Chapter 128: the SHIfTon PaLACE

The bus’s ruined tires gave a final, sickening screech against the tarmac, groaning under the weight of the chassis before rolling to a sluggish halt.

Aadav had deliberately killed the throttle dozens of yards short of the hotel’s paved driveway, leaving the coach idling awkwardly in the center lane of the road.

It wasn’t because he was an idiot or felt like parking in the dead center of an avenue just for shits and giggles. It was because the driveway itself was choked with the dead.

Dozens of infected were milling aimlessly around the circular roundabout and shattered glass revolving doors.

Mangled, half-devoured corpses littered the ornamental flower beds and curbs.

It made grim sense; when the apocalypse first erupted, panicked guests and staff had likely bolted for the exits all at once, creating an instant bottleneck that turned the foyer into a slaughterhouse.

High above the entrance, an ornate neon sign flickered weakly against the dark sky.

Originally crafted in glowing cursive to spell out The Shifton Palace, the damaged wiring had blacked out several crucial letters.

In the dim night, the broken sign simply read: Shit Place.

Jenny’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably at the sight.

After all, she was the one who had proudly recommended this establishment to the group.

She couldn’t be entirely blamed, though. In her pre-apocalypse memories, it had been a prestigious four-star hotel with immaculate bellhops, marble floors, and an aura of high-class luxury.

Now, the building looked like a war zone. The limestone facade was heavily scorched by fire, the pristine white paint stripped down to raw concrete in long, ragged streaks.

Clusters of jagged bullet holes peppered the pillars, and several upper-floor suites had their outer walls completely blown away, exposing hollow, dark rooms whose lavish furnishings were dusted with white plaster.

It was the combined handiwork of swarming ghouls and the desperate military jets that had carpeted the metropolitan grid with munitions during the opening days of the collapse.

Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers. With night-buffed monstrosities roaming the highways, searching for better accommodations was out of the question.

Ash scoffed disdainfully, crossing his arms and leaning back against the rubber seam of the front hydraulic doors.

"Seriously? This is the grand resort that you guys were talking about? Looks like a total—"

GRAAH!

Before he could finish his sarcastic taunt, a violent, concussive impact slammed squarely against his backside through the thin metal panel.

The unexpected jolt sent Ash stumbling forward with a sharp, undignified yelp, his boots tangling in the aisle.

He spun around in sheer shock, his heart leaping into his throat as a bloated corpse smashed its face against the lower window pane, snapping its rotten teeth and smearing dark, viscous filth across the glass!

Jenny and the other Awakeners didn’t know whether to burst out laughing at Ash’s panicked face or reach for their weapons.

Outside, drawn by the engine’s final shudder, the scattered silhouettes around the hotel entrance were already turning their heads, lurching toward the yellow bus with guttural snarls.

Instinctively, several survivors cast their glances toward the rear rows.

There sat Fredrinn, calm as still water, flanked by Andrea on his left and Rose on his right.

The trio appeared to be having a casual, quiet chat, looking more like teenagers lounging in a booth at a local diner than survivors trapped inside a steel cage under active siege.

Jacob cleared his throat, stepping into the aisle to bridge the silence. "There aren’t nearly as many out there as before. Guys, I think we should combine our efforts to kill them as fast as possible.

Especially for me and Ash, we are at the lowest level as compared to the rest of you."

Max’s jaw set hard, a grim nod acknowledging the plan. "I am close to 25, and I want to see if something else would happen at this milestone or not. There was literally no difference at level 10 or 20..."

He trailed off, his gaze drifting out into the dark. As his eyes locked onto the snarling faces pressing against the glass, the faint glow of azure static began to dance across his knuckles, crackling with pure, unadulterated venom.

"And... I am in mood to blow some steam off."

The sheer, suffocating murder in his raspy voice made several nearby students shiver in dread.

Christine’s mangled corpse was still fresh in his mind, and the rage burning behind his ribs needed a blood sacrifice.

Max stepped down toward the cab, his shadow looming over the dashboard. "Aadav, open the doors."

Aadav gripped the wheel, hesitating. "A-Are you sure? I don’t mind, but you will need to hold them off from entering inside, we cannot afford to let any zombie in because there are many civilians on board."

Max looked down at him with an expression reserved entirely for absolute morons.

"Obviously. And why the fuck do we have you inside the bus if you can’t defend against some zombies, bastard? Did driving the bus turn you into a simple-minded NPC or what?"

Aadav choked on his own breath, his cheeks burning with mortification.

To make matters ten times worse, the pretty twin-tailed girl in the passenger seat quickly pressed both hands over her mouth, her shoulders trembling as she desperately smothered a laugh.

Aadav’s pride took a direct hit. His eyes flared with mock fury as he balled his fist and hovered it over the hydraulic control toggle.

"You think I can’t defend a bus, bastard? Don’t make me come over and trash you."

"Oh? Like you used to trash me in our boxing spars?" Max teased, a rare, faint smirk cutting through his sullen grief as he recalled their collegiate gym bouts.

From the aisle, Jenny and Maya couldn’t help but giggle.

"Come on, Max, don’t remind him of that amongst so many people," Jenny chimed in, a teasing smirk dancing on her lips.

Aadav closed his eyes, silently reciting a string of ancient, calming mantras he had learned from his elders back in his birthplace, desperately fighting down the urge to unleash a barrage of colorful curses.

While he breathed through his teeth, his palm came down hard on the panel.

The hydraulic system released a sharp, pressurized hiss.

The bi-fold doors folded violently inward, and the stench of decay flooded the bus as the night air rushed in!