Night fell quickly at the military base, as if the sky itself understood how heavy this day had been for so many. The afternoon meeting hadn't fully settled in Sofia's mind. She stood before the tactical board hanging on the wall of her team's barracks, staring at the strategy notes she had yet to complete. The night air was cold, but not freezing—just enough to make the body crave warmth—but no one could sleep tonight.
Sofia's team had gathered. They sat in a circle on a worn-out mat layered with Yuna's thin rug, each holding a cup of instant coffee or hot water. Their faces were serious, though some tried to mask their anxiety with faint smiles or dry jokes.
Sofia lifted her gaze, looking at each of them—Viktor, Rina, Dito, Kamil, Yuna, and Vivi.
"I want to be honest," she said, breaking the silence. "Tomorrow… we're going up against one of the eleven remaining Rank 3 zombies."
No one responded right away. Only the ticking of an old clock in the corner of the room filled the space.
"Colonel Ren has made it clear. This is a voluntary mission. If any of you don't want to join, I won't be mad. You can stay at the base, help from a distance, or wait for another mission. No pressure from me… seriously."
She looked at them deeply. "I know it's crazy. Rank 3s aren't a joke. Just one of them could wipe out an elite team in minutes. But if we succeed… we won't just be helping humanity, we might also Rank up, grow stronger faster, and maybe… shorten this war."
Silence. Then Viktor took a sip of his coffee and smirked.
"You forgot one thing, Sofia," he said. "We're not joining just because of the mission. We're doing this because you're the leader. And honestly, I'd rather march into hell with you than sit here watching the news."
Yuna chuckled. "If Viktor's in, I'm in. Besides, who's going to help you if you faint from exhaustion?"
Dito slapped his knee. "I've never fought a Rank 3, but I don't want to regret not trying. I'm in."
Rina nodded slowly. "I'm scared, honestly… but I've been a healer too long to run now. If you're all going, I'll be right behind you."
Kamil, the usually quiet sniper, simply raised his finger. "I want to see if a .50 caliber bullet can make a Rank 3 zombie bleed or not."
Vivi smiled widely, though tension lingered in her eyes. "I don't have much experience… but I don't want to be a burden. I'm coming, Big Sis Sofi."
Sofia let out a breath—relief and emotion mixing in her chest. She nodded slowly, her voice trembling slightly, "Thank you… all of you."
That night, they couldn't sleep.
And they weren't the only ones. Across the base, room after room, team after team—soldiers, survivors, and Awakened couldn't shut their eyes. Some sharpened weapons, others stared blankly at the ceiling, and a few wrote last letters… just in case.
The tension hung like fog. Unseen, but felt by every sense.
The next day, before the sun fully rose, Sofia walked to the mission registration center and enlisted her team for the hunt. The clerk looked surprised but quickly wrote down their names without comment.
After that, they headed to the arsenal.
The place was busier than usual. Many other teams were also upgrading their gear. Technicians and quartermasters worked nonstop, supplying weapons, armor, and special equipment for the Rank 3 hunt. The atmosphere felt like an RPG weapon shop before a major boss fight.
Sofia stuck with her signature weapon—a Golden-silver Cross-shape Spear. She only requested minor repairs and durability enhancements. No need to change weapons. She had bonded with that spear, and no other weapon suited her better.
Viktor, with his appraisal ability, took more time. He studied dozens of scopes before choosing one with auto-tracking and night vision. "We don't know if the zombie will appear at day or night," he said. "Better be ready."
Rina selected a healing staff. Not a weapon for battle, but a tool that could save lives—and that's what she needed most.
Dito finally found his new sword—Ardent Fang, a two-handed blade with a light burning effect. "If they can regenerate, at least I'll roast the flesh first," he said with a thin smile.
Kamil was like a kid in a toy store. He picked a .50 caliber sniper rifle with a long barrel, anti-recoil stabilizer, and armor-piercing rounds. The weapon needed one full person just to carry it, but Kamil didn't care. "If one shot can punch a hole in their skull, that's enough."
Yuna, agile and fast, replaced her old dagger with a pair of thin obsidian blades that carried a mild poison effect. "If I can't kill them outright, I'll at least slow them down," she said.
Vivi, the youngest member, chose a round shield. Though small in stature, she knew a defensive role could save the whole team. "I won't let anyone get hurt without me standing in front of them."
Once everything was ready, they back on camp fully checking again they equipment and item.
The hunt would begin tomorrow morning, but the pressure and adrenaline had already arrived.
They didn't know what kind of Rank 3 zombie they would face. But they knew one thing—they would face it together.