Chapter 958: Zombies

Fiona froze while biting as she heard Shane’s words... The melted cheese stretched awkwardly as she looked at the two ’familiar’ Survivors in front of her...

"So this is what you look like... I thought you’d look like a rat as well." Alex muttered while leaning back in his chair with a knowing smile.

Shane chuckled beside him as he didn’t have an idea that Alex was thinking that the rat’s controller would actually look like a rat too.

Fiona’s heart skipped as she wasn’t sure what to do...

’

What? How did these two—Cough!’

She almost choked on her pizza, coughing lightly before grabbing her cup of tea and chugging it down to wash away the lump in her throat.

The warmth of the drink did little to ease the sudden tension.

She stared at them caustiously. Perhaps, they were just baiting her out... "W‑what do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about..."

She tried to calm her voice, but her fingers tightened around the cup, showing how nervous she was.

Shane shook his head, clearly unconvinced.

Alex laughed outright as he tapped the table. "Come on. You think we didn’t notice? Rats trailing us everywhere, popping up in ruins, even during fights? We knew someone was listening. We just didn’t know who."

Fiona’s lips parted, but no words came. She had been so careful, so certain they hadn’t suspected a thing. Their conversations had seemed natural... They even seemed clueless!

Yet here they were, casually exposing her secret.

She sighed. Her shoulders slumped as she set her cup down. "Fine... you caught me..."

Shane’s smile softened, and Alex finally looked interested as he rested his elbows on the table. Neither looked angry.

In fact, they seemed more curious than anything.

Seeing their relaxed demeanor, Fiona finally admitted the truth. "Yes. I was using my rats to scout things out. It’s my Talent. They’re my eyes and ears outside the bunker."

To her surprise, Shane nodded approvingly. "Smart. We almost didn’t notice anything... However, I thought one of the rats. That allowed him to inspect it better."

Alex grinned. "And honestly? It’s impressive. You’ve got control over that many rats without them turning on you. That’s amazing..."

Fiona hesitated, then pushed her tray of pizza forward slightly. "I... apologize for spying on you. Here. Have some slices. Consider it a peace offering."

Alex laughed again, delighted. "Now that’s the best apology I’ve ever gotten." He grabbed a slice without hesitation, biting into it with a satisfied groan. "Mmm. Worth it."

Shane accepted one too, though more reservedly. "Thank you. But really, we don’t mind. We were just curious about who was behind the swarm. We don’t sense any ill intent anyway..."

As a matter of fact, Shane didn’t want to appear too difficult as well. He wanted to recruit Fiona as much as possible.

The ability to control rats was simply too precious!

Just like that, the tension eased, replaced by a strange atmosphere that brought them closer together.

Fiona found herself relaxing, nibbling another slice as the three of them shared the table.

After a moment, Shane continued to ask. "So... what’s your story? Why hide underground, spying through rats?"

Fiona’s eyes flickered as she suddenly felt nervous again... Still, she thought carefully before speaking. "Tell me first... are you part of the Overlord Clan? Or allied with them?"

The question brought silence for a moment as Shane wasn’t sure if she was part of the Overlord Clan.

Still, Shane shook his head... "No. Not at all... I’m Shane or Shadow Strider, the Rank 1 Survivor. Clan Leader of the Eclipse Revenant Clan." He gestured toward Alex. "He’s a member of my Clan."

Fiona’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected this at all.

The man she had been spying on, the one she thought was just another strong survivor, was actually a bigshot.

"You’re... Rank 1?" she whispered, stunned.

"Lower your voice..." Shane said quickly, his tone sharp but calm. He didn’t want the entire shelter to hear. "No need to announce it to everyone right now."

Fiona swallowed hard, her shock slowly giving way to something else... trust. If he were truly Rank 1, then he had no reason to lie about his allegiance.

Finally, she exhaled and revealed the truth. "I’ve been hiding because of the Overlord Clan. They’ve been hunting me. I... had conflicts with them. That’s why I stayed underground."

Shane’s smile returned, faint but genuine. "Good. Because I don’t like them either. In fact..." His eyes glowed with intent. "I’m planning to attack one of their shelters very soon."

Fiona didn’t expect this since the Overlord Clan was a huge Clan with dozens of other Clans supporting it to make it incredibly strong.

Still, if someone could actually challenge the Overlord Clan and its expansion, it was definitely the Rank 1 Clan!

She hadn’t expected her path to cross with someone who shared her hatred for the Overlord Clan.

She couldn’t help but like the two even more! Perhaps, it was fate that brought them together!

Shane also realized that Fiona was liking what she was hearing, so he didn’t let the opportunity slide... "You’ve got skills, Fiona. And I like that. Maybe we can help each other."

Fiona nodded as she set down her slice. "Alright... I’ll agree. As long as it’s related to messing with the Overlord Clan, I’m in."

"Good. Then we’re on the same page." Shane was satisfied since he knew that her ability would be incredibly useful.

Alex raised his cup with a grin. "To pizza and new allies."

Just like that, the three of them finished their trays... It even felt as if they had been friends for a long time as they talked about various things...

But then the atmosphere shifted.

The heavy gates creaked open, and a group stumbled inside.

Survivors gasped as the guards immediately rushed.

There were bloodied people in torn gear with their bodies covered in wounds.

Some dragged themselves forward, others leaned on companions... They were heavily injured. As for the guards stationed at the gates, they seemed to be unable to stop these people!

"Stop them!" one of the shamans shouted, rushing forward with his staff raised.

"They might turn! Don’t let them inside!"

The shamans tried to block their path as they needed to know if they were infected...

But the newcomers shoved them aside with surprising strength!

Immediately, everyone noticed that something was wrong... Even the dogs started barking as if threatened by these bloodied figures.

Without a doubt, these people aren’t Zombies yet... However, Shane could tell that they would turn soon, and it seemed that it wouldn’t be a simple Zombification.