The Transcendent Zombie Master

Chapter 7: Human Complications

The searchlights on top of the stadium wall went completely dark, leaving only the red glow of the sky to light the street. Screams erupted from inside the sports arena as loud gunshots started firing in rapid succession behind the high concrete walls.

"The gate is opening!" Leo yelled, pointing at the massive steel bars sliding sideways with a loud mechanical screech.

A group of twenty people ran out of the stadium in total panic, dropping bags of food and extra ammunition onto the road as they fled. Behind them, three men dressed in matching gray jackets were firing rifles into the crowd, treating the unarmed survivors like target practice.

"Get the supplies and shoot anyone who turns back!" a man with a scarred face shouted into a megaphone from the back of a pickup truck.

Lain recognized the scarred man immediately from his system’s local data log. It was Bryan, the ruthless gang leader who had taken over the sector's main supply depots right after the cosmic flash hit.

"They are killing their own people just to keep the food," Mavis said, her voice shaking as she hid behind the Obsidian Behemoth's huge leg.

"Leo, get that dropped crate of ammunition," Lain ordered, his eyes locked on Bryan's men. "Obsidian Behemoth, move forward and block the bullets."

The eight-foot-tall black glass helper stepped into the center of the road, its massive body completely shielding Lain, Leo, and Mavis from the incoming fire.

Two shooters on the stadium wall spotted the giant helper and turned their rifles toward it. *Bang. Bang.* The heavy bullets struck the Behemoth's chest, but they simply shattered against the hard volcanic glass, leaving tiny white scratches on its shiny skin.

"What is that thing made of?" one of the shooters screamed, dropping his rifle in terror as he looked down from the sandbags.

"Shoot the guy in the center!" Bryan roared through his megaphone from the pickup truck. "He is the one controlling the freaks!"

Three of Bryan's thugs charged down the stadium ramp, their knives and iron bars raised high as they aimed straight for Lain's neck.

"Iron Blade Vanguard, eliminate them," Lain commanded, opening his second system slot with a single flick of his fingers.

The sleek metal helper appeared in a flash of blue light, its long arm blades humming loudly as it dashed forward. It crossed the distance in a fraction of a second, slicing the iron bars in half and knocking the three thugs onto the hard asphalt with heavy kicks to their chests.

> Combat log: 3 enemies neutralized. System points gained: +30.

> Current points: 140.> 

"Lain, I got the ammo crate!" Leo shouted, dragging a heavy wooden box across the road while ducking low.

"Good. Now we need to get inside that gate before Bryan closes it again," Lain said, pointing his metal tool toward the stadium ramp.

Bryan saw his men fall so easily and realized his rifles were useless against the obsidian skin. He slammed his hand against the truck's dashboard, shouting to his driver. "Turn the truck around! Retreat to the inner ring!"

The pickup truck spun its tires, kicking up clouds of gray dust and rubber smoke as it sped back inside the dark stadium tunnel. The heavy steel gates began sliding shut again, threatening to lock Lain and his team out in the open street.

"Iron Blade, catch that gate!" Lain yelled.

The metal helper sprinted toward the closing barrier, sticking its thick arm blades between the iron bars. The heavy gears of the gate ground together with a horrible screeching noise before stopping completely under the helper's immense mechanical strength.

"Go, go, go!" Leo urged, pushing Mavis through the small gap first.

Lain followed right behind them, his boots stepping over empty bullet casings as they entered the dark concrete tunnel of the stadium.

The air inside smelled like old sweat and gunpowder, and the distant growls of monsters could be heard echoing from the upper seating sections. Bryan’s truck had vanished deeper into the sports complex, leaving a trail of oil drops on the floor.

Lain looked down at his blue screen to check his squad's status after the brief clash.

> Obsidian Behemoth (Lv. 6) Health: 98%

> Iron Blade Vanguard (Lv. 5) Health: 95%

> Zombie Inventory: 2/3 slots filled.> 

"Lain, we cannot follow Bryan deeper into the dark without a light source," Mavis said, pointing at the long, unlit corridor ahead of them. "He knows the layout of this stadium, and he has traps set up everywhere for survivors."

"She is right," Leo agreed, opening the wooden box he had dragged inside. "But look at this. The crate is full of high-grade flashlights and military-grade flares."

Lain touched one of the glowing red flares inside the box, and the system instantly chimed with a familiar notification sound.

> Item detected: Thermal Flare. Can be used as a synthesis ingredient to add fire attributes to your helpers.> 

"Keep the flashlights for yourselves," Lain told Leo and Mavis. "I am taking the flares for the system store."

He swiped his hand across the wooden box, causing ten heavy flares to vanish into his glowing blue inventory grid in a second.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the ceiling directly above their heads. A section of the concrete ventilation duct broke apart, and a massive zombie with multiple twitching arms dropped onto the floor, blocking their only path forward.

The monster had four long arms ending in jagged iron hooks, and its white eyes were leaking thick black fluid that hissed when it hit the ground.

> Warning: Level 4 Mutant detected. Variant: Quad-Hook Slasher.> 

The mutant let out a piercing shriek that made Leo drop his flashlight onto the concrete floor. It swung two of its long arms, aiming to tear through Lain's throat before he could even call his helpers back into formation.