C15 The Tyrant Appeared!!

Glancing at the dimming sky outside, Willett decided to stay the night. The higher vantage point offered a broad view, and the zombies on this floor had been thoroughly eradicated by the retreating troops, making it a temporary safe haven.

Positioned next to the expansive bay window, Willett lifted his binoculars to survey the scene. The smog over the city had cleared, and in the waning light of sunset, the urban landscape lay in ruins. The bloodstains that once marred the streets had been washed away by back-to-back downpours, yet the scattered remains and aimlessly wandering zombies cast a somber mood.

A sea of corpses was taking shape, a dark tide spreading in all directions, engulfing everything in its path. Here and there, fleeting sparks of fire appeared, only to be snuffed out quickly—signs that the city's survivors were losing their fight against the swarming undead.

The black tide against the silent backdrop of the city lent an air of despair to the end of days, resembling a silent opera—quiet yet desolate.

Willett shook his head vigorously, dispelling the creeping negativity from his mind as he scoped out potential escape routes.

He was set on leaving. From his vantage point, he could see the sea of corpses amassing around areas with survivors, their instinctual hunger driving the mindless zombies to converge, wreak havoc, and seek out food. At the heart of each sea of corpses lay one or more survivors—the reason for its formation. And when the sea dispersed, it marked the moment the survivors were consumed.

"There seem to be quite a few survivors left, but with so many zombies surrounding each building, the odds of escape are slim..." Willett mused, watching the city's plight with a heavy heart.

His recent observations made it clear that Depridge's main thoroughfares were impassable. No matter his driving prowess, it was futile to attempt an escape in his uncle's car through the congested streets. His only option was to rely on an electric bike. Thankfully, he had charged it fully before leaving the supermarket and had the foresight to bring a charger. Otherwise, he would be facing the perilous option of trekking out of Depridge on foot.

"Huh? Is that the police station?"

Peering through his telescope, Willett suddenly noticed sparks intermittently flashing in a city corner, amidst a sea of corpses. To his amazement, the area where the sparks shone was not only resisting the zombie onslaught but was also methodically reducing their numbers. The sea of corpses was steadily diminishing, and it appeared that the survivors might even completely annihilate them! He fine-tuned the telescope's magnification and saw "Depridge Police Station" emblazoned in bold letters. It seemed they had survived the apocalypse by relying on the police station's sturdy doors and ample weapons.

"Fantastic! When in trouble, go to the police! I'll join them first, and then we'll escape together!"

Willett, thrilled, gave his telescope a triumphant wave and prepared to sling his backpack over his shoulder and head downstairs to rendezvous with the surviving police force.

However, just as he was about to take one last look before descending, a sudden turn of events sent a chill through his previously warm heart.

Through the high-powered telescope, he spotted an enormous humanoid monster, about three meters tall, slowly approaching the entrance of the police station. The creature's skin was as pale as the zombies', yet unrotted, and instead rippled with robust muscles. Its arms were over 20 centimeters in diameter and approximately two meters long! The fingertips on its right hand had evolved into grotesquely large claws, and the nails were several times longer than a military knife. When the fingers clenched, they resembled a set of elongated military knives banded together. The monster's heart was exposed, pulsating visibly beside a thick aorta, beating distinctly from the other zombies. Its face was devoid of expression, lacking lips like those of the zombies, with all facial muscles starkly exposed, whether horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or twisted.

"Gulp!"

Willett mustered all his strength to swallow his saliva. As an aficionado of the Resident Evil series, he instantly recognized the bald, hulking creature before him. It was the final boss from Resident Evil One—Tyrant! The Tyrant!

After several deep breaths, Willett managed to calm his racing heart. He lifted the telescope once more to continue observing the creature he had dubbed the T-shaped zombie.

The zombie advanced toward the police station with a steady gait. Despite merely walking, its towering stature allowed it to take strides so large that they nearly matched the pace of a person's jog. The fences and iron gates before it crumbled like decayed wood under the force of its massive hands. Inside the station, gunfire reached a frenzied peak, the once sporadic flashes of light now resembling a blazing torch as bullets rained down on the T-shaped zombie. Yet, these small-caliber weapons proved futile against the behemoth. On the rare occasion a bullet punctured its tough muscles, a secreted blue liquid quickly covered the wound, healing it. Undeterred, the zombie continued its relentless march, smashing through the gate and into the station.

The gunfire ceased abruptly. Willett gazed silently at the now-still police station, realizing the grim fate of the brave officers within. Suddenly, whether due to the T-shaped zombie's destruction of hazardous materials or a final act of defiance from the police, the building erupted in a violent explosion.

"Boom!"

The deafening blast reduced the police station to rubble. Amidst the flames and debris, a colossal figure emerged—it was the T-shaped zombie, unbelievably still alive.

Willett watched in disbelief as the creature, now maimed with a severed right arm and a partially lost left leg, stood beside the ruins, letting out a guttural howl. Despite the severity of the explosion, the monster had survived. Its body, riddled with wounds and oozing dark purple blood, seemed on the brink of collapse, the miraculous blue liquid unable to stem the flow. It appeared it wouldn't be long before it bled out.

"Yes!"

Willett cheered as the T-shaped zombie's heartbeat weakened and the blood loss increased. Each monster's death meant one less threat on his journey out of the city. But his triumph was short-lived as the scene before him took an unexpected turn.

The T-shaped zombie, teetering on the edge of death, suddenly mustered the strength to rise. With its remaining left claw, it snatched up the surrounding ordinary zombies, crushing them into a pulp, and shoved the gruesome mass into its gaping maw. Remarkably, its heartbeat began to strengthen, and the bleeding slowed. Consuming the zombies seemed to aid in its recovery. Without hesitation, it reached for another, continuing its grotesque feast.

In a short time, the T-shaped zombie had devoured the dozen or so zombies surrounding it. Its wounds began to heal, and its heart thumped vigorously. Yet, its severed right claw and left leg did not regenerate. The T-shaped zombie lingered at the entrance of the police station before roaring and disappearing into the alley behind the building.

"It turns out evolved zombies can consume regular zombies to heal themselves. Thankfully, they can't regrow limbs; otherwise, they'd be unstoppable. It looks like I'll have to rely on my speed to evade them. If I can't, my only option is to aim for their heads or hearts for a one-hit kill. Any other damage seems ineffective. Perhaps finding a way to sever their limbs could be a viable strategy..."

Willett watched the T-shaped zombie vanish, lost in thought.

Night had fallen, and venturing out to face zombies that hunted by scent and sound was far too risky. Willett decided to stay put and rest for the night. Come morning, he planned to seek out his close friend Luvern before making his departure.