Such a night was still very long, and it was unknown when the darkness would descend and when the zombies would come again. After an undisclosed amount of time, it was only when there was a loud knocking on the door outside that Hubert slowly opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep at some point, and Winston had woken up a little before him. Winston put on his pants and went out to open the door. Canis called: "Hubert, it's morning. Come out for breakfast."Outside, Hubert noticed the sunlight was brilliantly bright. Hadn't it been said that they would be cloaked in darkness for thirty days? Why had it brightened up after just one night? But he had no time to ponder it. Hubert saw in front of him Canis punching Winston in the stomach."Humph! I trusted you with my brother to care for him, not leave him like this!"Rubbing the sore spot where he was hit, Winston retorted provocatively: "How should I know? It's because of lax supervisors like you, Canis.""Stinking liar! Don't think I w
Not only ordinary people but also those with extraordinary abilities began to grumble. At that moment, Gideon arrived from a distance. Despite his small stature, his presence silenced the crowd as if they were terrified. Having overheard a few sentences, Gideon didn't bother with rhetorical questions. Still, he made a straightforward statement: "An apocalypse has occurred, and it's the army's responsibility to evacuate you to a safe refuge. But if zombies attack, everyone will think of themselves first. No one will have the spare capacity to protect you. As I said earlier, you must fend for yourself, protect yourself." After that, Canis started to speak, mainly trying to appease the crowd. Gideon was not known for his patience. If he continued speaking, he might draw his gun and shoot, so Canis had no choice but to appease the crowd."I understand that the sudden arrival of the apocalypse has left everyone feeling uncertain, especially those who lack special abilities. Gideon's wor
"Young Canis, have you found any suitable locations?"Examining the map from the beginning, Canis pointed to a spot not far from their assembly area."The Wild Beast Forest. There will be a few forest rangers guarding the perimeter. If we encounter the zombie there, we can fight them as their numbers are small. Plus, the forest edge has only small animals which will not pose any serious threat."Gideon then looked at the spot Canis had indicated. He studied the map for a moment before speaking:"This place seems promising, befitting the sharp mind of a strategic advisor.""Are you trying to provoke me?"Canis leaned against the edge of the table, his arms crossed, continuing:"But this place is close to city B. Previously, an evacuation order was given to them towards this assembly point. It's highly. We will likely be on our way to the forest.""City B? That sounds intense. Isn't Raphael Anthony, head of the central government, your father's perennial opponent in every election?"Can
Hubert waved back while sprinting towards Canis, spotting Gideon puffing on a cigarette in the background. This man was perpetually puffing smoke; had Hubert known about this level of addiction, he would've suggested to his father not to store tobacco in the warehouse."It seems they've all relocated. Our trip here might've been in vain."Canis exhaled deeply; based on his calculations, there should have been a few lingering zombie here. The forest would have its share of zombie wildlife, and they were expected to move in groups. His assumption was based on careful consideration and not mere fancy; it was miserable if they returned empty-handed."I don't think it's all for naught."Even Hubert found his own words mystifying. He couldn't pinpoint why, but a prickling sensation enveloped him. His spine chilled to the bone as if something was approaching that filled him with such dread."What do you mean?""I don't know, but I sense something's coming our way."Hubert tried to focus, the
Lancelot, too, passed by Hubert, sneaking a glance at the boy's hair whirls. Two hair spirals, fascinating indeed? It made him want to caress them.He wanted to tease but caught Jacob's warning glance and bit his tongue. More importantly, whatever was rampaging within the forest needed his attention first.A soldier handed him a pair of binoculars, which he slowly accepted and put to his eyes. A red light beamed from the lens. These were infrared binoculars, capable of seeing through trees, costly, and limited in quantity. Hubert thought this Lancelot was showing off, so he used his penetrating gaze to look inside."Ah!"Immediately, Hubert felt his knees buckle in fear. He staggered back a few steps and bumped into Jacob. Jacob steadied him with a hand on his shoulder, concern filling his voice:"Hubert, what's wrong? What happened?"Hubert quickly shook his head. It wasn't that something had happened to him, but that everyone standing here was about to be in big trouble.Inside, two
By now, the fifth-rank zombie had come within thirty meters of Lancelot's troop. It paused, surveying them before locking eyes with the figure in the center.This extraordinary zombie, its intellect advanced beyond all norms, managed to pinpoint Lancelot's leadership position within a blink of an eye. At its disposal, the crystallized energy of the wolf, held within its hands. With a simple squeeze, the crystal disintegrated to dust, absorbed within seconds, its palm generating a sphere of lightning.Hubert had seen Enda and Rowan unleash their electrokinetic abilities, but never with such formidable intensity. The sphere, charged with ever-mounting energy, seemed capable of summoning storms.In an instant, the sky overhead was engulfed by roiling black clouds, obscuring everything. Darkness reigned, interrupted only by the eerie white-purple glow of the charged sphere. Just as the zombie prepared to launch its electric onslaught, another creature from behind snatched the globe as if
Simultaneously, on the road leading to S city, Hubert was being carried by Theodore with the other zombie trailing behind. Hubert pounded on Theodore's back."Put me down, and I can walk by myself! Are you afraid I'll run away?"Theodore still needs to answer. Instead, the zombie behind them grinned mischievously."He's not afraid you'll run away. He's just yearning to hold you!"Hubert gritted his teeth. What about being yearning to hold him? Now a zombie, he didn't know his place, yet still wanted to save him? But Theodore, despite being a zombie, didn't give off the disgusting smell of decay like the others. If so, could "that place" of his still function? Unable to suppress his curiosity, Hubert finally asked:"Big brother, is "gun" of yours broken?"Theodore's "gun" was in such good condition. It would be a shame if it were broken, wouldn't it? But he didn't answer. Instead, he smacked Hubert's butt as if to say he should keep his mouth shut. Hubert wisely fell silent. Theodore's
This was the truth from Hubert. He didn't understand why, but he wasn't scared of Theodore. Theodore, however, was acting like a scared puppy, constantly worried that Hubert would ridicule him. Could it be because he still read his past confession for Hubert? Theodore then retorted:"You're lying. I saw you deep in thought."Theodore used a face that was serious yet terrifying to act cute. This was indeed something that made Hubert ponder. Knowing that words would not suffice, Hubert took Theodore's hand. He blinked at him:"You must believe me! I'm your younger brother, after all!"Yet Theodore swiftly retracted his hand and slipped past Hubert, striding ahead."Quit your fanciful thoughts and hasten your pace.""I'm not daydreaming at all!""Stop talking nonsense.""Big brother! Wait for me!"Hubert pursued Theodore, leaping onto his back and wrapping his arms around his neck like a small child. As a youngster, he'd longed for a piggyback ride like other siblings enjoyed, but Theodo
But what they hadn't anticipated was the very moment Hubert fell into a state of energy seclusion, disturbances began to ripple outside.The squadron led by Wayne and the wind-aspected Superhuman began to inch their way towards where Hubert sat. Now, with the absorption of the Energy Stone, no protective energy sphere enveloped the scene. Only a few protective mages were there to ensure the upgrade process remained uninterrupted. Everyone understood the dire consequences if the upgrade failed."What do you want?""Isn't it obvious? To abduct the subject and seize the Energy Stone. Right now, you've lost one Superhuman of level 6 quota mid, and your most potent Superhuman is mid-upgrade. How could you possibly fend us off now?""Toby, don't waste words on them. The longer we stall, the more likely Hubert will complete the absorption, leaving us at a disadvantage."Wayne urged, the wind-aspected Superhuman accompanying him was Toby, a man with pure offensive abilities. Their squadron, i
He had traversed time four times. The first was to the moment he claimed Hubert from the fragments of time. He tried being more conciliatory, gentler. But he couldn't change his controlling nature, and once again, Hubert slipped away. But one couldn't stay in a timeline more than thrice, so he chose the future where Hubert had traveled. Hubert had failed in his mission to save Raymond, deciding to leap 500 years ahead, and Domi followed suit. In this era, Raymond had lost his memory and Hubert was exploiting it for a happier existence. Unwilling to witness this, Domi returned to the present with a plan to make Hubert end Raymond himself, eliminating him entirely.But the truth unveiled itself in a tale of sorrow, proving his failure, and he had indeed lost Hubert. What's more, he'd forsaken his chance of survival - a misfortune that had not befallen him during his second traverse through time. Perhaps now, Hubert was utterly beyond his grasp; his past, his future, and even the present
The dark energy within Hubert surged powerfully, overwhelming those around him in no time. This force clearly embodied Raymond’s essence and grew alongside him. The zombie king's energy was not to be trifled with, so Superhumans below level 6 felt dizzy, nauseous, and experienced a pressure akin to diving deep underwater."It's... hard to breathe!""What monstrous energy is this?"They all knew Hubert was a Level 6 Superhuman, but to possess such overwhelming energy was exceedingly rare. Moreover, the kind of energy that could oppress them to the point of feeling as if their lungs were being torn apart could only be that of a zombie's. It was as if they couldn't believe their own thoughts, or more precisely, they were terrified. For a Superhuman to carry zombie energy without being assimilated or controlled was extremely peculiar. And Hubert was that very anomaly!The atmosphere seemed to have stagnated, suffocating not just the Superhumans but Hubert himself. That dark force seemed t
"If we are to hunt Superhumans together, I must address you properly. Surely, I can't just call you 'this zombie' or 'that zombie,' can I?" But Raymond never responded. Never before had he felt so dismissed, so insulted. Yet, he persisted in his quest for Raymond's name. Until, irked by Clunky's persistence, Raymond finally said: "My surname is Raymond Joshua." "And your first name? Speak it!" "Annoying!" "What?" "I said, 'You're annoying.'" Though meant as a reprimand, Clunky responded: "I am nameless. But if you find me annoying, I shall name myself 'Clunky.' I will take your surname, and serve under you, the true zombie king. What say you?" ... Raymond never replied. Clunky initially thought Raymond would maintain that initial distance, but later, every time Raymond hunted, he would share with him any mutated Water Energy Stones he found. Clunky realized that zombies typically lacked emotional depth, yet as a high-level sentient zombie, his thoughts mirrored that of humans.
If reason failed, then perhaps the heart's tug might prevail. Since their encounter, Clunky had refrained from striking him, showcasing a surprising restraint. Coupled with the fact that Clunky had not lost his rationale, there was hope to sway him. Hubert implored,"Just pretend not to see us, allowing us passage to the asteroid's core. I'll do my utmost to prevent his self-destruction. You can assist with that, can't you?""Do you not comprehend the apocalypse that Raymond's existence might trigger?""I'm well aware." Hubert sighed: "but I wish to save both the world and him."Once more, Clunky lapsed into a contemplative silence. It was a long minute before he said: "Your recklessness astonishes me. Moreover, preventing his self-destruction might be inevitable. He can't explode if he loses his self-awareness. The event is imminent!"Rather than speculation, Clunky’s words felt like a forewarning. As if Raymond's loss of control was a foregone conclusion. Hubert queried,"Do you fat
Now, had it not been for Canis with his luminous superpowers, there probably would've been no means of separating Raymond's energy. Cautiously extending his arm, he sensed a familiar energy, through which he could trace the very existence of Raymond. Even more astonishing, he felt as though he could pinpoint Raymond's exact location.Raymond wasn't at the meteorite's core, but he was undoubtedly making his way there. This revelation meant there was no need to waste time seeking him. The very thing demanding his attention now roiled and seethed right before his very eyes.The ominous black pool belonging to Clunky seemed on the verge of erupting, its turmoil growing by the second. Ever since Hubert had siphoned off Raymond's energy, Clunky's own energy began to oscillate wildly. This clearly indicated that he had detected the essence of the Zombie King lingering around.Confusion must have gripped Clunky, for Raymond's scent manifested in two distinct locations: where Raymond truly was
If Clunky arrived a tad earlier, Phelan and Allan might have formed an alliance to restrain him, saving them much precious energy. Yet, if his arrival were any more belated, the ice barrier would have been wholly corroded by his sinister liquid. Hubert, gazing as the first shadow struck the ice barrier, realized that had he not been at Superhuman level 6 quota peak, that wall would have fallen long ago.Lost in contemplation, Hubert was startled by Stella’s sudden voice:"Hubert, have you forgotten about me? I am, after all, a pure Ice Superhuman.""And I am as well. Alone, your showy moves are more than enough."Lucia chimed in, her laughter tinged with a hint of mockery. Stella, with a hint of drama, channeled her Superpower, reinforcing Hubert's ice barrier. Almost as if dancing in tandem, Lucia followed suit. Thus, three magnificent ice walls, spanning over fifty meters, stood in unison, ensuring Clunky's water shadows could not break through. This feat could potentially buy them
Though he'd never directly clashed with him, Caradoc knew that Clunky was no pushover. His first encounter with the zombie was when Clunky was merely a level-5, losing a fight against Lancelot. But things had changed; the zombie had gained immense strength over the months, and even Caradoc, who had never fought him, felt a sense of dread.Hubert, too, ceased arguing at this moment. He walked closer to the black "river." stopping a mere five meters away. The heat emanating from it was palpable. Compared to Nathan's or Jacob's fire, Lancelot's was less hot, but it should not be underestimated.When he was merely at level 5, he could transform a high-ranking Superhuman into a mere skeleton in the blink of an eye. Now, the magnitude of his powers is beyond anyone's comprehension.Whoosh!Hubert unleashed a chunk of metal larger than a human head, hurling it into the heart of the river. The metallic mass immediately emitted a sound akin to boiling oil, followed by effervescent bubbles befo
Winston grabbed Hubert's hand and gave it two shakes, demanding his attention. The gesture did make Hubert shift his focus. He glanced at Winston, then back at the ringleader, and finally toward the heart of S city. He spoke deliberately:"Let's put today's matter aside for now. But don't assume that anyone who seeks to hunt the zombie king will be safe."Hubert withdrew his Superpower energy, his fists clenched as though prepared to decapitate anyone at a moment's notice. The ringleader, noticing Hubert's newfound composure, let out a sigh of relief, yet dared to probe further:"Why do you protect the zombie king? His existence threatens the lives of all humanity.""Indeed..."Hubert merely nodded in agreement, signaling his understanding that Raymond's existence was a peril to humankind. Yet, he voiced no further thoughts. More than anyone else, he understood the peril that Raymond's very being brought about, the specter of death that trailed behind him. But the very thought of witn