Yuri's eyes went blank as he looked at the sky and the world that was fading away.
Stop! Stop it!!!
He felt his flesh being torn bit by bit, his bones being gnawed on.
STOP IT!!! IT HURTS!!!
I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!
Yuri cried inside.
The stench of corpses from the surrounding zombies' mouths, the smell of blood and death kept flooding into Yuri's mind. His flesh and bones are being gnawed, his body being torn apart, his intestines being torn and eaten by the zombies… all of his feelings tangled together.
"I...don't want to die ahhh!!!"
A monster-like growl escaped Yuri's mouth as he fought for his dear life.
"What happened?" Stein stood on the edge of the roof, looking down. Only to find that the zombies that had been tearing Yuri's body were engulfed in a mass of scarlet tissue.
However, in such a situation, someone clapped his hands. Stein turned around to find Lucius stood at the edge of the roof. Clapping non stop with an excited evil smile spread on his face. As if he was celebrating something.
"It's blooming, oh, what beautiful flowers!"
How...beautiful!
Nearly a thousand zombies were devoured by these scarlet muscle tissues.
A deafening monster roar sounded.
It echoed loudly throughout the sky!