Apocalypse: King of Zombies

While the Beast Sovereign battled the group of intelligent fighters, the remaining Outland Beasts and pinnacle-race fighters merely faced off against one another.

Including the reinforcements brought by the Stoneborn Patriarch, the intelligent races had over thirty Stage SSS fighters present. Ten of their strongest were fighting the Beast Sovereign, leaving more than twenty here—far more than the Outland Beasts had.

However, all their high-tier fighters were occupied with the Beast Sovereign. The ones remaining were below Tier 46, leaving them weaker overall than the Outland Beasts.

The problem was that the Outland Beasts had abandoned all defense during their desperate last stand. Every one of them was injured, several critically, and they needed time to recover.

So neither side attacked. They simply watched each other and waited to see how the other battle played out.

Ethan looked between the two battlefields, then leaned toward the Golden Eagle.

”Can you still fight?”

”I can manage.” The Golden Eagle nodded.

”Then attack. What are you standing around for?”

”Uh… they outnumber us. We won’t gain anything by fighting now. We’ll only make our injuries worse. Since they aren’t attacking, we can use this chance to recover and wait for the other Beast Lords to arrive.

”Don’t worry. With the Beast Sovereign’s strength, they can’t defeat it.” The Golden Eagle gave Ethan a reassuring look.

”How am I supposed to relax? The Beast Sovereign must have a hard life, leading a bunch of idiots like you.”

”You’re waiting for reinforcements, but so are they. Their forces are already stronger overall. Once the rest of them arrive, do you really think you can win?

”Can’t you see the Beast Sovereign desperately trying to kill one of their strongest fighters? If it can’t finish the Thundari Patriarch before the enemy reinforcements arrive, I’ll have saved your ruler for nothing.” Ethan rolled his eyes.

”Ah…”

The Golden Eagle hesitated. ”Then we should… attack?”

”Obviously. Get moving.”

”Oh. Right!”

Ethan had saved the Beast Sovereign, making him the benefactor of every beast race. The Golden Eagle was willing to listen to him.

”Attack!”

It immediately lunged at one of the enemy fighters.

The other Outland Beasts didn’t hesitate. Dragging their wounded bodies into battle, they charged the intelligent fighters.

Their enemies hadn’t expected them to attack so suddenly, but they had remained on guard and responded without falling into disarray.

The stronger fighters teamed up in groups of two or three against a single Outland Beast, while the weaker ones fought one-on-one. Their only task was to hold the beasts back. There was no need to kill them before the rest of their reinforcements arrived.

The two sides quickly became locked in a vicious battle.

Ethan stayed behind the Outland Beasts, narrowing his eyes as he watched both battlefields.

He wasn’t trying to trick the beasts into fighting for him this time. They genuinely needed to act now. Once the enemy’s remaining fighters arrived, the situation would become far more difficult.

If they fought now, Ethan could still help shift the balance.

Perhaps because he looked so inconspicuous behind the Outland Beasts, they naturally forgot about him once the fighting began.

That was exactly what Ethan wanted.

He locked his gaze on a Tier 43 fighter.

Light flashed in his eyes.

The man was about to unleash a powerful ability when he suddenly found himself unable to mobilize his mental energy. His expression changed instantly.

But his opponent’s attack was already coming.

Thud!

The blow sent him flying.

Ethan appeared behind him, his poleaxe covered in black light as he brought it down on the man’s head.

”You—”

By the time the fighter sensed Ethan, it was already too late.

Boom!

The poleaxe split his skull and smashed him into the ground. His body twitched several times before falling still.

”Good. I can kill Tier 43s.” Ethan nodded, satisfied with the result.

The Outland Beast that had been fighting the man had the head of a bull and the body of a bear. It stared at Ethan with wide eyes.

That was a Tier 43 fighter, and he killed him with one swing of his poleaxe despite having only just reached Stage SSS?

That’s terrifying. No wonder he managed to save the Beast Sovereign. He’s incredible!

The Direhorn Bear’s eyes shone with admiration.

”Why are you staring at me?” Ethan asked. ”Go down there, eat the body, and help someone else.”

”Oh! Right. Thank you!”

The Direhorn Bear hurriedly descended and swallowed the corpse whole.

Ethan had already turned his attention to another Tier 43 fighter.

He now had a decent understanding of his limits. Without the Deadlock Dimension, Tier 43 was the highest he could reliably kill. With the dimension’s support, he should be able to handle a Tier 44.

The Stoneborn had been an exception. That bastard had been as hard as a block of iron. Ethan could probably kill a Tier 44 whose defenses weren’t so absurd.

It would still be dangerous, though. Someone with weaker defenses might possess overwhelming offense or some other troublesome ability.

No Tier 44 fighter would be easy to deal with. Targeting Tier 43s was much safer.

Ethan quickly selected another one.

The moment the fighter prepared to clash head-on with an Outland Beast, Ethan activated Silencing Gaze. The man’s ability failed, forcing him to take his opponent’s attack directly.

Ethan struck immediately and killed him in one blow.

It was the same trick, but it remained extremely effective.

With so many Stage SSS fighters present—including the peak Tier 47 Beast Sovereign—Absolute Stasis would have almost no effect. Sneak attacks were his only practical option.

After two Stage SSS fighters died in quick succession, the others finally locked their gazes on Ethan.

”You sneaky bastard! I’ll kill you!”

A Tier 44 fighter roared and charged toward him.

”You’re not capable of that.”

The Frostfox appeared in front of Ethan, blocking the man’s path.

It might have been severely wounded, but it was still a Tier 47 Outland Beast. There was no chance it would let this man attack the benefactor of the beast races right in front of it.

The Outland Beast that had originally been fighting the Tier 44 soon caught up.

”Frostfox, I’ve got this one.”

”Good. Keep your opponent under control. Don’t let any of them hurt our benefactor.”

The Frostfox turned and charged back toward the two Stage SSS fighters attacking it.

”Leave it to me!”

The other beast roared at the Tier 44 fighter.

”You dared attack our benefactor? I’ll skin you alive!”

It launched an even more ferocious assault.

Ethan scratched the back of his head.

”Actually… I wasn’t afraid of him.”

Still, being protected by someone else felt surprisingly nice.

Ethan shook his head and pushed the thought away.

”Can’t let myself get carried away.”

Then he went right back to lurking on the edges of the battle, waiting for easy kills.

After Ethan eliminated three Tier 43 fighters and two at Tier 42, the situation finally reversed completely. The Outland Beasts began driving the intelligent fighters back.

Ethan turned his attention to the Beast Sovereign’s battlefield.

The Beast Sovereign still hadn’t managed to kill the Thundari Patriarch, mainly because the Stoneborn Patriarch kept protecting him.

”Guess it’s time to see how Dopey stacks up against a Tier 47.”