Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Everyone turned their heads.

A young girl stood in the doorway, her silhouette sharp against the dim light. Behind her, Sean, Chris, and the others followed, along with the group of imprisoned survivors.

The Black Hand Legion members immediately grasped what had happened.

”They actually broke out!”

”And they killed Damien.”

”They’re asking for death! Kill them!”

Without hesitation, the Black Hand Legion fighters drew their weapons and charged at Mia and her group.

The battle erupted once more.

Mia’s tachi sliced through the air with deadly precision, a whirlwind of steel that turned her into a human meat grinder. The lower-ranked Black Hand Legion members couldn’t even get close.

But outside, more Black Hand Legion fighters had gathered—far more than those inside the building. Hearing the shouts and the clash of steel, they swarmed in, joining the fray.

The battlefield grew more chaotic by the second.

Yet Chris and the others weren’t afraid. They knew Ethan had already gone after the Legion’s top brass, which gave them a sense of security.

Besides, against these low-level Awakeners, Mia alone was more than enough.

She stood at the front, an unshakable force, holding the line like a lone warrior against an army. Chris, Brandon, and the others stayed behind, finishing off any enemies she left in her wake.

”Earth Wall!”

A sudden roar cut through the chaos. The ground rumbled violently, and several thick walls of earth shot up, isolating Mia from the rest of the group.

”Ice Prison!”

A surge of pale blue energy condensed around her, rapidly forming a crystalline barrier that locked her in, shrinking her space even further.

Clearly, a high-level Awakener had entered the fight.

With over a thousand people in this compound, there were bound to be some elites.

A middle-aged man emerged from the crowd, flanked by three others. This was Victor’s elite squad—the ones he sent in when things got serious.

”You’ve got some nerve causing trouble here.” The man’s expression was dark and menacing. His name was Jaxon, the Awakener who had summoned the earth walls.

Behind him stood a young woman—an A-rank ice-type Awakener.

It was the two of them who had worked together to trap Mia.

The other two members of their squad were already launching their attacks.

The first, a young man, unleashed a wave of psychic energy, crashing toward Mia like a tidal wave, attempting to crush her consciousness.

The last one drew his blade and lunged at her with blinding speed, aiming to pierce her body in a single, lethal strike.

Their teamwork was seamless. Every attack was focused solely on Mia.

Jaxon was confident they could take her down in an instant.

Inside the Ice Prison, Mia was surrounded by reflective surfaces, distorting her vision. Her movements were restricted, and the temperature inside plummeted. Ice crept up her legs, freezing her feet in place, slowing her down significantly.

Then, a sharp psychic force stabbed into her mind like steel needles, sending a searing pain through her nerves. For a brief moment, her vision blurred.

[Pain Level: 29%]

Almost simultaneously, the speed-enhanced Awakener’s attack reached her.

His blade sliced through the frozen air, piercing straight through the Ice Prison barrier. It didn’t stop—driving directly toward Mia’s throat, just inches away from slitting it open.

”Heh… Die already!”

For an ordinary person, being hit with this kind of combined assault would mean instant death.

But Mia suddenly raised her hand.

She caught the blade.

The razor-sharp edge stopped just an inch from her neck, unable to move forward even a fraction.

Blood dripped from between her fingers, staining the ice beneath her.

[Pain Level: 37%]

”Attacking from the shadows? That’s pretty damn dishonorable.” Mia slowly lifted her gaze, her killing intent surging.

”Wha—?”

The attacker’s face twisted in shock. He could feel it—her presence was rising, an overwhelming, suffocating danger descending upon him.

Crack!

Mia twisted her wrist sharply, snapping the young man’s blade in half with sheer force. In the same motion, she drove the broken tip straight toward his temple.

”Oh, shit—” His eyes widened in sheer terror. The attack was too fast, too close—there was no way to dodge.

A second later, his horrified expression froze in place.

With a sickening squelch, the jagged blade pierced clean through his skull, exiting the other side.

One down.

Mia’s body tensed like a coiled predator, her tachi crackling with arcs of electricity. Her aura surged, growing even more intense. Then, with a single step—

Boom!

The ground trembled violently. The Ice Prison shattered. The earth walls exploded into debris.

And in the next instant, Mia shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, streaking straight toward Jaxon.

”Shit!” Jaxon’s face twisted in alarm. A storm of killing intent was bearing down on him.

He reacted instantly, summoning earth energy beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, his body was encased in thick layers of hardened rock, transforming him into a towering earth golem. Gritting his teeth, he swung a massive stone fist forward.

Whoosh—

The air howled as Mia’s blade cut through it.

Her strike was devastating. The tachi sliced effortlessly through the rock, severing Jaxon’s arm at the shoulder.

”AAAHHHH!”

A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as crimson gushed from the wound.

His mind reeled. How the hell is she this strong?!

”Somebody stop her!” Jaxon shouted desperately, realizing she was already preparing her next attack.

”On it!” His two remaining teammates sprang into action.

The ice-type Awakener’s eyes flashed as she summoned a surge of freezing energy. Several thick ice walls materialized between Mia and Jaxon, blocking her path.

At the same time, the psychic Awakener unleashed another mental assault, his power flooding outward like a tidal wave.

But before he could fully focus—

”Hey. You’re in my way.”

A lazy voice spoke right beside him.

The psychic Awakener turned, frowning. Sean stood there, looking mildly annoyed.

”What the—?” The psychic’s brows furrowed. This guy didn’t seem very bright. Whatever—he’d just take him out first.

He immediately redirected his psychic energy, slamming it into Sean’s mind.

Nothing happened.

Sean just stood there, completely unfazed. If anything, he looked… confused.

”The hell are you staring at?” Sean muttered.

Then, without warning, he threw a straight punch.

Crack!

His fist smashed into the psychic Awakener’s face, shattering his nose. Teeth flew from his mouth as his body snapped backward, collapsing in a heap.

Meanwhile—

Mia tore through the ice walls like they were paper. Her tachi flashed, and in the next heartbeat, the ice-type Awakener’s chest was impaled.

The girl’s eyes widened in shock, frozen in the moment of her own death.

Jaxon watched in horror.

What the fuck are these people?!

Just moments ago, he had been certain they had the upper hand. But in the blink of an eye, his entire squad had been annihilated.

This isn’t a fight. This is a massacre.

I have to get to the boss—NOW.

Panic surged through him. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted, shoving his own men into Mia’s path as human shields. Using the chaos as cover, he fled the battlefield.

...

Jaxon sprinted into the high-rise at the back of the compound.

His severed shoulder throbbed with agony, blood pouring through his fingers as he clutched the wound. His face was pale, drenched in cold sweat. He looked like a man barely clinging to life.

Stumbling through the corridors, he finally reached Victor’s office.

There was no time to knock. He slammed his body against the door, forcing it open.

”Boss! We’re in deep shit, we—”

His words died in his throat.

The room reeked of blood.

Corpses littered the floor.

And standing in the center of the carnage, holding a bloodstained tachi, was a lone figure.

Jaxon’s breath caught in his chest.

His nightmare wasn’t over.

It had just begun.

…