Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday - Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Glowing Stone
One Year Since Rain Disaster

– – – – – – –

The world changed over this long period.

But not the volcanic winter that still loomed, shrouding the sky in an eerie gray haze.

During this one year, most of the cities had fallen into silence. Their streets were buried under layers of ash, ice, and decay. The infected now ruled these lands – mindless, tireless, and always hunting for new victims.

Survivors were either dead, hiding, or fighting to carve out a place for themselves.

Grace?

She was fighting… literally.

* * *

The small city ahead of her was nothing more than a graveyard.

Buildings were standing in broken silhouettes, shattered windows and crumbling facades giving them the look of open-mouthed corpses.

The wind howled through the skeletal remains of civilization, and it also carried the distant moans of the undead with it.

Grace tightened her grip on her modified assault rifle as she stepped through the snow-covered streets. Her black tactical gear was perfectly blending into the shadows, while she effortlessly kept her movements soundless.

[Multiple lifeforms detected.]

2025’s voice echoed in her mind.

[At least 47 standard infected, 8 Beasts, and 3 Fast Movers within a two-block radius.]

The numbers sounded like a challenge.

A slow smile spread across her lips. She had been getting bored while continously taking care of Greenstone and its residents. She had been working like a ruler, while she wanted to be a warrior.

That’s why she didn’t lose the opportunity of slipping away and coming to this abandoned small city to warm up her skills after an entire week of staying away from the real fun.

She was about to cross an alley when her ears picked the sound right before the first infected lunged from the shadows of a collapsed store. Its rotting arms were outstretched, and mouth was dripping with blackened blood.

Grace moved before the thing could even react.

She swung her dagger in a swift arc, and severed its head cleanly from its body. The corpse dropped instantly, but she was already moving forward, stepping over it like it was nothing.

Another four zombies rushed toward her from the same alleyway. They were fast… and clearly hungry.

But she was once again ready. Instead of using the dagger again, she reached out to her power to deal with the group of four.

In a blink, two shimmering blades of violet light appeared in her hands. They were extensions of her will, something she had become so comfortable to use. With a flick of her wrist, she launched the first blade at the lead zombie. The dagger impaled the creature straight through its forehead.

The second blade arced through the air as she spun, and it sliced through the next infected’s torso with a single motion.

The last two zombies barely had time to react before she switched to her gun, and placed a bullet between both of their dead eyes.

Four down.

Forty-three to go.

She counted in her head as she made her way ahead.

The street soon erupted into chaos as the rest of the infected became aware of her presence after her not-so-silent killing spree just moments ago.

They started coming from all sides. They were dragging themselves out of buildings, emerging from beneath abandoned vehicles, all the while their moans turned into frenzied screeches.

And then-

A deep, guttural roar shook the air as from the wreckage of a collapsed bus, an Infected Beast* emerged.

*(A/N: Infected Beasts are those normal animals of earth that turned into Beasts either because of the Shadow Rain or the Blood Rain)

It had once been a bear, but now it was something else entirely. Its fur was matted with decay, and patches of exposed bone glistened beneath the torn flesh. Its eyes burned with a sickly yellow light, and its jaw had elongated into something monstrous, filled with serrated teeth.

It sniffed the air – and then… it charged.

Since Grace was already aware of its presence, she held her ground without showing any shock.

At the very last second, she twisted her body to the side, narrowly avoiding the massive claw swipe that would have torn her in half.

She landed on one knee, and raised her gun-

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets ripped into the Beast’s exposed ribcage, but the creature barely flinched.

[Warning: High durability detected.]

“Yeah, I noticed,” Grace muttered as she kept her gaze fixed on the Beast.

It roared again before lunging once more.

Grace threw herself backward, landing into a roll just as two Fast Movers burst from the building beside her. She created a long spear of pure energy as she spun on her heel and hurled it at the nearest Fast Mover.

It pierced straight through its skull, making the creature drop on the ground instantly. But the second Fast Mover was already on her, its claws slicing toward her throat.

CLANG!

Grace blocked the hand with a dagger, feeling a vibration up her arm from the impact.

She twisted the blade and dragged it through the creature’s wrist as she severed its hand. It shrieked in rage, but before it could react, she drove her knee into its chest, then fired a point-blank round straight into its forehead.

The Fast Mover dropped just as the Beast came crashing toward her again.

Grace rolled to the side, coming up onto one knee. She was done playing around with the mad bear.

She focused her power. Her mind started forming a massive halberd of pure violet energy in her grip.

As the Beast lunged again, she stepped forward and swung with all her strength. The blade met flesh and a sickening crack echoed as the halberd tore through its skull, cleaving it in half.

The Beast collapsed mid-charge, its massive body skidding across the pavement.

Silence.

The other zombies froze while their rotten brains processed what had just happened.

Grace exhaled while straightening. Blood was dripping from her weapon, pooling at her feet.

And then, she noticed something shiny emerging from the Beast’s corpse.

She narrowed her eyes, and stepped closer. It was a small red stone that was glowing with an unnatural, almost hypnotic light.

[Scanning…]

2025’s voice came almost immediately.

[Analysis complete. Identified as a Spirit Stone.]

Grace stilled.

A Spirit Stone?