Underground parking lot.
The entrance to the parking lot was swallowed by darkness, devoid of any electrical lighting. The sunlight outside sharply contrasted with the shadowed interior, drawing a clear line between safety and danger.
Lin An led the way, with Zhang Tie, fully armored, following closely behind.
"Clang—clang—"
The rhythmic sound of metal banging echoed from deep within the parking lot, distant yet heavy.
The corridor shrouded in darkness felt like the entrance to hell itself.
"Captain Lin, do you hear that?"
Zhang Tie, clad in thick, oversized winter gear and a welding helmet, asked cautiously. His massive frame barely fit the protective armor designed for his transformed state, making him waddle awkwardly like a beast in human disguise.
"I think something's wrong," Zhang Tie continued, his face grim. "When I escaped earlier, this place was swarming with zombies."
They paused at the entrance. Though several wrecked cars sat abandoned on the sloping driveway, there was no sign of the undead. With the outbreak only a few days old, this parking lot, adjacent to a hospital, should be overrun with zombies. Yet, none were in sight. A whole day had passed, and the zombies had seemingly vanished.
This was illogical.
Lin An kept his expression neutral, signaling to Zhang Tie to proceed. "Something's off here."
Zhang Tie lowered his voice and spoke again. "I saw zombies here when I ran. This doesn't add up."
"Don't whisper. You can use the team's comms."
Zhang Tie, realizing his error, chuckled awkwardly. "I'm still getting used to it."
His voice on the team's frequency was thunderous, echoing in the empty space.
Lin An cast him a tired glance, the weight of their situation pressing on him. "Move forward."
They stepped carefully, their footsteps resonating in the silence. The slope was littered with overturned cars, their windows smeared with dried blood. Handprints marked the sides, evidence of the car owners' desperate struggle before death.
There were easily over two hundred cars, but strangely, no bodies.
"Clang—clang—"
The metallic pounding continued, louder now, though Lin An still couldn't locate its source. It seemed to come from even deeper within the structure.
They pushed through an alley blocked by wrecked vehicles.
"Captain, there are drag marks here."
Zhang Tie pointed to the ground where a thick trail of dark red blood stretched toward the second level of the parking lot. The blood was accompanied by overturned vehicles, revealing a five-meter-wide clear path in the bloodstained asphalt.
"I see it. There's another trail on the left."
The second blood trail ran from a crushed SUV, snaking alongside the first.
Lin An's expression darkened as he analyzed the situation. These weren't ordinary bloodstains. The two trails seemed to be the work of one, possibly two, massive creatures dragging bodies down into the lower levels.
Could these be mutated creatures?
Lin An furrowed his brow. He didn't recall hearing of any mutations in the hospital before the outbreak.
"Captain Lin, what should we do?"
Zhang Tie's unease was palpable as a shiver ran down his spine. He felt something watching them from the shadows, an icy cold presence.
"We move on," Lin An said sharply. "We'll head to the elevator shaft."
The parking lot's freight elevator connected directly to the emergency ward, but without power, they'd have to climb the shaft to reach their destination.
Zhang Tie nodded, following Lin An as they ventured deeper into the dark, silent labyrinth. The air was thick with the stench of dampness and blood.
"This is it," Zhang Tie said, halting in front of a darkened corner.
The freight elevator's metal sign was faded, its doors sealed tight. The surrounding walls were smeared with a network of bloody handprints.
"Let's get inside—"
"SSSSSSSSS!"
A sharp, screeching sound cut through the silence, sending a chill down their spines.
"Bang!"
Without hesitation, Zhang Tie's massive boot collided with the shadowy figure lunging at them.
The shadow exploded into a heap of flesh.
"Shit, what the hell is that?"
Zhang Tie recoiled in disgust, his gaze falling on the pile of dismembered flesh that had once been a human head, severed from its body. The spine remained attached, eerily long and stripped of muscle.
Lin An's face grew serious as he examined the twisted remains.
"This is a Corpse Serpent."
He knelt down and pulled the elongated spine from the wreckage, swinging it a few times in the air. The bone snapped like a whip, sharp and crackling.
"Corpse Serpents are what's left of infected people who've been devoured by zombies. Their bodies undergo severe mutation from the viral infection, and their spines are reinforced while their limbs are torn apart. These creatures slither like serpents, controlled solely by their spinal cords."
Lin An held out the spine to Zhang Tie. "Take it. It's a useful weapon."
Zhang Tie hesitated, his face pale as he recoiled. The sight was too grotesque.
"I don't think I can hold that." His voice trembled slightly.
"You'd better get used to it," Lin An replied, his tone cold. "This is just the beginning. There will be worse things ahead."
Zhang Tie, despite his size, seemed to shrink back. But Lin An's words held a strange weight, as if they were laced with the bitter taste of experience. After a pause, Zhang Tie reluctantly grabbed the spine, albeit with visible reluctance.
"Let's move." Lin An's voice was firm.
He walked up to the freight elevator's door and kicked it with full force. The metallic door buckled under the pressure, revealing a small gap.
"Open it," Lin An commanded, his voice steady.
Zhang Tie tried to pry open the door but struggled. The force from the elevator's interior held it shut—something was blocking it.
Lin An immediately understood. "There's something behind it."
He activated his spiritual power, his golden aura surging within him as he assisted Zhang Tie. Together, they yanked the door open.
Suddenly, an unholy screeching erupted from within. The elevator shaft was packed to the brim with zombies—clawing, biting, and thrashing against each other like a massive, frenzied mass. As the doors creaked open, they were released in an overwhelming wave, flooding out in a deadly rush.
The relentless onslaught of zombies burst forth like a torrential flood, their eyes wide with hunger, as they descended upon Lin An and Zhang Tie, their mouths gaping, ready to devour.
There was no turning back now.