Chapter 12: You’re surprisingly brutal
Zombie at level six was unlike anything Adam had encountered so far. It was taller, bulkier, and its movements were slow but brimming with tension—like every part of its body was simply waiting for a command to destroy. When the toppled shelf blocked its path, Adam considered retreating and trying again to attack from the shadows.
He glanced at the zombie, ready to withdraw and strike from behind once more—but then he saw it. The creature wasn’t going to let him escape. It grabbed the metal shelf with both hands and effortlessly lifted it above its head, hurling it straight at Adam.
Adam froze as he watched the shelf flying toward him. At the last moment, he threw himself to the side, rolling across the floor. The air sliced across his cheek like a blade. The shelf crashed beside him with a thunderous clatter, splintering into pieces and cracking the floor beneath it.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell..." he muttered, staring at the shattered wreckage. He hadn’t expected a zombie to possess such raw power. His plan had relied on gaining the upper hand—not facing off against something that could throw furniture like toys.
He tried to rise, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a shadow—already looming over him. Without thinking, he rolled aside just as the creature’s fist slammed down into the floor with a deafening boom. The concrete cracked, leaving a shallow crater where Adam had lain a second earlier.
Using the momentum, Adam rolled forward, then pushed off the ground with both hands and sprang to his feet in one swift motion. He stumbled back several steps, adrenaline slicing through his thoughts like a cold knife. "Since when are zombies this strong?"
He backed away, scanning the surroundings. The sight of the fractured floor sent a chill down his spine. One hit from that monster—and he’d be nothing but pulp. A head-on fight was suicide.
The zombie roared and, without hesitation, charged. Like a rampaging bull, it thundered forward, every step shaking the ground. Adam raised his weapon, but instead of trying to block, he dodged at the last second. The beast barreled into the wall with bone-crushing force, shattering plaster and leaving deep cracks.
Adam stared wide-eyed. "He doesn’t think... He just charges and smashes."