"Next guy, this one, it's not going to be as easy," I thought to myself as I revved up the engine of my motorcycle. My destination was a church located on the other side of town, and I knew it was going to be a challenging journey.
I hit the road, and unlike the peaceful route I had taken to get to Katakuri's place earlier, this one was far more dangerous. The roads were empty, and the streets felt dead, but they were still teeming with walkers - the undead who roamed the streets of the city.
As soon as I started moving, the noise of the bike caught the attention of the undead from a distance. They started converging toward me, and I had to navigate through the streets as fast as I could, accelerating and taking sharp turns to avoid the masses of undead. I couldn't afford to be tackled by them, so I always made sure to steer clear of the most densely packed groups.
At times, I had to make detours and go back due to the streets being too full of undead. The city had been hit hard by the plague of the undead curse, and many civilians had lost their lives. The situation had brought out the worst in humans, with fear leading to retaliation in brutal ways. People were willing to do anything to ensure their survival, even at the expense of others.
After a few hours of changing directions to avoid the undead, the worst-case scenario happened - my bike started to sputter and eventually died due to some internal problem. I couldn't fix it, as I didn't have the knowledge or the time for it. I wasn't too far from the church, so I decided to continue on foot before nightfall.
Desperate situations call for desperate measures. I had to suck it up, even if walking in streets full of undead was not the smartest idea by a long shot, it was all I could do for now. And knowing that guy, he'll probably still be alive. I hope.
I abandoned the bike after taking everything I needed from it and moved out of the way before the undead started to converge. I looked around for a building to take shelter in, but most houses had broken windows and were infested with undead. The few that were intact were likely being guarded by the owners with weapons, and I didn't want to risk a confrontation since I wasn't bulletproof, yet.
I quickly made my way toward the nearest alley and went through it. As I emerged on the other side, I saw a couple of undead feasting on the corpse of a young girl. I dispatched them with a few swings of my mana-coated sword and took a moment to catch my breath and figure out my next move.
I still had several blocks to cross to reach the church, but I couldn't just run there since it would attract too much attention from the undead. I cautiously made my way to the end of the alley and peeked out onto the streets. I didn't see any undead nearby, so I slowly moved ahead, hugging the walls of the buildings for cover.
I crossed the street to the next block, but then I realized that taking a left turn toward the church was impossible. There was a massive horde of undead blocking the only passage leading to the church, and they had already noticed me. One of them, with the ability to locate life signatures, started to approach me.
"Shit," I cursed under my breath, scanning my surroundings for an escape route.
I needed a way out, and fast so I moved back and carefully. And once I approached the porch of a certain house, I heard a voice, "BOY DON'T YOU DARE GO SNEAKING UP ON US LIKE THAT! I HAVE A GUN!" someone shouted.
I looked at the man, who was peeking from a window, "I'm not here to invade your property, I'll be leaving." I said.
"You better piss off!" he said.
I didn't argue further and left the porch. No reason to get physical or angry. A man protecting his house is dangerous.
I looked around, my eyes scanning the desolate streets. Going back the way I came would only bring trouble to the old man inside that house. I needed to find another route, and my eyes landed on a sewer entrance in the middle of the street.
Without hesitating, I hurried towards it, my sword ready in my hand. With a swift stab, I plunged my sword into the side of the sewer cover. With a powerful push, I lifted it up and slid inside the sewer, quickly dragging the cover back on top of me. The undead swarmed the area above me, but I was safe for now.
The undead's snarls and growls echoed from above me to the insides of the dark tunnel. "Okay, looking good so far," I muttered to myself, trying to steady my racing heart.
Entering the sewers was far more dangerous than the subway system but that was only after the first integration was done, for now, it was safe and I had my reasons for taking this route. First, the sewers could lead me all the way to the church. Second, the undead wouldn't infest these sewers this early in the phase. I had to trust my judgment and make my way through.
I took out a flashlight and placed it under my assault rifle, casting a faint beam of light ahead of me. The stench in the sewers was overpowering, making my stomach churn, but I pressed on. I had endured worse smells in my time, and this was just another obstacle to overcome.
I moved forward slowly, my senses heightened, clearing every corner and scanning the areas around me. I couldn't afford to miss any creature that could be prowling in these sewers. Despite my cautious progress, my pace was faster than before, driven by the urgency of reaching my destination. Hours passed, and my mind grew exhausted from the constant focus and alertness.
Finally, I arrived at my destination, the sewer opening under the church. I cautiously got up the stairs of the sewer and pushed up the lid, peering out to assess the situation. Most of the undead were far away from me, but I knew they could still track me. Even going underground wasn't enough to deceive their life signature tracking. Thankfully, the majority of them were too dumb to follow me from aboveground and waited on the other side of the entrance.
A good portion of them, however, had tracked my movements. I knew I had only one chance at this. With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed the lid aside and pulled myself over to see where I was. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds, casting an eerie glow on the desolate scene.
I had emerged from the sewers into a small courtyard at the side of the church, the whole place looked like a complete mess.
Hearing the undead closing in on me was enough reason for me to sprint towards the church as fast as I could, dodging and weaving through the undead that tried to grab at me. The sound of their growls and snarls filled my ears as I raced towards the church, my heart pounding in my chest.
I pushed myself harder, my muscles burning with exertion. I could hear the footsteps of the undead closing in even more behind me, but I refused to falter.
I rushed towards the church, my heart pounding in my chest as I approached the imposing structure. The church, standing tall in the middle of its own vast field, gleamed like polished marble in the moonlight, seemingly untouched by the chaos that had unfolded in the world around it. It was a beacon of hope for believers, but I knew better. I had seen enough to know that this sanctuary may not be as safe as it appeared.
As I reached the church, I was relieved to find it barricaded and locked. The windows were fortified, positioned high enough to keep out all but the most evolved undead. It seemed like a formidable fortress, and I felt a glimmer of hope that I might find refuge inside. My eyes were drawn to a window on the tower of the church that was slightly ajar, beckoning me to climb.
With determination, I began my ascent, using the boards that were meant to fortify the window as makeshift steps. I climbed higher, my muscles straining with effort, until I reached the top of the window. With a leap, I propelled myself onto the tiled roof of the church, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
Slowly, I made my way toward the tower, keeping an eye on the swarm of undead that surrounded the church. They watched me with their lifeless eyes, unable to breach the fortified walls. I reached the window and peeked inside, relieved to find no one in the tower. With a leap of faith, I jumped into the room and began searching for signs of life on the top floor.
The silence was palpable as I moved through the dusty room, my flashlight casting eerie shadows on the walls. Cobwebs hung in the corners, and the air felt heavy with the weight of the unknown. Despite the lack of any immediate danger, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that gnawed at the back of my mind. Something wasn't right here…