Ethan watched the man suddenly veer toward them, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

This guy was practically begging to die.

"Big Mike, looks like your ability just walked right up to us."

"My ability?" Big Mike's eyes lit up. "You mean he's an Awakened?"

He was the only one in the squad who hadn't awakened yet, and he'd been itching for it for days.

"Yep. He came to us willingly—no reason to turn him away, right?" Ethan said with a grin.

"Hell yeah! What's his ability?"

"Fire-type."

"Fire-type? Oh man, I love fire-type!" Big Mike's eyes gleamed as he stared at the man sprinting toward them.

Marcus, meanwhile, had no idea what kind of situation he'd just run into.

Seeing that Ethan's group wasn't running, he got even more excited.

"Hey! Give me a hand, will ya? Let's take care of these zombies together!" Marcus shouted as he closed the distance.

Anyone out here had to be Awakened. If they could just hold the zombies off for a bit, he'd be able to slip away.

"Sure, sure," Ethan said with a friendly smile. "Guys, help him out with those zombies, would you?"

"On it."

The squad nodded and immediately charged the six Tier 5 zombies chasing Marcus.

Six against six. From the first strike to the last, it didn't even take a full minute.

They quickly harvested the crystal cores and handed them all to Big Mike.

After days of clearing out hordes, the rest of the Fallen Star Squad had already hit peak Tier 5. Big Mike was the only one still a few cores short—until now.

"Man, you showed up at exactly the right time," Big Mike said, grinning at Marcus.

With those cores, Big Mike finally broke through—straight to Tier 5 peak.

Marcus, watching them casually wipe out six Tier 5 zombies like it was nothing, stood frozen in place.

He'd thought he'd stumbled across a bunch of suckers.

Turned out, he'd walked straight into a den of wolves.

His expression shifted several times before he finally accepted the truth—he wasn't beating these seven. Not alone.

Sure, he was an Awakened, but judging by how easily they moved, these people weren't just Tier 5—they were elite Tier 5.

If it came to a fight, he'd be dead before he could blink.

So, Marcus quickly plastered on a smile.

"Hey, glad I could help you out," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Haha, you're a real stand-up guy," Big Mike laughed.

"Don't mention it. Thanks for the assist, but I've got some things to take care of, so I'll just be on my way," Marcus said, already inching backward.

He needed to get out of here. The way they were looking at him—it was like he was a lamb surrounded by butchers. His gut was screaming at him to run.

"Whoa, whoa, don't be in such a hurry," Big Mike said, stepping in front of him. "You're kinda important to me right now."

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked, confused.

"Nothing much. Just stay put."

"Guys, I really do have something urgent—"

"What could a tool like you possibly have going on? Sit your ass down," Big Mike snapped.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?! You think you've got me cornered!?"

"Yep," Big Mike said, nodding without hesitation.

"…"

Marcus's face darkened instantly.

He'd always been the one pushing others around—never the other way around. And now these nobodies thought they could humiliate him? Did they really think Marcus was some pushover?

He raised his hand, and a burst of flame flared to life in his palm.

The fire twisted and danced as he shaped it, a smug expression spreading across his face.

"So… do you still think you've got me cornered?" he sneered.

Awakened had a natural edge. Most Enhanced without abilities instinctively feared those who had them.

But to his disbelief, the group didn't look scared at all. In fact, they started critiquing his power.

"Ethan, does that ability even do damage?" Big Mike asked, eyeing the flame with a look of pure disdain. "Looks like it'd struggle to cook a hot dog."

"It should," Ethan replied thoughtfully. "Fire-type abilities are usually top-tier when it comes to elemental damage."

"Whatever. Let's just take it. Winter's coming—could be handy for heating the place," Big Mike said casually.

"…"

Marcus's face turned green with rage.

"Oh, I see. You think I'm a joke, huh? Fine. I'll kill you all!"

With a snarl, Marcus hurled the fireball from his hand. It shot toward Big Mike like a blazing comet.

"Heh, let's see what this thing can really do. If it's too weak, I'm not interested," Big Mike said, grinning as he swung a barbell bar straight at the fireball.

The bar passed right through it.

The fireball slammed into Big Mike's chest with a loud boom.

His body flew backward, his shirt instantly reduced to ash. His chest was scorched black, smoke rising from his skin—and the smell of cooked meat filled the air.

If Big Mike hadn't had such a tough body, that hit might've killed him outright.

The gap between an Awakened and a non-Awakened was real.

Even though both were peak Tier 5, Big Mike had been absorbing mysterious energy under the stars every night, making him far stronger than most at his level.

And still, Marcus's fireball nearly wrecked him.

Henry rushed over, immediately starting treatment. Any slower and Big Mike might've been roasted alive.

"Hmph. Bunch of arrogant fools," Marcus said, chest puffed out. "Now you see what an Awakened can do. Get out of my way while you still can!"

"Not bad," Ethan said with a nod. "Chris, break his arms and legs. Don't kill him."

"Got it." Chris grinned and started walking toward Marcus.

"You still wanna fight?!" Marcus growled, summoning another fireball and hurling it at Chris.

But before it could land, Chris vanished.

The fireball smashed into the ground, leaving a scorched crater.

Marcus's face twisted in shock.

"A specialized-type Awakened?!"

He swung his machete wildly in every direction, trying to keep Chris at bay.

It was useless.

Thud!

A heavy blow landed. Marcus's arm—the one holding the machete—snapped with a sickening crack. The blade clattered to the ground.

Sweat poured down his face from the pain, but he still managed to fling a fireball toward where the hit had come from.

Chris was already gone.

Marcus spun in place, eyes wide, panic rising in his chest.

This was bad. Really bad.

Specialized-type Awakened with stealth abilities were terrifying.

Thud!

Another hit. His leg broke, and he dropped to one knee.

Gritting his teeth, Marcus launched another fireball into the air—again, it hit nothing.

Then—crack! crack!

Two more hits. His other arm and leg shattered.

"AAAHHH!"

This time, Marcus couldn't hold back the scream.

Chris reappeared a few feet away, shaking his head.

"Pathetic."

"...!"

Marcus glared at him, eyes burning with hatred, like he wanted to tear Chris apart with his teeth.

"You better kill me," he growled. "Because if I get out of this, I swear—you're all dead."

"Relax," Chris said with a smile. "You're not going anywhere."

By now, Henry had finished healing Big Mike, who was already digging through his backpack for a fresh set of clothes.

Despite the burns, he looked completely fine—and more excited than ever.

"Ha! That ability's not bad at all. I'm taking it!"

Marcus's face twisted in disbelief.

How the hell had he run into a bunch of freaks like this?

Was this karma?

…

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