After the intense exchange on the battlefield, Julian and the others were shown to the resting quarters for assigned personnel. As they approached the barracks, Julian casually tried to follow the girls into the female sleeping quarters, only for Celestia to block his path with a sharp glare and a firm push to his chest.
"You’re sleeping alone tonight," she said flatly, then turned and walked in without another word.
Julian sighed, brushing off his coat as the door shut behind her. "Harsh," he muttered.
Just then, Elien waved to him from across the corridor. "Julian," he called, gesturing him over.
Julian walked over, and Elien gave him a look, one that only a father could give.
"Are you dating my daughter?" he asked bluntly.
Julian didn’t flinch. "Yes."
Elien nodded slowly, then crossed his arms. "I see... Then take care of her, Julian. If I ever hear that she cried because of you, you understand what that means, right?"
Julian met his eyes, calm and unwavering. "I’ll protect her. That’s my promise."
A smile tugged at Elien’s lips. "Thank you, for staying by her side, for bringing her back to me. That alone means more than you know."
Julian shrugged lightly. "It’s my duty... as her man."
Elien blinked at the phrasing, then raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say that on purpose?"
Julian shook his head, unbothered. "Not really."
"Hm. Maybe it’s just me hearing things." Elien chuckled, then leaned against the wall. "You know, Aya told me a lot about you. I’ve never seen her so excited when talking about someone."
Julian tilted his head slightly. "What kind of stories?"
Elien gave him a smug, teasing smile. "That... is a secret."
Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang out from the observation post, cutting through the night’s stillness like a blade. A soldier’s voice echoed through the comms:
"Incoming horde detected! Zombies approaching from the north quadrant!"
Major Lucia immediately straightened. "All units, prepare for engagement!"
Julian narrowed his eyes and turned to Elien. "Do they always come without warning like this?"
Elien sighed, already grabbing his medkit. "It’s unpredictable. Some nights we don’t sleep at all."
In seconds, the entire base fell into organized chaos. Soldiers scrambled to take positions while shouts and commands echoed across the field. Major Lucia stepped forward and shouted with authority,
"Hold your ground and prepare defensive formations! Deploy skill users to the front!"
From the lookout towers, the first waves of mutated zombies were already visible, gnarled forms, far more grotesque than the usual infected. Gunfire erupted around the base as the first barrage began.
Julian and his team moved without hesitation.
Lightning surged around him as he activated his new skill, bolts of raw energy leaping from his body. He charged into the fray, slicing through the undead with his katana, then seamlessly shifted to his shadow skill, vanishing and reappearing in flashes of black smoke, severing limbs with terrifying precision. He moved like a god of war, untouchable and unrelenting.
Emma laughed joyfully as flames danced around her fingers, hurling fireballs into the enemy ranks.
"Now this is fun!"
Clarissa moved with eerie grace, her telekinesis lifting enemies into the air before crushing them with invisible force. "Stay back," she warned, voice calm amid the chaos.
Veronica, fists encased in gleaming gauntlets, punched through mutated skulls with prideful smirks. "Try to keep up, amateurs!"
Aya knelt behind cover, her eyes glowing faintly from her Eagle Eye skill. Each shot she fired found its mark with surgical precision.
"One down. Two. Three..."
Watching from the command point, Lucia’s stern gaze shifted slightly as she observed the brutal efficiency of the team.
"They’re... beyond standard skill users."
Celestia, standing beside her, crossed her arms with a rare smirk tugging at her lips.
"Told you, Major Lucia. They’re reliable, aren’t they?"
Lucia gave a quiet nod, her eyes never leaving the battlefield.
"They’re more than reliable... they’re exceptional."
The battle was over.
The bodies of the undead lay scattered across the field, steam rising from their still-twitching corpses. The defense had been successful, Major Lucia hadn’t even needed to step in. She quietly assessed the battlefield, her sharp gaze noting the overwhelming contribution made by Julian’s group. Their impact had been far greater than she had anticipated.
Celestia gave a crisp command to her squad.
"Get the wounded to the medic camp. Move quickly."
Meanwhile, Julian and his team strolled casually through the aftermath, unbothered by the carnage around them. Blood splattered their clothes, but their steps were light, almost relaxed.
"Ughhh, I need another shower," Veronica groaned, brushing zombie blood off her sleeve with visible disgust. "This is getting ridiculous."
Emma, still bright and cheerful as always, laughed. "How many showers is that now, Veronica? Three? Four?"
"I want to sleep tonight without smelling like dead things," Veronica snapped dramatically.
Clarissa quietly brushed off her coat. "I got splattered too..."
Emma grinned. "That’s because you squeezed that zombie like it was a fruit. No wonder it popped."
Veronica glanced back, annoyed. "I swear, I’m jealous of Aya. She just shoots from the back. No guts, no blood."
Aya raised a hand with an innocent shrug. "I still got dirty. There was a lot of dust."
From a distance, Lucia observed the group, still standing near the command post. They laughed, teased each other, and acted like they’d just come back from a morning hike, completely unshaken by the brutal fight.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"These people... they’re not normal. They’re insane."
But a part of her... was impressed.
As the field was being cleaned up and the injured were escorted away, Lucia approached Julian and his team, her eyes calm yet focused.
"You all performed exceptionally," she said plainly, but with a weight of genuine respect. "Your contribution made a significant difference."
Julian, ever composed, looked at her and asked, "Do we meet your standards now?"
Lucia crossed her arms, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You did more than that. I didn’t even have to step in. That alone says enough."
She looked at the others, nodding in acknowledgment. "You’ve earned your rest. Let the others handle the cleanup. Go get some sleep."
Celestia stepped forward then, her tone composed. "I’ll be returning to my unit. One of my officers needs me."
Lucia gave her a rare, softer tone. "Take care of yourself."
Celestia nodded once. "Understood."
Julian looked at her as well and added, "Take care and learn to lean on others, Celestia."
Celestia paused just for a moment, then gave a brief nod before turning around and walking off into the distance, her silver hair fluttering gently in the cold night air.
------×------
Footsteps echoed down the dimly lit corridor. A lone figure in uniform walked with purpose toward the elevator at the end of the hall. The metallic doors slid open, and he stepped in, pressing a button that took him deep underground.
When the doors opened again, General Albrecht Voss entered a brightly lit lab, a stark contrast to the cold silence above. Dozens of scientists moved busily between workstations, surrounded by glass containers, glowing monitors, and strange organic samples suspended in fluid.
"Report," Albrecht said, his voice sharp and commanding.
One of the senior scientists quickly approached, holding a data tablet. "General. The latest sample has been stabilized. Based on our analysis... it may very well be the original source of the zombie virus, the true origin."
Albrecht narrowed his eyes slightly. "And the control method?"
The scientist nodded, gesturing toward a containment tank that held a faintly pulsating organic mass. "It requires a parasite to be implanted into the host’s body. Once connected, the Alpha subject can exert control over the infected."
Albrecht folded his arms. "Too slow. I want an efficient method to mass-deploy the parasite."
"There is one," the scientist replied quickly. "Gas dispersal. If we aerosolize the parasite’s spores, it can be inhaled. From there, the organism latches onto the lungs, migrates to the spine, and takes root. The subject becomes a vessel... and a potential puppet for the Alpha."
The General stood still for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. "Begin preparations immediately. I want that gas ready for deployment as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir."
General Albrecht turned his gaze toward another section of the lab, where several armored glass chambers contained restrained figures, humans, but barely. Their eyes glowed faintly, their bodies twitching with unstable energy.
"And what of the power-enhancement project?" Albrecht asked coldly, not taking his eyes off the subjects.
One of the researchers beside him hesitated for a moment before responding. "We’ve made progress... but the results are unstable. The subjects who received the ’boost’ experienced severe mental degradation. Most lost rational thought within hours. Violent outbursts, hallucinations, complete breakdown of cognitive function."
"In short," the scientist continued, "they go insane."
Albrecht’s expression didn’t change. "Do they still fight?"
The scientist blinked, slightly unsettled. "Yes... very aggressively. Their physical performance surpasses ordinary soldiers. But they can’t distinguish between friend or foe."
"That’s not a problem," Albrecht said flatly. "As long as they can be directed toward the enemy, they’re useful. Refine the control method if you must, but I want more of them ready for deployment."
"Yes, General," the scientist said quietly, quickly noting the order.
Albrecht turned away, his boots echoing once more through the sterile halls.
As Albrecht turned and walked deeper into the lab, the sterile air around him seemed to hum with silent tension, a storm was coming, and he would be the one to unleash it.