My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World - Chapter 140: Running the Skyline

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Running the Skyline

Jaxon jumped. His boot landed on the powerline cable, and it swayed violently under his weight. For a split second it felt like he would lose his balance, but his body adjusted almost automatically. His arms shifted, shoulders tilting as his Tactical Mobility skill kicked in, correcting his center of gravity.

Step by step, he ran along the narrow cable. Far below him, the infected swarm filled the street. Their roars echoed between the buildings as more poured out from the sinkhole.

The cable suddenly jerked as something landed on it behind him, and the violent shake made his foot slip.

His body dropped, but his hand shot out and grabbed the cable before he could fall. He hung there for half a second, the street far below him.

Then he pulled himself up as a belt appeared in his hand. Quickly, he wrapped it around the cable and hooked his arm through the loop. With a strong push, he launched forward.

The belt screeched as he slid along the cable at speed, metal scraping against the wire and throwing small sparks into the air. Behind him, several infected tried to follow.

Two of them misjudged the landing entirely and plunged straight past the cable, their bodies smashing into the street far below.

Jaxon reached the end of the line as he released the belt and dropped onto the next rooftop, sliding across the tiles before rolling smoothly back onto his feet and continuing the run.

He moved across the rooftops like water flowing downhill, never stopping, never wasting a motion. He slid down slanted roofs, vaulted over ventilation units, and grabbed ledges to swing himself around tight corners without losing speed.

Behind him, the infected chased relentlessly. Some scrambled up pipes running along the sides of buildings. Others drove their claws straight into the concrete, sprinting up walls that should have been impossible to climb.

Their shrieks echoed closer. Jaxon risked a glance back. The rifle appeared in his hands and he fired two quick bursts while still running.

Two infected were mid jump when the bullets struck them. Their bodies jerked in the air before dropping down between the buildings.

The rifle vanished again as he cleared another rooftop edge. He dropped down into a narrow alley between the structures and sprinted forward.

Then he stopped abruptly. Dead end, a tall concrete wall blocked the way out.

Jaxon’s eyes scanned the alley in an instant. There, a thick drainage pipe ran up the right side of the wall.

He rushed toward it and jumped, grabbing the pipe firmly. Just as his hands closed around the pipe, something slammed into him from behind.

One of the infected had caught up and grabbed onto his leg, its weight nearly pulling him off the pipe.

“Get off!” He kicked backward with all his strength as his boot smashed into the creature’s face.

The infected lost its grip and fell away, crashing hard onto the alley floor as more shrieking shapes rushed in behind it.

Jaxon didn’t dare look back. He hauled himself up the pipe as his arms began to burn. His breathing grew heavier, his chest rising and falling quickly as adrenaline pushed him forward.

One jump, then another, and another. Jaxon pushed himself harder, sprinting with everything he had left. Ahead, the gap between the buildings stretched wider than the others.

For a split second he knew he might not make it, but he didn’t slow down. He sprinted toward the edge and launched himself into the air.

Wind rushed past his ears as the ground below dropped away. The next building rushed toward him, but not fast enough. His hands shot out at the last second and barely caught the ledge.

His body slammed hard against the wall below it, the impact knocking the breath out of his lungs. He hung there for a second, fingers straining against the concrete.

“Come on…” he muttered through clenched teeth. With a grunt, he hauled himself up onto the rooftop.

Behind him, the grasshopper infected tried to follow. Their powerful legs launched them across the gap, bodies cutting through the air with frightening speed. But the distance was just a little too far.

Several fell short, their claws scraping helplessly against empty air before they dropped back toward the streets below.

A few managed to catch the wall and Jaxon turned while still kneeling at the edge. The M16 appeared in his hands once again.

Thup… thup… thup. Short bursts rang out from the suppressed rifle.

The infected clinging to the wall jerked as bullets struck them, losing their grip and falling away before they could climb higher.

Once the last one dropped, Jaxon dismissed the rifle, got back to his feet and ran.

This time he aimed straight for a nearby building entrance. He pushed through the door and burst into a dark corridor.

His footsteps echoed sharply through the empty halls as he moved quickly from corner to corner, weaving through tight passages, broken doors, and partially collapsed hallways, trying to break the line of sight before the swarm caught up.

He climbed one staircase, cut through a dimly lit room, then dropped through a broken section of floor to the level below.

Outside, the shrieks of the infected faded slowly, replaced by only the faint echo of distant roars.

Jaxon slowed to a stop in a narrow hallway, pressing his back against the wall. His chest heaved, sweat streaming down his forehead, his body trembling from adrenaline and exhaustion.

After a moment, he crept toward a cracked window and peeked outside. The streets below were empty, no infected were actively chasing him. A few shadows shifted, but none could pinpoint his location.

He let out a long, ragged breath and muttered under his breath, “I almost didn’t make it out there.”

At the same time, a notification suddenly pinged in his mind, one of the variants was dead.

He blinked, surprised. ’So it died after all…’

’Still, two of them had escaped.’ He shook his head. ’No need to be greedy. I’ve killed more than I can count today. I need to find Cindy and Na-rin and get out of here.’

He wiped his sweat, readied himself, and moved quietly toward the exit, keeping his eyes and ears sharp for any sign of danger.