The alarm clock rang, as usual, at 4:30 AM. Its shrill noise brutally shattered the peaceful silence of the dark room. The sound was worse than a dagger slowly driven into their weary hearts: each aggressive beep resonated painfully in their exhausted minds, rcilessly reminding them of the harshness of the coming day.
The three n, Alexandre, Marlon, and William, dragged themselves out of bed and quickly dashed to the showers. Unlike other mornings, there were no crude jokes or furtive glances toward the won also taking showers to lighten the tense atmosphere. Their minds were entirely consud by the imminent challenge. Their faces, closed-off and grave, clearly revealed the inner tension gripping them; every thought was focused on the unknown trials they would soon face.
Barely dressed, they hurriedly swallowed a quick breakfast at a nearby snack bar. Without pausing to chat or savor their al, they crossed the large central courtyard of the academy. At this early hour, however, the outdoor gardens offered a spectacle of rare beauty: a thin layer of dew delicately covered vividly colored flowers. Majestic trees, with imposing trunks and lush foliage, dominated the scene, silently watching over the academy like immutable vegetal guardians. A slight, fresh breeze gently rustled the leaves, reinforcing the deceptive impression of peace and serenity at this hour.
As they walked, William scanned the surroundings and eventually remarked with puzzlent:
"Where have all the second- and third-year students gone?"
Alexandre imdiately furrowed his brow, aware of this strange detail he had overlooked until now.
"That's true... I've hardly seen any since yesterday. Even the showers were strangely empty this morning."
Marlon, looking dark and concerned, gravely added:
"Given the psychotic tests they're already putting us through in our first year, I can't even imagine what those guys must endure at their level..."
They finally reached the amphitheater entrance, where a large number of their fellow first-year students had already gathered. Alexandre and Marlon imdiately noticed Drak, his arms freshly bandaged—clear proof that he had recovered from his injuries and was ready again to face the upcoming challenges.
Inside the amphitheater, the atmosphere was oppressive, almost suffocating. The students' faces, marked by extre exhaustion, clearly revealed the brutality of their recent trials. Eyes circled and reddened from lack of sleep, bodies tense with anxiety, everyone shared a palpable apprehension, wondering fearfully what new ordeal awaited them today.
Professor Kouyat was already on stage. Straight-backed, imposing, with her sharp gaze thodically sweeping the room, she waited patiently for silence to fall.
Suddenly, a heavy noise echoed through the amphitheater, abruptly interrupting the anxious murmurs. All eyes imdiately turned toward the sound's origin: a mysterious chanism was slowly activating at the foot of the stage. A shiver of unease rippled through the audience as a tal cage erged violently from the ground with a grim screech.
Inside, perfectly visible through reinforced bars, stood a nightmarish figure: a genuine zombie!
Alexandre, instinctively reacting to the threat, imdiately activated his tactical vision via his Pip-Boy, hoping to quickly obtain a precise analysis of the terrifying creature:
╔═══════ Aurora Nexus: Inspection Mode ═══════╕
╟─╼[Character] Zombie╟─╼[HP] 100╟─╼[LvL] 5╟─╼[Tier] E╟─╼[Biology] Zombie║ ╰╼[Type] Walker╠══════════════╡╟─[SUMMARY]║"What a hideous creature! Let's hope it has a balanced diet."╟─[Fighting Advice]║ Exploit the fact the creature is restrained to maximize close-combat damage.╚════════════════════════════════════╛
Alexandre instantly felt a sharp surge of adrenaline upon seeing the analysis appear: this was not just a simple infected individual as he had previously seen in the infirmary, but indeed a genuine rank-E zombie!
According to the detailed academy encyclopedias, the difference between a re human infected with Virus Z and a true zombie was considerable. Zombies possessed significantly superior strength and physical resilience. Even more frighteningly, they were integral parts of a hive led by a zombie queen. Their attacks were precise, thodical, and perfectly coordinated, relentlessly resembling a colony of wasps protecting their queen. Their primary objective was crystal clear: to bring fresh flesh back to the queen to sustain the hive; obviously, they would feed themselves in case of excess, but their priority remained the queen. Prolonged exposure to Virus Z was required to biologically beco a genuine zombie. For an infected human to transform into a zombie and choose a hive, it theoretically took a week to ten days for Virus Z to make the necessary biological transformations.
The creature trapped in the cage was revolting: its grey, withered, almost translucent skin revealed prominent, dark veins pulsing beneath the epidermis. Its dark-blue lips curled back, revealing yellowish, pointed, and damaged teeth. Entire parts of its face seed to have been torn off, exposing raw muscles and fragnts of bleached bone. Its vacant, glassy gaze was devoid of any trace of humanity, yet paradoxically, its eyes were strangely sharp and reactive, like a hunter eagerly awaiting its next prey.
A collective murmur of horror swept through the amphitheater. Each student stared at the cage with horrified fascination, frozen in shock and fear. For most of them, this was the first ti in their lives they had ever seen a real zombie in the flesh. The impact of this appearance was as striking as it was terrifying.
Professor Kouyat allowed this heavy, oppressive silence to linger for a few monts, aware of the dramatic effect created by the zombie's presence. Now, everyone understood the extre gravity of their situation and the rciless scope of the challenges awaiting them at this ruthless academy.
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