zombie group  

Clark picked up the long spine from the ground, removed the shattered skull portion, and swung it a couple of times, producing loud cracking sounds.

"This thing can be used as a weapon. It has high durability and resilience," Clark commented, not paying attention to Arnold's pale face. He handed the spine to Arnold, saying, "Take it; you don't have a weapon right now. Fire axes have poor durability, and this is more useful."

In the early stages of the apocalypse game, Corpse Serpent spines were highly sought after as they were considered the best weapons for beginners.

"Clark..." Arnold had a mournful expression and took a few steps back. Despite his tall and imposing stature of over six feet, he couldn't help but be repulsed. "This thing... it's too disgusting."

Arnold may have a strong heart, but it had only been two days since the apocalypse began. Throughout his life, the bloodiest thing he had witnessed was street brawls, which were of a much lower level of violence. He was struggling to accept the level of gore he was now encountering.

Clark furrowed his brow. "Take it; you need to get used to it as soon as possible. There will be more of this kind of thing in the future. It's disgusting, but can it help you survive?"

Arnold hesitated for a moment but eventually gritted his teeth and accepted the Corpse Serpent spine. For some reason, despite being younger, Clark gave off an aura of having experienced many hardships, making his words convincing.

Clark kicked the tightly closed elevator door, creating a deafening noise as the metal panel dented and revealed a small gap.

"Pry it open," Clark instructed, holding a Nepalese kukri knife in his right hand and assuming a combat stance. The area above the elevator shaft was the emergency center, and it was highly likely that there were numerous zombies inside the elevator shaft.

"Creak." The metal deformed, but Arnold's face turned red, and for a moment, he couldn't muster the strength to pull it open. He seemed to realize something, and his pupils shrank. With his current strength, he could easily pry open the elevator door with his bare hands, unless there were many "things" inside the elevator pressing against it.

"Power Surge!" Clark also realized this and unleashed his full strength. His golden aura flowed into his body as he exerted maximum force. He shouted, and with his left hand helping Arnold, they managed to pry open the elevator doors.

"Roar!" It was as if they had disturbed something, as countless connected zombies suddenly howled. In the elevator shaft, an uncountable number of zombies blocked the entire space like tightly packed sardines. As the elevator doors opened, the zombies surged out like a bursting dam.

Arnold was caught off guard and knocked down by the surging horde of zombies. "Bear Transformation!" he roared angrily, and his entire body was covered in black fur. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a massive black bear.

"Roar!" Arnold unleashed a powerful palm strike, and a strong gust of wind roared forth. Several zombies that had just risen from the ground had their heads instantly crushed, their brains mixing with blood on the floor.

Clark's gaze turned icy, and he swiftly wielded his Nepalese kukri knife. With a powerful swing, he executed an arcing slash that beheaded numerous zombies.

"Charge in!" Clark shouted through the team's voice communication. Zombies continued to pour out of the elevator shaft as if they were endless.

It seemed that when the apocalypse erupted, the elevator doors at the emergency center were damaged, causing the nearby zombies to fall into the shaft and block it completely.

If they stayed in this spot, they would never be able to kill them all. If they waited too long, it was likely that zombies from other areas would join in, making escape impossible. Moreover, any mistake could lead to them getting bitten and infected. Clark had some resistance to the virus, but Arnold would be defenseless against it.

"You lead the way!" Clark took a step back and prepared to unleash his strength.

"Understood!" With a ferocious expression on his massive bear head, Arnold clutched his head with one hand and started charging in a sideways motion.

Bear Charge! The ground trembled as Arnold, in his bear form, charged into the sea of zombies. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the air as he plowed through the undead horde, turning them into mush. The zombies in the deepest part of the elevator shaft were crushed into pulp.

"Now!" Clark took a deep breath and stomped his right foot on the ground, propelling himself into the air. With a swift swing of his blade, he cut through zombies that hadn't even touched the ground, cleaving them in half.

Another step! Clark pushed off again, this time using Arnold's sturdy shoulder as a springboard to jump into the elevator shaft. Arnold gritted his teeth, his face turning slightly purple.

Clark's kick was not light; if his physique weren't so strong, it might have shattered his shoulder blade.

Inside the elevator shaft, Clark leaped from the wall, using his two knives to make rapid, high-speed slashes. The blade danced in a relentless flurry, and with each swing, a zombie met its demise. It was like a meat grinder, ruthlessly harvesting flesh and blood.

Arnold stood below, feeling like he was caught in a downpour of meat. Occasionally, a few zombies with intact heads would bite down as they fell. Arnold simply crushed them in his giant paw.

"Jump up! There are too many zombies at the entrance to the lobby. We'll charge in together! Your bear transformation is ending soon, and you're at risk of infection!"

"Got it!" Arnold's expression was serious as he bent his legs.

Both of their innate abilities had time limits, and Arnold's bear transformation only lasted for a few tens of seconds. If it weren't for the thick fur and reinforced skin that protected him from many zombie bites and scratches, he would have been infected long ago in this dense horde.

Arnold adjusted his posture slightly and aimed for the exit on the next level above his head. The interior space of the elevator shaft was too small, and he occupied most of it by himself. Taking a deep breath, he exerted all his strength.

The black bear transformed by Arnold shot up from the bottom of the shaft like a mortar shell. Clark had both feet planted on the wall, blocking zombies and waiting for Arnold to reach the optimal position. Meanwhile, his first use of "Power Surge" was nearing its end.

Now was the time! "Power Surge!" It consumed mental energy. The golden aura reappeared, and Clark felt the power in his body return to its peak state.

Clark leaned sideways, pushed off the elevator shaft's wall, causing intense shaking. Then, he swung his leg forward. His target was Arnold, who had jumped to the exit on the next level.

Arnold didn't have time to react and was kicked by Clark in the buttocks. "Bang!" With Clark's full-force kick, the massive black bear was sent flying out of the elevator, crashing into the emergency room.

The zombies blocking the door were cleared out in one fell swoop. Arnold, in his bear form, flew a distance of four to five meters, landing on the slick lobby floor, leaving a trail of blood.