The Transcendent Zombie Master

Chapter 1: The Red Sky

Lain looked out the window. The sky was suddenly bright red. People on the street were screaming and running in circles.

"Leo, look at the sky," Lain said. He picked up a heavy metal tool from the floor.

"Something is wrong," Leo said, shaking. "People are biting each other out there."

A loud bang hit their door. The wood broke with a snap. A man with scary white eyes ran into the room.

The man growled like a dog. He jumped straight at Lain to bite his arm.

Lain held up his metal tool to stop the man. Suddenly, a strange voice spoke inside Lain's head.

Zombie System on. Do you want to catch this zombie?

"Yes!" Lain shouted.

Blue light shot out of Lain's fingers. The light hit the scary man right in the face.

The man stopped biting. His white eyes turned bright green. He stood completely still like a toy.

"Why did he stop?" Leo asked, hiding behind a chair. "Is he dead?"

"No," Lain said, looking at the man. "He is my helper now."

Another loud growl came from the hallway. More scary people were coming down the stairs.

"Stay behind me," Lain told Leo. "Helper, move forward and block the door."

The green-eyed man stepped in front of Lain. They walked out into the dark hallway together.

The hallway was very dark. Three more monsters ran toward them. They had sharp teeth and blood on their clothes.

"Helper, hit them!" Lain pointed his finger.

The green-eyed helper ran forward. He smashed the first monster into the wall. The other two monsters bit the helper's arms, but the helper did not feel pain. He threw them down the stairs.

"Wow," Leo said, eyes wide. "He is really strong."

"We need to get to the street," Lain said. "Follow him."

They walked down the stairs carefully. More growls echoed from the rooms nearby. Lain looked at his hands, wondering about the voice inside his head.

A small glowing screen popped up in front of his eyes. It showed a picture of the helper. It also showed a number ten.

Points: 10. Do you want to make your helper stronger?

"Yes," Lain whispered to the screen.

The helper's body changed instantly. His skin grew gray and hard like stone. His fingers grew long and sharp.

"He looks different now," Leo whispered, holding his breath.

"He is level two now," Lain said. "He can protect us better."

They reached the front door of the building. Lain pushed the door open. The street was full of fire and wrecked cars.

A big pack of monsters turned around. They saw Lain and Leo. They all started running toward them at the same time.

"There are too many!" Leo screamed, pulling Lain's shirt. "We have to go back inside!"

"No," Lain said, gripping his metal tool. "Helper, go!"

The stone-skinned helper jumped into the crowd of monsters. He swung his sharp hands, knocking three of them away at once. The monsters bit his stone skin, but their teeth broke.

Lain watched the numbers on his glowing screen go up. Ten points became twenty points. Twenty points became forty points.

"We need to run to the gray truck," Lain shouted to Leo.

They ran past the fighting helper. A fast monster jumped out from behind a burning car, aiming straight for Leo's neck.

Lain swung his heavy metal tool. Crack. The monster fell to the ground.

Points: 50. New zombie slot unlocked.

Lain pointed his hand at the fallen monster. Blue light shot out again. The monster's eyes flashed green, and it stood up.

"Now we have two," Lain said, wiping sweat from his face.

"You are amazing," Leo said, gasping for air.

They reached the gray truck. The doors were unlocked, but the keys were missing.

"Look out!" Leo yelled.

A giant monster came around the corner. It was twice as big as the others, with red spikes growing out of its back. It smashed a car with its fist.

The giant monster roared and looked right at Lain.

"Helper one, helper two, block him!" Lain commanded.

Both green-eyed helpers ran at the giant monster. The giant monster grabbed the stone-skinned helper and threw him through a store window. The glass shattered everywhere.

The second helper tried to bite the giant's leg, but the giant kicked him away easily.

"Our helpers are losing!" Leo cried, climbing into the back of the truck.

Lain looked at his screen. He had fifty points left. He needed a plan fast.

"System," Lain thought in his mind. "Can I fuse my two helpers together?"

Cost: 50 points. Do you want to fuse?

"Do it now!" Lain yelled.

A bright purple light covered both helpers on the ground. They flew together, melting into one single body.

The light faded. A new monster stood there. It had stone skin and red spikes, just like the enemy. It was huge.

New creation: Spiked Guard. Level 5.

The giant monster charged forward. The Spiked Guard met him in the middle of the street. Their fists hit each other with a loud boom.

The ground shook under Lain's feet. The Spiked Guard grabbed the giant's neck and threw him into the asphalt.

"He did it!" Leo cheered.

But the victory did not last long. The red sky suddenly flashed black. A strange sound, like a horn from space, shook the entire city.

The giant monster on the ground dissolved into black ash. The ash lifted into the air and flew toward the center of the city.

Lain looked up at the big skyscraper downtown. A massive purple portal was opening at the very top of the building.

Something huge was crawling out of the portal. It looked like a giant mechanical spider with a glowing red eye.

Lain's screen turned bright red. Words started flashing fast.

Warning. Unknown alien life form detected. Threat level: Extreme. Survival chance: 1%.

The giant spider eye blinked. A red laser beam shot across the city, instantly blowing up a building two blocks away.

The Spiked Guard stepped in front of Lain, growling at the sky. But the helper's body was shaking with fear.

"Lain," Leo whispered, his face completely pale. "What is that thing?"

Lain did not answer. He stared at the giant eye in the sky. The red laser was turning toward their street.