Downstairs from the gym, Ethan, Chris, Henry, Sean, Big Mike, and Skinny Pete each hefted a barbell bar over their shoulders and headed off down the street.

Back inside, more than thirty muscle-bound men lay groaning on the floor, writhing in pain, unable to get up.

They were all built like tanks—but unfortunately for them, they'd run into a pack of monsters even stronger. A few well-placed swings, and the whole lot of them were down for the count.

And that was with Ethan's crew holding back. If they'd gone all out, it wouldn't have ended with just a few bruises and broken ribs.

After all, they had just taken the guys' gear—no need to add murder to the list.

With that, Ethan led the group out of the residential zone, heading toward an area with fewer zombies to do some targeted hunting.

Fewer zombies meant fewer high-tier ones, sure—but it also meant they didn't have to waste time mowing down endless waves of low-tier trash. More time to focus on tracking down Tier 4s.

Thanks to Ethan's [True Sight] ability, they navigated several streets with ease and finally reached a commercial district.

Since the outbreak had hit at night, the shopping areas had been relatively empty—fewer people, fewer zombies. Still, the undead didn't exactly stay put, so there were always a few stragglers wandering around.

They picked the tallest building in sight and climbed to the top, using the high vantage point to scan for Tier 4s.

With [True Sight], Ethan didn't have to guess. He could see them clear as day.

It didn't take long. In this sector, he spotted three Tier 4 zombies.

Even better, each of them had only a small group of lesser zombies tagging along. No hordes to wade through.

"Knew this method would pay off," Ethan said with a grin.

They headed back down, and under Ethan's lead, the group took out all three Tier 4s with brutal efficiency.

Two of the crystal cores went to Big Mike and Skinny Pete. Ethan kept the last one for himself.

He hadn't had a core in a while. Now that everyone in the group had reached Tier 4, the next upgrades were his to claim.

Once they cleared the area, they moved on to the next zone and repeated the process: find the tallest building, climb up, locate any Tier 4s, then go down and kill them.

Sure, sometimes they'd spend half an hour up there and not spot a single high-tier zombie—these areas were pretty thin on the undead—but even so, it beat standing around guarding stairwells and hoping something worthwhile wandered in.

Walmart Supercenter...

Eight civilian trucks rumbled in behind three FMTV military transports, the convoy pulling up in front of the store with a low growl of engines.

Soldiers jumped down and moved fast, securing the perimeter.

A breaching team forced the doors open, rifles raised and ready.

They swept the entrance first, then gave the all-clear. The logistics crew began unloading, ready to stock up.

Inside the store, a dozen women—survivors—froze mid-bite, eyes wide as they stared at the sudden intrusion.

A young National Guard lieutenant stepped down from one of the trucks, followed by a woman in a police uniform. The two of them entered the store, scanning the scene.

Their expressions tightened as they took in the dozens of corpses scattered across the aisles.

These people hadn't been killed by zombies. That much was obvious.

The female officer stepped up to the group of women and asked quietly, "Are you all okay?"

The women glanced at her, then at the soldiers behind her. A few nodded, slow and numb.

"If you're not hurt, that's good," the officer said gently. "You're the survivors here, right? Do you know how these people died?" She gestured to the bodies scattered across the supermarket floor.

A flicker of disgust passed over the women's faces, but they all shook their heads.

The officer frowned slightly at their expressions but didn't press further. "Alright. Head to the trucks. You'll come back to the Safe Zone with us."

At the mention of the Safe Zone, something finally lit up in their eyes. They nodded quickly, almost eagerly.

They'd tried going out to fight zombies once. It hadn't gone well. After losing two of their own, they'd holed up in the Walmart, figuring it was safer to stay put. There was food, water—they wouldn't starve.

Clearly, everything Ethan had told them before had gone in one ear and out the other.

A shame, really. Ethan had actually tried to help for once. But some people's fates weren't just bad luck—they were choices.

The soldiers worked fast. In no time, they'd stripped the Walmart of anything useful. The eight cargo trucks were nearly full.

Then the convoy turned around and began the trip back.

But as they passed through a residential area, a sudden commotion erupted.

A crowd of people burst out from between the buildings, sprinting toward the convoy.

They must've spotted the trucks just moments ago.

But behind them—an enormous swarm of zombies, pouring out of the neighborhood like a flood.

The young National Guard lieutenant's brow furrowed.

Every bit of training told him to keep moving. Leave them. Don't get involved.

But he couldn't just watch people die.

"Lieutenant Park, what are you waiting for? Stop the damn trucks and help them!" the female officer snapped, urgency in her voice.

Park clenched his jaw, then gave the order.

The FMTVs screeched to a halt. Soldiers jumped down, forming a defensive line as the civilians ran for their lives.

But this wasn't a combat mission. They didn't have the numbers for a full-on engagement. As the undead surged forward, the soldiers opened fire, laying down suppressive bursts to buy time.

The gunfire echoed through the neighborhood—and that was all it took.

The entire area exploded into chaos.

This part of the city had been crawling with zombies already. Now, drawn by the noise, even more came pouring in.

And then, the worst possible thing happened.

Some of the civilians, panicked by the gunfire, dropped to the ground mid-run, covering their heads like it would help.

Park's face went cold.

"If you don't wanna die, get the fuck up and MOVE! Anyone still on the ground's gonna be zombie chow!"

His roar snapped them out of it. They scrambled to their feet and kept running.

After a tense few minutes, the civilians finally reached the trucks and clambered into the back of the FMTVs.

"Go! Now!" Park shouted.

But up ahead, the road was already swarming with zombies.

The soldiers kept firing, but the more they killed, the more came.

"Don't push forward! Reroute through the commercial district!" Park ordered.

The convoy began to turn, heading toward the shopping area.

But the eight cargo trucks in the rear weren't nearly as nimble. As they tried to maneuver, the horde caught up.

Zombies swarmed the trucks, climbing over each other in a frenzy. Within seconds, the vehicles were buried under a writhing mass of undead.

Park's face turned to stone. He had no choice.

"Abandon the cargo. Get us out of here!"

The FMTVs roared ahead, leaving the supply trucks behind.

But the road hadn't been cleared. Wrecked cars and debris choked the path. The lead FMTV had no choice but to ram through, metal crunching and scraping as it forced a way forward.

The trucks were tough, but the collisions slowed them down.

In the back, soldiers fired nonstop at the pursuing horde, trying to keep them from overtaking the convoy.

But the ammo was draining fast. They couldn't keep this up for long.

Then, just as they rounded a corner, the road ahead was blocked—by a massive pile of zombie corpses.

Park nearly lost it.

"Fuck! Who the hell cleared this place out?!"

He slammed a fist against the dash. "Everyone out! We're going on foot! Target that building up ahead!"

There was no way the trucks could get through. Even clearing the bodies would take too long. They had to get inside and regroup.

The soldiers dismounted, covering the civilians as they all sprinted toward the nearest high-rise.

Meanwhile...

Ethan and his crew were on the rooftop of that very building, scanning the cityscape for Tier 4 zombies.

Then the gunfire started.

Ethan turned, spotting three FMTVs barreling toward their location.

"What the hell are the National Guard doing here?" he muttered, annoyed.

Then he saw what was behind them.

A tidal wave of zombies, hundreds strong, chasing the trucks like bloodhounds.

Ethan's face darkened.

"Goddammit. I just wanted to kill a few zombies today. Who the hell did I piss off?"

...

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