EPZ 17

Chapter: 17

Jason had been one of the group that fled together after the Fencing Hill Shelter collapsed. But not long after leaving the shelter, he had been infected during a zombie attack, and they had been separated ever since.

And yet, to meet him again here—dozens of miles away.

Maya’s face turned pale.

“Don’t tell me… he followed us?”

“It has to be true. That mutated Sentinel earlier, and n-now Jason too! They’ve been following us the whole time!”

Panicking, Peggy shouted at Maya, gasping for breath.

Mutated Sentinels were always drawn to living humans. With their heightened senses from when they were alive, they tracked people relentlessly, no different from vicious hunters to survivors.

And zombies followed mutated Sentinels.

‘It did feel strange.’

Standing on the stair landing, Jigu quietly pressed her lips together.

She had thought the number of zombies was oddly increasing. It now seemed clear that they had come in from outside.

Fencing Hill in the east was said to be a fairly large shelter. If such a big shelter had collapsed, it meant that the smaller survivor camps nearby had likely fallen as well.

So where were all those newly infected heading now? And the mutated Sentinels?

A chilling premonition crawled up her spine.

“We need to leave immediately! There were two more mutated Sentinels at Fencing Hill! I-If they’re following us too…!”

“Fuck!”

At Peggy’s hysterical cry, Luke cursed and grabbed the rolling pin, smashing the zombie’s head stuck in the window.

Bang! Bang!

It was violent, ugly venting, but no one tried to stop him. The zombie’s head was completely crushed, and its body slid limply out the window.

“Kraaagh!”

At that moment, a zombie wandering outside heard the noise and charged at the glass. Drawn by its howl, more zombies roaming the garden gathered one by one, forcing their hands and heads through the narrow opening.

“Damn it…!”

Edwin quickly pulled out his jackknife and pierced straight through the eye of a zombie that shoved its head inside. Still, more kept squeezing through the small window.

Earlier, there had been only about fifteen in the garden. But zombies from the street could also be drawn here by the noise.

Thud, thud! Bang!

The sound of bodies slamming into the side window echoed through the wooden walls. This place was no longer safe.

“We need to get out of here first.”

Edwin wiped the blade on his clothes and turned around. Then his eyes met Caliph’s on the stair landing.

“C-Captain…?”

Edwin’s eyes widened in shock. At his flustered voice, everyone’s gaze snapped toward the stairs.

A suffocating silence born of fear chilled the air on the first floor.

Ignoring the anxious, fearful, and suspicious stares, Caliph spoke calmly.

“What’s the situation?”

“Y-Yes? Ah, no, I mean… a-are you all right…?”

Edwin carefully asked, glancing at Caliph’s wrist.

The mutation rate that had risen to 97% had unbelievably dropped to 88%. It was impossible.

‘So Jigu really…’

Edwin’s shaking eyes turned toward Jigu. Caliph frowned at the look and stepped forward, blocking Edwin’s view.

“Report first.”

At Caliph’s low warning, Edwin snapped back to attention and hurriedly spoke.

“Y-Yes, sir! There’s a high chance that mutated Sentinels and multiple infected from the Fencing Hill Shelter are nearby. I recommend moving immediately.”

Hearing the report, Caliph sharpened his senses and checked the presence outside.

There were at least ten zombies in the garden. On top of that, several from the street were wandering near the fence, drawn by the noise.

If they delayed any longer, there was a high chance they would be trapped inside the house. And if a mutated Sentinel joined in, the situation would spiral out of control.

Luckily, the truck they had arrived in was parked right in front of the gate. The distance from the front door to the gate wasn’t far. If he provided cover, they could barely all make it onto the truck.

“How much ammo is left?”

“Only twelve rounds.”

It was as he expected. They didn’t have enough bullets. In the end, he would have to rely on close combat. Caliph glanced down at his watch, his lips tightening slightly.

Current mutation rate: 88%.

It wasn’t a safe number. Compared to earlier, it was nothing short of a miracle—but still.

Caliph glanced sideways at Jigu, who was blinking blankly, and spoke again.

“Stay inside until I clear things out.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wait. Caliph is hurt.”

Jigu suddenly spoke up, displeased, after listening to their exchange.

He looked fine on the outside, but the status window told a different story.

[Party Member]

• Caliph Roxburg
  HP: 38% / Mutation Rate: 88%

The wound was severe enough to kill a normal person instantly, so it was amazing his health had recovered this much already. Still, Caliph shook his head firmly.

“It can’t be helped.”

At his answer, Jigu puffed out her lips in frustration.

‘If I’d known, I should’ve raided the police station in Rickford.’

Little Rock was such a small town that there were no bullets left when Jigu arrived. Rickford had too many zombies to even attempt it. She knew it was impossible, but she couldn’t help feeling regret.

‘If we’d had enough ammo, Caliph wouldn’t have to push himself like this.’

Regretting it now was pointless. Watching Caliph load the remaining bullets into the magazine, Jigu swallowed a sigh.

“Is everyone here?”

At Edwin’s question, those gathered by the front door nodded with tense faces.

Luckily, the zombies’ attention was still focused on the kitchen, so the path from the front door to the truck was relatively clear.

Still, there were five zombies near the vehicle, and more than a dozen wandering the street.

“There are too many to waste time. When I give the signal, get on the truck no matter what.”

I won’t wait if you fall behind.

At Edwin’s firm voice, the group’s faces darkened. If you fell behind, you died. There was no room for resentment. That was how they had survived until now.

“T-Then where are we going now?”

“For now… we’re heading to Rangers Shelter.”

At Edwin’s answer, Peggy’s expression brightened. If they could reach Rangers Shelter, safety was almost guaranteed.

But first, they had to get out of this town.

Caliph quietly opened the front door and sensed the outside. The zombies hadn’t noticed yet. It would be best to deal with them quietly.

“Jigu.”

Holding a short dagger instead of a gun, Caliph called her softly. Jigu’s face looked unusually pale.

But she didn’t respond, only biting her lip hard.

‘Why do I feel so uneasy?’

A bad feeling crept in, her heart pounding irregularly. Thump. Thump.

Was it because of her vision?

Looking at Caliph through a strangely reddish haze, as if a filter had been placed over her eyes, Jigu silently clenched her fist.

Her detection skill was warning her of danger.

‘But what danger?’

The situation was dangerous, yes. Zombies filled the street and garden, and the front door was wide open.

Still, the unsettling sense that she was missing something kept gnawing at her.

“It’s okay.”

Noticing her anxiety, Caliph held her small hand tightly to reassure her. Meeting his faintly red-tinged gray eyes, Jigu forced herself to nod.

In the ominous silence where even insects seemed to hold their breath, the footsteps of the dead echoed softly. From the darkness came the dull thud of heavy bodies falling.

It had to be Caliph. Melted into the shadows, he moved quietly, smoothly cutting down zombies as if her worry had been pointless. Everything seemed to be going well.

If not for her vision growing redder by the second.

‘What is it…?’

The zombies wandering the street still hadn’t noticed them.

If not outside, then—

Jigu’s eyes searched the group.

Edwin, tense and focused on Caliph. Peggy holding Ryan close, swallowing hard. Maya gripping the rolling pin. Luke trembling, legs shaking. And Malek, standing in the darkness with his head bowed, completely still.

As if sensing her gaze, Malek slowly lifted his head.

In the pitch-dark, Jigu met his cloudy gray eyes and froze.

“Kraaaagh!”

With his face twisted in pain, Malek lunged at Jigu, howling like a beast.