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墨書 Inktalez
"Is the hospital... still not lit?" Accompanied by Dream Fan's slightly puzzled question, a rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and a brilliant blue arc of lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the area with a ghostly white light. The hospital's pristine white tiles were washed clean by the rain, revealing glaring black stains, and the windows were smeared with dirt, devoid of any brightness. Song Jiu and the others frowned in unison, rising to peer through the curtain of rain towards the private hospital across the Roundabout, an overwhelming sense of unease swelling within them. All present were seasoned veterans, their instincts for danger heightened; without exchanging many words, they quickly dispersed to find suitable weapons. Grabbing several large umbrellas from the second-floor balcony, they steeled themselves and plunged into the downpour.
Luo Yu and Song Yao led the charge, but when Song Jiu called out to them, it seemed they didn’t hear and pushed through the glass doors into the building. Thunder rolled ominously as torrential rain fell like a waterfall. Looking up at the darkened sky, Song Jiu suddenly realized that a persistent buzzing filled his ears; outside the bar, the world had devolved into a chaotic Ruined City. They had been laughing and chatting inside, only hearing the muffled sounds of thunder and rain. If not for Dream Fan's glance, they likely wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss at the hospital.
As if responding to their concerns, just as Song Jiu and his companions reached the ground floor, a window on the second floor of the hospital shattered explosively. The sound of heavy objects crashing through glass was faint against the backdrop of thunder and rain. A large Living Person fell from above, landing face-first into a puddle on the ground with a splash that mixed with crimson streaks of blood. At that moment, Song Yao and Luo Yu, who had rushed into the lobby on the first floor, stumbled back out through the rain-soaked air, shouting hoarsely: "Alarm! There are Zombies!!"
Everyone was taken aback; without hesitation, the graduate students turned and ran back to the bar, disregarding the deadly Acid Rain pouring down on them. They scrambled up to the second-floor balcony and desperately activated the enemy alert system. The piercing sound of an Air Raid Siren echoed in waves, competing with the roar of wind and rain as night approached in Roundabout. The returning Militia members were on high alert as they grabbed weapons hidden under their pillows and hurried downstairs to join forces with their fellow students.
Things unfolded too quickly for Song Jiu to make any plans. Seeing Song Yao and Luo Yu rush inside made him anxious; he grabbed a Steel Saw Blade and sprinted after them, stepping over the body that had fallen from above. Ming Junwei slammed on his brakes and instructed Yinuo to take Chef Jia, Dream Fan, and others back to safety while he and Old Lin braved the rain to wait for reinforcements from Militia members. They split into two groups before entering the hospital building.
The shattered windows remained dark as graduate students stood on the second-floor balcony trying to use a Searchlight to assess the situation. However, with heavy rain obscuring visibility, their light barely penetrated through. Chef Jia and others managed to lift Jiao Ziqian upstairs while several Militia members pulled down a rolling shutter on the first floor before retreating upstairs. Tension filled the air as they anxiously watched across at another building; their eardrums buzzed from competing sounds of Air Raid Sirens and thunder.
By the time Song Jiu reached the second floor, he could no longer see his sister or Luo Yu. The entire area was in chaos; what had once been orderly during daylight was now completely overturned. Beds that had been set up in Waiting Room were all toppled over, and panicked crowds surged chaotically through narrow hallways. It had been a long time since Song Jiu had witnessed such disorder; darkness enveloped everything around him—shadows darted everywhere as men and women fled in all directions amidst shouts and cries for help.
"What happened?" Questions swirled in Song Jiu's mind as he swiftly grabbed hold of someone rushing past him. "What’s going on?!" The person stumbled but did not evade him; instead, they lunged toward him with familiar desperation in their eyes despite their dimness—their voice unmistakably gave away their identity.
A cold sweat broke out on Song Jiu's forehead as he quickly pushed them away with his blade. Just an hour ago he had been here; aside from busy Doctor Yu and students attending to patients moaning in bed, everything seemed normal—how could there suddenly be Zombies? The shadow staggered back but was soon knocked down by other panicking individuals. Without time to consider life or death, Song Jiu hurried along the wall trying to squeeze into a corridor to find Effie; in this chaotic situation it was impossible to distinguish between Living Persons and Zombies—Song Yao and Luo Yu at least had some self-defense skills while Xiaofei would be nothing more than an easy target for Zombies.
"Effie!" Song Jiu shouted hoarsely but abruptly stopped himself as he sensed someone rushing toward him from behind yet couldn’t tell if they were Living Person or Zombie; unable to discern friend from foe meant he couldn’t recklessly attack—he could only dodge aside as he stepped over a chair outside a duty room. Before he could reach further into the corridor he heard Ming Junwei’s voice calling from near the staircase.
Wanting to shout a warning but fearing an ambush by Zombies instead left him indecisive with his blade gripped tightly; suddenly someone pulled him back with considerable force right into a nearby duty room.
"Brother Jiu! It’s us," Luo Yu called out just in time while switching on a small flashlight.
Turning around quickly revealed Song Yao standing by the door searching through chaos for something amidst frantic faces; there was a metallic scent of blood in her nostrils which led her gaze back towards Doctor Yu slumped against a wall—his throat and abdomen torn open with intestines spilling onto the floor while his skull hung low devoid of life.
"Has Brother Ming arrived?" Song Yao suddenly raised her hand swinging her knife angrily; beside her Luo Yu hurriedly followed suit sweeping his Steel Saw Blade through air indicating another unfortunate head had likely just been severed.
"He's behind me," Song Jiu said while examining Doctor Yu’s wounds—there was no doubt that such extensive lacerations could only have been inflicted by Zombies.
"How could Zombies get inside... it’s impossible..." Song Yao seemed to be questioning both herself and them; during this moment when Song Jiu inspected bodies nearby she pulled two people inside—both alive but shaken and drenched in sweat.
The commotion inside drew attention from nearby Zombies; Luo Yu’s instincts kicked in as she caught sight of shadows moving closer so she quickly shut the door while Song Jiu pushed against a wooden table blocking it off—two Militia members pulled back together instinctively readying themselves for action.
Song Yao stopped them then took Luo Yu's flashlight shaking it up and down confirming neither bore any Zombie bites before finally relaxing slightly as she frowned asking: "What happened here?"
"I don’t know! Suddenly everything went haywire!" Militia A replied nervously—twenty-five or twenty-six years old still clutching half an IV stand barefoot having not even put shoes on while fleeing.
Militia B appeared younger yet calmer covering his chest coughing hoarsely before rasping: "It seems like some Zombies slipped in—I was in restroom when I heard Doctor Yu shouting something down hallway then darkness fell—I don’t know who blew out candles."
"Zombies are attracted by light—it must have been knocked over during chaos," Song Yao observed peering through small window at doorway packed full of people—the dim light revealed frantic movements resembling those of Zombies yet every face was familiar making it seem like they were pleading for help.
"Have you seen Xiao Wei?" Song Yao asked again.
"I don’t know! I heard someone yell that Zombies were coming then I ran out—it all turned chaotic!" Militia A shook his head vigorously.
Outside roars echoed incessantly amidst curses while gunfire erupted sporadically visible through small window where flashes illuminated darkness intermittently.
Song Jiu furrowed his brow about to speak when suddenly catching sight of bright light flashing past behind him at window—he hurriedly pushed it open only to find strong beams coming from across at bar’s second floor.
"Sis," he called out confused about what those long beams meant urgently summoning steady-minded Song Yao over.
"Give me your flashlight," he requested from Luo Yu adding: "You stay here with my sister—I need to find Effie."
"I’ll go with you," Luo Yu insisted tying her long hair up with an elastic band saying: "Effie might have escaped upstairs."
"Oh no." Suddenly alarm bells rang out from window where two Militia members braced themselves against table keeping vigilant watch over door crack—they followed along looking out towards direction indicated by Song Yao where Searchlight slowly shifted illuminating waterlogged area below.
In that puddle lay a corpse—the one that had jumped down earlier from broken window—and now under light’s glow it began moving slowly pushing itself up unsteadily onto its feet. Before it stood at entrance of hospital where waves of Zombies staggered forward stumbling into rain heading towards flickering lights emanating from bar.
Song Jiu dashed toward door where gunfire ceased leaving only frantic Zombies blocking entrance—he swung his blade smashing through small window thrusting Steel Saw Blade outward systematically dispatching each Zombie clinging near doorway calling for two Militia members to clear away tables blocking path ahead.
Most Zombies surged out from hospital leaving only three or five remaining at entrance after those dispatched through window; Luo Yu rushed forward assisting swiftly clearing remaining threats under cover provided by Militia members shining flashlights along corridor sides revealing several more wandering uncertainly near one door ahead.
Waiting Room held over ten corpses dressed similarly resembling previous patients treated there—Ming Junwei led team charging leaving behind scattered shell casings suggesting they’d gone upstairs amidst commotion.
"Sis?" Song Jiu called back seeing Song Yao crouched before Doctor Yu momentarily stunned before recalling something causing him to sigh deeply before announcing he would head out again.
Hearing footsteps approaching caused remaining Zombies deep within corridor turn towards them; without hesitation Song Jiu shouted names Xiaofei and Xiao Wei rushing forward unleashing torrents of blood spraying everywhere as serrated edges glimmered coldly slicing flesh until mere moments later all remaining Zombies lay defeated around him.
Listening closely at door before kicking it open produced loud crash as table toppled revealing disarray within—a pale-faced Xiaofei huddled trembling in corner clutching tightly onto bed sheets.
"Effie?" Seeing her state tugged at his heartstrings—the cramped room felt eerily familiar akin to riverbank dungeons where memories lingered painfully within shadows cast by dim lights surrounding them.
Song Jiu glanced around confirming no bodies lay within room while Xiaofei curled up hugging blanket tightly—upon noticing him enter she suddenly broke down sobbing uncontrollably clinging onto him tightly.
"It’s okay now—don’t cry," he soothed gently patting her head attempting comfort like one would do for a child wanting reassurance while trying coax her off bed though she held on fiercely refusing release.
"Song Jiu," Xiaofei cried burying her face against his chest weeping heavily repeating his name intermittently between sobs causing concern etched across his brow feeling somewhat helpless despite relief washing over him knowing she was safe yet wondering why she’d become so frightened after years facing Zombies without fear?
Thoughts remained unspoken though internally conflicted emotions swirled around within him as he patiently patted her back hoping she'd calm down eventually realizing how deeply affected she truly was amidst chaos surrounding them all this time."
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