Apocalypse: Rise of the SSS-Rank Sovereign

Chapter 6: stay alert

The System gave me this power to rewrite our destiny. Aria’s blade will carve our path. Elena, you will grow strong enough to stand beside us. Both of you are irreplaceable to what I am building."

He pointed toward the eastern edge of the park. "Our first objective is to secure a permanent base of operations before the next monster wave intensifies. We need a fortress."

Aria drew her massive claymore in one fluid motion, the edge humming with a soft, predatory silver light. "I will clear any trash in your way, my Lord.

Lucian led the small group toward the northern edge of the park, where the dense trees met the city gates. "Stay alert, and stay tight on my flank. We move as one."

As they navigated the cracked asphalt, Lucian glanced down at Elena, whose knuckles were white from gripping the heavy iron pipe she had scavenged. "You were incredibly brave back there against Dominic's thugs, Elena. Most civilians would have run or cowered. That spark of courage is exactly why I chose you."

Elena felt a sudden, intense wave of warmth rush to her cheeks. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with growing reverence. "I was terrified, Lucian. My legs were shaking. But when I look at you... you make it so easy to stay calm. What do we do if we find more of them?"

"We crush them," Lucian said simply.

Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed from the bushes ahead. A pack of five Level 2 Gray Goblins—larger, leaner, and wielding rusted iron daggers—burs out from behind a stalled city bus, their yellow eyes locking onto the trio with feral hunger.

Before the monsters could even raise their weapons, Aria moved like a streak of silver lightning. Her claymore blurred through the air, flawlessly severing the tendons in the legs of the first three goblins, leaving them collapsed on the pavement, writhing and unable to fight.

Lucian immediately stepped up behind Elena. He placed his large, warm hands directly over hers on the hilt of her weapon. Elena gasped softly as his chest pressed lightly against her back, his heartbeat steady and solid against her spine.

"Take the final strike on this one," Lucian whispered directly into her ear, his breath sending a thrilling shiver down her neck. "This is how the System rewards power. You must take your first step, Elena. I am right here with you. I won't let it touch you."

Encouraged by his overwhelming proximity and fierce protection, Elena swallowed her fear. She stepped forward and drove the iron bar down into the skull of the disabled goblin.

The creature dissolved into black particles. Instantly, a warm, golden aura erupted around her body.

[Ding! Your party member Elena has slain a Level 2 Gray Goblin.]

[Elena has reached Level 2!]

She looked at her hands in utter shock, feeling a sudden, exhilarating rush of physical strength and sensory clarity flood her veins. "I feel... stronger. The exhaustion is completely gone!"

"Good," Lucian said, his eyes filled with deep, proud approval as he gently patted her shoulder. "That is how we grow. Step by step, until no one on Earth can look down on you."

Aria efficiently decapitated the remaining creatures, cleaning her blade with a swift flick of her wrist. Elena watched the silver-haired warrior, a small, subtle knot of romantic jealousy tightening in her chest. Aria was flawlessly beautiful and perfectly strong for Lucian. I need to level up faster, Elena thought fiercely. I want to be the one protecting his back.

The Tyrant of the Municipality

They continued past the park boundary, arriving at a massive, three-story brick building on the eastern square—the Manhattan Municipal Administrative Center.

"In my past... in my calculations, this building holds the blueprints, logistical layouts, and emergency bunker access for the entire district," Lucian explained, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the heavy glass double doors were shattered. "It is the perfect foundation for a territory."

Inside the grand marble lobby, the power was completely dead, illuminated only by the ominous, crimson glow bleeding through the high skylights. Aria moved ahead into the shadows, silently executing two stray goblins that were tearing apart the reception desk.

Suddenly, a massive crash echoed from the third-floor interior balcony, followed by a harsh, mocking laugh that made Lucian’s blood turn to ice.

"Run all you want, little secretary! You think those thick glasses make you smart? Without my protection, you're just a snack for the dogs!"

Lucian looked up. Stumbling across the high balcony was a young woman with disheveled blonde hair and cracked spectacles, desperately clutching a heavy leather-bound ledger to her chest. It was Cynthia Vance.

In his past life, she was known historically as the Iron Empress of Logistics, a civilian genius who could manage resources for an army of millions—but she had been tragically murdered during the first week of the apocalypse because no one protected her.

Chasing her across the balcony weren't just three snarling Goblin Hounds. Driving the hounds forward was a heavy-set, brutal-looking man wearing a bloody security uniform, wielding a spiked tactical baton. His name tag read Garrick, and a dark, predatory aura pulsed around him. He had awakened a cruel C-Rank Beast-Tamer class and was using the monsters to hunt down the surviving staff.

"Drop the emergency vault ledger, Cynthia, and maybe I’ll let my pets keep you as a pet instead of breakfast!" Garrick roared, cornering her against the railing.

Cynthia pushed her cracked glasses up her nose, her face pale but her expression radiating a fierce, defiant intellect. "You're a coward, Garrick! The second the laws fell, you turned into an animal! I will never give you the master keys to the emergency food reserves!"

"Then die!" Garrick sneered, gesturing for the three giant Goblin Hounds to spring at her throat.

"Aria, intercept. Elena, cover the lobby stairs," Lucian commanded, his voice dropping into a register of absolute, terrifying authority.