Reborn in the Apocalypse :The son In-law's revenge

Chapter 11:The New Leader

The mall’s parking lot was a sea of blood and bodies.

The First Wave had left a trail of destruction. Monsters and humans alike lay dead in the streets. But the survivors—all 1,247 of them—were alive. And they were all looking at Leo.

Leo stood on the hood of a wrecked armored truck, the Hive Reaper resting on his shoulder. He looked at the crowd. They were a mix of his original group, the remnants of the Iron Fist, and terrified civilians.

[System Alert: Faction 'Apex' – Total Members: 1,247. Faction Level: 1. Faction Points: 10,000.]

"Listen up!" Leo's voice cut through the murmurs. He activated [Basic Command] and [Intimidation]. A wave of pressure washed over the crowd. The whispers died instantly.

"The First Wave is over. We survived. But the system didn't say this was the end. It said it was the first wave. There will be more." Leo paced along the truck. "If we stay here, we die. So, we are going to turn this ruined city into a fortress. We are going to level up. And we are going to find the people who started this apocalypse, and we are going to kill them."

A man in the crowd—dressed in a bloodied business suit—stepped forward. He was older, with a bruised face and a gold watch still clinging to his wrist.

"And why should we follow you?" the man demanded, his voice shaking but loud. "You're just a son-in-law. A nobody. My name is Richard Sterling. I was the CEO of Sterling Logistics. I have the resources. I should be in charge."

The crowd went silent.

Leo looked at him. Then he jumped off the truck and walked toward Richard. The crowd parted instantly.

Leo stopped inches from the man's face. "You were a CEO in the old world. The old world is dead. What's your class, Richard?"

Richard swallowed hard. "I... I'm a Merchant. Level 5."

"And what have you killed?"

"I... my bodyguards protected me."

Leo activated [Plunder]. A blue screen appeared.

[Plunder Available: Target 'Richard Sterling' has D-Rank Skill: 'Bargaining'. Do you wish to Plunder?]

Leo didn't need Bargaining. But he needed to make a point.

[Plunder Successful. Gained Skill: Bargaining (D-Rank).]

Richard gasped, clutching his head. The knowledge of how to negotiate—his greatest asset in the old world—was suddenly ripped from his mind. He felt empty. Powerless.

"You were weak," Leo said, his voice cold. "You are still weak. If you want to live in my faction, you will work. You will fight. Or you will leave. Right now."

Richard stumbled backward, terrified. He lowered his head. "I... I'll work."

"Good." Leo turned his back on him and looked at the crowd. "Anyone else have a problem?"

No one spoke.

---

An hour later, Leo gathered his core team in the mall's security room.

"Elara," Leo said. "Report."

Elara stood up, pointing to a holographic map projected on the wall. "The data we stole from the Meridian Hub is complete. The three keycards point to a location one thousand, two hundred miles west of here. The system labels it as 'The Citadel'."

"The Citadel?" Natasha asked. "What is it?"

"A Tier 6 stronghold," Elara said grimly. "It's a pre-apocalypse military base that the Architects have converted into a testing ground for high-level survivors. If we want answers, we go there."

"It's a suicide mission," Mia said quietly from the corner. "The path is filled with Tier 5 dungeons and S-Class monsters."

"Then we get stronger," Leo said. "We have 1,200 people. We need to level them up. We need to build an army."

He turned to Natasha. "You're my Vanguard Commander. Train the fighters. I want a standing army of 500 by the end of the week."

Natasha smirked. "Consider it done."

"Lily," Leo said. "You're the Head of the Medical Corps. Train the civilians in basic first aid. Everyone fights, everyone heals."

Lily nodded. "I'll need supplies. The mall's pharmacy is empty."

"Marcus will handle logistics," Leo said, pointing at the former soldier. Marcus saluted.

"Mia," Leo said. "I want you to form a scout network. I need to know what's happening in the rest of the city."

Mia nodded, vanishing into the shadows.

"Elara," Leo said. "You're with me. We're going back to the dungeon."

Elara raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"The Hive Queen's nest," Leo said. "There are still Razor Wasps down there. I need to hit Level 25. And I need to test a new synthesis."

---

The dungeon was quiet now. The silence of a graveyard.

Leo and Elara stood over the Hive Queen's massive corpse. Leo pulled out three pieces of Tier 3 gear he had stripped from the Harbinger's corpse—a set of gauntlets, a chest plate, and a helm. All useless alone.

"Synthesize," Leo commanded.

[Synthesize: 3x Tier 3 Items → 1x Tier 4 Item?]

[Synthesize Successful!]

[Obtained: Tier 4 Armor – Apex Carapace. Effect: +20 Vitality. +10% damage resistance. Set Bonus (2/3): +15 Strength.]

Leo equipped the armor. It molded to his body, the dark chitin of the Hive Queen merging with the Harbinger's steel.

[Level Up! You are now Level 23.]

"How do you feel?" Elara asked.

Leo closed his fist. The armor hummed with power. "Like a predator."

Elara was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "You know we're walking into a trap, don't you? The Citadel is broadcasting on all frequencies. It's bait."

Leo looked at the red sky. "I know."

"Then why go?"

Leo turned to her, his eyes cold. "Because the Architect is waiting for me. And I'm done being the test subject."

[New Objective: Reach The Citadel. Prepare for the Second Wave. Time remaining: 14 days.]