Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Every head snapped toward Big Mike.

The members of Fallen Star Squad looked especially stunned, as if they were seeing him for the first time.

Whenever they ran into a powerful enemy, Big Mike was always the first to hide in the crowd. Since when had he gotten this brave?

Even Ethan was baffled. He didn’t dare take these two head-on, yet Big Mike had challenged them without hesitation.

”Uh… Big Mike,” Ethan quietly reminded him, ”they’re both Tier 47.”

”Oh.”

”…”

”Did you take something today?” Sean stared at him.

”They’re just two Tier 47s. What’s there to be afraid of?” Big Mike said proudly.

Everyone had the same thought.

Big Mike has lost his mind!

”Hahaha! Very good. You humans certainly have courage. A Stage SS piece of trash dares to look down on a Tier 47 Stage SSS fighter.” The Celestials Patriarch laughed in fury.

”Then show me what a Stage SS weakling like you can do!”

A massive Radiant Blade formed in the air and came crashing down on Big Mike.

Before it could hit, another enormous energy fist appeared and shattered it with a single punch. Dopey once again stood firmly between the group and the Celestials Patriarch.

”Come on, Dopey. Why do you keep stealing my spotlight?” Big Mike complained.

Ethan gave him an odd look.

Something was definitely off about this guy.

Then a possibility occurred to him, and his face lit up.

The Celestials Patriarch frowned at Dopey before speaking quietly to the Gildari Patriarch.

”Keep that soulless thrall occupied. I’ll deal with the others.”

”Got it!”

The Gildari Patriarch charged straight at Dopey. His body rapidly transformed into metal as a massive iron staff appeared in his hands and swung down with crushing force.

A long black spear appeared in Dopey’s hands, and he met the attack head-on.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two immediately clashed, the terrifying energy surging from their battle forcing everyone else to retreat.

The Celestials Patriarch stepped forward and appeared directly in front of the group.

”Let’s see who saves you this time!”

With a cold laugh, he conjured another massive Radiant Blade and brought it down on Big Mike. The attack was wide enough to catch Sean and Skinny Pete beside him as well.

Sean instantly activated Adamantine Form, piling on every armor and damage-absorption ability he had as he moved in front of Big Mike and Skinny Pete.

He knew that standing against a Tier 47 fighter with his strength was like trying to stop a truck with his bare hands, but he still put himself between the attack and his teammates without thinking.

He was their leader. Protecting them was his responsibility.

Ethan was about to use Absolute Stasis when he glanced at Big Mike and stopped.

Big Mike shoved Sean aside and took his place.

”Sean, this fight’s out of your league. Stay back.”

”???”

Sean pointed at his own nose, too stunned to speak.

It’s out of my league, but not yours?!

What happened next left every member of Fallen Star Squad staring with their mouths wide open.

The terrifying Radiant Blade struck Big Mike and vanished without a sound.

There wasn’t a scratch on him.

He still stood there proudly, even giving the Celestials Patriarch a look of contempt.

”!!!”

Fallen Star Squad wasn’t alone in its shock. The Celestials Patriarch was dumbfounded too.

Refusing to believe it, he launched another slash.

The result was exactly the same.

The Radiant Blade struck Big Mike, vanished without so much as a ripple, and left him completely unharmed.

”How is that possible?!” the Celestials Patriarch demanded.

Fallen Star Squad stared at Big Mike in equal disbelief.

Skinny Pete swallowed.

”Is that really Big Mike?”

”Looks like him,” Garrick muttered. ”Same ugly mug, anyway.”

Sean suddenly remembered something.

”Do you guys remember Big Mike’s Stage SS ability?”

”Fate Roulette?!”

”That’s right. Big Mike said Fate Roulette can give him any ability. He must’ve spun it while Boss was stalling them. Last time, he got stuck with a limp dick for three days. This time, it looks like he rolled something incredible.”

”Holy shit! Did Big Mike just hit the jackpot?!”

”I wouldn’t go that far.” Ethan came over to join them. ”Whatever ability he rolled is almost certainly temporary. There’s no way something like that is permanent.”

”Boss, can you tell what ability he got?” someone asked.

Ethan shook his head.

”It’s a temporary ability that doesn’t actually belong to him, so I can’t see it. But it’s probably some kind of damage immunity.”

The others nodded.

”We just don’t know how long it’ll last.”

”Don’t worry. The second he starts acting scared, we’ll know it’s about to run out.”

”Uh… good point.”

Big Mike was having the moment of his life.

He looked at the Celestials Patriarch with insufferable arrogance.

”That’s it? You call yourself Tier 47, but this is all you’ve got? Come on, keep hitting me! If I take one step back, I lose!”

Being mocked by a Stage SS weakling sent the Celestials Patriarch into a towering rage.

He brought his hands together, then thrust them forward. A massive beam of light shot out and struck Big Mike head-on.

The terrifying beam vanished the instant it touched him, as if swallowed by darkness.

”What the hell is going on?!”

The Celestials Patriarch’s face twisted with fury. He flashed in front of Big Mike and slammed a fist into him.

Thud!

The punch landed, but its force seemed to be swallowed by something. It did no damage whatsoever.

Smack!

The crisp sound wasn’t particularly loud, but it left everyone frozen.

Big Mike had just slapped the Celestials Patriarch across the face.

Skinny Pete swallowed.

”That slap barely did any damage, but damn, the disrespect…”

”No kidding,” Sean muttered. ”He’s the Patriarch of a top race and a Tier 47 fighter. Seeing him get slapped like that feels fucking great.”

The Celestials Patriarch seemed unable to process what had happened. He stood frozen for several seconds before letting out a furious roar.

”I’LL KILL YOU!”

A barrage of terrifying attacks rained down on Big Mike.

But whether they were Light-type abilities or physical blows, every attack vanished the moment it touched him.

Even Ethan was stunned by the sight.

What kind of absurd ability allowed Big Mike, a mere Stage SS, to shrug off every attack from a Tier 47 Stage SSS fighter?

Maybe Fate Roulette was the most broken ability of them all.

You just had to get lucky.