A katana appeared in her hand. Gripping the hilt tight, she swung the blade at the zombie lunging toward her. She didn't go for its neck this time, nor did she split its skull straight down the middle like before. Instead, she aimed right at the spot where someone had already cracked its head open—and added one clean, effortless stroke. The sharp blade sliced through its scalp with ease. The sheer force split open its skull, cutting through what was left of its mushy brain, the cerebellum, the upper jaw, the tongue, the lower jaw, and the windpipe. The slice ran clean across its head—like a knife through a block of butter. A gleamstone dropped out and hit the ground with a soft plink. The green zombie went limp instantly, collapsing in a heap. Black-red brain matter oozed out, pooling across the pavement. Its dull eyes stayed fixed on Theresa, wide and unwilling to close. What a shame—it hadn't even gotten a single bite of flesh before dying. Theresa didn't relax for a second. Low, guttural growls filled the air. More zombies stumbled out of the station—seven, maybe eight of them—each dragging its feet and jerking forward in crooked, unsteady strides. Theresa kicked the half-headed corpse she'd just killed, sending it crashing into the oncoming horde. The impact sent several zombies flying backward.Then, she barked an order, her voice sharp and commanding. "Stay in the car. Wait for my signal." "Yes!" Louisa and the others nodded eagerly and excitedly. "Quentin, you're with me!" Theresa called out and charged toward the station, katana in hand. Her blade was quick—her movements even quicker. She slashed her way forward, cutting down everything in her path until she broke through to the other side of the station. Everyone inside the vehicle stared, unable to look away. "Theresa's the strongest person I've ever seen," Louisa said, eyes full of admiration. "She's incredible," Dominic added, awestruck. "She's so cool," Flora muttered. "Hard to argue with that," Miles agreed. Orren's gaze stayed locked on Theresa as she carved her way through the horde. "Those zombies out there must all be unevolved," he said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Otherwise, there's no way she could cut through them that easily." He nodded to himself, growing more convinced with every word. "Level 1 evolved zombies have hardened tissue and bones. There's no way she'd kill them that fast." The others just stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Louisa rolled her eyes. "Please. That's nothing. Last time, Theresa fought through a swarm of thousands—alone—and got every one of us out alive. She even took down a giant zombie with a single strike. You should've seen her when she went all out. What you're seeing now is just her warming up." Orren snorted. "Yeah, right. Who do you think you're fooling? A kindergartener? A giant zombie killed in one blow? That's the kind of brag that no one would believe." "We can all vouch for it," Dominic said firmly. "Last time, Theresa went into the underground mall alone to get us out. The moment we escaped, we were surrounded by a zombie horde and a giant zombie. Then, she unleashed her fire-based ability—lit up the sky like the sun. My sister's little flames don't even come close." "Oh, come on!" Orren snapped. "Now you're just making things up. Solan's a fire-based ability user—the strongest in Solan Camp! When he goes all out, he can raise a whole wall of fire. You're saying she's stronger than him? At least make up a rare ability if you're gonna lie. You might fool someone else, but not me! Nobody knows fire-based abilities better than I do!" "Orren, it's true," Flora said quietly. "Theresa's ability is way stronger than Solan's." "You brainless idiot," Orren shot back. "You've clearly never seen Solan's fire in action. You see a spark and think it's the sun. What a joke. Wait till you actually witness Solan's power—you'll choke on your own words." Flora just stared at him. Everyone else fell silent. Then, suddenly, a cry for help pierced the air. "Help! Somebody help us!" They all turned toward the railway ahead. A woman and a little girl were running toward them, panic written all over their faces. Behind them surged a pack of forty or fifty green, bulging-eyed zombies. Their bodies jerked violently as they ran, heads twitching and limbs trembling, but their pace was terrifyingly fast—like a swarm of convulsing beasts charging straight at their prey.The mother and daughter seemed to be speed-type ability users; even with the evolved zombies chasing them, they still managed to stay a few yards ahead. "Look! Survivors!" Orren's eyes lit up. "We have to help them!" "No!" Louisa snapped. "We're in the middle of a mission. Theresa told us to stay in the car and wait. If you move now, you'll bring the horde down on us!" "Which matters more—orders or human lives?" Orren barked, his tone full of self-righteous authority. "Nothing outranks saving people. We're going to help them, now!"