Chapter 25: Gathering the survivors
The tension in the air was palpable as Sam's group moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridors of the campus. The previous day had been a hard-fought battle, and the group had barely caught their breath before pushing forward again. Their numbers had grown to 25, thanks to the survivors Sam had rescued along the way, but that only meant more mouths to feed and more people to protect.
Roy, adjusting his grip on his weapon, whispered, "We should be nearing the next group by now. You sure they're here?"
Sam nodded. "We received a voice message from them yesterday. They should be holed up in the old engineering block. We need to clear a path for them."
Emmy, standing beside him, glanced at the others. "We move carefully, no unnecessary fights. We've wasted enough mana already."
Max gave a half-smirk. "You say that, but these things don't really like letting us go peacefully."
Before anyone could respond, a guttural growl echoed from the hallway ahead. The group tensed, weapons at the ready. A trio of zombies emerged from a side corridor, their eyes sunken, their movements twitchy and erratic.
Sam reacted first, swinging Ira in its glaive form. The blade cut clean through the first zombie, its body crumpling instantly. Max and Peater stepped forward, shields raised, slamming the next zombie into the wall with a sickening crunch. Emmy and Luna handled the last one, a well-placed mana arrow piercing its skull before it could lunge.
"Not much of a warm-up," Emmy muttered, already scanning for more threats.
They moved quickly, avoiding unnecessary fights where possible, but the deeper they got into the engineering block, the more resistance they faced. It was clear the undead had grown stronger overnight. Some of them even had faint glows around their limbs, a sign that evolution was beginning to take place.
"They're mutating," Sonia observed, grimacing as she cut through another.
Sam frowned. "Then we need to hurry. If they keep evolving, this whole place will become a death trap."
As they reached the engineering block's main hall, they heard the sound of struggle. The survivors they had been searching for were trapped on the second floor, holding a makeshift barricade against a growing horde of zombies clawing their way up the staircase.
"Damn it! They won't last long!" Peater growled.
Sam didn't hesitate. "Shield bearers, form a line! We need to push forward and clear the stairs!"
Max, Peater, and Bella took point, slamming into the nearest zombies with brute force. Emmy and the archers provided cover fire, sending mana-infused arrows into the densest parts of the horde.
Sam surged forward, Ira shifting into a spear in his grip. He thrust it through a zombie's skull, then spun, using his momentum to cleave through another. The fight was brutal, but methodical—their training and coordination making a clear difference against the mindless creatures.
Above them, one of the trapped survivors called out. "We can't last much longer!"
"Hold on! We're coming up!" Sam shouted back.
As they reached the foot of the staircase, Roy activated his gauntlet, sending a shockwave through the nearest cluster of zombies, buying them a few seconds to move. Sam took the lead, dashing up the stairs, slicing through anything in his way. Emmy followed close behind, providing cover as the rest of their team cleared the base.
They reached the barricade just as the wood gave a loud, splintering crack. The survivors—four students, their faces gaunt and exhausted—stumbled back, fear in their eyes.
"We've got you," Sam reassured them. "Stay behind us and move when I say."
The final wave of zombies crashed against them, more aggressive than before. One lashed out with abnormal speed, nearly catching Emmy off guard before Luna darted in, coiling around its throat and tightening until the sickening crunch of bone echoed through the room.
"Good girl," Emmy breathed, quickly clutching her sword.
The battle stretched on for several agonizing minutes before the last of the zombies fell. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by ragged breathing.
"That... was close," one of the rescued students said, his voice trembling.
Sam wiped the sweat from his brow. "Yeah. But you're safe now."
"Not entirely," Emmy corrected, glancing at the shattered barricade. "This place isn't secure. We need to move somewhere safer."
The survivors nodded, still shaken but relieved. They explained their situation: their batteries had run out the day before, cutting them off from communication, and they had run out of food. They had managed to hold out but wouldn't have lasted much longer.
Sam glanced at the group, then at their surroundings. "We can secure that large lecture hall and regroup."
With Sam leading the way, they moved swiftly, eliminating stragglers as they navigated through the ruined halls. Using skills like mana slashes, mana arrows, fireballs, and mana shields to kill the stronger zombies left everyone low on mana, but the increase in numbers of fighters helped.
The lecture hall was intact, with only a few barricades of tables needed to reinforce the entrances.
Once they secured the room, the group gathered, finally allowing themselves a moment of rest. They brought out their remaining food, distributing rations among the survivors. With their numbers now increased to 25, the food situation was more dire than before.
As they ate, Max leaned against the wall, drinking from a bottle of water. He passed it to the next person and exhaled. "We got them, but this is getting harder. We need to figure out how to reach the others."
Sam nodded. "We will. But for now, we focus on surviving the night."
The room fell into a heavy silence. The survivors shared their chargers, desperate to communicate with their families and friends. The tension in the air was undeniable as they waited for any sign of hope.