How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

A few hours ago, shortly after Aiden arrived at this church.

The first thing he did was thoroughly understand the structure of this church.

Aiden had already decided to establish a safe zone here, anticipating that a situation like the current one might arise.

So, Aiden’s understanding of the church’s structure was as follows.

Firstly, the main hall itself was an open space, a typical structure of a worship hall.

There were three narrow vertical windows on each side of the left and right walls. Additionally, there were stairs leading up to the second floor, but that was a trap.

Although there was a broadcasting room on the second floor connected to the chapel, there was nothing else there.

Since there was no way to escape from there, going up to the second floor would be isolating oneself.

Therefore, Aiden focused on the opposite side of the entrance, behind the wide podium.

There was a door leading to the back of the chapel.

The corridor connected to that door was opposite to the entrance and could serve as a potential escape route for the group while zombies were being lured into the church.

Aiden judged it that way, but there was an issue to utilize that escape route immediately.

The fact that the escape route was currently securely locked.

“Claire Collins.”

So, Aiden called Claire.

She was still standing with her back against the door, blocking the zombies that were banging on it.

“Yes?”

“Do you see a door leading behind the podium over there?”

“Yes, but why?”

Aiden informed Claire and the other survivors of the existence of the escape route. Then he conveyed to Claire what she needed to do.

“You want me to open that?”

Aiden nodded.

He remembered that there was a door opener in Claire’s toolkit.

Claire looked slightly puzzled.

“Is it impossible?”

“It’s not, but…”

“How long will it take?”

“It will take a few minutes. I’m not that skilled at it either.”

As if lacking confidence, Claire trailed off at the end of her sentence.

Though it wasn’t a long time, considering the zombies that had already swarmed, there was no room for complacency.

“It doesn’t matter. Please do it.”

However, Aiden sent Claire to the back door.

Arian might be able to open the door faster than her.

But opening the escape route needed to be done quietly, and only the lock had to be released, leaving the door itself intact.

Claire nodded and ran towards the back door.

At that moment-

“Um, there!”

Maverick, who had been blocking the door, shouted.

He pointed to the window.

The windows were adorned with stained glass of various colors, and the shadows of zombies reflected from outside were vividly drawn.

Zombies that the church corridor couldn’t accommodate anymore had surrounded the building along the walls.

Eventually, they discovered the glass.

Crash!

A zombie slammed into the glass.

The large window was instantly cracked.

“Maverick, Miles. Keep blocking the entrance. The rest, stick to the windows! Prevent them from getting in!”

Aiden gave instructions to the survivors.

Joseph and Arian jumped to the windows.

However, even with them, there were only three.

Compared to that, there were six windows to guard.

Even if Arian and Aiden took two each, it was still uneasy to leave the other two to Joseph.

He was an experienced survivor, but in the end, he was just an ordinary person.

In that momentary thought in Aiden’s mind.

Sadie was seen running towards the window assigned to Joseph.

As if this was the solution.

She went to the window where zombies were pressed against, holding the small gun Aiden had given her.

“…”

Aiden couldn’t stop Sadie.

Although he had concerns, there was no time for that now.

Even if she was a young child, she had to contribute her share, and Sadie seemed to understand this, acting naturally.

For a moment, Aiden gazed at Sadie with admiration.

Crash!

One by one, the zombies banging on the windows shattered them.

The screams they uttered became even more distinct.

The corpses, heedless of their skin tearing on the broken glass shards, glowed with the intention of squeezing into the church.

Bang! Bang!

Immediately, the group’s gunfire started.

The loud gunshots shook the worship hall where the noise echoed.

A zombie that had extended its upper body inside the window fell limp with a bullet through its head.

Aiden, in the center of the chapel, relentlessly inserted bullets into the windows on both sides without a break.

In an instant, an entire magazine was expended.

He quickly changed the magazine and furrowed his brow slightly.

The momentum of the zombies was more intense than he had anticipated.

At most, the narrow window, suitable for one person to pass through, was being overwhelmed by three or more zombies trampling over each other to push their bodies inside.

Although the window restrained to some extent their frenzied charge, it couldn’t completely stop them.

The window, despite its narrow width, reached up to the second floor in height.

Zombies climbed on the stretched-out corpses, and more zombies kept crawling up continuously.

So, Aiden glanced worriedly at Sadie, the most concerning one.

Bang!

Contrary to his worries, Sadie was calmly continuing her gunfire.

Just like Aiden taught her, keeping a distance of exactly 5 meters from the window, the girl was inserting bullets into the heads of the zombies appearing there.

When did she become so proficient?

Her accuracy and, most surprisingly, Sadie showed no sign of losing her composure even when faced with the roars emanating from the zombies on the windows.

Of course, Sadie was not entirely unaffected.

“Kiaaaa!”

At the moment when the zombie’s roar passed, her reaction alone indicated that she was affected.

Biting her lip, she hardened her expression, focusing solely on the window.

However, in her face, which stared only at the window while enduring the zombies’ screams, a clear sense of fear could be felt.

Like any other child at her age, Sadie was scared, but she endured it and was holding up against it.

“…”

Aiden looked next at Arian.

Arian didn’t use a gun, but with an unbelievable speed, she continued beheading the zombies trying to cross the window like a single machete.

In no time, a capability exceeding human limits was being demonstrated, but none of the survivors were paying attention to Arian.

Everyone was too absorbed in blocking the zombies.

…It’s precarious.

Aiden, surveying his surroundings, felt a slight unease.

Neither Aiden nor anyone blocking the windows had any leeway.

“It feels like the door is about to break!”

Amidst this, Maverick, who was blocking the door, shouted.

The glow from the zombies banging on the church’s main entrance was still persistent.

The door panel, unable to withstand their weight, was slowly tilting.

Aiden’s gaze involuntarily turned towards the podium.

It hadn’t been more than two minutes since Claire entered the door, but already there were signs of precariousness.

“Magazine! Give me a magazine!”

Then, Joseph shouted.

He, who was defending against zombies crawling through the window, had already used up all the bullets in one magazine.

Miles responded.

Desperately holding the fluctuating door, he pulled out the magazine from the rifle he was holding and threw it to Joseph.

However.

“Woooaah!”

Catching the airborne magazine and inserting it back into the gun in a short gap.

In the meantime, another zombie leaped over the window.

The guy directly charged at Joseph.

“Kiiii!”

Despite his scream, Joseph tried to push the zombie away with the gun’s butt.

However, even with a blow to the head, the zombie grabbed Joseph’s gun with both hands.

Overpowered by a strength much greater than a human’s, Joseph staggered.

“Darn it!”

Joseph could only let go of the gun from his hands, and the zombie threw it away.

With its mouth wide open towards him, the zombie rushed forward.

“Wuuuaah!”

The screams of zombies explode in his ears.

A clumsy hand grabbed his arm.

His entire body was tilted by that strong force.

That was the moment when Joseph sensed his own end.

Bang!

A bullet passed through the zombie’s head.

Joseph looked to the side and saw Sadie’s pistol pointed in his direction.

The sight of a gun lined up with the frightened eyes of a child, and the muzzle of a gun that coolly explodes a zombie’s head, gave off a strong sense of discomfort.

“Keeee!”

Joseph, who barely saved his life, heard the sound of another zombie.

Through the window, another zombie was entering.

Joseph’s gun, which needed to block this, happened to be right under that window.

“-!”

Joseph, realizing this, took action… to run away.

He gave up defending the window and turned his back, stepping on the stairs leading to the second floor right next to him.

Naturally, the remaining one in front of the zombie that entered through the window was Sadie.

“Huh…?”

Sadie’s actions froze in an unexpected situation.

Zombies were pouring in from the window Joseph was supposed to guard.

And they moved directly towards Sadie, the closest human.

“Sadie, step back!”

Aiden’s judgment, who had not missed the situation, was quick.

Firing bullets at the zombies pouring in through the broken window, Aiden rushed.

With Aiden’s shout, Sadie, who had regained her composure, moved.

The little girl’s steps were too slow compared to the zombies, but…

Thunk!

Aiden’s movement towards Sadie was faster than an ordinary zombie.

Fortunately, Aiden, who was at the center of the chapel rather than the end, could reach Sadie just before being engulfed by the zombie horde.

Aiden embraced the rushing Sadie and turned around.

“Kiaaa!”

Then, the maniacal screams of the corpses who lost their prey erupted from all directions.

Not only the sound but also the sickle-like hands attempted to grab Aiden, but he brushed them off in an instant while running.

In no time, the chapel, where more than ten zombies had invaded, was no longer a safe zone.

Aiden ran desperately towards the back door, holding the child.

“Everyone, go to the back door!”

Aiden shouted.

However, the zombies were sticking closely behind Aiden.

At this rate, they would once again be caught by the zombies.

Shuaak!

Just before that, Arian arrived.

While cutting down three zombies at once, she couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

“What’s going on?”

“Explanation later.”

Aiden entrusted Sadie to Arian and continued to move back.

Continuing to shoot bullets to slow down the approaching zombies from all directions.

Now the chapel was inevitable to give up.

Aiden had to pray that Claire opened the door in time.

“It’s here!”

Aiden shouted to Miles and Maverick, who were guarding the entrance.

As soon as they heard Aiden’s shout, they gave up the entrance and were running across the chapel towards him.

The zombies blocking their way were swept away by Aiden’s gunfire.

“Uh, thanks!”

Miles and Maverick barely passed by Aiden and ran towards the back door.

Squelch!

Then, a cracking sound occurred from the worship chair blocking the entrance.

With a sharp sound, the chair, crushed by tremendous force, split in half, and the door opened.

A large number of zombies rushed into the chapel.

“Tsk…!”

The numbers were overwhelming, and bullets alone couldn’t do anything.

Therefore, Aiden, running towards the back door himself, pulled out another grenade from his pocket.

Except for Joseph, everyone had already entered through the small corridor that would be tightly packed with a few people.

Aiden threw the grenade into the center of the chapel.

Boooom!

Another massive explosion shook the building.

However, the zombies paused onlyfor a moment.

Immediately, the vacant spaces of the shattered corpses were filled up again like water surging in.

But in that brief moment, Aiden and the others had finally entered the narrow corridor leading to the back door.

In the cramped space where it would be crowded with just a few people, the survivors gasped for breath.

“The door?”

“Yeah, it’s open!”

Right on cue, Claire’s voice, who had been waiting, could be heard.

Everyone knew what to do next, even without Aiden giving orders.

Survivors who were trapped in the corridor opened the door and went outside.

And Aiden also, holding the zombie’s head that had come dangerously close to him, barely passed through the door.

Bang!

As soon as he came out, Aiden closed the door.

The locking mechanism was on the inside of the door, but there was no need to lock it.

Those things were corpses that didn’t even know how to turn a doorknob.

Soon, a banging sound echoed loudly from the inside.

The latch and the door panel already showed signs of being crushed.

With that, even a metal door wouldn’t last long, though.

This time, it was okay not to endure for long.

The team would leave this place directly now.

Aiden surveyed the surroundings.

As he expected, the nearby zombies seemed to have been pushed into the church.

“Let’s move. Do you know the way?”

“It’s this way!”

Claire took the lead at Aiden’s words.

They left the church, where zombies were swarming, and quickly moved to the opposite residential area.

Thus, they ran towards the funeral home, their hiding place for survivors.

* * *

“Phew…”

After completely escaping the area chaotic with zombies, Claire let out a long sigh.

It was only now that the realization hit her that the crisis had passed.

Not only her, but everyone except Aiden looked tired.

Claire looked at the road they had run.

The church at the end was naturally not visible, obscured by various obstacles.

“What about Joseph? Is he okay?”

Claire cautiously opened her mouth.

Then, Miles spoke with an irritated tone.

“I don’t know what happened. We almost died because of that guy. Coward.”

Recalling the recent events, he grimaced and shivered.

Maverick, who was standing next to him, had a dark expression, and in contrast, Arian had a very indifferent atmosphere.

It was because they knew that Sadie had been in great danger because of that man.

Despite that, Claire still asked the question.

“He went upstairs? Is he alive?”

“If he’s lucky, maybe. But it won’t be easy to get out.”

Aiden replied calmly.

The only way to get out of there was to go back down the stairs and pass through the chapel.

However, now there would be a swarm of zombies gathered there.

For an ordinary person without a gun, breaking through them would be nearly impossible.

“Do you feel sorry for him?”

“We didn’t abandon him. He abandoned us first.”

Claire closed her mouth at Aiden’s words.

Meanwhile, Miles, who seemed to want to lighten the mood, shrugged and spoke.

“By the way, we almost all died. Old man, you’re quite something.”

Miles said that to Aiden and approached him casually.

However, suddenly, Maverick, who had been quietly standing there, intervened.

He blocked the way with one hand, as if protecting Miles.

“Wait a minute.”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Miles replied casually, but suddenly Maverick raised his gun.

“Old man, step back.”

Maverick’s gun was aimed at Aiden.

Claire was surprised and opened her mouth.

“Maverick! What’s going on?”

“I saw it all earlier.”

Despite Claire’s objection, Maverick, with a firm face, stared at Aiden.

“You, were you bitten by a zombie in the church? Miles, you saw it too.”

Miles swallowed hard at Maverick’s words.

Arian made a short tongue click, and Claire widened her eyes, looking at Aiden.

“Is that… true?”

“On the inside of your right arm. When you saved that child, I saw you get bitten.”

Maverick pointed at the wounded area with the gun, indicating where Aiden was bitten.

A clear tear in his white coat revealed a distinct mark.

Claire stepped back in astonishment.

Miles seemed to have something to say and urged Aiden to speak quickly.

Even with the reactions of the survivors, Aiden remained silent for a moment.

Maverick’s observation was correct.

When he rescued Sadie just before she was about to be caught by the zombies, Aiden was bitten by them.

He had hoped they hadn’t noticed in the midst of the chaos.

Unfortunately, Maverick’s eyes couldn’t be avoided.

So, Aiden spoke calmly.

“There’s nothing to say. It’s true that I was bitten.”

“…”

Claire made a shocked expression.

However, at that moment, Sadie stood in front of Aiden.

As if blocking the gun aimed at Aiden.