Chapter 976: Not a Rescue. Not a Fight. Just a Robbery

Morning, in the luxury home...

Ray Harlan rolled out of bed and, as usual, the first thing he did was call for his ever-present shadow, Evan. Together, they headed straight for the backyard.

Checking for a newly evolved Tier 4 zombie had become Ray’s favorite part of the day.

But as they stepped outside, something was off.

The four men stationed in the yard—normally hidden in the shadows—were all out in the open, gathered around the iron cage with puzzled looks on their faces.

"What’s going on?" Ray asked, frowning.

"Mr. Whitmore," one of them said, pointing into the cage, "we’ve got a situation. One of the zombies is dead. Looks like it got eaten."

"Eaten?" Ray strode over, eyes narrowing. Sure enough, one of the corpses inside the cage had been torn apart—chunks missing, limbs gnawed down to the bone.

"By what?" he demanded. "What the hell killed it?"

"Zombies," the man said. "When we came out this morning, a bunch of them were still chewing on the body."

"That’s impossible," Ray snapped. "Zombies don’t eat each other."

"Maybe they do if they’re starving," another muttered. "Who knows what they’ll do when they’re desperate."

Ray’s jaw clenched. "What about the crystal core?"

The men exchanged awkward glances.

"Gone," one of them said. "Looks like it got eaten too."

Ray’s face darkened. "I told you to watch them!"

"We’re sorry, Mr. Whitmore," one of them said quickly, head bowed. "We didn’t think zombies would turn on their own."

Ray wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. But he held it in. These men had stuck with his family through the collapse of civilization—they were loyal, and loyalty was rare now. He couldn’t afford to alienate them.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"It’s not your fault," he said at last. "I didn’t see it coming either. But now we know—zombies can eat each other. So from now on, double the watch. No more screw-ups."

"Understood, Mr. Whitmore. It won’t happen again," they said, thumping their chests in unison.

Ray nodded, then asked, "Any new Tier 4s today?"

"Not yet. We checked them all just now."

"Still nothing?" Ray muttered. "Is it really that hard to evolve one? Or did we just catch a batch of duds?"

"Ray," Evan said gently, "Tier 4s are rare. Even out there, you don’t see many. But the ones we’ve got—they’re early Tier 3s. Give it another day or two. One of them’s bound to break through."

"Yeah... maybe," Ray said, though something still felt off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

...

Meanwhile, in another luxury home...

"Sean, this one’s yours," Ethan said, tossing the freshly harvested Tier 4 crystal core into his teammate’s hands.

They’d agreed on a rotation—whoever was next in line got the next core. No arguments, no drama. Just progress.

Sean stared at the core, stunned. "Where the hell did you get this?"

Ethan grinned. "Found it next door. Someone’s raising Tier 4 zombies for us. If we’re lucky, we might be able to pick one up every night."

He wasn’t exaggerating. He’d seen the cage himself—half those zombies were already at peak Tier 3. It was only a matter of time before more evolved.

"No way," one of the others said, eyes wide.

Chris chuckled. "Oh, it gets better." Then he launched into the story of last night’s little heist—sneaking in, the cage, the kill, the clean getaway.

By the time he finished, everyone was grinning.

"Alright," Ethan said, clapping his hands. "Let’s head out. First stop: gym. We need to get you guys some barbell bars."

"Barbell bars?" someone echoed.

"Yeah. We’re going hunting today—real hunting. We’re done with the zombie-packed residential zones. Too many bodies, too much cleanup. We’re going to find Tier 4s in quieter areas."

"Sounds good."

"Ethan, you know where there’s a gym?"

"Yeah. Saw a big one yesterday, just a few blocks into the residential zone."

"Perfect," Sean said, practically bouncing. "I’ve been dying to swap weapons."

They had plenty of gear—fire axes, machetes, even a katana or two—but nothing beat the raw, satisfying crunch of a barbell bar in a crowd. With enough strength behind it, nothing got within arm’s reach.

The group geared up and headed out, slipping through the gates of their luxury home just as Ray and Evan watched from across the street.

Ray narrowed his eyes, watching them disappear down the road.

Something about those guys didn’t sit right with him.

"Ray, they’re gone," Evan said, peeking through the blinds. "Should we head over and grab some of their food? I’m still thinking about those carts they had stacked up."

Ray didn’t even look up. "No rush. They head out every morning and come back at night—probably out hunting zombies. Judging by that routine, they’re strong. No point making enemies just yet."

Evan nodded slowly. "Then... what if we tried recruiting them?"

Ray finally turned, considering. "Not a bad idea. Let’s wait till they’re back tonight. I’ll go over and feel them out."

"Got it."

...

Ethan led his crew around the densest parts of the residential zone, steering clear of the zombie-packed blocks. Eventually, they reached a quieter area filled with leisure facilities—an indoor pool, a gym, a billiards hall, even a KTV lounge.

The moment they stepped in, the difference was obvious. Fewer zombies, but the ground was littered with corpses—fresh ones. Someone had been through here recently, and they weren’t amateurs.

Ethan activated his True Sight, scanning the area.

Sure enough, a group was holed up inside the gym. Several of them were holding barbell bars—just like the ones Ethan’s team favored.

From their builds, it was obvious they were gym rats—broad shoulders, tight waists, arms like steel cables. The kind of guys who’d been living under a squat rack even before the world went to hell.

Ethan didn’t hesitate. He led the team straight up to the second floor and knocked on the gym door.

To his surprise, it opened immediately.

"Come in," the man at the door said, already turning away.

Ethan blinked. That was... fast.

Apparently, they’d been spotted from the upstairs windows.

Still, he shrugged and stepped inside, the others following close behind.

The gym was massive—rows of equipment, racks of weights, and the faint smell of iron and sweat still clinging to the air. Inside stood over fifty people, all watching them with unreadable expressions.

What caught Ethan’s attention wasn’t the number—it was the power levels.

More than twenty of them were Tier 3. Two were at peak Tier 3.

"Damn," Ethan thought, eyes narrowing. "No wonder they’re still alive. These guys are stacked."

Then the man in the tank top stepped forward. He was huge—arms like tree trunks, veins bulging, the kind of guy who looked like he could bench press a car.

"Drop your packs. Open them up. If you’ve got enough supplies, maybe we’ll let you join us," he said flatly.

"...Huh?"

Ethan and his crew stared at him, momentarily thrown.

Then it clicked.

They thought Ethan’s group had come to join them.

Ethan grinned. "Sorry, you’ve got it backward. We’re not here to join you. We’re here to take something."

The big guy frowned. "Take what?"

"That," Ethan said, nodding toward the barbell bars. Then he turned to his team. "Grab what we came for. We’re on the clock."

"On it!" Sean said cheerfully.

Before the gym crew could react, Sean and the others strode forward and yanked the bars right out of three stunned men’s hands.

"...What the hell?"

The three victims stood frozen for a beat, mouths open, bars gone.

"Holy shit! They just jacked my barbell bar!"

The big guy’s face darkened. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

Ethan turned, bar slung over his shoulder, still smiling. "Taking what we need. We liked the look of these, so we’re taking them. Simple."

He turned to leave.

But the gym crew wasn’t having it.

In a flash, the fifty-plus people inside moved, surrounding Ethan’s team in a tight circle.

"You think you can just walk out of here after robbing us?" the big guy growled.

Ethan’s smile didn’t fade. "We’re walking out either way. I’d suggest you move. If this turns into a fight, it won’t end well for you."

"Oh yeah?" the big guy sneered. "I’ve never been punked like this in my life. Let’s see what makes you so damn cocky."

He raised his hand.

"Kill them."

...