Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Netherveil Range…

Located in the eastern Central Region, the mountain range was covered in vast stretches of dark green trees. Nearly all of them were poisonous, and even the air carried faint toxins. Members of the various races generally avoided the area.

The Netherfang Tiger that lived there was notoriously vicious, making the Netherveil Range one of the most feared mountain ranges on the continent.

When the war between the races and the Outland Beasts began, countless beasts had descended from the Netherveil Range and launched fierce attacks against the nearby races.

At first, they had won several major victories. But once the Umbrans joined the battle, the Outland Beasts were repeatedly driven back until they had no choice but to retreat into the mountains.

The pinnacle races had foundations far beyond those of the higher races. On the surface, the only difference seemed to be their Stage SSS fighters. In reality, their Stage SS forces were vastly superior as well.

Fortunately, the pinnacle races had no desire to escalate the conflict. Although they forced the Outland Beasts to retreat, they hadn’t killed any above Stage SS. Once the beasts withdrew into the mountains, the pinnacle races made no attempt to pursue them.

The same thing had happened across much of the Central Region. After retreating into their respective mountain ranges, the Outland Beasts stopped coming down.

The Beast Sovereign knew it couldn’t conquer the Central Region, so it hadn’t ordered the beasts there to keep fighting. Even the powerful Outland Beasts of the Veilmist Range had been sent to reinforce other regions instead of the mountain ranges in the Central Region.

The Veilmist Range was naturally the strongest Outland Beast territory. It was home to the Beast Sovereign, and countless powerful beasts lived there.

Yet none of them had descended from the mountains. Only a portion of their strongest fighters had been dispatched to reinforce the other regions. It was clear that the Beast Sovereign had never intended to wage a real war against the Central Region.

For all its anger, it understood that an all-out conflict would benefit neither side. More importantly, it was still wary of the pinnacle races.

Its targets in this war were the other regions. If it could seize one or two of them, that would serve as a warning and remind the races that the Outland Beasts were not to be provoked lightly.

At that moment, many Outland Beasts in the Netherveil Range were lying in their dens, licking their wounds.

Most had been injured in the war. Being forced to retreat into the mountains had been a humiliation, and many still seethed with resentment.

But they had been weaker than their enemies. All they could do was swallow their anger and recover.

As the ruler of the Netherveil Range, the Netherfang Tiger was even more furious at the sight of its wounded subordinates.

Unfortunately, the Beast Sovereign had forbidden Stage SSS fighters from taking action. No matter how angry it was, it had to hold back.

Just then, a massive arcane skyship flew toward the Netherveil Range at tremendous speed.

The Outland Beasts slowly rose to their feet and watched it warily.

An arcane skyship!

It was a symbol of the pinnacle races. The Outland Beasts recognized it just as easily as the intelligent races did.

Its appearance meant powerful members of a pinnacle race had arrived.

Had those hypocrites finally dropped their pretense and decided to invade the mountain range?

Every Outland Beast immediately prepared for battle.

An arcane skyship couldn’t carry many passengers. But if the enemy dared approach the Netherveil Range so openly, the people aboard had to be extremely powerful.

Did they not know a Stage SSS Outland Beast lived here?

The Netherfang Tiger fixed its dark eyes on the approaching skyship, its expression turning cold.

They dare attack my own territory? Do they think I don’t exist?

The Beast Sovereign might have forbidden Stage SSS fighters from entering the war, but if the enemy came straight to its home, no one could blame it for defending itself.

The skyship crossed the remaining distance in the blink of an eye and continued directly toward the heart of the Netherveil Range.

”It’s heading for our ruler!” the Outland Beasts realized.

They wanted to intercept it, but none dared throw their lives away when they had no idea how powerful the passengers might be.

”ROAR!”

A deafening roar shook the mountains.

An enormous tiger with pitch-black fur emerged from the depths of the range, walking through the air as it blocked the skyship’s path.

”Stop!”

The Netherfang Tiger’s rough voice boomed across the sky.

The arcane skyship didn’t slow down. It continued straight toward the tiger as if intending to ram it.

”You’re courting death!”

The Netherfang Tiger lashed out with one paw.

The massive phantom of a tiger’s paw appeared and slammed into the arcane skyship.

Boom!

The huge vessel shattered into pieces, its wreckage raining down onto the ground.

”?”

The Netherfang Tiger frowned.

There was no one aboard.

”What is this supposed to mean?”

For a moment, even the Netherfang Tiger was baffled.

Arcane skyships were symbols of the pinnacle races’ status, and they had always guarded them carefully. Why would an empty one suddenly fly into the Netherveil Range?

After thinking it over, the Netherfang Tiger seemed to realize something and roared at the beasts below.

”Search the range! Members of a pinnacle race must have slipped inside! Anyone who’d use a trick like this to infiltrate our territory is up to no good. Find them!”

”Roar!”

Countless Outland Beasts scattered in every direction.

Their ruler’s command was absolute. In moments, every beast in the Netherveil Range was on the move, conducting a thorough search of the entire mountain range.

Meanwhile, Chris and the others were hiding in an underground cave outside the Netherveil Range, barely daring to breathe.

They had jumped off the skyship before it entered the mountains and hidden here.

They had every reason to be cautious. This was the Central Region, and a Stage SSS Outland Beast ruled the Netherveil Range.

Ethan had only told them to send the arcane skyship into the range. There was no need for them to go in with it.

More than ten minutes later, while the Outland Beasts were still searching for the supposed infiltrators, a battered figure stumbled toward the Netherveil Range.

Without the slightest hesitation, he rushed straight inside.

The pinnacle-race Stage SS fighters followed close behind, but stopped at the edge of the mountains.

”The Netherveil Range…” The young man leading them frowned.

”Who cares what range it is? Hurry up and follow him!” another man urged. ”That bastard is almost finished. We can’t let him escape now!”

They had been chasing him for so long and were finally about to capture him. They couldn’t give up at the last moment.

”A Stage SSS Netherfang Tiger lives in there,” their leader said gravely. ”If we charge into its territory uninvited, we may provoke it. Then we’ll be the ones in danger.”

”What are you afraid of? We represent eight pinnacle races. Unless that Netherfang Tiger wants to die, it wouldn’t dare attack us!”

”Have you forgotten what’s happening right now? Our two sides are at war. If we invade its territory under these circumstances, do you really think it won’t dare kill us?”

”That…”