Zombie Apocalypse System

Chapter 7: Rescue the Queen Strategy

...that asphalt was completely destroyed, creating a gravitational explosion that flattened those thousands of monsters into meat porridge in the blink of an eye!

BOOOOMMMM!

The ground shook as if the world were about to end twice over. Thick dust from the shattered concrete obscured everything. Axel stood tall in the center of a swirling silver energy that was slowly fading. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, his ice-cold eyes sweeping across the expanse of carcasses that were now nothing more than piles of system materials.

"Hey, Abby! Get out here! The field is clear!" Axel shouted, his voice echoing through the silence of the ruins.

The watchtower door creaked open slightly. Abby poked her head out, her face pale as a ghost, her short hair a mess from the dust. "Are you insane, Axel?! Do you really want to split the earth in two?! I felt like I was being tossed around in a blender in there, you idiot!"

"Well, didn't you ask for it to be cleaned up? So I cleaned it out, root and stem," Axel replied casually, picking up a few scattered pebbles.

"Cleaning is one thing, but you don't have to go around destroying the structure of reality, you jerk! My sensors almost exploded because they couldn't handle reading your critical numbers!" Abby walked toward Axel, her legs still a bit shaky. "And those thousands of monsters... are they all gone?"

"They're all system points now, Abby. Not bad for our capital tomorrow," Axel smirked thinly. "Why? Do you regret not watching the show up close?"

"No, thanks! I still value my life! And look at that—because of your explosion, the asphalt is now a crater! How are we supposed to walk through here tomorrow?!" Abby pointed at the giant hole in front of them, her tone annoyed.

"Easy. I'll just 'criticize' some gravel into a concrete bridge later. Don't be such a baby," Axel started walking toward the darkness of an alleyway that hadn't been affected by the explosion.

"I'm not being a baby, I'm being realistic! We need efficiency, not just a show of power!" Abby grumbled as she followed Axel from behind.

Suddenly, Axel's ears caught a different kind of growl. It wasn't the growl of the low-level monsters he had just slaughtered. It was low, heavy, and carried an aura of pressure that made the air turn hot.

"Abby, shut up. Don't say a word," Axel whispered, his hand immediately ready, gripping his silver iron pipe.

"What is it now? You already flattened—"

GRRRRAAAAAAAUUUUWW!

A giant wolf, an Alpha Wolf, with fur as black as soot and blood-red eyes the size of truck tires, leaped out from behind the shadow of the insurance building. It stood nearly four meters tall, and its fangs glistened in the remnants of Axel's silver light.

"HOLY CRAP! WHAT IS THAT?! HOW IS ONE STILL ALIVE?!" Abby screamed hysterically, instinctively backing up three steps.

"Well, looks like one got left behind. Seems it was hiding in a shadow dimension when I released my attack," Axel furrowed his brow; instead of being afraid, he actually looked interested.

"Get back, Axel! That's a Level 40 Alpha Wolf! My sensors say it has 80% physical immunity!" Abby tugged at Axel's clothes, panicking out of her mind.

"80% physical immunity? That means there's still a 20% gap, right? And you know what happens if I multiply that 20% by a thousand?" Axel smirked wildly.

"Now is not the time for math, you idiot! Run!"

But the Alpha Wolf didn't give them time to discuss. With impossible speed, the monster lunged toward Abby. It knew who was the weakest between the two of them.

"ABBY, WATCH OUT!"

"Aaaaakkkkkhhh!" Abby tripped over concrete debris as she tried to run. She fell onto her backside, her eyes wide as she saw those giant jaws already wide open right in front of her neck. The monster's carrion-smelling saliva was already dripping onto her shoulder.

"I'm dead... I'm really dead this time..." Abby thought resignedly, closing her eyes tight.

WUSH!

The sound of something slicing through the air rang out sharply.

CRACK!

The Alpha Wolf's head suddenly jerked to the side from the impact of a small stone projectile launched by Axel with a flick of his finger. The stone exploded against the wolf's temple, sending it flying until it crashed into the wall of the insurance building.

"Hey, Ugly Wolf! Your opponent is me, don't mess with my assistant!" Axel walked casually toward Abby, his hand still posed from the flick.

Abby opened her eyes, gasping for breath. "You... you just flicked a stone?"

"Yeah. Critical... Thousand-Fold Bullet Speed. Not bad for giving him a little headache, right?" Axel extended his hand to Abby.

"A headache, you say? His head almost split open, Axel!" Abby grabbed Axel's hand, trembling as she stood up. "But he's not dead! Look, he's getting back up!"

The Alpha Wolf indeed wasn't dead yet. It stood up again, its head bleeding black blood, its eyes turning even redder with vengeful lust. It let out a roar so loud that the remaining glass windows of the buildings shattered.

"Okay, okay, I get it, you're mad. Come on, bring it on if you dare," Axel challenged. He placed his hand on Abby's shoulder. "Abby, do you want to see some magic?"

"What magic now?! Axel, we should get out of here!"

"Shut up and watch. I want to show you why you need me more than anyone else in this world," Axel took a deep breath. He didn't use his iron pipe this time. He just raised his right hand, his fingers forming a pistol pose.

"You're going to shoot him with your finger?! Do you think this is a cartoon?!" Abby truly felt that Axel had gone insane.

"Not shooting, Abby. I'm going to 'criticize' his existence in this world," Axel whispered softly. "Critical... Thousand-Fold Existence Erasure!"

Instantly, a thin silver beam, as thin as a thread, shot from the tip of Axel's finger. The beam pierced the Alpha Wolf's chest with eerie calmness. There was no big explosion this time. Everything was silent.

But what happened next made Abby want to vomit because of how nonsensical it was. The Alpha Wolf's body slowly began to fade, turning into black light particles that were sucked into the ground. The monster didn't even have time to howl or feel pain. It just... vanished.

"Huh? Where? Where's the wolf?!" Abby looked around, completely shocked.

"Back to its original server. Without a return ticket." Axel lowered his hand, his aura returning to normal.

"You... what did you just do, Axel? That wasn't a normal physical attack, was it?" Abby stared at Axel with a look full of fear and immense admiration.

"I used a critical on the concept of his 'existence.' I multiplied the chance of him 'not being here' by a thousand times. The result is what you saw—he was erased from local reality," Axel explained as if he had just finished a mundane school assignment.

Abby was speechless. She took a step back, leaning her back against the building wall. "You... you're a monster, Axel. Your power isn't just cheating; it's breaking the rules of this world."

"Rules? Who makes the rules, Abby? The System? Gods? I don't care." Axel approached Abby, standing right in front of her face. His gaze was so sharp that Abby felt like her soul was being scanned. "The world is already destroyed. The old rules don't apply anymore. Now there's only one rule: Whoever is strongest writes the blueprint for the future."

Abby swallowed hard, her throat dry. "So... what do you want from me now?"

"I've seen your value, Abby. You're smart, you have the data, you're strategic, and you have a cold enough brain to manage the technology I build. But you're physically weak. You almost became a wolf snack just now if I had been a second late." Axel placed his hand on the wall, pinning Abby in place.

"I know I'm weak! That's why I need tools, not muscles like you!" Abby shot back, still trying to stand her ground even though her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"Tools need materials. Materials need me. And I need a brain to process those materials into an unrivaled empire," Axel lowered his head slightly, his voice becoming very low. "I'm giving you a choice, Abby. Not as a hero saving a princess, but as a Dominator offering a partnership."

"What choice?" Abby asked faintly.

"One: You come with me. You swear loyalty as my right hand, you manage all the construction strategies for my empire, and I guarantee your life will be safe from any monster, even from the system itself. I'll give you the most luxurious facilities you've never even imagined." Axel paused for a moment, looking deep into Abby's eyes.

"Two?"

"Two: You leave here right now. You find your own way through these ruins. But I don't guarantee you'll survive until sunrise. Maybe in ten minutes, another shadow monster will find you, and this time... I won't be flicking any stones for you."

Abby was silent, her mind racing. She knew Axel wasn't joking. The man in front of her was the most terrifying predator she had ever met, far more dangerous than the system itself. But on the other hand, Axel was her only ticket to survival and perhaps... revenge for the destruction of her family.

"I... I'm not the type of person who likes to kneel, Axel," Abby said, her voice starting to stabilize.

"I don't need you to kneel. I need you to work. I need you to think. In my empire, there's no room for ornaments. You have to be the machine that drives my crazy plans," Axel replied coldly.

Abby took a deep breath, then she gave a thin smile—a smile full of hidden plans. "Okay. I'm in. But I have a condition."

"You don't have the right to make conditions, Abby," Axel cut her off quickly.

"Listen first, you Arrogant Architect! The condition is only one: Never lie to me about system data. I need to know your full power capacity so I can create a truly perfect blueprint. If you hide something, your critical efficiency will drop because of my faulty calculations. Deal?"

Axel thought for a moment, then he extended his hand. "Deal. But if you try to betray me or play behind my back with other factions... I'll 'criticize' your heart from a distance. Understand?"

"Understood, Grumpy Boss," Abby shook Axel's hand. Her hand was tiny inside Axel's large, hard grip.

"Good. Now, Queen of Strategy... show me your first use. Our base in that insurance building was destroyed by my explosion. We need a new, more strategic place before the second wave arrives," Axel ordered as he released their handshake.

Abby immediately opened her tablet with agility. "I've already anticipated that. Underneath this area, there's a secret bunker belonging to an old telecommunications company. The fiber optic cables are still intact, and there's access to clean water pipelines. If you can reinforce the walls with a critical, that place will be the safest base in all of Jakarta."

"An underground bunker? Sounds okay. Where is it located?"

"Five hundred meters to the north. But there's a small problem," Abby furrowed her brow, looking at her tablet screen.

"What problem now?"

"The bunker is guarded by an AI security system that's been corrupted by the doomsday system virus. The steel doors can't be opened with normal codes, and there are automated machine guns that will shoot anyone who gets within five meters," Abby explained.

Axel laughed dismissively. "Automated machine guns? Steel doors? Abby, you still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?!"

"Everything that has a physical form in this world... is just junk in front of me," Axel started walking north with a steady stride. "Come on, follow me. I'm going to show you how to open a door without a key."

"Hey, wait up! Don't walk so fast, my legs still hurt!" Abby shouted as she jogged to catch up with Axel.

As they walked, Abby kept watching Axel's back. There was a great sense of curiosity in her heart. "Axel, I want to ask one thing."

"What?"

"That [1000x Critical Chance] talent of yours... is there a limit? I mean, will your energy run out if you use it continuously for big things?" Abby asked in an investigative tone.

Axel stopped for a moment, looking back with a mysterious smirk. "So far, there's only one limit: my imagination. As long as I can imagine what I want to multiply, the system will provide a way. As for energy? Every time I slaughter a monster, my energy actually overflows even more. So, the more things try to kill me, the stronger I become."

"Crazy... that's what you call an infinite loop system! No wonder you're brave enough to challenge anyone," Abby shook her head. "Does that mean if you touch a grain of rice, you can create a rice warehouse?"

"I could. But I prefer touching war materials. Rice can't shoot down a dragon," Axel answered shortly.

They arrived in front of a small building that looked like an old power substation. Abby pointed to a steel manhole cover on the floor of the building. "That's the door. The path is down there. But be careful, the motion sensors are active!"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Suddenly, two automated machine gun muzzles emerged from the substation walls, immediately locking onto Axel and Abby's positions. Red laser lights landed right on both of their chests.

"Axel! Get back! Those are .50 caliber bullets!" Abby panicked, about to drop to the ground.

Axel just stood there. He walked forward toward the gun muzzles casually. "Abby, watch this. I want to try a new technique."

"What technique now?! They're about to fire, Axel!"

TRATATATATATA!

The two machine guns spat out bullets at high speed. Thousands of large-caliber bullets streaked straight toward Axel. But strangely, the bullets suddenly stopped in mid-air, exactly ten centimeters in front of Axel's body. They hovered, as if hitting an invisible glass wall.

"Huh?! Why did they stop?!" Abby gaped as she saw thousands of bullets piling up in the air like a display.

"I used Critical... Thousand-Fold Air Density. The air in front of me is now as hard as diamond steel. Junk bullets like these won't be able to pierce it," Axel tapped one of the floating bullets with his finger.

Then, Axel waved his hand toward the machine guns. "Back to the sender... Critical... Thousand-Fold Vector Reversal!"

WHOOSH!

The thousands of bullets that were hovering suddenly shot back toward the machine guns at an even crazier speed.

BOOOOMMMM!

The two gun turrets exploded into metal shards. The entrance to the bunker was now wide open.

"Insane... absolutely insane," Abby muttered. She walked toward Axel, staring at the wreckage of the weapons. "You just played with the laws of physics like they were Lego toys."

"Alright, stop daydreaming. Let's go down; I want to see our potential new home," Axel kicked the steel manhole cover until it broke loose and fell down with a loud thud.

They descended via a long iron ladder. Below, there was a vast room filled with large computer servers and monitor screens still blinking red. The atmosphere was eerie, but the facilities were incredibly complete.

"Wow, this place isn't bad, Abby. Much better than that tattoo shop earlier," Axel looked around with satisfaction.

"This is just the foyer, Axel. Behind that large steel door is the main control center. But the door is locked with high-level encryption that—"

Axel had already walked ahead to the steel door, which was perhaps half a meter thick. He didn't wait for Abby to finish speaking. He simply placed his palm against the cold steel surface.

"Axel, don't force it! That door has a self-destruct system if it's opened by force!" Abby shouted in panic.

"A self-destruct system? Good, then I can harvest its energy," Axel smirked. "Abby, step back a bit. I'm going to try 'knocking' on the door."

"Axel! Don't—"

Axel clenched his fist, the silver aura on his hand suddenly turning into a blinding gold color. He didn't punch hard; he just tapped the door with one finger, but the impact...

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: 1000X CONCEPTUAL CRITICAL TRIGGERED!]

[EFFECT: TOTAL MOLECULAR STRUCTURE ADJUSTMENT!]

The super-thick steel door suddenly melted like ice cream on a sunny day. Instead of shattering, the metal folded itself neatly to the side, forming a very smooth entrance.

"Welcome to our new base, Abby," Axel said as he stepped into the vast, futuristic room behind the door.

Abby could only gape as she saw the legendary steel door give up just like that. She followed Axel inside, and her eyes immediately lit up seeing the rows of supercomputers there. "This... this is heaven for me! Axel, with this equipment, I can access the system satellites that are still active!"

"Good. Do what you have to do. I'm going to rest for a bit in that chair," Axel pointed to a large leather chair that looked quite comfortable.

Axel sat in the chair, leaning his head back while closing his eyes. "Abby, one more thing. Earlier you said there's a faction called 'The Reapers' that took over your dad's lab, right?"

"Yes, why?" Abby looked up from her computer screen.

"Please find their location right now. I've changed my mind. I don't want to wait until tomorrow to go there," Axel said in a cold, flat voice.

"Huh?! Now?! Why so sudden?!"

"I just got a notification from the system... it says The Reapers just received a 'God Package' from the Supreme Boss to kill me. And I really don't like waiting for enemies to come to my house," Axel opened his eyes, the gold flash in them making Abby tremble again.

"God Package? You mean... they were given Galactic-level weapons?!" Abby was beyond shocked.

"Maybe. And that means... there will be plenty of good materials for me to harvest tonight," Axel stood up from his chair, his aura exploding so violently that the entire underground room shook. "Come on, Abby. Prepare the coordinates. Tonight, we're going to show the world... what a real apocalypse means for tyrants."

Abby typed quickly on the keyboard, her fingers flying like lightning. "Okay! I've got the coordinates! They're in a laboratory building in North Jakarta, about ten kilometers from here!"

"Ten kilometers? Walking takes too long." Axel approached a pile of junk motorcycles in the corner of the bunker warehouse. He touched a rusted dirt bike.

"Critical... Thousand-Fold Vehicle Evolution!"

SHUIIIIINNNNGGG!

The junk motorcycle suddenly transformed into a futuristic wheelless bike that hovered (a hoverbike), with an exhaust that spat out blue plasma fire. It looked incredibly fierce, like a bike from the future.

"Get on, Abby. We're leaving now," Axel invited as he climbed onto the bike's seat.

"I... I have to come too?!"

"Of course! Who's going to guide me via GPS if not you?" Axel pulled Abby's hand to sit behind him. "Hold on tight. I want to see how fast this bike goes if I criticize its speed a hundredfold."

"WHAT?! A HUNDRED TIMES?! AXEL, DON'T—"

Before Abby could even scream, Axel pulled the throttle all the way back.

VROOOOOMMMMM!

The bike shot out of the bunker through the water pipe path at a speed that almost broke the sound barrier. Abby could only hug Axel's waist tightly with her eyes shut, her screams drowned out by the roar of the plasma engine.

In less than three minutes, they had arrived in front of a giant laboratory building heavily guarded by hundreds of heavily armed men and system combat robots.

"We're here, Abby. Wake up!" Axel patted Abby's hand, which was still clutching him tightly.

Abby opened her eyes, her face green from motion sickness. "I... I'm going to throw up... you're a real madman, Axel..."

"Save your vomit for later. Look, our welcome party is ready," Axel pointed toward the lab gate.

There, a man in a black robe with a skull mask—the leader of The Reapers—stood holding a black crystal ball that emitted a very dense aura of darkness.

"Axel... the Abyssal Architect. Finally, you have come to surrender your life!" the masked man shouted in a heavy, authoritative voice.

"Life? Sorry, I didn't bring any spare lives to give away," Axel replied as he got off his bike. He walked slowly toward the hundreds of Reaper troops