Chapter 28: “You Think You Can Outdo My Killing Spirit?”

The zombie cat launched another charge—this time, even faster than before! Yazī's eyes stayed fixed on every move as he analyzed the creature's actions. Having learned from its previous pounces (which Yazī had perfectly anticipated), the zombie cat chose to engage in close‑quarters brawling instead. As its claw reached out to grab him, Yazī swung his Tang Blade.

A sharp, clanging sound rang out as his blade intercepted the incoming claw. The zombie cat struck again, but Yazī deftly rotated his blade to block the attack once more. The creature fought with all its might—each swipe of its claw accompanied by a rushing wind as it aimed for Yazī's vital spots.

Yet Yazī remained unmoving; his legs firmly planted as he twisted his body and wielded his blade to form an impenetrable "defensive wall," deflecting every single strike. Apart from losing a single hair to the gust, Yazī emerged without so much as a scratch.

The zombie cat, however, was not so fortunate. Its already feeble constitution began to give out, and its movements slowed noticeably. Moreover, the loss of its right‑limb claw forced it to rely almost solely on its left. The constant clash between its claw and Yazī's blade created numerous nicks on the blade—but its own claws suffered even greater damage. Still, the determined creature refused to cease its assault.

Then, suddenly, the zombie cat emitted a strange cry. Its blood‑red eyes flashed with a hint of purple light. "Cat's Gaze!" Yazī thought. This skill could be unleashed on an opponent even if that opponent wasn't directly meeting the creature's gaze. Almost instantly, Yazī felt his body grow sluggish, and his vision dimmed to a dull gray—as if he were being pulled into a hall of darkness.

Within that endless void, a gigantic, fearsome cat face appeared before him—its features twisted with eerie patterns, while streams of blood, brain matter, entrails, and shredded limbs poured out from its enormous, grotesque eyes. As the monstrous face drew nearer, it pressed an oppressive aura onto Yazī.

"Is that all you've got?" Yazī scoffed dismissively.

Then, all at once, his killing intent erupted. An overwhelming aura of murderous energy burst forth from him, transforming the surrounding darkness into a blood‑red expanse. Countless spectral souls emerged from the void, their anguished cries filling the air—a sight so horrifying that it would sear itself into any enemy's memory.

"After ten years in this apocalypse, I've slaughtered hundreds of thousands of zombies in a single horde battle—if you think you can scare me, you're not even worth my time!" Yazī roared.

At his words, the blood‑red killing aura and the legion of spectral souls surged toward the monstrous cat face. What was meant to be a terrifying visage began to show a trace of fear.

"Meow!!!!" The grotesque face let out a piercing scream—and then, in utter terror, it spun on its heel and fled.

In an instant, the illusion shattered like fragile glass. Yazī snapped back to reality. The zombie cat emitted a mournful cry and staggered backward several steps, its eyes wide with terror. The fear that had engulfed it was complete—the once‑fearsome creature now trembled at the mere sight of Yazī's overwhelming killing aura.

It couldn't fathom why this man exuded such an intense, intimidating presence. Yazī's existence was now etched into its mind as an eternal nightmare. All it could do was think: run!

Suppressing the mental backlash from the shattered illusion, the zombie cat, its legs unsteady and movements disjointed, began to charge toward the far end of the corridor. Yet its movements were so flawed that Yazī had been waiting for this moment.

"Whirling Slash!"

In one fluid motion, Yazī flung his Tang Blade. Spinning at high speed like a meat grinder, the blade raced after the zombie cat. The creature's keen ears caught the whistling sound from behind, and despair filled its eyes. It couldn't understand—after all its cunning in toying with humans and decimating lesser zombies, how had it ended up like this?

The blade sliced through—the zombie cat's leopard‑sized head tumbled to the ground, and its headless body, propelled by inertia, continued its charge for a few more meters before finally collapsing. Blood splattered against the wall, staining the last remaining patches of white completely red.

"DEATH!"

Yazī reached out and caught the returning Tang Blade with ease.

System messages flashed:  

"Congratulations, player 'Yazī' for killing the Level‑9 Bronze BOSS 'Clawed Zombie Cat' – +50 XP, +100 coins." "Congratulations, player 'Yazī' has completed task 'Revenge of the Betrayed Cat'."   "Task Reward: 100 Reputation, 500 coins, 300 XP, one Bronze‑Grade item."   "Congratulations, you have reached Level 7 and earned 1 free attribute point."   "Player 'Yazī' now needs 400 XP for the next level."   "Congratulations, player 'Yazī' is the first in the Apocalypse Game to solo‑kill a Bronze‑Grade BOSS, unlocking the unique global achievement: 'The Bronze Tragedy'."   "Global announcement incoming."

In an instant, messages flooded the screen. As Yazī single‑handedly decimated the Bronze‑Grade BOSS, his XP skyrocketed—he immediately leveled up, and his progress from Level 7 to 8 was filled halfway. Moreover, he received his first precious global broadcast. Through the glass of a nearby office, he saw that the sky over Blue Star had darkened dramatically. At that moment, every player, regardless of their location or status, heard that booming, somber announcement:

"World Announcement: Congratulations to player 'Yazī' for becoming the first in the Apocalypse Game to solo‑kill a Bronze‑Grade BOSS. With his unmatched might, he has stunned the world and unlocked the unique global achievement 'The Bronze Tragedy' along with abundant rewards. Let all players learn from his example."

And thus, once again, the name "Yazī" resounded across the globe.