Chapter 86 - 55: Elegy

Paige Summers dodged the Zombie’s attacks with all her might. Just as she’d expected, its movements began to slow down. Not only that, but a strange gurgling sound came from its throat, as if it were in great distress.

A faint, fleeting smile touched her lips. She switched the blade back to her right hand, forced the Zombie back, and ran toward Erin Quinn!

She had smeared the Poisonous Liquid that seeped from her fingertips directly onto the Zombie’s arm. ’No matter how strong it is, I refuse to believe it can withstand this!’

Elara Archer had no time to worry about them now. Frantic, she was already running toward Patrick Forrest.

Even if he no longer remembered his own name, in her heart, he was still the man she loved most, just as he had always been. For him, she had abandoned everything—not just her parents, but also the humanity she once possessed as a person...

Paige Summers reached Erin Quinn’s side. The girl’s condition was dire.

Although she was still stubbornly sitting up, her eyes were vacant and she was unresponsive. Her arms hung limply at her sides, and her ashen face told a grim story about her injuries.

Paige Summers didn’t dare move her arms. Instead, she carefully helped her lie down, took out some ointment to treat her leg wound, and then gave her one of the Great Nourishing Pills that Levi Young had custom-made for her.

Thankfully, the bleeding stopped quickly.

Some color gradually returned to Erin Quinn’s face. Drowsy, she finally closed her unfocused eyes.

Meanwhile, things were getting heated over by the Zombie.

Elara Archer’s cries reached Paige Summers’s ears unobstructed. Knowing that her foe wouldn’t be causing any more trouble for the time being, she let out a long sigh of relief, quickly applied ointment to her own wounds, and then looked up.

She was startled to see a tall, familiar figure standing protectively just a few meters in front of them. He had appeared without her noticing.

"Marcus Monroe!"

Marcus Monroe grunted in acknowledgment, his tone harsh. "How bad are your injuries?"

Paige Summers suddenly smiled. ’Gruff and harsh, but he’s definitely worried about me!’

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. But Evie might be in trouble. Her leg was... by the Zombie..."

"I saw," Marcus Monroe cut her off. "Given her condition, she’s stable for now. Let’s deal with the situation over there first."

The situation over there... was indeed a bit strange...

Paige Summers gripped the hilt of her blade, got to her feet, and looked over.

The Zombie was clearly unable to withstand the Poisonous Liquid, but it was incredibly resilient. It wasn’t dead yet, just in extreme agony. Its body convulsed as it rolled on the ground, its claws scratching frantically at its head and face. The mask covering its face had long since been shredded, revealing its true features. Its eyes bulged slightly and its skin had a bluish tint, but if you ignored the gashes it had inflicted upon itself, it almost looked human.

Paige Summers had a vague suspicion that this situation had something to do with the crying woman beside it.

Elara Archer had already given Patrick Forrest the best antidote medicine she had, but it was completely useless. She was terrified beyond measure. ’Zombies aren’t supposed to be affected by toxins, so why? Why is this happening?!’

’I have to save him! I must save him!’

She snapped her head up, got to her feet, and ran toward Paige Summers.

Paige Summers was already injured, so Marcus Monroe naturally wouldn’t let Elara get any closer. The moment she entered striking distance, the cold edge of his blade was pressed against her throat, and a thin trickle of blood instantly welled up.

Elara Archer seemed oblivious, not even thinking of dodging. But when she met Marcus Monroe’s icy gaze, she realized that if she took one more step forward, this man would kill her without a moment’s hesitation.

’But I can’t die now!’

She finally stopped and looked pleadingly at Paige Summers. "Please, I’m begging you, give me the antidote! I’ll do anything, just save him!"

Paige Summers shook her head honestly. "There is no antidote for this poison." ’Of course, even if there was one, I wouldn’t give it to her! Are Erin’s and my injuries for nothing? Besides, this Zombie has Promoted to such a high level; who knows how many people it’s killed. How could I possibly let it live!’

Elara Archer didn’t believe her and just kept begging repeatedly.

Paige Summers’s expression grew colder and colder.

Suddenly, her gaze froze for a moment on something behind Elara.

Then, she spoke slowly, "It’s... coming over..."

It was true. The Zombie seemed to be using its last ounce of strength to stagger to its feet. It let out a constant, low roar as it stumbled forward.

Perhaps it was drawn by the scent of blood, or perhaps for some other reason, but in any case, it was heading in their direction.

Paige Summers’s warning didn’t come early. By the time a dazed Elara Archer turned around, the Zombie was already right behind her... It no longer looked anything like the Patrick Forrest she knew.

Before, when he wanted to feed, he would circle her coquettishly with a longing look in his eyes until she agreed. When he was tired, he would rest his back against hers. Occasionally, he would even look at her with an apologetic gaze. But now, that handsome face was a ruined mess, his clothes were filthy and torn, and she could no longer see anything in those eyes that were slowly beginning to rot.

In that instant, Elara Archer felt an immense emptiness in her heart.

’Could the medicines I concocted really restore him to his former self?’

’Could my once unshakeable belief be nothing more than a delusion?’

’What have I been holding on to for all this time?’

"Patrick..." she murmured.

’Please, just tell me, okay? Tell me you still have a shred of sanity left. Tell me that the Crystal Cores you ate from the brains of other Superpower Users could actually awaken the intelligence you once had as one of them. Tell me... you love me...’

However, on the verge of death, with only the instinct of "appetite" remaining, Clayton Warren’s only response was to clamp his sharp claws onto her shoulders and viciously sink his teeth into her face!

In an instant, the lovers’ embrace she had so desperately hoped for turned into a gruesome spray of blood and gore!

Reality is so cruel.

Elara Archer struggled to tilt her head back, her blurry vision gazing up at the gray sky. Though no longer azure, it was still vast.

Suddenly, the remaining half of her face and one side of her lips curved into a soft smile. Her hands rose, bit by bit, and wrapped tightly around his body.

’This is fine, too.’

’No more facing his insatiable appetite day after day. No more enduring crushing disappointment when he drinks the medicine. No more remembering the elderly parents I abandoned. No more sleepless nights, because the dead who haunt my dreams, demanding my soul, will never leave...’

’I’m... so tired.’

’Let’s leave this world together!’

The Zombie Clayton Warren’s attack didn’t last long. The Poisonous Liquid began to take full effect, and Elara Archer, caught in his bite, couldn’t escape her fate either. Locked in this bizarre embrace, they fell to the ground together, their bodies rigid.

Even in death, they did not let go.