Breakout

The battle raged on, the air thick with the scent of burning flesh and the constant roar of the infected. Adrian and Rex quickly gathered the remaining Molotovs, preparing to reinforce the outer defenses.

"Hurry, we don't have much time!" Rex urged, anxiety creeping into his voice.

Adrian nodded, his gaze steely. "We push through—no hesitation."

They made their way back to the first floor, where the survivors' defenses were beginning to crumble. Malik and his guards held the front door, but fatigue was setting in, and the sheer number of infected was overwhelming.

"We need to hold them off!" Malik yelled, but his voice trembled with the strain.

"We're here to help!" Adrian called back, firing into the growing sea of infected. The Molotovs and gunfire combined in a deadly dance of destruction, flames lighting up the night.

But no matter how many they killed, the infected kept coming, and the situation grew dire. As Adrian and Rex continued to push forward, suddenly—a deep rumbling shook the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Adrian looked around, his heart racing.

"It's a horde! They're coming in full force!" Malik shouted, his face pale with fear.

From the distance, the dark shadows of countless infected surged toward them, a tidal wave of death closing in.

"Move, now!" Adrian shouted. "We need to get Sophie!"

Rex fired another burst, covering their retreat. Adrian led the charge toward the medical area, his eyes scanning for Sophie, who was still tending to the injured survivors. She had no idea about the carnage outside.

"Sophie, let's go!" Adrian grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the exit.

"I can't leave them, I still need to—" Sophie protested.

"Now's not the time!" Adrian shouted. "We have to leave, or we'll all die!"

She glanced back at the infected, then at Adrian's determined face, and finally nodded. "You're right."

The three of them, along with Sophie, Malik, and other survivors, rushed toward the back exit. The stairwell had been blocked, and their only option was the rear door leading to the parking lot. But they didn't make it far.

A bloody figure appeared in front of them, blocking their way.

"The Ripper!" Rex shouted.

It was larger than any mutated infected they had seen before, its blackened skin and rotting flesh making it look like something straight out of a nightmare. Its gaze locked onto them as it let out a low growl, charging toward them.

"Fire!" Adrian shouted, raising his gun.

[Tactical priority: Eliminate the threat, protect the survivors]

Adrian aimed carefully, the system in his mind giving him the perfect shot—this creature's weak point was its neck joint, unlike previous infected that could be killed with a headshot.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shots hit its shoulder, but it didn't slow down. It continued charging with relentless fury.

"We don't have much time!" Rex yelled, throwing a Molotov. The bottle flew and exploded at the Ripper's feet, the flames briefly consuming its body.

The Ripper let out a deafening scream as it staggered back, but it still kept charging.

[Target critically wounded, closing in on lethal status. Recommend immediate firepower.]

"Finish it!" Adrian screamed, charging forward with his shotgun, firing directly at the creature's head.

With a violent explosion, the Ripper's skull shattered, and its massive body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Go!" Adrian shouted, grabbing Sophie and pulling the survivors toward the rear door.

The infected horde was closing in fast, and Adrian knew this was just the beginning of their fight for survival.