Surviving the Apocalypse With My Beloved | Pt.5

The flames gulped up the entire room, glazing everything it touched. The heat was unbearable, their lungs burned, and it became harder and harder to breathe. Although it was too warm, they only felt cold chills creeping up their spines. 

Having had enough fun, Tora doused the entire room with water. Steam and smoke obscured their visions as they escaped into the hallway. 

Their hands gripped tightly around the pipe. Their feet rooted on the floor, waiting for an opportunity to strike their opponent. The young man with a burnt shoe shuffles slowly towards the entrance. 

"AHHHH!" A hand reached out through the smoke, grabbing his collar and dragging him in with great speed. 

"Luis! Ughh!" As they attempted to grab hold of their friend, a strong wind swept them away. The room had cleared of any smoke or steam, and only charred stains remained. 

"AH! FUCK! LET ME GO!" Luis suddenly felt lightheaded. His sweaty hands had long lost grip on the pipe. All he could see above him was the blue sky, fearing that if he looked down, he might faint. The soft chuckle nearly drove him crazy. 

And then he felt it, the gravitational pull as he fell. The only thing he could grab was the other's cold arm. He felt his entire life flash before his eyes as he screamed. It was only mere seconds before everything stopped. He felt his body being tossed, and the next thing he knew was himself tumbling on the ground. 

His limbs went stiff in fear the moment he opened his eyes. Standing directly above him was a group of people covered in organs and blood. He felt like he was being treated as prey, tiny and shivering with no control whatsoever. 

"Over here, Cutie." Someone had squatted down behind him. Their cold and wet hand patted his cheek roughly to get his attention. 

"Ey, don't get the boy dirty." The firefighter scolded the other party. "Lord, the crystals you ordered." He learned from the last time, burning away the blood and body parts that stuck to him.

Tora couldn't smell it, but the look on the other human's faces said it all. She could somehow picture what it would smell like if body parts were burned. 

"Good. I never asked for your names." 

"I'm Michael, but you can call me Mike." The firefighter said proudly. He gestured to the other one squatting on the ground. "That's Evan. He's a firefighter like me but wasn't in uniform when all this happened." 

"Lord!" Evan greeted her and reached his hand out toward Mike. Mike gripped it, using his fire ability to burn off everything on Evan. It was the first time Tora heard a zombie other than Mike speak. 

"If you have the fire ability, use it to burn off all the gunk. Do it for those without that ability also." Tora ordered the other zombies and played around with the bag of crystals, waiting patiently for some people to arrive. 

"HUFF HUFF! ST—STOP! AH, FU—FUCK! I'M GOING TO DIE!" The two youngsters panted, trying their best to catch their breath.

Asier, look. That's you when you're old. Tora found the image of them gripping their waist while bent over funny. Although she didn't know what Asier looked like, she could still imagine him doing that. 

'I'm not talking to you anymore.' 

"On your knees with your hands up in the air next to your friend." Tora pointed toward them with her sword. She gestured to Luis with a sideward flick, who sat obediently next to the burley Evan. "I'll count to one, and that's it. ONE—." 

"CRAZY! WE'RE GOING!" He huffed and puffed the entire time while going over there. His mouth constantly complains, "Who counts to only one? I knew it. These people are crazy, I tell you!" 

Other than Ruby and Caleb, their group was quiet and soft-spoken. These new additions instantly made the quiet environment noisy. 

"Will you shut up for a damn second!" The other boy who had stomped Luis's foot seemed fed up with his friend. The two begin to quarrel verbally. 

Fuck my bad luck. For the first time since becoming a zombie, Tora felt a headache creeping up on her. These juvenile idiots. Are they fresh out of high school or some shit? 

"Do I have to break a leg before you quiet down?" The grumbling instantly dropped. "How many of you are there?"

Silence...

Tora felt her patience running low. Something in her head nearly snapped, making her want to just kill and eat the living hell out of these annoying humans. 

'Does it matter? Just get what you want and leave.' 

That message woke her from the hole she had nearly sunk into. For a split second, Tora felt grateful for Asier's existence. 

Being a zombie seems a lot more dangerous than I initially thought. 

"Why are you still silent?" 

"That's because you told us to be quiet..." 

I should just kill—

"Mike, pull the kid's tongue out." 

"WAIT— I'm sorry!"

"Shut up, Kyle! I'll do the talking. These two will only anger you to death." The stomper boy kicked his buddy in annoyance. Tora could feel his frustration being let loose in that harsh kick. "There are a total of 16 people, including us." 

"It seems you're all very good at using your abilities." She could see their reluctance in the way their muscles flex. It seems the topic of abilities is a no-no for these people. 

"That's...um—" 

"Someone arrived here a month ago..." Luis interjected. "They said we could improve our abilities by devouring crystal balls found within a zombie." 

A month ago? That was when I woke up in this world...

"Keep talking." 

"It was difficult at first because there were hundreds of zombies on the campus. We were all hiding away, locked in a tiny room together, starving. It was a miracle when they showed up and helped by leading most of them outside the campus and shutting the gate." 

"Yeah, we all ate from the vending machines that were in the room just to survive." Kyle nodded along as he sadly recounted the rough times. 

"It was fine after that. The zombies were slow, and it was easy for us to sneak up on those still on campus."

"Yeah! With Connor's earth skills, we just need to turn the dirt into quicksand, and then BAM! Dead is the zombie!" Tora felt odd when she looked at Kyle. She had never met anyone so animated, even in her reality. 

"What did the people from a month ago want?" 

"Oh, that? They were looking for something in the Campus Museum. They said they would be back in a week to pick it up and that we should prepare to leave with them for Foliage Meadow. But even after waiting, they had yet to show up." 

"Heh." Tora couldn't control the laugh that escaped her. Her eyes and curled lips frightened the three youngsters. The crazy glow in those pair of eyes was bone-chilling. "What a coincidence, I'm also here for that item." 

Tora signaled for Evan to stand up. "Go to the Museum and bring me the Sword of Condemnation. Of course, don't touch it with your bare hands, or you'll burn to death." 

"Yes, Lord." He gladly took a piece of clothing from one of the backpacks and left. 

"You should go to Foliage Meadow and tell them that some crazy lady and her gang rolled up and stole the item." The confused look on their faces made them look like idiots. "What? You don't want to?" 

"Well, that's...The item seems extremely important to them. If we tell them we lost it, wouldn't they just kill us out of anger?" Connor was the only person that seemed to catch on. 

"So what? You wanna be near me instead? I kill people on a whim also." Tora wasn't just scaring them. She came to understand the reality of a zombie a moment ago when she nearly lost all reasoning. These three people had a knack for annoying her. It would be best if they stayed a country away from her. 

"You didn't kill those guys..." They had long noticed the children in the corner. "Or any of the ones behind us..." 

Tora looked towards the zombies that could barely hide their drool and thought that these three were more of an idiot than she anticipated. 

"They're cute, so it's different." That statement nearly sent the three guys down a spiral of insanity. Their eyes darted to the burly dudes and the others who also gave off fearsome vibes. 

Their minds blank as they thought to themselves, This is cute? These scary people are cute!?

"They are good at listening. They never talk back to me and are well-behaved. Even when hungry, they never complain or make a big deal out of it. Aren't they just the most adorable subordinates?" The zombies felt a sense of pride and happiness at Tora's praise. Their shaking hands could barely contain their joy. 

The three felt like they were in the presence of a mentally insane person. If they had known beforehand, they would've never provoked such people.

Tora heard the sounds of hurried footsteps approaching their group. "Please, spare the three boys!" A middle-aged woman appeared around the corner. Her frightened expression and shaking hands didn't deter her from approaching Tora. 

With the three idiots kneeling on the ground and a sword in my hand, it must have seemed like I was about to execute them.

"So bothersome..." Tora muttered softly as she put the sword away. "We'll be leaving shortly, so carry on what you've been doing. Either leave here for Foliage Meadow immediately or find a new place to stay." 

"what do you mean—" 

"Lord, the sword you asked for." Evan appeared out of nowhere, nearly giving the lady a heart attack. The sword was wrapped in multiple layers of clothing. 

[Item 'Sword of Condemnation' acquired]

[WARNING: Threat level 'Complete Annihilation']

This is the first time the system has ever issued a warning... Tora couldn't help but stare bewilderingly at the item in her hand.

"What is that? Don't tell me— The Sword of Condemnation!?"

"You catch on quick. Are you a professor here, by any chance?" 

"Yes, that's right." She had a perplexed look on her face as she gazed at the covered sword. "That sword...I don't think you should take it." 

"That's why I'm telling you to pack up and leave for Foliage Meadow." 

"Those people will hunt you down. They were scarily powerful a month ago and are probably even more so now. You could die—." She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the sly smiles on Tora's and the other's faces. "So you knew already..." 

As expected of a professor who had lived longer than the three youngsters. She understood the power dynamic of this new change and was able to gauge a person's intention by studying their behavior.

"I understand why you want us to go to Foliage Meadow, but the risks outweigh the gains. I'm afraid they will treat us horribly out of resentment for not protecting what they are after." 

The professor knew that she would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid of Tora's group. She had been watching everything that happened from the dormitory building. These people are also fearsomely strong. 

"But you would manage to keep your silly life if you tell them a crazy gang stole the weapon before they find out themselves."

"What would a life without freedom be? I am also human, so I understand the potential of abuse we might face under those people."

"What can you do for me?" Tora understood what the professor was trying to say and decided to get straight to the point. 

"...I'm sorry, I can't think of anything at the moment." The professor felt ashamed. She tried to guilt trip the other party into taking them along but ended up speechless. They had neither an abundance of food nor manpower to add to the already strong group. They had nothing to offer or incentivize these people. 

"How much do you know about the Gods and the Wizards?" 

"Huh? Oh...I only know the basics." Seeing Tora sigh with disappointment nearly caused her to choke. "BUT— There is a professor with intimate knowledge on these topics." 

"Is it Professor Craven?" Kathy stepped forward and intervened in the conversation. She felt pity for these people.

"Oh, dear! Do you know Professor Craven?" 

"Yes, he was my professor and mentor while I was here." 

"Sister!" Seeing Kathy stepping out towards the group, Ruby ran forward and hugged Tora's waist. 

"Professor Craven is recuperating from a broken ankle. I apologize if I'm unable to bring him here right away." The professor seemed a lot more relaxed talking to Tora. Her eyes occasionally glanced at the children that surrounded Tora. "Your hands are already full, it seems." 

"It's not a big deal." Tora brushed off the understanding look the professor gave her. It seems like she's misunderstanding something. 

"Nora, my mentor would be a great asset if you want to learn about those." Tora almost rolled her eyes at the blatant begging in Kathy's tone. 

"I'll give you 10 minutes to gather everyone." Tora motioned for Mike to help with the task. "Go and carry the professor with Kathy." 

Everyone was quickly gathered along with all their necessities. Mike was the lead supervisor. His leadership skills were commendable. The more Tora looked at Mike, the more satisfied she felt. 

For the first time since being dragged into these novels, she felt a sense of comfort and relaxation. Having absolute control over someone had never felt so good to Tora. 

Tora didn't bother much with the group. She merely held Ruby in her arms and waited for the rest. Soon after, they departed for the military base. 

Tora spent most of her time sprinting while lost in her thoughts. The Sword of Condemnation, even through the wrapped cloth, emitted a scary and tingling sensation. Her palms felt hot and superficially burned as she gripped it. 

This item is crazy. I'd probably die instantly, like Nora from the novel, if this fell into Zack's hand. 

The system had constantly reminded him that the Sword of Condemnation was a vital weapon for winning the war. Zack had spent the last month fortifying the base, building up his and his subordinate's strength, and sending them out searching for the item. 

When he finally received news on the whereabouts of the weapon, a wave of zombies had hit the base. It was too sudden for any preparations, causing a significant loss on their side. 

The loss affected Zack the most. "My main mission is the survival of the base and cure of the curse after all." The system initiated a punishment, encircling and forcing him to stay in a certain radius of the base until it was fortified again. 

Zack felt agitated as time continued to pass, and another month went by. He wanted to collect the item before the blackout but was backlogged by this random incident. He needed to ensure the base was secured before leaving for the sword. 

Zack couldn't believe his eyes. The Sword of Condemnation had an extremely oppressive aura. As he swung the sword around to test it, the system suddenly gave him an earful of the sword's history. 

[Sword of Condemnation: As the name suggests, it is used to condemn those who were reborn through the grace of The God of Death. The item was birthed and given to an incarnation representing the God of...

*This item is currently effective on Zombies tier E and below. **Full potential can only be activated after the user achieves the KING title.]

"I just need to know the usefulness of this item, not the fucking history of this stupid game world." Zack had no patience for the nonsense spewed by the system. All it did was clutter up the gaming screen that appeared every time it chatted. 

Wow, thinking back on this is making me annoyed. I should thank the slow, barely movable me when I became a zombie. Otherwise, I would have gouged my own eyes out just to escape from reading this stupid fucking novel.

'It's not that bad.' 

Yeah, of course, it's not...

'Don't—'

It's SO GOOD that I rejected your query. Just reading the synopsis made me LOVE this story SO MUCH that I had to drop it. 

'Ugh. (╬≖_≖)' 

It took them slightly over two hours to arrive near the military base. It was quiet, void of any living thing and zombies alike. Tora immediately tensed. She stopped and gathered everyone. 

"It's too silent. The area is awfully clean as well. I can't seem to sense anything, so keep an eye out for potential danger. Each of you needs to stick closely to one of ours." Tora ordered the humans to pair up with the zombies. 

I can't bust the gate open this time.

Tora contemplated how she was going to enter the base. She could easily jump over the tall wall, but she didn't want to risk the chance of an attack from the other side. 

"Should I knock on the large door?" 

"What?" 

"Oh! Mommy said I should always knock before entering someone else's place." Ruby was innocent to a fault. Tora began to worry about this kid's future. "We forgot to knock last time. That's why those people nearly killed us!" 

Well...I can't argue with that.

"Sure, let's do that. You four kids should go knock on that door over there." Tora decided to play along. 

I'm watching anyway, so nothing too dangerous should happen.

"...Okay," Sandy replied with a pensive look. She seems to be the only one to understand the danger that might come from this. 

KNOCK KNOCK

"Hello?" Caleb asked as he knocked loudly. No reply came, but Tora managed to catch the sound of slight rustling. "I don't think anyone is here." 

"Let's try again." This time, Sandy knocked. "Um...Excuse me! Is anyone there? We traveled all the way from the University because we thought it would be safer here!" The rustling noise became louder and then the small sliding peephole on the door opened. 

This kid is also cunning. She'll grow into something fierce. 

"Hands up where we can see them! We'll be opening the door." 

Tora gestured for the group to comply with the demands. She felt perplexed as she couldn't pick up any mouth-watering fragrant that humans had. The small door next to the large gate opened, and stepping out were ten large military men and women who had a formidable appearance. 

"Come on closer. Keep your hands up while you're at it." He then bent down towards the kids and stared into their eyes. One of the lady officers asked to hold their hands and examined them. "How about some snacks? you guys came a long way after all!" His voice softened when the lady nodded her head. 

How cunning... 

Tora felt her lips curl at their actions of checking everyone thoroughly. The eyes and the base of a person's nails could indicate whether they were a human or a zombie. If they showed signs of sunken red eyes and dark base-colored nails that bled into their fingers, they were a zombie. 

Of course, that's only if we were below C+. 

She noticed that Kathy and Belle were constantly glancing at her with worry. Tora felt impressed that they were able to figure out the officer's motives for doing that. 

Evan and the Professor were the only ones who couldn't put their hands up. The officers were kind enough not to make a big deal out of it when they saw the broken leg. 

"CLEAR!" 

"Great! Welcome in! All of you must be exhausted!" They were all escorted into the base. 

The Gate was located far from the main buildings. They would need to walk at least 30 minutes before reaching it. 

"Good thing we have some vehicles that you could all ride." They ushered everyone in and tried to help Evan with the professor, but Evan refused. "You sure are strong. It must be tough carrying someone the whole way here." 

This bastard is catching on quickly. 

"A firefighter's duty, so it's not a big deal," Evan replied with a smug look. The officer eyed Evan a few times before smacking him in the shoulder. 

"Good! I can see how you all made it here without any injuries!" Although his words were kind and filled with respect, Tora could feel a hint of caution in his gaze. 

The car started and quickly moved forward. Tora sat there, silently watching the officers that sat with them. Within minutes, they arrived at one of the large buildings. 

More than one of them is a magician. These people are dangerous.

Tora knew that this world relied on magicians for every functioning object. Although they had all awakened abilities, she wasn't sure which ones could power a vehicle. 

They guided everyone to a large room and introduced them to some officers who were there beforehand. 

It's odd. A room filled with humans but no scent whatsoever.

A group of people suddenly walked in while they were doing the introduction. Their outfits were odd, and their demeanor was soft and gentle. 

"Ah! There you are! Come in! Come in!" He gestured for them to enter. "These are very important people! They taught us how to detect zombies!" 

Their smiles made the humans feel better, but it greatly irritated Tora and the zombies. The comforting atmosphere around them was like prickling needles to Tora. 

Tora saw how they openly stared at the wrapped sword in her hands. They didn't bother hiding their covetous gaze.

"Can I ask where you got that sword from?" 

"I see...that's certainly a useful skill." Tora didn't bother answering their question.

Kathy felt her heart drop, and her eyes bulged at Tora's comment. Even though she'd only been around Tora shortly, she felt she could read her attitude somewhat. Her eyes darted to the other party, seemingly begging him to keep quiet and not ask about the sword.

"That sword you have there is a relic of the past. You should return it to the temple." Not only Kathy but all six of the usuals gulped in fear for the man. 

"How exactly do you tell apart zombies from humans? Other than their eyes and nails, of course. Mind demonstrating?" Her dismissive of his words made him annoyed. 

Tora, who had reached the KING tier, didn't fear being discovered as a zombie by others. As long as the Sword of Condemnation was in her hands, no one was capable of killing her. The tension in the room began to build, setting everyone on edge as they watched.

"It's simple. I simply need to hold their hands..." Although his gentle smile remained on his lips, his eyes glowed dangerously. He reached a hand forward, asking Tora for a handshake. Once her hand was in his, a soft glow lit up her entire hand. "And inject my healing power."