My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 301

As Kisha neared the end of the hallway, she was forced to make another split-second decision on which direction to turn. Yet, the deeper she found herself in trouble, the calmer she became. She had trained herself to react this way to stay alive for as long as possible, a survival instinct honed from her past lives.

This time, Kisha’s instincts served her well. After retreating just a few steps while keeping her eyes on the zombie, she quickly realized that she had only a few more steps before she would hit the wall and be trapped. With the zombie’s agility matching hers and its strength not far behind, Kisha knew that fighting head-on in a narrow space filled with people would be a death sentence.

Fortunately, they hadn’t yet stepped on any of the patients lying on the floor, a thought that had been making her nervous the entire time.

But now, Kisha knew she couldn’t afford any distractions—one slip and the zombie would kill her, especially now that it was in berserk mode. Summoning Bell, she quickly issued a mental command through their mind link. Bell responded instantly, using its razor-sharp forelegs to slice into the wall.

However, the wall was thicker than anticipated, and Bell’s forelegs, though formidable, weren’t long enough to cut all the way through. It could only manage to weaken the wall, leaving it vulnerable but still standing.

But Kisha didn’t have time to wait for Bell to fully open the wall—she was already just two steps away from it. In a quick decision, she unsummoned Bell, sending it back to the space. She knew that Bell wouldn’t stand a chance against this zombie and could easily be killed, a risk she wasn’t willing to take.

As soon as Bell had done its part, she hid it away, preparing to face the next challenge on her own.

Kisha made a bold decision and steeled herself, then rammed her back into the weakened section of the wall where Bell had slashed with its sharp forelegs.

Gah!

Kisha felt the impact knock the breath from her lungs, her teeth clenched as she gripped the dead man even tighter. Her body crashed hard against the wall, but her increased defense absorbed most of the blow, while her enhanced strength allowed her to break through. Despite her defenses, pain shot through her back, and her lungs ached from the force of the collision.

But she couldn’t afford to focus on the pain. The zombie seized the opportunity, swinging its claw at her just as she lost momentum from the crash. Fortunately, the wall gave way on her first attempt, causing the zombie’s strike to miss by a narrow margin. Still, Kisha felt a sharp sting as its claw grazed her neck, drawing blood.

The wound wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t superficial either. Blood quickly soaked the fabric around her neck, staining her clothes. As Kisha burst through the wall, a loud, dull ’thud’ echoed through the building, followed by the collapse of the wall. Dust and debris rained down from the third floor, shocking everyone who had been waiting outside.

Before they knew it, the wall had already collapsed, and a silhouette emerged from the debris, shrouded in dust. Alongside it, something stiff and flag-like dangled, followed by a dark, shadowy form.

When Kisha landed on the ground, a tingling sensation coursed from the soles of her feet up through her body to her scalp, briefly numbing her senses. Despite not being injured from the jump, the jarring impact still caused her pain, making her grit her teeth.

Her eyes remained locked on the zombie, which had landed just ten feet away from her, its furious gaze never wavering. The zombie made no immediate move, instead seemingly contemplating its next attack. It appeared to have realized that its speed and strength matched Kisha’s, and charging head-on would offer it no advantage.