The crowd froze in an instant.
In the shadows, the zombie stood deathly still, its head bowed low. Its body didn't sway like the others. There was no guttural growl, no familiar scent of mindless frenzy.
Because of this, most people instinctively lowered their guard.
"It's just one..." a male student whispered, his voice trembling with a hint of relief. "Kill it, and we're safe."
He gripped his iron rod, stepping forward cautiously, eyes locked on the figure.
Behind him, Thuong Sinh's heart skipped a beat. A familiar chill crawled up his spine, sharper than ever before. What stood before them didn't feel like prey.
"Wait—!" Thuong Sinh blurted out. "Watch out—!"
But it was too late.
The zombie's head snapped up. Its jaw unhinged unnaturally wide, far beyond human limits. In that split second, a slimy, elongated object shot out from its throat like a harpoon.
Thwack!
Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, the object pierced straight through the head of the student holding the iron rod. His body stiffened. The rod clattered to the ground with a dry, metallic ring. He slumped to the ground, his body twitching once before going still.
The entire ordeal took less than a second.
"AAAHHH—!!!"
A panicked scream tore through the air.
"What... what kind of monster is that?"
The zombie retracted its weapon—a deformed, abnormally long tongue, stained with dark blood. It merely tilted its head, observing them as if it possessed sight.
Thuong Sinh took a deep breath, suppressing the shock. He stepped forward, shielding the group.
"Get back!" his voice was low but commanding. "Stay right there."
Luu Hao hadn't even opened his mouth when Thuong Sinh added: "You're no match for this thing."
He didn't look back. His gaze was locked on the monster. In Thuong Sinh's mind, the system interface flickered to life:
[Special Organism Detected]
[Classification: Mutated Zombie]
[Danger Level: High]
His heart sank. He gripped the dagger in his hand. He took half a step forward, his body entering the state of the "Blade Wind" technique.
The mutated zombie hunched its back. Then—! It lunged.
From its dark maw, the fleshy tongue shot out like a spear, aimed precisely at Thuong Sinh's throat.
Fast. Too fast.
Thuong Sinh didn't retreat. He pivoted sharply, his body gliding across the ground.
"Phantom Steps"
Thuong Sinh transformed into a blurred shadow. Within a single breath, he had closed the distance. When he was only an arm's length away—
Slash!
"Blade Wind"
A horizontal strike, decisive and cold. But the zombie leapt backward in the nick of time. The two combatants separated. The silence was suffocating.
The leaf touched the ground. Both moved at once.
The zombie charged head-on. Thuong Sinh met it, but abruptly changed direction, circling toward the flank. The tongue shot out again, predicting his position.
Crack!
The tongue slammed into the concrete, missing its mark. In that instant, Thuong Sinh's silhouette blurred again.
"Phantom Steps"— Once more!
He ducked low, skidding across the ground. Thuong Sinh didn't hesitate. All the power from his body surged into a single strike.
Shiing!
The tongue was severed clean. The mutated zombie stumbled back. For the first time, it let out a shriek of agony. No longer silent.
It roared, its face tearing open as it lunged with desperate speed. It was faster than anything before. Thuong Sinh instinctively tilted left.
But it wasn't enough.
A chunk of flesh from his shoulder was torn away. Pain burned through him, blood soaking his sleeve. It was the first time he had been wounded.
The zombie didn't stop. It leapt again, the pressure of its killing intent weighing down the space. In that moment, Thuong Sinh's fury exploded.
"You hideous monster! Die!"
He slammed his foot into the ground. His aura erupted.
"Blade Wind"— Rapid Burst!
A thin, pale green light coated the dagger. The slash came. "Blade Wind" exploded like a storm, sweeping toward the monster.
Boom—!
The zombie's gaping maw was shredded. Its heavy body crashed to the ground. Thuong Sinh's strength failed him. He swayed before collapsing onto the cold concrete.
"Thuong Sinh!"
The group rushed forward. Luu Hao shouted: "Tran Tuyet—!"
Tran Tuyet knelt beside him, a soft green light emanating from her palms—her Ability. The bleeding stopped instantly, and the pain subsided.
The others stood around, looking at him with near-worship, seeing him as their only pillar in this Apocalypse.
Hua Thanh, usually the one with the loose tongue, cleared his throat. "Ahem... well, we were unlucky enough to almost die here..." He looked toward the end of the field. "But at least our luck hasn't entirely abandoned us."
There, in a shadowed corner, was a bus.
No one spoke, but every eye lit up with hope. What they needed was finally within reach.