My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 348

As the evolved zombie’s blood splattered across the floor, its severed arm landed with a heavy thud, and its decapitated head rolled to a stop at Sparrow’s feet. With its invisibility completely undone, the zombie’s grotesque form was fully revealed.

Its blackened body appeared as though it was covered in a thick layer of decaying moss, and it seemed like there was no skin left to shield its sinewy form. Sparrow could make out the stark outlines of the zombie’s muscles and ligaments.

Perhaps that moss-like coating was once its skin, now rotted and peeling away as it turned pitch black. To make matters worse, writhing worms burrowed through its exposed flesh, parasitically tunneling through the decayed muscle.

Sparrow exhaled a relieved sigh, a small smile playing on his lips. He could feel the difference — he was undeniably stronger than before. The comparison to his first battle with an evolved zombie was inevitable; the gap between then and now was immense. He couldn’t help but marvel at how far he’d come.

Before, he had struggled to keep up with the speed of the evolved zombie—it had been much faster than him. But this time, while the creature wasn’t as fast, it was far from slow. What made it truly dangerous, though, was its ability to turn invisible and launch precise sneak attacks.

Its unsettling, alien-like body could stretch unnaturally, and it moved with such eerie silence that it was almost impossible to detect. Its mastery of concealment was terrifying.

Had he not made the reckless decision to confront it head-on, choosing instead to play it safe and protect the two behind him, the battle would have dragged on. The evolved zombie would have continued using the boxes as cover, toying with Sparrow while launching calculated attacks that would eventually wear him down, putting both him and the others at lethal risk.

Thud!

As Sparrow was basking in his victory and mentally reviewing the battle to pinpoint areas for improvement, a sudden thud behind him snapped him out of his thoughts.

Rose had been struggling to stay upright, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like molten lava coursing through her veins. Her entire body was wracked with agony, to the point where she could barely hold onto consciousness. The only thing keeping her from collapsing sooner was her determination not to distract Sparrow while he fought the evolved zombie.

She refused to be a burden, even as the torment threatened to overwhelm her.

When Rose saw Sparrow charging at the zombie with just his dagger, her first instinct was to shout or create a distraction to help him land the blow. However, she quickly realized Sparrow didn’t need her assistance. He moved with confidence, as if he’d faced this kind of battle before.

Trusting his experience, Rose focused all her energy on staying conscious, determined not to interfere or show weakness.

The moment Sparrow delivered the final blow, instantly killing the evolved zombie, Rose felt a wave of relief wash over her. The pain coursing through her body faded into the background as she stared blankly at the small beam of sunlight filtering through the tiny ventilation window, casting a warm glow where the evolved zombie once stood.

Sparrow stood like a comic book hero after defeating the villain, a beacon of victory and strength. Rose felt a surge of pride and a deep longing to emulate him. But then, the harsh reality hit her—she had been bitten by a zombie, which only meant one thing.