The zombie in front of them was drenched in blood, with bits of flesh clinging to its palms and mouth. This creature wasn't some random mutation; it had clearly been planned.
As the few remaining diners screamed and bolted toward the stairs, it became obvious that nobody wanted to stick around for what could either be a crazed murderer or a zombie. Both were bad news for any bystanders.
However, Daphne stood frozen in place, paralyzed with fear. As the grotesque creature hurtled toward them with unnatural speed, it seemed as if she had been put under some kind of spell—unable to move a muscle.
Novak, on the other hand, smiled faintly as if oblivious to the approaching danger. He calmly pierced a piece of steak on his plate with a knife and fork and took a bite, his demeanor completely unaffected.
He looked up at Daphne, who was visibly tense, while the zombie closed in on them with the speed of a full-grown man sprinting at full force.
A roar echoed through the air.
The smell of blood was now thick in the room, and in the corner, Nicole had already aimed her Type 54 pistol at the charging figure. She was prepared to shoot the zombie dead the moment it got out of control.
But just as the creature reached within two steps of their table, Novak suddenly stood up.
No one could see what happened next. Not even Daphne, who was right there, could follow his movements.
In less than a second, the ferocious zombie was pinned to the high-end wooden dining table. Its hands, now overlapping in an awkward position, were skewered by a sharp steak knife, trapping the creature in place.
Dark, blackened blood splattered across the table, staining the barely-touched steak.
Yet despite the pain it should have been feeling, the zombie remained crazed in its hunger for flesh. But strangely enough, even though it was an uncontrollable monster driven by the virus, it seemed to ignore Novak completely.
From beginning to end, its bloodshot eyes were fixated on Daphne. Even as it remained pinned to the table just half a meter away, its gaping, bloodied mouth continued snapping wildly in her direction.
Frenzied.
Desperate for flesh.
Daphne, despite all her experience and composure, had never come face-to-face with something so horrifying. She could feel the raw terror this creature emanated.
But what truly chilled her was the faint smile on Novak's face as he sat back down, nonchalantly pinning the zombie's hands without bothering to finish it off as she had expected.
The creature continued its mad attempts to lunge at her, teeth gnashing in the air.
Daphne's breath hitched as she forced herself to remain calm. "Novak… what is this? Is it… like the zombies from the movies?"
Novak glanced at her, still smiling. "Shouldn't Aunt Song know better than I do? Didn't you arrange for this thing to be left here?"
He turned his gaze to the corner, where Nicole stood, weapon ready. "And you, beauty in the corner, you can lower that piece of iron now."
At that moment, Daphne's face paled even further.
Novak, without breaking his calm, gestured toward the zombie. Though its hands were pinned to the table, he leaned closer the creature, allowing its head to inch closer to Daphne's face.
Even Daphne, with all her composure, instinctively flinched and leaned back.
But Novak's grease-slicked hand came down gently on her head, forcing her to remain still. She couldn't move. All she could do was watch as the monster's bloodied mouth drew nearer, its foul breath now inches from her face.
"Let go of Madam!" A voice barked.
Novak glanced at the armed bodyguard, who was now pointing a Type 54 caliber pistol at him, along with a burly man in a black suit standing behind him.
These bodyguards, armed in such a blatant manner, were a clear indication of Daphne's influence in De M-anila.
But Novak remained completely unconcerned. He had long anticipated Daphne's moves and her attempts at manipulation.
Guns? He didn't care about them. After the apocalypse began, most firearms would be rendered useless, nothing more than hunks of metal. And even now, although a direct hit from a Type 54 might be a challenge for his constitution, with his agility and reflexes already reaching near-superhuman levels, none of them could even dream of hitting him.
So Novak paid them no mind. Instead, he looked back at Daphne, who was struggling to maintain her composure. Without hesitation, he pushed the zombie's head even closer to her.
Boom!
A loud, muffled shot rang out. But Novak only looked at Daphne with calm indifference, a smile tugging at his lips as he uttered a single warning.
"This is the first—and the last—time."
At that moment, Daphne's expression shifted. She finally understood what kind of monster Novak truly was.
More importantly, she realized that behind his coldness, there was no room for negotiation. He really could kill her and everyone else in the room if he wanted to.
Hurriedly, she stammered, "It's… it's just a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding!"
Novak chuckled. He had never truly intended to kill her. His hand, still slightly greasy, moved from the back of Daphne's head to her cheek, gently brushing her soft skin with his fingertips.
"You don't have to beat around the bush, Aunt Song. If you have something to say, just say it directly. It's boring to play games like this. And most importantly, my time is quite precious. Don't waste it with these childish tricks."
With that, Novak gripped the zombie's head like it was a ball, and with a swift motion, he twisted it.
Crack!
The zombie's head snapped clean off, its neck twisting like a child's toy. Bits of sticky flesh and dark, congealed blood spilled out, much like the filling of a twisted ham sausage.
The severed head thudded to the ground, while black blood poured from the neck, splattering across Daphne's elegant purple cheongsam.
Novak smiled coolly, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Go change your clothes. Then we'll talk again."
Without another glance, he turned and waved, stepping casually into the elevator as if nothing had happened.
Daphne sat motionless, the cold dampness from her seat slowly spreading beneath her. Her eyes fell on the broken corpse at her feet and the severed zombie head on the plate. She could no longer hold back her emotions.
For the first time, Queen Song, the woman who commanded so much power in De M-anila City, broke down in silent tears!