Ethan didn't spare Marcus another glance. Instead, he activated his [True Sight]and turned his gaze toward the distant compound.

With that many zombies, there was no way they weren't being led by a Stage D—Tier 6—zombie.

He hadn't come here for Marcus. The only reason he'd rushed over was because of the massive horde. Marcus showing up was just a bonus.

After scanning for a while, Ethan finally spotted them—two figures standing atop a building inside the compound. A man and a woman.

His eyes widened.

Both of them were Stage D zombies.

No wonder they could command such a massive horde. Ethan had half-expected a Tier 7 to show up, but two Stage D zombies? That was already a jackpot.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Ethan said, grinning ear to ear.

But then he looked at the sea of over twenty thousand zombies between them and the targets, and his smile faded.

Killing two Stage D zombies in the middle of that many? Even for him, that was a stretch.

A frontal assault was out of the question. Assassination was the only option.

"Chris," Ethan said, turning to the man beside him, "if I asked you to sneak in and take out one of those Stage D zombies, could you do it?"

Chris stared at the dense horde in the distance, calculating silently for a long moment. Then he let out a sigh.

"Maybe. But I probably wouldn't make it back."

"…"

"Yeah, we'll need another plan," Ethan muttered, rubbing his temple.

Just then, the two zombies on the rooftop seemed to notice them. Their blood-red eyes locked onto the group, cold and unblinking.

Ethan's eyes lit up with mischief. He raised his middle finger at them and gave a little "come here" gesture.

"You… come on over."

The two Stage D zombies let out furious screeches, clearly provoked.

In the next instant, the entire horde—over twenty thousand zombies—surged forward like a tidal wave.

"Holy shit—are you kidding me?! MOVE! Grab him and run!" Ethan shouted.

No one hesitated. The squad turned and bolted.

Say what you will about the Fallen Star Squad, but when it came to execution, they were top-tier.

Ethan said run, and they ran—faster than rabbits on fire.

The two Stage D zombies quickly realized their horde couldn't keep up. With another roar, they called the zombies back.

But not long after, the same group returned—led by the same guy, still throwing out taunts and obscene gestures.

The Stage D zombies were proud creatures. They weren't about to let that slide.

With a furious screech, they personally led a dozen Tier 5 zombies and charged after the squad.

Ethan just chuckled.

"Zombies are still zombies. A little smarter, sure—but not by much."

He'd planned to bait them a few more times, but he hadn't expected them to lose their cool this fast.

"Alright, boys, we've got ourselves a job!"

"Hell yeah!" The squad perked up instantly.

"Chris and I will handle the Stage D zombies. The rest of you take care of the Tier 5s," Ethan ordered.

"Got it." Everyone nodded, serious now.

Meanwhile, Marcus—still slung over Big Mike's shoulder—was pale with terror.

"A bunch of lunatics…"

Even he could tell the two zombies in front were way beyond Tier 5.

Which meant they were probably Tier 6.

And these maniacs had provoked them twice?

Were they trying to die?

But could they at least not bring him along for the ride?

They might not care about their lives, but he sure as hell did.

His limbs were broken, yeah—but with a Tier 5 Awakened's body, he could still recover eventually.

Assuming he lived that long.

Hearing the voice from his shoulder, Big Mike suddenly snapped back to reality. Without hesitation, he grabbed Marcus and tossed him to the ground like a sack of potatoes—then cracked him over the head with his barbell bar, knocking him out cold.

He wasn't sure if an elemental-type Awakened could still use their ability with broken limbs, but better safe than sorry. If this guy tried anything sneaky mid-fight, it'd be a pain in the ass.

Just then, the first wave of zombies reached them.

Ethan stepped forward, barbell bar in hand, and swung it straight at the lead male zombie.

At the same time, a machete flew from behind him, slicing through the air toward the zombie's neck.

Ever since that awkward moment during their last fight with a Stage D zombie—when he'd been caught without a proper weapon—Ethan had made sure to keep a machete on him at all times. And when it came to using [Telekinesis], a blade was way more effective than a blunt weapon.

Meanwhile, Chris vanished the moment the fight started, slipping into stealth as he searched for an opening.

Clang!

Ethan's barbell bar slammed into the male zombie's arm—and bent on impact. Another one ruined.

At the same time, the flying machete was intercepted mid-air by the female zombie, who swatted it aside with a sharp motion.

Chris was still hidden, but both Stage D zombies had locked onto Ethan.

The rest of the Tier 5 zombies charged in right after.

Sean and the others moved fast, intercepting the dozen or so Tier 5s and holding them back, giving Ethan and Chris the space they needed to focus on the real threats.

After blocking Ethan's initial strike, the two Stage D zombies lunged at him together.

But Ethan didn't flinch. He held the barbell bar in one hand to deal with the male zombie, while using [Telekinesis] to control the machete against the female. For a moment, he held his ground with ease.

Still, Stage D zombies were smarter than the average horde.

The female zombie, annoyed by the floating machete constantly harassing her, made a sudden decision. When the blade came at her again, she didn't dodge—she charged straight into it.

The machete stabbed deep into her chest, forcing her back a few steps. But she grabbed the blade with both hands, locking it in place and cutting off Ethan's control.

She hadn't even finished gloating when a sudden chill ran down her spine.

Too late.

A dagger plunged into the back of her neck, piercing straight through her throat.

The blade twisted, then vanished.

The female zombie staggered, eyes wide, and turned to look behind her—only to find nothing.

With a final, unwilling snarl, she collapsed to the ground.

"Beautiful," Ethan said, impressed.

Chris had nailed it. He'd fully embraced the assassin's path—silent, precise, and deadly. One strike, one kill. Perfect timing.

The male zombie let out a furious roar when he saw his partner fall. He went berserk, launching a flurry of wild attacks at Ethan.

But it was pointless.

If two of them couldn't take Ethan down, one alone didn't stand a chance. All it could do was rage helplessly.

A few moments later, Chris found another opening—and ended it with a clean kill.

"Nice work!" Ethan gave him a thumbs-up.

No doubt about it—after reaching Stage D, Chris's power had taken a massive leap.

His specialized ability was lethal. Even Stage D zombies couldn't survive a direct hit. Paired with his stealth, he was practically untouchable.

"Heh, not bad, right? As long as it's not you, I'm pretty confident I can one-shot anyone," Chris said, grinning.

"Don't get cocky. You still need practice. Some enemies are sensitive to aura—get too close, and they'll sense you. Learn to suppress your presence."

"Got it."

The two quickly harvested the crystal cores from the fallen Stage D zombies.

Then they turned to help Sean and the others finish off the remaining Tier 5s.

Once the last zombie dropped, they didn't waste a second. The horde from the compound was already charging their way.

They dug out the cores, slung the unconscious Marcus over a shoulder, and bolted from the battlefield.

This run had been a massive win. No need to push their luck.

Time to head home.

…

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