Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Outside…

Without the Stoneborn Patriarch’s protection, it didn’t take long for the Beast Sovereign to severely wound the Thundari Patriarch.

His offensive power was the greatest among the Patriarchs, but his defenses were also the weakest.

Worried that something might happen to Ethan, the Beast Sovereign attacked with everything it had, its assault almost frenzied.

The unfortunate Thundari Patriarch stood no chance against the rampaging Beast Sovereign.

The surrounding Stage SSS fighters were no help either. None of them could stop its relentless attacks.

Thud!

The Beast Sovereign’s enormous tail struck the Thundari Patriarch again, swatting him out of the sky and slamming him into the ground.

”Pfft!”

He coughed up blood and struggled to his feet, swaying as if he might collapse at any moment.

When the Beast Sovereign charged him again, despair filled his face.

”Stop!”

An angry shout came from the distance as another group of intelligent fighters raced toward them.

”Beast Sovereign! We can talk this out!”

The Thundari Patriarch’s despair turned to joy when he saw them.

”Save me—”

Boom!

Before he could finish, the Beast Sovereign’s tail, wreathed in terrifying black energy, struck him again.

This blow contained the Beast Sovereign’s full power.

The distant shout hadn’t made it hesitate. If anything, it had made the Beast Sovereign attack even more decisively.

The Thundari Patriarch’s body snapped apart. The hope in his eyes turned to shock, then faded into lifeless gray.

”Tch. You tell me to stop, and I’m supposed to stop?” the Beast Sovereign muttered. ”Ethan said that once you attack, you go for the kill the moment you get the chance.”

”Idiot. He was already about to die, and he still let himself get distracted.”

”!”

The arriving fighters stopped dead, staring at the Thundari Patriarch’s lifeless body.

The Eldoria Continent had twenty-four pinnacle races, but four stood above all the rest: the Celestials, Thundari, Soulkin, and Stoneborn. They had always served as the leaders of the pinnacle races.

The Celestials possessed a comprehensive range of abilities covering offense, defense, healing, and support.

The Soulkin had earned their position through nearly unavoidable soul attacks, along with terrifying methods of searching and controlling souls.

The Stoneborn possessed unmatched defenses, while the Thundari wielded unrivaled destructive power.

Together, they were the four strongest races on the Eldoria Continent.

Their Patriarchs were naturally among its most powerful intelligent fighters.

The death of any Stage SSS fighter was already a devastating loss. The death of one of the four great Patriarchs was like the sky collapsing on every intelligent race.

”Beast Sovereign, are you truly determined to fight us to the death?” the Celestials Patriarch asked grimly.

”Hmph. We’ve been fighting to the death for a long time already. If I hadn’t gotten lucky, you would’ve torn out my crystal core by now,” the Beast Sovereign replied coldly.

”You started this war. We only fought back.”

”Fought back? What a fine way to put it. You invaded my own territory, and you still call that fighting back?

”If my injuries hadn’t healed, would you have spared these Beast Lords? Don’t stand there pretending you’re noble.”

The Celestials Patriarch’s expression shifted several times before he finally sighed.

”Beast Sovereign, why don’t we end this war here? If we keep fighting, the Eldoria Continent will be destroyed.”

”Hah. I saw through the pinnacle races’ hypocrisy long ago. When you think you can win, you fight. Once you start losing, you demand peace. Do none of you have any shame?”

”I’m not asking for peace because I fear you,” the Celestials Patriarch said solemnly. ”I’m thinking about the Eldoria Continent.

”This war was deliberately provoked by someone else. If we continue fighting, we’ll only be playing into their hands. Once both sides have exhausted themselves, beings from other worlds may invade. If that happens, the entire Eldoria Continent could fall.”

”What the hell does that have to do with me?” the Beast Sovereign said dismissively.

”How could it have nothing to do with you? You’re part of the Eldoria Continent too. If another world invades, the beast races will become their materials.”

The Beast Sovereign frowned.

Seeing that, the Celestials Patriarch immediately pressed his advantage.

”We weren’t responsible for the Netherfang Tiger’s death. The two High Elders who entered the Netherveil Range are both here. I’ll call them forward, and they can tell you exactly what happened.”

The Celestials Patriarch summoned the two elders who had entered the Netherveil Range.

”Tell the Beast Sovereign what happened that day.”

”Yes, Patriarch.”

The two stepped forward and were about to speak when the space nearby distorted.

Several figures suddenly appeared.

”Beast Sovereign, did you kill the lightning guy yet?” Ethan called out.

He had estimated that the Beast Sovereign should’ve finished off the Thundari Patriarch by now, so he released the Deadlock Dimension. His plan was to have the Beast Sovereign join forces with Dopey to kill the Stoneborn Patriarch.

The man was just too damn tough. Dopey had been swinging his energy spear so hard it might as well have been smoking, yet the Stoneborn Patriarch still looked fine.

The moment Ethan emerged, however, he realized the atmosphere was strange.

There were a lot more powerful fighters here now.

”Ethan! You’re alive!”

The Beast Sovereign was overjoyed to see him and immediately flew over.

”You’re something else, kid. How did you survive against a Tier 47 for that long?”

”Him.” Ethan pointed nearby, where Dopey and the Stoneborn Patriarch were still fighting.

”A soulless thrall?” The Beast Sovereign stared in surprise. ”You have a soulless thrall that powerful?”

”You need a few trump cards when you’re out in the world.” Ethan scratched his head awkwardly. ”Otherwise, people keep bullying you.”

”Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will ever bully you again!”

”Thanks. So, Beast Sovereign, what’s happening now?” Ethan gestured toward the intelligent fighters.

”They want to end the war,” the Beast Sovereign said quietly.

”What the hell?!”

Ethan practically jumped.

”End the war?

”Have you lost your damn mind? Did you forget they nearly beat you to death? If not for me, they would’ve skinned you, torn out your tendons, and harvested your crystal core. And you’re actually standing here discussing peace with them?”

”No, I wasn’t planning to stop,” the Beast Sovereign hurriedly explained. ”They said that if we keep fighting and beings from other worlds invade, the Eldoria Continent will be destroyed.”

”Then let it be destroyed. What does that have to do with you? The only ones who’ll be finished are these races. How would it affect the beast races? With your strength, would outsiders even dare attack them?

”These bastards, on the other hand, were about to kill every Beast Lord here. If we’d arrived any later, all your subordinates would already be dead. Do you honestly think they would’ve spared the others?”

”No,” the Beast Sovereign said grimly.

”Exactly. Then why waste time talking? Kill every last one of them, and the beast races will become even stronger. As long as you’re alive, the Eldoria Continent won’t fall.”

”Good!”

The Beast Sovereign nodded heavily, then turned its furious gaze on the intelligent fighters.

The Celestials Patriarch and the others glared at Ethan, their faces livid.

They had almost talked the Beast Sovereign into stopping.

Then this bastard appeared and, with only a few sentences, dragged it right back into the war.

Their hatred for Ethan instantly reached its peak.