Chapter 459: Another pervert?!

“What???” Sophia’s eyes widened in shock. Hold it in? How the hell was she supposed to hold it in?

They’d already come this far—there was no turning back now. Deep down, she’d already braced herself for what was coming.

But what she hadn’t expected… was the crowd gathered at the door. Watching. Recording.

Was he seriously planning to do this in front of everyone?

This was beyond twisted.

And as Slade stepped closer, his overpowering masculine presence hit her like a wave. She could even smell the sweat on him…

“This is Blackhand City, sweetheart—home of the Black Hand Legion. Any resistance is pointless. You’re not getting away from me.”

“You animal…” Sophia spat, but her voice lacked bite. It sounded more like surrender. Her heart sank into despair.

“Slade, knock it off with your sick shit!”

Just as she was about to give up, a clear, commanding female voice rang out from the doorway, cutting through the tension like a blade.

“Huh?”

Sophia blinked, surprised. In Blackhand City, who the hell had the guts to talk to Slade like that? A flicker of hope sparked in her chest.

She turned toward the voice—and saw something even more unexpected.

The rowdy Black Hand Legion goons who’d been crowding the entrance just moments ago? They’d gone dead quiet. Like kids caught red-handed. Heads down. Backing away to clear a path.

And then she saw her.

A tall woman stepped forward from the crowd. Long, wavy hair. Crimson lips. Eyes sharp and cold as steel.

Vanessa.

The only female leader of the Black Hand Legion—and one of its most powerful.

There were five top leaders in Blackhand City. One had been killed by Ethan not long ago, leaving four. And while they were all technically equals, Vanessa had a reputation. She was the one rising above the rest.

Because above even the five leaders, there was someone else. A shadowy figure. The true head of the Black Hand Legion. No one had ever seen him—just whispers and rumors.

Except Vanessa.

She was the only one who’d ever met him. The only one who spoke on his behalf.

Which meant when she spoke, everyone listened.

Even Slade.

He turned, scowling, and reluctantly let go of Sophia.

“Vanessa, what the hell? You’re really gonna kill the mood like that?”

“You call this a mood?” Vanessa shot back, her tone sharp. “The Zombie Horde from L.A. is heading straight for Texas. And that’s on you—because you injured their Zombie King. This isn’t just trouble—it’s a goddamn catastrophe. And you’re here screwing around?”

“Oh, come on,” Slade said, waving a hand dismissively. “That Zombie King’s no idiot. He’s not launching a full-scale invasion just ’cause I chopped off one of his lackey’s arms. He’s got something to gain. Revenge is just the excuse.”

Vanessa didn’t argue. He had a point. If it were just about payback, the Zombie King would’ve come straight for Slade’s head. No need to mobilize an entire horde.

“Maybe. But he’s not letting you off the hook either. So get your shit together and figure out how we’re gonna deal with this.”

“Fine, whatever.” Slade shrugged, clearly annoyed. The interruption had killed his buzz. He turned and stalked out of the room.

The guys at the door—who’d been practically drooling with anticipation—looked crushed. The show they’d been hoping for wasn’t happening. They lingered, disappointed.

“What are you idiots still standing around for? Get lost!” Vanessa snapped.

“Y-yes, ma’am!” a few of them stammered, scrambling to disappear.

The room finally fell quiet again.

Sophia stood there, the floor she’d just cleaned now covered in muddy footprints. It mirrored the mess in her heart—chaotic, trampled. She felt a pang of helpless frustration.

But at least she was safe. Slade was gone.

She looked at Vanessa, eyes filled with admiration. A woman who could command a place like Blackhand City? That took serious power.

“Thank you…” she said softly, genuinely grateful. If Slade had gotten his way, she didn’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened.

She’d just been saved by a miracle.

But then—Vanessa stepped closer.

Slowly.

And with one finger, she tilted Sophia’s chin up.

Her eyes burned with the same predatory gleam Slade had just moments ago.

“I like women like you,” she said, voice low and dangerous.

“???” Sophia’s eyes went wide. The realization hit her like a slap.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Another pervert?!

…

Right now, both the Black Hand Legion and Genesis Biotech—two of the most powerful factions left—were quietly gearing up for the incoming zombie onslaught.

In recent days, the skies over Texas had been lit up with streaks of light, like shooting stars tearing across the horizon. One after another, aircrafts zipped through the air, all converging on this one place. activity was ramping up fast…

And in San Antonio, where Ethan was based, the first wave of so-called “lucky ones” had finally arrived.

A group of Awakeners made their way into the city, their figures growing clearer as they approached.

The autumn wind howled through the empty streets, sweeping up brittle, yellow leaves and sending them skittering across the cracked pavement. The stench of rotting corpses clung to the air, and thumb-sized flies buzzed in lazy circles above the decay.

“Man, this place is a ghost town…” one young man muttered, glancing around.

The guy leading the group gave a small, smug smile, clearly enjoying the moment to show off a little.

“Fall always feels like the world’s holding its breath, doesn’t it?”

“Damn, that’s deep. You should write a book or something,” the younger guy said, clearly impressed.

A girl in the back scanned the area with curious eyes. “Clint, are you sure there aren’t any zombies left in the city?”

“Yeah, you guys are new to Texas, so you probably haven’t heard,” Clint replied, turning to address the group. “San Antonio’s been cleared out for a while now. Total ghost city. If we’re lucky, we might even find some supplies. Last time I came through, I scored two whole boxes of chocolate.”

“Oh, no way! That’s awesome!” the girl’s eyes lit up with excitement.

The Awakeners from Genesis Biotech weren’t exactly starving—they had access to basic rations like vegetables and fruit, and the top performers even got the occasional piece of chicken.

But chocolate? That was practically extinct. A rare treasure.

Clearly, this group had just arrived from one of Genesis Biotech’s other branches, brought in to help build the “ultimate defense line” here in Texas.

And Clint, acting as their guide, was playing the gracious host—taking them on a little scavenger tour, like a post-apocalyptic shopping trip.

“Let’s go,” Clint said, waving them forward.

The outer residential areas had already been picked clean, so they headed deeper into the city.

The streets were eerily quiet, the silence broken only by the crunch of debris underfoot.

A few oversized rat corpses lay twisted and broken by the roadside, their bodies drained of blood, tossed aside like trash.

“Something’s off…”

The girl from earlier frowned, her instincts kicking in.

“Clint, I thought you said there weren’t any zombies left. What the hell killed those rats?”

“No idea,” Clint said, scratching his head. “Maybe some stragglers wandered back in? But don’t worry—even if there are a few, they’re just scraps. No real threat. Not a single Zombie King in sight.”

“Hm. I guess that makes sense.”

The others nodded, reassured. Judging by the way those rats had died, it did look like the work of low-level zombies. A real Zombie King wouldn’t waste time on vermin.

But just a few blocks away, crouched low on a cracked street, Big Ears pressed his head to the ground.

The massive earring, made from Chomper’s oversized front tooth, swung slightly as he listened intently, filtering every tiny sound through his enhanced hearing.

Rustles. Shuffles. Breaths.

His eyes suddenly snapped open, gleaming with a dangerous light.

“We’ve got company.”

…