Meanwhile, on the wall, James was laying down, calm and unbothered, as if the chaos below didn’t exist. And from the beginning, he was just eating apples continuously.

He took a bite. Crunch. Sweet. Crisp. His other hand rested steadily on the trigger of his sniper, the Viper-X Longshot. Through the scope, the battlefield slowed down for him. With his enhanced vision, everything became clear and precise.

Every zombie’s movement appeared slower and predictable, and even distance no longer mattered, he could see everything perfectly.

Berserker Zombies, twenty-five of them, were scattered across the advancing wave. But to James, they were no different from normal zombies through the Viper-X Longshot.

He chewed calmly, adjusted his aim, and controlled his breathing with perfect precision.

"BOOM."

The rifle roared. The recoil pressed into his shoulder, but his body didn’t move. Through the scope, he saw it clearly, the bullet cutting through the air and striking a Berserker’s skull. Entering very calmly but existing very violently. The head snapped back, and the body collapsed mid-run.

He took another bite. Crunch.

"BOOM." Second shot. Another Berserker fell. This one tried to zigzag, but James had already calculated its path. The bullet met it exactly where it would be.

Even at nearly one kilometer, his accuracy didn’t drop. Distance gave him time, to read, to predict, to end.

For James, elite zombies didn’t matter. He believed he alone was enough for hundreds of them. All he needed was the Viper-X Longshot in his hands. If Isha had assigned him more than just the Berserker targets, he would have wiped out all the elites before they even reached the gate.

---

Meanwhile, while James was having the easiest time, someone else was enjoying it even more.

Pooja, She wasn’t just fighting, she was playing.

A wide, almost unhinged smile spread across her face as flames flickered around her fingers.

"Ahh... finally something fun!" she laughed.

Her eyes locked onto a group of Rot Spreader Zombies slowly advancing, their bloated bodies leaking dark fluid. She raised her hand dramatically, striking a pose.

"Crimson Flame—First Bloom!"

A wave of fire burst forward, spiraling outward like a blooming flower. It engulfed three Rot Spreaders at once. For a split second, they stood still. But the next moment.

"FWOOM!!!" They ignited completely.

Their swollen bodies turned into fuel, erupting into intense flames that spread to the surrounding normal zombies.

They screamed together, as multiple zombies burned together, collapsing into charred remains.

Her team behind her cheered for her.

"Nice one, Pooja sis!!"

"Again! Again Pooja sis!"

Pooja laughed louder. "Of course~!" She spun lightly as flames gathered again in her palm.

"Inferno Drop!" She slammed her hand downward.

A concentrated fire blast struck the ground, erupting upward like a pillar and swallowing two more Rot Spreaders instantly. Their bodies didn’t even have time to react, they were gone, reduced to ash.

Her team clapped and shouted from behind.

"Leader Pooja is unstoppable!"

"Burn them all, Pooja sis!"

"Send them to hell Pooja sis!"

Within seconds, all Rot Spreaders were gone, completely burned out of existence.

As the last Rot Spreader burned into nothingness, Pooja exhaled lightly and lifted her gaze. Her eyes shifted toward the Leaper Zombies. Dozens of them were already closing in, their bodies crouching and springing forward in rapid bursts.

No one was intercepting them yet. She clicked her tongue. "Troublesome."

Without wasting time, she raised her hand and gave a quick signal toward the wall.

James saw it immediately and nodded, calm as ever.

There was only one Berserker left in his scope. He took a bite of his apple, crunch, then adjusted his aim slightly.

"BOOM." The final Berserker’s head snapped back, its body collapsing instantly, finishing the last Berserker zombie.

He swallowed and shifted his scope. Now his focus moved to the Leapers, dozens of fast-moving, unpredictable targets.

But to him, they were still just playing targets. He steadied his breathing again.

"BOOM." One Leaper dropped mid-jump. Another was pierced through the chest before it could land.

---

Meanwhile, Pooja had already moved. She reached Vikrant’s position in seconds.

He was already preparing another shockwave.

"BOOM!"

A wave burst out, disrupting two Screamers and breaking their rhythm. But they weren’t dying fast enough. Pooja crossed her arms and looked at him.

"How many have you killed?"

Vikrant stiffened. "...One." He scratched his cheek slightly, embarrassed.

Pooja blinked, "Huh."

For a moment, it looked like she might explode at him. But instead, she sighed, "Fine."

She cracked her knuckles lightly as flames began to gather again. "You just disrupt them. Break their screams."

She pointed forward, "Leave the rest to me."

Vikrant nodded quickly. "Okay... sister." There was no hesitation in his tone.

Ahead, the Screamers opened their mouths again.

"SKREEEEEEEEEEE—!!!"

The sound began to rise, but before they screamed properly.

"BOOM!" Vikrant struck again. A shockwave burst out, and their voices broke mid-scream.

Pooja stepped forward, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Now... let’s burn properly."

Flames gathered in both her hands, brighter, hotter and wilder. The battlefield was about to burn again.

---

While most of the fight was under control, the pressure wasn’t the same everywhere. Some teams were still struggling, especially where numbers overlapped. But for the majority, it was manageable.

At the center of it, Isha stood, facing both Apex Zombies, the Hulking and the Plague Bringer.

A translucent green shield formed around her body, and a mask materialized over her face. Yet even through that, the decaying smell reached her.

It was unbearable to smell, but even then no one can complain.

The Plague Bringer exhaled slowly, and a faint dark mist leaked from its body, spreading outward like an infection. The ground beneath it blackened and corroded, and even the air felt heavier.

Isha’s brows tightened slightly. "...Annoying."

Meanwhile, Arjun had done his job perfectly. Around the two Apex Zombies, all the normal zombies were gone. Even stray elites had been eliminated.

They had no distractions, it was a clean area, and just three figures stood: Isha, the Hulking, and the Plague Bringer.

But even seeing a human near them, both Apex Zombies didn’t move.

The Hulking’s chest rose slowly, while the Plague Bringer tilted its head slightly, its hollow eyes fixed on Isha. Even knowing that if Isha’s team would come, she would gain upperhand, but they didn’t move.

There was no mindless charge, no random roar, no reaction to their fallen army. It was as if they didn’t care about the normal zombies, and elite zombies.

Vikram, watching from the wall, narrowed his eyes. "They’re... different."

Sana nodded slowly. "Apex Zombies are not like the others. They have instincts. Some even say... they can think."

---

After all the elite zombies had been cleared and nearly all the remaining zombies were wiped out, the battlefield around the Apex finally opened up.

Pooja landed first, flames still dancing around her arms. Raghav and Imran followed, their breathing heavier now but their eyes sharp. Neha slid into position instantly, already scanning the surroundings, while Vikrant stepped in, gathering force into his stance.

Arjun was already there, waiting, watching and calculating everything.

Isha didn’t turn back. Her eyes remained locked on the two Apex.

Then she spoke. "Arjun, Imran, Raghav, Neha, Vikrant, Pooja, handle the Plague Bringer. I’ll take the Hulking."

"Yes, Captain!" They moved instantly.

The moment they stepped closer, the Plague Bringer reacted. Its body expanded slightly, and.

"FSSSSSSSS—"

A thick wave of black-green mist burst outward.

"Back!" Arjun shouted.

Everyone shifted instantly, but even then, the mist spread fast, too fast. The moment it touched the ground, the earth began to rot, corrode, and bubble.

"This thing is toxic!" Neha warned. "Don’t let it spread!" Raghav said.

"Too late for that," Pooja smirked. "Then we burn it." She stepped forward.

"Flame Curtain!"

A wall of fire rose in front of them, clashing directly with the incoming mist. For a moment, fire and decay collided, and steam hissed into the air.

Imran stepped forward with his shield raised. The mist hit him, but his reinforced body held. His shield began to corrode slightly, but he didn’t move.

"Raghav—!"

"I see it!" Raghav rushed in from the side, targeting the Plague Bringer directly. He jumped and punched.

"BOOM!!"

The hit landed on its bloated torso. But instead of breaking, the body absorbed the impact. A ripple spread through it, like hitting liquid.

"What—?" The Plague Bringer released a burst of gas at point-blank range.

"FSSSHHH!!!" Raghav was forced back immediately.

"Don’t hit it blindly!" Neha shouted. "Its body isn’t solid!"

"Then where do we hit?" Imran asked.

"Wait—" Neha narrowed her eyes and fired.

"BANG!" The bullet pierced into a swollen node on its shoulder.

"SPLOOSH!"

It burst, and black fluid spilled out. The Plague Bringer twitched violently.

"That’s it!" she shouted. "Those sacs, those are weak points!"

"HAHA—now that’s fun!" Pooja laughed.

Flames surged again. "Blazing Burst!"

Fire struck directly onto multiple sacs, one, two, three, and they exploded in rapid succession, forcing the Plague Bringer to let out a distorted, gurgling scream.

"SKRRRRAAAHHH!!" Its mist intensified, wilder, more unstable.

"Vikrant, now!" Arjun shouted.

A shockwave blasted forward, disrupting the expanding mist and pushing it back momentarily.

"Keep breaking its rhythm!" Arjun commanded.

Neha fired again. "BANG! BANG!"

More sacs burst apart. Imran charged through the weakened mist, ignoring the corrosion, and slammed his shield into the creature.

"THUD!!" Raghav followed.

"BOOM!!" This time, they targeted the ruptured areas.

The Plague Bringer staggered, but still, it didn’t fall. Instead, it began expanding. Its body is swelling, unstable.

"Something’s wrong!" Neha warned them again.

"It’s going to explode—!" Arjun shouted.

"BACK!!" Everyone jumped away just in time.

"BOOOOOOOM!!!" A massive burst of toxic gas erupted outward. The ground turned black instantly, and even the air warped.

"Damn it..." Pooja muttered. "This one’s not dying easily."

The toxic explosion settled, but not completely. A thin layer of black mist still lingered on the ground, crawling like a living thing.

"Don’t touch the ground directly!" Arjun warned. "It’s still active!"

The Plague Bringer changed.

Its bloated body shrank slightly after the explosion, but its surface now pulsed unevenly. New sacs began forming across its torso, swelling rapidly.

"It’s regenerating!" Neha said, already firing.

"BANG! BANG!" Two sacs burst, but three more formed.

"...Great," Raghav muttered.

"Then we don’t give it time," Imran said. He stepped forward again, shield raised, pushing through the toxic haze.

"Cover me!"

"I’ve got you!" Neha replied. She repositioned instantly.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!" Every bullet cleared a path, destroying sacs before they could fully form.

Pooja stepped in beside them, flames surging wildly. "Let’s turn this into a furnace."

"Hellflare Collapse." She thrust both hands forward.

A concentrated inferno slammed into the Plague Bringer, engulfing it completely. This time, it was not able to spread and inside the flames, its body writhed and twisted.

"SKRRRRAAAAA—!!!"

The fire burned for a few more seconds, then slowly faded, and there was nothing remained, the Plague Bringer was gone.

---

On the other side, the battle had intensified. The Hulking was adapting, it was reacting and learning.

Isha dashed forward again, with the blade in her hand.

"SHHHK!!" A deep cut sliced across its arm, but this time it didn’t lose balance. Instead, it grabbed her mid-motion. And slammed her down.

"BOOOOOOM!!!" The ground cracked beneath her. For the first time, she was hit cleanly.

From the wall, Vikram’s eyes widened. "Aunt—!"

But before the Hulking could follow up, its body froze for a brief moment.

Its grip loosened. Isha stood up, calm and unshaken. Her aura had changed, brighter, sharper, heavier. Even the air around her felt different.

She didn’t speak or rush, she simply walked forward. The Hulking roared again, but this time there was hesitation, instinct warning it that something was wrong.

Isha raised her hand. The blade formed again, but now it wasn’t just a blade. It extended and condensed into a long, radiant weapon, like a spear of light.

She stepped in, fast, too fast. The Hulking tried to react, but the spear pierced straight through its chest, clean from front to back. For the first time, the Hulking froze completely. Its body trembled, its roar cut off.

Isha twisted the weapon and pulled it out, then followed with a final strike.

"SHHHK!!!" The head separated, clean and instant. The massive body stood for a second before collapsing.

Both Apex were dead. The battlefield was cleared. But everyone knew it wasn’t over yet, one wave still remained.