Marvel: Umbrella Corporation-Chapter 158: The Emergence of the Mystic Side

Natasha reached out slightly as she watched Daisy run off, but in the end, she refrained from saying anything to stop her.

After all, when they had fought Apocalypse before, Lorna and Erik had been the main force in the battle. It was impossible for her to turn her back on them so soon.

She was no longer the cold, heartless spy she once was—now, she was a person with emotions.

Even though she was still willing to engage in some morally questionable transactions for the sake of her goals, betraying her comrades wasn't something she could bring herself to do.

As Erik and Lorna seized control of the surrounding metal, Daisy charged forward and struck down with a powerful punch.

"Seismic Force!"

The zombified Erik's vacant eyes betrayed no reaction. However, just as Daisy's seismic force was about to hit him, he suddenly leaped from his wheelchair, retreating swiftly.

*Boom!*

A powerful shockwave blasted the ground, creating a massive crater ten meters in diameter. In the next instant, metallic debris from the surroundings flew toward Daisy at high speed.

Startled, she quickly retreated, but Lorna reacted in time, halting the flying shards before they could reach Daisy.

At that moment, Erik made his next move.

"Come to me, my child..."

As he spoke, Erik extended his hand toward Lorna in an inviting gesture.

Seeing this, Lorna's face was filled with disbelief.

"Father... You're..."

"Yes, I have become a zombie, but I have also regained my memories. I... am the new Zombie King!"

With a furious roar, a massive horde of zombies suddenly emerged from the surrounding darkness. These were the zombies of Baghdad.

The earlier battle had long since drawn their attention, but the overwhelming aura of the Tyrant had kept them at bay. Now, at the command of their new king, they swarmed forward.

Lorna should have been overjoyed to see that her father had regained his intelligence, but instead, a profound unease settled in her heart.

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Something told her that the man before her was not truly her father.

When Erik saw that Lorna still hesitated, he showed no frustration. Instead, he began to manipulate the surrounding metal, launching a renewed assault on Daisy.

However, Lorna quickly countered, seizing control of the metal once more, resulting in a deadlock.

"Child, stop resisting me!"

Erik's furious shout shook the air, making Lorna flinch. And in that moment, she finally realized the truth.

"You are not my father! Who are you?"

"Heh... My dear child, if I am not your father, then who else could I be?"

As he spoke, Erik's eyes began to glow with dark energy, exuding a sinister aura under the moonlight.

At that moment, a black shadow emerged behind him—an entity with demonic wings and curved horns, like a specter from the depths of hell.

Seeing this, Lorna, Natasha, and Daisy all instinctively stepped back.

"Kekeke... Since you've figured it out, then die!"

With a shrill laugh, tens of thousands of zombies rushed toward them at once.

Despair filled their hearts.

Even if the zombies stood still and let them kill them one by one, there were simply too many to handle.

Just then, three figures came running toward them from the distance.

"Help!"

"Run for your lives!"

It was Logan, Victor, and Sam.

After escaping the battlefield, they had discovered the zombies swarming the perimeter. Initially, they had tried to sneak away, but with no clear escape route and the sheer number of undead, they had no choice but to flee back toward the others.

But even with their added strength, it made no difference. They were still vastly outnumbered.

"Lorna, use your powers to fly us out of here!" Sam, in a desperate bid, shouted the idea.

Lorna glanced at the demonic entity possessing Erik and shook her head. There was no way he would allow her to escape.

At that moment, helicopters suddenly appeared in the sky above them. It was the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., searching for the nuclear warhead.

Seeing them, hope flickered in Lorna's eyes.

But just as quickly, despair returned. Erik lifted a hand, and the helicopters began shaking violently, metal components threatening to tear apart.

In response, Lorna abandoned any thought of seizing control of the helicopters. Instead, she focused all her strength on attacking Erik with a barrage of metal shards.

Her goal was simple—to force Erik to defend himself and prevent him from destroying the aircraft.

The agents on board noticed the group below and began descending rapidly.

"Natasha, did you locate the nuke?"

"The nuke?"

Natasha, climbing aboard the helicopter, looked puzzled. But then she recalled the missile from earlier and her face darkened.

"Wait... Are you saying that you tried to kill us with a nuke?"

"Not you. Cassandra Nova. If she survives, humanity has no future."

As logical as the explanation was, Natasha couldn't help but feel betrayed. The others who had managed to board the helicopter shared her sentiment.

They had all just barely escaped death, only to learn that they had been collateral damage in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s grander plan.

The cabin fell into silence.

Lorna was the last to board, her voice urgent, "Hurry! Take off! I don't know how much longer I can hold him off!"

The pilot hesitated, glancing at Natasha for confirmation. She was the highest-ranking agent present.

"Go. Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

Whirrr...

The rotor blades whined as the helicopter ascended.

On the ground, Erik—no, the entity possessing him—watched them go, a smirk on his lips as he turned toward the western horizon.

"This world... is even more fascinating than I imagined. Hahaha..."

With his eerie laughter, black mist erupted from his body, spreading across the entire city of Baghdad, enveloping the countless zombies below.

As they absorbed the dark energy, their eyes ignited with eerie green flames.

At that moment, a golden portal appeared behind Erik. A bald woman in robes stepped out.

"Lucifer, Lord of the Underworld... why have you come here?"

Hearing her voice, Erik turned, his smirk widening.

"These corpses exist in a state neither alive nor dead. I am merely following the essence of death itself. Why should I not be here, Ancient One?"

The Ancient One's calm gaze swept over the scene before her.

"These bodies... are already dead."

A golden sigil expanded beneath her feet, stretching over ten square kilometers.

Instantly, the zombies within began to wail, their bodies decaying into black sludge. But within seconds, black veins of energy began corrupting the sigil.

The Ancient One withdrew her power and gazed at Lucifer solemnly, "How much longer can you keep this up?"

Lucifer merely chuckled, his energy leaving Erik's body.

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