Prime Ascendant

Chapter 4

Marcus took a deep breath as he stepped outside, the chaos of the city now in full view. Smoke filled the air from burning cars, and the distant screams of panicked civilians echoed through the streets. It was a scene out of a nightmare—total anarchy. People were running, some trying to fight the infected, while others fled in desperation. The infected themselves were relentless, lunging at anyone in sight, their grotesque forms an all too horrifying reminder of what awaited anyone who failed to escape.

Marcus’s eyes scanned his surroundings, his mind racing. He needed a plan. His first thought was simple: gather supplies. He couldn’t survive on just the clothes on his back, and the spatial pocket he had was a godsend in this situation. A quick inventory check showed he still had some basic items, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He needed food, water, and most importantly, a weapon, something reliable that didn’t drain his Aether. After his earlier fight, Marcus was acutely aware of his limitations. He could probably conjure up only three spatial blades before running out of energy. That wasn’t nearly enough if he encountered a horde.

Experimentation would have to wait, though. Right now, he needed to focus on survival.

Spotting a nearby supermarket that hadn’t been completely looted yet, Marcus made a beeline for it, weaving between overturned cars and avoiding any infected that might spot him. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm.

He reached the entrance and immediately noticed the shattered windows. People had clearly been here, but with luck, there would still be some supplies left. Marcus stepped through the broken glass, careful not to cut himself on the jagged edges, and ventured inside.

The place was a wreck. Shelves had been ransacked, the floor littered with discarded items. Broken bottles, crushed cans, and debris crunched under his boots as he moved cautiously. He glanced around, noting a few lingering items on the shelves—mostly canned food and bottled water. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

He stuffed what he could into his backpack, making sure to pack lighter items into his spatial pocket. It was convenient, the way his spatial pocket seemed to take the weight off of him. After grabbing some basic first aid supplies, he quickly scanned the store for any sign of a weapon.

His eyes fell on a fire axe hanging by the store's emergency exit. “That’ll do,” Marcus muttered. He rushed over and yanked it from its holder. The weight of the axe in his hands was reassuring, far better than relying solely on his spatial abilities for the moment.

As Marcus turned to leave, a low growl caught his attention. He froze, tightening his grip on the axe. Slowly, he peeked around the corner to see an infected man stumbling toward him, its twisted limbs dragging awkwardly behind it. The infected hadn’t noticed him yet, but Marcus knew that could change in an instant.

He exhaled slowly, considering his options. He could try to slip out without being seen or…

His grip tightened around the axe. If he was going to survive, he needed to be willing to fight.

Marcus steeled himself, gripping the fire axe with both hands. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he would have to kill again. The infected might have once been human, but now they were nothing more than mindless monsters. This one was no exception—its movements were jerky, its head tilted unnaturally, and its eyes vacant yet fixated on something in the distance.

Marcus crouched low, inching forward carefully, trying not to make a sound as he stalked through the supermarket. His eyes flicked toward the lone infected man ahead, its movements jerky and unnatural. The creature’s growls grew louder as Marcus crept closer, its body swaying as if sensing his presence.

Just as Marcus got closer to the zombie, its head snapped in his direction with eerie precision. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto him, and it let out a guttural snarl.

“Damn it,” Marcus cursed under his breath.

Without warning, the infected lunged, faster than Marcus expected. It covered the distance between them in a blur of erratic motion, its fingers clawing at the air. Marcus barely had time to raise his axe. He swung it with all the strength he could muster, but the infected swerved at the last second, avoiding the full brunt of the attack. 

The blade grazed its shoulder, tearing through decayed flesh, but it wasn’t enough to slow the creature. The infected staggered, then pounced again, mouth open in a twisted snarl, aiming for Marcus’s throat.

Marcus reacted instinctively. He pivoted on his heel, sidestepping the creature’s lunge with a speed and grace that felt almost unnatural. His body moved faster, more precisely than it ever had before. The infected tumbled past him, stumbling but quickly recovering. 

Not giving it a chance to regroup, Marcus brought the axe down in a powerful arc. This time, the blade connected with the infected’s chest. The force of the blow sent the creature reeling back, but still it wasn’t enough to bring it down. The infected hissed, blackened blood seeping from the deep gash as it staggered toward him again, relentless.

Marcus gritted his teeth, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His strength was far beyond what it once was, but these things were resilient. He knew he needed to end this quickly.

The infected lunged again, its clawed hand swiping at him. Marcus ducked low, dodging the attack, and swung the axe with all his might. The sharp blade embedded itself into the infected man's neck with a sickening crunch, biting through flesh and bone.

The infected’s body convulsed, its growls turning into a grotesque gurgling sound. Marcus yanked the axe free, the force of the pull took the creature’s head off. Blood sprayed from the wound, and the infected collapsed to the ground, twitching violently as its life ebbed away.

Marcus stepped back, his breath heavy but controlled. The creature writhed for a moment longer before finally going still, a pool of dark blood spreading beneath its lifeless body.