EPZ 14

Chapter: 14

“Get over here, now!”

Maya, who had taken the wheel in Edwin’s place, shouted urgently. Zombies were swarming in from all directions. If they hesitated any longer, they’d be completely surrounded.

Edwin glanced around while keeping his gun trained on Caliph, then bit down hard on his lip.

Pull yourself together, Edwin! What are you hesitating for? Kill him now. The captain would rather die here anyway!

A Sentinel whose mutation rate had reached 90% was to be executed on sight—no exceptions.

For an ordinary human to crush a Sentinel’s skull in one blow was nearly impossible, but Caliph was completely defenseless right now.

Maybe this was the last chance given to Edwin—
and to Caliph.

But—

“Edwin, I can save him. Please. Trust me.”

He couldn’t pull the trigger.

Her desperate, tear-laden voice wrapped around him like shackles, binding him in place.

“Damn it…!”

With a sharp, irritated motion, Edwin holstered his gun and yanked off his uniform jacket. His hands trembling, he tightly bound Caliph’s bleeding waist.

“…Let’s get somewhere safe first.”

Edwin knew it was an unbelievably stupid decision.

The captain had suffered wounds severe enough to kill an ordinary human instantly. Thankfully, his body was regenerating—slowly, but surely. And that was exactly the problem.

The captain’s ability was regeneration. Even if his body healed, overuse of his power would inevitably push him into mutation.

Right now, Edwin was carrying the most dangerous ticking time bomb in the world.

As Edwin moved quickly with Caliph on his back, Jigu ran silently beside him, clutching Caliph’s limp hand tightly.

Edwin thought the silence was terrifyingly unfamiliar.

Vroooom—!

Beeep— Beeeep—!

The blaring warning alarms mixed with the rattling engine noise, shattering the quiet at the edge of the village.

Zombies that had been wandering aimlessly—or lying sprawled like corpses—jerked upright at the sound.

“There! That house, straight ahead!”

“Wait—there’s a zombie in front—!”

“Screw it!”

Bang!

Thud!

Maya slammed the truck into the staggering zombie, sending it flying, then slammed on the brakes.

“This is the place, right?!”

“Yes!”

Shouting back, Jigu leapt out of the cargo bed.

Something’s wrong.

Jigu’s face stiffened as she scanned the surroundings. By this morning, there had been maybe thirty zombies in the village at most. Now there were at least twice that many.

“Run!”

Crunch!

Edwin gritted his teeth and shouted as he crushed the head of a zombie writhing under the truck’s tire.

More zombies were converging by the second, drawn by the noise.

Splat! Crack!

Graaah!

Beeep— Beeeep—!

The moment the group poured out of the truck, the zombies lunged as if they’d been waiting.

Rotting jaws snapped, claws stained with flesh and blood slashing wildly.

The sound of skulls shattering, zombies howling, alarms screaming—it was utter chaos.

“Hurry! Get inside!”

“Close the garden gate first!”

“Aaah!”

“Damn it! I’m not in yet—hey!”

Clang!

The iron gate slammed shut. A man who barely squeezed through before it closed cursed under his breath.

A zombie’s claws had grazed his thigh. Checking his torn pants, he let out a shaky sigh of relief. Luckily, the skin hadn’t been broken.

But it was far too early to relax. The fence was only about waist-high.

Screeech! Graaah!

Zombies impaled themselves on the iron bars without hesitation, piling up and sliding into the garden over the bodies of their own kind.

“Edwin!”

Jigu sprinted to the front door, flinging it open and shouting for him. Hearing her voice, the others scrambled inside.

Bang! Bang!

Graaah! Screech!

From beyond the shut door came the howls of the zombie horde. Thud—thud! Blood-smeared hands slapped against the living room windows.

“The windows! Cover the windows!”

“Y-Yes!”

At Maya’s shout, Peggy hurriedly pulled the curtains closed.

“Haaah…”

“I thought we were dead.”

Only then did everyone collapse to the floor, breathing out in relief.

But there was no time to relax.

The greatest danger was already inside.

Beeep— Beeeep—!

At the piercing alarm, a man jolted up and, in a sudden movement, snatched the gun from Maya’s hands and aimed it at Caliph lying on the sofa.

Click. Click.

“What the—fuck! It’s empty?!”

Scowling at the useless trigger, he glared at Maya.

That damn woman played me.

Maya merely snorted in response.

Grinding his teeth, the man picked up an old wrench he’d tossed on the floor. Small, but a reliable partner that had carried him this far.

With a crooked grin, he raised the blood-stained wrench over Caliph’s head. He intended to end the Sentinel’s life before he mutated.

But Edwin’s hardened expression appeared as he grabbed the man’s wrist—hard.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What does it look like?! Damn it! Why did you bring that bastard Sentinel in here? Look at his mutation rate!”

At his shout, everyone’s eyes turned to Caliph’s wrist.

The watch screen flashed red, screaming warnings.

[Mutation Rate: 98%]

Someone sucked in a sharp breath.

The man wasn’t trustworthy—but no one could argue with him now. Not even Edwin.

In the suffocating silence, a metallic click echoed.

It was Jigu.

She aimed her gun at the man’s temple while glancing sideways at Caliph’s wrist.

“Eddie. Take Caliph to the second-floor bedroom.”

“W-What…?”

As Edwin froze in shock, the man sneered.

“Have you lost your mind? I might fall for this once, but you think I’ll fall for it twice—”

Bang!

Crash!

The gunshot rang through the room. The man’s face drained of color as something warm trickled down his cheek.

Clutching his stinging face, he looked around and saw the kitchen’s back window completely shattered.

That Asian woman’s gun wasn’t empty.

Kyaaah!

The zombies, stirred by the gunshot, slammed against the front door and windows even harder.

Through the thin chiffon curtains, dozens of red handprints thudded against the glass.

At least several dozen hands, drooling with hunger, reaching for them.

“Missed. Next one’s your head.”

At Jigu’s calm voice, the man’s lips trembled.

He couldn’t bring himself to rush her. This woman was truly unhinged.

“Enough! Jigu, stop it. Let’s go upstairs!”

Edwin broke the standoff.

He snatched the wrench away and hoisted Caliph onto his back with a groan.

“Is that okay?”

“Get out! Just get the hell out, fuck!”

As Jigu stared at him with the gun raised, the man’s legs gave out and he slid to the floor, screaming.

You don’t mess with crazy.

Only then did Jigu lower her gun and run over, clutching Caliph’s limp hand.

[Party Member]

• Caliph Roxburgh (Age 27)
  HP: 17% / Mutation Rate: 98%

His health had recovered slightly—but the mutation rate was still critical.

Jigu, gripping Caliph’s hand as he lay flat on the bed, turned to Edwin.

“Edwin, go downstairs.”

“What? But—”

At her firm tone, Edwin hesitated. Jigu lifted the hand she was holding.

Edwin’s eyes widened.

“T-The mutation rate…?”

[Mutation Rate: 97%]

The number burned into his vision.

Impossible.

Once mutation increased, it could never go down—no matter what. A Sentinel’s death always came as scheduled.

If it could even be called death.

So it was real.

Edwin’s trembling gaze shifted to Jigu, who was grinning.

“I told you I can fix him. So trust me, Eddie.”

Her eyes shone with certainty.

Edwin could only stare blankly—
and nod.