The golden light at Dustin’s fingertips flickered out just as the last zombie at the warehouse entrance crumbled to dust. Dark brown fluid splattered across the weathered cobblestones, releasing a nauseating stench.
Nathaniel leaned on his broken spear, his chest heaving with each breath. Zombie bone fragments were still embedded in the dented plates of his armor.
He looked at the bodies scattered across the ground, then at the white figure ahead. His eyes reflected the gratitude of someone
who had escaped death.
“Thank you for saving us, sir. Your kindness will never be forgotten,” Nathaniel said with a respectful nod.
Not a single stain marked Dustin’s pristine white robes. His eyes swept over the scattered zombie remains below with a sharp, eagle-like gaze, and he frowned slightly.
“These were just scouts. Where is the actual zombie army?” he asked.
Nathaniel’s expression immediately turned grim. He turned toward the southern part of the city, where thick gray fog shrouded the sky. Muffled roars could be heard echoing from that direction.
“Sir, over 10,000 civilians are still trapped in the southern temporary settlement. They couldn’t be evacuated in time. Please save them,” Nathaniel said.
Dustin’s expression hardened. Without another word, his body was covered in brilliant golden light. He transformed into a dazzling beam of light, shooting toward the southern district like a meteor.
He vanished in a flash, leaving behind only a faint trail of light. Even the roar of the wind couldn’t keep up.
Nathaniel and the others stood frozen. They were stunned speechless as they watched the glowing streak disappear into the distance.
The southern district had become a war zone. Over 10,000 zombies prowled outside the temporary settlement, snarling and clawing at the barriers.
Their mottled gray skin hung loose over jutting bones, while rotting flesh peeled away in strips. Long, yellowed claws gleamed eerily in the dim light.
Inside the makeshift shelter, terrified civilians huddled together-families with children, elderly couples, young adults-all wearing the same expression of raw fear. Some wept quietly while parents held their children close, with desperation etched into every face.
A boy, no older than six, buried himself deeper into his mother’s embrace. His tiny fingers clutched her torn clothing.
“Daddy, I’m scared,” he whimpered through tears.
The boy’s father was a burly man, but even he had turned deathly pale. He tightly gripped a rusty hatchet and said with a trembling voice, “Don’t worry. I will protect you.”
Despite his assurance, the hand holding the hatchet wouldn’t stop shaking.
Outside, the zombie horde slammed relentlessly against the flimsy wooden barriers. Each impact sent the entire fence shuddering with ominous creaks and groans. The structure was moments from collapse.
Several zombies at the front had already extended their skeletal claws through gaps in the barrier, reaching toward the civilians inside.
An elderly man closest to the barrier couldn’t dodge in time. Sharp talons raked across his forearm, tearing deep into flesh. Blood poured out instantly as he screamed in agony.
Just when all seemed lost, a brilliant golden beam streaked down from the sky like a missile and slammed into the zombie horde with a thunderous crash.
The light exploded outward, forming an enormous golden halo. Every zombie caught in its path instantly burst into flames and crumbled to ash. Their screams echoed across the settlement.
The civilians froze in shock, then looked up to see a white figure hovering above them.
Dustin had arrived to save them.
He gazed down at the swarming zombies below with cold fury. A huge golden ball of light condensed in his palm, crackling with countless tiny golden lightning bolts.
“Burn in hell, you monsters!” Dustin roared as he hurled the blazing sphere toward the horde.
It streaked through the air like a miniature sun, radiating a power so immense it felt capable of wiping out the world. The moment it hit the ground, it erupted into a blinding burst of light.
A shockwave exploded outward in all directions, tearing through the undead ranks. Zombies collapsed in waves, swallowed by the light. They were instantly erased from existence. Those closest to the blast didn’t even have time to scream since they vanished in an instant.
As the light began to fade, more than half the horde had been obliterated. Only a few remained at the edges, snarling and stumbling forward.
Dustin blurred into motion, weaving through the horde of zombies. Golden light flared from his fingertips, and with every flash, dozens of the undead dropped where they stood.
As he moved with inhuman speed, his white robe traced graceful arcs through the zombie masses like an angel dancing in hell.
The survivors in the temporary settlement stood transfixed. Fear and tears became distant memories as they watched the white-robed figure overhead in stunned silence. The zombies that had driven them to the brink of despair earlier were dropping like flies before Dustin.
Half an hour later, the last zombie fell under Dustin’s burst of golden light. The sky over the southern district began to clear as the gray fog lifted, revealing a brilliant blue sky.
Dustin landed in the settlement’s open square. Though the survivors around him cheered and celebrated, his face remained unreadable. He turned toward the horizon, where more crises might be waiting.
People rushed forward, hoping to thank him. But before they could reach him, his figure dissolved into a flash of golden light and disappeared into the sky. All that remained were the ashes of countless zombies and the thousands of survivors in the settlement.
They stared in the direction Dustin had vanished, then bowed their heads in silent gratitude. His kindness would be etched into their hearts forever.
