CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 – BATTLEFIELD

Chapter 36 – Battlefield

Jack’s mind was working faster than it ever had before—so fast it was almost frightening. Every detail, every possibility around him was analyzed in a split second. The entire place unfolded in his head like a vast chessboard, each move presenting countless paths and potential solutions to their desperate situation. He was certain there was a way out. The answer was there, hidden somewhere in the chaos, but he had yet to spot the one crucial detail that would open the path.

His focus locked onto that missing piece, even as the monsters closed in and they fought for their lives. One after another, Jack stabbed, punched, and kicked with every ounce of strength he had. But for every monster he brought down, two more appeared to take its place, attacking with even greater ferocity. He tried to avoid further injuries, but in such close quarters, dodging them all was impossible.

CHOMP

A set of jagged teeth clamped down on his shoulder. Another bite tore into his left leg, and one more barely grazed his torso. Each attack came from a blind spot, hidden in the suffocating darkness, where even his reflexes couldn’t save him. Avoiding them completely was impossible.

[You have killed...]

[You have killed...]

[You have killed...]

Yet, even then, his strength was still growing rapidly.

Evelyn wasn’t faring any better. She had sustained several injuries of her own, though with their enhanced bodies, none were immediately life-threatening or enough to slow them down.

"Jack..." Evelyn’s voice cut through the chaos, her tone sharp, her eyes flashing with a dangerous glint.

"I know," he replied, ducking under another monster’s swing before driving his fist into its chest. "I’m thinking."

His flashlight—just his phone wedged in his pocket—provided only a dim glow ahead of him. Every sudden movement caused it to shift and slide until, in the heat of the fight, it slipped free and clattered to the ground. The beam flickered once... then went out completely.

Darkness swallowed him.

At that same instant, a monster lunged. For a heartbeat, Jack was utterly blind, unable to see the attack coming.

"Jack!!" Evelyn and Lune shouted together, both instinctively moving toward him.

"Don’t move!" Jack’s voice came from somewhere in the blackness, rough and strained. "I’m... hnng... fine!"

Lune’s eyes adjusted just enough to catch a faint, terrifying glimpse in the dark. Jack’s silhouette loomed over a snarling monster, one hand gripping its jaw while the other plunged his blade deep into its throat. With a burst of raw strength, he lifted the creature entirely off the ground before shoving it aside. His face was streaked with blood and sweat when he looked up.

"..." He froze. Something was wrong.

The monsters weren’t rushing him anymore. Instead, their glowing eyes shifted... fixing on a different target—Evelyn.

Jack blinked slowly as his mind processed the scene. ’Wait...’ The realization struck him like lightning. ’Could it be...?’

"Evelyn, turn your flashlight off—now!" he barked.

"Wha—"

"Don’t ask, just do it!"

Seeing the monsters advancing, Evelyn scrambled to grab her phone, quickly shutting off the light and plunging herself into the same suffocating darkness. Now both stood blind in the middle of the horde, surrounded by death.

Every instinct screamed that this was suicide.

Yet, to her surprise, all movement stopped. The noises faded into an eerie stillness. The glowing eyes... closed.

’What is happening?’ Evelyn held her breath, frozen in place. ’Are they... not going to attack?’

She glanced toward Jack. He stood still, calm—like he’d expected this. Slowly, the monsters began to turn away, sliding back into the black waters, one after another, until the sound of their movements vanished completely.

Jack moved toward her quietly and tapped her shoulder. "Let’s go," he whispered.

Evelyn nodded, still confused, but followed his lead. ’They can’t see us in the dark? That’s... odd. Especially since they live in it.’

But stranger still was Jack’s ability to figure it out so quickly—and the unshakable confidence with which he’d acted on it. That kind of decisiveness was something she had never seen in anyone else before.

The two moved slowly, keeping their steps light, slipping past the last traces of danger. Eventually, they reached the ladder leading upward. Evelyn climbed first, Jack following close behind. Before leaving, he glanced back into the sewer one last time. ’Not bad... This place could work. As an exit. And... as a hunting ground.’

The discovery meant that getting in and out of the bunkers would be far easier from now on. More than that—if he kept hunting these creatures here, ranking up again would be within reach.

But that could wait. For now, the priority was the mission. They climbed out of the manhole, stepping back into the open world.

***

*Outside the bunker*

It was hell on earth.

Every street had been overrun, monsters of all sizes and shapes flooding the city. They tore apart everything in their path, feeding on anything alive, their hunger insatiable. The destruction spread outward, yet their movement had direction—slowly, they converged toward one place.

The bunkers.

The scent of hundreds of trapped humans drew them in like blood in the water.

*BANG* *BANG* *BOOOOOM*

Near the bunkers, the battle was spiraling out of control. Tanks fired shell after shell, detonating among the swarms, tearing through the advancing hordes—but still they came. Gunfire rattled from every position, bullets streaking in every direction.

"SIR! We need backup, we—AGH!"

General Herman stood at the back line, his radio flaring with panicked reports from across the battlefield, each one more grim than the last.

"Don’t let them breach our defenses! Push left, they’re about to collapse there!" he shouted, forcing his voice to remain steady. Inside, though, despair was coiling tighter and tighter.

’We’re done for... We’re finished. Too many of them... We can’t hold this.’

Screams and gunfire filled the comms, the sounds of soldiers being slaughtered. Explosions lit the night as tanks were ripped apart in the distance. His mind raced for a solution, any solution.

"SIR! Flying things—descending on us!" A soldier came running from the perimeter, panic etched across his face.

"What? More of them? Where’s our air support?!"

"Gone, sir! Air force was wiped out completely—we have no more jets!"

"...Goddammit!" Herman slammed his fist against the table. What am I supposed to do?! Backup won’t come—every city is under attack just like us! No one’s coming for days...

No matter what orders he gave, the outcome felt inevitable. Total annihilation.

"S-Sir... what should we do?"

"..." Herman stared at the young soldier, unable to answer.

BANG

Outside, the line buckled. The monsters crashed through, ripping into soldiers, tearing flesh and bone. Blood sprayed in great arcs, painting the ground in a nightmare of red.

"NOOO! I DON’T WANT TO DIE! I HAVE KIDS, I HAVE A WIF—"

It didn’t matter. The creatures devoured everyone without hesitation, their cold, unfeeling eyes showing no trace of mercy. Even the most hardened veterans, men who had faced war without flinching, found themselves paralyzed with terror.

One by one, they broke. Weapons clattered to the ground as soldiers turned to flee.

"Don’t run, you cowards! Protect the civilians!" someone shouted—only to be dragged down and torn apart seconds later.

The battle line collapsed. The situation was beyond hopeless.