022 Breakout

"Not good, Aunty and Sumit are probably in trouble!"

 Looking at the door that was trembling violently from the repeated impacts, Chandan suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed drastically.

 Aunty, as Chandan referred to her, was the housekeeper responsible for his family's meals and cleaning, while Sumit was a bodyguard assigned to him by his father for his safety during the ongoing zombie outbreak.

 "Pack up your things and let's go. Staying here any longer will only attract more zombies, and it'll be even harder to escape."

 With Anirudh's current abilities, a couple of ordinary zombies were no threat to him. He quickly packed his phone, laptop, and the severed tongue into his bag.

 "Be careful and follow me closely!"

 After finishing, Anirudh walked to the door, warned Chandan, and then opened it.

 Roar!

 As soon as the door opened, a zombie lunged at Anirudh, who reacted instantly. With a swift kick, he sent the zombie flying, knocking down another one nearby.

 "Ah, Aunty, Sumit..."

 Seeing the two zombies on the ground, unable to get back up, Chandan's eyes reddened. Both of them were familiar to him, and seeing them turned into zombies struck him deeply.

 However, Anirudh didn't pause. He dashed out, grabbed an iron chair from the living room, and smashed it over a military-zombie's head.

 Boom!

 The chair splintered under the force, and the zombie's head exploded, blood and brain matter splattering. Without stopping, Anirudh swiftly jabbed the remaining jagged piece of the chair at the female zombie, piercing her skull and ending her life.

 "Boss..."

 Chandan was stunned by Anirudh's ruthless efficiency.

 "Remember, once they turn into zombies, they are no longer the people you knew," Anirudh said, taking a black handgun from the military-zombie and handing it to Chandan. "There are too many zombies outside. Hesitating will only get you killed. Don't forget, your parents are still waiting for you."

 "I understand!"

 As a forensic Pathologist, Chandan had strong mental resilience. Though not as tough as Anirudh, he wasn't as weak as an average person. After hearing Anirudh's words, he clenched his teeth and took the gun, retrieving two extra magazines from the zombie's body.

 "Good. Stay close to me," Anirudh said, then hurriedly opened the door and rushed out.

 The dormitory building they were in was part of the National Defense Science and Technology University, with eight floors and around 70 to 80 residents. As they emerged from their apartment on the third floor, they encountered more zombies in the hallway.

 The two zombies, busy feeding on a corpse, noticed Anirudh and Chandan and immediately attacked.

 Bang! Bang!

 Chandan, with his military family background, wasted no time, shooting them both in the head from a short distance, hitting them with perfect precision.

 "Nice shooting, let's take the stairs."

 Though Anirudh could have handled the zombies with ease, Chandan's quick shots were faster, so they made their way down the emergency exit to avoid the risk of using the elevator.

 Thankfully, no zombies were present in the stairwell, and they quickly exited the building. However, their danger was far from over. As they emerged, several staggering figures appeared in the distance.

 "Follow me!"

 Chandan, having grown up in the National Defense University, knew the terrain well. He took a deep breath and led the way toward the command center, despite the relentless downpour.

 "Ugh, it's so cold!"

 Chandan shivered as the rain soaked him. The chill felt almost unnatural, like ice water being poured over him, causing his body to stiffen.

 But Anirudh, in contrast, sensed something different. As he stood in the rain, a surge of warm, gentle energy seemed to pour into his body, making him feel invigorated and even warmer. The spiritual energy in the rain was unusually dense, nearly matching the amount of energy he would gain from killing a zombie. In just a few seconds, the rain had already provided him with nearly as much energy as slaying a zombie.

 If this continued, he could likely reach the maximum level of his "Ancient Body Tempering" technique in just one or two hours.

 However, there wasn't enough time for that now.

 Roar, roar, roar!

 The rain didn't only empower Anirudh. The zombies around them were also strengthened by the downpour. They moved faster, and some even seemed to be able to sense Anirudh and Chandan from a distance.

 Anirudh realized then why even elite soldiers sent by Chandan's father had fallen to these zombies— their strength had increased significantly.

 Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

 Chandan, though cold from the rain, found his reaction speed and physical abilities greatly enhanced, as if he were in a heightened state of alert. He fired continuously, each shot accurately hitting its mark, even at a distance of 10 to 20 meters, each one landing a headshot.

 His marksmanship had become so impressive that he seemed to rival the best sharpshooters in the military.

 "When did I get so good?" Chandan wondered in surprise.

 "Watch out!" Anirudh suddenly shouted.

 Whoosh! Whoosh!

 Two figures, faster than any zombies, suddenly leapt out from the nearby bushes, blocking their path. They were massive, muscular, with red eyes and sharp teeth. They were mutated military dogs— once loyal companions to humans, now horrific monsters. Their tags indicated they had once been military-trained dogs.

 With lightning speed, they charged at Chandan and Anirudh, not giving them a moment to react.

 "Dammit!"

 Chandan, despite his enhanced reflexes, couldn't react quickly enough to avoid the two giant mutated dogs. He could only watch as one lunged at him.

 However, Anirudh was quicker. With an angry shout, he grabbed a nearby zombie's corpse and hurled it at one of the dogs. Simultaneously, his hand shot out, grabbing the other dog by the throat, and holding it in place.

 Boom!

 The impact of the thrown zombie sent one dog flying, while the other struggled, unable to break free from Anirudh's grip. But just as Anirudh thought he had saved Chandan, another giant dog emerged from the bushes, leaping at Chandan with its jaws wide open.