Zombie Slaying System

Chapter 8: The Strange One

Jonah wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stepped over the last zombie’s body. The fourth floor was quiet now. Too quiet. 

The smell of blood and rot filled the air. He looked around slowly, his axe still in his hand, just in case one of them was still moving.

He had been fighting for almost an hour. The zombies here weren’t as hard to kill as before. At first, he thought maybe they were weak. But deep down, he knew the truth.

He had gotten stronger. His arms were faster. His legs were lighter. His eyes saw more clearly in the dark. And his heart? It still beat fast, but not from fear. From focus.

Jonah looked up at the stairs that led to the seventh floor. His hands tightened on the axe.

“If I’m this fast now, I should go check the offices,” he whispered to himself. “There might be someone alive up there.”

The hallway was dark. The flickering lights made strange shadows on the walls. His boots made soft thuds as he ran toward the stairwell. 

Every corner he passed had old blood stains. Some walls were scratched like claws had torn through them. He didn’t stop to look closely.

As he climbed the stairs, he moved carefully. Slowly. His ears listened for the softest sounds, growls, footsteps, anything. The higher he went, the colder the air felt.

When he reached the seventh floor, he stopped. His chest rose and fell slowly.

The place was a mess.

Desks were upside down. Chairs were broken. Papers were everywhere. One of the glass windows had a crack in it, like something had been thrown hard against it. It looked like people had tried to fight or hide. But there was no one around.

Jonah took a step forward. “This is bad,” he muttered. “Why did I even think someone would still be here?”

Just as he turned to walk toward the other side of the room, he heard a sound.

Click. Scratch. Grrr…

It didn’t sound like a normal zombie. And it didn’t sound like a person either. The sound came from behind a row of fallen filing cabinets.

Jonah’s heart beat faster. He held his axe tighter and moved closer. Slowly, he peeked behind the cabinets.

His eyes widened. “Conor?” he said aloud, confused.

It was Conor. Or... it used to be him.

His skin was pale like a zombie’s. His eyes were glassy, but they didn’t roll around like the others. He didn’t drool or moan. He just crouched there, breathing slowly.

And his body… it wasn’t falling apart like the other zombies. His clothes were torn, but his skin looked almost alive. Almost human.

Jonah’s stomach turned. “System,” he whispered, “what’s wrong with him? Is he a zombie or something else?”

The blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.

[Unable to analyze full anatomy. Subject appears to be undead but holds signs of mutation. Further data needed.]

Jonah took a step back. His eyes were glued to Conor. His claws… they were longer than before. Thick. Sharp. His muscles looked stronger too.

“He’s evolving…” Jonah whispered. “This virus… it’s changing them.”

The Conor-thing looked straight at Jonah. Its head tilted to the side, like it was studying him. It didn’t rush forward like other zombies. It didn’t growl. It just stared. That was worse.

“Why isn’t he attacking?” Jonah said under his breath. “Why do I feel like he knows what he’s doing?”

Jonah’s back was wet with sweat. The thing hadn’t moved yet, but Jonah didn’t want to take any chances. He took one careful step backward.

The Conor-creature reacted. It stood up, tall and straight. Its claws clicked against the ground. And then…It screamed.

A strange, high-pitched sound came out of its throat, like a bird mixed with a monster. Jonah flinched. Even the other zombies in the hallway far behind quivered at the sound.

“That’s not normal,” Jonah said. “Not normal at all…”

Suddenly, the creature vanished from its spot.

Jonah’s eyes widened. “Where…”

WHAM!

It appeared right in front of him.

Jonah ducked just in time. Claws slashed through the air where his head had been. He rolled on the ground and swung his axe. He hit the thing in the side and it flew into a wall.

Jonah scrambled to his feet. The creature stood again like it felt no pain. It gave out another sharp cry.

“This is not what I came here for!” Jonah shouted. His hands shook, but he held the axe firmly.

The Conor-thing leapt again. This time, Jonah swung harder. The axe hit its neck.

There was a loud crack.

The head rolled to the floor.

The body dropped right after.

Jonah stood still, breathing hard. He looked down at the body. It didn’t move.

“What… was that?” he asked himself. “That wasn’t a normal zombie. That was… something else.”

The system appeared again.

[System Upgrade: New Title Gained, Nightmare Killer]

Jonah didn’t smile. He didn’t feel proud. He felt afraid.

If Conor had changed into something like that, then who else could? How many more were out there?

“I need answers,” Jonah said. “There has to be a reason all this started. Something caused this virus… and maybe someone is still spreading it.”

He looked around the destroyed office. The cracked window. The blood on the walls.

Then he remembered Lisa and Kevin. “I’ve been gone too long.”

Jonah turned and ran back down the stairs, past the blood-stained hallways, through the broken doors, and back to the fourth floor. He didn’t make a sound.

When he reached the spot where he had left them, he saw Lisa and Kevin sleeping. They were safe. They hadn’t moved. The room was quiet.

Jonah sighed in relief. He sat down beside them and leaned against the wall. His arms ached. His chest felt heavy. He looked up at the ceiling.

“I should be dead by now,” he thought. “The wires... the monsters... everything. But I’m still here.”

Something had saved him. Maybe fate. Maybe something else. But now… he had to become something more.

“Maybe this world needed a hero,” he thought. “And it chose me.”

He looked at his hands. They were bruised, tired, but stronger than before. He was no longer just surviving. He was fighting back.

“I don’t know how bad it is out there,” he whispered, “but I have to get out. I have to find my parents. I have to see them again.”

Jonah closed his eyes. The room was quiet. The floor was safe. For now.

But he knew… things were changing and the real danger hadn’t even begun.