In another part of the chaotic scene, a man fought with brutal efficiency, his fists a blur of power and fury.
Each zombie that ventured too close met its end with a violent explosion of flesh and bone.
Their heads exploded on impact, the force of his punches leaving nothing but mangled corpses in their wake.
"You're just a bunch of slow weaklings! HAHAH, come at me!"
He taunted, his laughter echoing through the destruction around him.
With a powerful leap off a nearby car, he landed in a fluid motion, his fist flashing forward once again, each strike a blur of heat and destruction.
A gauntlet wrapped around his hand, glowing with intense heat, crackling with energy as it slammed into the zombies.
The system's notifications rang in his ears, relentless, each new kill a reminder of his growing power.
"This is it. This is reality. This is the real world!"
The man's voice rang out, wild and triumphant, as he tore through the zombies.
Each word was punctuated by the sickening sound of his gauntlet smashing into the zombies.
His taunting shouts only seemed to attract more zombies, but it didn't matter.
He was a force unto himself, unstoppable.
He kept moving, his fists a motion of fiery power, as more and more of the creatures fell in his wake.
One after another, their heads exploded, leaving only blood and remains.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he paused.
The last of the zombies lay scattered, lifeless at his feet.
"You can come out now"
He called, his voice echoing across the desolate scene.
At his words, the survivors cautiously emerged from their hiding spots, stepping into the open, wary eyes scanning for any lingering threats.
Students and teachers alike, their faces pale but filled with relief, slowly made their way toward the man.
"Elijah, you're so cool!"
"I want to be like you when I grow up!"
The praise came from the group of survivors, admiration evident in their voices.
Elijah chuckled, clearly pleased by their words.
"What do you mean, 'be like him when you grow up? You're already older than him'"
Aomeone else chimed in.
"You're already older than him."
Elijah smiled, his eyes bright with confidence.
"We'll be heading to the auditorium now. There's enough space and food there for everyone. Let's stick together and move quickly"
With a nod of agreement, the group began to move in unison, following Elijah silently.
Their steps were lighter now, comforted by the presence of their fearless leader, even as the world around them remained perilous and uncertain.
At the female hostel, a woman moved through the hallway with measured, purposeful steps.
There was no weapon in her hands,but any zombie that ventured too close was immediately engulfed in a burst of flames, their forms reduced to smoldering ashes in an instant.
She approached a door and knocked gently, her voice carrying softly through the silent hallway.
"Anyone there? I'm here to save as many people as I can"
The door creaked open slowly, a cautious head peeking out from behind it.
"Ella… It's you"
The voice was familiar, tinged with both relief and fear.
The occupant of the room stepped forward, her eyes wide with recognition as she took in the woman standing before her.
"I've cleared the zombies on this floor"
Ella said, her voice calm.
"Knock on other people's rooms. We'll take them and leave together"
The girl in the doorway hesitated, her gaze flickering nervously toward the outside world.
"Leave? Ella, it's hell out there. We should wait for the government. They'll come for us, won't they?"
Fear laced her words, and she gripped the doorframe tightly, unwilling to let go of the false sense of safety her room provided.
But before Ella could respond, another voice echoed from within the room.
"I will follow you"
The girl turned, startled. Her roommate stood in the dim light, her face a mixture of resolve and uncertainty.
"Don't be stupid"
The first girl spoke, her voice tight with concern.
"You won't survive with the number of zombies out there"
But the second girl didn't falter, she moved toward the door and stepped outside, ignoring the warnings.
"Come with us"
She urged, her tone soft.
The first girl hesitated, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.
She glanced back toward the room as if weighing her options.
"I'm sorry. I paid my taxes. The government will be here any minute now. I'll wait"
Ella, who had been standing silently, observing the exchange, finally spoke.
"Let's go. We don't have time for this"
Together, the two women continued down the hallway, knocking on doors and helping those still holed up in their rooms.
The air was thick with anxiety, but their resolve to save as many as they could kept them moving.
As they reached another door, one of the girls hesitated.
"Are we going down to save those below?"
Ella glanced over her shoulder, her face grim.
"I don't have enough mana for that. We'll take the elevator to the ground floor, then head straight to the auditorium. It's the safest place for everyone"
The group nodded in unison, their steps quickening as they continued their rescue effort, knowing they couldn't afford to waste another moment.
In another direction, the air was punctuated by the sharp, relentless sound of gunfire.
PEW!
PEW!
PEW!
BANG!
BANG!
Each shot rang out with deadly precision, the bullets finding their mark and bursting through the skulls of the approaching zombies, dropping them in a cascade of blood.
"Keep running! Don't stop!"
The man shouted, his voice fierce, eyes scanning the road behind him as he sprinted forward, gun in hand.
His heavy boots slammed into the cracked floor, each step quickening his pace, yet the swarm of zombies behind seemed endless.
'Shit! I'm out of bullets'
He thought, the sudden realization sinking in.
His hand fumbled, but there was nothing left in the chamber.
A zombie lunged at him, its jaws wide and teeth snapping with hunger.
But the man reacted instantly, his movements precise, like a seasoned soldier.
With a swift motion, he slammed the grip of his empty gun into the zombie's skull.
The impact was brutal, and the zombie's head exploded in a spray of blood and brain matter.
Without a second of hesitation, he turned toward one of the students who had fallen to the ground, struggling to get back on his feet.
The boy's face was streaked with tears, his breath ragged in panic.
"Stop crying and move. You're a man. Get up"
The man barked, his voice firm, cutting through the boy's fear.
The boy sniffled, still trembling, but managed to nod, pushing himself to his feet with the man's assistance.
"Isaac, another one's coming from the front!"
One of the students yelled.
The man's gaze snapped forward, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the approaching threat.
He had been focused on protecting the rear, but now his attention was drawn to the new danger ahead.
The man didn't hesitate for a moment.
His feet hit the ground with a swift sprint, and in one smooth motion, the cutlass at his waist was unsheathed.
With a single, powerful hack, the blade cleaved through the air and severed a zombie's head from its neck in one fluid strike.
The head hit the ground with a sickening thud, its lifeless eyes staring up at the chaos.
Without pausing, the man was already moving to the next target.
His body twisted in a practiced motion, the cutlass following the path of his hand as it slashed through another zombie's skull, leaving a fresh gash in its wake.
A low growl sounded from behind him, but the man was already aware.
His instincts were razor-sharp.
He sidestepped just in time, the zombie's claw barely missing him by mere inches.
In just a few minutes, the area was cleared.
The zombies lay in pieces around him, their lifeless forms a testament to his speed and precision.
"Everyone, to the auditorium! The government will be here with reinforcements soon!"
Isaac's voice rang out.
There was no time for hesitation.
The words ignited a sense of urgency in the group, and without another second wasted, the students scrambled into motion, sprinting as though their very lives depended on reaching the safety of the auditorium.
And indeed, it did.
At a girl walked alone, a bloodied spear resting calmly in her grasp.
Unlike the others scattered across the campus, no one followed her.
No group, no allies. Just silence, and the wet, sticky sound of her boots squelching against the blood-soaked pavement.
Green blood coated her from head to toe, painting her like a war-hardened valkyrie.
The thick liquid dripped from her blade in slow, steady droplets.
To her right, a group of zombies staggered into view, moaning, hungry, dead-eyed.
She didn't flinch.
Her gaze didn't shift. Her pace didn't change.
She simply turned the other way, walking at a calm, leisurely pace.
And yet, any zombie foolish enough to step into her path met instant death.
Skulls cracked. Bones shattered.
Heads exploded like fruit under a sledgehammer, some by a simple twist of her spear, others by sheer, physical strength.
One unlucky creature lunged.
She didn't even glance at it, her spear thrust forward, piercing through its head and out the other side.
The body twitched once, then slumped lifelessly.
"I wonder how many people are heading to the auditorium"
Jennifer murmured, her voice soft, unfazed, as though the chaos around her were nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
Everyone was heading to the auditorium, for safety, for food, for hope.
But not her.
She walked because she chose to.
And because nothing could stop her.