Chapter 50: A narrow escape

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: A narrow escape

The real nightmare...

Had only just begun.

"Second floor!"

Erik’s voice cut through the chaos.

Without hesitation, the four immediately retreated deeper into the warehouse.

Behind them, the horrifying cries of the undead echoed throughout the silent building.

Hundreds.

Perhaps thousands.

The sea of gray figures stumbled over one another as they surged forward with terrifying persistence.

Their movements were slow.

But their numbers...

Made one’s scalp go numb.

"Left!" Erik ordered.

"I’m on it!" Kai shouted.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from his palms.

The zombie charging from the left was blasted backward.

"Behind you!"

Ben immediately raised his hand.

Three stone spikes burst from the ground.

Crunch!

The approaching zombies collapsed one after another.

Meanwhile, Penny moved like a shadow.

Slash!

Her katana cleanly severed another head.

Without even looking back, she warned, "Two more behind you Ben."

Ben instinctively ducked.

Boom!

Blue lightning exploded past his head.

The two zombies instantly fell.

Erik stood behind them, frost spreading beneath his feet.

"Keep moving!"

The group fought while retreating.

Months of training inside the space were finally showing their results.

Their cooperation had become instinct.

No hesitation.

No confusion.

No friendly fire.

Only trust.

Yet despite that—

Everyone’s expressions became uglier and uglier.

Because no matter how many they killed...

More kept appearing.

"What the hell?" Kai cursed.

"How many are there?"

"Don’t stop moving!" Erik ordered.

Crack!

Another spear of ice pierced a zombie’s skull.

Penny frowned.

Something wasn’t right.

Very wrong.

Her amber eyes swept across the warehouse.

Rows of shelves. ℯℯ𝘭.

Dark corners.

Scattered supplies.

Then—

Her pupils shrank.

"...Big Brother."

"Hm?"

"They’re gathering."

Erik froze.

Only for a second.

But that second was enough.

Because he noticed it too.

Every time Kai shouted.

Every time Ben cursed.

Every time one of them called out—

More zombies appeared.

Their cloudy eyes remained unfocused.

But their ears...

They reacted to sound.

Erik’s expression changed.

"Whisper."

Kai blinked.

"Huh?"

"Whisper."

His voice had become frighteningly serious.

"They’re blind."

Everyone froze.

"They’re following the noise."

The four immediately fell silent.

Another roar echoed in the distance.

Then—

Dozens answered.

Everyone felt their blood run cold.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me." Kai whispered.

Ben swallowed.

For some reason, whispering made everything even creepier.

Their own breathing sounded loud.

Their footsteps.

The sound of steel slicing flesh.

The growls.

The scratching.

Everything.

Without another word, the team adjusted.

"Left," Erik whispered.

"Got it," Ben replied softly.

"Behind you," Penny warned.

Kai nodded.

No more shouting.

No more unnecessary words.

Only whispers.

Like ghosts wandering through hell.

Slash.

Crunch.

Crack.

The sounds of battle became strangely quiet.

And strangely horrifying.

For the first time tonight, Ben’s hands trembled.

Blood.

Brains.

Rotting flesh.

None of his training had prepared him for this.

His face gradually turned pale.

Even his breathing became uneven.

"Benny."

Kai’s voice was soft.

Ben looked over.

Kai smiled.

"We’ve got you."

Ben stared blankly.

Then slowly nodded.

"...Okay."

For a moment, his trembling hands became steady.

Because he wasn’t alone.

They were family.

Suddenly—

A zombie lunged from beneath a shelf.

Penny’s eyes widened.

"Down!"

Ben immediately crouched.

Whoosh!

The katana sliced downward.

The zombie’s head rolled across the floor.

The four didn’t even stop moving.

Years of training.

Months inside the space.

Everything had become instinct.

Eventually, they reached the second floor.

For a brief moment—

Silence.

The four leaned against the wall.

Breathing heavily.

Covered in blood.

Kai wiped his forehead.

"That was—"

His voice stopped.

Because something had grabbed his ankle.

Everyone froze.

A zombie.

Its lower body had been crushed beneath fallen shelves.

Only its upper half remained.

Cloudy eyes.

Rotting fingers.

And its mouth—

Was inches from Kai’s leg.

Kai’s brain blanked.

He couldn’t move.

"Erik—"

Slash!

Penny moved first.

The katana descended.

The zombie’s arm fell to the floor.

Crack!

Ice exploded.

The zombie’s head shattered.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Kai sat down heavily.

His entire body trembled.

"..."

"..."

"..."

His face had gone completely white.

"Erik."

His voice shook.

"I almost died."

For a moment—

Erik couldn’t breathe.

He knelt beside Kai.

Without saying a word, he wrapped an arm around his younger brother.

Because he himself was shaken.

Penny’s hand trembled slightly around the katana.

Ben leaned against the wall.

His own face had lost all color.

Death.

For the first time—

Death had come close enough to touch them.

And all four realized something terrifying.

Slow zombies...

Were still lethal.

Unfortunately—

They didn’t have time to recover.

Because below them—

Countless roars echoed throughout the warehouse.

And they were getting closer.

Countless roars echoed below them.

And they were getting closer.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Because they all understood.

If they stayed—

They would die.

Erik quickly walked toward the nearest window.

Below the second floor lay an open loading area.

Empty.

Not a single zombie in sight.

His eyes narrowed.

"They’re all inside."

Penny immediately understood.

"They followed the noise."

Erik nodded.

"We jump."

Kai stared.

"Jump?"

No one laughed.

Not even him.

Because they all knew there wasn’t another choice.

Behind them—

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The undead had already reached the stairs.

Ben’s breathing quickened.

His pale face became even uglier.

He forced himself to look down.

The distance wasn’t fatal.

But it wasn’t safe either.

Especially for Kai.

The younger man was still trembling.

Then—

Ben froze.

Earth.

His earth element.

Slowly, he lowered himself beside the broken window.

Everyone looked toward him.

Ben closed his eyes.

For a moment, all the fear and panic disappeared.

He remembered the countless months spent training inside the space.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Failure.

Success.

Countless repetitions.

Gradually—

The hard ground below began to tremble.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Large chunks of dirt slowly rose upward.

One step.

Then another.

Then another.

Until a rough staircase appeared beneath the broken window.

Not beautiful.

Not stable.

But enough.

Ben opened his eyes.

Sweat covered his forehead.

"...It should hold."

Silence.

Kai stared.

Penny blinked.

Even Erik paused.

Because none of them had expected it.

Ben swallowed nervously.

"I-I know it isn’t pretty."

"But—"

Before he could finish—

Erik placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It’s perfect."

Ben froze.

Then Penny smiled. "As expected of dear Benny." Utilizing Kai’s favorite nickname for Ben.

Kai immediately nodded.

"Benny."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Ben: "..."

"Not now."

Another deafening crash echoed behind them.

The stairs had fallen.

The zombies were coming.

"Move."

Erik went first.

Without hesitation, he jumped through the broken window.

Landing on the earthen steps, he immediately turned around.

"Penny."

She nodded.

With one hand gripping her katana, she jumped.

The rough staircase held.

Next came Kai.

Despite his trembling legs, he gritted his teeth and leapt down.

Only Ben remained.

Hundreds of gray hands suddenly appeared around the corner.

Ben’s face turned white.

"Ben!"

Penny’s voice rang out.

Without hesitation, he jumped.

The moment his feet landed—

Crash!

The window exploded with dozens of zombies slammed against it.

Three of them immediately tumbled through the shattered opening.

All four felt their blood run cold, forgetting that these were mindless zombies and not rational thinking human beings who would follow Ben down the stairs.

Ben sped up, practically hopping down the unstabl steps. Had Ben been one second slower—

He would’ve been dragged back inside.

"Run."

Erik’s voice remained calm.

Yet his pace quickened.

No one spoke.

No one joked.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the empty loading zone.

Behind them, furious roars shook the warehouse.

Kai’s breathing became uneven.

Penny’s hand tightened around her sword.

Ben’s heart pounded wildly.

And Erik continuously swept his surroundings.

The vehicle.

Just a little farther.

Twenty meters.

Fifteen.

Ten.

Five.

The moment everyone entered—

Bang!

Erik slammed the door shut.

The engine roared to life.

And without waiting another second—

The vehicle sped away.

Only then—

Only after the warehouse disappeared into the distance—

Did the silence inside the car become deafening.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Their clothes were stained with blood.

Their breathing remained uneven.

Kai stared blankly out the window.

Penelope silently cleaned her katana.

Ben looked down at his trembling hands.

And Erik gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

For a long time—

No one said a word.

Because all four of them understood.

Today...

Had been a narrow escape.

And next time—

Luck might not be enough.