Panid anger rippled through the crowd as they stumbled out onto the battlefield. Many feared the worst, believing that being forced outside the walls meaaih. Though reluce spread like wildfire, few dared to resist. The ones who had the ce to fight back had already perished otlefield, leaving behind those who were mediocre or cowardly. Uhe ominous threat of mae guns, the crowd hesitantly obeyed, stepping into the open wastend beyond the walls. But as their eyes fell otlefield, their auro horror.

  Severed limbs and dismembered corpses stretched as far as the eye could see. Zombie bodies were piled into grotesque mountains, while dozens of meical spiders skittered across the field, methodically finishing off any remaining undead—and even ied humans. The air was thick with the putrid stench of decay, blood, and a siing slurry of flesh ed into mud.“Vomit!”“I ’t take it! I o go back!”

  Terrified, the front of the group tried to retreat, but more survivors, driven forward by the meical dogs, forced them bato the chaos. Amid the fusion, Zack’s amplified voied like thunder, sileng the crowd. “Anyone who takes a siep back—dies.”

  The survivors froze, their eyes snapping toward the six-meter-tall steel giant standing amidst the age. Its raised palm glowed ominously, a charged pulse on ready to fire. Some whispered among themselves, certain Zack wouldn’t follow through. “Why should we listen to him?”

  A man stepped forward, his tone arrogant. He was one of the soldiers who had fled the battlefield earlier, aced to funting authority under Kane’s rule. “You’re not from our base—”

  BOOM! Before he could finish, a searing particle beam erupted from Zack’s palm, obliterating the man where he stood. Bone fragments and charred flesh rained down on those o him. A chilling silence fell over the crowd as the reality of Zack’s resolve settled in. Those who had spoken up earlier now cowered, their defiainguished.

  Zack’s gaze swept over the crowd, his voice cold and unyielding. “Now, does anyone else have questions?” The survivors trembled under his gre, the weight of his brutal aura pressing down ohey uood now—this was no idle threat. Disobedience would lead to certaih.

  Yet amid the fear, some began to realize the truth: the zombie wave, the uing terror, was gohe battlefield, though littered with corpses, held no living zombies.“It’s true…”“They’re really gone.”“We’re… safe?”

  The realization spread like a ripple through the crowd. Relief quickly repced fear, and many began moving toward the field voluntarily. “Let’s clear the battlefield. It’s the least we do!”

  The atmosphere shifted. Gratitude and survival instincts drove the majority to a. Soon, hundreds of thousands of survivors began ing up the endless remains, their effradually rest order to the chaos. Zack watched the se unfold from his t vantage point. His expression softened slightly as he spoke. “How many survivors remain?”

  “Approximately 410,000, sir,” Ego replied. “However, during the up, we estimate a loss of 10,000 to 20,000 due to residual zombies or actal iion.”

  ing the battlefield was dangerous work. Ued zombies or careless exposure to ied blood could prove fatal. “Should I mobilize additional meical units from NYC to assist with up?” Ego asked.

  Zack’s gaze lingered on the survivors toiling below. After a moment of thought, he responded, his tone resolute. “No. They o do this themselves. Let them up the mess left by their fear. It’ll remind them what survival costs.”

  To Zack, anyone who couldn’t even handle ing up corpses had no pce struggling in this apocalypse. “If they ’t mahis, they’re better off resting in peace.”

  Ego paused. “Sir, are you pnning to take trol of the base?”

  “Of course.” Zack’s voice was icy. “I’ve spent a fortune wiping out that zombie tide. If I walk away with just a handful of rare materials, it’d be a waste.” The Capital was ri resources, its proximity to the mineral-riorth making it a prime acquisition. By seizing trol, Zack would cim aire region’s worth of resources.

  “Where are the crafting bugs I asked for?” Zaquired sharply.

  “They’re in the Avalon,” Ego replied promptly. “Twenty manufacturing bugs were brought in total. Should I release them?”

  “Deploy them immediately.” Zack’s narrowed eyes gleamed. “This base needs restructuring, and I’ll ensure everyone here falls in line.”

  A few hours ter. The sun had lo, but powerful floodlights illumihe high walls of the Capital, turning the night into day. The battlefield outside was a sea of chaos as survivors, driven by Zack’s ands, worked tirelessly to up the remnants of the battle. Hundreds of thousands of survivors had been divided introups, rotating shifts to transport the mountains of corpses using heavy trucks.

  The bodies were being buried in the radiation-soaked pins nearby, handled by personnel wearing protective suits. By now, the immediate area surrounding the high walls was clear of limbs and shattered bodies. The blood-soaked ground remained a dark red, and the metallic stench of death still g to the air, a grim reminder of the earlier age.

  Meanwhile, the manufacturing bugs had been deployed. Scuttling through the abandoned ers of the base, they sged materials, rapidly produg self-destrug microchips that Zateo use for his future pns. Zaow out of the Titan armor, strode toward a group sittihe base of the wall. Among them were survivors of the earlier battle, including Scott and Scarlett’s mutant squad. Nearby, two hulking bear soldiers stood guard, wearing rudimentary exoskeletons. Aill unscious but stable, y nearby.

  The sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention, and the group looked up, expressions of gratitude and awe evident on their weary faces. “Sir Zack?” one soldier ventured, standing up hastily.

  The rest followed, scrambling to their feet. These were people who had truly faced despair, their gratitude to Zack deeper than words could vey. In their darkest moment, his meical army had been their only hope. “Sit down,” Zack said casually, walking through the group and stopping in front of Scott.

  “Thank you…” Scott rasped, leaning heavily on a blood-streaked rifle for support. “Thank you for saving us—for saving the 600,000 people in Washington DC.”

  “Thaer.” Zack waved off the se. “I’m here to talk about the ma of the Capital.” Scott’s expression shifted, his wearied features darkening. He had always stayed out of power struggles, fog solely on the safety of the city.

  “You mahis battle well,” Zack began, his toral. “I want you to run this base for me.” Before Scott could respond, Zack cut him off. “Kane is dead. I sent people to deal with him. This base is mine now. Any objes?”

  “No!” Scott shook his head immediately, his tone decisive.

  ‘’Smart move,’ Zack thought. He didn’t need defiance, only pliance. If Scott refused, Zack could easily repce him with someone else—loyalty was all that mattered.

  “You rally these soldiers to help you mahe base,” Zack tinued. “I’ll provide the ons and equipment you need.”