Team 3 cautiously navigated their way through the infested city streets, deftly avoiding the hordes of zombies that roamed in every direction.

While they possessed the skills to handle regular zombies with ease, the last thing they wanted was to draw the attention of the more formidable foes lurking nearby. like the Abominations, these creatures were not to be underestimated their strength and resilience were unmatched. Even the most seasoned teams of awakened would struggle against them, let alone a group of rookies like themselves.

Drawing upon their extensive training and Dylan's exceptional leadership, the team arrived at the hotel. Initially, the exterior appeared unremarkable, but upon entering, an eerie silence enveloped the surroundings. The once vibrant atmosphere had been replaced by desolation, with no signs of life save for the occasional wandering undead.

Their search led them to Jayson's room, where they discovered his gruesome remains.

"WTF happened here?" Emily's voice pierced the heavy silence, breaking the stunned reverie that gripped the group.

"I'll tell you what happened – we were bloody late!" Dylan's frustration boiled over, his words tinged with anger.

"Does this mean we failed our mission?" Emily's anxiety was palpable as she voiced her concern.

"This isn't fair!" Roberto's fist collided with the wall in a burst of rage.

"Damn it, if we hadn't dallied, if we'd moved faster, we might have prevented this." Dylan's mind raced, replaying their journey and feeling the weight of failure as a leader.

"Calm down, everyone. Let's assess the situation logically. This individual appears to have been the group's leader, and he's been dead for at least twelve hours. Our arrival time wouldn't have made a difference," Binna interjected, her medical expertise lending a sense of clarity to the grim scene.

Binna was in med school before things changed, so she knew a thing or two about body decomposition.

"That's a relief. It's not our fault then. We can just report back and move on," Emily chimed in, a hint of optimism in her voice.

"Yeah, this mission was doomed from the start," Binna agreed.

"No, we can't just walk away from this. We need to investigate what happened here. Even if it wasn't our fault, we owe it to these people," Dylan asserted, his determination unwavering. It was his first mission, and he refused to let it end in failure, it was hard to get opportunities to rise in rank.

“How are we supposed to do that? Where do we even begin?” Makoa's voice carried a note of confusion as he voiced the question that lingered in all their minds.

With a determined glint in his eyes, Dylan wasted no time formulating a strategy. "Roberto can track the scent of whoever's responsible for this. We'll follow their trail, gather information, and report back."

"But Dylan, this wasn't part of our mission. Returning empty-handed might be the safer option." Makoa's reluctance was evident as he voiced his concerns, he didn’t like fighting that much and would do anything to avoid it at all cost.

“I agree with Makoa, I don’t think tracking whoever killed these people, is a smart decision” Binna echoed Makoa's sentiment, her tone cautious.

“I’m not going to sit back and waste this opportunity, if we go back now, then we would have to wait for weeks to get another mission, and it’s not like we are the only team waiting for an official assessment,” Frustration simmered beneath Dylan's words as he pushed back against their reservations.

“Then let’s vote, after all this decision concerns all of us, who wants to go back?” Binna immediately suggested she felt like the others would share her sentiment, and she could end this foolish endover democratically.

The proposal for a vote sparked a moment of tension. Binna and Makoa both raised their hands, but surprisingly the other three remained silent.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"The majority has spoken. We're investigating." Dylan excitedly declared.

In the shadows, Major was discreetly hiding and keeping an eye on the team.

‘What are these kids up to now' Major thought after he observed the group's decision with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

As team 3 departed, Major approached Jayson's remains, With practiced precision, he meticulously surveyed the room, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any clues that might shed light on the grim events that had transpired.

After a few moments, Major's excitement bubbled to the surface, his thoughts racing as he pieced together the puzzle before him. "I can't deny it – I'm curious too," he murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "The work of a lone assailant, and a skilled one at that. Jayson may have been cocky, but his abilities were no joke. Whoever took him down... they're a force to be reckoned with."

With a practiced eye, Major continued his examination, methodically analyzing every detail of the scene before him.

***

Utilizing his unique ability, Roberto's visage contorted unnaturally, his features morphing into those of a wolf-human hybrid. With heightened senses, he sniffed the air with precision, tracing the scent of their target. The team followed in his wake as he led them toward Fletcher's camp.

Hours later, Roberto's human form returned as he gestured toward the golf club. "I'm certain our target is in there."

Dylan's face lit up with satisfaction. "Excellent work, Roberto. This is our chance to shine."

Binna's concern crept into her voice as she questioned Dylan's next move. "What's the plan, Dylan? I hope you're not planning anything reckless."

"We'll observe their movements for now, then decide our next course of action," Dylan replied confidently, his eyes gleaming with determination.

“Alright, as long as that is all we are doing” Binna was relieved at least he wasn’t dumb enough to try and rush inside.

***

A while later.

“It’s weird why are there zombies, positioned around the entrances of the building?” Emily asked in confusion.

“I think they are tied with chains” Roberto added.

“Are they doing it for protection or to keep people away?” Emily said.

“We won’t get much information by watching from afar, we need to get closer” Dylan was frustrated, they had been watching for hours, but they saw nothing.

“Dylan if you are thinking about going inside forget about it, we won’t do it,” Binna said adamantly, she could see that Dylan was thinking about it.

“Binna you need to keep your mouth shut, I’m the leader of this team, not you” Dylan glared at Binna and said furiously.

“I agree with Binna we should not go,” Makoa said in support of Binna.

"You ungrateful bastard," Dylan's voice echoed with fury as he unleashed his frustration upon Makoa. "After keeping us waiting for you to visit your orphan niece, now you selfishly want to retreat and do nothing."

“I’m not running away, it’s just not safe” Makoa responded he was not the type to abandon his teammate.

“SAFE, are you kidding me, do you think this is a camp trip, you guys need to reevaluate your simplistic mindset, if you want to get stronger you can’t pick the easy way out, what happens when you don’t have a choice, then what will you do?” Dylan knew his teammates were under the wrong impression. They thought they could avoid danger by always hiding, but he was different he had witnessed a strange creature wreak havoc on the defense lines of the 12th base, the attack happened so fast it took everyone by surprise, he watched as the monster easily killed powerful elite awakened with ease, the horrific images hunted him until this day. driving him to get stronger.

“Dylan, you…” Approaching Dylan with a comforting gesture, Binna sought to soothe his troubled spirit. From the tension in his eyes, it was clear he was grappling with demons of his own.

“DON’T TOUCH ME” Dylan accidentally jerked her hand pushing her away, Binna fell hard on the floor.

The sight of Binna's fall triggered something in Roberto, his temper flaring as he lunged at Dylan with a punch. With lightning-fast reactions, Dylan evaded the blow, retaliating with a swift knee to Roberto's gut followed by a forceful kick that sent him crashing to the floor.

Roberto's anger issues had plagued him since his youth, which were exacerbated by the awakening of his abilities.

With a primal roar, he shifted into his Lycan form, his body swelling in size as sharp claws and fangs emerged. In response, Dylan ignited in flames, transforming into a human torch that radiated scorching heat, forcing the others to retreat.

As the two faced off, tension crackled in the air. Dylan unleashed a torrent of fire towards Roberto, who evaded with agile leaps, closing the distance between them.

Yet, before their clash could escalate further, a towering figure interposed itself in between them, Makoa received both of their attacks, but thanks to his ability he was able to stand firm, his body enveloped in a protective blue energy that absorbed the brunt of their attacks.

“Stop both of you, are you trying to kill each other” Makoa's voice rang out with authority.

“Get out of the way Makoa, today I will teach this bastard a lesson” Roberto growled, his fury unabated.

“No one is allowed to intervene, I’m sick of having to put up with this dimwit” Dylan spat, his resolve unwavering.

"Dylan, Roberto, you're both out of your minds. This isn't the time or place for this," Binna interjected, standing firmly between them.

***

On the other side inside the camp, Fletcher who was currently looking at a map in his room, stood up quickly, he just heard something in the distance, and his enhanced senses wouldn’t miss such a big commotion even if it was a few kilometers away, he put on his armor and grabbed his new weapons, two military grade axes, and rapidly headed to investigate the noises.