The Transcendent Zombie Master

Chapter 2: The First Safe Zone

The red laser beam hit the road just three feet away. The asphalt exploded into hot black chunks, throwing Lain and Leo into the dirt. The air smelled like burnt metal and smoke.

"Get up!" Lain yelled, pulling Leo by his collar. "We need to move now!"

The giant spider monster on top of the skyscraper blinked its red eye again, preparing another shot.

Lain's new Spiked Guard helper grabbed both men with its huge stone arms. It lifted them off the ground and sprinted down the sidewalk just as another laser blast melted the gray truck behind them.

"Where are we going?" Leo screamed over the sound of explosions.

"The subway station!" Lain pointed toward a concrete staircase leading underground. "The laser cannot hit us through the thick dirt!"

The Spiked Guard reached the stairs. It set Lain and Leo down gently.

"You stay here and guard the entrance," Lain ordered the big helper. "Do not let anything come down these stairs."

The Spiked Guard gave a low growl and turned around, its red spikes glowing in the dark.

Lain and Leo ran down the steps into the shadows. The sounds of the surface world grew quiet, replaced by the dripping of water and distant, echoing screams.

The subway station was a mess. Bags, shoes, and dropped phones littered the floor.

"Look," Leo whispered, pointing his baton at a row of turnstiles. "More monsters."

Three normal zombies were chewing on a vending machine. When they heard Leo's voice, their heads snapped around. They drooled black blood and began rushing forward.

Lain raised his hand, his eyes scanning his glowing blue screen.

Points: 0. New zombie slot available. Subjugation requires 10 points per target.

"Oh no," Lain muttered. "I spent all my points on the fusion. I cannot catch them."

"Then use this!" Leo yelled, throwing a heavy metal pipe he found on the floor.

Lain caught the pipe. He stepped ahead of Leo. The first monster lunged, its teeth snapping an inch from Lain's nose.

Lain swung the pipe hard. Crack. The pipe hit the monster’s temple. The creature collapsed into a heap.

Enemy defeated. You gained 10 points.

"I have enough now!" Lain shouted.

He pointed his open palm at the second rushing monster. Blue light shot from his fingers, hitting the creature square in the chest.

The zombie stopped instantly. Its dull eyes flashed bright green. It turned around and tackled the third monster to the ground, biting its neck fiercely.

"Awesome," Leo gasped, leaning against a pillar. "Your new helper is fighting for us."

The two zombies thrashed on the concrete floor. Finally, Lain's green-eyed helper smashed the other one's head against the rails.

Enemy defeated. You gained 10 points. Current points: 20.

Lain walked over to the standing helper. It was a normal zombie, weak and slow.

"System," Lain thought. "Upgrade this helper to level two."

Cost: 10 points. Upgrading Common Infected...

The green-eyed helper grew taller. Its muscles swelled under its torn shirt, and its fingernails turned into sharp bone hooks.

Upgrade complete. Class: Hook Mutant. Level 2.

"We need a safe place to sleep," Leo said, wiping dirt from his face. "The tracks lead to the maintenance rooms. There are heavy iron doors back there."

"Lead the way," Lain said. "Hook Mutant, walk in front."

They walked along the dark train tracks. The only sound was the rhythmic squish of the Hook Mutant’s bare feet on the gravel.

Suddenly, a woman’s scream echoed from a small room next to the tracks.

"Help! Somebody help me!" a voice cried out.

Leo ran toward the door, but Lain grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. It could be a trap."

"It's a human, Lain! We can't just leave them," Leo argued, pulling away.

Lain sighed and signaled the Hook Mutant. The helper pushed the metal door open with a loud creak.

Inside the room, a young woman with short dark hair was trapped on top of a metal desk. Three level-two zombies with long, twitching tongues were snapping at her sneakers.

"Get back!" she shouted, throwing a heavy book at one of them.

The Hook Mutant rushed into the room. It swung its bone hooks, slicing through the neck of the first tongue monster. Green fluid sprayed across the wall.

Lain and Leo jumped in next. Lain used his metal pipe to strike the second monster's knee, knocking it down. Leo finished it with a heavy blow from his baton.

The final tongue monster hissed and jumped toward the girl on the desk.

"Catch it!" Lain yelled, pointing his hand. Blue light enveloped the monster mid-air.

The creature froze, falling onto the desk with a dull thud. Its white eyes blinked, then turned bright green.

The room went completely quiet. The young woman stared at Lain, her jaw dropped.

"Did you... did you just tame that thing?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"I am Lain," he said simply, lowering his pipe. "This is Leo. What is your name?"

"Mavis," she said, carefully climbing down from the desk, keeping her distance from the green-eyed monsters. "I am a medical student. I was working in the lab upstairs when the sky turned red."

"Are you hurt?" Leo asked kindly.

"No," Mavis said, looking closely at the Hook Mutant. "This is incredible. Their cells are supposed to be dead, but your light is forcing their nervous systems to restart. How are you doing this?"

"It is a system inside my head," Lain explained without giving too many details. "It lets me control them and make them evolve."

Mavis’s eyes lit up despite the danger. "If you can evolve them, you need specific biological materials. Different zombie types have different mutations in their blood."

Lain’s blue screen chimed happily.

New ally joined. Scholar class bonus unlocked: Evolution blueprints are now 20% cheaper.

"That is very useful," Lain said with a small smile. "We need to lock this door and rest. The surface is not safe."

They dragged the dead monsters out and locked the thick iron door from the inside. Leo sat on the floor, finally letting out a long breath. Mavis began examining the green-eyed tongue monster, taking notes on a small pad of paper.

Lain sat in the corner, opening his system menu. He had 20 points left, a level-five Spiked Guard upstairs, a level-two Hook Mutant, and a level-two Tongue Mutant standing guard by the door.

He closed his eyes, but a sudden tremor shook the ground. Dust fell from the ceiling, coating his hair gray.

Upstairs, a distant, metallic roar echoed through the vents. The giant spider monster was moving closer to their position. Lain looked at his helpers, knowing tomorrow’s fight would require a lot more points.