Ira shot with a black gun towards Jan's direction. The bullet passed by Jan's left cheek and hit another wolf that was attempting to sneak up on Jan from behind. The bullet struck the wolf right in the middle of its head.
Ira heard a voice from the system confirming her kill on the wolf.
Lee stood a few meters away from them and said, "Phew, that was a close call. If I hadn't passed the gun to Ira, which I found on a dead man a few seconds earlier, you might have been injured by that wolf. I didn't want to take the shot because I'm still new to this whole shooting thing, and I was afraid I might miss and accidentally shoot you."
Jan replied, "Yeah, let's leave the shooting to Ira for now. That battle was really exhausting, and I don't have much energy left. Oh, and by the way, next time, a heads-up before you shoot in my direction would be appreciated. I almost jumped out of my skin just now."
Ira, still with her hand on her stomach, got up from the ground and looked at Jan, saying, "Sure, if I have the time next time, I'll warn you before I shoot in your direction to save your life."
Jan wanted to respond but couldn't find the right words.
Suddenly, more howls could be heard coming from behind them.
Lee said urgently, "Guys, we have to move. More of them are coming this way. Let's go."
Both girls nodded and followed Lee as he led them to the left turn in the cross-section, heading towards the medical clinic.
After running for about five minutes, the group stumbled upon three more corpses of men and some dead wolves lying in a pool of blood. Jan's face turned green, and she had to use all her willpower to avoid vomiting. Lee was in a better condition, but his mood had soured from what he saw. Ira, having dealt with crime scenes as a training detective, seemed unfazed by the sight of the dead bodies.
Lee said, "Let's keep moving. They're already dead, and there's nothing we can do to change it."
As Lee turned to leave, Jan followed him.
However, Ira called out, "Wait a second, Lee. There might be something useful for us on their bodies."
Jan protested, "You might be okay with seeing dead people, Ira, but I'm not. They were normal people just a few minutes ago."
Ira replied calmly, "I understand your feelings, but we have to do this to have a chance at survival. Sometimes, you'll need to take an enemy's life to save your own or protect your friends who trust you. It's a lesson for you, it's a lesson for you to lee
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Lee nodded in understanding. Killing a wolf was one thing, but killing another person was an entirely different matter. Both Lee and Jan realized that they needed to toughen up emotionally to survive in this cruel dimension.
With newfound courage, the three of them searched the bodies and found two magazines for the gun they had found earlier, three Machta vests with minor cuts from the claws (still providing excellent upper body protection), and three sets of black gloves.
Ira was the best shooter, so she took the two gun magazines and a vest along with a pair of black gloves. Jan happily chose the Machta vest and a pair of black gloves. Lee took a vest and a pair of black gloves as well, appreciating the protection for his hands.
After equipping themselves, they continued moving forward until they reached a black door at the end of the corridor.
Lee cautioned, "Be ready, girls. We don't know what awaits us behind this door."
Lee opened the door, revealing the medical clinic's grim situation.
Blood was everywhere, and injured people were scattered about, calling for help. Some were lying in beds, struggling to breathe with red eyes. Overworked doctors and nurses rushed from one patient to another.
Lee approached the doctor who had treated him earlier and asked, "Doc, what happened here? Why are there so many injured people?"
The doctor was surprised to see Lee in the medical clinic and finished treating a patient before approaching the group.
"Lee, how did you get here?" the doctor asked.
Lee pointed to the black door they had entered through, explaining, "We came in through that door."
The doctor was taken aback and said, "Wait, that door only opens from the other side. Never mind, we don't have much time. I'll tell you what I know quickly. Around four o'clock, a close friend of mine came to the medical clinic, complaining of a severe headache and red eyes. We didn't know what was wrong, so we let him rest. An hour later, he woke up choking, and despite our efforts, he died."
Lee tried to comfort the doctor, saying, "It's okay, you don't have to continue, Doc. I can see this has been tough on you."
But the doctor insisted, "No, Lee, you need to know. After he died, I examined his body to find out what had happened. I discovered some kind of black organism inside his stomach. My suspicion is that people ingested these creatures with their food, and it killed them from the inside. My guess is that someone placed these organisms in the dining room."
Ira looked shocked and said, "Wait, we just ate Mayson's dishes ten minutes ago."
Jan added anxiously, "You don't mean we have that creature inside us right now, do you?"
The doctor looked at the girls reassuringly and said, "I don't think so. If you had ingested the creatures, the symptoms would have appeared by now. We still don't know who had them before the symptoms showed up in my friend."
Lee chimed in, "Chef Mayson wouldn't let anyone mess with his dishes. I think we're safe."
The doctor nodded, "You're right. Chef Mayson of the historic restaurant is known for his quality ingredients. He sources them directly from his private garden, making it nearly impossible for anyone to tamper with his food."
Lee, Ira, and Jan were relieved to hear this, realizing why they hadn't been affected.
Lee asked the doctor to continue, and he explained, "After the initial incidents, the black organisms killed those who ingested them. But then, the cages of the animals in the building opened, releasing all the ancient animals we have here. Now, many hungry and dangerous beasts are roaming the building, hunting down people."
The group was left in shock, realizing the dire situation they were in.