Chapter 1116

“Your Highness, what should we do now?” Milton asked anxiously.

“How should I know? I’m just as lost as you are.” Tristan’s face was full of despair.

He continued, “Dr. Strum and Dr. Carmel are dead. The outbreak is already out of control, and now there’s some kind of poisonous mist that destroys everything it touches. How am I supposed to deal with this? My head feels like it’s about to explode.”

“Perhaps we should retreat while we still can,” Milton urged. “If that poisonous mist continues its advance, this city is doomed. Staying here would only put your life in danger.”

“Retreat? Where should I go? Once Harbortown is gone, so is my future.” Tristan looked utterly defeated.

Everyone knew containing the outbreak was a test from Valon. If Tristan succeeded, he’d secure the right to inherit the throne, but failure would end his chances for good. He’d fought too hard and come too far to let the crown slip away now.

“As long as you’re alive, Your Highness, there’s still a chance to turn things around. But if that poison mist gets to you, it’s over,” Milton said earnestly.

“I get it, but we’re not at the point of no return yet,” Tristan replied. “I think we can still turn this around.”

He stood and began pacing the room while muttering to himself, “What do I do? Come on, think. There has to be a way…”

Suddenly, he stopped mid-stride, as if a thought had struck him. “Get everyone in here. Now! We’ll brainstorm together. Someone has to have an idea.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Milton responded immediately and rushed out.

He knew Tristan was right-this wasn’t the time to give up yet. Maybe someone would come up with a solution. If all else failed, they could still flee Harbortown later.

When the scarlet mist spread across Harbortown, similar incidents occurred in Thornwick, where Matthias was stationed, and Sommertown, where Nathaniel had been assigned.

At first, Nathaniel’s situation closely resembled Tristan’s. The outbreak was nearly under control, with no new infection cases, and patients were receiving proper care.

Just when he thought he could weather the crisis, the scarlet mist suddenly erupted inside the hospital, where patients were being treated.

Within minutes, it engulfed the entire facility. Hundreds were trapped inside, and none survived. Even his medical team had perished.

When the news reached Nathaniel, he flew into a rage. He mobilized every available firefighting unit in an attempt to stop the mist from spreading. However, their efforts barely made a difference.

The mist advanced in all directions, slipping through every gap and crevice. Even with maximum effort from multiple firefighting crews, they still couldn’t slow its progress.

Nathaniel soon found himself facing the same impossible choice as Tristan-either keep trying to stop the mist or abandon the city to save his own life. But if he chose to run, it would mean giving up any chance of ever claiming the throne.

Compared to Tristan and Nathaniel, Matthias faced a far worse situation. Since his arrival, he had failed to contain the outbreak and couldn’t stop news of it from spreading.

Panic swept through Sommertown as residents fled the city. Eventually, the situation became so dire that they tried to force their way past security checkpoints.

Matthias responded with iron-fisted measures. Anyone attempting to force their way through checkpoints was imprisoned, and those who injured others in the process were executed on the spot.

It was only through this brutal crackdown that he managed to bring the population under control temporarily.

But before he could catch his breath, the scarlet mist erupted in the city’s most crowded areas. In less than an hour, it claimed over 1,000 lives.

Now facing both an unchecked epidemic and the deadly mist, Matthias-despite his military background-was utterly overwhelmed.

He summoned his advisors and demanded solutions, but none of them had a workable plan. In his mounting frustration, he could only vent his rage by executing corrupt officials.

In Ashwillow Village, Reedcrest, Grace had just ordered Lauren’s body to be taken care of when urgent reports began flooding in-scarlet mist was sweeping through multiple cities.

“What? The red plague has broken out in Harbortown, Thornwick, and Sommertown? This is bad,” she stated.

face darkened as she processed the news. She had assumed the scarlet mist released by Lauren was a one-off incident.

Still, Grace never expected the three major cities to be hit by the same mist. Judging by the situation, she realized that the remnants of the Skull Covenant had planned this all along.

These merciless cultists weren’t just targeting Reedcrest, but they also intended to turn the other three cities into a death zone.

“What should we do now, Ms. Linsor?”

Sadie asked grimly. “With the manpower we have, there’s no way we can send reinforcements in time.’

They’d only just wrapped up Reedcrest’s crisis when three more cities spiraled into catastrophe. There was no break in the action.

“Dustin, you’re the only one who can stop this,” Grace said desperately as she looked at him.

The scarlet mist couldn’t be stopped by ordinary means. Instead, only someone like Dustin, a terrestrial immortal, had the strength to defy fate itself.

“This is my responsibility as a Dragonmarsh citizen,” he responded. With that, he pushed off the ground and soared upward. His body shot into the sky, streaking across it like a comet.

Within moments, he had disappeared beyond Grace and Sadie’s line of sight.

In the central district of Harbortown, thick clouds of deadly scarlet mist had erupted from the hospital and were now spreading in all directions.

Within just an hour, the mist had stretched five miles beyond its starting point. It advanced more rapidly and aggressively than a wildfire.

Wherever the crimson mist swept through, it left nothing but ruin. Anyone who came into contact with it died almost instantly and dissolved into a pool of blood within two minutes.

Even inanimate objects couldn’t escape-the red mist corroded them until they were riddled with holes. At this rate, the deadly mist would devour the entire city within a single day and turn it into a death zone.

High up on a rooftop not far from the governor’s mansion, Tristan and Milton stood on the building’s edge. They watched the distant scarlet mist continue its inexorable spread. Their expressions showed nothing but helplessness.

They had tried everything-deployed manpower, diverted resources, attempted every method to stop the mist-but nothing had worked. Worse yet, they’d lost countless lives in the process.

Now they had reached the end of hope. Unless the mist stopped on its own, this catastrophe couldn’t be prevented.

But would it stop? Looking at how aggressively it continued to spread, the mist clearly wouldn’t stop until it had engulfed the entire city.

“Your Highness, there’s nothing left we can do for Harbortown,” Milton said. “We need to evacuate now.”

They had done all they could. The scale of the disaster had long since surpassed anything human effort could overcome.

Tristan heaved out a long, weary sigh. “It seems this is the only way.”

“Your Highness, you’ve fulfilled every duty expected of you. Don’t burden yourself with guilt,” Milton replied, bowing his head slightly.

“It’s unfortunate what happened here,” Tristan said, his voice carrying a subtle undertone.

“But I have to admit, it’s a bit of a relief that the same scarlet mist hit Thornwick and Sommertown. My brothers are likely just as helpless as I am. At least now we’re all back on equal footing.”

When he heard that the deadly scarlet mist broke out in Harbortown, he was overwhelmed by despair. But after learning the same catastrophe had struck Thornwick and Sommertown, it gave him a strange sense of comfort.

At least Tristan wouldn’t be the only one held responsible. His brothers would share the blame, and that meant the competition for the throne was still anyone’s game. It was the first good news he’d had in weeks.

“You’re right, Your Highness,” Milton agreed. “This is a natural disaster. The situation has escalated far beyond human intervention. His Majesty will surely understand.”

“It’s almost time. Let’s go,” Tristan said.

He was about to turn and leave when something in his peripheral vision caught his attention-what looked like a meteor streaking across the distant sky.

“Hmm?” He paused and focused his gaze.

The meteor was approaching rapidly and seemed to be heading straight for Harbortown. Within just a few seconds, it had reached the city’s airspace and landed directly into the center of the deadly scarlet mist.

“Uncle Milton, look up there. Is that a human figure?” Tristan asked.

Milton strained his eyes to look before responding. “Yes, Your Highness. It’s definitely a person.”

“What is he trying to do?” Tristan frowned slightly. “Surely he’s not planning to enter that mist to rescue people?”

Several grandmasters served under Tristan, and their ability to hover briefly made aerial displays routine to him. What concerned him was that even those martial artists couldn’t handle the scarlet mist since a single touch could prove fatal.

“Just someone biting off more than they can chew,” Milton said, shaking his head. ” It’s not worth your attention, Your Highness.”

The moment he finished speaking, the distant figure suddenly moved. That person’s body erupted in brilliant radiance that stretched for miles in every direction, then pointed toward the sky.

A deafening boom echoed as a massive energy vortex materialized in the sky. It spanned over 300 feet across, swirling with lightning and violent winds.

As it began to rotate at an incredible speed, a terrifying suction force burst forth from its center. Howling winds swept across a six -mile radius around the vortex.

Tristan and Milton, still on the rooftop, could feel the powerful pull tugging at their bodies.

“That power is terrifying. Who could this be?”

Both men’s faces went pale with shock, and their eyes filled with terror.

A single gesture had triggered a vortex hundreds of feet wide and generated such overwhelming force that neither of them had ever witnessed. Could it be someone from the Sacred Wrym Summit?

The massive energy vortex thundered again with another deafening roar. The vast cloud of scarlet mist that had blanketed miles of the city suddenly began to retreat.

The sight was like watching a massive vacuum cleaner as the spinning vortex accelerated and its suction grew exponentially stronger.

The scarlet mist was forcibly drawn into the vortex. Within five minutes, the massive cloud of deadly scarlet mist receded like water draining from a bathtub and vanished completely from sight. The energy vortex had consumed every last wisp of the deadly mist.

Once the scarlet mist had disappeared, the vortex collapsed in on itself, leaving only a crimson orb floating in the air.

The figure in the sky extended his hand and drew the orb across the distance into his palm. Then, he shot away in another direction like a meteor.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from sight, leaving Tristan and Milton staring in absolute shock.

Chapter 1117

“Milton, who was that person just now? How could anyone possess supreme divine power?” Tristan asked.

The initial shock barely lasted a second before a wave of excitement surged through him.

He saw the figure wave its hand and trigger a phenomenon that defied nature itself, clearing away the scarlet mist that had blanketed miles of land. This was beyond human capability, so he thought that person should be a terrestrial immortal.

“It’s too far away, and I can’t get a clear look, Your Highness,” Milton replied, his eyes still widened with barely contained shock.

That figure’s strength was beyond anything he’d ever imagined. It was so overwhelming that he felt as though he was witnessing something otherworldly.

He never would’ve thought someone that powerful could be hiding in a place like Ashen Coast. Such abilities could potentially equal those of Sacred Wrym Summit’s master. He believed that figure could reverse catastrophe through sheer force of will alone.

“Find out who it was. Do it now!” Tristan exclaimed with barely contained excitement.

He added, “We need to track down that person at all costs. If someone of such divine power were to support me, I could definitely claim the throne.”

He felt that someone who had reached the terrestrial immortal realm undoubtedly had the means to go against fate itself. If he could secure such a powerhouse as his backer, he could bulldoze through any opposition straight to the throne.

Matthias sat imperiously in the middle of the hall inside the governor’s mansion in Thornwick with a stone-cold expression.

Over a dozen corrupt officials were kneeling before him.

When the deadly scarlet mist erupted, these corrupt bureaucrats had either done nothing while fleeing with stolen funds or exploited the chaos to extort the people. All of them were guilty of heinous crimes.

Now that the mist was beyond control and Thornwick’s fall was inevitable, Matthias was seething with rage. He needed to execute these corrupt officials to vent his fury.

“Please spare us, Your Highness,” one of them said. “We’re innocent. We did nothing wrong. You can’t pin all the blame on us, Your Highness.”

“That’s right, Your Highness,” chimed another. “We’ve always served the country and the people loyally. Maybe we haven’t done anything remarkable, but we’ve done our part. To abuse your power and execute us like this is unjust and unreasonable. How will you explain this to His Majesty?”

The corrupt officials, already on their knees, cried out for mercy and swore they were innocent. Behind them stood a line of soldiers, holding broadswords and bearing ice-cold stares.

“Innocent? Spare you? Loyal servants?” Matthias repeated. He laughed bitterly as he stood and swept his murderous gaze over the corrupt officials.

He went on, “You filthy scum! How can you even say those words? You’ve taken bribes and robbed the people blind. When disaster struck, you did nothing. Instead, you used the opportunity to stuff your pockets and plan your escape.

“People like you-corrupt to the core-are the rot of this nation, parasites feeding off its bones. You don’t just deserve death, but everyone related to you is going to prison.”

Matthias was truly disgusted by them. Ever since he’d arrived in Thornwick, nothing had gone smoothly.

The outbreak had spread beyond control-information was leaked, causing citywide panic, and conflicts and violent incidents kept erupting everywhere.

Yet these so-called public servants had done nothing to remedy the situation.

Instead, they had undermined him at every turn, creating obstacles and missing crucial opportunities to act.

At first, Matthias had held back because he needed these people to maintain order and attempt damage control. But now he had reached his breaking point.

The outbreak had already spread, the scarlet mist was advancing aggressively, and there was no solution in sight.

Even worse, the entire city was in chaos. Citizens were fleeing while casualties mounted continuously. There was nothing left he could do except take out his anger on these scums.

“Your Highness, you can’t blame us for the outbreak.”

“We did everything we were supposed to do. Against a natural disaster like this, there’s nothing anyone could do.”

“You can’t take out your frustration on us just because of a temporary setback. We’re all innocent.”

The corrupt officials continued their pleading, using every smooth word and slick argument they could think of while refusing to accept responsibility.

“Even now, you still make excuses? Seems you really won’t give up until you’re staring death in the face,” Matthias snapped.

He laughed viciously, then ordered, ” Guards! Execute these scums and let this be a warning to others.”

Without a word, the battle-hardened soldiers drew their swords in unison.

“Your Highness, I was wrong. Please spare my life.”

“If you kill us, His Majesty will be furious.”

“Matthias, you’ll burn in hell. I curse you to the depths of damnation.”

When the officials saw the soldiers unsheathe their weapons, panic finally set in. Some begged for forgiveness, others tried to invoke Valon’s authority, and a few simply accepted their fate while hurling curses at him.

“Execute them!” Matthias had no patience for more words and swept his hand downward.

The soldiers showed no hesitation and immediately brought down their swords. Steel flashed, and over a dozen bloody heads hit the ground one after another. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating the entire hall.

“Worthless scum! Drag them out and feed them to the dogs!” Matthias barked.

He came from a military background and had always been ruthless in his decisions. To him, corrupt officials who delayed crucial decisions and paid lip service while acting treacherously deserved nothing but death.

The rage in Matthias’s chest finally began to ease after he executed the corrupt officials. Given the current situation, Thornwick was doomed. It was only a matter of time before the scarlet mist consumed the entire city.

Nothing he did would matter with his current abilities, so he figured he might as well execute a few corrupt officials to vent his frustration.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky. It sounded like a massive thunderclap, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.

“What the hell was that?” Matthias frowned.

“Your Highness, something is happening, outside,” Neville reported as he rushed into the hall.

“Let’s go take a look,” Matthias said.

Without wasting a second, he strode out the door

Looking up at the distant sky, he saw a massive energy vortex that had appeared out of nowhere. It spanned over 300 feet across and resembled a black hole, sending chills down his spine.

Below the energy vortex, a lone figure hovered in midair. Matthias was too far away to make out the face, but the figure was dressed in white.

“What is that person doing?” Matthias narrowed his eyes, confused.

He couldn’t figure out why that figure appeared out of nowhere and created that energy vortex. What could they possibly be planning?

“Hard to say, but I can tell you with certainty that this person is an ultimate grandmaster,” Neville said with a grave expression.

As a grandmaster martial artist, his senses were razor-sharp. Since he couldn’t pick up even the faintest trace of energy waves from that distant figure, he knew the other party’s strength was far beyond his own.

“So what if he’s an ultimate grandmaster? “Matthias scoffed. “What good can that do in the face of disasters both natural and man-made?”

That deadly scarlet mist was impossible to get rid of. Even if someone used tremendous force to blast it apart, it would reform within moments. Ultimate grandmasters might be powerful, but they couldn’t defy nature itself.

The massive vortex overhead suddenly spun faster, unleashing a suction force that tore through the air with a bone-chilling ferocity.

Standing in the courtyard, Matthias and Neville felt an invisible force pulling at them, and it was growing stronger by the second.

“What kind of supreme divine power is this? How can it affect us from so far away? “Matthias asked. His dismissive smirk vanished, and his eyes widened in shock.

They were at least three miles from the vortex. At that distance, the figure in the sky looked no bigger than an ant. Yet they could still feel that intense pull, which was simply mind-boggling.

“That person’s strength is beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Neville said in disbelief.

Ordinary ultimate grandmasters were nowhere near that level. He had no way to measure just how strong that person might be.

The hum in the sky deepened again as the energy vortex spun faster. Within moments, fierce winds erupted across a six – mile radius, kicking up sand and debris.

The scarlet mist that had been spreading relentlessly like some parasitic plague suddenly seemed to have met its match as it was sucked straight into the vortex.

On the ground, the mist covering several square miles was being pulled upward into the vortex at an astonishing speed.

But from an aerial view, it looked like a tide receding. Within just a few minutes, the terrifying scarlet mist that had struck fear into everyone’s hearts had been fully absorbed by the vortex without leaving a trace behind.

High above, the white figure waved their hand, and the energy vortex instantly dissipated. When a gleaming crimson orb drifted down from the sky, the white figure caught it and tucked it away.

Matthias and Neville were struck speechless with shock at the sight. They never would have dreamed that the bizarre, seemingly unstoppable scarlet mist could just disappear like that.

The major crisis they’d racked their brains trying to solve through every conceivable effort had been effortlessly handled by a stranger. It was too shocking to process, and too surreal to believe.

“Neville, is this… Is this really something an ultimate grandmaster can do?”

Matthias asked, his voice trembling

“Impossible. No matter how powerful an ultimate grandmaster is, they couldn’t possibly have supreme divine power,” Neville replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

“So what level has that figure reached?” Matthias stared at him in shock.

“If I had to guess, that person has achieved the realm of terrestrial immortals,” Neville said, swallowing hard.

Upon hearing that, Matthias wondered who else could reach that level besides the Ancient Sage of Sacred Wrym Summit.

“Could it be the Ancient Sage himself?” he asked, still stunned.

“That figure doesn’t look like him. It must be someone else, ” Neville replied, drawing a long breath. “Dragonmarsh is full of hidden powerhouses. Maybe one of them finally stepped out to help.”

“Whoever it is, they’ve solved our major crisis. Thornwick is saved, and so is my future,” Matthias said, practically giddy now that the shock had worn off.

Just moments ago, he’d been ready to abandon Thornwick and make a run for it. The situation had seemed hopeless until that incredible turn of events.

A terrestrial immortal-level expert had somehow appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly resolved the entire city’s crisis with supreme divine power. Matthias couldn’t believe his luck.

Chapter 1118

Nothing could have made Matthias happier than what he had just witnessed. A powerhouse had cleared the deadly scarlet mist, and the city-wide crisis was resolved. He finally had hope of turning things around again.

Though there would still be some minor troubles to deal with later, these could be handled through human effort. Talk about a dramatic turnaround. Just when things seemed hopeless, everything opened up again.

“Your Highness, the figure has left.”

Just as Matthias was rejoicing, the white figure in the distant sky had already streaked away like a meteor. From arrival to departure, the entire stay lasted less than ten minutes.

“Send someone to investigate and find out this expert’s identity. If there’s a chance to bring them over to our side, do it. Otherwise, don’t force it. But whatever you do, don’t offend them,” Matthias instructed.

He knew all too well that someone with that kind of strength and who could bend the forces of nature to their will wouldn’t be swayed by status or material gain.

People like that stood above worldly concerns.

Matthias knew it would be almost impossible to recruit someone like that, but it was still worth trying. He wasn’t holding out much hope, but miracles had happened before. And right now, he needed one.

In Sommertown, Nathaniel was overseeing an extortion operation while commanding his subordinates.

After multiple failed attempts to control the scarlet mist, he had finally given up. Deep down, he knew the city would eventually be swallowed by it.

When that happened, the entire city would be reduced to ruins, so he might as well use the time he had left to line his own pockets.

Nathaniel wasn’t targeting ordinary citizens but specifically focused on Sommertown’s wealthy elite and high officials. After all, these people were rich and valued their lives above all else.

All he needed to do was find some random excuse or dig up some dirt on them, and he could extort these influential figures to his heart’s content.

Those who handed over their wealth willingly would naturally keep their lives. Anyone foolish enough to resist would face prison at best or death at worst.

Nathaniel had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. Most of those wealthy officials had skeletons in their closets, and none of them dared report him. It made skimming off their dirty money almost effortless.

Just as he was directing his men to load up the loot, one of his personal guards rushed over and reported, “Your Highness, we have a situation!”

“Sommertown’s about to fall apart. What kind of situation could be worse than that? “Nathaniel replied irritably.

This entire mission had cost him dearly in terms of resources, manpower, and funding. If he didn’t take something back, how else was he supposed to make up for the loss?

“Your Highness, we’ve just received word that the scarlet mist in both Harbortown and Thornwick has disappeared,” the guard reported.

“What? How is that possible?” Nathaniel’s expression changed dramatically. Weren’t they just as helpless as we were? How did they suddenly come back from the brink of collapse?”

Finding out that Harbortown and Thornwick had been saved hit him harder than any financial loss. If all three cities were destroyed, at least the three princes would be starting from the same position. No one would be at a disadvantage.

Tristan and Matthias had solved their problems, while the scarlet mist on his side kept spreading. Nathaniel now felt like someone had thrown him straight into the fire.

“Your Highness, don’t panic,” the guard said. “The mist in Harbortown and Thornwick didn’t just vanish on its own, but someone made it disappear.”

“Someone? What do you mean?” Nathaniel was stunned.

He had already tried every method possible, deploying all his skilled subordinates, yet still couldn’t do anything about the scarlet mist. Could someone else have found a way?

“Your Highness, according to reports from Harbortown and Thornwick, a powerhouse appeared and used supreme divine power to absorb all the mist. That’s what saved those cities from destruction,” the guard explained.

“What?” Nathaniel was shocked.”

Someone with such abilities exists in this world? Do you know who it is?”

“The person’s identity remains a mystery, and we haven’t been able to identify them yet. However, spies from Thornwick have sent word that this powerhouse is flying toward Sommertown and should arrive very soon,” the guard reported.

“Excellent! It looks like Sommertown’s crisis can be resolved.” Nathaniel’s face lit up with joy.

Though he didn’t know the identity of the powerhouse, he would treat him as an honored guest if that person could resolve his crisis.

“Your Highness, should we make any preparations?” the guard asked.

“Of course!” Nathaniel exclaimed. ”

Prepare the finest food and wine. As soon as that powerhouse clears the scarlet mist, I’ll host a feast in their honor.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” The guard acknowledged the order and quickly departed.

“Stop moving those things for now. Clean up all the streets and prepare to welcome our distinguished guest,” Nathaniel shouted, directing his subordinates into action.

Moments later, a streak of light came from the distant horizon and stopped above the scarlet mist.

Nathaniel looked up and saw a white figure hovering in the air. With a single wave of their hand, the skies rumbled and the air shuddered as a massive energy vortex formed out of nowhere.

Then, the figure raised their hand again, and the vortex began spinning rapidly. A terrifying suction burst from its center, sending shockwaves through the air.

Within seconds, winds howled across a six-mile radius, lifting dust and debris from the ground. The scarlet mist that had been spreading outward was now being pulled upward into the vortex at incredible speed.

Although Nathaniel had mentally prepared himself, witnessing this scene still left him speechless with shock.

What kind of person could wield power like this? How could they possess supreme divine power? It was as if they could command the very elements with a simple gesture, like an immortal.

Nathaniel knew the white figure was strong, but he hadn’t expected this level of strength. Within minutes, the figure had cleared away all the scarlet mist.

Every last wisp of it was gone like it had never existed. Such supernatural ability exceeded anything he could have imagined. Witnessing it firsthand was far more shocking than any secondhand report.

When the mist vanished, the white figure raised a hand, and the energy vortex quickly dissipated. Later, a crimson orb drifted down from above and settled into the figure’s palm.

Seeing his chance, Nathaniel channeled his true energy and shouted, “Your Excellency has used supreme divine power to clear away the deadly mist and saved our entire city from disaster.

“I, Prince Nathaniel Linsor, speak for all the citizens in expressing our deepest gratitude for your life-saving grace. Might I humbly request the honor of your company so I can properly show my appreciation as your host?”

This was a carefully crafted speech. First, he praised the white figure’s city-saving heroics, then used gratitude as a way to bridge the gap between them and create a face-to-face meeting opportunity.

At least from his perspective, he had shown genuine sincerity. He thought as long as this mysterious master wasn’t completely heartless, they should at least acknowledge his gesture.

After all, he was the third prince of Dragonmarsh, and his status was nothing short of noble. The fact that he had humbled himself enough to extend a personal invitation was already a rare gesture.

Without hesitation or pause, the white figure above seemed not to have heard anything. They transformed into a meteor and streaked away into the distance without stopping for even a moment.

Seeing that, Nathaniel’s smile froze instantly. He’d made extensive preparations and waited for this expert to show up so he could persuade them to join his cause. Unfortunately, things weren’t going according to his plan.

The powerhouse had no intention of acknowledging him whatsoever. After clearing the scarlet mist, the white figure just left without even sparing him a glance, and didn’t see him as anyone worth their time.

Nathaniel stood there in silence for a moment before finally cursing out loud, venting his frustration. “Damn it!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a brilliant flash streaked across the distant sky. The next second, a white energy ball came hurtling down from above, crashing to the ground right at his feet.

The impact blasted a crater into the ground, and violent energy waves exploded outward from the pit.

Since Nathaniel was standing close, the blast sent him flying more than 30 feet through the air before he slammed into the ground. He lay there dazed and battered, covered in dust. When he touched his face, blood smeared across his fingers.

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. He was pissed, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut this time. He knew the white energy ball was the powerhouse’s punishment for his outburst. He never imagined that from such a great distance, the figure could still hear his curse.

Indeed, such extraordinary individuals couldn’t be judged by ordinary standards. He finally realized not to offend them in the future.

Deep beneath Ashen Coast, the bone altar shuddered violently. Green ghost flames danced wildly on skull-topped candlesticks, casting flickering shadows across the walls, where murals made of flayed human skin seemed to writhe like living things.

“Impossible!”

Eldrik Carrion’s withered fingers dug deep into the bronze altar as black blood seeped from beneath his nails. It trickled down the grooves to spread across ancient curse marks in sinister corrosive stains.

The skull crown atop his head emitted a piercing hum while the nine human eyeballs embedded in it simultaneously wept tears of blood.

“This deadly mist was saturated with the vengeful spirits of 100,000 souls, so how could it-”

Before he could finish, the soul-binding bell at the altar’s center exploded. Bronze fragments shot out like blades, carving spider-web cracks across the stone walls.

Sloan Vilehorn, a gaunt figure wrapped entirely in bandages, slowly rose to his feet. His clouded eyes fixed on the black blood pooling on the ground, then suddenly extended his corpse-spotted tongue and licked his fingertip.

“Elder Carrion, look-there are traces of golden light remaining in this blood.

Whoever did this means business.”

Upon hearing that, Eldrik’s eyes widened. Suddenly, his bone armor tore open. The heart of a living person, which was embedded between his ribs, beat frantically and shot a stream of black blood toward the vaulted ceiling.

“It’s a terrestrial immortal!”

His shriek shattered his entire bone armor. From within his ribcage, pale skeletal claws burst out like a nest of vipers.

“When did Skull Covenant offend someone of this level? This can’t be happening.”

The sound of snapping bones swallowed the rest of his words as his skeleton began to twist and grow in reverse. His spine tore through his flesh, jutting out as jagged bone spikes.

“Send out the order and recall all Blood Spyders,” Eldrik instructed.

From the depths came the sound of dragging chains as 12 cultists in human-skin cloaks crawled forward. With each movement, foul-smelling blood seeped from beneath their cloaks, leaving twisted bloodstains on the ground.

The lead figure pulled back his hood, revealing a face half-rotted, half-regenerated. Several pale maggots squirmed in his hollowed-out right eye socket.

“Elder Carrion, though our scarlet mist operation has failed, the corpse pods we’ve planted throughout Ashen Coast can still complete the mission and summon the Skull Lord,” the lead cultist said in a shrill voice.

“Fool!” Eldrik snapped.

He lashed out with a bone spike, piercing the cultist’s chest. The rotting flesh froze solid the instant it came into contact with the bone’s icy energy.

“With that terrestrial immortal standing guard, even if we activate the corpse pods, we won’t gather enough blood sacrifice to summon the Skull Lord.”

“Elder Carrion, I have a plan that could resolve our current crisis,” Sloan interjected.

“Speak.” Eldrik snapped his head toward him

Sloan leaned forward and began whispering in his ear.

“Here’s what we’ll do…”

Chapter 1119

Eldrik burst into cackling laughter after hearing Sloan’s plan. At that instant, crimson ice crystals crystallized along his freshly grown bone spurs.

“Excellent! What a brilliant scheme,” he commented.

A gleam flashed in his hollow eye sockets as he waved his hand and produced three bone tokens. He tossed them to Sloan.

“Tell Gore, Venom, and Grinder to move now. Let them spread rumors simultaneously, so everyone thinks that this was the work of that terrestrial immortal,” he ordered.

“Yes, Elder Carrion,” Sloan replied. He caught the tokens and vanished from sight.

Thanks to Dustin’s intervention, the scarlet mist that had terrorized countless people was finally wiped out.

the immediate threat gone, the situation in Ashen Coast began to stabilize.

Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel abandoned their plans to flee and began working to contain the outbreak while calming the populace. None of them were willing to give up unless necessary.

But because each prince had made different choices, their cities faced very different outcomes after the mist was eliminated.

Among them, Harbortown under Tristan fared the best. Although there had been some brief unrest, he quickly restored order.

the preventative medicine Grace had sent, the outbreak was contained for the time being. All parties were actively responding and working together to save the city and weather the crisis.

On the contrary, Matthias faced a much more challenging situation. Before giving up on Thornwick, he had executed a large number of corrupt officials. It had helped him win some public favor and vent the people’s anger, but it also left a power vacuum.

Without those officials to maintain order or enforce controls, chaos persisted. Even though the scarlet mist was gone, restoring stability and containing the outbreak wasn’t something that could be done overnight.

Oddly enough, Nathaniel, who once had the upper hand, ended up in the worst position among his brothers.

Matthias’ execution of corrupt officials had at least served as a warning to others, while giving the people an outlet for their frustration. However, Nathaniel had done nothing meaningful before abandoning his city, except for engaging in ruthless exploitation and outright betrayal.

While appeasing the populace and containing the outbreak, Nathaniel had made grand promises to the nobility and built relationships with them. Then, at the crucial moment, he specifically targeted these same nobles and used every means possible to extort their wealth and resources.

If Sommertown had truly been doomed, such behavior might have had little consequence. But now that the city could be saved, his betrayal had instantly enraged every noble there.

When Nathaniel tried to regain control of the city and demanded the nobles’ cooperation in containing the outbreak and stabilizing the situation, they simply refused to participate.

Worse, they began secretly retaliating and sabotaging his efforts at every turn. As a result, Sommertown descended further into chaos, even harder to stabilize than Thornwick.

But Nathaniel had no one to blame but himself. No matter how angry he was, he had to grit his teeth and bear it.

All three princes had made different choices, and each city now faced a different fate because of it.

As darkness enveloped Sommertown, rustling sounds broke the silence in a cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

Suddenly, a withered black hand thrust up from the earth. The hand, with its long, claw-like nails, looked brittle as deadwood but moved with surprising strength. After a few swipes, it dug a hole straight through the burial mound.

A moment later, a zombie in tattered clothing and gaunt features clawed its way out of the grave. Once the first zombie appeared, a second quickly followed, then a third, then a fourth…

Within just a few minutes, seven zombies had clawed their way out of the ground and their putrid stench filled the air.

The first zombie to surface wore a crystal necklace around its neck that glowed eerily under the moonlight. It released a wet gurgling sound from its throat and began lurching forward with stiff, awkward movements.

The other six zombies followed as it headed toward the populated areas of the city.

The undead could cover 30 feet in a single bound. They possessed incredible strength, and their bodies were hard as iron. Wherever they passed, plants withered and died, leaving blackened earth in their wake.

On a main road outside the city, the streets were empty due to the citywide lockdown. Only scattered squads of soldiers remained at the checkpoints, preventing anyone from fleeing and spreading the outbreak beyond the city limits.

“I heard that the scarlet mist finally disappeared,” one soldier said. “Some powerhouse must have intervened. We can finally breathe a little easier now.”

“Yeah. Now that the mist is gone, at least Sommertown won’t be wiped off the map. As for the outbreak, we’ll just have to wait for the higher-ups to develop an antidote.”

“With the whole city in crisis, we’re lucky to be alive at all.”

At one checkpoint, a squad of soldiers chatted among themselves. Since the mist’s disappearance, fewer people were attempting to force their way through, giving them some respite.

“Hey, look! What’s that?”

One soldier suddenly gestured toward the darkness ahead, having spotted something unusual.

The others followed his gaze to the far end of the road, where several figures were lurching toward them with jerky, unnatural movements.

The approaching figures’ eyes glowed green with an unsettling light that sent chills down their spines.

“What’s going on? Why are those people moving so strangely?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Their eyes are glowing green, and they don’t look human at all. Could they be some kind of monsters?” another asked.

“Stay alert, and don’t let your guard down!

As the figures in the distance drew closer, the soldiers tensed up and raised their weapons.

The figures moved faster with each lurching step, every movement stiff and unnatural. Within moments, they reached the checkpoint. Under the glare of the lights, the soldiers finally got a clear look, and their faces went pale.

“Zombies! Those are zombies!”

“Open fire now!”

Seeing the shriveled zombies with glowing green eyes, the soldiers raised their rifles and opened fire without hesitation.

The rounds hit dead-on, but the creatures didn’t even flinch. Their withered bodies were tougher than steel, and the bullets couldn’t penetrate.

By the time the soldiers emptied an entire round, the only visible damage was to the zombies’ already tattered clothing. Not a single one went down.

The lead zombie let out a low growl and suddenly lunged at a soldier. It opened its rotting mouth wide and sank its teeth deep into his neck.

The soldier screamed, his rifle clattering to the ground. His body convulsed violently as his once-strong frame visibly shriveled. Within seconds, he was dead.

After the bite, the green glow in the zombie’s eyes burned brighter.

After the first man fell, the second followed quickly, then the third, then the fourth. Soon, the entire squad was slaughtered. Ordinary humans were no match for the monsters nurtured by the Skull Covenant.

Once the soldiers were dead, the seven zombies shambled forward in search of more human flesh.

Moments later, the first soldier who had been bitten began twitching on the ground. His lifeless eyes gradually lit up with a faint green glow. A second later, he lurched to his feet and was turned into a zombie.

After the first soldier turned, the second followed soon after, then the third, the fourth… In the end, the entire squad was infected by the zombie virus and transformed into the undead. Just like the ones before them, they followed the scent of human flesh.

A new disaster had begun, one that spread faster and proved deadlier than the last. Unlike the earlier plague, this zombie virus moved with terrifying speed and couldn’t be contained.

The plague could still be managed with medicine, roadblocks, and strict lockdowns to keep the situation under control, but the zombie virus was different.

It didn’t matter if people hid at home or found shelter elsewhere. As long as they were still breathing, the zombies would break in and infect them.

A single bite was all it took to set the chain in motion. The victim would become a zombie, carrying the virus and passing it to the next. One turned into ten, ten into 100, and soon 100 became 1,000.

The zombie virus spread faster than anyone in Sommertown could have imagined.

By the time Nathaniel realized what was happening and began organizing a proper defense, the zombie virus had already infected over 1,000 people and was continuing to spread.

The situation gave him a severe headache. Just as one crisis had been resolved, another struck. The scarlet mist had just been dispersed, and before there was even time to breathe, the zombie virus had broken out.

It was clear the remnants of the Skull Covenant were hellbent on wiping out the entire city. Their methods were so ruthless and unpredictable that no defense could stop them.

The crisis wasn’t limited to Sommertown. Harbortown, Thornwick, and Reedcrest were all facing the same disaster.

These bulletproof zombies, awakened by the Skull Covenant, had begun causing chaos everywhere and spreading the zombie virus. As a result, all four cities were plunged into varying degrees of disorder.

In Reedcrest, Dustin was meditating and refining the three crimson orbs he had recently acquired. Though laced with deadly poison, each orb held a tremendous amount of energy. For him, they were more boon than threat.

He had only just broken through, and his body was still adjusting to the change. With the energy nourishing his body, his cultivation level began to stabilize.

Suddenly, someone knocked at the door, followed by Sadie’s anxious voice.

“Mr. Rhys, something has happened in Reedcrest. Ms. Linsor asks that you head over immediately.”

“Hmm?”

Dustin slowly opened his eyes. With a light wave of his hand, the door swung open, and he asked, “Didn’t we just resolve the scarlet mist crisis? What could be so urgent now?”

“It’s not related to the mist,” she replied. ” Reedcrest is facing a new disaster. Ms. Linsor will explain the details herself.”

“Alright, I’ll go take a look.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the room.

Sadie flinched in surprise. One second, he was right there, and the next, the room was empty. It was as if a god had disappeared before her eyes.

A few seconds later, Dustin appeared in the living room of another residence. Grace was speaking with her trusted aide. When she saw him appear, she immediately waved for the aide to leave.

“Sadie mentioned that Reedcrest has suffered a new disaster. What exactly is it? “Dustin asked.

“Zombies,” she answered grimly.

“We just received reports that several villages on the outskirts were attacked, and there were no survivors. The infected are now moving toward the city center. If we don’t stop them in time, Reedcrest could be wiped out.”

Chapter 1120

“Zombies?” Dustin raised an eyebrow, surprised. “I’ve heard stories, but I’ve never actually seen one. Are they really as powerful as the legends claim?”

Zombies were abominations that defied the natural order, driven by an insatiable hunger for the living and nearly impossible to kill. They fed on human flesh, especially brains. Wherever they appeared, they spread like wildfire.

Ancient records claimed that some of the strongest could wipe out entire cities, leaving nothing but scorched ruins in their wake.

Grace replied grimly, “They’re creatures of pure darkness, unnatural and dangerous in every way. Their bodies are tough as iron, nearly bulletproof, and incredibly hard to kill.

“The scariest part isn’t their strength, but the virus they carry. One bite or even a scratch is enough to turn a person into one of them. And once it starts, the infection spreads like wildfire. One turns into ten, ten into 100.”

Compared to the plague, the zombie virus was far more aggressive and impossible to contain. While plague could be managed with medicine and lockdowns, there was no stopping it once the virus broke out.

The only effective method was the total eradication of all infected individuals to prevent further outbreaks. If the zombie incursion couldn’t be contained, the fall of Reedcrest would only be a matter of time.

“The Skull Covenant remnants really don’t know when to quit,” Dustin said, clearly irritated. “First the plague, then the scarlet mist, and now zombies? It’s been one attack after another.”

Though he had recently broken through to a new realm and could handle far more than before, the chaos stirred up by the Skull Covenant was pushing his patience to its limit. If he ever found their hiding place, he would wipe out every last one of them in one fell sweep.1

“I’ve already deployed troops to block off every major route,” Grace said.

She continued, expressing her concern, ” But I can’t guarantee they’ll be able to hold off a large-scale zombie attack. If our defense lines fall, then Reedcrest’s civilians will lose all protection. When that happens, the entire city will turn into a bloodbath.”

The zombie virus spread faster than anyone could respond. If the military itself became infected, the situation would spiral far beyond control.

“What do you need me to do?” Dustin asked bluntly. Since she had called him over, he figured she had a specific plan in mind.

“I need you to stop the zombies from breaking through. If possible, wipe them out,” Grace replied.

“How many zombies are there in Reedcrest?”

“Hundreds or maybe more. And the number’s growing fast,” she answered honestly.

Dustin said, “With them scattered across the city, I can’t kill them fast enough to keep up with the infection rate.”

He paused to think, then added, “Here’s the plan. Have your troops evacuate the civilians and move them far from any known zombie clusters. That’ll slow the spread.

“Then, pick a few teams to herd the zombies into a single area. Once they’re gathered, I’ll take them all out at once. It’s faster and more efficient.”

“Great. I’ll send the orders now,” Grace replied. She waved one of her aides over and quickly issued instructions. Just as he said, trying to hunt down the infected one by one would be far too slow. Coordinated elimination was their best chance of saving the city.

“Given the Skull Covenant remnants’ typical behavior, I doubt Reedcrest is the only city hit by this zombie outbreak,” Dustin remarked.

“You’re right.” Grace nodded seriously.

“The first outbreak happened in Sommertown. Then it spread to Thornwick and Harbortown. Reedcrest was the last to be affected. Compared to the others, we’re actually in better shape. But in Sommertown, thousands have already been infected by the zombie virus.”

“The zombie crisis broke out in four cities at the same time? The remnants of the Skull Covenant are really pushing us to a dead end.” He narrowed his eyes slightly, with murderous intent in his eyes.

“They’re using these outbreaks as part of a massive blood ritual to summon their so-called Skull Lord,” she said with a frown.

“If we want to contain the outbreak in Reedcrest, we can’t ignore the other cities, either. Send word to the three princes immediately. Tell them to start evacuating civilians and stop the spread of the virus. Once the infected are rounded up, I’ll deal with the zombies myself,” Dustin said firmly.

“Got it.” Grace turned and began relaying the new orders without hesitation.

This was a matter of life and death for the people of every city. Everyone needed to come together. After all, if the zombie virus truly broke out, the disaster wouldn’t be limited to just four cities.

It would spread across the entire Ashen Coast and possibly all of Dragonmarsh, triggering an unprecedented wave of unrest. A disaster like that could shake the nation to its core.

When Grace relayed the warning to the three princes, each reacted differently.

Tristan acted quickly and decisively. He immediately followed her advice, instructing his men to evacuate civilians and keep them far from any infected areas to stop the spread of the virus.

His decision came from both his trust in Grace and the simple logic of her reasoning. After all, he had no better solution. All he could do was carry out the plan and hope the mysterious expert would put an end to this new wave of undead.

Compared to Tristan, Matthias was stubborn and autocratic. In his eyes, there was nothing that couldn’t be solved with military force.

A few measly zombies were hardly worth his concern. With guns, tanks, and aircraft at his command, he didn’t believe anything could withstand his firepower.

To him, ordering a retreat was an act of cowardice and something he scoffed at without hesitation. But that arrogance would soon cost him dearly.

When the zombie army attacked, Matthias refused to retreat. He led his troops into a full-scale counteroffensive, deploying tanks and artillery against what he saw as nothing more than monstrous corpses.

In his mind, even bulletproof zombies couldn’t possibly withstand tank fire. A single shell could flatten solid iron, so what chance did the undead stand?

The idea sounded solid in theory, but reality was completely different because there were simply too many zombies.

When tens of thousands swarmed in from every direction, there was no way to hold them back.

These zombies were fearless and would never back down as they charged straight into tank shells and artillery fire, as if they meant nothing to them.

The military’s defensive fortifications were utterly useless against the zombies. Bullets had no effect, as if the creatures were immune to gunfire.

Tanks and artillery could tear their bodies apart, but the problem was efficiency. When facing tens of thousands of zombies, dozens of tanks could hardly reduce their overwhelming numbers.

Even with limbs blown off, the zombies continued to advance. Only total obliteration could stop them, which usually demanded multiple direct tank rounds for each creature.

Initially, Matthias’s counterattack achieved some success in wiping out part of the horde. But once the zombies closed the distance with his forces, he finally realized the scale of the threat.

Speed, strength, and unnatural durability were only part of the problem. Their real danger lay in the virus they carried, as anyone bitten or even scratched would turn into one of them within seconds.

The real horror began when swarms of zombies jumped into the trenches. In close combat, even elite soldiers were helpless.

Even after emptying an entire magazine, it couldn’t bring the zombies down. Instead, the creature would lunge forward and sink its teeth into the nearest soldier. Moments later, the fallen soldier would rise again and become one of them, then turn on his own comrades.

Under this kind of assault, where every casualty became a new enemy, Matthias’s so-called well-trained army proved useless. They didn’t stop the outbreak, but instead helped the zombie virus spread faster.

“Damn it! What the hell are these monsters? Why do they keep multiplying, no matter how many we kill?” Matthias snapped.

From a distance, he scowled as he looked through his binoculars toward the trenches. His voice was sharp with frustration and disbelief.

At first, he had felt confident when he saw tanks blast zombies apart. He thought he was being bold, decisive, and made smart tactical decisions.

But once the zombie horde reached the trenches, the battlefield became a massacre, and Matthias was left stunned by how fast his advantage disappeared.

He never expected his army to collapse so easily, like they were made of glass the moment contact was made. Or maybe the truth was worse-the zombies were far more terrifying than he had ever imagined.

“Your Highness, we have to pull back,” Neville urged him. “If this goes on, you’re just sending them to die.”

He had been staying close to protect Matthias so he could clearly see the situation unraveling. The army that Matthias had assembled were nothing but sitting ducks. If they kept pushing, there wouldn’t be a single man left standing by nightfall.

“Where are the cannons? Bring out all my artillery and blast these monsters to pieces, “Matthias roared as he clung to the hope of a final stand.

“Your Highness, all the cannons have already been deployed,” Neville said frantically. “There are too many of them. We can’t kill them fast enough. If we don’t retreat now, we’re all going to die here.”

He could already see several unusually aggressive zombies charging toward them. These were different as they leaped more than 30 feet at a time, moving with terrifying speed. Even direct artillery hits barely slowed them down. Whatever they were, they weren’t any ordinary zombies.

“There has to be another way. I can’t lose to these creatures. Not like this,” Matthias muttered as he paced back and forth while desperately trying to think of a solution.

He had led armies through countless battles and rarely tasted defeat. However, he’d never encountered a situation like this before.

“Your Highness, the defensive line has collapsed. We can’t hold them anymore,” Neville shouted, drenched in sweat.

That brief moment of hesitation had already cost them dozens more lives. The defensive position they had fought so hard to maintain had collapsed entirely.

The soldiers fought bravely and refused to back down, but ultimately, they were no match for the overwhelming tide of zombies.

“Retreat! Everyone, fall back now!”

Matthias finally gave the order when it became clear the situation was beyond saving.

“Retreat and sound the horn!” Neville barked. Upon hearing that, the few remaining soldiers broke ranks and scattered in a desperate attempt to flee.

Unfortunately, the zombies were too fast and the soldiers couldn’t outrun them.

Within moments, all the retreating soldiers had fallen victim to the zombie swarm.

When he witnessed his men get torn apart by the undead, Neville felt a crushing sense of helplessness. As a general, standing by while his soldiers were slaughtered without being able to save them was unbearable.

If they had retreated earlier, they could have saved some lives. Even saving just one more person would have been worth it.

“You damn beasts! I’ll kill every last one of you,” Neville roared. Consumed by rage, he drew his steel blade and was about to charge toward the zombie horde.

“What the hell are you doing? Do you have a death wish?” Matthias snapped. He reacted quickly and grabbed Neville’s arm.

Even though Neville was a grandmaster martial artist, his strength meant little in the face of thousands of zombies. No matter how many he could cut down-ten, or 100-it wouldn’t change the outcome. Once his stamina ran out, death was the only end waiting for him.

Chapter 1121

“Your Highness, we just lost over 1,000 men. How can I face the souls of our fallen comrades if I don’t slaughter every last one of these monsters?” Neville asked.

His expression was one of rage and grief, and his fingers trembled on the blade’s handle.

“The dead can’t be brought back to life. Our men have already made their sacrifice. You can’t throw your life away too. We have to fall back now. Once we figure out a way to stop them, we’ll avenge them properly,” Matthias said firmly.

Ordinary soldiers could be replaced, but a battle-hardened general like Neville was irreplaceable, and Matthias wasn’t about to stand by and let that happen.

“But Your Highness-”

“This is an order!” Matthias cut Neville off. As the zombie horde closed in fast on the front line, Matthias grew anxious. Without saying anything, he pulled Neville toward a nearby helicopter.

a deafening roar, the rotors spun to life. The wind kicked up around them as the aircraft lifted off the ground.

Just as they rose into the sky, one zombie leaped from the advancing horde. It shot upward nearly 25 feet and slashed at the chopper with claws that carved deep gouges into the fuselage.

The entire aircraft jolted, and Matthias turned pale from the shock. But the pilot quickly steadied the controls, pulled higher, and sped off toward safety.

The helicopter flew fast and quickly pulled ahead, leaving the zombies behind. But the horde didn’t slow down as they kept pursuing.

Zombies didn’t need sight or sound to hunt. As long as something was alive and breathing, it became their target.

In Sommertown, Nathaniel was taking a much more innovative approach than Matthias’ panicked retreat.

Rather than confronting the zombie horde head-on, Nathaniel had mobilized his military forces to evacuate civilians at maximum speed while simultaneously building defensive barriers to slow the zombies’ advance.

His strategy was simple. If he couldn’t solve the crisis himself, he would leave it to someone who could. He firmly believed that the powerhouse who single-handedly cleared the scarlet mist wouldn’t stand by and watch the city fall.

For now, Nathaniel’s priority was preserving what remained of his forces and waiting for that powerhouse to step in and rescue them.

Nevertheless, he had prepared a last-resort plan. If even that powerhouse couldn’t handle the zombie threat, he would have no choice but to request missile strikes from Oakvale to level the infected zones.

However, such a scorched-earth solution would leave most of Sommertown in ruins, and recovery would take years or possibly decades. It was a nuclear option in every sense, and Nathaniel would only authorize it if there were truly no other way because the cost would be almost too great to justify.

At the break of dawn in Reedcrest, Grace’s suicide squad had successfully lured around 10,000 zombies into a narrow canyon.

The canyon stretched between two mountains with only a thin passage in the middle, barely wide enough for three people to walk side by side. This confined space forced the massive zombie horde to form a single long line stretching through the entire canyon.

Dustin stood quietly at the cliff’s edge, watching everything below with perfect clarity. Once every zombie had entered the canyon, he finally acted. He raised both hands high above his head and gently pressed them toward the canyon’s entrance.

A tremendous roar shook the earth as the ground began trembling violently. The mountains on both sides of the canyon began to close in rapidly. It looked as though invisible giant hands were forcibly squeezing the two massive peaks together.

The canyon’s front end sealed first, blocking the zombie horde’s exit completely. The rear end quickly followed and cut off any possibility of retreat.

both ends now closed, the zombie army found itself completely trapped. They couldn’t move forward or backward. All they could do was to roar and howl endlessly at the canyon walls surrounding them.

“Go back to wherever you came from!” Dustin roared as he took a deep breath and pressed both palms downward with crushing force.

A deafening crash erupted as the two mountains collided and buried the original canyon entirely. Over 10,000 zombies were instantly crushed and vanished without a trace, buried deep within solid rock.

However, Dustin wasn’t satisfied yet. He struck down with another devastating palm strike from above. Massive boulders tumbled down from both mountain peaks and buried the already destroyed canyon under several additional layers of stone.

Under these conditions, the zombies trapped inside would never escape unless someone completely leveled both mountains.

So what if they were undead and immortal with their sinister evil nature? Since they were buried directly under the mountains, they would never see daylight again.

Inside the helicopter hovering above, Grace and Sadie watched this shocking scene unfold before them with undisguised amazement.

Although Grace had mentally prepared herself, she still couldn’t hide her astonishment. With just a single wave of his hand, two entire mountains moved. That was the true power of a terrestrial immortal. As she watched it happen, she couldn’t help but feel like she was witnessing a living god.

Sadie was even more shaken than Grace had been. Back when Dustin created the vortex to absorb the scarlet mist, it hadn’t hit her that hard.

But after seeing him move entire mountains as if it were nothing and reshape the landscape itself, she finally understood just how powerful Dustin truly was. He had surpassed what any human should be capable of.

Dustin had two ways to deal with the zombie hordes. Besides using mountains to crush them, he could also use supreme divine power to extract the death energy from their bodies.

Once drained of that energy, the zombies would collapse into corpses. But the process was inefficient because he would need to extract energy from each zombie individually.

When facing thousands of zombies, it was like trying to drain a lake with a cup. It would drain his strength long before it made a difference.

Dustin knew brute force was far more efficient than draining death energy individually. The best solution was to herd all the zombies into one place and crush them with his mountain-moving abilities. It was simple, fast, and devastatingly effective.

The only challenge lay in concentrating the zombie army. Given their nature, even one escaped zombie could cause the virus to spread rapidly again.

After flattening the horde beneath the mountain, Dustin shot upward in a flash and reappeared inside the hovering helicopter.

“Reedcrest’s crisis is handled. What’s the status of the other three cities? Where should I head next?” he asked Grace.

face turned serious. “Thornwick is in chaos. Matthias ignored our warnings and deployed regular military forces instead. Not only were they completely ineffective, but their presence actually accelerated the spread of the zombie virus.

“More than 10,000 people in that city have already been infected and turned into zombies. If we can still rescue anyone, we need to act fast. Otherwise, things will spiral out of control.”

Matthias’ arrogance and stubbornness infuriated her. He had acted recklessly for the sake of proving himself and salvaging his reputation while gambling with countless civilian lives. Such foolishness was inexcusable.

If Dragonmarsh’s future ever fell into the hands of such a reckless person, countless people would suffer. Despite her anger, Grace had no choice but to clean up his mess for the sake of the people.

“If the situation in Thornwick has already spiraled out of control, even my strength alone won’t be enough to eliminate all the zombies,” Dustin analyzed rationally. ” Matthias has to cooperate and round them up in one place. Without that, there’s no way to deal with it efficiently.”

Going there now would be like fighting a forest fire with a cup of water if Matthias hadn’t evacuated civilians and gathered the zombies.

The wiser choice would be to visit the other two cities first to stabilize those situations. After resolving their problems, he could then focus all his efforts on helping Thornwick.

“You’re right. I didn’t think it through,” Grace admitted with a nod.

She continued, “I’ve already sent reinforcements to help Matthias hold the line and protect civilians. As for Harbortown and Sommertown, they’ve both managed to lure the zombies into containment zones as planned. I recommend starting with Harbortown since it’s closer.”

“Got it. I’ll head there now,” Dustin replied.

Without another word, his figure vanished from the helicopter. A second later, he reappeared about 330 feet away, streaking through the air like a meteor toward Harbortown at blinding speed.

First the plague, then the scarlet mist, and now zombie armies. Ever since setting foot in Ashen Coast, he hadn’t stopped moving. He had been constantly rushing from one emergency to another.

He finally understood what “with great power comes great responsibility” truly meant. Even a terrestrial immortal would feel exhausted from this endless cycle of crises, but he had no choice.

countless lives at stake and the safety of Ashen Coast hanging in the balance, he could only grit his teeth and persevere no matter how difficult or tiring it became.

Unlike the mountainous terrain of Reedcrest, Harbortown was situated near the ocean and was renowned for its extensive harbor network.

Following advice from Milton and his team of advisors, Tristan had organized over a dozen suicide squads to lure the entire zombie horde into the city’s largest harbor.

Tristan’s original plan was to drown the zombie army in the ocean. Unfortunately, he quickly discovered this strategy wouldn’t work since zombies weren’t afraid of water.

More precisely, zombies were reanimated corpses that relied on death energy and the zombie virus within their bodies to sustain all movement, so they couldn’t possibly be drowned. The water could only slightly restrict their mobility without providing any fundamental solution.

Drowning wasn’t the only tactic Tristan had tried. He’d also used incendiary bombs to burn them and launched concentrated artillery strikes to blow them apart.

The strikes had done some damage, but there were just too many of them. And with every zombie practically bulletproof, they were nearly impossible to kill unless blown to pieces.

The bigger problem was that large-scale artillery attacks would devastate the city itself. Even if they could eliminate the zombies, sustained bombardment would likely destroy half the city.

That kind of price was too high. Unless the situation became hopeless, destroying the city to save it made no sense.

At least for now, Tristan hadn’t reached that breaking point yet. In his mind, there was still that terrestrial immortal who could serve as their ultimate backup plan. Once that powerhouse intervened, dealing with this zombie army should pose no real challenge.

Chapter 1122

Aboard the helicopter flying over the harbor, Tristan and Milton gazed down at the densely packed zombie horde covering the ground below. The sight filled them with dread.

The zombie attack had begun yesterday. In barely more than ten hours, the number of people infected with the zombie virus had already exceeded 10,000.

If Tristan hadn’t ordered an immediate evacuation of nearby civilians, the numbers would’ve been far worse. His quick response had kept the outbreak from spiraling completely out of control.

Even so, 10,000 bulletproof zombies posed a terrifying threat. Tristan had already launched multiple rounds of airstrikes and artillery bombardments to slow them down.

Half the harbor was now in ruins, yet the damage to the horde itself had been minimal. All he could do now was try to contain the spread and buy more time.

“Your Highness, we’ve managed to lure almost all the zombies from Harbortown to this location,” Milton reported after receiving a message through his earpiece. ” Our teams are tracking down the few that slipped through. They shouldn’t affect the overall situation.”

“Well done. Now we wait for that powerhouse to make their move,” Tristan replied with a nod.

The horde had gathered, just as planned. All that was left was for the powerhouse to strike. One decisive blow would wipe out the zombies and end the crisis for good.

“Your Highness, what if that powerhouse doesn’t show up?” Milton suddenly asked.

“The message from Grace should be reliable,” Tristan replied, shaking his head.

“Your Highness, it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ve been using human lives to attract these zombies. If the situation spirals out of control, the consequences would be unthinkable,” Milton said with a grave expression.

He didn’t say it outright, but the implication was clear-staking the future of the entire city on a stranger’s promise was a gamble they might not be able to afford.

“You make a valid point. I actually do have a backup plan, but the losses would be too great. I won’t resort to it unless necessary, “Tristan replied.

“As long as you have contingencies in place, Your Highness,” Milton said with a nod.

In moments of crisis, it was more important than ever for a future ruler to stay calm and in control.

“Oh, by the way, what’s the current situation in Thornwick and Sommertown? “Tristan asked.

Milton answered, “Thornwick is in complete chaos. When the zombie army invaded, Prince Matthias’ first reaction wasn’t to retreat and regroup strategically.

Instead, he deployed troops for a direct counterattack.

“As a result, over 1,000 soldiers are dead. Civilians got caught in the crossfire, and now the number of people infected with the zombie virus is rapidly increasing. It’s probably several times worse than our situation here.”

Tristan shook his head with a faint smile. ” Matthias is still as impulsive as ever. He thinks he can solve everything through brute force and lacks an understanding of strategic retreat. All he’s doing is dragging others down with him.”

The more chaotic Thornwick became, the better it was for him.

If the outbreak in the city couldn’t be contained and the zombie virus spread on a large scale, there would only be one solution for the sake of national security-use overwhelming firepower to destroy the entire city.

When it came to that, Matthias would lose all qualification to compete for the throne.

It wouldn’t matter how many supporters he had. A prince who allowed an entire city to be destroyed because of one reckless decision could never be trusted to rule. If someone like that became king, Dragonmarsh would be finished.

Tristan wasn’t the only one who’d oppose it. The entire court-civil and military-would stand against him. Even Valon would never approve of Matthias becoming the ruler.

So now, Tristan was hoping Thornwick would fall as quickly as possible. Once Matthias was out of the picture, the pressure on him would ease significantly.

“What about Sommertown, where Nathaniel is stationed? Has the zombie virus spread there yet?” Tristan asked again.

Milton replied, “Sommertown’s situation is a bit worse than ours here in Harbortown, but not as bad as Thornwick. It’s somewhere in between.”

He added, “I have to admit, Prince Nathaniel does have some real capability. Since Sommertown was the first to face the outbreak, it’s impressive he’s managed to hold things together this long.”

“He’s always been smart,” Tristan remarked. “Honestly, I expected him to handle things better than Matthias. But Nathaniel only cares about short-term gains. He has no real grasp of the bigger picture.”

His expression remained calm as he went on, “I heard that during the scarlet mist crisis, Nathaniel was more focused on extortion and seizing resources. That didn’t sit well with the nobles and officials in Sommertown.

“Now that the zombie virus has broken out, these nobles and officials are not only refusing to cooperate but are actively sabotaging his efforts. At this rate, I estimate he won’t last much longer either.”

He had a clear grasp of both his brothers’ movements because the spies he had planted around them reported back regularly.

“Prince Matthias and Prince Nathaniel are nothing compared to your wisdom and strength, Your Highness,” Milton said, seizing the opportunity to flatter him.

He continued, “Your Highness has both courage and strategy. You carry the people in your heart. No one but you is fit to be Crown Prince. No one else is worthy of the throne.”

Tristan laughed, clearly pleased. “Milton, you really do know how to talk.”

If his mother’s family had wielded absolute power, would he have ever been overshadowed by Matthias or Nathaniel? When it came to strategy, political skill, or leadership, he outshone them both. The throne should have been his all along.

Just then, Milton seemed to notice something and suddenly pointed into the distance.

“Your Highness, look. The powerhouse has arrived,” he said.

Tristan followed Milton’s gaze into the distance, where a brilliant white light was streaking toward them at breakneck speed.

It carved a glowing trail across the sky, splitting massive clouds as it tore through them. In seconds, the light reached the airspace directly above the harbor. The force of its arrival stirred up hurricane-level winds that violently rocked their helicopter.

When the turbulence finally eased, Tristan looked up and saw a figure in white hovering in the air, no more than 600 feet away.

his sharp eyesight, he should’ve been able to see the figure’s face clearly. But no matter how hard he stared, everything remained blurry, as if some invisible force was deliberately obscuring the figure.

“Milton, can you see what this powerhouse looks like?” he asked. Milton shook his head. “No. I can’t make out their face, either. They’re clearly hiding their appearance on purpose.”

“So the powerhouse is deliberately masking their identity,” Tristan said, disappointed.

He had hoped to see what a terrestrial immortal actually looked like. Instead, the powerhouse had used supreme divine power to obscure their features.

After thinking it over, this made perfect sense since hidden masters rarely appeared before ordinary people. If it hadn’t been for the disaster that struck Ashen Coast, the powerhouse likely would’ve remained hidden.

From what Tristan could tell, the mysterious figure wasn’t hostile. They seemed like a righteous force, fighting for their country and people. Whoever they were, they didn’t appear to be a threat.

“Your Highness, that powerhouse’s preparing to unleash their powers. We should move to a safer distance,” Milton warned.

“Fall back 3,000 feet,” Tristan ordered without hesitation.

Given the supreme divine power that the powerhouse had already displayed before, staying too close would mean inviting disaster.

After all, Tristan just needed to observe and stay out of the way. The rest could be left to this extraordinary figure.

Down below, the zombie horde surged forward with deafening roars. The last remaining suicide squad members were surrounded. Trapped with no way out, they were overwhelmed and infected by the virus.

Tristan had managed to lure the zombies to the harbor and buy this much time only through the sacrifice of dozens of squad members.

After all, zombies hunted using scent and were drawn only to living humans. To gather the scattered undead into one concentrated swarm, those soldiers had used their own lives as bait.

Over 100 suicide squad members had already perished in this desperate gambit. Every one of them had died as a martyr for their country.

“So many people infected in just one night?

High in the sky, Dustin looked down at the massive swarm of zombies surrounding the harbor and frowned slightly. The situation in Thornwick was clearly worse than in Reedcrest.

What made it even more troubling was that Harbortown had supposedly been the least affected city besides Reedcrest. If this were the situation here, he could only imagine how bad it was in the other two cities.

“I’ll do what I can.”

Without wasting another second, he raised his left hand and drew on the forces of nature. Then, he made a grasping motion toward the ocean.

Suddenly, the surface of the sea surged upward. The waves shot from 15 feet to 150, then kept climbing-200, 300, 400 feet. A towering wall of water hundreds of feet high had risen out of nowhere, and it was still growing.

Tristan sat frozen in shock inside the helicopter.

They were flying at nearly 3,300 feet, yet right before his eyes, the ocean had surged into a massive tsunami, rising higher until it was on the verge of overtaking them. As the wave continued to climb, towering above the helicopter like a mountain of water, panic set in.

He shouted, “Fly higher! Take us up to 6,500 feet and fall back at least two miles.”

The pilot didn’t hesitate. He immediately ascended to 6,500 feet and steered the helicopter back nearly two miles.

There was no choice because that towering wave-easily over 3,000 feet tall-exuded such overwhelming pressure that it felt like the whole sky was collapsing.

If that wave crashed down, it wouldn’t just affect them or their helicopter. Even steel-reinforced concrete skyscrapers wouldn’t be able to withstand such terrifyingly destructive force.

“Oh my God! Is that powerhouse even human? They just raised a wave thousands of feet high, as if it were nothing. This is insane,” Tristan gasped.

He swallowed hard and was once again stunned beyond words. The previous energy vortex had been frightening enough, but this towering tsunami was even more terrifying. That sky-blotting, oppressive presence could only be described as horrifying.

“So this is what a Terrestrial Immortal can do?” Milton muttered, swallowing hard. ” Controlling nature with just a wave of the hand. It’s unreal.”

Though he had experienced many storms in his life, this was the first time he had witnessed such a spectacular scene. This was no longer something that humans could possess.

“Fall,” Dustin commanded. The moment he thrust his left hand downward, the 3,000-foot-high wall of water came crashing down like a massive hammer, slamming toward the ground with tremendous force.

Chapter 1123

When the massive tsunami crashed down, it plunged the entire world into darkness. The sheer force compressed the air into a devastating hurricane that swept outward in every direction. Sand and debris exploded through the harbor as thick clouds of dust billowed everywhere.

The 3,000-foot wall of water slammed into the harbor with crushing force. Docked ships were instantly torn apart and vanished beneath the churning waves. Buildings, houses, and port facilities near the waterfront collapsed like cardboard the moment the tsunami hit.

The impact and destructive force were unlike anything Tristan had ever imagined. Even from a safe distance, the sight made his skin crawl and filled him with dread.

Within seconds, the entire harbor disappeared under the surging water. The zombie army that had been advancing nearby was caught in the devastation and swallowed whole.

The tsunami didn’t stop there. It kept pushing inland with unstoppable momentum. Everything in its path faced total annihilation. Houses crumbled, trees were uprooted, and the remaining zombie hordes were swept away without a trace.

The wall of water surged more than 30 miles inland until every last zombie had been submerged. Only then did its relentless advance finally come to a halt.

High in the sky, Dustin formed hand seals and pointed at the seawater below.

“Freeze!”

A deafening boom split the air as an enormous formation, stretching nearly half a mile in diameter, appeared above the churning sea.

Instantly, the surrounding temperature plummeted. The scorching summer heat gave way to the bone-chilling cold of winter.

Beneath the formation, the raging seawater froze. Everything below the surface became encased in ice-fish suspended mid-swim, ship wreckage, building debris, and zombies.

The freezing effect started in one concentrated area. As the bitter cold spread outward, the frozen area continued to expand. Within two minutes, the entire flooded zone had transformed into one massive sheet of ice.

“This is absolutely terrifying. It’s beyond anything I could have imagined,” Tristan remarked.

From the helicopter, he looked down at the frozen seawater below. His hair stood on end as the full magnitude of what had happened sank in.

One casual point of a finger had turned over 30 miles of churning seawater into solid ice in seconds. That level of supreme divine power was something he had never seen before.

The sheer difficulty made even summoning a 3,000-foot tsunami seem simple by comparison. While a tsunami only involved displacing water, freezing 30 miles of seawater required transforming it into solid ice. It was an effort that demanded exponentially more energy.

“Anyone who reaches the terrestrial immortal realm has surpassed the limits of what humans can achieve. Only such existence can easily resolve this disaster,” Milton said in awe.

Over 10,000 invulnerable zombies were frozen solid in a matter of seconds. Not even their most advanced aircraft and heavy artillery could have achieved such a result.

“It’s not over yet,” Tristan said as he stared intently at the white figure below.

Instead of leaving after freezing the sea, Dustin raised one hand high and made a striking motion through the air toward the icy surface below.

A deafening roar cracked across the sky as an enormous golden palm materialized out of nowhere. It crashed down like a mountain onto the frozen ground, casting the land below in shadow. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming.

As it descended, the air warped, and the ground seemed to shift. Even from a distance, the pressure it gave off was terrifying.

The golden palm slammed into the ice with a thunderous crash. The impact rolled through the earth like a shockwave, and far -off peaks shifted under the pressure.

The ice beneath the giant palm exploded into powder. Cracks spread outward at blistering speed, spiderwebbing across the frozen surface. Within seconds, the fractures had spread over 30 miles.

Everything buried beneath the surface was torn apart. The zombie army that had been trapped earlier was now shattered into pieces. Their so-called invulnerability meant nothing because Dustin’s single palm strike wiped them out completely.

The death energy and zombie virus within their bodies vanished without a trace, and revival was no longer even a possibility.

Tristan and Milton stared in stunned silence, unable to say a word. That one strike had left them shaken to the core.

Inside the helicopter, Tristan and Milton sat in stunned silence. Neither of them could find the words to describe what they had just witnessed.

From the moment the tsunami was summoned, to the ocean freezing in an instant, and finally the entire ice sheet being obliterated by a single palm strike the entire sequence was beyond anything they could have imagined.

If they hadn’t witnessed it themselves, they never would’ve believed a human being was capable of such a feat.

“A few zombies have escaped toward the northwest. Take your men and deal with them quickly. Time is running out, and I still have to rush to the other two cities.” Dustin’s voice carried down from above.

After crushing tens of thousands of zombies with a single blow, he didn’t even pause. He shot across the sky like a meteor and vanished into the distance.

Harbortown’s horde wiped out, the few who slipped through shouldn’t have posed a challenge to Tristan. If he couldn’t even handle that, then he didn’t deserve to be crown prince.

The streets of Sommertown reeked of blood and decay. The stench hung heavy in the air, enough to make anyone gag.

Nathaniel and his guards had taken shelter inside the ruins of an old clock tower. Through the cracked glass, he watched as endless waves of zombies swarmed the streets, sweat gathering on his brow.

A blood-soaked guard suddenly burst through the door, gasping for breath.

His voice cracked with fear as he reported, “Your Highness, the southeastern defenses are about to collapse. Those monsters are crazy. They kept hammering the barrier nonstop. Our men can’t hold them off much longer.”

Upon hearing that, Nathaniel tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword until his knuckles turned white. He looked out the window at the grotesque zombies moving with unnatural speed outside. A cold knot of dread settled in his stomach as he realized how desperate their situation had become.

They had been retreating when a horde of zombies suddenly cut them off from behind. With no way out, he ordered his men to fall back into the tower and use the terrain to hold their ground.

But bullets and blades barely slowed down the undead, and nothing seemed to kill them. As a result, more than half of his elite guards had already fallen. If this continued, the situation would only get worse.

Just then, the clock tower’s main door was violently smashed open as several zombies snarled and charged inside. The guards raised their weapons and charged forward.

Steel flashed as they hacked through rotting limbs. Blood sprayed across the walls as blades found their marks, but there were too many zombies. Within moments, the undead broke their line, and the tower filled with the screams of dying men.

“Retreat! Everyone, fall back now!”

Nathaniel’s face went pale. Without hesitation, he immediately led several of his personal guards to escape through the back door.

At that moment, something like a meteor seemed to streak across the sky.

A white figure landed on the clock tower. From the rooftop, he surveyed the zombie horde below with cold, emotionless eyes.

“Hmph!” As he raised his right hand, a visible glowing golden pattern weaved across his palm that crackled with raw energy.

The zombies below grew restless. As if sensing the threat, they howled and snarled at the figure in the sky.

“Annihilate!”

The figure’s raised hand snapped downward.

The golden energy gathered in his palm condensed into a blazing beam. It struck like a falling meteor, blasting through the zombie horde with devastating force.

A deafening boom ripped through the air. The golden beam obliterated everything in its path, leaving cracked pavement and flying debris in its wake.

Over 1,000 zombies were obliterated in an instant. They were reduced to ash before they could even scream.

The spot where the horde had stood was now just vacant ground. The remaining zombies froze, visibly shaken by the carnage. None of them dared take another step forward.

Inside the clock tower, Nathaniel and the remaining guards could only gape at what they’d witnessed. The scene outside had left them speechless.

They had thought they were doomed. However, they never expected a powerhouse to drop from the sky and wipe out over 1,000 zombies with a single blow. It was beyond anything they could have imagined.

The figure landed on the ground, and his cold gaze swept over the few remaining zombies.

Without hesitation, he weaved through the undead, his form becoming a blur. With each wave of his hand, dozens of zombies turned to dust. He tore through the horde like a force of nature, unstoppable and relentless.

Within minutes, every last zombie in Sommertown’s streets had been wiped out. Nathaniel and the others were left speechless once again after witnessing the impossible.

Chapter 1124

The golden light at Dustin’s fingertips flickered out just as the last zombie at the warehouse entrance crumbled to dust. Dark brown fluid splattered across the weathered cobblestones, releasing a nauseating stench.

Nathaniel leaned on his broken spear, his chest heaving with each breath. Zombie bone fragments were still embedded in the dented plates of his armor.

He looked at the bodies scattered across the ground, then at the white figure ahead. His eyes reflected the gratitude of someone who had escaped death.

“Thank you for saving us, sir. Your kindness will never be forgotten,” Nathaniel said with a respectful nod.

Not a single stain marked Dustin’s pristine white robes. His eyes swept over the scattered zombie remains below with a sharp, eagle-like gaze, and he frowned slightly.

“These were just scouts. Where is the actual zombie army?” he asked.

Nathaniel’s expression immediately turned grim. He turned toward the southern part of the city, where thick gray fog shrouded the sky. Muffled roars could be heard echoing from that direction.

“Sir, over 10,000 civilians are still trapped in the southern temporary settlement. They couldn’t be evacuated in time. Please save them,” Nathaniel said.

Dustin’s expression hardened. Without another word, his body was covered in brilliant golden light. He transformed into a dazzling beam of light, shooting toward the southern district like a meteor.

He vanished in a flash, leaving behind only a faint trail of light. Even the roar of the wind couldn’t keep up.

Nathaniel and the others stood frozen. They were stunned speechless as they watched the glowing streak disappear into the distance.

The southern district had become a war zone. Over 10,000 zombies prowled outside the temporary settlement, snarling and clawing at the barriers.

Their mottled gray skin hung loose over jutting bones, while rotting flesh peeled away in strips. Long, yellowed claws gleamed eerily in the dim light.

Inside the makeshift shelter, terrified civilians huddled together-families with children, elderly couples, young adults-all wearing the same expression of raw fear. Some wept quietly while parents held their children close, with desperation etched into every face.

A boy, no older than six, buried himself deeper into his mother’s embrace. His tiny fingers clutched her torn clothing.

“Daddy, I’m scared,” he whimpered through tears.

The boy’s father was a burly man, but even he had turned deathly pale. He tightly gripped a rusty hatchet and said with a trembling voice, “Don’t worry. I will protect you.”

Despite his assurance, the hand holding the hatchet wouldn’t stop shaking.

Outside, the zombie horde slammed relentlessly against the flimsy wooden barriers. Each impact sent the entire fence shuddering with ominous creaks and groans. The structure was moments from collapse.

Several zombies at the front had already extended their skeletal claws through gaps in the barrier, reaching toward the civilians inside.

An elderly man closest to the barrier couldn’t dodge in time. Sharp talons raked across his forearm, tearing deep into flesh. Blood poured out instantly as he screamed in agony.

Just when all seemed lost, a brilliant golden beam streaked down from the sky like a missile and slammed into the zombie horde with a thunderous crash.

The light exploded outward, forming an enormous golden halo. Every zombie caught in its path instantly burst into flames and crumbled to ash. Their screams echoed across the settlement.

The civilians froze in shock, then looked up to see a white figure hovering above them.

Dustin had arrived to save them.

He gazed down at the swarming zombies below with cold fury. A huge golden ball of light condensed in his palm, crackling with countless tiny golden lightning bolts.

“Burn in hell, you monsters!” Dustin roared as he hurled the blazing sphere toward the horde.

It streaked through the air like a miniature sun, radiating a power so immense it felt capable of wiping out the world. The moment it hit the ground, it erupted into a blinding burst of light.

A shockwave exploded outward in all directions, tearing through the undead ranks. Zombies collapsed in waves, swallowed by the light. They were instantly erased from existence. Those closest to the blast didn’t even have time to scream since they vanished in an instant.

As the light began to fade, more than half the horde had been obliterated. Only a few remained at the edges, snarling and stumbling forward.

Dustin blurred into motion, weaving through the horde of zombies. Golden light flared from his fingertips, and with every flash, dozens of the undead dropped where they stood.

As he moved with inhuman speed, his white robe traced graceful arcs through the zombie masses like an angel dancing in hell.

The survivors in the temporary settlement stood transfixed. Fear and tears became distant memories as they watched the white-robed figure overhead in stunned silence. The zombies that had driven them to the brink of despair earlier were dropping like flies before Dustin.

Half an hour later, the last zombie fell under Dustin’s burst of golden light. The sky over the southern district began to clear as the gray fog lifted, revealing a brilliant blue sky.

Dustin landed in the settlement’s open square. Though the survivors around him cheered and celebrated, his face remained unreadable. He turned toward the horizon, where more crises might be waiting.

People rushed forward, hoping to thank him. But before they could reach him, his figure dissolved into a flash of golden light and disappeared into the sky. All that remained were the ashes of countless zombies and the thousands of survivors in the settlement.

They stared in the direction Dustin had vanished, then bowed their heads in silent gratitude. His kindness would be etched into their hearts forever.

The old city walls in Thornwick glistened with a cold, bluish-black sheen in the dusk. In the gaps between the bricks, traces of rusted arrowheads from a century ago still remained.

As Matthias stepped onto the battlements, the soles of his boots crunched over the frozen blood crust. Fresh blood dripped from the saber on his waist, and each drop froze the instant it touched the ground.

“Get those oil barrels up here now!” he bellowed. His face was hardened with fury as he commanded, “Gunners, hold your fire until those beasts are within a hundred yards.”

Below the city walls, the zombie horde surged like a risi