Chapter 591: Close combat?

Sophia’s brow furrowed deeply. Standing before her was the Zombie King known as PhD—an old nemesis. He had a nasty habit of ambushing his enemies, and back in the day, he’d taken out more than a few of her people.

“Hmph. But things are different now,” she growled, eyes flashing with menace. “I’m not that weak little human anymore. I’m a Zombie King too. Let’s see what you’ve got now.”

She wasn’t afraid. Not really. The horde behind PhD was just the leftover scraps from the Los Angeles Zombie Horde—old, injured, and barely functional. Sure, they’d been modified, but there weren’t many of them. She figured she had a fighting chance.

But then PhD’s eyes narrowed, and without warning, a wave of psychic energy lashed out like a steel spike, slamming straight into her mind.

“Ahhh—!”

Sophia didn’t even have time to react. Her brain felt like it had been doused in boiling oil. She screamed, collapsing to her knees as her vision blurred and a wave of dizziness crashed over her.

At that exact moment, the mechanical army behind PhD let out a collective roar and charged the Mutant Vampire Zombies, catching them completely off guard.

Not far away, Nathan stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

“Still the master of surprise…”

Jacob, pale and barely able to stand, dragged his battered body off the ground, his voice trembling with hope.

“Mr… Mr. Nathan… we might not die after all!”

“Seriously?” Nathan’s eyes widened, caught between disbelief and relief.

Deep in the Angeles National Forest, the battle had erupted again—this time more chaotic than ever.

The mechanical zombies’ arms glowed with crystal core energy, forming pulsing orbs that launched like missiles at the Mutant Vampire Zombies.

Some of them even spewed fire.

The searing heat turned the forest into a blazing inferno. Trees and dry leaves ignited instantly, reduced to ash in seconds.

The Mutant Vampire Zombies caught in the flames became living torches, shrieking in agony as they stumbled and collapsed, their bodies charred beyond recognition.

Energy cannons exploded in rapid succession, shaking the ground with each blast. Shockwaves rippled outward, tearing through the battlefield.

The Mutant Vampire Zombies were built for close combat, their bodies tough and brutal—but they couldn’t even get close.

Especially with flying mechanical zombies overhead, raining down destruction like it was target practice. The Vampire Race had no way to fight back.

“Lady Scarlet Moon, did you underestimate their firepower?” a bald, burly man shouted over the chaos, his face grim. “We can’t even get near them!”

Sophia had just shaken off the effects of the Mind Spike. Her fangs clenched tight, her pride refusing to let her back down.

“It’s fine! Keep pushing forward. They’re relying too much on crystal core energy. Once they burn through it, their firepower will drop—hard.”

“You sure about that?” the big guy asked, clearly skeptical.

“Of course I’m sure! Don’t forget, I used to be an executive at Genesis Biotech. I know these Crystal Core Armaments inside and out,” Sophia snapped, her voice fierce. “Trust my command!”

“Uh… alright then.”

The man’s face twisted into a savage grin as he charged back into the fray.

The Mutant Vampire Zombies, fueled by sheer brute strength, surged forward, determined to carve a path through the enemy.

And just like Sophia predicted, the mechanical army’s initial barrage began to lose steam. Their energy output dropped, and the attacks became less intense.

The Mutant Vampire Zombies noticed. They were getting closer—close enough to taste victory.

“Kill them all!”

Their morale surged. They charged with reckless abandon, some of them engulfed in flames, looking like demons straight out of hell as they hurled themselves at the machines.

PhD watched the battlefield calmly. Even as the enemy closed in, he didn’t flinch.

This was the mechanical army’s first real deployment—a live test of their combat capabilities.

So far, the results were promising. But yeah, the crystal core energy drain was a problem.

“Alright then… time for Plan B.”

The Mutant Vampire Zombies were in a frenzy now. After getting hammered for so long, they were finally within striking distance. Time to show off their close-combat skills.

But just as they were about to crash into the front lines, the mechanical zombies suddenly shifted formation. The ranged attackers split to the sides, opening a path.

And from behind them, a second wave emerged.

These zombies didn’t have crystal cores. But their mechanical arms were fitted with razor-sharp alloy claws—eerily similar to Laura’s modifications.

“Close combat?” PhD murmured to himself. “Let’s see how that works out for you.”

The claws on those zombies were long, razor-sharp, and deadly precise—most of them were elite units, the cream of the crop. With their arrival, the mechanical army’s combat power surged again, and it was clear just how brutal things were about to get.

As soon as the Mutant Vampire Zombies got close, the clawed zombies lunged forward like unleashed predators. Their bladed arms slashed through flesh and bone with terrifying speed, slicing enemies into chunks in the blink of an eye.

Blood sprayed like a fountain. Severed limbs flew through the air. The ground was littered with gore and shredded bodies—it was a massacre.

The Mutant Vampire Zombies didn’t even last a single round.

They’d fought tooth and nail to break through, only to be butchered like cattle. It was like they’d charged in just to die.

Sophia’s eyes went wide, her pupils contracting as she stared at the carnage. She didn’t say a word.

Off in the distance, Nathan couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.

“Looks like it’s the same ending as before… Sophia still can’t even beat a leftover Zombie King from L.A.”

He didn’t say it loudly, but Vampire hearing was sharp—razor sharp.

Sophia’s fangs clenched with an audible crack. Rage boiled up inside her.

“Hold the damn line!” she roared. “They don’t have our numbers. Even if it’s two-for-one, we wipe them out!”

“Got it!”

Her troops shouted back, already bracing themselves for a desperate, all-out brawl.

The battle turned even bloodier, reaching a fever pitch. But the truth was, even a two-for-one trade was wishful thinking. If they managed to take down one enemy for every three of their own, they were lucky.

PhD kept watching from the rear, analyzing the fight. The melee units were performing better than expected—strong, efficient, and best of all, they didn’t drain crystal core energy.

But there was a catch. These close-combat zombies required a lot of alloy materials for their modifications. San Diego had a decent stockpile, but even that was starting to run low.

Big empire or not, resources didn’t last forever. Gotta budget smart.

…

Meanwhile, the slaughter in the forest raged on.

Down the slope, more figures emerged—zombies, and a lot of them. They moved like a tidal wave through the trees, thick and endless.

Leading the charge were the infamous Japanese Iron Trio: Samara, T-Rex, and Mad Dog. Mia and a few others followed close behind.

“See those modified zombies up ahead?” Mia pointed. “Those are your boss’s troops. The ones they’re fighting? Invaders.”

Mad Dog’s eyes flared with bloodlust. “So there really are intruders.”

“Yeah,” T-Rex rumbled, his voice low and gravelly. “Looks like Mutant Vampire Zombies.”

Samara’s expression darkened, her brows knitting together. “They’ve picked the wrong forest to mess with. Again. Kill every last one of them.”

Mia gave a casual wave, stepping aside. “They’re all yours. Go bite something.”

“ROAR—!”

Mad Dog let out a feral howl, and the horde behind him erupted in a deafening chorus. The ground trembled as they surged forward like a living tsunami.

Trees snapped under the weight of their charge. Dust and debris exploded into the air.

It was like a tidal wave of death crashing down the mountain—unstoppable, unrelenting, and hungry for blood.

…