Under the scorching sun, the group moved slowly and cautiously.
On the surface, they appeared orderly, but in reality, every nerve was frayed. The campus was too open, too vast, offering nowhere to hide for long. Despite their efforts to maintain formation, the rhythm of their shoes against the concrete was unavoidable.
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound wasn't loud, but in the dead silence, it felt like a hammer striking directly against their eardrums. The distant zombies, initially aimless, began to tilt their heads as the footsteps merged into a steady beat.
"They hear us..." Thanh Dao whispered, her throat bone-dry.
Thuong Sinh didn't respond. His eyes were locked forward. He signaled to slow down, and the group adjusted instantly.
But it was too late.
A zombie near a flowerbed snapped its head up, its maw opening to release a hollow, rasping roar. A second later, an answering cry erupted from across the plaza. Then another. The moans echoed across the campus like funeral bells.
"They're converging," Luu Hao hissed, his voice dropping an octave.
The zombies began to gather, no longer scattered. From corners, stone benches, and flagpoles, they turned toward the group. Their gait was clumsy, but their intent was terrifyingly clear.
"Don't change course," Thuong Sinh commanded, his voice unnervingly calm. "Keep moving. If the formation breaks now, we die faster."
Luu Hao gave him a deep look and nodded. "Listen to him!"
They moved along the treeline, seeking the thin shadows of the leaves. A zombie suddenly lurched out from behind a trunk, nearly colliding with the vanguard.
"Avoid it!" Chu Minh shouted.
Thanh Dao instinctively swung her club, striking the zombie's head. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it sent the creature reeling. Luu Hao instantly followed up with a finishing strike.
"Don't stop!"
The scent of fresh blood intensified in the heat, acting like fuel on a fire. In the distance, the roars grew more violent, and the horde's speed increased visibly. Thuong Sinh felt his heart rate climb. Not from fear, but from a focus pushed to its absolute limit.
He noticed something: not all zombies reacted the same way. Some remained sluggish, but others—after hearing the noise and smelling the blood—moved with newfound speed. Some even tilted their heads, as if triangulating their position.
Then, the sound of metal hitting the ground rang out.
CLANG—
The sound was ear-piercing. Everyone spun around.
"..."
Hua Thanh was ashen-faced. At his feet, a dagger had slipped from his grip, lying motionless on the concrete.
A single second of silence. Then, the courtyard exploded.
The zombies roared in unison, sprinting toward the sound.
"Run!" someone shrieked in panic.
"Don't run—!" Luu Hao roared, but his voice was drowned out. The formation began to splinter.
Thuong Sinh turned, his eyes turning cold. In that moment, he felt a familiar, chilling urge—the instinct to cut their rhythm. If he didn't act, the group would be torn apart in under a minute.
"Stop for three seconds!" Thuong Sinh bellowed. "Protect the center!"
He didn't wait for a reply. Gripping his blade, he lunged backward, facing the lead zombie. In his mind, the forms of "Blade Wind" manifested with eerie clarity.
One strike. No flair. No waste.
The blade sliced through the zombie's neck with perfect force and angle. Thuck. The body fell, blood spraying, but Thuong Sinh had already pivoted away. He didn't stop. Second, third, fourth strikes followed, each one stalling the first wave for just a few precious seconds.
"Now!" he roared.
Luu Hao understood instantly, tightening the formation and pushing them toward the edge of the sports field. Thuong Sinh's heart hammered against his ribs. He knew he had just pulled a suicidal stunt. But without it, they would have been slaughtered.
The iron fence of the sports field loomed ahead. Behind them, the scratching of nails and heavy breathing of the horde grew closer.
"We won't make it!" Chu Minh gasped, his voice raspy.
The fence was over two meters high with inward-curving spikes. Climbing it now was a death sentence. Thuong Sinh scanned the area. To the left: concrete bleachers. To the right: an old equipment shed with a rusted iron door.
"Right!" he shouted. "Into the equipment shed!"
"Listen to him! To the right!" Luu Hao echoed.
They swerved toward the low building. The zombies reacted a beat late, but their numbers allowed them to close the gap quickly.
"Damn it, it's locked!" Luu Hao yanked the iron door, met only by a dry clank. A thick wire was coiled around the handle, secured by a rusted but stubborn padlock.
BAM! A zombie slammed its head against the metal from the outside. The door shuddered, showering them in rust.
"It won't hold," Thuong Sinh said, his eyes darting around the room. Broken bars, rusted weights, and bent metal poles lay scattered. He flipped over an open toolbox in the corner.
Clatter—
Wrenches and screwdrivers spilled out.
"Can we cut the wire?" Chu Minh asked, his voice tight.
Thuong Sinh picked up a pair of small pliers and shook his head. "Not enough leverage."
Suddenly, Tran Pham stepped forward, pulling a cloth-wrapped object from his pack. He unwrapped it to reveal a steel crowbar, its curved end stained with old rust.
"I took it from the construction shed near the back gate," Tran Pham said shortly.
Luu Hao grabbed it. "Guard the door!" He jammed the crowbar into the lock and pulled with all his might. CLANG! The lock rattled but didn't break.
Outside, the moans intensified. The door began to buckle inward.
"We're out of time!" Ngoc Han panicked.
"Get back!" Thuong Sinh barked.
He stepped forward, his hand tightening on his blade. He felt that familiar cold essence rising—thin, but unmistakable.
Blade Wind.
Not to cut flesh. To cut steel.
Thuong Sinh regulated his breath, focusing entirely on the taut iron wire. All distractions were buried; there was only the line.
The blade swung. Not with desperate force, but with clinical precision.
CLANG!
The wire shivered, a deep notch appearing in its surface.
"It's not through!" Chu Minh screamed.
Thuong Sinh didn't answer. He stepped forward, twisted his wrist, and struck a second time, hitting the exact same notch.
Creeeeak—SNAP!
The wire frayed and broke. The lock hit the floor with a heavy thud. At the same moment, the main door behind them was hit with terrifying force.
BOOM!!! The hinges groaned as a gap appeared.
"Move!" Luu Hao bellowed.
Thuong Sinh was the first to kick the back exit open. Blinding light flooded the dark room, accompanied by a wave of stifling heat. Outside was a narrow path overgrown with weeds, with the parking lot visible in the distance.
Hope was within reach.
But as Thuong Sinh stepped out, he froze.
Right in front of him, in the shade of a building, a figure stood perfectly still. Head slightly bowed. No moaning. No staggering. Just standing.
Thuong Sinh's heart sank. A cold wave of goosebumps washed over him. His intuition was screaming: Dangerous!
This thing... was nothing like the zombies he had faced before.