Swoosh!
An arrow or rather a bolt flew through the air in a dimly lit corridor and made its way toward its intended target.
"Growl..." The unsuspecting Zombie didn't even know what hit it before it collapsed on the floor as the bolt hits in its head.
Peering cautiously from around the corner, Aki surveyed the area, confirming its safety.
"One more down. It seems safe now," she reported to the group gathered behind her.
"Good job, Aki," Haru commended, leading the way cautiously as they ventured out into the now illuminated corridor.
Wooden logs burned in their hands, providing much-needed light as they were on their way toward the Auditorium, following the end of the music after tenth time that had lured the majority of the zombies out of the building.
Although a handful of the Zombies still lurked around, presenting a potential threat. But despite the danger, they seemed more than prepared enough.
Haru firmly gripped his sword, Aki steadied her crossbow, while the rest of the group wielded metal rods salvaged from the lab. Furthermore, strapped to their waists were the Molotov cocktails, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice should the need arise.
"Nice Aki-chan! I think we won't even need to fight if you simply kill the Zombie from afar. But how come you still haven't leveled up yet?" Orimura patted Aki's back and asked.
"I think I need to kill two more to level up." Aki replied after checking her System Stats.
"Let's not get too relaxed just yet," Haru cautioned, observing their wariness begin to wane as the absence of zombies became apparent. "The moment we step outside this building, things won't be easy. Please, don't let your guard down."
Listening to Haru's warning, the group tightened their grips on their weapons, shedding any lingering casualness.
As they were standing on the ground floor corridor, the exit was right before them, urging them to proceed with caution.
Their destination, the Auditorium, laid just two buildings away from their position. The distance wasn't too far, but it wasn't close either. This meant that despite the reduction in the number of zombies, they could still encounter significant danger as they would venture outside.
"Are you all ready?" Haru asked as his solemn face was seen under the light of burning log, seeking confirmation from the others.
Seeing the determination in their eyes, he nodded. "Let's go!"
With a resolute shout from Haru, they all sprinted toward the exit, their hearts pounding with anticipation and apprehension
Leaving the exit behind, their group soon emerged outside the building into the open starry sky. Tension was high on their faces as they ran as fast as they could, and luckily for them the outside seemed devoid of the Zombie.
But it wasn't completely devoid.
There on the ground laid multiple bodies, bitten and torn apart in a gruesome scene of mass carnage.
"!!" The scene was so horrible that it almost made the others puke because of the stench and the gruesome sight.
While the corridors within the building were also tainted with blood and human flesh, their hurried movement and the darkness had obscured much of the gruesome details. However, in the moonlight outside, the full extent of the carnage brought to their attention once again the sheer horror of the apocalypse that was ongoing.
"Don't think about it! Just keep on running!" Haru urged them, his voice firm as he steered the group, keeping their focus away from the gruesome scene.
Even though the immediate danger might not be in sight, Haru understood the importance of not allowing any distractions to halt their progress toward their destination.
Hearing Haru's words, the group moved their troubled yet saddened gazes away from the corpses of the students and teachers and made their way toward their destination. It was hard for them, but they also knew what had to be done.
"We're almost there! Just past that corner! Don't slow down!" Haru urged them again.
As they hurried along the way, their relief mounted as they encountered no zombies, and the Auditorium was not too far ahead.
However, their relief was short-lived as they went past the corner.
The moment they turned left from the corner, the path ahead was shrouded in darkness, with the building's shadow blocking the moonlight.
But as their torches illuminated the scene, their bodies instinctively froze, refusing to take another step forward.
"Growl!!"
It wasn't the zombies that brought them to a sudden halt, but the horrifying sight that unfolded before their eyes.
"!!" A chill ran through their spine as they found their way blocked by five Zombies who seemed to be munching on the bodies of the two students, who seemed barely alive.
"P...Pl..eas...e... He..." Seeing Haru and others, one of the students whose legs were being eaten looked at them with teary yet frightened eyes and pleaded for help.
But it wasn't long before the light within his eyes went away.
"GROWL!!"
The others were so stunned by the gruesome and horrifying scene that they momentarily forgot about the approaching threat of the zombies, who had apparently abandoned the dead students and were now heading in their direction.
"EVERYONE, FOCUS!!! AKI!! KUGA!!! SUPPORT ME!!" Haru urgently called out to them as he sprinted toward the nearest zombie.
"Shit!!" Yoshida cursed under his breath, but he quickly joined in to assist Haru.
Aki, though badly shaken by the sight, aimed her crossbow, her hands trembling from the shock. Despite her erratic emotions, she knew the urgency of the situation and had to support Haru.
In the front, as Haru closed in on the approaching zombie, he thrusted the burning log toward it.
"Growl!!" The zombie appeared to flinch as it encountered the fire, sensing the impending danger.
"HA!!" Haru took advantage of the distraction and swung his sword at the zombie's neck, cleanly severing its head.
[You have killed a level 2 Zombie! 3 EXP Gained!]
As Haru shifted his attention to the next approaching zombie, a third one unexpectedly lunged at him.
"Be careful, you idiot!! You're not alone!" Yoshida's shout rang out as he swiftly stepped in to assist, striking the head of the third zombie.
"Thanks!" Haru shouted, feeling a sense of relief that he wasn't facing this alone as he had earlier in the day.
Swiftly sidestepping to avoid the grasping jaws of the incoming zombie, Haru thrust his sword directly at its head.
Thug! The sword pierced the zombie's skull with a decisive blow, instantly ending its threat.
[You have killed a level 2 Zombie!]
Just as Haru prepared to handle the remaining two zombies, a bolt and a Molotov cocktail came flying from behind him, finding their marks with precision.
"GROWL!!!" One of the zombies immediately dropped to the ground by a precise shot to the head, while the other howled in agony as flames consumed its face, eventually collapsing on the ground.
"Is everyone alright?"
With the immediate danger subdued, Haru turned back to check on the group.
But all he saw was expressions of fear and panic.
"What's wrong?" he inquired, sensing their distress.
"H-Haru-" Aki stammered, her hand trembling as she pointed ahead.
"!!" It was then that a spine-chilling growl, unlike any they had encountered before, suddenly pierced the air, sending a shiver down Haru's spine.
[WARNING!]
[You have encountered an Awakened Level 5 Beast, Black Dog!]