Chapter 15: The Tier-4 Nest
Dawn on August 22nd was gray and cold, with fog rolling off Green Lake like something from a horror movie.
We arrived at the compound at 6 AM sharp. Lucas was waiting with a team of five other survivor, all level 3 or higher, all armed with decent weapons and grim expressions.
"Everyone, this is Ethan, Maya, and Lisa," Lucas introduced us. "They'll be joining us for the nest clearing. Ethan has the Stormbreaker sword, which will be crucial for this fight."
His team looked us over with varying degrees of skepticism. A woman with a rifle spoke up: "No offense, but we're about to fight a Tier-4 zombie lord. Are you three really up for this?"
"We killed a level 5 Boss on day six," Maya said flatly. "We'll manage."
That got their attention. Lucas smiled slightly. "See? They're capable. Now let's review the plan."
He pulled out a hand-drawn map of downtown Seattle. "The Tier-4 nest is here, the old Convention Center. Our scouts counted at least fifty zombies inside, including the Tier-4 lord itself. The lord is level 8, has enhanced durability and strength, and can command other zombies. It's basically a mini-boss."
"How do we approach?" I asked.
"Front entrance is suicide, too many zombies concentrated there. We'll use the loading dock on the west side. Smaller entrance, easier to control. We fight our way to the main hall where the Tier-4 lord is holding court, kill it, and get out before reinforcements arrive."
"Simple plan," one of Lucas's team, a big man with a fire axe, said. "I like simple."
"Simple doesn't mean easy," Lucas cautioned. "Everyone needs to pull their weight. Ethan, that sword of yours has a special ability, right?"
"Chain Lightning," I confirmed. "Releases a bolt that jumps between multiple enemies."
"Perfect for crowd control. Save it for when we're overwhelmed." Lucas looked around at all of us. "This is dangerous. If anyone wants to back out, now's the time."
Nobody moved.
"Good. Let's move out."
The journey to the Convention Center took an hour, moving carefully through zombie-infested streets. Lucas's precognition made him an excellent scout, he'd pause before turning corners, seeing attacks before they happened, steering us around danger.
My Danger Sense complemented his ability well. Between us, we avoided three ambushes.
"You've got some kind of threat detection skill," Lucas observed. "That's rare."
"Danger Sense," I admitted. "Bought it with points. Figured staying alive was worth the investment."
"Smart. Most people waste their early points on flashy combat skills and die anyway."
We reached the Convention Center at 8 AM. The building was massive, glass and concrete, now shattered and bloodstained. Zombies wandered through the broken windows. Even from outside, we could hear their groaning.
"Loading dock is around back," Lucas whispered. "Stay quiet, stay together. No heroics."
We moved as a group, weapons ready. The loading dock had a rolling metal door, half-open. Lucas peeked inside using his precognition to check for immediate threats.
"Six zombies visible. Mix of Tier-1 and Tier-2. We go in fast, take them down before they alert the others."
We charged in. Lucas moved like water, his sword finding zombie skulls with precognitive accuracy. Maya's bat crushed heads with Power Strike. I used Stormbreaker for the first time in real combat, and the blade sang.
Lightning crackled along the edge with each swing, the enhanced Strength making my strikes devastating. I took down three zombies in seconds.
[ZOMBIES KILLED: 6]
[POINTS EARNED: 75](Bonus from Reader's Privilege)
We moved deeper into the Convention Center. The interior was dark, lit only by emergency lights and the glow from my sword. Bodies everywhere, some zombie, some human, all rotting.
"Main hall is ahead," Lucas said. "That's where the Tier-4 lord is. Everyone ready?"
We checked our weapons, our stamina, our courage. Then we entered the main hall.
It was full of zombies. At least forty of them, organized in a rough semicircle around a raised platform. And on that platform stood the Tier-4 lord.
It was huge eight feet tall, massively muscled, with armor-like skin that looked almost metallic. Its eyes glowed with red intelligence. When it saw us, it roared, and every zombie in the room turned toward us.
[BOSS BATTLE INITIATED]
[TIER-4 ZOMBIE LORD]
[LEVEL: 8]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
[WARNING: Enemy can command other zombies]
"Formation!" Lucas shouted. "Front line holds, ranged attacks from the back! Focus fire on the lord when possible!"
The zombie horde charged.
What followed was chaos. Pure, brutal chaos.
Lucas's team fought with practiced coordination. The woman with the rifle ,her name was Sarah, apparently picked off Tier-2s from the back. The big man with the fire axe held the front line with Lucas. The others filled gaps, supporting where needed.
Maya, Lisa, and I fought as our own unit. Maya's Enhanced Reflexes let her dodge attacks I didn't even see coming. Lisa had improved dramatically, her Basic Combat skill making her competent if not skilled. And I had Stormbreaker.
I waded into the horde, the legendary sword cutting through zombies like they were paper. Lightning arced from blade to blade, chaining between enemies and leaving smoking corpses.
[ZOMBIES KILLED: 4...7...11...15...]
The points kept accumulating, but I ignored them. Had to focus on survival.
The Tier-4 lord was commanding the others, directing them tactically. It sent Tier-2s to flank us, had Tier-1s swarm the weakest-looking members of our team. Smart. Dangerous.
"We need to kill the lord!" Lucas shouted, cutting down two zombies with perfect precision. "It's coordinating them!"
"On it!" I yelled back.
I activated Stormbreaker's special ability.
[CHAIN LIGHTNING ACTIVATED]
The sword blazed with electric fury. I swung it toward the lord, and a bolt of lightning erupted from the blade, striking the lord square in the chest. The lightning chained to nearby zombies, hitting five more before dissipating.
The Tier-4 lord staggered but didn't fall. Its metallic skin had absorbed most of the damage.
"Hit it again!" Lucas was fighting his way toward the platform, his precognition letting him dodge the lord's commanding gestures.
I was about to charge when my Danger Sense screamed.
I spun just in time to see a Tier-3 zombie, the first I'd seen in person, lunging at Lisa. It was fast, with claws that could disembowel.
No time to think. I threw myself between them.
The Tier-3's claws raked across my chest, tearing through my jacket and into flesh.
[CRITICAL HIT RECEIVED]
[HEALTH: 98/180]
Pain exploded through me, but I stayed upright and drove Stormbreaker through the Tier-3's skull.
[TIER-3 ZOMBIE KILLED]
[POINTS EARNED: 120]
"Ethan!" Lisa screamed.
"I'm fine!" I wasn't fine, but we were in the middle of a battle. "Keep fighting!"
Lucas reached the Tier-4 lord. His precognition let him dodge its massive fists, but he couldn't damage it significantly, his sword wasn't strong enough to pierce that metallic skin.
"Ethan! The sword!" Lucas shouted.
I understood immediately. He needed Stormbreaker.
I ran toward the platform, cutting through zombies, and tossed the legendary sword to Lucas.
He caught it mid-dodge, and his entire fighting style transformed. With precognition AND a legendary weapon, he became unstoppable.
Stormbreaker lit up in his hands, and he drove it straight through the Tier-4 lord's metallic chest. Lightning erupted from the wound, cooking the lord from the inside.
The Tier-4 lord screamed,a sound that shook the walls,and fell.
[BOSS DEFEATED: TIER-4 ZOMBIE LORD]
[MASSIVE POINTS AWARDED TO ALL PARTICIPANTS]
[ETHAN: +800 POINTS]
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 4 → LEVEL 6]
With the lord dead, the remaining zombies lost their coordination. They became easy to clean up, mindless Tier-1s that couldn't adapt.
Ten minutes later, the main hall was clear.
We'd won.
---
[END CHAPTER 15]
Current Status:
• Ethan's Level: 6 (jumped 2 levels from massive points)
• Ethan's Points: 981 (massive total)
• Maya's Level: 4
• Lisa's Level: 3
• Status: Injured but alive
• Relationship with Lucas: Cooperative
• Major Victory: Tier-4 Nest Cleared
Days Since Apocalypse: 6
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*Author's Note: Major battle chapter! The team proved themselves fighting alongside Lucas, and Ethan showed he's willing to work with the protagonist rather than against him. Next chapters will explore the aftermath, relationship building, and the question: who keeps the Stormbreaker sword? Plus, Ethan now has almost 1000 points to spend...*
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