Chapter 4: Countdown to Chaos

Jack's heart raced as he watched the mercenaries disappear down the corridor. The heavy door of the Red Queen's control room slid shut with a metallic clang, sealing them inside. He turned to face the others: Zheng, Lan, and to his surprise, Jie, who had decided to stay behind.

"Why did you stay?" Jack asked, eyeing Jie suspiciously.

Jie lit a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his scarred face. "Someone needs to keep you newbies alive," he said, exhaling a plume of smoke. "Besides, I've got a feeling things are about to get interesting."

As they settled into an uneasy silence, Jack glanced at his watch: 20 minutes left. Time was ticking away faster than he'd realised.

Jie began explaining the point system and the four categories of items they could exchange for points: Scientific, Magical, Support, and Entertainment. As he briefly outlined the various items available and their costs, Jack's mind whirled with possibilities. He thought about the single point he'd earned for killing zombies earlier. It seemed so insignificant now.

"Wait," Jack interrupted, his brow furrowed. "You're saying we can trade these points for actual items? Like guns and... other things?"

Joe nodded, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "That's right, kid. Everything has a price. Scientific stuff like guns, magical items, support gear, even entertainment if that's your thing. But don't get too excited. The good stuff costs a lot more than you've earned so far."

Before Jack could ask more questions, a loud thud echoed through the room. Everyone froze.

"What was that?" Lan whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Another thud, louder this time.

Zheng's face paled. "Lickers? Or Hunters?"

Jack nodded grimly. "Could be either. Both are strong enough to make that kind of noise."

"What do we do?" Lan asked, her voice trembling.

Before anyone could respond, the defence system activated, metal shutters slamming down over the doors. On the security monitors, they could see two grotesque creatures with exposed brains and long, whip-like tongues attacking the outer door.

"Lickers," Jie confirmed, his expression grim. "But don't worry. Even if the system shuts down, those doors are reinforced. They'll hold on."

For five agonising minutes, they listened to the Lickers pounding and scratching at the door. Then, abruptly, silence fell.

Lan let out a shaky breath. "Are they gone?"

Jack shook his head, straining his ears. In the quiet, he could hear something else. A wet, squelching sound. "They're... eating something," he said, his stomach turning.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Jack checked his watch again: 10 minutes left.

"So," Jie said, breaking the tense silence. "What's the deal with you, kid? You seem to know what you are doing ."

Jack hesitated, weighing his words carefully. "I've... seen movies like this before. Read books. Written fanfiction. I guess I just have a good imagination for how these things might play out."

Jie's eyes narrowed, but before he could press further, the pounding at the door resumed with renewed vigour.

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"They're back!" Zheng shouted, grabbing his gun.

This time, the sound of tearing metal filled the air. The reinforced door, weakened by the earlier assault, was beginning to give way.

"I thought you said it would hold!" Lan cried, backing away from the door.

Jie cursed, raising his weapon. "Nothing's certain in this world, sweetheart."

As the door began to buckle, Jack's mind raced. He knew they only had to hold out for a few more minutes, but those minutes could feel like an eternity.

"Everyone, take positions!" he shouted, surprising himself with his sudden authority. "Aim for their heads. It's the only way to bring them down quickly."

They spread out, guns trained on the failing door. Jack could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears as he watched the metal warp and bend.

With a final, ear-splitting screech, the door gave way. The first Licker burst through, its eyeless face turning towards them, sensing their presence.

Gunfire erupted, muzzle flashes illuminating the room in stark bursts of light. Jack fired, again and again, each shot aimed carefully despite his trembling hands.

The first Licker went down, but the second was right behind it. Its long tongue whipped out, narrowly missing Lan's head.

"We need to move!" Jie shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "They're evolving. Getting stronger."

They pushed through the broken doorway, the air thick with the oppressive weight of what was hunting them. They didn't speak, didn't dare to make a sound beyond the soft footfalls of their boots. Every shadow seemed to shift, every distant creak a reminder of the predators that stalked them.

Jack's pulse quickened as they moved through the narrow hallways, a labyrinth of corridors, each more dangerous than the last. He glanced down at his watch—time was slipping through his fingers.

"How much time do we have left?" Jack whispered, his voice barely audible as they pressed on.

Jie glanced at his own watch, his expression grim. "Not much."

Zheng's face was pale, his eyes darting around the corners as they moved. "If we can just make it to the next level, we might be able to hold out."

His words hung in the air, but before anyone could respond, a piercing screech echoed through the corridor. Jack's blood turned cold as he turned to see one of the Lickers crawling toward them at terrifying speed, its claws scraping the floor as it advanced.

"Run!" Jie ordered, firing a shot that barely slowed the creature down.

They bolted, fear gripping them as the sound of the Licker's rapid pursuit grew louder with every step. Jack's lungs burned as they raced down the hallway, every corner a potential death trap. But the creature wasn't slowing—it was gaining.

Zheng fired behind him, a desperate attempt to buy them time, but the Licker was relentless. Its serpentine tongue flicked out, tasting the air as it drew closer, its grotesque body contorting with unnatural speed.

"This way!" Jie shouted, leading them around a corner, into what looked like a storage room. Jack slammed the door behind them, his chest heaving as he pushed against it.

But the reprieve was short-lived. The door was flimsy—barely a barrier at all. The Licker screeched from the other side, slamming into it with terrifying force. The door buckled, cracking under the pressure.

"They're breaking through!" Jack yelled, panic rising in his throat.

Zheng pressed his weight against the door, but it was clear it wouldn't hold for long. The Licker was evolving even as it attacked—its strength increasing with every hit.

"We can't stay here," Jie said, his voice eerily calm. "There's no time."

Jack's heart raced. He could hear the faint ticking of his watch, counting down the seconds they had left. He glanced at Jie, who met his eyes, the unspoken truth between them clear. Time was running out.

"Through here!" Jie pointed to a side door, one that led deeper into the facility. They didn't hesitate. Pushing through, they found themselves in another narrow hallway, but this one felt different—darker, more confined.

Jack's breath came in short gasps. "How much time do we have?"

Jie didn't answer at first. He checked his watch, his eyes narrowing. "One minute."

"One minute until what?" Jack demanded, panic creeping into his voice.

Jie looked at him, his face unreadable. "Until it's over."

Jack's blood ran cold. He didn't need further explanation. Whatever was coming, they didn't have long. The ticking of his watch felt deafening now, each second dragging them closer to the edge of something terrible.

Ahead, the sound of more Lickers scraping along the walls echoed through the hallway. They were everywhere now, closing in from all sides.

"Jie, what do we do?" Jack's voice cracked under the weight of the question.

Jie's eyes hardened. "We fight."

The creatures were upon them, their monstrous forms lunging from the shadows. Jack fired wildly, his hands shaking as the Lickers tore through the hallway, relentless in their pursuit. The air was thick with the smell of blood and the deafening roar of the creatures closing in.

Zheng screamed as one of the Lickers leaped toward him, its claws slashing through the air. Jack fired again, desperately trying to hold them off, but it was clear—they were out of time.

Jie's voice cut through the chaos, cold and steady. "Get ready."

Jack could barely breathe as the last of the Lickers broke through the final barrier, their twisted forms filling the hallway. His heart pounded in his chest as he raised his gun one last time, the ticking of the watch echoing in his ears.

One minute. Just one minute left.

As the Licker prepared for another lunge, Jack felt certain this was the end. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact...

But it never came.

The world around them froze. The Licker hung suspended in mid-air, its claws outstretched. The sound of gunfire cut off abruptly, leaving an eerie silence.

Jack blinked, disoriented. He looked around, seeing the same confusion on the faces of the others.

Then, like a video being rewound, everything began to move backward. The Lickers retreated, the doors reassembled themselves, and suddenly they were standing in a vast, white space.

As the adrenaline began to fade, Jack became aware of a notification from the system. He had earned more points for his actions during the final confrontation, and... something else. A reward?

He looked at the others, seeing relief, confusion, and in Jie's case, a hint of respect.

"Well," Jie said, lighting another cigarette. "Looks like you all survived your first round. Congratulations. It only gets worse from here."

As they stood in the white expanse, waiting to learn their fates and rewards, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The true horrors of the Terror Infinity world were y

et to come.

He checked his watch one last time, but the display was blank. Time had no meaning here. The nightmare was over... for now.

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