Run!
Stephen made the decision without a moment's hesitation. He quickly assessed the escape route, shouting to the other three Reincarnators, "Run!"
The three women looked bewildered. One of the Reincarnators sneered, "Afraid of being hunted by Dan, are we? Hehehe, why act if you're going to regret it?"
Stephen ignored them. Warning them was the most he could do. He quickened his pace.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent vibrations, growing from a distant rumble to a pounding drum underfoot, shook the corridor floor. A swarm of zombies in camouflage combat uniforms burst into the passageway, fangs bared and claws outstretched. The horde was like a dam breaking; in mere seconds, over two hundred zombies flooded the entire corridor. Their eyes were milky white, guttural roars tore from their throats, and their speed was terrifying. What's more, their numbers were still rapidly increasing, biting anyone in their path!
The three Reincarnators were utterly paralyzed with fear. By the time they finally reacted and tried to flee, it was too late. The zombie horde was simply too fast. They were instantly engulfed.
Sounds of tearing flesh and screams echoed behind Stephen.
[System Announcement: Reincarnator ZB537411 eliminated by zombies.]
[System Announcement: Reincarnator ZC163589 eliminated by zombies.]
[System Announcement: Reincarnator VG384672 eliminated by zombies.]
'Hah, dumb broads...'
Lines of blood-red system announcements flashed before Stephen's eyes. Just like that, three Reincarnators had perished. The law of the jungle; survival of the fittest. Stephen didn't look back, clutching his saber tightly as he sprinted towards a side corridor.
As he plunged into the side corridor, he collided with five panicked Reincarnators, led by Dan. Clearly, Dan's group was also caught off guard by the sudden zombie onslaught. The two sides locked eyes, stopping dead in their tracks. The atmosphere was thick with tension, oppressive as being submerged underwater.
"Damn it," Stephen thought. "What a small world!"
Stephen calmly met Dan's gaze, his hand on the hilt of his saber, ready for a confrontation. Dan, however, hesitated. Despite having four subordinates, Stephen wielded an A-grade saber. The first to attack risked death. Moreover, the entire station was now swarming with zombies. Time was critical; fighting here might mean no one would escape.
"Dan, look! That's the TDX train!" a subordinate exclaimed, pointing excitedly to the platform outside the window. They had clearly accepted a system mission as well.
Dan shot Stephen a fierce look. "The mission is important; get on the train first!"
"Yes!" His subordinates immediately smashed the window and leaped from the second floor. Dan was the last to climb onto the ledge. Before jumping, he turned back and made a throat-slitting gesture at Stephen.
Stephen offered a cold smile. Dan's provocative gesture was merely an attempt to enrage him. If he followed Dan out the window, he'd fall straight into an ambush. While Stephen had an A-grade saber, fighting Dan's team five-on-one, with zombie hordes both in front and behind, was definitely not a wise move.
The most urgent task was to find Seok-woo and the others as soon as possible. If the core characters met with an accident, it would undoubtedly jeopardize the mission's completion. Stephen immediately bypassed the window and raced directly toward the main corridor where the passengers were.
At that moment, the main corridor was pure pandemonium. Many recently disembarked passengers had already been bitten and infected, transforming into new zombies. The male lead, Seok-woo, was currently being pounced on by a newly turned zombie. The creature snarled, baring its teeth, about to bite Seok-woo's neck, while another zombie nearby lunged to join the fray.
Stephen gasped, then charged forward fiercely. First, he used his body to knock away the nearby zombie. Then, with a powerful downward chop of his saber, the chilling blade drew a beautiful arc through the air.
Pfft!
The head of the zombie atop Seok-woo immediately rolled off. Oily black blood splattered all over Seok-woo. The headless zombie twitched its limbs for a moment before completely losing its vitality. At this point, the zombie that Stephen had knocked away got back up and roared, lunging at him. Stephen spun and slashed, the sharp blade bisecting the zombie at the waist. The zombie shrieked miserably, its upper body still persistently crawling towards Stephen. Suppressing his churning nausea, Stephen delivered another blow, severing the zombie's head. Without its head, the zombie finally ceased moving.
Stephen took a few shaky breaths, then turned to Seok-woo, asking, "Are you alright?"
Seok-woo was utterly stunned by the scene, lost in a daze. As a fund manager accustomed to an easy life, he had never encountered such a terrifying situation. At that moment, more zombies surged into the main corridor. The first few to rush forward were security personnel from before, now zombies, wearing thick protective armor. With just one A-grade saber, Stephen couldn't possibly kill them all. They had to evacuate quickly!
But Seok-woo was still trembling, collapsed on the ground, unable to even stand. Stephen frowned, then slapped Seok-woo across the face. "Listen, snap out of it! Your daughter, Su-an, is still waiting for you!"
Perhaps it was the sting on his face, or perhaps hearing his daughter's name, but Seok-woo immediately gasped, then nodded gratefully to Stephen. "I... I'm fine! Thank you!"
"Follow me!" Stephen led the way, dealing with any pouncing zombies with his saber. His swordsmanship was unremarkable, without any particular flair, but the sharpness of the A-grade saber greatly compensated for his lack of technique. Any zombie, no matter how fierce, would end up decapitated or dismembered if struck by the blade.
"Help me! Help me!" Without paying attention, a charging zombie cornered the unprepared Seok-woo against the wall, and two more zombies grabbed him, preparing to bite! Stephen rushed to the corner with his saber, immediately chopping off one of the zombies' heads.
"Quick! Quick! You two! Hurry up and come over! More zombies are coming!" At the corridor exit, the wrestler Sang Hwa guarded the glass door, covering the escape of the surviving passengers. He shouted loudly when he saw Stephen and Seok-woo.
After Seok-woo rushed through the glass door, Sang Hwa didn't immediately close it, leaving a gap for Stephen. At that moment, several zombies wearing thick protective armor surged towards the glass door. They were incredibly strong, and it looked like the glass door was about to be broken open. Sang Hwa roared, pushing back the zombies with all his might. As a professional wrestler, Sang Hwa not only possessed immense strength but also great skill! More importantly, he had fearless courage, facing three to five zombies without any hesitation! With his bare fists, he forcefully held open this sliver of an escape route!
A zombie lunged from the side, grabbing Sang Hwa's thick arm! Sang Hwa cried out in alarm, unable to pull away despite his efforts! He was about to be bitten!
Pfft!