CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: BEATEN UP

As Betty reached the school grounds, she quickly turned her head to check if the zombie was still chasing her.

his bloodshot eyes were fixed on her, his already rotten body rotting more and swelling, making him more bulky than he already is.

"Hey, bulldozer!" she shouted over her shoulder, breathless. "I’m about to steal your fuel—so I hope your engine breaks down halfway!"

She said whatever nonsense she could think of to keep her attention away from the little fear growing in her heart.

Clenching her fists, she stopped running, faced the approaching monster, and took a stance.

"I’m a Taekwondo master! Back off!" she declared, trying to sound confident.

A cold voice came from behind her, faltering her stance.

"If you’re a Taekwondo master, why are you standing like a boxer, idiot?"

Betty blinked and whipped her head around in shock. David was standing calmly behind her, holding a knife in his hand.

’Huh? When did he even get here? I’ve absorbed ten cores—more than him, shouldn’t I be faster than him?!’

Before she could process it further, the zombie growled loudly behind her.

"Graaaeerw!"

The sound snapped her back to reality.

She barely dodged the incoming punch, tilting her head just in time. The zombie’s fist grazed her chin, leaving a shallow cut, making her chin itch as a blood droplet trailed down.

David sprinted to the opposite side of the zombie and slashed his knife across its arm, tearing through rotting flesh with a brutal slice.

"GAAAAAHHH!"

The zombie shrieked in pain and snapped its head toward David, its bloodshot eyes glowing with rage.

David’s grip tightened on the knife, his body was tense, his eyes locked onto every twitch and movement the creature made to determine his move.

Betty, still catching her breath a few feet away, stared in disbelief.

’Wait... what? Did he just injure a Grade Two zombie? With a normal knife?’

Her brows furrowed deeply as she squinted at the deep gash in the zombie’s arm, black and green blood dripping down like tar.

Wiping the blood from her chin, she could not help but swear at the author.

’Tch. I swear the hateful author doesn’t even know their own novel. Didn’t that damn paragraph say regular weapons can’t hurt zombies above Grade One? This makes no sense.’

Suddenly, Betty threw a punch into the air, her blue eyes locking onto the knife in David’s hand as it suddenly lit up with a faint red glow.

Her expression shifted from disbelief to pride in herself.

"Oh, so that’s the reason..."

It was like she’d just discovered gold.

But then, her face fell, lips pouting.

"Tch. I want powers too. This is so unfair."

A heavy thud yanked her attention forward.

Looking up, her eye twitched as she saw David now struggling—really struggling. The zombie had grown more aggressive, its blows were wild not even a shred of intelligence.

David was barely dodging, his earlier cuts no longer slowing the monster down. Worse, the wounds he inflicted were closing almost as fast as he made them.

"Eh... looks like you still need actual strength to fight, huh."

Clenching her fist tighter, Betty dashed forward. With a grunt, she slammed her fist into the back of the zombie’s head, her knuckles tearing into rotting flesh and ripping its ear clean off.

"Gwwwaarrr!"

The creature staggered.

David blinked, momentarily stunned, his eyes dropping to the torn ear now lying at his feet.

But before Betty could celebrate.

In a blink, the zombie twisted and appeared at her left side—faster than she expected.

Before she could react—

WHAM!

"Gah—!"

A powerful fist smashed into her stomach.

Saliva and blood burst from her mouth as her body was thrown like a ragdoll across the field, crashing into the tall grass with a dull thud.

She lay there curled up, clutching her gut, pain spreading like wildfire through her torso.

"Ugh... damn it..."

Thud. Thud.

Heavy footsteps stomped toward her.

Betty forced her eyes open, vision blurred by tears and blood. Through the grass, she saw the zombie’s shadow looming.

Its massive fist rose above her, casting a dark shadow over her face.

Her eyes widened in panic.

"Shit—!"

She tried to sit up—but the pain was too much.

Her body refused to move.

"Ghh—!"A harsh cough burst from her lungs, splattering blood across the grass.

’Aghh... Betty... happy damn death day.’

She laughed bitterly in her head, even as her vision blurred.

Suddenly—

From behind, David appeared. He raised his hand and pressed it hard against the zombie’s face.

Flames erupted from his palm, searing into the creature’s eyes.

"GAAAAAAAHH!!"

The zombie howled and flailed violently, grabbing David and slamming him backwards.

His skull cracked against a jagged stone.

CRACK!

David went limp and unconscious.

Betty’s breath hitched.

Seeing his attention elsewhere, she tried to move, a sharp agony stabbed through her chest. She gasped, clutching her ribs.

’It felt like my lungs had been punctured.’

She whimpered, trying to crawl away. But her gaze fell on the zombie.

The zombie’s eyes were healing.

Slowly, his rotten flesh healed completely.

"Gawwwwww—"

It roared, stomping toward her.

Betty’s eyes widened in horror. She raised her trembling arm to protect her face—

CRUNCH!

The creature’s fist shattered her forearm like dry wood.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!"

A raw, soul-piercing scream tore from her throat as she was thrown to her side.

Her body writhed in the grass, bones grinding beneath the skin.

’Aghhh... b-bitch... that hurt like hell...’

But there was no time to breathe.

The zombie raised its arm again and brought it down.

SLAM!

Its knuckles crashed into her face.

Her head jerked back violently.

Blood splattered painting grass in red.

Her vision flickered, going dim. Thoughts grew cloudy. The pain was too much to bear for someone who, although grow up fighting people, had not been beaten up this badly.

She couldn’t even scream anymore.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

She closed her eyes helplessly, seeing the zombie raise his fist again.