From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL) Chapter 162: Ashes Beneath the Burning Sky

In City S...

The destruction had already surpassed the limits of human comprehension.

Crumpled bridges lay atop burning vehicles, a gruesome tableau of twisted metal and shattered concrete. Streets once vibrant with life, echoing with laughter and the hum of traffic, now flowed with blood. Thick, black waves of smoke choked the sky, eclipsing the sun and shrouding the entire city in an oppressive, eternal night.

Explosions erupted incessantly.

Buildings succumbed to the onslaught and crumbled.

Desperate gunfire pierced the chaos, only to be drowned out by the cacophony of screams.

The cries of humans intertwined with the horrifying roars of monstrous creatures, creating a soundscape so dreadful that the very air seemed heavy with the scent of death.

"Open fire! Don’t let them get any closer!"

A soldier, eyes bloodshot, yelled as he emptied his rifle's last rounds into the relentless swarm of zombies surging down the street.

Empty shell casings littered the ground.

His hands shook uncontrollably.

Yet, it was futile.

The creatures pressed on, undeterred.

Even as multiple zombies fell with fractured skulls, dozens more clambered over their fallen comrades without pause, advancing like an unstoppable, black tide.

Merely two hours had passed since the catastrophe began.

Yet, the world already bore the scars of a civilization lost to time.

Humanity teetered on the precipice of extinction.

Beside a overturned bus, a woman sobbed inconsolably, cradling her injured husband.

The desperate cries of a child, searching for his mother, echoed from somewhere beneath the debris.

Smoke seared the lungs of all present.

Blood painted every surface a grim crimson.

And still—

The monsters continued their relentless advance.

"Reload! RELOAD!"

"I’m out of ammo!"

"Fall back!"

The defensive line crumbled entirely.

Zombies breached the barricades with horrifying swiftness, throwing themselves upon the soldiers, their decaying jaws and claws tearing at flesh.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

A soldier's scream tore through the battlefield as three zombies dragged him to the ground.

Blood erupted in a gruesome spray.

The others attempted to offer aid—

But another wave crashed into them instantly.

The city had transformed into a charnel house.

Then, abruptly—

BOOOOOOM!!

A colossal shadow descended from above, crushing an armored vehicle under its immense weight.

Metal crumpled as if it were mere paper.

Soldiers nearby were flung aside by the sheer force of the impact.

A hush fell over everyone.

The monstrous entity before them stood over ten meters tall.

Its gargantuan form was encased in decaying flesh, pulsing with thick, black veins. Countless crimson eyes flickered open and shut across its skin in grotesque patterns, while several arachnid-like limbs splayed unnaturally from its back.

The creature unleashed a roar that shook the very earth.

Windows shattered instantaneously.

Nearby buildings trembled violently.

And in the following instant—

Every zombie in the vicinity surged forward in unison.

"Retreat!!"

But it was already too late.

The black tide engulfed the human defense line completely.

Gunfire disappeared beneath an unending chorus of screams.

...

At the heart of the chaotic battlefield, a handful of awakened ability users fought valiantly against the overwhelming horde.

"HAAAAAH!"

A towering young man unleashed a punch of terrifying power, instantly obliterating a zombie’s skull.

His ability merely augmented his physical prowess, yet even with his monstrous strength, exhaustion was evident on his face.

More monsters immediately converged upon him.

Behind him, a girl with short hair flicked her hand sharply.

Several metallic blades, hovering around her, shot forward like deadly projectiles.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Zombie heads exploded in rapid succession.

Another awakened individual stretched both hands outward, and shadows surged across the ground like living entities.

The encroaching darkness ensnared several zombies, immobilizing them just long enough for a speed-type user to dart across the battlefield and sever their heads with blinding speed.

Blood sprayed liberally.

The awakened fighters were potent.

Far more formidable than ordinary humans.

However, they faced a single, terrifying obstacle.

Their sheer numbers.

No matter how many zombies they eliminated—

More kept appearing.

It was as though the apocalypse itself was an endless wellspring.

"Damn it...!"

One of the men collapsed onto a single knee, clutching a deep gash on his shoulder.

"They just keep coming!"

"Don’t let them bite you!" the team leader yelled urgently. "Even a single bite means death!"

But every warrior already understood the grim reality.

Even setting aside the threat of infection...

Their chances of survival were practically nonexistent.

Because in the midst of the battlefield—

That colossal monster remained, an imposing presence.

Observing them.

Its myriad bloodshot eyes slowly scanned the humans, much like a predator watching trapped prey.

And whenever a human attempted to approach it, the lesser monsters would immediately rush to its defense.

It was as though they were intrinsically linked to its will."That entity is controlling them!" someone screamed in desperation. Suddenly— The colossal creature brought one of its massive appendages down onto the ground. BOOOOOOM!! The earth violently fractured and split apart. Vehicles in the vicinity erupted into infernos. Several soldiers were sent hurtling through the air, only to slam into adjacent walls with sickening sounds of fractured bones. "AAAGHHHH!" Blood painted the devastated thoroughfares. Across the chaotic battlefield... Lan Qishing panted heavily, assisting terrified civilians in boarding military transport trucks. "Quickly! Move with more haste!" His attire was stained with blood, grit, and cinders. His entire frame shuddered with sheer exhaustion. For countless hours, he had battled relentlessly, without a moment's respite. Yet, invariably, each time they dared to believe the situation was stabilizing— More abominations materialized. More loss of life. More overwhelming despair. A small boy suddenly clutched his sleeve with a tight grip. "Mister..." the child whimpered, his voice laced with fear, eyes brimming with tears. "Are we going to perish...?" Lan Qishing faltered for a mere half-second. The child couldn't have been more than seven years old. His face was smudged with ash. His tiny hands quivered uncontrollably. Despite the crushing weariness that consumed him, Lan Qishing conjured a smile. "No," he stated with conviction, guiding the child onto the truck. "As long as we are present, you shall endure." But deep within his heart— Even he no longer held faith in those words. Then, abruptly— His body became rigid. His eyes widened in stark terror. A little girl stood isolated in the center of the ravaged street, several meters distant. She was weeping silently, utterly paralyzed by dread. And behind her— A zombie lunged forward with horrifying swiftness. "LOOK OUT!" Lan Qishing sprinted without a second thought. His legs propelled him beyond their absolute limit. But the intervening distance was too vast. Appallingly too vast. And in that critical moment— He understood he would never reach her in time. The monstrosity unhinged its grotesque jaws toward the child— Then—