After getting familiar with their improved strength and new weapons, the duo cautiously advanced through to the staircase leading down to the ground floor. But all they could see on their path was pieces of limbs and body parts of both humans and zombies.
Most likely, the Clicker didn't discriminate between humans and zombies, killing everything in its path. This, of course should lessen their worries somewhat as it'll reduce their chances of running into a zombie or a group of zombies randomly walking about.
After reaching the ground floor, the duo carefully looked around for any signs of danger before heading toward the building's exit.
Before they reached the exit, they could already hear the shrill screams of students and staff, filled with dread and despair. They hesitated, unsure whether to proceed or keep hiding within the building.
Damien glanced at Finch, who stood beside him with a fearful expression, his trembling hands clutching the crossbow close to his chest. He knew Finch was scared—heck, even he was struggling to suppress the dread he felt.
Surviving inside the building was much easier than outside, where numerous zombies and powerful, unknown creatures seemed to appear out of nowhere. Inside, there were only a few zombies to contend with.
Damien knew that they would have to be prepared to face attacks from several directions until they arrived at the coliseum. But he couldn't falter now. He bit down hard on his lip, regaining a sense of clarity and newfound determination.
They had obtained powerful skills and weapons and were also much stronger than the average human, which should be enough to protect them from harm—for now, at least.
He took a deep breath and calmed Finch down with a pat on his shoulder. "We shouldn't be scared now that we've come this far. We should be able to protect ourselves with the weapons we've acquired. Who knows, we might even be able to increase our strength by killing a lot of zombies on our way. You know, like in the VR games."
Damien's words managed to calm Finch down, and he nodded his head with a glint of determination. "You are right, Quinn."
Damien nodded and opened the doors.
A blinding flash of light greeted their eyes, which cleared up moments later.
That momentary flash turned out to be rays of the sun. He squinted and, with some difficulty, raised his head towards the sky, noticing two additional suns. They were of equal size to the first and formed a triangle.
Damien quickly withdrew his gaze, feeling his eyes turn sore from just looking at the three suns. The duo were shocked by the massive changes the Evermoon World had undergone.
The presence of three suns created a surreal and dynamic environment, with the landscapes constantly bathed in varying intensities of light.
The once-familiar world now had a strange, dreamlike quality, with shadows shifting unpredictably as the suns moved in their triangular dance across the sky.
The heat was also unevenly distributed; some areas scorched under the intense rays of the combined suns, while others remained cool and dark, almost untouched by the light.
Damien and Finch stood frozen on the spot, their eyes went wide with a mixture of awe and disbelief as they took in the surreal landscape before them. The once-familiar world they knew with relative confidence now felt utterly alien.
Damien's breath caught in his throat as he tried to process the scene—three suns casting overlapping rays, distorting the shadows and painting the terrain with colors he had never seen before.
He felt a strange mix of wonder and dread, his mind struggling to reconcile the beauty of the sight with the danger it represented.
Finch who was usually the more reserved of the two, couldn't help but take a few uncertain steps forward, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to comprehend the enormity of the transformation.
His hand instinctively tightened around his weapon, though he knew it was little protection against the unknown forces that had reshaped their world.
The once-stable ground under their feet now seemed to pulse with a life of its own, as if the very earth was responding to the chaotic energy in the sky.
Damien glanced at Finch and saw his own fear reflected back at him, though it was tempered with a flicker of intense interest.
The two of them were like explorers in a new, dangerous land, unsure whether to be thrilled by the discovery or terrified by what it might mean for their survival. Damien felt his resolve harden; whatever the changes meant, they had to keep moving.
He placed a steadying hand on Finch's shoulder, feeling the tremble in his friend's body. "We'll figure this out," Damien muttered, though the words felt hollow even to him.
Finch nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on the sky, where the three suns hung like ominous beacons. The world had changed, and so too would they have to, if they were going to survive in this new reality.
*******
In the crimson glow of the three suns, Damien and Finch moved cautiously, like shadows through the chaotic school grounds.
The once-vibrant Dawnstar Academy was now a
battleground, screams full of dread and despair reverberating through the school grounds and rotting corpses lumbering through the smoke-filled air.
Damien led the way, his sharp eyes looked focused as he held his recently acquired weapon, Nightshade, which was gleaming in the eerie light or the tri-suns.
Each swing of his sword was accurate and with practiced ease, severing limbs and
decapitating zombies with ruthless efficiency.
The golden light of his status window kept flashing continuously with every kill but he ignored it for the time being. With every continuous kill, he became more proficient with the longsword.
Finch was right behind him with Stormpiercer in hand as he picked off the undead with pinpoint accuracy.
The soft twang of the bowstring was followed by the sickening thud of bolts finding their mark, piercing skulls and stopping the monsters in their tracks.
Despite the gruesome scene, Finch's face remained calm and at ease, a stark contrast to the terror etched on the faces of the few students and staff they had managed to save.
The group of survivors huddled close to the duo with fearful expressions. They numbered about twelve, with ten being students and two teaching staff.
"Move!"
Damien barked, his voice cutting through the groans of the undead and the screams of the survivors. He slashed through a cluster of zombies blocking their path, their bodies collapsing in a heap at his feet.
Finch spotted a group of terrified students huddled near the entrance to the science block. Without hesitation, he rushed over while taking down the few zombies that threatened to get too close.
"Come on! We have to get to the coliseum!" he urged, ushering them forward.
The group ran as fast as they could, with Damien and Finch forming a protective barrier around them.
As they neared the coliseum, the group spotted a massive figure closing in on them—a zombie much larger than the others, even larger than the Clicker they had killed in the cafeteria. It charges towards them with terrifying speed and ferocity despite its body mass.
As its massive frame advanced, it destroyed everything in its path, both humans and zombies. Its movements were violent and each strike was powered by a dark energy coursing through its veins.
The force behind its blows shattered a few building walls close to it, and its roar was a deafening, throaty sound which paralyzed its preys with fear before certain death.
It let out a long throaty roar while charging toward them with surprising speed.
Damien paused and observed the massive beast charging towards them with scrunched brows. It stood over three meters tall and its once-human frame is now grotesquely enhanced by the dark energies that animate it.
The creature's skin is reddish-black and stretched taut over bulging muscles that ripple with unnatural strength. Its veins were pulsing with a sickly crimson glow that snake across its body while feeding its insatiable wrath.
Its face looked hideously enraged and it had eyes that burn like molten coals which glowed with an unquenchable fire. The creature's skull is partially exposed, the flesh having sloughed away to reveal cracked bone beneath. From its head, sharp, bony protrusions were visible, adding to its monstrous appearance.
Its arms were disproportionately long and powerful, and its clawed hands looked capable of tearing through steel. On its back were ridges of hardened bone, forming a natural armor that makes it nearly impervious to conventional weapons.
As it moved, the ground beneath its feet seems to tremble and each step left behind a scorched imprint as if its very rage burns the earth.
The sight of the behemoth charging towards them sent the few survivors into a panic. Most of them quickly took to their heels, abandoning the group as they fled for their lives.
Only four of the original twelve remained, too petrified to move, their hopes resting solely on the two powerful students standing in front.