"What the hell? Still not dead?"
Seeing the driver, almost turned into a charred statue, still able to move and even let out a raspy groan, Anirudh, who had seen many horrifying things and cultivated nerves of steel, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
If a corpse moving could be explained by residual nerve signals, then what about this eerie moaning?
But if this person were still alive after suffering such burns, it was a concept that years of medical knowledge made impossible for Anirudh to accept.
"This is unscientific!"
"Boss, what's going on?"
Seeing Anirudh suddenly freeze in place without speaking, Chandan, whose vision was blocked by Anirudh, asked curiously.
"Something strange is happening. This person seems to..."
Anirudh turned around, ready to explain the bizarre scene to Chandan.
Bang!
But just as Anirudh turned his head, before he could finish speaking, the burned and twisted body of the driver suddenly convulsed violently. His charred, mangled right arm abruptly shot out from the distorted car window.
Ignoring the sharp glass and twisted metal tearing the flesh further, the arm grabbed Anirudh's jacket with startling force.
In an instant, Anirudh felt an immense strength pulling him toward the warped car window. He lost balance, slamming into the jagged edge of the window with a dull thud.
The collision left him momentarily dazed, sharp pain radiating from his forehead. His head had undoubtedly been cut by the jagged frame of the window.
But worse was yet to come.
Before Anirudh could react, the driver, whose half-crushed body was still stuck in the wreckage, suddenly opened his mangled mouth, full of broken teeth. Like a wild beast, he lunged toward Anirudh to bite him.
Frozen in shock, Anirudh could only watch as the grotesque face neared him, the stench of burnt flesh and blood overwhelming his senses.
At that moment, he felt death looming over him.
"Boss!"
However, fate showed mercy. Just as the driver's jaws were about to close in, Chandan reacted, pulling Chandan backward in the nick of time.
Crack!
Thanks to Chandan's timely intervention, Anirudh managed to escape the driver's grip. The driver bit down on nothing, producing a sharp sound as his teeth collided.
Roar!
Failing to bite its target, the driver snarled like a rabid dog, thrashing violently in the wreckage. His struggles caused the jagged shards of glass and metal to tear through his already mangled flesh, but he showed no signs of stopping or feeling pain.
"What the hell is this thing?"
Watching the driver behave like a crazed beast, Chandan fell to the ground in shock, exclaiming, "Is he insane?"
"Even a lunatic is still human. No one, no matter how mad, can move after sustaining injuries this severe!"
Regaining his composure, Anirudh examined the driver, who was still snarling and writhing. His face turned grim. "Something is very wrong here!"
Screams pierce the air.
Before Anirudh could process the situation, a blood-curdling scream erupted from not far away.
"What now?"
Anirudh turned sharply to see a medical worker being tackled by a blood-soaked figure. The attacker, resembling the driver in their mangled and horrific state, viciously tore into the medic's flesh.
Just like the driver, this figure was riddled with fatal injuries—gaping wounds and mutilated flesh that should have rendered any human immobile. Yet, it moved with terrifying ferocity, devouring its victim like a starving predator.
In the frenzy, the attacker's teeth cracked from the sheer force of biting, but it continued gnawing and swallowing flesh, paying no heed to the damage.
"Shit!"
Even Anirudh, accustomed to gruesome sights, found the scene nauseating. This level of savagery was beyond anything he'd encountered.
"It's a zombie! It's gotta be a zombie!"
Beside him, Chandan screamed in terror but with an inexplicable hint of excitement. "Boss, have you seen Resident Evil? These things are just like the zombies from the movies!"
"A zombie?"
Anirudh paused, disbelief clouding his thoughts. While he didn't often watch horror films, he knew enough to recognize the concept.
But zombies were supposed to be fictional, mere stories. Yet here, in front of him, was undeniable proof of their existence.
Reality didn't give him time to dwell on the revelation. Several more grotesque figures emerged from the wrecked vehicle, lunging at the nearby medical workers.
Their strength was horrifying. Despite their slow, jerky movements, their raw power overwhelmed the medics, who were quickly overrun and torn apart.
"Boss, we need to get out of here! If these things can infect people like in the movies, staying here is suicide!"
Chandan's panicked voice snapped Anirudh back to reality.
"Let's go. And call the police!"
Anirudh nodded, taking out his phone. With the area sealed off and most of the medics incapacitated, he knew staying would only lead to their deaths.
Crash!
But just as he dialed the number, a loud crack resounded from the car wreck.
Before he could react, something grabbed his leg with immense force, pulling him to the ground.
"What?!"
Anirudh looked down to see the charred, bloodied arm of the driver gripping his leg. The driver, now severed in half, had torn himself free from the wreckage, dragging his upper body toward Anirudh.
The grotesque sight sent chills down his spine. This creature had ripped itself apart to attack him!
"Damn it!"
Anirudh instinctively kicked at the creature's head, his thick boots smashing into its mangled face.
Thud!
The blow tore off chunks of flesh and broke two teeth, blackened blood oozing from the wounds.
Yet the creature didn't let go, pulling itself closer.
"Get off me!"
Driven by fear and desperation, Anirudh kicked repeatedly, his strikes growing more frantic. With each impact, the creature's skull deformed and fractured.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, its head caved in with a sickening crack. Its grip loosened, and the lifeless body slumped to the ground.
Panting heavily, Anirudh stood shakily, blood and gore staining his boots.
Before he could catch his breath, a faint buzzing sound reached his ears...