After this, it was time for the next big thing he had come for—killing the zombies. Not just the mutants, but every single one of them. He couldn't leave any behind. His energy reserves, already stretched thin from maintaining the pocket space, were nearly depleted. If he didn't finish this quickly, things could get dangerous.
The sheer number of zombies was overwhelming. Arjun knew the wolf form wouldn't be enough this time—it was powerful, but not against a horde this size. He needed something stronger. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and prepared himself.
He flown towards an area where there is less zombies. He turned to human original form . But he didn't stop there. In the next breath, his entire body ignited, transforming into a blazing sphere of fire.
This was his strongest form—pure, searing heat. The flames surrounding him burned at temperatures high enough to incinerate anything in an instant. Even mutant zombies wouldn't survive if they got too close.
The heat distorted the air around him, shimmering waves rising as his fire crackled hungrily. Arjun clenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through him. This was his battlefield now.
The first to notice him were a cluster of zombies gnawing on a broken mannequin. Their decayed heads jerked up, hollow eyes locking onto the blazing figure. One by one, others turned, their rotten mouths gaping open as guttural growls filled the air. Within seconds, the entire horde shifted direction, an ocean of the undead surging toward him.
Arjun's heart pounded, but there was no fear—only focus. He had faced these monsters before, and unlike the first time, he wasn't running away. Not today.
The first wave reached him in seconds. The nearest zombie lunged, but as it touched the outer layer of his flames, its body blackened and crumbled to ash. More followed, only to meet the same fiery fate. Arjun stepped forward, arms outstretched, allowing the fire to spread in every direction. Each step left behind scorched bones and embers.
Last time, he had been desperate—fleeing for his life. But now? Now he was the hunter.
The zombies came from all sides, but Arjun kept moving. He couldn't let them pile on top of him; even in this form, being overwhelmed was a risk. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as his fire flared brighter with each advancing horde. Tens of zombies became hundreds. Hundreds became thousands. Yet, Arjun pressed on.
His energy burned rapidly. Every second in this form drained him, but he refused to stop. Not until the last zombie fell.
Just as he began to push toward the next section of the mall, something unexpected happened.
A steel rod came hurtling through the air, aiming straight for his head. At the last moment, Arjun twisted to the side. The rod slammed into the floor with a dull, echoing thud, embedding itself deep into the concrete.
His heart pounded in his chest. If he had moved even a fraction of a second later, that rod would have pierced his skull. And the fact that it hadn't melted against his fiery form sent a chill down his spine. For the first time, death felt terrifyingly real.
"What... was that?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the area.
Before he could locate the attacker, another rod whistled toward him. Without hesitation, Arjun vanished, retreating into his space. There, in the safety of the void, he exhaled sharply, forcing his racing pulse to calm. He needed to think—and fast.
"That wasn't an ordinary zombie," he thought. "Something's different. Smarter. Stronger."
He couldn't stay hidden for long. Gathering his focus, he shifted into his big wolf form. The change was instantaneous—muscles stretched, bones thickened, and his senses sharpened to a razor's edge. This form could withstand more damage, and if the attacker wanted a fight, he was ready.
In a flash, he reappeared in the same spot, now as a towering black wolf, fur bristling with raw power. Just as he landed, another steel rod flew at him. This time, it struck his thick hide and clattered harmlessly to the floor.
Arjun's glowing eyes pierced through the shadows. He scanned the dark corners until—there. In the dim light, he spotted a figure clinging to the wall, crawling with unnatural agility.
"Found you," he growled, his voice a low rumble.
With a mighty leap, he landed on the second floor, his claws digging into the concrete. A deafening roar tore from his throat, shaking the walls. The zombie flinched but didn't retreat. Instead, it hissed and launched more steel rods, each one aimed with unnerving precision.
The rods struck his body but bounced off harmlessly. Arjun advanced without slowing, his gaze locked on the creature. This zombie—no, this thing—was unlike anything he had faced before.
It was crawling on all fours, its blood-red skin glistening in the faint light. Its limbs were twisted, unnervingly long, and it moved with an eerie grace. A serpentine tongue flicked out from between jagged teeth, hissing softly. Its snake-like eyes gleamed with intelligence—far too much intelligence for a normal zombie.
"A stalker," Arjun realized. He had seen creatures like this in movies and video games, but facing one in reality was something else entirely.
The stalker clung to the walls of a half-destroyed shop, its claws scraping against the metal framework. It wasn't just throwing the rods—it was calculating its movements, increasing the impact by launching them while lunging forward. This thing was dangerous. And worse, it was smart.
The stalker zombie was roaming in the basement previously but hearing the sound he came up and from then only he started attacking Arjun. That he also the reason why Arjun didn't saw it previously.
But if the stalker thought he was prey, it was dead wrong.
It might have been even more dangerous if the zombie had been lurking earlier—Arjun could have been eaten while in his fragile bee form. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He needed to be more careful in this unpredictable, deadly world.
Without hesitation, Arjun charged forward, smashing through the shop's wall with a single blow. Bricks and debris scattered as he burst into the room. The stalker zombie hissed, leaping from one shelf to another with eerie agility, its long limbs moving like a spider's.
Arjun didn't care. Snarling, he swiped his claws through the shelves, sending shattered wood flying. The stalker dodged swiftly, but Arjun was relentless. Each strike came closer and closer. Within seconds, one of the shelves collapsed under his onslaught, leaving the stalker clinging to the ceiling.
It hung there, grinning in that twisted, unnatural way, as if taunting him—daring him to try and reach.
Arjun's eyes narrowed. With a powerful leap, he slashed at the stalker. But it reacted instantly, springing away with its agile limbs. His claws ripped through the ceiling instead, tearing a massive chunk apart. The weakened structure groaned under the strain—and then it happened.
The entire ceiling collapsed.
Half of the ceiling gave way, crashing down on him. Within moments, hundreds of pounds of rubble buried Arjun's massive wolf form. Dust filled the air, and only a few strands of his black fur peeked through the wreckage.
The stalker hissed in triumph, believing its enemy was finally dead. Its shrill, chilling sound echoed through the ruined shop. But its victory was short-lived.
A deep, rumbling noise cut through the air. In the next instant, the debris exploded outward, sending fragments flying in all directions.
Where the wolf had fallen, a towering green lizard now stood.
Arjun had shifted again—adapting to the environment. This new form, a massive ancient lizard, was perfectly suited for brute strength and swift, precise attacks. His emerald scales shimmered under the faint light, and his piercing eyes locked onto the stalker.
There would be no more chances for the zombie to escape.
With terrifying speed, Arjun lunged forward on all fours. The stalker, sensing the change in power, recoiled. It began to retreat, but something in its movements changed—it was no longer taunting. Fear flashed across its eyes. The predator had become the prey.
But it was too late.
Arjun's long, sticky tongue shot out like a whip, coiling around the stalker's body in an instant. The creature thrashed wildly, hissing in panic as it tried to tear itself free. Sharp claws scraped against the lizard's tongue, but its efforts were useless. This form was based on a predator known for snaring and crushing prey with ease.
"You're not getting away," Arjun thought coldly.
With a swift roll of his tongue, he wrapped the stalker's limbs tightly against its body, trapping it completely. No more flailing. No more escape. The zombie's mouth opened in a final, desperate hiss, but it could neither bite nor scratch.
Arjun slowly began to squeeze.
A sharp, sickening crack echoed as the stalker's spine gave way. One by one, its bones shattered under the pressure—ribs, limbs, and finally, the skull. The creature's struggles weakened until, with a final, pitiful hiss, it went limp.
He released the broken body, letting it fall lifelessly to the floor.
Arjun exhaled deeply, feeling a surge of relief wash over him. This had been one of the toughest battles he had fought so far. His strength alone wasn't always enough—he was starting to understand that.
"Neither my fire form nor my wolf form is invincible," he realized. "If I want to survive, I need to adapt—use the right predator against the right threat."
In this cruel, zombie-infested world, only the most adaptable would survive. And Arjun had no plans to die anytime soon.