The guardians’ eyes widened in surprise as they watched the wave of zombies and beasts rushing towards them. In their previous experiences, the Level 0 zombies would only shuffle forward clumsily, but now they were running at a speed faster than the average human. The Level 1 zombies, which were usually as fast as humans, were now crawling on all fours, moving as quickly as wild beasts!
“It’s the Enthraller’s work!” One of the veteran members of the guardian organization yelled out, his voice filled with fear and awe.
The realization that they were not just facing an ordinary horde of zombies, but a group amplified by the cursed artifact’s power, sent a wave of dread through the guardians.
Morthos had used the Enthraller to turn this into a battle they were woefully unprepared for!
“Bombard these bastards! Don’t let them set foot on the train,” Captain Leroy commanded, his voice ringing out over the chaos.
His words were not just an order, but a rallying cry, fueling the fighting spirit within each guardian.
“Fuck them up, lads!”
Responding to their captain’s call, the guardians of the train sprung into action.
Each warrior on board summoned their deepest reservoirs of strength, launching their most formidable attacks towards the oncoming horde.
Waves of energy erupted from their weapons, painting the night with streaks of vibrant colors as they hurtled towards the encroaching tide of beasts and zombies, chopping them apart.
The guardians were an organization designed to protect the train and its passengers from threats. They were divided into several teams, each with its own responsibilities and specialties.
Captain Leroy, the man who had taken the lead earlier, was their commander. His deputy commanders, five in number, were distinguished warriors and mages in their own right.
One of these five was Martha. She was a petite woman with fiery-red hair, and she the led a team of mahes.
She was sanding on top of the train. The majority of the guardians were also there.
Her sharp, hawk-like eyes watched the approaching horde with an unflinching gaze.
“Let’s deal with this the old-fashioned way.”
Out of the nothingness of thin air, tiny sparks began to sizzle into existence all around Martha. Like feral beasts, they grew, twisting and twirling, feeding on her power that birthed them, until they burst into roaring infernos. Controlled by her will, these flames, wild and untamed, moved as if they were sentient, darting forth to consume any undead or beast daring enough to approach the train in a blistering dance of destruction.
“My men! Show them the flames of our resolve! Show them that we burn brighter than what any darkness can devour! Show them that with us present not even their shadows shall touch this train!”
Emboldened by Martha’s example and motivational roar, the rest of her team followed suit.
Their magic, similar in element but unique in style, combined with Martha’s to create a wall of flame. The resulting scorching waves seemed to set the night itself on fire, pushing back against the sea of undead and monstrous beasts. Those that dared to rush into it were set ablaze, their flesh and skin melting off of their bodies!
Simultaneously, another guardian, a grizzled veteran with a scar-ridden face, extended his rugged hands. Dozens of arcs of electricity manifested around him. Each arc twirled and intertwined, creating several charged bolts of fearsome power. A storm seemed to brewe around his figure, the air crackling with the uncontainable power of lightning.
“You unholy filthy creatures, Die!”
With a resounding battle cry, the scarred guardian thrust his hands forward. The barrage of lightning bolts that had formed around him launched forward, each one a messenger of doom.
They sped across the night before crashing into the mass of monsters charging towards the train.
Boom!
The ensuing explosions vaporized swathes of undead and beasts.
His attack decimated around eighty creatures.
However, it was as if he had merely pricked the surface of this sea of monstrosities.
The darkness spewed out more undead and beasts to replace the fallen.
“My word…” 𝒐𝒱𝗅xt.𝗇𝓔t
The scarred guardian, known among his peers as Gruff Halden, watched in disbelief as his electrifying assault, which usually reaped a significant toll among the enemy ranks, barely made a dent in this monstrous horde.
His grizzled face tightened, a knot of shock and frustration, as he beheld the endless waves of beasts and undead surging forth from the veil of darkness. It was as if he had merely disturbed an anthill, his formidable attack only serving to incite the wrath of its inhabitants.
“It’s like striking a rock with a feather… there’s just too many of ’em. And they seem… pissed.”
His words trailed off into a whisper as he felt countless hostile gazes locking onto him, their killing intent causing an involuntary shudder to pass through his body.
Halden’s show of power seemed to have provoked the strongest among the horde into attacking him!
In the blink of an eye, a group of the creatures broke away from the main force as they leaped toward Halden with an intimidating blend of raw power and predatory speed.
Despite the speeding train, they were upon him in an instant, their jaws agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth eager to rip into his flesh!
It was too late to dodge.
Halden’s heart pounded in his chest, his life flashing before his eyes as the terror gripped him.
However, just as the monstrous jaws began to snap shut, the imminent danger was suddenly thrust aside.
Another guardian had stepped in, pushing Halden behind him and summoning a gust of fierce wind that knocked the lunging beasts off their trajectory, sending them hurtling into the air.
Gasping, Halden turned to see his savior.
A man stood before him, standing tall at 1.82 meters. The howling winds stirred around him like an obedient army, his clothes and hair billowing in the storm of his making, and his face was stern and focused as he stared down the monstrous horde from atop the train.
Halden recognized him as the youngest Captain of the guardians in history, Leroy!