Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Chapter 51 - 51: Hey, don’t bother…

The next second, Mia's fingers, sharp as blades, plunged into the artery in her opponent's neck.

Emily's face froze in an expression of sheer terror. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but all that came out was a gush of blood.

Another body collapsed at Mia's feet.

"What happens… if it hits 100%?"

A deep, magnetic voice suddenly spoke near her ear.

She turned her head and saw Ethan's handsome face.

Ethan had already noticed the peculiar detail on her wrist and couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued.

Mia smiled faintly. "I'd probably die."

The bracelet she wore was a custom device created by re

"Hmm… saving one Awakener and bringing them back to the refuge would get me two cans of meat. But killing Gideon would earn me a crystal core. No matter how I look at it… killing him is the better deal."

Gideon noticed Mia's hesitation and assumed his threat had worked. A smug grin spread across his face.

People from the refuge, he thought, were so bound by their rules and regulations. They were used to being controlled, and it made them predictable. Pathetic, really.

"Heh, your superiors must've ordered you to save people, right?" Gideon sneered.

"Yeah," Mia replied with a small nod, not bothering to deny it.

Gideon's grin widened. "Good! Then let us go, and I'll let you take these three with you."

"That won't be necessary," Mia said, her voice calm. "Because… I don't follow orders."

"What?"

Gideon froze, his smugness evaporating in an instant. He realized what she meant.

Even the three hostages looked stunned, their faces blank with confusion. For a moment, they thought they were saved. But now, their hopes plummeted, crashing into despair.

Before anyone could react, Mia made her move. In a flash, her figure blurred as she darted forward with lightning speed.

Gideon clenched his jaw, his body tensing under the immense pressure. But desperation fueled his resolve, and he roared with fury.

"Brothers! Fight to the death!"

He spat the words through gritted teeth, slashing his hand down in a decisive motion. His blade sliced toward the hostages—if he was going to die, he'd take a few with him.

"Yeah! Fight to the death!" his three subordinates echoed, their voices filled with defiance. They were all Awakeners who had condensed crystal cores, and their combined strength was nothing to scoff at.

BOOM!

The fight erupted in an instant. Mia clashed with Gideon head-on, their fists colliding with a deafening impact. The sheer force sent Gideon flying, smashing through two walls of private karaoke rooms before he finally came to a stop.

But Gideon's metallic skin absorbed most of the damage. He crawled out of the rubble, relatively unscathed, and charged at Mia again.

Meanwhile, Sean was locked in combat with Gideon's three subordinates. The trio worked together seamlessly, using their agility and coordination to keep Sean occupied. For now, they managed to hold their ground, preventing him from gaining the upper hand.

The entire lobby descended into chaos. Tiles shattered, walls crumbled, and waves of energy rippled through the air.

Chris and the other three team members stayed back, standing behind Ethan. This was a battle between Awakeners who had condensed crystal cores—at their Neurocore stage, they weren't qualified to join in.

Among all the chaos, the fight between Mia and Gideon was the most intense.

No matter how many times Mia sent Gideon flying, he always got back up, like an indestructible cockroach. His defensive abilities were formidable, and Mia's strength, which relied on her pain threshold, wasn't enough to break through his defenses. For now, she couldn't deal any significant damage.

"Tch… if that's the case, I'll have to use the old method," Mia muttered, her eyes narrowing.

There were plenty of ways to increase her pain threshold. The simplest? Self-harm.

Back when she was in the psychiatric hospital, she'd done it countless times.

Just as she was about to act, a voice called out from behind her.

"Hey, don't bother…"