Ali pushed open the door to the top floor, stepping into a cavernous meeting room with towering glass walls that offered a panoramic view of the decaying city skyline. The room, designed to convey power and authority, was silent and empty save for a single decomposing corpse seated at the head of the table.
Approaching the corpse, Ali noticed a decayed handgun lying at its feet. He picked up the rusted weapon, inspecting it briefly before casting his gaze toward the body slumped in the head seat. A bullet hole marred the skull, a silent testimony to the final act of desperation.
"FUCK," Ali muttered, his voice low with irritation.
He glanced down at the interface displaying his personal mission status. Despite his efforts, it showed only one skyscraper cleared—a grim confirmation that some undead remained.
Frustration flickered in his eyes as he searched the meeting room for any overlooked clues, but the space revealed nothing more than the corpse and its somber surroundings. Ali dropped into one of the chairs beside the dead figure, only to feel a sudden, searing pain radiate from the mark on his forearm.
Alerted by the unexpected burn, he uncovered his wrist, watching as his own name glowed faintly against his skin.
Standing from the chair, Ali noticed the pain intensified as he neared the corpse.
Each step closer made the mark burn hotter, an unmistakable signal that he'd missed something vital.
Now standing beside the decayed figure, he inspected the body carefully. It was dressed in a suit, the pockets empty from previous searches. Yet, as he examined the jacket once more, his fingers brushed over a hidden pocket sewn discreetly into the lining. With a sharp tug, he tore it open, revealing a folded sheet of paper.
The mark on his forearm seared hotly one last time before the burning sensation vanished, confirming he'd found what he was meant to. He unfolded the decaying paper, its surface brittle with age, and studied the faded lines. It was an architectural blueprint for an underground laboratory.
"So that's it," Ali murmured, his eyes scanning the intricate design. "The lab entrance is hidden in a storage room, tucked beneath the stairs in the plaza-an elevator shaft leading down to a single-level lab twenty meters underground." Satisfied, he pocketed the blueprint, his path now set.
Descending to the plaza, Ali moved to the storage room he'd cleared earlier. The room was quiet, undisturbed, and dim. He ran his hand along the walls, his fingertips searching for any irregularities until he felt a subtle protrusion. Pressing against it, he heard a soft click, and a concealed section of the wall slid away to reveal a narrow, dark corridor.
He ducked through the entryway, the passage opening into a small space with metal doors-the entrance to the elevator. Ali pressed the button to call the elevator, but the button only clicked in silence; in this post-apocalyptic world, electricity was but a distant memory.
Sighing, he wedged his fingers into the gap between the elevator doors and forced them open with a grating screech.
Inside the shaft, Ali peered down into the inky depths. The lift itself wasn't on his level, likely stuck far below in the laboratory. Without hesitation, he muttered,
"Fuck it," before lowering himself into the shaft.
Pressing his hands and feet against the walls to slow his descent, he began the controlled drop down, his movements calculated and steady until he finally landed atop the elevator.
Drawing his quinque, he slashed through the metal roof, cutting a square hole large enough to drop through. He retracted the weapon, holstered it, and dropped inside the elevator.
Forcing the interior doors open, he stepped out into the underground facility.
The sight that met him was a dimly lit corridor stretching into shadow, its flickering lights casting erratic flashes against the walls. Ali advanced quietly, his boots muffling against the grimy tiles, until he reached a door on the side of the hallway. Inside, he found the research lab, dominated by a massive glass window that looked into an observation chamber.
Dried blood smeared the glass, rendering the view beyond almost entirely obscured. Curious, Ali sifted through the few surviving documents scattered around, picking up one report in particular that appeared intact.
He read aloud from the brittle pages: "We've created something more... much, much more dangerous and lethal. The virus empowers the infected, accelerating bodily enhancements at an unprecedented rate. WARNING: Do not allow the specimen to interact with previous-generation subjects, as it transmits the evolved virus even post-mortem, infecting others and granting them increased strength." Ali's lips twisted into a grim smile.
'Stronger zombies. Finally, something that might offer more of a challenge than the pitiful husks l've been slaughtering all day', he thought, the familiar rush of battle anticipation stirring within him.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a monstrous sound reverberating from the observation chamber—a guttural, primal roar that echoed through the metal corridors.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The scream rattled the walls, sending a faint tremor through the floor. Ali's gaze sharpened as he slipped out of the lab, moving with deliberate slowness back into the main corridor.
In the pulsing light, he could just make out a tall, shadowed figure at the far end of the hall. The lights flickered off, plunging the corridor into darkness, then flared back on to reveal the creature had advanced.
Ali's eyes focused on the creature as it finally came into clear view. Standing over six feet tall, the mutated zombie was a grotesque specimen of raw power.
Muscles bulged beneath its pallid skin, the sinews straining as though they might rip free at any moment. Dark blue and green veins pulsed visibly across its frame, adding to its terrifying appearance. The creature's mouth hung open, thick drool spilling from its jaws as its soulless eyes fixed on Ali.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The creature screamed again, the sound raw and deafening. Then, with a sudden, brutal acceleration, it lunged down the corridor, each step thundering against the ground in a cacophony that echoed through the underground facility.
Ali remained still, his posture deceptively relaxed as he watched the beast barrel toward him. Most people would flee in terror at the sight of such a monstrous, frenzied opponent, or collapse in paralysed fear. But Ali merely smirked, his eyes glinting with dark excitement.
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