This Zombie King was completely milky white, not a single hair on its body. Its skin looked soft—almost disturbingly so—and was slick with a thick, sticky fluid that clung to it like slime.

Its eyes were tiny, like yellow soybeans, but burned with a vicious, feral gleam. On either side of its face, its gills were layered with grotesque folds, giving it an unsettling, alien appearance.

"Boss…" The Zombie King's voice was high-pitched and trembling with excitement.

Wraithshade gave a small nod. "Welcome back to the team. This time, we're taking Abyssion down—and everything we lost, we're taking it all back."

"Good. I've been waiting for this day… for a long time." Bloodleech bared his fangs in a twisted grin, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. He looked completely unhinged.

It was obvious—this guy was a fusion-type Zombie King, merged with a leech. He could burrow into large creatures, drain them dry, or even take control of their bodies.

Worse still, he could spawn parasitic offspring. Once they got inside a zombie's body, they'd eat it alive from the inside out, a slow, agonizing death. Like the infamous Wormrot Zombie King from back in the day—perfect for assassinations, ambushes, or large-scale warfare. A true siege-breaker.

Bloodleech alone could wipe out a zombie nest with over a million infected in just a single day—assuming, of course, there wasn't a stronger Zombie King guarding it.

The other zombies stared at him, clicking their tongues in awe and unease. He looked bizarre as hell, but the power radiating off him was undeniable. This guy was dangerous.

Thankfully, this time he was on their side—not the enemy.

Wraithshade stepped up to Ethan and said, "So? This is my old buddy, Bloodleech. Not bad, right?"

Ethan barely glanced at him. "Tell him to clean himself up a little," he said casually, then turned and walked up the ramp into the Command Cruiser.

"Uh…" Both of Wraithshade's heads blinked in confusion.

That's it?

"..."

Now that Wraithshade had reunited with two of his old war buddies, the trio was finally back together—and it was time to launch the Decapitation Strike.

Bloodveil gave the three Zombie Kings a once-over. Wraithshade with his two heads, Hexarm with his six arms, and Bloodleech, who looked more like a mollusk than anything else.

Bloodleech didn't even like standing upright—he preferred crawling on all fours, slithering across the ground like some grotesque predator.

"The Zombie Kings of Frostmere… never a dull bunch," Bloodveil muttered.

With a roar from the engines and a blast of fire from below, the Command Cruiser lifted off, soaring back into the sky.

With Bloodleech now on board, they left the swamp behind.

On the way, the Zombie Kings began discussing the next phase of their operation.

Ethan's plan was simple: stir up chaos, draw Abyssion out, and then take him down. Clean and efficient.

The others agreed—it made sense.

But the key was secrecy. If Abyssion caught wind that four powerful Voidborn Undying were gunning for him, he'd never show his face. He'd go to ground, maybe even vanish entirely.

And Frostmere was massive. Trying to find him after that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Worse, if Abyssion fled to Heartland, things could spiral fast. They might even end up provoking the Overlord of Heartland—and that would throw a massive wrench into everything.

The Backstabbing Alliance wasn't about to let that happen. They were cautious by nature, and they weren't taking any chances.

"That's easy enough," Bloodveil said. "We'll stay hidden. You guys go stir the pot. Once Abyssion shows himself, we strike. Quick and clean."

Ethan looked at him, frowning slightly. "That's still too risky. Abyssion's a psychic-type Zombie King. How do we know the one who shows up is the real deal? We need to fake a loss—make him think he's got it in the bag. That's the only way he'll drop his guard and show up in person."

"Huh?" Bloodveil raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You're right… that's definitely safer."

"And another thing," Ethan added. "We shouldn't all show up at once. We need to make him think he's got a shot at winning. If he senses he's outmatched from the start, he'll bolt—and he might actually get away."

Bloodveil's eyes widened. The gears in his head were turning fast.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Why hadn't he thought of that?

Was this… the difference between them?

He had to admit—when it came to strategy and scheming, Ethan had him beat.

Wraithshade nodded in agreement, both of his heads clearly impressed. He was fully on board with the plan—and maybe even a little in awe. Even with two brains, he couldn't outthink Ethan.

Now, it was time to let his two old war buddies do what they did best.

"Bloodleech, the chaos part's all yours," he said with a grin.

"Hehehe… isn't that my specialty?" Bloodleech's mouth stretched into a grotesque smile, sharp teeth glinting. The kind of smile that made your skin crawl.

Ethan glanced over. "Where are you planning to hit?"

"I know a spot," Hexarm stepped forward, his voice deep and gravelly. "The Zombie Kings from Heartland have been helping Abyssion out, but not for free. They're after Frostmere's resources. And there's one place that's loaded with them—Clearwater Lake. No radiation, no contamination. It's crawling with mutated beasts, all prime-grade flesh. If we're lucky, we might even score a bunch of crystal cores."

"Abyssion's been trying to cozy up to the Heartland Zombie Kings. He uses aircraft to ship tons of meat from that lake to Heartland. So yeah, it's a big deal. If we hit it, he'll have no choice but to show up."

"…"

Ethan and the others exchanged looks, realization dawning.

"So that's why…" Ethan muttered.

Of course the Heartland Zombie Kings were helping Abyssion—there was profit in it.

Wraithshade's effort to track down Hexarm, his old comrade-in-arms, was already paying off. The guy clearly knew his stuff.

"Alright, we hit the lake," Ethan decided.

He couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity. What kind of lake could still be that pure in a place like Originis? It had been a long time since he'd seen anything remotely untainted.

The massive Command Cruiser shifted course, heading straight for the lake Hexarm had described.

Inside, the Zombie Kings were practically buzzing with anticipation. Bloodlust hung in the air like static. They were ready—itching—for the next fight.

Meanwhile, in the back of the ship, the four zombies from the "Overlord Squad" were huddled near the wall, holding their own little meeting, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"We're hitting the lake! That place is loaded with resources. We're gonna eat good!" Big Ears said, practically drooling.

"For real?" Locomotive raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Of course it's real! Didn't you hear that six-armed Zombie King talking about it?"

"I heard him," Locomotive said flatly. "I'm just not sure you'll actually get to eat anything."

"…" Big Ears' face darkened, lines of frustration forming on his forehead. Why wouldn't he get to eat?

Off to the side, Shrimpy stayed quiet, lost in thought.

They were heading to a lake. A clean one. That could only mean one thing…

Fresh shrimp.

He could almost taste it.

"…"

As the Command Cruiser soared forward, the landscape below began to change. Streams and rivers started to appear, winding through the terrain like veins.

According to Hexarm, all these water sources flowed out from Clearwater Lake. But by the time they reached this far downstream, they were already tainted—polluted by radiation and rot.

The creatures that lived in them had mutated horribly. Some had been exposed to zombie viruses, others had fused with undead flesh, and some had simply rotted into new, twisted forms.

They fed on each other, mutated again, and again… until they became monsters that defied logic or biology.

About half a day later, the land ahead began to shift. Shadows moved across the plains—zombies, dozens of them, maybe hundreds, wandering aimlessly.

Clearwater Lake was a critical zone in Frostmere, and it was heavily guarded. Zombie nests dotted the area, each one packed with Abyssion's elite troops. These weren't your average shamblers—they were strong, fast, and deadly.

To reach the lake, they'd have to cut through them all.

"We're almost there," Hexarm growled, his eyes flashing with a savage gleam.

"Perfect," Bloodleech hissed beside him, that same eerie smile spreading across his face. "Then let's get started…"

…

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