Chapter 61 The Conclusion

Chapter 61 The Conclusion

Just as the Hunter prepared for another savage strike a hail of bullets from an unexpected direction tore through its hide. The creature howled in pain as the bullets penetrated its flesh, forcing it to stumble forward.

Richard and his team had arrived on the scene. Without hesitation, they opened fire on the Hunter, pressing the attack.

Richard pulled the trigger of the Franchi SPAS-12 and then cocked the pump action, sending another round of devastating 12-gauge shells into the Hunter's massive frame. He repeated it, again, and again.

The Hunter tried to retaliate, pouncing at Richard and swinging its arm. But Richard stopped it by firing on its shoulder? His well-placed shots blew apart the Hunter's shoulder, causing it to recoil in pain. The Hunter's lunge faltered, and it stumbled back, disoriented and wounded.

The rest of Richard's team continued to pour a relentless barrage of bullets into the Hunter. The creature roared and flailed, unable to focus its attacks on any single target amidst the withering gunfire.

As the Hunter staggered back from the onslaught, Richard swiftly transitioned to his M32 Grenade Launcher. He took aim at the creature.

"Cover your ears!" Richard instructed the girls behind and they immediately complied.

With a deep breath, he pulled the trigger, and a high-explosive grenade shot forth, exploding in a fiery burst of destruction. The explosion rocked the corridor. The Hunter, already weakened and wounded, was unable to withstand the force of the blast. It was sent hurtling backward, its massive frame crashing into a nearby wall.

The Hunter lay still, smoke and flames licking at its tattered flesh. Richard and his team cautiously approached, their weapons trained on the fallen creature to ensure it posed no further threat.

Its health bar was at 5 percent.

"Fire," Richard coldly instructed and the three soldiers armed with M4 Carbine pulled the triggers of their rifles, delivering a final volley of bullets into the fallen Hunter. The creature's health bar rapidly depleted until it reached zero, signifying its demise.

With the Hunter defeated, the corridor fell into an eerie silence.

"Is everyone okay?" Richard called out to the survivors, still huddled near the storage room door.

"Brother—" Lisa rushed towards her brother and embraced him tightly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clung to him, overwhelmed with relief and gratitude that her brother had come to their rescue.

Richard held his sister close, his own eyes glistening with emotion. "I'm here, Lisa. I promised I'd protect you," he whispered.

As Lisa and Richard shared their heartfelt reunion. Denise, Angela, and Ella, the girls who had been trapped with Lisa, joined the embrace, forming a circle of support and comfort.

"It feels like I have gained three little sisters," Richard softly remarked.

The girls smiled through their tears.

"You saved us again," Denise said.

"If you hadn't arrived, I don't know what would happen to us," Angela added.

"Good thing that I have arrived," Richard replied and continued. "Okay, you can stop hugging me now, I can't breathe."

The girls giggled through their tears and released their tight embrace on Richard, but their expressions still radiated gratitude and relief. But then, their face turned pale when they saw Richard's face.

"Brother? Your forehead...it's bleeding," Lisa's concerned voice drew Richard's attention to the sharp pain radiating from his forehead. He reached up and touched the source of discomfort, his fingertips coming away stained with crimson.

"It's just a scratch," Richard assured Lisa, trying to downplay the injury.

"It doesn't look like a scratch," Angela

Angela's observation was right. Despite Richard's attempts to downplay it, the deep gash on his forehead was more serious. But he doesn't want them to worry about his health. With a faint smile, Richard attempted to reassure them again.

"Don't worry, once everything is over, I'll have it stitched up."

He then flickered his gaze at the storage room door. "Now, is that where the other survivors are hiding?"

The four girls nodded somberly.

"They locked us out," Denise said.

"I see."

Richard walked over to the door and knocked. "This is Richard! The owner and the commander of Blackwatch. Open this door!"

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the door. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Richard heard the sound of locks disengaging, and the heavy metal door creaked open slowly. The survivors inside cautiously peered out,

A man in his forties stepped forward. "Oh thank god—"

"Don't you thank god me," Richard kicked the man, sending him stumbling back a few steps. The survivors inside gasped in shock.

"You locked my sister and her classmate out! My men didn't die back there just so you can save your own hides," Richard growled angrily. "If my little sister—if my little sister died because of your selfishness. I won't hesitate to kick you all out!" n-/OvelbIn

The man who had been kicked back by Richard quickly regained his composure and stepped forward, attempting to explain. "Wait, you don't understand sir. We had to lock the door to keep that thing out! We would be killed!"

"Fuck you!" Richard kicked the man's face with a resounding thud. His anger had reached its boiling point, and he couldn't tolerate any more excuses or justifications for their actions.

"Brother stop!" Lisa walked forward. "They were just scared."

"I don't care. What if you die because of their actions? You are the only family I have left," Richard paused as he fell on his knees and grabbed Lisa's hands. "I can't lose you, Lisa. I can't bear the thought of losing you—"

"Father," Angela called and reunited with her family, and so did Denise and Angela.

"We shouldn't have left the building," said one of the men. "We would have been safe there compared to here."

"Who the fuck said that?" Richard's head swiveled toward the man who had spoken.

"You said we would be safe here in the university. You would protect us! So what's that monster earlier?"

"You fucking son of a bitch," Richard rose to his feet and walked up to the man and grabbed him by the collar.

"You think I control every damn thing that happens here? Let me ask you this, how many of you died? Let me rephrase that question, how many survivors died?"

His question was met with silence.

"See? No one died. That means we protected you from that monster. Now how about this, ask me how many of my men died fighting the zombies. ASK ME!"

Richard's voice thundered through the storage room, demanding an answer. The survivors looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

"One hundred and eighty-three," Richard revealed. "Those men aren't obligated to protect you all. We are a private military company, we are not this country's army. You didn't even pay a single cent for our protection. Yet, they fought to keep you safe. You all be fucking grateful that you are still breathing because of them."? Richard's words were harsh, but they carried a weight of truth that couldn't be denied.

"Richard—" a soft feminine voice whispered into his ears. "We understand, you can stop now."

It was Emily's voice.

Richard calmed down, slowly releasing his grip on the man's collar. He turned to see Emily. "I'm grateful that you saved all of us and my little sister again. We are forever grateful for you and your men's bravery."

Richard reached over to his radio. "This is Eagle Actual, give me a sitrep."

"We are handling ourselves fine, Eagle Actual. These zombies won't even get inside the Oriental."

***

Outside, the battle continued, helicopters, tanks, armored personnel carriers, soldiers, and Andrea fought bravely. Zombie corpses piled up on the roads, flyers falling from the sky, hunters being neutralized.

July 28th, at 5 o'clock in the morning, a notification popped up.

[Congratulations! You have completed the emergency mission]

[Rewards: Two spins on the wheel of fortune.]

[Killed: 20,235 Zombies, 300 Flyers, 60 Hunters.]

[Total gold received. 8,925,000]

[Current balance: 96,986,300 gold coins]

[Your level has risen to 25]