First Run for Survival

With no time for plans or formations, we quickly returned to our usual positions.

"Zup!" A nail whizzed by me and embedded itself in the forehead of the closest turned zombie, about a dozen feet away from us.

Soul had made his first successful strike, an unexpectedly helpful ally compared to someone at the far end.

"Nice shot! But remember, if Apex gets hit with that, I'll ensure you don't leave here as a human," Jazmen warned Soul, her tone dead serious. He gulped and nodded sheepishly.

"Love you, babe," I added, giving Jazmen a playful wink.

Jazmen didn't react, and we all turned to see Soul taking another shot, this time hitting a zombie's nose. It wasn't very effective since that kind of hit wouldn't impair their brain function any more than usual.

Surprisingly, the first zombie hit in the forehead fell to the ground, writhing in pain. It seemed they wouldn't die if just any part of the brain was hit – they'd only feel pain. To truly incapacitate or kill them, it appeared that a substantial portion of the brain needed to be damaged.

I dashed toward the nearest group of zombies, brandishing my crowbars in both hands. Without hesitation, I struck two zombies in the forehead, exposing their brains. These hits were fatal, quickly dispatching them.

"Not bad," I smirked, glancing back at the girls.

Kat gave me a thumbs-up, while the others were clearly grossed out by the gorey scene.

"Look ahead, Soul's proving himself to be more useful than you," Jazmen commented with a hint of irritation in her voice.

I turned to see Soul's continued efforts, two zombies he'd hit were now writhing in pain. Other zombies in the vicinity became aware of us, and our escape route narrowed, making the situation more challenging.

With walls surrounding us and the college behind us, and the gate to road ahead, we were boxed in by zombies. We had no choice but to confront them with everything we had.

I swiftly moved to the side, thrusting my crowbars toward the zombies in front of me. Their unstable heads and tough skulls made it difficult to strike their foreheads, so my attempts mostly pushed them back.

Soul didn't stop either; he kept firing his nails. He hit one of the zombies I had pushed back, and due to the hole in its forehead, the nail pierced through, putting it down for good.

"Good shot! Let's keep working together like this," I suggested, continuing to push back zombies and strike at their heads.

"Sure, I'm ready," Soul responded, clearly excited after having some fun with his makeshift weapon.

"Hey, girls, help him after he pushes back those zombies. Their heads become easier to pierce once Apex pushes them back with his crowbar," Jazmen directed, impaling a fallen zombie's head that I had pushed.

Zolo made a disgusted expression as she groaned while dispatching a zombie with her rod. Emma, on the other hand, let out a shriek as a zombie grabbed her, even after she had thrust her rod into its head. Eventually, the zombie stopped moving.

"Are you all idiots? Why are you shouting? If you're in danger or too afraid to act, keep quiet or speak in the lowest tone possible. Stop with the commentary when your contribution is minimal," I chided them, trying not to let the zombies surround me. My survival, along with Jazmen's, was my top priority.

If anyone had to die, it shouldn't be me or Jazmen. That was non-negotiable. If these girls wanted to be reckless, it was their choice.

They fell silent, and we tried to work as a team. I focused on striking the zombie's foreheads with my crowbars, conserving my energy so that others could dig into the brains after creating a hole.

When Soul ran out of nails, he tossed the gun-like contraption at a distant zombie and grabbed his shovel to help reduce their numbers.

Jazmen, as always, proved to be a valuable ally, dealing with the zombies she could reach. Kat and Emma did their best to hold their own. Emma might have been loud on adrenaline, but she did her part. Zolo, however, struggled with her weak nerves.

Fortunately, the zombies' slow speed worked in our favor, and we quickly eliminated about two dozen of them. Kane did a somewhat feasible job, clearing out the zombies I couldn't reach or watch behind me. It was still tough, despite their sluggishness.

"What the... What the hell is that? Shit! He's running, and he's fast!" Soul exclaimed, staring in a particular direction.

I followed his gaze and spotted a zombie sprinting toward us from a distance, its feet resembling the new bark-like texture of the wounded zombies.

"He looks... evolved. I'll handle him. The rest of you, focus on these zombies. We can't let him get close or he'll definitely bite more than one of us," I instructed as I sprinted toward the approaching threat, dispatching zombies in my path.

As I drew closer, it became evident that this zombie wasn't going to stop – it was still running at full tilt.

"What's the rush, buddy?" I quipped, inspired by a Spider guy movie I had seen.

When the zombie almost reached me, I swung my crowbars. It was hard to aim precisely, given its speed, but one blow struck its neck, breaking it. The other hit the side of its head but didn't do much damage as it slid off due to the rapid movement.

As the zombie lunged at me, I sidestepped its mouth but not its outstretched hand. It grabbed my arm, and I struggled to break free. When it leaped at me again, I moved aside, but this time, I planted my leg where it would land.

My leg tripped up the zombie, causing it to fall face-first. Seizing the opportunity, I leaped onto its back and struck the back of its head three times with the crowbar, splattering brain matter and blood.

After disposing off the evolved zombie, I sprang back to my feet, ready to rejoin the group.

My breathing remained steady, but the constant action was taking a toll on my evolved body. Nevertheless, I had plenty more to do before I could take a proper rest.