Chapter 22: The Beast on the Fourth Floor
The midday sun blazed overhead, casting long shadows through the dusty windows of the fourth floor. Inside, nearly thirty students battled with desperation, forming an organized front as they fought off the increasingly aggressive zombies.
Sam had organized their formation precisely. Rather than clustering, the students formed smaller combat units of two to three, creating space to maneuver and reduce the risk of friendly fire. It wasn't a flawless system—many newer students still struggled, needing four or five hits to bring down a single zombie—but their teamwork was improving. Thanks to support from veterans like Max, Roy, and Emmy, the newer fighters gained confidence, and their leveling progressed steadily.
After the last zombie fell, silence overtook the blood-slicked hallway. Heavy breathing filled the space as students rested, wiping sweat from their brows.
Tom, a quiet second-year student, stepped forward.
"There's something you all need to know," he said grimly. "One of the rooms ahead... there's a mutant cat in there. My group has been stuck in this building since the start of the apocalypse. We never made it out. That thing—it's fast and deadly. It picked off half our group before we even realized what was happening."
He paused, swallowing hard. "My brother… he was bitten by Zombie. He told me to look after our mother. Then he lured the mutant into that room and locked it in with himself. He didn't want it to hurt anyone else."
The group was quiet for a long moment. Then Sam stepped forward and nodded firmly. "Thanks, Tom. We'll take it from here."
The students reformed. The experienced fighters took the front, while newer ones provided ranged support. Emmy activated Wind Radar, scanning the room ahead.
"Something's there… left side. It's crouched on a table or behind a chair," she whispered.
Sam nodded. "Roy, open it."
Roy drew a mana arrow and fired. The door exploded inward with a sharp crack. Max immediately charged through, shield raised and Mana Shield activated. Sam, Emmy, and Roy followed.
A low, resonant growl filled the room.
Perched on the table, framed by the sunlight pouring through broken blinds, was the mutant cat. Its fur shimmered with a soft violet glow, and its claws pulsed with raw energy. Eyes like molten gold locked onto the intruders.
Sam fired first. The cat leapt from the table, his arrow grazing its flank. It rebounded off the wall and lunged at Max.
Max held firm, his shield catching the brunt of the impact—but the claws tore deep grooves into the steel. He grunted, staggering back. With a swift counter, he slashed with his sword, cutting a shallow gash into the cat's side.
Emmy unleashed a Wind Blade, but the cat twisted midair, dodging. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of her.
"Wind Shield!" Emmy shouted, thrusting her hand forward. A burst of compressed air slammed into the creature, sending it tumbling.
Sam, switching to Ira in dagger form, charged and activated Thunder Slash. Electricity crackled down the blade. As the cat pounced again, its claws glowing, their attacks collided in a shower of sparks. The beast shrieked, momentarily paralyzed.
Roy didn't hesitate. One final arrow sailed through the air, imbued with mana. It struck the cat dead center, blowing open its chest. The mutant collapsed with a final, pained gurgle.
Breathing hard, the team scanned the room. Blood stained the walls, and gnawed bones littered the floor.
Max knelt by a pile of bones and shredded clothes.
Tom stepped into the room, his eyes locking on the remains.
"That was my brother," he murmured. "He sacrificed himself so we could survive."
Without another word, he conjured a small flame and incinerated what little remained using Flame Bolt. The group stood silently, watching as smoke curled toward the ceiling.
Roy quietly approached a glowing blue orb lying in the corner and placed it in his storage.
Sam, meanwhile, used his glaive to split open the cat's skull. Nestled inside was a glowing beast crystal—a rare drop from powerful mutant beasts.
"I'll be holding onto this," he said.
No one objected. They had no interest in it. They had all tried using them but to no avail
Though Sam still didn't fully understand the crystal's purpose, he knew one thing for sure: only mutant animals, not zombies, dropped them—and they were important.
After clearing the room, the group exited and found a safe corner in the hallway. With the danger behind them, the students sat down and pulled out their rations. The hall echoed with the subtle sounds of wrappers opening, bites taken, water bottles being passed around.
As they rested, a quiet unity settled over the group. They had faced a deadly threat—and emerged stronger. Some had gained levels, others found courage they didn't know they had.
Emmy sat beside Sam with Lumi on her shoulder
Tom sat silently, staring at the scorched floor where his brother's remains had once been.
The battles would only getting harder. Sam, Max, Emmy and Roy had noticed the cat using skills. This is a big issue. But for now—they had survived.
And that was enough.