Immediately, the four upgraded robots sprang into action.
The moment the Super Zombie appeared, everything blurred. It moved too fast—faster than the eye could track. It was like a streak of black mist flashing through the air. We could barely react. Its presence was suffocating, its movement erratic, as if reality itself twisted with every step it took.
Thankfully, the robots were advanced enough to keep up. They engaged the creature head-on, their mechanical limbs whirring and locking into combat mode.
CLANG! KRRRRK!
A shockwave rang out as one of the robots blocked a strike from the creature's elongated claws. Sparks flew. Another robot tackled the zombie from behind, but it vanished in a blink—reappearing behind them with a slicing motion that tore through metal.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath. "A Super Phantom Zombie…"
These were among the hardest to fight—not because of their strength, but their speed and phasing abilities. Without my upgraded robots, we'd be dead by now.
"Noel!" I called out, glancing at her. "Be on your guard!"
She nodded immediately, her eyes sharp as she focused on the surroundings. That's when she noticed something else—something I hadn't seen yet.
"Brother," she said, tugging on my sleeve, voice tense, "There's… there's another meteor over there!"
I turned quickly. On the far left, about a few hundred meters away, another meteor had landed. Smaller, but pulsing faintly with energy.
I gulped. This is dangerous… If that one held more zombies—strong ones—we could be surrounded if we weren't fast.
I quickly gave orders. "Noel, hold the rear. Take the defensive position. One of the robots will stay and protect you!"
She moved back with one robot beside her, the other three continuing the fight.
The Phantom Zombie shrieked and darted through the air like a blur. One robot was already damaged, sparks flickering from its chest. Still, it pushed on, swinging its heavy plasma blade at the creature.
I joined the fray.
My enhanced body let me move faster now—at least enough to keep track of its movements. I ordered the robots to pin the zombie down, pushing it toward the large crater where the first meteor had landed.
Blow after blow was exchanged. Each time the zombie phased out, another robot predicted its reappearance. The coordination was perfect, almost like a ballet of mechanical precision.
It wasn't enough to damage it significantly, but it bought time.
I surged forward when I saw the opening. The creature's movements faltered, likely from the sheer number of strikes it had to dodge.
Inside the crater, a large hole led to a glowing tree. From it hung a radiant fruit—it looked like a golden apple, shimmering softly like molten sunlight.
I grinned.
"Pin it down!" I shouted.
The robots obeyed.
One tackled it from behind, slamming it against a broken car. Another seized its arm. The third delivered a high-voltage charge directly into its spine, temporarily disrupting its shadow movement.
The Phantom Zombie let out a distorted screech. It tried to fade into the ground—but it was too late.
I summoned Sword Light—a brilliant beam of energy formed into a blade—and leapt.
With a clean motion, I slashed across its neck.
SPLURT!
The head rolled off as black mist hissed upward, dissolving into the air. The body crumpled.
A notification flashed in my mind:
---
[System Notification]
[+150 Points Acquired Achievement: First Super Zombie Kill Reward: Golden Ticket]
---
My eyes widened. A Golden Ticket—so rare this early in the apocalypse. Almost unheard of.
I turned to check on Noel and the robot beside her. They were holding strong—no threats from behind, but she remained vigilant. I sent another robot to stand by her side just in case.
Then I descended into the crater.
The golden fruit was pulsing with soft energy. The tree itself shimmered faintly.
I carefully plucked the fruit and stored it in my Storage Space, then uprooted the tree as well. It might grow within the fortress.
Once that was done, I made my way to the second meteor.
This one was more straightforward. The zombie here was a Tank-type Super Zombie—large, towering, almost twelve feet tall, with heavy skin like armor.
But it was slow.
The robots tore into it with efficient strikes, avoiding its sluggish swings. I stepped in only for the finishing blow, slashing its knee to stagger it while the robots hammered its back.
It collapsed with a heavy crash.
We cleared the second meteor zone, and I collected another fruit and the smaller tree—this one was only four feet tall.
Looking back, I saw the damage to the robots. Their protective barriers were flickering, visibly weakened. They'd been pushed to the limit, but still operational. Without them, we wouldn't have made it through.
Noel, panting, finally slumped down. Her face was red, but she was smiling—both exhausted and thrilled.
She admired me more and more.
Suddenly, she hugged me from behind, arms wrapping around my waist, then pressed her cheek to my back. I didn't let her fall. Instead, I lifted her gently onto my shoulder.
From my inventory, I summoned the Golden Apple.
"A reward," I said warmly, my voice filled with affection.
Her eyes lit up, and she took it with both hands. She took a bite, then blinked.
"It's… sweet," she murmured.
I smiled. "Of course. It's no ordinary fruit."
Moments later, the effects kicked in. Her eyes widened, her body trembling slightly. She felt stronger—her stamina increased, her steps lighter.
Then it happened.
She broke through.
From G rank, she leapt to F- Rank.
She didn't realize it yet, so I kept it quiet for now. I'd tell her later.
---
As we explored a few more meteors, I explained more about the zombie threat levels and how the ranking system worked. I told her that she was currently F-Ranked.
She pouted, clearly unhappy. "That's still the second lowest!"
I chuckled and patted her head. "Don't worry. You're one of the rare few who awakened powers so early. You'll rise fast."
She nodded, comforted, and clung to me even tighter. I carried her gently, hearing her soft giggles in my ear.
---
Elsewhere…
In the underground bunker, Hannah sat in front of a screen, eyes wide.
The government had officially confirmed it: Superpowers exist.
The news revealed the emergence of Awakened, individuals who'd gained supernatural abilities. Reports suggested a ranking system from G to SSS. So far, the strongest publicly known Awakened was A-Rank—capable of taking down mutated zombies alone.
They also confirmed that Super Zombies had started to appear… and that meteor zones housed the mysterious fruits, each capable of enhancing a person's physical abilities.
Hannah leaned back, mind spinning.
She thought about that boy—the one who warned her early on.
Who is he, really…? she wondered, eyes drifting to the ceiling.
---
Meanwhile, Maria stood in front of the girls at the shelter, arms crossed and expression grim.
They were spoiled. All of them.
Well… all except for Trish.
Trish had pulled more than her weight—cleaning, helping, staying quiet. Maria noticed.
She sighed. "You five. Enough. Go get some sleep."
The girls groaned in relief.
Aria grumbled, "Finally. We've been working nonstop. We're students, not slaves…"
Lorraine muttered with a mocking smile, "Maybe they're jealous they haven't experienced luxury before."
Samminah yawned, stretching her elegant figure. She still wore a cold expression but was visibly irritated with everything going on.
Rhian, the fiercest of them, scoffed as people stared at her. Their looks made her feel like trash.
And Jasmine Barely done anything Yawned like she have worked 7 Hours of shifts..
Maria had enough.
Her voice turned cold. "You five will sleep on the ground tonight. Trish—come with me."
The girls froze, shocked.
Trish smiled radiantly With innocence and followed Maria without complaint.