Anna slowly opened her eyes, her vision still hazy from the chaos, only to see Kofi, Klaus's driver and chief of security, fiercely slashing at an oncoming Zombie. Relief flooded her as her eyes brightened at the sight of him. The moment she saw Kofi, she knew—Klaus had finally arrived.
"Kofi! Where's Klaus?" she asked urgently, her voice trembling. She has just escaped death after all.
Before Kofi could respond, the temperature on the battlefield suddenly dropped, chilling the air. The Zombies that had been rushing toward the Sages' defensive line froze in place. Everyone, friend and foe alike, paused to look up.
In the heart of the battlefield, an icy blue lotus spun gracefully toward the center of the horde of zombies. It radiated a cold so intense that even before it detonated, the Zombies were already freezing where they stood, their movements sluggish, limbs stiffening.
It didn't matter if they were the mutated purple or the more dangerous violet Zombies—they all fell under the icy grip of the lotus. The sheer terror of the flower's power was unmistakable.
Then, cutting through the stillness, a cold, commanding voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Explode."
The icy lotus paused for a brief moment, almost serene in its stillness, before releasing a subtle burst. It wasn't the earth-shaking explosion one might expect, but rather a quiet, controlled wave of freezing energy. In an instant, a chilling shockwave rippled across the battlefield, sweeping through everything within a 20km radius.
Zombies, regardless of size or mutation, froze solid where they stood. The mindless Zombies rushing forward in their numbers were frozen in place.
Even the soldiers and warriors fighting felt the bite of the cold, their breath freezing in the air as their bodies shivered for a moment, though they were untouched by the full force of the blast.
As the battlefield fell into eerie silence, the sky above shimmered. A stealth helicopter jet revealed itself, phasing out of its invisible camouflage. It was the Valkyrie V-9 Thunderstrike, it has the ability to blend into its surroundings, becoming invincible even.
From the jet, a young man with white hair jumped out, clad in sleek black leather armor. A longsword was sheathed across his back, and as he descended, his hair flowed behind him like a silver banner. There was something both graceful and chilling about him, his presence commanding as he landed amidst the frozen battlefield.
It was Klaus.
Everyone looked up in awe as Klaus descended, his landing timed perfectly with a thunderous explosion. It was as if he had synchronized his landing with the shattering of the ice statues. The frozen Zombies exploded all at once, shattering into countless shards, leaving no trace of the horde that once stood there.
The entire battlefield stood still. Whether they were Sages, Saints, or regular soldiers, everyone sucked in a cold breath. The explosion was mesmerizing and devastating, a display of raw power that left them speechless.
"Everyone, move back!" Klaus's voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the stunned silence. Almost immediately, an intense wave of heat erupted from his position, melting the ice surrounding him.
Klaus stood with his back to them facing the human army, a small orb of fire glowing in his palm. He was preparing to unleash the destructive fireball, but he wasn't entirely sure how destructive it would be. So Better safe than sorry, he asked them to move back.
"Little fella, you finally made it!" A booming voice, followed by a heavy pat on Klaus's shoulder, came from behind.
"Uncle Jojo!" Klaus greeted, delighted to see the familiar face.
"We thought you'd chickened out and decided to hide," Uncle Xian chimed in, a teasing smile on his face.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle Xian," Klaus quipped back, flashing a grin.
Everyone sighs looking at the momentarily calm on the battlefield. Klaus has wiped out the Zombies and the War Goddess, the strongest existence in the Eastern Region of the Northern Union has finally made her appearance.
"Grandmasters and above, prepare for battle," the War Goddess suddenly declared, her voice cutting through the brief hiatus.
"The next wave will decide whether the city stands or crumbles." Her eyes scanned the gathered fighters.
"Masters who are confident they can face Tier 6 General—and possibly King—may join. Otherwise, remain behind to handle any Zombies that slip through. Form teams, and if luck is on your side, you might even take down a Tier 7 King today."
Although her words were meant to inspire, there was a trace of laughter in her tone. Those gathered couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. A Tier 6 Zombie Captain alone was enough of a nightmare to fight—let alone a General and a King, is she perhaps hoping to kill them all?
Just as the weight of her words settled, an explosion rocked the battlefield. From the charred remains, Tier 6 Zombie Generals began to pour out, their grotesque forms pushing through the rubble.
Klaus smiled happily. The two powerful attacks he had unleashed earlier had caused him to level up instantly, reaching Level 2 and drawing closer to Level 3.
"You guys are almost at Level 5, this is good then. Let's kill some Tier 6 Zombies and level up."Klaus said with a smile
Perhaps hearing it from Klaus, his friends that were down from the War Goddess's wicked inspiring speech lightened up a bit.
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[Author's Note: Just to clarify, Zombies, like monsters, have ranks. These include Captains, Generals, King, Emperor, Monarchs, and more. A Zombie Captain is equivalent to a Dark Monster of the same level, and the ranking progresses from there.
Tier 5 Dark Monster = Tier 5 Zombie Captain
Tier 6 Terror Monster = Tier 6 Zombie General]