After killing the 3 meters tall zombie, both Kofi and Morningstar couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.
Each move both of them made was filled with caution. They weren't only cautious of the zombie moves but themselves.
After the changes, both Morningstar and Kofi knew things had changed and for power, their kinds won't hesitate to backstab them.
As Morningstar and Kofi surveyed the remains of the zombie, they couldn't help but feel puzzled. It had been a difficult battle, and yet the creature had not dropped any of the usual spoils of war, no runes, no weapons and probably even treasures.
"What kind of zombie is this?" Kofi mused, scratching his head in bemusement. "Something doesn't feel right." _It doesn't have a soul?_
Morningstar nodded in agreement. "I've never encountered anything like this before."
"Maybe its skin has some kind of value?" Kofi mused aloud. "Like in those stories where the main character extracts valuable materials from a corpse. Perhaps it's a similar case here?"
Morningstar raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "I'm not sure I want to skin a zombie and find out, we don't even know what's valuable in it," he said, a look of amusement on his face.
Kofi laughed, his expression lightening a little. "You're probably right. Let's just get out of here before anything else happens." Kofi agreed, scanning the area. "I thought you were being chased by a mutant cat and a zombie. What happened to the zombie?"
Morningstar frowned, his brow furrowing. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I was so focused on escaping and after the battle with the cat and then the huge zombie I didn't see it again, maybe it wasn't able to keep up its speed."
Kofi let out a sigh as he considered the possibilities. "Whatever the case, we should probably return."
With that, both of them made a U-turn and headed towards the opposite side which led to the school hail, On the way they hunted zombies and mutants and if they discovered any high-level zombie or mutants they sneaked away from it, slowly but surely their strengths kept increasing albeit on a low level, They even got some low-level types of equipment which were of no use to them but they took it in order to trade with others.
****
Just over 100 meters away, a group of about 30 men and women dressed in military uniforms could be seen moving purposefully through the school grounds. They were moving with a clear sense of purpose, their eyes hard and their bodies radiating a powerful killing intent. Some of them bore scars from past battles, giving them a fierce and battle-hardened appearance.
There was no question that these people were experienced fighters.
When the mysterious voice had spoken throughout the Earth, some of the soldiers had been lucky enough to be transported to the same location where they were confronted by a horde of zombies and thanks to their military training, they were able to quickly adapt and battle the zombies while some weak will civilians choose to escape to safety, while others soldiers were killed in the process.
The survivors had emerged from the battle stronger than ever before, their martial arts skills having evolved and their strength having increased dramatically.
Even Morningstar with his current skills might still be defeated by them.
No matter what kind of zombies or mutants they encountered, the soldiers would quickly and efficiently eliminate them. They worked together seamlessly, each one supporting the other to ensure the group's safety.
As the soldiers were making their way through the rubble of the school grounds, a zombie suddenly burst out from one of the collapsed buildings. It was as if it had been lying in wait, prepared to ambush them at the first opportunity.
The zombie moved with lightning speed, heading straight for one of the soldiers. The soldier, who was muscular and over two meters tall, didn't hesitate. With a cold snort, he reached out and grabbed the zombie's incoming fist.
Bam!
The impact was immense, but the soldier was prepared. He used a mysterious martial arts style to absorb the force of the punch into his legs, causing the ground beneath him to tremble. Without a moment's hesitation, he twisted the zombie's fist in a clockwise direction, breaking the bone. Then, he pulled the zombie towards him and unleashed a devastating punch to its chest.
Bam!
The zombie's chest caved in with a sickening crunch, and it was sent flying backwards like a rag doll, hitting the ground with a heavy thud even though its body was still twitching.
"You think you can ambush us? What a weak creature." The soldier scoffed with a look of disdain on his face. "You're a pathetic excuse for an undead creature. I wish I could make you feel the pain you deserve, but you don't have the capacity to feel anything. How disappointing." He sighed as he moved towards the twitching zombie who was still trying to rise, but the soldier had no patience for it. He lifted his foot and brought it crashing down onto the zombie's head with a sickening crunch. The head split open like a ripe watermelon and the zombie went still.
The soldier's expression remained unchanged, his eyes cold and ruthless. He was a warrior, trained to fight with ruthless efficiency and killing a being that only operates based on instincts does not affect his mental state.
"Ambrose, let's keep moving," a girl's voice called out from the group.
"Aye, let's not linger here any longer than we have to anyway," Ambrose replied, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.
His gaze swept over the corpse of the zombie, and he reached down to pick up a rune that had dropped from its body.
The girl, who seemed to be the leader of the group, nodded and began to move forward.
The rest of the group followed.
"Where do you think we should head next?" one of the soldiers asked, his eyes scanning the remains of the school. The classrooms, offices, and dormitories were half-collapsed, making it difficult to tell where they should go.
The thought of all the students who might have been trapped in the rubble weighed heavily on his mind.
The others in the group were equally silent, each lost in their own thoughts. The destruction was overwhelming, and it was hard to imagine what the survivors must have been through.
"After much struggle, I've finally contacted the top, it seems they want us to find any living human and gather them together." the leader said finally, breaking the silence.
As the group started moving, one of the soldiers suddenly stopped, closing his eyes as if he were concentrating on something. The others stopped as well, looking at him with puzzled expressions.
"What is it, Kain?" Andrew asked.
Kain, who was silent for a moment, his eyes still closed, as if he were concentrating on something. Finally, he opened his eyes and said, "I can hear the sounds of fighting coming from somewhere in the distance. Also, it's short and quick."
The others exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of this news. The sound of fighting could mean anything, it could be other survivors fighting for their lives, or it could be a new threat that they had yet to encounter which was going rampage on its kind.
"What should we do?" One of the soldiers asked.
"We need to investigate," the leader said, her voice firm. ''No human is to be left stranded."
Kain took the lead, his sharp senses on high alert as he navigated the group around any obstacles that might slow them down. They moved swiftly, their footsteps devoid of sounds.
After several minutes of moving through the school premises, the group came to a dead end. A collapsed building blocked their way, and it was clear that they would not be able to move forward.
"The sounds of fighting came from the other side of this building," Kain said in a calm voice. He turned to the group's leader, waiting for her orders.
The leader frowned, considering their options. Looking at the blockage she made up her mind.
"Kain, you and Ambrose should climb up the collapsed building," the leader said. "Kain, your sharp senses will help you detect any dangers, and Ambrose, your combat skills will help you both deal with any threats we find. You two should be able to handle whatever's on the other side."
Kain and Ambrose nodded and moved to climb the rubble without hesitation. It was as if the leader's words were absolute law, and they would not question them.
In just a few minutes, the two were on top of the collapsed building, scouting out the area.
"Captain, you have to come up here and see this!" Ambrose's usually calm voice was now filled with urgency which made the rest of the group look at each other with concern. Whatever Ambrose had seen, it must be serious.
The captain nodded and began to climb the rubble and the rest of the group followed closely behind.
When they reached the top, they all froze, taking in the sight before them. It was a sight that shocked them.
"What or who the hell could have killed such a powerful zombie?" one of them blurted out in shock, unable to contain their disbelief at the sight of the headless corpse.
The captain remained silent, their eyes fixed on the gruesome sight.
The rest of the group stood in stunned silence, unable to wrap their minds around what they were seeing.
Why wouldn't they be shocked when they had already met such a zombie previously and it killed over 15 of their men?
(≧▽≦)