CHAPTER 754: AND YOU?

"Her?" Bulldozer muttered, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. He’d been hoping their boss had shown up.

But the humans didn’t share his sentiment.

Another Zombie King had entered the field—and this one looked dangerous.

Even from a distance, they could feel it. Her presence was sharp, predatory. And that mechanical arm? It wasn’t just for show. It radiated menace.

"She’s got tech gear too," a female Awakener said, eyes narrowing. "She’s probably connected to that white-shirted Zombie King as well."

Laura, true to her nature, didn’t waste time with words. Her body shifted sideways—and in the blink of an eye, she vanished from the hilltop.

Gasps rippled through the group.

A wave of dread swept over them, like a steel spike hovering just inches from their foreheads.

"She’s coming!"

"She’s fast—really fast!"

"Everyone, stay sharp!"

They tightened their formation, eyes darting, hearts pounding, trying to track her movement.

"Hey! I’m your opponent!" Bulldozer roared, charging toward an earth-type Awakener with thunderous steps.

The man didn’t dare split his focus. He slammed his palms to the ground, sending a surge of brown energy rippling outward. Boom! Thick walls of earth erupted from the ground, forming a barricade.

He turned and bolted, knowing full well those walls wouldn’t hold Bulldozer for long.

And he was right.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The walls exploded one after another as Bulldozer plowed through them like a wrecking ball.

"Thank god I moved fast," the man thought, breathing a little easier.

But then—whoosh.

A sharp gust of wind sliced past his ear.

He turned—and froze.

Laura’s face was right there, inches from his own, twisted in a cold, merciless expression.

Terror gripped him. His body locked up. There was no time to dodge.

Shlkk—

With a sickening sound of metal grinding through bone, his head was severed cleanly from his shoulders, flying through the air in a crimson arc.

"She’s here!" someone shouted, panic rising.

An ice-type Awakener narrowed his eyes. He’d been waiting for this.

He was a Captain-level SS-rank, and he knew how to deal with speed-type threats.

Frost energy surged from his feet, spreading across the battlefield. Everything it touched turned to solid ice, locking down the terrain.

"Against a speed-type Zombie King, you need wide-area control," he muttered, calm and focused.

Just as he predicted, Laura had barely finished her kill when she felt the chill beneath her.

Her feet froze to the ground, locked in place by a thick layer of ice.

"Nice one!" a nearby fire-type Awakener shouted. He’d just finished charging a fireball and hurled it straight at her.

The heat surged toward her, searing the air.

But just before it hit—

WHAM!

A massive figure stepped in front of her.

Bulldozer.

He crossed his arms and took the full brunt of the blast. The explosion rocked the ground, but he barely flinched. His thick skin and alloy armor absorbed the damage, though black scorch marks now marred his arms and chestplate.

Then he stomped the ground with a thunderous boom, shattering the ice around them.

"Go!" he barked.

Laura didn’t hesitate. Her body flickered—and she shot forward like a bullet, using Bulldozer’s bulk as cover.

She was already on the move before the humans could react.

"Shit!" the ice-type Awakener cursed, eyes widening.

He raised his hands, summoning a thick Frostwall in front of him just in time.

SKREEEEE—

Laura’s clawed blade slammed into the wall, screeching as it scraped across the frozen surface. Her claws pierced through—but her elbow caught on the edge, halting her strike just inches from his face.

He stared at the razor-sharp tip, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Th-that was close..."

But before he could even exhale—

WHIRRRRR—

Laura’s clawed hand opened.

A glowing orb of energy formed in her palm.

BOOM!

The energy cannon fired point-blank.

The man’s head exploded in a burst of blood and fire, his body crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Th-this can’t be happening..."

The remaining human Awakeners stood frozen in horror, watching as one of their own—an SS-rank—was obliterated in an instant.

In the center of the battlefield, Bulldozer and Laura stood back-to-back, their eyes glowing with cold, lethal intent. They looked less like individuals and more like twin engines of destruction—perfectly synced, perfectly deadly.

With Bulldozer tanking the hits and drawing attention, Laura didn’t even need to dodge. She could go all-in, unleashing her full offensive power without restraint. The two of them had fought together before—they weren’t just allies, they were a well-oiled killing machine.

"Hey," Laura said casually, not even out of breath, "I just saved your ass. That means I get all the crystal cores, right?"

Bulldozer snorted. "I blocked that fireball for you. You’re not getting all of them. And anyway—I don’t need saving."

He glanced at her sideways. Her power hadn’t grown that much, but her greed sure had.

Laura grinned, sharp and feral. "Fine. Let’s kill the rest first, then we’ll talk."

The two Zombie Kings crouched low, like predators ready to pounce. A wave of killing intent rolled off them, thick enough to choke on.

Then they moved.

The humans didn’t stand a chance.

With Laura’s speed and Bulldozer’s brute force, the battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse. The human formation collapsed almost immediately. Their attacks became scattered, desperate—nothing could land cleanly.

The few remaining strength- and speed-type Awakeners didn’t even try to engage. They knew better than to get close. One wrong move, and they’d be torn apart.

But there was one thing they were good at.

Running.

"Fall back! Run!"

The survivors broke ranks and bolted, sprinting toward the few aircraft parked nearby. If they could just reach them, maybe—maybe—they’d live.

But the forest had other plans.

Vines erupted from the ground, snaring ankles mid-stride. One speed-type Awakener was yanked a hundred feet into the air—then slammed back down like a meteor.

BOOM!

The impact left a crater in the earth. Cracks spiderwebbed outward. Bulldozer glanced down at the mangled body inside, blood bubbling from the man’s mouth, limbs twisted at impossible angles.

"Damn," he muttered. "That dude got wrecked."

He looked up—and saw them.

More figures approaching.

Sprout. Gorewood. And the four members of the Overlord Squad.

With their arrival, the last flickers of human resistance were snuffed out. Not a single soul made it out alive.

"Bulldozer! You okay? I was so worried about you!" Big Ears called out, rushing over with a big, fake smile.

Bulldozer raised an eyebrow. Worried? He remembered how fast Big Ears had bolted when things got rough.

Sprout and Gorewood joined them, the full force of the Zombie King elite now gathered in one place.

"Looks like we’ve wiped out all the recon teams in this sector," Sprout said, scanning the battlefield.

"They were scouts," Laura added, nodding. "Each zone has a fixed number. They don’t usually double up."

Which meant the main human force wasn’t far behind.

They didn’t know when or how—but a major battle was coming.

"Queen Laura," Sprout said, turning to her, "you’re close to breaking into SSS-rank, aren’t you?"

"Almost there," Laura replied without hesitation.

Sprout had suspected as much. One of the signs of becoming a Voidborn Undying was a rapid evolution of consciousness—though there were always exceptions.

And Laura had changed. A lot.

He remembered when they’d guarded the river together back in Los Angeles. They’d always had a solid rapport.

"Then take this," Sprout said, lifting his hand.

In his palm was a gleaming SS-rank crystal core, pulsing with dense, refined energy.

Laura took it without hesitation. "Thanks."

Gorewood stepped forward next, his bark-covered body creaking as he moved. He didn’t say a word—just handed over a few more crystal cores.

Laura accepted those too, slipping them into her pouch.

Bulldozer, arms crossed, glanced over his shoulder, trying to be subtle.

Wait a second...

Why are they all giving her stuff?

Where’s his share?

Laura, noticing his sulking, jabbed him in the side with her claw.

"And you?" she asked, smirking.

...