God Of War System : Apocalypse King

CHAPTER 15: THE STRATEGIST'S STAGE

The clang of the final bell was still vibrating in the air when panic erupted on the rooftop.

"It's over! They know we're here! We're going to die!" cried Bima, his face ashen. He clutched his head, pacing like a trapped animal.

Rizal was no better. His knees were weak, and he leaned against the water tower for support. "Every time that bell rings, they sweep an area clean. No one ever survives. No one."

Abigail sobbed softly, the exhaustion and pain in her legs now consumed by pure terror. Cindy stood protectively in front of her, but her clenched jaw and fists betrayed her own fear.

Amidst the despair, only two people remained silent. Andy, who was frozen not from fear, but from shock at how quickly the situation had devolved from hope to hell.

And Satria.

He stood at the edge of the roof, his back to them, his eyes still fixed on the orderly moving lines of the undead in the distance. He wasn't panicking. He wasn't afraid. He was analyzing.

"Silence," Satria commanded.

That single word, spoken in a low, emotionless tone, cut through Bima's panicked cries like a knife. Everyone stared at him.

Satria turned around. His eyes were cold, sharp as ice. "Panic won't make the doors lock tighter or the walls thicker. Panic will only make you die faster. Now, give me information."

He pointed at Rizal. "You said they sweep. How? Can they climb?"

Startled out of his horror by such a logical question, Rizal blinked. "N-no. Not the regular ones, at least. Runners might be able to, but the walls of this building are too slick and high. They usually just swarm the building, trying to break down every door and window on the ground floor."

"How long do they usually sweep an area?"

"A few hours. Sometimes until morning," Rizal answered.

"Good," Satria said. "That means our only weak point is the ground floor."

He looked at the rooftop access door, then down, as if he could see through twenty floors of concrete. A plan began to form in his mind—a simple yet brutal defensive strategy.

"We won't run. We'll turn this building into a fortress," Satria decided. "The emergency stairwell door in the lobby is their only way up. We will barricade it. We will make it an impenetrable stronghold."

A small spark of hope ignited in Cindy's eyes. A plan. There was a plan.

"How?" she asked.

"Rizal, Bima. Is there any heavy furniture downstairs? Metal desks? Filing cabinets? Vending machines?"

"Yes! In the lobby and the second-floor pantry, there's a lot!" Rizal replied, his spirit beginning to return.

"Okay, here's the plan," Satria said, taking full command. His gaze swept over everyone, assigning tasks with the efficiency of a general.

"Rizal, you're with me. You know the layout of this building. We're going down to the lobby to start building the first barricade in front of the stairwell door."

"Cindy, Bima. You two go down to the office pantry on the 18th floor you mentioned. Gather all leftover food, water, and anything that can be used as a weapon or tool—fire extinguishers, mop handles, anything. Bring it all back here. Be quick and silent."

"And us?" asked Abigail, her voice still trembling.

Satria looked at her, then shifted his gaze to Andy, who remained silently brooding. "You two stay here. Abigail, you can't move much. Andy, your job is to stand guard. Watch their movements from above. Give us a warning if anything strange happens, like a Runner trying to climb. This is the observation post. Don't take it lightly."

The order felt like an insult to Andy. Satria and Rizal took the crucial task. Cindy and Bima took the procurement task. And him? Left on the roof to "accompany" the injured girl. He was given the most insignificant task, a task that didn't even require strength.

"Understood?" Satria asked sharply, looking straight into Andy's eyes.

Andy merely nodded slowly, avoiding Satria's gaze. His face was hidden in shadow.

"Good. Everyone move. Now!"

Without further ado, Satria and Rizal disappeared into the emergency stairwell door. Cindy patted Bima's shoulder for encouragement, and they both followed them down.

The rooftop fell silent again. There was only Andy and Abigail, the sound of the wind, and the fading echo of the death bell. In the distance, the sound of thousands of feet dragging on the asphalt began to be heard, like the sound of rain coming from hell.

Abigail hugged her knees, her body shaking violently. "Do you think... we'll survive?" she whispered, more to herself than to Andy.

She glanced at Andy, seeking just a little reassurance.

"Satria... he's amazing, isn't he?" Abigail continued, her eyes shining with admiration. "He wasn't afraid at all. He immediately knew what to do. He's like..."

"Like a God of War?" Andy cut in, his voice cold and sarcastic.

Abigail was surprised by Andy's tone. "I... well..."

Andy stood up and walked to the edge of the roof, staring at the horde that was now filling the streets below like ants swarming sugar.

"Don't be stupid," Andy hissed, without turning to Abigail. "That's not greatness. That's not courage. Something is wrong with him."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see it? His eyes," Andy said, now turning to face Abigail. "There's no fear there. But there's no pity either. No humanity. That power has turned him into a monster as cold as the corpses down below. He isn't saving us. He's just using us as pawns in his game."

Andy's venomous words pierced Abigail's mind, planting the first seed of doubt.

Meanwhile, on the dark, stuffy ground floor...

Satria and Rizal reached the emergency stairwell door in the lobby. Outside the broken glass lobby doors, the first figures of the horde were already visible, shuffling toward the building.

"Quick! Help me push this vending machine!" Satria ordered.

They both exerted all their strength, pushing the heavy metal machine until it was flush against and blocking the stairwell door.

*Thud!*

The first sound was heard. A body slammed into the front lobby glass.

*Thud! Thud!*

Then dozens more followed. The once-empty lobby was now filled with horrifying silhouettes pressing and beating against the glass.

"It won't be enough!" Rizal yelled amidst the growing noise.

"Then we add more!" Satria countered. His eyes glowed with fierce determination.

*CRACK!*

The front lobby glass finally shattered. Rotten hands began reaching inside.

The siege had begun.