2026-01-20 08:00:00The smell of ozone left by Elian's lightning mixed with the metallic scent of fresh blood and the pungent smell of gunpowder. Water from the sprinklers still dripped from the ceiling, creating a frightening symphony of water droplets in the tense silence.
Everyone was frozen. On one side, Elian and his team stood in a puddle of water, surrounded by charred bat carcasses. On the other, Darius stood in a drier area, his smoking pistol now aimed at Elian's chest.
&nbs
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 76: A Monster's Loyalty
Time seemed to freeze inside the cabin of the Cosmo Express Bus.The cold iron pipe pressed against Elian’s forehead, digging into his sweat-drenched skin. Darius stood over him, a triumphant smirk plastered across his filthy face, illuminated by the dim moonlight. In Darius’s eyes, Elian already saw the death sentence. There was no doubt, no mercy. Only the pure satisfaction of a loser who finally felt like a winner."A shame, El," Darius whispered, savoring every second. "I actually liked your style. Cold. Ruthless. But you have one fatal weakness: you keep a monster, but you forgot to feed your own guard dog."Darius raised the iron pipe high."Goodbye, Manager."Elian didn't close his eyes. He stared at the pipe. His Mana was at zero. His left shoulder was destroyed. He couldn't move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vara screaming silently, held back by Iwan.
Chapter 75: Night from Hell
"ELIAN! LOOK OUT!"Rico’s shout exploded, shattering the silence of the Cibubur Rest Area like a brick through a window. His voice wasn't just a warning; it was a scream of pure panic that triggered the fight-or-flight response of every living soul inside the bus.At the back of the bus, Elian snapped his eyes open.His pupils dilated, trying to adjust to a reality that had shifted from calm meditation to a death threat in a fraction of a second. However, the biological body has its limits. Nerves need time to send signals. Muscles need time to contract.And time was a luxury Elian did not have right now.Above him, Tono’s silhouette was already swinging the sharpened iron rod downward with full force, driven by hatred and Darius’s sweet promises."DIE, MANAGER!"Elian reflexively threw his body to the right, trying to r
Chapter 74: The Coup Plan
2:00 AM. The time when human sanity is at its weakest, and shadows look more alive than reality.The sky above the Cibubur KM 10 Rest Area was clear of purple clouds, displaying a pale and cold crescent moon. However, the tranquility of this night was a deception. Behind the silence of the dead highway, there were racing heartbeats and murderous intent sharpened as keen as a knife.Inside the cabin of the Cosmo Express School Bus, the atmosphere felt like being inside a warm but fragile iron womb. The sound of soft snoring from the exhausted survivors was the only background music, occasionally punctuated by a dry cough or the friction of coarse blankets.Elian sat cross-legged at the very back of the bus, on top of a pile of logistics bags containing the remains of their treasures. His eyes were tightly shut. His breathing was steady, slow, and deep. He wasn't sleeping. He was trying to stitch back together the shattere
Chapter 73: Snake's Tongue
The clock showed ten at night. The campfire began to fade, leaving red embers that blinked weakly like a demon's eyes.Elian was at the back of the bus, cleaning his iron pipe while discussing tomorrow's route with Mr. Hendra. He felt safe. His system scan showed no signs of Hollows. Agus was on the roof as a perfect sentry.He forgot one thing: The Cosmo-Ledger system could detect zombies, but it couldn't detect lies.Outside, Darius wasn't sleeping. He began to move.He didn't break Elian’s rules. He didn't approach the bus. He just... walked around the campfire, talking to his men, but with a volume deliberately set so his voice would be heard faintly by those guarding the bus windows."Poor Budi," Darius said to Tono, while massaging his swollen feet. "He used to be my star employee. Now? He’s just a lackey."Inside the bus, Budi, who was on g
Chapter 72: Breadcrumbs
The night at the Cibubur KM 10 Rest Area brought a bone-chilling cold. There was no electricity, no sound of crickets, only the sound of the wind whistling through the gaps of the empty shopfronts.In the middle of the vast parking lot, a small campfire was lit. It was fueled by plastic convenience store chairs and old cardboard boxes. That fire was the only source of light and warmth amidst the total darkness of the dead highway.On one side of the fire sat Darius and his four pathetic men. Their feet were wrapped in plastic bags, their lips were chapped, and their eyes were sunken like hungry ghosts. They sat huddled together, shivering, staring blankly at the flames.On the other side, about ten meters away (a safety distance established by Elian), stood the Cosmo Express School Bus. Its engine was off, but its steel-plated body and iron bars made it look like an impenetrable fortress. Inside, there were mattresses (e
Chapter 71: The Pit Stop
The silence at the KM 10 Cibubur Rest Area had its own specific gravity. It felt like an invisible atmospheric pressure pressing against the eardrums, making every footstep on the asphalt sound ten times louder than it should.No Hollows roaring. No Runners chasing shadows. It seemed even the flies refused to fly here."I liked it better when we were being chased by a whole district's worth of zombies on the toll road," Rico whispered, clutching his Teflon pan, which was now dented in several places. "At least back there it was noisy but we knew who the enemy was. Here... it's quiet. Like, 'Saturday night with no date' quiet. Creepy as hell."Elian didn't respond to the joke. His silver-ringed Tier 4 eyes kept scanning the surroundings. His Cosmo-Ledger system ran a passive scan, but the results were nil. No sign of monster life within a fifty-meter radius."Agus," Elian called softly.<
You may also like
Supreme Guardian of Earth
Ideabadar20.1K viewsThe Clan Head System.
Great50.4K viewsValkyrie Black
Drew Archeron22.8K viewsSystem Activation: Becoming a Super Rich
Enigma Stone74.4K viewsThe Tycoon Game System
Dee Hwang 22.4K viewsYulricia: The Chosen One
Adryuna1.2K viewsMY DRAUGR SYSTEM; THE DUAL SENTINEL
Iseolu1.2K viewsSystem Ascend
Tanveer1.8K views