Chapter 5

Now, it wanted to end me.

The force inside me surged wildly, causing the gray-white streaks to spread across my face.

I took a deep breath. The pain in my body kept me oddly clear-headed.

"I choose the first option. I'll leave."

My voice was calm, so much so that I surprised myself.

Emilia visibly relaxed.

But Dustin spoke again, this time louder.

"Em, we can't just let him go! His gear, his supplies… They belong to the team! What if the zombies get them?"

Emilia frowned. "Dustin! Stop talking!"

Dustin raised his voice. "I'm telling the truth! He's not the vice-captain anymore! He's infected! How can we let an infected person take our resources?"

The other team members exchanged glances. Some nodded, while others shook their heads.

Just then, a sudden, sharp scream echoed from the camp's perimeter.

Everyone turned in panic toward the sound.

Emilia immediately ordered a few members to investigate.

Then she looked at me, her gaze conflicted. She spoke with difficulty.

"Zack, leave your gear behind."

I began laughing.

It wasn't until my tears came out that I stopped.

Then, I nodded. "Alright. All yours."

I started removing my gear.

My tactical vest, combat knife, backpack, food, and water.

As I threw them, each piece landed onto the ground with a loud metallic clink.

Emilia turned away, afraid to look at me.

But Dustin's eyes lit up, staring at the pile of gear like a starving wolf eyeing meat.

By the end, I was left with just a standard combat uniform.

"Is that enough?" I asked.

Emilia's lips trembled, but no words came out.

Dustin impatiently shouted, "Yeah, yeah, that's enough! Em, let him go!"

Finally, Emilia looked at me, her eyes shimmering.

"Zack, I'm sorry, but I have to..."

I interrupted her. "That's enough. From today onward, we're done with each other. Emilia, you should think over this. Without me as your main fighter, how are you going to protect your camp? Your team?"

Her body jolted in response.

I didn't look at her again, nor at anyone else. Instead, I turned and walked toward the camp gates.

At that moment, the gray-white streaks had already spread to my left cheek. The force inside me clashed wildly, almost tearing me apart.

Every step felt like I was stepping on razor blades, but I walked straight and refused to look back.

Not long after I left the camp, I entered a relatively safe area of the ruins I had been watching over the past few days.

The force inside me couldn't be suppressed anymore. It exploded.

Pain shot through my limbs and bones, like they were being crushed and then reassembled.

I collapsed to the ground before curling into a ball.

The gray-white streaks crawled wildly beneath my skin. My flesh split open, oozed blood, scabbed over, then cracked open again.

But I couldn't move.

My consciousness began to slip away as my body burned.

Then, I slipped into endless darkness.

Back at the camp, my departure didn't bring them any safety.

Instead, the zombies' roars grew louder.

Emilia quietly gathered my gear, her expression complicated.

Behind her, Dustin's excited voice rang out.

"Em, we can redistribute these supplies..."

Suddenly, a team member responsible for lookout rushed in, shouting urgently, "Captain Campbell, things are looking bad! All the zombies from a five-mile radius are swarming toward us!"