Betrayal and the Rise of a New King

Could this kid be hiding his true strength?

Suspicion crept into Zhang Qiang's heart.

"Li Xuan, you did great this time. This was a huge haul for us!"

"All the zombie cores will be kept by me for now. Once we're back, I'll distribute them to everyone accordingly."

"Let's eat something to regain our strength. We'll rest for half an hour, and after that, Li Xuan, you'll lure more zombies!"

This time, Zhang Qiang even pulled out some instant noodles and sausages from the car. He generously made a pack for each person—a rare gesture. But it was no coincidence. He had just secured three Level 2 zombie cores, and once they returned, he had high hopes of breaking through to become a Level 3 evolver.

Besides, he had been secretly hoarding supplies for his personal use—enough to support his breakthrough.

Once he evolved to Level 3, he'd have the power to establish a survivor base and rule like a warlord.

Before the apocalypse, Zhang Qiang was nothing more than a neighborhood security guard, earning 3,000 yuan a month—couldn't even get a wife.

But after the world ended, he became an evolver, standing above others. Women were now eager to throw themselves at him, though he hardly cared.

In chaotic times, heroes rise. In this lawless world, people like him were destined to be the protagonists. His ambition was clear: to build his own force and become a king in his own right.

Sure, he used to be a lowly security guard.

But who said a guard couldn't dream of conquering the world?

Li Xuan slurped down his noodles and sausage with satisfaction, his face lighting up with contentment.

"Ah, that hit the spot!"

"It's been ages since I've had such delicious instant noodles!"

"Big bro, following you is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"I'm ready to risk my life for you, no complaints!"

"I'll go lure more zombies now. I truly believe that once we clear Wanxiang City, there'll be tons of supplies waiting for us. A bright future is just around the corner—I can't wait!"

Li Xuan's enthusiasm was contagious, his excitement seemingly genuine.

"Good, Li Xuan! I knew I wasn't wrong about you. From now on, you're my closest brother!"

"But remember, luring zombies is dangerous. Stay alert and be careful!" Zhang Qiang said, feigning concern.

"No worries, Brother Qiang. Ambushing zombies is just as dangerous for you guys, and you're not complaining. So why would I?"

"I'm heading out now!"

Li Xuan grabbed his machete and charged back into Wanxiang City.

"Roar!"

No sooner had he entered than a Level 2 zombie, hidden in the ceiling, pounced down like lightning—so fast it was almost impossible to react.

At that critical moment, a Spatial Blade materialized at Li Xuan's fingertips. With a swift slash through the air, the invisible blade sliced cleanly through the zombie's skull, splitting it in half without any resistance.

Li Xuan quickly dug into the corpse with his machete, retrieving a marble-sized red core—another Level 2 zombie core secured.

The pungent scent of fresh blood spread rapidly.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Suddenly, the entire zombie horde within Wanxiang City seemed to go berserk.

A dense swarm of zombies surged toward him.

Li Xuan sprinted away without hesitation, escaping the city at lightning speed.

But this time, over 700 zombies were chasing him—including sixteen Level 2 zombies and, most terrifying of all, a Level 3 Zombie King.

The Zombie King was a towering figure, over three meters tall. Unlike regular zombies, its flesh wasn't decayed; instead, its body gleamed with a metallic sheen, as hard as steel. Its face was monstrous, with sharp fangs and a terrifying snarl.

"This is bad, Captain! Li Xuan has lured out a Level 3 Zombie King, and the entire horde is in an uproar!" Eagle shouted, his face pale with shock.

"Run! Start the car, quickly!" Zhang Qiang bellowed.

But then—

"Captain, the ignition's broken! The car won't start!"

"What?!" Zhang Qiang's face darkened instantly.

"Did someone sabotage the car?"

There was no time to think.

"Captain, it's too late—the horde is almost here!"

"Prepare for battle!"

"Li Xuan, you son of a—who told you to lure out the Zombie King?! Damn you!" Zhang Qiang roared, his fury boiling over.

But Li Xuan was already sprinting toward them, the zombie horde hot on his heels. Despite the danger, his speed was astonishing—almost as fast as Zhang Qiang himself, even though Li Xuan was supposedly just a Level 1 evolver.

"Kill!"

Zhang Qiang gripped his spiked mace tightly and swung it with all his might at the approaching Zombie King.

CLANG!

The impact was so powerful it left a two-centimeter crater in the cement ground.

But the Zombie King merely blocked with its arm—completely unharmed. The clash sounded like metal striking metal.

Zhang Qiang staggered backward, nearly dropping his weapon from the shockwave. Blood seeped from the cracks in his palms.

"Roar!"

The Zombie King, enraged, lashed out with a massive claw, sending Zhang Qiang flying through the air, coughing up blood.

Seizing the opportunity, Shadow used her speed to dash behind the Zombie King, stabbing her dagger into its back.

But the attack only infuriated the beast further.

With a backhanded swipe, the Zombie King sent Shadow flying as well.

"Eagle, shoot!" Zhang Qiang roared.

Eagle didn't hesitate. His sniper rifle's scope zeroed in, and with a loud crack, the bullet pierced the Zombie King's left eye.

But even a perfect headshot didn't kill it—the bullet lodged in its skull, but the beast roared in rage, not defeat.

"Damn it! If only I had a Barrett .50 cal, one shot would've blown its head clean off!" Eagle muttered, frustrated.

Zhang Qiang rallied, swinging his mace again. This time, the sheer force shattered one of the Zombie King's legs.

Red Hair conjured a massive fireball and hurled it into the alley behind the zombies.

BOOM!

The explosion sealed the alley, cutting off the horde's advance.

Without pausing, Red Hair tossed three gasoline barrels into the flames.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The alley erupted into a sea of fire, incinerating dozens of zombies instantly and halting the rest.

Li Xuan stood watching, slightly surprised.

Seems I underestimated Red Hair. The fireball ability combined with gasoline barrels packs a serious punch.

At least fifty zombies were taken out in one blast, and the horde was effectively blocked.

"Now's our chance! Everyone—attack! Kill the Zombie King and claim its core!" Zhang Qiang roared, his eyes wild with greed.

This was his ticket to becoming a Level 3 evolver.

With the combined efforts of all five evolvers, the injured Zombie King was finally overwhelmed. It collapsed, defeated.

Though they were all wounded, the victory was worth it.

"Brother Qiang, you're incredible! You managed to kill a Level 3 Zombie King!"

"But…"

Li Xuan stepped forward, a sly grin on his face.

"I'll be taking the Zombie King's core."

Before Zhang Qiang could react, Li Xuan flicked his finger. A razor-thin Spatial Blade sliced through the air—

and cleanly severed Zhang Qiang's head from his body.

"You—"

Zhang Qiang's eyes bulged with disbelief as his head hit the ground, blood spraying like a fountain. His expression froze in eternal shock.

Why? Why did this happen?

Li Xuan… you bastard… you ambushed me?!

Damn you!

His mind screamed with fury and regret. He hadn't even realized his dream of becoming a ruler, only to die in the hands of the very pawn he thought he controlled.

His consciousness faded into darkness.

Stunned silence.

Red Hair, Eagle, Shadow, and Zhou Xiaoqian stared in disbelief, their faces pale with shock.

Li Xuan… had been hiding this much strength all along?

He killed Zhang Qiang like it was nothing?

"What's with the shocked faces?"

Li Xuan smiled coldly, his voice calm and commanding.

"Let me reintroduce myself—I'm Li Xuan, a Level 2 spatial ability evolver."

"From now on, I'm your new leader."

"If anyone disagrees… feel free to step forward."