Apocalypse: Inhuman Ascension-Chapter 85: Red-Veined Zombies (1)

Chapter 85: Red-Veined Zombies (1)
Exactly six hours later, Leon reappeared refreshed. His fatigue had almost disappeared, and the dark circles under his eyes had turned faint.
"Ready?"
He said to the third-level evolved who had been waiting for him. They were all equipped with the weapons and armors he had made for them, while he himself was clad in a sleek black armor with soft texture akin to a simple cloth.
"Boss?"
Sylvia cocked her head in confusion, then poked his armor. Surprisingly, even though her claws were sharp, it couldn’t pierce through.
"Eh?"
A tuft of hair popped up from her head, as if showcasing her confusion. Leon didn’t answer, but patted her shoulder instead. Seeing that everyone was prepared, his expression turned serious.
’I’ve done everything I can to prepare this shelter for the Interlink. I can only hope it works out...’
He gave one last look at the Alchemy Research Building where Cassie was still in coma, then left the shelter.
All the third-level evolved humans except Charles and Cassie left the shelter, surging towards a specific location.
"Here."
Shadow said curtly, his expression unreadable. The others stopped behind him, glancing around with curiosity and wariness. The surroundings were quiet, eerily so. Leon frowned slightly, then scowled.
"This place reeks of death." His narrowed eyes became fixated on a particular wrecked car. "Come out."
Roar!
As if responding to his voice, a deformed zombie stumbled out from behind the car, its eyes glowing with insatiable hunger.
"A third-level?!"
Ice cried out in shock. Since when did third-level zombies become so common? The others were equally perplexed.
The zombie didn’t care about their reactions and lunged at them. Before it got halfway, a blur shot at it, then smacked it into an adjacent wall.
Bang!
Sounds of bones breaking were heard as the wall collapsed. Sylvia stood atop the zombie, her lips curled into a wide grin.
The zombie lashed out its hands at her, and she responded with a series of punches that struck the zombie’s head accurately.
Blood sprayed and the scene became so gory that Ice was forced to look away.
"There’s more."
Leon’s warning was timely as more zombies shot out from the surrounding buildings. They numbered up to fifty, with almost twenty being of the third-level.
The evolved around him immediately sprang into action. Aisha and Rebecca intertwined, forming a perfect assault pair, while the others personally descended into the small horde.
Leon watched them fight with calculative eyes, measuring their growth and noting their mistakes.
’I almost can’t believe it. It’s been a little over half a year and they’ve adapted quite fast. They’ll be ready for it.’
Then, his eyes shifted to the strange zombies. As Williams had ed, they had visible red veins populating their bodies. Seeing them personally, Leon came to a conclusion.
’They aren’t natural at all... something forced their evolution.’
His lips curled into a tight frown as he pondered about it. In his memories, there were instances where potions were developed to increase a person’s level temporarily, but it was only temporary and had high repercussions.
’Meanwhile these zombies...’
Their evolution didn’t look temporary at all, as they all looked normal and showed no signs of reversing.
"Tch. Annoying."
He clicked his tongue, then wrinkled his nose. A nauseating smell assaulted his nostrils as he immediately zeroed in on the source.
Standing meters away, a black cloaked individual was motionless, watched him with mysterious crimson eyes.
’Like me...?’
He blinked in surprise, locking eyes with the unknown figure. From what he could tell, that person was a zombie, yet still humane enough to not be called one. Slowly, his expression relaxed.
’Let’s deal with it first.’
He suddenly disappeared, then reappeared before the cloaked zombie. His hand was drawn back, ready to deliver a swift punch.
Pa!
Unexpectedly, the zombie caught his fist in their palm, though they took three steps back. Leon didn’t stop and immediately followed up with a vicious kick.
The zombie blocked with their arm, then retaliated with a straight punch at his torso. Leon twisted to the side, nimbly dodging the attack, then reached out to pull the cloak.
As if sensing his intentions, the zombie hurriedly retreated. Leon didn’t immediately pursue, but narrowed his eyes.
’Avoiding revealing yourself... uh?’
He blinked, then looked up at the sun in the sky. "No way. It can’t be...?"
He suddenly attacked, his strikes getting more vicious. The zombie was slowly repelled under his attacks, unable to fully contend in strength and speed.
Finally, when Leon’s punch was about to strike their torso, they suddenly disappeared, reappearing on a nearby rooftop.
Leon didn’t chase after them, because something else was blocking his way.
A humanoid creature eight feet tall with a greatsword was standing before him. On its head was a blue essence crystal, signifying its evolution level.
"A berserker wendigo."
He instinctively trembled at the sight of the creature, memories surfacing like a flood. Soon, his body relaxed, and he exhaled.
’There’s no need to be scared. I’m not the same as my past life.’
His hand moved slowly as he drew the sword sheathed behind him.
Shiiing~!
The sword gave a cry as it was pulled out, its surface blazing with ghostly fire. The next moment, sound disappeared.
Clang!
Under the bright sun, the crisp sound of two metals clashing echoed throughout the city, causing every living being to wonder what was going on.
The fight between the third-level evolved beings paused temporarily, and they all looked towards the source of the sound.
Around Leon and the giant wendigo, the asphalt had cracked, turning into a massive crater that spanned for meters.
"What the... fuck is that?"
Little Tiger cursed, his eyes wide in astonishment. That level of impact and destruction was beyond what he had witnessed in his life.
"Focus."
Shadow’s voice snapped him back to focus as he realized the battle around him had resumed. He quickly deflected the claws of three zombies, then distanced himself from them.
’Damn it. We’re outnumbered and pressured.’
The zombies around them were numerous, and their strength wasn’t trivial. Although Sylvia’s earlier display might have made the red-veined zombies look weak, they weren’t in the slightest.
’Fine. We’ll just have to hold on till Boss is done.’