The battle was over as corpse after corpse of zombies fell to the ground.
Thud... thud... thud...
Bodies hit the ground constantly, but the survivors’ eyes were all fixed on the main battlefield as the dust slowly cleared.
Then their faces sank into horror.
Lucien stood with his back to them, but beneath his feet was a giant pool of blood.
"Boss..." Jeff called out, his steps sluggish, his eyes growing misty with each passing second.
"It couldn’t be..." Daemon murmured and he wasn’t the only one.
The joy and happiness they had felt from winning the battle vanished, replaced only by disbelief.
If Lucien had traded his life for this victory... then what was left?
"We won."
Just then, that familiar voice echoed.
Lucien turned back. Aside from a few bruises and minor cuts, he was mostly fine.
"Yes—we won!!"
It took a moment before they reacted. No one knew who shouted first, but they all followed.
"We won!!"
Cheers erupted as the survivors shouted and clapped in joy.
Seeing this, Lucien felt a sense of satisfaction. He felt fortunate to have such a group of people.
Leading them was stressful, yes, but moments like this made it all worth it.
After they calmed down, Daemon spoke.
"But boss... whose... blood pool is that?"
"I..." Lucien’s words got stuck in his throat. He sighed and stepped aside.
And then they saw it.
Mai.
A large hole pierced through her abdomen. Yet her face carried a peaceful smile.
The joy from moments ago shattered once more as their hearts ached.
Their eyes lost focus as memories replayed in their minds.
Yes, Mai might have been selfish and power-hungry.. but she had saved lives. She had protected the shelter.
And now...
Seeing her standing there, lifeless, with a gaping hole in her abdomen—yet smiling—
It was clear.
She had given her life for the shelter.
"Boss... we understand," Jeff stepped forward, his face forced into a faint smile.
He looked at Mai, and from her expression, he could tell she had been willing to lay down her life. Even if her reasons were selfish, she had still saved the shelter.
Maybe she had even greatly helped Lucien and that was enough.
"Soldiers!" Jeff called out, his voice carrying far and wide.
"Yes, General!!!"
The survivors shouted in unison, their voices shaking as a spirit of unity spread, a spirit of victory, of courage.
Their feet stomped the ground, making it tremble slightly.
"Pay your respects to the fallen," Jeff commanded.
"Yes, sir!"
Boom.
Their knees hit the ground as they all knelt on one knee including Jeff and Daemon.
Only Lucien remained standing.
He smiled.
---
Now that the battle was over, there were a few things to settle.
First was the headcount, how many survived, and the casualty rate.
Lucien and Jeff handled this.
As for Daemon...
His task was even more important—exploration.
Even after gaining control of almost the entire city, some crucial resources were still missing like a stable power source and materials for agricultural development.
"Hm... unbelievable..."
Deep within the area, Daemon’s eyes lit up as he discovered a barely functioning power plant.
But that wasn’t all.
There were still-standing agricultural institutes—and best of all, large amounts of food.
"Yes... this was worth it," Daemon said with a smile.
Behind him, the guards who followed burst into excited laughter.
Daemon adjusted his map, noting everything carefully. It would take hours to finish, but now that the immediate threat was gone, they finally had time.
---
Back at the battlefield, the count was complete.
Lucien and Jeff sat inside a half-collapsed building, with several strong Awakeners gathered around.
"Boss... we’re left with thirty Awakeners and 1,500 Semi-Awakeners," Jeff said, his voice trembling.
Lucien grabbed Jeff’s shoulders.
He knew what Jeff was thinking.
As the general, he blamed himself for the losses.
But no matter how much they prepared, this wasn’t a modern war.
This was a battle filled with unknowns.
Awakeners were strong, far beyond peak humans and the zombies were even stronger.
Especially the unexpected evolution of normal zombies.
It was a problem they needed to address quickly.
But right now, Lucien wouldn’t let his general carry that burden alone.
"You did well."
"It wasn’t your fault. There was nothing more you could’ve done. We just... weren’t strong enough," Lucien said with a light chuckle.
Jeff felt a bit of relief but still...
He wanted to do better.
"Thank you, boss. But I promise to do better next time," Jeff replied.
Lucien grinned.
"I know you will."
This was a new world. Mistakes were inevitable.
This was their first real war but it wouldn’t be their last.
Then, Daemon returned, a wide smile on his face.
"You seem happy," Lucien said.
"Yes, boss. As it turns out, we have the resources we desperately need. There’s a standing power plant and enough food to sustain us while we develop our agriculture."
"Of course I’m happy, boss. We don’t have to worry anymore," Daemon declared.
Everyone’s mood instantly lifted.
This was one of the main reasons they had fought.
Their comrades’ sacrifices...
Weren’t in vain.
It had all been worth it.
The shelter would survive because of this.
"That’s good. Definitely good," Lucien laughed.
After briefly discussing Daemon’s findings, Lucien stood up.
"Soldiers..."
"We fought. We bled. We sacrificed."
"But in the end..."
"We won."
"We came, we saw..."
"And we conquered."
"This is the first step of humanity reclaiming its land from the zombies and also our first step forward in this new world.
I’m glad to say that you are part of the survivors... part of the foundation that witnessed this day become reality.
As for the fallen... let us never forget what they sacrificed..their roles, their courage, and their importance in this war.
They will forever be remembered as pioneers of this shelter."
"...And now..."
"It is time to return home."
"Yes, Leader!!!"
They replied in unison as the army battle-worn and exhausted began their journey back.
Though their moods were heavy, they knew one thing for certain:
From this day on...
They had done the right thing—for themselves, and for humanity.