Rain poured endlessly from the darkened sky, washing away blood, fear, and the fragile remains of the old world.
Ash stood still for a moment, his chest rising and falling steadily as he observed the people gathering inside the gymnasium. The chaos from earlier had settled—for now—but he knew better than anyone that peace in this new world was nothing more than an illusion.
A young man in blue sportswear came running toward them, gripping a bow tightly in his hand. His quiver was nearly empty, and his breathing was uneven.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly.
So that's the archer.
The young man's gaze immediately locked onto the silver-haired woman, and relief washed over his face.
"Claire… I'm glad you're okay."
Ash raised an eyebrow slightly.
Claire.
So that was her name.
Claire didn't react much, but her cold eyes softened just a little.
"I'm fine, Ethan."
Ash didn't pay much attention beyond that. He wasn't interested in their reunion. People, emotions, attachments—those things were dangerous now.
Without saying a word, he turned and began to walk away.
"Hey! Kid!" a rough voice called out.
Ash stopped.
He turned slightly, his sharp gaze landing on the burly man holding the massive hammer.
"What?" Ash asked calmly.
The man grinned.
"How about sticking with us? With the four of us, we can dominate this place."
Ash looked at him for a few seconds.
Then he turned away again.
"I'm not interested."
His voice was calm, but firm.
"I didn't come here to rule anyone. I came here to survive."
Without another word, he walked off.
The others watched him leave, each with their own thoughts.
Claire's eyes lingered on his back slightly longer than the rest.
There was something… different about him.
Something dangerous.
About ten minutes later, the scattered survivors regrouped.
With the addition of those hiding inside the gymnasium, their numbers rose to nearly seventy people.
Fear lingered in the air like a disease.
No one trusted anyone.
The rain drenched their clothes, making everyone uncomfortable, but no one dared to complain.
They were alive.
That alone was enough.
Ash moved alone.
He had no intention of mixing himself too deeply with the group. Large numbers meant noise, and noise meant danger.
His destination was clear—the cafeteria.
Food was survival.
Power meant nothing if you starved to death.
When he reached the cafeteria entrance, he immediately noticed something off.
Bang… Bang… Bang…
A dull, repetitive sound echoed from behind the metal door.
Ash's eyes sharpened.
Zombies.
There was no doubt.
He glanced around carefully, making sure no one was watching him.
Satisfied, he opened his backpack.
Inside were the rewards he had risked his life for.
Two orbs.
And a scroll.
Ash picked up the first orb and crushed it in his hand.
It shattered instantly.
A pair of sleek boots appeared before him.
Velocity Boots.
A faint smile formed on his face.
"Nice…"
He quickly equipped them.
The moment he did, his body felt lighter—faster.
Much faster.
It was as if the world around him had slowed down.
His movements became sharper, more precise.
Stronger.
Without hesitation, he crushed the second orb.
A long coat appeared in his hands.
Black.
Heavy.
Powerful.
Ash ran his fingers across it before putting it on.
The moment it settled on his shoulders, he felt it.
Strength.
Not just physical—but something deeper.
His presence changed.
If before he was dangerous…
Now he felt untouchable.
Rain slid off the coat as if it refused to cling to him.
Ash exhaled slowly.
This was good.
Very good.
Then…
He turned his attention to the scroll.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he crushed it.
The scroll dissolved into particles of light that surged directly into his body.
Ash froze.
His body stiffened.
Then—
Pain.
A sharp, burning pain spread through his veins.
His eyes widened slightly as he dropped to one knee.
"What the…"
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't just knowledge.
It felt like something inside him was being awakened.
Changed.
Rewritten.
His blood began to heat up.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
Louder.
Stronger.
Dominant.
A faint red glow flickered in his eyes.
Then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
Cold.
Ancient.
Powerful.
[Bloodline Resonance Detected]
[Hidden Trait Awakening…]
[Skill Acquired: Blood Authority (Dormant)]
Ash's breathing slowed.
The pain faded.
But something had changed.
He could feel it.
Deep inside.
Like a sleeping beast had slightly opened its eyes.
Ash stood up slowly.
His expression was calm as always—but his eyes…
They were different.
Colder.
Sharper.
He clenched his fist slightly.
And then he felt it.
A strange connection.
Weak.
But real.
Like invisible threads stretching outward.
Ash turned his head slightly toward the gymnasium.
Toward the people.
His gaze narrowed.
Interesting…
Very interesting.
He approached the cafeteria door again.
This time—
He didn't hesitate.
With his enhanced strength, he kicked the door open.
Bang!
The sound echoed loudly.
Several zombies turned instantly, their hollow eyes locking onto him.
Ash stepped forward slowly.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only intent.
As the first zombie lunged at him—
Ash moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
His blade flashed.
One head fell.
Then another.
Then another.
Each movement was clean.
Efficient.
Deadly.
But this time…
Something was different.
With every kill—
He felt it.
A faint pull.
A slight increase in something he couldn't fully understand yet.
His blood…
Was reacting.
Minutes later, the cafeteria fell silent.
Bodies covered the floor.
Ash stood alone in the middle of it.
Unharmed.
Unshaken.
Unstoppable.
Rain continued to fall outside.
But inside—
A new force was beginning to rise.
Not a hero.
Not a savior.
But something far more dangerous.
A king in the making.
___________________________
First of all, I want to sincerely apologize for the slow updates recently.
I'm currently writing my exams, so my schedule has been really tight and I haven't been able to write as frequently as I would like. I truly appreciate your patience and support during this period.
The good news is that once my exams are over, I'll be making it up to you by releasing two or more chapters at a time to keep the story moving forward.
Thank you all for sticking with me and supporting the story. It really means a lot.
Stay tuned—things are about to get even more intense.