The reason for the sudden zombie attack was yet unknown, but beneath the pale moonlight, they fought.
Zoe and her companion stayed behind the boys, playing the role of mages and providing support fire. Zoe and Quin were water mages, their icicles streaking through the air to strike stray targets, freezing legs and limbs to slow or halt their movement. The undead moved quickly, almost deliberately, their hunger sharpened by some unseen will.
The Captain, wielding a claymore, hacked a lunging zombie out of the air before it could reach one of his men. Every swing, every precise motion, spoke of experience.
Caleb's glaive impaled a zombie that Prince Timothy had bashed aside, its limbs still twitching. The prince charged on, sword swinging left and right, cutting a path through the filth.
Anothey was at the forefront, his battle axe cleaving into the swelling horde, a glint of frenzy in his eyes.
Watson stood further back, sending a beam of fire from his longsword. Blood covered the ground around him—he had just barely avoided death after a zombie caught him from his blind spot. Whoever had saved him was now back-to-back with him, their blade dripping with gore. Watson's calm, mischievous grin belied the cautious sharpness in his eyes.
Regina fought with a clawed glove of shadow, every strike precise and deliberate. To her, it was almost therapeutic—her recent frustrations finally finding an outlet.
Elsewhere, the once calm and clean clearing was now littered with mangled corpses.
I stood near the still-lit campfire, surrounded by Brianna, Petra, and a new ally. She wore sleek cavalry armor with a horned helm, and rode a spectral beast—now in the shape of a horse, its form woven from absolute darkness.
Opening her stats, I read:
---
Knight – "The Leaping Fang"
HP: 240
ATK: 85
DEF: 55
SPD: 90
Weapons: Lance, Greatsword, Cavalry Blade, Morning Star, etc.
Special Skills:
Lancer's Leap – Moves in an L-shape, bypassing units and terrain via teleportation.
Momentum Strike – Devastating charging attack.
---
She willed a massive battle axe into her hands and, from atop her steed, cut down swaths of undead in sweeping arcs, giving us brief moments of calm.
My stamina had dropped by 30%, my body sluggish and dizzy. I nearly collapsed, but an arm caught me from above. Looking up, I met the hidden gaze of the knight—tall as Brianna, though her face was concealed beneath the horned helm.
"Let's head elsewhere," Brianna ordered. "Knight, take the lady away."
Petra, wielding her tower shield and greatsword, carved through enemies at the flanks, sticking close to Brianna, who reached over to heal her in passing.
I glanced back as the knight's steed surged forward. It didn't simply ride—it blinked in and out of reality, teleporting from one point to the next. My panic rose as I clung to the saddle, my cheek resting against the knight's chest.
Her gauntleted hand came down to rest reassuringly on my head—just as Brianna and Petra reappeared at my side, grinning.