The silence after battle was a strange thing.
It wasn't peace. It was the heavy breath between storms—the kind that made survivors look up at the gray sky and wonder when lightning would strike again.
Zone 5, though scarred at its edges, stood intact. Unlike Zone 4's ravaged streets and broken homes, the battle here had taken place far from where the people lived. And so the heart of the community still beat, trembling but alive.
Leo walked alone through the freshly conquered Zone 5, his boots crunching over dried earth and bloodstains.
Survivors—now his people—watched from windows and doorways with wide, uncertain eyes.
Some bore bandages. Others bore guilt. Most bore fear. But none dared speak.
He passed medics tending to wounded fighters, the groans of the injured humming faintly in the air. Jack, Ana, Victoria, and others were busy coordinating recovery, speaking in hushed tones while giving orders and distributing supplies.
Then it came—the cold pulse of the system.
[Ding!]
You have successfully integrated Zone 5 into your camp. You can now expand and fortify the camp to the next level.
Leo didn't hesitate. With a flick of his hand, he summoned the interface and pressed "Yes."
The ground trembled.
Red mist crept in like a tide. Veins of scarlet light crawled across the buildings, binding Zone 5 into the blood camp's dominion.
From its foundations to its watchtowers, everything was altered—hardened, sharpened, and forged anew. The architecture grew darker. Sharper. Crimson banners emerged where none had existed before. The scent of iron hung thick in the air.
This was no longer Zone 5. It was another fortress in the domain of the Blood Sovereign.
But Leo's gaze wasn't on the changed walls. He was already thinking ahead.
He stood in the newly constructed war hall—stone, steel, and blood-threaded banners lining the walls. There, Lila waited, leaning against a support pillar, her armor scuffed, her midsection wrapped tightly in gauze.
"You shouldn't be standing yet," Leo said, his voice calm but carrying authority.
"I've had worse," she replied, though the wince that followed betrayed her lie.
Leo walked to the center of the hall and stopped.
"You fought well," he said.
Lila's head lowered slightly. "I lost. Badly."
"You didn't die," Leo countered. "That means you learned."
Silence stretched between them. She was proud. Fierce. But even pride had its boundaries, and hers had been crossed thoroughly by Leo's overwhelming strength.
"What now?" she asked finally.
"I need someone to govern this zone."
She blinked. "Me?"
"You're respected here. You know the people. They trust you. That's enough. My other commanders will be at my side when I conquer the remaining zones. But I need someone who can hold this place steady."
"You're giving me... power?" she said, confused.
"No. I'm giving you responsibility."
Lila looked at him for a long moment. She had expected punishment, exile, perhaps even execution. Not this. Not trust. Not faith.
Her perception of Leo shifted in those moments—from a tyrant to something... more. He wasn't just powerful. He was calculated. Strategic. Gracious when needed.
"Serve me well," Leo said, already turning to leave. "Rule them like you used to. Just remember... they serve under my banner now."
She watched him go, her fingers unconsciously curling into a fist. It wasn't humiliation she felt anymore. It was something far more dangerous: devotion.
—
Elsewhere in the zone, Ana, Victoria, and the other survivors were hard at work.
Victoria knelt beside a wounded man, pressing herbs against his arm as Ana stitched another's leg. Sweat beaded their foreheads.
"This went easier than I expected," Victoria whispered.
Ana nodded, wiping blood from her gloves. "Casualties were minimal."
"But still blood was spilled," Victoria added.
"Yes," Ana agreed. "And it won't be the last."
Their eyes met, somber understanding passing between them. Conquest brought power—but it always demanded sacrifice.
—
Later that night, as Leo sat alone in his chamber, the system flickered again.
[System Update: Warning!]
Each time a new zone is conquered, a mutated beast will rise and attack the new territory. Time until arrival: 48 hours.
Leo exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "So, they're sending another one, huh?"
He didn't fear it.
Not anymore.
The last beast had been tough. But it had also fed him. Fueled him. And this new monster? Another step up the ladder.
Another core to consume.
Two days passed in steady preparation. Defenses were reinforced. Blood Camp soldiers trained tirelessly. But Leo didn't rest. He sat atop the wall on the second morning, staring at the horizon.
Then the rumbling came.
A distant, guttural scream echoed across the plains. Dust clouds billowed on the horizon. Shadows moved beneath it.
They came.
A horde of forty to fifty zombies—ravenous, flesh-starved, howling beasts that clawed toward the camp with hunger in their eyes.
And at their center stood a giant—at least three meters tall. Muscle-bound, bone-armored, its mouth distended in a permanent snarl. Its skin cracked with glowing red lines.
[Threat Level: Class Alpha - Level 3 Mutation Detected]
The others would panic. They would scream, hide, rally. But Leo?
He jumped.
From the wall.
Landing like thunder.
His eyes glowed crimson as he faced the wave.
He raised a hand.
"Blood Swipe."
A massive arc of blood tore through the air like a blade.
It bisected the entire horde in one sweep.
Corpses rained down behind him.
Only the mutated beast remained.
The monster roared. Bones jutted from its arms like blades. It charged like a predator, fast and savage.
Leo stood his ground.
Then, just before impact—sidestep.
He spun, planting his foot into the beast's ribs. A shockwave erupted.
The creature staggered, but retaliated instantly—its claws slashing toward Leo's head. Leo ducked, narrowly avoiding decapitation, and slid back across the dirt.
The air trembled.
Leo summoned his sword—dark steel veined in red.
He lunged. Steel met bone in a scream of sparks.
The beast pushed back.
Again. And again. Blades clashed. Fists met fists. Claws raked across skin. Blood flew.
The ground was shredded beneath them.
Leo bled from his shoulder. The beast snarled, now with a gash across its face.
Then the beast leapt—spinning midair, bringing its bone-arm down like a hammer.
Leo blocked.
But the impact sent him crashing into the wall.
Cracks webbed beneath him.
He spat blood. Grinned.
"Finally… a real fight."
He vanished.
A blur.
Behind the beast—slash.
Blood exploded from the monster's back.
But it turned, unfazed, and landed a punch square into Leo's ribs.
Bones cracked.
Leo coughed violently—but didn't retreat.
Instead, he grabbed the beast's wrist—twisted—and drove his knee into its chin.
The beast reeled.
Leo didn't stop. He swung his blade again—cutting deep into the creature's thigh.
Another punch.
More blood.
Pain blurred his vision—but he kept smiling.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of violence, Leo managed to impale the beast's chest. It staggered. Dropped.
And didn't rise.
[Ding!]
Level 3 Beast Eliminated. Core Drop Available.
Leo collapsed to one knee. His breaths were ragged.
But his hand reached forward.
Toward the glowing red orb embedded in the creature's corpse.
He took it.
And consumed it.
The pain was immediate—flesh burning, blood boiling.
[Blood Path Mutation Level Increased: 3 ➝ 4]
The world faded.
And he awoke in the Blood Realm.
There, the Sovereign's voice whispered again.
"Control it. Feel it. Let the blood flow through every vein—until you become it."
Leo did.
He channeled the pain. The energy. The transformation.
And emerged anew.
Power surged in his limbs. Vision sharpened. Muscles pulsed.
He had leveled up—from Awakened Tier 10 (Level 2) to Ascended Tier 1 (Level 3).
His Blood Path had evolved.
Finally things were going good.