CHAPTER 749: THIS MUCH BLACK FOG...

Everyone froze in shock, heads snapping toward the sound. That terrifying figure—the Zombie King—was walking toward them, one slow, deliberate step at a time.

Laura’s mouth stretched into a grin that reached her ears, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth.

"She... she’s coming!" one of the girls whispered, her spine going cold.

"Why the hell does this Zombie King have ranged weapons?" a young man nearby asked, disbelief written all over his face.

"I have no idea!" a middle-aged man muttered, his expression dazed. A chilling thought crept into his mind—could she have come from a lab?

Regret hit him like a truck.

Maybe they should’ve listened to the team’s warning. Maybe they never should’ve messed with her in the first place...

A few others behind them were just as speechless. With a captain like this, it felt like fate had already sealed their doom.s had been living too comfortably for too long. Their sense of danger had dulled.

"Well, if that’s how it is, then we’ve got no choice. We fight!" the middle-aged man said, eyes narrowing with resolve.

"Alright!"

Three teammates responded in unison. Against a speed-type Zombie King, turning your back to run was suicide. You’d just be offering up your spine for the kill.

"Absolute Zero!!" the captain roared.

In an instant, the air around them plummeted in temperature. It was like being yanked from the middle of a scorching summer into the dead of winter.

A wave of freezing energy surged outward, and wherever it passed, the ground iced over in thick, cracking frost.

"I’ll lock her down. You guys look for an opening to strike!"

"Got it!"

They nodded quickly, following their captain’s lead.

Speed-type Zombie Kings were terrifying, sure—but they had one fatal flaw. If you could pin them down, all their advantages vanished.

And right now, this plan... it just might work.

But the frost had barely reached Laura’s feet when her body flickered sideways—unnaturally fast—and vanished.

"What the—?!"

Everyone froze, stunned. They knew she was fast, but this was insane...

"Where’d she go?" the captain muttered, brows furrowed, heart pounding. The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all. A Zombie King disappearing right in front of you? It felt like death could strike at any second.

"She’s on the right!" a woman in the group shouted. She was a psychic-type Awakener, her mental energy spread out like a radar, able to sense even the faintest presence.

But the moment the words left her mouth—

A monstrous face appeared inches from hers.

Laura’s alloy claws slashed forward, aiming straight for the woman’s throat.

"Watch out!" a young man behind her shouted, yanking out a machete and diving in front of her. He was a speed-type Awakener too, and his reflexes weren’t bad.

CLANG!

Metal clashed with metal, sparks flying in every direction.

The woman was so close she could hear the screech of steel grinding against steel. Her eardrums throbbed from the sound, and her heart nearly stopped.

The Zombie King’s first target... had been her.

Thank god—he blocked it!

But just as relief washed over her, Laura’s arm began to shift. The liquid metal twisted and writhed, her claw morphing mid-strike.

A single, needle-sharp spike shot out.

Shlkkk—

It pierced straight through the woman’s forehead.

Her eyes went wide, frozen in shock. Warm blood streamed down from the center of her brow, painting her terrified face in red.

"Wh... what the hell..." the young man beside her stood frozen, stunned.

He hadn’t expected that. No one had. That kind of attack—so sudden, so precise—it happened in the blink of an eye.

Laura had landed a perfect kill.

And just as quickly, she darted back, retreating into the shadows.

Only now did the rest of the team realize what had just happened.

"I’ll kill you!" the young man snarled through clenched teeth. His teammate’s death had lit a fire in him—rage and grief boiling over. Without thinking, he gripped his machete and charged straight at Laura.

"Hey! Get back here!" the middle-aged captain shouted, panic in his voice.

But the young man was already halfway there.

Laura’s lips curled into a wicked grin. "These people have no combat discipline. One teammate dies and they lose their heads. Must’ve grown up in a greenhouse—never seen real battle."

She didn’t wait. Her body flickered forward, meeting him head-on.

They passed each other in a blur.

The young man ended up behind her—but his head didn’t.

His body collapsed to the ground, headless, and skidded forward on momentum alone, leaving a long, bloody trail.

The captain and the remaining girl froze in horror.

It had happened so fast, they hadn’t even seen what went down.

"I-it’s okay... I’m SS-rank too. She won’t kill me that easily," the captain stammered, his voice trembling.

He was trying to reassure the girl—but mostly, he was trying to convince himself.

Laura’s bloodstained eyes locked onto him. Her body crouched low like a predator ready to pounce.

The captain’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point.

He stared wide-eyed, not even daring to blink, every muscle in his body tensed for defense.

Zigzag Blitz...

Laura whispered the words, and her body shot into motion, zigzagging at impossible speed, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

She was so fast, the afterimages looked like clones.

The captain’s face twisted in shock. He spun around, eyes darting—there were over a dozen Lauras surrounding him now.

Then, all of them leapt at once.

A storm of claws and shadows descended on him like a pack of demons.

He didn’t even have time to scream.

Seconds later, his mutilated corpse hit the ground.

"No... please, don’t kill me! I’m just the recorder! I only take notes, I swear! Please—!" the last girl sobbed, collapsing to the ground, her voice cracking with terror. She looked so small, so helpless, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Laura stepped up to her, claws dripping with blood.

There was no hesitation.

She raised her arm—and with a single swipe, slit the girl’s throat.

...

"Caw—caw—caw—!"

Out in the open plains, Buddy Crow soared over Bulldozer’s head, letting out a series of sharp, echoing cries that rang across the wasteland.

"Buddy Crow says Laura just wiped out another recon team," Bulldozer said, glancing up.

"Queen Laura... she’s a beast," Big Ears muttered, clearly impressed.

Bulldozer scowled and leaned in toward him. "So... when do we get to hunt something?"

"Relax, Bulldozer. The humans’ll be here soon. Just stay hidden in the mist for now," Big Ears instructed.

"Fine, whatever," Bulldozer grunted, then melted back into the thick black fog.

Big Ears stepped out with Shrimpy and Locomotive, signaling Mist to keep pumping out the fog—and to crank it up.

"Alright, let’s dangle the bait a little," Big Ears said with a grin.

"No problem! I’m great at being bait," Shrimpy chirped, then grabbed his crotch and gave a little shimmy, striking a pose like he was about to start dancing.

Big Ears and Locomotive stared at him.

Not bad.

All those hours of club dancing weren’t wasted after all...

And so, they waited for the humans to arrive.

Truth was, a human recon squad had already spotted the area. The massive black fog was impossible to miss—it loomed like a storm cloud over the land.

Seeing how ominous and unnatural it looked, they assumed something huge and dangerous was hiding inside. No one dared approach alone, so they called in backup from other teams.

It was risky, sure—but scouting Necroterra was their mission. They had to assess the threat before the main force arrived, or risk walking into a death trap.

"Everyone ready? We’re heading into the black fog zone," a young man said into his comms, voice steady but tense.

Replies came in quickly.

"Copy that. Our team’s in position—moving in now."

"On my way. ETA two minutes."

"Approaching the target zone."

"..."

The young man took a deep breath. He was cautious—maybe even a little scared—but he had to lead.

"This much black fog... there’s definitely something freaky in there. Everyone, stay sharp. Don’t let your guard down for a second."

...