Echoes of Power
The shattered doors of the community center groaned open as Leo limped in, his body trailing streaks of blood. His cloak was shredded, his eyes glazed with exhaustion. Each step seemed like a battle in itself. The survivors inside froze, their conversations dying mid-sentence as they stared at the bloodied figure returning from the abyss.
Elite, standing near the wall, muttered under his breath, not realizing Ana was within earshot.
"Man… did you see him? That guy looked like death incarnate. That aura around him... felt like he wasn't even human anymore."
Another chimed in, "I heard he walked out of that mutant zone alone. What if he's one of them? What if the zombies evolved him to infiltrate us?"
Ana's glare could have cracked stone.
"Shut it," she snapped, stepping forward. "None of you can even survive a pack of crawlers alone, and you're here judging the one who keeps pulling you out of death's mouth? You want to live? Then stop whining and get stronger. Or stay quiet."
The murmurs died instantly. But even Ana, fierce as she was, couldn't quell the quiet knot in her own chest. She had seen it too—something in Leo's eyes. A calm that wasn't human.
Leo collapsed into a wooden chair near the center of the room, barely managing to sit upright. His torso was covered in deep cuts, and dried blood had caked around his arms and neck. The silence stretched until Victoria broke it by walking to him.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
He didn't answer. His lips barely moved.
"Treat me."
Victoria turned to Ana, who fetched the first aid kit without another word. Together, the two women patched him up—cleaning his wounds, wrapping gauze around his chest and arms. Neither asked questions. The air around him was different now—heavy, like a storm cloud before lightning struck.
Outside, as the sun fell behind a horizon jagged with ruined buildings, the survivors lit a bonfire to fend off the chill. They gathered around it, talking in low tones, hesitant laughter emerging in bits and pieces.
Stories of life before the world ended floated up—of lost families, abandoned dreams, and old memories trying to resurface like forgotten songs. For a while, they were human again.
Damien, staring into the flames, broke the mood.
"The world's gone mad," he said. "What are we supposed to do? Just keep hiding?"
Leo stirred. His eyes opened, colder than before.
"We don't hide," he said. "We survive. And we grow."
Everyone turned to him, silent.
Leo stood up slowly, his form still covered in bandages. "This place is just a starting point. If we don't expand—if we don't rule—then we die like the rest."
And as if summoned by his words, a sharp chime rang in everyone's mind.
> [WORLD SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: GLOBAL RANKINGS UNLOCKED]
[NEW FEATURE: SURVIVOR POWER RANKING SYSTEM ENABLED]
[WORLD CHAT CHANNEL: Now Accessible]
Suddenly, glowing interfaces blinked to life before every survivor's eyes. A new system tab unfurled.
---
Top Ten Global Survivors (Power Tier Rankings)
1. Selene – Tier: Eternal [Stage 2] – Location: Tokyo, Japan
2. Magnus Korr – Tier: Eternal [Stage 2] – Location: Alberta, Canada
3. Leo – Tier: Awakened [Stage 0] – Location: Unknown
4. Kade – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 9] – Location: Egypt
5. Kaiya – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 8] – Location: Amazon Rainforest
6. Jin-Mu – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 8] – Location: Hangzhou, China
7. Erika Frost – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 7] – Location: Arctic Circle
8. Reaver – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 7] – Location: Siberian Wastes
9. Caligo – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 6] – Location: Rome, Italy
10. Voltz – Tier: High-Awakened [Stage 6] – Location: Queensland, Australia
---
The survivors around the bonfire gasped.
"Leo… you're ranked third?" Elite muttered, stunned. "But those top two… They're on another level entirely."
Leo stared silently at the ranking list. Eternal Tier—two full stages above him. He clenched his fists.
Inside his mind, something stirred. So… this is the competition. Then I'll break through faster. Harder.
Ana's eyes flicked from Leo to the list, then back. Her brows furrowed. She knew he was powerful—but third in the world?
Victoria whispered, "So the world really is keeping score now."
But this was only the beginning.
---
Across the Globe…
Tokyo, Japan – On a skyscraper choked in ivy and glowing tech, Selene stood atop a digital throne, her black katana humming.
"A bloodline mutation user… how interesting," she smiled. "I wonder how long he'll last."
Alberta, Canada – Magnus Korr, muscles like mountains, stared at the sky. His war hammer glowed faintly.
"Hah! Finally, someone with bite. Come, little wolf."
Amazon Rainforest – Surrounded by mutated panthers and vine beasts, Kaiya grinned.
"If he climbs higher, I'll have to hunt him down personally."
Arctic Circle – Amid a blizzard, Erika Frost drew her sword.
"A vampire ascension... how poetic."
Hangzhou, China – Jin-Mu stared at Leo's ranking through a dozen holographic screens.
"Unknown mutation detected. Blood Path… experimental variables increasing. Must monitor."
Even the lesser-known powerhouses stirred.
The apocalypse had shifted.
---
Back at the Community Center…
The survivors buzzed with whispers. Names they'd never heard. Powers they couldn't imagine.
Damien exhaled. "So… there are others out there. Stronger. Smarter. We're just a spec in a bigger war."
"I thought Leo was a monster," muttered one. "But those other guys... they sound worse."
Ana stayed silent. She didn't know what scared her more—that Leo was ranked third, or that he wasn't first.
---
That night, Leo couldn't sleep.
He lay alone, staring at the cracked ceiling above, thoughts swirling.
A Blood Path. An empire. Global competitors. And something darker awakening in him.
When he finally drifted into unconsciousness, his dreams twisted into nightmares again.
---
In the Blood Realm…
The sky was blood-red. Bone towers scraped the heavens. Corpses floated on crimson waves.
Leo wandered, following whispers.
At the center of it all stood a throne of sinew and glass. And seated upon it—himself. Or… a version of himself.
Eyes black as void. Fangs bared. A twisted crown of bones on his head.
"You're progressing," the darker Leo said.
Leo clenched his fists. "I'm in control."
The other smiled. "Not for long. The more power you take… the less of you remains."
From the throne's base, thousands of eyeless corpses emerged. Among them—Ana, Victoria, Damien.
Leo screamed, "No!"
The tyrant version stepped closer. "Power demands sacrifice."
And with that, the blood sea surged, drowning the light.
---
Leo awoke with a gasp, drenched in cold sweat.
Outside, the wind howled.
Inside his chest, something pulsed.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Hunger.