Alice also got ready.
She said she wanted to help, so Damien told her to assist the skeletons with scouting, but not to go too far, since it could be dangerous.
Alice agreed. Instead of going room to room like before, they decided to head toward the top floor. It would be safer in the long run, especially after Alice mentioned hearing beast-like growls from the ground floor.
They were currently on the fourth floor of the six-story building, so only two more floors were left to climb. After clearing the zombies on the fourth floor, they went upstairs.
The fifth floor had about twenty to thirty zombies, but they were spread out. Damien's skeletons took care of them one by one, though their bones and armor were now stained with zombie blood.
Once the fighting was over, Damien and Alice cleared out a room on the fifth floor to rest for a while before heading further up. While they were resting, they suddenly heard noises coming from the room next door.
Damien ordered Captain Skeleton to break down the door with his bone sword. The loud crash startled the people inside.
To his shock, Damien saw two boys trying to force themselves on a girl—and that girl was one of his classmates.
Fury rose inside him. Damien immediately ordered his skeletons to attack. One of the boys, armed with a sword, looked like he was also an awakened.
The skeletons cut down the first boy without trouble, then charged at the swordsman.
He fought back well, but against five skeletons, he was quickly overwhelmed. Still, Damien suffered a loss—two of his skeletons were destroyed in the fight.
In the final clash, the swordsman killed another skeleton, but in that brief opening, Captain Skeleton struck, driving his blade straight into the man's heart.
The girl, having witnessed everything, collapsed on the floor in shock.
Seeing the girl collapsed on the floor, Damien sighed and said,"I think we should rest here for a while."
Alice nodded in agreement. Together, they checked the room, but there was no food left—clearly, the boys had already eaten everything. After a moment, Alice turned to Damien."Go wait outside for a bit. I'll change her clothes. She shouldn't stay in those torn, dirty ones."
Damien understood and stepped out without argument, closing the door behind him.
Inside, Alice rummaged through the closet and found a few old t-shirts and pants—likely belonging to the boys. Not ideal, but better than nothing, she thought. Carefully, she dressed the unconscious girl, her hands steady though her mind wandered.
As she slid the shirt over the girl's frail frame, Alice's thoughts drifted. Damien saved her life without hesitation. If it were me in her place… would he have done the same?
Her cheeks warmed at the thought, but she quickly shook it off when a knock sounded at the door. Hastily finishing, she laid the girl on the bed just as Damien stepped back inside.
"Is she awake yet?" Damien asked, glancing at the girl.
Alice shook her head. "No… not yet. I think we should stay until she wakes up, then move upstairs."
Damien thought for a moment before replying, "Alright. You stay here with her. I'll leave one skeleton behind to guard you, and I'll take the others to clear the next floor."
Alice looked uncertain but finally agreed. He left one of the cleaner skeletons by her side, then marched out with four others—the two recruits raised from the fallen boys included. He could feel the faint death energy swirling inside them. If I can devour enough from the zombies upstairs… maybe I can push myself to the next stage.
His steps were heavy with determination. Survival meant power, and power meant control over this apocalyptic nightmare.
When he reached the stairs to the sixth floor, an eerie silence greeted him. The air was thick and unmoving, the kind of silence that warned of danger.
"Captain," he muttered, and the lead skeleton advanced cautiously.
Suddenly, a blur of motion streaked across the corridor. A figure leapt from one room to another with inhuman speed. Damien's eyes narrowed.
It was a zombie—but not an ordinary one. Its limbs were longer, its frame leaner, and its movements unnaturally quick. This wasn't the shambling type he was used to.
A mutation, Damien realized grimly. An agile type.
The newly raised skeleton from the boy's corpse stood out immediately. Unlike the others, it moved with precision, holding the sword as if it had been born for it. Damien realized it must have inherited fragments of the boy's profession or skills. The way it shifted its stance, the steady grip on the hilt, the clean movements—it was leagues above his other mindless skeletons.
Damien ordered the captain skeleton and the swordsman skeleton forward, while the others spread out, blocking any possible escape routes for the mutated zombie.
Just as they neared the door, the creature suddenly lunged out, its movements unnaturally fast. With a sharp mental command, Damien had the captain skeleton react first. The shield-bearer stepped in, slamming its heavy shield into the zombie mid-air. The impact sent the monster crashing against the wall with a loud bang.
Without hesitation, the swordsman skeleton advanced, blade raised in a practiced stance. Its sword swung in a clean arc aimed at the zombie's neck—but the creature twisted unnaturally, narrowly dodging. In retaliation, it lashed out with its clawed arm, striking the nearby bone-thin skeleton. The impact sent the skeleton flying, its brittle ribs cracking as it smashed against the wall.
Damien clenched his fists but kept his focus. Through his mental link, he commanded, making the remaining skeletons tighten their formation. The zombie darted side to side, but found itself trapped, with no space to use its agility.
The captain skeleton pressed forward again, shield slamming into the creature's torso, keeping it pinned long enough for the swordsman skeleton to step in. With swift, fluid strikes, the blade carved into rotting flesh. Blow after blow weakened the monster until finally, with one decisive slash across the throat, the mutated zombie let out a distorted cry before collapsing lifelessly onto the floor.