Capítulo 21: Who are they?

The loud bang of gunfire was followed by less and less zombies coming out from the tunnel, until finally, the sound of footsteps quieted down and silence returned to the area.

After a few minutes, the group still waited with their weapons brandished and aimed readily but there was still no undead coming out at all.

With a quick glance towards the tunnel entrance, Viktor ordered his two bodyguards to check.

Boris and Torri nodded at the order and went to peek outside. They then surprisingly quickly returned to call for Viktor to come with them and see the situation outside.

When he exited the bunker, Viktor was immediately welcomed by the warm lights of the sun streaming in from the gap. It was already dawn, and the red hue of the skies shone through the snow-covered forest could be seen.

Viktor quickly looked around, and was surprised to see hundreds of zombie corpses outside his bunker. However, he noticed that most of the zombies weren't shot dead, but decapitated by something sharp.

He followed the trail of corpses with Boris and Torri followed suit. Not long after, the group could hear commotion in the distance; the sounds of fighting and the roaring sounds of weapons fired, they were still not that far from the bunker.

There, Viktor saw from a distance, a group of people fighting what was left of the undead hordes.

He had a hard time believing what he was currently witnessing in front of him.

Three… four… five..

There are six of them. Two were fighting with firearms, but what caught Viktor's attention was the weapons being used by the other four.

Swords, saber, spears, and a hammer.

"What is this now?! I spent two years in the bunker, and now we somehow went back into medievel time?!" said Viktor

These people, who were clad in black and red uniforms, maintained their calm expression as they continued to slaughter the horde. Their movements were fast and fluid, each stroke they made could easily kill a dozen of the zombies that surrounded them.

Even from his current position, Viktor could tell that they possessed strength and speed that were better than him at his peak status.

"What on earth is going on!?"

His words not only expressed his own confusion, but also the bewilderment he had felt along with everyone else who came out of the bunker.

Before he could think about anything else, Viktor saw another of the third stage gigantic black monsters. The ground trembled as the monster ran, and the trees broke apart from the force of its speed.

One of the figures, a man carrying a long sword, calmly waited as the monster advanced.

Without moving an inch, he stared at the creature, until right as the monster was about to pounce he finally made his move. The man's sword was suddenly lit ablaze, and he swung the sword, cutting the huge black monster in half as easily as cutting a block of butter.

"Magic!"

The very same monster that Viktor needed to give everything just to eke out a win was being treated like a headless chicken running towards its own demise.

Viktor was left standing in confusion. A few minutes he just stood there watching, and by now everything was already quiet. No more moving undead was spotted in the vicinity, they were all lying on the ground.

Those 6 people in uniforms had stopped fighting and were currently enjoying their break. It was at this moment that they realized they were being watched. They chose to approach confidently, and were shocked at what they saw.

They stared at the building behind Viktor and his friends with clear surprise, and from the looks of it, Viktor and his friends were surprised, too.

"Who are you, people?" The thin man with a long mustache said as he looked at the group. He then glances at the bunker entrance and said, "Wow! Is that a real survival bunker?"

These people were definitely human, and considering their heavy and distinct accent, Viktor could conclude they are all Russian. However, he found it weird that they could talk casually after clearing up the undead horde as easily as walking to the park.

Before Viktor was ready to answer, the man who he saw killed the black monster sheathed the sword in his hand on his back and said, "We came when we heard the loud explosion. That was from you guys, I suppose."

Viktor nodded.

"How many people are there in the bunker?" said the man

Before Viktor could answer, Nicko decided to speak up.

"There are 20 of us… Are you guys the Russian armed forces?"

The man glanced at him, stared straight into his eyes before answering.

"Close… Our motherland, the Russian Federation, is no more. We are called the Rus Imperium now, and I am Captain Andrei, from Red Division, Squad 21."

The group was stunned when they heard the news. They stood there frozen in place as they weren't sure how to react to all of this new information.

"You all really have been inside the last 2 years…?" Another one from the team asked.

"Yes." Nicko answered.

Viktor was annoyed with Nicko answering all of them easily like that. Still, he couldn't just admonish the latter in front of these people. Therefore with nothing else he could do with his current state, Viktor decided to wait and see.

Captain Andrei looked extremely calm, in fact his hand went toward his pocket and casually took out a cigarette which he lit before he spoke again.

"You don't mind if we come inside and check the bunker, do you?"

Seeing the way the captain reacted, Viktor was very much uncomfortable. Even so, his mind quickly determined that the best course of action right now was to comply with their demands.

Hence with the best smile he could muster, Viktor stepped aside and said, "Of course captain, you just saved our lives... Let us treat you with a proper welcome... Are you all hungry? We have food and drink and maybe some proper cigars?"

Hearing the offer of booze and cigars, the five men behind the captain looked at the latter in expectation while at the group in excitement.

"Please, please come in… It's a bit messy but we can manage."

The six men were led towards the bunker, and as they walked along the tunnel, Viktor felt like screaming. That moment, what he had just seen, was enough to shatter all his theories.

What has been going on in this world for the last two years?