Chapter 10: The Unraveling

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Chapter 10: The Unraveling

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The mutated infected shuffled forward with unnerving, jerky steps, its glowing eyes locked on Kaito and his team. The air in the room grew thick with tension, a sense of impending danger that made Kaito's blood run cold. His grip tightened around his spear, the weight of the weapon both comforting and terrifying.

The others seemed equally on edge. Ayumi, standing next to him, took a cautious step back, her eyes never leaving the creature. Ryo had his bow at the ready, while Akari gripped her dagger tightly, her knuckles white with the force of her hold. Hana, though visibly shaken, was also prepared, her stance steady, her eyes focused.

For a brief moment, no one moved. The infected was still, but its eyes never blinked. It seemed almost sentient in its quiet waiting.

Kaito's mind raced. This wasn't like any infected they had encountered before. The way it moved, the way it stared—it was as if it was calculating its next move. The voice from the speakers had been right. This was no ordinary infected.

"What the hell is that?" Ryo asked, his voice low and cautious.

"I don't know," Kaito replied, his eyes narrowing. "But we need to get ready. It's not like the others."

The mutated figure took another step forward, and Kaito instinctively stepped in front of Ayumi, his spear poised for any attack.

"I'll take the first strike," Kaito said, his voice sharp. "Wait for my signal."

The creature's lips peeled back into a grotesque smile, and for a moment, Kaito could've sworn it was mocking them. Then, without warning, it lunged forward with terrifying speed.

"Move!" Kaito shouted, swinging his spear to meet the creature's charge.

The infected's claws slashed through the air, aiming for Kaito's face. He sidestepped just in time, narrowly avoiding the swipe. The creature's speed was unnatural, even for an infected. It had strength, agility—everything they had learned to expect from the mutated enemies, but it also had something more. Intelligence.

"Shit!" Ryo cursed, loosing an arrow at the creature. It struck the infected's shoulder, but it barely seemed to notice, the arrow hanging limp from its flesh. It was like the arrow had no effect at all.

Kaito's mind raced. He had fought enough infected to know that arrows rarely did more than slow them down, but this thing—this thing was different. He needed to find a weak point, something that could bring it down.

Ayumi moved to his side, her blade drawn. She attacked with precision, her strikes aiming for the infected's legs. But just like Ryo's arrow, the creature seemed almost immune to the damage. Each cut and slash barely slowed it down, if at all.

"It's not working!" Ayumi shouted. "What do we do?"

Kaito gritted his teeth. "We keep fighting! It has to have a weak spot! Aim for the head, the neck! Keep moving!"

The mutated infected's glowing eyes locked onto Kaito once more, and it let out a low growl—a sound that reverberated through the room. It lunged again, its claws outstretched.

Kaito was ready this time. He dodged to the side, thrusting his spear forward, aiming for the creature's chest. The spear dug deep into its flesh, but once again, the creature didn't react as expected. It didn't stop, didn't flinch. Instead, it grabbed the spear's shaft, pulling Kaito closer, its other hand slashing at him with deadly precision.

Kaito barely managed to pull away in time, but the claws grazed his arm, leaving a shallow but painful cut. He winced, feeling the burn of the wound as blood trickled down his sleeve.

"Dammit!" he hissed, stepping back to regroup.

Ayumi was by his side in an instant, her eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

Kaito nodded. "I'm fine. But we need to rethink our strategy."

The creature paused for a moment, almost as if it were studying them, waiting for them to make the next move. Its unblinking eyes flicked between the group, and Kaito couldn't shake the feeling that it was assessing their strengths and weaknesses.

Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered again, casting long, eerie shadows across the walls. The mutated infected seemed to react to the light change, its posture shifting as if it were drawn to it, like a predator sensing an opportunity.

Then it charged again.

"Watch out!" Kaito yelled.

The creature leaped with a speed that was almost impossible to track. Kaito barely had time to react. He raised his spear, ready to defend himself, but the infected swiped at him, knocking the spear out of his hands.

Before he could reach for another weapon, the creature was on him, pinning him to the ground. Kaito struggled against its strength, his breath coming in quick, panicked gasps. The infected's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and Kaito could feel the heat of its breath on his skin.

In that moment, time seemed to slow. Kaito's pulse pounded in his ears as he fought against the weight of the creature. His thoughts raced. How could he stop it? How could he—

A sharp, slicing sound interrupted his thoughts. Ayumi's blade sliced through the air, embedding itself into the infected's side. The creature screeched in pain, its grip on Kaito loosening just enough for him to break free.

He didn't waste a second. Kaito scrambled to his feet, grabbing the spear again, and with one swift motion, he drove it deep into the infected's neck.

The creature let out a final, guttural scream before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Kaito stood over the body, breathing heavily. His arm burned with pain from the earlier wound, but he barely felt it now. The battle was over, for the moment.

He turned to his team, each of them still catching their breath, their faces a mix of relief and disbelief.

"Is it over?" Hana asked, her voice shaky.

Kaito nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the fallen creature. "For now. But we can't let our guard down. We need to figure out what's really going on here. Why it was so different."

Ryo, still catching his breath, gave a grim nod. "It wasn't just any infected. That thing was something else."

Akari sheathed her dagger, her expression conflicted. "What do you think it was? The voice said we were the key... but for what?"

Kaito shook his head, his mind spinning. "I don't know. But we need answers. And I think we're closer than we realize."

Suddenly, the voice from the speakers crackled again, sending a chill down Kaito's spine. "Congratulations. You've managed to kill one of my creations. But don't get too comfortable. You've only just begun to understand the game you're playing."

Kaito's grip on his spear tightened. "The game... what do you mean?"

The voice let out a mocking laugh. "You'll find out soon enough, Kaito Takeda. You'll find out soon enough."

The lights flickered once more, and the room seemed to pulse with a dark energy, as if the very walls themselves were alive, watching them.

Kaito knew then that whatever they had stumbled into, it was far more than just a battle for survival. It was something deeper—something they couldn't escape, no matter how hard they fought.

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Mission Update:

Objective: Investigate the facility and uncover the truth behind the mutated infected.

Status: In Progress

Reward: Unknown

New Objective: Survive the encounter with the mutated infected and gather clues from the facility's systems.

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