Chapter 35 - Fight Or Escape?
Beastly roars escape the mouths of the bizarre people.
"Aaahhhhhhhhh!"
The servant girl produces a high pitch scream as the bizarre Councilor pounce on her.
The mouth of the bizarre Councilor is planted on the servant girl's neck. Red blood sprouted everywhere.
The other bizarre people started walking limply towards their direction.
She is pleading for help but the other three are still horrified, they cannot move. Or rather, they dared not.
Her screams died out as the fangs of three bizarre people were planted in any corner of her neck.
Her body twitched along with the stopping of the bizarre people's pouncing.
The bizarre people who pounced on her stood up, red blood and fleshy meat was dripping from their mouth as their white clothes were recolored with the color of blood.
The servant girl stood up. Her neck and the lower area around it are ladened with blood dripping wounds. A white bone could be seen on the location of her nape.
...
Bizarre acting people? Dead coming back to life?
Ombit is the first to realize the situation they are in.
Zombies!
Apocalypse!
With this sudden realization. Ombit glances at his brother, Goryo.
Goryo seems to have noticed his gaze as he also looks towards Ombit.
Ombit signaled something to his brother.
Goryo nodded his head, certifying Ombit that he understood.
Ombit raises his right hand and slowly closes his fingers one by one.
5..
4..
3..
2..
1...
Go!
Ombit draws the bayonet that he was always hiding on his hips. He unsheathed it from its little scabbard and bursted towards the nearest zombie as fast as he could. He plunged the bayonet towards the zombie. The bayonet was etched 4 inch inside the zombie's head.
Goryo, on the other hand, bursted towards the stairs. He caught a glimpse of what his younger brother had done and awkwardly stopped.
'I thought we were going to escape?' Goryo pondered inside his head.
But later, he also drew out a bayonet from his pocket and plunged it into the nearest zombie.
Having little protection hiding in their body is common. The guards outside would not search their body completely. A hidden gun would be noticeable, but a bayonet that is hidden properly is difficult to spot.
When they were young, Ombit and Goryo were huge fans of zombie movies. They imagined themselves as the protagonist of one.
Now, a Zombie Apocalypse is happening in front of their eyes. Their ambition of being the protagonist of such movies are reignited.
Unfortunately, the two of them have a different perspective.
Seeing the zombies walking limp, Ombit wanted to annihilate all of them.
Seeing the bizarre situation, Goryo wants to escape and investigate first.
As Ombit had already acted, Goryo could do nothing and joined in the fight.
The Village Captain, without a weapon, could only stay-put on his location.
Luckily for the three of them, the zombies are rather slow. They could evade them if they put their attention to it.
The meeting area they are in is at the second floor of the Barangay Hall. Including them, only 27 people are inside. One Village Captain, Seven Village Councilor, One Youth Council Chairman. The rest are their trusted aides and subordinates.
Ombit and Goryo had already finished all the zombies inside after half a day had passed. They were panting heavily and had sweat all over their body.
The Village Captain was acting rather meek at the moment. His usual demeanor of being a Captain of a Village was gone. He did not help the brothers in killing the zombies and was still at the corner, cowering in fear.
Ombit and Goryo have had the habit of meditating since they were young. An action they have picked up from one of the zombie movies they have watched.
After killing the zombies inside the meeting room, they meditated.
After a few hours of meditation, Ombit and Goryo could feel it. There is something inside their brain that they could sense. They have this urge to grasp and control it, but could not.
It felt so far, yet so near to them.
...
Ombit and Goryo, along with their assistant, the previous Village Captain, Polonyo, searched the entire 2nd and 3rd floor of the Village Hall.
The 2nd floor was for meetings and the 3rd floor was the office's of the various Village Officials. As the Officials are already on the 2nd floor, Ombit and Goryo had already killed them because they had already become 'zombie officials'. Taking control of the 2nd and 3rd floor was not a problem.
The 1st floor? There are swarms of zombies there.
The locals of Compud Village had swarmed that area before the zombie apocalypse had started. They wanted to claim the relief goods that are designated for them.
But instead of relief goods, they get a Mutated Virus instead.
....
1 Week and 3 days have passed by quickly, and the three are still upstairs. Rotting stinks pervaded the entire room they are in.
Luckily, they have food supplies on the 2nd and snacks on the 3rd floor.
After 1 week and 3 days of meditation, Ombit and Goryo had already grasped the thing that was inside them.
They did not notify Polonyo about their discoveries. They wanted to become the protagonist.
After grasping that thing, another urge emerges, the urge to distribute that thing around their body. They did it after 3 days of meditation.
After the distribution, they could feel themselves becoming stronger.
In the 2nd week, Ombit cracked open the head of a dead zombie official. After swirling the brain matter a bit, he noticed a greenish substance leaked from the center of the brain.
"As expected!" Ombit remarked with a grin.
Ombit theorized that, because they have that thing in their brain, the others must also have them.
The only thing he needed to do now is to absorb this greenish liquid. On how to absorb, he needs to try various methods one by one.
After two months, with the help of Goryo, Ombit had already realized the best way to absorb the greenish substance. It was to hold the greenish substance in his hand while meditating.
If measured, he could tell that he is already at least five times stronger than before. His brother Goryo is faster in absorbing and is already stronger than Ombit by a large margin.
During these two months, they had already taken control of the 1st floor and the surrounding area around the Barangay Hall. They already told Polonyo the method of getting stronger 1 week ago.
Other survivors had also appeared at this point of time, seeking shelter and protection.
As they think of themselves as being the protagonist who saves the world, they gladly accept them.
Ombit's ego bloated seeing so many people willing to follow him and his brother.
As the people they accepted are already getting thicker, the opposite happened towards their food supply.
One time, the people are getting rather noisy, demanding and courageous.
"The food we have is getting thinner, it will not be enough for another week!" said an elderly man.
"You're right. Ombit, we are only willing to follow you and your brother before because you have food. Now that the food is getting thinner, it is time you go and fetch some." Said a middle aged woman.
"Cap, tell them to fetch food or else we will starve." An angry lady pointed her finger towards Ombit and Goryo.
"You are strong right? Why won't you go out and bring food when you come back? You are a coward!" Remarked the same elderly man.
"Right, bring us some food! That is your duty for taking us in."
"Cowards!" Almost 40 people said at the same time.
Hearing their remarks, Ombit's expression became gloomy. But he endured it. This was not the first time that it happened.
They are right, the people here are his and his brother's responsibility.
Ombit was about to go out when he was notified that there was a man outside the Barangay Hall.
He peeked in the window and observed the man. He is wearing a red hoodie and black shorts. He is carrying something like a hammer over his shoulder. Aside from that, the man had nothing in particular.
Seeing this, Ombit's expression darkened further.
"Tsk, another freeloader!" Ombit clicked his tongue and signaled for his men to get ready.
As they are already getting crowded inside, Ombit does not have the plan to accept anyone anymore. It will just add to the burden.
This is not the first time they had rejected someone.
A little intimidation and they will leave.
As the man got closer, at the mark of 10 meters, he signaled for his men to aim towards the man.
Usually, this would be enough as the approaching people will immediately run. Four shotguns being aimed at you, who would not run right?
But contrary to Ombit's expectation, the man only retreated three steps backward and raised both of his hands.
"Tsk!" Ombit clicked his tongue yet again.
As his mood was still dark because of what happened inside, he forcefully opened the large door and looked down at the man.
He nudges the glasses that he started wearing yesterday as it seems cool and says in a condescending and displeased tone.
"State your business or SCRAM!"
He then heard the man talking something he did not quite understand.
"I see, it's about time character's like you appear, huh."
Ombit was confused, he was even more displeased with this.
"What are you talki-"
That was when he felt that something hit his stomach and before he knew it, his body was already flying backwards and was now embedded in the wall.
He heard four continuous gunshots, and as he was about to get up, he saw a fist flying towards his face. And...
And?
And his consciousness blacked out.