The walk to the shopping district was eerily silent. The further they traveled, the fewer signs of human life remained. Crashed cars lined the streets, their doors flung open as if their owners had fled in a desperate panic. Some never made it, their bodies lying cold and lifeless on the pavement. The stench of rot was suffocating.


    Damian led the way, his knives in hand, while the twins followed closely behind, gripping their weapons tightly. Their bodies still ached from the last battle, but they didn’t complain. They couldn''t afford to.


    As they approached the shopping district, Damian activated Identify, scanning the area. His vision flooded with red markers—undead were everywhere. The system displayed their numbers:


    [Zombies detected: 700+]


    It was exactly what he needed. His Kill Counter still had a long way to go, and this place was teeming with the dead.


    "Move carefully," Damian ordered in a low voice. "Don’t make unnecessary noise."


    The twins nodded, tense as they followed him, weaving through abandoned cars and overturned market stalls. The eerie silence made every movement feel amplified.


    As they passed a collapsed department store, Damian raised a hand, signaling the twins to stop. His Identify Skill triggered another alert:


    [Stage Two Variants Detected – Dormant Phase Identified]


    Scattered among the undead were several zombies standing completely still, their bodies swaying slightly as if they were asleep.


    The system provided an explanation: Some Stage Two zombies enter a dormant state, remaining motionless until triggered by sound, movement, or an energy source.


    "Avoid the ones that aren’t moving," Damian whispered. "They’re not normal. If we trigger them, the entire place will erupt."


    The twins stiffened but nodded. Carefully, they maneuvered around the dormant zombies, holding their breath with each step. One wrong move could wake the horde.


    Then, a distant crash echoed through the district.


    The dormant zombies snapped awake.


    Damian clicked his tongue. "Tch. Here we go."


    The horde lurched forward, dead eyes locking onto fresh prey. Within seconds, hundreds of them were rushing toward them from all directions.


    "Get ready," Damian muttered, rolling his shoulders, knives tightening in his grip.


    Then, he moved. And the massacre began.


    The Battle Begins


    Damian lunged forward, his knives flashing in the dim morning light. His Combat AI engaged instantly, processing enemy movement patterns, weak points, and optimal kill routes. Every slash was precise, every movement calculated.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The first wave of zombies collapsed before they could react. Heads rolled, bodies crumpled, and blood painted the pavement in streaks of dark red. His Kill Counter surged—[530/1000]… [560/1000]… [600/1000].


    The twins struggled to keep up. Their movements were still sloppy, but they fought with raw determination, spears thrusting into undead skulls. Each kill made them faster, sharper, more ruthless.


    One zombie lunged at the younger twin. She barely managed to sidestep, stabbing her spear through its temple with a strangled gasp. Damian caught her hesitation.


    "Don’t hesitate. Move. Kill."


    Her grip tightened, and with a nod, she forced herself to keep going.


    The horde thickened. The dormant zombies were faster, more erratic, moving in unpredictable patterns. Damian adjusted his stance, his exoskeleton compensating for the increasing intensity of battle.


    A second wave approached from the east. Damian pivoted, his knives carving a brutal path through the incoming undead. His Kill Counter jumped—[650/1000]… [700/1000]… [750/1000].


    Then, the ground rumbled.


    Something was coming. Something bigger.


    The First True Threat – An Alpha Variant


    A deep, guttural roar echoed through the shopping district, shaking the air. The zombies paused, as if recognizing something greater had arrived.


    Damian’s Identify Skill activated.


    [Stage Three Detected – Alpha Variant]


    A hulking figure emerged from the ruined streets. Standing over eight feet tall, its grotesquely overdeveloped muscles were covered in bone-like armor plating. Unlike the mindless undead, its yellow, predatory eyes locked onto Damian with recognition.


    It wasn’t just strong. It was aware.


    Damian was a little surprised—an Alpha showing up this early was unexpected. But killing it would be worth it.


    Unlike regular zombies, Alpha Variants dropped a rare red crystal. This crystal had a 50% chance of forcibly evolving a normal human into a physically enhanced human. For the desperate, it was a gamble for power. For Damian, it was a resource he couldn’t ignore.


    The twins froze in place. "W-what is that?!" the younger twin stammered, her grip on her spear unsteady.


    Damian didn’t answer immediately. He was already analyzing the best way to kill it. The usual method wouldn’t work—its skull was too thick for a clean decapitation, and those reinforced arms could break through most conventional defenses.


    Then, the Alpha charged.


    It moved terrifyingly fast, closing the distance in an instant. Damian barely had time to react before the creature swung a massive fist, aiming to crush him into the pavement.


    "Full Power Mode: Engage. Combat AI: Take Over."


    The system responded instantly. [Full Combat Mode Activated] flashed across his vision. Power surged through the suit as servos whirred to life, enhancing his reflexes, strength, and speed. The AI locked onto the Alpha’s movements, calculating countermeasures in microseconds.


    He dodged—just barely.


    The impact shattered the asphalt, sending debris flying. If that hit had landed, he wouldn’t have been injured—he would have been obliterated.


    "Stay back!" Damian ordered the twins, his mind shifting into full combat mode.


    The Alpha Variant roared again, commanding the surrounding zombies to attack alongside it. The fight had changed. This was no longer just a massacre—it was a battle for survival.


    Without hesitation, Damian summoned four assistant drones from his Unlimited Space. Originally designed for non-combat tasks, these drones had been modified and equipped with stun batons. The batons weren’t lethal, but their high-voltage charge could momentarily paralyze zombies, giving the twins an edge.


    "Assist the twins. Keep the lower-tier zombies off them," Damian commanded.


    The drones responded instantly, hovering in formation around the sisters. Each drone zipped toward the nearest zombie, jabbing its stun baton into their skulls, sending violent electric shocks through their decayed flesh. The zombies twitched and convulsed, momentarily stunned before being finished off by the twins.


    The older twin gritted her teeth, gripping her spear tightly. "We’ve got this!" she called out, emboldened by the drones’ support.


    The younger twin nodded sharply, her movements growing more confident. With the drones acting as a shield, they could focus on attacking rather than just surviving.


    Meanwhile, Damian refocused all his attention on the Alpha Variant, now recognizing it as his true enemy. With the twins no longer needing his direct protection, he could fight without holding back.