Safe Haven

The monster pursued the Pave Hawks relentlessly, and the helicopters responded with unrelenting firepower from the GAU-2 miniguns.

Richard's attention remained fixated on the monster's health bar, watching as it gradually decreased.

In a tense moment, the creature heaved a vehicle into the air, launching it towards Jolly 1.

"Get higher! Pull up!" Richard's command was laced with frustration as he urged the Jolly 1 pilot to ascend, avoiding the incoming threat. The collective lever was pulled, and the helicopter's nose pointed upwards, narrowly evading the airborne projectile.

"Specter 1 to Eagle Actual, our GAU-2 miniguns are nearly depleted. If those weapons can't kill it, then our small arms won't do much either," came the grim update from Graves.

Richard clenched his teeth in frustration. How the hell was a zombie virus able to create that kind of monster?

"Specter 1, continue to fire on the target," Richard ordered, his voice steady despite the frustration simmering beneath the surface. "We are dealing damage to the monster."

The Delta Forces in the helicopters wasted no time. Gripping their M4 Carbines tightly, they leaned out of the open doors, their fingers squeezing the triggers. The sharp crack of gunfire punctuated the air as a barrage of bullets rained down upon the creature.

Bullets struck the monster's hide, finding weak points and vulnerabilities. Its pained roars echoed, reverberating. But instead of weakening it, it's only annoying the creature further. The hail of bullets seemed to do little more than provoke its fury. It roared in defiance, its massive form undeterred by the onslaught of small arms fire.

Unable to reach the helicopters directly, it resorted to hurling objects in its path. Vehicles were lifted into the air, rubble was torn from the earth, and streetlight poles were uprooted and sent hurtling toward the Pave Hawks.

"Evade! Evasive maneuvers!"

The helicopters twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectiles that crashed into the ground below.

Richard heaves out an exasperated sigh. They don't really have to fight this monster and could simply leave it. After all, their helicopters are fast. But, he couldn't afford to have such a monster following their base. That monster has to be destroyed.

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, Richard spotted Lisa and her classmates huddled together, hands clasped and heads bowed as if silently praying for an end to the chaos.

"Specter 3, pass me that Javelin launcher," Richard ordered.

Specter 3 moved swiftly, retrieving the anti-tank weapon from its storage crate and passing it to Richard. The launcher was hefty, and he hefted it onto his shoulder.

"I'm locking on target, keep her steady," Richard's said as he lined up the shot. The beeping tone from the launcher signaled the successful lock-on.

"Missile away!" With a pull of the trigger, the Javelin rocket soared forth, propelled by its thrusters, hurtling toward the creature's vulnerable point. An intense flash of light accompanied the impact, and as the smoke dispersed, the creature remained standing, albeit visibly wounded.

Checking the monster's health bar, Richard noted it had dropped to 40 percent. A thought dawned on him—Javelin missiles seemed to be effective against it.

"This is Eagle Actual, all stations, the monster is vulnerable to Javelin missiles. Retrieve your launchers and let loose at it."

"This is Specter 1, I have a lock on the target, firing the missile now," Specter 1's voice crackled over the radio.

The Javelin missile shot from Specter 1's launcher, trailing a smoky plume as it streaked toward the monster. The anticipation hung heavy in the air as the missile homed in on its target, closing the distance with a rapid velocity.

A brilliant burst of light erupted as the missile made contact with the creature. The shockwave rippled through the air, accompanied by a resounding boom that echoed across the cityscape.

The monster's health is down to fifteen percent. One last javelin missile is going to kill it.

One of the Delta forces in the Jolly 2 already had a bead on the monster, and pulled the trigger of the launcher, sending a missile hurtling toward the creature.

The seconds stretched into heartbeats as the missile closed in.

Then, the inevitable impact came a cataclysmic explosion that engulfed the creature in a blinding blaze of fire and debris.

The shockwave rippled outward, a shockwave that sent tremors through the surrounding terrain and rattled the helicopters in the air. The monster's roars of pain and defiance were silenced in an instant.

As the smoke and fire cleared, the once-mighty creature had been reduced to nothing more than a smoldering heap of wreckage.

[Congratulations! You have killed Hunter!]

[Zombie Encounters has been updated]

[Your level has risen to 10]

[You have received 100,000 gold coins for killing the Hunter.]

[System Update: Experience and gold gains from killing an infected are now quadrupled.]

Richard read through all the floating holographic screens before him, and he smiled in satisfaction. His system must have noticed that the enemy in the apocalypse is ridiculously overpowered, so the system is buffing him.

Well, he too would be frustrated if he would only get 1,000 gold coins from killing that monster. They have fired four javelin missiles, almost exhausted two GAU-2 miniguns, and not to mention, it can bring down a helicopter if one of its throws connects.

"Eagle Actual to all stations, the target is eliminated. We're RTB. Great job out there, Eagle Actual out."

The Pave Hawks could now continue its course towards Makati City. And Richard crawled on all fours as he approached Lisa who was strapped in a chair.

"Lisa… hey," Richard called softly.

Lisa opened her eyes, her gaze shifting from the chaos around her to her brother's concerned face. A weak smile tugged at her lips.

"Richard," she breathed, her voice hoarse. "Is it... is it over?"

Richard nodded, his own smile tinged with fatigue. "Yeah, it's over. We took down that thing."

Lisa's shoulders visibly relaxed, a heavy burden lifted from her as the reality of their victory sank in. "Thank goodness."

"Uhm…Richard…" Denise, who was sitting next to Lisa, spoke. "Where are we going now?"

"At the condo," Richard answered.

"You mean the condo where we are staying?" Lisa asked.

"Yes," Richard confirmed. "There are no zombies there as we have cleared it. It'll be safe there. I know you have a lot of questions but save it for later okay?"

Richard grabbed Lisa's hand and enveloped it in his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Ten minutes later, Jolly 1 landed on the rooftop of Building A. The Delta Forces and Richard hopped out of the helicopter and he extended his hand over to Lisa, helping her step onto the rooftop. The helicopters gradually powered down their engines, the thudding noise fading into the background as a sense of calm settled over the area.

Lisa took a moment to glance around. The once-familiar skyline of the city was marred by destruction.

On the rooftop, Mark, Richard's deputy, saluted at Richard.

"Sir, I'm so glad that you returned here safely."

Richard patted Mark on the shoulder and replied. "Yeah, we almost got our asses kicked back there."

Mark shifted his gaze to the girls behind Richard, who was still in shock.

"So these are the students that you rescued from the university…" Mark paused as his eyes fell on Richard's hand holding another woman's hand. "And she must be your sister."

"Correct. They need to rest, I'll take them to my original unit on the twenty-fifth floor."

"Very well sir. Do you need anything?" Mark asked.

"I'm going to need MREs and bottled water for each and one of them," Richard said as he glanced back at the group. Mark nodded. "I'll make sure it's arranged.

"Good," Richard replied with a nod. "And arrange a medical personnel to check on them later."

Mark acknowledged the additional request. "Consider it done, sir. We'll have everything prepared."

With that, Richard guided Lisa and the other students toward the elevator. As they made their way to the elevator, Lisa and her classmates took a look around, armed soldiers walking down the hallway, carrying supplies and attending to various tasks. The once-familiar environment of the building had transformed into a makeshift command center.

The elevator ride was brief, and soon they arrived at the twenty-fifth floor. The doors slid open, revealing a familiar hallway.

Richard led them to his original unit and he opened the door.

"Okay, this is where you are all staying for a while as we arrange individual rooms for each of you," Richard said, extending his hand toward the room. Lisa and her classmates entered.

"If you need anything, you can just ask the soldier outside the unit, they'll get you anything—"

His sentence was interrupted as Lisa's classmate hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you!" They said as they started crying. Richard was taken aback for a moment, unused to such displays of emotion, but he patted the student's back awkwardly, trying to offer comfort. "It must have been scary for all of you…"

Lisa stood there, watching as her classmate gratefully hugged her brother. Admiring him even more. When things started to look dark, and there was no hope, her brother was the light that broke that darkness.

"Okay…everyone can stop hugging me now," Richard chuckled sheepishly.

The students slowly released their grips on Richard, wiping away tears and sniffling. It was a mix of emotions – relief, gratitude, and the lingering fear of what they had just faced.

Richard's gaze landed on Ella, Lisa's classmate that got violated. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

Lisa and the others were surprised at Richard's sudden action.

"I'm sorry if we arrive late," Richard whispered into her ears. "It must have been a terrible thing for you to experience."

Ella, founding herself wrapped in Richard's embrace, felt a mix of emotions flood over her. She had kept her emotions in check, trying to appear strong but Richard's gesture broke down the walls she had built. She could feel the tears welling up again, and she buried her face into his chest.

His gaze flickered to Lisa, who smiled fondly at him. The same thing could have happened to her if he had arrived late…No, it would have happened to her if he hadn't received this system. He couldn't bring himself to imagine the fate they are going to suffer.

"I swear, I will protect everyone here from any danger, humans or zombies."

As they were having their moment, the doorbell rang.

Richard released Ella from her embrace and head over to the door. He opened it and saw Mark.

"Sir the MREs and the medical personnel are here," Mark said.

"Great, thanks, Mark," Richard replied, stepping aside to let Mark and the soldiers carry in the supplies and medical equipment.

Mark glanced around the room, his eyes falling on the group of students who were now settling in. "It's good to see them safe."

"Yeah, it is," Richard agreed.

The soldiers quickly distributed the MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) and bottled water to the students, who were grateful for the sustenance. The medical personnel began assessing their conditions, checking for injuries and signs of trauma. Richard watched the proceedings, ensuring that everything was going smoothly.

As the students received care and settled down with their meals, Lisa approached Richard and Mark.

"Uhm…brother…is it really true that you are the leader of all the soldiers here?" Lisa asked.

"That's correct ma'am," Mark interceded in confirmation. "Your brother is the commander-in-chief and I'm his deputy."

"But how…brother…I didn't know that you have a secret life…" Lisa said.

"There will be an orientation tomorrow in the function room. Until then, you and your classmates take a rest."