After searching through building after building, Leon found nothing.
Empty rooms.
Abandoned halls.
Dust, silence… and death.
"There's nothing here," Leon spoke through the earpiece, his voice low but steady. "City outskirts are clean—no clues. Just empty buildings and streets crawling with zombies."
A soft yet firm voice responded instantly.
"Then move toward the central district," she said calmly. "We're detecting high radiation signals from there. That's your best lead."
Leon smirked faintly.
"Alright, lady… guess that's where the party's at."
He returned to his car, slid into the driver's seat, and started the engine.
The streets ahead were packed with wandering corpses.
Leon didn't slow down.
CRASH—THUD—CRACK.
Zombies were crushed under the vehicle, bones snapping, skulls bursting open under the tires as he drove straight through them like they were nothing but debris.
"Outta the way…"
After a while, he reached the marked location.
The moment he stepped out—
He raised his hand.
Three fire spears formed instantly, blazing with heat.
"Let's clear some trash."
He hurled them forward.
WHOOSH—BOOM!
The spears tore through incoming zombies, piercing skulls and igniting bodies. Flesh burned, eyes melted, and charred corpses dropped one after another.
But then—
THUD.
Something hit him.
Hard.
Leon's body was sent flying into a car.
CRASH!
The metal dented inward as his back slammed against it.
His vision blurred.
"Cough—COUGH—!"
Blood spilled from his mouth as he forced himself to look up.
And then he saw it.
A monster.
Humanoid—but wrong.
Its body was massive, muscles twisted unnaturally, skin stretched and cracked like it couldn't contain its own power. Its eyes glowed faintly, locked onto him like prey.
Leon wiped the blood from his lips.
"…Now this looks fun."
The monster charged.
Leon rushed forward instead of retreating.
The creature swung its arm—
Leon ducked low, the wind pressure alone tearing apart nearby debris.
He spun behind it, pulling out his pistol.
BANG!
The bullet pierced its eye.
"RAAAAGH—UUURGH!!"
The monster screamed, clutching its face as thick, black blood oozed out.
Leon jumped back quickly.
"Yeah, scream louder," he muttered. "Maybe call your whole damn family while you're at it."
The monster turned wildly, roaring.
Leon raised his hand—
A fireball formed.
"Eat this."
BOOM!
The fireball smashed into its face, exploding on impact.
Its skin melted, flesh peeling off, revealing charred muscle underneath. The smell of burnt meat filled the air as the creature howled in agony.
But it didn't fall.
"…Tch. Tough bastard."
Leon focused.
He began compressing fire energy—
Condensing it.
Sharpening it.
A spear.
Denser.
Stronger.
On the other hand, he kept launching rapid fireballs to keep the monster occupied.
Each hit burned deeper—
Each strike tearing more flesh apart.
But his energy—
Was draining fast.
"Damn… this is eating through me…"
Just as the spear reached its peak—
Voices echoed in the distance.
Zombies.
More of them.
Closing in.
Leon gritted his teeth.
"One shot… this is my last one."
He hurled the spear.
HISSS—SCREEECH—THUD.
The spear pierced straight through the monster's skull.
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
The head exploded from the inside.
Burnt brain matter splattered outward, chunks of charred flesh flying as the body collapsed heavily to the ground.
Leon didn't wait.
He ran.
Leaping onto a nearby car, then jumping toward a balcony.
He grabbed the railing and pulled himself up in one swift motion.
He entered the room and locked the door behind him.
Then—
He turned.
A woman stood there.
Or what used to be one.
A zombie.
Dressed in expensive clothes, now soaked in dried blood.
Leon glanced at her.
"…Must've been rich."
Before she could react—
THRUST.
His knife drove straight through her throat.
Blood burst out violently, spilling down her body as she collapsed, twitching for a few seconds before going still.
Leon unbuttoned his shirt.
A deep wound.
The monster's punch had torn through his flesh.
Blood seeped slowly.
He took out a first aid kit from his ring and began treating it.
"Damn… that thing hits like a truck…"
Thanks to the blood enhancer, his healing was fast—unnaturally fast.
Even severed parts could regenerate…
Given time.
After resting for half an hour, Leon stood near the window.
The monster's body—
Gone.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Outside, zombies roamed endlessly.
He activated his earpiece.
"The signal… it came from that monster."
There was a pause.
Then Laila responded.
"That's not the only signal," she said. "There are multiple radiation sources in that area."
She continued—
"But one of them is significantly stronger… and another is constantly moving."
Leon's expression darkened.
"The moving one… that's the bastard I just killed."
"…You fought it?" Laila's voice held clear shock. "And you're still alive?"
Leon smirked slightly.
"Yeah… but I don't think it stayed dead."
"Then head toward the strongest signal," she said quickly. "That's likely the source."
Leon cracked his neck.
"Got it, Miss."
He exited the room, clearing the floor quickly.
More zombies.
More deaths.
Gunshots echoed.
Bodies dropped.
Brains splattered.
He collected extra ammo and a weapon, storing them inside his ring.
Then he returned to his car and drove toward the location.
Soon—
He reached a building.
The sign read:
UNICORN INSTITUTE
"…Sounds shady already."
He stepped inside.
A zombie rushed at him—
BANG.
Head blown apart.
Another came—
Leon paused.
"…Let's try something new."
He formed a fire bullet—
Then used telekinesis to launch it.
WHOOSH—BOOM.
It pierced the zombie's skull instantly.
Then another.
And another.
Less energy.
More precision.
Leon grinned.
"Now this… this is efficient."
He moved upstairs.
But the moment he opened a door—
A massive hand burst through.
Leon barely dodged.
The impact shattered the wall behind him.
Then—
A black fluid-like substance shot toward him, writhing like it was alive.
Leon reacted instantly.
A flame burst from his hand—
Burning it mid-air.
The substance shrieked as it disintegrated into smoke.
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"…Nope. Not dealing with that right now."
He retreated from the building.
That creature—
Was on another level.
Even its hand alone could've crushed him.
He activated the earpiece again.
"Yeah… we've got a problem," Leon said. "There's a mutant inside that place. Big one."
Laila responded quickly.
"We've picked up another signal," she said. "Opposite direction. Go there—you might find something useful."
Leon smirked.
"You don't mind telling me your name now, do you, lady?"
A pause.
Then—
"…Laila."
Her tone turned sharper.
"And focus on the mission, not me."
Leon chuckled.
"Alright, alright… relax."
He drove in the opposite direction.
After about eight kilometers—
He stopped.
A hospital.
Same name.
Same connection.
Leon stepped inside.
Silence.
No zombies.
Not a single one.
"…That's not creepy at all."
He walked deeper—
Then—
CLICK.
A gun cocked behind him.
"Don't turn around."
A woman's voice.
Cold.
Sharp.
Leon smirked slightly.
"Well… that's one hell of a welcome," he said. "Mind telling me who the hell you are?"
No reply.
Then—
Another voice.
A man.
"Leave him. He's not the one."
Leon slowly turned around.
Five people.
Armed.
Alert.
And then—
His eyes stopped.
On her.
"…Naina?"
Their eyes locked.
Time froze.