Chapter 40 - Super Mega

*Modern day

Location: Realm of the Watchers

Elixir watched her walk in front of him. A resolute silence was hanging between them as their previous discussion was put behind.

The Priestess wasn't oblivious as to what the senior Watcher was thinking. This has brought a smirk to her face. The trail of her silvery gown followed her graceful movements.

Unlike the other Watchers, she has yet to obtain the halo to affirm her ascension as one of them.

For the time at hand, Priestess was on a trial period. What she does and how she was handling her taste for vengeance were being monitored to see if she was qualified to become part of the circle.

Living as Avalon Haze, she was a mortal with exceptional kindness in her past life. She was meek and honest, always showing compassion to everyone around her despite her status.

Avalon Haze was a nobody before she met her husband-to-be, who she didn't know would become the elected governor for Hearth.

But even then, Avalon remained an exemplar to those around her. Despite the criticism she received about using Liam Ford's interest in her to her advantage, she continued to be nice to everyone she met.

When they reached the white double doors of the council chamber, the Priestess came to a halt. She spared Elixir a glance.

Smirking for the second time, she raised her right hand, leveling it with her head.

"I promise," she whispered. "I'll be on my best behavior."

–

Jaspreth just had a thought that they shouldn't even be emitting perspiration. But beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead, dismissing the idea in his head.

The game was becoming more realistic the longer they stayed. The only way they could get out, if they could still get out, was to see it until the end.

Jaspreth made it halfway up the metal staircase, balancing his weight before trying to take another step.

Astherielle and Nayowmi were the lookouts from below. They had agreed that one of them could scout the second floor, given the staircase's danger.

Although it might actually be beneficial later if they were to use the meat factory to lure the zombies in.

While he was in the middle of thinking, Jaspreth thought it might do them a favor to destroy the stairs once all of them made it to the second floor. Or maybe the object itself would give away if several zombies tried to come up all at once.

Either way, it was a win-win.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jaspreth belatedly realized his fatal mistake. He momentarily let his grip relax from the sword on his hand, dropping it in the process. It resulted in a loud clang that echoed around them as it hit the metal staircase.

It destroyed the still silence the three of them had worked so hard to maintain for the last minutes.

The three players froze in their positions. Jaspreth was caught in the middle of the metal staircase, his legs quivering as he contemplated his two options.

One: he could run upstairs and be met by a few zombies or a horde. The chances of him making it through by himself were slim.

Option number two: he could run back to his friends and rejoin them. Although they would be chased by a dozen and double dozens of zombies, they have a better chance of survival.

"Jay!" Astherielle had flung an arrow towards the first zombie she spotted coming their way. "You better get your ass back here, or I will skin you alive later!"

That was the deal-breaker.

Flying the steps, no longer caring if it was making so much noise, Jaspreth joined Astherielle and Naywomi running as fast as possible to get out of the meat factory.

Staying would be a fatal mistake on their part.

The zombies could close in on them, and they had no way to escape unless some miracle happened.

"Nice one, Jay!" Astherielle didn't sound too happy, running ahead while the path was clear. She had her bow at the ready. "We wasted half an hour or more for you to get to the second floor, and then you decide to drop your weapon! Great!"

"I didn't mean to!" Jaspreth replied, firing at the zombies that came after them. They started in a few numbers. Increasing their count by fifties at every advance the three players were making.

"Just focus on running for now!" Nayowmi aimed and fired expertly towards the zombies.

At the back of Jaspreth's mind, he was starting to think that Nayowmi must have received some military training.

She handled the gun like it was nothing. Her aims were almost always accurate. That made Jaspreth curious as to what her story was.

Aside from needing to win the reward, what else was there behind their fifth player?

Jaspreth and his friends had known each other back in the real world. With Nayowmi, they might have passed by her, or she might be from Zion too. They haven't heard her story, though. And Jaspreth wasn't confident to just come up to her and ask.

Grrr…!

The weird growling sound resembling a gurgling zombie pulled Jaspreth out from swimming in his thoughts. He turned in that direction and gasped.

"HOLY–!" Jaspreth exclaimed.

Something was going on with the zombies running after them. Some of them disappeared, dragged away by fleshy tentacles, which made Jaspreth feel even more afraid.

"I thought the game said there was no big boss to defeat!" Astherielle belted out. She was firing unstoppably at the array of zombies that continued to pursue after them.

"I don't think it's a big boss, though!" Nayowmi briefly stopped running to point at the meat factory.

The two others with her also came to a pause and stared at what she was pointing at.

More flesh-like tentacles came out from the doors of the meat factory, snatching every zombie it could find.

The new development made their pursuers lose direction. From the ones chasing them, they became the ones being hunted.

Hence, the groups of zombies had dispersed, running in different directions now that a new threat was after the zombies themselves.

A little while later, the ground beneath them began to shake. The three caught each other's gazes.

From a few distances they managed to make, the meat factory was crumbling. Its roof came off, flying like it had been lifted and was thrown away like it weighed light as paper.

Slowly, they made out a shape of a head, a green-colored one. There were probably five strands of hair available on top of his head.

"Okay, no big boss," Astherielle muttered.. "But that thing is gross."