Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB]

Ethan noticed the swarm of zombies rushing toward them, calmly took off his backpack, and retrieved a bundle of glow sticks.

"Don't lose your heads," he said dryly.

As he spoke, he cracked one of the sticks, which immediately began to emit a faint, phosphorescent light. He tossed it to the ground, illuminating the surrounding area.

These glow sticks were brought back from the Resident Evil world, a practical tool in situations like this.

Ethan continued cracking and tossing the sticks, one after another, scattering them to ensure the area within a radius of over ten meters was brightly lit. Only after ensuring the area was visible did he draw his longsword.

"This is a mess, but panicking won't help," he said, finishing his previous thought with an almost casual tone.

Helena, who had expected Ethan to come up with some genius solution to their predicament, found herself momentarily stunned by his deadpan attitude. She nearly choked in frustration but had to admit that his actions were helping her and the others keep their nerves in check.

With the area now illuminated by the colorful glow sticks, the tension eased slightly. The oppressive darkness no longer pressed on them, and the group could see their surroundings clearly.

"They're coming!" Marta shouted, gripping her weapon tightly.

The zombies surged out of the darkness, their movements frantic but deliberate. Avoiding the still-burning flames left by Ethan's earlier attack, they charged straight for the group.

"They're afraid of fire?" Ethan observed as the creatures steered clear of the lingering flames.

Acting on this realization, he raised his hand and launched a fireball spell. Unlike the smaller flaming arrows he'd used earlier, the fireball spell was a more explosive and devastating attack.

The orange-red orb of flame lit up the cavern as it soared toward the incoming horde. Helena and the others watched in awe.

"Is that... fire-based magic stone equipment?" Helena murmured, stunned.

Boom!

The fireball struck the lead zombie, erupting in a violent explosion. The shockwave rocked the cavern, and the deafening sound left everyone momentarily disoriented.

Ethan shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. It had been worth it.

The explosion incinerated the target and scattered the nearby zombies. The ones closest to the blast were thrown backward, some of them catching fire as the flames spread.

"Now's our chance!" Ethan shouted, seizing the opportunity.

He dashed forward toward the nearest downed zombie, swinging his longsword in a precise arc aimed at its neck.

He expected a clean decapitation, but his blade bit into the zombie's neck and stopped, stuck fast.

"The bones... they're reinforced?" Ethan muttered, his frustration mounting. "Seriously?"

Stepping forward, he delivered a powerful kick to the zombie, knocking it backward and freeing his blade in the process. Before he could recover fully, another zombie lunged at him, swinging its clawed hand with surprising force.

Ethan blocked the attack with his sword but was pushed back several feet by the impact.

As he steadied himself, he noticed yet another zombie rushing toward him with its gaping maw wide open, ready to bite.

"Not so fast!" Ethan growled, firing a flaming arrow directly into the creature's mouth.

The arrow exploded inside the zombie's skull, the confined space amplifying the force of the blast. Its head burst like a melon, and the lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

"Looks like the head really is the weak point," Ethan noted grimly, reinforcing his plan to aim for the head whenever possible.

Meanwhile, Helena and her team were struggling. Though Marta and Eliza had the strength to stand their ground against the zombies, their lack of coordination left them vulnerable to surprise attacks. Helena did her best to cover for her teammates, but the relentless assault was wearing them down.

"Captain, we need to retreat!" Marta called out. "We can cover you while you fall back!"

Helena clenched her teeth, unwilling to abandon her subordinates. She knew that if she left, Marta and Eliza wouldn't last long on their own.

But she also hated the idea of relying on Ethan for help. Her pride, built on years of surviving in the Sea of Calm, rebelled at the thought.

Her hesitation was interrupted when a short arrow emitting a cold, blue-white glow streaked through the air and struck the ground in front of her.

The ground instantly froze, a sheet of ice spreading outward from the point of impact.

One of the zombies, mid-charge, stepped onto the ice and immediately lost its footing. It slipped and fell forward, landing directly at Helena's feet.

"Attack the head!" Ethan's voice cut through her surprise.

Acting on instinct, Helena drove her dagger into the zombie's skull with all her strength, ending its movement.

She looked up, realizing for the first time that Ethan had been keeping an eye on her group the entire time. He hadn't waited for her to ask for help, he'd already been offering it, subtly and effectively.

"The Sea of Calm... has someone this selfless?" she thought incredulously.

Helena's past experiences had made her distrustful. Even her decision to team up with Ethan was calculated, she'd seen him as a tool, someone young and talented but inexperienced enough to be manipulated.

But this... this was something else entirely.

Ethan, meanwhile, had no idea what Helena was thinking. His focus was entirely on the battle.

He pushed his mental power to its limits, heightening his perception and reaction speed. Catching sight of a zombie approaching Helena, he acted without hesitation, firing the ice arrow that had saved her.

"Letting them get overwhelmed would just make things worse for me," Ethan reasoned, keeping his gaze locked on the battlefield. "The more pressure I take off them, the less these things will focus on me."

Ethan maintained his composure as he observed the battlefield. Helena had not betrayed him or shown any signs of deceit. At the moment, they were allies, and as such, helping one another was both logical and necessary.

While Ethan was capable of being ruthless when the situation called for it, he wasn't a man without principles. His moral compass remained intact, he despised betrayal and manipulation, especially when it came to allies. He had no intention of becoming that kind of person himself. So, even if aiding Helena brought him no immediate benefits, he still chose to assist her.

After ensuring Helena and her group had some breathing room, Ethan refocused on the enemies in front of him. Now that he had a better grasp of the zombies' attack patterns and physical attributes, he fought with greater ease and precision.

The zombies, while stronger and faster than an average human, were predictable. Their strength was akin to a normal person exerting their full power in every move, and their speed resembled a human sprinting at maximum effort. However, unlike humans, they could sustain this state indefinitely without wearing down.

"Is it because their bodies are necrotic? Nerves and muscles don't degrade further once they're already dead?" Ethan speculated aloud, driving his sword through another zombie.

He used the weapon to keep the creature at bay, preventing it from closing the distance. Once he had it pinned, he swiftly released a flaming arrow, incinerating it.

Unfortunately, the capacity of the wristband was limited. The six flaming arrows it could store were quickly depleted. Replenishing them during combat wasn't an option. However, Ethan wasn't without alternatives.

Reaching for his waist, he drew his Beretta and fired. The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed throughout the cavern, loud enough to make Ethan wince.

"I swear, I've heard that silencers are less for stealth and more to protect your own hearing," Ethan muttered, grimacing as the reverberations caused his ears to ring. He regretted not bringing any form of ear protection.

The zombies were dwindling in number, with only a few left stumbling to their feet after falling. Ethan didn't give them a chance to recover. He calmly approached each one, placing a well-aimed shot in their heads.

"Something's... off," Ethan murmured once the last zombie had fallen.

He scanned the battlefield, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"Why was the first zombie's neck so hard?" he questioned aloud. "The others weren't like that."

Initially, Ethan had assumed all the zombies had reinforced necks after his sword failed to decapitate the first one. But upon observing Helena's group, he noticed that several zombies had been killed with simple head strikes. Their skulls were tougher than normal, but their necks weren't unnaturally durable.

"That first one was different," Ethan concluded.

With growing unease, he turned to search for the body of the initial zombie he had killed. However, his search yielded no results, the corpse was nowhere to be found.

Ethan's expression darkened, his grip tightening on his sword.

"Be careful! The crisis isn't over yet!"

***

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