novelraw Chapter 49: Awaken Mode Activated
Chapter 49: Awaken Mode Activated
The air grew tense as one of the armored humans, misjudging the threat before him, fired his weapon at Zorvax, expecting the zombie to fall like any other. But Zorvax was no ordinary foe. With agility that belied his undead nature, he leaped aside, evading the bullet with ease.
"This one’s quick, but he’s still within the limits of a level 2," the shooter said, a note of surprise in his voice. He hadn’t anticipated such speed from what he saw as a mere zombie.
His partner, unfazed by the miss, gave a curt nod. "Time for Awaken mode, then. Let’s not take chances."
With a flick of a switch on their armor, it shimmered with a sudden, brief luminescence before returning to normal. Zorvax watched, wary and uncertain. "What trickery is this?" he questioned inwardly, his grip on his sword tightening.
The change in the human was immediate and stark. His movements became a blur. His strength visibly amplified as he charged toward Zorvax with renewed ferocity. The impact of his punch sent Zorvax careening backward, the force of the blow more than he had expected.
The humans erupted into laughter, mocking Zorvax’s plight. "Is that all the great zombie has to offer? Pathetic," they taunted.
But as Zorvax rose to his feet, there was no sign of defeat. Instead, a grin spread across his face, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "So they have enhanced themselves, have they? Interesting," he mused silently, a glint of excitement at the new challenge sparking within him.
The taunts continued to pour from the humans, but they were unaware of the tides turning. "You’ll fetch a pretty price on the market, zombie!" they jeered.
With a newfound resolve, Zorvax reached deep within himself to the primal core that had been touched and transformed by the bionic potion. His muscles tensed, then released, propelling him forward with the grace and deadliness of a hunting panther.
He was upon the arrogant human in less than a heartbeat. The flame sword, a radiant extension of Zorvax’s will, carved a fiery arc through the cooling air. The weapon’s glow was a blur, a striking comet that raced towards its inevitable destination.
The human’s laughter, once so sure and scornful, faltered and choked as his head was neatly cleaved from his neck. It was a clean, surgical separation, as if the sword itself understood the precise mechanics of destruction. The head seemed to hover for a fraction of a second, a morbid suspension, before it succumbed to gravity and thudded onto the barren earth.
Zorvax’s turn was smooth, almost casual, as he faced the second human. His victim’s companion had been rooted to the spot, petrified by the swift execution. The fear in his eyes was a stark contrast to the overconfidence that had shone there just moments before.
As Zorvax approached, the sword in his hand sang with the residual heat of the strike, droplets of lifeblood sizzling upon contact with the hot blade. The hum of the sword filled the silence, a soft but constant reminder of the danger it posed.
He stood tall and imposing, the very image of death’s champion. His shadow stretched long and dark across the ground, merging with the shadows that crept from the setting sun.
"Underestimate the undead," Zorvax murmured in a voice so low it was nearly swallowed by the whispering wind, "and this is the price you pay." His words weren’t meant for the ears of the living, but as a silent vow to himself, to the power he wielded, to the new law of the land that he was writing with every swing of his blade.
The remaining human stared in abject horror, struggling to comprehend the swiftness of Zorvax’s lethal strike. His companion had fallen in a split second, too quick for him even to process the danger they were in. He had always considered zombies to be slow, mindless creatures, but Zorvax shattered that stereotype with his speed and ferocity.
"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded, the confidence in his voice replaced by a quiver of dread.
Zorvax’s smile broadened, the unsettling stretch of his lips sending an involuntary shiver down the human’s spine. He didn’t respond verbally; his grim grin said enough.
In a desperate bid for survival, the human activated the ’Awaken mode’—the technology that had augmented his strength and speed—and took off in a sprint, hoping to escape the nightmare that had just claimed his comrade’s life.
Watching the man flee, Zorvax’s smile persisted. "This ’Awaken mode’... it’s reminiscent of Alpha’s enhancements," he pondered silently. "Could it be that Alpha’s group has been turning humans into something akin to bionic beings like themselves?"
The thought intrigued him. It meant the humans had been gaining strength, becoming more formidable and, by extension, more valuable in terms of the zombie points they could offer.
"But more formidable foes mean more points for me," Zorvax continued his internal dialogue, a strategic gleam in his eye. "Stronger adversaries, but also a greater reward."
His gaze fell upon the firearm that lay beside the body of the first human. Without hesitation, Zorvax picked up the heavy gun, examining it briefly before taking aim at the fleeing figure in the distance.
The man was muttering to himself as he ran, his words laced with panic. "I need to get out of here quickly... I never thought I’d encounter a level 3 zombie..."
He never got to finish his sentence. A loud bang echoed through the air, and suddenly, a hole appeared in the back of the man’s head. Blood gushed forth as he staggered and fell forward, dead before he hit the ground.
Zorvax lowered the gun, his expression one of detached interest as he turned to the system notification that appeared before him.
---
[Zombie Points +700]
[Zombie Points +700]
---
A sense of satisfaction filled him. "Seven hundred points each, and there are likely more of them," Zorvax thought with a calculated coldness. "This could be a profitable venture."
He glanced back at Ophelia’s cocoon, still intact and pulsating with the hidden transformation within. "Once Ophelia’s evolution is complete, we’ll hunt them together. If they’re all as valuable as these two were, we’ll reach our goals much faster."
With the bodies of the two humans lying inert, Zorvax returned to his watch over Ophelia. His thoughts were now occupied with plans for their future hunts—anticipating the points they would accrue, the evolutions they would unlock, and the power they would amass.
For now, he would wait, guarding the cocoon that held his formidable ally, knowing that when she emerged, they would be an even more fearsome force to be reckoned with. The hunt for the bionic humans would begin in earnest then, and Zorvax would be ready.