There were constant bangs resounding throughout, and it was clear now that these were guns, and they were coming from more than just one person. In Zain's country, only three types of people would have access to firearms.

The police force, the military, and gangs. The number of gunshots that resonated made it seem like they were either the police force or the military.

'It would make sense for the army or police force to create a stronghold in the city. They would focus on saving most from here…but the problem is the weapons themselves.' Zain thought as he looked at his hand.

Although his resistance had improved and his skin was tougher, sharp blades could still cut his skin, making him think a bullet would kill him without a doubt. No matter how good his healing was, a shot to the head would cause him a problem and Skittle.

'Still, I have to find out what's going on, and I should check out the situation for myself.'

It was quite easy for the two of them to figure out where the shooting was coming from. The gunshots could be heard throughout the whole city, and the zombies roaming in the shops and streets had started to come out as well and were in that direction.

'As I thought, using guns isn't the best idea. It's just telling them to come towards you.'

In the end, the zombies had formed a horde down one of the streets and started to run in a certain direction. It was hard for Zain to smell if there were humans on the other side or not since the other scents, such as gunpowder, were too overwhelming.

Suddenly, he saw a zombie fall as a bullet hit its head and jerked his whole body back.

'Let's try looking for a safer place.'

Looking at the buildings around them, Zain headed inside one of them and went up the staircase. The elevators in the apartment blocks would usually be full of dead bodies and out of order. Although the electricity was still working in some places, the last thing Zain wanted was for him to get stuck in the elevator of all things or fall to his death.

Eventually, they had reached the fifth floor, which gave both of them a good enough height to see what was going on.

'That's…strange...I wonder how long they have been here. And what started all of this?' Zain thought.

He noticed a few military men with sandbags in front of them. They were in pairs and had adult rifles, firing out at the zombies. They seemed well trained because they were aiming well and quickly taking out the zombies.

In total, there were ten in army uniform, but they weren't alone. Behind them was a larger force of what looked like the police—just standard police who had handguns. There were around fifteen of them, and they were also constantly firing out and reloading.

Looking harder, Zain could not see any Civilians, so it didn't look like they were here for a rescue mission of some sort.

"More and more are coming!" One of the army men at the front shouted, "We have enough ammo to survive around an hour. Tell them to hurry up!"

On the way here, Zain had seen some swat forces that had been killed. They seemed to be more trained than the police officers, which was why he thought the two groups' meeting had to be a coincidence of some sort. The police force also clearly followed the orders of what the soldiers said.

"Kwak Ka!" Skittle made a few noises as he did from time to time.

"No, Skittle, we're going to stay here and watch. It's not best to help them until we know what they're here for. They seem to be guarding the building and have it somewhat barricaded, it has to be for something important if they're not here to rescue or escort civilians. What building is that even?'

It wasn't a police station or a government building. It looked like just a normal apartment block like the one they were in, only it was more destroyed by the meteorite.

'Wait, don't tell me, are they after the meteorites? Do they have something to do with all of this after all?'

Guns seemed to be very effective against the zombies. Even a couple of mutated ones were dealt with just as easily as the others, which only confirmed Zain's thoughts even more.

Although the guns attracted a lot of attention, they were certainly handy in an emergency situation, and seeing the results, he wanted some for himself.

'They haven't slipped up so far, though. They're doing well and not letting the zombies get close. While one person is reloading, another is firing. Maybe they'll eventually move and leave something behind? That's the only thing I can hope for.

'But if they plan to stay here one hour, there might be another problem.' Zain thought.

A system screen appeared as if someone was watching over his thoughts, confirming his worst fears.

[A Stage 2 Zombie is in the area]

[Quest: Defeat the stage 2 Zombie]

Due to him being in the area, the quest had appeared, but Zain had no interest in fighting another Stage 2, not with Skittle with him in that state. Instead, he wanted his friend to level up first. Still, it would be interesting to see how this small squad fairs against Stage 2.

Looking out the window, Zain was trying to spot the Stage 2 Zombie and was expecting to see a Spitter. However, what he saw walking down the other end of the street, with heavy footsteps, was nothing like a Spitter.

It was twice the height of any other Zombie. Its skin was almost a dark black, and it looked to be encased in concrete of some sort. Its eyes were sunken in and glowed white, and the road below his feet cracked with each step.

'This…it must be one of the three types, an Agro type Stage 2 Zombie.'

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