Chapter 703: I came back to thank you

“What?!”

Everyone froze, stunned. It was almost too much to believe.

The Zombie King… was still alive?

That bastard was way too cunning!

Howard scanned the area, his mind racing. There was no way the Zombie King would head back to the center of the Inner City. Which meant—he had only one destination in mind: The Skywall.

“He’s headed for The Skywall! Everyone, after him!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the sky lit up with a swarm of aircraft, turning mid-air like a hive of angry bees, sweeping the area as they began their pursuit.

The other human elites didn’t hesitate—they followed right behind.

But just then, two more aircraft descended from the clouds, each bearing the insignia of different families.

As the hatches opened, a man and a woman stepped out from their respective ships. Their expressions were grim, but the sheer force of their presence was undeniable.

“Howard, any sign of the kids?” the man asked as soon as he landed.

“Not yet,” Howard replied, his face tight with worry.

Clearly, these two were the heads of other major families—top-tier human powerhouses in their own right.

“Let’s take care of that Zombie King first,” the woman said, a trace of nostalgia in her eyes. “It’s been a long time since us old-timers fought side by side.”

She looked young, but in truth, she had to be pushing fifty.

“Yeah,” Howard nodded.

Without another word, the three family leaders, along with their elite forces, surged toward The Skywall.

…

Back in the Inner City, the atmosphere grew even more tense. More and more human powerhouses were arriving by the minute.

It had been a long time since humanity had seen such a massive mobilization.

Morale was sky-high.

“Can you believe it? The heads of all the major families are here!”

“Well, we’re dealing with a Voidborn Undying. And a slippery one at that.”

“Doesn’t matter. He’s not getting away this time. Let’s move!”

“…”

The human Awakeners were now tens of thousands strong, a tidal wave of power and determination.

Among them were countless S-rank fighters.

Meanwhile, at the base of The Skywall, a large number of humans had already gathered. This area had always been heavily guarded, but now it was locked down tighter than ever. Every entrance and exit was sealed. Only the towering wall remained.

Up ahead, scattered zombies had started to appear on the streets, snarling and screeching as they charged forward in a frenzy.

The City Guards didn’t hesitate. They raised their crystal-core firearms and opened fire with deadly precision.

With each shot, a zombie’s head exploded, bodies dropping one after another.

But the guards didn’t relax. If anything, they grew even more tense.

Because they knew—this was just the appetizer.

The real chaos was still coming.

“Stay sharp, everyone!” the City Guard captain barked. “That Zombie King can cloak himself and shapeshift. Don’t trust anyone blindly—not even your teammates. He could be anyone!”

“Yes, sir!” came the chorus of replies.

But just then, tendrils of pitch-black miasma began to slither along the ground like serpents, creeping in silently.

The captain’s brow furrowed. A chill ran down his spine.

“Don’t tell me… it’s starting.”

A raspy, bitter voice echoed from just ahead.

“Hey… I came back to thank you.”

“Huh?!” The City Guard captain’s face twisted in shock as he whipped his head around.

Through the swirling black miasma, a figure stepped forward—eyes burning like twin torches, dark energy flickering in his pupils like flames. It was Ricky, freshly awakened.

Because Howard had been so focused on Ethan, no one had paid much attention to Ricky. He’d carved a bloody path through the chaos, cutting down several City Guards on his way, and now he was the first to reach the base of The Skywall.

“It’s him!” the captain gasped, recognizing him instantly.

He was the one who’d processed Ricky’s entry pass when he first came into the city. Back then, Ricky had said he’d come to work, make some money, and would thank him someday.

Well, he was back now—just not with gratitude. He’d come to take his life.

“Take him down! Now!” the captain shouted.

Immediately, a barrage of crystal-core firepower lit up the air behind him.

But those low-grade weapons couldn’t even scratch Ricky anymore.

His body blurred, shrouded in black mist, moving like a ghost through the hail of energy blasts. He weaved through them effortlessly, then lunged straight into the crowd.

“What the hell—?!”

The City Guards panicked. Dropping their guns, they fumbled for the blades at their waists, trying to brace for close combat.

But Ricky was already on them.

His short blade, slick with blood, slashed through the air—

Shhk!

With a sickening grind of metal against bone, a head flew clean off.

Ricky moved like a butcher in a slaughterhouse, cutting down the guards one by one. Each strike was lethal, clean, and terrifyingly efficient.

And with every kill, the dark energy—the resentment and rage of the dead—flowed into him, fueling him further.

He was a storm of death, growing stronger with every body that hit the ground.

“P-please… don’t kill me!” the captain stammered, stumbling backward, eyes wide with terror.

But Ricky didn’t even blink. He was numb now—emotionless. He stepped forward and, without hesitation, brought his blade down.

One clean stroke. The captain collapsed in a heap.

“I need to get out of here. Fast,” Ricky muttered, turning his gaze toward The Skywall.

Even though he’d awakened and taken out a bunch of guards, he hadn’t lost his mind. He knew exactly where he stood.

These were just grunts. If he ran into a real powerhouse, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

But the exits were all sealed. Not far off, more City Guards and Awakeners were closing in.

Ricky glanced around, eyes scanning for options—then locked onto the massive wall itself.

The gates were made of reinforced alloy—no way he could break through those.

But the wall…

“If the door’s too strong… then the wall becomes the door,” he muttered to himself.

Dark energy surged around him, coiling like smoke, then condensed into his short blade. The air around him trembled with raw power.

“Open!”

With a roar, Ricky shot forward like a black comet, slamming his blade into the base of The Skywall.

Wummmm—

But what happened next caught him completely off guard.

There was no explosion of stone. No cracks. No damage.

Instead, a deep hum resonated through the wall.

Strange symbols began to glow where his blade had struck—runes, ancient and alive, slithering across the surface like living things. They shimmered with a faint golden light, spreading rapidly until they covered the entire wall.

The whole thing lit up like a massive arcane circuit.

Not even a scratch where he’d hit it.

“What the hell is this…?”

The force of the runes blasted Ricky backward, sending him flying over a hundred feet.

He landed hard, eyes wide, staring up at the now-glowing wall. It was like the thing had awakened—alive with countless glowing sigils, pulsing with power.

The sight was overwhelming.

Then a voice, dripping with disdain, rang out behind him.

“Seriously? You really thought you could just break through The Skywall?”

Ricky spun around.

At some point, a group of Awakeners had surrounded him—dozens of them, weapons drawn, eyes locked on him like wolves circling prey.

…