Journey to Become the Zenith

Ambush Within the Woods

The undead army marched through the forest without slowing its pace.

Then, without warning, a massive fireball tore through the sky and crashed into the front ranks.

Boom!

The explosion shattered the forest’s calm.

Flames surged outward, swallowing trees and undergrowth in an instant. The blast scattered skeleton warriors across the ground, their bones flying through the air as burning leaves drifted like sparks in the wind.

Hidden among the trees, several mages from Fantom City watched the attack with anticipation.

A strike like that would have thrown any normal army into confusion. Soldiers would panic, officers would shout orders, and scouts would be sent to locate the attacker.

Instead, the undead simply kept marching.

The shattered skeletons were ignored.

The flames were ignored.

The entire formation advanced as if nothing had happened.

A young mage stared in disbelief.

”What kind of monsters are these?”

Another clenched his jaw.

”They didn’t even react...”

A third felt a chill run down his spine.

”Any human army would’ve stopped after an attack like that.”

Before they could say anything else, figures emerged from the undead ranks.

Undead mages.

Dark robes swayed as cold mana gathered around them.

Moments later, dozens of water spells shot toward the burning forest.

Hiss!

Steam erupted into the air.

The flames that had been spreading moments ago were quickly suppressed and extinguished.

Deep within the army, Alibaba watched the scene calmly.

The necromancer floated above the endless sea of undead, his robes drifting lightly around him.

A faint chuckle escaped his lips.

”An ambush?”

His hollow gaze swept across the forest.

”At least someone still has the courage to try.”

One of the undead commanders stood nearby.

”Master, shall we search for them?”

Alibaba shook his head.

”No need.”

His smile widened.

”They’re going to attack again.”

The necromancer looked toward the surrounding trees.

Several dozen skeletons had been destroyed.

An insignificant loss.

”As long as there are corpses in this world, my army will never truly diminish.”

He raised a hand.

Dark mana flowed between his fingers.

”These little losses are meaningless.”

Alibaba’s thoughts briefly drifted toward Victor.

The young man who had escaped him.

The one carrying power far beyond what an ordinary human should possess.

A strange weapon.

A strange strength.

A strange destiny.

Those golden eyes flashed through Alibaba’s mind.

”Victor...”

The necromancer smiled.

”I wonder what secrets you’re hiding.”

His failed experiment no longer bothered him.

What interested him now was Victor himself.

A far more valuable subject.

A far more entertaining puzzle.

The march continued.

Then the second attack arrived.

Without warning—

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Massive rocks suddenly shot from both sides of the forest.

The earth itself seemed to roar.

Huge boulders smashed into the undead formation.

Skeletons shattered.

Zombies were crushed into pulp.

Several undead knights were knocked from their mounts.

Trees exploded into splinters as earth magic rained down relentlessly.

This time Alibaba’s eyes finally moved toward the source.

”Oh?”

His expression brightened.

”Found you.”

Through his connection with the undead, he immediately sensed multiple mana signatures hidden among the trees.

Not professional soldiers.

Not powerful heroes.

But determined defenders.

Alibaba’s smile disappeared.

”Kill them.”

The order spread instantly through the army.

No voice was needed.

No messenger.

The undead simply knew.

The front ranks shifted.

Thousands of undead warriors suddenly broke away from the main formation and charged toward both wings.

The forest trembled beneath their advance.

The hidden mages watched the approaching tide.

One of them paled.

”They’re coming!”

Another mage tightened his grip on his staff.

”Keep casting!”

Stone projectiles continued raining down.

Undead bodies exploded apart.

Yet the army never stopped.

When one skeleton fell, another climbed over its remains.

When ten died, twenty took their place.

The charging force looked endless.

The sight alone was enough to make ordinary men despair.

But the defenders had already prepared for this.

On the left flank, as the undead warriors surged toward the mages, a massive figure suddenly stepped into their path.

It was Eon.

Towering over the battlefield, he gripped a gigantic battle axe in both hands. His broad frame blocked the entire advance route, forcing the charging undead to converge toward him.

The ground cracked beneath his boots as he planted his feet firmly.

Behind him, several soldiers instinctively straightened their backs.

Their commander had arrived.

Eon took a deep breath.

Victor’s teachings resurfaced in his mind.

Strength alone wasn’t enough.

A true warrior knew when to strike, how to strike, and how to commit everything into a single blow.

His grip tightened around the axe handle.

Then he moved.

”Move aside!”

His thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield.

The giant battle axe swept forward in a devastating horizontal arc.

Boom!

A violent shockwave exploded outward.

Trees in its path snapped apart as if struck by a hurricane. The charging undead warriors were sent flying, their bodies shattered by the overwhelming force before they could even reach the defensive line.

For a brief moment, a clear path appeared before the defenders, carved open by Eon’s single strike.

A shockwave erupted.

Several trees were uprooted instantly.

Skeleton warriors shattered into countless fragments.

Undead bodies were launched through the air like broken dolls.

The charge was halted for a moment.

Eon grinned fiercely.

”Come on then!”

His black eyes burned with battle intent.

”Let’s see how many of you can survive this!”

The undead continued advancing.

Eon answered with another devastating swing.

Crack!

More skeletons exploded apart.

His men immediately moved to support him.

Eon’s men were also present as they swung around their maces and raising their shields, blocking the undead for the mages behind them.

”Hold the line!”

”Protect the mages!”

”Don’t let them through!”

The defenders formed a wall.

Shields slammed together.

Maces crashed into undead skulls.

The sounds of battle echoed throughout the forest.

One undead knight broke through the first line.

A defender smashed his mace into its face.

Crunch!

The skull caved inward.

Another skeleton attempted to stab a mage.

A shield bearer intercepted it immediately.

Steel scraped against bone.

The formation remained steady.

The mages behind them continued casting.

Stone spears.

Earth spikes.

Falling boulders.

The battlefield became a killing zone.

On the right flank, the situation was no different.

Lane stood at the front, directly facing the incoming tide of undead.

Unlike her usual battles, she wasn’t carrying a bow in her hands. Arrows were effective against living enemies, but against skeletons and zombies, they were far less useful. Instead, she relied on something Victor had taught her long ago—unarmed combat.

Her black hair swayed behind her as the undead charged forward without hesitation.

Lane calmly cracked her knuckles.

Several nearby fighters exchanged uneasy looks.

”She’s really going to fight them with her bare hands?” one of them whispered.

Another man nodded immediately.

”I’ve seen it before.”

The first soldier looked doubtful.

The man swallowed.

”Trust me. The undead are the ones who should be scared.”

The first skeleton reached her.

Lane stepped forward.

Bang!

Her fist smashed straight through its skull, reducing it to scattered fragments.

Without slowing down, she spun.

A second punch shattered a skeleton’s ribcage.

A swift kick snapped a zombie’s spine in half.

Every movement was sharp.

Efficient.

Precise.

Victor’s training had completely transformed her.

Back then, he had tried teaching her all kinds of weapons.

Swords.

Daggers.

Spears.

Even staffs.

Unfortunately, every lesson ended in disaster.

”How did you drop the sword again?” Victor had asked one day, staring at the weapon lying on the ground.

Lane had awkwardly looked away.

”It slipped.”

”It slipped three times.”

”Those are minor details.”

Even Videl had burst out laughing at the time.

A faint smile appeared on Lane’s lips as the memory surfaced.

After countless failed attempts, Victor had finally accepted the truth.

Lane simply wasn’t talented with weapons.

Then he tried teaching her hand-to-hand combat.

To everyone’s surprise, she learned almost instantly.

Every movement felt natural.

Every strike flowed effortlessly.

Even Victor had looked genuinely shocked.

”You finally found something you’re actually good at.”

Lane had proudly crossed her arms.

”Obviously.”

The memory vanished as another zombie lunged at her.

Lane drove her elbow upward.

Crunch!

Its jaw exploded into pieces.

A second undead swung a rusted blade.

She ducked beneath the attack and swept its legs out from under it.

Both knees shattered instantly.

The creature collapsed before Lane finished it with a single stomp to the skull.

Bone fragments scattered across the battlefield.

Who would have thought that the girl who struggled with every weapon Victor handed her would become so terrifying when fighting with nothing but her own hands?