Time seemed to slow as the creature launched itself at Zhao Ming. Its claws stretched forward, eyes wild and filled with hunger, the twisted mockery of a face split open in a soundless roar. Zhao Ming barely had time to lift his arm in defense, the force of the impact sending him crashing to the floor, his weapon skidding from his grasp and clattering across the room.
Xinyi didn't think. She fired, the bullet striking the creature's side, but it only roared louder, blood spraying from the wound but doing little to stop its frenzy. Xie Yan moved faster, crossing the space in two long strides, his rifle raised. He fired point blank, the blast echoing through the chamber, the smell of gunpowder choking the air. The shot hit true, tearing through the creature's skull, dropping it in an instant.
For a moment, everything went still except for the ragged sound of their breathing. Zhao Ming pushed himself up, blood smeared across his face, his eyes blazing with fury and adrenaline. His hand shook as he retrieved his fallen pistol, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself.
"That was too close," Xinyi said, wiping sweat from her brow. Her voice sounded distant in her own ears, her heart still racing. She looked at the creature's corpse, the way its body twitched even in death. This was no ordinary infected. It was faster, stronger. A new kind of threat.
Zhao Ming spat on the ground, his expression dark. "They're evolving. I saw hints of it at the last outpost I passed through, but I didn't think it would happen this fast."
Xie Yan gave him a sharp look. "You knew and didn't warn anyone?"
"There was no one to warn," Zhao Ming shot back. "By the time I realized it, the place was overrun. I'm not here to save anyone. I'm here to survive."
Xinyi stepped between them, her voice hard. "We don't have time for this. Look around. This room could give us what we need. But only if we're smart about it."
Xie Yan's gaze lingered on Zhao Ming a beat longer before he nodded. Together they turned to the crates, working quickly. They cracked them open one by one, pulling out whatever was useful — ammunition, water, old ration packs, flares. Xinyi found a small pack of grenades, the metal cool in her hand, and she tucked them into her bag without a word. Every tool counted now.
As they worked, the room seemed to close in around them. The silence was heavy, oppressive, the memory of the creature's attack hanging in the air. Xinyi kept glancing at the shadows above, half expecting another monster to drop down. But nothing came, at least not yet.
"We need to move," Xie Yan said at last, his voice quiet. "This place won't stay safe. If one of those things found us, more will come."
Zhao Ming slung a rifle over his shoulder, grim-faced. "There's another access tunnel through that side door. It should lead to the surface. It's our best shot."
Xinyi didn't argue. She felt it too — that itch at the back of her neck, the sense that danger was closing in again. They needed to keep ahead of it. Together they crossed the chamber to the door Zhao Ming had pointed out. Xie Yan took the lead, pushing it open slowly, gun ready, his body tense.
The tunnel beyond was narrow and steep, sloping upward. It smelled of damp earth and old oil, the walls lined with rusted pipes and cables that hummed faintly with forgotten power. The air was cooler here, fresher, the first hint that they were nearing the surface.
They moved in silence, boots crunching on gravel and debris, every sense alert. Xinyi's thoughts raced as fast as her heart. The infected weren't just mindless anymore. If they could evolve, adapt, then everything she thought she knew from the novel might crumble. Every plan she had made might fail. But she couldn't give in to fear. Not now.
The tunnel stretched on, winding like a serpent through the earth, the faint sound of wind filtering down from above. They must be getting close. Xinyi's grip tightened on her weapon, hope warring with dread. But then the sound came. The one that made her blood run cold.
A low rumble, followed by the unmistakable clatter of stones falling. The tunnel was unstable. The fight in the chamber had shaken something loose, and now the walls were starting to give way.
"Hurry," Xie Yan said, quickening his pace. The tunnel grew steeper, the ceiling lower, forcing them to crouch as they climbed. The rumbling grew louder, dust raining down, the walls groaning as if the earth itself wanted to swallow them whole.
They broke into a run, scrambling over loose rock, the light from Xinyi's flashlight swinging wildly. Ahead, a faint glow — daylight, real daylight, the promise of escape. But between them and that light stood another figure.
At first Xinyi thought it was another infected, but as they drew closer, she saw the difference. This one stood tall, too still, its face hidden beneath a cracked gas mask, its body covered in makeshift armor fashioned from scavenged gear. It held a weapon, old but deadly, pointed straight at them.
"Not another step," the figure said, voice muffled but clear. "This is my exit. Turn around, or I'll drop this tunnel on all of us."
Xinyi stared, heart sinking. They were so close. So close to the surface, to freedom, and now this. The ground shook again, stronger this time, a section of the tunnel behind them collapsing with a roar, cutting off their retreat.
Xie Yan raised his hands slowly, his eyes locked on the stranger. "We don't want trouble. Let us through, and we can all get out of here."
The figure laughed, bitter and sharp. "That's what the last group said before they tried to take my supplies. I'm not falling for it again."
The walls groaned, more stones falling, the daylight ahead flickering as dust filled the air. The stranger's finger tightened on the trigger.
And then came the sound that froze them all.
From the darkness behind, a chorus of snarls and growls. The infected had found them, and they were coming fast.