After a while, Elias woke to agony.
His muscles screamed.
His head throbbed like it was splitting open.
And again, he couldn't move.
His arms were stretched wide, tied tight to rough, splintered wood.
Thick rope bit into his wrists, bloody and raw.
His legs were bound too, lashed to a wooden pole behind him.
The smell hit him first.
Blood. Sweat. Decay.
That familiar rotten smell.
He lifted his head, groaning in frustration.
And realized where he was.
The same church.
Or what was left of it?
He wasn't sure. He could only look around.
The stained glass windows were shattered, the pews overturned, and black scorch marks covered the stone walls.
Dozens of eyes stared at him from the shadows.
Humans!
Most of them were children, seated at a corner. They were dirty, shackled together by their ankles.
Like... caged animals.
And standing in front of him were two monsters.
They weren't humans.
They were zombies but looked really different.
Their skin was cracked and grey, like stone.
Their eyes burned bright red, pupils vertical slits like snakes.
They wore scraps of armour fashioned from bones and rusted steel.
Tier 4 zombies.
The real ones.
They were nothing like the drooling mindless packs outside. They were nothing like the ones Elias had fought before.
These ones were smarter and stronger...
And very, very dangerous.
'Do I have to fight these two if I want to escape from here? Fucking hell!'
He clenched his fist
But at the same time, he was excited to know what would happen if he absorbed their cores.
One of them stepped closer.
He was massive, easily seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks and a mouth full of jagged, yellow teeth, stained with blood.
The other was smaller but more twisted, his body hunched and twitching, clawed hands flexing eagerly.
The big one spoke first.
His voice was gravel dragged over metal.
"You brought him," he rumbled.
Ivy stepped forward from the shadows. Her head bowed, and her hands were still trembling.
"Yes, my lord," she said hoarsely. "I led him here... just like you told me."
The big zombie chuckled.
It was a deep, bone-rattling sound.
It was so displeasing to the ear.
"Good girl."
He reached out and patted Ivy's head roughly like a master rewarding a dog.
Ivy flinched but didn't move.
Elias stared at her.
The girl who had clung to his side.
Fought with him.
Laughed with him.
Betrayed him.
Bile rose in his throat as he gritted his teeth angrily.
He pulled at the ropes savagely, muscles bulging, veins popping. He struggled with it more, wishing he could escape.
But the cords were soaked in something slippery. No matter how hard he tried, it wasn't even bulging from his hand.
He grunted and stopped. His head was splitting and banging at the same time. Thanks to the liquid Ivy had injected into his body.
The drug still lingered in his system.
The big zombie turned back to Elias, making him tilt his head up to look at him.
"You're a strong one," he said thoughtfully, sharp eyes scanning him. "Stronger than the others she brought."
He grinned, showing blackened gums.
"You'll make a fine offering."
Elias bared his teeth in a snarl.
"You have no idea what you're messing with," he hissed.
The hunched zombie screeched a laugh.
"Brave little thing," he cackled. "Let's break him. Bleed him. He'll have the privilege of hearing his skin rip into shreds!"
The children whimpered in the corner.
One of the guards kicked a small boy who tried to crawl away. He crashed against the wall, twitching as he curled up, grabbing his side.
Ivy flinched again but didn't interfere.
Elias locked eyes with her.
She was silent, scared.
Ivy looked away, shame flooding her face.
The big zombie leaned close, breathing in his scent.
"You smell like them," he growled. "Like... change. No, what's that word?" He scratched its bald head and then snapped his finger when he remembered. "Ah! Evolution."
He sniffed again.
"You're almost ripe."
The hunched one bounced eagerly, grabbing his tools already.
"Let me cut him open! Let me see!"
The big one grunted.
"Not yet. We prepare the altar first. The Mistress must see this one."
He grabbed Elias's chin roughly, forcing his head up.
His claws dug into Elias's jaw, drawing blood.
"You'll be the start of a new breed," he whispered. "A perfect blend. Flesh and rot and rage."
Elias didn't flinch. He didn't blink.
He just smiled.
A slow, dangerous smile.
It wasn't his first time hearing things like this. When he was in the military, the other soldiers talked about how they rescued humans from the zombies' base. Though, some of them were too late. They had already been experimented on, more like... sacrifice.
He never knew what their motive was.
"You're all dead," he said, voice low and certain. "You just don't know it yet."
The big zombie threw his head back and laughed.
The sound echoed through the ruined church like a funeral bell.
"Fuck! I hate him but I hate his laughter even more"
He mumbled.
Behind him, the hunched one skittered off, gathering chains and hooks from the walls.
The guards dragged the terrified children closer to the altar.
A pit of bones yawned open in the centre of the church floor.
Elias flexed his fingers slowly.
Testing the ropes.
Feeling the drug fade.
Bit by bit.
The big zombie turned back toward the children.
"Prepare the sacrifices," he ordered.
"And for the special one..." he looked back at Elias "...we have something very... special planned."
Elias clenched his fist, still struggling with the ropes. He can't just remain there while the children are getting dragged into that pit. Ivy was already on the ground, crying her eyes out... Her face was buried in her palms.
The system prompted him and his eyes widened.
.
System Notification:
> > NEW MISSION:
Save the Sacrifices. (0/17)
Bonus: Increase bond loyalty.
Warning: Saving them might reduce corruption levels, and the risk of berserk might lower.
[ACCEPT] [POSTPONE] [REFUSE]
[END OF CHAPTER TEN]