"Boss, are you alright?"
Before Anirudh could fully process what had just happened, Chandan, who had initially run a few steps away, quickly returned. Supporting a somewhat dazed Anirudh, he asked nervously, "You weren't bitten by that thing, were you?"
"No..."
Anirudh glanced at the motionless zombie on the ground, its shattered skull still oozing blood and brain matter, and shook his head.
"Good, then let's move! The other zombies are coming!"
Relieved to hear that Anirudh wasn't bitten, Chandan grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away from the scene.
Only now did Anirudh notice that the zombies, previously feasting on the bodies of the paramedics they had killed, were no longer preoccupied with eating. Instead, they staggered to their feet and began advancing toward them.
"They still have food, but they're choosing to hunt us instead…"
Anirudh's heart sank. "These things… are they like piranhas? Relentless until their prey is completely destroyed?"
He had initially hoped to eliminate the zombies one by one while they were distracted with their feast. But it seemed he had underestimated their behavior.
"Brother, why are you standing there? Run!"
Chandan became frantic when he saw Anirudh rooted to the spot, observing the slowly approaching zombies.
"You go ahead. I'm staying."
Remembering what the system had told him, Anirudh shook his head, then crouched down to pick up a crowbar lying nearby. It had likely been left by first responders attempting to extricate victims from a car crash.
The crowbar was about a meter and a half long, with a double-pronged head on one side and a sharp, single-pronged end on the other. It was heavy, at least 10 kilograms, and seemed like a decent weapon against zombies with vulnerable skulls.
"Are you insane, Anirudh?!"
Chandan shouted in disbelief. "This is not the time to play hero! Just because you took down a crippled zombie doesn't mean you can handle the rest! You're going to die!"
"I don't want to die. That's why I'm staying!"
Anirudh looked at the approaching zombies, their stiff movements gradually clearing obstacles in their path. Taking a deep breath, he said firmly, "You go. This is my fight!"
If the system was correct, this was just the beginning of the apocalypse. More zombies would likely appear elsewhere. Instead of running, it was better to face them head-on now, while their numbers were still manageable.
"Anirudh, you bastard!"
Cursing loudly, Chandan suddenly picked up a crowbar of his own. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I must be crazy to stay here with you and get myself killed. If I die, it'll be your fault!"
"This isn't your problem! Leave now!"
Anirudh felt a rush of warmth at Chandan's loyalty, despite his fear. But he still snapped, "You're useless in a fight. Don't get in my way!"
"I'm your assistant, so I'm staying!" Chandan retorted angrily. "Stop talking crap and get ready! Remember to aim for their heads! And don't get too close—these things aren't fast in the movies, so we should be able to handle them… Oh, crap!"
Before Chandan could finish his sentence, the zombie at the front, which had been staggering moments ago, suddenly lunged forward like a crocodile smelling blood. It moved several times faster than before, pouncing on Anirudh with alarming speed!
To hell with movie zombies!
"Die!"
Thankfully, the zombie's speed, while fast, wasn't unmanageable. Prepared for an attack, Anirudh roared and swung the crowbar with both hands, aiming for the zombie's head.
However, either due to the zombie's unexpected speed or his inexperience, Anirudh's crowbar hit the zombie's left shoulder instead of its head.
Thud!
The impact tore through the zombie's shoulder, ripping flesh apart as the crowbar's momentum carried it toward the head. Unfortunately, the initial deflection caused the strike to miss its mark. Instead of smashing the skull, the crowbar grazed the zombie's face, tearing off half its cheek and destroying an eye.
For a living human, such an injury would be fatal. But for a zombie, whose only weak point was its brain, this damage was insignificant. It only stumbled slightly before regaining balance and lunging at Anirudh again, its gaping, fleshless mouth wide open.
But this time, Anirudh was ready.
As the zombie leaped for the second time, Anirudh swung the crowbar once more. This time, he didn't miss.
Thud!
With a loud crack, the crowbar slammed into the zombie's temple. The sharp prongs pierced deep into its skull, shattering the bone and sending fragments flying. The blow was so powerful that the zombie's brain was crushed like a shattered tofu, splattering blood and tissue everywhere.
The zombie fell lifelessly to the ground, its head a broken mess.
At the same moment, a faint blue light emerged from the zombie's corpse and merged into Anirudh's body.
Zap!
A strange sensation washed over him—a soothing, invigorating energy coursed through his blood, muscles, and bones, as though a clear spring was purifying his body. Anirudh could feel himself growing stronger, his muscles firmer and his body lighter.
The system was right—killing zombies greatly accelerated his progress in cultivating the "Ancient Body Tempering Technique".
However, there was no time to celebrate.
As the first zombie collapsed, two more rushed at Anirudh from opposite directions like ravenous wolves.
"Damn it!"
Anirudh clenched his teeth. Even with his newfound strength, facing two zombies at once was incredibly dangerous. A single mistake could cost him his life.
"Get away from him!"
Just then, Chandan charged forward, swinging his crowbar at one of the zombies.
Though his strike lacked power, it managed to knock the zombie off balance, sending it stumbling to the side. But the reprieve was short-lived, as the zombie quickly recovered and lunged at Chandan.
Meanwhile, more zombies were staggering toward them from the distance, including the paramedics who had recently been killed. Their bodies began twitching unnaturally as they prepared to rise.
These creatures could indeed spread their infection.
"We need to finish this quickly!"
With no time to waste, Anirudh gripped his crowbar tightly and launched himself at the zombie in front of him.