The elevator soon stopped at the floor Ivy and the group had selected, causing everyone inside to immediately go on alert.

"It’s time," Darren murmured under his breath.

He opened one of the bags and pulled out a gun, sending waves of shock through Erick’s team members.

Earlier, they had all discarded their weapons after running out of ammunition. Seeing Darren suddenly produce a fully functional firearm was surprising enough, but before Erick could even say anything, Darren reached back into the bag and began pulling out more guns.

One after another.

The weapons seemed endless.

Darren quickly handed them over to the survivors, who accepted them without hesitation.

None of them questioned it.

After all, they already knew about Ivy’s mysterious abilities and had personally witnessed the effectiveness of the weapons she had previously supplied. The guns she provided were powerful enough to blast through monsters’ skulls with frightening ease.

Naturally, nobody was going to reject such a valuable gift.

GROWWLLL~

The growls of monsters echoed from beyond the elevator doors.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ivy," Erick said sincerely, lowering his head in a deep bow.

Ivy responded with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ivy," the other team members chorused in unison.

"You’re welcome," Ivy replied gently.

GROWWLLL~

The growling became louder.

"It’s time to move," Darren said, his expression turning serious. "As all of you can hear, there are monsters waiting outside. The moment these elevator doors open, we’ll be fighting immediately. So make sure you’re ready."

The atmosphere inside the elevator instantly became tense.

The survivors swallowed nervously.

Some adjusted their grips on their weapons while others took deep breaths to calm their nerves. Their eyes remained fixed on the elevator doors as they prepared themselves mentally for the battle.

Seeing the determination in everyone’s eyes, Darren nodded in satisfaction.

"Good."

Without wasting another second, he pressed the control.

The elevator doors slid open.

The moment they did.....

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The survivors immediately opened fire.

Bullets rained into the crowd of monsters waiting outside.

Heads exploded while bodies dropped.

Blood splattered across the walls.

Although these creatures still retained some traces of their human appearance, nobody could mistake them for humans anymore.

Their teeth had become razor-sharp fangs.

Their fingernails had changed into deadly claws.

Their skin had turned pale gray with patches of dark veins spreading across their bodies.

They were monsters.

Nothing more.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Die, you motherfuckers!" Erick growled while continuing to fire.

Oddly enough, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

His movements were smooth and confident, almost as though he were playing one of those shooting games on a mobile phone rather than fighting for his life.

Suddenly, a bright silver light appeared around his hand.

Erick narrowed his eyes and directed the strange energy into the gun he was holding.

A moment later....

BANG!

A brilliant silver beam shot out together with the bullet.

CRACKLE!

The beam pierced straight through a monster’s skull.

Not only was its head severed from its body, but the silver energy also ignited the corpse in a burst of flames.

The monster collapsed to the ground while burning.

"Woah..."

Ivy’s eyes widened in genuine shock.

Her heart skipped a beat.

He has abilities too?

Did he just awaken?

I never noticed anything unusual about him before.

Countless questions flashed through her mind as she watched the burning corpse as well as other group of survivors who were surprised too.

"Focus!" Darren shouted.

The group quickly snapped back to reality.

The battle continued.

Gunfire echoed throughout the hallway.

Monsters rushed toward them from every direction, only to be cut down by a relentless barrage of bullets.

Minutes later, the final monster collapsed while silence followed.

Heavy breathing filled the hallway as everyone was exhausted.

"Let’s move!" Ivy ordered immediately. "We need somewhere safe to talk. There are still many monsters scattered throughout this building. If we’re going to clear this place completely, we need a proper plan. Running around blindly will only get people killed."

Nobody argued.

They all understood she was right.

Soon, the group rushed into a nearby room and quickly shut the door behind them.

Click.

The lock engaged.

Only then did everyone finally allow themselves to relax.

"Fuck..." Darren muttered while leaning against a wall. He was breathing heavily after the intense battle. "That was tense."

He wiped sweat from his forehead before looking around the room.

"What next?" he asked. "There are dozens of floors in this building, and every single one is crawling with monsters. How exactly are we supposed to wipe them all out?"

The room fell silent.

Nobody had an answer and just then.... Nathan, who had earlier been knocked unconscious by Darren, finally began to stir.

He slowly opened his eyes and managed to sit upright. A painful groan escaped his lips as he immediately grabbed his aching head.

"Ugh..."

His entire body hurt.

However, the worst pain came from his neck....the exact spot where Darren had knocked him unconscious earlier.

"What the fuck happened?" Nathan wondered inwardly.

His vision was blurry at first, but as his eyes gradually adjusted, he began recognizing the people around him.

Then his gaze landed on Ivy.

Instantly, anger flashed across his face.

The memory of his new made friend being thrown toward the monsters came rushing back.

Nathan shot to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Ivy.

"You!"

His voice echoed throughout the room.

"How could you push a human being out there like that and leave him to die?" Nathan yelled furiously. "Just because we’re living in an apocalypse doesn’t mean you’ve got the right to become some ruthless murderer!"

The room instantly fell silent.

Nathan continued.

"Having a few special powers doesn’t make you better than everyone else! It doesn’t mean you get to treat other people’s lives like they’re worthless!"

His chest rose and fell heavily as rage consumed him.

Before anyone could react, Nathan charged toward Ivy.

However....A figure suddenly stepped in front of him.

Erick.

Nathan nearly collided with his captain before stopping himself.

"Move, Captain!" Nathan growled. "Let me teach this woman a lesson before she starts seeing the rest of us as disposable tools too!"