Chapter 28 - Cluster
The group began their march again, heading deeper and deeper into the city. Their goal was to make it out in the shortest path possible, and sadly, that meant they had to pass through the most densely populated areas.
The tourist district — the largest in the city — was filled with hotels, supermarkets, malls, and large company buildings. If there was a single place that could be called the most dangerous location in the entire city, it was certainly that one.
However, it was also the shortest and most direct route to the other side of the city since it sat right in the middle. Taking a detour would cost far more time, which they couldn't afford. Even though it was still afternoon, darkness would soon fall over the city, and since it was winter, night came much earlier than usual.
They had maybe two or three hours at most before every light vanished and they were left alone to fend for themselves against the monsters. It was far from ideal.
With that in mind, their steps quickened. Luckily, the emptiness of the city made moving easier and almost effortless. Yet, that feeling of something being wrong kept gnawing at Jack.
Liliana didn't seem to have any intention of explaining it. Jack could guess it had something to do with "the punishment" she mentioned for giving him certain information — or maybe it was simply another one of the seductive demoness's games. Either way, she just watched him with that same hanging smile.
Eventually, after walking for a while, the group emerged from the narrow streets and found themselves in a huge plaza in the heart of the city. This was the Golden Square — a place where massive billboards, shops, hotels, and all kinds of entertainment facilities were built for people to enjoy their time.
On any normal day, this place would've been bursting with life. But today, it was completely empty. Blood and destruction were everywhere, but there wasn't a single trace of any Undead — or humans, for that matter.
"What the hell…" The group marched into the square, looking around.
"No one."
"How? Where are all the Undead?"
"What's going on? This isn't sitting right with me. Not a single monster for the past forty minutes. Did they all die?"
"..." Jack didn't speak for a while, silently analyzing their situation. 'It's clear something happened that made the monsters move away from the heart of the city. There's no way all the Undead were killed.'
It was easy to confirm that just by looking at the aircrafts flying overhead. Their erratic, hurried movements showed that the situation was far from being under control. If anything, Jack would bet it was even worse than before.
Then, an idea struck him — a way to confirm his suspicion. Looking up, he scanned the area until his eyes landed on a tall building nearby.
"Guys, stay here. I'm going to check something really quickly," he said.
"Huh?"
"Where are you going, Jack?" Luna asked. "I'm coming with you."
"No, stay here in case something happens. I'm just going to check something from up there and come right down."
Without letting anyone protest, Jack walked off and entered the building. The interior was wrecked — blood smeared on walls, furniture overturned, and corpses scattered around with blown heads or decapitated necks. Clearly, a struggle had taken place here.
But Jack ignored all of that and kept climbing, floor after floor, checking each one briefly until he reached the very top. A chained door stood before him — the entrance to the rooftop.
He didn't hesitate. Raising his leg, he kicked it twice — CRASH! — the chains snapped, and the door flew open.
'Having this much power is really useful,' he mused.
Stepping onto the rooftop, Jack took in a deep breath of cold air. The wind howled over the ruined city, carrying the scent of smoke and ash. The sun was already hidden behind thick clouds. The weather was gloomy, perfectly matching the world's current state.
He walked to the edge and gazed out.
"Hmm… Nothing," Jack muttered, scanning left and right. "Was I wrong?"
From here, he should've been able to see something — but there wasn't a single monster in sight. He frowned.
Then, the sound of an aircraft echoed above. Jack looked up and saw it streaking across the sky, heading in a certain direction.
"Hm?" He followed the trail of smoke it left behind. 'Now that I think about it… all of them have been flying in the same direction.'
The east.
Every single aircraft he'd seen was heading east.
Instinctively, Jack walked to that side of the rooftop and peered into the distance. At first, he saw nothing unusual. But then… something caught his eye.
'Hm? What's that?' He squinted, narrowing his gaze at a dark blur far in the distance. Unable to make it out, he channeled Aether into his eyes. The world sharpened instantly, his vision zooming across the landscape.
And then he saw it.
His jaw dropped. His eyes widened. He stood there for nearly thirty seconds, silent — unable to believe what he was seeing.
"What the fuck…" he whispered.
"Mmm, now you see what happened?" Liliana said softly, almost playfully. "If there's one thing about the Undead… it's that they're extremely sensitive to human presence. They can feel you from afar, and they'll always attack without hesitation. Now imagine a city this big — with hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people. To them, it's the perfect feast."
"..."
"Add the noise to that," she continued, "and you get… what you're seeing right now."
In the far distance — beyond the city's edge — Jack saw a sea of Undead. It wasn't just a horde or an army. It was uncountable. From here, it looked like a gigantic black mass devouring the horizon — a living, writhing void.
"What's even happening over there?" he asked.
"Possibly a large population of humans," Liliana replied. "That's the only thing that could attract that many monsters."
"That's why…"
'It all makes sense now. Why the city is empty — why all the Undead are clustered in one place.'
But that realization made Jack's expression darken.
That direction — the east — was where they were heading. It was the main exit route of the city.
"Wait… that location…"
"Hm?"
"That's not just anywhere," Jack said grimly. "That's the military base — right outside the city. People must've sought shelter there since it's the safest place. But that… that drew all the Undead to them."
In other words, what was happening out there wasn't merely a cluster.
It was a battle.
A very gruesome one.