Startled but curious, Annie crept forward, entering the workshop. She seemed small and vulnerable in the vast space, her gaze fixed on him as she cautiously approached. “My mom…she asked me to follow you,” she said quietly.

“I know.” Zack replied, focusing on his work. As he started disassembling parts of the MV-01 armor, he glanced at her. “This is MV-01. I’m making improvements. Watch carefully, so you can learn.”

Annie stood close by, her expression intent as she observed each step. Despite her timid appearance, her sharp mind took in every detail. For the next three hours, Zack modified the armor, making adjustments to the transmission systems, reworking joints to improve its range of movement, and increasing its overall efficiency. By the time dusk approached, he was reattaching the final pieces.

He stepped back, giving the armor a quick test. The upgrades had worked; the transmission efficiency was up by 30%, improving both speed and maneuverability. Although it still wasn’t as flexible as a living creature, it moved with much more ease than before.

“Not bad,” he muttered with satisfaction.

After a brief pause, Zack thought of Sophia, left alone at the Mansion. His mind drifted to her well-being, and he called out to his AI companion. “Ego, check on Sophia Monroe.”

“Yes, Sir.” Within moments, the surveillance feed from Mansion No. 9 appeared on the screen, showing Sophia safe and sound. She sat at the dining table, glancing at the clock every so often. Several dishes lay untouched before her.

“Didn’t I tell her I might not be back until tomorrow?” Zack murmured as he watched her through the surveillance feed.

“Ego, tell her not to wait up,” he instructed. “I won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“Understood, sir,” Ego replied. Zack’s simulated voice soon came through Sophia Monroe’s walkie-talkie.

She brightened briefly at the sound, but her expression quickly fell as she realized he wouldn’t be coming home. A pang of guilt tugged at Zack, but he knew he couldn’t leave the steel plant unprotected.

“Turn it off,” he sighed, and the surveillance feed vanished.

Meanwhile, down in the factory, the workers had finished setting up the traps and were gathering to await further instructions.

“Let’s go, Annie,” Zack said, donning his modified armor and grabbing a box of weapons. He made his way downstairs, Annie following close behind. In front of the assembled workers, he dropped the weapons onto the ground.

“The Night Stalkers will be here soon,” he announced. “If you think you have steady hands and quick reflexes, take a weapon. The rest of you, head to the office and stay there, no matter what you hear outside.”

Several workers stepped forward to grab weapons—guns left behind by Jacob’s gang. There were nine pistols, two shotguns, and a rifle, along with plenty of ammunition. With his armor, Zack didn’t need a firearm, but arming the workers would help spread the burden of the fight. To Zack’s surprise, Charles, now in his seventies, reached for a pistol, along with Annie, who at thirteen seemed determined to fight as well, though she fumbled with the safety.

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“You two, stop causing trouble, alright?” Zack said, taking their weapons with a sigh.

“I just thought—” Charles began, but a piercing howl cut him off, echoing through the factory walls.

“The Night Stalkers are awake.” Zack’s expression turned serious. “Take Annie and everyone without combat skills to the office. Now!”

Charles quickly led the others to the safety of the office. The chilling howls outside grew louder, followed by a series of snarling roars. The sound was primal, like a wolf pack preparing to hunt.

Zack gestured to the workers. “You, guard the back exit. The rest of you, keep watch over the broken wall. I’ll handle the main entrance.”

Taking his position by the entrance, Zack steadied himself, watching the shadows stretch and grow as the night stalkers approached. Under the moonlight, he spotted their dark, twisted shapes as they moved across the roof of a nearby factory, their eyes glinting with a savage hunger.

The leader spotted Zack and let out a high-pitched screech. Immediately, more shadows shifted in his direction. Within moments, a swarm of them were charging toward the steel mill, dividing into three groups to attack from multiple directions. The largest group stormed the main entrance, where Zack waited. His face was calm, even as he counted over a dozen night stalkers approaching him, their eyes burning with predatory intelligence.

As the first wave closed in, Zack noticed their coordinated strategy, like wolves working together to corner prey. “As expected they are quite smart…” he muttered with a hint of satisfaction. “But zombies are still zombies.”

As the first night stalker dashed toward him, it suddenly tripped over a thin steel wire stretched across the ground. The trap was sprung—sharp steel pipes launched from concealed corners, slicing through the creature with brutal precision. The creature let out a strangled scream before collapsing in a heap, its lifeless form falling back into the darkness.

With a twang, the steel wires launched the steel pipes like arrows, piercing through the two leading night stalkers before they could react. In an instant, they were impaled, each one turned into a grotesque, steel-studded figure. The one-meter-long pipes had easily skewered their bodies.

"Roar!" The sudden ambush caused the remaining night stalkers to hesitate momentarily, but fear wasn’t part of their limited intelligence. The sight of their fallen companions only fueled their rage, and they pushed forward.

The advancing horde triggered more traps as they moved, the sound of steel strings snapping through the air. Traps fired in quick succession, cutting down night stalkers at the back door and broken wall as well. Before any of them could even get close to the factory, half of their number had fallen. The workers, who had once feared these creatures above all else, watched in amazement as the once-terrifying stalkers fell with surprising ease.

“Another one down!”

“Mr. Zack’s traps really work!”

Their initial fear gave way to excitement as the night stalkers were cut down by the traps, but then—

"Roar!" A powerful howl rang out from a distance, instantly silencing the workers' cheers. The night stalkers stopped rushing forward blindly and instead began moving from different angles, using the cover of shadows and walls to avoid the traps.

“Ego, did you locate the source?” Zack asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Sir, I can only approximate the location at 11 o'clock,” Ego replied. The leader was too far away to pinpoint accurately.

“Understood,” Zack muttered, shelving his plan to go straight for the leader. With the night stalkers scattering to avoid traps, he had to act fast.

“Ego, turn on the lights!” he commanded.

Click! Click! Click!

High-power lights, known as “flood lamps,” suddenly blazed to life, flooding the entire area with intense light. The steel plant and surrounding grounds were as bright as midday.

The night stalker howled in agony as the blinding light hit them. Their shrieks filled the air as they clawed at their eyes, disoriented and panicked. Even Zack, encased in his armor, squinted against the brightness. The workers shielded their eyes, waiting a moment for them to adjust.

“Now!” Zack’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Take them down!”