Zombie Apocalypse System

Chapter 8: The Oath of Allegiance and the First Foundation

It exploded, shattering into pieces like glass hit by a sledgehammer. Shards of energy splattered back toward the black-robed figure until he was flung far back, crashing through the laboratory's concrete wall!

"DAMN IT! You're making me deaf, Axel! If you're gonna scream, give me a heads-up! Use a megaphone next time so everyone just drops dead!" Abby shouted while covering her ears tightly, her face still green from the lingering nausea of the hoverbike ride.

"Heh, did you see that? They called it an 'Anti-Crit' shield, but it crumbled after just a bit of my shouting," Axel laughed dismissively, slinging his iron pipe over his shoulder with a cocky swagger. "So, Abby? You still wanna puke, or do you want to see the inside of your old man's lab?"

"You're seriously insane. Are you even human, or are you some kind of system bug? That was a Galactic-level shield, you idiot!" Abby stepped down from the hoverbike, her legs still a bit shaky as they touched the cracked ground. "But seriously, that sound effect of yours... the frequency actually destroyed the shield's molecular structure. You're truly out of your mind, Axel."

"Stop praising me already, or I'll just keep getting more handsome," Axel replied casually as he walked into the ruins of the lab gate. "Hey, you in the skull mask! You still alive?! Come on out, I want to see that crystal ball of yours from earlier—it'd make a decent bathroom decoration!"

There was no answer. Only the sound of falling concrete debris and sparks of electricity from severed cables. The hundreds of Reapers' lackeys who were so arrogant earlier were now all sprawled out, unable to withstand the ultrasonic waves from Axel's scream.

"Looks like the Skull Boss is toast in there, Abby," Axel said, kicking the dented main entrance of the lab. "Let's go in. I want to see this 'God Package' the Supreme Boss supposedly sent them."

Abby followed Axel from behind, her tablet lit up again as she busily scanned the surrounding area. "Axel, be careful. My sensors are still detecting energy activity on the basement floor. And... wait, this is weird."

"Weird how? Is there a ghost?"

"No, idiot! It's my family's 'Legacy' signal. The signal reactivated when that shield broke!" Abby ran past Axel toward a large computer console in the middle of the lab lobby. Her fingers danced like lightning across the virtual keyboard. "I knew it! My dad embedded a secret data chip under this floor!"

"A data chip? What's on it? A secret martabak recipe?" Axel joked while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"No, you bastard! This is the 'Aegis Core' blueprint! This technology is supposed to be able to build a self-sustaining city with an absolute nuclear fusion defense system! The Supreme Boss is targeting this lab because they want this chip so humanity can't build their own defenses!" Abby knelt down, prying open a floor tile that looked slightly different. Beneath it was a small silver box, still glistening.

Abby took the box, then suddenly knelt on the concrete rubble in front of Axel. Her previously grumpy face turned dead serious, her eyes staring deep into Axel's.

"Axel, listen to me carefully," Abby said, her voice trembling slightly but firm.

"Whoa, why are you kneeling? You proposing to me? Sorry, I'm not really looking to get engaged right now," Axel frowned, confused by Abby's behavior.

"Shut up for a second, you jerk! I'm serious!" Abby snapped, but her eyes began to well up. "I originally just wanted to use you to survive. I thought you were just some 'muscle' who got lucky with a system cheat. But after seeing what you did just now... the way you defied the Supreme Boss without a shred of fear..."

"And?"

"I realized you're not just a survivor. You're the 'anomaly' this world needs to truly break free from the Supreme Boss's insane game," Abby lifted the silver box, offering it to Axel. "This is my family's data chip. It contains the key to building a true empire. I'm handing this over to you, Axel. From this moment on, my brain, my tech, and my life... they all belong to you. I swear loyalty as your right hand, as long as you promise me one thing."

Axel went silent, looking at Abby with an unreadable expression. "What promise?"

"Promise that you will destroy the Supreme Boss until nothing is left. Don't let my father's sacrifice be in vain," Abby whispered.

Axel took the box and took a deep breath. "I don't really need oaths, Abby. But since you've given me something this good... I accept. And as for the Supreme Boss? Don't worry. I was already planning to 'critique' his face with my iron pipe from the start."

Axel opened the box and took out the small data chip inside. He could feel a dense flow of information emanating from the object.

"Abby, you said this was a nuclear fusion blueprint, right?" Axel asked.

"Yes. But it's just raw data. It would take months to create a construction plan, even with a supercomputer—"

"Months? You're underestimating me again, aren't you?" Axel grinned widely. He pressed the chip against his palm. "System... I want to use all my remaining energy on this. Critical... Blueprint Optimization and Evolution: One Thousand Times!"

SHUIIIIINNNNGGGG!

A golden light exploded from Axel's hand, forming a massive holographic projection that filled the entire lobby. Abby's jaw dropped at the sight. Complex data that was once just nonsensical numbers suddenly transformed into a perfect futuristic city schematic, complete with material calculations, energy distribution grids, and even orbital laser weapon systems!

"CRAZY! YOU... YOU PERFECTED THAT BLUEPRINT IN A SECOND?!" Abby screamed, unable to believe what she was seeing. "That... that's not just ordinary nuclear fusion! That's an 'Absolute Fortress'! The molecular structure of the walls is rearranged down to the atomic level! Axel, this is impossible to destroy with any weapon!"

"Now, this is what I call the foundation of an empire," Axel muttered with satisfaction, observing every detail of the city of light. "Abby, look at the coordinates on the screen. There's a hill on the outskirts of Jakarta with high mineral reserves. That's the location for our first Fortress."

"I know that place! That's the territory of 'The Iron Fang,' the most brutal mercenary faction!" Abby immediately checked her tablet.

"The Iron Fang? We'll feed them some real iron later to shut them up," Axel said nonchalantly. He looked around the ruins, and his eyes landed on a junk pistol belonging to one of the Reapers' men, its barrel already destroyed.

Axel picked up the pistol and touched Abby's forehead with his fingertip, which was still glowing with golden light.

"Abby, since you've sworn loyalty, I'll give you a 'bonus'," Axel said. He tapped the junk pistol once. "Critical... Legendary Weapon Evolution: One Thousand Times!"

TRING!

The junk pistol suddenly transformed into a sleek short-barreled weapon, pearly white with silver engravings that glowed blue. It looked lightweight, but its aura was incredibly lethal.

"Here, take it. It's called the 'Starlight Annihilator.' One shot can turn a whole battalion of monsters into dust. Don't use it to shoot geckos; it'd be a waste of energy," Axel handed the weapon to Abby.

Abby received the weapon with trembling hands. As she held it, she felt a flow of energy connecting to her nervous system. "Axel... this... this is a 'Mythical' grade weapon? I haven't even heard of items like this in the system!"

"Limited edition, only for my assistant," Axel grinned. "Now get up, Abby. Don't kneel for too long, or you'll get calluses on your knees. We have a world to conquer."

Abby stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked at Axel with a proud smile. "Alright, Boss. First strategy: We have to take over The Reapers' data center in this basement before the Supreme Boss sends a counterattack. I need ten minutes to transfer all the data!"

"Got it. You handle the computer; I'll handle the 'guests' who just arrived." Axel looked toward the entrance.

"Guests? Who else?!"

"Them—the Skull Boss's friends. Looks like they got an extra energy boost from the sky," Axel pointed toward the lab gate he had destroyed earlier.

From behind the clouds of dust, dozens of humanoid creatures emerged, their bodies no longer looking human. Their skin had turned into glowing red organic armor, and their hands were shaped like light swords. Their aura was far stronger than the previous squad.

"Those are 'Reaper Evolved'! They're getting a direct buff from the Supreme Boss!" Abby panicked, immediately aiming her Starlight Annihilator forward.

"Relax, Abby. Don't waste your bullets yet. I want to try out a new power from that blueprint." Axel stepped forward a few paces, opening his palm toward the front.

"Critical... Thousand-Layer Plasma Wall Manifestation... CAGE THEM!"

CRASH!

Suddenly, thick blue walls of light erupted from the floor, forming a box-shaped prison that trapped the entire evolved squad in an instant. The squad tried to slash the walls with their light swords, but their blades snapped the moment they touched the surface.

"Holy... you can actually manifest fortress structures through your mind?!" Abby felt like she was about to faint from the continuous miracles.

"I told you, my only limit is my imagination," Axel laughed coldly. "Come on, Abby! Transfer the data! I can feel the ground becoming unstable!"

Abby immediately ran to the main console. "I'm on it! Progress 60%... 70%... almost there!"

But suddenly, the system alarm on Abby's tablet blared loudly. The sound was different—high-pitched and dizzying.

[WARNING: TERRAFORMING DETECTED! GOD-LEVEL ANOMALY IS AWAKENING AN ANCIENT ENTITY!]

"Axel! Look at the sensors! Something massive is moving beneath us!" Abby screamed hysterically, pointing at the vibration graph on her tablet, which was now a straight vertical line.

THOOM!

The entire laboratory building shook violently. The once-sturdy marble floor was now severely cracked. A growl much deeper than the Alpha Wolf's echoed from the bowels of the earth, chilling the blood of anyone who heard it.

"Uh oh, looks like the Boss is actually pissed now," Axel slammed his iron pipe into the floor to keep his balance. "Abby! What's the percentage?!"

"95%... 98%... DONE! DATA SECURED!" Abby pulled the chip and ran toward Axel.

Suddenly, the ground in the middle of the lab lobby exploded. A giant hand made of magma and black rock emerged from the earth—it was as big as a city bus!

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! A GIANT?!" Abby stared wide-eyed at the horror before her.

"Not just a giant, Abby. That's the 'Guardian of the Core.' Looks like the Boss doesn't want us taking this blueprint away," Axel pulled Abby behind his back. "Hold on tight, Abby! I'm gonna try a 'flight' technique using a crit!"

"Flight?! Don't tell me you're gonna jump?!"

"Not just jump, I'm gonna be a rocket!" Axel touched his hoverbike nearby. "Critical... Jet Propulsion: One Thousand Times!"

BOOOOOOMMMM!

The bike exploded with a fierce blue flame. Axel and Abby leaped onto it just as the giant hand was about to crush them both. They shot up through the laboratory roof, leaving a massive explosion behind.

Once they were in the air, they saw a truly terrifying sight. The entire North Jakarta area was cracking apart, and giant creatures as tall as skyscrapers were emerging from the ground.

"Axel... the world really changed in an instant... are those all God-level monsters?!" Abby looked down, her face pale.

"Good. That means the old world is truly finished," Axel looked ahead toward the distant hills where the Absolute Fortress would be built. "Abby, get the blueprint ready. As soon as we land on that hill, I'm going to build a fortress that'll make those monsters look like ants!"

"I'm ready, Axel! Coordinates locked! But wait... look in front of us!" Abby pointed toward the sky.

In front of them, the clouds suddenly swirled into a giant vortex, and from the center emerged a massive golden eye staring directly at Axel. The Supreme Boss's voice echoed across the heavens, making it feel as if the world was about to shatter.

"INSOLENT HUMAN... DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BUILD A KINGDOM UPON MY GAME BOARD?!"

Instead of being afraid, Axel stood up on the flying hoverbike, pointing his iron pipe at the eye in the sky.

"Hey, Big Eye Boss! You got some dust in your eye?! Come on down, let me help you clean it out with a thousand-fold critical!" Axel challenged with a wild laugh.

Suddenly, a massive laser beam fired from the eye, hurtling straight toward Axel and Abby at the speed of light.

"AXEL! LOOK OUT!" Abby screamed.

Axel clenched his fist, his silver aura exploding until it covered their entire hoverbike. "I won't let you ruin my plans... Critical... Light Reflection: One Thousand—"

Just as the laser was about to hit them, the ground beneath their destination hill suddenly exploded violently and spewed out...