20

Reverend Apocalysis: Reality Surpassed Fiction

Chapter 20: The Utility of the Cube

"[Independently identified targets: mutant-type Carriers

Description: Humans infected by an infectious pathogen that can be transmitted through saliva coming into contact with the bloodstream, scratches, bites, or indirect infection with the blood of these carriers.

Advice: They are not immortal; this type of carrier can be eliminated by inflicting mortal wounds on humans. Unlike any other idea of undead, carriers with the mutant virus can be eliminated by causing severe injuries."

Anton lowered his gaze to his chest, saw how the cube shone, and heard clearly the information that this unknown origin device was providing him. First of all, how did this thing know what kind of carriers they were, and is there a possibility that there are different types?

Anton told himself that it left a bitter taste in his mouth. But now, looking at the carriages densely crowded outside the iron door, he thought of a way to halt their advance. Obviously, barricading this place was a smart idea, but it was not optimal for him. So, if he didn't want to do that, what should he do with so many carriers?

While Anton looked for a way, he glanced back and, after fixing his gaze on Emma, said, "Have you ever killed an animal? I'm not talking about hunting, but a smaller animal."

Emma nodded and said, "I used to work in a poultry shop; dozens of roosters were killed there, and I also worked in the area where chickens are usually killed before being thrown into the water. Why do you ask?"

Anton thought about it and finally said, "There are too many carriers outside; more than 24 hours have passed, so it's unlikely that they will save us or inform us of anything. If that's the case, we have to manage on our own."

"Are you saying we'll confront the carriers?" I can't deny it, but have you thought about what would happen if those carriers were just sick? We can't just kill them, don't you think?" Killing Carriers was still complicated for Emma; the mere idea made her feel like she was killing sick people.

Anton understood this but insisted firmly, "Alright, they are sick, and I can understand that, but listen to me very well, Emma. Do you want to get sick because of someone else? It's not time to worry about them, but ourselves. You know they stopped being humans when they dismembered a living person outside. Do you still think they have salvation?"

The carriers are now like rabid animals; in Anton's eyes, they couldn't be saved. Under the civil protection code, even if they are sick, if they attack, the only way to defend yourself is to be lethal. Obviously, many have been causing a massacre outside; is it really time to consider whether it's time to be murderers?

"No, we'll make our way from this point." Anton wanted to clear a lot of the area in front of the building to have a safe path to his truck. As long as they reached that point, they could escape from all this hell, go pick up Emma's mother, and from there, head home.

"But there are too many carriers outside, right?" Emma left behind her guilty thoughts and focused on their safety. Even if they could handle many carriers, they would still be overwhelmed by the many carriers still outside when they moved.

"So let's keep quiet; anyway, these carriers are not very smart; they will leave after a while!" The manager said it a bit nervously. In fact, he was thinking the same way as Anton and was quite sure that those people outside were not entirely human. Honestly speaking, he believed it was better to defend than to be infected. The food here is not enough for all of them to last more than a week, so they should think fast and take action while they still have energy.

Anton was a bit worried; he wanted to go to Emma's mother's house because a worried mother can sometimes do foolish things. Now, leaving the house means certain death. He had seen how these carriers tore apart the bodies of the uninfected people; they eliminated everyone without exception, so it was necessary to hurry.

"We have to do something. If we haven't received any news since yesterday afternoon, it means the government still doesn't have control. We don't need to stay in this place because we need other things, especially to look after our family. Killing the carriers outside is not too far-fetched. I have a truck not far from here; I'm not a bad person, so we could all leave together."

"Then, if we're going to do that, we should eat well." The manager said in a stern tone that he wasn't entirely convinced of the idea, but he would prefer to leave than stay here defenseless.

Suggesting this, Emma immediately turned around to look for food. All the edible items that could be found here were piled up on a table; everything was deep in the hallway. Many approached to take something and eat, so Anton was no exception.

While everyone was eating, Anton said, "They are not immortal; they are humans just like us, so causing severe injuries to their bodies will kill them. But somehow their senses are a bit stronger, so we must be careful."

"There's a window behind the building; as long as we attach a rope, we can descend from the building without any problem. I've checked the situation behind, and there aren't as many carriers as in the front."

Upon hearing that, Anton shook his head and said, "If we want to escape, we must kill all the carriers we can on the way. If, for some reason, they surround us, we'll end up torn to pieces. If we're careless, we'll end up dead like the others."

Emma was not expecting Anton to be so determined in this kind of situation; maybe it was because he had mentally prepared for it, but it was still very surprising.

However, Anton, closer to Emma, advised, "There are too many carriers outside; once we try to open the door, they will all try to rush in. We must find a way to control their advance; once we manage to disperse the carriers, the threat to us will decrease."

"The first attempt will be a test; we must make sure the door doesn't get stuck with the corpses." Anton said, a bit pensive.

"To do that, we must create a front with shields. We can assemble several with this wooden table since we have the necessary tools to do so," advised a man, pointing out, "Somehow, we must get out of here; the food won't be enough for all of us, and many want to go back home."

Anton, more or less pleased with this situation, must know that accepting the help of these people is a plus for his safety and confidence in what he wanted to do.

After eating enough, Anton, along with the others, began to act. There were three floors in this building; the entrance was on the main street, and upon entering, one found a hallway. Anton suggested placing two vending machines directly in front of them, while on the other side, a table and many boxes were filled with trash for now. This way, there would be only one place where the carriers would enter, and they could prevent a large number of enemies from entering.

When they wanted to close the door, it would be as simple as leaving a man hidden under a metal drum that would come out immediately when they wanted to close the door.

Anton, who looked at this plan as somewhat dangerous, said, "We move as far away as possible from the hallway towards the stairs; this will help us go up to the second floor if things can't be controlled here. Also, as long as we're at this point, the person hidden behind can close the door as soon as possible."

Many of those present had taken their respective weapons; everyone heard the plan, so this was an opportunity to check if their families were okay. Everyone had children, parents, and partners outside, so they were eager to leave but hadn't found a way to do so.

As everyone was preparing to repel the Carriers, a woman in her thirties approached with a long ax and said, "I would like to help you. My son and I are alive, thanks to you. I know there was confusion, and I understand it, but since you are about to put yourselves in danger, I would like to help."

"I still think it would be better to wait for the army's rescue; we're about to do something crazy," said a man who seemed to be no more than twenty-five.
Anton wanted to refute those words, but he didn't expect Emma to step forward and say, "Most of us here don't want to wait for the army to come and save us. If others are in the same situation as us, we have parents, children, and siblings to save. If you don't have something like that, it's a shame, but we are anxious to know the magnitude of this and how our relatives are doing."

While everyone showed determined expressions, Emma said, "Don't worry; all of you can go up to the third floor and lock yourselves in however you want. But know one thing: once you have made a decision, it will be too late for us to worry about you."

Upon hearing this, the man named Carlos, who had received a beating from Anton, approached and said, "I will make sure to close the door; as long as your plan works, I would like to be of help."

"Then, Emma and you, sir, will take care of securing both doors that connect the first floor with the second; if our situation gets out of control, what we will do is run back and take refuge on the second floor. Carlos will take care of the door; he will have enough margin not to be seen by the carriers because they will be focused on us." Anton began to assign many to take care of building barricades; the stronger ones would be the ones to kill the carriers, and the others would be in charge of keeping the doors open and closed depending on the moment.

Everyone wanted to get out of here; if they could get on Anton's truck, which is not far away, they could have new opportunities. Now that the situation is a bit rotten, they could walk a little further into the future and have a chance to survive.

"We will attack the carriers and try to eliminate as many as possible. We must not get injured, because that means our death. Whatever happens, don't retreat; we'll be fine as long as we keep the barricades." Anton held a long machete; many others held broomsticks or iron pipes with knives attached to the tip with tape.
If what they knew was true, they only needed to cause severe injuries to the carriers to eliminate them. In this situation, everything was terribly crazy, so there was only one way to live, which was even crazier.

Carlos frowned and said, "I'll definitely invite you to dinner if we come out of here alive. We have no choice but to screw all those rabid dogs."

Trembling, Carlos approached the door and opened it with the latch; the small door instantly opened, and the carriers entered immediately, stumbling over each other.

Carlos cursed and quickly ran to a metal drum, hiding instantly. "Oh my God, I promise to go to church every day, but I hope this shit ends."

"Come here, you damn bastards, right here!" Anton and the others roared as if to boost their adrenaline.

They had to attract the attention of the carriers; only in this way could they ensure that the door would close since Carlos was nearby.

Standing on the barricade, Anton tightened his grip on his eyepatch and, without waiting for an order, began to cut the Carriers as if they were a piece of old wood. He focused only on attacking the necks of the carriers, cutting off their hands and heads.

Crack!

In an instant, a brutal scene appeared in front of everyone, but immersed in adrenaline and shock, all they did was brutally attack these carriers that sought to devour them to death.

The carriers wanted to advance, but they were held back by the barricade, and soon the first wave that was killed delayed the progress of the other carriers. Things didn't look good for them, so Anton's group held their ground.

Anton was now dazed, completely losing his sense of the surroundings, and his brutal gaze was solely focused on killing Carriers. His hand felt sticky with blood, but this couldn't stop him, and he continued to cut down the carriers.

As expected, the wounded carriers who were retreating fell backward, and one even fell onto the entrance of the door. Far away, that carrier ended up blocking the entrance, which was noticed by a bald man.

"Damn it, the door is blocked, and corpses are everywhere."

Anton looked at the man and said, "You're the smallest one; walk among the corpses and clear the door. Don't be afraid; others won't pay attention to you."

When Anton finished saying that, he climbed onto a chair, and his attacks became even more brutal against the Carriers. One of those beside him did the same, but at that moment, one of the carriers grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him forward.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Don't help him; focus on what's in front of you," said Anton coldly. There was no salvation for the infected.

"I'm scared; I don't want to die!" said the man who had been tasked with closing the door.

Anton frowned and looked at two strong men beside him. "Clear the way; I'll cover you with my gun."

They were only bothered by clearing the door, so there was nothing to worry about. One of them jumped into the corpses; many tried to approach, but the blood on the ground prevented them from advancing precisely, giving Anton the opportunity to shoot.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots rang out immediately, clearing a direct path to the door. Being at a considerable height, Anton continued shooting so that the men could clear the door.

"Carlos, close the door!"

Bang! Bang!

Shot twice more, Anton took care of killing two carriages that were about to enter the door. One of the men holding a wooden shield quickly charged at the carriers while his companion covered his back.

"Let's go, move forward!" Shouted Anton, jumping forward and brutally attacking the carriers. But due to the slippery ground, he slipped and fell backward into the corpses.

Carlos, who was hidden in the metal drum, was surprised to see the scene, and when he saw two men standing next to him, he immediately understood what was happening.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Carlos shouted as he immediately fell to his knees and began dragging the corpse, blocking the door.

"Let's close it!" Carlos immediately pushed the door forcefully; the carriers outside tried to force their way in, but three men were more than enough to halt their advance.

Anton, on the other hand, took care of shooting the carriers that approached them, and the people behind him moved forward to prevent him from being attacked by the remaining carriers.

"Ahhhhhh!"

A heartbreaking scream was heard beside Anton, and he saw a man being bitten on the ankle. Immediately afterward, he got up and started killing more Carriers with his machete without caring about anything else.

Ten minutes later, more than fifty corpses lay on the ground, and numerous men watched this scene with heavy breathing.

Silence; there was only silence.