"Hiss..."
Everyone froze, their faces filled with shock as they collectively sucked in a cold breath.
What kind of bizarre ability was this?
Technically speaking, Ethan had succeeded—he'd taken out the bearded man, leaving him lifeless. But Mike and the others quickly realized sothing.
He was playing them!
"Damn it! Kill him!" Mike roared, his muscles bulging as his skin took on a brownish hue. It was clear he was an Awakener with the Petrified Body ability, a physique-enhancing power.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He threw a punch of his own, and at the sa ti, his Domain of the Dead unfurled.
Boom!
The two collided with a thunderous impact.
Mike's petrified body was indeed tough. When their fists t, it sounded like two boulders crashing together. But in the end, he was no match for Ethan. His body was sent flying 50 feet, slamming into the wall with such force that spiderweb-like cracks spread across it.
anwhile, the others around them were caught in Ethan's Domain of the Dead, feeling an oppressive, suffocating pressure.
But the Awakeners of the Black Hand Legion were known for their ruthlessness and ferocity.
"Die!"
Gritting their teeth, they forced their energy to surge, attacking Ethan like madn. In an instant, flas roared, wind blades howled, and the chaotic energy radiated a destructive aura.
Ethan had no intention of taking on all their attacks head-on. His figure darted backward at lightning speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The unleashed energy exploded, sending shockwaves rippling through the hall. Several support pillars shattered under the force, and thick clouds of dust filled the air.
Crash! Crash!
As chunks of stone tumbled and rolled, dust rained down from the ceiling. The entire underground hall began to tremble violently.
"What... what's happening?"
"Damn it! The upper floors are about to collapse!"
"Where's that guy? Did he die?"
"..."
The Black Hand Legion Awakeners scanned the area for Ethan, but aside from the falling dust and debris, the surroundings were eerily empty. He had vanished without a trace.
"What the hell...?"
Frowning, the group felt a growing sense of unease. Sothing about this guy was just... wrong.
At that mont, one of the ntal-type Awakeners furrowed his brow, his expression grave as he extended his psychic senses, trying to detect anything unusual.
And soon enough, he did.
"Hey! He's right next to you!"
"Huh?"
A middle-aged man's face darkened. Flas ignited in his palm, and with a wave of his hand, a wall of fire erupted in front of him.
"Caught, huh..."
Ethan's figure materialized, the terrifying power of his Domain of the Dead surging like a hurricane. The fire wall was instantly blown apart, and Ethan's fist followed right behind.
Amid the scattering sparks, the man saw a fist hurtling toward him, growing larger and larger in his pupils.
Boom!
Even with his energy shielding him, his head was obliterated by the punch. A crystal core shot out from the remains.
As the battle raged on, the violent energy wreaked havoc on the already crumbling structure. The building's collapse accelerated, with massive chunks of stone falling, threatening to bury everything.
Ethan glanced upward.
With a powerful leap, his figure disappeared once again.
This ti, the Awakeners saw it clearly—Ethan had vanished into thin air, as if he'd evaporated.
"Damn it! What kind of freak is this guy?" soone cursed under their breath, but the fear in their voice was unmistakable. It was like they'd just seen a ghost.
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Mike clenched his teeth in frustration. "Where the hell did he go?"
"It seems... he's already left," the ntal-type Awakener said, still scanning the area.
By now, the ground was shaking violently, rubble tumbling everywhere, and the deafening sounds of destruction echoed above. It was clear they couldn't stay here any longer.
"Let's go! We need to get out of here too!"
Using their abilities or sheer physical strength, the group of Awakeners began climbing upward, stepping over the falling debris as they made their way out.
...
From a distance, the Citadel Outlets had completely collapsed, reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble.
Amid the swirling dust, a massive slab of stone was shoved aside, scraping loudly as it was pushed away.
"Cough, cough!"
The Awakeners of the Black Hand Legion erged, covered in dust and debris, their faces grim and furious.
"Damn it, where the hell did that guy go?"
"I swear, I'll kill him even if it costs my life!"
"Yeah! Let's take him down!"
"..."
Their curses filled the air, their anger boiling over.
"Wait a second..."
Mike suddenly froze, his expression shifting. Sothing wasn't right. With all the noise they'd just made, the commotion should've drawn every zombie in the area by now. So why was it so... quiet?
But as the dust began to settle, he noticed sothing. On the surrounding streets, rooftops, and even atop the wrecked vehicles, faces began to appear—horrifying, twisted faces.
So zombies were even crawling along the walls like spiders, their movents unnervingly fluid.
"This..."
The group's eyes widened in shock, their pupils trembling.
Because now they realized—zombies were erging from every direction, an endless tide that had completely surrounded them.
"Caw—caw—caw! Humans... there are humans here."
Hundreds of black, red-eyed crows circled overhead, their cries echoing ominously. The scene was nothing short of terrifying.
And within the horde of zombies, a figure stood out—a pale, white silhouette. Behind him lood a massive, hulking zombie, its small, glowing eyes brimming with malice and seething hatred.
"Mike... he... he's the Zombie King???"
One of the Awakeners stamred, his jaw practically hitting the ground.
The ones who had been shouting about taking Ethan down just monts ago were now frozen in place, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Surrounded by such an overwhelming force, their fear reached its peak.
Mike's mind raced as realization dawned on him.
This wasn't just a trap. This was a nightmare.
His so-called "baiting operation" had reeled in sothing far beyond what they could handle.
But among the group, only Lila seed different. While her face was pale with shock, there was also a trace of disappointnt in her expression—an almost imperceptible sadness.
"You... you're the Zombie King of this region?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Ethan nodded calmly. "Yeah, that's right."
"No wonder..."
Lila's voice was soft, almost to herself. She thought back to everything he'd said before—how he claid to trust her, how he said he'd never killed anyone. It was all a lie.
"Turns out... you were just lying to ."
"And weren't you lying to too?" Ethan replied, his tone even.
"I... I..." Lila hesitated, her words catching in her throat. Because for a mont—just a fleeting mont—she had believed him. She didn't want him to die. She had even been willing to stand against Mike for him.
Ethan's voice broke the silence. "Actually, I wasn't lying about everything. I really did co here looking for supplies."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group.
"Because... you are the supplies."
"Roar—!"
Ethan's final words were like a death knell. The massive zombie behind him, Bulldozer, let out a deafening roar, and with a wave of his arm, the thousands of zombies surged forward like a tidal wave.
"Humans... in my territory?!"
Bulldozer's hatred for the intruders was palpable. He had failed to keep his domain secure, and now, the only way to redeem himself was to tear these humans apart.
As the horde charged, Mike and the others felt their courage drain away. Their bodies trembled, their minds scread at them to fight back, but it was futile.
These weren't ordinary zombies. Most of them were elite, and so were even specialized warriors with terrifying strength.
The Black Hand Legion didn't even have ti to put up a proper fight before they were swallowed by the relentless zombie horde.
And then there was Lila.
She didn't resist. She didn't even try. The despair in her heart was so overwhelming that she felt no reason to fight back. To her, this world had nothing left worth holding onto.
"If there's a next life... never trust anyone. The mont you take it seriously, you've already lost..."
That was her final thought before the darkness consud her.
...
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