Chapter 14 – The Road of No Return
Maximus stepped over the blood-soaked ground, his golden eyes scanning the lifeless bodies of the Viper Gang scattered near the truck. A fleeting thought crossed his mind.
"Wait… I have Soul Absorption, don't I?"
Clenching his fists, he activated the ability. A cold, invisible force seeped into his body from the corpses, but the return was minimal—0.10 soul points.
"Tch… Most of their souls have already dissipated," Maximus muttered, shaking his head. His soul points: 12.3—a number he had neglected to track.
"I should be taking note of what abilities I have… How stupid of me."
Annoyance flickered through him. In a world where strength dictated survival, wasting an ability—even once—was unacceptable. But there was no time for regret.
He exhaled sharply. "Let's get to the shelter."
--
The group loaded into the truck, while Maximus rode his motorcycle ahead, scouting the road. The journey was smooth at first, the only sounds being the occasional sobs of the survivors and the distant echoes of crumbling civilization.
But 30 minutes in, a terrifying presence gripped the air.
A dark-red energy churned in the distance, twisting the very fabric of space. The sky above it warped, the land beneath it trembled. A Red Gate—unstable, growing stronger.
A deep, gut-wrenching terror spread through the truck.
"W-What is this aura?!" someone stammered.
"Something's coming… Something horrible!"
Chaos erupted inside the vehicle. Fear spread like wildfire.
Then—
"Everyone, calm down!"
A woman's voice, steady yet firm. Sophia.
Even though she was naturally shy, the situation forced her to speak up.
"Maximus is in front," she said, her blue eyes flashing with resolve. "If anyone can get us through this, it's him."
The group hesitated, but her words planted a seed of hope.
---
Up front, Maximus' grip on the handlebars tightened. His Senses screamed warnings at him.
"Shit… Not now."
The energy emanating from the forming Red Gate was chaotic, unstable, and filled with killing intent.
Maximus knew what this meant—once the gate fully formed, it would unleash an army of monsters.
"Soloing an entire army? That's fucking suicide."
His mind worked furiously.
"It's not fully formed yet. If we get past it before it stabilizes, we can avoid the worst of it!"
"Everyone, listen up!" Maximus shouted over the wind.
"Step on the gas! Full speed! Follow me, and don't stop for anything!"
A man in the truck panicked. "W-We're going through it?!"
"YES! DON'T QUESTION ME—JUST DRIVE!"
Maximus gunned the motorcycle, pushing it to 80 km/h. The truck followed at 60 km/h.
Then—
RUMBLE—!
The ground quaked. Something was approaching.
A man in the truck screamed, "M-MONSTERS!!"
From all sides, hundreds of zombies and beasts surged toward them, drawn by the Red Gate's chaotic aura.
"DAMN IT!" Maximus cursed.
Their escape window was closing.
"Drive faster! We need to reach it in three minutes—no, two!"
"Sir, we don't have enough time!"
"I don't want to die!"
Some cried. Some trembled. One even pissed himself in terror.
Then—
A voice roared over the fear.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
A man stood, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. Van.
"If we stop now, we're fucking dead! Do you want to see your families again?! THEN FIGHT!"
His words ignited a flame in the group.
"Y-Yeah!"
"Let's trust Maximus!"
"We can't die here!"
The truck accelerated.
But it still wasn't fast enough.
---
Maximus' thoughts ran at inhuman speeds.
"Our current speed won't cut it. If we don't reach the gate within two minutes, we're surrounded."
He checked his abilities:
Runner (E-Rank): Increased movement speed.
Metal Reinforcement (D-Rank): Strengthened objects.
Fire Control (B-Rank): Created and manipulated flames.
Berserk Rage (B-Rank): Doubled strength and speed when HP fell below 50%.
His golden eyes gleamed.
"I have everything I need."
---
Step 1: Enhancing the Motorcycle
Metal Reinforcement: Strengthened the engine and wheels, reducing strain and increasing max speed.
Fire Control: Released controlled flames from the exhaust, creating a boost effect like a nitro engine.
Streamlined Driving: Lowered drag, using his enhanced perception (12 → 60) to maneuver precisely.
VROOOOM! The motorcycle surged to 100 km/h.
---
Step 2: Boosting the Truck
Metal Reinforcement: Strengthened the engine and axles for better efficiency.
Fire Control: Used thermal acceleration to push the exhaust flames forward.
Berserk Push: Jumped off his bike, grabbed the truck, and ran while pushing it.
BOOM! The truck hit 90 km/h.
---
Step 3: Precision Escape
Time Remaining: 1 Minute
Distance to Red Gate: 2.5 km
Monster Horde Closing In!
Maximus jumped back onto his motorcycle and carved a path of fire and steel through the horde.
Then—
BOOM!
The Red Gate fully formed.
A massive crimson vortex erupted open, releasing a storm of monsters.
"FUCK! We're too late!"
Maximus clenched his teeth.
He had a choice—abandon them or fight.
His instincts screamed to leave.
But the image of frightened survivors who had placed their faith in him…
He exhaled.
"I'm no hero… but I'm no monster either."
"Shelter team! GO!"
"W-What?! But what about you?!"
Maximus stepped off his bike, pulling out his blade.
"I'm holding them off. You don't stop. You don't look back. GET TO THE SHELTER."
"B-But—"
"DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF."
Van's face twisted, but he gritted his teeth.
"...Live, you bastard."
The truck roared away.
Maximus turned to face thousands of monsters.
Thousand of monster giant and small boss and mutant continue to go after him
He smirked coldly.
"Let's Farm shall we?"
---
He stabbed his own thigh twice blood dripped continuously, dropping his HP below 50%.
Fck it hurts maximus screamed internally he's face contorted due to pain
Berserk Rage Activated!
A crimson aura exploded from his body. His speed and strength doubled. His veins burned. His eyes glowed gold with bloodlust.
With one motion, he chugged a health potion—fully restoring himself while keeping Berserk active.
Then—
Copy: Three Clones!
Drinking mana potions, he restored his clones, each one gripping a weapon.
"Shall we start?" His lips curled into a crazed grin.
---
The battle began.
Maximus weaved between giants, cleaving through hordes, his new blade flashing like lightning.
Each kill triggered system notifications, but he ignored them, focusing only on destruction.
Blood painted the battlefield.
"If the world wants me dead… then I'll kill the world first."