I Became A Zompirewolf

A few minutes later, the infiltrators found themselves sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. Ashton had singlehandedly beat them black and blue. But that wasn't enough for them. 

The Infiltrators surrounded Ashton like a pack of hyenas. However, none of them made any moves until... one did. Ashton was busy analysing the grenade Linas had hurled when he saw one of the assassins move from the corner of his eyes. 

Even so, Ashton didn't bother turning around. Instead, he raised his arm, grabbing the Infiltrator by his neck. Ibis, watching from a smaller spaceship hovering above the scene, observed the sudden change in Ashton's demeanour with surprise and concern, just like the rest of the squad. 

"F-Fucking bastard... Put me-" The young Infiltrator cursed him, gasping for air. 

However, as Ashton gradually increased the pressure around his neck, Xyran couldn't complete what he was saying. The colour from his face began draining.

The other Infiltrators, momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn, looked on in horror as their comrade's life hung in the balance.

"You don't have to worry," Ashton mumbled as the Infiltrator struggled more. "I will raise you well. But for that, you'd need to die first."

Ashton's expression remained cold and unwavering as he squeezed tighter, the life draining from the Infiltrator's eyes. Everything fell silent, the echoes of their laughter replaced by the desperate gasps of the dying assassin.

Ibis felt a chill run down her spine from her vantage point in the spaceship. She hadn't expected such a level of brutality from Ashton. She had anticipated two scenarios of how their fight would end. 

Either Ashton would be defeated and forced to work for them, or he would dispatch them swiftly. But Ashton had turned into a sadist and was thoroughly enjoying dealing with the Infiltrators. 

"What is he doing?" Ibis muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the scene unfolding below. 

The Infiltrators, now fully aware of Ashton's strength, hesitated momentarily, their confidence wavering. Based on the information Ibis shared with them, Ashton hadn't been a Precursor for long. Yet the level of control he had over his abilities was surprising. 

"Well, that was entertaining," he remarked, surveying the aftermath of the skirmish. "I hope you enjoyed the show..."

Ashton released the lifeless body, letting it crumple to the ground. The surviving Infiltrators exchanged wary glances, realising they were dealing with a force beyond their expectations.

As the defeated Infiltrator lay on the cold ground, Ashton raised his hand, hovering over the corpse. Ashton's voice, low and resonant, cut through the silence. 

"Rise."

A surge of dark, menacing energy emanated from Ashton's hand, enveloping the fallen Infiltrator. Linas was taken aback when he saw the fallen warrior's wounds begin to heal, and life returned to his seemingly lifeless form. 

The resurrected Infiltrator slowly rose, his eyes now gleaming with an unsettling crimson hue. Ashton's expression remained impassive as he looked at the other Infiltrators.

"A handy move, won't you agree?" Ashton asked, but the Infiltrators were too shocked to reply. 

But the shock among the remaining Infiltrators deepened more. The fallen warrior, now resurrected, glanced at his comrades before unsheathing his shadowy blade towards them. 

The other Infiltrators, torn between disbelief and the reality before them, exchanged uneasy glances. They didn't know what they were supposed to do now. After all, they couldn't attack a comrade like that.

Ibis, recognising that the situation had spiralled out of control, felt a chill of fear creeping up her spine. In a desperate attempt to salvage what remained, she turned to flee. Thinking as long as they lived, they would eventually bring Ashton down. 

"Pilot, get us out of here!" she shouted, her voice strained.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" 

The Pilot, already at the controls, frantically attempted to lift the spaceship off the ground. However, no matter how hard he tried, the vessel remained firmly anchored. 

"What's with the holdup!?" Ibis yelled.

"Ma'am, the ship isn't... moving!" the Pilot hastily replied. "Something is pulling us back."

"Pulling us back... Don't tell me!?"

Panic set in as the realisation dawned upon Ibis – Ashton hadn't merely pointed at them earlier. Instead, he had used his Precursor aura to trap them in their place.

"Leaving so soon?" Ashton taunted Ibis through the fallen Infiltrator's radio. "I'm not done with the show, you know?"

"This isn't over," Ibis, her composure wavering, attempted to regain control. "We'll find a way out of this."

"You can try." Ashton's smirk widened. "In the meantime, I'll pass some time toying with you overconfident soldiers here."

At the same time, Linas surveyed the aftermath of their failed confrontation with Ashton. His bruised and battered team exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain of their next move.

"Stand down," Linas commanded, his voice firm but laced with a hint of defeat. 

"What?"

The Infiltrators hesitated to follow his command. As they knew what awaited them if they were to surrender to the 'enemy'. But Linas was having none of it as he raised his voice.

"We've already lost this fight!" Linas yelled the words echoing in the chamber. "We can't defeat him. It doesn't make any sense for any more of us to give away our lives in vain."

They were about to be defeated. That much was inevitable, but Linas's team hesitated because of the strict Xyran military laws. 

If they were lucky, they would be sentenced to life imprisonment or exile. But if they were unlucky, they would be executed and turned into mindless foot soldiers. 

However, since they already had heresy charges on them, using which Ibis had blackmailed into attacking Ashton, they knew they would be executed upon return to Xenithar.

However, if they were going to die, the Infiltrators would rather do it on their own terms. Hence, they reluctantly lowered their weapons. Soon, the clatter of discarded firearms filled the air.

Linas was the last to drop his weapon and place his hands behind his head. The others followed suit without any hesitation. Watching the scene unfold from a distance, Ibis barked into the radio, her voice tinged with frustration. 

"What are you doing? Fight back! Don't let him win!"

"Don't let him win?" Maintaining his composure, Linas responded calmly, "We've already lost, commander. There's no point in continuing this futile battle. It's over."

"If you don't fight, I'll double the charges on your heads!" Ibis, infuriated by the apparent surrender, threatened.

Linas scoffed, his gaze unwavering. "As long as we're allowed to live, it doesn't matter if we're branded as heretics or not."

Ibis's demands fell on deaf ears as Linas and his team stood defiantly, their weapons discarded and their hands raised in surrender. 

"Smart choice," Ashton, observing the scene, approached them. "There's no need for more bloodshed... as long as you're willing to join my side."