After saying those words to Shaun, Sylas looked at the zombies surging toward him and, without hesitation he sprinted away from the door. The zombies behind him were left far behind, but he constantly attracted the zombies ahead.
As another wave of zombies blocked his path, Sylas narrowed his eyes and tightened his hold on the knife in each hand and charged forward. With clean and efficient strikes, he took down the zombies. The zombies, with their decayed hands were clawing at the air and their broken teeth were snapping hungrily as they began to close in on Sylas.
Sylas dodged the zombie's claws and spun on his heel and delivered a powerful kick, sending several zombies stumbling backward. Then with swift motion, he jumped, planting his feet against the nearby wall. Using the momentum, he vaulted over the heads of the grasping zombies, landing on the other side with agility. Then, without wasting a second, he continued to sprint, the groans and shuffling of the zombies were fading behind him.
Sylas lured the zombies away from the alley, drawing them away toward him. He emerged once again from the alley onto the road next to the mansion.
Zombies were gathering on the road, attracted by the noise from earlier. Hearing the cries of the child on Sylas's back, the zombies on the road immediately turned their attention toward him.
Sylas panted, gasping for breath. His eyes
narrowed as he scanned the zombies
surrounding him. Taking a deep breath, he
straightened his back and began to sprint
once more. He knocked zombies aside as
he ran, some managing to grab at his clothes, but Sylas shrugged them off
forcefully. Wrestling free from their grasp,
he pushed forward. The road ahead
swarmed with more zombies surging
toward him.
A zombie with messy hair and dirty, tattered clothes moved toward him from the front. Sylas brandished his knife, ready for action. The zombie lunged at him, claws outstretched, but Sylas grabbed its hand and, with his other hand, plunged the sharp blade into the side of its head, piercing its temple. Before he could catch his breath, another zombie charged at him from the left. Sylas twisted the knife still lodged in the first zombie's head, yanked it free, and immediately thrust it toward the zombie on his left.
The zombies behind him caught up at that
moment, their attention fixated on the child strapped to his back. Sylas, moving with nimble footwork, dodged the approaching zombies and lifted his leg to kick the nearest one in the chest. The force sent it stumbling backward, knocking over the others behind it. Without wasting a second, Sylas spun on his heels and sprinted forward. He sheathed his knives and pulled out the gun he was carrying at his side, immediately firing at the zombies blocking his path ahead.
He cleared the zombies around the abandoned car and sprinted toward it. If he could drive away, it would be much safer. Reaching the vehicle, Sylas yanked the door open and jumped inside. He quickly turned the key in the ignition, but the car refused to start. Gritting his teeth, he tried again. The engine sputtered to life for a brief moment before dying once more.
"F...k!" Sylas slammed his hand on the steering wheel, cursing loudly.
Through the windshield, he could see the swarm of zombies surging toward the car. The child, squeezed between him and the seat was still crying.
'He was so weak just moments ago. Where did he find the strength to cry so long and loud just now?' Sylas thought as he gripped the steering wheel tightly, lowering his head in frustration. He stayed like that for a few seconds before lifting his head and straightening his back.
Pulling the baby from his back to his front, he adjusted the cloth securing the child, tightening it to keep him safe. He gently patted the child, his voice softening as he looked at the tear-streaked face with a faint smile. "Don't cry, baby. Don't cry... The monsters outside will eat us if you keep crying, and we won't be able to go see Mommy."
The child's sobs slowed, his swollen eyes blinking as he looked up at Sylas.
"Mommy…" he whimpered, tears still rolling down his cheeks.
"Yes, we'll go see Mommy. Look, the monsters will come and eat us if you cry, so don't cry, okay?" Sylas said, pointing out the zombies surging toward them through the car window, showing the child the danger outside.
The little boy in his arms trembled, rubbing his eyes with his tiny hands before clutching tightly to Sylas's clothes. "D-du du... won't cry... hic... afraid... monsters," the child stuttered with a hiccup.
"Your name is Dudu? What a lovely name," Sylas chuckled. This was the first time he had ever tried to coax a child in his twenty-five years of life, and he never imagined it would happen in a situation like this.
Sylas smiled at the little boy and said, "Okay, brother will protect you from the monsters, so don't cry, alright? You don't want to be eaten by zombies, do you?"
The child nodded, his small head bobbing up and down, and softly replied, "Listen to b-brother."
"Okay, good boy. Don't be afraid now, close your eyes and sleep, okay?" Sylas said softly as he raised his gun again, shooting down the zombies in front of him before pushing open the car door and stepping out.
He quickly drew his knives once more, keeping the gun at his side. It was almost out of bullets, and he wanted to save it for an emergency.
Sylas ran ahead, scanning for a suitable car to drive. The zombies up ahead spotted him and charged toward him. Holding the child in his arms, Sylas jumped into the air, spinning around to kick the zombies away while twirling the knife in his hand, stabbing it into the heads of the zombies as he moved.
He continued to rush forward, but as he turned a corner on the road, his pupils constricted. Ahead, he saw a massive horde of zombies gathering on the road, blocking his path. He also noticed the fresh blood stains smeared on the road ahead.