The next day, heavy rain still poured down upon the shattered world.
Inside the increasingly deserted branch of the military base, Sofia sat cross-legged, tightly clutching two reagent tubes filled with slowly swirling red liquid. Her team members surrounded her with serious expressions.
They had obtained eight reagents after all their bloodshed and struggles. One reagent for each of the seven team members… and one extra reagent agreed to be given to Sofia, their leader.
Sofia closed her eyes and downed both reagents one after the other. Her body trembled slightly, a searing energy burning through her veins, surging through every cell in her body.
A faint white aura enveloped her briefly before gradually fading. Sofia's body felt lighter, stronger, and sharper as if the world around her had slowed down.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze glowing with determination. Then she asked Viktor about her current status, and Viktor wrote it down on a piece of paper.
[STATUS – Sofia Lichtwald]
Race: Human (Awakened)
Element: Light, Fire
Level: 31
Stats
HP: 12,600 / 12,600
MP: 30,800 / 30,800
STR: 4589
VIT: 4421
INT: 13432
AGI: 4367
LUK: 530
Skills
~ Aurora Heal (8/40) – Evolved from Radiant Heal. AoE effect and 1% HP regeneration over 10 seconds. Cost: 500 MP.
~ Radiant Lance (10/40) – Evolved from Light Lance. Shoots a spear of light. Cost: 100 MP.
~ Sacred Domain (5/20) – Evolved from Sanctuary Field. Enhances light element and healing. Cost: 1000 MP/10 minutes.
~ Blinding Rift (10/20) – Evolved from Blinding Step.
~ Mana Control (Passive) – Eases mana control.
~ Light Blessing (Passive) – Boosts light element skill effects by 20%.
~ MP-Regeneration (Passive) – Restores 500 MP per minute.
Titles
~ Chosen of Light
~ Holy Acolyte
~ Survivor of the Fall
~ Blessing from the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family (Hestia) – Adds fire element and calming light effects.
"Huh...?" Sofia stared in confusion at her insane stats. And she wasn't the only one — everyone else was equally shocked.
"Viktor, are you sure there's no mistake?" Sofia asked. "Yes," Viktor replied, still visibly stunned.
"A blessing from a goddess...?" Sofia muttered, unsure if that was the cause of her explosive growth, but one thing was certain her stats were crazy. "Good. Since I'm strong, I can protect our new base properly," she said as she stood, gripping her spear tightly.
Her teammates — Viktor, Altair, Yuki, Rina, Yuna, and Vivi all nodded enthusiastically. They had packed food, weapons, and medical supplies. They were ready to leave this place. To leave betrayal behind.
Even though the heavy rain turned the ground to slippery mud, their determination remained unshaken.
However...
They didn't know yet that their plan to escape had just turned into a nightmare.
At the Military Base Gates
A guard stood under a small shelter, shielding himself from the rain. Suddenly, through the thick curtain of rain, a figure emerged.
Soaked. Her black gown clung to her slender body. Long black hair dripping with water. A pale, expressionless face, radiating an aura of death.
The Queen.
The guard's eyes widened in terror.His hands trembled as he desperately tried to call the general through the radio.
"S-Sir... Queen... she's at the gate!"
But before the general's voice could even come through the speaker—
BRRAK!!
A lightning bolt struck. Sylvia was already in motion.
In an instant, Sylvia's hand gripped the guard's neck.With a horrifying "crack," his neck snapped.The guard's body was thrown, slamming against the iron gates.
Blood mixed with rain, flowing freely.
Sylvia calmly approached the gates, her steps slow and steady.A faint, emotionless smile curled her lips.
Without even pausing, she raised her hand—
BOOM!
The iron gates shattered, flying apart like ripped paper.
The sound of destruction echoed through the entire base.Soldiers scrambled in panic.
But before they could even raise their weapons, Sylvia was already among them.
For the first time in a long while, she used her bite. But this time... She truly lost control.
Fangs sank deep into a soldier's neck. Warm blood splashed, mingling with the rain.
Sylvia casually threw the body aside. And that body...
Rise again.
Its eyes were vacant. Its skin turned gray.
A newborn zombie.
And that zombie bit another. The domino effect began.
One became two. Two became four. Four became eight. Eight became sixteen.
Within minutes, the base was a sea of zombies.
Sylvia, Atop the Gate
Sylvia sat leisurely atop the ruined gates, swinging her legs lazily. Like a queen overseeing her dominion.
Lightning flashed behind her, creating a majestic yet terrifying silhouette.
A dense black aura surrounded her. The newly created zombies were stronger, fiercer, and more organized.
Ding!
[Title Acquired: Queen of Zombie]
A wide smile blossomed on Sylvia's face.
Long black claws extended from her fingertips. From under the sleeves of her gown, thick black chains slithered, coiling around her slim frame like tame serpents.
Her dark red eyes gleamed viciously.
With a graceful motion, Sylvia leaped into the middle of the chaos.
And the slaughter began.
Claws tore through a soldier's chest. A swing of her chains shredded five others at once.
Bodies flew.Screams merged with the howling storm.Thunder roared.
Sylvia moved like a shadow of death. Each attack not only killed but expanded her zombie army.
The once-powerful military base now collapsed swiftly
Inside the Command Center
The military commanders trembled.
Pale faces, empty eyes stared at the CCTV screens. They watched the queen of death massacre their forces like a wolf among sheep.
"S-Start the helicopters!!" one general screamed.
The officers shoved, pushed, even aimed weapons at each other for a chance to escape.
Helicopter blades roared on the landing pads, chopping through the torrential rain.
However...
Could they truly escape from the grasp of the Queen of Zombie?