"Ahhh!" Bang! Bang! "Maintain a six-foot distance. Aim for the center of the forehead. If you get bitten or touched by a drip of saliva, do everyone a favor and take your life!" Marcus pursed his lips and cast a glance to his right. He wanted to see the ignorant wench that dared to make such a bold command. Was it that easy for a person to take their own lives? A string of gunfires erupted all around. Lush black hair swayed under the crimson sky like threads of black silk on red canvas. A snow-white cheek and a spark of violet orb. And that was about it. Marcus's view of the female was blocked by the appearance of a large man before he could get a clear glimpse of her face. 'She sounded too naive to encounter this sort of disaster.' A pang of regret tugged at his heart. If it was any other time, such a girl would be adored and looked after by many men. However, now... Chuckling unsympathetically, Marcus shook the strange feeling away, heaved his MP5, and focused his sight bac
Encircled from every direction, the humans who awakened special abilities gathered together in the center of the road. "We won't survive if we try to escape on our own. But if we work together, we'll have a chance to survive." Marcus swept his hand. A car flew in the air and crushed a horde. The undead wriggled and twisted beneath the heavy weight, some even succeeding in crawling out. "I'm making this proposition because I'm sure you've all noticed the limits of our individual efforts." Prolonged use of special abilities placed a heavy strain on the user's mind. In one-to-three or even five confrontations, the superhumans would easily gain the upper hand against the mindless zombies. But in a one-to-ten confrontation...they could only wait to be eaten. Irene twirled her ice blade and hacked off a one-eyed zombie's arm. "I don't mind working together, but who's going to lead?" She asked. "If everyone is okay with it, I'm willing to take on the role." Marcus volunteered. The surro
What is she!? This one question flashed in their minds. The zombie virus had only erupted a few days ago. Humans who awakened superpowers were still grappling with their new reality, relearning and re-familiarizing themselves with their abilities and the crumbling world around them. While some found excitement in the changes in themselves and the world, anticipating an exhilarating experience like in fantasy novels, others were filled with nothing but trepidation and apprehension. But either way, all the superhumans wielded their new abilities in one way or another. They exchanged knowledge and obtained as much information as they were able, despite the lack of internet. However, in the limited intel they gathered, there was no mention of a terrifying ability like the one the woman before them possessed. "Haha! That was a good show, but still not enough to daunt me." Marcus threw back his head and laughed. The woman's ability was frightening. It ate up an entire hand without leav
Mouths slackened, eyes widened. The superhumans turned as still as statues. They gaped at the woman on top of the car, as if she suddenly grew two heads. Dead silence settled over the crowd, the annoying growls of the zombies the only sound in the region. Everyone had seen her move. The folds of her heavy skirt flapping in the air had raised enough breeze and created enough noise to turn a few heads. But her movements had been so fluid, so smooth that they were entranced by the graceful dance and failed to notice the sharp edge. By the time the act concluded, what entered their sights were two heads with milky-white eyes staring unnervingly at them. The small group of superhumans who had been whispering and murmuring disdainfully visibly stiffened, while Marcus's lips compressed into a straight line. After a period of time that felt like hours, faint yelps of surprise and quick sucking of breath resounded and shattered the stiff atmosphere. "Da**! That was too beautiful!" "I d
In the apocalyptic world, Celio Daen and Irene Moore were two of an elite team of five fearsome superhumans. With Celio awakening a Wind and Irene an Ice special ability, the two became widely known for their impenetrable defense and explosive offense. As they leveled up, the power of their abilities grew more frightening, giving even the lawless supernaturals a headache. However, as powerful as these two were, they also had a strong sense of loyalty to those they pledged their allegiance. Once, a superhuman under the protection of former officers approached them. He was sent by the people who once governed the country with the intention to recruit. New clothes, delicious and varied food menu, a lifestyle similar to that of a wealthy young master and mistress in a protected mansion...they were offered everything considered a luxury in a world severely deficient in resources and freight with dangers. However, under the temptation of such great benefits, the two rejected without hesi
The air turned static, the atmosphere seemed to freeze and, like a slow-motion picture, sound faded to the background. Ella's ink-black hair rose on a draft of wind, and as it floated above her head, it shone with a glossy sheen as if dusted with specks of shattered stars. Her command resonated in the region, carrying unnatural authority and power that compelled one to obey. Under the dumbfounded eyes of the humans and superhumans, a spiderweb of cracks spread through the ground, tendrils of crimson-gold flames crackled in the slit and licked the edges, before flaring upward with greedy tongues. The ice spears restraining the zombies fractured, fiercely vibrated, then violently exploded under their combined weight. The instant the undead surged forward, the numerous cracks on the ground split apart. Snarling and wheezing, the horde of zombies tumbled into the blazing fissure. Dozens upon dozens of undead fell in the sea of crimson-gold, swallowed and consumed in the belly of the
"Hey, wait for me!" Celio immediately left the group and chased after the girl. He didn't have any specific destination anyway. Following a person who had the skill to survive this nightmare wouldn't harm him in any way. "I've never been on Sapphire Island. I guess it won't hurt to take a look. Who knows? I might not be alive to do so in the future." Irene separated from her girlfriends and jugged to catch up with the two. Marcus didn't say anything. He hosted his MP5 and joined the three with a blank expression. To awaken two skills at the same time...he wanted to know how she accomplished such a feat. Seeing the team of four walk away, some superhumans only hesitated for a brief moment before going in a different direction. Though the four were powerful, they believed they weren't any less powerful. As long as they gathered a group of followers, they would be able to form their own power base. The humans fell in a dilemma. They wanted to follow the team of four, but Sapphire
They had been observing the group ever since they arrived in the bay area 2 days ago. Aside from them, there were also two other groups that scoured the malls. But compared to those groups, Ella and her team found this team more interesting. They had been within hearing distance to eavesdrop on their conversations. And from what they heard, even at this moment of dog-eat-dog, the team performed humanitarian services with their base leader. "If we hadn't seen it for ourselves, I wouldn't believe there were people still untainted by the winds of the apocalypse." Irene sighed. In this one week, she witnessed how low people could fall. Excluding the already horrid ex-convicts and death row criminals, even regular humans who had once been law-abiding citizens killed to snatch a few packets of food and water bottles from friends and companions. Death from murder, dehydration, and starvation became the second, third, and fourth cause of death after zombie bites. Marcus kicked the crushe