After proving effective in hundreds of trials, the All-purpose Antidote was officially declared a success.
Bloodfall Base erupted!
Southreach erupted too!
Had the news been able to travel farther, the whole of Astoria would have likely erupted in cheers as well!
The Zombie Virus—the scourge that had tormented so many—had finally been conquered.
It was easy to imagine a future where the revitalized land could grow the herbs needed for the medicine. The Antidote would eventually become commonplace. Then, even if bitten by a Zombie, people would no longer have to fear turning into one.
With that, the number of Zombies would dwindle, and the territory reclaimed by humanity would continue to expand.
One day, humanity would completely eradicate the Zombies and reclaim the peace they once knew!
The thought of such a future filled many with an overwhelming excitement.
They had waited and hoped for so long!
The human spirit’s yearning for freedom could not be extinguished, no matter how many hardships it endured.
That night, Bloodfall Base held a raucous banquet.
As the guests of honor, Levi Young and Sean Raines were surrounded by people toasting them glass after glass. Even Marcus Monroe and Paige Summers weren’t spared. The crowd was boisterous, releasing years of pent-up emotion. It was as if a rift had finally been torn in the oppressive fog that had hung over them for so long, allowing a ray of light to pierce through. And though that light was still faint, it was enough to ignite the flame of hope in their hearts.
Amid the cheers, Shawn Monroe quietly slipped away from the crowd.
He was happy, too.
But his happiness couldn’t be as pure as that of the other members.
The Central Army would be arriving soon. He had told Paige Summers that when they did, he would be leaving.
The decision had been made, yet his heart was heavy with melancholy.
Granted, Paige Summers’ words back then had served as a rude awakening. He finally understood. A dream was just a dream. He might have been muddle-headed enough to confuse his dreams with reality, but Paige wasn’t like him. She knew exactly what she wanted, and what she wanted would never be him.
Thinking about it lately didn’t hurt anymore. It just left him feeling empty, as if some things, once lost, could never be found again.
A bitter smile played on his lips as he walked slowly down the wide street.
He glanced back at the banquet hall with its high roof and large windows, silhouettes occasionally passing by. It was brightly lit and filled with laughter, but there was nothing there for him.
In that moment, he felt exceptionally lonely.
Suddenly, a low cry drifted from the distance. It sounded like a sob, a broken whimper that, in the dead of night, felt particularly agonizing.
’Is there someone else who’s as unhappy as I am?’
’Even more miserable?’
He found himself drawn toward the sound, his expression growing serious as he wove through the buildings.
A little farther ahead lay the experimental zone.
As Bloodfall Base expanded, security in the area had become increasingly strict. This was especially true after the last incident he’d caused—scheming to have Faye Webb disguise herself as Paige Summers to lure away a guy named Ben, while simultaneously using an ability to conceal the Zombie in a secret cell. The resulting commotion had turned the area into a restricted zone. Now, not even the team captains could enter without a special pass.
’But why would there be a whimper coming from in there?’
Shawn Monroe’s brow furrowed.
’Besides the guards, no one else should be there at this hour.’
’Could it be... that Zombie?!’
Something stirred within Shawn Monroe.
Just as he was hesitating, the sound came again.
Though the sound was completely unfamiliar, for some reason it seemed to pierce straight to his heart, making it impossible for him to ignore.
Shawn Monroe gritted his teeth and activated his Wind Ability. Like a black shadow, he vanished in a flash.
He hadn’t spent the past six-plus months at Bloodfall Base idly; his superpower had long since advanced from the Sixth to the Seventh Rank. His Wind Ability could now be used for more than just attacking—it also granted him immense speed. When he unleashed his power, it was as if he had grown a pair of invisible wings, his running speed becoming astonishingly fast!
Just now, for instance, he had rushed past the guards under the cover of night. They hadn’t noticed him at all, merely thinking it was a gust of wind...
Knowing the area was littered with surveillance cameras, Shawn Monroe maintained his speed, streaking into the experimental zone. Once inside, he made a beeline for the cell from which the sound was coming, barely pausing for a moment.
But when he reached the door, he ran into a problem.
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