’This guy...’

Smiling with disgust, Marcus attacked him. He discarded his sword and shifted his arms into swords, using them to fight.

Leon blocked with the flat of his blade, then spun in one position.

Marcus’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly crossed his arms before his chest.

Clang!

The heavy black blade slammed into his crossed arms, and he was lifted off his feet, sent flying into one of the old buildings around.

Bang! Crash!

Leon didn’t wait to confirm the damage done. He turned around and dashed at the armed men surrounding Marie.

Instantly, the four evolvers rushed to attack him. Leon didn’t bother engaging them in combat. He simply chained their legs to the ground using shadow cuffs, then knocked them down with chops to their necks.

The four guys crumpled to the ground, and immediately, the rest fired shots at Leon.

He immediately raised his arms to cover his face, then stabbed their legs with shadow spears.

"Ah!"

The men cried out in surprise and pain, and they all fell to the ground, losing their grip on their weapons and clutching their bleeding legs.

"Hm, that solves it. We’re leaving," Leon said as he approached the mother-daughter duo.

"You bastard-!"

From behind, Marcus roared as he shot straight at Leon, slicing at his neck. However, before he could even reach him, his legs were restrained by heavy chains made of darkness, and he was forced to stop.

"Bastard!!!"

Leon didn’t waste time. He could already see the other armed men coming closer and raising their guns. They would shoot anytime soon.

So, he grabbed the child from Marie, holding her protectively. Then, he grabbed Marie’s arm and pulled her with him as he made a huge jump.

With his strength being monstrous compared to a normal human, he could easily jump several meters into the air, defying gravity for a while longer.

Rat-at-at-at-at-at-at-at...!

Gunshots rang out as bullets followed him through the air. Many missed, but a few landed on his back. Thankfully, the Asura Armor protected him. As for his unprotected body parts like his joints or neck, there was no need to be worried.

His silver hide was strong enough to resist the bullets. He only felt slight pain, like someone had stoned him.

"Seize him! Don’t let him go!" Marcus roared as he broke free from the chains, then stubbornly chased after Leon.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a sniper rifle from one of his injured men, then fired accurate shots at the back of Leon’s head.

The blows didn’t injure him, but it annoyed him. Still, it wasn’t enough to slow him down.

Seeing this, Marcus changed target. He shifted his aim to Marie who was struggling to keep up with Leon’s speed, then fired a shot at her arm. The bullet barely dug into her skin since she was wearing a set of combat gear, but it still caused her to falter.

Leon paused briefly, and his gaze flicked to her.

’Her agility stats are lower than mine. If I go at full speed, she’ll be left in the dust, and that guy will catch up to her.’

Noticing Marcus closing the gap from behind, Leon sighed and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close.

He placed her under his arm, then continued sprinting. Although he had now added her to the weight he carried, his speed barely decreased.

"Stop! Don’t you dare kidnap my family!"

Hearing Marcus still roaring and shooting from behind, Leon couldn’t help but feel that this guy was delusional.

’So annoying. But I can’t allow him to know we stay at the hotel. How do I get him off m—hm?!’

Suddenly, he felt his body stiffen, and even Marie became startled. The two of them had clearly felt a dreadful presence, and Leon couldn’t help but gulp.

He paused and looked back. Marcus had stopped too, looking around warily.

Leon’s eyes narrowed, and he passed the child back to Marie. A frown appeared on his face, and he finally saw the reason for his unease.

A yellow-eyed zombie stood atop a two-story building. Against the black sky of the night, it looked ominous.

Everyone unconsciously stepped back, their faces pale.

"What kind of zombie is that?" Marie asked, her voice quivering with fear. She held her daughter tightly, then unconsciously hid behind Leon.

Leon couldn’t answer, because Thyra also had a grim expression on her face.

"Leon, you absolutely cannot fight this thing. It’s not a regular zombie, and it’s not of any of the kinds that I’ve mentioned to you in the past."

His heart tightened, and he knew she was right. He could feel every instinct in his body screaming at him to run.

This zombie was an absolute menace.

’I want to run, but I can tell that it’d be a fatal mistake to turn my back on this thing.’

Then, he glanced at Marie and her daughter. Harsh as it might sound, the two of them would only be liabilities.

"Marie, take your daughter and get back to the hotel. I’ll be right behind you."

The woman’s eyes widened. She wanted to argue, say she could support him and fight, but she knew that she couldn’t. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Against such a zombie, she’d be the first one to die.

So, she pressed her lips tightly, turned around, and started running.

Marcus looked at her but didn’t say anything. He also wanted her to escape.

The zombie looked at Marie, who was leaving, then shifted its gaze to Leon. As if contemplating something, it tilted its head, then jumped down.

BANG!

The ground cracked and splintered as the zombie landed on the streets. Then, it rose to its feet.

Leon’s eyes widened at its height, realizing it was unnaturally tall, almost seven-foot-tall.

’Good grief. Where the fuck did this zombie originate from?’

It was tall, skinny, and had bones jutting from its flesh, forming natural armor.

On its forehead was a yellow crystal, signifying that it was a Tier One Evolved zombie.

’Oh well, next question. How do I not die here?’