Kael's breathing was steady, but his hands trembled slightly from the exertion. He had figured out the pattern.
On the 7th floor, he had encountered one zombie.
On the 6th floor, two zombies.
On the 5th floor, three zombies.
Which meant…
By the time he reached the 1st floor, he'd have to fight seven at once.
Kael exhaled slowly. This is going to be a nightmare.
His Mana Bolt flickered in his hand, the small orb of blue light casting eerie shadows on the cracked walls around him. The mana drain was already noticeable, but fighting in absolute darkness was impossible.
Each step forward felt heavier, like the building itself wanted to pull him down into its depths.
Floor 5: Three Zombies
As Kael descended to the 5th floor, a putrid wave of decay hit him. The air was thick, damp, suffocating.
His boots barely made a sound on the old wooden flooring as he stepped forward cautiously. Then, from the shadows ahead—
A groan.
Kael froze.
Three dark silhouettes shuffled toward him, their movements erratic, their clouded white eyes gleaming faintly in the glow of his Mana Bolt.
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. He had to preserve his mana. He couldn't afford to use a spell on each zombie.
He analyzed the corridor—narrow, only room for one enemy to attack at a time. Perfect.
The first zombie lunged.
Kael sidestepped, twisting his body in a precise arc, bringing his sword across its neck in one clean motion.
SCHK!
The head rolled before the body even realized it was dead.
But the moment the first fell, the second charged.
Kael barely had time to react before rotting fingers clawed at his chest.
He snarled and drove his knee into the zombie's stomach, forcing it back—then immediately fired a Mana Bolt straight into its face.
BOOM!
The light vanished.
Kael cursed, his vision swallowed by total darkness.
The third zombie rushed toward him.
No time to cast. No time to think.
Kael pivoted, dropping low, feeling the wind as claws swiped inches from his head. Using the zombie's momentum, he drove his sword straight up—piercing its jaw and impaling its skull.
The creature twitched violently before collapsing.
Kael exhaled sharply.
Three down.
But his arms were shaking. His stamina was draining fast.
And he still had four more floors to go.
Floor 4: Four Zombies
Kael burst through the stairwell door, panting.
His mana was below half. His stamina even lower.
And now?
He had to fight four at once.
The zombies were waiting for him.
A low, guttural growl echoed through the corridor as the four rotting figures turned their heads toward him in unison.
Kael clenched his jaw. No time for hesitation.
He analyzed the hallway—a broken chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its rusted chain barely holding it up.
That'll do.
Kael lifted his hand and aimed his Mana Bolt—not at the zombies, but at the chain above them.
BOOM!
The old metal snapped.
With a sharp crash, the entire chandelier came crashing down, crushing two zombies instantly.
The other two let out guttural screeches, stumbling through the debris.
Kael rushed forward, blade flashing.
His sword cleaved through the third zombie's neck, sending blackened blood spraying across the walls.
The fourth lunged at him, teeth bared—
Kael reacted instinctively.
He pivoted, kicking its legs out from under it before driving his sword down—piercing its skull.
Silence.
Kael leaned against the wall, chest heaving.
He had made it through the 4th floor.
But this was getting worse by the second.
Floor 3: Five Zombies
The moment Kael stepped onto the 3rd floor, the temperature dropped.
A sudden wave of unease crawled up his spine.
Something felt… wrong.
Then, he heard it.
The sound of movement.
Not shuffling. Not groaning.
Something was running.
Kael barely had time to react before a shape burst out of the darkness—faster than any zombie he had encountered before.
His eyes widened.
This one was different.
He raised his sword just in time, but the impact sent him skidding backward.
Kael gritted his teeth.
The others weren't far behind. He could hear more of them approaching fast.
He couldn't afford a drawn-out fight.
Kael focused his mana, gritting his teeth. Two Mana Bolts in both hands.
A dangerous move. He had never cast two at once before.
But he had no choice.
The moment the five zombies rushed him, he unleashed both spells.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two obliterated instantly.
The remaining three closed the gap.
Kael slashed upward, catching the third across the face.
The fourth grabbed his arm.
His bones creaked under the force.
Kael snarled, twisting his body, driving his elbow into the creature's jaw before impaling it through the chest.
The last zombie lunged—
Kael barely managed to plunge his sword into its skull before it reached his throat.
The body slumped.
Kael staggered, barely holding himself up.
He was running on fumes.
And he still had two more floors.
Floor 2: Six Zombies
Kael descended.
His vision blurred. His limbs ached. Mana—dangerously low.
The moans were getting louder.
He had barely stepped onto the 2nd floor before they came.
Six. Rushing him.
Kael gritted his teeth. He needed a plan.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
A collapsed section of the ceiling.
An old, rusted door barely hanging on.
Kael moved fast, slamming his weight against the door—
The hinges snapped.
The entire thing crashed down—
Trapping three of the zombies beneath it.
Kael pivoted sharply, slashing through the remaining three.
Silence.
Kael stumbled forward.
He had made it.
But his vision was dimming.
Floor 1: Seven Zombies
Kael descended the final staircase.
His body was on the verge of collapse.
His mana—barely enough for one last spell.
The exit was near.
But standing between him and freedom—
Seven zombies.
Kael gripped his sword.
This was it.
His final fight.
He took a breath, ignoring the pain, the exhaustion, the fear.
Then—
He charged.