"20..."

"19..."

"18..."

"Fuck! Is that a fucking countdown?" one of the team members shouted as he continued firing his gun at the monsters.

Ever since the glass wall and reinforced door had been shattered, the razor-tailed monsters had poured out of the core room. Although they were noticeably weaker than before, they were still deadly. Their movements had slowed, and their attacks lacked their previous ferocity, but they continued fighting the survivors relentlessly.

The only reason the survivors were managing to hold their ground was because the creatures were no longer inside the core room, where they had been at their strongest.

"You’ll be fine," Erick murmured under his breath, his words directed at Ivy while his gaze remained fixed on the monsters.

Alongside Josh and Albert, he remained close to Ivy, forming a protective circle around her while continuously blasting the monsters’ heads apart.

"I’m okay," Ivy replied with a determined expression.

Unfortunately, her words failed to convince Erick, Josh, or Albert.

"We should all start moving toward the elevator," Erick called out to the rest of the team.

Most of the survivors were positioned farther ahead, desperately trying to keep the monsters from overwhelming them.

"We should, but it’s not fucking easy!" one of the men shouted back while firing. "These motherfuckers just keep closing in!"

"Fuck! I’ve run out of bullets!" another survivor yelled, panic evident in his voice. "We need to start leaving now!"

GROOOOWL!!!

The monsters’ growls intensified.

Their snarls echoed throughout the damaged facility as they continued swarming the survivors, refusing to give them even a second to catch their breath.

"I’m fucking exhausted!" someone cried out.

"If we leave just like that without any plans, they’ll attack us all the way to the elevator," Erick said, firing another burst of rounds into a monster’s skull. "Something has to distract them."

"What the fuck do we do then?!" another survivor shouted.

His gaze briefly shifted toward Ivy.

"Besides, you should get Mrs. Ivy out of here! She’s already injured, and these things are drawn to blood. Fresh human blood!"

Several team members grimly agreed.

Blood continued dripping from Ivy’s wounds, and every second that passed seemed to make the monsters even more agitated.

"You all should stay behind me," Erick suddenly ordered as he forced his way to the front line.

His rifle roared continuously as monster after monster collapsed.

"I’ll distract them somehow."

"Distract them?" Albert raised an eyebrow before letting out an incredulous scoff. "Are you trying to say you want to stay here while the rest of us leave? Are you that eager to die, Captain?"

"Have you forgotten that I’ve already awakened my abilities?" Erick replied without taking his eyes off the monsters. "You know exactly what my powers can do."

Another monster lunged toward him.

BANG!

Its head exploded instantly.

"Just get the fuck out of here."

His voice carried a seriousness that left little room for argument.

Meanwhile, the blood Ivy continued to lose was already taking a heavy toll on her body.

Her vision occasionally blurred.

Even holding her weapon was becoming increasingly difficult.

Normally, she could have purchased medical supplies through the facility’s system, but the overall connection was far too weak at the moment. Every attempt had failed and besides it wasn’t the right time.

The situation was growing worse by the second.

"Hurry up and get her away from here!" Erick suddenly yelled after noticing the group’s hesitation.

A monster charged toward him.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and emptied half a magazine into its face.

"I’ll be right behind you soon!" he added firmly.

None of them looked convinced.

Still, they understood they had little choice.

Soon, Albert carefully lifted the weakened Ivy onto his back.

Despite her condition, she stubbornly kept firing her gun over his shoulder.

Each pull of the trigger sent another bullet into the advancing monsters.

The group immediately began retreating toward the elevator.

Step by step.

Shot after shot.

"I’m really okay, honestly," Ivy said as she attempted to climb down from Albert’s back. "I’m just exhausted because of that monster’s horrible smell."

Albert immediately tightened his grip on her legs, preventing her from getting off.

"I’m sure I’ll feel more energized once we’re farther away from the core room’s vicinity," Ivy continued, trying once again to free herself from his hold.

"Not happening," Albert replied without even looking at her. "You’re staying right where you are."

Ignoring every protest Ivy made, the group continued making their way toward the elevator.

Even while retreating, they never stopped firing.

Gunshots echoed throughout the damaged facility as they shot at monsters rushing from every direction. Some creatures emerged from the core room, while others appeared seemingly out of nowhere, launching surprise attacks from blind spots and dark corners.