Zombie Apocalypse System

Chapter 11: Mega-Project: Nuclear Fusion Fortress Begins

"We'll reach the main reactor's coordinates in milliseconds, Abby!" Axel shouted through the roaring wind that seemed to tear through the space around them. His glowing golden hands gripped the hoverbike's handlebars, while his body leaned forward, defying gravity in a way that was nonsensical for a normal human.

"You're insane, Axel! Slow down a bit, damn it! My heart almost stayed behind in the bunker!" Abby screamed, clutching Axel's waist as hard as she could. Her eyes were squeezed shut, unable to look at the scenery below which had turned into neon-colored blurs due to speeds exceeding the limits of physics.

"Relax, Abby! If we're slow, the system portal will open wide right over our heads!" Axel laughed wildly. He pulled the hoverbike's lever, sending the vehicle into a sharp dive toward the hilltop he had marked.

CRASH!

The hoverbike landed with a heavy impact, creating a small crater in the middle of the rocky ground. Axel hopped off with a light movement, as if he had just stepped off a city bus rather than falling from hundreds of meters up.

"We're here. Get off, stop keeping your eyes shut like you're in a death simulation," Axel teased, patting the bike's seat.

Abby opened her eyes slowly, her face pale as a ghost. She climbed down with legs shaking like jelly. "I... I'm seriously going to ask for a mental health allowance if I keep following you. This isn't 'transportation,' this is premeditated suicide, you idiot!"

"Hahaha, but you're still alive, right? That means the suicide plan failed." Axel ignored Abby's nagging. He walked to the center of the clearing on the hilltop, staring at the ruins of Jakarta in the distance. "Where's that fusion data chip from earlier? Give it here."

Abby reached into her tactical bag, pulling out a golden chip emitting a faint blue glow. "Here. But remember, Axel. This is an Omega-scale nuclear fusion reactor blueprint. If you mess up a variable or put in too much energy, the entire island of Java could become a crater in a minute. Got it?!"

"Variables? Energy? Geez, Abby, are you underestimating the Abyssal Architect again?" Axel took the chip and tossed it into the air. The chip floated gently, held by a silver aura beginning to emanate from Axel's palm.

"Axel, I'm serious! This needs molecular precision! Don't just brute-force it with your muscles!" Abby warned, her fingers frantically dancing across her transparent tablet screen, attempting a remote sync.

"My muscles have a brain of their own, Abby. Watch this," Axel muttered. He closed his eyes, focusing on his newly evolved [Conceptual Critical]. In his mind, he constructed a massive structure—a fortress that was not only strong but possessed energy consciousness.

"System... activate all materials stored in my inventory. Critical... Thousand-Fold Construction Drone Mass Production!"

SHUIIIIIINNNNGGGG!

Thousands of small lights shot out from Axel's back like giant fireworks. In an instant, the sky above the hill was covered by thousands of metallic spider-shaped drones, each carrying cutting lasers and mechanical arms. The hum of the engines filled the air, louder than a thousand attack helicopters.

"DAMN! Where did all those drones come from?!" Abby looked up, her eyes bulging in disbelief. "You just built an instant drone factory in a second?! Axel, you're a total cheater, you bastard!"

"Just thousands of drones, Abby. Not enough to build my dream fortress yet," Axel smirked. He pressed both palms against the barren hilltop ground. "Now, for the main foundation... Conceptual Critical... Thousand-Fold Molecular Structure Growth!"

THUMMMMM!

The ground beneath their feet shook violently. Abby nearly toppled over if she hadn't grabbed Axel's steel-hard arm. From beneath the earth, massive black metal pillars emerged, growing like magical bamboo trees. They merged, twisted, and formed geometric walls with absolute precision.

"Abby! Direct the reactor coordinates now! I need a focal point for the plasma cooling!" Axel commanded with an undeniable authoritative tone.

"Okay, okay! Zero point in the center of the crater! Thirty-degree tilt toward the north for heat distribution!" Abby shouted, her eyes focused on the tablet screen displaying real-time construction graphics. "Insane... the structure is growing according to my blueprint but a thousand times denser! Axel, the walls... this isn't normal steel! Is this a carbon-diamond alloy?!"

"Stronger than that, Abby. These are walls where I've 'criticized' the density to the maximum level. Even if an ancient dragon rammed it ten times, it wouldn't leave a scratch," Axel replied while continuing to channel golden energy from his hands into the ground.

The construction proceeded at a speed that set Abby's logic on fire. The drones in the sky began firing blue laser beams, fusing every metal joint with atomic precision. In just minutes, a three-hundred-meter main tower stood tall, piercing Jakarta's black clouds.

"I... I don't believe what I'm seeing," Abby whispered. She wiped the dust-covered sweat from her forehead. "We just bypassed thirty years of construction in ten minutes. You really are a god of construction, Axel."

"Not finished yet, Abby. The reactor isn't on," Axel walked toward the still-open center of the tower. There, a massive hole gaped, revealing the heart of the fortress. "Insert the chip now."

Abby jogged over, inserting the fusion chip into a console slot that had automatically formed from the metal wall. "Fusion system ready for activation! But Axel, we need a massive energy trigger to start the chain reaction! We don't have nuclear fuel!"

"Who said we need conventional nuclear?" Axel stood right over the reactor pit. He raised his right hand high toward the sky. "I have residual energy from that lab explosion I saved. And I'm going to use it to power our new home."

"You're using explosion residue?! That's unstable, Axel! This could all blow up!"

"If it blows up, I'll just 'criticize' it back so the energy goes into the cables," Axel laughed coldly. He clenched his fist, and instantly, a flash of silver lightning struck from his hand down to the base of the reactor.

BOOOOMMMM!

A heavy thud echoed from underground. A bright blue light began to radiate from the cracks in the fortress walls. A steady low hum began to sound, signaling that the first nuclear fusion reactor in the apocalypse world was active.

"IT WORKED! THE ENERGY IS STABLE AT MAXIMUM LEVEL!" Abby cheered, jumping up and down while staring at the perfectly green energy graph on her tablet. "Axel, we have enough power to light up all of Jakarta! We can even set up a permanent plasma shield!"

"Good. Now, set up a high-level camouflage system," Axel ordered, leaning his back against the metallic wall which now felt warm from the fusion energy. "I don't want any annoying flies coming around before I get a chance to take a nap."

"Got it! Activating Global Cloaking mode. This shield will make our fortress invisible to radar, satellites, and even the naked eye from a kilometer away!" Abby quickly typed the final instructions.

Instantly, a transparent wave swept across the entire surface of the fortress. From the outside, the hill looked like a barren, ruined hill again, but inside, a technological masterpiece stood majestic.

"Phew... finally. I'm going to find a sofa inside. You handle the rest, Abby," Axel started walking into the vast, futuristic corridor of the fortress.

"Hey! You can't just boss me around! I'm tired too, idiot!" Abby grumbled, but she followed Axel with a proud smile. "But Axel... you know, right? We just built something that'll make those Global Lords wet their pants if they find out?"

"That's the goal, Abby. I want to see how brave they are when they realize their toys are useless," Axel stopped for a moment, staring at a giant monitor in the fortress lobby that suddenly flickered to life.

"Axel, look at that..." Abby's voice suddenly dropped, full of anxiety.

On the monitor, a global map appeared. There was a large red dot blinking exactly at their coordinates. Below it, a string of text sent by the apocalypse system's central hub appeared.

[ANOMALY DETECTED: OMEGA-LEVEL CONSTRUCTION IDENTIFIED.]

[SUBJECT AXEL STATUS: OMEGA-LEVEL THREAT - GLOBAL ELIMINATION PRIORITY.]

"Wow, my name is getting popular," Axel smirked, his eyes flashing with challenge. "Global elimination priority? Sounds like a lot of fun."

"Fun?! That means every Lord faction in the world will get a notification to attack us, Axel! We just built a home, and we're already about to be besieged by the whole world?!" Abby panicked, her fingers trembling as she saw thousands of other red dots on the map starting to move toward them.

"Relax, Abby. Let them come," Axel walked toward the command chair in the center of the room and sat down casually. "I'm actually happy. The more that come, the more materials I can harvest to expand this fortress."

"You're seriously mentally ill, I swear. We only have one fortress; they have air fleets, system tanks, even contract monsters!" Abby paced back and forth in front of Axel.

"But they don't have me, Abby. And they don't have a genius brain like yours," Axel looked into Abby's eyes seriously, silencing her. "Trust me. Today, the world will learn that the number one thousand isn't just a statistic... it's a punishment."

"Okay... okay, I believe you. But look at this long-range radar," Abby showed her tablet screen, which now displayed dozens of combat carriers flying across the sea toward Jakarta. "That's the 'Black Tower' fleet. They aren't playing around, Axel. They're carrying anti-matter cannons."

"Black Tower, huh? Uncle Hendra still hasn't learned his lesson," Axel snorted. "Abby, activate the orbital defense system we just built. I want to see how far its range is."

"But the reactor is still in the warming-up phase, Axel! If we fire now, the system might overheat!"

"If it overheats, I'll just 'criticize' it so the temperature drops instantly. Hurry up, activate it!" Axel pressured.

Abby took a deep breath and pressed the execution button on her screen. "Aegis Orbital Defense System activated! Locking onto the Black Tower fleet!"

Outside the fortress, at the invisible peak of the tower, a massive cannon barrel made of blue crystal began to emerge from the camouflage shield. A dense blue light began to gather at its tip, creating spatial distortions around it.

"Target locked, Boss. Want me to fire now?" Abby asked, her tone now starting to sound a bit bloodthirsty as well.

"Not yet. Wait for them to enter the red zone. I want them to feel a little bit of hope before I blow them to bits," Axel leaned his head back, eyes closed casually. "Abby, you hungry? I think I have some leftover pizza in my inventory that I 'criticized' earlier."

"You're crazy! There's a war fleet outside, and you're thinking about pizza?!" Abby screamed, but her stomach suddenly growled. "But... fine, give me a slice. I need some carbs to hack their cannons."

"That's the spirit. Eat first, war later," Axel pulled a pizza box out of thin air, triggering the tempting aroma of pepperoni throughout the advanced command room.

They both sat in the middle of the deadliest technological hub on earth, munching on pizza casually, as if the approaching carriers were just a swarm of flies flying into a trap.

"Axel, you know what?" Abby said while chewing.

"What?"

"I just realized something. Since I met you, my life—which used to be full of fear—now feels like I'm playing a game with cheats enabled," Abby stared at the monitor showing the enemy lines. "And I'm starting to like this feeling."

"Good that you like it. Because this is only level one, Abby," Axel set down his pizza crust. He stood up, his eyes fixed sharply on the monitor showing the enemy fleet entering the red zone. "Okay, time to work. Abby, activate the cannon. Target the center carrier."

"Ready, Boss! Firing in three... two... one... FIRE!"

BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!

A giant blue beam shot from the top of the fortress, splitting the Jakarta sky with unmatched speed. The beam slammed into the Black Tower's main carrier, creating a massive blue fireball explosion in the atmosphere.

"HITS! THE MAIN CARRIER IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN ONE SHOT!" Abby cheered wildly. "Look at that! The smaller ships are panicking and scattering!"

"Just one, Abby. Plenty left behind it," Axel smirked. He walked toward the control console, placing his hand on the main sensor. "Now, let me take over the next shot. I want to try a new variation."

"What kind of variation now, Axel?!"

"I want to try firing with the concept of 'Space Freeze.' So they don't just explode, but freeze in mid-air as material statues for us to take later," Axel closed his eyes, his aura beginning to merge with the fortress's fusion system.

On the monitor, the remaining enemy fleet began firing back. Thousands of anti-matter missiles launched toward the hill where Axel's fortress stood.

"Axel! There are so many missiles! We have to activate the shields again!" Abby panicked.

"No need. Just watch," Axel replied calmly.

Just as the thousands of missiles were about to hit the hill, Axel moved his finger horizontally across the console.

"Conceptual Critical... Thousand-Fold Motion Freeze!"

Instantly, every missile in the air came to a total halt. Not just the missiles, but the warships, enemy drones, and even the dust floating around their fleet suddenly froze in mid-air, as if time had just been forcibly stopped by the hand of God.

"Hah... hah... how?! Did you really stop time?!" Abby gaped at the screen.

"Not stopping time, just 'criticizing' their concept of 'speed' down to zero. Now, Abby... send out our collector drones. Harvest all that expensive scrap metal and bring it into the material warehouse," Axel ordered, opening his eyes which now glowed pure gold.

"Insane... you're actually turning a world war fleet into a material harvest field..." Abby laughed hollowly, her fingers getting busy sending out thousands of collector drones.

The view outside the fortress was truly surreal. Thousands of Axel's small drones began swarming the warships frozen in the sky, cutting them apart with lasers and carrying them into the fortress's storage bunkers.

"Today's harvest is pretty good, Abby. We got enough military-grade steel to build the left wing of the fortress," Axel said as he sat back in his command chair.

However, in the midst of their excitement, the entire fortress system suddenly flashed red. An alarm sound, much heavier than before, echoed through the corridors.

"Axel! What's happening?! Is our system being hacked?!" Abby screamed while trying to stabilize her console.

"Not hacked. We have a special guest coming through the back door," Axel stood up, his eyes fixed on the tightly sealed command room entrance.

The half-meter-thick steel door suddenly began to melt. Not destroyed by an explosion, but its molecules were seemingly forced to liquefy. From behind the melting door, a figure in a long white robe appeared, holding a silver staff that radiated a highly oppressive holy aura.

"Axel... the Abyssal Architect. Your arrogance truly exceeds the permitted limits," the man said in a calm voice that vibrated with immense power.

"Who's this now? An angel cosplayer?" Axel greeted him dismissively, but his hand was already ready to grip his iron pipe, which had now merged with fusion energy.

"I am the High Messenger of the Global Lord Council. We have come not to negotiate, but to deliver a verdict of erasure upon the anomaly you have created," the man raised his staff, and instantly the entire command room was filled with extraordinary gravitational pressure, causing Abby to collapse onto the floor.

"A verdict of erasure? Hahaha! What Korean drama did you get that script from, huh?!" Axel stepped forward, even though the gravity around him was enough to crush a steel car. "Listen here, Mr. White Robe... in my house, the only one allowed to give a verdict is me."

"How dare you speak like that before God's representative!" the man barked, and a wave of holy white light exploded from his staff toward Axel.

Axel didn't dodge. He simply pointed his index finger at the wave of light.

"Conceptual Critical... Thousand-Fold Authority Rejection—"

Tepat saat kedua kekuatan itu akan bertabrakan, tiba-tiba sebuah layar holografik sistem muncul di tengah mereka berdua, menampilkan wajah Supreme Boss yang sedang tersenyum licik, dan suara dinginnya bergema ...