Treading On Thin Ice
Lian's grip on her knife tightened as she studied the mercenary leader, Shen Jiao. The deal was made, but she didn't trust him.
Neither did Chen. She could feel the tension rolling off him, his hand resting near his gun. Xian remained quiet, his eyes scanning their surroundings, already planning an escape route in case things went south.
Yan Rui, on the other hand, looked relaxed too relaxed. "So, we work together," he said, smirking. "Now what?"
Shen Jiao crossed his arms. "Now, we see if you're useful."
Lian kept her expression neutral. "And how do you propose we prove that?"
Jiao turned to one of his men. "Luo, take them to the warehouse."
Lian exchanged a glance with Chen. This wasn't good.
Still, they had no choice but to follow.
---
Testing Grounds
The warehouse was a massive storage facility behind the main factory. As they stepped inside, Lian's eyes adjusted to the dim light. Stacked crates filled the space, some still marked with shipping labels.
Luo gestured toward the far side of the warehouse, where a heavy steel door stood slightly ajar.
"Something got in," he said. "We need to clear it out."
Lian frowned. "Something?"
Luo shrugged. "Could be rats. Could be something worse."
Xian scoffed. "If you already know, why not deal with it yourselves?"
Luo smirked. "We're testing you, remember?"
Lian clenched her jaw. They were walking into a trap.
Chen stepped forward. "Fine. We'll handle it."
Yan Rui chuckled. "This should be fun."
---
First Blood
Lian pushed open the steel door. A foul stench hit her immediately rotting flesh.
Her stomach twisted.
No. It's too soon.
She scanned the dimly lit room. Shadows flickered across the walls. The air was thick with decay.
Then she heard it.
A low, guttural growl.
A figure lurched forward from the darkness.
The first zombie.
It wasn't fully decayed yet. Its skin was gray, peeling at the edges, but its eyes were milky white. Its movements were jerky, uncoordinated still in the early stages of infection.
Lian reacted instinctively.
She darted forward, her knife slicing through its throat in one swift motion. Blackened blood sprayed onto the floor, but the creature didn't go down.
It lunged.
Chen moved in, his gun firing once. The bullet tore through the zombie's skull, and it collapsed instantly.
Silence.
Then another growl.
Xian cursed. "There's more."
Lian turned just as three more figures staggered into view.
They weren't alone.
---
The Unveiling
Lian didn't hesitate. Her powers surged inside her, her senses sharpening. Time seemed to slow as she moved, her body reacting faster than her mind.
She ducked under a swiping hand, driving her knife into the zombie's temple.
Another one lunged at her. She sidestepped effortlessly, her hand glowing faintly as she pushed out with her energy.
The zombie flew backward, slamming against the wall with a sickening crunch.
Chen's gun fired again. Xian swung his rifle like a club, breaking another creature's skull.
Yan Rui grinned as he dodged an attack, slamming a pipe into the zombie's head. "Well, this is entertaining."
Lian ignored him. Her breath came fast, her fingers tingling with residual energy.
The fight was over in seconds.
And they had won.
---
A Dangerous Game
Luo reappeared at the door, arms crossed. "Not bad."
Lian wiped the blood from her blade. "That wasn't a test. That was a setup."
Luo smirked. "Same thing."
Chen stepped forward, his eyes cold. "If you pull something like that again, we won't just kill the zombies."
Luo's smirk faltered.
Yan Rui clapped his hands. "Alright, boys, let's play nice. We proved ourselves, didn't we?"
Shen Jiao appeared behind Luo, watching them with an amused expression. "Interesting. You're faster than most. Stronger, too." His gaze lingered on Lian. "Especially you."
Lian forced herself to stay calm. Had he noticed?
Jiao smirked. "I think this arrangement will work out just fine."
Lian didn't smile back.
She had a bad feeling about this.
---
The Clock is Ticking
Back at their designated quarters in the factory, the group regrouped.
Xian threw his rifle onto the table. "This is a mistake."
Lian exhaled. "We need the factory."
Chen sat beside her. "He's watching us."
Yan Rui grinned. "Of course he is. He's trying to figure out if we're a threat."
Xian scowled. "Then we need to make sure he doesn't see us coming."
Lian nodded. "Agreed."
They had won today.
But the real fight was just beginning.
---