System Of The Undead

Chapter 232: Oh God Sam, What Have You Done!?

Clementine had grown tired of Jones. They hadn’t done anything together, but she was cautious not to raise his suspicions. She knew Jones would pretend they were involved to maintain appearances, but she didn’t mind. She was relieved that he hadn’t pressured her into anything, as it would have jeopardized her undercover mission. It was a promising start, but she couldn’t help but be curious about Anderson.

She met up with Samantha, who seemed relieved to see her, unaware of the danger the man posed.

Clementine managed to gather some information about Anderson, and she was grateful that her conversation with Jones had yielded results.

"That man..." Clementine blurted out, finding it hard to believe that she looked so stressed and disheveled.

"You really need some sleep," Samantha advised, but Clementine wasn’t paying attention.

Her mind was exhausted, but she couldn’t give up or rest until she found Sam.

"No, not yet. I need to talk to that man," Clementine repeated.

She noticed the other soldiers staring at her, but Jones had assured her that no one would harm her now that he had falsely claimed her, despite their lack of actual involvement.

It served as a good deterrent against future harassment, so she went along with it.

"Your nose..." Samantha pointed out.

"Huh?" Clementine responded, confused. She looked down and saw that her nose was bleeding.

Quickly, she sat down and used a cloth to stop the bleeding.

The stress she was under was finally taking its toll, and she could no longer afford to be relaxed about it.

"You really should get some rest, or you might end up seriously ill," Samantha teased. She didn’t understand who the person Clementine was searching for was, but she couldn’t help feeling envious that he had someone willing to go to such lengths for him.

It was an admirable act, one she couldn’t quite comprehend as she had faced many challenges in her own life.

"Can I rest my head on your lap?" Clementine requested, a genuine smile appearing on her face as Samantha nodded.

It was perhaps the first time Clementine had seen Samantha smile so genuinely, but it was to be expected considering how much they had bonded over the past couple of months.

Meanwhile, Anderson was lost in thought, his mind occupied with unknown concerns.

He touched his scarred face, his expression filled with anger, and muttered under his breath,

"That bastard, I will make him pay!" But who was he talking to? Only time would reveal the answer.

-

Sam had reunited with Sanders, and it felt reminiscent of their first encounter.

Without much conversation, they had overstepped and opened fire on each other. Sam had no choice but to kill them, as that was how he operated. The moment someone turned their weapon on Sam, all chances of dialogue were lost.

His defense mechanism would kick in, and he would enter a killing frenzy.

Sanders had unknowingly made the same mistake, but this time they didn’t attack Sam. "Schneider cannot be alive," Sam refuted their claim. Schneider had been recorded among the initial casualties, as he was the one who started this whole mess. However, his body had never been found among the dead, undead, or even the living.

"Do you know him?" Sanders questioned cautiously, trying not to further agitate Sam.

"I do. I met a man not too long ago who was trying to replicate his work..." Sam said, confusing Sanders with his statement.

"What do you mean by ’replicate his work’?" Sanders asked, seeking answers but still unsure if he could trust Sam.

"There was a doctor, nameless as far as I know, but he managed to create a powerful zombie that wiped out an entire military base," Sam responded.

Surprisingly, Sam was speaking to Sanders without attempting to harm him.

"What do you mean, ’wiped out a military base’?" Sanders inquired, realizing he was getting closer to the answers he had sought for years, although he still had doubts about Sam’s claims.

Sam chuckled at the absurdity of it all, but it didn’t matter.

"Hey, what’s so funny?" Sanders questioned, feeling threatened and assuming a defensive posture.

"I’m not interested in your life. I’ve grown bored of the military. It failed to provide me with the adrenaline I seek," Sam dismissed the significance of both his own life and the military’s.

"After that zombie killed Delta and a horde overran the base, I wondered... What would happen if mankind faced an enemy they couldn’t kill?" Sam’s face twisted into a sickening grin.

The loneliness must have taken its toll on Sam, as he wasn’t one to talk much. Sanders knew he could learn more if he allowed Sam to continue babbling.

"I wanted to face it, to confront the greatest predator this world has to offer. So, I thought, if such a thing didn’t exist, then maybe I could create it," Sam muttered.

This aligned with Sam’s twisted logic. Death and chaos were all he cared about. There was nothing else he desired more.

"What have you done, Sam?" Sanders finally broke his silence, filled with disgust.

"I created the ultimate predator," Sam blurted out.

This statement puzzled Sanders, as the doctors had severed Sam’s limbs. How could he have brought this predator into existence?

As Sanders listened, he could hear commotion in the distance, the sound of screaming.

"Those are...!" Sanders exclaimed, recognizing the voices of his men coming from above ground.

"You bastard!" Sanders was silenced as Sam struck him in the mouth and stomped on his ribcage.

"Sanders, Sanders, Sanders. Why do you make me hurt you?" Sam questioned.

Sam had dragged his unconscious men outside, leaving them as food for whatever he had created.

This also meant that Sam was trapped in this place not by choice, but because he had bitten off more than he could chew. Yet, the adrenaline he experienced was more thrilling than he had imagined.

The only reason he hadn’t faced it before was that he wanted it to be even stronger.

Like a butcher fattening a pig, Sam considered himself humanity’s greatest predator. It was only fitting that he would have a showdown with the zombies.

"You did all of this just because you were bored?" Sanders questioned in disgust.

Sam smiled, and Sander’s anger peaked when Sam nodded in affirmation.

"That is correct, but it’s almost time for the hunt,"