NOVEL NEXT Chapter 461: Fire fight
Jade watched as bodies fell helplessly to the ground, the smell of rotting flesh pervasive as she covered her nose. "Ugh, this is disgusting. I never really thought about how bad they would stink!"
"Regardless, Kieran, we need to hurry up and assist the man who's running away from the last two!" Jade urged.
As they ran past the dead zombies, a swirl of blue energy began to envelop the corpses. The haunting sound of a flute played off in the distance, causing Kieran to halt. "Hey, do you hear that?"
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She scanned her surroundings, feeling a slight dizziness overcome her. Pointing upward, she exclaimed, "Right there!"
Atop a tall building, a man sat with his legs crossed. He was dressed in puffed-out black pants with red trimming and wore a black tunic adorned with an insignia of three on his shoulder.
The sound of bones melding with flesh created a grotesque symphony as the creature lunged toward Jade with terrifying speed. It swiped at her head, but she brought her sword up in time to catch the blow.
As the blade made contact, Jade activated her ability. The creature's flesh exploded into a million pieces, scattering across the ground. Despite the damage, the creature did not alter its path. Kieran shouted, "I will handle this—go save the man that was running away!"
Jade nodded, but her concern was evident. "What about the man atop the roof?"
"I will save him after this creature!" Kieran responded.
"Ki-Kieran! He's the one making the monster thing grow! Probably break his flute or something."
"Oh, okay. I will try that." Kieran clenched her fist, pulling her blade tighter as the groan of the creature roared back to life. The eerie melody of the flute continued, weaving through the chaos as more zombies emerged from alleyways, carrying parts of fresh blood and flesh. Their screams filled the air, adding to the cacophony.
Without hesitation, Jade sprinted down the street toward the direction where the man had fled, determined to find him before it was too late.
Jade raced down the streets, turning the corner where she had last seen the man flee. The scene that unfolded before her was like a tapestry of death—hundreds of bodies lined the street, their lifeless forms arranged as if in a grotesque parade.
"What the hell is this and what is going on?!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the silent buildings.
Continuing her frantic pace, she approached a large parking garage. The entrance was littered with more fallen zombies, a grim welcome. A group of about twenty lay scattered around the opening, and the distinct sound of gunfire pierced through the eerie quiet.
"There must be people in there fighting," Jade surmised, a glint of hope sparking within her.
"Hey, you damn bastards!" she shouted, igniting her eyes white and taking a deep breath. At her call, some zombies turned slowly, their broken bones and flesh melding awkwardly, which slowed their movement. Others, with sleeker bodies and a sickly green and black tinge to their skin, darted towards her like wild dogs.
Gripping her gun, Jade took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Let's get this over with." She stepped back just as the first zombie lunged at her. With swift precision, she swung her blade, slicing its head off clean. Almost immediately, two other zombies flanked her on the right and left sides.
Jade spun to her left, her blade slicing through the air as it severed the neck of an approaching zombie. The creature stumbled before collapsing silently, showcasing her swift effectiveness. Another lunged from the right; anticipating its attack, Jade ducked low and thrust her sword upward, skewering it through the jaw with precise agility.
The night air was charged with tension, the eerie glow from her eyes reflecting off her blade. She detected a disturbing sense of coordination in the zombies' attacks; they were not merely mindless but operating with a terrifying tactical intent.
A faster, more agile zombie darted toward her, its movements unnervingly quick. Jade's breath caught, her senses heightened. Time seemed to slow as she pivoted, grabbing the zombie's wrist and channeling her energy into it. The flesh disintegrated under her touch, turning to ash that drifted away in the cold wind.
With a forceful kick, she sent the disintegrating zombie crashing into another, buying herself a precious moment. The pair tumbled into a heap, their movements slowed by the sudden decay. Not waiting for them to recover, Jade charged forward, her blade singing a deadly tune as it carved through undead flesh.
As she went to attack the last group of Zombies she lunged forward stepping on the crumbled ground as the last remaining group jumped out in all directions. "What the hell, now they are dispersing?!
Dashing toward a zombie that suddenly leaped away, Jade stepped forward, her foot sinking slightly into the ground. Her eyes widened. "What the—" She watched in horror as the ground beneath her began to crumble, lines cracking around her while emergency icons popped up all around.
Instincts kicking in, Jade immediately jumped as high as she could. Giant rotting flesh hands erupted from the ground, belonging to a one-eyed, decaying creature that lunged at her, attempting to take a bite. Just then, a loud bang echoed through the area as a bullet pierced the creature's eye, causing it to stumble back to the ground.
Jade did a flip, creating space between her and the monster. Her hands touched the ground briefly before she flipped again, landing on her feet with agile precision.
"What kind of creature is that?!" Jade exclaimed, her breath coming in quick gasps. She barely finished the thought when a frigid chill raced down her spine—a forewarning of imminent danger. From all directions, creatures lunged toward her, their intentions as deadly as their decomposing forms.
In the midst of the chaos, Jade's mind raced. "If I do a spinning cycle, I can—" Her plan was abruptly interrupted by a series of thunderous bangs. Bullets whistled through the air, precise and deadly. One by one, the creatures collapsed in heaps, their bodies thudding against the ground with finality. All fell, save for two that managed to close in from behind.