Just as Ethan had suspected, deep within the heart of Xenorift, a colossal mountain towered into the sky.

At its base, a cacophony of roars echoed through the air. Mutant beast overlords from every corner had gathered, along with a host of evolved, sentient mutant flora—like the Man-Eater Bloom and Devilvine—each more grotesquely powerful than the last.

The Xenobeasts came in all shapes and sizes, radiating savage, chaotic energy. It was like a demonic carnival, a twisted parade of monstrosities.

Among them stood the newly ascended Overmind Queen of the parasitic monsters. She bowed low, her expression reverent, eyes fixed on the mountain's peak.

But what truly defied reason was the mountain itself. Its jagged cliffs and deep ravines formed a massive, unmistakable face etched into the stone.

This was the ruler of Xenorift. Worshipped as a god. Known only as the Mountain God.

Even the native creatures, whose bloodlines stretched back millennia, had no idea where the Mountain God came from—or what it even was. It had simply always been there, watching as ages passed, as empires rose and fell.

And whenever a species dared to defy it, the punishment was swift and apocalyptic—earthquakes, storms, devastation on a biblical scale. Total annihilation.

"Great One," the new Overmind Queen reported, her voice trembling with urgency. "At the edge of the continent, a being known as the Voidborn Undying has appeared. He's powerful. The previous Overmind Queen… was killed by him."

The mountain rumbled, a deep, thunderous groan that only the Xenobeasts could understand.

It had already sensed the arrival of the Voidborn Undying. That's why it had dispatched the Direwolf Pack—to test him, to send a message.

"Direwolf King," the Mountain God's voice boomed like an avalanche. "What happened to the ones you sent?"

"Great One," the Direwolf King lifted his massive head and let out a mournful howl. "Our warriors were slaughtered. Every last one."

"He actually dared to kill them?" the Mountain God sounded genuinely surprised.

"Not only did he kill them," the Direwolf King growled, eyes burning with fury, "he wiped them out. Left no survivors."

"…"

The mountain fell silent.

It was clear now—this wasn't just some rogue undead trying to survive. This Zombie King had swaggered into Xenorift and made a statement. He wasn't afraid. He didn't care about the rules. He'd butchered the Mountain God's emissaries without hesitation.

If he'd chosen to back off, to keep his head down, the Mountain God might've let it slide. Let him linger on the outskirts for a while, then leave quietly.

But this? This was a challenge.

He wasn't just unafraid—he was spitting in the Mountain God's face.

"He's entered our domain," the Mountain God growled, voice shaking the earth. "He broke our laws. He must be punished."

The mutant beast overlords roared in agreement, their bloodlust ignited. The air thickened with killing intent. They were ready to march, to tear the Zombie King limb from limb.

But the new Overmind Queen hesitated. Her territory bordered Eastreach. She'd seen the Zombie King before—back when they'd invaded Necroterra. She remembered the white shirt he wore, the calm in his eyes, the way he'd crushed the former Overmind Queen with a single punch.

And that was a while ago. He was probably even stronger now.

"Great One," she said cautiously, "are we sure we want to make an enemy of the Voidborn Undying?"

"What's the alternative?" the Mountain God snapped. "Let him stroll in like he owns the place?"

His voice was laced with contempt—and confidence.

"Don't forget," he continued, "decades ago, another Zombie King entered our lands. We unleashed the endless tide of mutant beasts, and even he had to retreat."

"And that one," he added, "went on to storm Heartland itself, became one of the Five Warlords. Hell, you could say he rules Necroterra now. And even he feared our endless tide. So what's this new guy compared to him?"

"The Voidborn Undying may be strong—but he's not invincible. Not here. Not in our domain."

"…"

The mutant beast overlords roared louder, emboldened by the Mountain God's words. Many of them had fought in that legendary battle. They remembered the glory, the carnage, the sheer power they'd unleashed.

"Damn right! The Voidborn Undying isn't invincible!"

"Xenorift's been quiet too long!"

"The outside world's forgotten what we are!"

"I say we gather the horde again—bring back the endless tide! Let's show that Necroterra freak what real power looks like!"

"Yeah!"

The roars shook the night sky, a deafening chorus of fury and anticipation.

The Mountain God, seeing their fervor, gave the order without hesitation.

"Then let it begin."

"ROOOAAARRR!"

The mutant beast overlords howled in unison, their cries echoing like war drums across the land. Birds scattered from the treetops. The ground trembled.

Xenorift had awakened.

The long, dark night was finally giving way. A pale light crept across the horizon—the kind of soft gray that usually signaled the calm before dawn.

But today, something was off. Way off.

The Lizardfolk Chieftain stood in the center of his village, staring toward the distant skyline. Flocks of birds wheeled and circled in the sky, thick as smoke, refusing to disperse.

"This isn't right… something's really not right," he muttered, his brow furrowed deep with worry.

For days now, strange things had been happening—one after another, like the jungle itself was holding its breath. And now, a heavy sense of dread settled in his chest like a stone.

From deep within the jungle, guttural roars echoed—wild, angry, and relentless. Normally, the sounds of the night would fade with the coming dawn. But not today. Today, they were only getting louder.

"Could it be… divine punishment is coming?"

The thought hit him like a thunderclap. His face went pale.

He turned toward the cliff wall at the edge of the village, where ancient carvings told the story of the last time the endless tide of mutant beasts had swept through the land. A disaster so massive, even the Voidborn Undying had been forced to retreat.

If that tide came again, the Lizardfolk Tribe wouldn't stand a chance. They'd be crushed like ants beneath a flood—too small to even leave a ripple.

"No. I have to report this to Lord Voidborn Undying—immediately!"

Without wasting another second, the Chieftain called for Kragg and the other warriors. Together, they rushed to the medium-sized Command Cruiser parked near the village. As one, they dropped to one knee, heads bowed in reverence.

"My lord! Something terrible is coming—divine punishment may be upon us!"

"Please, you have to help us!"

"We don't want to be wiped out!"

"Please, save our people!"

Their voices trembled with desperation, eyes filled with fear.

Inside the Command Cruiser, Ricky and the others had been dead asleep, snoring away in their bunks. The sudden shouting outside jolted them awake. Groggy and confused, they stumbled to the windows and peeked out.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Did something happen?"

"Are we under attack again? More Xenobeasts?"

Outside, the Lizardfolk were still kneeling, eyes fixed on the ship with hope and terror.

Then, Ethan appeared.

The moment the Chieftain saw him, he scrambled forward and spoke quickly, "My lord, I saw the birds—flocks of them, circling nonstop. And from deep in the continent, the roars haven't stopped. I'm certain the mutant beast horde is gathering. The divine punishment is coming. What should we do?"

Ethan blinked, unfazed. "Oh," he said casually, his voice calm. He'd already sensed something strange stirring in the jungle. A shift in the air. A tension building.

"Go wipe them out."

"W-what?" The Chieftain froze, mouth agape.

Wipe out the mutant beast horde?

He glanced back at his people—tired, wounded, barely holding together. That was like bringing a stick to a tank fight.

"Of course… not right now," Ethan added, his tone cool and measured.

Because to deal with a horde like that, you needed something big. Something devastating.

Luckily, his crew was already en route—piloting a Dreadnought-class Starcruiser.

And once it arrived?

He'd introduce the mutant beast horde to the Starbreaker Cannon.

Let's see how they liked that.

…

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