Watching the gruesome scene on the distant ships, Thien Anh furrowed his brow, suppressing the sharp throb in his chest.
"These things… they were definitely human once. Look at the bone structure, the gait—even the way they use their hands to grip their food."
Thien Lang stood beside him, nostrils flaring. "Could it be a virus or a parasite, Master? They look ninety percent human, but that stench of decay is unmistakable."
Thien Anh nodded, his expression grim. "Most likely. Those who couldn't handle the genetic shift or the infection devolved into this. Stay clear of them. They move in massive packs; getting cornered means certain death."
The trio agreed, choosing a detour to avoid the Ghouls swarming ahead like a carpet of black ants.
What concerned Thien Anh was the sheer density of these creatures within the city. They roamed in groups of dozens, sometimes hundreds. Though their speed was only slightly superior to a human's and they could be dropped with a well-placed headshot, their danger lay in their numbers and their unbridled frenzy.
Thien Anh had witnessed their blackened claws tear through the steel-hard hide of a Tier-2 mutant beast.
"Their claws carry necrotic toxins," Thien Anh whispered, cataloging the enemy's traits. "A mere scratch could lead to systemic infection and an agonizing death."
The road to the City General Hospital was less flooded but riddled with lethal traps laid by the roaming monsters.
...
A few hours later.
The towering silhouette of the General Hospital loomed before them. Once a sanctuary for the living, it now resembled a gargantuan tomb with shattered, hollow windows.
Suddenly, the temperature plummeted. The wind shrieked, carrying a biting, glacial chill.
Flutter… drift…
Pristine white snowflakes began to fall, draping the ruins in a funeral shroud.
Thien Anh stared in disbelief, catching a frigid flake in his palm.
"Snow? In the middle of summer?"
"It's freezing!"
Thien Thanh shivered, quickly retreating into the thick folds of Thien Anh's coat, leaving only her tiny, trembling head exposed. "The weather has gone mad. If it stays this cold, my blood will turn to ice. How am I supposed to hunt?"
Thien Lang, conversely, seemed to enjoy it. His thick coat provided perfect insulation. He bared his teeth in a grin.
"Don't be an idiot. The cold is good. Those walking corpses will have stiff muscles; they'll move slower. Killing them will be like carving cabbage."
Thien Anh patted Thien Lang's head to silence him. "Stop bickering. I'm in enough pain already. Let's get inside and see if anyone is still breathing."
Thien Lang and Thien Thanh fell silent instantly, obediently following orders.
Thien Anh vaulted onto Thien Lang's back. The group entered the main lobby.
Inside, the sharp scent of antiseptic couldn't mask the underlying rot of corpses. The hallways were desolate, littered with scattered paperwork and medical records. And there, silhouettes in blood-stained white coats, tattered nurse uniforms, and blue-striped patient gowns wandered aimlessly.
Doctors, nurses, patients… all had been transformed into monsters.
"Shh."
Thien Anh signaled for silence. He drew his MP5 submachine gun, fitted with a suppressor.
"Their eyesight is poor—nearly blind. But their hearing and sense of smell are razor-sharp. As long as we stay silent and keep downwind, we're safe."
Phut! Phut!
Two muffled pops echoed softly. Two Ghouls in security uniforms collapsed, tiny bullet holes appearing in the center of their foreheads.
Thien Lang moved as silently as a phantom, the padded soles of his paws ensuring not a single sound betrayed them on the ceramic tiles.
They ventured deeper into the emergency wing.
But fortune would not smile upon them forever.
As they passed a ventilation corridor with shattered glass, a powerful gust of wind roared in, swirling with icy snowflakes.
The wind shifted.
The rich scent of fresh blood from Thien Anh's collapsed lung, along with the distinct musk of wolf and serpent, was carried by the wind directly toward the end of the hallway—where a massive horde of Ghouls had gathered.
The Ghoul with the sharpest nose snapped its head up. It sniffed the air, its murky eyes fixing toward Thien Anh.
"ROAAAAAR!"
A piercing, high-pitched screech tore through the silence. It was the signal to attack.
Howl! Screech! Roar!
Dozens, then hundreds of answering shrieks erupted from every patient room, stairwell, and corner. The entire hospital seemed to awaken in a collective bloodlust.
The thunderous sound of thudding footsteps rose like an oncoming storm. From every intersection, Ghouls surged out like a tidal wave—faces distorted, mouths foaming with bile—charging toward the "fresh meat."
Thien Anh's face paled, yet he maintained a lethal composure.
"We're compromised! Mutt, tactical retreat! Fight while falling back—don't let them swarm us!"
"On it!"
Thien Lang roared, spinning around to bolt toward the wider stairwell, while Thien Anh pivoted on the wolf's back, leveling the dark muzzle of his gun at the oncoming horde.
"Come and get it, you bastards!"