Zombie Apocalypse System

Chapter 5: The Architect's Absolute Slap

...and blasted right back into the tank's muzzle until the iron melted like chocolate under the scorching sun!

BOOOOMMMM!

The back-blast didn't just obliterate the tank; it sent out a heatwave that scorched the surrounding asphalt. Axel stood tall amidst the inferno, his tattered clothes fluttering, yet his skin didn't have a single scratch.

"Damn... I just reflected the energy back. I didn't even add any extra spice!" Axel laughed while brushing the dust off his shoulder. "So, Mr. Soldier? You still want to play with your little cannons, or do you want to just give up and buy me a cold cendol?"

"Shit! Is that a human or a demon?!" screamed one of the mercenaries crouching behind the car wreckage. "Hey, fire! Shoot him with everything! Don't give him a second to breathe!"

"Axel! Are you insane?!" Abby’s voice shrieked through the intercom in Axel’s ear. "My sensors are all in the red! The energy you absorbed should have vaporized your arm, but you threw it back a thousand times stronger?! What kind of physics theory are you even using, huh?!"

"The 'Axel is Always Right' theory, By! Just stay put and order some coffee in the bunker," Axel replied casually while dodging the hail of bullets swarming him.

"Coffee, my ass! The second tank is already locking on! Move, you idiot! Don't just stand there like a statue!" Abby became even more hysterical.

"Relax, babe. I’m trying something new here," Axel grinned. He looked down at the iron pipe he’d been holding. It was now glowing with an intense silver light, so hot that the air around it seemed to shimmer and vibrate.

"Hey, you guys over there! Check this out—my new trick!" Axel sprinted at incredible speed toward the second tank.

"Fire! Now!" their commander screamed from atop a combat jeep.

DUM!

The second shot fired. The distance was incredibly close. But Axel actually jumped, planted his foot on the flying cannon shell, and kicked the projectile right back at the tank it came from.

KRAAAKKKK! BOOOOOM!

The tank exploded into a million pieces, its wreckage flying in every direction like shattered crackers.

"Insane... you actually kicked a cannon shell?!" Abby gaped behind her bunker monitors. "I saw it on the camera... you really kicked an object moving at thousands of meters per second?! Axel, what the hell are you?!"

"I’m an Architect, By. And right now, I’m going to 'renovate' these guys' headquarters," Axel landed casually in front of the line of mercenaries, whose faces were now as pale as corpses.

"Mercy, sir! We’re just being paid!" one of the soldiers shouted while throwing down his weapon.

"Paid to kill me? Wow, my life is pretty cheap in your eyes, isn't it?" Axel walked slowly, each step cracking the ground beneath him. "Where’s Tattoo? Where’s Lord Bangkit? Is he still alive after I tossed him earlier?"

"Boss... Boss Bangkit is being treated in the jeep in the back, sir!" the soldier answered, trembling violently.

"Oh, he’s still alive? Good. Let him watch as I turn his headquarters into a chicken coop," Axel raised his iron pipe high. "By, what are the coordinates for their base? That insurance building you mentioned?"

"Yeah, three hundred meters from your current position. But Axel, be careful! They have an automated defense system there that’s way more vicious than these junk tanks!" Abby warned, her fingers busy typing on the keyboard to scan the area.

"Vicious? By, did you forget? I have Critical 1000x. Even a god-tier system will turn into scrap metal if I give it a little touch," Axel started running, leaving behind the mercenaries who could only stare in shock as their tanks were reduced to trash in seconds.

"Don't get cocky, you pest! I’m seeing an anomaly signal in that building! It looks like they have an energy shield!"

"An energy shield? Hahaha! That’s just breakfast for me!" Axel arrived in front of the insurance building that had been modified into an emergency military base. The walls were plated in steel, and a dome of blue light covered the entire area.

"Hey, Tattoo! Get out here! I’ve come to collect the renovation tax!" Axel shouted at the top of his lungs.

From the building’s loudspeakers, Lord Bangkit’s hoarse and rage-filled voice rang out. "Axel... you bastard! You think you can get in here?! This is a Grade A shield from the System! You’ll never break through it with that rusty pipe of yours!"

"Oh yeah? Is that so? Let’s find out!" Axel walked up to the blue dome of light.

"Axel, don't! That’s high voltage! You’ll be fried!" Abby screamed over the intercom.

"Chill, By. I’m just knocking on the door," Axel pressed his palm against the energy shield. "System... Critical... Structural Absorption and Reversal 1000x!"

SHUIIIIINNNNGGGG!

Instantly, the previously stable blue shield began to vibrate violently. Its light shifted from blue to an electric silver. A deafening shattering sound echoed, like a giant sheet of glass being smashed.

SHATTER!

The energy dome shattered into a million pieces, and the residual energy surged back into the transmitter system inside the building, causing every circuit in the place to explode simultaneously.

"WHAT?! MY SHIELD IS DESTROYED?!" Lord Bangkit screamed in frustration.

"Of course it’s destroyed. You’re crying over just that?" Axel kicked the main steel door of the headquarters so hard it flew off its hinges and soared inside, smashing the reception desk to bits.

Axel walked in like a big boss, hands in his pockets, iron pipe resting on his shoulder. Inside, hundreds of Lord Bangkit’s underlings stood ready, but their hands were all trembling.

"Where’s Tattoo? Get over here, don't hide behind your lackeys' armpits!" Axel barked.

Lord Bangkit emerged from a back room, his body wrapped in bandages, walking with a limp. "You... you really have a death wish, don't you, Axel?! Attack him! Everyone, attack!"

"You just never learn, do you?" Axel sighed. He looked around the room, which was filled with weapons, logistics crates, and high-tech equipment. "By, this base is actually pretty decent. How about we take it over?"

"Take it over? Axel, that’s their headquarters! There are hundreds of people in there!" Abby protested.

"Hundreds of people? By, you really underestimate me," Axel took a long, deep breath. He slammed his iron pipe onto the building’s marble floor. "System... Critical... Paralysis Shockwave 1000x!"

DUMMMMMMM!

A circle of silver light erupted from Axel’s feet, spreading rapidly throughout the entire room. Every one of Lord Bangkit’s men hit by the wave immediately collapsed, unconscious with their eyes wide open, as if their nerves had been forcibly disconnected. In just one second, the entire first floor went silent. Only Axel and Lord Bangkit were still standing—and even then, only because Bangkit was clinging to a pillar.

"Hah... hah... what did you do?!" Lord Bangkit was shaking violently, his pants soaked. He had literally pissed himself.

"I just gave them a little nap. They must be tired from waiting for me, right?" Axel approached Lord Bangkit and gave a thin smirk. "Now, Mr. Tattoo... who does this base belong to?"

"It’s... it’s... it’s yours, Boss! Mercy, Boss!" Lord Bangkit immediately prostrated himself at Axel’s feet. "Take it all! Take my wealth, take my weapons! Just please, don't kill me!"

"Now, that’s more like it. It’s so much better when we’re cooperative," Axel patted Lord Bangkit on the head. "Now, get out of here. Take your unconscious buddies with you. I’m giving you five minutes. If you’re a minute late, I’ll turn you all into fertilizer for that banyan tree I just chopped down. Got it?!"

"Got it, Boss! I got it!" Lord Bangkit immediately started screaming, calling for a few of his men who were starting to wake up to drag the others out.

"You’re insane, Axel... you really conquered a local tyrant’s base in a matter of minutes?" Abby’s voice sounded genuinely impressed now. "You’re absolutely out of your mind, but I love the results. This building has a lot of great infrastructure that I can modify!"

"That’s why it’s your turn now, By. Get over here and bring the important stuff from the old bunker. I’m going to renovate this place into a Mini Fortress," Axel walked toward the building’s main control panel.

"Okay, I’m on my way with the transport drones! But Axel, you need to look at the monitor in that control room. I just broke into their network!"

Axel looked at the row of monitors that had been dead; they were now flickering to life one by one thanks to Abby. One screen displayed CCTV footage from the building across the street.

"What’s up, By?"

"Look at the top floor of the insurance building across the way. There’s someone there. They’ve been watching you with a high-frequency scanner!" Abby’s voice grew serious. "That’s not one of Lord Bangkit’s people. The gear they have... that’s high-level technology that shouldn't even be in the hands of a regular survivor!"

Axel narrowed his eyes. He saw a silhouette on the screen. A woman with short hair, wearing tactical glasses, holding a tablet similar to Abby’s but far more advanced.

"Who is she? Another enemy?" Axel asked.

"I don't know. But she just sent data about your power to a server I can't track! Axel, your strength was just recorded and analyzed!"

"Wow, a secret fan? She’s pretty bold, peeping on me without paying for a ticket," Axel laughed coldly. "Let her be for now. Focus on our base. By, how long will it take you to turn this building into a real fortress?"

"With the materials you have and the help of your magic hands? Two hours is enough to set up a basic defense system!" Abby answered confidently.

"Okay. I’ll start 'cleaning' this building of Lord Bangkit’s leftover trash," Axel began walking around the room. He touched the steel wall of the headquarters. "System... Critical... Structural Reinforcement 1000x!"

Every wall Axel touched immediately changed color to a shimmering metallic black, becoming far harder and thicker than before. The sound of humming machinery echoed from every corner of the building.

"Insane... the walls are so dense now! Even a missile strike would probably only leave a tiny scratch!" Abby shouted excitedly over the intercom.

"I’m going to upgrade their junk weapons too," Axel picked up a machine gun that a mercenary had discarded. He tapped the gun once. "System... Critical... Weapon Evolution 1000x!"

The gun suddenly lengthened, its barrel splitting into a double-barrel design, with a core of blue light spinning in the center.

"Whoa! A Plasma Repeater! Sweet!" Axel grinned with satisfaction. He did the same to the rest of the weapon pile. In an instant, the room was filled with futuristic weapons of nonsensical power.

"Axel! I’m at the front gate! Open the door!" Abby shouted.

Axel walked to the front and opened the steel door he had just reinforced. Abby arrived with several drones carrying equipment cases. Her jaw dropped when she saw the changes to the building’s interior.

"This... this was that dingy insurance building, right? Why does it look like the Avengers' headquarters now?!" Abby ran her hand over the wall, which now felt cold and incredibly solid.

"The work of the Abyssal Architect, By. Don't even ask," Axel ruffled Abby’s hair gently. "Now, you handle the layout. I want a lounge with a PlayStation. And I want a kitchen stocked with dragon meat."

"Dragon meat, my ass! Where are we going to find that, you idiot?!" Abby swatted Axel’s hand while letting out a small laugh. "But seriously, Axel... with a base like this, we could practically be called the rulers of this area."

"Rulers? Not yet, By. This is just the foundation," Axel stared out of a large window overlooking the ruined city of Jakarta. "There are still plenty of other 'Lords' out there who think they’re the top dogs. I want them all to know that there’s a new ruler who’s going to flatten every single one of those tyrants."

"I like your spirit. But don't forget, that woman in the building across the street is still there. She just stood up and looks like she’s about to leave!" Abby pointed to her tablet screen, still connected to the CCTV.

Axel looked at the screen. The woman was indeed packing up her gear. But before she left, she took a moment to look directly at the CCTV camera and gave a thin smile—as if she knew Axel was watching her.

"Is she challenging me?" Axel muttered.

"Or maybe she’s just testing you. But Axel, look at that!" Abby pointed toward the street below their building.

Dozens of black jeeps with golden eagle logos began arriving from different directions. This wasn't Lord Bangkit’s crew. These guys were far more organized, far more numerous, and their aura was much more lethal.

"Who is it this time? The Eagle Squad?" Axel furrowed his brow.

"That’s the 'Black Garuda' faction! They’re the rulers of the Central Jakarta territory! It looks like your shield explosion really attracted a bigger predator!" Abby’s face began to look anxious again.

"Good. I was getting hungry anyway," Axel grinned; instead of being afraid, he looked incredibly pumped up. "By, get those new weapons I just made ready. Let’s give them a welcome they’ll never forget."

"Are you really going to war against the biggest faction in the city all by yourself?!"

"Alone? I’ve got you, By. You take control of the watchtower, and I’ll handle the field," Axel pulled a blade of light that he had just generated from his iron pipe. "Besides, their tanks look newer. They’ll make for good extra materials."

The Black Garuda forces began to surround the building. A man in full military uniform, wearing sunglasses even though it was getting dark, stepped out of the lead jeep. He held a megaphone.

"Survivor inside! My name is General Dirga! You have destroyed the assets of our partner, Lord Bangkit! Come out now with your hands up, or we will level this building in three minutes!"

Axel laughed when he heard that. He walked out onto the second-floor balcony, standing right in front of the General. "Hey, General Sunglasses! You’re talking pretty big—be careful not to choke on it!" Axel shouted while waving.

"Who are you?!" General Dirga shouted back, looking irritated.

"Me? I’m the one who owns this building now. And if you don't want your cars turned into scrap metal in a minute, you’d better clear out and buy me two boxes of pizza as an apology for being so loud in front of my house!"

"How dare you! Squad! Prepare the rocket launchers!" General Dirga commanded.

"Axel! They’re really going to shoot! Our basic shield isn't fully active yet!" Abby panicked inside.

"Relax, By. Trust me," Axel raised his light sword. The blade began to emit insane silver electrical sparks. "I’m going to show them what 'Critical' really means."

General Dirga raised his hand, preparing to give the order to fire. "One... two... thr—"

Suddenly, from the building across the street, a sniper shot streaked through the air. But instead of aiming for Axel, the shot blew up the rocket launcher being held by one of Dirga’s men.

BOOOOMMMM!

Everyone was stunned. Even Axel was surprised.

"Huh?! Who fired that shot?!" General Dirga screamed in a panic.

"By! Look! It was the girl in the building across the street!" Axel pointed toward the old insurance building.

There, the mysterious woman was holding a futuristic sniper rifle. She gave a thumbs-up toward Axel before disappearing into the darkness of the top floor.

"She helped us?" Abby asked, confused.

"Maybe. But I don't like owing favors," Axel leaped from the balcony, landing right in front of General Dirga’s jeep. "Okay, the interruption is over. Now, General... do you want to continue, or should I help you 'retire' right now?"

General Dirga immediately drew his system pistol. "Die, you bastard!"

Axel just smiled. He swung his sword vertically—not at Dirga, but at the ground in front of him.

"Critical... Earth Splitter 1000x!"

The ground beneath the Black Garuda forces immediately split into a massive, deep abyss, swallowing half of their combat vehicles in an instant. The sounds of screaming and the rumbling of the earth drowned out everything else.

"DAMN IT, AXEL! YOU ALMOST MADE OUR BUILDING COLLAPSE TOO!" Abby screamed from above.

"Sorry, sorry! I got a little over-excited!" Axel laughed while looking at General Dirga, who was now dangling from the edge of the abyss, his face pale with terror. "So, General? Still want to level my building?"

"Mercy... mercy..." Dirga could only mutter.

Axel grabbed Dirga by the collar and tossed him toward his surviving troops. "Get out of here. Tell your big boss that as of today, this territory belongs to Axel. Anyone passing through needs permission, or they’ll end up at the bottom of that pit."

The Black Garuda forces immediately retreated with their remaining vehicles, leaving a cloud of dust behind. Axel took a deep breath, feeling the power surging even more intensely through his body.

"Axel... you’re truly insane," Abby walked out of the building, approaching Axel while shaking her head. "But that abyss... how are we going to close it? It ruins the view!"

"Easy. I’ll just take a leak in it with a Critical hit and turn it into a swimming pool," Axel joked.

"You’re gross, you jerk!" Abby swatted Axel’s shoulder. "But Axel... I just got an incoming message on my tablet. The signal is from that sniper girl."

Axel frowned. "What does it say?"

Abby opened the message, her expression turning dead serious. "She says... 'Congratulations on the new base, Architect. But don't get too comfortable. The Supreme System Boss just sent Galactic-level assassins to find you because you’ve been flagged as a virus that must be deleted'..."

Axel went quiet for a moment. He looked up at the sky, which was growing darker and filled with widening purple cracks. "Galactic assassins? Sounds a lot more fun than those tattooed thugs."

"Axel, this is serious! We have to reinforce this fortress right now!"

"Relax, By. We have two hours, right? You handle the system, and I’m going to try and build a weapon that can shoot all the way into outer space," Axel said, walking back into the base while whistling casually.

In the midst of their busy preparations, the system alarm suddenly echoed across the entire world again. This time, the sound was louder and colder.

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: OMEGA LEVEL ANOMALY DETECTED AT COORDINATES 06-JKT]

[BOUNTY OPEN: ANYONE WHO BRINGS THE HEAD OF AXEL WILL BE GRANTED THE RIGHT TO BECOME THE LORD OF THE NEW WORLD]

"Wow, my head is pretty expensive, apparently," Axel laughed while sharpening his light sword.

"Axel! Look at the sky!" Abby shouted, pointing upward.

From behind the dark clouds, a massive object shaped like an inverted pyramid emerged, emitting a red light that bathed the entire city of Jakarta. Beneath it, thousands of small portal doors began to open, vomiting out creatures clad in silver armor and wielding spears of light.

"Those... those aren't normal monsters. Those are the System Guardians!" Abby was trembling.

"Good. That means the System is actually afraid of me," Axel stood in front of his base’s gate, staring at the thousands of divine troops with the most bloodthirsty gaze he’d ever had. "Hey, you fake angels! Get down here! I need your armor material to make some pots for my kitchen!"

One of the leaders of the force, who had six wings made of light, soared down and landed in front of Axel. His voice boomed like thunder. "Mortal... your existence is a mistake. Surrender your life now, or this entire city will be erased from history!"

Axel just smirked. He tapped his iron pipe against his palm. "Sorry, Mr. Wings. I don't take kindly to threats. And if you want to erase this city, you’ll have to go through my corpse... which is actually impossible for you to do."

"Such arrogance! Feel the punishment of the Eternal Light!" The leader of the force raised his spear, and an incredibly bright light began to gather at its tip, ready to blas