Untouched by the Outbreak

Yumi stepped cautiously into a seemingly random town, her eyes scanning the streets. The prototype zombie she had created walked beside her, a towering and formidable figure that had successfully protected her all the way here. As always, no regular zombies dared approach when the prototype was near, its presence an effective deterrent. But something about this place felt different, unsettling even.

The streets were clearer than most towns she had passed through, and the zombies she saw roaming weren't like the typical rotting corpses she had grown accustomed to. These zombies were healing. No decay, no open wounds—just greyish skin and dark, pitch-black eyes. They moved with purpose, not aimlessly like the others she had encountered in the past.

Their bodies, though clearly undead, looked almost... fresh. Yumi furrowed her brow, wondering what could be causing this.

What is going on here? she thought, curiosity mixing with caution. Despite the oddness, Yumi wasn't here to investigate the peculiarities of this town. She had one goal: find a place to establish her base.

However, she couldn't shake the unease creeping into her mind as she noticed the sheer number of zombies around. Far more than she had ever seen in any other place or town. Something's definitely off here, she mused. But for now, survival was her priority. Whatever mysteries this town held, she would figure them out in time.

Yumi's instincts flared as she noticed the unsettling shift in the zombies' behavior around her. The usual deference she was used to seeing when her prototype zombie was near had vanished. These zombies were different—almost as if they were preparing to attack her, something no regular zombie had ever dared do before. What the hell is going on? she thought, a nervous tension creeping into her mind.

She quickly commanded her prototype to circle around her, building a protective perimeter. Its powerful frame moved swiftly, forming a defensive line between her and the surrounding zombies. Despite this, the horde didn't back away. They continued to move, their black eyes locked on her with an intensity she hadn't seen before.

Yumi's mind raced as she assessed the situation. These weren't just ordinary zombies—they were something else, something more organized, more dangerous. But why? What made them different from the others? She had no time to puzzle it out now. For the first time, she felt a flicker of doubt, unsure if her prototypes would be enough to fend off what was coming.

Taking no chances, she commanded three of her prototype zombies to prepare for combat. "Get ready," she said under her breath. They shifted into attack positions, ready to strike if the situation escalated. If these regular zombies dare to make a move, Yumi thought grimly, they'll regret it.

Still, a lingering sense of dread gnawed at her. Something wasn't right about this town, and whatever it was, she needed to be prepared for the worst.

One of the regular zombies suddenly lunged toward Yumi, moving with a speed that caught her off guard. It was much faster than the typical zombies she had encountered in other places. Instinctively, her prototype swung at the oncoming attacker, its powerful arms sweeping through the air.

But the zombie was quick—far quicker than she expected. It dodged the attack with an agile twist of its body, barely evading the prototype's blow. Yumi's eyes widened in surprise as the zombie retreated slightly, as if assessing the situation before deciding whether to strike again.

What the hell… she thought, her heart racing. This wasn't just another mindless zombie. This one seemed more aware, more capable of adapting. It wasn't like anything she had faced before.

Yumi's grip tightened, and she silently commanded her prototype to remain on high alert. She could feel the tension rising. Whatever was happening here, it was clear these zombies were different—and that made them far more dangerous.

She couldn't afford to underestimate them.

Yumi's heart pounded as she saw the massive horde of Striders surging toward her. Their numbers were overwhelming—far more than she had ever encountered before. She quickly scanned the area, trying to count, but it was impossible. There were at least 30, if not more, moving with terrifying speed.

"No... there's no way my prototypes can fight them all..." she muttered, gripping her gun tightly. Her fingers trembled slightly, though she forced herself to remain calm.

Just as she braced herself to make a stand, ready to shoot at the advancing Striders, she felt the ground beneath her vibrate. A low rumble that quickly grew louder, more intense. Her instincts screamed at her to turn around.

And when she did, her blood ran cold.

Behind her, charging with unstoppable force, was a horde of Brutes. Massive, hulking figures that shook the earth with every step. There were so many of them, it was impossible to comprehend. They were coming from the opposite direction, effectively cutting off any escape route.

"How...?!" Yumi gasped, panic flooding her mind. She was trapped. On one side, the agile and deadly Striders, and on the other, the brute force of the colossal zombies. Her prototypes were strong, but there was no way they could fend off an attack from both sides.

Her survival instincts kicked in. She raised her gun, her eyes darting back and forth between the two oncoming hordes. Her heart raced, the weight of imminent death pressing down on her. She refused to go down without a fight, but she knew the odds were stacked against her.

Think, think! she told herself, trying to find any possible way out of this.

Yumi's mind raced as she analyzed the dire situation. Three of her prototypes were already struggling just to bring down a single Creeper in a different area, and now she was surrounded. The Striders were faster than anything she had ever seen, moving like blurs, while the hulking Brutes in the back added to the crushing realization that there was no way out.

Her prototypes, though powerful, were outnumbered and outmatched. They wouldn't stand a chance against this overwhelming force. Yumi knew that even if she tried to fight, she wouldn't be able to take down the Striders, let alone the Brutes, who were almost impossible to kill with conventional weapons. And as for the regular zombies—there were simply too many of them.

Her options were running out. There was a 100% chance she would fail if she tried to engage in combat, and Yumi was no fool. She had to think of something else—something to buy her time or find a way to retreat.

Her mind flashed through possibilities, but everything felt bleak. The prototypes were circling her defensively, their movements tense and ready for a fight, but Yumi's instincts screamed at her that they wouldn't survive this battle.

"No... this can't be how it ends," she whispered to herself, clutching her weapon tighter.

With the Striders closing in from one side, and the Brutes and regular zombies encircling her from the other, Yumi knew that if she didn't act quickly, it would be over.

Then Yumi saw a girl, dressed in a doctor's coat, walking calmly amidst the hordes of zombies. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight—the girl was completely unbothered, moving casually as if the swarming undead around her weren't even a threat. Panic surged through Yumi as she shouted, "Run!!" But the girl just glanced at her, confused, as if Yumi were the one out of place.

The girl continued to walk toward Yumi, untouched, and what made it even more unsettling was how the zombies simply let her pass. Not a single one lunged or made any attempt to attack her. It was as if they didn't even see her.

Yumi's eyes darted behind the girl, where a man stood a little farther away, leaning casually with an MP5 slung over his shoulder. He watched the scene with cold, detached interest, not moving as the girl in the doctor's coat advanced.

The tension in the air thickened as the girl approached Yumi. Yumi's prototypes stayed alert but held their ground, unsure of what to make of this strange encounter.

The girl stopped a few feet from Yumi and tilted her head, inspecting her with a calm, almost clinical gaze. "Aren't you Dr. Kurose's daughter?" she asked in an unsettlingly casual tone, her voice cutting through the chaos like a knife.

Yumi's breath hitched. How did this girl know that? Who was she? And why weren't the zombies attacking her? Everything about the situation felt wrong, but Yumi's survival instincts kicked in. Her mind raced as she tried to understand what was happening.

Yumi's thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Who is this girl? The sight of her walking so casually amidst the Striders and Brutes was baffling. The zombies—regular or mutant—didn't seem to notice her at all. And who is that man? Yumi's eyes flicked to the man standing a short distance away.

He seemed completely at ease, surrounded by zombies yet entirely unaffected. He wasn't even holding his MP5 in a defensive stance—just casually watching, like it was all under control.

How can they just stand there? Yumi's mind spun, trying to understand the bizarre scene unfolding in front of her. It made no sense. The sheer number of zombies in this area, especially the Striders and Brutes, was more than Yumi had ever seen. Yet here they were, a man and a woman, acting like none of it mattered.

Then she noticed something else—a second girl standing beside the man. Yumi hadn't paid attention to her before, but now that she looked closely, the girl was standing just as calmly as the others, completely unfazed by the chaos. She didn't look like she belonged in this apocalypse at all, as if the dangers of the world had no effect on her.

Who is she? Yumi's gaze kept shifting between the three—this doctor-clad girl in front of her, the strange man, and the woman by his side. Everything about them screamed danger, yet there was a calmness, an eerie confidence, as if the zombies were nothing to them.

Her mind was filled with questions she didn't know the answers to. What's going on here?