Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 85
85. The Colossal Zombie (6)
Splash!
Splash!
As Seo A-rin and Lim Jae-beom unleashed their skills, a massive wave erupted from thin air, immediately sweeping over the onrushing zombies.
“What the—”
“Electric!”
Jung A-ram’s murmur followed, but Lee Gang-hyuk paid it no mind, spinning toward Electric and bellowing with all his strength.
“Screech!”
Crackle.
Crackle-crack.
As Electric’s Lightning Bolt struck the wave, the zombies caught in the water seized up and collapsed to the ground.
In turn, the zombies behind them tangled their feet and began tumbling down.
Witnessing this, Lee Gang-hyuk dared to hope they might actually dispatch the creatures, and he shouted toward Jung A-ram.
“We’ll hold the line here with everything we’ve got. You take care of that thing!”
“Roger! Whew—whistle!”
Alarmed by the sudden wave, Jung A-ram hastily blew her whistle in response.
A giant wave and electrical attacks.
It was an assault she’d never anticipated, but seeing that the tide of zombies could be sufficiently contained, Jung A-ram followed Lee Gang-hyuk’s instructions.
And so…
The Jungnang-gu Alliance members drew their bowstrings again and attacked the massive zombie, both its legs already severed.
Lee Gang-hyuk sent all his tamed zombies and skeletons surging forward to strike those paralyzed, then reconstructed the wall encasing the colossal zombie as a Bone Sphere and ordered Lim Jae-beom to collect it.
Splash.
Splash.
As ten water serpents circled about recovering the Bone Sphere, the colossal zombie hurled its fist toward them.
Boom!
Splat.
“Raaaaaaaaagh!”
Having only managed to kill a single water serpent, the creature shrieked as though all its frustration had at last found release.
At that moment…
The collapsed zombies lurched upright.
From their trembling bodies, the paralysis clearly hadn’t fully worn off.
Yet they forced themselves up regardless, wailing like the colossal zombie, and bolted toward the Baseball Stadium.
‘Fast!’
The movement of those heading toward the stadium was far swifter than usual.
Strange.
They shouldn’t be capable of such speed.
From what he was seeing, it felt as though his own Command Domain had been transmitted to these common zombies.
Which meant…
‘That creature’s doing.’
If ordinary zombies behaved differently from their norm, there could be only one explanation.
The colossal zombie.
It seemed that creature possessed an ability similar to his Command Domain.
‘Perhaps it’s an ability to lure zombies.’
The capacity to draw in common zombies and consume them.
He’d wondered how the Groller Bear in the Underground Parking Lot—immobilized by its own massive bulk—could have lured and consumed zombies at all.
But now it made sense that it might have done so precisely this way.
And now…
The creature that had mutated into the colossal zombie was unmistakably luring the surrounding zombies not to feed, but to eliminate the threats against itself.
“Lim Jae-beom! Stack the Bone Spheres over there!”
“Screech!”
Splash!
As the water serpents that had survived the colossal zombie’s assault returned with the recovered Bone Spheres, Lee Gang-hyuk pointed to the fence and shouted.
The moment the water serpents headed toward it, Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin drew near.
“A-rin, would you be able to use that skill again?”
“I can manage once more.”
Because the skill’s power was immense, its Core Force drain had been substantial—Seo A-rin’s face was drained of all color, white as chalk.
The toll of such massive energy expenditure.
One careless overuse of skills and she might collapse entirely.
So Lee Gang-hyuk nodded reassuringly and spoke.
“Then wait, and when I give the signal, use it then. For now, just focus on recovering your Core Force. And take this—it’ll help you recover faster!”
“A staff? Ah, understood!”
Seo A-rin took the Obsidian Staff and, following Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, closed her eyes and concentrated solely on replenishing her Core Force.
“Hwa-rin, focus on targeting those in the rear as best you can. Tactical Processing!”
As the water serpents arrived at the fence, Lee Gang-hyuk activated Tactical Processing while addressing Seo Hwa-rin.
Immediately, the Bone Spheres the water serpents held in their mouths transformed into spiky Barricades, and Seo Hwa-rin’s assault began.
“Fire Wall! Burst Burn!”
Whoosh.
Whoosh-whoosh.
This Fire Wall had a considerable range.
He’d thought she meant to sacrifice power for wider coverage to block more zombies, but when Marks appeared above the heads of those struck by the Fire Wall, he understood at once.
Simultaneously…
Dozens of flames manifested in midair, striking the Marked zombies with perfect precision.
Swoosh.
“Burst Burn!”
Poppoppop!
Bang! Boom!
Boom-boom!
The moment the Marks transformed into her signature, Burst Burn rocketed at them again, and explosions erupted across the rear ranks, hurling those zombies backward.
“Leader, coming to support! Flame Stream!”
Whoooosh!
As the rear zombies lost their footing, Seo Hwa-rin shouted and struck those clawing at the Barricades.
“Bone Assassins, disrupt the rear! Everyone else, keep hammering the front ranks!”
Lee Gang-hyuk issued commands to his zombies and skeletons, then glanced back.
He needed to check on Jung A-ram’s team.
‘No problems. Ranged support really is essential.’
True to their composition of exclusively Ranger Class members.
They kept their distance from the massive zombie with both legs shattered, launching volleys from afar.
At this pace, the creature wouldn’t last much longer. Satisfied, Lee Gang-hyuk realized the importance of ranged units and resolved to craft ranged-class skeletons upon his return.
‘Come to think of it…’
The moment he decided to create ranged skeletons, the Obsidian Staff he’d given Seo A-rin flashed through his mind.
If he crafted skeletons from the Obsidian Staff, he could obtain magic-class units.
‘I’ll need to weigh that too.’
Whether to use the staff as material for skeleton creation or wield it as a weapon for now—he’d have to decide.
‘All right. Let’s go.’
Having settled his thoughts, Lee Gang-hyuk stretched his hand toward those engaged with the zombies.
“Tactical Processing!”
Fresh Barricades erupted beneath the zombies’ feet.
Without pause, he activated Tactical Processing again, reconstructing fractured Bone Shielder’s Bone worn from the forward line’s combat and passing it to a water serpent.
When his tamed zombie fell, he employed Corpse Manipulation to convert a new one, maintaining the front line.
Though the flood of zombies meant he couldn’t dispatch them all at once, he should be able to hold until Jung A-ram’s team arrived.
Then it happened.
Seo A-rin, who had been concentrating on Core Force recovery, opened her eyes and spoke.
“I think my level is about to rise! I’m going to attack like before!”
“Go ahead!”
When Awakeners level up, all Health and Mana are fully restored.
Having recovered enough Core Force to avoid collapse even after summoning the wave, Seo A-rin sought permission from Lee Gang-hyuk to attack before her level rose.
Hearing the welcome news, Lee Gang-hyuk assented, and her body began flooding with tremendous Core Force.
“Aqua Field!”
“Screech!”
Perhaps because they’d coordinated skills once before?
When Seo A-rin activated her skill, Lim Jae-beom responded, raising a wave.
It was a vastly more powerful surge than before, leaving only enough Core Force to keep her from unconsciousness.
Simultaneously…
Electric, who had been standing by for cooperation with Seo A-rin, growled and unleashed a barrage of Lightning Bolts.
“Screeeech!”
Crackle.
Crackle-crack.
Boom-boom-boom!
“Tactical Processing!”
As the colossal wave charged forward electrified, driving the zombies back, Lee Gang-hyuk swiftly erected Barricades where they’d been standing.
“Ugh.”
From so many consecutive skill activations, his Mana felt depleted, and nausea churned in his stomach.
‘About twenty percent left. What about experience?’
Despite the dizzy haze from Mana depletion, he checked his remaining experience.
Eighty-seven percent.
Like Seo A-rin, his level would rise soon.
Or perhaps when Jung A-ram’s team defeated the colossal zombie.
Either way, processing the flood of zombies should net him a level.
This was enough.
Just a bit longer, and everyone could escape alive.
“Charge!”
His will burning bright, Lee Gang-hyuk roared, and those in formation raised their weapons and surged at the zombies.
Those seized by the electrical wave, paralyzed, had no chance to defend against the onslaught—they fell motionless to the ground.
And so…
How many did they kill?
“Level Up!”
Seo A-rin, who’d been teetering on the edge of collapse, suddenly widened her eyes and cried out, immediately deploying another skill.
“Aqua Field!”
This time too she sought to combine strength with Lim Jae-beom, but unlike her, his Core Force was exhausted—he stood motionless and blank.
“Groan.”
Crackle.
Electric still had some Core Force left and unleashed Lightning Bolts, but immediately after, he collapsed limp to the ground.
Electric too had exhausted his Core Force.
“Both of you did well. Fall back.”
Lee Gang-hyuk commended the exhausted pair, withdrew them, and issued fresh attack orders.
At that moment, a notification blazed before his eyes.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Hunt a Mutated Zombie that has completed its second Evolution.]
– You have successfully hunted a Mutated Zombie that has completed its second Evolution for the first time.
[You receive bonus experience for this achievement.]
[Congratulations. Your level has risen. All physical stats increase by 1.]
……
……
[Expended Health and Mana have been restored.]
‘Nice!’
Jung A-ram’s team had finally defeated the colossal zombie—the achievement notification confirmed it, and every eye gleamed.
Moreover, as Lee Gang-hyuk’s level rose as predicted, the nausea vanished, and he nodded in satisfaction.
“All right. Phase Two begins now.”
His level had risen, restoring all Health and Mana, and not only that—Jung A-ram’s team joined the fight as well.
Several members of her team had leveled up too during the colossal zombie battle, their movements even swifter than before.
“We’ll spread out and attack. Just keep drawing Aggro like you have been!”
“Focus on the ones with Marks on their heads first. If you feel Aggro shifting, don’t overextend—come straight to me.”
“Yes! Whew! Whistle, whistle!”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s call to draw Aggro, Jung A-ram answered brightly and blew her whistle.
Shwak—
Shwak-shwak.
The Jungnang-gu Alliance members immediately fanned out with practiced ease, took their positions, and drew their bowstrings.
‘The whistle signal system isn’t half bad.’
Their own signal system relied only on hand gestures and predetermined actions.
Dependence on sight meant they always had to stay close, a limitation.
But whistles compensated for that shortcoming beautifully.
Of course…
Whistles weren’t entirely without drawbacks.
Anyone could easily imitate them.
‘So only Jung A-ram sent signals? To listen with her ears and confirm with her eyes?’
Certainly, having only the team leader issue signals negated the whistle system’s weakness.
But that required relying on both hearing and sight, which could cause confusion in urgent situations…
Reaching that thought, Lee Gang-hyuk nodded as he watched them begin firing.
‘That’s only possible because all the team members are Ranger Class.’
Rangers possessed the most developed senses among all Awakeners.
With such keen dynamic vision, coordination became feasible.
‘Adapting that for our team would take considerable work.’
One learns from anyone, even a child.
So he’d glean whatever he could from them without reservation.
‘Now that we’re working together, I should extract every advantage I can.’
Lee Gang-hyuk thought thus, surveying the battlefield, when an odd sense of disquiet made him pause and glance around.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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