10 – The Possessor

“There are too many of them.” Emily hissed. “There isn’t even a gap between them.”

Maybe the distance between the zombies was only a matter of inches. Even small children would most likely not be able to enter among them.

“Yeah, maybe there are hundreds of them.” Cody hissed.

Seeing a zombie coming towards them, Gwen was about to drive the car again, but Cody tapped her on the shoulder and shook his head.

“I think it’s him.” Cody said that because the zombie knocked on the car window. There’s no way an ordinary zombie could do that.

Cody opened the window a bit, and his hand held the rifle underneath.

It won’t hurt if he’s on guard. He doesn’t know this system user yet, after all.

“Is that you, friend?” Cody asked.

“Yeah… My name is…. Mike….” The zombie spoke, also hoarse and almost inaudible. “Please, save me…. I’ve run out of food…. That place…. So scary…. I’ve already…. So desperate…”

Cody took a deep breath. “It will be complicated. There are a lot of them.”

He fell silent, looking at the group of zombies again. Because the car he was in was quite far from the living dead, they didn’t know where he was.

Then, he opened the menu system to check his skills that he had not selected. One of them caught his attention.

[Enhanced Strength: The zombies you control will be 2 times stronger]

“I have a plan, but we’d better hide somewhere else first.” Cody continued, then looked at Mike again. “And Mike, possess the zombies one by one and make them walk to me.”

The zombie tilted his head. “What will you…. Do?”

“You want to raise your level again by eliminating them?” Gwen asked.

A smirk graced Cody’s expression. “Yeah, I need greater strength for my zombies to carry out my plan.”

“Is this something crazy again?” Gwen gulped.

“Maybe.”

Emily looked at them in turn. “What are you guys actually talking about?”

***

The leveling was longer than Cody expected. Besides killing zombies, he had to wait while Mike rested from time to time.

Yes, like Cody, Mike also has limited stamina in using the power of his system.

Another splash echoed as Cody controlled a zombie to hit another one in the head with a sledgehammer. 

Corpses littered the end of the alley. 

“It seems we have to wait until tomorrow.” Emily muttered. “Night will fall soon.”

Cody looked at the sky, which was turning orange. “Yeah, maybe we should postpone this plan until tomorrow.”

“Please…. Just do it now….” Mike comes for the umpteenth time, this time using the body of a female zombie. “I’ve already…. Can’t stand it…. Anymore…”

Even though Cody couldn’t detect Mike’s emotions from his expression and tone of voice, Cody guessed Mike must have suffered a lot. The zombie possessor had been trapped in that hotel for days.

“Alright.” Cody took a deep breath. “After I kill that zombie, possess the other zombies here. I think the experience I have gained is enough.”

Cody makes his zombie hit the head of that female zombie,

[Level up]

He then chose a strength enhancing skill for his zombies.

“Thank you…” The sledgehammer wielding zombie spoke, after Mike possessed him.

“You’re welcome.” When Cody used the strengthening skill, the muscles in Mike’s zombie body grew a bit, as did the three other zombies around Cody. The young man put them there just in case Mike did something bad. “As per our agreement, drive the car and crash it to those zombies. You won’t advance very far, but at least it opens up your path.”

“Are you sure?” Mike looked at the car parked outside the alley.

“The car was low on fuel and we couldn’t fill it up.” Cody put on a faint smile. “You remember what you’re going to do after, right?”

Mike continued. “I…. Having to fight alone to pave my way with this stronger and faster body…”

“Good luck.” Cody patted Mike’s shoulder. “Remember, after recovering your real body, try to run as far as possible from them, then meet me at the place we promised.”

Mike nodded, then drove the car.

“Let’s go.” Cody tidied up his things. “We’re getting out of here.”

“Should we really leave him alone?” Gwen asked in a low voice.

“I told you, this place is too close to that hotel,” Cody explained. “The zombies will definitely chase Mike. Therefore, I chose a place very far from here. With that much distance to run, I hope Mike can get away from them.”

“But….” Gwen stopped what she was saying and looked away.

“And with our current abilities, it would be foolish of us to help him more.” Cody added, even though he hated words like that.

Once again, it shows that he was not that strong.

Gwen closed her eyes for a moment. “Alright, then.”

Cody had carefully laid out the plan. He made sure they would be safe and Mike could save himself.

He didn’t want it to fail because of excessive sympathy and carelessness.

Meanwhile, Emily put her hands on her hips in front of the three remaining zombies controlled by Cody. “They’re going to take us, huh?”

“They have become strong and fast.” Cody shrugged. “It’s better to get on their backs and let them run.”

***

Several hours passed. The sun has set. Cody and the others were on the roof of a two-story building quite far from the hotel.

“I don’t think Mike will come.” Emily sighed, standing up while looking at the fire in the metal drum. She stretched out her hands to warm herself.

Gwen, who was sitting near to her, muttered. “I wonder how he feels. He fought alone to escape. That must be scary.”

“He uses the body of a zombie with more power and speed. I’ve also asked him to cover his actual body with anything that can dampen the zombies’ bites.” Cody stood at the edge of the roof, continuing to scan for zombies. But many times he did that, he only found those zombies guarding them.

After some time, he finally detected the fourth zombie. It was the undead that Mike possessed.

“He’s coming.” Cody said. “Remember, we cannot immediately welcome him. We still have to be alert.”

Cody readied his rifle while the others drew their pistols. Yes, they don’t know Mike’s character yet. They must always be careful.

Cody wasn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t help people without thinking of any risk and consequences.

The door to the roof opened, and Mike entered with his zombie body. “Sorry…. I’m late…. It turns out that getting out of there while carrying my body was so difficult…”

Gwen asked in confusion. “Why don’t you bring your body here?”

Instead, Mike dragged a large, long iron rod.

“You hid it, right?” Cody let out a bitter chuckle. “You want to do something to us? That’s why you hid your body somewhere, so we can’t kill it.”

Cody’s zombies came forward, taking stances ready to fight.

“Excuse me…. but I have to get your system…. I have to beat you, Cody…. It’s nothing personal.” Mike continued. “This is for the sake of defeating…. Zeno….”

Cody furrowed. “Zeno? Who’s that?”

“You haven’t met Zeno yet?” The zombie possessor walked forward. “He is the one responsible for making the world like this…. I will defeat him… I really hate him…”

He then ran forward while raising his large metal staff.

—

Name: Mike Stratton

Role: Zombie Possessor

 

[Stats]

Attack: F+

Defense: F+

Stamina: E+

—

Cody glanced at the others, as if he was giving a signal. After that, he focused on the fight. He made his zombies advance forward.

Yes, Mike’s stats were not that special, but his ability could be troublesome if he could use it well.

Cody widened his eyes when Mike threw the metal rod at the zombies and changed his running direction.

This was what Cody was worried about.