Chapter 704: You did well

At the front of the group stood a young man named Kael Renn. Despite his age, he’d been stationed at The Skywall for years and was one of its key commanders.

Which meant—he wasn’t someone to mess with.

“You’ve got nowhere left to run,” Kael said coolly, arms crossed. “Might as well surrender.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Ricky growled, eyes darting around. He was surrounded, and yeah, some of these people were the real deal—but he wasn’t about to back down.

Kael and the others weren’t even here for him. Their real target was the Zombie King. To them, Ricky was just some random punk who got in the way—barely worth their attention.

“You wanna do this the hard way? Fine by me,” Kael said, his voice calm but laced with threat.

The moment he finished speaking, a wave of immense psychic pressure exploded from his mind, slamming into Ricky like a mental freight train—a Mind Storm that pierced straight into his skull.

“AAARGH—!” Ricky screamed, clutching his head as pain ripped through his brain like it was being torn apart from the inside.

He’d only just awakened. Sure, he had potential—but against someone like Kael, he was completely outclassed.

Still, Ricky gritted his teeth, refusing to go down. The searing pain only fueled the rage inside him. The black mist in his eyes thickened, swirling like a storm.

“Oh?” Kael raised an eyebrow, surprised. He’d expected Ricky to drop instantly—but the kid was still standing. And his aura was getting stronger.

Fueled by fury and raw resentment, Ricky let out a snarl and lunged forward, blade in hand.

“Die!” he roared, his body cloaked in black energy, charging like a vengeful spirit.

But Kael didn’t even flinch.

A massive man stepped in front of him—muscles bulging like steel cables, his presence radiating raw power. An SS-rank Strength Awakener.

The man raised a single fist. No fancy moves, no wasted effort—just one punch.

BOOM!

The air cracked with a sonic boom. Ricky’s blade shattered on impact, the dark energy around him dispersed like smoke, and his body was sent flying like a ragdoll.

He slammed into The Skywall with a sickening thud, then slid down, leaving a long, bloody smear.

He collapsed at the base of the wall, slumped and broken, eyes filled with bitterness and pain.

His body had hit its limit. He couldn’t move.

“I’m still… too weak…” Ricky muttered through clenched teeth.

He’d just awakened, and even fighting S-rank Awakeners was pushing it. Against an SS-rank? He didn’t stand a chance.

Just like Howard had said—he wasn’t getting past The Skywall.

The big man cracked his neck, looking smug, like he’d just swatted a fly.

“This guy’s nothing. Let’s focus on stopping the Zombie King.”

“Yeah,” Kael nodded. “No need to worry. That thing’s not getting through The Skywall either.”

“Damn it…” Ricky coughed, tasting blood in his throat. That punch had done serious damage.

But what hurt more than his body… was the way they looked at him. Like he was nothing.

He’d been treated like trash his whole life—back in the Outer Zone, he was just a nobody, a grunt, someone people ignored or looked down on. And now, even after awakening, nothing had changed.

That kind of scorn—it cut deeper than any blade.

His fists clenched. He tried to stand, to fight back, to prove he wasn’t worthless.

But his body betrayed him. He collapsed again, too weak to move.

“This guy’s got some fight in him,” Kael said, watching him struggle. “But he’s too dangerous to leave alive. Better to finish him now.”

“Agreed,” the big man nodded, stepping forward.

Ricky tried again to rise, but his limbs wouldn’t respond. Frustration and despair welled up inside him. He was done. He couldn’t even lift his head.

Then—he heard a voice.

Cool. Calm. Cutting through the chaos like a blade of ice.

“A friend of mine once said… when your body gives out, you fight your way through with will alone.”

“Huh?” Ricky’s eyes widened.

He didn’t know where the voice came from—but it hit him like lightning. Something inside him stirred. That missing spark… reignited.

Fight with will… when the body fails?

Kael and the others suddenly tensed.

A strange unease crept over them, like a shadow falling across the battlefield.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. He unleashed his SS-rank psychic power, scanning the area in a flash.

Then his face went pale.

“The Zombie King… he’s here!”

“What?!”

Everyone’s expression shifted in an instant.

Then came the pressure—crushing, suffocating, like a tidal wave of blood crashing down from the heavens. It swept over them like the end of the world.

A figure in white appeared in the distance, walking forward step by step, each movement radiating an apocalyptic force.

“AAAH—!” Kael tried to raise his psychic defenses, but they shattered instantly under the weight of that presence. He screamed in agony, nearly blacking out on the spot.

The musclebound SS-rank Awakener beside him managed to stay on his feet, his body bulging with power. He roared and threw a punch straight at the approaching figure.

Ethan didn’t even flinch.

He casually threw a punch of his own.

BOOM!

The impact echoed like thunder. The big man’s entire arm twisted grotesquely, bones shattering like glass. His body shot backward like a baseball off a bat, slamming into the ground with a sickening crunch.

That SS-rank powerhouse—someone who could crush most enemies with a single blow—was swatted away like a bug.

The other Awakeners launched their attacks, desperate to stop the white-clad figure.

But it was useless.

Ethan moved like a ghost, untouchable and unstoppable. Some were killed with a single punch. Others had their crystal cores ripped out mid-motion, Ethan’s movements so smooth and effortless it was like he was dancing through death.

Ricky’s eyes were wide as saucers, watching the unstoppable force walk toward them. His heart pounded in awe and disbelief.

He’s too strong…

Ethan’s appearance had changed—his face, his clothes, even his aura were different.

But Ricky remembered what he’d once told him: Don’t trust what your eyes see. Illusions lie.

And just like that, he knew.

“Captain Dane… it’s you, isn’t it? Captain Dane?!”

Ethan glanced at him and gave a small nod. “You did well.”

Ricky clapped a hand over his mouth, tears spilling down his cheeks. He hadn’t cried in years—but something about this moment, this overwhelming relief and recognition, cracked him open.

Ethan turned his gaze toward The Skywall.

The runes on its surface still shimmered faintly, forming a massive, glowing barrier that stood between him and what lay beyond.

Yeah… this wall wasn’t ordinary.

Even when he first entered the city, Ethan had found it strange. With humanity’s current level of tech, why would they build something that looked like an ancient Earth fortress?

Now it made sense—they’d used rune tech, powered by embedded crystal cores.

“Get back,” Ethan said, glancing over his shoulder.

“O-okay!” Ricky nodded like a bobblehead, not daring to hesitate. He forgot all about his injuries and scrambled away, tumbling over himself to get clear.

Because he knew—Captain was about to break through The Skywall.

The barrier that had always separated the Outer Zone from the Inner City…

Ethan’s aura surged, the power of the Domain of the Dead swirling around him like a storm. The runes on The Skywall flickered in response, golden light pulsing as if the wall itself sensed the threat.

A massive force began to radiate outward from the wall, trying to push back.

But Ethan’s energy had already reached a terrifying level.

He raised his fist.

And then—

He struck.

…