*CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!*
The snow outside the hotel was crushed by deafening footsteps. The black horde of the Infected spread like a rising tide. They surged wildly through the hotel entrance at an astonishing speed.
*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*
Rotten, twisted faces slammed the glass. Each impact was like a heavy iron hammer falling, striking the hearts of everyone present.
Just in three seconds, the area outside the hotel was filled with the Infected.
Their numbers? Countless.
Black claws relentlessly tore at the doors. Wave after wave of impacts battered the fragile glass doors.
They were like piles of sand, growing higher and higher until they filled a small building in an instant.
Countless shadows obscured the light, as if night had fallen, instantly plunging the hall into darkness.
Everyone watched with trepidation, feeling their body hair stand at end.
This terrifying scene was almost just like that horror movie—World War Z.
*KREEEK!* *KREEEK!* *KREEEK!*
Under the relentless onslaught of the zombie horde, even the reinforced glass doors of the hotel were on the verge of collapse, emitting a groan of unbearable strain.
Suddenly, the doors finally broke with a loud *BANG!*.
The horde of zombies surged into the lobby like sponges squeezed to their limit.
Tsubasa leaned against the white marble railing of the spiral staircase, the muzzle of his AK-105 slightly lowered, locking onto the top of the skull of the front row of zombies. That is the fatal weakness where the brain is located.
"Fire!"
With that order, countless gunshots instantly shattered the hotel's silence.
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*
Yukino leaned against the wall, her hands tightly gripping the MP5 submachine gun.
Following Tsubasa's instructions, she fired in bursts and only paused for half a second after every three bullets.
*RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*
Utaha didn't have much experience in shooting. Only the simplest shooting method could be used. She kept the MP5's rate of fire at a critical point, always aiming the muzzle at the horde of zombies, the bullet trajectories connecting the heads of swathes of zombies like silk threads. Her motto was 'not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes'.
It's better to waste a few bullets than to let the horde of zombies overrun the team.
"There are just too many..." Hayato's face was grave as he watched the relentless tide of the Infected, his heart sinking lower and lower.
Despite being mentally prepared, he hadn't anticipated such a large number of zombies attacking.
Even worse...
Who knows how many Special Infected would appear within the horde of zombies?
The young man had no other choice but to grit his teeth, carry the Remington shotgun, and stand at the corner of the steps.
Each trigger pull was accompanied by a deafening roar, the shotgun shells forming a death fan within five meters, blasting the oncoming zombies into flying limbs and bloody carnage.
For a full three minutes, everyone gritted their teeth and fiercely defended the hall. The battle had reached a fever pitch, with no time to stop.
Finally, when everyone's guns were all out of ammunition and needed to be reloaded, Hayato roared, "Attention! Landmines are about to detonate!"
Hayato then pressed the remote control.
The next instant—
*KA-BOOM!* *KA-BOOM!* *KA-BOOM!*
Three violent bursts of flame erupted from the snow outside the hotel entrance. The steel balls from the Claymore mine swept across the area like a torrential rain. The nearby zombies were instantly torn into countless bloody fragments by the terrifying shockwave.
The black bloodstains spread across the snow like splashes of ink. But soon, it was submerged by the swirling snowflakes. The blend of black and white creates an eerie yet strangely beautiful effect.
After a brief lull, the horde of zombies surged back in, seemingly never to be cleared away. The initial defensive battle was flawless. The spiral staircase in the hall forms a natural funnel-shaped terrain. The zombies could only surge upwards in a line.
The gunfire from the crowd formed an iron net, blocking every zombie that tried to break through below the steps. The metal shell casings gradually piled up on the steps, slowly forming a small hill. The air was filled with a pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with putrid odor.
Tsubasa could even clearly hear the crisp *CRACK!* sound of the bullet piercing the zombie's skull. His Master Marksmanship allowed him to 'precisely lock onto the enemy', eliminating the need for aiming. The muzzle could always automatically target the weakest point. When the AK-105 magazine was empty, at least thirty zombies fell to his gun, and not one of them needed a follow-up shot.
"Do you have enough ammunition?" Tsubasa changed the magazine with lightning speed, removing the empty magazine with one hand, and the new magazine was soon inserted into the gun. He raised his gun and fired three more shots, blowing the heads off three zombies that were trying to climb the steps from the side.
"I only have two magazines left in my MP5!" Yukino's voice was breathless, her fingertip slightly white from constantly pulling the trigger. She said in a deep voice, "But I don't have many bullets left in my shotgun!"
This type of gun has a limited supply of bullets. Others didn't have much in reserve either.
Just as Tsubasa was about to reply, his eyes suddenly widened. He shouted, "Watch out! Above!"
A dark shadow suddenly swooped down from the chandelier on the first floor of the hotel, like a ghost. It wore a hood, his gray skin taut over streamlined muscles, and his sharp claws gleamed with metallic luster under the light.
It was the Hunter!
This was the second time they met this guy, so they were no longer strangers.
In an instant, all gun barrels were aimed simultaneously. But the latter was incredibly fast, leaping into the air suddenly with its terrifying jumping ability. Its target was none other than Taisuke, who stood in the middle of the group and was always on edge.
Taisuke was firing his SCAR-L at the horde of the Infected below, completely unaware of the threat above him. He only looked up sharply when he heard the sharp sound of claws slicing through the air, only to see the Hunter's grotesque, distorted face.
"NO!" Taisuke instinctively raised his gun, but the Hunter's claws slapped the weapon away, and he was then tackled to the ground on the steps.
"Save—!" The cries for help abruptly stopped. The Hunter's sharp teeth pierced his throat, and blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing onto the white marble steps and instantly staining a large area red.
"I...I...I don't want...to die..."
Taisuke's body convulsed violently. His hands scratched at the Hunter's back in vain.
A few seconds later, his movements froze completely, his eyes wide open, his pupils still filled with extreme fear.
Taisuke Sawanaga died here.
✱✱✱
Translator's Corner:
If you find any typos or grammatical errors, please report them in the comments; I'll fix them right away! If you have any constructive criticism or suggestions, please leave them in the comments! Thanks for reading!